Todays Newsbites

Darker-roasted peanuts pack a greater antioxidant punch, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in North Carolina. The researchers measured antioxidant levels in peanuts roasted at 362 degrees from zero to 77 minutes. Longer, darker roasting was consistently associated with higher levels of both water- and oil-soluble antioxidants, which scientists attributed to greater concentrations of phenolic compounds and/or browning reaction products.

Turning off the TV might help you lose weight-but only a little, reports the first study to measure the effects of a TV reduction intervention in adults. Researchers spent three weeks observing the viewing habits of 36 volunteers, all overweight or obese. Then 20 randomly selected participants had their TVs fitted with a device that shut off the screen after theyd reached a weekly limit of half their previous viewing time. The other 16 served as a control group, watching all the TV they wanted.

The American Dietetic Association says a nutritious diet, not pills, is the best way to promote health and reduce the risk of disease. In a new position statement, the dieticians group stated, The best nutrition-based strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods.

New government data suggest that while US levels of obesity and overweight remain far too high, the rate of increase may be slowing. About one-third of adults were obese in the latest analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

In another new study on obesity, the toll of excess weight on Americans health and quality of life was reported to have overtaken that of smoking, even though tobacco still poses a greater mortality threat. The analysis of 15 years of public-health data concluded that by 2008, the obese were losing more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) through disability and limitations on activity. That contrasts with 1993, when the QALYs lost to obesity were far behind the toll of smoking.

Dehydration has long been known to compromise physical performance. Now, a new Tufts study provides insight into the effects of mild dehydration on young athletes, and possibly into the lives of people too busy to consume enough water daily. About 30 male and female Tufts students were assigned to either a dehydration group not given fluids during athletics, or a control group that was given water. Participants weighed in before and after athletics to assess body water loss. After athletic activity, participants underwent cognitive tests, which included short-term memory and mood scales.

Sugar producers may be celebrating and corn growers grumbling as softdrink companies turn to sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to sweeten their beverages-at least temporarily. Pepsi-Cola and Mountain Dew recently introduced Throwback soft drinks sweetened with sugar for a limited time only (the nostalgic promotion was scheduled to end Feb. 22). Some soft-drink fans swear the sugarsweetened sodas taste better, but are they also better for you? Chemically, both sugar and HFCS contain similar amounts of glucose and fructose.

New York City officials are leading the charge in a nationwide effort to reduce the amounts of salt in packaged and restaurant foods. The National Salt Reduction Initiative aims to cut such hidden salt-a major source of dietary sodium-by 25% over the next five years. New York is the first to enact the initiatives targets, with final approval expected this spring.

Dessert is off the menu for the American Heart Association. The AHAs red heart checkmark symbol, introduced in 1995 as one of the first front-of-package nutrition labeling plans, will no longer be issued to desserts, and the five desserts still carrying the symbol wont be allowed to renew their certification. The move comes as part of the heart groups ramped-up battle against sugar (see story page 1).

When consumers see on the Nutrition Facts panel that a product provides 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of carbohydrates, some interpret that percentage to mean the product is made up of 25% carbohydrates. Thats one of the findings in a new research project by the Interna - tional Food Information Council, an industry association. The results are being provided to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is currently undertaking its own research before possible changes to nutrition labeling.