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Orange juice is no better for you than soda pop. So say a growing number of health professionals, who are trying to undo more than half a century of consumer mindshare captured by the citrus industry. A fascinating article in the LA Times brings us the “juicy” details:

“It’s pretty much the same as sugar water,” said Dr. Charles Billington, an appetite researcher at the University of Minnesota. In the modern diet, “there’s no need for any juice at all.”

A glass of juice concentrates all the sugar from several pieces of fruit. Ounce per ounce, it contains more calories than soda, though it tends to be consumed in smaller servings. A cup of orange juice has 112 calories, apple juice has 114, and grape juice packs 152, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The same amount of Coke has 97 calories, and Pepsi has 100. read more…

According to these numbers, people should be drinking less juice and more soda. But that’s not the whole picture. Fruit juice has lots of benefits such as vitamins and minerals, doesn’t it?

The answer is not so simple. Vitamin C, for example is totally lost through the processing of oranges, but is then added again before packaging. But fiber, which can be found in abundance if you eat the actual fruit, is all but gone from the resulting juice. Also, many juices are fortified, for example with calcium.

The correct answer is that people should be drinking lots more water and a lot less of everything else. Most of a person’s calories should come from food, not liquids. It is very hard to get satiated from liquids, but very easy to gulp down three, four, even five hundred calories, mostly from the fructose in juice, all in a single sitting.

What to do at the supermarket:

Opting for juice instead of pop is a first and important step for parents. More than anything it is an acknowledgment that sugary soft drinks are unhealthy and an alternative is needed.

But the next step should be encouraging children to drink more water and eat real fruit. If your kids love juice and guzzle down more than a cup or two a day, consider watering it down in order to reduce both the calorie count and the sweetness. You can start with just a bit of water and then work your way to half n half.

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Over at the LA Times Health Blog, Rosie Mestel updates on a new lawsuit targeting the FDA, demanding less stringent standards for placing health claims on foods and supplements.

An example is selenium, which manufacturers would like to embellish to the effect of:

“Selenium may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”

Here is the disclaimer that the FDA requires on the product package:

“Two weak studies suggest that selenium intake may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, four stronger studies and three weak studies showed no reduction in risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that selenium supplements reduce the risk of prostate cancer.”

What you need to know:

The above is an example of a Qualified Health Claim. It is different from an Authorized Health Claim, for which there is a substantial body of scientific evidence.

The first appearance of qualified health claims was in the late nineties on dietary supplement packages, as a result of a legal battle between the FDA and manufacturers. In 2003, through the Consumer Health Information for Better Nutrition Initiative, qualified health claims were allowed on foods as well. A petition process was put in place, and ever since manufacturers can file for claims.

The petition process does not automatically guarantee a health claim, and even if approved there are three levels of qualified health claims:

1. Strongest: “Although there is scientific evidence supporting the claim, the evidence is not conclusive.”
2. Medium: “Some scientific evidence suggests …However, FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive.”
3. Weakest: “Very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests…. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim.”

Obviously manufacturers would like the strongest claims, but can’t cough up the requisite studies, despite many shelling out millions to sponsor research in universities and “independent” labs.

Thus we get funny disclaimers such as:

tomatoes/tomato sauce and prostate cancer: “Very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests that eating one-half to one cup of tomatoes and/or tomato sauce a week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim.”

for green tea: “Two studies do not show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer in women, but one weaker, more limited study suggests that drinking green tea may reduce this risk. Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer.”

If history is an indicator, the new lawsuit will once again result in concessions to manufacturers in the name of First Amendment right of free speech. Our right as consumers not to be BSed by food and supplement producers are unfortunately absent from the Constitution.

What to do at the supermarket:

Ignore any marketing information you see on a product package that is not on the nutrition facts panel. Better yet, buy foods that don’t need a nutrition information panel – fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes in bulk. Tap water needs no nutrition information either.

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It took a lawsuit, but Nestle and the Coca Cola Company, who jointly market Enviga Green Tea, need to stop claiming it reduces weight. From the LA Times:

Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal began an inquiry in 2007 seeking evidence that consumers who drink Enviga burn more calories than they take in. Blumenthal, who had said the claim might be “voodoo nutrition,” led the coalition of states and the District of Columbia in the settlement.

The companies agreed to re-label Enviga to add disclosures and disclaim weight-loss benefits, Blumenthal said Thursday. Any marketing of Enviga or a similar beverage that uses the terms “the calorie burner,” “negative calories” or “drink negative” must clearly disclose that the product doesn’t lead to weight loss without diet and exercise, he said.

“The Enviga lesson is that weight loss requires sound diet and exercise, not simply a concoction of caffeine and green tea,” Blumenthal said. “Enviga’s calorie-burning claims led to credibility loss more than weight loss.”

read the entire article…

What you need to know:

Health claims are regulated by the FDA, and must be based on sound science. In many cases the science is only partially established. In those cases, the health claims are qualified by a disclaimer (which usually appears in a much smaller font at the bottom of the package).

Enviga was introduced in 2006. The studies which led Nestle and Coke to the revelation that their caffeine based concoction will burn calories is based on a simple fact -  any caffeine product speeds up metabolism and creates a calorie burning effect for a limited time. The additional antioxidant EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), found in green tea, has not been found to “burn calories”.

It’s too bad Enviga doesn’t state the amount of caffeine in each can, but of course, that kind of information is not interesting to consumers, is it? Thankfully EnergyFiend has a list of all energy drinks and their caffeine content. Enviga boasts 100mg of caffeine in a 12 oz. can, roughly three times more than regualr Coca Cola, and 15% less than the Red Bull equivalent.

What to do at the supermarket:

Our usual advice is to avoid health claims, as they are merely marketing hype. Read the ingredient list and the nutrition label to get your facts. Watch your caffeine consumption by inquiring about the caffein levels in various drinks.

If you want to lose weight, limit your daily intake of calories, and exercise regularly. Processed foods, and even worse, liquid candies, will not be your savior.

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The LA Times Health Section has a piece on a High Fructose Corn Syrup’s cousin – Crystalline Fructose:

Diligent readers of food and beverage labels may have noticed an increasingly common ingredient in some health and energy drinks: crystalline fructose.

To some, the ingredient is a reassuring sign that the product hasn’t been sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that’s been falling out of consumer favor over concerns of a disputed link to obesity and diabetes. Others, however, may have found themselves wondering what, exactly, is crystalline fructose? And is it really any different from high fructose corn syrup?

Read the article…

Photo: Snapple

What you need to know:

Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruit.

Crystalline fructose is processed – it is derived from corn, just like HFCS, but enriched with fructose. The fructose is crystallized, dried, and milled, then used as a sweetener in the likes of beverages (Snapple) and yogurts.

It is 98% fructose, whereas HFCS is only 55% fructose.

It’s 20 percent sweeter than table sugar, so it can shave 20-30 calories off a 12oz bottled drink.

There are studies for and against the health benefits of crystalline sugar, depending which side of the sugar industry you are on.

What to do at the supermarket:

Check ingredient lists of products before you buy. Don’t think you are getting a more natural or healthy sweetener because Crystallized Fructose appears instead of HFCS. For example, Snapple’s Red Tea Acai Berry Drink boast the following ingredient list:

filtered water, crystalline fructose (sugar from fruit), pear juice concentrate, natural flavors, rooibos (red tea), citric acid, vitamin C.

The “sugar from fruit” is, as you’ve now learned, sugar from corn. Technically corn is a grain. Misleading? (So is the serving size, half a bottle…)

In any case, cutting down on sweetened beverages and switching to water is a great start to any diet.

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An interesting article in the LA Times covers the recent developments in the intersection of nutrition, regulation, and the restaurant industry:

Restaurants are being told to list calorie counts on their menus. Schools are banning bake sales, and cities are outlawing new fast-food restaurants in some neighborhoods.

State and local governments, concerned about the growing cost of obesity and diabetes and the ever-higher cost of healthcare, are acting more like food police. And more regulations may be ahead.

Greater regulation of food production, preparation and consumption — whether on the local or national level — is controversial.

Read the full article…

Pros:

Calorie management – By mandating basic nutrition labeling in restaurant chains, consumers get a better idea of their caloric intake. With half of every food dollar being spent out of the house, it makes sense to have nutrition information in restaurants, just like on food labels.

Public Safety - As with cigarettes in the past, trans-fat has been scientifically linked to heart disease, and there is a wall-to-wall consensus on this issue. However, food prepared with oils and fats containing trans-fat is tasty and many times cheaper than the alternatives. Since individual restaurants or chains were afraid to take the first step (and risking the loss of clientele), legislation makes perfect sense.

“If Americans ate healthier food and were more active they would not be as obese and there would not be as many obesity-related healthcare costs…”

Cons:

Party Poopers - It’s now a bummer to get a burger or pizza. Seeing the numbers for fat, sodium, and calories when you order that double cheeseburger can really ruin the meal. (The heartburn 25 minutes later too, of course)

Big Brother – America has prided itself on democracy and individual choice. Leave people alone and let them make up their own mind.

“The government might have good intentions, but can’t average citizens make up their own minds on what to eat? This is an example of nanny government,” said Bill Whalen, an analyst at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

What do you think?

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With the recession blowing in like a mighty winter storm, people are looking for savings everywhere, including food. Organic is more expensive than conventional, so for those purchasing organic produce, switching back may be a substantial money saver. An article in the LA Times weighs the pros and cons of organic:

…the truth is that, from a hard-nosed science point of view, it’s still unclear how much better — if at all — organic food is for one’s health than non-organically grown food. Read more…

From the LA Times:

The industrial chemical melamine was found in a sample of infant formula made in the U.S. in a “trace” amount that poses no health concern, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The positive sample turned up as part of an FDA testing program begun after the chemical was found in Chinese products. The amount of melamine in the U.S. sample was “well below” 250 parts per billion.

Read more…

What you need to know:

The melamine saga took center stage in September when it was reported that several infants in China died of melamine poisoning and over 50,000 were hospitalized. Melamine , a posionous fertilizer that can cause kidney failure, was malfully introduced into baby formula as a protein substitute for milk. Since the disclosure, various products containing milk powder have been recalled around the globe, due to possibility of melamine presence.

The FDA recently announced an automatic detention of milk related imports from China, and has also set up offices in China to help avert future food safety problems before they reach the US.

Now the FDA has checked US infant formula has well, most likely as an extra safety measure, and found it to be suitable for consumption, despite the tiny amounts of melamine found, explained to be from the formula can lining, and not the result of adulteration.

What to do at the supermarket:

Currently there is no need for alarm, as the melamine amounts found are negligible. The FDA recommends people continue to buy and feed their infants formula as before. Of course, young mothers that can breast feed should be encouraged to do so for as long as possible.

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Salt, or more correctly the sodium in salt, is an essential nutrient in our body that helps regulate fluid levels and keep our blood flowing. Unfortunately, most of us are consuming far more sodium than we should, and the consequences – namely high blood pressure, are swift to follow. The LA Times is running 3 pieces on salt this weekend, and this is a great opportunity to review  mankind’s most popular spice:

Salt and high blood pressure: New concerns raised, provides a good assessment of health issues related to over-consumption of salt

Low-sodium products are on the rise points consumers to an ever growing array of processed foods with reduced sodium. This is good news because 75% of our salt intake is from these packaged foods and restaurant fare.

Finally, busting a myth that expensive gourmet salts are healthier, Gourmet salts: better-tasting but not better for you, examines closely what those fancy pinks and blues have to offer, and what they don’t.

What you need to know:

The terms “salt” and “sodium” are used interchangeably because salt is a compound comprised of  40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient. Salt, historically, has been used as a food preservative, and to this day it still does a “great” job in canned foods and other packaged meals.

The recommended daily intake is 2300mg of sodium, which is the equivalent of a teaspoon. Most Americans consume far more than that, even twice as much:

…there are more than 4,500 milligrams of sodium in a Dunkin’ Donuts salt bagel … two slices of Pizza Hut’s Thin ‘n Crispy Supreme Pizza have 1,460 milligrams…

We get 75% of our salt from eating out and from packaged foods, and only a small amount from home cooked meals.

The good news for consumers: People’s taste for salt can be adjusted. Reducing intake gradually over the course of several weeks to months can reset our salt sensitivity to a decent level. Unfortunately, reverting to higher levels can happen in just a few meals.

What to do at the supermarket:

Sodium content appears on food nutrition labels, so be sure to check for low values (less than 300mg per serving). Watch out for salt in surprising places such as cookies and breakfast cereals (10% of daily value!). The snack and frozen TV dinner aisles are notoriously salty, although there are new low-sodium products emerging. Look for them. Kosher meat and poultry is usually salted; best to thoroughly rinse at home before cooking. If buying veggies, opt for frozen over canned and save yourself the extra salt. Eating more meals prepared at home is a surefire way to control salt intake.

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As more people are switching back to tap water, to save the planet from drowning in plastic bottles and to save a few extra dollars, the LA Times brings this:

“Bottled water isn’t any safer or purer than what comes out of the tap,” says Dr. Sarah Janssen, science fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco, which conducted an extensive analysis of bottled water back in 1999. “In fact, it’s less well-regulated, and you’re more likely to know what’s in tap water.”

Read full article…

What you need to know:

In most places in the western world, tap water is perfectly safe to drink, cheaper, and takes less of a toll on the environment. Bottled water is not necessarily mineral water. It can be the same tap you would get at home, just through a few more filters.

What to do at the supermarket:

It’s a personal choice. If you prefer bottled water, choose just water, and not the sugary vitamin drinks that pack extra sugar calories to mask the bitter taste of vitamins.

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Kids love bright colors. In food as well. Yellow 5, Blue 2, Green 3 and others can be found in snacks, candies, and in a surprising array of processed foods including breakfast cereals and luncheon meats. Parents have long been suspicious of these artificial additives, and now studies show a possible link between food dyes and hyperactivity. The LA Times reports:

Earlier this year, the UK’s Food Standards Agency, the British regulatory counterpart to our Food and Drug Administration, asked food makers to voluntarily recall six artificial colors in food by 2009, a step many food companies have completed.

And in July, the European Parliament voted to add warning labels with the phrase “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children” to products with the same six synthetic red and yellow dyes, prompting many large food makers such as Nestle to reformulate their products rather than risk a drop-off in sales.

These actions were spurred by a study published in September 2007 in the medical journal the Lancet supporting what some parents and scientists had suspected for decades — that food dyes are linked to hyperactivity, even in kids who don’t normally exhibit this behavior.

“The position in relation to artificial food colors is analogous to the state of knowledge about lead and IQ that was being evaluated in the early 1980s,” says the study’s lead author, Jim Stevenson, psychology professor at the University of Southampton, in a March letter to the UK Food Standards Agency, urging action.

Read full article..

What you need to know:

The FDA considers food colorings safe. The exception, Yellow 5 (tartrazine) is a known allergen. Food colorings need to appear in the ingredient list, but no additional warning has to appear on the nutrition label or packaging.

What to do at the supermarket:

Look at a product’s the ingredient list. Read the list to the end, as items are ordered from high to low percentage in the product. Artificial coloring is used in tiny amounts. Try to choose products without.

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