1 December 2019

GI News - December 2019

GI News

GI News is published online every month by the University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre, and delivered to the mailboxes of our 97,000 subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs that are digested at a rate that our bodies can comfortably accommodate and to share the latest scientific findings on food and diet with a particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the glycemic index.

Publisher:
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com

Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service
Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD, APD, AN
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FOOD, DIET AND HEALTH: HOW YOU CAN CHECK THE EVIDENCE
Low carb diets. Low fat diets. Owning a dog. Eating leafy greens. Fermented foods. Dairy foods. Eggs. Salt. Sugar. We are bombarded with conflicting messages about food, diet and health in the media and on-line. Universities and research organisations keen to promote their staff and their findings in turn bombard the media with often inflated press releases. How do we work out who or what to believe? In Food for Thought, Dr Alan Barclay explains the different kinds of evidence and how compelling it is, or isn’t.

Evidence pyramid

THE STUDY: HOW COMPELLING IS THE EVIDENCE? 
 
1. RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) ARE CONSIDERED THE “GOLD STANDARD”, providing the highest level of evidence, as they can prove that intervention A improves health outcome B, while all other known factors (known as confounders such as age, gender, body mass index, etc.) have been accounted for by the randomisation process. The process of studying people tends to improve their health independent of the intervention itself, because people know that they are being monitored and are more conscious of their health, and are consequently being more careful about what they eat and drink, so having a control group is vital. Only randomised controlled trials are able to show that a particular intervention causes a particular outcome.

2. OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES PROVIDE MEDIUM LEVEL EVIDENCE because scientists are simply observing and measuring people’s behaviour at a point in time, or over a particular time frame, without randomising them to groups and providing different dietary interventions. The best epidemiological evidence comes from large prospective cohort studies where large groups (typically thousands) of people have a medical check-up, their dietary patterns are measured, and they are followed up regularly for long periods of time (e.g., 5–25 years).

Observational studies can’t provide as high a level of evidence as RCTs can as it is not possible to control for all confounders (e.g. people who are already overweight may drink more beverages than those who aren’t, as fluid requirements are proportional to body size, and being overweight is an independent risk factor for developing many chronic diseases), and our tools of observation (e.g. a food frequency questionnaire for measuring a person’s usual food and drink intake) are imperfect. Observational studies are only able to prove that event A is associated with outcome Z. It’s possible that unknown or unmeasured intermediary factors (B, C, D, E, etc) are involved. They are not able to prove that event A causes outcome Z – only RCTs can.

3. ANIMAL STUDIES ONLY PROVIDE LOW LEVELS OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, however, they can be used to generate hypotheses that can be tested in human populations (either using RCTs or observational studies) and to investigate hypothesised physiological mechanisms in experiments that cannot be ethically conducted in people. They are also used to determine the toxic dose of novel ingredients, like food additives, for example, and results are extrapolated to people using a large safety factor (typically 100 x).

HOW SCIENTISTS REVIEW EVIDENCE: 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEWS are based on careful searches of scientific databases (e.g., PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library) with pre-determined search terms looking for all of the research published on a particular topic over a long period of time (ideally with no time constraints). Once all studies have been identified, researchers then go through each paper’s reference lists to make sure as best as possible that they have not missed any additional evidence. The data from each paper is then extracted and the results summarised in a table. The quality of each study is also rated or graded. Strong conclusions can be drawn from the summarised data.

2. META-ANALYSES can be performed when three or more similarly designed studies on a particular health outcome have been published in scientific journals. The outcome data from each study is entered into specialised software and weighted according to the study size and statistical significance. A final summary statistic is given that indicates whether an intervention is effective, and if so, how effective.

3. SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS are considered the highest level of evidence. Cochrane reviews are a good example of this method. You can also do systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. However, because the underlying study design is not as robust as the randomised controlled trials, they are not considered to be as high a level of evidence as a Cochrane review, for example.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? 
If the latest study broadcast in the news is: 

  • A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials then the results are worth taking notice of if the people involved are similar to you, and live under similar circumstances. 
  • A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of observational studies then the results are interesting, but a randomised controlled trial in humans that studied the same effect would be necessary to prove that the relationship was causal.
  • A systematic literature review and meta-analysis based on an animal study or in vitro (test-tube) study, then more research in people is needed to prove the hypothesis.
Source: www.dralanbarclay.com

WHAT’S NEW?

3 FIXES FOR A MEDIA DIET OF QUESTIONABLE SCIENCE
Will leafy green vegetables prevent dementia? Or does living near heavy traffic cause it? ConscienHealth’s Ted Kyle summarises John Ioannidis’ JAMA opinion piece describing our woeful current media diet of questionable science and minor issues, while serious and substantial health concerns get little attention.

Mad scientist
1. FOCUS ON BIGGER ISSUES 
Scientific articles are getting more attention these days in the media. Ioannidis looked at the top 100 papers ranked by how much media attention they received. Altimetric scores were the measure. He found roughly half of the stories dealt with health and lifestyle. But the focus was mostly on trivial issues like coffee’s effect on lifespan. Even if it’s real, it’s not really big. Pointless arguments about fats versus carbs are big too.

Ioannidis says the answer is obvious. Focus on bigger issues, like tobacco and obesity. Those subjects received relatively little attention, he said. He did find one bright spot, though. Exercise is both important for health and amply covered in the media.

2. FOCUS ON CLEAR RESULTS 
Because scientific controversies get so much attention, the public gets many conflicting messages. For example, Ioannidis pointed to recent controversial papers regarding red meat. Media attention, as measured by Altimetric, went sky high on these studies.

This kind of food fight is unhelpful, he writes: “Some expert advocates in these fields have a large number of followers in social media that broadcast their beliefs and attack opponents as being unethical, conflicted individuals. Perhaps this behavior is based on good intentions (e.g., to save lives), but heated advocacy is unsuitable for thoughtful, disinterested scientific exchange. It seems more akin to religious dedication to intolerant sects. Promoting such conflicts in the media offers little public benefit.”

3. STOP HYPING OBSERVATIONAL FINDINGS
Most of the high-scoring health and lifestyle articles were based on observational research. What’s more, those observational studies attract extreme news coverage. More so than randomized, controlled studies with null results. In other words, once a supposition arises from a weak observational study, even a well-controlled study might not kill it.

Ioannidis says that observational research should be rare in high-impact journals (like JAMA). Instead, they should appear mostly in journals for specialized audiences, with appropriate caveats. Press releases for such studies should fade away.

Sensation has always sold newspapers. And today, it provides great clickbait. But serious health journalists can do better. They would do well to pay attention to Ioannidis.

Read more:

PRODUCT REVIEW

DRIED FRUITS: 5 FIBRE BOOSTERS 
Eating dried fruit is a great snack or natural sweetener in porridge oats or muesli. It not only helps you get those 2 plus serves of fruit a day, it adds to your intake of fibre, antioxidants, prebiotics, vitamins and minerals.

DRIED FRUITS
Drying fruit keeps bacteria at bay by reducing water content (from around 90% down to around 5–35%) and concentrating the sugars. Sun drying is still carried out in many parts of the world – Turkish sun-dried apricots, for example, are much sought after. Most fruits (and vegetables) are dried in dehydrators. Processors typically add sulfur dioxide (E220) to ensure they keep their appealing colour and texture and prevent them from oxidising and browning. Organic versions may not have good looks, but they are equally delicious, if not more so. Check out the GI, kilojoules (calories), carbs and fibre of five popular dried fruits.

DRIED APRICOTS
GI 31
APRICOTS
DATES
GI 39–45
DATES
DRIED FIGS
GI 61
FIGS
PRUNES (DRIED PLUMS)
GI 40
PRUNES
RAISINS
GI 49
RAISINS
Read more:

PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY

DRIED FRUITS KEEP IT REGULAR
The World Health Organisation classifies traditional dried fruits like apples, apricots, dates, figs, prunes, pears, raisins and sultanas as “fruit”, and like fresh fruit, their natural sugars content is not defined as “free sugars”. In contrast, some dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, cherries, strawberries and mangoes are often infused with sugar syrup or fruit juices prior to drying – although these fruits can also be dried without any infusion, which adds to consumer confusion. Candied fruits such as pineapples and papaya have a high added sugar content, but this is generally not mentioned on food labels. Check the nutrition information panel.

DRIED FRUITS
There are a number of reasons why sugar and or/sugar syrups are added to dried fruit:

  • It improves palatability to tart fruits (e.g. cranberries) by adding sweetness. 
  • It helps a sweet fruit remain soft throughout its shelf life since sugar and sugar syrups act as natural humectants (a kind of food additive used to reduce moisture loss). 
  • Sugar and or/sugar syrups also have a preservative function by helping to reduce the water activity within the fruit, decreasing microbial growth. 
THE NUTRIENT CONTENT of traditional dried fruits is similar to the fresh fruit equivalent, though more concentrated due to their lower water content. Traditional dried fruits are therefore good sources of dietary fibre and a number of micronutrients including vitamins A, certain B group vitamins, Vitamin K and potassium, but unlike most fresh fruits, they are not good sources of vitamin C which is lost in processing.

Dried fruits are high in a range of dietary fibres and other bioactive compounds with prebiotic effects (e.g. polyphenols), while some dried fruits (e.g., prunes and apricots) also contain high levels of the sugar alcohol sorbitol, which has laxative properties and also increases stool weight.

GUT HEALTH is of major public health importance around the world and low stool weight, delayed gut transit time and alterations in the gut microbiome along with their associated metabolites (e.g. short-chain fatty acids), are key risk factors for common gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. constipation, diverticular disease, colorectal cancers, etc.), all of which can be manipulated via the diet. For example, increased stool weight is one of the major mechanisms underlying the relationship between high intakes of dietary fibre and reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

There are currently a small number of high-quality human studies that show some benefits of traditional dried fruits (e.g. prunes) in some areas of gut health (e.g., stool weight/frequency). Like many areas of research, more studies are warranted to extend our knowledge of the potential beneficial impact for public health, particularly investigating the full range of dried fruits and investigating the relative contribution of dietary fibre and sorbitol to these effects.

DRIED FRUITS AND DENTAL HEALTH There is some concern about the potential impact of dried fruit on dental health, particularly dental caries – where bacteria in dental plaque ferment free sugars resulting in acid production. Free sugars can come from both sugary and starchy foods (certain starches are broken down into the sugar glucose in the mouth by salivary amylase). When the acid level (pH) falls below 5.5 in the mouth, tooth enamel can soften. After repeated insults it can result in the formation of tooth cavities, eventually resulting in dental caries.

For dried fruit to contribute to dental caries, the sugars present in the food matrix need to be solubilised and diffuse into dental plaque. The rate of solubilisation depends on the location of the sugars in the dried fruit matrix (inside or outside the cellular structure), the fruit texture, and the force and frequency of chewing. Other influential factors include plaque thickness, the length of time dried fruit stays in the mouth allowing the sugars to dissolve, and the buffering capacity of saliva (which affects acid levels in the mouth). The different categories of dried fruit may, therefore, behave differently in the mouth.

With a pH of 7, saliva is the tooth’s natural protective mechanism, buffering the effect of oral acids. Following each eating episode, there is a time lapse of approximately 40 minutes before resting oral pH is restored. Therefore, eating less sugary and starchy foods between main meals may help decrease the risk of dental caries.

A recent systematic review addressed the perception that dried fruit adheres to teeth and is detrimental to teeth because of its sugars content. No randomised controlled trials were identified that explored dental caries as an outcome per se, as this would be unethical. One observational study was identified but the intake of dried fruit was too low for any meaningful analysis. One study investigated the effect of whole and juiced fruits and vegetables and whole raisins individually on net demineralisation of enamel compared with positive and negative controls, and found statistically significant net demineralisation with all test foods compared with the negative control, suggesting that raisins were not more detrimental to teeth than fresh fruits or vegetables.

Studies of oral clearance have used different methods and endpoints, and improved techniques for assessment are needed. A recent systematic review found one study that compared subjective perceptions of the stickiness of 21 foods in 315 adults with an objective measure of retention of 9–30g portions of the same foods in 5 young adults. There was a low correlation between perceived stickiness and oral clearance rates (r=0.46) suggesting that most people cannot accurately assess the stickiness of foods. This study also showed low to intermediate retention (based on dry weight retained) for raisins and figs respectively, and intermediate clearance rates (weight retained with time). Another study also measured food retention of 48 snacks and found that dates were ranked 15/48 for carbohydrate retention at 5 minutes, and raisins were ranked 29. This study also suggested that dried fruits do not adhere to teeth more than alternative snacks, such as cookies (biscuits), crackers, apple pie and candies (sweets). A third study that measured the quantity of oral lactic acid production as a marker of oral clearance concluded that foods containing sugars, but no starch, clear the oral cavity more rapidly than starch-containing foods.

It would, therefore, seem prudent to re-evaluate the concept of “sticky” foods and the effect of dried fruits on dental health in general.

DIETARY GUIDELINES encourage us to consume more fruit, with most recommending we aim for a minimum of 2 serves each day including fresh, frozen, canned and traditionally dried fruit. However, few of us do get 2 serves a day; and dried fruit makes up only a small fraction of our total fruit intake. Here are the recommendations for the USA, the UK and Australia. 
  • USA – all forms of fruits, including fresh, canned, dried, and frozen, are recommended as part of a healthy eating pattern and ½ a cup of dried fruit is considered equivalent to 1 cup of fresh fruit. 
  • UK – dried fruit is also considered a healthy option equivalent to fresh, canned or frozen fruits and one serve is based on a portion size of approximately 30g (1oz). However, to reduce the risk of tooth decay, it is recommended that dried fruits are eaten with main meals and not as snacks. 
  • Australia – unlike the USA and UK, dried fruits are not considered an everyday food due to their “stickiness”, and higher energy density. Like the UK, a 30g (1oz) portion is considered an appropriate serve size, but to be consumed only occasionally. High quality scientific evidence does not support current advice in Australia to limit dried fruit consumption. 
Read more:

Dr Alan Barclay
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of  The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).

Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.

GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS

PRUNES 
Prunes, says dietitan Nicole Senior, are actually dried plums. This probably explains why they are low GI and such a rich source of nutrients and phytochemicals. Calling them dried plums also seems to make them sound so much more attractive, and goes some way to make up for their shortcomings in the looks department. The best plum for prunes is the sweet D’Agen variety, which reduce down to one third of their original moisture content when dried. While plums only last a couple of weeks or two fresh, drying makes them available year round. In these waste-conscious times it’s good to remember that drying fruit is an age-old method for preserving a bountiful and seasonal harvest. They are typically harvested and dried within 24 hours on the farms where they are grown.

Prunes
Prunes are a good source of vitamins A and C, and contain potassium, calcium and iron. But they are most famous for their effect on the bowels. They get things moving due to their fibre and natural sorbitol content. Both whole prunes and prune juice have provided relief to those suffering from constipation for generations, and are the go-to natural cure recommended by just about everybody. Nowadays of course, we know they are high in FODMAPS (poorly digested carbohydrates) that have adverse effects for many people with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), but this is a small detail in their otherwise glowing report card.

Prunes are more than their goody-two-shoes reputation: they taste delicious and are marvellously versatile. Traditionally served at breakfast as compote or on top of cereal, they offer so much more than a healthy start to the day. They are compact and travel well making them the perfect snack on-the-go, especially mixed with nuts and particularly those with bitter flavour notes like walnuts and pecans which provide good contrast to the rich sweetness of the prunes. Their sweetness and gooey texture are ideal for making uber-trendy bliss balls (or protein balls), and add richness to cakes, loaves and slices, and especially yummy when partnered with cocoa (see Good Carbs Kitchen). Their slightly tart sweetness and exotic colour make them sensational in crumbles, puddings and tarts. They work well in savoury dishes too and add contrasting sweetness to poultry stuffing, sauces for pork and game meats, tagines, chutneys and cheese platters.
Grapes
Sources:
AusFoods, 2019 and The Good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books)

THE GOOD CARBS KITCHEN

MAKING THE MOST OF DRIED FRUIT

PRUNE AND ALMOND BROWNIES
0:15 Prep • 0:25 Cook • 32 Servings • Chocolate treat • Festive fare

PRUNE AND ALMOND BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS
200g (7oz) pitted prunes, chopped
1 cup water
75g (2½oz) cocoa powder
¼ cup plain wholemeal spelt flour or plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup almond meal
½ cup raw sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature,
⅓ cup sunflower or light olive oil, plus extra for greasing
¼ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence or extract
1 teaspoon icing sugar (optional), to dust

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/320°F fan-forced). Lightly brush a 16 x 26cm / 7 x 11in (base measurement) slice tin with a little oil to grease and then line with a piece of non-stick baking paper.

Combine the prunes and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all the water has evaporated and the mixture is pulpy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder, returning any husks from the flour to the mixture. Stir in the almond meal and sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine the cooled prune pulp, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla and use a fork to combine evenly. Add to the dry ingredients and use a spatula or large metal spoon to fold together until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until moist crumbs cling to a skewer inserted into the centre. Cool in the tin.

Cut into 32 portions and serve sprinkled with icing sugar, if desired. These brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

NUTRITION
Per serve 350kJ/ 85 calories; 2g protein; 5g fat (includes 0.8g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.2); 8g available carbs (includes 5.5g sugars and 2.2g starch); 1g fibre

RECIPE
Anneka Manning, BakeClub

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER WITH BUCKWHEAT AND PINENUTS 
Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 30 mins • Serves: 6 • Gluten free • Vegan / Vegetarian

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER WITH BUCKWHEAT AND PINENUTS
1 medium cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt flakes
¾ cup raw buckwheat groats, rinsed
⅔ cup medium pitted black olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons currants

Dressing 
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 handful parsley, chopped
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (fan 170°C/325°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. • Rinse the cauliflower and cut through the thick core into quarters. Cut each quarter into thick slices and put into a bowl. If you prefer, cut them into large florets. Pour over the oil, sprinkle with a little salt and toss. Arrange the cauliflower on the tray and roast for 20–25 minutes, or until crispy and slightly charred. Set aside to cool.

While the cauliflower is roasting, bring a pot of water to the boil, tip in the buckwheat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse and leave to cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, to make a chunky thick dressing. Watch the amount of salt you use, as both the capers and olives will provide a briny tang.

Put the cauliflower, buckwheat, olives, capers, pine nuts and currants in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and lightly tumble together. Serve at room temperature.

NUTRITION
Per serve 1505kJ/ 360 calories; 6g protein; 27g fat (includes 3.5g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.15); 21g available carbs (includes 5.5g sugars and 15.5g starches); 5.5g fibre; 255mg sodium; 505mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.5.

RECIPE

Kate McGhie, The Good Carbs Cookbook, Murdoch Books.
The Good Carbs Cookbook

COPYRIGHT AND PERMISSION

University of Sydney

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Nutritional analysis To analyse Australian foods, beverages, processed products and recipes, we use FoodWorks which contains the AusNut and Nuttab databases. If necessary, this is supplemented with data from www.calorieking.com.au or http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search.

Disclaimer GI News endeavours to check the veracity of news stories cited in this free e-newsletter by referring to the primary source, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in the articles so published. GI News provides links to other World Wide Web sites as a convenience to users, but cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites. All recipes that are included within GI News have been analysed however they have not been tested for their glycemic index properties by an accredited laboratory according to the ISO standards.

© ®™ The University of Sydney, Australia

1 November 2019

GI News - November 2019

GI News

GI News is published online every month by the University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre, and delivered to the mailboxes of our 97,000 subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs that are digested at a rate that our bodies can comfortably accommodate and to share the latest scientific findings on food and diet with a particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the glycemic index.

Publisher:
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA
Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com

Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service
Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD, APD, AN
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

NICOLE SENIOR TAKES A LOOK AT THE LARGE PINK ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM 
“Seeing pink elephants” is an expression describing drunken hallucinations, and a pink elephant is the name of a cocktail containing vodka, cranberry juice, raspberry liqueur and limoncello (lemon liqueur). The expression “the elephant in the room” describes a huge and obvious issue not being addressed. As we head into the festive season, let’s talk about alcohol – the large pink elephant in the room.

pink elephant
There’s a lot of talk among diet tribes about all carbs (starches and sugars) being fattening and in particular, about sugar being poison, however when it comes to the “diet wars” we don’t hear much about alcohol. Unlike sugars, alcohol is a poison, albeit government revenue-generating poison. Considering Australian adults consume 4.8% of their daily kilojoules (calories) from alcoholic beverages, you have to wonder why alcohol has escaped being hit by the blame train.

  • Is it the power and influence of the alcohol industry? 
  • Is it because alcohol is fun and we’re in denial? 
  • Is it because we’re clueless about the adverse health effects and high kilojoule/calorie content? 
To focus on the third question, perhaps we are naive about the fattening nature of alcohol because we’re clueless about how many kilojoules/calories we’re consuming in our favourite tipple. While packaged food must carry nutrition labelling including energy content, alcoholic drinks do not. While at least one large Australian company now includes nutrition information on its beers, they stand out in an industry dead against placing this very sobering information on their products.

Let’s be clear: alcohol is high in kilojoules (calories). While carbohydrate provides 16kJ (4 calories) per gram and protein provides 17kJ (4.2 calories) per gram, alcohol provides 29kJ (7 calories) per gram. And being tipsy tends to make us more uninhibited with what we eat – alcohol is a well-known appetite stimulant.

While the sugar-quitting folk warn about the sugar content of drinks, and low-carb beer has a sizeable market following among the “health conscious”, the numbers tell a different story. Most of the kilojoules in alcoholic drinks come from alcohol, not sugars. Low-alcohol beer beats low-carb beer when it comes to being health and weight-friendly, and for staying in better control of how much and what kinds of food you eat with it.

5 POPULAR DRINKS Let’s look at where the kilojoules (calories) come from in 5 popular drinks. Sugars or alcohol? Note that the percentages don’t add up to 100, because there are also starches and proteins present that contribute total energy. We have rounded the figures.

popular drinks
Table reproduced and adapted with permission from The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment Publishing, New York).

And did you know excess alcohol consumption is a key risk factor for breast cancer? Breastcancer.org reports women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer than women who don’t drink any alcohol.

I won’t go into the cultural problem we have with consuming way too much alcohol here, or the health and social costs, except to say they are MAMMOTH. It costs us as a society a lot to drink so much. I love a nice glass of wine or beer, but it would be good to be part of a culture in which getting drunk is not considered normal.

Fighting excessive alcohol consumption is a fight worth having, with no nutritional downsides. Let’s quit the one-nutrient-at-a-time skirmishing and take on a real enemy. Let’s do battle and fight to have the calories/kilojoules clearly printed in at least 10-point type on the label of all alcoholic drinks.

Read More:

WHAT’S NEW?

DOES DRINKING LESS SUGAR MEAN DRINKING MORE ALCOHOL? 
Reducing the intake of sugary drinks is presently quite important to many public health advocates. Taxes on sweet drinks are one effective way to do this. And advocates are convinced that the result will be better health – less obesity and less diabetes. But it’s worth asking: what will take the place of those sugary drinks? New data from Australia suggests that alcohol might be part of the answer. ConscienHealth’s Ted Kyle reports.

See saw
OBSERVATIONS OF ALCOHOL AND SUGARY DRINKS Tommy Wong and colleagues looked at self-reported alcohol and sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. They also analyzed waist circumference measures. Data came from the 2012 Australian Health Survey. Overall, about a third of adults drank no SSBs. But it turns out that those adults made up for the calories from sugar with calories from alcohol. A substitution model found no difference in waist circumference when trading SSBs for alcohol. In other words, they found no evidence here that people who swapped alcohol for sugar did better on this indicator for obesity.

HUMANS PUSH BACK Humans are tricky creatures. Push them to do something you want and they find ways to push back. History is littered with strong responses to constraints on beverage choices. The Tea Party and the Whisky Rebellion are just two examples that come to mind.

Rebellion isn’t the only response. People adapt in unpredictable ways. For example, seltzer is an increasingly trendy alternative to sugary sodas. Smart people don’t drink soda, right? But hey, we need a dash of pleasure with our seltzer. So, voilà. We have a trend in hard (alcoholic) seltzers in the US. White Claw is a brand that embodies this trend and it’s become so popular that there’s a nationwide shortage. Tax policy plays a role, too, because taxes are lighter on these seltzers than on distilled spirits. Unintended consequences everywhere you look.

PITFALLS OF A NARROW FOCUS The systems that drive obesity are complex and adaptive. Push on one thing and the systems push back somewhere else. Simply taxing sweet beverages sounds like a good idea. But it’s worth watching to see how all these human systems adapt.

And we might do well to think more broadly, as one of the co-authors of the Wong paper, Prof Jennie Brand-Miller, told us recently: “Humans have always liked to drink calories, starting with day one. I think the harms of excessive soft drink consumption pale in comparison to alcohol. And Australia’s experience tells us that we shouldn’t expect declining consumption of soft drinks to make any difference to obesity trends. If we focus more on calories from alcohol, we might get somewhere.”

Indeed. A serving of breast milk – nature’s perfect food – has 17 grams of sugars. Will we wean humans from sweet and pleasurable beverages? Maybe not. So perhaps a more nuanced and thoughtful approach to promoting healthful behaviors would be wise.

Read more:

PRODUCT REVIEW

5 DRINKS FOR THE DESIGNATED DRIVER 
Drinking lubricates most social functions. It’s one of life’s pleasures. Plain water is unquestionably the best option, but it’s rarely the first choice when drinking socially with family, friends and colleagues. Mineral water (still or sparkling) with ice and a slice of lemon is socially more acceptable and contains relatively small amounts of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. However, there’s an increasingly large variety of beverages out there for the designated driver and for those who don’t drink alcohol for health or religious/cultural reasons. Here we take a look at some of the more popular soft options.

ORANGE JUICE 
Ingredients: Oranges.
On average, 1 cup (250ml) of freshly squeezed orange juice has 375kJ (90 calories); 19g carbohydrate (sugars), a low GI (50) and medium glycemic load (10). It’s a good source of vitamin C. Tip: Add mineral water and ice cubes and make it a long drink to sip.

ORANGE JUICE
COCA-COLA™ CLASSIC
Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Colour (150d), Food Acid (338), Flavour, Caffeine.

  • 1 cup (250ml) has 450kJ (108 calories); 27g carbohydrate (sugars), a medium GI (63) and medium glycemic load (17). 
  • A 375ml can has 670kJ (160 calories); 40g carbohydrate (sugars), and bumps the glycemic load up to high (25). 
 If you like to drink regular Coke or other sugar sweetened colas and soft drinks, pour into a tall glass with lots of ice. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke are sugar free.

PEPSI MAX
Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Colour (Caramel e150d), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Acids (Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid), Flavourings (including Caffeine), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate). Contains a source of Phenylalanine.
  • 1 cup (250ml) has 4kJ (1 calorie); 0.2g carbohydrate. 
  • A 375ml can has 6kJ (1.5 calories); 0.2g carbohydrate. 
Like other low joule/calorie or “diet” soft drinks and colas, this is a good alternative to alcohol. It has no effect on blood glucose levels and there’s evidence that substituting regular soft drinks with diet varieties helps people lose weight.

REMEDY ORGANIC KOMBUCHA
Ginger Lemon Ingredients: Certified organic raw kombucha, (pure water, wild kombucha culture, organic black tea, organic green tea), organic ginger, naturally fermented organic glucose (erythritol), organic lemon, organic stevia (steviol glycosides).
  • 1 cup (250ml) has 75kJ (17 calories); 4g carbohydrate. 
  • A 330ml bottle has 99kJ (23 calories); 5g carbohydrate. 
LEMON, LIME AND BITTERS
While you can buy commercial brands, many people make their own. We turned to Taste.com for a recipe, but we reduced their serving size down to 1 cup (250ml). Ingredients: 1.25 litres lemonade (chilled), ½ cup lime juice cordial, 1 teaspoon Angostura bitters, 1 cup small ice cubes, Angostura bitters to serve, lemon slices to serve
  • 1 cup (250ml) has 509kJ (121 calories); 29g carbohydrate. 
Read more:

PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: A GOOD SERVANT BUT A CRUEL MASTER 
People have been drinking alcoholic beverages for thousands of years – partly due to their intoxicating effects and partly due to the fact that they once provided a safer means of hydration when clean water was scarce.

Beer
For many people around the world today, an alcoholic drink is a regular and enjoyable part of meals and many other social occasions like weddings, parties, etc. There is some evidence that people who drink small quantities of alcohol on a regular basis may have better health outcomes than those who do not drink at all, but these findings have been recently challenged. Heavy drinking has no health benefits and studies consistently report that abstainers have better health outcomes than heavy drinkers.

In terms of nutrition, alcohol is the only substance that is both a food providing energy and a drug affecting brain and nervous system function.

ALCOHOL IS A CONCENTRATED FORM OF ENERGY Pure alcohol provides 29 kilojoules (7 calories) of energy for every gram consumed – second only to fats (37kJ/9 calories per gram) in energy density. Moderate drinkers (1 to 2 standard drinks per day, or 10 to 20 grams of pure alcohol per day) usually consume alcoholic beverages as added energy – on top of their normal food intake. Alcoholic beverages may also stimulate appetite, further increasing energy intakes. For these reasons, some moderate drinkers may inadvertently develop a “beer belly”. Heavy drinkers, on the other hand, usually consume alcoholic beverages instead of food, and consequently are often underweight and malnourished.

ABSORPTION AND METABOLISM When consumed, alcohol is very rapidly absorbed into the blood stream from the stomach and small intestine, as it does not require any digestion, and can consequently bring on the familiar feelings of euphoria within minutes if it is consumed on an empty stomach. Around 2 to 10 percent of the alcohol we drink is lost through urine, sweat, or the breath (this is the basis for the breath test for drunkenness), whereas the other 90 to 98 percent is metabolized in the stomach and liver.

Alcohol metabolism begins in the stomach with an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase which converts it to acetaldehyde which in turn is converted to acetate and then acetyl CoA a key energy molecule for most of our body’s cells:

Alcohol metabolism
Women produce less alcohol dehydrogenase than men, which is one of the reasons why they are more affected by alcohol than men of the same body size. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive and toxic compound that is responsible for many of the damaging effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Excess NADH produced in the first two steps of the metabolism of alcohol inhibits the production of glucose in the liver (via gluconeogenesis) and also inhibits the burning of fatty acids. This is one reason why too much alcohol can cause people with diabetes who take insulin or certain blood glucose lowering drugs to have a hypo.

Most alcohol is metabolised in the liver, and there is a limit to how much it can handle – about 15 grams (or 1½ standard drinks) an hour – so excess amounts can build up in the blood rapidly if you drink more than 1 or 2 Standard drinks (a Standard drink contains 10g of pure alcohol) an hour.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS Of course, the most immediate affect we associate with drinking alcohol is its effect on the brain and nervous system. Most people think that alcohol is a stimulant because it seems to relieve inhibitions. It is in fact a nervous system depressant. Inhibitions decrease first because inhibitory nerves are more easily sedated than excitatory nerves. Judgement and reasoning are affected first as the alcohol sedates our brain’s frontal lobes first. Next, speech and vision centres are affected – speech becomes slurred and vision becomes blurry. Coordination is affected next, walking becomes staggered. Finally, the conscious brain is subdued, and you pass out, preventing the consumption of more alcohol.

It’s well known that alcohol increases the frequency of urination – indeed, it is the origin of the euphemism for excessive drinking – “getting pissed”. Alcohol depresses the release of anti-diuretic hormone from the pituitary gland. This hormone makes the kidneys re-absorb water, so by reducing its production, more is released into the bladder and thirst increases. Drinking more alcoholic beverages to quench the thirst will of course only make the situation worse. This is why it is important to have a non-alcoholic drink as a spacer between alcoholic drinks – it will help reduce dehydration, one of the more unpleasant symptoms of a hangover.

LONGER-TERM EFFECTS The liver prefers to use fatty acids for fuel, but when alcohol is around, it is forced to use it (alcohol) as a fuel, which can lead to a build-up of fatty acids in the liver and an increase in triglycerides in the blood when consumed in excessive amounts. Frequent excessive drinking may therefore lead to what is known as fatty liver disease (excessive fat accumulation in the liver), which in turn may lead to fibrosis and then cirrhosis if heavy drinking and poor nutrition continue for extended periods of time.

Nutrient deficiencies are virtually inevitable in heavy drinkers, because alcoholic beverages may displace food and alcohol interferes with the body’s use of certain nutrients, making some ineffective even if they are present. For example, small intestinal cells may not be able to absorb certain B group vitamins like thiamin, folate and B12 effectively, liver cells lose their ability to activate vitamin D efficiently, and retinal cells in the eye are not able to utilise vitamin A efficiently. The latter being one of the origins of the old saying for those who are completely inebriated: “blind drunk”.

There may be some social benefits to moderate alcohol consumption but none for heavy drinking: Alcohol is a good servant but a cruel master.

Read more:

Dr Alan Barclay
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of  The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).

Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.

GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS

GRAPES 
Wine is generally destiny for grapes. It seems that was why we first began cultivating them and (mostly) why we still do. Some 76,000 square kilometres (about 47,225 square miles) of Earth’s surface is dedicated to grape growing and over 70% of the harvest is for wine-making. In the kitchen, grapes are typically more garnish than main event, but you can make delicious jams, and jellies, cakes and tarts with them. Most of us however are happy to pick them from the bunch, serve them with cheese or add them to salads and fruit salads. To expand the culinary repertoire, we have included two recipes by Kate McGhie in the Good Carbs Kitchen to try: Pork Meatballs with Fresh Grapes and Wild Rice with Fresh Grapes, Walnuts and Feta.

GRAPES
New season’s grapes start arriving in the produce aisles in summer. Taste one to check for sweetness as they don’t continue to ripen once they have been picked. Look for bunches as inviting as those in a still-life painting: plump fruit attached to moist flexible stems. The powdery bloom, more visible on dark-coloured grapes than on pale ones, is an important sign of freshness; it fades with time and handling. Avoid any sticky, split or wrinkled grapes on withered or limp stems. It’s also worth smelling them to make sure they aren’t starting to ferment. Store unwashed grapes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and rinse just before using or eating. They should keep for about a week. It’s fun to freeze little bunches to make “grape blocks” for children to snack on.

Grapes
Sources
AusFoods, 2019 and The Good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books)

THE GOOD CARBS KITCHEN

PORK MEATBALLS WITH FRESH GRAPES
0:25 Prep • 0:25 Cook • 6 Servings • Family friendly • Main meal

PORK MEATBALLS WITH FRESH GRAPES
INGREDIENTS
600g (1lb 5oz) minced (ground) pork
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
Plain (all purpose) flour, for coating
100g (3½oz) sultanas
150ml (5fl oz) hot black tea
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1½ cups seedless black grapes
200ml (7fl oz) chicken stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

METHOD
Put the pork, half of the shallot, garlic, and hazelnuts in a bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Wet your hands and clump the mixture together. Form the mixture into tiny balls about the size of a golf ball, then toss in flour to coat.

Put the sultanas in a small bowl and pour over the hot tea. Leave for 10 minutes to plump.

Heat the oil and butter in a sturdy pan, over medium heat, and fry the meatballs, in batches if necessary, moving them around the pan to colour evenly, for about 10 minutes or until cooked. Add the remaining shallot, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently until softened. Add the plumped sultanas with the tea, grapes and stock. Simmer gently for 10 minutes with the lid off, or until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

TIP
Black grapes are particularly delicious in this recipe however for a striking effect you may like to use a mixture of coloured grapes. Other herbs to consider include sage, thyme, marjoram or tarragon.

NUTRITION
Per serve 1605kJ/ 385 calories; 22g protein; 21g fat (includes 6g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.4); 26g available carbs (includes 21.5g sugars and 4.5g starches); 3g fibre; 200mg sodium; 635mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.3.

RECIPE
Kate McGhie, The Good Carbs Cookbook, Murdoch Books.
The Good Carbs Cookbook

WILD RICE WITH FRESH GRAPES, WALNUTS AND FETA 
0:25 Prep • 0:45 Cook • 6 Servings • Gluten free • Vegetarian • Side dish or light meal

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wild rice
2 cups vegetable stock
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
1 large orange
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cups seedless grapes, halved if preferred
2 spring onions (scallions) trimmed and sliced
½ cup diced celery
⅔ cup walnut pieces
⅓ cup crumbled feta
3 tablespoons roughly chopped curly-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

METHOD
Rinse the wild rice under cold running water, drain and put into a pot with the stock over medium heat. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until the rice is al dente – it should have a nutty bite to it when cooked. Drain off the excess liquid from the pot, cover and allow the rice stand for 10 –15 minutes.

Cut the peel and white pith from the orange and cut the flesh in to thin segments over a bowl to catch the juice. Whisk the juice together with the oil and vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tip the rice into a large bowl and add the orange segments, grapes, spring onions, celery and walnuts. Pour over the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with feta, parsley and mint before serving.

TIP Try a mix of coloured grapes and for a stunning garnish, sprinkle over pomegranate seeds before serving.

NUTRITION
Per serve 1380kJ/ 330 calories; 10g protein; 26g fat (includes 4g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.2); 14g available carbs (includes 13.5g sugars and 0.5g starches); 5g fibre; 350mg sodium; 445mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.8.

RECIPE
Kate McGhie, The Good Carbs Cookbook, Murdoch Books.
The Good Carbs Cookbook

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1 October 2019

GI News - October 2019

GI News

GI News is published online every month by the University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Charles Perkins Centre, and delivered to the mailboxes of our 97,000 subscribers. Our goal is to help people choose the high-quality carbs that are digested at a rate that our bodies can comfortably accommodate and to share the latest scientific findings on food and diet with a particular focus on carbohydrates, dietary fibres, blood glucose and the glycemic index.

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Editor: Philippa Sandall
Scientific Editor/Managing Editor: Alan Barclay, PhD, APD, AN
Contact GI News: glycemic.index@gmail.com

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Manager: Fiona Atkinson, PhD, APD, AN
Contact: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROCESSED FOODS 
These days, processed food seems to be associated with either “junk food” or food additives – things that many people would rather avoid if they could. Prof Jennie Brand-Miller reminds us that food processing is nothing new. It’s something our paleolithic (stone age) ancestors were doing long before the agricultural revolution some 12,000 years ago. Just imagine all the trial and error that went into discovering how to leach toxins from plant foods. Perhaps, we should see food processing as an example of human creativity at its best she suggests.

FOOD PROCESSING IS NOTHING NEW
Stone-grinding of seeds and leaching of toxins from plant foods have been practised for thousands of years. Many fruits dried naturally on the bush or tree (think dates, figs and sultanas) making them ‘shelf stable’ for years. We know that Australia’s Indigenous people for example collected one particular variety in large quantities, mashed and shaped them into a ball and placed them high up in a tree to protect them from animals. These energy-dense snacks were a safe and reliable treat during the following season. In “Transforming the Inedible into the Edible,” Anna Teuchler, Asa Ferrier and Richard Cosgrove describe how the Indigenous people in far northeast Queensland leached the toxins from rainforest tree nuts, a dietary staple, several thousand years ago (see Read More).

IT EXTENDS SHELF LIFE 
Anyone who farms even on a small scale in their backyard knows that fruit and vegetables are seasonal. They ripen in gluts and we give half away. But being the creative creatures that we are, we developed ways to extend the storage life of most foods. Sun drying of fruit, fish and seaweeds, pickling of vegetables in vinegar and brine and salting of meat, were early processing techniques. We also learned that nitrate salts added to meat gave them not only longer storage life, but a nice pink colour and delicious flavour as well. Hams, bacon and salami are still on the menu made using age-old techniques of processing.

Dried fruit
IT KILLS BACTERIA 
In time, we learned to bottle fruit and vegetables, cooking them first, sealing them carefully and raising the temperature as high as possible to kill bacteria and fungi that would inevitably contaminate fresh food. Eventually, the food industry took over from the homemaker, developing more reliable sterilisation techniques that prevented the growth of botulinum spores. Botulism was a dreaded phenomenon – just a single lick of the finger was enough to poison violently and often kill.

IT HELPS US AVOID WASTE
The chemical and physical processes that are used by the food industry are more often than not identical to those we use in the kitchen – heating, toasting, blanching, boiling and freezing, just on a much larger and more efficient scale. Without modern methods of processing that permit long-term storage, we would otherwise waste a huge proportion of any seasonal harvest. The excess food would be thrown away, causing surges in pests like locusts, mice and rats and creating smelly streets full of vermin and garbage. And food scarcity, vitamin deficiency and even death in winter and spring were not uncommon.

IT EXPANDS OUR DIETARY CHOICES 
Finally, where would we be without the creativity of those early farmers who milled wheat and other grains into flours to make delicious breads, cakes and biscuits? Dairy farming also made use of lactating cows (and goats, sheep and camels), who were capable of producing more than enough milk for ¬their offspring. This highly nutritious product gave rise through natural selection to whole populations with the ability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. And it wasn’t long before early farmers processed excess milk into forms that could be stored and accessed in times of scarcity (think cheese and other fermented dairy products), even by those with lactose intolerance. How dull our diet would be without yogurt, feta, parmesan and the hundreds of other soft and hard cheeses we enjoy throughout the year.

WHAT ABOUT ADDITIVES?
In Australia, we have a relatively short list of permitted food additives that are governed by strict food laws. They are permitted in specific foods in specific quantities (not any food, nor any quantity). They must serve a technological need and must have been assessed for safety in much the same way as all drugs. Like sun drying, a preservative lengthens the shelf life of a food. The majority of food additives are identical to substances that occur in nature and serve the same purpose (e.g. lecithin in eggs is an emulsifier than keeps water and fats in a stable emulsion). Only flavours consisting of thousands of molecules have not been through the rigorous testing of other food additives. The same applies to the natural flavours we leverage in herbs and spices.

Read More:

WHAT’S NEW?

PLANT PROTEIN LINKED TO LONGER LIFE 
Greater consumption of plant-based proteins such as those found in cereals and legumes is associated with lower mortality risk, according to an observational study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Roughly 70,000 people aged 40 to 69 in Japan completed food frequency questionnaires. During a mean 18 years’ follow-up, 18% died.

Plant protein
Intake of plant protein was associated with lower total mortality. A similar pattern was seen for cardiovascular (e.g., heart disease and stroke) mortality, but not cancer-related mortality. In contrast, increasing intake of total or animal-based protein was not associated with mortality.

Swapping out 3% of energy from animal protein with plant protein resulted in lower risk for total, cardiovascular, and cancer-related mortality. Risk reductions were even greater when substituting plants for processed meats. The lack of an association between animal protein and mortality might be because animal consumption is generally lower in Japan than in the U.S., and the main animal protein is fish say the authors. They conclude: “Our study suggests that encouraging diets with higher plant-based protein intake may contribute to long-term health and longevity.”

Protein is widely available in our food supply. And while people talk about “protein foods”, no food is all protein and most of us eat a variety of foods containing many different proteins. As Dr David Katz says: “Dietary protein does not require animal foods, and does not require any specific food combinations. Wholesome foods in any balanced, sensible assembly – even a strictly vegan assembly – will readily provide it.”

Plant sources:

  • Beans, chickpeas or lentils (legumes/pulses) 
  • Nuts and seeds 
  • Grains, especially whole grains 
  • Starchy veggies (potato, sweet potato etc.) 
Animal sources:
  • Meat, poultry, and seafood 
  • Eggs 
  • Milk, cheese and yoghurt. 
Read more:

PRODUCT REVIEW

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EDIBLE SEAWEEDS 
Two books about edible seaweeds recently arrived on the editor’s desk. Ocean Greens by Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar (The Experiment) explores the world of edible seaweed and sea vegetables and includes 50 vegan recipes. Bren Smith’s Eat Like a Fish (Murdoch Books) is more of a rollicking tale of the adventures of a fisherman turned restorative ocean farmer growing edible algae. They have inspired us to take a closer look at these “vegetables” that are used as ingredients and flavourings in sauces, soups, salads, stews and side dishes and as sources of food additives such as carrageen (a thickener), and agar agar (a gelling agent).

Ocean Greens        Eat Like a Fish

WHAT ARE EDIBLE SEAWEEDS? They are marine algae. There are more than 20,000 species of algae and humans have enjoyed hundreds of them for thousands of years. They have been especially important foods through coastal Asia, in the British Isles, and places as different as Iceland and Hawaii says Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking. There are three broad groups: green, red and brown.
Seaweed salad
WHAT’S IN SEAWEED? Seaweeds absorb nutrients from water. Fresh seaweed is around 70–90% water, 6% protein and 5% carbohydrates (including dietary fibre) and has negligible fat. They are rich sources of some vitamins and minerals. Importantly, they are a good source of iodine, a naturally occurring mineral that is needed by the thyroid gland to synthesize thyroxine, an important hormone that regulates metabolism. They also can absorb toxic metals so they are regularly monitored by Food Standards organisations.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE THEM? Some seaweeds can be eaten raw; others are better cooked, dried, baked or roasted. Here’s what Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar recommend:

  • Fresh seaweed: rinse thoroughly, then gently squeeze out any excess water and pat dry with paper towels. 
  • Dried seaweed: Soak following the packet instructions. It expands considerably when rehydrated. For example, 5g dried wakame equals 40–50g fresh. 
Good Carbs Cookbook author, Kate McGhie, recalls her Mum and Nan often used seaweed as a substitute for lettuce or spinach in salads. They combined it with crisp chopped apple, golden shallots and sometimes shredded cabbage and nuts for contrast all tossed in a tangy dressing. Yotam Ottolenghi is a seaweed fan. “Sea lettuce and aonori (green laver) are the most widely used of the green group – sea lettuce in salads and soups, aonori in powdered form,” he says. “Red algae, meanwhile, tend to have a deeper, sulphur-like aroma. Nori, the most common of these, is the traditional sushi wrapper, while dulse – a purplish leaf that turns green when cooked – develops a distinct aroma of bacon when fried. The generally milder brown algae include in their number kelp, kombu (essential in dashi) and wakame, the vibrant green leaves in miso soup and in salads.”

HOW MUCH SEAWEED SHOULD YOU EAT? The authors of Ocean Greens, Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar, recommend consuming edible seaweeds in moderation as part of a diverse and well-balanced diet. They suggest around 5–10g dried seaweed a day is plenty.

WHAT SEAWEED IS THAT? It’s easy to get confused as there can be numerous common names for the same product. We have put together this simple guide for GI News readers.

Brown algae
The main uses of brown seaweeds are as foods and sources for alginates.
WILD RICE

Red algae
The main uses of red seaweeds are as foods and sources for agar and carrageen.
WILD RICE

Green algae
The main uses of green seaweeds are as foods.
WILD RICE

Read more:

PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY

FOOD SAFETY: A VITAL INGREDIENT FOR LONGEVITY
While we tend to focus on the importance of eating healthy foods, meals and diets for longevity, and for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases like certain kinds of cancer (e.g., bowel), diabetes (type 2), heart disease and stroke, food safety is an extremely important issue that is often overlooked.

FOODBORNE ILLNESS This is a significant cause of acute illness and even death in developed nations like Australia (an estimated 5.4 million cases of food poisoning each year), Canada (estimated 4 million cases each year) and the USA (estimated 48 million cases each year) and unfortunately it appears to be increasing worldwide. Foodborne illness is caused by contaminated foods and drinks. Common contaminants include:

  • Pathogens – unwanted bacteria, moulds and viruses in foods and beverages 
  • Environmental contaminants – heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.) and organic halogenated compounds (e.g., DDT, polychlorinated biphenols, dioxins, etc.); pesticides (plant-foods) and veterinary drugs (animal-foods); contaminants formed during food production and cooking (e.g., acrylamide); contaminants arising from food packaging (e.g., bisphenol A (BPA), or natural toxins in food (e.g., aflatoxins in maize and peanuts) 
  • Adulterants – the deliberate debasing of the quality of a food or beverage by the admixture or substitution (e.g., sand, marble chips, stones, chalk powder) of inferior substances/ingredients into common foods (e.g., flours, legumes, milk, coffee, etc.). 
Around 60–80% of foodborne illnesses are due to problems that occur during growing, processing, distributing or selling foods and beverages. Food producers, manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and other distributors are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the food we buy is safe, and Government food regulators are responsible for setting standards (e.g. regulating pesticide and antibiotic use; permitted contaminant levels, etc.), providing oversight (e.g., site inspection, market basket surveys/audits, coordinating recalls, etc.) and ultimately penalising offending companies.

When foods or beverages are found to be contaminated, food recall action is taken by a food business to remove unsafe food from distribution, sale and consumption. All food businesses must be able to quickly remove food from the marketplace to protect public health and safety. It may surprise you to learn that food businesses initiate most recalls. However, Government food authorities usually coordinate and monitor the recall process.

In Australia and other developed nations, foods prepared in the home account for 20–40% of foodborne illness. The main causes of foodborne illness at home are:
  • Contaminated food storage and preparation areas 
  • Unsafe raw food 
  • Inadequate cooking 
  • Improper holding temperatures 
  • Contaminated equipment (such as knives, cutting boards and dishcloths) 
  • Allowing raw foods to make direct contact with ready-to-eat foods 
  • Poor personal hygiene of food handlers (such as not washing hands adequately, particularly after handling raw food or immediately after using the bathroom/toilet). 
Foods that are considered higher risk because pathogens can be naturally present and grow if they are not stored and prepared safely, include:
  • Raw and cooked meat or foods containing raw or cooked meat 
  • Seafood and foods containing seafood 
  • Dairy products and foods containing dairy products 
  • Processed foods containing eggs or other protein-rich food 
  • Cooked rice and pasta 
  • Processed fruit and vegetables such as salads 
  • Foods that contain any of the above foods (e.g. sandwiches). 
Fruit salad
Always check use by dates, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods adequately and store them at safe temperatures, and check the foods for unpleasant odours before eating or drinking.

FOOD POISONING? If you have food poisoning, you’ll probably have gastro-intestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhoea or vomiting, or flu-like symptoms. You should always seek medical advice if you’re in a high-risk group (infants, elderly, pregnant or breast-feeding women or immune-compromised) or have any of the following symptoms:
  • Frequent vomiting 
  • Bloody vomit or stools 
  • Diarrhoea for more than three days in a row 
  • Extremely painful abdominal cramping 
  • A temperature higher than 38.6°C (101.5°F) 
  • Dehydration from repeated vomiting or diarrhoea 
  • Blurry vision, muscle weakness or tingling in the arms. 
TREATMENT: For a mild case of food poisoning, you may try sucking ice chips, replenishing fluids and electrolytes when you’re ready and easing back into your normal diet and routine. For more serious cases, see your doctor. Don’t forget to contact your local food enforcement agencies and report the illness to help prevent others from getting it.

Read more:
Dr Alan Barclay
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III). He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and author/co-author of  The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).

Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.

GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS

WILD RICE
A distant cousin of regular rice, wild rice (Zinzania palustris) is a cool climate water grass that traditionally grew in shallow lakes and marshes in the Great Lakes area and upper Minnesota (it’s Minnesota’s official state grain). For at least 2500 years, Native Americans harvested its seeds in canoes powered by long poles, using beater sticks to knock the ripe seeds into the bottom of their canoes. Most wild rice these days is cultivated and grown in paddies in California. However, you can still buy “wild” wild rice. For example, uncultivated Minnesota wild rice must by law be harvested in the traditional Native American way, and only by those licensed to do so. In Read More, we list where you can buy it online.

WILD RICE

Wild rice has a firm, chewy texture and nutty flavour and is a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, Vitamin B6, and niacin. It takes longer to cook than regular rice – up to 50 minutes. One cup of uncooked wild rice yields 3–4 cups cooked. You can also pop wild rice, like popcorn. Just heat it in a little oil and shake until it pops.

WILD RICE
Source: AusFoods, 2019

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