Getting Personal: How Much Sodium Do We Need?

In the field of nutrition, one thing is clear: There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to a healthy, maintainable eating pattern. Our genetics and environment play significant roles in how our bodies respond to and use certain foods and nutrients. Today, let’s focus on sodium. Sodium is a vital mineral that is part of sodium chloride, more commonly known as table salt. We add sodium to foods ourselves when we sprinkle salt on soups, pasta, or roasted vegetables. It’s also found in many packaged and prepared foods, where it not only adds flavor but also contributes to texture and freshness in its role as a preservative. Sodium can increase the overall safety and quality of our food by lowering water activity, thus prolonging a food product’s shelf life and delaying spoilage. In fact, salt was used as the primary method of preserving meats and various other foods before the invention of industrialized refrigeration. Ninety percent of the sodium we consume is in the form of sodium chloride, but other sodium compounds, such as sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, are used as antimicrobial agents in some foods. On average, ten percent of our sodium intake comes from adding it during home cooking or at the table, and another ten to fifteen percent occurs naturally in foods, especially meats. More than 70% of our sodium intake comes from packaged foods or restaurant meals. How does sodium affect our health? A small amount of sodium is essential to keep our bodies working as they should. It’s critical for things like muscle function (including the heart) and keeping our nervous system working properly, and it helps to control fluid balance. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, which is the amount of sodium in […]

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Go Further with Food: Get to Know the New Nutrition Facts Label

This third article in our “Go Further with Food” series enhances our understanding of the new Nutrition Facts label.The first article in the series focused on food waste, and the second turned its attention from throwing out less food to throwing more nutrient-dense food in your diet. If you’re under the age of 30, here’s something that just might blow your mind: There was a time when finding nutrition information on packaged food wasn’t a guarantee. For most of modern history, nutrition facts weren’t required. This all changed in November 1990 when the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) became law. Prior to the NLEA, mandatory information on packaged foods was limited to the food’s name, quantity, ingredients and the name and address of the manufacturer. Nutrition information had to appear only on foods making a nutrition claim or if they were fortified with vitamins, minerals or protein. Then, on May 8, 1994, the Nutrition Facts label was born, and although by now we may take the label for granted, it is arguably the most viewed piece of graphic design in American society. Think about it: It appears on nearly every food item in the grocery store; the average grocery store has nearly 40,000 food items; the average American shopper makes 1.5 trips to the grocery store every week; and 23 percent of Americans report that they always look at Nutrition Facts when making a purchase. In the 24 years since its debut, the Nutrition Facts label has remained remarkably unchanged, with the biggest update coming in 2006 when trans fats labeling became mandatory. While a new line for trans fat information was created, the label’s iconic design remained intact. Now its look is changing. At the time we’re writing this, the deadlines for larger companies to put the new […]

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Unscrambling the Science Behind Eggs and Heart Health

Sworn off eggs because you heard they were bad for your heart? Turns out, eggs have a complicated history with heart health. Because cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, and diet plays an important role in the development of CVD, there is a good deal of research interest in examining the relationship between diet and CVD. As such, a new observational study examined the relationship between egg consumption and CVD, delivering a much-needed sunny side to the science. Key Points of the Study Researchers used data from an ongoing observational study of more than half a million adults aged 30 to 79 from 10 different locations in China. They narrowed their focus to people who had not been previously diagnosed with cancer, diabetes or CVD, resulting in a sample size of just over 461,000 people. Participants were asked how often they ate eggs, along with other questions about their diet and health history, and were stratified by level of egg intake. Then the highest and lowest levels of intake were compared: 13 percent of participants reported eating eggs daily (amounting to about ¾ of an egg per day), while 9 percent said they never or rarely consumed eggs (about ⅓ of an egg per day). After nearly nine years of follow-up, 83,977 people had been diagnosed with CVD, 9,985 of whom had died. There were 5,103 “major coronary events,” such as stroke or heart attack. Results showed that daily egg consumption was associated with an 11 percent reduction in risk of developing CVD as compared to those who never or rarely consumed eggs, as well as an 18 percent lower risk of death from CVD. Daily egg consumers also had a 26 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke and a 12 percent reduced risk of ischemic […]

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Added Sugars Labeling for Honey and Maple Syrup: A Less-Sticky Situation

Key Highlights: The iconic U.S. Nutrition Facts label is more than three decades old. In 1990, the U.S. Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) established that standardized nutrition information must appear on food and beverage packaging. In 1994, the NLEA became effective, and the Nutrition Facts label as we know it today made its debut. Fast forward to 2016, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was ready to update the look of the original label—along with some of the information the label is required to provide. As a result, the Nutrition Facts label now displays information about sugars in two ways: as Added Sugars and Total Sugars. The FDA’s revision clarifies the way sugars are labeled with the intent to provide information that can help people follow Dietary Guidelines recommendations. For most food and beverage products, these updates are straightforward. Take cow’s milk, for example. There are 12 grams of sugars in one serving (one cup) of milk. These sugars are all listed on the Nutrition Facts label as Total Sugars because they come from lactose, a naturally occurring sugar found in the milk of mammals. Flavored cow’s milk, like chocolate milk, contains 12 grams of naturally occurring lactose per serving, but it also has sugars like high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose added to it. If 12 grams of added sugars are in a serving of flavored milk in addition to the 12 grams of naturally occurring sugars, then 24 grams would be listed under Total Sugars and 12 grams would be listed under Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts label. What about the labeling of sugars in pure honey and pure maple syrup? The labeling of sugars gets stickier for foods like pure (100%) honey and pure (100%) maple syrup because these foods don’t just contain sugars—they are […]

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Gut Check: Probiotics and the Microbiome

When you think of the word “probiotics”, what comes to mind? A cup of yogurt or a bottle of dietary supplement capsules probably rises to the top, but over the last few years the presence of probiotics has expanded. Take a walk through the grocery store and you’ll see everything from fermented foods to fruit juices to baking mixes broadcasting their probiotic content. But does guzzling a kombucha have the same effect as taking a capsule? Are there benefits to probiotics for those of us who are already eat pretty healthy? And what the heck are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium? Let’s back up for a minute and define the term “probiotic”. In 2001 the World Health Organization endorsed probiotics as, “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. The premise is that consuming probiotics will enhance or restore balance to our gut microbiome which, if you’ve been keeping up with our Gut Check series, you know as the microbes that inhabit our gastrointestinal tracts. Probiotic bacteria are necessary for the fermentation of dairy products like yogurt and kefir as well as foods like kimchi and sauerkraut, and with their growing popularity it seems like probiotics are being added to all kinds of food and drinks. Probiotic-containing products will mention them on food packaging with the phrase “contains live and active cultures” and also listing specific types of bacteria in the ingredients list. The problem is that at this point, we don’t know exactly what an “ideal” microbiome is, and it might vary from person to person. For a generally healthy person who isn’t struggling with gastrointestinal issues, it’s unclear if probiotics from food can truly take root in an already-crowded microbial landscape. Think about it: If millions and millions of gut bacteria have already […]

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Food Packaging: More Than Just Plastic, Tin or Metal

In 2017, the American consumer averaged 1.5 grocery shopping trips per week. While most of us focus a lot on the taste and price of our food, we might also stop to think for a moment about how the food is packaged and how it benefits everyone who grocery-shops, no matter how frequently. Packaging — durable, strong and resistant — is one of the many reasons we have a safe food supply: It protects food. It’s also efficient and convenient for transporting food. Let’s take a closer look at the main roles of food packaging: safety, protection, convenience, efficiency and information. Safety and Protection Food packaging can help extend shelf life. That means keeping food safe to eat for longer periods of time. Exposure to oxygen can cause spoilage, so some foods need airtight packaging. Losing or gaining moisture can also be a problem. You don’t want your food to make you sick, and food packaging can keep microorganisms that cause foodborne illness out. Packaging material also has to be safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates them for safety by reviewing any substances that are in contact with food. Although some migration may occur over time, the levels detected are not high enough to be considered harmful. Packaging also must protect food from being crushed or damaged — no one would dare ship eggs in a paper bag. Convenience, Efficiency and Information The science of packaging has made it easy for you to pick up what you need, and in the right amount. You can store your food, open the package, see what you are eating and properly dispose of it when it’s no longer suitable for use or reuse. Packaging is also your main source of information about the product inside, such as nutritional value, ingredients […]

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Here’s to a Healthier Year: IFIC’s Tips for Staying on Track With Nutrition-Related New Year’s Resolutions

The new year always presents an opportunity for reflection and a look ahead, particularly when it comes to behaviors and patterns related to our health and nutrition. In fact, according to IFIC’s 2021 COVID-19 and the Holidays Survey, 44% of Americans intended to make a New Year’s resolution in 2022 related to what they ate and drank. Among those who intended to make this type of change, the most popular resolutions were “eating less sugar” (with 45% saying so), “losing weight” (44%), and “improving the healthfulness of my diet” (38%). Whether your upcoming resolutions reflect those listed above, or whether you intend to make food-related changes in other areas, one of the most important parts of creating any resolution is making sure that you are setting yourself up for success. Here are some SMART-goals-inspired tips that can help you feel more confident in making a nutrition-related resolution—and sticking to it. By implementing some SMART-goal-inspired tips, you can help set up yourself for success in meeting your New Year’s resolution. And remember, you should feel excited about your resolutions! – they should challenge you, but they shouldn’t be a huge additional stressor, either.

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Everything You Need to Know About Aspartame

Download the Aspartame Fact Sheet for Consumers here Download the Aspartame Fact Sheet for Health Professionals here What is Aspartame? Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that has been used for decades as a way to lower one’s intake of added sugars while still providing satisfaction from enjoying something sweet. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, and as such only a small amount of the sweetener is needed to match the sweetness provided by sugar. In tabletop packets and prepared foods and beverages, aspartame is often blended with other sweeteners or food components to minimize bitter flavors and enhance overall taste. Aspartame consists of two amino acids—aspartic acid and phenylalanine. When ingested, aspartame is broken down into these amino acids for use in protein synthesis and metabolism. In addition to aspartic acid and phenylalanine, aspartame digestion also yields a small amount of methanol, a compound that is naturally found in foods like fruits and vegetables and their juices. The amount of methanol resulting from consuming an aspartame-sweetened beverage is about five to six times less than that resulting from the same volume of tomato juice.1 Aspartame can be used as an ingredient in beverages (such as diet sodas, light or low-sugar juices and flavored waters), dairy products (such as light yogurt and low-fat flavored milk), nutrition bars, desserts (such as sugar-free puddings and gelatins, light ice cream and popsicles), chewing gum, sauces, syrups and condiments. Aspartame is also found in several types of low-calorie tabletop sweeteners. The most common brand of aspartame tabletop sweetener in the U.S. is Equal®. Brands outside the U.S. include Canderel® (found in Europe) and Pal Sweet® (found in Asia). In addition, some prescription and over-the-counter medications and chewable vitamins may contain aspartame to increase their palatability. Aspartame is not well-suited for use in foods […]

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