Questions and Answers About Sugars

Think about the foods and drinks you most enjoy—do they have anything in common? Chances are, many of them contain some form and quantity of sugar. It could be naturally occurring sugars, like in fresh fruits and vegetables, or it could be the added sugars that are typically found in desserts. We are born liking sweet taste, and most people continue to enjoy the sweet taste of sugars throughout their life. Unfortunately, most Americans consume more added sugar than is recommended by health and nutrition experts. But that doesn’t mean that sugars need to be eliminated from a balanced plan for healthy eating. This article addresses common questions that many people have about sugars and their role in a healthful diet. What are sugars? Sugars are carbohydrates, one of the three macronutrients—along with dietary fat and protein—that provide us with calories. But all carbohydrates are not sugars. Sugars occur naturally in dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Sugars are also used as ingredients in many packaged foods and beverages. The most familiar sugar is sucrose (i.e., table sugar), which is a disaccharide made of two simple sugars: the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. Sucrose, fructose, and glucose are examples of sugars that are naturally occurring but are also used as added sugars. Other sugars commonly added to foods include corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup. Why are sugars added to foods? Sugars play important roles in foods, and taste is only one of them. In addition to sweet taste, sugars provide various technical functions in food science, including contributing to a food’s color, structure, and texture; balancing acidity; controlling crystallization in candies and chocolates; providing a medium for the growth of yeast in baked goods; and preventing spoilage by binding water to reduce its activity. Are sugars safe to eat? The U.S. Food […]

insights

Top 5 Takeaways About Fiber, Fruit & Vegetable Consumption & Its Impact On The Gut Microbiome

Over the past few years, the terms “microbiome” and “gut health” have exploded into the public consciousness due to an increase in newly published scientific research, media coverage, health and wellness trends, and food and beverage product innovation. Interestingly, Google Trends data show a steep incline in the amount of people searching for “microbiome,” indicating a steady increase in public awareness and curiosity in what factors impact our gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microbes, collectively called the gut microbiome. The amount and types of bacteria found in our gastrointestinal tracks and our entire bodies can vary drastically from person to person, and there has been some debate about what makes up a “healthy” human microbiome. Specifically, there is great interest in the health impact of consuming fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, on the gut microbiome. Researchers focused on the gut microbiome extensively examine how dietary choices can impact the gut microbial profile, including the influence of prebiotics and probiotics from foods and beverages. This new and emerging research field has shed additional light on the fact that eating more fruits and vegetables is important for positive health outcomes. While this connection may not be surprising, it is troublesome when we consider that most people do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Expert Webinar, “An Apple A Day? Emerging Research On The Impact Of Fruits, Vegetables & Fiber On The Gut Microbiome,” explored how fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, impact the gut microbiome, as well as new research on the diverse makeup of prebiotic and probiotic availability in fruits and vegetables and potential positive health impacts. Here are the top takeaways from the webinar, featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson and Dr. Wisnu Wicaksono (of the Dr. […]

insights

What is the Vegan Diet?

Vegan and vegetarian diets appear to be among the top food trends, but there is evidence that some people have been eating a predominantly plant-based or vegetarian diet for centuries. However, it wasn’t until 1944 that the term “vegan” was coined.

article

2017 Food and Health Survey: “A Healthy Perspective: Understanding American Food Values”

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2017 Food & Health Survey, “A Healthy Perspective: Understanding American Food Values,” marks the 12th edition of an ongoing investigation into the beliefs and behaviors of Americans. This year, the survey investigates important issues regarding consumer confusion, the food information landscape, health and diet, food components, food production, sustainability, and food safety. Download Full Survey Survey Resources: Summary Documents: <!– Past Survey Results: 2016   |  2015   |   2014   |   2013   |   2012   |   2011 2010   |   2009   |   2008   |   2007   |   2006 –>

Media

Solving Sodium: New Consumer Research Signals Significant Knowledge Gaps, Consumption Concerns & Motivation to Improve Health

(Washington, D.C.) — Salt (i.e., sodium chloride) has consistently been indispensable for preserving, improving texture and enhancing flavor of our food, in addition to sodium’s role as an essential nutrient in human nutrition. But despite these benefits, excess dietary sodium intake is linked to health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. The International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) latest Spotlight Survey: American Consumer Perceptions of Sodium In The Diet dives into the U.S. consumer mindset, their knowledge of how much they consume contrasted with the recommended amounts, and trusted sources of information about sodium. “Effective communication begins with understanding consumers’ knowledge of sodium recommendations and their perceptions of just how much sodium they believe they consume every day. After conducting our research, we unveiled major knowledge gaps when it comes to individual sodium intake and dietary guidance recommendations,” IFIC President & CEO, Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, said. “These insights are critical in educating the public and ultimately, improving public health.” Nine Out Of 10 Americans Consume Too Much Sodium Dietary guidance suggests that American adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, however the average American adult consumes about 3,400 mg. In fact, according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, nine out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium. More than 70% of the sodium that Americans consume comes from packaged and prepared foods, while about 11% is added during cooking or eating. According to the latest IFIC consumer research, when Americans consider sources of sodium in their diets, 29% say the top source is packaged foods, such as canned food or frozen meals. Nearly four in ten say their top sources of dietary sodium are the salt added during cooking (22%) or while eating (15%). “Our research […]

Media

Go Further with Food: Nutrient Density

The first article in our “Go Further with Food” series focused on food waste. Now we turn our attention from throwing out less food to throwing in more nutrient-dense food to further our health. Food has a lot offer. It’s how we sustain life and it’s a big part of how we enjoy life too. But food can also present a conundrum. While it’s critical that we each get enough to eat, eating too much too often can be detrimental to health as well. And even if we consume the right amount of food, we also have to think about getting the right amount and types of nutrients. Striking the right balance between nutritional quality and calorie quantity, a ratio that describes the nutrient density of our diet, isn’t always easy to do. How do we know if something is nutrient-dense? Nutrient density can be a tricky concept to understand. Luckily, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) has taken care of the definition of “nutrient-dense” for us. And as it turns out, it’s not just about the foods, but how they’re prepared as well. According to the DGA, “All vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans and peas, unsalted nuts and seeds, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry — when prepared with little or no added solid fats, sugars, refined starches, and sodium — are nutrient-dense foods.” How can you increase the nutrient density of your diet? Every food choice presents the opportunity to increase the nutrient density of our diet, but not everything we eat needs to be nutrient-dense. Rather, the goal is for the overall diet to be nutrient-dense. One way to do this is by thinking more critically while grocery shopping, since that’s where many of our eating patterns begin to take […]

article

Water Use Stewardship in the Food System

The use of natural resources such as water in food production is a sustainability issue that continues to be on the radar of many farmers, food processors and consumers. In many regions of the world, water scarcity is on the rise as the demand for food production increases. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that agriculture remained a major user of fresh water in the United States and that the 2017 Census of Agriculture reported that there is a total of 58 million acres of irrigated cropland in the U.S. USDA goes onto note that sustainable irrigation and water use practices are at the core of managing food production efficiency and responsible natural resource usage. What do these water saving practices in our food system entail? Let’s take a look at farm and food processing plant activities to learn more. Water and Farming Do Mix Of course, growing crops needs a notable amount of water to ensure productivity, but farmers aim not to waste any. Part of proper crop-growing and wise water use is linked to advances in irrigation techniques, which allow water to move from one location to the next. Water not absorbed into the ground for crops can collect at the low end of furrows, border strips and basins. This wastewater is also referred to as irrigation tailwater. A certain amount of tailwater runoff is needed to ensure adequate penetration of water and irrigation efficiency, but the additional tailwater can be safely reused. Another source of agricultural wastewater, albeit a bit more indirect, is runoff from centralized plant facilities processing crops harvested from the field. Both of these sources of wastewater can be reclaimed and used on neighboring farms or on the farm where it was generated. Wastewater that collects at the low end of furrows can be used for the irrigation […]

insights

A “Basic” Examination of the Alkaline Diet

The web is once again abuzz with suspicious claims about the alkaline diet. A staple of some alternative medicine circles for years now, this eating plan isn’t new to the pantheon of internet health-woo.  Practitioners of this food fad claim that it can help prevent many ailments, including cancer, by regulating your internal pH. Sound suspicious yet? You don’t need a PhD in chemistry for this diet to raise some major red flags. A quick examination of the science, and a few simple facts about the human body, show that this diet is… pretty basic. What is an alkaline diet? Some compounds produced through digestion are acidic while other compounds are basic (alkaline). As a quick chemistry primer: Acids and bases are measured on the pH scale. On the pH scale, 0-7 represents an acidic compound, while 7-14 represents a basic compound. Alkaline diet proponents claim that alkaline compounds (7-14 on the pH scale) are good for the body, and that a build-up of acidic compounds (0-7 on the pH scale) could lead to negative health effects. The main goal of the alkaline diet is to increase the amount of “alkaline foods” you eat and decrease the rest. Which foods are included (and excluded)? Many foods that are staples of a healthy eating pattern are actually included in the alkaline diet. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are all included as “alkaline foods.” Plant-based proteins from beans and soy products are also heavily encouraged on an alkaline diet. Unfortunately, that is where the good recommendations stop. The alkaline diet encourages adherents to (unnecessarily) restrict dairy, eggs, meats and cheeses. Besides the fact that these foods definitely don’t affect the pH of your blood (more on that later), the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans show that they are important parts of a healthy eating […]

article