Todays Newsbites

Its true of ice cream and rice cakes, but people tend to generalize such associations of mouthfeel and calories to all foods: Soft and creamy foods that melt in your mouth have more calories than foods that are crunchy and rough-or so we assume, according to a new study. Researchers reported the results of five laboratory studies in the Journal of Consumer Research, comparing, for example, how many calories subjects estimated were in hard versus soft brownies. Foods that were hard, crunchy or had a rough texture were generally rated as lower in calories than choices that were smooth and required less chewing. Surprisingly, participants overestimated calorie counts of all the foods, but guesses for soft and creamy foods were even further inflated.

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, has been appointed dean of Tufts Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, the only graduate school of nutrition in the US. Dr. Mozaffarian has been an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, where he is co-founder and co-director of the Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology. He is also an associate professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital.

Participants in a recently announced nationwide study wont get to eat chocolate candy in the name of science, but they will be testing the cocoa flavanols thought to give dark chocolate heart-healthy properties. The four-year study will give participants either a placebo or flavorless capsules containing doses of cocoa flavanols higher than could be easily obtained by eating chocolate. It will be by far the largest trial of the chocolate compounds, which previous findings have…

Plans to become more active once people have greater free time after retirement may be just that, according to a new British study. Among 3,334 men and women followed over about 10 years, those who retired during the study period showed significant declines in physical activity compared to their working years. All were employed at the studys start, but 785 subsequently retired. Researchers measured physical activity in metabolic equivalents (METS); mowing the lawn, for example,…

When the US Food and Drug Administration began requiring trans fat amounts to be listed on Nutrition Facts labels in 2006, it left what some regard as a loophole: Products containing trans fat with less than 0.5 grams per serving could nonetheless be labeled 0 g trans fat. Crunching the numbers on a database of 130,000 branded and private-label food products, however, revealed that concerns about heart-unhealthy trans fat lurking under that 0 grams label…

The largest study of its kind reports that married people are less likely to suffer from a range of cardiovascular problems, from heart disease to stroke to circulatory issues. In an analysis of data on more than 3.5 million Americans, average age 64, whod undergone health screenings by a private company, married people were 5% less likely to have cardiovascular problems than singles. Compared to married participants, widowed people were at 3% greater risk and divorced people at 5% more risk. The correlation between marital status and cardiovascular health was strongest for those under age 50.

A slew of lawsuits-58 in 2013 alone-hasnt persuaded the food industry to jump off the natural-labeling bandwagon. Some experts had predicted that fear of legal action over the vague definition of natural might deter companies from using the term, which has been challenged in products using genetically modified (GMO) ingredients or high-fructose corn syrup, for example. But Mintel, which tracks global product launches, reports that 14% of new food products introduced in the US last…

Administration has proposed the most significant changes in nutrition labels since the government started requiring them in 1992. The Nutrition Facts labels were last modified in 2006, with the addition of trans fat data. The latest FDA proposal goes much further, revising portion sizes, the labels appearance and which nutrients must be included and even how theyre calculated. But dont look for the new labels on grocery shelves anytime soon:

Flax fans are applauding Health Canadas Food Directorate, which has approved the first health claim for ground flaxseed as a food that improves cholesterol. Products containing flaxseed can now boast that daily consumption of 40 grams (five tablespoons) of the ground seed lowers unhealthy cholesterol levels. Grinding or milling the seeds, the agency noted, makes nutrients such as omega-3s more bioavailable. Flaxseeds can easily be incorporated into a wide range of food products, and very finely milled ingredients derived from the seeds can even be added to beverages. Canada leads the world in flax production.

A pair of discoveries, reported in the journal PLoS One, may lead to better broccoli in the produce aisle. University of Illinois researchers, seeking to boost levels of anti-cancer glucosinolate compounds found in broccoli and similar vegetables, sprayed the plants shortly before harvest with methyl jasmonate. That natural, non-toxic plant signal chemical tells genes in the broccoli to produce the desired anti-cancer agents. Unfortunately, testing showed it also accelerated the production of ethylene, which causes plants to decay. Spraying a second chemical recently discovered in plants, 1-methylcyclopropene, was found to block the ethylene and prolong shelf life. The one-two punch, scientists hope, will help protect against cancer while also protecting the broccoli in your fridge.