Does Your Diet Affect Your Sleep?

It’s no secret that a healthy diet affects so many different facets of daily life, and sleep is no exception. It’s recommended that adults get seven or more hours of sleep per night. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of three American adults get less than that. Since not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression, focusing on strategies to promote better sleep can lead to better health. While a variety of strategies including exercise, a consistent sleep routine and limiting electronic devices around bedtime can support quality sleep –considering changes to what you eat and drink are other important variables. Sleep 101 Before we dive into the effects of diet on sleep, let’s first discuss the biology of sleep. Sleep is controlled by a variety of hormones in the body, specifically melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate sleep and wake cycles, while serotonin signals the body to make more melatonin. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in a variety of protein-rich foods, is a precursor to melatonin and serotonin, which is why tryptophan-rich foods are often recommended for better sleep. Tryptophan for Sleep Studies have also shown that low tryptophan levels in the diet can impair sleep. Some tryptophan-rich foods include meat, seeds, nuts, cheese, eggs and soy products. Interestingly, there’s not a wide range of tryptophan content among meats; Turkey, chicken and beef have about 300 milligrams of tryptophan per 3-ounce serving. However, ounce for ounce, pumpkin seeds pack the highest tryptophan punch, with about 60% more tryptophan than turkey, chicken or beef. Fruits like cherries and kiwis also contain these sleep-promoting hormones and amino acid. Clinical trials have shown that cherry and kiwi consumption improve sleep quality and duration. […]

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What is Calcium?

Highlights The basics of calcium Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in our bodies and performs many vital roles. It is necessary for bone health, cardiovascular and muscle function, and nervous system signaling. Calcium also acts as a coenzyme for many metabolic processes in the body. Calcium is often most closely associated with the skeletal system, as it is critical for developing and maintaining bone structure and function. Ninety-nine percent of all the calcium in our body is stored within our bones, which act as a reservoir for calcium, releasing more of the mineral when it is needed. Only one percent of body calcium is found outside of the skeletal system; this amount is regulated and kept consistent by the body and does not fluctuate with changes in calcium intake. Our bodies are unable to produce calcium on their own, so we need to obtain the additional calcium our bodies need through our diets. Calcium-rich food sources include dairy products, green cruciferous vegetables and fortified foods such as juices and cereals. Calcium is also available as a dietary supplement. Vitamin D plays a significant role in absorbing calcium from the gastrointestinal tract, so it is important to have adequate amounts of both nutrients to support optimal health. Calcium and health Bone Health One of the most important roles of calcium is assisting with bone development, growth, maintenance and overall structure. Peak bone mass is achieved around the age of 30, at which point bone density is gradually lost due to a continued need for stored calcium for body functions. People who do not consume an adequate amount of calcium before they reach their peak bone mass are at a higher risk of later developing osteoporosis—a disease characterized by low bone density and quality—due to smaller calcium reserves. There are […]

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IFIC weighed in on a new study discussing the adverse effects of combining sucralose and carbohydrates.

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Parents and Caregivers are Focused on Their Kids’ Nutrition, but Obstacles to Healthy Eating are Common

Download the survey results here Download the press release here Our dietary habits as young children have an especially strong influence over how we eat for the rest of our lives, demonstrating the importance of promoting good nutrition early on. Yet the past year has shone a spotlight on the challenges of raising children while balancing many other priorities. Understanding the decisions made by parents and caregivers—and the hurdles they face while trying to provide food for their children—provides valuable information for improving the dietary habits of children nationwide. A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), “Knowledge, Understanding and Behaviors When Feeding Young Children,” examines how parents and caregivers consider current diet recommendations for kids ages 2 to 10, how they interpret and implement nutrition advice, and what information sources adults rely on when making food and dietary choices for children. Methodology Survey results were derived from online interviews of 1,199 U.S. adults, conducted December 12, 2020, to January 4, 2021, by Dynata. Results were weighted to ensure proportional representation of the population, with a margin of error of ±3.1 points at the 95% confidence level, based on the general population sample of n=1,000. An additional 199 interviews were conducted among adults who identified as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish descent to assure adequate number of respondents to support comparisons. The research was supported by Abbott. Knowledge, Understanding and Behaviors When Feeding Young Children: Appendix Data

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Gut Check: Prebiotics and the Microbiome

We might like to think of our gut microbiome as an immobile, somewhat mysterious presence in our gastrointestinal tract. But in reality, these organisms are active, living things—and all living things need food to function. We’ve talked about the beneficial gut bacteria we call probiotics in another Gut Check article, and now it’s time to focus on a very important question: What feeds these organisms? The answer is prebiotics. What Makes Something Prebiotic? If this is your first time hearing extensively about prebiotics, you’re not alone. Our 2018 Food & Health Survey indicates that many people are unfamiliar with the health benefits of these compounds: Only 36 percent of people said they were healthy compared to 62 percent who said the same for probiotics. A whopping 35 percent were unaware of their effect on health. It’s easy to confuse probiotics and prebiotics or assume that they’re the same thing—after all, they differ by only one letter. But if you have one takeaway from this article, make sure it’s that probiotics are the bacteria that are beneficial for our health, and prebiotics are what feed probiotics. The technical definition of prebiotics is “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In simpler terms, we can think of them as carbohydrates that cannot be degraded by human digestive enzymes. Instead, prebiotics travel to our lower gastrointestinal tract where they’re fermented by probiotic bacteria. This results in the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are thought to have a number of beneficial health effects, including reducing risk for certain types of cancer, enhancing calcium absorption, improving bowel function and providing fuel for the cells that line our lower gastrointestinal tract, which maintains a healthy gut barrier against harmful bacteria and other substances that may cause illness. Are prebiotics […]

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Top 5 Takeaways On Dairy Purchase Drivers, Health Impacts & Demographic Considerations

Dairy foods and beverages are recommended as part of a healthy dietary pattern given their well-established benefits according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Still, while Americans acknowledge that dairy foods and beverages are affordable, accessible, and an essential part of a healthy diet, nearly 90% of Americans do not consume the recommended three servings per day.  The International Food Information Council (IFIC) wanted to investigate potential dairy consumption barriers, including those that may be uniquely attributable to race, ethnicity, and/or income level—a query worth exploring as public health and food system stakeholders seek to enhance diet quality and nutrition equity for all Americans.   Data from the IFIC Research: Understanding Fluid Milk & Dairy Food Consumption Patterns to Enhance Diet Quality & Nutrition Equity, which was presented at the IFIC Expert Webinar, Dairy Decisions: Purchase Drivers, Health Impacts & Demographic Considerations, delves deeply into dairy consumption trends and examines the perceptions, motivators, and barriers that may keep consumers from fully experiencing dairy’s benefits, including those that may be uniquely attributable to race, ethnicity, and/or income level.  Here are the top five takeaways from this research:   1. Most people believe dairy is a dietary essential and contains many nutrients they are actively aiming to incorporate.   According to this IFIC research, many consumers believe that dairy is an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet. Consumers are also aware of the nutrients uniquely available in dairy foods and beverages, such as vitamin D, calcium, and protein, many of which they are actively aiming to incorporate into their diets.  Specifically, significantly more Black people are actively trying to incorporate both vitamin D (66%) and calcium (57%) in their diets compared to Non-Hispanic White people (59% and 49%, respectively). The active incorporation of this vitamin in Black populations is interesting as research […]

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At IFIC, collaboration is central to our mission to communicate science-based information on food safety, nutrition and health. Our supporters include food and beverage companies, commodity boards, academic institutions, government agencies, professional societies, and nonprofits. Their support – from funding our mission to research partnerships to serving on our assembly – helps us produce consumer insights, develop expert education and address misinformation with evidence-based communication. Looking for more? Want to collaborate? If your organization shares our passion for science communication, we’d love to work with you.

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Food and Inflammation Series: Is Sugar Inflammatory?

What we eat has long been known to impact our health, and a wealth of research suggests that our eating patterns impact our risk for diet-related chronic diseases. More recently, the conversation surrounding how some dietary choices may lead to the development of chronic inflammation in the body has become a hot area in preventative nutrition. In our Food and Inflammation series, we take a closer look at how different dietary factors are related to inflammation. Our first article focused on gluten. In this next article, let’s look at the connection between sugars and inflammation. What Is Inflammation? Inflammation is a natural process in the body that refers to the immune system’s response to an irritant. In fact, inflammation is how the body protects and heals itself. If you’ve ever had a paper cut or burned your tongue while drinking a hot cup of coffee, your body’s process of healing that wound was the inflammatory response in action. Cuts and burns cause acute inflammation, which is a relatively short-lived physiological healing response. Acute inflammation may also be brought on by infectious factors like bacteria and viruses, non-infectious factors like injuries and chemicals, and psychological factors like stress and excitement. In contrast, chronic inflammation is a long-term physiological response that can last anywhere from weeks to years. Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is not always visible to the naked eye. It can be brought on by a number of factors, including autoimmune conditions, chronic stress, long-term exposure to pollutants, physical inactivity, and the foods and beverages we regularly eat and drink. A state of constant inflammatory response can create chains of destructive bodily reactions that damage cells and are linked to increased risk for adverse health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and certain cancers. The Connection Between Food and […]

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