Restaurant Menu Labeling, Eating Habits and Obesity

Study Finds Menu Labeling Didn't Change Eating Habits - Wall Street Journal

Study: Calorie Counts in Restaurants May Not Curb Eating Habits – TIME

Nutrition facts label does not help curb obesity epidemic - Food Consumer

Does Calorie-Labeling at Restaurants Lead to Healthier Eating? - Scientific American

How to enhance antioxidant intake and nutrition?

Different foods contain antioxidant compounds and sometimes eating several foods at once may enhance the amount of antioxidants your body gets.

• Fruits (raspberry, blackberry, and apple)
• Vegetables (broccoli, tomato, mushroom, and purple cauliflower)
• Legumes (soybean, adzuki bean, red kidney bean, and black bean)

Scientists studied how total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, radical scavenging capacity, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity across food categories changed when the foods were eaten together.

The study found that combining specific foods across categories (e.g., fruit and vegetables) was more likely to result in additive antioxidant capacity

So your daily food antioxidant intake may be enhanced by mixing the right categories of food.

 

Reference:

J Agric Food Chem. Synergistic, Additive, and Antagonistic Effects of Food Mixtures on Total Antioxidant Capacities. Wang S, Meckling KA, Marcone MF, Kakuda Y, Tsao R.

How Coffee Protects Against Diabetes

Coffee helps increase the circulating amount of a protein called sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG). This protein, according to research studies, has shown to be involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and it is also responsible for the testosterone and estrogen in the human body. Previous research has shown that coffee consumption prevents high-blood sugar and also improved insulin sensitivity. Consumption of decaffeinated coffee was not significantly associated with SHBG levels, nor diabetes risk. Coffee contains magnesium which is known to help with carbohydrate metabolism. Some studies have shown that antioxidants known as lignans or chlorogenic acids may be involved in helping to reduce diabetes.

Reference:

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/why-coffee-protects-against-diabetes-190743.aspx

Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1311-1316

Rachel Huxley; Crystal Man Ying Lee; Federica Barzi; Leif Timmermeister; Sebastien Czernichow; Vlado Perkovic; Diederick E. Grobbee; David Batty; Mark Woodward. Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med, 2009;

Peaches, plums and nectarines for carotenoids

Vegetables and fruits are rich in carotenoids. These are antioxidants that reduce damaging compounds when the body is combating disease. A new study shows skin radiance is affected by the carotenoid pigments in fruits like plums, peaches and nectarines.

 

Reference:

Ian D. Stephen, Vinet Coetzee, David I. Perrett. Carotenoid and melanin pigment coloration affect perceived human health. Evolution and Human Behavior

Bariatric surgeries complication rates remain low.

serious complications are associated with the volume of procedures in hospitals and by surgeons

Impact of sugars on teen health

From the American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report

“Consuming high amounts of added sugars in soft drinks and foods in adolescence is associated with poor cholesterol profiles and poor diet quality, possibly leading to heart disease in adulthood.

Teens who ate the highest levels of added sugars had lower good cholesterol levels and higher bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those with the lowest intake.

Overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of sugars intake had increased signs of insulin resistance.”

Reference:

The National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES)

Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association

http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1233

Healthy Benefits of Eating Tomatoes

 

Tomatoes have 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, a compound with anti-dyslipidemia properties that may prevent vascular diseases. Another nutrient is lycopene, a natural antioxidants. Research shows that tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and various neurodegenerative diseases

Restaurant Nutrition gives you a quick, easy, free way to check nutrition

Restaurant Nutrition gives you a quick, easy, free way to check nutrition info for many popular U.S. restaurant chains.