The Honest Palate


An ethical and honest approach to food policy, fitness and nutrition.

Posts tagged "Nutrition"
Spiraling Quickly Towards Madness: My Experience on a Juice “Cleanse” Let me preface this by saying I think everyone probably responds differently to fasting and cleansing.  I had many responses of great experiences with juice cleansing, and my roommate has nothing but good things to say.  My experience, however, was not positive.  In short: I quit my 3 day juice cleanse after 1 day.  I’m not sure what I was thinking, and to be honest, I’m feeling pretty silly.  I’ve given this a lot of thought now, especially last night during my evening of hunger-induced insomnia. I generally eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day because if not I turn into a hangry monster.  I’m not sure why I thought abstaining from food for an entire day (except in juiced veg form) was a good idea.  The right thing for me to do would have been switching back to my normal, healthy diet, and forcing some short exercise time into my schedule. The BluePrint juices have a high sugar content - it probably amounts to more sugar than I intake on a daily basis.  Most of the sugar is naturally occurring in the fruit and vegetables in the juice, but sugar is still sugar and my body definitely did not like this new influx of fructose. I felt okay until around 3pm when hunger, weakness and queasiness took over.  I couldn’t focus on my schoolwork, I was grumpy, I was tired, and I was beginning to get a headache.  My body was in shock from the sudden change in diet — and there is no way that can be a positive situation.  While the goal of a cleanse may be to give your GI tract a break from all the junk you’ve put down there, your other systems still need protein, carbs, and fats to function properly.  Especially your brain! My brain was not functioning properly. After a restless night filled with… I kid you not.. dreams of eating big, fluffy pancakes, I woke up dizzy, weak and nauseous.  That was it for me.  I didn’t care about all the juice still in my fridge — there was no way I was putting my body through another day of this torture. Let me point out that meanwhile, my roommate has also been doing the cleanse. And she’s fine.  The girl went to SoulCycle this morning.  So like I said, everyone responds differently. Today I kept my food intake light to slowly transition out of the fasting phase - I had fruit, spinach salad, avocado, a slice of wheat bread.  I also drank one of the green juices.  Tonight I’ll probably drink the cashew juice because it actually is quite tasty. And I’m also ordering some veggie noodle soup from my local vietnamese restaurant because THIS GIRL NEEDS SOME CARBS. So ends my experiment of juice cleansing.  I’ll be reverting back to my original opinion on them, and next time I’m feeling out of sorts I’ll just eat more carrots, less cheese, and lace up my running shoes.

Spiraling Quickly Towards Madness: My Experience on a Juice “Cleanse”

Let me preface this by saying I think everyone probably responds differently to fasting and cleansing.  I had many responses of great experiences with juice cleansing, and my roommate has nothing but good things to say. 

My experience, however, was not positive.  In short: I quit my 3 day juice cleanse after 1 day.  I’m not sure what I was thinking, and to be honest, I’m feeling pretty silly.  I’ve given this a lot of thought now, especially last night during my evening of hunger-induced insomnia. I generally eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day because if not I turn into a hangry monster.  I’m not sure why I thought abstaining from food for an entire day (except in juiced veg form) was a good idea.  The right thing for me to do would have been switching back to my normal, healthy diet, and forcing some short exercise time into my schedule.

The BluePrint juices have a high sugar content - it probably amounts to more sugar than I intake on a daily basis.  Most of the sugar is naturally occurring in the fruit and vegetables in the juice, but sugar is still sugar and my body definitely did not like this new influx of fructose.

I felt okay until around 3pm when hunger, weakness and queasiness took over.  I couldn’t focus on my schoolwork, I was grumpy, I was tired, and I was beginning to get a headache.  My body was in shock from the sudden change in diet — and there is no way that can be a positive situation.  While the goal of a cleanse may be to give your GI tract a break from all the junk you’ve put down there, your other systems still need protein, carbs, and fats to function properly.  Especially your brain! My brain was not functioning properly.

After a restless night filled with… I kid you not.. dreams of eating big, fluffy pancakes, I woke up dizzy, weak and nauseous.  That was it for me.  I didn’t care about all the juice still in my fridge — there was no way I was putting my body through another day of this torture.

Let me point out that meanwhile, my roommate has also been doing the cleanse. And she’s fine.  The girl went to SoulCycle this morning.  So like I said, everyone responds differently.

Today I kept my food intake light to slowly transition out of the fasting phase - I had fruit, spinach salad, avocado, a slice of wheat bread.  I also drank one of the green juices.  Tonight I’ll probably drink the cashew juice because it actually is quite tasty. And I’m also ordering some veggie noodle soup from my local vietnamese restaurant because THIS GIRL NEEDS SOME CARBS.

So ends my experiment of juice cleansing.  I’ll be reverting back to my original opinion on them, and next time I’m feeling out of sorts I’ll just eat more carrots, less cheese, and lace up my running shoes.

03/27/13

41 notes

Blueprint  juice cleanse  Nutrition  dieting  diets 
I’ve officially lost my mind. I’ve spent the last few years perfecting my eye-roll, health lecture, and hearty chuckle when people have told me they are starting a juice “cleanse.” So then why, you may ask, am I starting a 3 day juice cleanse tomorrow? Desperation, perhaps? Curiosity, for sure. This semester has been a difficult one.  Organic chemistry, biology, orgo lab, MCAT prep.. exercise has become a vague memory, and I’m not sure I remember how to use my stove.  Some days its hard to recognize myself, based on my eating/activity patterns. Last week I had the incredible opportunity to travel to San Diego with a group of physical therapists, researchers and neurologists to present an abstract we worked on together.  It was truly a life-changing experience which has made me all the more motivated to get to medical school.  But it was also the last straw. I ate. And ate. Everything. All the cheese.  Don’t get me wrong, I generally eat EVERYTHING. But usually I offset the eating with some exercise, hydration, good nights sleep.  But this time I’m tired, my skin is a mess, my stomach hurts, and my body is feeling out of whack.   Last month I read Food is Your Best Medicine, a book written years ago by a doctor who had seen amazing results after treating disease with nutrition, a method I believe in deeply. This book discussed the medical benefits of CAREFUL, MONITORED, BRIEF fasts and cleanses, and for the first time I was questioning my skepticism.   Fast forward to a month later and I decided that I’d give it a try.  At least if I really HATE it I can back up my opinion?  Maybe I’ll go into hypoglycemic shock? Maybe I’ll feel amazing?   I’m not really sure of anything, except that it’s going to be interesting.. Anyone done a juice “cleanse” and had an amazing or horrifying experience?  

I’ve officially lost my mind.


I’ve spent the last few years perfecting my eye-roll, health lecture, and hearty chuckle when people have told me they are starting a juice “cleanse.”

So then why, you may ask, am I starting a 3 day juice cleanse tomorrow?

Desperation, perhaps? Curiosity, for sure.

This semester has been a difficult one.  Organic chemistry, biology, orgo lab, MCAT prep.. exercise has become a vague memory, and I’m not sure I remember how to use my stove.  Some days its hard to recognize myself, based on my eating/activity patterns.

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to travel to San Diego with a group of physical therapists, researchers and neurologists to present an abstract we worked on together.  It was truly a life-changing experience which has made me all the more motivated to get to medical school.  But it was also the last straw.

I ate. And ate. Everything. All the cheese. 

Don’t get me wrong, I generally eat EVERYTHING. But usually I offset the eating with some exercise, hydration, good nights sleep.  But this time I’m tired, my skin is a mess, my stomach hurts, and my body is feeling out of whack.  

Last month I read Food is Your Best Medicine, a book written years ago by a doctor who had seen amazing results after treating disease with nutrition, a method I believe in deeply. This book discussed the medical benefits of CAREFUL, MONITORED, BRIEF fasts and cleanses, and for the first time I was questioning my skepticism.  

Fast forward to a month later and I decided that I’d give it a try.  At least if I really HATE it I can back up my opinion?  Maybe I’ll go into hypoglycemic shock? Maybe I’ll feel amazing?  

I’m not really sure of anything, except that it’s going to be interesting..

Anyone done a juice “cleanse” and had an amazing or horrifying experience?  

03/25/13

45 notes

juice cleanse  blueprint  nutrition  who am i? 
The Extraordinary Science of Junk Food

I wasn’t too shocked at anything I read in this article by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Moss, however learning the origins of Oscar Meyer Lunchables was eye-opening.  They use crackers instead of bread because those boxes need to be able to sit in warehouses for up to 2 months… 

Also, if you haven’t heard the story of Prego’s chunky tomato sauce (Malcolm Gladwell spoke about it at TED), then this is definitely worth a read.  

02/23/13

63 notes

nytimes  Nutrition  junk food  big food  lies lies lies  Food Policy 
The NYTimes Chemophobia is Bad For You

Last week I posted this article about alternative treatment methods used to treat a boy with juvenile arthritis.

Slate.com, per usual, seems to be disagreeing just to be oppositional. This rebuttal focuses on only a fraction of the therapeutic treatments discussed in Meadows’ article and practically ignores the fact that the alternative treatment was an effective treatment. Francl barely addresses the fact that a diet change and use of probiotics may have contributed to the boy’s recovery. Is it SO inconceivable that there are alternatives which may be as effective as pharmaceuticals?  

02/10/13

6 notes

alternative medicine  premed  medicine  Nutrition  nytimes  slate 

Probiotics & Gluten Free Diet as Treatment for Arthritis

The Boy With a Thorn in His Joints

image

As a postbac premed student, I spend a great deal of time thinking about the kind of medicine I’d one day like to practice.  Nutrition and Alternative Medicine are what originally drew me to make a change in my career path, but I’ve quickly realized the challenges faced by those interested in studying the less popular science of Integrative Medicine (a combination of conventional and alternative techniques).

Reading stories like this one, from the NYTimes, reminds me of where I’d like to focus my education.  It should be no surprise that a change in diet may be more effective than drugs; after all, we literally are what we eat and what we put into our bodies directly affects our health.  Hippocrates said it long ago: “Let food be thy medicine.”  When did this sentiment become a thought of a past?

In this article, a 3 year old boy is diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, and he’s prescribed a drug sometimes used for chemotherapy by a top NYC doctor (a doctor in the same hospital where I intern).  The drug has some serious side effects and is not a cure - the boy would have needed to take the drug for the rest of his life.  When the boy’s mom suggests alternative medicine and the possibility of treating him via a gluten/diary-free diet and with probiotics, the doctor scoffs.  The mother is made to feel embarrassed.  

I do not fault this doctor for prescribing a medication that she has likely seen work effectively in dozens of her patients. It does bother me though, that a doctor would not only not be open to alternative treatments, but that they are not even knowledgeable about these methods.  Shouldn’t a doctor specializing in one specific category of disease be aware of both the pharmacological and natural treatment plans?

Unfortunately, it is the drug companies who rule our health care system, and grant money to study alternative methods is teeny tiny.  I hope this will not be a deterrence for me or others interested in following an unpopular path in medicine, as an alternate route may become all the more necessary in this age of quick-fixes and little blue pills.  

02/2/13

55 notes

premed  medicine  alternative medicine  Nutrition  drugs  nytimes 
Can Exercise Protect the Brain From Fatty Foods?


Interesting results, but a study like this could definitely be misinterpreted. The takeaway is that, once again, exercise is proven to be highly beneficial, NOT that we can eat more high-fat foods as long as we exercise a bit.

11/13/12

7 notes

Nutrition  exercise  fat  fitness  food  research  medicine 
PLoS Medicine: Series on Big Food “The PLoS Medicine series on Big Food aims to examine and stimulate debate about the activities and influence of the food industry in global health. We define “Big Food” as the multinational food and beverage industry with huge and concentrated market power. The series adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and includes critical perspectives from around the world. It represents one of first times such issues have been examined in the general medical literature.” There goes all my productivity today.  Several editorials, essays and policy forums on big food, policy and global nutrition?  A rare find (sadly).  Thank you, PLoS. 

PLoS Medicine: Series on Big Food

“The PLoS Medicine series on Big Food aims to examine and stimulate debate about the activities and influence of the food industry in global health. We define “Big Food” as the multinational food and beverage industry with huge and concentrated market power. The series adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and includes critical perspectives from around the world. It represents one of first times such issues have been examined in the general medical literature.”

There goes all my productivity today.  Several editorials, essays and policy forums on big food, policy and global nutrition?  A rare find (sadly).  Thank you, PLoS. 

10/19/12

12 notes

nerd alert  big food  Nutrition  plos blog  pre-med 
Today I was craving color. Green spinach is for iron and folic acid Red tomatoes are for Vitamins A and C Purple beets are for Phytochemicals Yellow peppers are for Vitamin C and fiber White mozzarella is for … obsessive cheese problem.. and calcium and protein Along with some edamame hummus for added protein and flax seed chips for omega-3 fatty acids and carbs. Abundance of color = abundance of nutrients.  (Fruit Loops don’t count!)

Today I was craving color.

  • Green spinach is for iron and folic acid
  • Red tomatoes are for Vitamins A and C
  • Purple beets are for Phytochemicals
  • Yellow peppers are for Vitamin C and fiber
  • White mozzarella is for … obsessive cheese problem.. and calcium and protein

Along with some edamame hummus for added protein and flax seed chips for omega-3 fatty acids and carbs.

Abundance of color = abundance of nutrients.  (Fruit Loops don’t count!)

01/3/12

282 notes

Nutrition  salad  lunch  vitamins 
Big Food Exerts Unhealthy Influence on America’s Nutritionists

There are some things that make me shake with anger.  A few:

  • People on the subway who play music without headphones.
  • Line cutters.
  • All of the Twilight books, movies, merchandise and fandom.
  • Health and government professionals who tell lies for their own personal benefit.

The last one on the list is unforgivable, and unfortunately it happens constantly.  This article, Big Food Exerts Unhealthy Influence on America’s Nutritionists, which I read on Grist.org, discusses a problem that I sometimes briefly forget is all too prevalent in the nutrition industry.  

The processed food industry is trying to woo dietitians into promoting products that are usually labeled as “unhealthy” or “snack food.”  With endorsement from a nutritionist or dietitian, these products receive credibility from a professional who’s job it is to tell the public what and how to eat right.  The nutrition field is already rife with conflicting views, lies, and unclear data, and it’s only discredited further when dietitians partner with Big Food companies who’s goal is not public health, but to make a buck.  

Often, food companies sponsor events for the American Dietetic Association, and other industry groups, providing housing, event space and food for free - an attractive option for groups lacking funds.  But now these conferences are packed with booths for companies like Yum! Brands, Pepsico, General Mills, McDonalds, etc, and they are seriously influencing the people who matter.  

A recent conference held a panel titled A Fresh Look at Processed Foods, which was attended by hundreds of RDs and health professionals.  One panelist, Lindsey Loving of the International Food Information Council, announced to the audience that processed foods, “represent sources of important nutrients for consumers and should be eaten along with fresh fruits and veggies.”

How could a trained RD take this seriously?  Impossible, right?  Wrong.  Unfortunately RDs and nutritionists can be bought, if not with a paycheck, then with fancy hotel rooms at conferences, free flights, gift baskets, and further recognition.  I often find that dietitians partner with brands to make themselves more visible, giving them the opportunity to attend events, meet professionals and test new products.  The dietitian’s customer base grows and the food company gets acknowledged by a trusted and trained professional.  The cycle continues… 

Dietitians and nutritionists who work with brands are breaking a code of ethics that is crucial to performing their job successfully and credibly.  They are damaging the profession’s reputation and harming consumers, just to get ahead.  If a dietitian wanted to make personal gains without any regard for the public, they probably should have gone into finance instead.  Please leave the task of bettering the health of our nation to those who actually want to make a difference.

09/29/11

221 notes

nutrition  lies lies lies  Food Policy  american dietetic association 

Guest Post for The Feed: Kraft Veggie Pasta

Check out my new guest post for The Feed, a community blog about all things food related.  

Things I find irritating: 

  • Kid’s menus
  • “Kid” specific food
  • Sneaking vegetables

Plenty of research and parenting has shown that the best way to get children to eat healthy foods and actually like them is to lead by example. Prepare fresh vegetables, cooked correctly, and enjoy them alongside a child and there’s a good chance they’ll eventually develop a taste for broccoli and spinach.  It won’t work with every food, but at least it will steer them away from requesting buttered pasta and frozen chicken fingers.

Read more…

08/8/11

34 notes

the feed  guest post  kraft  veggie pasta  nutrition  food labeling 
NYTimes: Still Counting Calories? Your Plan May Be Outdated

Jane Brody’s article about counting calories in the New York Times this week may not seem shocking, but I was happily amazed to read something so truthful about nutrition.  Her article discusses counting calories as a diet plan, and the new research which shows that it is very likely outdated.  According to the article, the specific foods you eat DO matter and some are better for you than others.

The goal of the food industry is to convince consumers that there are no “good” or “bad” foods and that everything can be enjoyed in moderation.  This is how they convince buyers that junk foods are okay, as long as you are staying within your allotted calorie range and getting enough exercise.  They will do ANYTHING, including lobbying for legislation changes, to stop health professionals from saying otherwise.

This is why I was shocked when I read this quote from Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health: 

“There are good foods and bad foods, and the advice should be to eat the good foods more and the bad foods less,” he said. “The notion that it’s O.K. to eat everything in moderation is just an excuse to eat whatever you want.”

Finally, someone telling it like it is!  I can’t wait to read the food industry’s rebuttals to that one. 

The study followed participants eating and lifestyle habits for 12-20 years and found that the average participant gained 3.35 pounds every four years, for a total of a 16.8 pound weight gain in 20 years.  Even with proper exercise, those who did not pay as close attention to diet did gain weight, which proves that you cannot just focus on fitness, but you must watch what you eat as well.

As for the foods contributing to weight gain:

French fries led the list: Increased consumption of this food alone was linked to an average weight gain of 3.4 pounds in each four-year period. Other important contributors were potato chips (1.7 pounds), sugar-sweetened drinks (1 pound), red meats and processed meats (0.95 and 0.93 pound, respectively), other forms of potatoes (0.57 pound), sweets and desserts (0.41 pound), refined grains (0.39 pound), other fried foods (0.32 pound), 100-percent fruit juice (0.31 pound) and butter (0.3 pound).

No surprise there.

Foods that didn’t affect weight gain? Whole fruits and vegetables of course. Surprisingly dairy had a neutral effect on weight gain — which is good news for me. Another great item to see in print was about nuts! I often hear people state that nuts are fatty and shouldn’t be eaten often.  I include a serving of nuts in my diet almost daily.  They’re full of healthy fats, fiber and protein to fill you up.

And despite conventional advice to eat less fat, weight loss was greatest among people who ate more yogurt and nuts, including peanut butter, over each four-year period.

Nuts are high in vegetable fat, and previous small studies have shown that eating peanut butter can help people lose weight and keep it off, probably because it slows the return of hunger.

Overall, this article provides an incredibly helpful and easy to follow picture of human nutrition and is a great model for those looking for some healthy eating tips!

07/21/11

61 notes

nutrition  nytimes  counting calories  diets  weight loss  Food Policy 

Nutrition Confusion and the Food Industry

“It is in the interest of food companies to have people believe that there is no such thing as a “good” food (except when it is theirs); that there is no such thing as a “bad” food (especially not theirs); that all foods (especially theirs) can be incorporated into healthful diets; and that balance, variety, and moderation are the keys to healthful diets - which means that no advice to restrict intake of their particular product is appropriate.”

- Marion Nestle, Food Politics

I don’t know how I’ve managed to come this far without having read THE book on the food industry, Food Politics.  Well, I’m reading it now and it’s as enlightening and controversial as I hoped it would be, even for someone who’s already read a ton of information on the subject.  Her take on the public’s confusion about nutrition couldn’t be better explained and I plan to do a longer post on this topic in the future!

06/30/11

33 notes

Food Politics  nutrition  confusion  Marion Nestle 

“But where is the PROTEIN?!”

If you are (or have been) a vegetarian or vegan you are extremely familiar with this phrase. I’ve never looked over at an omnivore’s plate and exclaimed, “DO YOU KNOW IF THAT COW WAS PASTURE RAISED?” however I have repeatedly been questioned about my diet choices as a vegetarian.

I’ve found that it’s caused me to sometimes question my diet as well.  “Am I getting enough protein?”  I consider myself a conscious vegetarian, meaning that I think about all the nutrients going into my meals during the day to make sure I’m getting enough of everything.  I’ve never been a huge fan of protein powders or supplements, as I don’t really believe they work and I feel I can get enough protein without taking them.

In my nutrition class this summer, I had a chance to find out for sure - Am I getting enough protein?  As part of my final grade we had to participate in a Diet Analysis.  For 3 days I wrote down every single piece of food I consumed, the quantity, time of day and place I ate that meal.  I also filled out a several page “food frequency questionnaire” which asks how many times you eat certain foods daily, weekly, and monthly.  I tediously entered all of this information into the Nutritionist Pro software, which calculated averages between the two and spat out all of my nutrient intakes.  I had my BMI, BMR, fat mass and other stats calculated on a fancy bioelectrical impedance machine.


I took all of this information into account and then wrote an analysis.  What did I find?  I AM GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN.  And enough of everything else too.  

As a reference, the Dietary Reference Intake for carbs, protein and fat (whether you are dieting or not!) is:

  • 45-65% of calories per day from Carbohydrates
  • 20-35% of calories per day from Fat (*but the American Heart Association says preferably under 30%)
  • 10-35% of calories per day from Protein

Now, these are recommendations made for a large chunk of the population so they need to be broad.  A better way to calculate your specific protein needs is to multiply your weight in kilograms (pounds ÷ 2.2) and multiply by .8.  For example:

  • A person weighing 200lbs weighs 91kg.  91 x .8 = 73 grams protein per day

So, what were my results?

  • Carbohydrates, 340 grams, 58% of daily calorie intake
  • Fat, 69 grams, 26.2% of daily calorie intake
  • Protein, 85 grams, 14.2% of daily calorie intake

Not only am I getting enough protein, I’m getting MORE THAN ENOUGH protein if you calculate using the .8g/kg/day method.  (In fact, having too much protein in your diet can be harmful!)  It feels great knowing that although I choose to eat an alternative diet I can maintain the necessary nutrient levels in my body.  So where do I get my protein?

From beans!

And quinoa!

From avocado and low-fat cottage cheese!

From whole grains, nuts and seeds!

And of course, I do eat eggs.  I’m not vegan, but that’s not to say vegans don’t get enough protein. 

So the next time someone asks me, “How do you get enough protein?” I’ll be sure to tell them how!

06/24/11

31 notes

vegetarian  nutrition  diet analysis  protein  DRI 

Sick Salad

I’ve been dealing with a manageable sore throat for a few days which transformed into a stuffy nose yesterday and this morning I woke up with a full blown cold.  

I’m sick.

Doesn’t my body know I have tests to study for and a marathon to train for?  I think my body is telling me I’m doing a bit too much… so it’s time to scale back this week.

A main symptom that tells me I’m sick rather than just under the weather is the disappearance of my appetite, and I’ve got that today.  UGH.  This never happens!   But I do know it’s importantly to stay properly fueled so today I opted for a healthy and raw salad.  

Just spinach, tomatoes, avocado and a dollop of cottage cheese.  I think store bought dressing is a FOOD CRIME since it’s so easy (and healthier) to make your own! 

In my dressing:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • basil, cracked pepper, salt to taste

I mixed this up and poured it on top.  The dollop of cottage cheese came after because I like to keep it separate, like dessert on the side!

I’m not usually a big juice drinker but today I feel the need for C.  On my way home I picked up some fresh squeezed orange juice.  While also tasting better, fresh squeezed orange juice contains a higher content of vitamin C because it has had less exposure to oxygen (which degrades the Vit-C) than the carton type in a supermarket.  Of course, juices like Tropicana often enrich their juices with vitamin C to make up for this degradation…. but that’s a whole other argument not for this sick day!

I’ll be spending the afternoon napping, watching the season finale of The Killing (!!!!) and studying.  I’ve almost missed sick days…. 

06/21/11

15 notes

lunch  salad  what i made  dressing  vitamin c  nutrition 

Health Claims & Structure-Function Claims

Last week in my nutrition class we discussed nutrient and health claims that companies print on their products.  

I’ve written about my disgust towards health claims before, but I didn’t know much about the laws (and lack of laws) that make these claims even more insidious.  

There are two types of health related claims:  HEALTH CLAIMS and STRUCTURE-FUNCTION CLAIMS.

  • Health claims are statements that relate a nutrient or food substance to a disease or health-related condition.  Until 2003, the FDA forced manufacturers to have their evidence approved before printing.  There is a list of claims, called the “A-list” which the FDA has deemed true.   

- example: “Fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease.”  

  • Structure-Function Claims are statements that relate a nutrient or food substance to it’s role in the body. These claims DO NOT NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE FDA!

- example: “Promotes a healthy heart.”

Basically, food companies got on the FDA’s case and complained that they wanted the ability to make claims for things that could be true, arguing that “holding only the highest scientific standard for claims interferes with free speech.”  AND THIS WORKED!

Now, companies can print possible benefits as long as they don’t relate the claim to a disease or health-related condition.

Guess what types of products you can find structure function claims on!

SUGARY CEREAL!

We know health claims are everywhere, but now we know that the FDA really isn’t doing all that much to regulate them.  Not shocking news, but still depressing.  

06/8/11

13 notes

health claims  structure-function  nutrition class  nutrition  food policy 

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Welcome to my blog! I’m Michelle, a 27 year old vegetarian, runner, future doctor, and healthy-living enthusiast. My life revolves around food. Cooking food, eating food, discussing the politics of food. We’re surrounded by so many false advertisements and misconceptions about nutrition, its difficult to know where the truth lies. This is my attempt to make everything a bit clearer.

Follow me while I eat delicious food, cook healthy meals, run races, and strive to separate the food truths from lies, while attempting to survive the premed lifestyle in NYC.

Questions/Comments? Send me an email! Michelle@thehonestpalate.com

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