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The Food Labeling Modernization Act 2013 | Center for Science in the Public Interest

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Introduced in Congress in 2013 by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), would prohibit the use of the word "natural" on a food that includes any synthesized ingredient, or any ingredient that has undergone chemical changes such as corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, high-maltose corn syrup, maltodextrin, chemically modified food starch, or alkalized cocoa.

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While food production has gotten more sophisticated and complex, and we now know much more about how the human body is affected by a wide variety of ingredients, there haven't been any changes to the food labeling provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act since 1990, and some sections of the law have not been updated since 1938. So in an effort to bring nutrition labeling into the 21st century, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would require clear front-of-package labeling while clarifying when companies can use marketing buzz words that may be misleading.

"There should be a simple, standard symbol system that displays calorie information related to a common serving size, and information related to nutrients strongly associated with public health concerns," reads the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2013 [ PDF], announced today by Representatives Frank Pallone (NJ) and Rosa DeLauro (CT), along with Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. "Consumers should be able to quickly and easily comprehend the meaning of the symbol system as an indicator of a product's contribution to a healthy diet."

The law, which revises the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, would require that these new labels be displayed in a consistent position across similar products, thus minimizing companies efforts to hide nutritional info.

It would also make it against the law to label a product using terms like "whole grain," "multigrain," or other grain-related descriptors "unless the amount of whole grains, expressed as a percentage of total grains, is conspicuously disclosed in immediate proximity." The same goes for marketing claims like "whole wheat" or products labeled as "wheat" that contain no whole wheat.

The law would also clarify the use of the term "natural" by making it against the law to forbid that label being used on products that contain "any artificial ingredient (including any artificial flavor or artificial color)"

This includes ingredients that have the same chemical structure as a naturally occurring ingredient but were nonetheless synthesized.

Use of corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, high-maltose corn syrup, and other ingredients that have undergone chemical changes but are currently being used in products labeled "natural" would no longer be allowed in products bearing that label.

There is an exception in the law for "food that has undergone traditional processes used to make food edible, to preserve... or make food save for human consumption." So things like smoking, roasting, freezing, and fermenting can still be involved in products labeled "natural."

The Act would also require the The Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the standards used in the existing law for the term "healthy" on food labeling, to take into account the extent to which an item contains added sugars or whole grains.

"In the case of a food that contains grains, in revising such regulations, the Secretary shall not consider the food to be 'healthy' unless at least half of those grains, by weight, are whole grains," reads the new act.

In addition, the bill would require the disclosure of the amount of caffeine in a product if it exceeds 10 milligrams.

"While caffeine may be listed as an ingredient, consumers may not know exactly how much caffeine they're really drinking or eating," explains Ami Gadhia, senior policy counsel for or cohorts at Consumers Union, which was on hand with the lawmakers for today's announcement. "As Consumer Reports testing has found, the labeling isn't always clear, especially when it comes to products like energy drinks. This bill would outline it for consumers before they take a sip."

Those behind the bill say it's time for food labeling to step into a new age of transparency.

"Childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the past 30 years and is a huge public health problem in this country that puts millions of American children at risk. Healthy eating is critical to combating this epidemic. That is why it is so important that when families make the effort to eat nutritious, healthy food, the labels on food products help them make the right choices-not confuse or mislead them," said Congressman Pallone in a statement. "The Food Labeling Modernization Act is a comprehensive approach to updating labels so that consumers have the clear, consistent information they need when making important decisions about the food they buy and give to their families."

Adds Gadhia, "Many of the labels on food currently don't give consumers all the information they need to make informed decisions about the food they buy. This legislation would take a big, common sense step forward in improving the nutrition information available about the food that consumers are putting in their carts and on their kitchen tables."

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.

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New Law Would Modernize Nutrition Labels, Clarify Terms Like "Healthy" & "Natural"

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While food production has gotten more sophisticated and complex, and we now know much more about how the human body is affected by a wide variety of ingredients, there haven't been any changes to the food labeling provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act since 1990, and some sections of the law have not been updated since 1938.

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These labels, usually found on the back of food packages, can be hard to understand. Here's how to read them.

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The sweet stuff is so bad for our health, some experts want it regulated like a drug. Here, hidden signs you're high on sugar-whether you know it or not.

Photographed by Sam Kaplan; Food styling by Matt Vohr

Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine? According to a 2012 article in the journal Nature, it's a toxic substance that should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol. Studies show that too much sugar (both in the form of natural sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) not only helps make us fat, it also wreaks havoc on our liver, mucks up our metabolism, impairs brain function, and may leave us susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, and maybe even cancer. So far, no federal action has been taken (advocates blame industry lobbyists), and experts say raising awareness isn't enough, especially when so many of our food options contain sugar. "It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion," says coauthor Laura Schmidt, PhD, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

Nevertheless, after hearing the news, many of us shrugged and turned back to our cupcakes. Yet we may already be feeling the effects of too much sugar without even realizing it. Here's how to beat the most common issues to prevent long-term damage and feel your best right now.

The Sign: Stress Eating
For a pick-me-up, you may inhale a bag of M&M's or scarf down a box of cookies. But the impulse goes deeper. To examine the hold sugar can have over us, substance-abuse researchers have performed brain scans on subjects eating something sweet. What they've seen resembles the mind of a drug addict: When subjects taste sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic drinking a bottle of gin. Dopamine-the so-called reward chemical-spikes and reinforces the desire to have more. (Sugar also fuels the calming hormone serotonin.)

The Fix: Many of us are more likely to binge when stressed. That said, a cookie a couple of times a week is fine, but on most days, go for a bowl of oatmeal with no more than a tablespoon of brown sugar, suggests Jeffrey Fortuna, PhD, a health and behavior lecturer at California State University, Fullerton. The whole grains fill you up, and the sweetness can satisfy you while raising serotonin slightly.

The Sign: Brain Fog
Blanking out in the middle of a meeting? Research out of the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that too much sugar forms free radicals in the brain and compromises nerve cells' ability to communicate. This could have repercussions on how well we remember instructions, process ideas, and handle our moods, says Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, PhD, author of the UCLA study.

The Fix: Stay under the American Heart Association limit of nine teaspoons a day for men, five for women. Read labels and nutrition information at chains: A 16-ounce Starbucks vanilla latte and plain Einstein Bros. bagel will max out your day's allotment! A wiser choice: black coffee and plain yogurt with blueberries and walnuts, sweetened with a teaspoon of honey.

The Sign: Aging Skin
Sugar contributes to premature aging, just as cigarettes and UV rays do. When skin support structures collagen and elastin break down from sun or other free-radical exposure, cells try to repair themselves. But this process slows down with age. And when sugar is present in the skin, it forms cross-links with amino acids that may have been damaged by free radicals. These cross-links jam the repair mechanism and, over time, leave you with prematurely old-looking skin.

The Fix: Once cross-links form, they won't unhitch, so keep sugar intake to as close to zero as you can. "It's the enemy," says William Danby, MD, a dermatologist with Dartmouth's medical school in New Hampshire. Avoid soda and processed pastries, and trade sugar packets for cinnamon-it seems to slow down cross-linking, as do cloves, ginger, and garlic.

The Sign: A Sluggish Workout
Muscles mostly use carbohydrates for fuel because they break down into glucose, a simple sugar that can kick-start your morning jog. But prepackaged snacks touting "natural sweeteners" may contain just fructose, a type of sugar that is mostly metabolized in the liver, not the muscles. This can result in bloat or even the runs.

The Fix: Have a glucose-packed snack with minimal fructose before exercise, says Richard Johnson, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Aurora. Try a sports drink like Gatorade or an energy bar with a modest amount of sugar an hour before a vigorous workout.

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This Is Your Body on Sugar | Reader's Digest

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The sweet stuff is so bad for our health, some experts want it regulated like a drug. Here, hidden signs you're high on sugar-whether you know it or not. Photographed by Sam Kaplan; Food styling by Matt Vohr Is sugar worse for you than, say, cocaine?

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A daily glass of red wine associated with lifestyle changes independentlyimproves blood lipids in patients with carotid arteriosclerosis: results from arandomized controlled trial

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Physical exercise and a Mediterranean diet improve serum lipid profile. Thepresent work studied whether red wine has an effect on top of alipid-lowering lifestyle in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. A prospective randomised unblinded trial was performed from 2009 to 2011 in108 patients with carotid atherosclerosis, 65% of whom were already onstatin therapy with a low mean LDL of 104.9 mg/dl.

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(NaturalNews) A team of researchers led by JoAnn F. Manson of the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that consumption of walnut oil is significantly correlated to lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women. The disclosure was made in February of this year with the release of print issue number 4 from volume 143 of the Journal of Nutrition. Prior medical evidence associating polyunsaturated fatty acid content in walnut oil with lower risk of cardio-metabolic conditions served as the springboard for the research. The other members of the collaborative endeavor are An Pan, Qi Sun, Frank Hu, and Walter Willett, who hail from private and public medical and academic institutions in Boston and Singapore.

The research involved two decades of a large sample cohort of almost 60,000 women who belong to two age brackets, 62-57 and 35-52 years old, from the Nurses Health Study I and II, respectively. Findings showed that eating walnuts is inversely associated with the risk of having type 2 diabetes and the reduced risk is mediated by body mass index. With several other studies, the research by Manson et al provided a scaffold to the hypothesis that incorporating nuts as a component of a healthy balanced diet helps prevent diabetes.

Main Nutritional Components of Walnut Oil

Walnut oil is high in triglycerides, the heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. Among these triglycerides are polyunsaturated fats such as a-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and the monounsaturated fat, oleic acid. It is also rich in bioactive gamma-tocopherol which is a nutritionally superior form of vitamin E. Another bioactive component is phytosterol.

Other Health Benefits from Walnut Oil

Aside from its high potential in reducing the risk factor for type 2 diabetes, there are other documented health benefits of walnut oil which include:

Anti-inflammatory properties from the endogenous production of ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from alpha-linolenic acid;

Anti-oxidant properties which fight or delay aging from gamma-tocopherol;

Cholesterol reduction from phytosterols;

Lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol levels, reinforces the integrity of cell membranes, boosts memory and brain function, etc. from oleic acid;

Potential role as an intervention for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer's disease, and other illnesses associated with decline in mental health, as well as cancer, from the endogenous production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from a-linolenic acid;

Reduced risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery disease from a-linolenic and linoleic acids. A-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid which humans are incapable of producing and can only be sourced out from the diet.

Post Script: Preserving Beauty on the Canvas and in Real Life

In spite of the high cost of walnut oil, Renaissance painters considered it as vital oil for their trade. Jan van Eyck and Peter Paul Reubens attested to the oil's anti-aging properties that endowed their artwork with greater endurance. Little did they know that walnut oil will help modern women defy time through its anti-oxidant properties. In conclusion of this great news on walnut oil, it should be reiterated that not all oils are cardiac hazards; walnut oil can preserve the masterpiece on the painter's canvas and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com http://voices.yahoo.com http://whatscookingamerica.net
About the author:
Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co.

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Research consistently finds walnut oil effective against type 2 diabetes

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(NaturalNews) A team of researchers led by JoAnn F. Manson of the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that consumption of walnut oil is significantly correlated to lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women. The disclosure was made in February of this year with the release of print issue number 4 from volume 143 of the Journal of Nutrition.

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Top nutrition experts share ideas for getting kids to eat better and be more active.

If childhood obesity expert Melinda Sothern could wave her magic wand and help kids live healthier lives, she'd want parents and children to dine together every night. "Research is clear that family meals equal healthier weights, emotional stability and better school performance," she says.

She would have parents insist that their kids ditch cellphones and other media devices when they come home from school and go outside to play for an hour, or if it's too dark when they get home, then they can put on some music and dance inside.

"This active time will burn four to five times more calories than sitting and help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes," says Sothern, an exercise physiologist and a professor at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, who has treated more than 3,000 overweight children over the past 23 years. She's the co-author of Trim Kids.

She also wishes parents would make sure that kids eat a healthy breakfast daily, get plenty of shut-eye and stop snacking mindlessly. "Parents have far more power than they realize to guarantee a healthy future for their children."

Sothern and other top national researchers in childhood obesity and nutrition are presenting their latest research at the annual Obesity Society meeting in Atlanta this week. In one session on Tuesday, several experts will offer parents practical tips on how to create healthy habits at home.

Currently, about a third of kids in this country are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Extra pounds put kids at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea and other health problems.

Some ideas from nutrition and exercise researchers on setting up a healthier home environment:

* Plan healthy, tasty breakfasts. Offer children a lean protein at breakfast such as eggs, string cheese, Canadian bacon, turkey bacon or hummus, Sothern says. Serve them fresh fruit such as berries. Or whole-grain cereal with nuts is another option. Top off the meal with a glass of fat-free or 1% low-fat milk or a carton of low-fat yogurt, she says.

* Discourage mindless munching. Don't let kids eat in front of the TV or computer and gradually restrict all eating and drinking, except for water, to the kitchen counter, table or dining room, Sothern says.

* Get them involved. Take kids to the grocery store. Skip the soda, cookie and candy aisles and have children select one fruit and vegetable to try each week. At home, include children in lunch and dinner preparation, Sothern says.

* Reinstate family traditions. Insist on family dinners, set the table with real cloth napkins, light candles and play soft music in the background to encourage discussion. Compliment the children on their healthy food selections, cooking and manners, she says.

* Get some shut-eye. Allow kids no more than one hour of media time before bedtime. Try to make sure they get the required 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Research shows that lack of sleep equals unwanted weight gain, behavioral problems and difficulty concentrating the next day, Sothern says.

* Offer a nutritious starter course. Pennsylvania State University research shows that adults who eat a broth-based bowl of vegetable soup; a large, low-calorie, lettuce-based salad; or an apple before a meal consume about 110 to 190 fewer calories at the meal, including the calories in that first course. The same idea could work with kids, says Barbara Rolls, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. They'll not only fill up on fewer calories, but they'll be eating a healthy first course.

* Trick their tummies. Add their favorite fiber-rich vegetables - such as spinach, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, carrots, peppers and onions - to lasagna, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizza. The veggies lower the calories and increase the nutrients in each bite, Rolls says. Also increase the proportion of vegetables in stir-fry dishes, broth-based soups and stews and extra vegetables to sandwiches. Substitute vegetable or fruit purees for half or even two-thirds of the added fat in quick breads and muffins, she says.

* Use smaller plates. A study of first-graders showed that most kids served themselves more at lunch (about 90 calories more) when they used adult-sized dinner plates compared with using child-sized plates, which is about the size of an adult salad plate. "We know that adults over-serve themselves with larger plates, and this study says the same holds true for children. Using smaller plates at home may promote healthy child portion sizes," says Jennifer Orlet Fisher, an associate professor of public health at Temple University in Philadelphia.

* Teach kids to dance. Tell them you're playing Dancing with the Stars and let them waltz, do the cha-cha-cha or swing dance, Sothern says. This active time will burn four to five times more calories than sitting and improve their overall health.

* Swap sedentary time for active time. Kids only burn 30 to 50 calories when they are sitting for an hour, but they burn 400 to 500 calories in an hour if they are playing tag, dancing or doing field sports, she says. The government's physical activity guidelines say children and teens should do an hour or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous aerobic physical activity each day. Sothern recommends they do at least two hours of physical activity a day.

* Play outside with your children. Moms and dads should teach their kids to throw, pitch, catch, pass, jump and ride a bike because their kids may not be learning these important skills at school.

* Encourage physical-activity breaks. "There is a lot of evidence that kids should not sit still for more than 60 minutes at a time," says Penny Gordon-Larsen, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. When kids are doing their homework or on the computer, they need to get up regularly and move around or consider standing while they are working, she says. Every little bit of activity counts. Have them do at least 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity after school, such as shooting hoops, biking, playing soccer, jumping rope, dancing, walking or playing a fitness-related video game, Gordon-Larsen says.

* Steer clear of sugary drinks. This includes regular sodas, sweet teas, high-calorie specialty coffees, energy drinks and juices, Gordon-Larsen says. "It's such an easy way to cut out excess sugar and calories," she says. Instead offer water and low-fat milk, even low-fat chocolate milk.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1hwyZ2u

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Simple tips to get kids to eat better, exercise more

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Top nutrition experts share ideas for getting kids to eat better and be more active. If childhood obesity expert Melinda Sothern could wave her magic wand and help kids live healthier lives, she'd want parents and children to dine together every night.

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The aim of the RAIN programme is to improve nutrition in the critical time between pregnancy and a child's two year birthday. It focuses on the prevention of malnutrition in children under two in Zambia. It was chosen as the location because approximately 45% of its pre-school children are stunted as a result of malnutrition.

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Sugar-sweetened beverages have long been associated with a number of health risks - including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. And now, a new study reveals that sugary drinks may also be associated with a significantly increased risk of a common type of endometrial cancer.

In a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, researchers analyzed data collected from 23,039 postmenopausal women as part of the Iowa Women's Health Study. The data included information on the women's dietary intake and medical history.

As part of the study, participants were asked to report their typical consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages - including Coke, Pepsi and other carbonated beverages with sugar - in addition to their consumption of noncarbonated fruit drinks, like Hawaiian Punch or lemonade.

Overall, the researchers discovered that the women who reported the highest intake of sugary drinks had a 78 percent increased risk of developing estrogen-dependent type 1 endometrial cancer - the most common type of endometrial cancer. The more sugary drinks the women consumed, the worse their risk for developing the cancer.

It is estimated that 49,560 women in the United States will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the researchers, type 1 endometrial cancer is an estrogen-dependent cancer, which may explain why sugary beverages are linked to an increased risk for the disease.

"We know...that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages may increase body fat, and higher body fat may increase estrogen levels," study author Maki Inoue-Choi, a research associate at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, told FoxNews.com.

While the risk posed by sugar-sweetened beverages may seem substantial, Inoue-Choi said that it's relatively small compared to the overall risk for endometrial cancer associated with obesity.

"Obese and overweight (women) may have up to 3.5 times higher risk for endometrial cancer," Inoue-Choi said.

Interestingly, the study didn't find any correlation between increased intake of other criticized foods, such as sugar-free sodas, sweets or baked goods and starches.

"One theory is that sugar from whole foods come with other nutrients ,fat, (and) fiber, so they may slow sugar absorption," Inoue-Choi said. "But beverages don't come with these nutrients, so the sugar may be absorbed more quickly."

While this study is the first to link sugar-sweetened beverages to endometrial cancer, Inoue-Choi emphasizes that more research is still needed to confirm the connection.

"This needs to be replicated in other studies, but everyone should follow the current guidelines to avoid sugar-sweetened beverage intake, because it may increase the risk of other health conditions like obesity, diabetes heart disease and cancer," Inoue-Choi said.

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Sugary drinks linked to increased endometrial cancer risk

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Sugar-sweetened beverages have long been associated with a number of health risks - including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. And now, a new study reveals that sugary drinks may also be associated with a significantly increased risk of a common type of endometrial cancer.

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Nutrition in cancer care can be affected by the tumor or by treatment and result in weight loss, malnutrition, anorexia, cachexia, and sarcopenia. Get information about strategies to screen, assess, and treat nutritional problems, including through diet and supplements, in this clinician summary.

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Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.

If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

In short, what we eat is central to our health. Consider that in light of Webster's definition of medicine: " The science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease."
Food acts as medicine--to maintain, prevent, and treat disease.

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How Does Food Impact Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.In short, what we eat is central to our health.

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Abstract

The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past several years, and in parallel, so has the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Numerous studies have demonstrated that both obesity and T2D are associated with lower cognitive performance, cognitive decline, and dementia. Intake of dietary fructose has also increased. In fact, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for as much as 40% of caloric sweeteners used in the United States. Given the increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by an age-related decline in memory and cognitive functioning, in this report we review the effects of obesity on cognitive performance and the impact of high fructose intake in promoting cognitive decline. The paper then considers the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs), which have been linked to promising results in cognitive function including ameliorating the impact of a high-fructose diet.

Background

Obesity is a global health issue that has reached epidemic proportions. Greater than 60% of adults living in the U.S. and Europe are obese (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m ²) [-]. Moreover, if obesity continues to increase at the present rate, projections indicate that more than 2.3 million adults will be obese by 2015 []. Childhood obesity has also become a global health issue and its incidence is increasing in both developed and developing countries. Available estimates (1980-1990) show that the incidence of childhood obesity increased by two to five times in developed countries, and almost four times in developing countries (e.g., from 4% to 14% in Brazil) []. An estimated 18% of U.S. children and adolescents are classified as obese []. In a recent study, the prevalence of overweight/obesity among American and Hispanic elementary school students in grade 4 was 44.5% [].

Over the last three decades, the incidence of global diabetes has more than doubled, with nearly 1 in 10 adults affected worldwide []. Among U.S. veterans aged 65-85 years, ~30% had diabetes in 2010 [], of which the overwhelming majority of the cases were type 2 (T2D). The global prevalence of diabetes for all age groups is projected to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030 []. This is not surprising since obesity is a major risk factor for T2D. In fact, the diabetes epidemic appears to have gone hand-in-hand with the increases in obesity. T2D is linked to metabolic syndrome (MetS), defined by a cluster of symptoms including abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension [], most commonly associated with cardiovascular disease. The incidence of MetS is also rising. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 34% of American adults meet the criteria for MetS []. Moreover, nearly one third of overweight/obese adolescents had pediatric MetS []. Thus, chronic diseases, such as T2D and MetS, once observed solely in adulthood, are now commonly seen among the obese in childhood and are likely to track into adulthood.

Recent studies indicate that both obesity and T2D are associated with cognitive decline. Not only does midlife obesity increase the risk of developing late-life dementia [, ], but also lower cognitive performance earlier in life is itself a risk factor for dementia later in life []. Interestingly, the fastest decline in cognitive function occurs in those with both obesity and metabolic abnormalities; however, individuals who were obese without metabolic abnormalities, still developed a significant cognitive decline []. T2D is associated with reduced cognitive function [] and a increased (1.5-2.5-fold) risk of dementia []. Impaired cognitive function is frequently exhibited by individuals with poorly controlled diabetes []. Cognitive impairment is also linked to MetS [], and individuals with MetS in midlife are at increased risk of later life cognitive decline and dementia []. Similarly, the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), characterized by a progressive and debilitating decline in memory and cognitive functioning beyond that which is normally experience with aging is projected to rise, increasing nearly four-fold over the next 40 years []. Thus, identifying the risk factors for delaying the onset and preventing the progression of these disorders is of utmost importance.

Although several factors, such as a lack of exercise, are likely contributors to the rising trend in obesity, increases in its prevalence are directly attributable to excessive caloric intake []. In addition, there is now strong evidence that excessive consumption of added sugars (sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)), contributes to rising obesity and diabetes rates [, ]. There has been a substantial increase in the amount of HFCS found in the North American diet, primarily in soft drinks and fruit drinks []. Moreover, findings from large cross-sectional and prospective studies show that increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is positively associated with obesity in both children and adults []. Thus, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages appears to be a key contributor to the epidemic of overweight and obesity. In fact, countries with higher availability of HFCS have a higher prevalence of T2D compared to countries with low availability [, ]. Since this difference was retained or strengthened after adjusting for BMI, the data suggest that countries with higher availability of HFCS have a higher prevalence of T2D independent of obesity []. Abundant consumption of fructose is also an important contributor to the MetS []. This raises concerns regarding the short and long-term effects of fructose in humans, and the possibility that fructose intake in childhood is associated with poorer academic performance and impaired cognitive function as an adult.

In this paper we review the association of obesity with cognitive performance. Since high fructose intake appears to be related to the current obesity epidemic, we also review the impact of added sugars on cognitive function and the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) [-].

Proper nutrition is essential for cognitive function

In contrast to the detrimental effects of inadequate nutrition on cognitive function, pre- and postnatal nutritional supplementation enhances cognitive development. In a longitudinal investigation of nutrition and mental development, Freeman et al. [] found an association between nutritional status and cognitive measures, independent of social factors. Language scores in 3- and 4-year-old children in rural Guatemalan villages were higher in the offspring of mothers who received a high-protein calorie supplement during pregnancy and lactation than in the offspring of mothers who did not. Mothers supplemented with a high calorie diet consumed at least twice as many calories as mothers supplement with a low calorie diet, which may have also contributed to the results.

Obesity and cognition

In 2005, Jeong et al. [] examined the association between obesity and cognition using data from a community study of South Korean adults (≥ 65 years). Cognitive function was examined using the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination, and obesity using BMI and waist circumference, as measured at the level midway between the lower rib margin and the iliac crest []. Obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m ²) and poor cognitive performance were associated with above normal waist circumference, and poor cognitive performance was negatively associated with overweight (BMI, 23-25 kg/m ²) and normal waist circumference. Recently, Benito-Leon et al. [] assessed cognitive function in a large population-based sample of overweight (BMI 25-29 kg/m ²) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m ²) elderly (≥ 65 years) participants compared with normal weight controls living in the same community in central Spain (the Neurological Diseases in Central Spain study (NEDICES)). Subjects underwent assessment of cognitive function, which included the 37-item Mini-Mental State Examination (37-MMSE), a test that measures global cognition, tests of psychomotor speed, verbal fluency, memory and pre-morbid intelligence. The study found that obese/overweight status was associated with the lowest quartiles of the 37-MMSE, the Trail Making Test-A, verbal fluency, delayed free recall, and immediate logical memory and pre-morbid intelligence, indicating that overweight and obese participants performed poorer on cognitive tests than their normal weight counterparts. In other studies different aspects of cognition have been found to be negatively associated with BMI including memory [, ], vocabulary [], speed processing and reasoning []. These results support the association of obesity and impaired cognition in the elderly.

Obesity, dementia and cognitive decline

Several studies have shown that obesity in midlife is associated with increased risk of dementia in later life [, -]. A 27-year longitudinal, population based study [] showed that obese people (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m ²) had a greater risk of dementia (74%) compared with those who were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m ²) or normal body weight at 40-45-years of age (35%) []. Less is known about the association between obesity and cognitive aging. "Cognitive aging" refers to the inevitable cognitive decline that occurs with aging, with no evidence of dementia. The extent to which cognitive decline occurs is highly variable, and strongly affected by various disease processes. In general, cognitive abilities remain stable through adulthood and decline around the age of 65 years [, ].

In the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) [], the association between BMI and cognitive decline was examined among participants with an average age of 42. BMI and global cognitive ability were measured over a 20-year period beginning at age 25. The study showed that higher BMI was inversely related to global cognitive ability with longitudinal decline for both women and men as indicated by latent growth curve analyses. Early midlife obesity was associated with a steeper decline in general cognitive ability and perceptual speed, with a tendency for a steeper decline in verbal and spatial abilities. Moreover, being stably obese over a longer period of time was associated with lower cognitive function in late life. In contrast, when obesity developed in late life, there was a steeper decline in only verbal ability. Since verbal ability remains stable over the adult life span until very old age [], this can be seen as evidence that obesity is associated with cognitive decline. However, most studies assessing obesity in late life found no association between late-life obesity and late-life cognitive abilities [, ]. Dahl and Hassing [] conducted a systematic review to examine the association between obesity and cognitive aging among individuals without dementia. The reviewed studies showed clear evidence that midlife obesity was associated with cognitive aging, whereas this association was weaker in late life.

Obesity and cognition: the influence of metabolic factors

Singh-Manoux et al. [], employing the Whitehall II cohort, determined the association of BMI and metabolic status with cognition. A cognitive test battery consisting of 4 standard tasks was administered, which consisted of the Alice Heim 4-1, a test of reasoning, in addition to a recall test to test short-term memory, and two measures of verbal fluency. In addition, a global cognitive score was created based on the 3 tests mentioned above. The results indicated that at baseline, obese individuals (BMI ≥30 kg/m ²) had lower cognitive scores than normal weight individuals. Moreover, the baseline differences were maintained over the 10-year follow-up. However, cognitive decline on the global score was only faster among individuals with both obesity and metabolic abnormality. It is important to note, that although this trend was evident for all tests, it was statistically significant only for the global cognitive score.

The influence of metabolic abnormalities on the association between obesity and cognition was also observed in the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA) [], a prospective study, which investigated the relationship of MetS with the incidence of mild cognitive impairment and its progression to dementia. In this study, the presence of MetS, characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia, in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was associated with a significantly higher incidence rate for progression to dementia over 3.5 years of follow-up. The risk in MCI patients with MetS almost doubled compared with those with MCI without metabolic abnormalities.

Added sugars and cognition

Fructose

Fructose, an isomer of glucose, is a natural sugar found in many fruits. In equal amounts, it is sweeter than sucrose (glucose-fructose) and therefore commonly used as a sweetener. The commercial production of HFCS began in 1967. At that time, the fructose content of the syrup was ~15%. After several modifications, the fructose content was increased to 55% (HFCS-55) and it became the sweetener of choice for the soft drink and ice cream industries. Currently, HFCS accounts for 40% of all added caloric sweeteners [, ]. Approximately 80% of added sugars in soft drinks, baking products, and ice creams consist of HFCS [, , ].

Intervention studies provide a clear view of the relationship between sugar-containing beverages and body weight in humans. In a well-conducted study by Cox et al. [] in overweight/obese male and female subjects, consumption of fructose (at 25% of energy requirements for 10 weeks), but not glucose, led to significant decreases in resting energy expenditure, thus contributing to the build-up of excess energy substrates. Furthermore, in one of the population segments at high risk of fructose-related obesity, it was demonstrated that a significant reduction in fructose and/or general sugar intake over a short period of time (3 months) in overweight and obese children might reduce the BMI [].

Fructose and cognition

Results from animal studies suggest that fructose intake may be associated with cognitive decline. Stranahan et al. [] found that rats fed a high-fat, high-glucose diet and given access to HFCS displayed significantly impaired cognitive function, possibly via the development of insulin resistance. Ross et al. [] reported that a high fructose diet impairs spatial (hippocampal-dependent) memory in male rats. Their study showed that consuming a high fructose (60%) diet for almost 5 months increased the latency to reach the target and decreased time spent in the target quadrant and the number of target approaches in a spatial water maze probe test. High fructose intake did not influence navigational ability. In addition, the rats were able to learn and retain the location of the platform for short periods of time. Only impairments on the retention tests were recorded associated with high fructose intake (given 48 hours after training), which suggests that consumption of such a diet may impair long-term memory storage or retrieval, or both.

A recent population-based study investigated the association of fructose intake with cognitive function in humans. Ye et al. [] examined whether routine intakes of total sugars, added sugars (sucrose and HFCS), sugar-sweetened beverages or sweetened solid foods are associated with declining cognitive function in humans. The study included middle-aged and older Puerto Rican adults (n = 737; mean age 56.3), without diabetes. Total sugars were defined as the sum of three free monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, and galactose) and three free disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, and maltose). Cognitive function was measured with a battery of seven-tests: the MMSE, to assess general cognitive function, a sixteen-word list learning task to assess verbal memory, digit span forward and backward, to assess attention and working memory, clock drawing and figure copying, both to assess visual-spatial organization, verbal fluency, to assess the speed at which one provide exemplars to a category, and the Stroop test, the measure cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and processing speed. Among the participants, ~21% of energy intake was obtained from total sugars, and 12% from added sugars. Fruit drinks, soft drinks, dairy desserts, and sweets provided 22.1%, 12.9%, 11.3% and 10.3% of added sugars, respectively. Total sugars, added sugars, sucrose, glucose and added fructose were each significantly inversely associated with low MMSE scores, in contrast to natural fructose (from fruits and vegetables), which had no effect on cognitive function. Greater consumption of total sugars was also associated with lower word list learning score. These findings suggest that increased consumption of added sugars is associated with lower cognitive function in humans. Interestingly, the association between added sugar intake and MMSE was independent of BMI and age.

Sucrose and cognition

Underlying mechanisms

There are several possible mechanisms underlying the association between fructose intake, obesity, MetS and cognitive function. Animal studies have shown that excessive caloric intake impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity suggesting that the hippocampus may be particularly sensitive to changes in dietary energy intake [-]. The hippocampus is a brain region critical for learning and memory. Thus, diet-induced changes in hippocampal neuronal plasticity may affect memory and cognition.

The beneficial effects of omega-3 FAs

Supplementation with omega-3 FAs can counteract the effects of a high fructose diet on memory []. In rodents, dietary omega-3 FA deficiency was associated with a decline in spatial memory in proportion to the intensity of insulin resistance, which was further aggravated by high fructose intake. There was no difference in body weight or total caloric intake; therefore, obesity did not appear to be a major contributor to altered memory functions in this model. Based on these data, it appears that omega-3 FA deficiency increases the vulnerability to the effects of high fructose, as evidenced by disruptions of insulin signaling and impaired cognitive functions.

A potential mechanism has been proposed [] by which DHA supports the development and maintenance of spatial learning memory. DHA is synthesized and taken up by neurons of the developing brain and hippocampus, which incorporate it into membrane phospholipids, especially phosphatidylethanolamine. This results in enhanced neurite outgrowth, synaptogenesis and neurogenesis. In support of this idea, exposure to omega-3 FAs increased synaptic protein expression to increase the dendritic spine density, and enhanced synaptic plasticity by increasing neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Retinoid signaling may be involved in the effects of DHA on learning memory performance as DHA supplementation appeared to increase retinoid X receptor expression compared with the untreated old group [].

Conclusion

The association of obesity with chronic diseases, such as T2D and MetS is well known. What has recently emerged is the association of obesity with cognitive decline and that intake of added sugars may mediate the influence of obesity on cognitive function. The intake of fructose, along with HFCS has increased over the past three decades. With the rising trend in childhood obesity, causing children to be at risk of diabetes and MetS, the potential contribution of fructose to lower academic performance in adolescents is becoming increasingly realized. Although obesity may not be enough to warrant concern among parents, the lower academic potential of obese adolescents strongly argues for early treatment of childhood obesity and comprehensive intervention, including a limitation of sweetened soft drinks, especially those containing HFCS. Equally important is exploring the role of dietary omega-3 FAs, which appear to have beneficial effects on cognitive function and attenuate high-fructose associated cognitive decline.

Abbreviations

Declarations

Competing interests

Authors' contributions

Both authors participated in the preparation of the manuscript, and read and approved the final manuscript.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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The emerging role of dietary fructose in obesity and cognitive decline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past several years, and in parallel, so has the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Numerous studies have demonstrated that both obesity and T2D are associated with lower cognitive performance, cognitive decline, and dementia. Intake of dietary fructose has also increased.

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Abstract

Both diet quality and socioeconomic position (SEP) have been linked to age-related cognitive changes, but there is little understanding of how the socioeconomic context of dietary intake may shape its cognitive impact. We examined whether equal adherence to "prudent" and "Western" dietary patterns, identified by principal components analysis, was associated with global cognitive function [Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS)] in independently living older adults with different SEPs (aged 68-84 y; n = 1099). The interaction of dietary pattern adherence with household income, educational attainment, occupational prestige, and a composite indicator of SEP combining all 3 was examined in multiple-adjusted mixed models over 3 y of follow-up in participants of the NuAge study (Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging). Adherence to the prudent pattern (vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, and lower-fat dairy products) was related to higher 3MS scores at recruitment only in the upper categories of income [parameter estimate (B): 0.56; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.01], education (B: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.080, 0.80), or composite SEP (B: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.045, 0.70). High prudent pattern adherence was associated with less cognitive decline only in those with low composite SEP (B: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.0094, 0.50). Conversely, adherence to the Western pattern (meats, potatoes, processed foods, and higher-fat dairy products) was associated with more cognitive decline (B: −0.23; 95% CI: −0.43, −0.032) only in those with low educational attainment. In summary, among individuals with equivalent diet quality, the magnitude and characteristics of the diet-cognition relationship depended on their socioeconomic circumstances. These results suggest that interventions promoting retention of cognitive function through improved diet quality would provide maximum benefit to those with relatively low SEP.

Introduction

The impact of global dietary quality on age-related cognitive change is of growing interest to investigators attempting to examine dietary patterns rather than individual foods or nutrients ( 1). To date, several prospective studies have related dietary patterns, reflecting high diet quality, to lower rates of cognitive decline and incidence of dementia ( 2- 7). Socioeconomic position (SEP)-represented by indicators such as income, education and occupation-is an established determinant of dietary intake such that higher SEP is generally related to better diet quality ( 8). Interestingly, SEP is also associated with differences in cognitive function across the life course ( 9- 12). Accumulated animal evidence suggests that both diet ( 13, 14) and conditions simulating SEP ( 15, 16) modulate neurobiological mechanisms that mediate changes in brain structure and function as a response to these life experiences-a capacity broadly referred to as "brain plasticity." Accordingly, socioeconomic indicators and nutrient biomarkers have also been linked to differences in brain morphology and, in some cases, patterns of activation ( 17- 23). The interrelated nature of SEP, diet quality, and cognition increases the risk of substantial confounding of the diet-cognition relationship in which purported dietary impacts may be a proxy for the "true" influence of SEP ( 24). However, there are suggestions of a more complicated relationship between diet and other aspects of lifestyle as it relates to cognition. Lifestyle behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and social engagement not only cluster together but also exert additive effects on cognitive function such that their combined impact is greater than any behavior separately ( 25, 26). Animal studies have found that cognitively stimulating environments, a factor linked to SEP in humans, can augment or mask the behavioral impacts of dietary interventions ( 27, 28). In prospective studies the deleterious association of high sodium intake with accelerated cognitive decline ( 29) and the protective influence of a Mediterranean diet on incidence of Alzheimer disease, at least qualitatively, appear to be dependent on an individual's level of physical activity ( 30). Collectively, these studies suggest that dietary effects on cognition are dependent on other aspects of an individual's lifestyle. Given its potential to influence neurobiological and behavioral outcomes, we hypothesized that SEP may modulate the impact of diet quality on cognitive function. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether equal adherence to "prudent" and "Western" dietary patterns, identified by principal components analysis, was associated with global cognitive function in older adults with different SEPs.

Participants and Methods

Participants.

The NuAge study (Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging) is a prospective cohort study in independent older adults (aged 68-84 y; n = 1793) randomly selected from the Quebec health insurance registry; the methodology has been described elsewhere ( 31). Eligible, community-dwelling seniors were fluent in French or English, able to walk unassisted for 100 m or climb 10 stairs without rest, cognitively unimpaired, and free of disabilities in activities of daily living. Recruitment occurred between December 2003 and April 2005. This analysis is based on the first 3 y of follow-up. The NuAge protocol was approved by research ethics boards at the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and the Geriatric University Institute of Sherbrooke. All participants provided written informed consent.

Nondietary variables were collected at recruitment during a structured, computer-assisted interview for use as covariates. Self-reported variables included questionnaires measuring current physical activity ( 32), social engagement ( 33), perceived health status ( 34), and depressive symptomatology ( 35). Standing height and weight, waist circumference, and seated blood pressure were directly measured. The presence of hypertension (self-report, medication, or blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg) and type 2 diabetes (self-report, medication, or fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥7.0 mmol/L) was determined. Global cognitive function was evaluated annually with the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) ( 36). Validated French and English versions of all questionnaires were available and administered on the basis of the participant's preference.

Individuals were classified as belonging to upper or lower categories of certain socioeconomic indicators. A binary variable was created on the basis of Goyder and Franks' ( 37) scale of occupational prestige by using self-reported National Occupational Classification skill type categories and descriptions of longest serving occupation. Individuals were assigned into upper or lower occupational prestige categories on the basis of a midpoint split of the rank order described by McLaren and Godley ( 38). Upper and lower categories of income and educational attainment were created by splitting the sample at the second tertile of income ($44,800) and the median years-of-education (12 y), respectively. Finally, a composite indicator of SEP was created by constructing an additive scale combining participants' income, education, and occupational prestige indicators. This scale ranged from 0 to 3, where 3 denoted better SEP, and was collapsed into 2 categories on the basis of the median score (median = 1).

Diet was assessed at entry by a validated semiquantitative FFQ estimating usual intake of 78 foods or food groups over the previous 12 mo (39). Exposure to each item was calculated by converting frequency categories to daily servings of a standard portion. For example, the category "3-5 times per week" was converted to 0.57 servings/d.

Individuals with implausible or incomplete FFQs ( 40), as well as those missing information on income, education, or occupation, were screened out of the study population. Individuals with a history of Parkinson disease, muscular dystrophy, or stroke were also excluded resulting in a final sample of 1099 participants of whom 179 were lost to follow-up. The potential impact of attrition was addressed by using the last-observation-carried-forward approach ( 41).

Statistical analysis.

Analyses were conducted by using SAS 9.1 (SAS Institute). Dietary patterns were identified by principal components analysis of FFQ exposures using PROC FACTOR and were orthogonally rotated using the "varimax" option. The number of factors retained for subsequent analyses was determined by considering eigenvalues (>1), the scree plot, and interpretability of the resulting patterns. FFQ exposures with factor loadings >0.155, representing the critical value for a correlation based on the sample size ( n = 1099), were considered as substantial contributors. Dietary pattern scores indicating adherence of a participant to each retained dietary pattern were obtained for subsequent use in multi-adjusted models. Linear trends in the association between quintile categories of dietary pattern scores and selected covariates and nutrient intakes were identified by using general linear models for continuous variables or the Mantel-Haenszel χ ² statistic for categorical variables.

The association between dietary patterns and cognitive function was assessed by using multiple-adjusted mixed models with a random intercept and an unstructured covariance structure in PROC MIXED. Time was coded as a continuous variable expressed as years since study entry. Covariates included in the adjusted model were identified as being associated with both diet pattern and 3MS scores during prescreening or were considered important on the basis of the literature. Like others, covariates were included with their interactions with time to account for potential effects on overall cognitive function and the rate of decline ( 3, 42). Energy intake was included in the adjusted model so that the results could be interpreted as being independent of the absolute amount of food consumed. The parameter estimate (B) for dietary pattern score (diet) represented the association of dietary patterns with mean, or overall, cognitive performance throughout the follow-up period, and the estimate for a diet × time interaction represented the association with rate of cognitive decline over the follow-up period (i.e., slope). Positive estimates indicated that greater adherence to a dietary pattern was associated with greater mean cognitive performance or less decline during follow-up. To examine whether the impact of diet quality on cognition was dependent on SEP, each indicator of SEP was tested for an interaction with the dietary main effects ("diet × indicator" and "diet × indicator × time"). To understand the underlying relationships, statistically significant interactions were decomposed by testing for the dietary main effects in the upper and lower categories of the implicated socioeconomic indicators. For instance, statistically significant diet × indicator interactions led to examination of the association of dietary pattern adherence with overall performance in the implicated socioeconomic subgroup. Statistically significant diet × indicator × time interactions triggered similar tests for dietary impacts on overall performance, cognitive decline, and performance at recruitment in the implicated socioeconomic subgroup. Values in the text are means ± SDs. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results

Participant characteristics.

There were 1099 participants at recruitment of whom 74, 31, and 74 were lost to follow-up at the second, third, and fourth annual visits, respectively. Mean unadjusted 3MS scores at baseline and at each subsequent annual visit were as follows: 94.0 ± 4.3 ( n = 1096), 93.0 ± 5.5 ( n = 997), 93.0 ± 6.0 ( n = 983), and 92.6 ± 6.2 ( n = 920). The unanalyzed group of participants excluded from the parent study ( n = 694) differed from the analytic sample ( n = 1099) at recruitment in that it contained more women and the individuals exhibited lower global cognitive function, had lower household income, and had attained fewer years of education ().

Dietary patterns.

Three patterns with eigenvalues >1 remained after examination of the scree plot. The first 2 patterns with the highest eigenvalues, accounting for 5.5 and 4.9% of the total variance, were retained for rotation because they were the most interpretable and distinct (Supplemental Table 2 ). The first, termed the "prudent pattern," was associated with intakes of vegetables, fruits, fatty fish, lower-fat dairy products, poultry, and legumes. The second, termed the "Western pattern," was associated with intakes of beef, potatoes, white bread, baked goods, processed meats, higher-fat dairy products, and salty snacks.

A comparison of dietary intakes across quintiles of dietary pattern score revealed linear trends that generally confirmed expectations based on the profile of foods comprising each pattern ( Table 1). For instance, higher quintiles of the prudent pattern score were associated with greater energy-adjusted intakes of dietary fiber and vitamin C and a higher PUFA:SFA ratio, whereas the opposite was true of the Western pattern. Higher quintiles of the prudent pattern score were generally associated with better indications of health and SEP, whereas the opposite was true of the Western pattern ( Table 1).

Final models.

When tested as main effects, higher adherence to the prudent pattern was related to better overall cognitive performance but was not associated with cognitive decline ( Table 2). Education, income, and composite SEP were statistically significant effect modifiers ( Table 2). After decomposing these interactions, it was revealed that adherence to the prudent pattern was related to higher 3MS scores at recruitment in the upper category of each indicator (education: B: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.080, 0.80; income: B: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.01; composite SEP: B: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.045, 0.70) ( Table 3). Furthermore, high prudent pattern adherence was associated with less cognitive decline in those with low composite SEP (B: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.0094, 0.50) ( Table 3). These interactions are presented graphically in .

Greater adherence to the Western pattern was related to worse overall cognitive performance but was not related to cognitive decline when tested as a main effect ( Table 2). Education was a statistically significant effect modifier in the adjusted models ( Table 2). After decomposing these interactions it was revealed that adherence to the Western pattern was related to worse overall performance (B: −1.06; 95% CI: −1.65, −0.48) and more cognitive decline (B: −0.23; 95% CI: −0.43, −0.032) only in the lower education group ( Table 3). This interaction is presented graphically in .

After using the last-observation-carried-forward method, the diet × composite SEP interaction for the prudent pattern was no longer statistically significant. Therefore, this interaction was considered an artifact resulting from loss to follow-up and was not explored further. There were no other material changes to the results displayed in Table 2.

The statistically significant interactions seen in Table 2 were confirmed after converting diet quality into a categorical variable by classifying individuals into upper or lower categories of adherence to each dietary pattern on the basis of the median dietary pattern score (data not shown). The mean dietary pattern scores in upper and lower categories, and their associated variances, did not differ between socioeconomic groups (data not shown). In the case of the Western pattern, the diet-education interaction was confirmed after these conditions were met by excluding the top 5% of diet scores in the lower education group. Therefore, it was found that individuals with equivalent adherence to each dietary pattern were present within each high or low socioeconomic subgroup, and that the interactions in Table 2 did not merely reflect socioeconomic gradients in food selection.

Discussion

In this study the magnitude and characteristics of the diet-cognition relationship depended on an individual's SEP. For instance, cognitive benefits of adherence to a prudent dietary pattern were seen irrespective of SEP but differed in their form such that higher adherence at recruitment was associated with less decline in those with low SEP, whereas it was associated with better performance at entry among those with high SEP. Alternatively, worse overall performance and more cognitive decline were associated with higher adherence to a Western dietary pattern at recruitment only in those with relatively low educational attainment. These interactions were not merely the product of socioeconomic gradients in diet quality because they reflected cognitive performance of individuals with dissimilar SEP but equivalent diet quality.

Several longitudinal studies have shown that indices of diet quality similar to the prudent pattern (containing vegetables, fruits, and fish) are associated with better cognitive function in older adults ( 2- 7). To our knowledge, no longitudinal studies of cognition have examined analogs to the Western pattern (containing meats, processed foods, and high-fat dairy products), but its association with worse cognition is consistent with similar dietary patterns examined in cross-sectional studies ( 24, 43). Like the current analysis, these studies have linked diet quality to late-life cognition, even after adjusting for health behaviors, chronic disease, and sociodemographic characteristics. This study is unique in the number of indicators examined and in its finding of effect modification. One cross-sectional study determined that education attenuated the relationship between dietary patterns and cognition by acting as a strong confounder, but it did not find evidence for a diet-education interaction or examine additional socioeconomic indicators ( 24).

It is unclear why the prudent pattern interacted with a broader set of indicators than the Western pattern, or why the interactions were restricted to specific dimensions of cognitive performance (decline vs. overall vs. entry). A number of factors, including the timing and/or duration of observation, as well as the specific nature of dietary and socioeconomic influences on cognitive function may have contributed to these differences. For instance, the impact of SEP on cognition has been linked to its influence on attaining peak performance in midlife, which may affect the timing and trajectory of subsequent declines in later life ( 10). Further complicating the picture, some have found that slower cognitive decline in later life has been associated with upward mobility in SEP ( 9), although such an association with diet has been shown to require consistently high diet quality starting at least from midlife ( 44).

It is useful to study multiple socioeconomic indicators because they may work on cognition through distinct mechanisms. Income and education have been linked to increased access to health-enhancing goods, services, and knowledge, whereas occupational prestige may reflect psychosocial dimensions including the stress associated with being part of a discriminated class and levels of social support ( 45). In this study, the composite indicator was used to examine the combined impact of simultaneously belonging to the most disadvantaged category of each indicator studied. Our results are consistent with studies that found additive impacts of multiple lifestyle factors including diet, smoking, and physical activity on cognitive function ( 25, 26). In these studies, the proposed impact of lifestyle factors on cognition was unidirectional (i.e., high physical activity + nonsmoking), whereas the current study examined the combined impact of factors in which the independent effects on cognition may be in opposition (i.e., high education + low diet quality). We propose that these behavioral associations are consistent with the concept of cognitive reserve, which postulates that individual differences in lifestyle may allow for more successful accommodation of age-related brain changes by protecting the amount of neural substrate or the efficiency of brain networks mediating performance ( 46). These differences in cognitive reserve may arise from the previously suggested impacts of diet quality and SEP on brain plasticity. For instance, high adherence to the prudent pattern was broadly beneficial because it promotes neurobiological processes necessary for the development of reserve capacity. Conversely, the negative impact of the Western pattern could be offset by increased educational attainment, which is considered to be an important proxy of cognitive reserve.

This study may provide insight into situations in which SEP and its general influence on diet quality are mismatched. Such a mismatch is not inconceivable because a reasonably large proportion of individuals with low diet quality also have relatively high SEP, just as relatively high diet quality can be maintained by some individuals with low SEP ( 8, 47). We hypothesize that interventions aimed at shifting dietary intake to better resemble the prudent pattern, and less resemble the Western pattern, would be most beneficial to those with relatively low SEP because these individuals collectively appear to be most sensitive to both the detrimental and beneficial impacts of diet quality.

The interpretation of these results is subject to some limitations. For instance, independent older adults without cognitive impairment at baseline were purposefully selected for participation, and the impacts of the dietary patterns were observed in a range of 3MS scores greater than those indicating substantive cognitive impairment. Consequently, these results may not be applicable to populations with lower levels of cognitive function. Because the 3MS provides a single measure of global cognition, we could not examine whether the observed associations were restricted to specific cognitive domains. Although we used multiple indicators reflecting both psychosocial and material dimensions of SEP, it could be useful to study additional indicators across the life course (i.e., wealth, household conditions, parental SEP) because upward mobility in SEP has been shown to impact cognition (9). Differences between the analyzed and unanalyzed participants in income and education may have resulted in overestimated and underestimated associations of the prudent and Western patterns, respectively. The length of follow-up in the present study was relatively short compared with that in other studies of the diet-cognition relationship, but this limitation would be expected to bias toward a null finding.

In summary, SEP altered the characteristics and magnitude of the relationship between diet quality and cognition. Because individuals within the same category of diet quality performed differently depending on their socioeconomic circumstances, it may be unrealistic to expect diet to act on cognition in isolation from SEP. These results also suggest that interventions promoting retention of cognitive function through improved diet quality would provide maximum benefit to those with relatively low SEP.

Acknowledgments

B.S., G.F., H.P., J.A.M., S.B., M.-J.K., and P.G. collected the data; M.D.P. analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; and C.E.G. and M.D.P. had responsibility for the final content. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript and were involved in conception of the research plan.

Literature Cited

44.

Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-62842 and MOP-81217) and Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé.

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Relationship between Diet Quality and Cognition Depends on Socioeconomic Position in Healthy Older Adults | The Journal of Nutrition | Oxford Academic

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Both diet quality and socioeconomic position (SEP) have been linked to age-related cognitive changes, but there is little understanding of how the socioeconomic context of dietary intake may shape its cognitive impact.

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Any food can cause an allergy. However, just a handful of foods cause at least 90 percent of allergic reactions to food. The substance that causes an allergic reaction in foods or drinks is called an "allergen."

As far as foods are concerned, nearly all allergens are proteins. For the majority of people, these proteins are not allergens, because their immune system does not react to them. It is the immune system's reaction to these proteins that causes an allergic reaction.

Among children, most allergic reactions to food are caused by peanuts, milk, soybean, tree nuts, eggs, and wheat. The majority of children stop being allergic to foods early on in their childhood. Allergic adults typically react to citrus fruit, nuts, fish, peanuts, shellfish, and wheat.

Eggs

Like most food allergies, egg allergy is more common in childhood and about half of children who have it will grow out of it by the age of 3. In a few cases, egg allergy can cause anaphylaxis.

Three proteins cause egg allergy:

Cooking can destroy some of these allergens, but not others. So, some people might react to cooked eggs, as well as raw eggs.

Occasionally, someone might react to egg because they have an allergy to chicken, quail, or turkey meat, or to bird feathers. This is called bird-egg syndrome.

Fish

Fish allergy can often cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. Adults are more likely to have an allergic reaction to fish and shellfish than children, which is probably because adults eat these foods more often.

People who are allergic to one type of fish, such as cod, often react to other types of fish, such as hake, haddock, mackerel, and whiting.

This is because the allergens in these fish are quite similar. Cooking doesn't destroy fish allergens. In fact, some people with a fish allergy can be allergic to cooked but not raw fish.

Milk

Allergy to cows' milk is the most common food allergy in childhood. A reaction can be triggered by small amounts of milk, either passed to the baby through the mother's breast milk from dairy products she has eaten, or from feeding cows' milk to the baby.

Children usually grow out of milk allergy by but about one-fifth of children who have an allergy to cows' milk will still be allergic to it as adults.

Milk allergy symptoms

The symptoms of milk allergy are often mild and can affect any part of the body. They can include:

In very few cases, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis.

Nuts from trees

Allergy to nuts from trees is usually lifelong. The nuts that are most likely to cause allergic reactions are:

On rare occasions, all these nuts can cause anaphylaxis in people who are sensitive. Sometimes, people with an allergy to one type of nut will also react to other nuts. People with nut allergies should talk to their doctor for advice.

Groundnuts

Allergy to peanuts, also known as groundnuts and monkey nuts, is often lifelong.

Peanuts are one of the most common causes of food allergy and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. They contain allergens that are not destroyed by cooking or roasting.

Peanut allergy can be so severe that very tiny amounts can cause a reaction. Because of this, coming into contact with traces of peanut can be enough to cause a reaction in people who are sensitive.

Refined peanut oil is thought to be safe for people with peanut allergy, because the proteins that cause allergic reactions are removed during the manufacturing process. However, cold-pressed, or unrefined peanut oil can contain small amounts of peanut allergens, which can cause a reaction in people who are sensitive.

Some people with peanut allergy might also react to other legumes such as:

Even though, strictly speaking, peanuts aren't nuts, people with peanut allergy are sometimes allergic to nuts from trees such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashew nuts.

Shellfish

Allergy to shellfish is quite common. Many different types of shellfish can cause reactions in people who are sensitive, including:

People who are allergic to one type of shellfish often find that they react to other types. Shellfish allergy can often cause severe reactions, and some people can even react to the vapors from cooking shellfish.

Soybean

Soybean allergy is a common childhood allergy. Most people grow out of it by the age of two, but occasionally adults are allergic to soybean. The symptoms of soybean allergy are similar to milk allergy, and they include:

Some people with soybean allergy might also react to milk. Very rarely, soybean can cause anaphylaxis.

Soybean is used as an ingredient in about two-thirds of all manufactured food products, including bakery goods, sweets, drinks, breakfast cereals, ice cream, margarine, pasta, processed meats, and seasoned foods.

Wheat

Wheat allergy is common, particularly among babies. One of the main allergens in wheat is a protein called gliadin, which is found in gluten. Because of this, people with a wheat allergy are sometimes recommended to eat a gluten-free diet.

As with all food allergies, people who suspect they may be allergic will need to speak with their doctor before altering their diet.

Other common food allergies

People can be allergic to almost any food. As a result, there are many allergies that affect a lot of people but aren't part of the big eight; these include:

Cereal allergy - the most common foods in this category are oats, wheat, maize (corn), rice, rye, and barley.

Coconut allergy - uncommon, though patients may experience anaphylaxis. Those with other nut allergies are more likely to be allergic to coconut.

Fruit and vegetable allergy - allergic reactions to fruits and vegetables are usually mild. Cooking vegetables often destroys the allergens.

Pine nut allergy - pine nuts can cause severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. People who are allergic to pine nuts might also react to peanuts and nuts, such as almonds.

Meat allergy - people with a meat allergy might react to beef, mutton, pork, or chicken. Cooking destroys some of the allergens in meat, but some people will still react.

Quorn allergy - Quorn is a type of protein, which is made from a fungus. There have been some reports of intolerance to Quorn, but this is not surprising because allergens are usually proteins.

Rice allergy - people who are allergic to rice can react when they eat it or when they inhale its pollen.

Sesame allergy - sesame allergy is increasing, possibly because it's now more commonly used. Sesame seeds, sesame oil, and other sesame products, such as tahini, can cause anaphylaxis.

Spice allergy - reactions to spices are usually mild, but severe reactions can happen occasionally. Some people react to mustard, coriander, caraway, fennel, paprika, or saffron.

Food allergies may progress or get better over time. Anyone suspecting they are allergic to a food should consult their doctor for advice.

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8 common food allergies: Causes, symptoms, and triggers

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Any food can cause an allergy. However, just a handful of foods cause at least 90 percent of allergic reactions to food. The substance that causes an allergic reaction in foods or drinks is called an "allergen." As far as foods are concerned, nearly all allergens are proteins.

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Food Allergies

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Yahoo Lifestyle is your source for style, beauty, and wellness, including health, inspiring stories, and the latest fashion trends.

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Amazing

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(NaturalNews) These days, it's difficult to find examples of government doing anything that makes sense. That's all the more reason why a program embraced by New York City is newsworthy. Dubbed the "Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Program," it allows doctors to "prescribe" fresh fruit and vegetables to overweight or obese patients by giving them "Health Bucks" that are redeemable at local farmer's markets.

See the announcement of this program at the Wholesome Wave website.

This program makes New York City the largest U.S. city to officially acknowledge that fruits and vegetables have a role to play in preventing chronic degenerative disease -- an idea that the FDA insists is delusional. According to the FDA, there is no such thing as any fruit, vegetable, supplement or superfood that has any ability whatsoever to prevent, treat or cure any disease.

Sure, the FDA's belief is ancient history in terms of present-day knowledge about nutrition and disease, but it's still federal policy. And according to the FDA, the mere "prescribing" of a food as something to prevent obesity automatically transforms that food into a "drug." Under current FDA regulations, then, NYC is guilty of promoting "unapproved drugs" which are really just fruits and vegetables. But that's how FDA logic works.

New York doesn't seem to be letting the FDA's outdated delusions stop it from pursuing the "Fruits and Vegetables Prescription Program," however. Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced the program last week, and by all accounts the program has been met with widespread approval. It allows families that are prescribed the Health Bucks to redeem them for fresh produce at over 140 New York City farmer's markets.

As WFEV reports:
Bronx resident Tammy Futch said her family has seen positive changes since starting the program.

"My son lost 40 pounds behind this program," she said, "and also I lost weight doing it with him and also I have my other kids, I have four other kids also doing the program."

The Prescription Program was started by Wholesome Wave in 2011 and has since been expanded to seven states.
For the record, all of us here at Natural News openly endorse this program, and we think it needs to be vastly expanded. To understand why, let's talk about the role of government and food stamps for a moment.

Right now, 100+ million Americans are on some form of federal food aid. Much of that is through the USDA's "SNAP" program, often called "food stamps" even though that's not the official name anymore.

The SNAP program is nothing more than a big government handout to junk food manufacturers and soda companies. That's because food stamp money can be spent on all the processed junk foods and sodas that make people sick and diseased with conditions like diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease and more. Through SNAP, the federal government is subsidizing the foods that cause sickness! Obviously, this also drives up health care costs and deeply harms the overall U.S. economy.

What if we took the federal SNAP program and turned the entire thing into the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program?

What I mean here is to shift the SNAP program so that all processed junk foods are disallowed. Update the rules so that SNAP funds can only be used to buy fresh produce and a few basic staples such as rice, oats, beans, salt and so on.

All of a sudden, you'd see a nationwide shift away from disease and toward vastly improved health. Disease rates would plummet, but so would the share prices of junk food companies like PepsiCo, Kraft and Coca-Cola. You'd also see lower rates of chronic degenerative disease, and this would hurt the profits of the all-powerful drug companies, hospitals and cancer industry profiteers. For these reasons, the food and medicine lobby will incessantly pressure the USDA to make sure SNAP continues to keep Americans sick and diseased. After all, billions of dollars in profits are at stake here, and the drug companies have a powerful lobby.

So don't expect the feds to do anything other than keep poisoning America through SNAP. That's the purpose of the program, it seems: to sicken the population and trap Americans in a never-ending cycle of medical dependence while enriching the drug companies.

But on a city-by-city basis, forward-thinking people are starting to fight back against the "industry of death" offered by the USDA and its junk food subsidy programs. That's why New York City deserves a lot of credit for this particular program: it's investing taxpayer money directly into the health of people who are on the verge of becoming huge financial burdens on the health care system.

See, for every dollar you spend subsidizing real nutrition in the population -- fresh fruits, vegetables or superfoods -- you'll probably save $10 or more in averted health care costs over the long term. Healthy foods are a fantastic investment because they're cheap to buy but extremely valuable in terms of the lifesaving medicines they provide.

Blueberries, for example, contain natural medicines that help prevent heart disease:
http://science.naturalnews.com/pubmed/206602...

Broccoli contains natural medicines that help prevent cancer:
http://science.naturalnews.com/B/Broccoli_an...

Tomatoes are very well documented to help prevent prostate cancer:
http://science.naturalnews.com/T/tomato_and_...

And turmeric root, often used in curries, is well known to be a powerful treatment for breast cancer:
http://science.naturalnews.com/C/Curcumin_an...

See the entire list of foods and their health benefits at the new SCIENCE.naturalnews.com website:
http://science.naturalnews.com/index-Foods_a...

Because of all the astounding health benefits of foods, a typical farmer's market is a treasure chest of natural medicines that can prevent and reverse cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's and much more. It is only because of monopolistic, oppressive FDA policies that the entire medical profession isn't already "prescribing" fresh produce to prevent degenerative disease.

Personally, I find it fascinating that NYC is the place where this is happening right now. NYC is normally a pro-big-government city, meaning they should worship the FDA-endorsed idea of feeding everybody chemical medications and junk foods while attacking nutrition and outlawing health claims.

But that's not what we're seeing here. With this program, NYC is actually taking a stand against FDA tyranny and the federal government's "death subsidy" program called SNAP. Perhaps NYC realizes it's headed the way of Detroit if doesn't get its long-term health care costs under control. After all, a city that lives on processed food and prescription medications is a city that will inevitably collapse from "disease care" bankruptcy. And right now across America's largest 61 cities, future health care entitlements are only funded at 6 cents on the dollar.

Perhaps there are enough smart New Yorkers still in charge to realize the only way to have a healthy city is to have healthy people. And that means finding creative ways to get people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables rather than pigging out on nutrient-depleted junk foods. The easiest solution to all this is to just hand out vouchers for fresh produce, effectively giving them to the population for free.

That's why I think every city in the nation would be smart to implement this program. Although I don't like the overall idea of any government running around hanging money out to people, this is one exception where it actually makes sense.

In fact, I've always believed there are TWO areas where the government has a legitimate role in subsidizing the public:

1) NUTRITION - Fresh produce, superfoods and food-based supplements and non-pasteurized concentrates. Government handouts of nutrition actually save the taxpayers money in long-term health care costs.

2) EDUCATION - A college degree should be a "pay it forward" agreement from one generation to the next. No student who qualifies for a college or university should be denied that education simply because they cannot afford it.

These are smart investments that create a healthier, more prosperous society. But instead of subsidizing these two things, we have exactly the opposite at the federal level: a government that subsidizes junk foods while attacking nutrition. Remember: it is the official position of the FDA that anyone who sells a lemon while claiming that lemon can help prevent scurvy is a dangerous criminal engaged in "drug crimes."

The FDA warning letters website is full of examples of this, where the agency accuses nutrition companies of selling "unapproved new drugs" simply because they attempt to describe the health benefits of those supplements.

For example, on this warning letter page, the FDA accuses a company called Naturecast Products of selling "unapproved new drugs" because their website described the benefits of chromium on blood sugar:
Chromium helps regulate blood sugar levels by collaborating with insulin in facilitating the uptake of glucose into the cells. If chromium is not present, insulin's action is blocked and blood sugar levels are elevated. Insulin is secreted in response to the rise in blood glucose levels after the consumption of a meal. Insulin functions by increasing the rate that glucose is taken up by the cells and the [sic] lowers blood glucose levels.
The fact that chromium really does help regulate blood sugar levels is well established in the scientific literature, including in this study:
http://science.naturalnews.com/pubmed/203064...

But the FDA pays no attention to scientific facts. Instead, the agency says that ANY claim, validated or otherwise, automatically transforms a food or supplement into an "unapproved new drug." And for this reason, Americans are kept in the dark about the scientifically-verified health benefits of nutrients, foods, phytochemicals and dietary supplements.

This is by design. The FDA wants to keep the American people ignorant and sick so that Big Pharma can sell them more drugs and vaccines. The FDA is, in effect, the marketing branch of Big Pharma. It uses its regulatory power not to serve America's interests, but to crush America's knowledge of nutrition and health. This is a Dark Ages policy that's causing untold harm to America.

Today even NYC has run afoul of the FDA's absurd position that foods have no role in human health, but this is precisely what America needs today: a local revolt against federal ignorance about the relationship between food and health.

While the federal SNAP program drives Americans into disease, cities and states need to embrace fruit-and-vegetable programs that can help pull Americans out of the death spiral of junk foods and medications.

And that's why NYC sets a shining example in this particular case, demonstrating what other cities need to follow if they hope to survive the disastrous collapse of health now emerging across America.

We here at Natural News applaud the efforts by NYC officials to prescribe fruits and vegetables as treatments for disease, and we encourage other cities to join in this effort that pays huge dividends in terms of public health and "sick care" cost savings.
Sources for this story include: http://www.wfuv.org/news/news-politics/13072...
http://wholesomewave.org/wholesome-wave-frui...
http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author: Mike Adams (aka the "Health Ranger") is a best selling author (#1 best selling science book on Amazon.com) and a globally recognized scientific researcher in clean foods. He serves as the founding editor of NaturalNews.com and the lab science director of an internationally accredited (ISO 17025) analytical laboratory known as CWC Labs. There, he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for achieving extremely high accuracy in the analysis of toxic elements in unknown water samples using ICP-MS instrumentation. Adams is also highly proficient in running liquid chromatography, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry time-of-flight analytical instrumentation.

Adams is a person of color whose ancestors include Africans and Native American Indians. He's also of Native American heritage, which he credits as inspiring his "Health Ranger" passion for protecting life and nature against the destruction caused by chemicals, heavy metals and other forms of pollution.

Adams is the founder and publisher of the open source science journalNatural Science Journal, the author of numerous peer-reviewed science papers published by the journal, and the author of the world's first book that published ICP-MS heavy metals analysis results for foods, dietary supplements, pet food, spices and fast food. The book is entitled Food Forensics and is published by BenBella Books.

In his laboratory research, Adams has made numerous food safety breakthroughs such as revealing rice protein products imported from Asia to becontaminated with toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and tungsten. Adams was the first food science researcher to document high levels of tungsten in superfoods. He also discovered over 11 ppm lead in imported mangosteen powder, and led an industry-wide voluntary agreement to limit heavy metals in rice protein products.

In addition to his lab work, Adams is also the (non-paid) executive director of the non-profitConsumer Wellness Center (CWC), an organization that redirects 100% of its donations receipts to grant programs that teach children and women how to grow their own food or vastly improve their nutrition. Through the non-profit CWC, Adams also launched Nutrition Rescue, a program that donates essential vitamins to people in need. Click here to see some of the CWC success stories.

With a background in science and software technology, Adams is the original founder ofthe email newsletter technology company known as Arial Software. Using his technical experience combined with his love for natural health, Adams developed and deployed the content management system currently driving NaturalNews.com. He also engineered the high-level statistical algorithms that power SCIENCE.naturalnews.com, a massive research resource featuring over 10 million scientific studies.

Adams is well known for his incredibly popularconsumer activism video blowing the lid on fake blueberries used throughout the food supply. He has also exposed "strange fibers" found in Chicken McNuggets, fake academic credentials of so-called health "gurus," dangerous "detox" products imported as battery acid and sold for oral consumption, fake acai berry scams, the California raw milk raids, the vaccine research fraud revealed by industry whistleblowers and many other topics.

Adams has also helpeddefend the rights of home gardeners and protect the medical freedom rights of parents. Adams is widely recognized to have made a remarkable global impact on issues like GMOs, vaccines, nutrition therapies, human consciousness.

In addition to his activism, Adams is an accomplished musician who has releasedover a dozen popular songs covering a variety of activism topics.

Click here to read a more detailed bio on Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, at HealthRanger.com.

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NYC allows doctors to prescribe fresh fruit and vegetables as treatment for obesity; FDA declares veggies 'unapproved drugs'

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(NaturalNews) These days, it's difficult to find examples of government doing anything that makes sense. That's all the more reason why a program embraced by New York City is newsworthy. Dubbed the "Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Program," it allows doctors to "prescribe" fresh fruit and vegetables to overweight or obese patients by giving them "Health Bucks" that are redeemable at local farmer's markets.

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Americans toss out 14 percent of the food that they buy.

Credit: Dreamstime

Peter Lehner is executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). This piece is adapted from post which will appear on the NRDC blog Switchboard. Lehner contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

No one eats forty percent of the food produced in the United States. That's nearly half of America's food, wasted - not just on plates, but in refrigerators and pantries, in grocery stores and on farms. Much of it perfectly good, edible food - worth $165 billion annually - gets tossed in the trash instead of feeding someone who's hungry.

My colleague, Dana Gunders, has been exploring how, where and why food gets wasted in America, from farm to store to table. One of the more surprising reasons, as she explains in a report released today by NRDC and Harvard Law School, is because of the inconsistent and incoherent way in which food is date labeled.

Those "best-by," "sell-by," and "use-by" dates that you see on food have nothing to do with food safety. They're set by manufacturers, without federal oversight, and most often relate to what manufacturers feel is "peak" quality. The date label on food does not tell you if your food is safe to eat.

If you're a topical expert - researcher, business leader, author or innovator - and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here.

Confusion over dates, according to a survey by the Food Marketing Institute, leads 9 out of 10 Americans to needlessly throw away food. For the average family of four, this could translate to several hundred dollars' worth of food being thrown away every year - and in all likelihood, more money spent purchasing the same food again - simply because of a misleading date stamp. A senseless waste, when most Americans are keeping a close eye on household budgets, and when one in six Americans lacks a secure supply of food.

You might think the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency responsible for food safety, would be overseeing food-expiration dates. It does not. The FDA, in its own words, leaves date labels on food, except for infant formula, to "the discretion of the manufacturer." The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees meat, poultry and some egg products, also says date labels are voluntary. It does call for specific wording on a label, if a manufacturer chooses to use one, such as "packing" date, sell-by date or use-before date. But the agency never defines what those terms mean or how they should be determined. So according to the federal government, a date can be there, or not be there; and if it is there, the manufacturer can decide what it means without any further explanation for consumers. Some state agencies do require date labels for certain products, like dairy items; others, like New York, have no requirements for food dates at all.

As a result of this hodgepodge of rules, the date on your milk might be a use-by date, a sell-by date, or a date with no explanation. If you live in Florida, your milk has to be labeled with a sell-by date, which means - well, nothing, if you're a consumer. The sell-by date is usually a signal to retailers that the product still has shelf-life left, which helps with stock rotation. Once that milk gets home, that date does not ensure that your milk is still good; nor does it say that it's bad. It might be good for a week, or it might have spoiled yesterday because someone left it sitting out on the counter. The date can't tell you that.

These tips will help you improve the efficiency of your fridge, saving you money and preventing food from going to waste.

Credit: Copyright SAWYER Agency

The ineffective, misleading date-labeling system in the United States is contributing to the costly problem of wasted food in this country. Wasting food is a systemic problem that's a serious drain on the U.S. economy and natural resources. Americans use 80 percent of our water and half our land for agriculture - and yet we're throwing away nearly half of what we produce with those precious resources. Americans waste four percent of our oil producing, transporting and packaging food that never gets eaten. Food is the single biggest item in our landfills, a source of the powerful global warming pollutant methane.

Overhauling the U.S. date-labeling system is a straightforward, concrete solution that will reduce food waste. The nation needs a reliable, coherent and uniform food-dating system that provides useful guidance to consumers. The words on date labels should have a standard definition across the country and across products. Labels should clearly differentiate between safety-based and quality-based dates. Manufacturers and retailers should have their own, coded system for sharing information relevant to food display and shelf life, rather than a sell-by date that confuses consumers.

The food industry and the federal government can and should start making these changes today.

Have you been flummoxed by a date label recently? Take a picture of the date label on your food and upload it to NRDC's collection at FixFoodDates.com. When you upload your photo, you'll help us get the attention of manufacturers, and also receive expert tips on food storage, as well more information on sorting out the date-label mess. With better laws, more information and smarter business practices, Americans can begin to reduce food waste and make our food system safer and more sustainable.

Lehner's most recent Op-Ed was "Running the A/C? New Building Codes Could Slash Energy Costs." This post is part of the NRDC series, featuring people, towns, businesses and industries that are finding innovative ways to cut waste, boost efficiency and save money, time and valuable resources. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on LiveScience.

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Sell-By Labels Send Edible U.S. Food to the Dump (Op-Ed)

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Peter Lehner is executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). This piece is adapted from post which will appear on the NRDC blog Switchboard . Lehner contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights . No one eats forty percent of the food produced in the United States.

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Children are having stunted growth due to malnourishment in India. This will have effects on the later generations

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LONDON (Reuters) - Some 165 million children worldwide are stunted by malnutrition as babies and face a future of ill health, poor education, low earnings and poverty, the head of the United Nations children's fund said on Friday.

Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, told Reuters the problem of malnutrition is vastly under-appreciated, largely because poor nutrition is often mistaken for a lack of food.

In reality, he said, malnutrition and its irreversible health consequences also affect relatively well-off countries, such as India where there is plenty of food, but access to it is unequal and nutritional content can be low.

"Undernutrition, and especially stunting, is one of the least recognised crises for children in the world," Lake said. "It's a horrible thing. These children are condemned."

Stunting is the consequence of undernutrition in the first 1,000 or so days of a baby's life, including during gestation.

Stunted children learn less in school and are more likely themselves to live in poverty and go on to have children also stunted by poor nutrition. These in turn increase poverty in affected countries and regions, and drive greater gaps between the rich and the poor, Lake said.

"The numbers are phenomenal. In India, for example, about 48 percent of children are stunted, and in Yemen it's almost 60 percent. Just think of the drag on development," Lake said.

"And the key point is that it is absolutely irreversible. You can feed up an underweight child, but with a stunted child, because of the effects on the brain, it has a permanently reduced cognitive capacity by the age of around two years old."

"NUTRITION FOR GROWTH"

Lake spoke to Reuters in London ahead of a "Nutrition for Growth" summit on Saturday co-hosted by the British and Brazilian governments and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), at which donor countries are expected to pledge more funding to tackle the problem.

The summit coincides with the publication in The Lancet medical journal of a series of studies on the issue, which found that as well as the 165 million children stunted by poor nutrition, nearly half of all deaths among under fives - 3.1 million deaths a year - are caused by malnutrition.

UNICEF says it wants to focus global efforts for now on 20 countries - mostly in Africa and Asia - which are home to 70 percent of the world's stunted children.

The cost of tackling poor nutrition in these countries is estimated to be about $7 billion a year, Lake said. Saturday's summit aims to secure pledges for about half that amount.

Securing those funds and using them effectively to improve nutrition would be "extraordinarily cost-effective", Lake said, since the negative effects of malnutrition and stunting currently cost an estimated 11 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) economic output in Africa and Asia.

Achieving food security - ensuring countries have enough food to go around - however, should not be mistaken for addressing the problem of poor nutrition, he said.

"The fact is that India, with 48 percent (childhood) stunting, is considered food secure - but that doesn't mean food is distributed equitably within India.

"And in Africa, for instance, if you only eat cassava, then your belly may be full and you may technically have food security, but that doesn't mean you're getting the nutrition needed to prevent stunting."

Lake also stressed that increased funding was only part of the solution and that spending donor funds wisely in trusted community-based programmes is essential.

Such programmes need to cover a range of measures, including promoting more nutritious foods, recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life and using micronutrient supplements to boost vitamin A, folic acid, zinc and iron.

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About 48 percent of children in India are stunted - UNICEF

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LONDON (Reuters) - Some 165 million children worldwide are stunted by malnutrition as babies and face a future of ill health, poor education, low earnings and poverty, the head of the United Nations children's fund said on Friday.

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This article address
the importance of consuming more vegan meals. It does not say that everyone should become vegan but that people should start looking at how many vegetables are in our meals already and cut out the meat. Veganism in meals is easier than people

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It's not worth trying to persuade anyone to become vegan, for a couple of very good reasons: one, it's a losing battle, and two, it's far from certain that a diet with no animal products is best for everyone. It's increasingly evident, however, that a part-time vegan diet - one that emphasizes minimally processed plant food at the expense of everything else - is the direction that will do the most to benefit human health, increase animal welfare and reduce environmental impact. The remaining challenge, an undeniably big one, is to figure out how to make such a diet, which you might also call "flexitarian," the standard.

My own diet, which I call Vegan Before 6 (and wrote a book about), is one way of tackling part-time veganism, but it isn't the only way. An intelligent adaptation of the Mediterranean diet, one of the popular "fast today, feast tomorrow" diets or even a so-called paleo diet - one that stresses vegetables rather than animal products (our great ancestors, after all, were gatherer-hunters who saw meat not as routine but as an occasion to feast) - can put you on the right track.

As can this: a day of your choosing when you just go vegan.

There are, of course, true vegans who will say that part-time veganism is a little-bit-pregnant kind of thing; that is, impossible. But since the word means a diet without animal products, it can be used to describe something as part-time as a meal: a salad is, after all, a vegan meal. (I am aware, having had this argument dozens of times in the last few years, that many full-time vegans' primary concern is animal welfare, and that's a different discussion.)

Being a vegan is not my point, and anyway, it's as easy to create an unhealthy full-time vegan diet as it is to eat brilliantly as a part-time vegan. It just takes a little thought and a little will, though perhaps less will than you might think at first. Many cooked dishes that contain animal products can be and traditionally have been made without them, usually out of want. The problem for most people in developed countries is not a lack of opportunity to eat animal products but a superabundance.

It isn't as if vegetables are in short supply. Yes, local or organic produce is expensive (and so inconveniently seasonal!), but if you are going to eat it, now is your chance. It isn't a coincidence that this column is appearing in September; to me, the period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is the best time of year to cook - warm enough to grill and cool enough to braise, with the farmers' market still an absolute paradigm of abundance. Take advantage: in a few months, there may be little more than root vegetables, apple cider and hand-dyed yarn.

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It's not worth trying to persuade anyone to become vegan, for a couple of very good reasons: one, it's a losing battle, and two, it's far from certain that a diet with no animal products is best for everyone.