Premium Juice Brands Working on Lowering Sugar in Their Drinks

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Sugar has long been a battle for soda companies and shelf-stable juices, but premium juice brands are now facing the challenge of reducing sugar in their healthy drinks. Premium juice brands typically use fresher ingredients without any added sugars. However, adding some fruit juices and flavors can quickly increase the sugar content in their drinks. In response to the growing fight against sugar, juice brands are innovating the formulations, processing methods, and marketing to take sugar head on.

Not All Sugars Are Created Equal

It is no easy task to eliminate the sugar in these juice brands. CEO of Suja Juice, Jeff Church, says he has watched the market evolve in just the past five years. When Suja Juice started, it had roughly 25g of sugar per bottle, but after listening to consumers, they have decreased the sugar to 10 grams or less per bottle. Church believes that consumer demographics have played a considerable role in the lower sugar options in the market. Baby boomers are more tolerant of higher sugar content than millennials. However, both carry significant weight in sales. Church believes this has forced brands to take a broad focus on reducing sugar.

On the other hand, Ryne O’Donnell, CEO of Sol-ti, is taking a different approach. He believes consumers need to understand that not all sugars are created equal. He believes that adding beneficial fruits and vegetables that may be high in natural sugars outweighs the potential negatives.

Courtroom Controversy for Juice Brands

Some of the first juice brands have faced courtroom controversy from anti-sugar crusaders. Odwalla, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, faced backlash and a class action lawsuit for the phrase “evaporated cane juice” on its ingredient label. The lawsuit was ultimately withdrawn, but the Odwalla was hit with another suit based on their “No Sugar Added” phrase on their packaging. They are currently in private mediation with no expected ruling or settlement until the middle of 2018.

 

Center for Science in the Public Trust also filed a lawsuit against Pepsi’s Naked Juice brand in 2017. CSI believed naked was mislead consumers through marketing products with the wrong fruits and vegetables on the packaging and use of phrases like “No Sugar Added.” Pepsi settled and agreed to update its packaging with more accurate ingredients and decrease the font size of “No Sugar Added.”

New Brands on the Block Looking to Capitalize

Edit Fruit Juice was founded in 2013 with the idea to solve the technical issue of eliminating natural sugars from fruit. The company’s patented process enables them to extract 90% of all natural sugars from the fruit so that their 100% fruit juice contains less than 1g of sugar per serving.

Other brands are adapting by adding natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit. However, some premium juice brands don’t like the idea of adulterating pure juice. It will be a battle of brands trying to create the most premium juices while decreasing sugar at the same time. They still have to taste delicious and make consumers feel like they are making a healthy choice.

Inspired by bevnet.com

 

The CDC Says Only 1 in 10 Adults Eat Enough Fruits or Vegetables

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Center for Disease Control released new research in November 2017 detailing the issues with adult fruit and vegetable consumption in 2015. The new study found that just 1 in 10 adults meet the U.S federal recommendations for fruits and vegetables. Depending on age and sex, the national guidelines recommend adults to eat at least 1.5 to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables.

A Closer Look at CDC Research

An average of only 9 percent of U.S. adults met the intake recommendations for vegetables in 2015; ranging from 6 percent in West Virginia to 12 percent in Alaska. An average of only 12 percent met their intake recommendations for fruit in 2015; ranging from 7 percent in West Virginia to 16 percent in Washington D.C. The overall results pointed to an alarming trend that consumption was lower among men, younger adults, and adults living in poverty.

“This report highlights that very few Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day, putting them at risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. As a result, we’re missing out on the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that fruits and vegetables provide.”

Seung Hee Lee Kwan, Ph.D
CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

Barriers to Increased Consumption of Fruits and Veggies

The CDC has indicated again as it has revealed in previous studies that there are significant barriers to consumption. They have found that high cost, limited availability, limited access, and perceived lack of cooking and preparation time are the top barriers stopping people from eating more. How can we can we fix these issues?

Strategies to Increase Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

my plate usda cdc fruits and vegetables nutrifusionIt’s understood that consuming fruits and veggies is critical to reducing your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity. The CDC developed a guide with strategies to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Here are a few:

  1. Start or expand farm to institution programs in childcare, schools, hospitals, and workplaces
  2. Improve access to retail stores and markets that sell high-quality fruits and veggies
  3. Ensure access to fruits and vegetables in cafeterias and other foodservice venues in worksites, hospitals, and universities

GrandFusion is Key to More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Processed Foods

NutriFusion has worked hard to create a nutrient-dense fruit and vegetable powder that stabilized and concentrates the natural vitamins and minerals. This is incredibly important to processed food manufacturers and brands. You are now able to add the nutritional equivalent to 2 servings of fruits and vegetables with pinky nail’s worth of powder. Interested in learning more about how GrandFusion can make your products healthier with essential micronutrients? Visit your industry-specific page to learn more.

 

Branded Produce Now Represents 38.5% of Total Produce Sales

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Nielsen recently released a report that showcased the growth happening in the produce aisle. According to their report, branded produce dollar share grew by 7.7% between 2012 and 2016. Based on this kind of growth, it should be no surprise that branded produce is ripe for more sales.

Consumers are Choosing Branded Produce Over Their Non-Branded Equivalents

In just the last year, branded produce sales grew by 8% with unbranded equivalents’ sales decreasing by 8.6%. Consumers are not attracted to produce brands like traditional brands instead they emphasize the information that brands share on packaging like organic, non-GMO, vitamins, etc.

The branded produce snacks market has started to take off with items like hummus and carrots, guacamole cups, pre-made salads, etc. The category now represents $1.1 billion in sales with branded options controlling 72% of the market share.

Dole Partners With Disney to Sell to Kids

Everyone wants kids to eat healthier, but it is still the biggest challenge for parents and food manufacturers. Dole partnered with Disney to feature famous characters from Frozen, Star Wars, and more on their point of purchase displays and packaging. This has helped Dole sell healthier snacks to parents because their kids are putting the products in the cart.

Branding the Future of Fruits and Vegetables

Branded fruits and veggies have plenty of room to grow over the next ten years as more people engage in healthier lifestyles. Don’t expect a huge advertising spending spree from these brands, but look out for new packaging, labeling, and social media efforts to resonate with younger millennial shoppers.

Inspired by www.nielsen.com

Researchers at Boston University May Have Found a Way to Test for CTE

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, is a degenerative brain disease that is being found in many professional football players and athletes who have experienced repeated head trauma. The sad fact about CTE is that currently it cannot be diagnosed until the person dies. What a difference it would in these people’s lives if we could diagnose CTE while they are living. Well, researchers at Boston University may have just figured it out.

Research Points to Protein, CLL11, as a Marker for Identifying CTE

Researchers at Boston University’s School of Medicine identified an inflammatory protein, CLL11, as a possible reflection of the presence of CTE in people’s brains. They believe the protein can be found in spinal fluid as well as the bloodstream in living patients.

Dr. Ann McKee, a co-author of the study, believes this is just the beginning, and the key to this discovery is to start finding the disease at its earliest stages. She directs the medical school’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, which earlier this year found evidence of the degenerative disease in 110 of 111 of professional football players who donated their brains to the program after their death. McKee says the research is still far away from where it needs to be to help these players. Researchers will need to find that the protein is a reliable sign of the disease, which will include precisely understanding the levels of CLL11 in the bloodstream and how that relates to concentrations in the brain.

The Study Shows Positive Signs

The research team at Boston University tapped into several brain banks including 23 brains from former athletes, 50 brains with Alzheimer’s disease, and 18 healthy brains. Researchers measured the levels of CLL11 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex which they found is the most affected area of the brain by CTE.

They found that levels of CLL11 were remarkably higher in brains with CTE versus brains with Alzheimer’s. The levels were even greater than the healthy brains. Another correlation that the study concluded was that CLL11 levels rose as a function of years playing football.

McKee and team stumbled onto CLL11 as a possible biomarker because it is a universal sign of inflammation in the brain’s tiniest blood vessels. She believes that looking closer at the small vessels that carry oxygen to brain’s farthest recesses may be the promising tell for CTE. Stay tuned to more research from McKee and team as they are determined to help find a way to diagnose this degenerative disease.

Inspired by www.latimes.com

Mom’s Sweet Tooth May Be to Blame for Child’s Allergies

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The World Health Organization reports that around 235 million people suffer from asthma and children lead the list. To make matters worse, the number is predicted to increase to 400 million by the year 2025.

Asthma is a global health threat, and reports indicate that 50% of children are more sensitive to one or more allergens. This respiratory epidemic has been rising over the last 50 years, and the unlikely cause is the change in diet.

If your child is suffering from allergies, then chances are that the culprit is your sweet tooth. In a study published in the European Respiratory Journal, women who consume sugary foods during pregnancy may increase the risk of their baby developing allergies.

According to the lead author of the study, Annabelle Bedard from the Queen Mary University of London, there has been a rise when it comes to the intake of free sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup over the last five decades. Free sugar is not found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and these include syrups, honey, sweeteners, and table sugar to name a few.

How the Study Was Conducted on Children’s Allergies 

The researchers used data obtained from 9,000 mother and child pairs in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. This is a long-term and ongoing research study that tracks the health of families with children who were born between April 1991 and December 1992.

To investigate the connection between the diet of the mother and the allergies of their children, the researchers calculated the number of free sugars consumed by women during their pregnancy through questionnaires. The researchers then looked into the sugar consumption and the allergies of their children.

The Sugar-Allergy Relationship

The study shows that 62% of children in the study do not suffer from any allergies, but the rest suffered from common allergies (22%), eczema (16%), and asthma (12%). On the other hand, the researchers looked into the sugar consumption of moms during pregnancy.

Children from moms who had a high sugar intake have a 38% increased risk of developing allergies compared to those who are born from moms who consumed less sugar. The researchers calculated that kids from moms who consumed more sugar are also likely to suffer from two or more allergies such as asthma, hay fever, and eczema. For instance, the risk of allergic asthma increased by 101% for kids born from moms with high sugar consumption group versus the low sugar group.

Although there is a strong link, researchers emphasized that the results are inconclusive such that there are other factors that can lead children to suffer from allergies. Allergies are complex diseases that are associated with different factors such as genetic defects, pollutants, and many others.

In fact, senior lecturer in immunology at the University of Manchester, Sheena Cruickshank, noted that more studies should be carried out to determine the cause of the relationship between sugar consumption of mothers and the allergies of their children.

Inspired by www.cnn.com

Coconut Oil as Unhealthy as Butter and Beef Fat

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Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of mature coconuts using heat. It is preferred by many people because it can last for six months at room temperature without spoiling. While experts argue about the health benefits of coconut oil, recent studies suggest that this particular type of oil is as unhealthy as butter, lard and beef drippings.

Why Is Coconut Oil Unhealthy?                                                                                                           

What makes coconut oil unhealthy? The American Heart Association noted that coconut oil contains high amounts of saturated fat. Saturated fat is the type of fatty acid that is linked to the rise of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. LDL is also dubbed as bad cholesterol that can clog arteries thereby increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease.

The fat in coconut oil is 82% saturated fat, which makes it larger than that found in butter (63%), pork lard (39%), and beef fat (50%). This is the reason why it is so important for people to limit the amount of coconut oil that they should take and replace it with vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, canola oil, or olive oil.

 

How to Cut Down on Saturated Fats

People should steer clear from any sources of saturated fat. According to the UK Public Health agency, an average man should consume no more than 30 grams of saturated fat daily while women should eat a lesser amount.

But the responsibility should not only fall in the hands of consumers. Food manufacturers should also be responsible for improving packaged foods with high amounts of saturated fat.

Opting for healthier cooking alternatives is also an excellent way to cut back on your consumption of saturated fats. So instead of frying your potatoes, you can boil, grill, or bake them instead. Before cooking meats, it is also recommended to trim all the meat from fats so that the fat does not render and become oil. You can also make conscious efforts of omitting ingredients containing saturated fats when cooking.

But Is Fat Healthy?

Many health and nutrition experts believe that fat still plays a vital role in our health. Fats are essential so that the body can absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and E. It is important not to cut out fat completely from your diet.

But instead of stocking up on saturated fats, it is important that you consume healthier fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat increases your good cholesterol numbers so that the LDL cholesterol is pushed to the liver where they are disposed.

Inspired by www.bbc.com

Eat Less for a Long and Healthy Life

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In the United States, about 16% of people between the age 50 and 64 suffer from chronic illnesses. The number of occurrence of chronic disease rises with each decade of increment of age. Aging is an inevitable part of the human process. But there are ways on how to delay aging so that –both physical and physiological–do not manifest at all.

Calorie Restriction

Researchers are now studying ways of how we can enhance not only the quality of our lives but also our lifespan. According to Julie Mattison from the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), the most effective way to live longer and healthier is to eat less. Also dubbed as calorie restriction, eating less goes further than just cutting back on fatty foods but it also involves making radical reductions in terms of portion size in the long run.

In many studies on animals, researchers revealed that flies, worms, rats, and monkies subjected to 30% reduction of food intake are able to live longer and more actively. While it has been proven within the lower animal taxa that eating less can contribute to longer lives, this can be applicable to humans as well.

Aside from scientific research, the benefits of the effects of calorie restriction have been recorded in historical texts. For instance, the great Greek physician Hippocrates claimed that many diseases were associated with gluttony.

What Happens When You Eat Less?

So how does eating less help one live longer? To understand what is going on, you need to look at what is going on inside the body.  In a study published in 2015, blood was extracted from people who underwent calorie restriction. The blood analysis revealed that the amount of good cholesterol inside the blood increased and the tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) reduced by 25%. The tumor necrosis factors are molecules that are associated with the tumor formation. The more you have them in your blood, the more likely you will develop cancer in the future.

Aside from TNF and cholesterol, calorie restriction also increases insulin sensitivity by 40% thus it can also stabilize the blood sugar levels back to normal.  But more than anything else, the most obvious benefit of eating less is massive weight loss. This is a very important advantage especially for people who have body mass index (BMI) above 30.

How to Eat Less Despite the Temptations

While it is easy to control the calorie intake of laboratory animals, the same thing cannot be said for humans. So how can we eat less despite the presence of too many temptations around us? It is important for us to have access to low-calorie meals whether we are eating at a restaurant or buying prepared meals in convenience stores. It is also crucial to develop discipline when it comes to eating foods because no amount of low-calorie food delivery can match your discipline.

Inspired by www.bbc.com

Flexitarian Diet Could Decrease Chance of Obesity by 50%

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Obesity is one of the most pressing health problems affecting many countries. With the wrong food choices and lack of activity, it has become a worldwide epidemic that is associated with different diseases like strokes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. While many types of diets claim to be useful in letting people shed off their unwanted pounds, none are as efficient as a pro-vegetarian diet.

A study conducted in Spain noted that a flexitarian diet could help reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 50%. A flexitarian diet is pro-vegetarian, but it encourages people to consume fish and meat occasionally and favors the consumption of more fruits, vegetables, and grains. The flexitarian diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet that encourages dieters to consume more grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables instead of red meat.

The Flexitarian Study

The study involves 16,000 individuals who were tracked for ten years on their diet preferences. The survey asked the participants to complete food questionnaires where they were scored on how flexitarian their diets were. Based on the studies, participants get more points for eating plant-based foods than meats. The points were deducted for the animal products consumed.

Based on the study, 20% of the respondents consumed more animal products while the others are leaning towards the vegetarian diet. Researchers found that those who consume mostly plant-based foods were 43% less likely to develop obesity.

How Much Is Too Much?

While consuming a few animal products is good for maintaining a healthy weight, the question is how much meat is too much? The study revealed that those who consumed 200 grams of red meat a day have higher chances of becoming obese. Consumption of fish was also noted, but it had little impact on the obesity rates.

 

According to one of the authors of the study, Professor Maira Bes-Rastrollo, the study recommended people to consume less red meat and opt for increasing the consumption of plant-based foods. The dangers of too much meat consumption are that it has been associated with higher intake of fat, calories, and less consumption of fiber from vegetables. This increases the risk of developing chronic lifestyle diseases.

Limitations of The Study

The study may encourage people to switch to a more pro-vegetarian diet, but the study has its weaknesses and limitations as it is conducted as an observational study. Researchers could have recruited people to eat a vegetarian diet to compare it with the other group – the one who ate mostly meat. To get the most benefits out of the flexitarian diets, nutritionists and health experts recommend cooking your own food instead of eating out to keep track of the ingredients used.

Although this may be the case, choosing to follow the flexitarian diet can bring a lot of benefits to the body. In fact, it is considered by many health experts as one of the most balanced diets anyone who wishes to stay healthy should follow.

Inspired by www.theguardian.com