foodliterate

Mighty Minerals - The Majors Part 2

2010-06-21T19:38:00.008-04:00

Today we are learning about the other 3 "major" minerals - phosphorus,. potassium and sodium. Let's begin!

Phosphorus is the second largest mineral in your body (after calcium) and is required by every cell in your body. You'll find it in bones (85% of phosphorus is found here) and teeth, as well as acting as a pH buffer in your blood. Phosphorus is also a part of phospholipids which transport cholesterol through the circulatory system; and many of the vitamins which act as coenzymes also contain some phosphorus in the form of phosphate. It is part of adenosine triphosphate (the "P" in ATP) which is important for metabolism. The best sources are dairy products, meat, legumes and fish. The daily recommended values is 700 mg per day.

Potassium is one of the metallic minerals which plays a role in muscle contraction - which is why low potassium levels lead to cramping during exercise. It also plays a role in nerve impulses and the conversion of food into energy (glucose into glycogen). Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure and is therefore linked to the prevention of hypertension; the sodium / potassium balance is critical (they are balanced by chloride). Luckily, potassium is easy to find - bananas, watermelon, strawberries, apricots, legumes and milk are all good sources. The daily recommended intake is 3500 mg per day.

Sodium is the most abundant cation in our bodies where it helps to maintain the osmotic pressure between our blood and our cells. It is often referred to as an electrolyte because of its role in balancing the anion/cation makeup (calcium, potassium and chloride also fit in this category). Sodium is primarily extracellular, whereas potassium is intracellular. It is this balancing act, the transfer of sodium and potassium in and out of cells that accounts for the majority of the energy expenditure of your whole body. People generally excrete 90% of their ingested sodium; your kidneys pull excess sodium out of your body and you lose some by sweating. Even the most athletic amongst us probably do not need to increase our sodium intake (marathon runners are an exception, as is anyone who has lost ~3 quarts of fluid), as the US diet is rather high in this particular mineral. (Note: not everyone is affected in the same way by sodium, so while it is generally recommended that everyone reduce their daily intake, there is no one correct amount for everyone.) There is a daily intake we should try to meet, but unlike the other minerals, this is a "less than", not an "at least" value of 2400 mg per day.

Well, we've covered all of the major minerals, and next we will move on to the trace minerals. Although they may not be needed in the same quantities, they are none the less important to your body's overall health and its functions!

Mighty Minerals - The Majors

2010-06-07T19:03:00.012-04:00

As I stated in my last post, minerals are divided into major and trace. The major minerals are also the best known and include: calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Since these are needed in larger quantities than the trace minerals, I thought it best to start here with the first three.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body - around 2% of your body weight. Even small children are taught that calcium is important for teeth and bones, but calcium's role in nerve transmission, muscle contraction (especially your heart), hormone production and blood coagulation is less well known, but not less important. There is also some research emerging that links calcium to the prevention of colon, breast and prostate cancers (although it is too early to know conclusively). The best sources include dairy products, dark leafy green vegetables, seeds and soybeans. The daily recommended amount varies for sex and age but is typically between 1000 - 1200 mg per day.

Chloride is best known as the other half of the compound sodium chloride (aka salt). It is an anion (has a negative charge) and it is the dominant anion in your blood where it balances the cations (positively charged): sodium and potassium. Chloride helps regulate the pH of your blood, is found in your cerebrospinal fluid, helps with the conservation of potassium, and is involved in the production of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid). The most obvious source of this mineral is salt, but it can also be found in vegetables like tomatoes and asparagus. The daily recommended value for this mineral is 750 mg per day (not hard to get with the amount of salt in the typical diet).

Magnesium is othe fourth most abundant mineral in your body and is of the major essential minerals found in your bones, teeth and muscles. In the body it is usually combined with phosphate. It is a cation like calcium and potassium. Magnesium is required for the ATP cycle (metabolism), as it activates the enzymes involved in the process. It also has a role in the nervous system, muscle contraction (keeps your heart beat regular), repair of DNA, and blood vessels. The best sources of magnesium are meat, poultry, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, soybeans, nuts and seeds. The recommended daily value for magnesium is 400 mg per day.

We will complete the major minerals phosphorus, potassium and sodium on the next post - so check back soon!

Mighty Minerals

2010-02-01T18:35:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm back from a sabbatical it has been so long since I last posted. No, I haven't abandoned my blog; I've just been trying to make time for all the commitments in my life! So before any more time elapses, let's get into our next topic - Minerals.

Minerals are part of the micronutrients our bodies need to keep running, especially those that have been defined as essential. The essential minerals actually outnumber the vitamins and amino acids our bodies require - surprising given how little we typically learn about them. Minerals were established as being essential way back around 1874, but that doesn't mean that scientists didn't recognize how important some of the minerals were before then; iron was known to be important around 1664, calcium around 1842 and sodium around 1849.

The list of essential minerals is usually broken further down into "major" and "trace"; obviously we need larger quantities of the major minerals and fewer of the trace minerals in our diet. The list includes: arsenic (trace), boron (trace), calcium (major), chloride (major), chromium (trace), cobalt (trace), copper (trace), fluoride (trace), iodine (trace), iron (trace), lithium (trace), magnesium (major), manganese (trace), molybdenum (trace), nickel (trace), phosphorus (major), potassium (major), selenium (trace), silicon (trace), sodium (major), vanadium (trace), and zinc (trace).

The roles minerals play within our bodies are varied; some are structural like calcium which strengthens bones, some are catalytic like zinc's involvement as a component of enzymes, and others play a role in signal transduction like sodium and potassium in muscle cells. Many of the minerals play multiple roles within the body - some of which I'll cover in the next few posts. And like with vitamins, it is important to remember that there is an issue with dose - as you may have observed, some of the essential minerals are toxic (especially lead & arsenic); more is not always better!

So I hope that you are still interested in becoming more food literate and I hope you will find learning about minerals interesting, so please check back soon. I'm going to start with the major minerals and work my way to the trace. And as always - I welcome questions & feedback, so don't be bashful - let me know what is on your mind!

The Roots of Fall

2009-11-13T18:10:00.008-05:00

I know I’ve been MIA and that I missed Halloween, (in fact it’s getting pretty darn close to Thanksgiving!) and for this I apologize. So I’ve had plenty of time to think about what my next topic should be & was inspired by the cooler temperatures and my favorite holiday All Hallows Eve. Its origins lie in the Celtic holiday: the feast of Samhain. Back then lanterns were made of carved turnips (hey – I guess you use what you have!) to ward off evil spirits. Later when Celtic immigrants came to the Americas, they didn’t find turnips – they found pumpkins and thus the tradition began.

Nice story – huh? But you want to know what this has to do with food, right? Well pumpkins, beets, turnips – they are all winter vegetables and we don’t cook or eat as much of them in the US as they do elsewhere. Maybe it’s just because we don’t know enough about them to try.

Turnips are part of the Cruciferae family along with cabbages, radishes, mustard, horseradish, broccoli, cauliflower and many others. Specifically they are Brassica rapa, part of the Brassica genus (cabbage). Both the roots and leaves are edible; in fact Bok Choy (aka Chinese cabbage) is a variety of Brassica rapa that is just grown for its leaves. The turnip root has a flavor similar to radishes and cabbage (not too surprising), while the leaves taste like mustard greens. Turnip roots are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, calcium and lutein. They can be boiled, roasted, or braised, while the leaves are best steamed or braised.

Rutabagas (Brassica napobrassica) are a cross between a cabbage and a turnip; and like the turnip, both the leaves and root are edible. Both turnips and rutabagas have anti-cancer properties (a trait shared by the Cruciferae family) by acting as an androgen receptor antagonist. The roots are high in vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. The cooking for rutabagas is the same as for their cousins the turnips.

Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) are related to the carrot, as can easily be discerned by their appearance. Parsnips are known for their sweetness, but their flavor doesn’t develop until they’ve been exposed to near-freezing temperatures for 2 – 4 weeks. In fact, if you want really sweet parsnips, leave the roots in the ground to overwinter & pick them in the spring; the starches will have converted to sugar. Parsnips can be used as a replacement for potatoes in recipes and can be roasted, boiled, braised, fried, sautéed, or steamed. They are higher in potassium and fiber than carrots, high in folic acid, calcium & zinc. When choosing parsnips, look for ones that are 8” or smaller, so they won’t be woody, and that are crisp & firm. Their flavor is sweet & nutty, while their aroma is similar to celery.

Beets (Beta vulgaris) are part of the amaranth family, along with chard and sugar beets. The most familiar color of beet is red, but there are golden beets (my personal favorite) and candy-striped beets called Chioggia (think peppermints). The color of beets is due to betalain pigments; the betacyanins are red to purple, while the betaxanathins are yellow to orange. The earthy aroma and flavor of beets comes from Geosmin, an organic compound that humans can detect a levels of 5ppm of lower. Beet roots are high in folic acid, potassium, vitamin C, calcium and antioxidants (betacyanin). The leaves, also edible, are high in vitamin A, potassium, calcium and iron. Beet roots can be pickled, steamed, baked or roasted, while the leaves are best braised or steamed.

I hope that these underused vegetables have become a little less scary and a little more interesting to those of you who may never had tried them. Now is the perfect time to grab some at your grocery store or farmer’s market and enjoy some of the fall harvest on your dinner plates!

MSG - Good or Bad?

2009-10-09T18:43:00.001-04:00

MSG – monosodium L-glutamate. One of the most commonly despised ingredients in the US. What is so horrible about this ingredient that hundreds of pages of the Internet are spent on its bashing? I’m not sure why it is so vilified, but I do know quite a bit about the ingredient.

MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid. It is produced by fermentation of glucose (usually from molasses) to glutamic acid which is then neutralized with sodium hydroxide to produce sodium L-glutamate. In 1908 a Japanese scientist was researching the flavor enhancing properties of a seaweed used in cooking (Laminaria japonica). But MSG does more than “enhance” flavor; in fact, I don’t like that particular description. MSG is more of a potentiator than an enhancer. It attaches to receptors on your taste buds so that you taste things more intensely. It also affects your perception of mouthfeel, complexity and roundness/harmony of flavors. We call this sensation Umami – the fifth flavor (the other four are: sour, sweet, bitter, salty).

Glutamates (there are other salt versions besides sodium) occur naturally in vegetables, meats (beef, poultry, pork, fish), and milk (including human breast milk). Some foods with the highest levels of glutamates include mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

Glutamates are often misrepresented as MSG. Many of the websites demonizing this material infer that those of us in the food industry are purposely misleading consumers by hiding MSG in other ingredients such as caseinate, whey protein, yeast extract, gelatin, etc. when in reality these are naturally occurring sources of gluamates and not “hidden” MSG. That is not to say we don’t add MSG to foods, we do, but it is labeled.

If you firmly believe that you react to MSG, then nothing I’m saying is going to change your opinion, and that is fine. (Personally, I have a jar of MSG in my spice rack; I love adding it to soups and gravies.) Avoiding MSG should prove rather easy, glutamates less so, and glutamic acid nearly impossible. (I just have to say, I’ve never heard someone who just ate a big piece of chicken cooked with mushrooms and tomatoes ever complain about symptoms).

There has been and continues to be ongoing research into the effects of MSG consumption. Although to date, nothing conclusive has been produced (and reproduced) to show any negative effect of consumption, if you are at all concerned, make sure you eat other foods along with your MSG. The dilution effect should be enough to ward off any potential side effects. And of course if you are watching your sodium intake, you should be aware of the high sodium content of MSG containing foods.

I hope that this was informative (and no, I do not work for or with any MSG companies – I’m not working any angles here). Please let me know what other questions you have about the foods you eat - I'm here to help!

Defining Natural - Part II

2009-09-30T19:07:00.005-04:00

Last week, I told you about the FDA definition of "natural", their lack of one, and told you that they may start by looking at the USDA's. The branch of the USDA that is involved in allowing a natural claim is the FSIS - Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The FSIS first issued its guidance on November 22, 1982 in a Standards and Labeling Policy Memo (#055) stating that the term "natural" could be used in the labeling of meat & poultry when:

The product does not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring, ingredient, or chemical preservative (as defined in 21 CFR 101.22), or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient; and
The product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed, which may include (a) those traditional processes used to make food edible, to preserve it, or to make it safe for human consumption, e.g. smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting, or (b) those physical processes that do not fundamentally alter the raw product or that only separate a whole, intact food into component parts, e.g. grinding meat, separating eggs, pressing fruit.
Relatively severe processes, e.g. solvent extraction, acid hydrolysis and chemical bleaching would clearly constitute more than minimal processing.

This sounds good - right? It is much more precise than the FDA definition, and the FSIS, like the FDA, reviews label submissions on a case-by-case basis for clarification. So why is it that even this definition is under review?

While I can't speak for the USDS/FSIS, it is probably because this still has a lot of grey areas. For instance, sodium, calcium, and potassium lactate (from corn sources) were allowed at levels up to 2% as flavoring. That is until the FSIS discovered that at that level, those products had an antimicrobial effect and they decided to re-evaluate those labeling claims individually for technical function and intended use. There are other ingredients that have similar stories. So in 2006 the FSIS took comments from the public and industry to try to clarify the term "natural" - they received over 12,000 comments that contained wildly divergent views on the topic.

So this year they decided to try again; they are soliciting comments until November 13, 2009 (if anyone wants to know how to submit their own comments send me an email & I'll send you the information). Some people want a very rigid definition, but that is difficult because it means the FSIS must think of almost every circumstance to close any potential loopholes; while others want flexibility so that the context can be considered (whether an ingredient is used as an antioxidant or as a flavor - like rosemary extract). And this is a complex issue; for instance, vinegar is a natural product, as is sea salt, but depending on their usage, it could mean a product cannot be legally labeled as natural.

So, what is the likely outcome for both the USDA/FSIS and the FDA? Well, with lawsuits and public comments pending, some changes will likely be forthcoming. We may very well end up with a system similar to that for organic products - kind of a tiered labeling system: 100% Natural, Natural, Made with all Natural Ingredients, Naturally Raised, etc.

I for one, am interested both as a consumer and as a food technologist, to see how these governmental agencies resolve this issue. And I hope you have gained a better understanding of the issues that impact the foods you consume and the regulations that govern their manufacture.

Defining Natural

2009-09-21T19:03:00.006-04:00

I originally started this conversation on my post dated 11-20-08, but this topic just keeps reappearing, so I'm going to delve a bit deeper today.

Natural. Everyone can define this word - right? Per Webster, natural means: "existing in or produced by nature". Pretty simple & straightforward. So why is it that the FDA and USDA are having such trouble creating a working definition for this term? Perhaps it is because natural, when pertaining to foods, is not so easily defined. You see, there is a lot of grey area; there are many natural things, including chemicals, out there that you wouldn't want to be eating, so the dictionary definition simply won't work.

Let's start with the FDA. Way back in the early 1990's, they were petitioned to create a definition of "natural" for the industry to use. But in January of 1993, the FDA declined to establish a formal definition of natural and instead gave us this informal definition we've been using ever since. Natural means "nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food." [58 Fed. Reg. 2302, 2407 (January 6, 1993)]. Hence, the FDA decided not to attempt to restrict the use of the term natural except for added color, synthetic substances, and flavors.

Here's why this gets interesting. The FDA's Food Labelling and Standards department reviews the use of the term "natural" on a case-by-case basis since this statement of policy is just an advisory opinion and not a regulation. Or in plainer English, while companies and courts follow the FDA's opinion, it does not constitute federal law. One case currently being fought in the US courts is the against Snapple Beverage Corp. for their use of "All Natural" on their beverages containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

In April 2008, the FDA's office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplementation, stated that HFCS, due to the manufacturing process, would not qualify for a "natural" labeling term. But in July 2008, after clarification from one of the manufacturers about the process used to create HFCS, the FDA reversed its decision and declared that HFCS (when produced by the process submitted) can be considered "natural". (If anyone wants details on the processes involved, send me an email & I'll explain) Snapple argued that the FDA has authority regarding the naming & labeling of its drinks and the original court (New Jersey US District Court) found in favor of Snapple. Unfortunately, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit last month reversed this decision and sent it back down for further review; their opinion is that the FDA's opinion has no force of law.

Unfortunately, there have been a number of other lawsuits (Ben & Jerry's, Cadbury Schweppes, Kraft, Arizona Beverage Co., etc.) also surrounding the use of the term "natural" (although not all concerning the use of HFCS). So what does this mean to consumers? Well, the industry is hoping it may force the FDA to adopt a formal policy regarding the definition of the term "natural". And the place they may start is with the USDA definition; but that will be my next post - so be sure to check back soon!

Good Gluten-free Alternatives - Part 3

2009-09-03T18:50:00.007-04:00

I've saved the least well known options for this post, and the first one is seldom considered as human food in the US. This pretty looking picture on the left is millet (Panicum miliaceum). Yep, I said millet - but that's bird feed!

Why yes it is, but it is also people food (the pearle millet is anyway). In fact it is a staple in India, Africa, and China. It has been cultivated since prehistoric times. Its amino acid profile is better than wheat or corn and it can be used to make soups, stews, cooked cereal, and can be popped, roasted or sprouted.

To cook, roast 1 cup of millet in a saute pan in 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat and cook (stirring frequently) until it makes popping sounds and begins to turn golden. Remove the pan from heat. Then in a small saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil and stir in the roasted millet. Cook covered, over low heat 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. One cup of cooked millet has 207 calories, 6 grams of protein, 1.75 grams of fat, and 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of which are fiber. Millet has a good quantity of niacin (2.3 mg per cup of cooked) and zinc (1.58 mg per cup of cooked).

Sorghum (Sorghum spp.) is a cereal grain that is common to Africa and Asia. In fact it is one of the top five cereal grains in the world. It has been around since about 8000 BC and is related to millet. It is good nutritionally, but does lack the amino acid lysine.

You will most commonly find sorghum as either the flour or as a sweetener (like molasses). I've not seen the grain available whole in the stores in my area. However, if you could find it, 100 grams would contain 339 calories, 11 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and 75 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of which are fiber. It is a good source of iron as well, containing 4.4 mg per 100g.

The last gluten-free alternative on my list is teff. Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a tiny grain, primarily found in Ethiopia where it is ground into a flour or consumed as a porridge. Teff has been domesticated since around 4000 BC.

You can find teff as whole seeds in some health food stores, but will probably find the flour is more common. When teff is cooked, it becomes gelatinous which allows it to be used to thicken soups, stews, gravies and even puddings. Of course the flour can be used to make gluten-free baked goods as well.

One cup of cooked teff contains 255 calories, 9.75 grams of protein, 1.5 g fat, and 50 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of which is fiber. It is considered a complete protein (all essential amino acids present), but is a bit low on the lysine. And teff has a good amount of calcium (387 mg per cup of cooked) and iron (15 mg per cup of cooked).

I hope you found this series on gluten-free alternatives interesting and that it peaked your interest in learning more about grain alternatives. The internet is a wonderful source of recipes using these lesser known ingredients, especially as the gluten-free market expands. As I've said many times before, please drop me a note with future topics you'd like me to cover - I'm always here to help you become more foodliterate!

Good Gluten-free Alternatives - Part 2

2009-08-26T19:03:00.008-04:00

Keeping my word about other alternatives for those trying to live a gluten-free lifestyle, this week's post is on some of the other seeds and grains available. Now, most if not all of these, are going to be more difficult to obtain outside of a health-food/specialty store, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try them if you do stumble upon them!

Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus - pictured left) is a plant that many of you have seen growing in gardens, perhaps even your own, and never had an inkling that there was something edible lurking there.

This beautiful plant has tiny seeds, about the size of poppy seeds, that are quite edible. They were a staple of the Aztec people and are still consumed in that part of the world. Amaranth is technically an herb, not a grain and it is related to cockscomb. It is high in tocotrienols (vitamin E), has a nutty flavor, and approaches the nutritional value of milk.

One cup of cooked amaranth has 251 calories, 9.5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, and 46 grams of carbohydrate, of which 5 g is fiber. You can find amaranth flour, noodles, and baked products like cookies in health food stores. To cook the seeds, boil one cup of amaranth in 2.5 cups of water for 18-20 minutes, drain off any excess water and use as you would other grains.

Next up is buckwheat (Fagopyrum sagittatum). It is a seed, not a true grain, and despite its name, not related to wheat. Buckwheat hails from Asia and has been cultivated since about 6000 BC. It is very popular in China, Japan and Russia and has been grown in the US since the colonial days, but most Americans only consume it in pancakes or as soba noodles.

Buckwheat can also be found as groats, known as kasha, that are very tasty and can be eaten as a cereal or in soups and stews. One cup of cooked buckwheat groats has 155 calories, 5.7 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 33.5 grams of carbohydrate, of which 4.5 grams is fiber. It is a good source of niacin (1.6 mg per cup of cooked) and lutein (1.1 micrograms per cup of cooked).

Kasha/buckwheat can be used to make veggie burgers, or a side salad as well as a hot breakfast cereal option. The cooking is usually to boil 1 cup of kasha in 2 cups of water for around 12 minutes or until tender.

I still have 3 other alternatives which I will save for my next post. I hope you are inspired to find some recipes on the internet or in cookbooks for these two gluten-free alternatives. You never know what new and exciting creations are just waiting to be served!

Good Gluten-free Alternatives - Part 1

2009-08-20T18:47:00.005-04:00

As I stated in my last post, those who are gluten intolerant do have some options and you don’t have to have an issue with gluten to enjoy these! Perhaps the most common option these days (outside of corn) is quinoa. Let me tell you a bit more about it.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is often considered a grain, but it in fact a seed which comes from the same botanical family as spinach and beets. (Although the leaves of the quinoa plant are also edible, I've not seen them available anywhere for purchase.) Quinoa has been cultivated and consumed for more than 5000 years originating with the Incas. It is native to the Andes mountains and the name quinoa means “mother grain” in Inca.

The seeds of the quinoa have a protective pericarp layer of saponin (a really bitter substance) which must be removed by alkali before the quinoa is edible. This is most commonly performed before you buy the quinoa, but I recommend rinsing the quinoa in 3 changes of water before cooking, just in case there is residual saponin still present.

What is really interesting about quinoa though is its nutritional profile. It is considered a complete protein (has all of the essential amino acids present) and the FAO have deemed it comparable to dried whole milk. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 222 calories, 8 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of which are fiber (64% insoluble, 36% soluble). It also is a good source of iron (2.8 mg per cooked cup).

This is all great right? But you really want to know what does it taste like and what do I do with it. It has a slightly nutty flavor and can be consumed for every meal of the day. You can cook it and add milk, cinnamon & some fruit for breakfast, or make a cold salad with it for dinner. I’m going to share my favorite recipe for this fascinating little seed with you to get you started.

1) Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water (salted) for 10-15 minutes (until tender). If there is water still remaining, drain in a sieve, and then add to a bowl big enough to do some mixing.
2) Drain & rinse 1 can (15 oz) of cooked black beans and place in the bowl.
3) Defrost 12 oz of frozen corn and place in the bowl.
4) Finely chop 1 small (or medium) red onion and add to bowl.
5) Add your favorite salsa – I prefer to use Fronterra Double Roasted Tomato Salsa for this recipe, it has a great smoky flavor - no quantity here, just to the flavor and consistency you desire.
6) If desired, add chopped fresh cilantro to taste, salt & pepper.

7) Mix all ingredients together.
8) This dish can be served warm or cold as a side dish or main dish.

I hope this has inspired you to give the little quinoa seed a try, after all variety is the spice of life! I'll be back with some other gluten-free alternatives next time.

When Good Protein Goes Bad - Gluten

2009-08-11T18:45:00.002-04:00

Ahhh summer - so beautiful, so busy! Seems like I always fall off the blog wagon this time of year (conferences, vacations, etc.), I hope you all understand. Today's topic is gluten -a protein found in some grains.

First, what is gluten & where does it come from? When water is added to the endosperm of: wheat, (including spelt, durum & semolina), rye, oats, barley, triticale or kamut, the proteins gliadin (a monomeric protein "single chain") and glutenin (a polymeric protein - "many chain") combine to form a colloid complex called gluten. It is the intermolecular interaction of these two proteins which produce the viscoelastic properties of gluten (i.e. elasticity of dough). Gluten is also known as the water-insoluble protein which remains behind when the starch of the grain is washed away.

Gluten is responsible for trapping air bubbles in baked goods providing the lightness in yeast or leavened baked goods. Because of this, it is difficult to replace; you have to find something, or a combination of things, that work structurally similar to gluten. Anyone who has read a "gluten-free" label has probably seen many of these items: rice flour, sorghum, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, soy flour, potato starch, corn starch, guar gum, buckwheat (which isn't a wheat) or chickpea flour. Most of these plant proteins will do part of the job of the gluten, but are usually needed in combination to the job of both providing elasticity and water binding.

Ok, so you know what gluten is, but why all the fuss about it? Are there really that many people out there with celiac disease? Probably not, but there is another fraction of the population that is regarded as gluten-intolerant and limiting their intake of gluten makes them feel better. To that end, in 2008 gluten-free sales were almost $1.6 billion (retail) and is expected to almost double by 2012 (from Packaged Foods 2009 report).

Now those who choose, or must, remove gluten from their diets still need fiber and B-vitamins, both of which are found in these grains. So what choices exist? Don't worry, there is quinoa, amaranth, millet, corn and teff. Which, other than corn, are lesser known in the US but are widely consumed grains in other parts of the world and aren't that hard to find here.

I'll be talking about these grains in my next post -because the scariest items are the ones we know the least about and I don't want these grains to be scary! Until then - be well!

Random Thoughts: Fats & Weight Loss

2009-07-14T08:30:00.005-04:00

Because our society loves fat, and lets face it - that is where all the flavor, satiety, and mouthfeel come from, a lot of research is being conducted on the effects of dietary fat on our body fat. Scientists are trying to find out what fats are better (or worse) for us and the answer doesn't seem to be an easy one.

These researchers were trying to determine how where you store your fat (apple vs pear shapes) influence your body's response to dietary fats - and apparently it does!

Obesity related disorder treatments have been utilizing the conversion of patients from PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) to MCTs (medium chain triglycerides). This is because they metabolize differently, MCT breaks down quickly and goes to your liver rather that going to fat storage. However, their research suggests that this conversion is only really good for pear shaped people. Apple shaped patients fed MCT rich diets had inflammation of their fatty tissues, not the result they were going for!

So, research will continue, and those of us who carry more weight around their middle (like me) will just have to wait to see what works best for us!

Random Thoughts: Nitrates

2009-07-08T18:10:00.005-04:00

Nitrates take such a beating in the press and on documentaries, that I thought it was time for some additional information about this compound to come out. Listening to the anti-additive crowd, you would have thought it was created in a laboratory some where with lots of little white rats, but in reality nitrate is a naturally occurring part of the nitrogen cycle.

Many people know that nitrate is an approved food additive used in cured meats (like hot dogs, lunch meats, and sausages), but few know that it is also a component of plants - especially their leaves. Nitrate breaks down into nitrites, which possess antimicrobial activity, N-nitroso compounds, and nitric oxide, which plays a role in the plant's vasoregulation.

Any guess as to the typical amount of nitrate found in cured meats? 156 mg/kg. Want to guess the typical amount of nitrate found in arugula? 4667 mg/kg! Ok, you say, but you don't eat arugula. How about mixed lettuce (like the blends you buy at the grocery store)? 2000 mg/kg. Celery? 1100 mg/kg. Spinach? 1000 mg/kg. Reality is you consume far more nitrate than you think. The FAO/WHO (JECFA) set the acceptable daily intake at 3.7 mg/kg per kg of weight per day (for a 190# person that would work out to 318 mg/kg per day). That number certainly seems low given the results of the new research on the nitrate levels in plants (can be found here.)

So the next time your health-conscious friend belittles you for chomping on that hot dog, lamenting all of those nasty nitrates you are consuming, you can just turn and smile knowing the amount of nitrates found in their salad!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin K

2009-06-24T19:36:00.006-04:00

Well, it has been a while since my last post and for that I do apologize. As the weather warms up, my work load seems to increase (and not in that fun vacation sort of way, at least not yet!). But nonetheless, today marks the last of the vitamin series - vitamin K. Vitamin K was discovered back in 1929 and was first synthesized in a lab in 1939, so why is it that in 2009 so few people know anything about it?

Without sounding too much like a broken record, vitamin K is also the generic term for a group of compounds; the two natural forms being K1 and K2. (There are 3 more synthetic forms) K1 is also known as phylloquinone and comes from plants and is very biologically available. K2 is a family of menaquinones and are produced by bacteria, including those that live in your gut.

So, what's the big deal about vitamin K? The biggest, perhaps most important job is its role in blood coagulation. (It works with prothrombin and other proteins to cause coagulation) It also plays a role in bone metabolism which may help to prevent osteoporosis. SCIENCE ALERT: Both of these functions have to do with vitamin K's role as a co-factor for gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of bound glutamate (Glu) to gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla) and the binding of calcium ions to the Gla giving it bioactivity - also known as the "vitamin K dependent glutamate gamma-carboxylation reaction").

The lack of vitamin K seems to lead to a higher incidence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques - not good. And newer research is looking into vitamin K's role in neuronal survival and its potential in the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's.

Are you wondering "where can I get this wonderful vitamin"? Good, the best sources are green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, spinach, turnip greens, asparagus, and cabbage. Vitamin K, as an oil soluble vitamin, is also found in canola, soybean and olive oil. The recommended daily intake varies depending on age and gender, but is generally between 65 -120 micrograms per day. Most of us have no problem getting this amount from our diet, but those who are on a highly restricted diet, or are on sulfa drugs may need to supplement. Those who are on anticoagulant drugs should watch their intake of vitamin K containing foods, as vitamin K can interfere with their medication (make sure to talk to your doctor!).

So, we've covered the world of vitamins (sort of in the "Reader's Digest" kind of way) and I hope it makes you feel more comfortable about what you need, in what quantities, and why you need them. July is another crazy month for me at my job (and my committee work, and vacation, etc.) but I will try to get at least of couple of posts in. Please let me know what you want to learn about next - I'm open to ALL suggestions, so don't be afraid to ask!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin E

2009-06-05T18:48:00.003-04:00

Vitamin E – this is another one of those vitamins that we all assume we know quite a bit about, so let’s see what you really do know about our next to last vitamin.

Vitamin E is not a single chemical, but rather two groups of compounds: tocopherols and tocotrienols; and within each of these there are 4 compounds (alpha, beta, delta, gamma) and their mirror images (known as isomers) – very confusing! The best bioactive form is alpha-tocopherol and that is what all of the various compounds are measured against. The natural form is d-alpha-tocopherol and the synthetic version is dl-alpha-tocopherol. It is one of the few vitamins that your body can distinguish between the natural and synthetic versions, but both are very bioactive and therefore effective.

The name “tocopherol” means “to bring forth in childbirth” in Greek and it is because the vitamin was discovered by feeding pregnant rats a specialized diet and finding that a previously unknown compound was needed for them to carry their fetuses to term. And although Vitamin E was once referred to as an “anti-sterility vitamin” it does not appear to help with that problem.

Vitamin E is stored in your adipose tissues because of its high lipid solubility. It is best known perhaps for its antioxidant properties; it is the major antioxidant found in the lipid portion of the cellular membranes in your body protecting them from peroxidation.

Vitamin E counteracts the artherogenic effects of the breakdown of good cholesterol (LDL) which involves too many processes too complicated to go into here (like nitric-oxide mediated arterial relaxation and inhibition of platelet aggregation), so let’s just suffice to say that Vitamin E is good for your heart and circulatory system.

It also helps with your immune system, especially when phagocytosis is involved, but you need to ingest levels 4-6 times higher that what normal diets contain. So in essence: the older you are – the more depressed your immune system gets – and the more vitamin E you should be consuming.

Good sources of vitamin E are grains, nuts, beans, seeds and their oils, eggs, and butter. This is unfortunate, because these are “fatty foods” that many people are cutting out of their diet, or at least cutting back on, and that means we are getting less vitamin E. The good news is that vitamin E from food sources is not toxic, so you can’t get too much of a good thing that way!

Well, how well did you do; did you know vitamin E as well as you thought? Good, next will be the last vitamin, vitamin K, one of the least well known of its brethren. However, it will be a couple of weeks between posts as I'm off to attend the Institute of Food Technologists conference tomorrow. And as always, let me know what you want to know about - we are about to move onto a new chapter and I want to make sure it is a chapter you want to read!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin D

2009-05-18T18:45:00.003-04:00

And so we come to Vitamin D, which had been the object of some squabbling over whether it should even be called a vitamin (the other camp voted for it to be a hormone), but alas, a vitamin it became. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin like vitamin A, and it has two primary forms: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3) both of which are secosteroids.

D2 is the form found in plants and is created by the irradiation (from the sun, not a lab) of ergosterol in the plant. D3 is the form people produce through photosynthesis in the skin by activation of the sunlight on 7-dehydrocholesterol. (And you thought only plants performed photosynthesis!) Both D2 and D3 are biologically inactive and have to be converted to their hormonal (thereby active) forms through two hydroxylations to create dihydroxylated vitamin D.

Not all solar rays have the required energy to penetrate the epidermis and create vitamin D3, so there are a number of factors that affect the production. First, we need UVB rays, which we also know are related to skin cancer, so sunscreen (with a SPF as low as 8) does reduce the amount of vitamin D produced. Also, skin pigmentation plays a role; while pale ol’ me needs only about 15-30 minutes of exposure, someone who has very dark skin may need 3 hours to produce an equivalent amount of vitamin D.

Age also plays a role in the production of vitamin D, the younger you are, the more vitamin D is produced in the skin. As we age, our epidermis thins out and negatively affects our ability to photosynthesize. Luckily we can get our vitamin D from supplementation (recommended: 200 IU/day if you are under 50, 400 IU/day if you are over 50, and 600 IU/day if you are over 70). Just be aware, there is no toxicity from naturally produced vitamin D, but there is the chance of toxicity from supplements – at high levels it can cause hypercalcaemia and ultimately kidney failure. We can also get vitamin D from fortified milk, fatty fish, egg yolks and butter.

What does vitamin D do for us? It is required for the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus, bone remodeling (takes minerals away and puts them back to create new bone), and the modulation of cell proliferation (increase in number) and differentiation (different kinds of cells). Vitamin D also plays a role in our immune system like macrophage activation (those cells that gobble up pathogens) and as an immunoregulator (your T-cell response). Perhaps best known is its relationship with calcium; they are inextricably connected, calcium absorption depends on vitamin D.

Well, we have covered all of the water soluble and half the fat soluble vitamins. Only vitamins E & K are left to tackle. I'm going to be taking a quick vacation for the Memorial weekend so look for my next post around the end of May or beginning of June. Until then, eat well & be well!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin C

2009-05-11T18:05:00.003-04:00

Vitamin C. This is one where you are probably thinking, “Please, I know all about Vitamin C why even bother…”. And you might be correct, but I’m guessing there are some things about Vitamin C of which you may not be aware or that you may at least find interesting. Let’s see if I’m correct.

Vitamin C is the generic term for ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid. It is a water soluble vitamin like the B vitamins we’ve been discussing. Ascorbic acid is found freely in your plasma and is distributed to all the cells of the body, especially the adrenal and pituitary glands. It is also stored in the brain where it functions as a neuromodulator, is involved in myelination and in the biosynthesis of noradrenaline (a neurotransmitter).

Ascorbic acid aids in inorganic iron absorption by acting as a chelator and reducing agent (this converts the iron to its ferrous state which is more soluble). In fact, taking vitamin C with a meal can increase your iron intake by around 6 fold. Ascorbic acid is required for the biosynthesis of carnitine (needed for the production of energy in your mitochondria) and enhancement of prostaglandin synthesis (modulates cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune and reproductive functions). Ascorbic acid also prevents the formation of N-nitroso compounds (aka nitrosamines, found in cured meats) which have been implicated in gastric cancer. Ascorbic acid stimulates collagen production as a co-factor in the polypeptide chain which aids in wound healing.

Perhaps one of ascorbic acid’s best known roles is that of antioxidant; it is an aggressive scavenger of free radicals. Lesser known, but of great interest to those of us who are allergy sufferers, is its role in the degradation of histamine. It decreases blood histamine levels thereby acting as an antihistamine.

Deficiencies are rare, but mild scurvy is seen in alcoholics & drug addicts, where it is manifested as weakness, lethargy, shortness of breath, and aching joints and muscles. Hopefully you are all getting the recommended daily intake of 90mg from citrus fruits, strawberries, papayas, dark green leafy vegetables and broccoli. If not, there are a world of supplements out there from both natural and synthetic sources (both have good bioavailability). If you are getting your vitamin C from supplements, it is better to take many small doses throughout the day rather than one large dose. You can also increase your absorption of supplemental vitamin C by taking it with a meal.

So, do you feel like you know this vitamin a little better than you did before? Good, now we will move on to Vitamin D it should be D-lightful!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B12

2009-04-28T18:21:00.004-04:00

Alas, B12 is the last of the B vitamin family; that is not to say that it is not as interesting as its kin. Vitamin B12 has the most complex chemical structure of all the vitamins and contains a molecule of cobalt. And has been the case with a number of its cousins, B12 is just an inclusive name for all cobalamins that have anti-pernicious anemic activity [say that three times fast :)]. You see, this vitamin was discovered by research into pernicious anemia and was finally isolated in 1948.

The most stable, and most commonly seen, form of B12 is cyanocobalamin. And the two forms that act as co-enzymes in the body are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. These co-enzymes work with the inactive form of folate to convert homocysteine into methionine. In the process, the inactive folate is activated and goes to work in DNA synthesis, thus making B9 & B12 very symbiotic.

Vitamin B12 can only be found in animals and microorganisms; no plants can make this vitamin. The best sources are organ meats like liver, heart and kidney, but other muscle tissues, milk, cheese, eggs and shellfish are good sources. Because this vitamin is not found in plants, vegans and very strict vegetarians must pay attention to their intake of B12.

We only need about 1 microgram per day, although the USDRI is set at 2.4 micrograms. This seems such a small amount, that you are probably wondering how big of a deal is it? It is really big! While it is rare to be deficient, it is not unheard of and those who suffer from Crohn’s/celiac disease are at a greater risk (along with those vegans/vegetarians). Some of the manifestations of a deficiency are megablastic anemia (aka pernicious anemia), demyelinization of nerve tissues (which is irreversible) and death.

So, we have finally reached the end of the B vitamins, but that doesn't mean that we have finished our conversation on vitamins just yet. The next post will be on our friend Vitamin C, probably the best known and perhaps most talked about vitamin out there. Hope to "C" you back!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B9

2009-04-13T18:20:00.003-04:00

Vitamin B9 is the next vitamin in the series, which may lead some to ask, what happened to B8? B8 was used for adenylic acid (a DNA metabolite) until it was discovered that is synthesized by the human body & wasn’t a vitamin. Vitamin B9, like a lot of its B-vitamin brethren, is a generic term for all forms of pteroic acid with vitamin activity. The other common generic name in use is folate; but folic acid is how you are most likely to see this vitamin designated even though it is not the form found commonly in nature.

The folate found in food is bound and must be digested by enzymes in the small intestine before we can utilize it; the same is not true for the form typically found in supplements and fortifications. Luckily, folate is an essential biochemical constituent of living cells, making it pretty easy to find in foods. Orange juice, eggs (cooked), beans, spinach, whole grains, asparagus, and peanuts are all good sources of B9. In addition, folate is added as a fortification to cereals and grain products (required in all commercial grain products per the FDA).

Folate is required for DNA and RNA synthesis, metabolism of some amino acids (proteins), cognitive function, metabolism of fat and reducing homocysteine levels which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The recommended daily intake is 400 micrograms per day, and because we don’t absorb it well (that whole breaking it down problem) and because so many of us don’t eat very well, many people are deficient.

Deficiencies, especially long-term ones, can lead to elevated plasma homocysteine levels which are an early indicator of atherosclerosis and the potential for DNA breaks which may lead to an increased cancer risk. Deficiency during pregnancy is related to the elevated occurrence of neural tube defects (probably the effect with which most people are familiar).

Vitamin B9 works closely with vitamin B12 and that’s great, because that is our next vitamin and the last of the B vitamins to be covered. “B” there for the next post!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B7

2009-04-07T09:41:00.006-04:00

Boy am I behind on my posts - sorry! But I'm back and the next B vitamin on our list is B7, more commonly known as Biotin. Unlike so many of the other B vitamins we've been discussing, vitamin B7 is just biotin, not a generic term for a group of compounds. And the only active form, which coincidentally is the one that occurs in nature, is d-Biotin.

While biotin is present in both animal and plant tissues, even the very best sources are still pretty low in biotin compared to the other B vitamins. Whole eggs, soybeans and peanuts are good sources, as are wheat bran, oatmeal, muscle meats, fish and dairy products. The biotin found in animals, nuts & cereals is usually protein bound, while the biotin found in veggies, fruits and dairy products is "free" biotin. Biotin can also be made by the bacteria in your large intestine, some of which can be absorbed by the body, but it isn't a major contributor.

Biotin acts as a coenzyme for carboylases which is part of the acetyl-CoA formation process; it helps you derive energy from carbohydrates. Biotin also appears to play a role in the removal of glucose in the bloodstream and its storage as glycogen. And it aids in the breakdown of amino acids so they can be used by the body to build necessary proteins.

Because biotin is so widely available, deficiencies are pretty rare, although there are two genetic conditions that exist where biotin cannot be metabolized (known collectively as multiple carboxylase deficiency or MCD). A deficiency manifests itself as anorexia, weakened immune system and skin rashes. The recommended daily requirement for biotin is only 30 micrograms per day.

Wow, we are in the closing stretch of the B vitamins - six down and only two are left. I promise not to wait another two weeks before discussing vitamin B9, so please come back!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B6

2009-03-24T17:46:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, another day, another B vitamin! Today’s vitamin is vitamin B6, and you may have guessed from the other B vitamins, it too is not a single chemical. Vitamin B6 is the generic term for a group of derivatives which include pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL) and pyridoxamine (PM). Vitamin B6 was discovered in 1934 and was named “the rat dermatitis factor” due to the finding that a lack of this compound led to dermatitis in rats – how pleasant! (It didn’t take to long for them to figure out there were other B vitamins involved).

Pyridoxine is found primarily in plant tissues, while pyridoxal and pyridoxamine are found primarily in animal tissues. All of these derivatives convert to the main active form pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) in the body. Vitamin B6 is also a coenzyme for over 100 enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism (protein). It is involved in the manufacture of serotonin, melatonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, and is integral to the functioning of our central and peripheral nervous systems. Vitamin B6 also has a role in modulating steroid homone activity in the body and it promotes red blood cell production. Wow! Good thing it is pretty widely available!

Our bodies can’t manufacture this vitamin, so we get it from our diet. Vitamin B6 can be found in potato skins, salmon & trout, bananas, avocados, yeast, whole grains, nuts, pulses, lean meats and liver. Like other water soluble vitamins, it can be lost in processing due to heat or removal of the germ & bran from grains. Because B6 is vital to protein metabolism, as your protein intake increases, so should your B6 intake. The USRDA is 1.3mg per day, or 16 mcg per gram of protein consumed. While this vitamin is not stored in the body, it can become toxic at levels above 50 mg/day causing neurological toxicity. Please come back to learn about vitamin B7 - Biotin.

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B5

2009-03-15T09:00:00.007-04:00

Vitamin B4 isn’t a vitamin at all (it is actually adenine a DNA metabolite synthesized by the body), and as such has been removed from the list. So that means the next vitamin is vitamin B5. And like so many of its other B-complex cousins, it too has multiple forms: pantethiene, phosphopantethiene, and phosphopantothenic acid. You will find it most commonly referred to as pantothenic acid.

Panto is greek for everywhere, and that pretty well describes this vitamin. It is so pervasive because it is part of coenzyme-A (Co-A) which is found in plants and animals. We cannot manufacture vitamin B5 and must get it from our diet so Co-A is our dietary form of pantothenic acid.

Coenzyme-A (and thus Vitamin B5) is active in many biochemical reactions in the body. It is part of the citric acid cycle (which involves the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and protein), necessary for synthesis of red blood cells, synthesis of essential fatty acids, cholesterol and steroid hormones. Milk has the highest amount of unbound vitamin B5 (~90%), but other good dietary sources include mushrooms, avocados, salmon, lobster, soybeans, and yeast. Deficiency is practically unheard of, except in cases of drug-interaction, so there is no recommended daily intake set, although 5mg per day is recommended. There is also been very little toxicity information available, as excess vitamin B5 is water soluble and thus excreted.

Well, we are half way through the B vitamins. I do hope you’re interested in the rest of the family, as B6 is on the sidelines waiting impatiently to be called up. Until next week, eat well & be well.

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B3

2009-03-10T18:14:00.005-04:00

Much like vitamin B2, vitamin B3 is not a single substance; the nomenclature covers both niacin and niacinamide. Niacin is the generic name used for nicotinic acid, whereas niacinamide is used for the amide structure (-NH2) nicotinamide.

Nicotinamide is the reactive part of the co-enzymes NAD & NADP. NAD & NADP and their associated co-enzymes are involved in many of the body’s oxidative & reductive reactions (example: lactate to pyruvate to Acetyl-CoA). NAD also plays a role in DNA repair.Vitamin B3 can be made by our bodies from the amino acid tryptophan, but we also get it from chicken, tuna, liver, lean red meats, legumes and peanuts. Like so many of the B vitamins, vitamin B3 is also readily found in many cereal grains. Unfortunately much of it (80-90%) is as bound nicotinic acid, which is not very bioavailable, although treatment with acid or alkali can unbind it and make it more available. And vitamin B3 is completely lost in the milling process, which is why cereal & grain products in the US are fortified; all those wonderful vitamins are stripped away in the processing from whole grain to refined grain.

Normal protein intakes, without any other sources will meet our body’s requirement for this vitamin which means deficiency of vitamin B3 is rare, but among those who are extremely malnourished it can still happen. The symptoms associated with deficiency include dementia, diarrhea, dermatitis and eventually death. Interestingly, pregnancy makes the conversion of tryptophan to niacin twice as efficient and contraceptive pills also increase efficiency too (although not quite as much). Toxicity is rare, but at levels greater than 100mg per day, skin flushing occurs and in even higher doses it can cause gouty arthritis and liver damage.

I’ll be moving on down (or is it up?) the list of the B vitamins, so please come back!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B2

2009-02-28T12:33:00.003-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to vitamin B2; it is actually a group of compounds called flavins which contains riboflavin, riboflavin-5'-phosphate (FMN) and riboflavin-5'-adenosyldiphosphate (FAD). Riboflavin's name comes from what it looks like, both physically and chemically. It is a florescent yellow-orange color and flavin comes from flavus meaning yellow in latin the ribo comes from ribitol which is the sugar part of the molecule.

FMN and FAD exist primarily as part of flavoproteins (flavin enzymes) and living cells require them. They work in the oxidoreductive processes - that is they can accept hydrogen atoms - and are used in biological processes like the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA (for fatty acid metabolism).

This is also one of the vitamins we need to get from our food. Milk, cheese, meat, yeasts, eggs, wheat bran, liver and kidney are all good sources of this vitamin. Riboflavin is absorbed in the intestine; FAD & FMN are converted to riboflavin before they are absorbed. Some of the absorbed riboflavin is converted by the body to FMN and most of that FMN is then converted to FAD in the cells. Vitamin B2 is used in energy production and the conversion of tryptophan to niacin.

Again, this is not a vitamin that is commonly deficient, both due to supplementation and its availability in commonly consumed foods. It doesn't even have any really fun symptoms, you'd most likely experience cracked lips and inflammation of the tongue. Riboflavin is currently being evaluated as a treatment in the prevention of migraines.

So, you've met two of the B vitamins, more to come in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, eat well and be well!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin B1

2009-02-21T14:59:00.007-05:00

The vitamin du jour is Thiamin (or Thiamine depending on where you are from) which is also known as vitamin B1; it was discovered and named by Robert R. Williams in the early 1930's. Thiamin is found in all plants and animals, but pulses, nuts, cereals/grains, yeasts and pork contain larger quantities than beef, chicken, eggs, veggies and fruits.

Thiamin is not one of the vitamins we can produce so it has to come from our diet. Thiamin is usually found in one of three phosphorylated forms: monophosphate ester, triphosphate ester, and thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP). The triphos form has a role in nerve transmission but the TPP has a much larger role in the body.

TPP is a co-enzyme for several metabolic pathways. It works in the decarboxylation and transketolation processes involved in turning carbohydrates in to energy (tricarboxylic acid cycle). In the body TPP is hydrolyzed to free thiamin in your intestines where it is converted back to TPP in your cells (seems a little silly - huh?). Our cardiovascular and nervous systems need carbohydrates and carbohydrate metabolism needs thiamin - so the amount you need depends is directly dependent on the amount of carbohydrates you eat.

Thiamin is considered to be one of the vitamins with a high bioavailability, probably due to the fact that is most often found in the form our bodies can use (TPP) and because so many foods are supplemented with it, so deficiencies are pretty uncommon. That doesn't mean it can't happen - alcoholics, persons with intestinal issues (especially diarrhea and vomiting), genetic malabsorption issues or those who only eat junk food can all run into issues with deficiency. Some of the symptoms associated with a lack of vitamin B1 are anorexia, muscle weakness, and cardiovascular irregularities. If you really get deficient, you can look forward to paranoia, manic/depressive episodes, confusion and beriberi. Just so you can avoid these conditions keep these facts in mind: thiamin is sensitive to heat and baking soda can inactivate it; while tea and coffee can interfere with its absorption.

So, now you know about the first of the B vitamins - quite a large family as you will see, so come back to meet its cousins!

The ABC's of Vitamins

2009-02-15T14:55:00.003-05:00

I received some ribbing about jumping right in to the vitamins without starting from the basics. Since I am guilty as charged, and in an effort to make amends, I am going to take a step backward before I continue to move forward with the B-vitamins. The word vitamin comes from the Polish scientist Casimir Funk who thought they were “vital amines” (meaning nitrogen containing) and called them vitamines. When it was later determined that not all of them had nitrogen, they simply dropped the ‘e’ from the end giving us “vitamin”.

Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential to us, in order to maintain bodily functions, in very small amounts. There are about 13 vitamins that we need to maintain our health, one of which we can make (D) and another the bacteria in our gut can make for us (K) and the rest of which we need to obtain from our diets. While not used for energy, some vitamins are required for energy production. Other vitamins are used much like hormones (D especially) and others as co-enzymes (B group).

The vitamins were named alphabetically, so why does it go A, B, C, D, E, K? Well, originally lots of things were thought to be vitamins that turned out not to be. What was vitamin F is really essential fatty acids, vitamin G was renamed Riboflavin (B2), vitamin H was renamed as Biotin (B7), vitamin J is catechol… you get the point.

Obviously some of the vitamins have subsets – the B vitamins being the most familiar, but there are others; and they are further divided into water soluble and fat soluble. Fat soluble vitamins include: A, D, E, K and the carotenoids. Water soluble vitamins include: the B’s (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate, cyanocobalamin) and C. ). Excess fat soluble vitamins are stored for future use and most of the excess water soluble vitamins are excreted and so must be ingested daily.

The US government has distributed a Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) for many of the vitamins. (The RDA is calculated as the daily intake that is sufficient for 97-98% of healthy individuals in a particular age/gender group.) You’ll see the effects of this on a nutrition data panel on the foods you purchase as % daily value. Most Americans get all the vitamins they need from the foods they consume; the fact that my industry adds (supplements) many of the foods consumed definitely helps in this regard. But some still choose to take supplements daily. There are some groups for whom supplementation makes good sense: elderly, pregnant, Chron’s disease, low calorie diets, high protein (low veggie) diets, and those with intestinal issues (diarrhea).

So, now that the basics have been covered, I’ll get back on the bus and take us to B-town - the vitamin B group. Hope to see you there!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin A Carotenoids

2009-02-07T14:00:00.008-05:00

Last week I discussed preformed vitamin A and this week I'll be talking about provitamin A, also known as carotenoids. Carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, xanthophylls) are compounds found in plants and photosynthetic microorganisms that work as light-harvesting pigments with chlorophyll. Animals cannot produce carotenoids and must get them from their diets.

A molecule of retinol must be present in the structure of a carotenoid in order for it to possess provitamin A activity. The most common and well known of the carotenoids is beta-carotene which has 2 retinol molecules and therefore the highest provitamin A activity. Only about 50 of 500 carotenoids are considered provitamin A.

Fruits and vegetables are where we get our carotenoids. Yellow, orange and red are where we expect to find them, but they are also present in dark green leafy vegetables too. As with preformed vitamin A, carotenoids are available as supplements, primarily as beta-carotene. Crystalline beta-carotene supplements are absorbed at about 50% efficiency; while a raw carrot is only absorbed at about 1% efficiency. Luckly, cooking vegetables increases the efficiency of carotenoid absorption (sorry all you raw food fans!).

Carotenoids that are not used immediately by the body are stored in the fatty tissues, liver and organs much like preformed vitamin A. However, since the carotenoids are not yet in the biologically active form, they are perfectly safe and do not induce toxicity. Carotenoids consumed in large quantities can cause hypercarotenosis (a yellowing of the skin) which is reversible and doesn't have any long-term toxic effects. No USRDI has been established for carotenoids, but 10 -30 mg/day seems to be the target.

Much of what you hear about beta-carotene involves its role as an antioxidant. Carotenoids have the ability to trap peroxyl free radicals and to deactivate singlet oxygen molecules. This appears to be due to their extensive conjugated double bond systems and helps us by reducing some of the mechanisms associated with some cancers. In addition to this, carotenoids help enhance our immune system. See, your mom was right all along - you have to eat your fruits & vegetables. They may just help to save your life!

The ABC's of Vitamins - Vitamin A

2009-02-01T13:26:00.009-05:00

I've spent a fair bit of time discussing the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs), so I thought it was time to start on the micronutrients. Because I am a scientist and like things orderly, I'm going to go alphabetically rather than oil vs. water soluble. That means today's vitamin is A.

Vitamin A isn't a single thing, rather it is a generic term for compounds (other than carotenoids) having the biologic activity of retinol. The retinoids include: retinol, retinaldehyde and retinoic acid. These compounds are referred to as preformed vitamin A because they do not need to undergo metabolic conversion to be biologically active.

Vitamin A is essential to several of our life processes like metabolism, skeletal and soft tissue growth, formation and maintenance of epithelial tissues (skin & mucous membranes), reproduction and vision (although retinoic acid cannot support these last 2 because they need retinol or retinaldehyde).

Dietary sources of preformed vitamin A are animal tissues and milk - the animals convert carotenoids into vitamin A which we then consume as meat, milk, cheese, butter, etc. We can also get our vitamin A from supplements. Vitamin A is measured in IU (international units) and 1 IU is equal to the biologic activity of 0.3 micrograms of retinol. The USRDI for vitamin A is 3000 IU (900 micrograms) with an upper limit (the maximum daily intake that can be safely consumed) of 10000 IU (3000 micrograms). Vitamin A deficiencies are not very common, at least not in developed nations, but if you don't eat dairy, fruits or vegetables you could get into trouble. Early symptoms of deficiency include night blindness, dry skin and susceptibility to infection. If left untreated, it can result in permanent blindness. Vitamin A can become toxic since it is stored in the fatty tissues, liver and organs, but only if you are taking massive amounts of supplements or eating nothing but liver.

Preformed vitamin A absorption occurs in the small intestine and about 5-20% of the vitamin A ingested is not absorbed and is eliminated from the body. Everyone has a different absorption ratio, but typically vitamin A is absorbed at only 20-50% efficiency. In order to use and metabolize vitamin A, it needs some friends. Since vitamin A is an oil soluble vitamin, it stands to reason that it is better absorbed when consumed with fat. But vitamin A also needs protein; the lack of protein will result in a lack of vitamin A metabolism due to a decrease in enzyme levels. Zinc is also needed; a lack of it causes low plasma vitamin A levels even when vitamin A supplementation is given. And vitamin E is necessary; a lack of vitamin E causes a lack of vitamin A to be stored in the liver.

Next time I'll talk about provitamin A, also known as carotenoids, so eat well to be well!

Fermentable Facts: Saccharomyces

2009-01-24T12:42:00.004-05:00

Like last week's fermenting friend Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces is a very helpful little bug. Saccharomyces is a eukarotic, osmophillic yeast. And while there are many species in this genus, the most studied, and most used species is S. cerevisiae.

Fermentation using yeasts has been around for some 4000 years with evidence of breads and beer being found in Egyptian tombs. Yeasts are what turn dough into bread, malt into beer, molasses into rum, grapes into wine and rice into sake.

While the actual definition of fermentation, as I stated previously, is the breakdown of carbohydrates under anaerobic conditions, a common definition is the breakdown of sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol under aerobic conditions. Saccharomyces species multiply better under aerobic conditions (which was used to great advantage by Charles Fleischmann in 1868 to produce the first commercially available yeast) but ferment better under anaerobic conditions like in a dough.

Obviously alcohol is not the by-product of fermentation we are looking for in bread; its the carbon dioxide that we want for leavening. However, the alcohol produced helps extract flavor compounds that are not water soluble and creates some of the characteristic flavors associated with baked bread. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also known as baker's yeast and it is what you buy in those little envelopes at the grocery store.

Alcohol is what we want when making wine and beer, with the carbon dioxide adding a nice fizz. Saccaromyces ellipsoideus is used to ferment grape juice into wine. while two different species are used in beer manufacturing depending on what you are brewing. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a top fermenter (top of the vessel) and produces ales while Saccharomyces pastorianus is a bottom fermenter and produces lagers. Yeasts are also used in the production of industrial ethanol for fuel.

So, what to take away from all of this? Well, how about that microorganisms can be your friend as well as your enemy and that they can make what we eat more fun to eat.

Fermentable Facts: Lactobacillus

2009-01-15T21:08:00.004-05:00

With all the news about bad bacteria (Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli) in the press, I thought it was time to talk about some good bacteria. Today’s helpful bacteria is Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus are, (in microbiology speak), regular, non-spore forming, gram positive rods. They are found naturally on plants, in our bodies (and those of other warm blooded animals), and in foods – fermented foods. As is you may guess by their name, they produce lactic acid as a by-product of fermentation.

Fermentation is not new – it has been around for ages. It happened naturally, unaided but not unnoticed by man, who saw that some foods underwent a transformation which affected both the appearance and flavor. They also noticed that this change kept food safe to eat for longer periods of time as compared to fresh food; thus it became a preservation method. The definition of fermentation is the breakdown of carbohydrates or carbohydrate-like materials, under anaerobic (lack of oxygen) conditions. And Lactobacillus species are among some of the most common fermenters used in foods.

Lactobacillus changes cucumbers into pickles, cabbage into sauerkraut, meat into salami and milk into sour cream, yogurt and cheese. But in addition to making these tasty treats, they have the ability to inhibit the growth of food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria that may also be present in the food (this is called lactic antagonism). While not fully understood, it is likely to be due to a combination of lowered pH, the production of lactase and other inhibitory compounds and by outcompeting pathogens for nutrition.

These bugs and the compounds they produce during fermentation have some other great benefits as well:

1) improved digestive tract health – some species are used as probiotics (like L. casei, L. acidolphilus)
2) synthesize vitamins (Vitamin B12, folic acid)
3) enhanced immune system (link)
4) may help reduce the risk of colon cancer (link)
5) enhance the bioavailability of nutrients by breaking down indigestible plant materials

Too bad the helpful bacteria in our world get so little press. I’ll be discussing some other favorite fermenters in my next post – the kind that make alcohol, so please come back!

2008 Recap

2009-01-07T19:12:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! Sorry for the extended absence - the Christmas holiday always is busy for me and I found I had too few hours in my day, so something had to give. I decided that today's post would be on three interesting topics from 2008 headlines.

Melamine

Wow - was this ever a topic in 2008; the Chinese milk scandal was covered around the world. Melamine, for those still wondering exactly the newscasters were talking about, is a chemical compound used in the making of plastics that contains nitrogen (C3H6N6) and that's important. You see, many high protein foods are priced by the quantity of protein present; the higher the protein levels the higher the price and the way we test for protein content is my measuring nitrogen levels. But the Chinese manufacturers wanted to sell protein they didn't have and bumped up their nitrogen levels with the addition of melamine. Not good - when used as a plasticizer, even for food contact surfaces, melamine is fine (although you should never put melamine in the microwave - it can melt and enter your food). But ingesting melamine is tough on your organs - especially for infants who's systems cannot handle toxins. The Chinese government has now stepped up inspections and testing and our own FDA and FSIS have increased the number of samples pulled and tested as well.

COOL

Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (technically the: Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 expanded list of commodities). This new USDA/AMS regulation took effect on September 30, 2008. It is intended to provide consumers with information about the source of their: beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, fish and shellfish (wild & farmed), perishable (fresh & frozen) fruits and vegetables, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and ginseng. Whew! This information can be placed on a placard, sticker, twist tie, sign, band or pin tag as long as it is legible and conspicously located for the consumer. Of course there are always exceptions. All processed foods are excluded, so any food "that has undergone specific processing resulting in a change of character (e.g. cooking, curing, smoking, restructuring); or that has been combined with another food component" will not be subject to this rule. So roasted peanuts = no COOL, peanuts in shell = COOL; plain pork loin = COOL, teriyaki pork loin = no COOL. So while some are still not happy with the workings of this act, it should provide those concerned with the origins of some of the foods they eat with valuable information about the food source.

Stevia

I talked a bit about this back on my March 16th post, so for those who want to know more about this sweetener please click on that link. As of December 17, 2008, Rebaudioside A (a highly purified derivative of one of the two primary sweet glycoside compounds contained in the Stevia plant) was granted GRAS approval by the FDA for use in foods and beverages. This is great news for those seeking a natural high-intensity sweetener (200 - 300 times sweeter than sugar) that does not induce a glycemic response (no increased blood sugar levels). Cargill's tradename is Truvia and is working with Coke for the use of its product in Sprite, Odwalla and Glaceau Vitaminwaters. Whole Earth Sweetener's tradename is Purevia and they are working with Pepsi to add the sweetener to SoBe Lifewater, and Trop50. These beverages, and probably many others, should hit the market in the begining of 2009. This won't be an inexpensive sweetener given that Rebaudioside A is only 2-4% of the stevia plant (stevioside - the other sweet glycoside is 5 -10% of the plant), but its low usage rate (due both to its intensity & slight licorice taste) will make it desirable to manufacturers.

So, that is my look back at 2008. This new year looks to be just as interesting as the last and I should have plenty of topics upon which to opine. As always, send me your questions, concerns or just topics you'd like to know more about!

Random Thoughts: Shelf Life

2008-12-14T12:14:00.008-05:00

At the request of a commenter, this week's topic is something that if often asked of me & I can't believe I haven't written about it before now. I think a lot of the confusion happens because there are different terms on packages: best by, use by, sell by. Hopefully I can shed a little light on the topic.

The shelf life a product can best be described as a food quality issue. The manufacturer runs tests and determines how long a product remains in good, sellable condition (still maintains taste, color, appearance, nutrients, viscosity, etc). Expiration dates are about food safety; after this date the product may have a microbial count or species that renders the product unsafe for consumption.

The kinds of dates you will see on packages are:

Best before/best if used by - these are food quality dates, not food safety
Sell by - this is a food quality date & is for the retailer to manage stock rotation
Use by - this is a food safety date, it is the last recommended date for consumption while the food is at peak quality
Closed/coded date - these are lot codes used by the manufacturer for recall purposes

To further complicate matters, not all food that has hit its use by date is unsafe or of poor quality and not all food still within its use by date is ok or safe. How a product is handled has a lot to do with both its quality and safety. For example, a refrigerated product that has not been opened and has been held under 37*F may still be perfectly fine to eat after its use by date, while the same product opened and left on the counter every morning may be bad well before its printed use by date.

I can share some guidelines for the more common items often in question:

Milk - the packaging has a sell by date. If held under the recommended storage conditions (less than 37*F) it should be fine to consume for 5 days after its sell by date.

Eggs - if the carton has a USDA shield then there will be a mandatory pack date on the packaging (there may also be a voluntary sell by date) which is a 3 digit Julian code (Jan 1 = 001, Dec 31 =365). If there is a sell by date, it can be for no more than 45 days from the pack date. But eggs have a remarkable shelf life and are good for 5 weeks in the refrigerator; probably longer. The whites will thin out making sunny side up & hard boiled eggs not as desirable, but they are not a safety concern.

Canned Foods - typically don't have a date (other than closed/coded) on their packaging, but the rule of thumb is they are probably good for 2 years as long as they are not leaking, are not rusting and not bulging. It is best to use them within 1 year and hold them in a cool (less than 75*F) area.

Meats - best to eat or freeze within 2 days of purchasing, especially ground or processed meats. Meat has a pretty short refrigerated shelf life, but much longer frozen. Ground meat keeps in the freezer for 3 months, pork for 6 months, and whole meat & chicken for 12 months.

A good place to find additional shelf life information can be found here and here. I always recommend erring on the side of caution. Your nose knows - use it. If something smells funny or funky - don't eat it. Same goes with what you see; if liquid that was clear is now cloudy, or your lunch meats take on a iridescent green sheen, or something just doesn't look right - throw it out. I hope this helps give you some measure of confidence and helps you save some money by not throwing out good food just because of some date on a package.

Exercise & Eating

2008-12-03T19:54:00.004-05:00

As we are often reminded, our country is fighting the battle of the bulge. It should be no surprise that researchers are conducting studies on the effects of how, when & what we eat. There is a related series of studies that really caught my attention - they involved post-exercise eating. These three related studies measured insulin responses to varying carbohydrate-containing meals consumed after a workout and the results were interesting. If you are an athlete in training, none of this applies to you, but for the rest of us I think it is good to know. So what exactly did they study?

In the first study, participants exercised to burn 500 calories per day for 6 days and were given either a high carb drink or nothing immediately after exercise. The group that drank nothing had a 40% increase in insulin efficiency, while those who had the high carb drink showed no benefit. Wow! 40% you say - uh, what does that mean?

Science Lesson: Low intensity/endurance exercise creates ATP (adenosine triphosphate) via oxidation of triglycerides, while moderate to high intensity exercise creates ATP via metabolism of glycogen. Insulin efficiency is more likely to increase during metabolism of glycogen. The muscle contractions act like insulin during exercise, promoting the transport of glucose from the blood to the muscle cells. Exercise training increases glucose tolerance by increasing sensitivity to insulin, which can be measured by looking at lowered blood sugar levels. Which means even though your muscles need more glucose during exercise, your body needs less insulin to supply it.

The study results intrigued the scientists so the next study had two groups exercise for 75 minutes and then fed one group a meal of balanced carbs (intake = expenditure) and the other a 100 gram deficit of carbs; both meals were equal in calories. The group fed the low-carb meal had a better insulin response than the balanced-carb group. In the final study, the researchers wanted to know if the timing of the calorie intake mattered. The participants were given identical meals either before, immediately after or three hours after exercising for 75 minutes. There was no difference among any of the groups in their insulin responses.

So, at least from these early results, it appears that it is best not to eat, or at least eat something low in carbs, after exercising to get the most benefit from your workout. Darn, I guess no more doughnuts on Saturday mornings after my Pilates class! :)

Feeling Full

2008-11-26T06:39:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the temptation to over-eat is tremendous! (For those who are new to my blog and want to know more about turkey you can read last year's post here.) So I thought that the topic of satiety signals would be apropos. But first, how many of us are aware of the difference between hunger and appetite? Hunger is physiological, appetite is psychological. Many of us, probably me included, will continue to eat because of appetite, not hunger tomorrow. We will completely ignore our bodies and keep right on eating well past being full.

Satiety is the condition of being full, or at least of feeling full so that your know when to stop eating. In your body satiety is a set of physiological signals that come from your gastrointestinal tract to your brain; specifically the brain stem and hypothalamus by way of the vagus nerve. The hypothalamus is our body's regulator of food behavior - it tells us to keep eating or to stop eating. (We know that this occurs here because people who have injured their hypothalamus have difficulty regulating their eating behaviors.) But other things are occurring when we eat; hormones are produced (somewhere around 20-30, including insulin) which may also be telling the brain when you are full.

New research is suggesting that a naturally occurring family of fats derived from lecithin, called oleoylethanoamide or OEA, play a role in signaling satiety; OEA appears to "talk" to the vagus nerve inducing satiety and reducing food intake. OEA is a combination of oleic acid (omega-9 like is found in olive oil) and ethanolamine. Although studies are currently ongoing, and are being done on rats not people, some interesting findings are being reported. In addition to appetite suppression, OEA appears to encourage fatty acid catabolism and lower blood lipid levels.

Because many of the foods we eat at Thanksgiving are high in fat and sugar, and low in protein (well, excluding the turkey) and fiber we don't feel satiated for very long. Keep this in mind as you munch your way through the meal tomorrow and listen for your satiety signals!

Is That Natural?

2008-11-20T19:17:00.004-05:00

Natural seems a simple enough word; the dictionary definition is simple: existing in or formed by nature. If only it were that simple when it comes to the food you buy. You see each governmental agency has its own definition, or lack of one and that can (and does) lead to quite a bit of confusion.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988 defined natural as: nothing artificial or synthetic has been added to or included in a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food. Since then the industry has asked numerous times for clarification and/or redefinition of the term "natural", but alas to date the FDA has refused.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a decision tree to determine the natural status of a food (well really just meat, poultry & eggs since those are under their jurisdiction). They ask the following questions:

Does the product contain an artificial flavor, coloring agent, chemical preservative, or any other synthetic or artificial ingredient? If the answer is yes, then the product cannot be labeled as natural.
Are the product and its ingredients minimally processed? If the answer is yes, then the product can be labeled as natural.

Seems like this is pretty straight forward - right? Well, no. Some of the problems here are with defining minimally processed. Does drying, roasting/cooking, lowering pH (adding an acid like lemon juice or vinegar), or pressure cooking cause a product to lose it ability to call itself natural? What about microbially fermented products like yogurt, cheese, beer or wine - are these natural? You get the point.

And if those weren't enough to cause confusion, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau had decided they want a voice in this discussion too. They define natural as depending on:

The origin of the ingredients
How the term "natural" is presented in the context of a challenged advertisement
And the reasonable customer expectation as to the meaning of the term "natural"

Ouch! No wonder there is so much confusion about such a simple little word. There is a growing amount of pressure by consumers to have terms such as "natural" standardized and believe me, the industry is on board with that. Sometimes the simple things in life just aren't that simple.

Sweet Is as Sweet Does

2008-11-16T16:02:00.008-05:00

Sugar, that ubiquitous sweet substance we all love, is comprised of fructose & glucose (50%/50%) as you learned here. HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is also comprised of fructose & glucose in a very similar ratio (55%/45% or 42%/58%). So why is HFCS vilified, sugar not and honey, agave syrup and evaporated cane juice all but ignored?

Both fructose and glucose have the chemical formula of C6H12O6, but have different configurations (where the atoms are located) and so have different sweetness levels and are metabolized differently. Fructose is absorbed through the wall of the small intestine directly into the bloodstream and taken up into the liver cells where it is converted into components indistinguishable from glucose and sometimes into glucose. A downside of each: glucose needs insulin to get into your cells, fructose doesn't, so it has a high glycemic response while fructose is more likely to elevate your triglyceride levels.

In sugar the monosaccharides fructose & glucose are linked, unlike in HFCS where they are not. Enzymes in your digestive system break down the links into the individual monosaccharides fructose and glucose which are processed identically to monosaccharides consumed separately. Since all of these products will end up as monosaccharides, it is impossible to say one is inherently better or worse for you.

In addition, the University of Washington Nutritional Science Program performed a study which showed that there was no direct link between the type of sweetener consumed and obesity. While the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study results showed that cane sugar and HFCS have similar effects on hunger, fullness and food consumption.

Whether you consume sugar (50% fructose), HFCS (42 or 55% fructose), honey (53% fructose), agave nectar (56 -92% fructose) or evaporated cane juice (45% fructose), your body is going to treat them all the same. That is not to say that there is not a difference between eating a piece of fruit (a pear for instance) or a candy bar. While your body may not distinguish one fructose molecule from another, the pear has water (a diluent), fiber, vitamins and minerals which the candy bar most certainly does not.

So, enjoy your sweets in moderation and don't get caught up in all the hype; we could all do better at consuming less sugar in any of its forms!

UPDATE! American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Supplements:

Are you a Flexitarian?

2008-11-05T21:53:00.004-05:00

You know what a vegetarian is, and if you watch Wendy's commercials you've heard the term they coined - meatitarian, but what is a flexitarian? The American Dialect Society defines flexitarian as: a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat. My industry takes a bit broader view of the term.

To the food industry a flexitarian is a part-time vegetarian; someone who may eat vegetarian meals from 1-4 times per week. Since so many of us are trying to eat more healthfully, a large portion of the population probably meets this definition. In fact, given that humans are omnivores, it really is no surprise that we don't eat meat at every meal. Flexitarian meals may fall into multiple vegetarian categories too, like lacto-vegetarian (contains dairy products), ovo-vegetarian (contains eggs), ovo-lacto-vegetarian (contains both dairy and egg) and total vegetarian (or vegan).

Since health is often the primary driver for this type of eating, substanitive, hearty proteins that are filling are usually preferred. A flexitarian often chooses substitute protein sources like tofu, whole grains, and legumes to replace the traditional center of the plate chicken, beef, pork or fish. We can all use more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in our diet regardless of how we categorize ourselves - so eat well and be well!

Something Sweet

2008-10-31T20:41:00.004-04:00

This is a good time for the candy makers and not just because it is coming into the holiday season. A depressed economy almost always translates into increased consumption of candy. And, if that weren't enough, the population of Americans 12 and under is expanding for the next 7 years.

Generation Y, especially the 18-24 year olds, are the heaviest consumers of sweets; they are the #1 purchaser of gourmet chocolates, the #1 purchaser of non-chocolate candies, and the most likely age group to chew gum.

Healthy treats are hitting the marketplace now that include organic, fat-free, sugar-free, high antioxidant, and fortified with B-vitamins, taurine and/or guarana for energy. In fact some gums on the shelves right now contain magnolia bark extract (kills bacteria), aloe vera, co-enzyme Q10 (used by the body to generate energy), and ceramide (protects from cellular death). Exotic ingredients are also a big trend, we are already seeing rose, violet, green-tea, lychee and chile peppers being integrated to our sweet treats.

With my motto of everything in moderation, there is always a place for a treat. Look around and experiment with some of the new flavors and forms - it may just make your life a little sweeter!

The Great Pumpkin

2008-10-23T18:46:00.002-04:00

Red & yellow leaves, harvest moons, chilly days - must mean fall has arrived. And the coming of fall means arrival of the pumpkins! They're not just for Halloween anymore.

Pumpkins are part of the cucurbita family which include cucumbers, muskmellons (what we call canteloupe), squashes, and watermelons. Their name is derived from the greek word for large melon: pepon. And they've been a part of the human diet so long that archeologists have discovered pumpkin rinds and seeds in cliff dwellings dating back to 1500 BC in Central & South America. Given their long history as part of our meals on this continent, it is no surprise that the first colonists adopted pumpkin into their diets.

The top pumpkin growing states in the US are currently Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. And despite what it looks like around the farm stands and grocery stores this time of year, only a very small percentage of the pumpkins grown are sold for ornamenation. The majority are harvested and sold for processing into cans, pies, breads, etc. Want another couple of fun pumpkin facts? They are 90% water and 80% of the entire pumpkin supply is available in October.

Pumpkin is remarkably versitile for use in both savory applications like soups and stews and in sweet applications like pies, cakes & cookies. In addition, both its flesh and seeds are quite edible and nutritious. One cup of cooked (boiled) pumpkin flesh has about 49 calories, 2.5 grams of protein. 12 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber, 564 mg of potassium, 37 mg of calcium and 12230 IU of Vitamin A. A half cup of pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, has 592 calories, 37 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber, 606 mg of magnesium, 915 mg of potassium and 16 mg of iron.

So now that you have all of this new pumpkin knowledge, let me give you my pumpkin muffin recipe.
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (this is really to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350*F; oil muffin pan or use paper sleeves. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and stir for no more than 30 seconds. The mix will be lumpy, but overmixing really ruins the texture of muffins due to overproduction of gluten. Fold in the chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds. Distribute into the muffin pan and bake until done. Time will depend on your oven and the size of your muffin tins, but check after 12-15 minutes. You can use the toothpick method to determine when they are finished cooking. Remove from pans, cool on a rack and Enjoy!!

Dairy - Do or Don't?

2008-10-11T22:26:00.008-04:00

Much has been said about consumption of dairy products, especially the fat content of dairy products (saturated & trans-fats) these last couple of years, which has led to much confusion about its place in our diet. Personally, I'm pro-dairy, but no one should make a decision based on my feelings so let me share some information with you.

It is true that milk contains saturated fats, in fact, 62% of the fat in milk is saturated. What isn't as widely known is that the saturated fat in milk is different than other saturated fats. The sat fats in milk have very short chain lengths and they follow a distinctive metabolic pathway (how they are used by the body) that differs from other saturated (or even unsaturated) fats. So while it still shows up in the sat fat line on the nutritional panel, its physiological effect is different.

It is also true that milk contains naturally occurring trans fats. For those who haven't read my post: Oh My Omega, I will quickly review a trans fat. All fats with a C=C bond (mono & poly fats) have a configuration, meaning the hydrogen atoms are either attached to the same side or to opposite sides of the double bond. When the hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bond, it is called a cis isomer. When the hydrogen atoms are on the opposite sides of the double bond, it is called a trans isomer. Because the carbons on cis isomers are on the same side their chains usually have a "V" shape, but because the hydrogens are on opposite sides of the trans isomers, their chains are straight like saturated fats. Naturally occurring trans fats are produced by biohydrogenation, of the unsaturated fats consumed by the cow, in the rumen aided by bacterial enzymes. (In English - the bacteria living in the cow's stomach convert the polyunsat fat to trans fat by adding a hydrogen atom to the fatty acid chain)

Now, these trans fats are not like the industrially produced trans fats. Where the trans configuration occurs naturally does not look at all like where the trans configuration happens industrially. Where the double bond exists on the carbon chain matters quite a bit to how we metabolize fats. Naturally occurring trans fats in milk are mostly found on the 11th carbon, while industrially produced trans fats are more evenly distributed across many of the carbon atoms. The most common fatty acid found in milk is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and of the CLA content in milk, the most common configuration (90% of total CLA) is the c-9, t-11 (cis isomer at the 9th carbon, trans isomer at the 11th carbon).

CLA is of particular interest because of some recent study results. The National Academy of Science in 1996 stated: "CLA was the only fatty acid shown unequivocally to inhibit carcinogenesis in experimental animals". Now, we aren't lab animals but this is a great finding and it started some clinical trials on humans to see if the connection carries to us. What the scientists do know is that the c-9, t-11 isomer is preferentially taken up and accumulated in mammary tissue. This connection is being studied to see if milkfat plays a role in the prevention of breast cancer. CLA is also being studied in regards to heart health. It appears that 3 grams per day has a favorable effect on blood lipid levels (those would be triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol).

So, now you have some information about dairy, and specifically its fats, to form your own position on this nutrient and its place in your diet. I do hope you found this post moooving (couldn't resist) and that you check back to find out what I write about next!

A Little Hand Holding

2008-10-01T20:08:00.003-04:00

Always on the go? If you're like me, not many of your meals are consumed leisurely at a table at home, but often on the run or at your desk. In fact, Packaged Facts reported that only 60% of our meals are prepared and eaten at home, that is a lot of on-the-go eating. This means that we gravitate to the quick and portable for our sustenance.

Luckily, my industry is paying attention and has been creating new items from what seems like every corner of the world. You can find in your grocery store, the convenience store or local restaurant carry-out menu items such as:

Empanadas and tamales
Egg rolls, spring rolls and bao
Dosa
Burritos and sandwich wraps
Pasties
Cheese filled bagels
Pancake pods (these are pancake sandwiches filled with fruit)
Breakfast cookies and cereal bars

My industry is also aware that while you may be rushed, eating healthy (at least some of the time) is something that you consider when choosing a food item. We also want food that tastes good and is visually and texturally appealing as well. With this in mind, you'll find companies combining artisan breads (like ciabiatta, sourdough, whole grains) with gourmet fillings. You are also likely to see legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains used in fillings, as coatings, and included as ingredients in the bread.

So, while it would be nice to slow down and enjoy more of our meals (home cooked preferably) at home with our loved ones, we can at least take comfort that there are healthy, innovative, worldly and tasty hand held food available!

Awww Nuts

2008-09-17T18:43:00.003-04:00

My how times change. Once upon a time, we used to greedily eat handfuls of nuts without so much as a thought. Then it happened - someone in the media decided that fat was bad and went on and on about how much fat our yummy nuts contained. So we stopped eating them. Thank goodness that we are headed for a turn-around, or at least I hope we are. Nuts, and their fats, are full of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the benefits of which I've discussed in earlier posts. In addition, different nuts contain wonderful compounds like omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin, proanthocyanins (antioxidants), fiber and protein. Nuts offer a great, high-nutrient dense snack! Since nuts come in a varietyof forms: whole, sliced, chopped, candied, flour and butters, they can be used in a wide variety of applications both industrially and at home.

Nut oils are also gaining some popularity, although outside of peanut (which is a legume not a nut), most are used as flavoring in dressings and sauces rather than as cooking oils. The smoke points of many of the nut oils does allow for sauteing and use in baked goods as well. Here are some of the more common nut oil smoke points:

Walnut Oil = 400*F
Almond Oil = 420*F
Hazelnut Oil = 430*F
Peanut Oil (refined) = 450*F
Pecan Oil = 470*F

Nuts are also being studied in regards to their ability to regulate weight and manage insulin responses (a study can be found here) Research has shown that consumption of 48g (2 oz) of walnuts added to a diet for 6 weeks did not increase body weight, even though the caloric intake increased. Nuts are also being labeled as heart healthy due to their "good" fatty acid profile and their ties to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

So if you are looking for a great tasting, highly nutritious, perfectly portable and very handy addition to your daily food intake, look no further than the wonderful world of nuts.

Fiber Full

2008-09-07T16:18:00.005-04:00

You probably know that the consumption of carbohydrates, especially fiber, helps protect against obesity (well maybe everyone but the Atkins followers), but do you know what fiber does for you?

Fiber can be a tricky word; there is a lot of marketing built around it and a few terms that can be confusing. When you see "dietary fiber" they are usually referring to non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin (found in plants). "Functional fiber" usually refers to isolated, non-digestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects (like pre-biotics). And "total fiber" is most often referring to the combination of dietary and functional fibers.

The research has shown that you don't need a lot of fiber to have a really big impact, but the American diet is woefully poor in fiber. Most of the country falls well short of the daily recommended intake of 14 grams per 1000 calories consumed (28g for a 2000 calorie diet, 30g for a 2500 calorie diet). That is about one ounce of fiber per day and we as a nation aren't even close to consuming that amount!

So, what is the big deal about one ounce of fiber a day? Epidemiologic studies show that an increased intake of carbohydrates is linked to lower body weight (the abstract can be found here). But that doesn't mean just any ol' carbs, these effects are seen with fruits and vegetables and whole grains - the high fiber carbs. This study showed that normal weight adults consumed more fiber than their age/height matched obese counterparts, showing that there is a definite relationship between fiber consumption and body weight.

So what mechanism is at work? Well, a few different things are occurring. Fiber is often, but not always chewy, and this promotes secretion of saliva and gastric juices which expand the stomach and make you feel fuller. Fiber also slows down how fast your stomach empties and the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. And lastly, fiber takes the place of other calories in the diet. These all add up to this: if you are full longer, you'll eat less and less often. In fact a study was conducted that showed eating just 14 grams of fiber per day resulted in a 10% decrease in caloric intake for a loss of 4 pounds in just under 4 months (that is without any other changes in diet).

Obviously fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the best options to increase your fiber intake, but you may see newly available soluble fibers like resistant starches, oligofructose and polydextrose. While these are all really good fiber sources, and perform many of the pre-biotic and heart disease prevention functions as the non-soluble fibers, they are not as good as providing satiety as the non-soluble fibers.

So I hope you are now convinced to increase your daily fiber intake. It is healthier, you'll feel fuller, and you will have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

A Good Lesson Learned

2008-08-21T00:40:00.002-04:00

I know I didn't get a post done last week - but I have a really good excuse. I was at the Culinary Institute of America attending a class on Healthy Flavors, which is pretty timely given I am on the topic of obesity.

What I appreciated most, apart from getting to cook with real chefs for a week, was that this premier cooking school realized that it needed to teach chefs how to make more healthful food. Although the U.S. is a veritable melting pot, of people and their foods, it is still overwhelmingly dominated by European cuisine. This is especially true of chefs coming out of culinary school where they are taught the french classical techniques. And while you'll never hear me dissing a well prepared veloute or demi-glace, and butter and cream have a special place in my heart, at some point the culinary traditions need to be modified.

It was also refreshing that in addition to teaching these professional chefs how to cook and use more healthful ingredients in their kitchens, the class was co-taught by a Registered Dietician. Talking about grains and legumes and even preparing tasty dishes with them is nice, but understanding why these ingredients are healthy (really, isn't it always easier when you understand the why's?), what the recommended serving quantities are and how to get customers to order these options is really what is going to make a difference long-term.

Now, you will never hear me blame the food industry for the growing waistline of America (no one is making purchases for us or shoving it down our throats) but if we can get more culinary schools to teach this type of coursework, we might just find our selection of healthy choices grow by leaps and bounds. The chefs who shared this class with me learned that a daily serving of whole grains is a tiny 47 grams per day, less than 2 ounces (who can't choke down 2 oz?) and that while not very popular, a portion of lean protein (read: meat/fish/chicken) is only 4 ounces. They also learned that nothing will kill a menu item faster than calling it healthy. People don't want to think about healthy - it needs to happen on the sly. If great tasting, interestingly prepared food is offered people will order it. If it is also healthy then so much the better!

So, the next time you go to your favorite restaurant, look to see if someone in their kitchen is adopting this new thinking. The trend of the future is more legumes (beans), vegetables, nuts, and grains (especially the whole grains like: quinoa, barley, bulgur, amaranth, kamut). If they are on the menu - try them, you just might like being healthy.

Weight Management

2008-08-07T19:53:00.001-04:00

I previously discussed how obesity is something most of us can control and told you that the food industry is working to help us all combat the battle of the bulge. The food industry is researching everything from thermogenesis, appetite suppression, satiety boosting, and fat absorption blocking.

Approximately 70% of your daily total energy expenditure is from your basal metabolic rate, another 30% or so from physical activity and the last 10% from thermogenesis. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy you expend to simply stay alive (breathe, pump blood, etc.) and is really hard to measure outside of a lab, so most people use resting metabolic rate (RMR). Your BMR can be influenced (read: increased) by anaerobic activities like weightlifting as higher muscle mass means a higher metabolism. Physical activity, like aerobic exercise, results in direct calorie burning. This means every time you walk, climb stairs or anything else that increases your heart rate helps shed calories. Which leaves us thermogenesis; the heat generated by your body from the burning of fat calories.

Some of the ingredients that appear to have the best thermogeneic properties include bitter orange, tyrosine, capsaicin, ginger, caffeine and green tea. Of these, the one with the most "buzz" is green tea, or more specifically EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). EGCG is the most common catechin polyphenol found in green tea, ~50% in fact, and the most pharmacologically active one. Researchers are looking at the relationship between caffeine and EGCG and how they work to stimulate thermogenesis. So far it appears that they modulate fatty acid oxidation by interaction with the sympathetic nervous system.

Now, thermogenesis isn't a magic pill (or drink), but if you can burn just 50 calories per day (on a 2500 calorie per day diet) you will lose 10 pounds in a year. So this is definitely something to keep on your radar as more information and products become available. I'll be talking about satiety boosting and appetite suppression next post, so be sure to check back!

The Good News About Obesity

2008-07-30T23:29:00.004-04:00

The 2003 US Surgeon General Vice Admiral Richard Carmona said "The good news is that obesity as we understand it today is completely preventable through healthy eating - nutritious food in appropriate amounts - and physical activity." Most people do not like the idea of personal responsibility. It is so much easier to blame fast food, processed food, genetics, carbs, lack of time, etc for our growing waistlines. I include myself occasionally in this mindset; time is preciously short and there are a number of thing I need to, or would rather, do than exercise. And while I'm not obese, I could stand to lose a few pounds to benefit my health and I should exercise regularly to be healthier in general.

Current US obesity rates have been all over the news for the last couple of years, but with apparent little impact. And it is not just the US that is getting fatter, other industrialized countries are right there with us. In fact the WHO states that 400 million adults are obese worldwide. So why is our country's waistline an issue at all? Well, obesity is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, osteoarthritis and some cancers. The medical costs to treat these ailments and the lost productivity of the sufferers has been estimated by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) at $117 billion.

Given that so many people do not make wise food choices, don't practice healthy eating, do not watch portion sizes and do not exercise, we have the perfect combination for an obesity epidemic. My industry takes a lot of heat for causing this dilema (although I respectfully disagree), so many companies are working on ingredients and products to help consumers with weight managment. We can't necessarily change a consumers buying decision (McD does sell salads not just Big Macs), so we are trying to make what you buy healthier. Portion controlled packaging, sugar alternatives, whole grains, healthier fats and oils, and nutraceuticals are just some of the measures the industry is taking to help fight obesity. For the next few posts, I'll be looking at some of these individually to help you better understand the whys & hows of these and to make you a smarter consumer, and hopefully healthier eater.

Bug Food

2008-07-23T19:58:00.009-04:00

Welcome back and sorry for the long delay between posts. I just got back from a great vacation and am ready to continue our discussion about probiotics and prebiotics. If you remember from the last post, probiotics are ingestible microflora that provide benefits to your health. Those bugs need to be fed, which is obviously accomplished by the foods that you eat, but can be enhanced by feeding them their favorite foods - prebiotics.

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates like fiber. You see these carbs aren't digestible by us, but the probiotics have no problem breaking down these molecules. Some of the products considered to be prebiotics include inulin, fructooligosaccharides, polydextrose, lactitol, resistant starches, corn fiber, and arabinogalactose. In addition to eating foods enhanced with prebiotics, some of these foods are also full of prebiotics: chicory, jicama, bananas, oats, whole grains, onion, garlic, leeks, honey, and artichokes. Fermentable carbs seem to work best, but not all prebiotics work equally with each probiotic.

There is quite a bit of research currently being conducted to determine which prebiotic works best with which probiotic; synergy is important here. Lactobacillus seems to prefer galactooligosaccharides while Bifidobacteria seems to prefer fructooligosaccharides. Scientists really want to find the optimum combinations because early research suggests that these "symbiotics" show great promise in prevention of colon cancers and increase our resistance to infections. In addition, they help increase calcium and magnesium absorption and help with intestinal regularity.

So, I hope you are not completely confused by all the prebiotic/probiotic/symbiotic talk and that you have a better understanding of beneficial bugs and what the food industry is doing to try to make food healthier for you. Keep an eye open for these enriched/enhanced products coming to a grocery shelf near you soon (if you want additional info -go here). And as always, please email me and tell me what topics you'd like to know more about - I'm here to help you become food literate!

It's What Bugs You

2008-07-08T18:44:00.003-04:00

Bugs - I'm not talking about the creepy crawly kind of bugs, I'm talking about good bugs, the kind that live in your gut. Bacteria & yeast bugs - probiotics to be exact. Yes we are full of bugs, most of which are beneficial; as many as 1,000,000,000,000 per gram of intestinal content. These bugs (intestinal microflora) help us guard against infections, digest fiber and oligosaccharides, take out potential carcinogens and toxins, and produce vitamins we can't make ourselves.

Probiotic means "for life" and they are defined by the WHO/FAO as "live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts which confer a beneficial health benefit on the host". (You would be the host.) Probiotics, also by definition, have to show documented benefits at the specific strain level (genus4species4strain), be recognized by the international culture bank, have undergone appropriate in vitro (lab) trials, be able to survive (viable) at sufficient levels in a product over the product's shelf life, and perhaps most important - be safe.

Most probiotics are lactic acid producers like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, but there are others. It appears from the research that has been performed that each strain has its own benefits and that those benefits are strain-specific. So depending on what you are trying to treat or prevent you will need to consume a different probiotic strain or multiple strains to achieve the function desired. Not especially handy if you were suffering from a laundry list of ailments!

While it is thought that probiotics protect you from pathogens (bad bugs), research is still ongoing to make those direct connections. Currently, research is being done to see what mechanism probiotics use to confer benefits. Some of the theories under investigation say probiotics out compete pathogens (competitive inhibition), others think they work by increasing IG-A plasma and/or T-lymphocytes (white blood cells). Preliminary studies are showing some good results using probiotics to treat Helicobacter pylori (causes stomach ulcers), dental carries (cavities) and diarrhea (including that caused by antibiotic treatments).

You will primarily find probiotics added to dairy products (yogurts, milk, cheese) right now, although some supplements are also available in health stores, since these are great habitats for the live cultures. Just like us, these critters need water & food to be happy and reproduce. And since we are moving to the topic of probiotic food, the topic of the next post will be their favorite - prebiotics!

Superfruits - The Exotics

2008-06-28T06:22:00.001-04:00

Welcome back superfriends to part two of superfruits. When I said superfruits in the last post, the first thing that came to mind was probably exotic, strangely named and odd looking fruits, not cherries and blueberries. So in an effort not to disappoint, this week I'm going to tell you about some of the exotic superfruits that are getting a lot of buzz these days.

Açai - goodness, you can't turn around in the grocery store or watch a TV commercial these days with out hearing about this superfruit. Açai fruit comes from the açai palm, the same palm that hearts of palm (a gourmet salad ingredient) comes from, and is native to Central and South America. The berries (really drupes) are about the size of a large grape and is rarely the form in which it is seen or used (food processors use the dried powder usually). 100 grams of the açai powder has 534 calories (yikes!), 44 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and 32 grams of fat - this is some really nutrient dense stuff.

What is also interesting is the breakdown of the fat in the açai berry; it is full of fatty acids. 56% is the monounsaturated oleic acid, 24% is the saturate palmitic acid and 12% is the polyunsaturated linoleic acid (also known as omega-6). It also contains a plant phytosterol called beta-sitosterol which is being studied to see how well it competes in the body with cholesterol thereby having the potential to reduce cholesterol levels.

Goji - the goji berry is also known as the wolfberry, but that doesn't sound nearly as exiting or exotic does it? It is a bright red-orange berry with tiny yellow seeds and is part of the Solanaceae family which includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and chili peppers. While it can grow in lots of places, the commerical production of this fruit is happening in China where it has been used in their traditional medicine for around 2000 years. They believe that it is good for the yin, improving eyesight, and improving circulation.

Again, you are unlikely to see these as fresh fruits - they are usually found dried or in powder form. 100 grams of the powder has 370 calories, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and 10 grams of fat. It also has some essential fatty acids like linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), which are great for cardiovascular health. In addition, goji berries are high in carotenoids like beta-carotene & cryptoxanthin (pro-vitamin A) and lutein & zeaxanthin (found in the retina of your eyes).

Noni - One of the newer fruits being studied, it is also known as the "vomit fruit" due to its pungent odor when ripening - ick! It is a yellow-green fruit with many little brown seeds and a cream colored pulp. It has a strong smell and bitter taste and is again usually found as a powder. It is native to southeast Asia, but also grown in Hawaii. 100 grams of noni powder has 100% of the RDI for fiber (25 grams), 12 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat. It is also high in vitamins C & A, niacin, potassium, calcium and sodium. It has oligo and polysaccharides which are prebiotic dietary fibers and are great for digestive health. And interesting (and potentially disturbing), it contains anthraquinone which has laxative properties.

So, now you've got the scoop on some of the newest superfruits being used and researched in food products today. There will be much more information coming out about their properties in the prevention, and potentially treatment, of health issues as they are proven out by testing. In the meantime, remember that no single food, fruit, or ingredient is a magic pill, and as variety is the spice of life these superfruits certainly will help you add variety to your diet!

Superfruits

2008-06-24T21:11:00.010-04:00

It seems everywhere I turn these days, I'm confronted by the superfruits; even the fruits I grew up with are getting the superfruit makeover. There is no actual definition for a superfruit, but it is generally accepted that they possess some perceived health benefit like antioxidants, phytochemicals, nutrient density or have disease prevention benefits. So far, none have enough research behind them for regulatory approval of a health claim statement - but that is likely to change soon.

Believe me, my intent is not to smear the superfruits, but I'll be honest, that word is really a marketing term. There is a growing list of fruits starting to bear the designation of superfruit including many you are very familiar with so lets start with these.

Blueberries: Yep these perennial favorites are now a superfruit. Blueberries are great sources of antioxidants (which help protect you against free radicals), fiber, vitamins C & E, anthocyanins (the pigment that gives blueberries their color also has properties being researched in connection with their prevention of cancer, aging, and inflammation), and phenolics (another free radical scavenger). Some of the other benefits associated with blueberries are increased mental capacity, memory, and coordination.

Cherries: These sweet treats are great sources of anthocyanins, beta carotene (pro-vitamin A), vitamins C & E, potassium, magnesium, folate (especially important for pregnant women), iron, fiber and melatonin (important for maintaining circadian rhythms and antioxidant protection of DNA). Cherries are full of phytonutrients with really big names like quercetin (anti-inflammatory properties), chlorogenic acid (anti-viral, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal properties), and kaempferol (reduces risk of heart disease). Even the American Heart Association has thrown their name behind the cherry and its benefits for heart health. There has been some recent research with cherries and their ability to block COX1 and COX2 enzymes thereby providing relief for arthritis suffers.

Cranberries: Our thanksgiving favorites, cranberries are also superfruits. Cranberries possess anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, actually it's kind of a virus & bacteria blocking property. The combination of tannins, proanthocyanidins, and hippuric acid work to prevent the adherence of viruses and bacteria to cells allowing them to be flushed away. This is great for prevention of gum disease, ulcers, and urinary tract infections. Cranberries are also high in fiber, manganese, vitamin K (blood clotting), and vitamin C.

Watermelon: No, I'm not kidding, watermelon has a unique distinction in that it is one of the few fruits to contain a significant amount of lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid and has been shown in studies to prevent a number of cancers, especially prostate cancer. Watermelon is also high in vitamins A (eyesight), B6 (helps your neurotransmitters), and C (antioxidant), potassium, calcium, iron and fiber.

So, now you can feel especially brilliant for eating all of these great superfruits. I am going to guess that you were thinking I'd talk more about some of the newer, more exotic superfruits and I will - but that will be the next post. Until then - stay super!

Random Thoughts: Umami

2008-06-14T17:25:00.006-04:00

Everyone learned in grade school about the four basic tastes: sweet, salt, bitter and sour - but did you know there is a fifth taste? Yep, there really are 5 and its name is umami. Umami was originally discovered in Japan in 1908 and the word umami means savory. Umami wasn't officially recognized as a fifth flavor in the west until the 1980's when the taste receptors were discovered. For those of you who are very detail oriented - the taste receptor for umami is called "taste-mGluR4". And unlike the other four tastes which send signals via synapses, umami receptors use neurotransmitters like serotonin.

Monosodium glutamate is most commonly associated with this taste, but it is in fact the glutamate (aka glutamic acid - an amino acid) that is responsible. Glutamic acid is found in lots of different foods: dairy (especially cheeses), meats (chicken, beef & pork), fish & shellfish, soybeans (including soy sauce & miso), seaweed, tomatoes, mushrooms, broth & stock. And while MSG is better known, there are two other ribotides, inosinate and guanylate, that also possess the taste of umami.

The taste of umami is best described as heaviness or meatiness. It is almost more of a feeling of fullness or richness that is hard to define, but you can immediately tell when its missing! It is especially common in fermented products since the fermentation process breaks down proteins releasing the glutamic acid and making it available to your taste bud's receptors.

I hope you found this random thought of interest and begin to taste your food with a new appreiciation of our fifth taste!

GI? GL? Gee Whiz!

2008-06-08T09:51:00.002-04:00

Every now and then, the terms GI and GL are thrown around in the press, but I wonder how many people out there understand what on earth they are talking about. The consumption of all foods causes a glycemic response in the body; that is a change in the level of glucose in the blood. GI and GL are related to this response.

GI stands for glycemic index and is a numerical ranking system rating carbohydrates on their glycemic response. It is based on a scale from 0 to 100 where straight glucose equals 100. Generally a number of 70 or greater is considered high and a number of 55 or lower is considered low.

GL stands for glycemic load and is calculated as GI /100 X net carbohydrates (net carbs = total carbs minus fiber). Glycemic load is calculated because the body's glycemic response is dependent on both the type and quantity of carbohydrate consumed. A GL of 20 or greater is considered high and a GL of 10 or lower is considered low.

Information on GI (and GL) is still really limited in availability because each and every food must be tested. The glycemic index of a food is still determined by studies on human test subjects who fast overnight and are then given a fixed portion of food and are then subjected to blood glucose testing at set intervals to measure their body's response. The average of the test subjects is then calculated and determined as the GI for that food. Obviously this is an expensive and time intensive process!

And even if you possess the GI value for a food, there are a number of factors that affect the actual glycemic response in your body. The ripeness of a fruit or vegetable causes a dramatic change in the glycemic response, as does preparation of a food. The more easily and quickly a food can be digested, the faster and greater the glycemic response (for example: pasta cooked 15 minutes versus 10 minutes has a higher GI value). In addition, GIs are determined on single foods at a given quantity but that's not how we eat. We eat varying amounts of food in combination with other foods; protein, fat and fiber all have an effect on glycemic response. And lastly, each and every one of us converts carbohydrates to glucose at different rates; no one has the exact same insulin response.

So, what to make of GI and GL? Well, they are useful to a point, especially if you have blood sugar issues. They can certainly help you to make food decisions to help you control your insulin response, but they aren't foolproof or written in stone. Don't rely on them solely for making food choices, but being food literate is always smart!

To Drink or Not to Drink

2008-06-01T14:46:00.001-04:00

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. This week's topic is a request, and is about diabetes and alcohol - can you, can't you, should you, etc. Well, like most things in life, there is no clear cut answer.

I'll start with what alcohol's effect on the body. The thing about alcohol is (as many of you no doubt experienced over the holiday weekend) that it goes directly into the bloodstream without being metabolized in the stomach. In fact you can measure blood alcohol levels as quickly as 5 minutes after your first drink. Your liver now gets into the act of removing the alcohol from your blood (via the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase) because it views alcohol as a poison. Because it looks at alcohol as a poison, it considers its removal its top priority, at the expense of other functions like sending out glucose. This means a potentially bad case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and the effect can occur as long as 8-12 hours after you finish drinking. In addition, exercise and diabetes medications also work to lower blood sugar levels so all of this in combination can add up to a really bad time.

So, does that mean no alcohol for diabetics? Like I said initially, there isn't an easy answer to this one. First, make sure you talk to your doctor about your diabetes and its management; alcohol can also exacerbate high blood pressure and elevated triglycerides, which are common in diabetics. If your doctor doesn't object, you are otherwise healthy, your blood glucose levels are in check and you don't intend to get blitzed, you should be able to have a drink.

To avoid hypoglycemia, make sure you aren't drinking on an empty stomach, that your blood sugar levels are normal and eat something as you have your drink. Many of the symptoms of hypoglycemia are the same as drunkenness: sleepiness, dizziness, and disorientation. You don't want those around you to be confused about what is causing those symptoms because they need to be addressed differently!

Alcohol does contain "empty" calories at 7/g, so those need to be taken into consideration. Some alcohols are better choices than others due to the carbohydrate/sugar content. Low sugar options include: dry red or white wine, dry sherry, dry light beers (lagers or ales), and spirits (vodka, gin, whisky, etc) with diet mixers. High sugar options should be avoided as much as possible: sweet red or white wines (including dessert, port, sherries), heavy or dark beers (stout, porter), wine coolers/malt beverages, spirits with regular mixers, cocktails, liqueurs, and undiluted spirits.

I hope this helps those of you who are dealing with diabetes to feel more comfortable about alcohol and your diet. Enjoy your week and I'll be back!

Organically Speaking - Part 4

2008-05-18T21:05:00.003-04:00

Last week I explained what rBST is, how it is made and why it is used. I promised this week to discuss some of the purported issues surrounding its use. I'm sure there will be something I've not covered, but here is what I know is being said about rBST.

rBST causes endocrine issues like the premature onset of puberty. The reality - BST was tested on humans in the 1950's as a treatment for dwarfism; it was shot directly into test subjects pituitary gland and showed absolutely no effects. Later the scientists determined that somatotropins are species specific and the human body doesn't recognize BST. Since rBST is identical to BST, there is pretty little doubt that it won't cause your endocrine system to go haywire.

rBST causes cancer, especially prostate cancer. A test performed on rats appeared to show a dose-related increase in mild inflammation of the prostate. Besides the fact that inflammation of the prostate is not related to cancer formation, there was also no difference in results between the positive and negative control groups. If any prostate changes were due to the rBST, there should have been significant differences in the two groups.

rBST causes thyroid cysts. Again with the rats - poor guys. Both the positive and negative control groups got thyroid cysts, no neither the frequency or severity of the cysts were attributable to the rBST.

rBST causes an increase in IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor I) levels. For starters, IGF-I is naturally found in humans as well as cows and isn't intrinsically harmful. Secondly, the amount consumed in milk (even that from cows treated with rBST) is less that is produced daily by our own bodies. In fact, what we swallow in our own saliva daily equals to the IGF-I found in 23.75 gallons of milk and what we produce naturally daily equals the amount found in 750 gallons of milk. None the less, early studies showed an increase in the IGF-I concentration in milk from cows treated with rBST. Those levels were determined to be less than the IGF levels that can be observed during a normal lactation cycle and also less than the observable variation in milk from both rBST and non-rBST treated cows.

rSBT is banned from use in Canada and the EU. True, but neither of those entities has said it was because of health concerns. Both Canada and the EU tightly regulate/subsidize their milk markets and don't want the extra production.

BST and rBST are just proteins, digested like any other that enter our digestive system. All milk contains BST and over 120 studies have been run & evaluated by the FDA, AMA, NIH, DHHS, etc. As always, if you prefer to buy milk that is collected from non-rBST treated cows - no problem. If you've just been scared by the news media and weren't sure what you should do - hopefully I've helped you out.

Well, I'm on vacation next week and celebrating my birthday, so that means no post next week. I promise to be back the beginning of June, so come back to see what I'm talking about!!

Organically Speaking - Part 3

2008-05-12T22:53:00.005-04:00

Recombinant bovine somatotropin -wow what a mouth full; must be why we abbreviate it to rBST or rBGH! While technically not an organic issue, because you can get non-organic milk without the use of rBST, it often comes up in organic conversations so it seems reasonable to talk about it here.

Let's start at the beginning with what it is. Somatotropin is a protein hormone produced in the pituitary gland of animals, us included, that is essential for growth and development. Bovine is in regards to the fact that we are discussing cows and recombinant means that it is being produced in a lab using recombinant DNA technology.

SCIENCE ALERT! I won't be offended if you skip this part because you aren't interested, but for those of you who are, recombinant DNA is really interesting. (I spent a semester in college doing this & loved it!) You take a section of DNA that codes for the protein you are interested in replicating and insert it into a plasmid which is then inserted into a bacteria. As the bacteria multiplies copies of the protein are produced which can then be extracted and purified. Here is a video link for anyone who wants the visual.

Recombinant does not mean artificial or synthetic. The DNA that codes for the protein in the cow is extracted and produced by bacteria instead. The copies are identical and at the molecular level scientists cannot distinguish the original from the copied version. In fact we use recombinant DNA technology to produce human insulin and human growth hormone for treatment of human deficiencies.

So why do we give rBST to cows? Well, it increases their milk production about 10-15%.; but it may help to understand a little about a cow's lactation cycle. Cows produce the most milk just after giving birth to a calf and milk production falls off afterwards until it goes dry around 307 days later. If rBST is given when the lactation starts to decline, the cow will produce higher yields further into the lactation cycle. Since not every cow is in the same stage of lactation at the same time, not every cow is given rBST. At any given time maybe only 40% of the herd may be treated.

The amount of BST (recombinant or not) in the milk of a cow, yes, there is always BST in milk regardless of if the cow has been treated or not, is essentially the same. Tests indicate that cows given rBST have levels no higher than what can be found within the normal variation from cows that are untreated. The amount of BST present seems to have more to do with where the cow is in its lactation cycle than whether its been treated with rBST - makes sense that a cow just staring her lactation cycle is producing more BST to kick-off the process. It also appears that cows treated with rBST "burn up" the excess BST in the process of producing the milk.

So why the uproar? Well, partly because biotechnology always causes panic among some, partly because Canada & the EU do not allow its use, and partly because some claims about cancer have been made. But I will save those for next week's post...

Organically Speaking - Part 2

2008-05-04T11:06:00.007-04:00

Organic myths - now I'm fine with anyone who chooses to grow, process and/or consume organic foods; I do every now and then, but I don't like bad science or bogus claims. One of the biggest claims that I hear over & over is that organic foods are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts. There have been numerous studies conducted and very few have shown organic foods to be of higher nutritional quality and of those studies that have leaned towards organic " were not designed, conducted, or published according to accepted scientific standards..." - Dr. Joseph Rosen (Rutgers University Food Science Professor). Even Katherine Di Matteo of the Organic Trade Association has stated "Organic foods are as nutritious as any other foods."

Want to really know what make a difference in nutrition? Freshness - it has more to do with the retention or loss of nutrients than whether or not it was grown using inorganic fertilizers. The fresher the product you are buying, the more nutritious it will be; vitamins and phytochemicals breakdown over time. The exact same plants grown under two different growing conditions (organic vs. conventional) still have the exact same genetic makeup meaning they are biochemically identical. Organic methodology does not alter the biology or the genes.

Which brings me conveniently to my next point - bioengineering. Wow do people, especially those in the media, get upset over biotech aka GMO (genetically modified organisms). Dr. Adrienne Massey has a great quote "Genetic modification of food by humans is nothing new. We have genetically modified virtually all of the food we have ever consumed." She's so right; genetic modifications have been made on purpose for thousands of years, now granted it was done (and still is sometimes) via cross-pollination and selective breeding versus the lab.

And we have over 20 years of growing and eating biotech foods here in the US with no evidence of food safety risks. The FDA's Dr. Jane Henney has been quoted in regards to the history of safe use of bioengineered foods that there are no confirmed issues, "Not one rash; not one cough; not one sore throat; not one headache." Just to get a GMO to market requires 10-15 years of research, examinations, field tests, review by the FDA, USDA and EPA. Then most of them are also reviewed by the WHO (World Health Organization), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Natural Research Council.

The harsh reality is this -you can choose to eat only organic because of the abundance of food available in the US, but a lot of the rest of the planet cannot. We can't convert the world food supply to solely organic methodologies, nor eliminate GMO crops, or we will leave around 2 billion people without food. Organic, non-modified crops, consume more resources and produce smaller yields. I for one am glad that we have choices between organic and conventional rather than between food or no food. Make sure all of your choices are well informed!

Organically Speaking - Part 1

2008-04-27T09:44:00.006-04:00

There has been a dramatic increase in the last few years in both the quantity of organic foods purchased and press about organic foods. The word 'organic' has many definitions:

of or relating to living organisms
constitutional in the structure of something
belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis

But most people, upon being presented with this word, would define it as food grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones. There are other more specific definitions used by the agencies that regulate the use of the word 'organic' on labels. In the US that agency is the USDA - so how do they define 'organic'? Well, "100% Organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients, "Organic" must contain 95% organically produced ingredients, and "Made with Organic Ingredients" must contain 70% organically produced ingredients. The salt & water used in these products is excluded from the quantities and only the first two designations may use the USDA Organic seal.

But what does the USDA mean by organically produced? Organically grown means a product was not grown or processed using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. That does not mean that naturally derived fertilizer and/or pesticides are not used - they are. The kicker is that neither the USDA nor FDA (or most of the farmers for that matter) test for organic pesticides. Some of the commonly used ones are:

Rotenone - insecticide extracted from the root of a tropical plant; it is a nerve toxin that is also used to kill mites on chickens and kill fish
Deguelin - a derivative of rotenone & naturally occurring insecticide; high doses are suspected of having negative effects on the heart, lungs, and nerves of humans
Pyrethrum/Pyrethrin - fungicide and likely human carcinogen derived from chrysanthemums
Azadirachtin - insecticide extracted from the seeds of the Neem tree that acts as an anti-feedant and growth inhibitor
Myristicin - a naturally occurring insecticide present in nutmeg oil; has possible neurotoxic effects on dopaminergic neurons

The Consumer's Union reported that 25% of organic fruits and veggies carried detectable levels of pesticides and 1/3 of that 25% had levels higher than conventional products. And organic products make up about 8% of the confirmed E.coli cases in the US, but are only 1% of the diet. Lesson here? Just because something is labeled organic doesn't mean it doesn't contain things you may not want to ingest. So whether you buy conventional or organic, give that food a good washing!

I've only scratched the surface of this topic, there's so much more to the organic world. So I will be "organically speaking" for a little while!

Random Thoughts: Grocery Store Layouts

2008-04-20T13:58:00.004-04:00

Do you ever think about how your grocery store is laid out? I'm guessing you only notice when they move aisles on you. Did you ever wonder what the method to their madness was - or even if they had one?

Most stores have similar plans with produce, meat, bread, and dairy along the edges of the store (aka - the racetrack) or up against the walls. They also put the most commonly purchased items in the back corners so that you have to walk past the other items on your way to get what you want.

Unless pressed for time, most shoppers will follow the store's orientation; most new or newly remodeled stores are set up to the left, while older stores tend to be oriented to the right. The majority of the US population prefers to travel clock-wise, which is why the newer stores orient to the left with the produce section with its bright colors, fresh appearance, and appetizing odors.

There is an extremely low occurrence of people traveling up and down each aisle of the store. Most people will travel to select aisles or make a short excursion in to and out of an aisle. This is why end-caps are so important to stores. They serve as a 'welcome mat' to invite you to come in to the aisle and see what else is there. Often familiar brands or sale items are placed on the end-caps to increase traffic to particular parts of the store, even if those items are found in a different part of the store.

Believe it or not, quite a bit of research is conducted concerning shoppers behavior and how stores can redirect it to their benefit. If you have some spare time and this topic catches your fancy - here is a research paper on this very topic. So what are the keys to successfully navigating your store? Always go to the store with a list of items you are there to buy and never on an empty stomach - the stores are banking on impulse buys. They put the commissary (cooked, ready-to-eat items) and Starbucks there to entice you with appetizing sights and smells - its been proven to make you stay longer and spend more. And shop the edges of the store, you will save on your food bill and find some of the healthiest items in the store.

Happy shopping!

GMPs and SSOPs

2008-04-13T16:22:00.006-04:00

The government monitors the food supply and tells the food manufacturers what can be added (both intentional & unintentional) safely to food, but it is the responsibility of individual food manufacturers to produce safe food. The purpose of both government and self regulation is to reduce risk. I'm defining risk here to mean uncertainty, possible danger or loss; it is a way to judge the degree of hazard. What is important when looking at food safety is the magnitude of loss due to an event and how probable is its occurrence. We can't eliminate all risk but we can reduce and/or control it; risk-benefit decisions are made all the time. HACCP, the topic of last week's post, is one way to reduce risk, but there are other processes as well.

Two of the other programs food manufacturers have in place to assure food safety are current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs). They are considered pre-requisite programs for HACCP but are independent systems. If you are under mandatory HACCP then you are also under mandatory SSOP regulations. GMPs apply to all FDA regulated foods (since all USDA items are subject to HACCP, their GMPs are kind of intertwined in 9 CFR 416 - Sanitation Regulations). These three programs are all closely aligned and interrelated in most production facilities.

GMPs are outlined in 21 CFR 110 (the 21st title of the Code of Federal Regulations part 110). And it outlines what food companies 'shall' (must) and should have in place concerning a broad range of items including personnel, the facility, sanitation, equipment, processes and warehousing. GMPs originated in 1969 as part of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and were modified in 1977 where they became section 110 of CFR title 21. They were revised in 1986 and were recently (2002) reviewed for another round of changes due to the availability of new tests and discovery of new issues. The review is specifically targeting risk-based preventative controls like those for allergens and pathogens. Although the report's findings were published in the Federal Register in 2005, none of the recommended changes have yet taken effect. This doesn't mean no one is doing anything about preventing new issues like allergens or pathogens, quite the contrary; the government is always behind the industry in these matters. They reviewed the statutes because they saw what changes the industry was making and wanted the CFR to reflect what was happening.

SSOPs are spelled out for USDA regulated companies, but not for FDA ones. They are essentially written procedures specific to a process that addresses things such as cleanliness, record-keeping, safety of the water & chemicals used, prevention of cross-contamination, etc. And like HACCP, the actual process of designing a SSOP program is very detailed and not especially exciting reading. For those so inclined, I offer you this link where you can find all the details of designing your own SSOP program. And like HACCP, the program must be tested & verified and if some part of the system fails, corrective action must be conducted to prevent the re-occurrence of the issue. Even companies for whom SSOPs are not mandatory, have programs in place - primarily because they also have non-mandatory HACCP programs in place and those programs need each other to be successful.

I hope this gives you either a new respect for the lengths companies go to provide you with safe food products or at least a new comfort level with the industry. I always tell my friends and family that we eat the same products as they, so food safety is in everyone's best interest! As I've stated before, this blog is for you to find out more about the foods you eat, the processes involved in their manufacture, or any other topic you've been wondering about. Send me an email with your topic and I shall respond.

Has What?

2008-04-07T19:57:00.004-04:00

Last week I talked about food recalls and promised I'd explain some of the things food manufacturers do to protect the food supply. One of those things is call HACCP (pronounced hās•sip). HACCP is an acronym for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and it is a food safety management system used by almost every part of the food industry.

HACCP was developed in the 1960s by the Pillsbury Company while they were working with NASA to make sure the food for space flights would be safe. It was later adopted in 1973 by the USDA for low-acid canned foods and the FDA jumped on the bandwagon in 1995 for seafood products. Over the years mandatory compliance of HACCP has spread to meat and poultry products, eggs, and juices. Although not mandatory for the rest of the industry (yet), most food companies voluntarily comply and have instituted HACCP programs for their businesses.

How does HACCP make food safer? Well, it is a preventative food safety system which companies use to identify where problems are most likely to occur and use that information to control and monitor those places to prevent issues. It is not a zero-risk system but it does try to reduce the possibility of a problem occurring. The process for creating a HACCP plan is time consuming and complicated, so I'll just give you an overview.

A manufacturer reviews their processes from receipt of the raw materials all the way to shipping the finished products. By going through a series of decision trees, process control points (PCPs), quality control points (QCPs) and critical control points (CCPs) are identified. The CCPs are clearly the most important of the three and are analyzed (hence the name) to determine how to control them, monitor them & verify that the process is working. How is control defined? Regulations state control means that companies "take all necessary actions to ensure and maintain compliance with the criteria established in the HACCP plan." Which essentially means that you test, evaluate, modify (if necessary) and validate your plan in a continuous process. If something fails, a corrective action plan is in place and gets implemented so that the issue does not re-occur.

What hazards are we trying to control? Those that cause foodbourne illness, disease or injury which are separated into 3 categories: biological, chemical and physical hazards. Biological hazards are those like bacteria, viruses, pathogens & their toxins, chemical hazards include pesticides, antibiotics, fertilizers, aflotoxins, or cleaning chemicals and physical hazards are those like glass, wood, metal, bone, or pits. Considering there are only three categories of hazards, they are pretty all-inclusive.

This isn't the most glamorous of topics I realize, but the safety of our food supply is important and I feel it is important that the consumers of those products have some awareness of what the industry does to protect them. For those who want to know more about the details of HACCP, follow this link. There are other aspects of food safety that are done concurrent with HACCP plans and I'll be talking about those next week.

As I Recall

2008-03-30T11:54:00.008-04:00

There has been quite a lot of news concerning food recalls in the past few years topped off by last week's cantaloupe (it's really a muskmelon) recall for Salmonella contamination. Those of us in the food industry tend to keep up-to-date on recalls, but I wondered how much anyone else knows or understands about them.

A recall is a voluntary removal of product from the market; it could be due to contamination, adulteration, or misbranding. You noticed I said voluntary? Yep, these are voluntary actions taken by the manufacturer; the law doesn't authorize the FDA or USDA to order a recall, but I'll explain that in more detail in a bit. Depending on the food in question, it will fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA or FDA. Meat, poultry and most egg products belong to the FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) division of the USDA, all other food products belong to the FDA (along with animal feed, vet supplies, medical devices, human drugs & cosmetics). The process for recalls and the recall levels are essentially the same for both agencies. They rank from least severe to most severe as follows:

Market Withdrawal - minor violation not subject to legal action
Class III - exposure to violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences (Examples: mold, yeast, off-flavor, leaking container)
Class II - exposure to violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible health consequence or where serious health consequence is remote (Examples: hard or sharp object 7m - 25mm in size, Staphlococcus, unapproved color added)
Class I - exposure to violative product has reasonable probability of causing adverse health consequence or death (Examples: botulinum toxin, Salmonella, Listeria, undeclared allergens present)

The Class I recalls are the ones you see, hear, and read about in the news, but all recalls are posted; the FDA recalls can be found here and FSIS recalls can be found here. Although the press often reports that the FDA 'ordered' a recall, as I stated before, the truth is recalls are almost always initiated by the company who calls the FDA and explains the issue.

Recalls can be requested by the FDA (or USDA) who may find a problem during an inspection or after receiving a report of a problem from a consumer or the CDC (Center for Disease Control). If a company does not recall a product on their own the FDA can ask a judge for the right to have a U.S. Marshall seize the product and/or issue an injunction against the company to stop the production or distribution of the product. Believe me, it is very rare for a company to refuse to recall a product after notification of a problem from the FDA. No company wants to have defective material out in the marketplace. Even voluntary recalls have put companies out of business - just imagine what the press would be like for a company who refused a recall!

There are strict guidelines for companies to follow concerning recall procedures outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations, which those so inclined can find here. What is important to know & understand is that there are rules in place for how a company handles a recall and what information is shared with both the FDA and the public at large. It is also important to know that the FDA (and yes USDA) follows-up on all recalls to make sure that the recalled product is accounted for and properly disposed. The FDA also makes sure a corrective-action has taken place so they and the company know how & why the problem occurred. I'll talk a bit more about what programs companies have in place to avoid a recall next week, but for those who are interested in food safety, this is a cool blog from the International Food Safety Network to tide you over!

This is Eggcelent

2008-03-21T22:51:00.007-04:00

Wow this Sunday is Easter; its hard to believe how early it is this year. So, let me get right to this week's topic - Eggs. Christians are not the only ones who have ties to the egg during this season; Jews and Persians also use eggs as symbols during the spring. The egg symbolizes new life, a new beginning. It is why it is used to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus on Easter, new life and the Passover sacrifice at the Passover Seder, and the new year which begins at the spring equinox during Persian Nowrooz. Given that the egg holds such a place of honor, I thought it deserving of a little blog time.

The egg is a marvel of engineering, not to mention a pretty amazing piece of nutrition. Let's start from the inside out. The yolk, as the source of nutrition in a fertilized egg for the developing chick, is a rich source of calories from fat, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin A, some of the vitamin Bs, and vitamin D. It also contains lecithin, a natural emulsifier. The yolk is suspended inside the egg by the chalazae - the opaque white "ropes" you see in the egg whites. The egg whites are more correctly termed the albumin (from the latin albus meaning white) and are not homogeneous. There are four alternating layers of thick and thin albumin and there are multiple proteins that comprise the egg albumin. These different albumin proteins all have different coagulation temperatures, which we will get back to in a bit. Between the albumin and the shell are two membranes and between those two membranes is an air cell. Last but not least is the shell, a mix of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and calcium phosphate. While it looks solid, it actually has around 17,000 pores which make it semi-permeable and allow air and moisture to migrate in and out of the shell.

But before you can decorate all of those eggs for Easter, you'll have to hard-cook them. You'll notice I didn't say hard-boil them, that is because boiling eggs is a really bad idea. The different albumin proteins start to coagulate (cook) at 145°F with the last proteins coagulating at 183°F and the yolk coagulates around 160-165 °F, so the boiling temperature of 212°F is way too high. Boiling will over cook both the albumin, causing the whites to be tough and rubbery, and the yolk causing it to be dry and mealy. The temperature of the water should never be above a bubble-less simmer of 180-185°F and the eggs, depending on their size, should not need to be cooked for more than 10-15 minutes.

I also recommend starting your cooking with room temperature eggs placed into cold water and adding salt and a teaspoon to tablespoon (depends on how many eggs you are cooking) of vinegar. The salt & vinegar help to coagulate any albumin that may leak out of hairline cracks in the shell and help to prevent the green-gray ring that sometimes is seen around the yolk. That ring happens when the hydrogen sulfide gas (produced from the sulfur in the amino acids) from the albumin reacts with the iron in the yolk to create ferrous sulfide. Adjusting the pH of the solution of the water via the vinegar reduces the production of the hydrogen sulfide gas, and thus the potential for the green ring. The last thing is getting them immediately into a bowl of ice water once they are done cooking; keep them immersed in the ice water, adding more ice if necessary, for 15-20 minutes. This will both help prevent the green ring, and shrink the cooked egg away from the shell so they are easier to peel. Once you have your hard-cooked eggs, they should be refrigerated, where they will last easily for one week.

I hope you enjoyed this piece on the egg, and that whatever holiday you celebrate in the spring, that it is wonderful and an expression of the bounties of life that make this time of year so special!

What Could Be Sweeter? Dolci

2008-03-16T20:49:00.002-04:00

So I've spent the last few weeks discussing five FDA approved non-nutrative, high intensity sweeteners, but there are other products out there. Some are approved, some are natural, some are in the works and all are pretty interesting.

Lets start with cyclamate - this is one some of you may remember or those in Canada may still be using. Cyclamate is 30-40 times sweeter than sugar and is banned from use in the US. It essentially has the same issues as saccharin, namely bladder cancer in rats. As it has come to light that the mechanism that causes the cancer doesn't exist in humans, there is a push to once again approve this sweetener for use. The National Cancer Institute has even joined the petition to the FDA to reinstate this product and plenty of other countries, including Canada, have been using this sweetener for years. However, given that so many new higher intensity sweeteners exist, it is hard to say whether anyone would use cyclamate in anything other than tabletop (packet) applications. FYI - while the US banned cyclamate, Canada banned saccharin & both countries are looking at revoking the bans.

Alitame was developed in the 1980's and is 2000 times sweeter than sugar with no aftertaste. It is a cousin to aspartame & neotame in that it is a dipeptide that contains aspartic acid. Its stability is somewhere between acesulfame K and aspartame and it does not contain phenylalanine so it is safe for use by those who suffer from PKU. Alitame's other amino acid is alanine (hence its name) with an attached amine. The FDA has been petitioned to approve alitame, but that approval process is still on going. As a protein it does contain calories, but due to its low usage rate, the calories are negligible.

Tagatose is a naturally occuring monosaccharide found in dairy products. It is a low calorie, nutrative sweetener. What is particularly interesting about this product is that while it is 92% as sweet as sugar, it only has 38% of the calories. It is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) with the FDA and was approved for general use in 2003. It has minimal effect on blood glucose/insulin levels (good for diabetics) and is non-cariogenic and anti-plaque (good for your teeth). Tagatose is also has pre-biotic properties which means it is good for the bacteria in your gut and some research suggests that it may help fight against colon cancer. It is going to be hard to find because while it does occur naturally in very small quantities, commercial production requires the conversion of lactose to glucose & galactose then to tagatose. Let's keep our fingers crossed that a cost effective way to make this product is discovered.

Thaumatin is another rather strange sweetener. It is a naturally occuring mixture of proteins, as opposed to the aspartame/neotame/alitame family, that comes from the African serendipity berry, Thaumatococcus daniellii. It is extremely heat stable and is 2000 times sweeter than sugar. Thaumatin's sweetness can be detected by your tongue at levels below one part per million! Most intersting, at least to me, is that much of the research on the crystalization of this sweetner was done on the space shuttle Columbia in 1996 by NASA. Thaumatin is safe for use by diabetics as it does not effect blood glucose levels. Currently it is only GRAS for use as a flavoring agent and is primarily used in chewing gums. This may be due to the fact that the sweetness builds over time versus being super sweet immediately and it also has a bit of a licorice aftertaste, so its use may be more limited than most other sweeteners.

Stevioside is also a natural product, it is an extract of the stevia plant, which while not approved for use in the US in food products, is allowed to be sold as a dietary supplement since dietary supplements do not have to go through the FDA approval process. It is 200 -300 times sweeter than sugar and is heat stable so can be used in baked goods. Stevioside is a glycoside and exists naturally in the plant as a feeding deterrent for aphids. The FDA won't disclose why they have denied approval for use, they simply state for now that they do not have enough information yet to grant approval. Other countries have ok'd this product for use, so we'll have to wait and see if the US adds their name to the list.

Lastly is a really new sweetener; in 2007 a product called Cweet was trademarked. It comes from a West African fruit, Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon, and is 1000 times sweeter than sugar. It is also a naturally occuring sweet protein, like thaumatin, that is heat stable with no aftertaste. It is so new though that commercial quantities are not yet being produced and it has not yet been reviewed by the FDA for approval. It is one however, to keep your eye on for the future.

Well, that about covers sweeteners. I've told you about the old and the new, the artificial and the natural, the sugars and the proteins. You are well on your way to being sweetener experts. I hope that you research some of these sweeteners on your own and find one that works best for you. As always, I welcome your suggestions for topics, so please send me a note about what's on your mind and come back next week to see what topic I'm covering.

What Could Be Sweeter? Part 5

2008-03-07T20:39:00.006-05:00

Here we are at sucralose, the last of the 5 FDA approved non-nutrative, high intensity sweeteners and currently the most popular sweetener used in the US. Sucralose is a relatively new sweetener as they go; it was discovered in 1976 when 2 scientists were working with chlorinated sugars as intermediates for other compounds. The story is that one chemist asked the other to 'test the compound' but the other chemist misheard it as 'taste the compound'. Now, I can't verify the validity of this story (and it suggests a serious lapse in judgment and some really bad lab practices on the part of the second chemist), but we do know that someone tasted the compound and discovered it to be really sweet. 600 times sweeter than sugar to be exact. Over the next 20 years, a considerable amount of testing was performed on both animals and humans (~110 studies) before the FDA approved it for limited use in 1998, followed by approval for general use in 1999. It is sold under the trade name Splenda.

If you've been reading about the other sweeteners in this series, I'm sure you're aware there is a controversy about the safety of these types of products and sucralose is no exception. Let me start with this caveat - I've "no horse in this race"; I don't make these products, nor do I make any money from them, I just want to pass on my knowledge of these products so you can make informed decisions. There is a lot of chemistry involved here, so I'll try to make it understandable.

Sucralose uses sugar as its starting material, although theoretically other chemicals (and yes, sucrose is a chemical) could be used. On the sucrose molecule 3 hydroxyl (-OH) groups are replaced with 3 chlorine (-Cl) atoms to make the sucralose molecule (aka - trichlorogalactosucrose or chlorinated sugar). Sucralose belongs to a class of chemicals known as organochlorides. Organochlorides are organic compounds that contain at least one covalently-bonded chlorine atom. Now, it is because sucralose is an organochloride that most of the controversy exists. Let me give you some background - each of these statements are equally true:

Some organochlorides are toxic

Some pesticides, including DDT, are organochlorides

Organochlorides are fat soluble and can accumulate in our fatty tissues over time

Some organochlorides are naturally occurring

Some things we eat (well, that I eat) contain organochlorides like seaweed

165 organochlorides are approved worldwide for use in pharmaceutical drugs including Claratin and Zoloft

There is also some concern, though no proof at this point, that chronic consumption over many years could result in shrinkage of the thymus, a result seen in rats when fed the equivalent of 20,000 packets per day for one month. You see, there are those out there who think that because sucralose is an organochloride it should be considered toxic and subject to far more scrutiny than other compounds. There are also those who feel that all man-made chemicals are suspicious. You may fall into one or both of these categories which is fine by me, but here's my take on this product.

Sucralose is mostly undigested, meaning it leaves our body in the same way it comes in. And it has been shown through research that the chlorine atoms are not cleaved off the molecule in our bodies. However, between 2-8% of sucralose is metabolized (the metabolites are glucuronides). So why don't I worry about those metabolites? Well, sucralose is water-soluble not fat-soluble, so the threat of it depositing in our fatty tissues is pretty remote. And in addition to our FDA, the World Health Organization (WHO), the EU, Canada and others have all weighed in on the safety issue and agreed that it poses no hazard at levels equal to 75 packets per day. Given that these people hold advanced degrees far above mine, I'm willing to go with their vote.

If you've now decided that this sweetener is a-ok with you, what else should you know about it? It is heat stable, so it can be used in baked goods and canned goods like jellies. And while it contributes no calories, this is due to its small usage rate because of its intense sweetness. Those Splenda packets do have calories due to the dextrose and maltodextrin they contain as bulking agents (used to dilute the sucralose). There are really 3 calories per packet, but the FDA allows the claim of 'zero calories' because of how the rules are written. [allowed to state zero calories on food containing less than 5 calories per reference amount customarily consumed and per labeled serving]. Sucralose is safe for diabetics to use and it is often used as a blend with acesulfame potassium and aspartame.

Whew! I know this topic has been a long one, but sometimes food literacy requires a lot of information. I hope that you now have a new take on non-nutrative, high intensity sweeteners and that I either confirmed your suspicions or alleviated your concerns. There are some other sweeteners out there awaiting approval, used as food supplements, and/or allowed outside the US which I will talk about next week!

What Could Be Sweeter? Part 4

2008-03-02T09:49:00.004-05:00

If last week's sweetener neotame was the upstart, this week's is the patriarch. Saccharin was discovered in 1879, has been used for well over a century, and is the most widely used high intensity sweetener in the world. So, let's learn more about it!

The raw material for saccharin, aka benzoic sulfinide, is anthranilic acid, the amino acid precursor to tryptophan, which is reacted with nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine and ammonia. Sounds yummy doesn't it? Well, not many things sound very appetizing if you get in to their chemical makeup! But saccharin isn't very soluble in its native state, so it is usually converted to its sodium salt (calcium salts are also available but not as common). Sodium saccharin does not contribute any calories, is non-digestable, and is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

But that is not what most people know about saccharin, what they've learned is that it causes cancer. So, lets spend some time discussing saccharin's safety. Saccharin was first used on a large scale during WWI when sugar was rationed and it was added to the newly formed GRAS list (Generally Recognized As Safe) in 1958. In the early 1970's the FDA began a review of GRAS substances to see how they performed under more modern scientific scrutiny. This is when saccharin was first seen to cause bladder cancer in rats when they were fed the equivalent of 800 diet sodas per day. At first there was some discussion that impurities in the saccharin were responsible for the cancer but in 1977, research did conclude that it was the saccharin. Because of this, a warning label was required to be placed on any product containing saccharin that stated "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to casue cancer in laboratory animals."

Since then a number of new studies have been conducted, including mechanistic studies which look at how a substance works in the body, and they paint a different picture. See, rats aren't people, [although some people have certainly be said to have been rats :) ] and the mechanism that exists in rats which leads to the bladder cancer doesn't exist in humans. Those tumors are species and organ specific - so the results are bad for rats, but irrelevant to people. [For those concerned about the rats, newer studies have suggested it is actually the sodium salt and not the saccharin that may be the culprit, as sodium ascorbate (vitamin C) and sodium citrate also seem to produce similar results.]

Human epidemiology studies (patterns, causes, & control of diseases) have not shown any evidence that saccharin causes cancer in humans. In fact, since saccharin is not metabolized and does not react with DNA, it lacks two of the major characteristics of classic carciongens. Because of these studies, saccharin was delisted as a carcinogen in 2000 and the warning labels were removed in 2001. The American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have all given saccharin a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, a survey conducted in 2006 found that 30% of Americans still thought that the warning labels were on products, and I'm willing to bet that more than that still think it causes cancer.

So, what about this product has made it so appealing for so long? Well, saccharin is heat stable even in acid conditions which makes it a great choice for beverages. It is also ok for use by diabetics since it has no effect on blood sugar levels. Just beware that those little pink packets do not contain straight saccharin; they are blended with dextrose to dilute the sweetness to the equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar, and so do contain a nutrative (read: calorie containing) sweetener. Saccharin also is synergistic with other sweeteners, both nutrative and non-nutrative, enhancing their sweetness in products. It has a long shelf life and is heat stable, so can be used in a wide variety of foods including baked goods and canned goods like jellies.

So, I hope you now have a new perspective on saccharin. Like many of the other high intensity sweeteners that I've covered, there is quite a lot of misinformation out there. Next week I'll be covering the last FDA approved high intensity sweetener - Sucralose, so please come back to learn about the US's most popular sweetener.

What Could Be Sweeter? Part 3

2008-02-24T17:05:00.006-05:00

Welcome to part three of the series on FDA approved, high-intensity sweeteners. This week's sweetener is Neotame. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that this may be the first time you've heard of it. It is relatively new and is just finding its way into the products you purchase.

Neotame is a sibling of aspartame; its chemical name is (N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester). Whooo - that's a mouthfull. Why-oh-why did I give you the chemical name, which is something you probably can't pronounce, certainly can't remember and definitely will never use? Well, it is because its name "neotame" comes from its chemical structure. That (3,3-dimethylbutyl) is a neohexyl group; three branches of carbon atoms each with three hydrogen atoms (CH3). Like its older brother aspartame, neotame is also comprised of the two amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid. But the 3,3-dimethylbutyl attached to the aspartic acid portion of the molecule makes a big difference in the two sweeteners. The enzymes in your body responsible for the breakdown of peptides (peptidases) can't get past this part of the molecule to pull the two amino acids apart. So unlike aspartame, neotame is safe for PKU sufferers due to the limited availability of the phenylalanine.

Although the amino acids in neotame metabolize differently than aspartame, the methyl ester is still metabolized into methanol. I hope you learned from reading the post about aspartame that the amount of methanol produced from metabolizing tomato and orange juice is about 200 times greater that what you'd get from drinking a beverage containing neotame. The FDA gave the green light to neotame in 2002 for general use as a sweet and flavor enhancer in foods and beverages. It is 8000, yes 8000, times sweeter than sugar. That means it is used in ridiculously small amounts and doesn't contribute any calories. To put this in some perspective, you could replace 4409.25 pounds of sugar with just 0.55 pounds of neotame and get the same level of sweetness. Or to put it another way, a soft drink would normally contain sugar at 9.0-12.0% of the beverage; to keep the same sweetness, you only need 0.0011-0.0017% of neotame.

This product was tested, like all food additives, prior to its approval and was found perfectly safe and did not accumulate in the body even at levels that would equal consuming 50,000 cans of soda every day of your life. (You'd die from the caffeine in that quantity of soda long before you'd need to worry about the neotame!) That study was performed on animals, so for those who would prefer their data on humans no problem - human studies were conducted with a consumption equivalent of six liters of soda consumed every day and still no negative effects were shown. (And I pray that there is no one out there really drinking three 2-liters of soda every day.) More importantly perhaps, is the study done with Type-2 diabetics, which showed that there was no rise in glucose concentrations in their blood plasma, so neotame is a safe sweetener for diabetic use.

So why would product developers decide to use neotame? Well, besides the obvious cost savings due to its really low usage levels, neotame can enhance, modify and mask off-flavors. This means that chewing gum will keep its flavor and sweetness longer and that products enriched with vitamins/minerals and or soy proteins won't taste as funky even if the neotame is used at levels too low to provide sweetness (called sub-sweetening). It is also pretty heat stable so it can be used in baked goods, and is non-cariogenic so it will probably find its way in to candies, gums and lozenges. Right now you can find it in Tang drink mixes, Country Time Lite Lemonade drink mixes and Atkins shakes.

That leaves us two more FDA approved sweeteners still to cover: saccharin and sucralose. You may be surprised that there is more to saccharin than you think you know, so make sure you check back in next week!

What Could Be Sweeter? Part 2

2008-02-15T19:58:00.002-05:00

Ahhh, the sweet things in life - and no, I'm not talking about all of those Valentine's Day chocolates you ate yesterday! I'm talking about our discussion of high intensity sweeteners. Today's topic is Aspartame, perhaps the most maligned sweetener ever. And I'm going to put this out here now - if you really do believe all the tales of gloom that surround this sweetener, that's your perogative but I've researched and worked with this product and feel comfortable about its use.

Aspartame, chemically known as aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester, was created by accident in a lab in 1965. It is a dipeptide and is comprised of two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine linked together by a methyl-ester bond. It is digested and metabolized as a protein so it does have calories, but since it is 180-200 times sweeter than sugar, it is used in really small quantities so the caloric contribution is minimal. The downside of this product is its lack of heat stability and loss of sweetness over time however, these can be worked around by encapsulating the aspartame.

Now, for the elephant in the room - the safety of this product. The FDA approved aspartame for use in food in 1981 and it has been reaffirmed 26 times in the last 23 years. Over 500 toxicological and clinical studies have confirmed its safety and over 100 countries have approved its use. I will add this caveat - people who have phenylketuronia (the inability to process phenylalanine) cannot consume this product; therefore all products containing aspartame must carry a warning about PKU.

Aspartame is hydrolyzed into 3 metabolites - aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The amino acids are simply broken down like every other amino acid we consume, so nothing interesting there. The methanol is broken down by the liver into formaldehyde, then to formic acid, and finally to carbon dioxide. It is this trifecta of methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid that are at the root of all of those websites proclaiming that aspartame is nothing but a poison. And while these ingredients would certainly cause you harm if ingested directly, they really don't pose a problem in the small quantities we are talking about. In fact, they all occur naturally in food or as by-products of food metabolism. As a matter of fact both citrus fruits and tomatoes produce a much higher quantity of methanol as a by-product of their metabolism and no one to my knowledge has dedicated a single internet page to either of those.

Claims have been made that aspartame is causes brain cancer, seizures, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. There aren't any studies that have been able to provide coroborating evidence for any of these claims. In fact, not only does the FDA proclaim its safety, but the National Cancer Institute, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, the National Parkinson's Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, the Lupus Foundation of America, the EU, Health Canada, and the UK (I could go on, but I won't) all say that aspartame is safe and does not cause these health problems. Here are the results of another study proclaiming aspartam's safety if you care to read it.

The reason aspartame is chosen over other sweeteners is because it intensifies and extends sweetness and fruit flavors. It is often added along with acesulfame potassium because these two products act synergistically, intensifying the overall sweetness and allow for a lower usage of both sweeteners. Also, aspartame does not ilicit an insulin response and so is safe for consumption by diabetics. It is found under the tradenames of Equal and NutraSweet.

Now that I've told you about aspartame, the good, the bad and the not-so-ugly, I hope you have a new understanding of this sweetener. The next post will be on neotame - of the 5, I'm pretty sure this one will be new to you!

Food of the Gods

2008-02-14T00:01:00.007-05:00

I know that I said I would continue our discussion about sweeteners, but with Valentine's Day, I just couldn't resist sliding in the topic of chocolate. The scientific name for the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from Greek, means “food of the gods” and we certainly give chocolate the royal treatment this time of year! So if you will allow me a moment of folly, I would like to share with you the results of a recent study about chocolate.

Most people know someone who can't get enough chocolate; they would describe themselves as needing (not just craving) chocolate, and this new study may just give them the evidence they need to back up that claim. The Nestle Research Center in Switzerland paid for a study (they didn't conduct it themselves) about why some people crave chocolate and others are ambivalent about it. Here's what they found - it has to do with the microbes in your gut. Yep, the bacteria that live in your intestines play a role in whether or not you "need" chocolate. You see, they found that those who crave chocolate and those who are indifferent to it, have different colonies of microbes that inhabit their intestines.

The byproducts of metabolism found in the blood and urine of the test subjects showed a dozen different substances were significantly different between the two groups. The amino acid glycine was higher in those who craved chocolate, while taurine was higher in those who weren't big chocolate fans. And, just in case you needed an excuse for that chocolate binge - the chocolate cravers had lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels!

What they still need to determine is if the natural bacteria are the cause of the cravings or a product of them (the which came first dilema). They know that the flora of the two groups are different, but they don't know why. But we can now proclaim that we don't just want chocolate, but that we "need" it! And it should help alleviate some of the guilt associated with chocolate cravings that both men and women feel. I'm not giving you carte blanche to eat all the chocolate you want for Valentine's Day, but I am saying that is isn't just all in your head - your body really does "want" it so enjoy the treats and have a very sweet Valentine's Day!! I will go back to our topic of sweeteners, so come back to learn about our next one - Aspartame!

What Could Be Sweeter?

2008-02-08T20:37:00.008-05:00

Now that I've laid the foundation for understanding the primary components of food, its time to move into some new territory. At the suggestion of my wonderful fitness instructor, the next topic is sweeteners. Now those of you who have been reading this blog since its inception are probably thinking "didn't she already cover those in her posts on carbs?" Well, yes and no. I did talk about nutrative sweetners like fructose, sucrose and dextrose, but the world of sweetners extends beyond that category.

Sweetners can be nutrative or non-nutrative (which means they do or don't provide calories), high or low intensity (which is their degree of sweetness), and natural or artificial (not as clear as you might be thinking). Sucrose (aka sugar) is the benchmark by which other sweetners are measured; we judge them by how many times sweeter or less sweet they are relative to sucrose. It will take me a few posts to cover this topic, and I promise to leave out the chemistry and just give you the interesting overviews.

Let's start with the FDA approved sweetners. Currently the FDA allows five sweetners for use in food: acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose. Most, if not all of these, have been both praised and villified by proponents and critics. I don't claim to be either and I doubt I will change anyone's mind about their use, but I do hope you keep an open mind and at least read the information I provide. I also hope that it encourages you to want to learn more about these types of ingredients.

Acesulfame potassium is also known as Acesulfame K, Ace K, and Sunette®. It is a non-nutrative, high intensity sweetner developed in Germany in 1967, and was first approved for use in England in 1983. The US took a bit longer to approve its use - the Food & Drug Administration granted approval for its use in soft drinks in 1998 and for its general use in 2003. We don't metabolize (break down) this product, so it leaves us in the same chemical structure as we consume it (I'll trust the experts on this one - I don't want to run this test!) . This also means that it does not elicit a insulin response, great news for diabetics, nor does it cause a "sugar crash". It is heat, acid and alkaline stable which allows it to be used in a wide range of products from beverages to baked goods to tabletop sweetners. Ace K is often mixed with other high intensity sweeteners because it acts synergistically to enhance the sweetening power allowing for a lower usage rate of both sweeteners. This sweetner is used in over 5000 products all over the world.

And although there have been claims about Ace K causing everything from headaches, to weight gain, to hypersensitivity to light, there are no scientific studies from reputable sources to back up the claims. Over 90 studies have been performed and all have been unable to substantiate the claims. Not only the FDA, but the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), the Commission of the European Union (EU), and the Japanese Department of Health (MHW) have all given their approval to this ingredient. You can even view the Material Safety Data Sheet which is what we in the industry use to judge the safety of the ingredients we use (just remember, this MSDS is for just the acesulfame potassium as a raw ingredient, something I'll play with in my job, but something you will unlikely ever encounter.)

So, that is the first segment on sweeteners - I promise to cover the other approved sweetners on the next post so make sure to come back!

Oh My Omega

2008-01-27T11:35:00.002-05:00

Omega fatty acids are an interesting class of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and some of them have been getting quite a lot of press. What make these fats different than the others? Well, for starters we've named them for where the double carbon-carbon bond is found in the fatty acid chain. The terminal end of the chain that contains the CH3 (methyl group) is called the omega end (the other, hydroxyl or - OH, end is the alpha end). So if the first double C=C bond is 3 carbons from the methyl group, you have an omega-3, 6 from the end gives us omega-6s and 9 from the end gives us omega-9s. Interesting, but not very special - right? Certainly not special enough for all the press, so what else is going on with these fatty acids?

The majority of the news focuses on omega-3s so let's start there. Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of fatty acids, not just a single molecule, and of these there are three nutritionally important ones. ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentanenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) are all essential fatty acids, which means our body cannot produce them but must obtain them from our diet. Oils containing EPA and DHA have been shown in studies to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and tryglyceride levels lowering the risk of heart disease. Oily fish like salmon, cod, herring, mackerel, anchovy, and sardine are all excellent sources of EPA and DHA. ALA, found in walnuts & flax seed, has been shown to lower total cholesterol (LDL & HDL) and triglycerides in people with high cholesterol levels. And ALA can be converted in the body to EPA then DHA although not very efficiently.

Omega-6 fatty acids, like omega-3s, are not a single entity but a class of fatty acids. There are two significant omega-6s: linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) and arachidonic acid (a pre-cursor for prostaglandins). Also like the omega-3s, these are essential fatty acids and must be consumed in our diet. Omega-6s help play a role in brain function, wound healing, and regulating metabolism. Both omega-3 and omega-6 are broken down by the same enzymes in the body so the ratio between the two is very important. It is recommended that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 be no more than 4:1; in fact the NIH (National Institutes of Health) recommends a 3:2 ratio with 650mg EPA & DHA, 2.2g of AHA and 4.4g of linoleic acid. This seems easy enough, but the US diet is skewed toward omega-6 at between 10:1 to 30:1. Corn oil is 46:1 (omega-6 to omega-3), soybean oil 7:1, and sunflower oil is all omega-6 with no omega-3.

Why is this so important - these are essential fatty acids, why do we need to worry about ratio & quantity? To paraphrase Paracelsus "the dose makes the poison". Omega-6s produce inflammatory metabolites in the body. And omega-3s while better are not without their own risks at high levels. According to the Center for Food Safety & Nurtrition (CFSAN) the known or suspected risks associated with EPA & DHA (at levels greater than 3 grams per day) include: increased bleeding - especially in those taking aspirin and coumadin, reduced glycemic control among diabetics, the possibility of hemorrhagic stroke in very large amounts, supresssion of immune and inflammation responses and decreased resistance to infections. In fact, they recommend that anyone with congestive heart failure, chronic recurring angina or insufficient blood flow talk with their doctor before taking omega supplements or eat foods containing large quantities.

There is also a group of omega-9 fatty acids, which I'm going to guess you have never heard about. You may however, have heard of oleic acid which is an omega-9 and is a major component of olive oil and other monounsaturated fats. The reason this category doesn't get the same level of press is because these are not essential fatty acids, our bodies can manufacture these from the other fats that we consume and because omega-9s are common components of both animal fats and vegetable oils.

Since most of the fats I've been writing about have one or more double carbon-carbon bonds, I would be remiss not to talk a little about trans fats as well. Any fat with a C=C bond has a configuration, meaning the hydrogen atoms are either attached to the same side or to opposite sides of the double bond. When the hydrogen atoms are on the same side of the double bond, it is called a cis isomer. When the hydrogen atoms are on opposite sides of the double bond, it is called a trans isomer. Most, but not all naturally occuring fatty acids are cis isomers and their chains usually have a "V" shape. Because the hydrogens are on opposite sides of the trans isomers, their chains are usually straight like saturated fats. About 25% of our diet comes from naturally occuring trans fats, found in animal and dairy fats, while the other 75% comes from hydrogenated mono & poly fats. It is that 75% that has been in the news as of late as all of the food manufacturers scramble to find a suitable replacement for these trans fats.

Trans fats are used (were used?) in processed foods because of their stability and low oxidative reactivity. Cis configurations, because of the "V" shape, can't really align or stack up on one another and so are liquid (or soft) fats, and are easily degraded by oxygen and free radicals reducing the fat's shelf-life and causing the fat to become rancid (smells like paint). Trans configurations look & behave more like a saturated fat, and it is this characteristic that made it such a useful ingredient and is why it is not easily replaced - no one wants to replace it with sat fat since that really isn't a healthier option, both are known to increase cholesterol levels. Our diets have consisted of about 14% saturated fat & 3% trans fat since the 1960's but until recently the research wasn't in to show how trans-fats caused many of the same health related problems as sat fats. It is highly recommended that we reduce the quantities of both (sat & trans) in our diets, but not eliminate them completely.

Well, you are now up on all the latest buzz about fats and will be able to better understand fact from hype. You also now possess a foundation about food components (protein, carbohydrates & fat) upon which new information can be built. I'm not sure yet what the next topic will be, so if there is something you've been wondering about or simply have a suggestion for a topic, please drop me a line - I'd love to hear what's on your mind!

Chewing the Fat

2008-01-21T15:33:00.001-05:00

Welcome back! Last post I introduced you to lipids, more commonly referred to as fats. Today I'll continue this topic and get into some more detail (read Chemistry!). I'm sure everyone has seen or heard about saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats; you can often find one or more of them on the nutrition facts panel of the foods you buy. But I'm guessing not all of you understand what these are and how they differ from one another, so lets start with the dreaded saturated fat.

Last week I wrote about fatty acids, and how they are chains of carbon atoms with a hydroxyl group (-OH) at one end. If you remember high school chemistry you may recall that carbon atoms want to have 4 other atoms attached. Saturated fatty acids are exactly that, each carbon atom has the maximum number of atoms attached to the chain, so there are no double carbon bonds and the molecule is said to be "saturated".

This is butyric acid, found in butter, and it is a saturated fatty acid. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal and dairy products, and are generally solid and opaque at room temperature. Of course there are exceptions to this - 2 plant oils also contain high amounts of sat fat: coconut and palm, and they are semi-solid at room temperatures. Saturated fats are the ones the nutritionists are always telling us to avoid because they raise cholesterol levels and impact the development of ateriosclerosis. More specifically, three types of saturated fats raise cholesterol levels: Lauric acid, Myristic acid, and Palmitic acid. Unfortunately, these 3 fatty acids comprise 2/3 of the saturated fats in the US diet.

This is Oleic acid - one of the monounsaturated fatty acids and the most prevalent fatty acid found in nature. Monounsaturated fats, as you can see, have one unsaturated carbon bond, thus resulting in a double carbon bond. Monounsaturated fats are found primarily in vegetable oils like olive (really high in oleic), canola, peanut, and in foods like avocados, nuts and fish. Monounsaturated fats are generally cholesterol neutral, they neither raise nor lower your levels. But like sat fats, there is an exception to this too - the category of mono fats known as omega-9, to which oleic acid belongs, have been found to lower cholesterol levels (I'll talk about omega fatty acids in my next post!). There are also some specific benefits associated with mono fats; those who have insulin-resistant or non-insulin dependent diabetes can mitigate hypertriglycemia and hyperglycemia by increasing their intake of mono fats at the expense of carbohydrates.

That leaves us with polyunsaturated fats, which have two or more double carbon bonds like this : This is linoleic acid, one of the most common polyunsaturated fatty acids (both in nature & in our diet), one of the omega-6 fatty acids, and one of the essential fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fat is found in safflower, corn, cottonseed, and soy oils as well as fish and nuts. This category of fatty acids has been found to reduce cholesterol; and it is recommended that you consume 2:1 poly fats to sat fats. So, why don't we just eat more poly fats? Well it has to do with that golden rule - everything in moderation. Epidemiologic data suggests that high linoleic acid consumption can increase the risk for cancer because it enriches the cell membrane phospholipids and predisposes them to free-radical oxidation.

So, you now can be a better informed label reader when you are scanning those nutrition facts panels and see the fat breakdown. I also hope that you understand a bit more about the fats that make up our diet. Next time I'll fatten you up on facts about trans-fats and omega fatty acids!

Fat Facts

2008-01-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

Ahh, fat, the last of the trio of compounds so essential to our nutrition. Unfortunately, it has a really bad reputation that it doesn't fully deserve. It is more correct to use the term lipid since this is the category of chemical compounds that fat belongs to. Lipids consist numerous fatlike compounds that are insoluble in water and include mono-, di-, and triglycerides, sterols, phospholipids, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids.

Chemically fats are different from carbohydrates and proteins in that they are not polymers of repeating molecules, don't form really long molecular chains, and contain 2.25 times the calories (9 kcal/g vs. 4 kcal/g).

CHEMISTRY ALERT! A typical fat molecule has a glycerol backbone with fatty acids attached.

butyric acid (fatty acid)

The hydroxyl (OH) groups on both the glycerol and fatty acid are reactive and when they hook-up a water (H2O) molecule is kicked out. If three fatty acids are attached to the glycerol, the molecule formed is a triglyceride. There are about 20 different fatty acids that are most commonly attached to the glycerol that all differ in length and in their number of hydrogen (H) atoms. The shortest fatty acid is formic acid with a single carbon atom and one of the longest has 28 carbon atoms.

As much maligned at fat is, we still need it in our diet. Dietary fats supply energy, carry fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) and hormones and are a source of antioxidants. Fat is also incorporated as a structural component of our brains, nerve cells and cell membranes. It insulates us against the cold and pads our internal organs.

As for fat in food - it has some interesting properties as well. They don't have a sharp melting point but, as you've no doubt noticed, gradually soften upon heating. And unlike water, fat can be heated well above 212F and can therefore brown foods. However, if you keep heating it it will smoke, flash and eventually ignite; this is important since not all fats are created equal and these events will happen at different temperatures with different fats. Fat is a lubricant in food and interacts with protein and starch to make foods tender (like marbling in steaks and shortening in pie crusts). Fat also contributes flavor, both on its own and by carrying fat-soluble flavors. And perhaps most importantly, small amounts of fat contribute to the feeling of satiety; it helps signal the brain that we are full.

Well, there is quite a bit more to learn about fat so next post I'll talk you about mono-, poly-, and saturated fats as well as the very topical omega-3s and trans fats. Take care!

Change is Good

2008-01-05T13:32:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm back from the holidays and ready to continue our discussion on starches. Last post I talked about unmodified starch and its properties. Today, I'm going to talk about modified starches as you are far more likely to see these in the foods you buy and now you can understand more about why they were chosen.

Unmodified starches, like the corn starch that is in your pantry, thickens really well but has some major limitations. When heat is applied to starch and water the starch swells - also known as gelatinization. The starch granules separate as they absorb water and the slurry becomes viscous (thick). When this gel cools the starch molecules start to realign causing 'set-back' or an additional thickening - think cold gravy. Unfortunately as the realignment occurs, the starch molecules form hydrogen bonds and those squeeze out water - this is called syneresis. And as if this particular issue wasn't enough, unmodified starches can't be frozen. Well you can freeze them, but what they turn into once thawed isn't pretty. Plus as you have probably noticed, unmodified starch won't thicken in cold water and they clump terribly in hot water. Essentially there are a lot of problems that need to be overcome for use in processed foods.

So, what are we to do? Modify the starch to suit our needs of course. There are a number of chemical and physical modifications that are done to native (unmodified) starches to imbue them with the desired characteristics. Modified starches were developed in the 1940's and over the years the range of modifications has increased. Some of the modifications have led to the development of freeze-thaw stable starches, retort stable starches (like in canned soups), fat replacement (low-fat salad dressings), emulsification, pulpy starches, and instant starches.

One of the most common chemical modifications is cross-linking. It is achieved by reacting compounds, usually esters, with the hydroxyl groups on the starch molecules, i.e. cross-linking the starch molecules to each other. This modification provides resistance to temperature, acid and shear. Another common modification is substitution as it is used to provide freeze-thaw stability. This process involves scattering anionic groups, like acetates and phosphates, at the starch molecules to prevent the realignment of the starch molecules so retrogradation/syneresis can't occur.

Physical modifications can be used to produce a cold-water swelling or instant starch. The starch is slurried (mixed with water), then heated with steam to hydrate/gelatinize the molecules and then dried. These starch molecules are now porous and quickly resolubilize when reintroduced to liquid. Our instant puddings just wouldn't be the same without them!

Fibers are also used in processed foods, to provide not just nutrition, but also texture, moisture retention, and mouthfeel. One of the newest forms of functional fiber is resistant starch; while not technically a fiber, it is a starch, the body processes it physiologically like a fiber. It reaches the intestines where is is fermented by the intestinal flora just like a fiber. Resistant starch are primarily used in baked goods and cereal products, but new applications are being developed.

Well, we have spent a good bit of time on carbohydrates, but with the new year, its time for a new topic. Let's move on to fats - and not the kind we are all trying to work off from eating too many holiday treats!

The Plot Thickens

2007-12-23T17:48:00.001-05:00

So, I've spent some time on the simple saccharides and now its time to move to the more complex carbohydrate structures. Although I've touched on these before, today we're going to dig a little deeper.

Polysaccharides are chains of saccharide molecules which form polymers. They can range from a few hundred to many thousand molecules long and can be straight or branched chains. The majority of the polysaccharides that we are familiar with are plant based. Plants, via photosynthesis, take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, water (H2O) from the ground and energy from the sunlight (through cholorphyll) and convert it to oxygen (O2) and carbohydrates to store energy (starches) and provide structure (cellulose).

Starch is comprised of glucose chains with alpha linkages (molecules are attached at the first, aka alpha, carbon) and comes in two types of structures: straight chains (amylose) and branched chains (amylopectin). Plants store these molecules in granules in the cells. Starches are not sweet, aren't solubile in cold water, but do swell (gelatinize) when the solution is heated. We start to break down starches through our saliva which contains amylase (the suffix -ase denotes the enzyme). Amylase breaks the starch into smaller units but this process stops once the stomach acids become involved; they inactivate the enzyme. The final breakdown of starch occurs in the small intestine where pancreatic enzymes finish the job and the glucose molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Now, fiber is also a polysaccharide, and it is differenciated into soluble and insoluble forms. Insoluble fiber is characterized by chains with beta linkages (molecules attached at the second, aka beta, carbon). This is a small but significant difference because we can't break these linkages and insoluble fibers reach our large intestine intact. They include cellulose, hemicellulose and ligin and are found in whole grains, bran, and vegetables. Insoluble fibers leave our body in essentially the same form they entered, that's why they are important - they add bulk to our diet and help carry waste out.

Soluble fibers, as you've probably guessed, are soluble in water and include pectin and gums. Soluble fibers are also chains, but instead of sugar molecules, they are sugar acids. You find them in items like citrus fruits, apples, strawberries, oats, legumes, guar and barley. Although we can't break soluble fiber down, the bacteria in our gut can and do; this fermentation provides us with beneficial short-chain fatty acids.

So, now you know the basics of the polysaccharides and how they are processed in the body; next time I'll discuss how and why these are used by food technologists in your favorite foods. Until then - stay saucy!

Visions of Sugarplums

2007-12-11T21:40:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the season and while we are discussing sugar and carbohydrates, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes for holiday treats.

Sugarplums:
Not many people have had an actual sugarplum, but they don't only exist in book & song. A sugarplum was originally a candied plum; a way to preserve the taste of summer all year long. Somewhere along the way it became a mixture of dried fruits and nuts. And as far as Christmas candy goes, this is pretty healthy!

1 cup pitted dates (or figs)
1 cup toasted almonds
1 cup dried apricots
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup candied ginger
2 tbsp grated orange zest (or lemon)
2-3 tbsp orange juice (or lemon)
Demerara sugar (or other large granular sugar)

Add everything except orange juice & sugar to a food processor & process until minced. Add juice until mixture sticks together. Form into 1" balls and roll in the sugar. Place in small, fluted cups or arrange on a platter.

This is just a basic recipe - feel free to get creative. You can add prunes, cherries, raisins, coconut, etc. Add what you like and what makes you happy. Next time you hear the Nutcracker Suite you really will have visions of sugarplums in your head!

Lollipops:
Lollipops are so simple, but they are interesting chemically. There is a finite amount of sugar you can dissolve in water, called a saturated solution (just over 200g sugar per 100g of water at 20°C). But as you increase the temperature of the water, you can increase the amount of sugar in solution forming a super-saturated solution. Unfortunately super-saturated solutions aren't very stable; the sugar wants to recrystallize. Since lollipops are amorphous, not crystalline, this is a problem. Luckily, it is one that isn't too hard to solve. For starters, wet down the sides of your pot to keep crystals from developing. These can become "seed crystals"; if they fall in the super-saturated solution they can cause the crystals to redevelop. We also add corn syrup (full of glucose & fructose molecules) to run interference with the sucrose molecules and break up their party. And lastly, don't stir the solution once it hits a boil; agitation is also something that causes the sucrose to recrystallize. We want clear, smooth lollipops not gritty, opaque ones.

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 to 1 tsp Flavored Oil (cherry, cinnamon, peppermint, anise) of your choosing
Food coloring as desired
Candy thermometer
Paper or wooden lollipop sticks
Silpat or oiled baking sheet or oiled marble slab

Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring often and brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Once boiling, cover and let boil 2-3 minutes. Uncover and put in candy thermometer, bring to 290°F. Remove from heat, add color & flavored oil; cool to 280°F. Spoon onto silpat or oiled surface (or into molds). Add sticks while still hot & pliable; spoon a small amount of candy over the stick to help hold it in place. Let cool completely.

I hope you are inspired to try one (or both!) of these recipes and that you've learned something new. I've had fun with all of this sweet talk but I promise to move on from sugar in the next post, before we all get cavities from the sugar overload!

Sugar Sugar

2007-12-05T21:20:00.002-05:00

Ready for something sweet - of course I'm talking sugar, aka sucrose. Let's get into some detail about this most common of saccharides (disaccharide to be specific). It seems silly to ask what is so interesting about sugar, but I think it is interesting.

We evolved (or if you prefer were created) needing to find calorie dense food and although food is now easily obtained and readily available, we haven't out grown that craving. The sense of sweetness was used to identify food that was ok to eat (there aren't any naturally occuring toxic substances with an apparant sweet taste, although there are plenty of man-made ones) and had higher calorie content.

I'm sure you all learned that we experience 4 taste sensations (I'll tell you about a 5th in a future post): sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. All products, sugar included, exhibit each of these tastes at some level. If you make a weak solution of sugar it will taste more sour than sweet. Sweeteners are are rated on their relative sweetness, so they can be compared, and the reference standard for the comparison is usually sugar (sucrose). Chemistry alert! All compounds that possess a sweet taste have a bipartate system capable of hydrogen bonding (with the taste receptors on our tongue) called a 'glycophore'. If you want to understand how that functions in the perception of sweetness click here. And if you are really hard core & want to know about the chemistry of taste recognition for all 4, try this.

So where does sugar come from? Sugarcane & sugar beets. The sucrose they yield is the same; there is no difference chemically, structurally or physically. We have 4 categories of sugar here in the U.S.: granulated, brown, liquid and specialty. Granulated is pretty self-explanatory; it is pure (99.8%) sucrose and comes in sizes ranging from large to powdered (coarse, sanding, extra fine, fruit, bakers special, 6X, 10X). Brown sugars are usually found as light or dark, but industrially we also have coated and free-flowing. Brown sugars are granular sugar that has been covered with cane syrup, which is why it is so sticky and gets so hard after being exposed to humidity & air. Liquid sugar is exactly what it sounds like, a solution of sucrose in water. It is used industrially and commercially, but it is unlikely that you will find it on a grocery shelf as it is not stable (microbially) for long periods of time. And specialty sugars, wow - there are quite a few: sugar cubes, fondant, invert, flavored, molasses, etc. Of these, molasses is probably the most interesting since everyone is familiar with it, but know very little about it. Molasses is the viscous liquid remaining at the end of processing when no more sugar can be crystallized from the product; this is known as 'blackstrap molasses'. New Orleans molasses is a by-product of open-kettle boiling, once the crystals have been centrifuged out, the remaining liquid is bottled.

Well my sweets, before I go into a sugar crash, I think it is time to close this post. I'll stay on saccharides next post, but will talk about some of its other forms. Bye!

C is for Carbohydrate

2007-11-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Now that everyone has recovered from their Thanskgiving carbohydrate-induced lethargy (or at least I hope you have), it's time to talk about those carbs. Carbohydrate, not surprisingly, means 'hydrates of carbon' (see told you) and has the chemical structure of Cx(H2O)y. Carbohydrates are really a large category of items that include sugars, dextrins, starches, pectin, cellulose, gums, and fiber. Carbs are saccharides, a word which comes from latin for 'sweet sand'.

The role of carbohydrates in human nutrition is to supply a readily accessible and quickly utilizable form of energy. They allow your body to spare its muscles (protein) from being broken down to supply the needed fuel. We may be complex creatures, but we run on the simplest of sugars, glucose. In fact, it is the only fuel our nervous systems and brain can use.
So let's start our foray into this topic with the simplest of the carbs - sugars. Sugars come in multiple forms: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. As you can tell from the prefixes, they are made of sugar molecules ranging from one (mono) to many thousands (poly). Sugars also have the suffix '-ose', which designates them as being part of the sugar family. {For those of you who are chemistry junkies, this is the site for you.}

Monosaccharides are single sugar molecules, as I've mentioned, and the most important of these is glucose (also called dextrose). It has the chemical structure [C6(H2O)6] and exists in a ring (cyclic) formation. But there are other monosaccharides besides glucose such as fructose, xylose, galactose, and ribose.

Disaccharides are, as their name suggests, sugars comprised of two monosaccharides. They occur when the two monosaccharides join together and kick out a water (H2O) molecule in a dehydration reaction forming a glycosidic bond. Different combinations of monosaccharides come together to form different disaccharides. Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose (what we call table sugar), Glucose + Galactose = Lactose (milk sugar), and Glucose + Glucose = Maltose (malt sugar).

Oligosaccharides are sugars comprised of 4 to 8 monosaccharides (oligo means few) and are known as simple sugars. The most common are fructo-oligosaccharides which occur in vegetables (like asparagus & onions) and are short chains of fructose molecules. They are of particular interest these days because of research that proves they enhance the growth of beneficial gut bacteria - this is called a prebiotic effect. Because of this, food scientists are finding new applications where they can add oligosaccharides.

And lastly, polysaccharides are long chains (100+) of monosaccharides. Typically they are insoluble in water and are not sweet. You know some of them as starches and cellulose. There is also one which you may not be as familiar with (yet) called inulin. And like a fructo-oligosaccharide, has a prebiotic effect that aids in digestive health. Inulin belongs to a category of carbs called fructans. {For more information on inulin: click here}

So to recap - carbohydrates are the fuel our bodies run on. Sugars are the simplest forms and as you add on molecules, they become strings and those strings become chains, which makes them less soluble and less sweet. In the next post I will continue to discuss this category of carbohydrates and some of their individual details. Until next time - Stay sweet!

Talking Turkey

2007-11-16T13:27:00.002-05:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and since we've covered proteins for the past 3 weeks, I thought this was perfect timing for our seasonally favorite protein - turkey.

Both the domestic and wild turkey are the same bird, (not that you'd guess that by looking at them), Meleagris gallopavo. For this year (2007) 272,000,000 of them were raised for US consumption { http://www.nass.usda.gov/ }. Back in May those turkeys were just eggs in incubators. About 28 days later those eggs hatched into poults (baby turkeys) and the poults were moved to barns. For the next 4-6 months, yes - that is all the time most Thanksgiving turkeys spend on earth, they are fed corn and soybean meal supplemented with vitamins & minerals. Contrary to popular belief, turkeys are not fed hormones to get those big meaty breasts - that is done with breeding; federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones for poultry. Ranchers are allowed to give the birds antibiotics, but there must be no trace (residue) in the birds at the time of slaughter. The presence of antibiotics is part of the inspection process and if any is found, the turkey is considered adulterated and is rejected for consumption.

The most common designations of turkey available for purchasing are the following (per AMS 70-US Classes, Standards, & Grades for Poultry):

1. Fryer-Roaster - a young, immature turkey (usually younger than 16 weeks) of either sex (label won't say hen or tom) that is tender-meated with soft cartilage and smooth skin.

2. Young Turkey - a young turkey (usually younger than 8 months) of either sex that is tender-meated with less flexible cartilage and smooth skin.

Don't get one of these for Thanksgiving unless you are serving Turkey soup:

1. Yearling Turkey - a fully mature turkey (usually between 8 and 15 months) that is primarily used as breed stock.

2. Mature Turkey - an old hen or tom (usually older than 15 months).

For more information on this topic look here.

Most of what you find in the grocery store is the broad-breasted white (or bronze), which has a double breast so you get a lot more white meat. There are some producers raising heritage breeds - these are single breasted birds which are typically older (don't mature as quickly) and have a stronger flavor. Which to choose is a matter of personal preference, but whatever bird you do choose get a big one. There is roughly twice as much meat on a 15 pound bird as there is on a 10 pound one (assume 5 pounds of each is inedible bones, cartilage, etc.).

So now you have your bird, what's next? Brining. It is very popular, but why should you do it? Well, a brine is a salt solution, but many contain sugar & other flavorful seasonings. {Here is Alton Brown's recipe, but there are others. Typical brine solutions contain 1/2 cup kosher salt (or other non-iodized salt) per 1 gallon of water. If you choose to add sugar, add equal parts to the salt. Now if you remember the last post, or want to jump down now & review it, you'll know that there are salt soluble proteins in that turkey. And if you denature those proteins with the salt in the brine, they will increase their water holding capacity resulting in a juicier bird. Also in the last post you discovered the wonder of the Maillard reaction: sugar + protein = brown, yummy goodness. The sugar also helps balance the salty taste of the brine.

Now for the cooking. 165°F or 180°F? What if it is pink? If you use an old cookbook or follow Grandma's recipe you are probably familiar with the 180°F finished temperature. However, you are probably also familiar with overcooked, dry turkey. Pathogenic bacteria are dead meat (pardon the pun) after 140°F, and the meat of the turkey is perfectly fine for consumption at 165°F. Finished temperatures higher than this are a matter of preference (color & texture), not of safety. What about that pink tint? Well, you can't judge doneness by color, only by temperature. There are a few reasons why a fully cooked turkey may still be a little pink. Myoglobin is the oxygen-carrying pigment of muscle cells (what gives meat its pink/red hue). It can react with heated gases in the oven's atmosphere and maintain the muscle's pink hue even when cooked. Another possibility is nitrates (sometimes found naturally in water) can be converted to nitrites by the bacteria on the raw turkey which will cause the meat to retain a pink hue. If you have a good thermometer and it says 165°F in both the thigh and breast, you'll be fine. If you stuff your bird with dressing (and I don't recommend that you do), remember to check the temperature of that as well - it cooks the slowest and has absorbed all of the raw juices from the bird. It is cross-contamination of raw juices with cooked meat or shared utensils and undercooked dressing(stuffing) that cause the vast majority of food-borne illness at Thanksgiving.

And I can't forget about turkey causing sleepiness. Everyone has heard about tryptophan causing the post-meal nap crisis (heck, there was even an episode of Seinfeld based on this one). Tryptophan is one of the essential amino acids and it is a precursor to seretonin. However, you'd need an empty stomach and straight tryptophan to see any real results, and the levels in your turkey are too low to have any real effect. As a matter of fact, there is the same amount of tryptophan in an equal portion of chicken and more tryptophan in an equal portion of cheddar cheese, but no one complains of needing a nap after eating these. So why do you curl up on the couch after your Thanksgiving meal? You can blame it on all the carbohydrates and alcohol (i.e. sugars). They rev up your insulin and pull blood from your head to your gut to work on digesting all of that food. {more here}

I hope that you've all found this turkey talk informative and that you have a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy the meal, your family & friends and check back for my next post after I've slept off my dinner!

What's My Function?

2007-11-12T14:47:00.001-05:00

Welcome back! So, we've covered what proteins are & how to score them. Now it's time to talk functionality. Why are they added to the foods you purchase and how do food scientists decide which ones to use where?

What do proteins do in food systems? They serve to provide structure & stability to food. Just a few of the functions they serve include: water binding, viscosity, emulsification, foaming, gelation, dough formation and texturizing. Proteins have primary, secondary & tertiary structures. This link is for chemistry junkies or those who want to understand the specifics. These structures and the protein's size, shape, charge, amino acid profile, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity (water fearing/loving) and flexibility or rigidity determine how the protein will behave and interact with other food components.

Denaturation, the breaking of the protein chains and rearrangement of their structure, is how to accomplish changes in function. The behavior of proteins can be altered with denaturation by chemical (acid, salt), physical (heat, agitation), and/or biological (enzyme) means. How about some examples?

We add salt to meat proteins to draw out the soluble proteins, which are very sticky, to allow us to make formed products like boneless hams and luncheon meats. We add rennet (an enzyme) or acid to milk to separate the casein proteins from the whey proteins and then innoculate with specific cultures, press, salt, and age to turn the casein proteins into cheese. Whey proteins, which are highly soluble, are added to beverages to give them a protein claim (like Accelerade®). Gliadin & glutenin (wheat proteins) are worked to produce gluten which gives bread its structure and elasticity. And egg proteins (albumen) can be whipped to make a foam for cakes and souffles. Most of the time, multiple proteins are used - like milk, cereal and egg - to obtain the desired finished product and for nutritional and economic reasons.

Proteins also play an important role in flavor-producing interactions. The wonderful smell of baking bread comes from the interaction of the amino acids in the cereal protein reacting with reducing sugars (aka the Maillard reaction.). Water binding is another important protein function since it is needed for viscosity & gelling which impacts the texture of foods (think juiciness or tenderness). For those who want more information on where we use certain proteins and why, this is a great article.

Ahh, time for a summary of our protein discussion. You've learned that proteins are chains of amino acids and that they differ from carbohydrates & fats because proteins contain nitrogen in addition to carbon, hydrogen & oxygen. You know proteins are required by our bodies to make glycogen, blood plasma, muscle & connective tissues, hormones & enzymes, and quite a few other processes. You've learned that there are 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential because our bodies cannot produce them and must be obtained through the foods we eat. And that the proteins with the most complete sets of essential amino acids have the highest protein quality scores. And now you've learned why proteins are so important to the manufacturing of food products and why certain proteins are chosen for certain applications.

My next post will be about a very specific protein in honor of Thanksgiving - yes the Turkey. So, if you have specific questions about protein, its structure, function or uses, send me an email or comment on my post and I will be happy to provide you with the information you seek!

A Perfect Score

2007-11-06T00:06:00.001-05:00

As I discussed in my last post, proteins are assembled from amino acids, and there are 9 essential amino acids our bodies require. Essential amino acids are those that our bodies cannot produce itself and so must be obtained through the foods we eat. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need and are considered high quality proteins. For those of you who are seriously interested - this is a great online book on proteins.

You see, the catch is that all of the amino acids needed for protein synthesis in your body must be in the cell at the same time, your body can't store seperately and put them together later. If you don't eat all the essential amino acids in the same meal, or a complimentary set (think beans & rice), your body will break down your muscles to obtain the missing amino acids. Not good. This is why essential amino acids are so important, their content determines the quality of a protein.

There are a number of ways to measure a proteins quality, but none of them are perfect measure of a proteins efficiency/digestibility. Here are the most common:

Bioavailability - the degree to which a substance can be digested and utilized by the body in the amount and form in which it is present.

% Biological Value (% BV) - the proportion of absorbed protein (Nitrogen balance) that is retained in the body for maintenance and/or growth.

Casein (milk protein) = 85% Whey Protein Isolate = 98% Soy Protein Isolate = 80%

Rice Protein = 64% Whey Protein Concentrate = 95% Whole Egg = 100%

Net Protein Utilization (NPU) - the proportion of protein intake that is retained; a completely digested protein would have an equal %BV and NPU value.

Casein = 76 Whey Protein Isolate = 92 Soy Protein Isolate = 61

Rice Protein = NA Whey Protein Concentrate = 93 Whole Egg = 94

Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) - based on the weight gain of a growing test animal (rat) divided by its protein intake over a study period (usually 10 days).

Casein = 2.9 Whey Protein Isolate = 3.5 Soy Protein Isolate = 2.1

Rice Protein = 1.3 Whey Protein Concentrate = 3.0 Whole Egg = 3.8

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) - a method of comparing protein quality based on the amino acid requirements of humans (a score of 1.0 = a complete protein, i.e. 100% of the essential amino acids after digestion).

Casein = 1.23 Whey Protein Isolate = 1.14 Soy Protein Isolate = 0.92

Rice Protein = 0.55 Whey Protein Concentrate = 1.0 Whole Egg = 1.19

So, does anyone really pay attention to these values? A few do, (body builders, olympic atheletes) but most of us don't. Does this have any practical applications? Can you use this info? Well sure. If you happen to like protein bars, you can use this information when looking at the nutrition panel to determine the quality of the proteins it contains. If you are a vegetarian/vegan, you can use this information to make sure you are getting a complete compliment of proteins in each meal so your body doesn't feed on itself. And you can impress people at the gym with your newly acquired expertise on this topic! Ok, maybe that's just me.

So, what's next you ask? Well, you know what a protein is and you know how to judge their quality, so how about what it is they do in the food products you purchase? In my line of work we are far more concerned with the properties different proteins exhibit and I will tell you all about it in my next post.

A Protein Primer

2007-10-29T13:42:00.001-04:00

You know what a protein is, right? But do know what it is made of, what it does, why you need it, or if one is better than another? Don't worry, you'll know soon!

Proteins play a large role in so many of our body's functions. They are needed to synthesize tissues (muscles, connective) and enzymes, to maintain your acid-base and fluid balance, create plasma, antibodies, and clotting agents in your blood, produce hormones (thyroid, insulin) and manufacture light sensitive pigments in your eyes. Whew! Ok, that's not the entire list, but you get the idea - protein is important. Your body contains an estimated 10-50,000 different proteins, many of which are still being researched.

So, what is a protein? In a nutshell, it is a chain of amino acids. Need more detail? Ok. They are highly complex biopolymers comprised of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Still with me? You see, it's that nitrogen which sets them apart - both carbohydrates & fats are made up of carbon, hydrogen & oxygen, but no nitrogen. In fact, 'amino' means 'containing nitrogen'.

CHEMISTRY ALERT! (I've found its better to give a warning when covering the really sciency stuff. ) Chemistry 101: All carbon atoms must have 4 bonds, nitrogen 3, oxygen 2 and hydrogen 1. Hanging in there? All amino acids have three identical parts: they have connected to their central carbon atom an amino (NH2) group, an acid (COOH) group and a hydrogen (H). That leaves one more bond on the central carbon atom available. It is this side group and what it contains that makes each amino acid unique. To see protein's structure in 3D look here.

With 20 different major amino acids and a few minor ones, there are almost an infinite number of combinations (ok, maybe not quite that many, but a lot) that can be joined together to form proteins. Most proteins are made of chains of 100 to 300 amino acids. Within these 20 amino acids, there are 9 essentials and 11 non-essentials. Now that protein has been defined as an organic biopolymer, essential to life as we know it, it is time to learn about complete proteins and protein scores and what standards are used to determine them. But that will be my next post!

Where to Start

2007-10-22T13:22:00.000-04:00

Food - it seems the obvious place to start this blog. I'm sure everyone could improvise a definition for food if pressed, but I'm going to discuss only two here.

Food (fōōd) n. 1. A substance, usually of plant or animal origin, taken in and assimilated by an organism to maintain life and growth: nourishment. That's how Webster's Dictionary defines it, but it isn't the legal definition our industry uses. We use the definition from the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act which defines food as: (1) Articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) Chewing gum, and (3) Articles used for components of any such article (i.e. ingredients).

But what is food really? Essentially it is all of those items you find on a label and nutritional data panel. It is comprised of three main constituents: protein, fat & carbohydrates. Lets start here; there is plenty of time to cover the other organic & inorganic substances found in what we eat. I want you to understand the basics.

Welcome to Food Literate

2007-10-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

About Me:

I can't really remember a time when I wasn't in the food industry. You see, I am the third generation of my family to work with food. I grew up, literally, in a food manufacturing plant, but that's not my only credential. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Food Technology from The Ohio State University and have almost 20 years of experience in the field.

I spent the first half of my career on the product development bench designing new marinades, glazes, coatings, snack seasonings, soups, gravies, and side dishes. I've served as a trained sensory panelist, written FDA and USDA formatted labels, and performed application work with flavors.

I've spent the second half of my career as a laboratory director involved in technical and regulatory services. I am immersed in the constantly changing world of FDA regulations, DOT regulations, The Bioterrorism Act of 2002, kosher & halal certifications, GMO, BSE, BST, irradiation, MSDS, etc. I am a Certified Food Defense Coordinator and am in charge of Food Security at the company for whom I work.

I have completed my culinary coursework at the esteemed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) so that I can become a Certified Culinary Scientist (still need to take my test). I am a Professional Member of the Institute of Food Technologists, a Food Science & Technology Member of the Research Chefs Association, and a Member of the Women's Foodservice Forum, where I am active in Committee leadership.

In a nutshell, I'm a food geek. So much so that my friends and family encouraged me to share some of this knowledge of food, ingredients, their workings, and this industry with you and anyone else that happens to land on my little corner of the internet.

Why this site:

To expose and refute the junk science and unsound information you see and read daily on television and on the internet spread by purported pundits, unscrupulous marketers, shady advocacy organizations, and uninformed journalists. It is also to share information about the ingredients and processes used to make the foods we all love. Our society is very far removed from its food. It comes in brightly colored, fantastically marketed packaging but too few consumers know how it actually gets from the farm to the family dinner table.

Let's face it - we are a nation of food illiterates.

There are too few people that actually have basic food knowledge and they tend to get their scientific information concerning the food they eat from Alton Brown (whom I admit, I do adore). I'm pretty sure I may be on to something simply because not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me a food-related question (outside of my work responsibilities).

This website is dedicated to fielding questions, having conversations, and disseminating food-related information to a wider audience. I will endeavor to keep the information interesting, fun, and useful. I'll trust that you'll let me know how I'm doing!