Environmental Nutrition

View or print a copy of the entire September 2010 issue of Environmental Nutrition

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Research Roundup: September 2010

Subscribers Only Step up to lower metabolic syndrome risk. The more you walk, the lower your risk of metabolic syndrome (factors that increase risk for diabetes and heart disease), reports a study of 1,500 people. Highly active groups (10,000 to 12,500 daily steps) were 72 percent less likely to have metabolic syndrome than sedentary subjects, and those in the low to somewhat active groups (5,000 to 9,999 daily steps) were 40 percent less likely.

Purple Potatoes Serve Up Royal Nutrition

Subscribers Only Living up to their royal hue and lineage, purple potatoes have long been considered the food of gods—7,000 years ago they were reserved for Incan kings in their native Peru. Perhaps the ancients knew there was more to this tuber than its violet skin and flesh, because as we are learning today, this tuber serves up a kingly portion of health benefits. Its history traces back to the Purple Peruvian, an heirloom fingerling potato. But other purple varieties bred specifically for optimal health benefits are sprouting up today.

Molecular Gastronomy: Food Science Raises the Culinary Bar

Subscribers Only Have you ever wondered what makes glossy white peaks form when you whip egg whites, or how an ordinary jug of milk can be transformed into rich, pungent cheese? Welcome to the world of molecular gastronomy (MG), a whole new culinary discipline that explores the intersection between food science and gastronomy, and takes fine cuisine to the next level. MG builds upon the body of food science developed in the 1950s as food scientists documented the chemical properties of foods and how they react to cooking techniques.

Teflon Cookware Under Fire, Safety Issues Raise More Questions

Subscribers Only It all started in the 1960s, when Teflon cookware was introduced to kitchens, and cooks reveled in the bliss of non-stick sautéing, flipping and frying. Failed omelets and deep-soaked pans became a thing of the past, until new studies uncovered a dark side of Teflon. Teflon, Dupont’s brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the non-stick coating for pans and other cookware, among other uses, came under fire early on when flecks of the coating peeled into food cooked in the pans.

Wraps: Light Lunch Option or Devil in Disguise?

Subscribers Only I don’t know about you, but when I think of wraps the image that pops into my head is that of a little light sandwich. With a simple tortilla or piece of lavash instead of a bulky roll or thick slices of bread, a wrap is bound to be a lower calorie choice than a big deli sandwich, right? Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily—or even usually—the case. Restaurateurs really know how to pack a lot into those tight, rolled-up sandwich wannabes. You don’t have to search hard to find a few wraps that contain more than a day’s worth of fat and sodium. And there’s at least one wrap out there that will give you almost an entire day’s worth of calories!

On the Lookout for “Greenwashing”

Subscribers Only When it comes to chic trends, eco-friendly "green" is definitely the new "black." On your weekly trip to the supermarket it’s easy to find a number of products, from coffee to dishwashing soap, that flaunt their green attributes. People are willing to spend more of their hard-earned green on green products, according to a 2008 survey of 9,000 adults performed by the global business firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). More consumers intentionally purchased green products in 2008 than 2007, and were willing to pay a little more for some green products that they thought were healthier, safer or better for the environment.

Fill ‘er Up! Protein at Breakfast Impacts Satiety

Subscribers Only It’s clear that dietary choices—not only what you eat but when—may be important for hunger and weight control. There’s no better example than breakfast. Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than those who skip the meal. And even if they don’t make healthful choices, breakfast eaters still eat less, according to research. When you skip breakfast you tend to eat more calories throughout the day, compared to breakfast eaters who benefit from improved glucose levels that help fight food cravings later on. Even a simple breakfast has been shown to improve cognitive performance and mood in adults and children.

Normal Weight, Yet Unhealthy—A Growing Concern

Subscribers Only Normal weight obesity: it sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not. It’s possible to fall in the normal weight range and still have weight-related health issues. New research points out that it’s not enough to look at the bathroom scales or your body mass index (BMI, a measure of one’s weight in relation to height) in order to determine the status of your health; levels of body fat also need to be monitored. Normal BMI is 18.5-24.9, overweight is 25-29.9, and obese is over 30 (you can calculate your BMI at: www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.) Although BMI can be a helpful tool in evaluating your weight, it has limitations.

It Looks Like America’s Got a Sweet Tooth

Subscribers Only U.S. consumers’ reliance on sugar and sweeteners for total calorie consumption accounts for an astonishing 17.1 percent of total daily calories, more than twice that of the global average, according to a report by research and analysis firm, Datamonitor. A possible reason for such high sugar consumption is that it’s not a top priority for Americans to shun sugar. U.S. consumers indicate that they are most influenced by products claiming to have low or reduced fat, but low, or no added sugar claims is in third place on the list of influential product statements that people watch for.

Tap Water Toxins: Fact or Fiction?

Subscribers Only Ah, life-sustaining water. A cool, fresh drink to quench your thirst, hydrate your body and flush away toxins. At least 50 percent of your body weight is water; it protects your joints, maintains body temperature, transports nutrients and more. Even if you never ponder these critical roles for water, you probably know that you can’t live without it. Recently, due to frequent reports of contaminated water, many Americans have become concerned about the safety of our water supply. Last year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization committed to environmental safety, analyzed nearly 20 million water records from 45 states from 2004 to 2009 and found 316 contaminants in the states’ tap water.

Indian Cuisine, Healthy and Delicious

Subscribers Only Fragrant curry, simmering dal, colorful tandoori, spicy korma—the aromatic, delicious foods of India, with their incredible range of spices, flavors, foods, colors, textures and ingredients, speak for themselves. More and more Indian restaurants are opening, and many Indian convenience foods are on our supermarket shelves. If you’re a regular at your neighborhood Indian restaurant, it’s easy to understand why this cuisine is soaring—who can resist the fabulous flavors? Looking beyond taste, however, how does Indian food rate in healthiness? There are many healthy attributes, according to Madhu Gadia, M.S., R.D., dietitian and Indian cuisine expert.