Gut Check: Sugars and the Gut Microbiome

Welcome to Gut Check, our running series where we explore how the food we eat is connected to our gut microbiome. We recently took a look at how low-calorie sweeteners impact the microbes living in our gut (I’ll summarize here: we still don’t know if, or how, they do). In this article we’re taking a closer look at simple and added sugars and the (limited) research on their connection to our microbial communities. Although you’d never know it from the headlines, eating sugar can be part of a healthy diet. And that’s because sugar isn’t just in candy bars and doughnuts—it’s found naturally in fruits, grains, and dairy products, and even some vegetables. Sugars belong to the group of foods known as carbohydrates, one of the three major macronutrients that we need to sustain life (the other two being fat and protein). When we think of sugar, it tends not to be the sugars found naturally in whole foods. Instead, what typically comes to mind is table sugar, known in science-y terms as sucrose. Sucrose is made up of two sugar molecules, glucose and fructose. We use sucrose in baking, to sweeten our coffee, preserve jams and jellies, and to fuel the yeast that helps us create a loaf of homemade bread. Sucrose, glucose and fructose are classified as simple sugars because they’re not linked in long chains like starches and fiber are. Added sugars are the sugars and syrups that are put into foods during preparation or processing, or added at the table (like when you sprinkle brown sugar on your oatmeal). Since added sugars are usually simple sugars, we’ll lump them together just for today. Unhealthy diets, including those with too many calories from added sugars, are associated with an increased risk for conditions like obesity, type 2 […]

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Gut Check: Prebiotics and Probiotics [INFOGRAPHIC]

We hear so much about eating to improve our “gut health.” These conversations almost always involve a discussion about foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics. But what exactly are they? Where can we find them? And do they really benefit our health? Read on for the details. The World Health Organization defines 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 are the microbes that inhabit our gastrointestinal tracts. Probiotic bacteria are necessary for the fermentation of milk into yogurt and kefir. They’re also responsible for transforming vegetables into foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. During fermentation, bacteria or yeasts convert the starches and sugars found in foods into alcohol or acids. As their popularity grows, 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.” The product label will also list specific types of bacteria in the ingredients list. 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 substances in foods that can’t be broken down by human digestive enzymes. Instead, prebiotics travel to our lower gastrointestinal tract where they’re fermented by probiotic bacteria. In a nutshell, probiotics are microorganisms that are beneficial for our health, and prebiotics are what feed probiotics. Fruit, vegetables, cereals and other edible plants all have potential to provide prebiotics. Artichokes, asparagus, bananas, berries, chicory, garlic, green vegetables, legumes (like peas and beans), onions, tomatoes, oats, barley and wheat are among the sources of naturally occurring prebiotic fiber. If you’re a food label reader, you […]

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What a Dairy Farmer Wants You to Know

Many healthy and delicious foods that come from cows, including milk, cheese and yogurt, are staples in many of our homes. While some people opt for cow’s milk alternatives, a great number of us desire cow’s milk instead. A recent consumer survey of ours found that 62 percent of Americans only buy cow’s milk as opposed to other plant-based milks such as almond or cashew. It could be for a taste preference, tradition or for the hearty nutrition profile that cow’s milk offers. It may make sense that high quality dairy products start with properly cared for cows. But what do dairy farmers do to ensure that their cows are well taken care of and that they produce the best milk possible? To learn more, we caught up with California dairy farmer Brian Fiscalini to tell us more about how he cares for cows and what consumers should know about the dairy business. Q: How long has your family been in the dairy farming business and how have you seen the business change over the years? A: The Fiscalini family has been in the dairy business for over 100 years in California. My great-grandparents dairy farmed in Cambria before relocating to Modesto in 1912. We have been dairy farming at the same location that my great-grandparents purchased over 100 years ago. My love of dairy farming has not changed, although the challenges and volatility of commodity prices have. Q: What are some key challenges you have faced while being a dairy farmer and what did you do to overcome them? A: We continue to clear up misconceptions that consumers may have about our practices and products. We use various platforms to share our story and remind consumers that the care of our cows and land help us produce safe, healthy […]

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The Little Guys of Regenerative Agriculture

Many of us loved making mud pies as kids—it may have been our favorite thing to do outside. But as kids, we likely never thought much about whether or not the soil that made those pies was healthy or if it could be used to grow a garden. We had no idea that healthy dirt was a “thing,” but most of us were not then—and are not now— farmers! Regenerative agriculture consists of farming practices that enhance the health of agricultural soil—the soil that grows crops in our food system. Soil composition and health can be altered by environmental stressors including harsh climate conditions, physical disturbances and chemical contaminants. But the overall health of soil depends largely on its carbon concentration. The element carbon is a building block of all animal and plant cells and is ubiquitous in our environment. Because carbon is a primary component of agricultural soil, careful carbon management is one of the most important aspects of growing sustainable plants in our food system. Our last regenerative ag post talked about practices that many farms are utilizing to support carbon management, including no-till farming; composting unused, biodegradable plant products; and planting perennial crops. Now let’s take a deeper dive into our agricultural soil and look at the “little guys”—including worms, bacteria, and viruses—that support carbon sequestration and soil health. As we’ll see, these tiny helpers work right alongside farmers to bring us healthy and renewable crops each year. Down to Earth There’s more to soil than just dirt. Soil contains an ecosystem that is abundant in various types of animals, food sources, nutrients and waste. All the elements in the soil ecosystem, both living and nonliving, work to create an ecological balance. And one major balance-keeper is earthworms. Many of us remember digging up these little guys […]

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Appreciating Water on National Ag Day

Today is National Ag Day! The theme of Ag Day 2021 is “food brings everyone to the table.” These are words that many of us can relate to. While the global population has different ways in which we acquire and eat our food, everyone can understand how important farmers—people who produce our food—are to the rhythms of our daily lives. As we celebrate farmers this Ag Day, we are also reminded that World Water Day was just yesterday, on March 22. Thinking of these two recognition days together, you might consider how crucial both water and food are for our survival. Let’s take a closer look at how farmers are sustainably using water to produce our food and help bring us to the table. Agricultural water use in the U.S.: Then and now While there are technologies currently underway for farms to make use of salt and brackish waters for farming, the primary sources of water for farming are freshwater. The most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data on freshwater (a combination of ground water and surface water) withdrawals for all uses shows that total withdrawals more than doubled from 1950 to 1980 before roughly leveling off for a few decades, then decreasing noticeably between 2005 and 2010. Additionally, the U.S. economy grew nearly seven-fold in this 60-year time span—which significantly outpaced the growth rate of water withdrawals. The most recent data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that water use in the United States in 2015 was estimated to be about 322 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), which was nine percent less than in 2010. However, water used for agricultural irrigation increased two percent between 2010 and 2015. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that agriculture remained a major user of fresh water […]

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Growing in New Ways with Controlled Environment Agriculture

Farming practices are in constant development to find the best ways to feed everyone on the planet. While many innovations are found solely at large-scale farms, new methods of farming have emerged and expanded to bring farming into cities and other non-rural areas. The idea of controlled environment agriculture, or CEA is not new, but it has been growing in popularity. Greenhouses are the prime example of CEA and have been used for centuries on farms and more recently in urban gardens. CEA builds off the concept of greenhouse farming, whereby temperature, moisture, lighting, and overall climate are controlled in a particular area to promote optimal plant growth. Vertical farming is another example of CEA and is popular in urban areas due to the small amount of horizontal space it requires. Farming practices like hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics are all considered CEA. In each of these CEA practices the climate is closely monitored and controlled, often in a small space, to give plants the resources they need to grow. New Tech for Urban Farmers The popularity of CEA is partially attributed to the potential environmental benefits it can have, which has led to greater economic investment and improved technology to expand this type of farming practice. These innovations draw from greenhouse technology relating to temperature and moisture control, but they may also involve redesigning classic greenhouse structure, such as in the example of vertical farming. In many cases, building materials are carefully selected to make the structure more energy-efficient; this can include choosing glass or plastic in a greenhouse that can block ultraviolet (UV) rays and allow for lighting control from within the building. Some structures may also include sensors that can be installed and programmed to signal if and when conditions are not optimal for the plants inside. Additionally, […]

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What is Molasses?

Highlights There are many different types and forms of caloric sweeteners that we collectively call “sugar.” Some sugars come in granulated form, such as table sugar. Table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide made of equal parts of two monosaccharides: fructose and glucose. Other types of sugars, such as agave syrup and high fructose corn syrup, come in liquid forms as mixtures of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. Molasses is type of liquid sugar that primarily contains sucrose and smaller amounts of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. Molasses is not as sweet as table sugar and is typically more viscous (thicker and stickier) than other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup, honey and high fructose corn syrup. Molasses is the ingredient in brown sugar that gives it its distinct color, flavor and moisture. In addition to its properties as a sweetener, molasses adds moisture, consistency and crust to baked goods such as cookies, dark breads, gingerbread and pies, as well as thickness to baked beans, marinades and sauces. Molasses is also used to make rum. Where does molasses come from? Molasses is a product of the sugar beet and sugar cane refinement processes. Sugar cane and sugar beets are grown around the world, including in the U.S., where sugar beets are grown in 11 states and sugar cane is grown in three states. Molasses from sugar cane is preferred for human consumption, whereas molasses from sugar beets is typically used in animal feed due to its bitter flavor. The degree of sugar cane molasses refinement can vary. This variation results in three different grades of sugar cane molasses, for which the USDA has established standards. Less refining yields molasses that has a lighter color, higher sugar content and sweeter taste. Additional refinement yields molasses with a darker color, lower sugar content, less […]

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Playing The Long Game: Why Progress On Food, Nutrition & Health Takes Persistence, Patience & Positivity

For the second time in fifteen years, the importance of good nutrition beginning in childhood is at the forefront of national politics. In 2010, Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move!, a campaign aimed at solving childhood obesity within a generation. Today, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement takes up the mantle, focusing on decreasing diet-related chronic diseases in children, including obesity. What may feel like déjà vu is actually an important reminder: while the names and faces may change, nutrition remains a powerful and enduring public health priority. The benefits of consuming nutrient-dense diets are undeniable – longevity, greater productivity, improved quality of life, and lower healthcare costs, to name just a few. Simply put: eating well matters. Good nutrition must begin in childhood. And, Americans still have a long way to go before realizing the health and well-being benefits of greater diet quality. These are facts that most of us can agree on. Where consensus often falters is in how to empower and support Americans to eat healthier, so that they can be healthier. Discerning Disruption From Chaos What do we do if our efforts to increase diet quality in the U.S. have been unsuccessful? Some people are fans of disruption – I’m one of them. Disruption can be a powerful catalyst for change when rooted in science, data, and an understanding of human behavior. Others call for scrapping current approaches entirely. This approach can be less helpful as improving public health while also preserving public trust takes time and energy as well as some degree of consistency. In addition, changing long-standing habits and achieving measurable and meaningful gains at the population level often spans generations. Making America Healthier At IFIC, our north star is the consumer. If we can appreciate where Americans stand –perceptions, emotions, intentions, and behaviors […]

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