Author: Emily Selph

Adopting a vegetarian diet has become more prevalent; the US Census Bureau reported that 3.3% of adults are vegetarian or vegan. There are many reasons cited for becoming a vegetarian: animal rights, sustainability, preventing chronic disease, and promoting weight management. Whatever the reason, becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a major lifestyle choice, and some planning is needed to make sure that the diet is nutritionally adequate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ webinar provided their position on a healthy vegetarian diet and its potential benefits, which is a good starting guide for those wanting to become a vegetarian.

First, what are the benefits of becoming a vegetarian? Research suggests that a vegetarian diet can help to prevent many chronic diseases. It has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower prevalence of hypertension, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower risk of some cancers. For some individuals, a vegetarian diet can also be a way to promote a healthy weight.

Another thing to consider is what type of vegetarian to become. Vegetarian is actually a fluid term that can be used to describe many diet patterns. For example, one can become a lacto-ovo-vegetarian that still eats dairy products and eggs. You can also eliminate either dairy or eggs by becoming an ovo-vegetarian or a lacto-vegetarian, respectively. Vegan is a stricter diet that excludes all animal products and maybe honey. None of these choices are better than the other; each individual should choose the type of vegetarian diet that aligns best with their food preferences and beliefs.

If a vegetarian or vegan diet is adopted, a few key nutrients should be monitored to ensure adequate intake.

• Protein – The recommended intake can be easily met by a variety of plant foods, especially beans, peanuts, and soy products.
• Omega-3 fatty acids – These heart-healthy fats are typically associated with intake of fatty fish like salmon or tuna, but there are plenty of vegetarian/vegan sources like ground flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, or canola oil.
• Iron – It is generally not a concern for vegetarians, but remember that sources of vitamin C (fruits) can enhance absorption.
• Calcium – Vegetarians who eat dairy do not have to be too concerned about meeting their calcium needs, but vegans need to be more thoughtful about their sources. Calcium-fortified products and supplements may need to be added to the diet.
• Vitamin D – Look for fortified foods like cow’s milk, nondairy milks, fruit juices, cereals, margarine, and eggs. Vegans may need to take a supplement.
• B12 – This vitamin cannot be found in adequate amounts in plant foods, so choose fortified foods or a supplement to ensure you are getting enough.

These are just a few things to consider when deciding to become a vegetarian. While this diet pattern can provide many health benefits, it is also important to consider some nutrients you may be missing. For further questions about a nutritionally adequate diet, consult a registered dietitian nutritionist.

The webinar Let the Tots Play – Adventures in Early Childhood Physical Activity provided some interesting insight into improving physical activity in daycare centers. It focused on two states’ initiatives, New Hampshire and Texas. One topic that was covered in the webinar was particularly interesting – preventing obesity by design in childcare centers.

Modifying the built environment is a popular public health initiative. The idea is to design the environment and infrastructure in a way that promotes physical activity. Mixed-land use and aesthetically pleasing walking paths help to incorporate physical activity more naturally into the day. It was reported in the webinar that being outdoors is the strongest correlate of physical activity. Why not extend this idea to playgrounds at childcare centers? Young children are not going to exercise for thirty minutes at one time, so it is imperative that they have an environment that motivates them to be active. This was the idea of NC State College of Design, and they created the Natural Learning Initiative. It involved designing playgrounds or outdoor spaces in a way that promotes movement and richer play. Their idea worked – redesigning a playground caused 22% improvement in movement among the children. These new spaces, now called an Outdoor Learning Environments instead of playgrounds, provide plenty of space and appropriate activities for young children to play.

What is the magic formula to creating a beautiful Outdoor Learning Environment? The Natural Learning Initiative developed several Best Practices that daycare centers or even parents can incorporate into their playgrounds and backyards to promote developmentally appropriate play. One of the major structural elements is a looping, curvy pathway. This provides a fun track for kids to use on foot or their tricycles, and adding curves to the path increases their activity time. They also recommend creating 10 or more learning settings, or different areas with activities to do. Smaller settings are commonly seen in indoor spaces of daycare centers, so why not bring it outside? Other large structural elements to include are a multipurpose lawn, designated vegetable garden, and an enclosed outdoor classroom space. If these changes are out of reach due to space and cost, small changes can be made. For instance, providing shady settings, trees (especially edible fruit trees), shrubs, vines, and ornamental grasses are little ways to perk up the space with natural elements. It Is also recommended to provide wheeled toys and natural, loose materials for children to play with.

While these Best Practices may seem simple, consider the playground that you had at your daycare or elementary school. Don’t these suggestions seem more inviting? Incorporating edible fruit trees and gardens can also promote nutrition and agriculture education. These types of initiatives targeting young children are exciting and important ways to combat childhood obesity.

To learn more about the Natural Learning Initiative, visit their website: https://naturalearning.org

Food addiction has become a popular term, that some feel is thrown around carelessly. According to the manual used to diagnose mental disorders, DSM-5, addiction is “compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences, characterized by an inability to stop, failure to meet obligations, tolerance, and withdrawal.” Considering this definition, is food addiction the same as drug or gambling addiction? It is known that excessive food intake over time can lead to adverse health outcomes, but it is not known if food is addictive in the same way as a drug. A seminar given by Foods and Nutrition PhD student Carolina Cawthon provided some interesting research that attempts to shed light on this concept.

First, it should be noted that our body has several mechanisms to regulate food intake. Short-term regulation in the gastrointestinal tract sends signals to the brain that you are full. Long-term hormonal regulation responds to how many calories you have consumed. Both of these pathways together help you to maintain a relatively balanced food intake. However, eating for pleasure (reward) can override this balance and make you reach for that second serving or dessert even when your body is saying you are full. Triggering the reward pathway stimulates dopamine release, which makes you feel good. Over time sensitivity to dopamine declines, so the levels drop. A dopamine release is needed to reach baseline level and improve mood, so an individual wants to be exposed to the substance again and again to feel normal. This mechanism is how addiction occurs.

One reason food addiction has not been established is that it is difficult to conduct this research. One way is to monitor brain activity to see what areas of the brain are being stimulated as a result of the substance. For example, a study found that individuals who scored higher on a food addiction scale had brain activity similar to someone with dependence. It indicated that they were more motivated by reward and had less control to stop the behavior. Another study found that subjects who were obese had fewer dopamine receptors. Fewer receptors results in a lower dopamine response like what is experienced with addiction, suggesting that a similar mechanism may be present. It appears that food addiction and drug addiction are alike in some ways, but for now it cannot be determined if someone can become addicted to food.

Classifying food as an addictive substance could have important implications. First, it could emphasize therapy as a treatment for obese individuals to promote behavior change and weight loss. Raising awareness could also promote obesity prevention by demonstrating the consequences of continually overriding hunger cues. Finally, recognizing snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages as addicting could provide more evidence for a tax on them to discourage consumption. For now, it is important to recognize that food addiction is distinct from substance addiction. However, it is always a good idea to practice mindful eating – following hunger and satiety cues – and not continuing to eat once you are full.

Dr. Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University spoke to the Foods and Nutrition Department about his food safety research and observations. Foodborne illness seems to be in the news more than in the past. Besides the improved access to media platforms making these headlines more prevalent, detection and reporting methods are also improving, which makes it appear that there are more foodborne illness outbreaks than before. Dr. Chapman provided his point of view on the status of food safety today and what the next steps should be to ensure better safety in our food supply.

At a national level, better safeguards in the food industry are needed. Much of this has to do with research. For example, consider the increase in listeria outbreaks in frozen vegetables. One reason for the outbreaks is using frozen leafy vegetables, like kale, in smoothies. Product development teams did not anticipate the green smoothie trend; they assumed that frozen vegetables would be properly heated before being eaten. It’s important to consider trends and potential food safety implications. More research is also needed to strengthen the FDA Food Code, a national document that provides food safety regulations. Methods of cleaning and sanitizing should be more prescriptive and specific to make sure that foodborne pathogens are controlled.

Dr. Chapman also pointed out incorporating food safety practices into recipe information that is available to consumers. Cookbooks rarely provide food safety instructions, and how often do you see someone on Food Network or the Cooking Channel use a meat thermometer? The trendy recipe videos you see on Facebook also fail to show good habits to prevent cross-contamination. If all of these outlets provided food safety messages, it could influence the attitudes towards those behaviors and change the perception of the norm.

Another important point was that individuals need both knowledge and supplies to handle food safely. This principle is important both at home and in restaurants. In restaurants, at least one person needs to have a food safety certification and often multiple individuals do. However, if they know proper handwashing practices but do not have easy access to hot water, soap, and paper towels, will they exhibit safe behaviors? It is up to restaurant managers to make the safe choice, the easy choice. For home cooks, the same principle applies. Clean dishes, sanitized surfaces, and temperature control are all still important, so individuals should equip their homes with the proper equipment. Setting up your kitchen with everything you need to keep everything safe will make it easier to do!

As Dr. Chapman discussed, many players are involved in food safety on a local and national level. Certainly, government and academic researchers, the food industry, and professional chefs and cooks play a large role in influencing and implementing good behaviors. On an individual level, anyone who prepares and cooks food has the responsibility to use good practices. It is up to every individual to be a good example of food safety to those around them.

Last week, Dr. Billy R. Hammond from the Department of Psychology at UGA presented a seminar on his carotenoid research. Carotenoids are a group of pigments found in plants that give them yellow, orange, or red color. They are considered phytonutrients, compounds that are naturally found in food and appear to have a health benefit. Dr. Hammond’s research explores the benefits of two specific carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. They are found in high levels in the retina of the eyes and the brain, so his lab has studied the roles of these two compounds within the central nervous system.

The research presented provided compelling arguments for the benefits of lutein and zeaxanthin. One of their primary functions in the body is to serve as antioxidants, compounds that reverse cell damage. Cell damage is a normal part of aging and exposure to things in our environment. For example, exposure to the sun can damage skin cells over time. To demonstrate lutein’s antioxidant ability, they studied its effects on the skin. The group who took a lutein supplement had increased skin hydration, elasticity, and less damage to skin cells compared to those who did not. To translate this to the central nervous system they did a similar study but looked at the retina of the eye, because its cells can be damaged by blue light. Lutein resulted in improvements in vision by reducing glare and stray light. Again, these types of damage in our body cannot be entirely prevented, but these compounds can act as a natural defense.

Lutein and zeaxanthin (LZ) are also beneficial because they improve brain signaling. Signals in the brain are sent through brain cells (neurons), and supplementation with LZ has been shown in their research to improve communication between these cells. For example, when one group took LZ and the other did not, they found that the LZ group had faster visual processing and reaction time. To confirm these results, similar studies were done in different age groups (pre-adolescents, undergraduates, and older adults) looking at brain function outcomes. Again, groups with LZ had increased academic performance (pre-adolescents), visual and reasoning ability (undergraduates), and brain activation (older adults). These studies point to the importance of lutein and zeaxanthin for brain activity and processing throughout the lifespan.

These results are desirable and dramatic, but should everyone take LZ supplements? Right now, a conclusion has not been made for recommended intake. Although they have health benefits, they are not considered essential nutrients. The best recommendation is to include adequate food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet. Some of the top food sources are dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, turnips, collards), zucchini, summer squash, egg yolk, and corn.¹ It is a good health habit to eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors to ensure you are getting different nutrients and phytonutrients. Make sure to include some bright red, yellow, and dark green vegetables to boost lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet.

Source:

1. United States Department of Agriculture. Food Composition Database version 3.8.6.1. Nutrient List: Lutein + zeaxanthin (micrograms). (2017, July 28). Retrieved August 30, 2017, from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/report?nutrient1=338&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&fg=1&fg=9&fg=11&max=25&subset=0&offset=50&sort=c&totCount=1002&measureby=g.