General Nutrition

Banning new fast-food restaurants in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles failed to improve residents eating habits or keep them from getting fatter, according to new research published in Social Science & Medicine. The ban, which also restricted remodeling of fast-food eateries, was enacted in 2008 in hopes of combating obesity and improving health outcomes among South Los Angeles 700,000 residents. But the only subsequent improvement in consumption patterns-a drop in soft-drink intake-was seen as well in areas without the ban. Overweight and obesity rates actually increased more in the regulated neighborhoods, and consumption of fast food rose regardless of the rules. The chief effect of the regulations was to shift retail developments from fast-food franchises to small food and convenience stores. While the ban may have symbolic value, researchers concluded, it has had no measurable impact on improving diets or reducing obesity.

Americans consume more than $7 billion a year worth of yogurt, with hundreds of new yogurt products introduced annually. In survey after survey, consumers say the healthfulness of yogurt is top among the reasons they eat it.

If you grew up thinking of nuts as a not-very-good-for-you indulgence, theres a growing pile of evidence that should change your mind about these healthy foods. For a long time, consumers thought that coffee raises blood pressure, eggs cause heart disease, chocolate is an unhealthy treat, and nuts make you fat, says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory. However, such conclusions were often based on very little science and several mistaken assumptions. The latest news in nuts rehabilitation comes from two studies spotlighting the heart-health benefits of almonds and peanuts.

Wine drinkers may be less likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee, while drinking beer is associated with greater risk of osteoarthritis in both the knee and hip. Writing in Arthritis Research & Therapy, British researchers reported those findings from an analysis of nearly 3,000 participants in the Genetics of OA and Lifestyle study.But dont change your drinking preferences based on this study alone. The interpretation of these observations is complicated by the relatively weak nature of evidence from the retrospective case-control study design used by the studys authors along with the lack of supporting evidence in the literature for this relationship, says Paul F. Jacques, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Nutritional Epidemiology Program.

Yes, eggs are back on the menu, and not only is it OK to wash them down with a cup of coffee (watch the cream and sugar), it may even be good for you. On the other hand, you should cut down on added sugars. But those headlines from the recently released report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) arent the most important takeaway from the every-five-years review of scientific evidence. That should be the importance of a healthy overall dsietary pattern.

Tufts professor Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, who served as vice-chair of the committee, also warns not to confuse the experts report with the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The committee was tasked with writing a report that summarized the scientific evidence for use by the secretaries of agriculture and health and human services to formulate the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, she explains. Our task was not to make recommendations, but to identify critical issues and present the data on the topic.

Lichtenstein and a fellow professor at Tufts Friedman School, Miriam Nelson, PhD, have been meeting with 12 colleagues since June 2013 to develop the report. Tufts Tim Griffin also served as a consultant to the committee on sustainability. The US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services are expected to follow up on their work by issuing the updated official Dietary Guidelines by years end.

Given the caveat that the experts 571-page report isnt the last word, what would these nutrition experts like you to know about the latest evidence? Here are five key points:

In a first-of-its-kind analysis of worldwide dietary patterns, researchers from Tufts and the University of Cambridge found overall diet quality worsened even as consumption of healthier foods increased in many countries. The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, compared trends in 1990 and 2010. Overall, increases in unhealthy foods outpaced beneficial dietary changes, especially in middle-income nations.

The US Department of Agriculture has approved two new bioengineered apple varieties that use genes from other fruit trees to resist browning when the apples are cut or bruised and exposed to air. Developed by a Canadian biotech company, the Arctic Granny and Arctic Golden apples will begin to reach stores late next year. Organic growers and critics of genetically modified (GMO) foods had opposed the USDAs action, but the agency ruled that the apples are unlikely to pose a plant risk to agriculture.

Dont believe everything you read about coconut oil, the US Food and Drug Administration cautions. The agency issued a warning letter to Carrington Farms, a maker of coconut products, over claims that coconut oil and its chemical constituents treat diseases. Claims included treating gastroenteritis, ringworm, hemorrhoids, ear aches, joint and muscle inflammation, and heart disease. Such disease claims are limited to pharmaceutical products. Moreover, the FDA noted that coconut oil cannot be touted as low in calories or as healthy because that term can be used only for foods containing less than 15% of calories from fat.

Readers of this newsletter know that drinking fruit juice is no substitute for consuming whole fruits. Processing fruit into juice loses most of the fiber, often adds sugar, and damages some of the nutrients that make fruit such a healthy choice. But people who nonetheless like to start their day with a glass of orange juice can take some encouragement from a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It found that juicing may improve how readily certain nutrients can be absorbed by the body.

Young consumers in Generation Z, under age 20, are making health a priority when making food choices-and are willing to pay more for it. A new Nielsen survey of 30,000 people in 60 countries, the Global Health and Wellness Survey, reports that 41% of younger consumers say they would pay a premium for foods they perceive as healthier. That compares to 32% of Millennials (ages 21 to 34) and about 21% of Baby Boomers (about age 50 to mid-60s). People of all ages say overwhelmingly-80%-they are using food choices to try to prevent obesity and chronic diseases. Marketers seeking to appeal to those concerns need to be careful, however, as 63% of those surveyed globally say they are skeptical of food health claims. Consumers in the US and Europe, where such claims are more tightly regulated, were less likely to express skepticism (56% and 51%, respectively) than those in developing countries