The Skinny on Dietary Fats

November 16, 2011 | by

Fat has a bad reputation, both in food and on the body. It’s certainly true that the U.S. has a problem with body fat; according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight, and fully one-third of adults fall into the more serious “obese” category [1]. Still, appropriate amounts of body fat serve valuable roles. These include helping to maintain the immune system and nervous system, protecting body organs and padding areas where the skeleton would otherwise put pressure directly on the skin (such as the soles of the feet).

The skinny on fat

Too much body fat, however, is associated with a number of negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and apnea.

The Politics, Public Health and Environmental Concerns of Genetically Engineered Salmon

October 24, 2011 | by

So-called “Frankenfood” — genetically-modified organisms meant for human consumption or use as animal feed — has been making headlines again. This time, the buzz is over the FDA’s recent completion of their evaluation of the first genetically-engineered (GE) salmon meant for human consumption, the AquAdvantage salmon. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget is now reviewing the evaluation, which puts the AquAdvantage salmon one critical step closer to finding its way into farms and onto plates. While the GE salmon would be the first genetically-modified animal approved for human consumption, it’s not the first genetically-modified organism (GMO) used for food; data from 2009 indicate that 93% of soy and cotton, and 86% of corn grown in the U.S. are GMO [1]. There are a number of other common GMO crops, and GMO rice will likely become available soon.

Alaskan King Salmon

New Supplement Results Easy to Sensationalize, Not Highly Meaningful

October 18, 2011 | by

New research published in this month’s Archives of Internal Medicine has caused quite a stir amongst vitamin- and mineral-popping Americans [1]. Researchers report that over the course of a decades-long study, older women who regularly took vitamin and mineral supplements were more likely to die than those who did not.

This news may surprise those who look to vitamin and mineral supplements as a mechanism for maintaining — and even improving — health. However, while it would be easy to sensationalize the research findings, the reality is that there are many limitations that prevent drawing meaningful conclusions — ones that could be used to inform behavior — from the study.

Vitamins

Artificial Sweeteners

October 13, 2011 | by

There are a multitude of alternative sweeteners available on the market today. Some of these, like fructose, contain calories. Others — the so-called non-nutritive sweeteners — do not. While these “artificial” sugars don’t elevate blood glucose like table sugar does (which makes them more appropriate and healthy for diabetics than traditional sugar is), and while the body can’t convert them into fat, they’re not completely free of problems and complications as components of diet.

Artificial sweeteners

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes More, Faster Weight Gain Than Table Sugar

September 21, 2011 | by

High-fructose corn syrup, common in processed foods, is more likely than table sugar to increase the rate and amount of weight gain, according to a study in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior [1]. Specifically, consuming high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increases the likelihood of gaining abdominal fat, which is particularly dangerous with regard to risk of heart disease.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes More, Faster Weight Gain Than Table Sugar