Category: Nutrition

Organic? GMO? Local?

You may have heard people talk about organic food or GMO’s and wondered whether you should change your habits. To make sense of all the labels and controversies, we will define these terms.

Organically produced food has a legal meaning according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In general, that means fruits and vegetables that have been produced without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and meats, seafood and dairy produced with organic feed and without the use of hormones. In order to display the USDA certified organic logo, the company has to undergo a review by the USDA to ensure compliance with the rules.

Explanation of USDA organic labels - can only display the seal if 95-100% of ingredients are certified organic, no GMOS, ingredients comply with national list of allowed and prohibited substances.
From USDA.gov

For consumers, it is usually clear that organically produced food is more expensive. But is it better for our health? Organic foods do contain fewer pesticide residues when tested, but studies have found different results when it comes to nutrition – some studies have found no differences in nutrient levels, while others have found higher amounts of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880. This question is yet to be resolved.

The acronym GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Farmers have genetically modified many crops by the process of artificial selection for hundreds of years. However, science has now allowed faster genetic modification by allowing genes to be inserted or deleted in the lab. The purpose for this is usually to provide more yield, resist pests and common plant diseases and thus require less pesticide use, and boost nutritional value. A law passed in 2016 has made it mandatory to label products produced with GMO crops – in the US most corn, soybean and cotton crops are GMOs (many others may also be produced using GM seeds). All foods produced in this way have to pass Food and Drug Administration clearance in order to be sold. Research has not shown there to be any health issues from eating GMO foods – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html.

While GMO foods are widely considered to be safe, some controversies have arisen based on how the companies that own patents for GM seeds have chosen to enforce their intellectual property – through suing small farmers. Another concern about GMOs is that insertion of other genes into crops may cause allergies – this has yet to be seen in humans or animals.

Local food is generally food that has been produced or grown in close proximity to where people live, but definitions vary. The 2008 Farm Act defined it as being grown within 400 miles of your location, but many people consider 100 miles to make more sense. Local food is often sold in farmer’s markets, through community supported agriculture, or in small local stands and may be produced on urban farms. Some argue that because local food has to travel fewer miles during distribution, that this reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and methane), can help slow climate change. While it’s true that emissions are reduced be eating more locally, a greater impact on climate change would be to switch to a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet. https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/04/how-green-is-local-food/

What about the word “natural”? Surely foods that are natural are going to be better for our health! In legal terms, the word natural does not have any definition, so any type of food, including highly processed junk food, can be labeled natural.

What have you heard about these types of food?

Food safety

In order to eat safely, practice the four principles: clean surfaces and fruits/vegetables, separate meats and seafood from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and cool or refrigerate food promptly – http://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/.

Food allergies happen when the immune system of the body reacts to the food as an antigen (something that’s not supposed to be there) and produces an allergic response. That response can be fairly mild, like itching, or severe, like anaphylaxis. If you know you are allergic to something, make sure to read warning labels, let a waiter know, read ingredients lists, and carry an epinephrine injector with you for emergencies.

Food intolerance, or food sensitivity, can happen when people have a difficult time digesting a certain food. Symptoms happen in the digestive system, not the immune system, and can be bloating, gas, and diarrhea. One common intolerance is lactose intolerance, when people can’t digest large amounts of lactose found in dairy products.

Dietary supplements

Products like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, fats, and others are often sold in pharmacies and specialized stores. These products are often labeled as dietary supplements – https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements .

Do you need to take these for your health?

Your doctor may have recommended that you take a particular supplement, like Vitamin D, because your blood may have shown to have an insufficient quantity of this important nutrient. You can also easily find a variety of consumer products on your own, with lots of claims about how they can help your health. It is important that you use these products wisely – https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm.

Studies have shown some benefits for particular substances for specific health-related conditions, however, there is not a magic pill out there that will keep you healthy and prevent all diseases.

A nice visualization that condenses a lot of research into dietary supplements based on scientific studies is here https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-scientific-evidence-for-nutritional-supplements-vizsweet/. Hover and click on each bubble to see the evidence. Before taking any product, it is important to do some research.

Dietary supplements are also regulated differently by the Food and Drug Administration – they do not have to be proven to be effective to prevent, treat, or diagnose any health condition. Be wary of claims on the package, since many are not supported by scientific evidence.

Another concern is that supplements can interact with any other medication you may be taking. Some of those interactions may be concerning – check if there are any interactions here https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker.

How can you eat healthier?

Over the years, dietary recommendations have changed and some people may find the rapid changes confusing.

The United States Department of Agriculture has created a simple guide to healthier eating called MyPlate – read more here https://www.choosemyplate.gov/start-simple-myplate.

My Plate graphic showing that half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, about a quarter should be grains, and another quarter proteins. There is also a place for dairy.
MyPlate.gov

The dietary guidelines are updated every year. The key recommendations about healthy eating patterns can be found here – https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/key-recommendations/.

Another way to eat healthy is illustrated with the Healthy Eating Plate from Harvard University’s School of Public Health – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/.

Image of a plate with half fruits and vegetables (more vegetables than fruit), whole grains are about a quarter and healthy proteins are another quarter. In this image, there is also water, and healthy plant-based oils.

There are benefits to choosing a diet that is full of plant-based foods. In fact, vegetarian diets have been linked to better health – https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/07/digging-vegetarian-diet.

Better nutrition is linked to better health. Listen to a podcast with six simple rules for better eating here – https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676170139/6-food-rules-that-could-help-you-live-longer.

  • Eat more nuts and seeds
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables
  • Eat more healthy Omega-3 fats
  • Eat less processed meats – these have been linked to colorectal cancer
  • Eat less sodium – too much can lead to high blood pressure
  • Eat less added sugar – these are empty calories

Eating right is one part of maintaining and improving your physical health – https://www.nih.gov/health-information/physical-wellness-toolkit.

When you are shopping for food, you can make wiser choices by looking at the nutritional label. These labels contain information on the serving size, and the amount of calories and nutrients per serving. It is important to pay attention to the serving size of the food – many people will eat more than one serving at a time, this is called portion size. Portion control is important for sticking to your dietary goals. You may see one of the labels below – some have switched to a newer format.

Nutrition label showing information on calories, fats, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and select vitamins and minerals (older format)
Older format of nutrition label
Newer format of dietary label containing information on calories, fats, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and select vitamins and minerals.
Newer format of nutrition label

It is also important to read ingredients lists of the foods. This can give you a clue about whether the product contains some beneficial items like whole grains, or some harmful products like trans fats (these are often labeled as partially hydrogenated fats).

In general, try to have a diet that is adequate and moderate, balanced and nutrient-dense. Stay away from empty calories. As the writer Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

What are your favorite ways to improve your diet? Write a comment below.

What is nutrition?

The science of food which concerns itself with how food and its components play a role in our health is called nutrition.

Humans need food and water to survive. The main constituents of food that are needed for life are energy, measured as calories, and nutrients – macro-nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Macro-nutrients are energy-containing nutrients and produce energy when they break down in the body via a process called metabolism.

Water is vital for staying healthy and hydrated. Our bodies need water to maintain pH balance, to transport molecules from place to place, and many other functions. Read more here – https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink. You can get fluids from all beverages, as well as many fruits and vegetables.

Some basic information on nutrition can be found here – https://www.nutrition.gov/faqs.

Calories are a measure of energy that your body uses every day. Calorie needs vary by age, sex, and activity level. Find out the right number of calories for you here – https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlatePlan.

Micronutrients – Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins are organic substances that are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. They have names like Vitamin A, B, C, and so on. There are many B vitamins. One type of B vitamin, B12, is mainly found in animal products, so people following vegetarian or vegan diets may need to take supplements.

Minerals are inorganic elements needed either in fairly large amounts (macro minerals, measured in milligrams), or very tiny ones (trace minerals). Read more about vitamins and minerals here – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/.

This site lists all necessary vitamins and minerals and labels certain ones that are of concern, either because we don’t get enough (vitamin D, folate, iron) or because we get too much (sodium). For many Americans, it may be important to pay attention to their sodium consumption, since too much can lead to health problems.

Some of the best sources of many vitamins and minerals are fruit and vegetables. It is better to eat these whole, rather than as juices. There are many health benefits to diets that have many and varied fruit and vegetables – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/. Try to eat the rainbow! Fruit and vegetables also have beneficial phytonutrients – chemicals that are linked to better health.

Image showing variety of fruits and vegetables.

Proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of life. In the body, they are important for making blood, bones, skin, muscles and cartilage, as well as various chemicals like hormones – https://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods-nutrients-health. Proteins break down into amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids – we must get them through food as the body doesn’t make them.

We get amino acids from eating foods rich in protein, like those found in the Protein and Dairy food groups. Animal-based foods tend to be complete proteins – they have all 9 amino acids (meat, seafood, eggs, dairy). Incomplete proteins come from plant-based foods (beans and peas, known as legumes; seeds and nuts; and whole grains), but these foods can be combined to ensure that we are getting everything we need.

Image shows that grains, seeds, legumes and dairy can be combined to make sure you get 9 essential amino acids

How much protein do you need? For an adult, you need about 0.8 g per kg of body weight. Read more here – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/. Most of us in the United States are getting enough or more than enough protein in our diets. There are times when we may need to get more – when one is pregnant, recovering from an illness or suffering from an injury.

Lipids/fats

Fats are necessary for life and thus are an essential macro-nutrient. However, there are different types of dietary fats and research shows that some may be better for us than others.

Some ways to consume fats in a healthier way include choosing plant-based oils and lower amounts of animal-based fats in your diet. Find more information here – https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/03/skinny-fat.

Image explains 4 ways to get good fats - eat more fish, nuts, avocado, and cooking oils that are lower in saturated fats.
From American Heart Assocation

A healthy eating pattern includes some Oils, which are not a food group. Some oils can be found in the Vegetables (avocados and olives) and Protein (nuts and seeds) food groups.

Carbohydrates

One type of macro-nutrients is carbohydrates. They are an important source of energy. They can be either simple, like sugars, or complex, like starch and fiber. Read more about them here – https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002469.htm.

In the MyPlate eating plan, carbohydrates are often found in the Grains food group, as well as Fruit, Vegetables and even Protein (mainly in the form of fiber in legumes and nuts/seeds.

You can listen to a short podcast about carbs and calories here – https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676169439/the-truth-about-carbs-and-calories.

One way that we can improve our diets is by eating fewer added sugars. Too much sugar can have a negative effect on our health. Another thing you can do is switch from refined flours to whole grain – these types of grains have many benefits to your health.

Food diary extra credit assignment

Keep a food diary for 1 week (include the diary with this assignment). Write down everything you ate and drank every day that week. If you are eating packaged food, write down the number of calories you consumed, as well as the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats (in grams), as well as fiber, sodium, and any other vitamins and minerals. Otherwise, use your favorite calorie/food tracker website or app (a popular one is https://www.myfitnesspal.com/). Answer the following questions:

  • Use a calorie calculator online – like this one from MyPlate. On average, how many calories did you eat in a day? Do you think it’s hard to estimate how many calories you ate? How many calories should you eat in a day, according to MyPlate? Consider your sex, age, activity level and body size.
  • Do you think you are eating the correct proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fats every day? If not, which nutrients are you missing and which do you eat too much?
  • Are you eating the right servings of foods, as recommended by MyPlate? What is missing? What do you eat too much?
  • What is one short-term change do you think you can make to your diet to make it more balanced?
  • What are some long-term changes do you think you should make to your diet?      
  • What are barriers that prevent you from eating more fruits and vegetables? What could help you overcome those barriers? This can be your own behaviors or something in your community or neighborhood that could help.