The Microbiome with Megan Meyer, PhD [PODCAST]

Did you know that each of our guts has a unique living community containing billions of bacteria? It’s called the microbiome, and on this edition of DataDish: Your Trusted Serving of Science, we’re taking a journey to the center of the gut, led by Megan Meyer, PhD. Megan is Director of Science Communications at the International Food Information Council Foundation. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University Maryland, as well as a PhD in microbiology and immunology, focused on nutritional immunology, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this episode, Megan addresses the following topics: Enjoy the podcast! We hope you’re looking forward to learning more about the microbiome as future studies emerge.

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Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets

Cultivating Diets That Are Both Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Download the full report. As found in IFIC’s 2019 Food and Health Survey, environmental sustainability has become increasingly associated with the foods that we eat as well as our food purchases. Yet sustainability can mean different things to different people. According to the Journal of Environmental Sustainability, environmental sustainability is the “condition of balance, resilience and interconnectedness that allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services necessary to meet those needs nor by our actions diminishing biological diversity.” Basically, this definition refers to the condition of reducing damage to our environment (through the renewable depletion of resources) so that future generations can also meet their own needs. A healthy and complete diet involves eating essential nutrients needed for physiological functions, which includes dietary proteins. Proteins can be consumed in various ways and are essential in our diets for maintaining muscle strength, bone health, and blood sugar control in addition to supporting the body’s immune defenses and promoting quicker healing. However, in the pursuit of both a healthful and environmentally sustainable diet, how to best access these essential proteins has come under question. Where are our purchasing decisions headed as we look to fulfill a complete, healthful, and sustainable diet? What does this mean for our plant-based and animal-based protein intake? Let’s further explore findings from the Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets to shed some light on where protein choices may be headed and what consumers perceive as constituting a well-rounded and environmentally sustainable diet. Trouble defining “environmentally sustainable” The Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets found that 40 percent of consumers were unsure if an […]

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New Survey Shows Dairy Differences: 80% of Americans Age 55+ Consume Dairy Multiple Times a Week; A Third Under 55 Opt for Plant-Based Alternatives

(Washington, D.C.)— While foods from apple pie to hot dogs claim to be quintessentially American, few of them have the broad appeal of dairy products, which we are consuming at historic rates.  But with the proliferation of nondairy, plant-based alternatives on store shelves and in refrigerator cases, how do their consumption and popularity compare among Americans who already consume dairy? A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), “Understanding Dairy Consumers’ Purchasing Behaviors and Habits,” is providing some answers.  The survey of 1,014 American adults who consume dairy at least a few times a year compared how often and why they choose dairy products and their plant-based alternatives, with a special focus on preferences and awareness around yogurt, product labels and concepts like probiotics.  Dairy and Nondairy: Living Together in Harmony?  Despite the ever-growing options available for dairy alternatives, dairy itself remains overwhelmingly popular among dairy consumers. According to the findings, nearly three-quarters (72%) of adults who consume dairy foods or beverages do so several times a week, compared to about one-quarter (28%) who say the same of nondairy alternatives like nut-, oat- or soy-based milk, ice cream, yogurt or cheese.   Older adults have the strongest preference for dairy compared to other age groups, with four in five (80%) of those age 55+ saying they consume dairy foods or beverages multiple times per week, compared to two-thirds (67%) of 18- to 34-year-olds and 73% of those ages 35 to 54. Conversely, only 10% of adults age 55+ consume plant-based alternatives multiple times a week, compared to about one-third of younger people (34% of those ages 18 to 34 and 31% of those 35 to 54). Half of adults age 55+ say they never consume nondairy alternatives, standing in stark contrast to just under 8% of 18-34-year-olds who say the same.  When the results are broken down by specific foods, Americans prefer cheese made from dairy over plant-based versions. About three-quarters (74%) said they always choose the dairy version of cheese, while 20% sometimes choose nondairy.  Comparing other products, 68% always choose the dairy version of butter, while 23% sometimes choose nondairy; 66% always choose the dairy version of ice cream, while 26% sometimes choose nondairy; 64% always choose the dairy version of milk, while […]

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Nutrition for the Trail

The air is warm and welcoming. Flowers are full of color.  It is spring! After a long, cold winter, it is time to get outside! One of the best ways to take in spring is to visit your local, state or national park for a hike through the woods. Whether you are planning a six-month gaunt on the Appalachian Trail or spending a day at the local park, it is important to pack lightweight foods and snacks that will keep you energized and full. You don’t want to be bogged down on your journey. Be sure to pack foods that are light, but don’t skimp on nutrition and energy. A few suggestions include: Most importantly, be sure to pack plenty of fluids or a water filtration system to keep hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink about three liters per day depending on level of physical activity and weather.  According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthy adults should be taking 2.7 liters of water for women, or 3.7 liters for men. You may need even more on an active day, especially if the weather is hot. With thousands of local, state, and national parks in the United States, a beautiful trail is closer than you think. Old man winter will be back before you know it, so pack your favorite nutritious snacks and get out there!  

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Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby: Prenatal Nutrition 101

There may never be another time in your life where you receive a doctor’s order to consume 300 more calories per day! Your baby-to-be needs those extra calories. While pregnant, eating a healthy diet is crucial to making sure your baby is getting all the essential nutrients to develop properly. Before we get started, keep in mind that weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy. Not everyone will gain the same amount and that’s ok. Gaining the same amount of weight is not recommended for everyone—it depends on your starting BMI. Here’s a link to the Institute of Medicine’s guidelines. What does a healthy diet look like for a pregnant woman? Pregnancy is special time in life, so it makes sense that you have special nutritional needs. Here are a few tips to help deliver a healthful diet while pregnant: 1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables remain an important source of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. 2. Make at least half of your grains whole. Whole grains offer key vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Enriched grains should be included in your diet, too. These grains have been fortified with B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and iron, all of which are important for healthy growth and development. So important, in fact, that in 1998, the United States FDA required folic acid be added to enriched flour to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects. 3. Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy. For example, try switching to skim or 1% milk. This can help reduce your saturated fat intake. Milk products (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese and fortified soy beverages) can be an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium necessary for your baby’s bone growth. 4. Make sure to get enough protein. Protein’s main roles are […]

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Is There a Benefit to Going “Veggan”?

How would you describe your diet? Vegetarian? Flexitarian? Do you strictly live off potatoes? Ron Swanson was a major supporter of eating an abundant amount of breakfast foods. You could fill an encyclopedia with terms people use to describe their diet. Luckily for us, you can add one more to the list. A new diet trend is sweeping the vegetarian/vegan world by storm. It’s called “vegganism.” Veggans follow the traditional vegan diet but with one egg-ception—they add eggs to their menu of options. Let’s rewind. Vegetarians do not eat fish, meat or poultry, but do eat eggs and dairy. Vegans also follow the no-meat rule, but also exclude animal products or by-products such as eggs, dairy and honey. In the past, eggs have had a bad reputation, as their yolks contain a lot of dietary cholesterol. Well, never fear. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines state that dietary cholesterol does not play a major role in blood cholesterol, adding that many more important factors affect blood cholesterol. And in fact, eggs are really good for you. Eggs are packed with protein, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (which support a healthy cardiovascular system), and tons of vitamins that support a healthy and strong body. So why might vegans benefit from adding eggs to their diets? First of all, eggs are a good source of vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin), which vegans and vegetarians might have a hard time consuming because it is found naturally in animal products, although it is also fortified in foods such as cereals and soy milk. Vitamin B12 is important because it helps maintain a healthy nervous system, helps the body convert food into fuel, and is needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. Secondly, vitamin D is vital for bone health and immune function. Most Americans don’t […]

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Fortification FTW (For the Win)

The goiter belt is a term for parts of the U.S. (including the Great Lakes region and Appalachia) where soil levels of iodine are naturally low and iodine-rich foods like seafood and seaweed are not exactly dietary staples. Before the 1920s, over half of the population in some parts of this region had goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by insufficient iodine intake. Why don’t we have goiter? In 1924, the U.S. started fortifying salt with iodine, which virtually eradicated the goiter problem. Because of fortification, we don’t have goiter. Or beriberi, pellagra, and rickets. Fortification, or adding nutrients (like iodine) to foods (like salt), has been one of the most successful public health interventions in U.S. history and has virtually eliminated diseases, like goiter, that are caused by nutrient deficiencies. Beriberi, pellagra, and rickets are also diseases of nutrient deficiencies that have mostly disappeared, thanks to fortification of other foods with thiamin, niacin, and Vitamin D. Food that have nutrients added to them are also sometimes called enriched foods. While the terms “fortified” and “enriched” can be used interchangeably sometimes, enrichment typically refers to adding nutrients lost during food handling, processing, or storage back to a food. Fortification, on the other hand, generally refers to foods that have had nutrients added to them that are not naturally occurring in that food (like iodine added to salt). Unlike fortified foods, many enriched foods must have specific amounts of certain vitamins added to them to meet official FDA definitions. One well-known enriched food is refined wheat flour, i.e. white flour. Enriched flour must contain specific amounts of B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid) and iron. Calcium is sometimes added to enriched flour as well. Just as iodine is added to salt to prevent goiter, these B vitamins […]

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Fiber Fundamentals

Make no mistake: Dietary fiber is good for your health. Yet most Americans only get about half as much fiber as they should each day—and this nutritional deficit has been the case for decades. Even with all its overt health benefits, fiber is consistently overlooked. In fact, in our 2022 Food and Health Survey participants said that when grocery shopping, the only information on the Nutrition Facts label that they looked at less often than fiber was servings per container and sugar alcohols. If you need inspiration for increasing your fiber intake, read on for a refresher on the fundamentals of fiber and its unique role in human health. Fiber Facts Carbohydrate, fat, and protein—collectively called macronutrients—are the over-arching nutrient groups that provide calories in the foods and beverages we consume. Dietary fiber is a non-digestible form of carbohydrate—but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t eat it! In actuality, our inability to completely digest fiber is part of what makes it so good for us. Fiber has numerous health benefits confirmed through decades of scientific research. Fiber may be best known for its ability to relieve constipation, but it does more than keep you “regular.” Fiber also helps us feel full for longer periods of time; maintain a healthy gut microbiome; stabilize blood sugar; and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, which collectively reduces our risk for developing cardiovascular disease and heart disease. Fiber is naturally found in plants and plant-based foods, including fruits, legumes (like beans, peanuts, peas, pulses, and soybeans), nuts, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains. Most of what we eat and drink is thoroughly broken down during digestion. Fiber, however, avoids the full breakdown process. Because we lack the enzymes needed to completely digest fiber, it remains mostly intact throughout its journey through the stomach and […]

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