This was the subject matter at one of yesterday’s most important and interesting sessions at ADA’s Nutrition Conference in Denver.

Unfortunately, it was one of the least popular sessions, with only 50 or so participants. The American Dietetic Association is a science / evidence based organization. The dietary recommendations consumers receive from its members are the result of scientific research. It is imperative that the information be 100% accurate, unbiased, and scientifically sound. The potential for conflict of interest when companies wanting to sell more products fund research is obviously high and creates a tension that must be resolved.

From a consumer perspective, there is a natural suspicion of research that is funded by companies. Companies usually fund research in areas close to products they sell. It turns out that industry funded studies are 4-8 times more likely to have a favorable outcome to the funder than non-funded studies. This could be explained by the fact that companies have conducted their own preliminary research to begin with, but perhaps the scientists felt in some place obliged to produce certain results.

Supporters of industry funded research acknowledge that there is a potential for bias, but potential does not mean bias actually exists. In fact, some will say that unfunded studies may have just as much potential for bias, based on the researchers’ personal beliefs, aspirations, and lifelong attempts to prove a certain hypothesis.

So should all ties between industry and academia be severed?

In an ideal world, perhaps yes. But reality is more complex. Universities and the government do not have enough money to fund all food related research. So as researchers want to reach new frontiers, they must accept additional sources of money. Conversely, maybe in utopia industry would fund studies freely, but the ethics of all sides would be so high that it wouldn’t matter.

There must be a middle ground. The speaker presented a set of guidelines for future research. Here are some of their suggestions:

1. Full disclosure of each researcher’s past and current affiliations with industry.
2. Full disclosure of conflicts of interest among researchers and among peer reviewers of the research results. (In academia, before a research paper is published, it goes through a long review process by “peers” from other universities).
3. Firewalls between the research functions and the money functions.
4. Publication of ALL research efforts, not just favorable ones. As one researcher explained after the session, sometimes companies will pay MORE to play down and even stop publication of unfavorable results.

Will these guidelines be adopted? Will they suffice? As always, there won’t be a clear-cut answer. We support any and all activities than provide increased transparency.

And we reserve the right to remain highly skeptical of the manifestation of research as “Health Claims” on food packages in the supermarket.

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A study conducted in Spain has found that men who regularly consume fruits and vegetables have improved semen quality:

The study found that “men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit (more vitamins, folic acid and fiber and less protein and fats) than those men with low seminal quality,” the lead author, Jaime Mendiola, a researcher at the University of Murcia, said in a news release.

Antioxidants, found mainly in fruits and vegetables, lower the level of oxidative stress that can affect semen quality, the researchers explained, and also improve sperm concentration and mobility.

Read more…

What you need to know:

Fertility rates are dropping in many countries. In the UK, men born in the 1970’s had 25% less sperm than men born in the 1950’s. There have been many explanations for this worrying drop, including tight underwear, electromagnetic radiation from electronic devices such as cellphones, and industrial pollution.  A reduction in fresh produce consumption is likely not the main culprit, but it definitely can’t harm one to get more nutrients from natural, unprocessed sources.

What to do at the supermarket:

Spend more time and money in the produce section.

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The LA Times reports on a new study showing that kids who chew gum perform better academically:

The study was conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and was sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute. The study included 108 students, ages 13 to 16, who were assigned to either chew sugar-free gum during math class, while doing math homework and during math tests or to refrain from gum-chewing. After 14 weeks, the students’ took a math test and their grades were assessed.

Those who chewed gum had a 3% increase in standardized math test scores and had final math grades that were significantly better than the other students. Teachers observed that those who chewed gum seemed to require fewer breaks, sustain attention longer and remain quieter.

Read the entire article…

What you need to know:

The Wrigley Science Institute is funded by the William Wrigley Jr. Company, a top player in the chewing gum industry, recently acquired by an even bigger player, Mars Incorporated. It is in these companies’ best interest to promote sales by hopping on health trends and funding studies that shine on gum in a positive effect.

Don’t let these so called “independent” studies fool you for one second. With all due respect to the scientists working at the Wrigley Science Institute, and the researchers at Baylor College, there is an inherent flaw when science is “hired” for corporate purposes.

Let’s treat gum as what it is – a sweet, refreshing treat, no less no more. That’s what Wrigley did in commercials of the past. It should stick to that line today as well.

What to do at the supermarket:

If you are buying gum at the checkout counter, you’re paying a fortune. It’s usually cheaper to buy several packages in bulk, or even order a stock of your favorite brand online.

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A quick roundup of this morning’s news from the American Dietetic Association’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Chicago this week.

Eating Whole Grains Lowers Heart Failure (HF) Risk, According To New Study:
In a new study researchers observed over 14,000 participants for more than 13 years and found that whole grain consumption lowered HF risk, while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups did not directly affect HF risk.

New dual action Iron pill launches today.  Bifera to be Available in Select Stores in Early 2009. From the press release:
New, dual action iron supplement pill with virtually no gastrointestinal side effects for people who need the energy and nutritional benefits from iron to be available without prescription

The Latest Pistachio Study (Sponsored by…the Western Pistachio Association) reveals that consuming pistachios may reduce the risk of heart disease.

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According to the US Dietary Guidelines, we’re supposed to get 5 servings of vegetables a day, but most of us fall short. A new study presented this weekend at the annual ADA convention has found a solution. Drink your veggies:

University of California-Davis researchers say drinking vegetable juice is an effective way to help people increase their vegetable intake.

Study author Carl Keen says seven out of 10 adults fall short of the daily vegetable intake recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. The researchers studied whether drinking vegetable juice could be a simple behavior change to help boost the intake of vegetables to “strive for five,” or eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Read more…

What you need to know:

There’s great variation in the nutritional content of vegetables. Most contain small amounts of fat and protein, and large amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. The variation is important, as each color represents different nutrients found in the plant. Here’s a brief color code  breakdown:

Red – tomatoes (especially cooked) – lycopene. Protection from prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease.

Purple – beets, eggplant, red cabbage, red peppers – anthocyanins – good for the heart.

Orange – carrots, winter squash and sweet potatoes – alpha carotene, beta carotene.

Yellow/green – spinach, collards, corn, green peas, avocado – lutein and zeaxanthin – good for the eyes.

Green – broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and bok choy – sulforaphane, isocyanate – inhibit the action of carcinogens.

White/green – garlic, onions, leeks, celery, asparagus – allicin and other antioxidants – antitumor properties.

source: The Color Code book

What to do at the supermarket:

When buying vegetable juice, look at the label to see what you’re getting. An 8oz serving of V8 is loaded with salt (480mg / 20% of recommended daily intake). The low sodium version has less than a third of that amount.

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Findings presented this weekend at the American Dietetic Association’s annual conference in Chicago claim that eating tart cherries may reduce the risk of heart disease. From HealthDay:

New research ties eating tart cherries to lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation and cutting one’s body weight and fat — all major risk factors for heart disease.

This latest study … reached these conclusions after feeding whole tart cherry powder to obese rats.

After 12 weeks, the rats had 14 percent less body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass, compared to other rats who ate the same foods minus the cherry powder. The rats eating cherries also lost significant amounts of body weight — notably a loss of “belly” fat, a known risk for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Read More…

What you need to know:

These are preliminary test on animals, not humans. What we do know about cherries is that they are high in sugar (10%), and have good amounts of potassium and vitamin C.

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t run off to the supermarket looking for cherries just yet. First of all, cherry season is over. Secondly, the cherries tested are the tart type, not the lusciously sweet Bing variety most of us have come to love. Not that sweet cherries are bad for our health…

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