Archive for the tag - gluten-free

BREAKING NEWS: Gluten Sensitivity Is Probably Fake.

October 1, 2014 By

the-science-is-in--why-gluten-sensitivity-is-probably-fakeAccording to Business Insider, 30% of Americans want to eat less gluten. And 18% of adults buy gluten-free products. But only 1% of Americans have celiac disease, a condition in which the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten, leading to difficulty in digesting food.

People without celiac disease often report having gluten sensitivity. The problem is, according to researchers, it’s a condition that probably doesn’t exist.

Back in 2011, a popular study concluded that gluten can cause gastrointestinal distress in people who don’t have celiac disease. It was enough to launch a whole of gluten-free products and marketing.

The researcher behind the 2011 study conducted a follow up study with individuals who reported gluten sensitivity and gastrointestinal distress. Participants were put on several different diets, including gluten free and gluten-containing diets. Regardless of the diet type, the participants experienced intestinal problems anyway. Gluten wasn’t even a factor.

There was one diet type that resulted in less gastrointestinal distress. It was low in something called FODMAPs, which are carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. Many foods containing FODMAPs also contain gluten, including beer, pasta and bread. Interestingly enough, a low FODMAP diet is often prescribed for individuals suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

Bring on the FODMAP-free diet craze!

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Study: Product Packaging Misleads Consumers.

July 8, 2014 By

Cherry 7upLast week, I shared 5 misleading nutrition marketing words that you should ignore on product packaging. Of course, the reason that marketers use those words in the first place is that they’re effective in generating sales. And now, a new study by researchers from the University of Houston is showing how effective those words really are.

For the study, researchers recruited 318 undergraduate students and asked them to rate the nutrition of various products. Students were able to examine the packaging and nutrition information for products including Chocolate Cheerios (labeled whole grain), Cherry 7-Up (labeled antioxidant), Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks (labeled organic) and more. All the marketing terms actually appear on the product packaging.

Researchers digitally removed the buzzwords from some of the packaging, and randomly presented students with the products. For every single product, students rated foods with the marketing words to be significantly healthier than if the word wasn’t included. In other words, including the word “antioxidant” made participants view Cherry 7-Up as healthier.

According to the researchers:

It is perhaps time that the food industry take responsibility for how they market their foods and acknowledge the role they play in keeping consumers in the United States misinformed about what is healthy to eat. Healthy foods exist, many of which are organic, whole grain, natural and all of those other things that many foods today are being labeled. However, using those labels on foods such as soda only serve to sell a drink rather than inform consumers about the actual health content of the product.

While it’s unlikely that the food industry will take responsibility for their role in consumer misinformation, perhaps we have more hope in getting the FDA to regulate such buzzwords - or even take the basic step of defining what “natural” really means.

Clearly, consumers need better education when it comes to nutrition. And by reading this article, you’ve already demonstrated that you’re one step ahead.

 

Filed Under: Nutrition, Research Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Misleading Nutrition Marketing Words!

June 30, 2014 By

Misleading-food-labelsMarketers are clever - especially when it comes to the packaging on the foods we eat. Some of the terms are especially misleading, and so I’ve put together a list of the top 5 nutrition-related marketing words to ignore. Despite their sexiness, these words don’t necessarily imply a nutritional benefit.

  1. Fat-free, low fat or reduced fat. First things first, the low fat craze of the 80s and 90s made Americans even fatter than ever. Though it seems counter-intuitive, fat doesn’t make you fat. Consuming more calories than you burn results in body fat. Moreover, our bodies need the healthy, essential fats to function properly (think avocados, nuts and olive oil). If a food is fat-free or low fat, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s healthy. For example, Skittles are low fat - but they’re definitely not healthy and extremely calorie dense. Moreover, many manufacturers reduce that fat content in their low fat foods by adding sugar or salt. That’s not a good thing.
  2. Gluten-free. Unless you have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten (which, it turns out, is a very small percentage of the population), there’s no need to cut gluten from your diet. Though marketers have managed to link the term gluten-free to implied nutritional benefits, there’s actually no correlation between the two. And nutritionists warn that following a gluten-free diet can increase the risk for nutritional deficiencies for vitamins and minerals found in foods that contain gluten.
  3. Detox. Foods (think juices and so-called cleanses) don’t detoxify your body. That’s a job performed by the liver and kidneys. If you’re looking to reduce toxins in your body, don’t put them there in the first place. Eliminate smoking, alcohol or foods laden with pesticides - like the dirty dozen.
  4. Low carb. Much like the essential fats, our bodies need carbohydrates to function properly. Not to mention, carbohydrates are our bodies’ main energy source. If you eliminate or overly reduce carbohydrates, you’ll feel sluggish and your performance (including at the gym) will suffer. Instead of eliminating carbohydrates, focus on eating complex carbohydrates from whole wheat foods, brown rice, beans and so on. Reduce simple carbohydrates like those found in candy, sugary drinks and pastries.
  5. Natural. Though many foods claim to be natural, the FDA has declined to define the term. In other words, marketers can really use the term to mean whatever they want. By the FDA’s non-definition, even high fructose corn syrup can be considered natural. After all, isn’t it derived from corn? Just because a product is labeled as natural, it doesn’t mean that it’s organic and it definitely doesn’t imply a nutritional benefit.

To really cut through the hype, it’s important to look past the pretty packaging and actually read the nutrition label and list of ingredients on any product you consume. This will give you a much better idea of how the product measures up.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Is Gluten-Free Healthier?

July 11, 2012 By

The other day, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I saw a tub of ice cream advertised as gluten-free. Labeling a product as gluten-free has become an increasingly popular trend - and savvy marketers are hoping that consumers will believe that gluten-free products are healthier. They’re not.

In a tweet last April, Miley Cyrus even tweeted that “gluten is crapppp.” That’s crap, with four p’s.

As it turns out, gluten-free and healthy are two very different things. According to Mayo Clinic:

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

Gluten-free isn’t meant to be a weight loss strategy. Instead, a gluten-free diet is a treatment for celiac disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, 1 in 133 people have this condition. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it causes the little hair-like projects that move food through to the gut to breakdown - resulting in bleeding, malabsorption and other issues.

If you don’t have celiac disease, there’s nothing wrong with consuming gluten. In fact, it’s healthy to do so. Sorry, Miley. Moreover, gluten-free diets tend to lack fiber, are higher in simple carbohydrates (the so-called “bad” carbs) and often low in the complex carbohydrates that our bodies need. If you do go gluten-free for medical reasons, it’s important to work with nutritionists and doctors to get a well-rounded diet.

The bottom line: If something is labeled as gluten-free, it’s not offering any sort of health benefit - unless, of course, you have celiac disease. The alleged link between a product being gluten-free and its nutritional content, as exemplified by my ice cream experience, is non-existent.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,