|
| Original | Modified | |
| Calories | 438 | 306 |
| Fat | 23 g | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 83 mg | 5 mg |
| Sodium | 254 mg | 151 mg |
| Percent of Calories from Fat | 47% | 6% |
| Total Dietary Fiber | 1 g | 5 g |
(RB)
You
Asked It! -- Rapid Response Center Q/A
Clarification: In regards to the question about testing a
candy thermometer in the last issue of F&N Digest
(March/April 1996), a clarification is needed: An
altitude adjustment is necessary when calibrating the
thermometer using boiling water. At sea level, water
boils at 212 F (100 C), however, if you live at a higher
elevation, water will boil at a lower temperature. This
must be taken into consideration when calibrating the
thermometer. Use the boiling point of water for your
altitude:
| Altitude (Ft.) | Boiling Point |
| 0 | 212 F (100 C) |
| 1000 | 210 F (99 C) |
| 2000 | 208 F (98 C) |
| 3000 | 206 F (97 C) |
NOTE: Thanks go out to Dr. Aramouni (Ext. F&N) and Dr. Boyle (Ext. Animal Science) for this clarification
Q. Is the
"floating egg" test a good test for egg
freshness?
A. Yes and no. In a general way, it is because as an egg
ages, moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores
in the shell and are replaced by air. Thus, the larger
the air pocket, the older an egg is, and an egg with a
larger air pocket will float compared to an egg with a
smaller air pocket.
However, this is not a good test because it will not tell you if an egg is bad, only that it is older compared to a fresh egg.
Q. What is the
shelf-life of corn meal?
A. Corn meal may be stored on the shelf for over one year
in a tightly closed container. (Complete cupboard,
refrigerator, and freezer storage charts are available at
the Rapid Response Center.)
Q. What is the
difference between refined and unrefined oil?
A. Refined oil has been treated with an alkali to remove
free fatty acids. Refined oil will have a longer shelf
life because free fatty acids are much more susceptible
to rancidity in the unrefined oil.
Q. Do you have any
nutritional information for rattle-snake?
A. The best that the Rapid Response Center can do is
provide information about SNAKE, general, raw: 100g
contains 92 cal, 18 g protein, 2 g fat, and 1 g
carbohydrate. (NOTE: Nutritional information for the
following wild foods can be obtained at the Rapid
Response Center: FROG, raw; GRUB, larva, raw; INSECT,
silkworm, raw; RAT, cooked or raw; SNAILS, small; and
TREE ANTS, whole.)
Q. Are the RDA's
(Recommended Dietary Allowances) from 1989 the most
current?
A. Yes. They are the basis for the Daily Values that you
see on food labels.
Q. Why does regular
cream cheese have less calcium than lowfat cream cheese?
A. This is a nutrient density question. Calcium is found
in the non-fat portion of the cream cheese. If fat is
removed, is still the same amount of calcium, but it
becomes a higher percentage of the total.
Q. I know that you
cannot make Jell-O with fresh pineapple. What about fresh
kiwi?
A. No. Each contains an enzyme (Pineapple _ bromelin,
Kiwi _ actinidin) that retards gelation, thus the Jell-O
will never set.
Q. What does the date
on an egg carton mean?
A. The date on a carton of eggs is the sell by date.
Refrigerated eggs are still good for 4-5 weeks after this
date.
Q. What are Craisins
(C-Raisins)?
A. Dried cranberries. (RB)
Malnutrition
and Cognitive Development
A recent study of childhood malnutrition and mental
development provides further evidence of the impact of
poor diet on cognitive development.
In a long-term study of four Guatemalan villages from 1969-1989, children and pregnant women received one of two nutritional supplements: Atole, a high protein gruel, and Fresco, a sweet drink which contained no protein and only one-third of the calories of Atole. In follow-up studies of the participants 20 years later, researchers gave the villagers a battery of literacy, vocabulary and reading comprehension tests, a general knowledge exam, a math test and a standard nonverbal intelligence test.
Participants who had received the Atole supplement scored much higher on cognitive tests than did those given Fresco. The poorest Atole subjects performed as well on the tests as wealthier local peers, eliminating income differences as performance factors. However, all of the villages participating in the study were extremely poor, and children did not perform as well as children from middle income families in more affluent areas in Guatemala. The researchers point out that proper nutrition cannot totally compensate for the negative effects of poverty on mental growth.
Federal food assistance programs such as Food Stamps, WIC, and the School Breakfast Programs help prevent childhood malnutrition and contribute to cognitive development. Studies have shown, for example, that children participating in School Breakfast have significantly higher standardized achievement test scores than eligible non-participants. (MP)
Source: CNI Feb. 16, 1996
Need
for Food Assistance Increasing
Participation in food pantry programs and the Food Stamp
Program (FSP) is on the rise.
According to a recent survey of 29 cities conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the number of requests for emergency food assistance is increasing, particularly among families with children and the elderly. Unfortunately, the cities surveyed indicated they are unable to meet the increased demand for food since resources for emergency food facilities increased by only 1.5% in 1995. Almost all officials surveyed predicted that requests will increase in 1996.
Food Stamp participation has increased dramatically between 1989 and 1992 from 59% of those eligible to 74%. A report by the Food and Consumer Service attributed the increase to both the economic recession as well as better access to food stamp offices and more effective outreach efforts.
In 1992, the FSP reached 95% of all eligible children under five and over 80% of children. Participation of the eligible elderly increased 5%. (MP)
Source: CNI Feb. 16, 1996
Trends
in Food and Alcohol Consumption Away From Home
According to the 1992 Consumer Expenditure Survey,
American households spent 38% of their food dollar on
food away from home and 46% of their alcohol dollar on
alcohol consumed outside the home. Consumers who spent
the greatest share of their food dollar on food away from
home were in the highest income quintile, under age 25,
or living alone. Sales at eating and drinking places were
up 134% between 1980 and 1993, with a 48% increase in the
number of employees working at these establishments.
Factors influencing the decision to eat out include the increasing numbers of women in the labor force, the trend toward more one-person households, price competition among restaurants, and the interest in restaurants that offer some type of entertainment. (MP)
Source: Family Economics and Nutrition Review 8:4 1995.
Olestra,
A Dieter's Dream Or Dilemma?
Note: This is the second article about olestra. See
March/April 1996 issue for more information.
Olestra, the fake fat produced by Procter and Gamble and recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is only allowed at the present time in potato chips, tortilla chips and crackers. According to some, it's a dieter's dream because olestra, marketed under the trade-name Olean, is not absorbed out of the intestine and into the blood stream and thus provides no calories. Yet, Olean has the mouth-feel of fat. It makes you think you're eating a high fat food when you're not.
Olestra has been languishing in the wings for years awaiting FDA approval. Costing some $200 million to develop, research and market, it is likely the costliest diet product to come onto the market.
You would think that with FDA's approval the issues regarding its safety and effectiveness would be settled. Such is not the case. A vocal minority call it a "public health expert's nightmare: an uncontrolled experiment on 200 million people using an unsafe food additive."
Everyone agrees that olestra provides that all-important sensory attribute of fat smoothness. We eat much more by a food's ability to satisfy our senses than because of its cost-effectiveness or nutrition profile. What experts don't agree on is its proven safety. And the argument may go on for years because the subtle effects of olestra on health may take years to develop and then document. The two major issues concern the carotenoids and the small intestine.
Carotenoids
"Don't eat olestra along with carotenoid-rich foods such as carrots, broccoli, greens, cantaloupe, and apricots." So goes the advice about consuming beta-carotene-rich foods with olestra. The problem is that olestra picks up the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, including carotenoids and removes them from the body. This means that you don't want to eat carrot sticks and olean potato chips at the same meal.
But beta-carotene is only one of hundreds of carotenoids found naturally in plants. For example, lycopene, a caratenoid found in tomatoes, is associated with protecting men against prostate cancer and lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, are associated with preventing macular degeneration, an irreversible deterioration of the retina and a cause of blindness in older adults. Those most concerned about olestra's safety contend that we are just learning about the ways that carotenoids and other phytochemicals protect health. They contend that even selective fortification with the fat-soluble vitamins is likely not enough especially when viewed with the disappointing results from the beta-carotene supplementation trials. These trails showed that beta-carotene was not protective against lung cancer in smokers. Thus eating fruits and vegetables appears to be far more health protective than consuming selected nutrient supplements. Just eight grams of olestra a day (16 chips worth) can lower blood lutein levels by 20 percent and blood lycopene by 60 percent.
Digestive discomfort
Both olestra and high-fiber diets can cause diarrhea, gas and abdominal cramping. In one of the studies, just eight grams of olestra in 16 potato chips caused diarrhea in some people. Twenty grams, as in a two-ounce single-serving bag, led to diarrhea in a third of the volunteers. The volunteers did not develop a tolerance for olestra whereas people eating more fiber-rich foods have noted that after several days they adapt to the extra fiber. Fiber stimulates the growth of more "good" bacteria in the intestines thereby reducing symptoms.
Questionable weight loss
Finally, some question whether or not olestra can help reduce our collective waistlines. Despite all the money spent on dieting products, the obesity rates in both children and adults rose a third during the 80's rather than falling as you might expect. People falsely assume they can indulge if they eat low-fat or fat-free foods.
FDA has been asked to place a warning label on foods containing olestra because of the unknown but possible link between increased risks for cancer, heart disease and blindness. The Federal Trade Commission has likewise been asked to require the same warning for all advertisements for olestra products. No doubt, the olestra story and controversy will continue to unfold. (MC)
Source: Karstadt, Myra, & Stephen Schmidt. Olestra, Procter's big gamble. CSPI Nutrition Action Healthletter. 23(2):4-5. March 1996.
Obesity
And Your Genes
Researchers are getting a handle on why it is so easy for
some people to get fat. It could be their genes.
Leptin, a fat cell hormone
A major breakthrough come in December 1994 when researchers at Rockefeller University in New York discovered the ob gene in a strain of overweight mice. Ordinarily, fat cells produce a protein called leptin. Leptin is a hormone that travels around in the blood stream and signals the brain that the body has stored enough fat. In leptin-deprived mice due to an absent or defective gene, the mice overeat, become inactive and grow fat. The startling finding was that when the fat mice were injected with leptin, they ate less, slimmed down and burned calories faster than before. Even normal-weight mice lost body fat due to leptin.
Could these findings apply to humans? Unlike mice, humans do not have a mutated ob gene. In fact, obese people not only have enough leptin but may actually have 20 to 30 times more than lean people. So the researchers have looked for another answer such as: Could brain cells lack the receptors that would be necessary to receive the message? Researchers have now found this leptin receptor in the brain. The next step is to find out if these receptors are faulty in some obese people. If so, then perhaps a drug can be designed that will improve their receiving ability for leptin.
But before hopes get too high, this leptin explanation may be responsible for only a small percentage of obesity. Drug stimulation might not help those with severely defective or missing receptors. Perhaps gene therapy would be necessary but that solution could be decades away. In the meantime, the various labs will be looking for gene mutations in hundreds of obese people.
Now GLP-1, (glucagon-like peptide-1)
An even newer finding is GLP-1, a "stop-eating" signal. This appetite-suppressing substance is found in brain and intestine tissue. Some scientists suspect that GLP-1 may be at least one of the end results of leptin's effects. GLP-1 acts separately in both the brain and the digestive tract. In the brain, it triggers feelings of satiety; in the digestive tract it slows stomach emptying and increases blood levels of insulin.
Perhaps this substance will turn out to be even more important than leptin. Certainly drug companies will be working overtime to develop weight-loss medications. Whoever comes up with an effective and safe weight-control drug is destined to reap huge rewards.
Dexfenfluramine, a new appetite-control drug
In the meantime, dexfenfluramine (to be marketed as Redux) is being tested after narrowly receiving approval by an FDA advisory panel last November. It will likely be available as a prescription medication by the end of the year. Dexfenfluramine has long been available in Europe but U.S. approval has been slow because of concerns about possible brain damage. The drug suppresses the craving for carbohydrates because it stimulates more serotonin, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that affects both appetite and mood. Researchers are worried about its long-term health effects.
Currently, weight-loss drugs (fenfluramine and phentermine) can only be prescribed for short periods. When people stop taking them, they generally regain the lost weight.
Despite all of these promising developments, most obesity experts agree that genes are only partly responsible for obesity. Epidemiologic data suggest that much of our obesity is environmentally based, i.e., we eat too much and exercise too little. Pills will not solve that problem but they may be able to help control appetite.
Before World War II, obesity rates were half what they are today (now 1 of every 3 adults is obese). Obviously, genes don't mutate that quickly. It takes many generations to make even small changes. What was different back before the war was that people ate less fat and more fiber and exercised more. No matter what, it appears that we will still need changes in our eating and exercise patterns in order to maintain or improve weight. (MC)
Source: Garnett, Leah R. Is Obesity All in the Genes? Harvard Health Letter. 21(6):1-3. April 1996.
International
No Diet Day (INDD)
There is a growing movement towards size acceptance, that
is the idea that it is no sin to be fat and that people
can be healthy and live health-promoting lifestyles even
though their bodies do not conform to our cultural
fantasies. Certainly, overweight may be harmful to your
health but it is not a moral issue nor a sign of a weak
character. Unfortunately, obesity is more socially
unacceptable than most other physical diversities.
This year International No Diet Day is being celebrated May 6. Over 100 organizations world-wide have banned together to promote No-Diet Day. Some organizations in this country who are involved are the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) [916-443-0303 or P.O. Box 188620, Sacramento, CA 95818]; the Association for the Health Enrichment of Large People (AHELP) [1-800-368-3468, Ext. 501 and ask for Bernice]; and Largesse, the Network for Size Esteem [P.O. Box 9404, New Haven CT 06534-0404, Phone/fax 203-787-1624]. Karen Stimson is the Co-director of Largesse and a contact if you are interested in being more involved in No Diet Day either this year or in the future.
Another excellent way to get information is to use the INDD web site (http://www.texmed.org/has/pin/dan/ndd1.asp). It has information on the origin of INDD, its goals, people to contact, a calendar of events, sample press releases, fact sheets, and other resources. If you want the INDD Handbook, send $1 and a self-addressed #10 envelope to Largesse at the mailing address above. If you see someone with a light blue ribbon on May 6th, they are observing No-Diet Day.
A sign of the times is the realization by professionals as well as consumers that present unrealistic expectations for a person's ability to reach idealized "perfect body" goals should be challenged. Leaders in this movement think that those of us working in health promotion should be accepting of and sensitive to size diversity. We should promote body satisfaction and the achievement of realistic and attainable health goals without regard to weight change.
To this end, they propose the following Tenets:
- Human beings come in a variety of sizes and shapes. We celebrate this diversity as a positive characteristic of the human race.
- There is no ideal body size, shape, or weight that every individual should strive to achieve.
- Every body is a good body, whatever its size or shape.
- Self-esteem and body image are strongly linked. Helping people feel good about their bodies and about who they are, can help motivate and maintain healthy behaviors.
- Appearance stereotyping is inherently unfair to the individual because it is based on superficial factors which the individual has little or no control over.
- We respect the bodies of others even though they might be quite different from our own.
- Each person is responsible for taking care of his/her body.
- Good health is not defined by body size; it is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being.
- People of all sizes and shaped can reduce their risk of poor health by adopting a healthy lifestyle. (MC)
Fat
Intake Continues to Drop But Veggies and Fruits Still Low
in US Diet
Americans are eating less fat as a percentage of total
calories, according to a new U.S. Department of
Agriculture nationwide food survey.
Data from the first year of the three year survey -- "What We Eat in America" -- found that Americans consumed 33 percent of calories from fat in 1994, continuing a downward trend. In the late 1970's, Americans consumed 40 percent of calories from fat . According to a 1989-1991 survey, Americans consumed 34 percent of calories from fat.
Even with this decrease, however, two-thirds of adult Americans still eat more than the 30 percent recommended limit for fat calories. The survey also found that nearly as many are consuming more than the recommended limit for saturated fat.
In addition, survey participants in 1994 reported a total calorie intake about six percent higher than 17 years ago. Thirty percent of the men and 45 percent of the women reported that they rarely engaged in vigorous exercise. This may help explain why participants reported weights averaging 11 to 12 pounds heavier. They also reported heights averaging one inch taller. Based on these measurements, one in three adults was overweight in 1994 compared with one in five in the earlier survey.
Less than one-third of American adults meet the recommendation to consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. And Americans still consume low amounts of dark green and deep yellow vegetables, despite recommendations to do otherwise.
Consumption of grain-based products is on the rise. For example, between the late 1970's and 1994, Americans increased their consumption of ready-to-eat cereals by 60 percent and their consumption of snacks such as crackers, popcorn, pretzels, and corn chips by 200 percent. Consumption of grain mixtures -- such as lasagna and pizza -- increased 115 percent during that time.
The data are based on personal interviews during 1994 with some 5,500 Americans of all ages across the country. They were asked to recall their food intake for two days. The figures are average intakes, so many Americans either fall above or below the average.
The survey results identified some of the following trends:
- About 20 percent more fruit or fruit juice was consumed in 1994 than 17 years ago, but still nearly half of the population reported eating no fruit on a given day.
- Milk consumption decreased by 16 percent for children under five since the late 1970's.
- Consumption of soft drinks rose by 23 percent and consumption of noncitrus juices -- such as mixes with a grape or apple base -- skyrocketed more than 300 percent.
- Among adults, neither men nor women had average zinc or magnesium intakes that met the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Women's intakes for iron, vitamin B6, calcium and vitamin E were also below the RDA.
- In 1994, more than half of Americans ate away from home on the day in question (see related article in this issue), accounting for about one-quarter of their total calorie and fat intakes. And the number of women and young children eating away from home has increased by about 50 percent since the late 1970's.
When USDA's three-year survey concludes in early 1997, they expect to have data on between 15,000 and 16,000 Americans, including low-income individuals, children and the elderly. The data are used to make public policy decisions related to food safety, food fortification, food assistance and nutrition education programs and also for research, food production and marketing and many other areas. (PP)
Source: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Tips
for Working Moms on Handling and Storing Breastmilk
A working mom can continue to provide breastmilk for her
baby after she returns to work. If the infant is in child
care, both mom and child care provider will need to work
together to safely handle the breastmilk.
The first responsibility comes for the mom. She needs to be sure to express and store the breastmilk safely:
- Wash her hands with soap and water before she starts.
- Express milk into a clean container, either glass or plastic.
- Put single feeding-size portions into bottles for storage. This could be two to three ounces for the very small infant or more as the baby grows. Freeze some one-half to one ounce servings to have on hand for days when the baby many want a little more to eat.
- Label and date the bottles so that oldest ones can be used first.
- Store in the refrigerator if it will be used within 3 or 4 days, otherwise freeze.
- Frozen breastmilk will keep up to three months in the freezer portion of the refrigerator or up to six months in a separate freezer.
- When transporting breastmilk from work to home or home to child care provider: Use a cooler with ice or ice pack. If frozen breastmilk thaws, and it is kept refrigerated, it can be used within 24 hours.
Some tips for the child care provider for serving breastmilk include:
- Thaw frozen breastmilk by running cold water over the container, increasing the warmth of the water gradually while shaking the container.
- Test to be sure the breastmilk is body temperature before serving.
- Avoid boiling or heating in the microwave. Excess heating can destroy the protective substances in breastmilk. Microwaving can also create "hot spots" which could burn the baby.
- Once breastmilk has thawed, it can spoil more easily. Keep it cold and use within a day or two. Do not refreeze.
- Make sure the bottle and nipple are clean. Discard any leftover breastmilk.
(PP)
Sources: Children's Nutrition Research Center. Nutrition and Your Child. Winter 1996. Guidelines for Collecting and Handling Breastmilk, Kansas Cooperative Extension and Kansas Lean Preschool Taskforce, in press.
Grain
Products Will Be Fortified with Folic Acid to Prevent
Birth Defects
U.S. food manufacturers will add the nutrient folic acid
to most enriched breads, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice
and other grain products to reduce the risk of neural
tube birth defects in newborns, as a result of action
taken on February 29, 1996, by the Department of Health
and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration.
Folic acid, or folate, reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida when consumed in adequate amounts by women before and during early pregnancy. Spina bifida is a common disabling birth condition resulting from failure of the spinal column to close. Spina bifida and other neural tube birth defects affect approximately 4,000 pregnancies each year in the U. S. Genetics also plays a role in development of these neural tube defects. Many genetic factors affect how we utilize folic acid, including an aberrant gene which produces an enzyme which makes it necessary for some women to consume more folic acid than normal to prevent neural tube defects.
The Public Health Service recommended in 1992 that all women of child-bearing age consume 0.4 milligrams of folic acid daily to reduce their risk of giving birth to children with neural tube defects. As part of the Public Health Service strategy to achieve that goal, the FDA fortification rule is aimed at increasing folate intakes.
Under the new FDA rules, specified grain products will be required to be fortified with folic acid at levels ranging from 0.43 milligrams to 1.4 mg per pound of product. These amounts are designed to keep daily intake of folic acid below 1 mg, because intakes above that amount may mask symptoms of pernicious anemia, a form of vitamin B12 deficiency which primarily affects older people. If untreated, pernicious anemia can lead to severe permanent nerve damage.
Because over half of all pregnancies are unplanned and because these defects occur in the developing fetus before most women know they are pregnant, it is important that all women of child-bearing age consume the needed 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid daily.
In addition to fortified grain products, it is recommended that women should obtain this amount through food sources, such as leafy dark green vegetables, citrus fruits and juices, and lentils; dietary supplement (such as a multivitamin); or a combination of these sources.
Foods required to be fortified are: enriched bread, rolls, and buns; all enriched flour including bromated and self-rising flours; enriched corn grits and corn meals; enriched farina and rice; and all enriched macaroni and noodle products including vegetable macaroni, vegetable noodle, and non-fat milk macaroni products. In addition, breakfast cereals can add folic acid up to 400 mcg per serving.
Also under the new rules, manufacturers will be allowed to make claims on the labels that the fortified products contain folate or folic acid and that adequate intake of the nutrient has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects.
These final rules on fortification will become effective Jan. 1, 1998. FDA will review any new data concerning optimum fortification levels for folic acid and will consider adjusting the level of fortification if the data substantiate the need. (PP)
Sources: FDA News Release, February 29, 1996. Community Nutrition Institute. Nutrition Week, March 15, 1996.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.