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July 2006 Newsletter
by Beth Ley, Ph.D.
www.blpublications.com
NHL Ministries
IN THE NEWS
The Great "Zero Grams of Trans Fat" Labeling Fraud
Many products now on supermarket shelves in the United States have
labels that state that they contain zero grams of trans fats. However,
you will see on the ingredients lists of many of those "zero grams of
trans fat" products that they contain partially hydrogenated oil or
shortening, in other words trans fat.
How can they do this? If a label states that a product contains zero
grams of trans fat, then it should contain zero grams of trans fat,
right? Right. Believe it or not, food companies are not only allowed
to engage in this fraudulent labeling - they are legally required
to do so. Under FDA regulations "if the serving contains less than
0.5 gram [of trans fat], the content, when declared, shall be
expressed as zero."
Suppose you eat a product that contains 0.4 grams of trans fat per
serving and another that contains 0.3 grams of trans fat per serving.
The labels state that each product contains zero grams of trans fat
per serving, but you have in fact just eaten 0.7 grams of trans fat.
You could eat products all day long that have "zero" grams of trans
fat according to the labels, and end up eating 5 grams of trans fat
or much more.
BanTransFats.com is trying
to change this rule. Visit their web site for more info.
In fact, some companies are deliberating engaging in deceptive
advertising. For example, Quaker snack bars, including Chewy and
Breakfast Bar, have prominent labeling that declares "No Trans Fat."
The words "per serving" are conveniently omitted. A reasonable
consumer seeing this packaging would assume that the product contains
no trans fat. In fact, the products contain partially hydrogenated oil
which contains trans fat.
BOTTOM LINE: Read the whole label - ingredients too, to find out
it it is really trans fat free! If it contains hydrogenated
vegetables oil - it's got trans fat.
Don't Believe The Myth That Eggs Are Bad For You --- New Research
Proves Eggs Are Excellent For Your Health
Date: 5/26/06 Source: MarketWire.com
PARK RIDGE, IL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/23/2006 -- A newly published
review of research on dietary cholesterol and coronary heart disease
supports the beneficial role of eggs in a healthy diet. The review,
published in the March 2006 issue of the British Nutrition Foundation's
Nutrition Bulletin, examines more than 30 studies conducted over the
past 30 years (with more than half published in the past decade) and
concludes that the dietary cholesterol in eggs "has no clinically
significant impact" on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
Among the studies cited is a Harvard study that included more than a
hundred thousand subjects and found no significant difference in
cardiovascular disease risk between groups consuming less than one egg
per day and those consuming more than one egg per day. The original
study authors concluded that, "consumption of up to one egg per day is
unlikely to have substantial overall impact on the risk of CHD or
stroke among healthy men and women." (i)
More importantly, the authors, Dr. Bruce Griffin and Dr. A. Lee of
the Centre for Nutrition & Food Safety, School of Biomedical &
Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, UK, stated, "to view eggs
solely in terms of the effects of their dietary cholesterol… is to
ignore the potential benefits of egg consumption on coronary risk
factors, including obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome."
Mythbusters
The studies cited in the review, titled "Dietary Cholesterol, Eggs
and Coronary Heart Disease Risk In Perspective," call into question a
number of what the authors call popular ideas, or myths. The reviewers
cite these findings, among others, that address many consumers'
commonly held assumptions about eggs and weight loss:
-- Evidence suggests that dietary cholesterol and eggs may facilitate
weight loss through feelings of "satiety," or the state of being
satisfactorily full. Eggs, the authors note, "have been shown to have
a 50 percent greater satiety index as compared with ready-to-eat
breakfast cereals and white bread." (ii)
-- Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets that lead to a raised intake of
dietary cholesterol through the increased consumption of eggs and meat
"exert either no effect or potentially favourable effects" on LDL
cholesterol, often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol. (iii), (iv)
"The decades' worth of studies examined in this review underscore the
many positive effects eggs have on our health," says Donald J.
McNamara, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center.
"Based on the current evidence, healthy adults should feel confident
that they can enjoy eggs daily without fear of cholesterol or heart
disease."
Additionally, the Irish food board, Bord Bia, recently completed an
extensive review of scientific studies on the health effects of eggs
and, as a result of the findings, now recommends the consumption of
one egg a day as part of a healthy, balanced diet. (v)
Naturally Nutrient Rich
Eggs are naturally nutrient rich. One egg provides 13 essential
nutrients -- including high quality protein, choline, folate, iron
and zinc -- for only about 75 calories. Experts recommend choosing
nutrient dense foods, such as eggs, to help get needed nutrients
without excess calories.
American Egg Board (AEB) Visit www.aeb.org for more information.
Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) Visit www.enc-online.org for more information.
(i) Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB et al. (1999) A prospective study of
egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women.
Journal of the American Medical Association 281: 1387-94.
(ii) Holt SHA, Brand-Miller JC, Petocz P et al. (1995) A satiety index
of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49: 675-90.
(iii) Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO et al. (2003) A randomised trial of
low-carbohydrate diet for obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine
348: 2082-90.
(iv) Samaha FF, Iqbal N, Seshadri P et al. (2003) A low-carbohydrate as
compared with a low-fat diet in severe obesity. The New England Journal
of Medicine 348: 2074-81.
(v) Duffy E and Sinead McCarthy (2006). Overview of the Nutritional
Role of Eggs in the Diet.
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For more information, contact:
Egg Nutrition Media Hotline 312-233-1211
Beth's Comment:
I couldn't find out how the eggs were prepared for this study. I
still believe that poached, hard boiled and soft boiled eggs are
healthiest. Fried eggs, including scrambled the least healthiest as
the yolks are broken and exposed to the high heat of frying. This
creates trans fat. If you must fry -- use low heat to minimize
creation of trans fats.
"Super-Size" Not a Super Deal, Study Finds
Reuters Health, May 31, 2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The "super-size" deals at fast-food
restaurants aren't such a bargain once the costs of weight gain are
considered, according to a new study. Researchers at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison found that while the average "upsized" fast-food
meal costs a mere 67 cents more than a regular meal, those bonus
calories could translate into substantial daily costs due to weight
gain.
When people put on weight, the study authors say, their grocery bills,
healthcare costs and even gasoline expenses climb as well.
"These calculated costs exceed the value of upsized meals and may
provide motivation to some consumers not to upsize their meals,"
Rachel N. Close and Dr. Dale A. Schoeller write in the Journal of the
American College of Nutrition.
Based on their estimates, each fast-food "value" meal would cost an
adult 5 cents more in fuel expenses -- as heavier passengers reduce a
car's fuel efficiency - and about 35 cents in overall food costs,
since heavier people need more calories. Add to that the healthcare
cost per super-size meal -- which ranges from 82 cents to $6.64 -- and
these fast-food deals are no deal at all, Close and Schoeller assert.
"In essence," they write, "the more a person overeats, the greater
the financial cost." One third of American adults are considered
obese,
and critics have long accused the fast-food industry of helping to
fuel the problem with their swelling portion sizes. The new study
took a different tack and sought to highlight the potential financial
effects of voluminous fast-food meals.
"This is another way to present the costs associated with weight gain,
and might help convince people that upsizing a meal is no bargain at
all," Close said in a statement.
Using nutrition information from several major fast-food chains, the
researchers estimated that super-sizing a soda and fries costs
consumers only 67 cents, on average. But those cents buy about 400
extra calories, which may carry their own price tag.
For every 100 calories a person eats beyond his daily needs, Close
and Schoeller calculate, the price in terms of food, medical care and
gasoline rises anywhere from 48 cents to nearly $2. The heavier a
person is, the greater the cost. So while there may be immediate
savings in choosing a super-size meal, the researchers conclude,
consumers should be aware of the potential "hidden costs" that they
will pay later.
SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Nutrition, June 2006.
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Benzene Data Released
Laurie Budgar, 6/6/2006 5:05:44 PM
Benzene, a known carcinogen, is formed when two common soft drink
ingredients—sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)—are used
together. Sodium benzoate and vitamin C are common preservatives; the
latter is also used for its antioxidant properties and to give
products a tart taste. Natural and organic soft drink brands, such as
Izze, Hansen's and Santa Cruz Organic, do not contain sodium benzoate.
Energy drinks, which have greatly expanded their presence in recent
years, often do.
Benzene is present in high levels in five soft drinks tested recently
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The beverages that had more
than 5 parts per billion of benzene (the FDA standard for drinking
water) included:
• Safeway Select Diet Orange
(levels ranged from 10.7 ppb to 79.2 ppb)
• Crush Pineapple (9.2 ppb)
• Aqua Cal Strawberry Flavored Water
(9.2 ppb to 23.4 ppb)
• Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
(nondectable levels to 87.9 ppb)
• Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail
(5.4 ppb to 10.7 ppb)
The findings were published as the culmination of a months-long study
of more than 100 soft drinks collected from stores in Maryland,
Virginia and Michigan, after a private lab alerted FDA to the possible
presence of benzene in soft drinks. The issue was thought to have been
resolved in the 1990s but the lab's results raised suspicions anew and
the FDA launched its own investigation.
FDA is taking steps, along with industry, to make sure that benzene
formation in beverages is minimized to levels below the drinking water
standard of 5 ppb." The agency does not maintain benzene standards for
any product other than water. FDA has contacted the manufacturers
whose samples had elevated benzene levels, and they are reformulating
their products, the agency said.
Probiotics Helpful for Stress-induced Digestive Problems
By Stephen Daniells 4/25/2006
Probiotics are the "friendly" bacteria found in cultured foods like
yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, etc. Probiotics are needed for healthy
digestion, and strong immunity keeping "bad" bacteria levels down in
the body as well as other pathogens such as candida fungus.
Chronic stress is implicated in the development of irritable bowel
syndrome and in the worsening of symptoms of inflammatory bowel
disease, such as Crohn's disease, which affects over half a million
people in the US.
The new research, published in the journal Gut
(10.1136/gut.2005.089739), measured the effects of a commercial
probiotic powder on intestinal health of male rats subjected to a
daily dose of stress. Rats were fed either a normal diet or a normal
diet supplemented with a probiotic mixture. The probiotic powder
contained Lactobacillus rhamnosus, strain R0011 and
Lactobacillus helveticus, strain R0052 (Lacidofil).
The two groups were further divided so that half of the probiotic and
half of the normal diet groups were subjected to water avoidance
stress (WAS), which involved placing the rat on a small platform
surrounded by water, for one hour a day for 10 consecutive days. The
other half of each group was subjected to a sham stress for the same
time period. The stress sessions were designed to mimic psychological
stress to produce the type of effects that would be seen in the human
gut.
At the end of the stress period the intestinal tissues of the animals
were examined. The researchers, from Canada and Sweden, found that
the presence of harmful bacteria was significantly greater in the WAS
rats. The density of harmful bacteria was measured to be 28.3 and 34.7
bacteria per square millimeter in the ileum and colon of the WAS group,
respectively. Rats exposed to chronic stress and supplemented with
probiotics had only about 20 percent of these bacterial populations,
leading the scientists to conclude that the probiotics were preventing
the adherence of harmful bacteria to the cells lining the gut wall.
“Probiotics transiently colonize the gut and competitively exclude
pathogenic bacteria from binding,” said lead author Mehri Zareie
from the University of Toronto. The researchers also found that
supplementation with the probiotic mixture reduced migration of
bacteria into the lymph system, and thus prevented an immune response
from the hosts.
“These findings indicate that probiotics may provide a novel approach
for the management of stress induced intestinal dysfunction
(including gas, bloating, constipation, etc.). More in depth studies
into the mechanisms of action will allow a better understanding of
how probiotics target specific organs in different disease states,”
concluded the researchers.
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