How Safe Are Food Preservatives?

Preservatives keep food products fresh long enough for them to get from the factory to the supermarket and eventually find a place on your dining table. They do this by slowing down the natural breakdown of fats, delaying the ripening process of fresh foods, and destroying or slowing down the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that would otherwise grow on food.

Sometimes, preservatives are used strictly to keep foods safe, but they are also used to maintain the quality of a food. For instance, bacon and other processed meat products that contain preservatives stay fresh and safe to eat for longer periods of time than similar products that are preservative-free. Canned foods, however, stay safe to eat for years because of the temperatures and technology involved in the canning process. Any preservatives used in canned foods are most likely there to preserve the color, texture, or overall integrity of the product but have little or nothing to do with safety.

Salt and sugar are natural preservatives that help prevent spoilage if used in high enough amounts in certain foods, such as salt in dried meats and sugar in fruit jams. While you may want to limit the amounts of salt and sugar you consume in your overall diet, government leaders and consumer advocacy groups have few grounds for limiting their use by manufacturers in individual food products. When it comes to the level of chemical preservatives in some products, however, the food police step in.

Chemical food preservatives are included on the ingredient list required on all packaged foods. Some common preservatives you will see listed that are limited by government regulation include benzoates, sorbates, propionates, sulfites, sulfur dioxide, nitrites, nitrates, propyl gallate, BHA, BHT, erythorbic acid, and citric acid.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog organization, categorizes these preservatives as follows:

• Safe: citric acid, erythorbic acid, sorbic acid

• Cut back: salt, sugar

• Use with caution: BHT

• Certain people should avoid: sodium benzoate, sulfites, sulfur dioxide

• Avoid: BHA, propyl gallate, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite

In reviews of animal and human studies, CSPI found some associations between BHA, propyl gallate, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite and an increased risk of developing cancerous tumors.  But because there is not enough evidence showing a direct cause and effect between these preservatives and the onset of disease, they remain in use.

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Sources:

Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chemical Cuisine
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Oberg, C. "Food Preservation," Weber State University. Web. 11 Nov 2011
http://faculty.weber.edu/coberg/3853%20Food%20Preservation.htm

Blood Sugar Meters: The Number One Mistake

Accuracy counts when you measure your blood sugar, so it's crucial that you wash your hands thoroughly just before testing. That's because even microscopic pieces of fruit on your hands could skew the results of your finger prick blood test, causing your level to appear higher than it really is, a study shows.

Researchers for the study, which appeared in the journal Diabetes Care and was reported on Reuters Health, focused on 10 healthy volunteers, none with diabetes. The scientists, from the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, recorded the volunteers' blood sugar levels under various conditions.

They learned that when the study participants tested their blood sugar right after peeling fruit, their blood sugar levels skyrocketed. The study showed that the blood sugar went up to 170 mg. after peeling an orange, 180 mg. after peeling a kiwi, and 360 mg. after peeling a grape. Swabbing the finger with alcohol didn't help much. Even when participants swabbed their fingers five times, the blood sugar readings were still higher than normal.

To prevent this from happening, it's crucial to test when you have clean, dry hands, says Devon Carlson, MS, RD, of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center in New York City.  "And the inaccurate results don't just happen with fruit," she says. "It can also happen with other carbohydrates."

Fruit isn't the only culprit when it comes to getting an inaccurate blood sugar level, agrees Spyros Mezitis, MD, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"We tell our patients to not be exposed to anything sweet before they test," he says. "If you touch sweet foods, then you get a sugar layer on your hands and it takes a little time for that to come off."

If you have access to a sink, wash your hands in warm, soapy water, Carlson says. If you're on the go, using an alcohol swab is okay, but using alcohol to test every time is not a good idea since it can dry out your fingertips, Carlson says.

Realistically, getting a high blood sugar from handling sweet foods may not happen very often, Mezitis says. "People tend to check their blood sugar before they eat and then two hours after they eat," he says.  "The danger is that if you test your blood sugar and think it's high when it's not, you will give yourself insulin even when it's not needed."

A related problem can develop if your hands are wet when you test, says Carlson. If this happens, you may get a falsely low blood sugar reading. 

Carlson stresses that the study shouldn't have diabetics avoiding fruit, a good source of fiber and vitamins. It simply means they should take precautions not to handle it just before they test their blood sugar.

The best way for diabetics to eat fruit is to enjoy it with protein. "Pair it up with a source of protein, like some cheese or nuts, and it will slow down the digestion so your blood sugar won't get so high," Carlson suggests.

Source:
Pittman, Genevra. Fruit salad and blood sugar meters don't mix. 9 February 2011. Reuters Health.
http://www.qualityhealth.com/news/fruit-salad-blood-sugar-meters-dont-mix-21843

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The Truth About Teens and Sugar

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Teenagers who eat too much sugar may be putting their hearts at risk. A new study found that teens who consume a lot of sugary foods and beverages are more likely to have an increased risk of heart disease later in life. The study, published in the journal Circulation, was led by Jean Welsh, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

"We were a little surprised at the findings," Welsh told QualityHealth.com. "But it does make sense. If we're consuming higher amounts of sugar and more calories, then this puts us at increased risk for high triglycerides and higher levels of the bad cholesterol. And these can lead to heart disease." If you're thinking sugar's OK to eat as long as you steer clear of high fructose corn syrup, think again. "It doesn't seem as if there's any physiological difference between eating high fructose corn syrup versus sugar," Welsh says.

Her study examined the dietary preferences of 646 teenagers and found that they were eating a lot more sugar than what was recommended by the American Heart Association. Teens who need 2,200 calories a day should eat no more than 150 calories a day in added sugar, according to the AHA. Yet research from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) found that the typical teenager eats nearly 500 calories in added sugar daily.

The overall message? "It's about just being aware of the sugar in the foods we consume overall," Welsh says. "And being aware that sugar is pretty high in our diets, and there may be some long-term heart risks because of this."

But for worried parents, it can be hard to persuade teenagers to cut down on sugar. They're not constantly under their parent's watchful eyes. So how can you motivate your kid to reduce sugar intake?

If your kid loves sugar, don't avoid purchasing foods that have no nutritional benefits. Buy foods that have healthy ingredients in addition to the sugar, recommends Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., RD, professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont. Presweetened cereals that are high in whole grains or fiber, or sweetened yogurt are good examples. "Then it's not as if they're getting totally sugar with no other added nutrients," Johnson says.

Expose your kids to non-sweet foods often. "We know that exposure to these foods leads to a preference for these foods," Johnson says. "Kids will learn to eat and drink less sweet foods."

Encourage your kids to exercise. "The more they exercise, the better," says Santiago Valdes, MD, assistant professor in pediatric cardiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Show your kids how much sugar is in their pastries, soda, cereals, and cookies. They may be shocked to find out just how much they're eating. "If you take a basic yogurt that has 28 grams of sugar and the kids know that just four grams represents a teaspoon of sugar, they are usually shocked," says Ileana Vargas, MD, of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center in New York City.

Talk to your teens about soda consumption, Vargas says. Explain that if they just drink one 150-calorie can of soda a day, they can increase their weight by about 15 pounds a year. (You multiply the 150 calories by 365 days and then divide by 3,500, which is the number of calories it takes to burn a pound.) And obesity is a risk factor for heart disease.

Set a good example. "Kids get used to eating a certain way from their parents, and if they see you eating a lot of cookies and cake, they will want to do the same," Vargas says.

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Sources:

Welsh, Jean A., Sharma, Andrea, Cunningham, Solveig A., Vos, Miriam B. "Consumption of added sugars and indicators of cardiovascular disease risk among US adolescents." 10 January 2011. Circulation.

Sabharwal, Neharika. "Teens with high sugar diet up their risk of heart disease - study." 12 January 2011.
http://www.themedguru.com/20110112/newsfeature/teens-high-sugar-diet-their-risk-heart-disease-study-86143323.html

View the original article here