Everything You Need to Know About Grains

Known as the “harvested seeds of grasses”, humans have been consuming grains for thousands of years. From maize (corn) originating in Mexico, to rice in Asia, to wheat in the Middle East, grains are diet staples in most cultures. In fact, these three account for 51% of the calories consumed globally. Grains seem to be everywhere, but now its time to take a hearty bite into the bounty. The History of Grain Processing These seeds fall into three different main categories: whole, refined and enriched. Whole grains are made up of the entire grain including; the bran, which contains fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants; the germ, which contains healthy fats, minerals, B vitamins and some protein; and endosperm, the largest part on the grain composed of mostly starch. Brown rice, whole wheat, oats and quinoa are all examples of whole grains. Whole grains can help to keep your gut healthy, blood sugar levels stable, and aid in weight loss. New milling techniques discovered in the late 1800s allowed refined grains to emerge. This process removes the germ and bran which improves the texture, palatability and shelf life of grains and grain products. Some of the most common refined grain products include pasta, white bread and white rice. The downside to the refining process was that the fiber and nutrients, like B vitamins and iron, were getting lost. This processing “advancement” actually led to many nutrition deficiencies and diseases such as pellagra and beriberi since those nutrients were no longer in the grains people were eating. Cue enriched grains and fortification! To solve the deficiency problem, in the 1940s, many governments required refined grains to be enriched with certain B vitamins and iron to bring the levels back up to normal. Known as fortification, this process sometimes added more nutrients than […]

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Your Complete Guide to Food Safety

The United States has one of the safest food systems in the world. However, there are still safety issues that can arise or you still may just want to know more about where your food comes from. Take a look at our resources that highlight the ways our food is grown, raised, regulated and also ways consumers can use food handling practices to help ensure safety as well. Pesticide Residues Pesticides & Food: What You Need to Know In order to provide a plentiful and diverse food supply, conventional and organic farmers have multiple options to protect crops from weeds and pests—including pesticides. Even with strict safety standards in place to help ensure the safety of our food, you may have questions about the use of pesticides in food production, as well as potential pesticide residues on food. Pesticides: Myths vs. Reality [INFOGRAPHIC] When it comes to pesticides, there is a lot of debate in the media about what is true and what is false. Once and for all, let’s debunk some of the most common myths about pesticides—their regulation, safety, and their use on both organic and conventional produce. Meat Production Five Ways Farmers Love Their Animals Animal welfare best practices have evolved in the past 50 years, but the foundation of these practices are the “five freedoms.” The five freedoms are internationally recognized as providing animal welfare guidance to farmers and those who deal with livestock to ensure high ethical standards and low instances of mistreatment.   “Meat-ing” Consumer Expectations of Ethical Animal Welfare The animal agriculture community, made up of farmers and ranchers, veterinarians, nutritionists, meat processing companies and more, recognizes that animal welfare is a subject of interest – and possibly even concern – for many consumers. The animal agriculture community has worked to become more and […]

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A Clearer Look at Lutein

“Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes,” was what my mom always used to tell me. She was right, carrots are filled with carotenoids, including lutein, that help protect against macular degeneration and damaging free radicals. Lutein, along with other carotenoids, also occurs naturally in egg yolks and dark, leafy greens, such as spinach and kale. In recent years, however, lutein has been singled out for possibly more health benefits than simply protecting against a leading cause of blindness (which seems pretty good on its own if you ask me.) Blogs and other sites across the web cite published research proclaiming its powers against blue light (from electronic screens), atherosclerosis (a common cause of heart attacks), diabetes, inflammation, skin damage and – most enticing of all – increased longevity. Many recommend it be taken as a supplement in order to absorb the maximum amount possible and garner its effects to the fullest. This is where anyone looking for the next miracle-pill needs to begin to reel in their hopes and proceed with caution. It has been shown in countless studies that lutein is present in and necessary for optimal eye function. It does indeed help filter (emphasize on help and not completely stop) blue light in our eyes. However, it has not yet been conclusively shown that the same effects are possible when lutein is taken as a supplement instead of consumed as part of a food. In terms of diabetes, lutein from food or supplement won’t cure it, but it can help prevent retinal damage leading to blindness caused by diabetes. And today, diabetes remains the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Apart from keeping our eyes healthy, lutein, as an antioxidant, can help reduce the effects of free radicals in the skin and other areas of the […]

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Nitrites: One Reason Our Food is Safe and Bacon is Tasty

Nitrites don’t make it on your grocery list but likely end up in your fridge. They have several roles in foods and have become a necessary component in many of our favorite products. Their most common use in foods is inclusion in cured meats, but they are present in many dietary sources including vegetables and drinking water. Their use in food preservation is nothing new. The Romans were the first to note the benefits of nitrites as early as 850 B.C. While it remains a key component of many products to this day, its use is misunderstood. Let’s learn more about this food ingredient and what it adds. What are Nitrites? When you see “nitrites” listed on a food ingredient statement, it is likely added as sodium or potassium salt of nitrate or nitrite, not too far off from the familiar sodium chloride (table salt). When nitrates are added to a food, it often loses an oxygen molecule and becomes nitrite. In fact, your mouth bacteria achieve this same conversion with high efficiency. For this article, we will be referring to the both as nitrites. When the salt is added to a food, it will appear as “nitrites” on the label, but there are other ways this compound can find its way in a product. Now that we know what it is, the next question is: why add nitrites to food in the first place? Are They Safe? Nitrites help make foods safer for us to eat. Nitrites reduce the possible presence of botulism in many products. Botulism is the most potent food toxin and has a lethal dose at the nanogram level. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) take the threat of botulism so seriously that nitrites are required to call a […]

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Frequently Asked Questions on Pesticides and Food Safety

Farmers have a number of practices in their “toolbox” to grow all the nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains our diets rely upon. But the use of pesticides is not well understood. Pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops. Maybe you know a little about pesticides or maybe you know a lot. Either way, our frequently asked questions (FAQ) list below should shine some light on any lingering questions about farming and pesticide use: Q: What are pesticides and how are they used? A: Pesticides are chemicals that are tactically applied to organic and conventional crops in order to protect them from insects, rodents, weeds and types of fungal growths. The use of pesticides must be documented by farmers and is regulated by several government agencies worldwide. Q: Are there other benefits to using pesticides to consider? A: By keeping pests and weeds at bay, the use of pesticides helps farmers to produce high-quality fruits and vegetables quicker and with greater yields. Pesticides also increase the shelf life of several crops because they help to prevent the growth of mold and mildew that can increase spoilage. This reduces the cost of your favorite fruits and vegetables and can make them safer to eat. Q: Are fruits and vegetables safe to eat if they have been treated with pesticides? A: Yes. The chemicals used in pesticides are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These agencies monitor the types and amount of pesticides used on all crops. Based on scientific evidence, these agencies have deemed the use of pesticides to be safe and the residues that remain on food, if any, do not cause adverse health effects. Q: Are there other general concerns about the use of pesticides to […]

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In the Know about Nutrigenomics

Here at the IFIC Foundation and in my time spent as a nutrition researcher, I’ve read piles of studies showing that some research subjects showed a health benefit from a dietary intervention, while others responded in the opposite way or didn’t change at all. One of the typical explanations is that “genetic variation” played a role in the differences. But what are these genetic variations? How do the foods we eat interact with our genes? And how does this relate to our overall health? These questions are at the heart of a developing area of science called nutrigenomics.  First Things First, Let’s Talk Genetics Before we can really dig into the details, a little Genetics 101 might be helpful (I know, I know…). Thinking back to high school science class, remember that genes are the tiny bits of information that code for everything from “make your hair curly” to “make a new muscle cell” – basically, they’re the body’s instruction manual. Genes are what make up our DNA, and the genome is our entire set of DNA. When the info coded in our genes is activated, it’s called gene expression. While we can’t change our genes, we can change is our gene expression through doing things like exercising, sleeping, or, in our area of interest, eating. What is Nutrigenomics? Now that we’ve covered some the basics of genetics, let’s talk about nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics studies how our individual genetic makeup contributes to how we process what we eat and drink, and how this may affect health outcomes like obesity or cardiovascular disease risk. It looks at the interaction between nutrients and other dietary compounds with the human genome – all the way down at the molecular level. Work in nutrigenomics began about 15 years ago after the conclusion of the Human […]

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What Is Personalized Nutrition?

In recent years, a more personal approach to healthcare has grown in popularity. At the same time, consumers have become increasingly aware that “healthy” doesn’t mean the same thing to everybody—not to mention that defining what constitutes full health and wellness is a demanding task for anyone. What’s more, the Healthy Eating Index of Americans, which represents how healthfully individuals in the U.S. eat, indicates that there’s room for improvement for all of us—with an average healthy eating score of 58 out of 100. But while many of us would like to improve our diets, barriers such as daily stresses; work, family, and school responsibilities; budget constraints; and lack of complete knowledge about nutrition can make healthy eating challenging. Is there a better, more targeted approach to helping people make healthier lifestyle changes? A burgeoning field known as personalized nutrition aims to bridge the gap. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of personalized nutrition, including what it is, how it works, and its potential limitations. The basics of personalized nutrition Good nutrition is critical to human growth, development, and disease prevention. Personalized nutrition tailors general, population-based nutrition advice to a particular person’s needs and preferences while considering unique characteristics like individual lifestyle, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, health history, DNA, and gender. Personalized nutrition is often used interchangeably with similar approaches and terms, including nutritional genomics, nutrigenomics, nutrigenetics, and precision nutrition. Dr. Christopher Lynch, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Nutrition Research, notes that precision nutrition is “a holistic approach to develop individualized, actionable dietary recommendations for what, when, why, and how to eat to optimize health and quality of life.” In 2022, the NIH awarded $170 million to centers and clinics all across the U.S. to study personalized nutrition in individuals. More research will get […]

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Brush Up on Bacteria: A New Video Series

What do you know about bacteria? Your first thought is likely something like “yuck” and that may be fair. Still, we should point out that there are good bacteria and bad bacteria. Bacteria are all around us, but not all bacteria are harmful. For example, you have a community of bacteria that live in and on your body, and they can support your health — these are good bacteria. There are also bacteria in some foods that are beneficial to health, such as those found in cultured foods like yogurt or sauerkraut. These bacteria can support digestion and your immune system. Bad Little Buggers Now let’s talk about the bad bacteria. These are the bacteria you should avoid because contact with them can make you sick. We’ve highlighted previously that bad bacteria can be encountered from contaminated foods, causing foodborne illness. Safe food-handling techniques like using clean utensils, cooking foods to their proper temperatures and storing foods properly can help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. We have a food system with regulated safety standards, but it’s still important to be diligent in handling food properly before eating it. To give you a few more details on specific bacteria, check out our new video series. Let’s start with our good ol’ pal, Escherichia coli, or more commonly referred to as E. coli. A Sometimes Nasty Guy, E. coli All bacteria have different strains, and there are different characteristics for each type. Some differences include the ability to cause illness or the ability to adapt to specific environments. Bacteria that can cause illness are called pathogenic bacteria or pathogens. There are six pathogenic E. coli strains. Pathogenic E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses. While the majority of E. coli strains are not […]

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