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Thursday 30 June 2016

Junk Food and Junk Science

Junk Food IndustryThe junk food industry has a number of tricks up its sleeve to paint their disease-causing products in a better light. When your profits depend on people buying soda, candy, potato chips and other unhealthy snacks, good taste only goes so far.


June 14, 2016



Story at-a-glance

  • An industry-funded study found children who ate candy were 22 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than children who did not
  • The findings were heavily publicized even though one of the paper’s authors called it “thin and clearly padded”
  • Funding scientific research gives the junk food industry a certain level of control over the results
  • It’s well-known that industry-funded research almost always favors industry
By Dr. Mercola
The junk food industry has a number of tricks up its sleeve to paint their disease-causing products in a better light. When your profits depend on people buying soda, candy, potato chips and other unhealthy snacks, good taste only goes so far.
Eventually, people begin to wonder just how bad these foods are for their bodies, especially in light of general trends toward healthier eating.
Such foods are carefully laboratory created to get you hooked, and once your cravings kick in for these extraordinarily addictive foods, the industry gives you reason to justify the indulgence via scientific research — research that the industry itself, of course, funded.
Funding scientific research gives the industry a certain level of control over the results. Although most researchers and sponsoring companies will insist the research is sound and unbiased, it’s well-known that industry-funded research almost always favors industry.
So when a study came out touting the surprising claim that children who eat candy tend to weigh less than those who don’t, it was not a surprise that the study was funded by a candy trade association representing some of the top U.S. candy makers.

Candy Industry Manipulates Science to Sell More Junk Food

“The only thing that moves sales," Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at New York University (NYU), told the Associated Press, "is health claims."1 And if you can’t make health claims based on a product’s own merits, why not fund a study to drum some up?
The study in question was published in 2011 in Food & Nutrition Research. It followed 11,000 children and found those who ate candy were 22 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than children who did not.2
Further, the candy eaters even had lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and a risk factor for heart disease. The findings were heavily publicized even though the paper’s authors even questioned its validity.
As reported by the Associated Press, which conducted an investigation into how food companies influence people’s thoughts about healthy eating, Carol O'Neil, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Louisiana State University (LSU), wrote to her co-author about the study, "We're hoping they can do something with it — it's thin and clearly padded.”3 The Associated Press continued:4
Since 2009, the authors of the candy paper have written more than two dozen papers funded by parties including Kellogg and industry groups for beef, milk and fruit juice.
Two are professors: O'Neil of LSU and Theresa Nicklas, Ph.D., at the Baylor College of Medicine. The third is Victor Fulgoni III, Ph.D., a former Kellogg executive and consultant whose website says he helps companies develop ‘aggressive, science-based claims about their products.’
Their studies regularly delivered favorable conclusions for funders — or as they call them, ‘clients.’”

Industry Uses Science to Publicize the Results They Want

Sound scientific research should publish all the results from any given study, not only those that paint industry in a favorable light. But it’s common practice for negative or neutral study results to be left unpublished while favorable results get published.
The Associated Press used the example of a study funded by PepsiCo, which owns Quaker oatmeal. The study looked into whether consuming Quaker oatmeal or a Quaker Oats cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Squares) would be more filling than rival General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios.
While the oatmeal proved to be more filling, the oats cereal did not, so PepsiCo only published the favorable oatmeal results.5 Publication bias — the practice of selectively publishing trial results that serve an agenda — is common practice not only in the food industry but also in pharmaceutical research.
Meanwhile, it’s common practice for researchers to run their manuscripts by their industry funders prior to publication, and even carefully time the release of results to their advantage. In regard to the study that found candy-eating kids weigh less, the Associated Press noted:6
The trumpeting of their research was also carefully timed. In June 2011, a candy association representative emailed O'Neil a critical article about a professor with industry ties.
'I'd like to monitor the fallout from this story, and give a little bit of distance to our research piece. I do not want to put you in the crossfire of a media on a rampage,' wrote Laura Muma of FoodMinds, an agency that represented the candy association."

Even Seemingly Reputable Nutrition Journals May Have Cozy Ties With Junk Food Makers


In 2013, I interviewed Michele Simon, who has practiced public health law for nearly 20 years, fighting corporate tactics that deceive and manipulate you about health.
Last year, she released a report that revealed the disturbing ties between the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) — considered a premier source of nutritional science — and the primary purveyors of obesity and chronic ill health.
ASN is sponsored by 30 different companies, including Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Monsanto, and the Sugar Association, just to mention a few, each of which pays $10,000 a year in return for “print and online exposure, annual meeting benefits, and first choice to sponsor educational sessions, grants, awards, and other opportunities as they arise.” As noted by Simon:
“In other words, food, beverage, supplement, biotech, and pharmaceutical industry leaders are able to purchase cozy relationships with the nation’s top nutrition researchers.”
Junk food purveyors gain even more influence by sponsoring educational sessions at various conferences and annual meetings, and featuring speakers that represent the industry.
ASN’s ties are particularly problematic since they also publish three academic journals, including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).
These ties can “taint scientific objectivity, negatively impact the organization’s policy recommendations, and result in industry-friendly research and messaging that is shared with nutrition professionals and the general public alike,” according to Simon. She added:
“Obesity researcher David Allison, Ph.D. wins the prize for the most conflicts: PepsiCo, the Sugar Association, World Sugar Research Organization (WSRO), Red Bull, Kellogg, Mars, Campbell Soup, and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS).
Perhaps most troubling, Allison serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ASN’s flagship publication. While his conflicts are disclosed, having Allison in such a critical gatekeeper role demonstrates how industry can potentially influence even the science that gets published.”

Even Nutrition Professionals Are ‘Counseled’ by Industry

In the realm of commercial profits, nothing is sacred, not even the reputation of the U.S. trade organization for food and nutrition professionals, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the American Dietetic Association).
Food companies like Coca-Cola, General Mills, NestlĂ©, Kraft, and all of the major junk food purveyors buy sponsorships to be at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ annual trade organization meetings. They typically end up having the largest booths on the expo floor.
Besides showcasing their food products, they’re also allowed to sponsor or hold educational sessions at the meeting, including sessions for registered dietitians (RDs) to receive continuing education credits. Even fast food companies like McDonald’s are represented at the annual meetings. According to Simon:
“They want to make sure that they’re being viewed as a good-for-you fast food company. So, at their booth, they would be sampling salads, smoothies, and oatmeal … [Food companies] are basically trying to use these [nutrition] professionals to carry their message to their clients.
That’s the name of the game here: to make sure the next time an RD talks to a client, they’ll say, 'Gee, you should really try this better-for-you, Baked Lays potato chips, because it has a few less grams of salt or fat.' It’s to make sure that RDs are recommending these still highly processed, nutrient-deficient junk foods to their clients … There are many RDs, in fact, that have rejected membership in the academy, mostly because of these relationships …
The problem really lies with the leadership of this organization and the fact that they’re putting their stamp of approval on these types of webinars and companies that obviously are contributing to the very problem that the profession is trying to address.”

Coca-Cola Front Group Shut Down After Bad Press

Coca-Cola Company funded the Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN), a front group aimed at confusing you about soda science and diverting attention away from evidence showing soda is a major contributor to obesity and diabetes. One of the group’s primary messages was to tout exercise as the science-backed solution to obesity — while downplaying the importance of dietary issues, like soda consumption.
Coca-Cola did not come right out and disclose that they were behind the supposedly scientific front group — they were outed by The New York Times, which reported in August 2015:7
The beverage giant has teamed up with influential scientists who are advancing this message in medical journals, at conferences and through social media ...
'Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is, 'Oh they're eating too much, eating too much, eating too much' — blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks, and so on,' the group's vice president, Steven N. Blair, an exercise scientist, says in a recent video announcing the new organization.’ And there's really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.'"
After The New York Times report, the front group received so much bad press and criticism that the University of Colorado School of Medicine said it would return the $1 million grant Coca-Cola had given them to help start the group. Public health authorities accused the group of using tobacco industry tactics to raise doubts about the health hazards of soda, and a letter signed by more than three dozen scientists said the group was spreading “scientific nonsense.”8
By December 2015, the GEBN announced it would be shutting down, with Coca-Cola claiming it was working on increased transparency.9

No Matter What the Spin, Junk Food Is Bad for Your Health

The food industry can use all the manipulative tactics in the world to create misleading data and other propaganda, but none of it will change the fact that junk food is bad for you. People who ate a diet focused on macaroni and cheese, processed lunchmeat, sausage biscuits, mayonnaise and microwavable meals with unhealthy fats, for example, showed serious negative changes to their metabolism after just five days.
After eating the junk food diet, the study participants' (12 healthy college-aged men) muscles lost the ability to oxidize glucose after a meal, which could lead to insulin resistance, which is the primary underlying factor of nearly every chronic disease and condition known to man, including weight gain.10 Stunted academic performance and depression have also been linked to junk food diets. Further, it only takes one junk food binge to influence your health for worse.11
When you eat junk food high in unhealthy fats and sugar, the sugar causes a large spike in your blood-sugar levels called “postprandial hyperglycemia.” In the long term, this can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, but there are short-term effects as well, such as:
  • Your tissue becomes inflamed (as occurs when it is infected)
  • Your blood vessels constrict
  • Damaging free radicals are generated
  • Your blood pressure may rise higher than normal
  • A surge and drop in insulin may leave you feeling hungry

Show the Junk Food Makers Who’s Boss: You!

It’s easy to fall victim to the junk food industry’s marketing webs and even easier to become biologically hooked on their high-sugar foods. However, breaking free from the trap and focusing your diet on real food instead is one of the best health moves you can make. How can you do it?
Ditching processed foods requires that you plan your meals in advance, and if you take it step-by-step as described in my nutrition plan, it's quite possible, and manageable, to painlessly remove processed foods from your diet. You can try scouting out your local farmer's markets for in-season produce that is priced to sell, and planning your meals accordingly, but you can also use this same premise with supermarket sales.
You can generally plan a week of meals at a time, making sure you have all ingredients necessary on hand, and then do any prep work you can ahead of time so that dinner is easy to prepare if you're short on time (and you can use leftovers for lunches the next day). Simply don’t bring junk foods into your home. That way there’s no temptation to eat them. And the more you nourish your body with real food, the less you’ll feel tempted by these fake foods anyway.
Finally, if food cravings sideline you, I highly recommend using the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is simple and effective, and can rapidly help you eliminate your food cravings naturally. Ultimately, your taste buds will come to realize that many “health” foods taste better than their science-lab counterparts any day.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/14/junk-food-scientific-research.aspx

Wednesday 29 June 2016

What Is Arrowroot Good For?

For more than 7,000 years, people have been using arrowroot for many different applications. In more recent years, it’s commonly used as an alternative to cornstarch. Arrowroot powder is great as a thickener for everything from gravy to puddings to soups.

June 13, 2016

Arrowroot Uses

Story at-a-glance

  • Arrowroot isn’t technically a plant, but rather a nutritionally dense starch extracted from several rhizomes of the Marantaceae family of plants
  • Widely used in primitive cultures, arrowroot has had such traditional uses as healing wounds from poison arrows, scorpion bites and gangrene
  • Naturally gluten-free, arrowroot is an excellent thickening agent in puddings, sauces and stews, and makes a great binder in meatloaf and veggie burger mixtures
  • Arrowroot may help prevent birth defects, support proper growth and development, and improve your circulation, blood pressure, weight and digestion
By Dr. Mercola
For more than 7,000 years, people have been using arrowroot for many different applications. In more recent years, it’s commonly used as an alternative to cornstarch. Arrowroot powder is great as a thickener for everything from gravy to puddings to soups.
Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), which comes from the Marantaceae family of plants, isn’t a plant per se; it’s a nutritionally dense starch that can be extracted from the tubers of a number of perennial rhizomes. It’s not technically a root but rather an underground mass of roots or root system.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica,1 the name arrowroot is “sometimes applied to starches obtained from other plants and used as substitutes for true arrowroot.” The following list specifies some of the plant species that arrowroot is extracted from, depending on the source location:
  • The West Indies’ tulema arrowroot (Canna coccinea)
  • East India arrowroot (Curcuma angustifolia)
  • Brazilian arrowroot (Manihot esculenta)
  • Otaheite or South Pacific arrowroot (Tacca pinnatifida)
  • Portland or Dorset, England arrowroot (Arum maculatum)
Up until the mid-1980s, around 98 percent of arrowroot starch production originated in tropical regions such as the West Indies, but also in South America and Australia, for use in food for Britain, Canada, Europe and the U.S. It also has non-food uses, such as in paper manufacturing, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.2
In 1984, maranta rhizomes were collected in the West Indies and transported to a growing operation in Tifton, Georgia where, after harvesting, the starch content was found to be comparable in scientists’ assessments.
Manufacturers use extreme measures to produce the fine, silky powder known as arrowroot flour from the plants:
“Arrowroot powder is extracted from plants by a process of soaking the plants in hot water, peeling the tubers to remove their fibrous covers, mashing the tubers into a pulp and then washing the pulp to separate the starch.
The starch is then filtered and ground to powder. Cornstarch is usually made from genetically modified corn and is extracted by a harsh chemical process.”3

Arrowroot Is a Healthier Alternative to Cornstarch

Sometimes called a starch and other times a powder, arrowroot is more desirable as a thickener than often-genetically engineered (GE) flour, cornstarch or rice. Completely safe and with no side effects, it’s known to be safe even for baby formula (although there are far superior foods to feed an infant).4
“Cornstarch is a powdery substance made from (surprise!) corn and is used to thicken gravies and sauces. However, since the advent of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), almost all cornstarch is made from corn that has been genetically engineered …
You can buy non-GMO cornstarch but it is usually more expensive. The process of extracting cornstarch can be quite harsh as well, utilizing chemicals and high heat to transform the corn into the powder in the can.”5
Currently, many bakers use flour and cornstarch for cakes, bread and pasta. Anyone looking for an alternative recipe for any of these is likely to find arrowroot powder to be a superior ingredient. Additionally, arrowroot has no odor or flavor to speak of.
“Its powder is one of nature's finest carbohydrates. Its qualities such as easily digestible and ability to mix well with a wide range of food ingredients makes it … one of the most sought-after starch substance[s] in infant formulas and confectionaries.”6

Arrowroot Flour a Great Alternative for People With Digestive Disorders

Arrowroot contains several B vitamins, including thiamin, niacin and pyridoxine, and minerals such as copper and iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, all providing necessary nutrients for your body.
Although it is a starch, it contains no gluten, and studies show it to be highest in protein compared to other native starches and flours.7
As gluten intolerance becomes more and more common, naturally gluten-free arrowroot is a welcome option for preventing the bloating and stomach pain prevalent in this condition.
Individuals with celiac disease must eliminate gluten to improve their condition, so arrowroot offers possibilities for eating similar foods without the discomfort. Arrowroot was also found to be effective for treating diarrhea in people with irritable bowel syndrome.8 Some people wonder about the nutritional aspects of arrowroot.
“Fresh tender arrowroot can be eaten raw, and in cooking as you may use it in a way like any other tubers. However, mature roots are exceedingly fibrous and thus, less appetizing.
If you intend to buy the arrowroot flour, look for branded product displaying authenticity, quality, and pureness. Adulteration with cheap substances such as cornstarch, potato powder, tapioca, etc., is a common practice.”9

Arrowroot in the Kitchen Has Multiple Purposes

You may find a few surprising food uses for arrowroot from this list:
  • Prepare deliciously crunchy, homemade sweet potato fries by tossing them into a mixture of salt, pepper and arrowroot powder before placing them in the oven.
  • In desserts, arrowroot is a great substitute for packaged puddings, custards and chocolate sauces. It blends equally well with coconut milk to produce the perfect consistency.
  • Arrowroot powder is an ingredient in a plethora of delicious, gluten-free bread recipes, often along with coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed meal or all of the above.
  • For black bean, quinoa burgers or meatloaf that may have a tendency to fall apart, arrowroot powder helps hold them together, sometimes better than eggs, but you can use both.
  • To put a little body into stir-fries or vegetable stew, arrowroot powder fills the bill beautifully. Create a “slurry” by whisking a few tablespoons of arrowroot powder into one-half cup of cold liquid (or shaking them together in a sealed jar), and watch it thicken as you stir it into your hot broth.
When cooking with arrowroot powder, it’s best to add it toward the end of cooking so the nutrients aren’t diminished and the mixture isn’t broken down by the heat.

Arrowroot Can Improve Many Functions Throughout Your Body

Due to these and other valuable compounds in arrowroot, your body obtains multiple health benefits.
Balanced pH — Calcium ash, the sole starch in arrowroot, comes in the form of calcium chloride, a compound that’s central to maintaining the proper balance between your acid and alkali.10
Digestion — Fiber helps push foods through your system efficiently while simultaneously allowing nutrients to be absorbed.
This process can prevent constipation, and also helps control blood sugar and subsequent diabetes.
Circulation — Copper and iron in arrowroot are vital red blood cell components, preventing fatigue, weakness and decreased cognitive function, all symptoms of anemia.
Also, increased circulation conveys higher levels of oxygenation to your organs and other areas, which provides energy.
Lowers cholesterol —Arrowroot promotes bile production, which increases cholesterol uptake by your gallbladder for necessary bile synthesis.
In this way, arrowroot can help optimize cholesterol levels.
Healthy weight — Compared to potatoes and other starches, arrowroot provides fiber and other nutrients, and there’s less chance of between-meal hunger.
Metabolism — Vitamin B in arrowroot optimizes your enzyme function and regulates your metabolic processes, such as your circadian rhythm and glucose oxidation.
Growth, development— Arrowroot contains more protein than other root vegetables and starches.
Plant protein, arguably one of the most essential nutrients, optimizes healthy growth and development, and it’s easier to digest.
Birth defect prevention — Folate (vitamin B9) is a B vitamin amply provided in arrowroot, providing 84 percent of the folate needed in one day in 100 grams (128 grams equals 1 cup).
Woman who ingest vitamin B9 during pregnancy help prevent neural tube defects in their unborn children.
Heart health — High amounts of potassium in arrowroot help soften your blood vessels and arteries, benefiting several areas of your body, including helping to prevent heart attacks, high blood pressure and strokes, and promoting oxygen flow to your brain to stimulate brain health.

Arrowroot for Topical Healing, Absorbency and Improved Skin

Multiple accounts associate arrowroot with its effectiveness as a poultice packed on poison-dart wounds, septic sores, scorpion bites, gangrene and even smallpox.11
The same healing principles may be in play for your hair and skin. Applied in place of talcum powders or chemically laced moisturizing creams, arrowroot is recognized as an herbal treatment to make your skin softer and smoother, and oil absorbent, as in this review:
“Arrowroot is the perfect alternative for baby powder. Mix one-half cup arrowroot with 1 tsp. chamomile. The chamomile will soothe the skin, and the arrowroot will keep it dry. This mixture is also safe and effective for adult use.”12
Arrowroot may be used in cosmetics, such as face powder and foundation, for drying out blemishes and keeping skin clear. Not only does it have superior properties to talcum powder, but talcum powder-based makeup and skin care products often contain carcinogens.
“Arrowroot flour has been known to contribute to many medicines and health-related substances because of its moisture-absorbing properties. Arrowroot is anti-inflammatory and also can work as an antiseptic, making it perfect for irritated areas such as burns, rashes and sores. In some countries, it is even used with water as a paste to apply to open wounds.
Arrowroot is predominantly known for its soothing properties. A natural healer for small irritations, it assists with the drying out of wounds, rashes or blemishes. Because of its natural origin, arrowroot flour will not hurt the skin further, allowing it to rest without additional irritation.”13
Arrowroot powder is also useful as a deodorant ingredient. Simply blend 3 tablespoons each of arrowroot powder, baking soda and coconut oil and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or a pinch of clove powder. You may never touch potentially toxic antiperspirant again!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/13/arrowroot-uses.aspx