Nutrition for Athletes Part 2: Pre-Workout

 

Submitted by Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Eating a balanced meal or snack before exercise is one of the most significant things you can do to ensure you’ll perform well.  Whether you’ll be going to a typical training session or competing in a tournament, a meal or snack that contains both food and drinks will give you the energy you need to exercise, prevent you from getting tired too quickly, keep you properly hydrated, and prevent hunger.¹ The ideal pre-exercise snack contains easily digested carbohydrates, some protein, and fluid to keep you hydrated.

Carbohydrates

Your body stores carbohydrates as energy in the form of muscle glycogen.  Before exercise you need to top off your muscle glycogen supply by eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, crackers, fruits, and dairy products.  If you don’t eat carbohydrates before exercising, your blood sugar could also get too low, leading to difficulty concentrating, hunger, and lower endurance.¹ The exact amount and type of carbohydrates to eat will vary depending on how much time you have before exercise and what you like to eat before a workout.  If possible, try to fuel up 1-3 hours ahead of time.  You should eat about 3 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight three hours before an event, 2 grams per kilogram body weight two hours before, or 1 gram per kilogram body weight one hour before.^1,2

For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds would need to eat about 200 grams of carbohydrates up to 3 hours before an event.  This might look like 1½ cups of oatmeal cooked with 2 cups of skim milk, 1 medium banana, ¼ cup of raisins, 2 slices of toast, and 3 tablespoons of honey.  When you have 3-4 hours before an event, your body will have more time to digest and absorb your meal.  This would be a good time to eat a meal that also contains fat and fiber, such as a tuna salad sandwich.  Two hours before an event, the same person would need about 136 grams of carbohydrates and could get this by consuming 2 pita breads topped with 4 tablespoons of hummus, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 medium pear, and 4 dried figs.  While this meal might seem large, it is lower in fat and fiber, so your body will easily absorb the carbohydrates to use as fuel during your activity.  One hour before an event, the person would need about 68 grams of carbohydrates and could get this by consuming 1 cup of skim milk, 1 medium apple, 10 Saltine-style crackers, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

The closer you get to the time of your event, the more important it is to consume carbohydrates that will be digested and absorbed quickly.  Foods that are high in fiber and fat take longer to digest and will weigh in your stomach if you eat them within an hour of exercising.  As a result, you’ll probably feel sluggish and may end up with an upset stomach.  If you have an hour or less before you’ll be exercising, choose a piece of fruit, crackers or bread with jam, sports gel, gummies, or a sports drink.  Sports drinks, gel, and gummies are also good options if you tend to feel nervous before an event, since they provide a lot of carbohydrates in a small volume of food.³

Just before exercise, common snacks include yogurt with berries, fruit with nut butter, dried fruits, or a sandwich, which contain both protein and carbohydrates to give you energy and provide the building blocks you’ll need for muscle repair.^2,4

Protein

There isn’t a set recommendation for how much protein to eat before exercise.  There isn’t enough scientific evidence to recommend consuming protein before exercise in order to prevent muscle breakdown during exercise, or promote muscle repair afterwards.¹ In general, if you don’t have much time before exercise, it’s best to focus on eating carbohydrates rather than protein.  If you have more time before exercise, however, including some of protein in your pre-exercise meal will provide your body with some of the building blocks it needs to rebuild muscles after exercise.³ Choose sources of lean protein, such as low fat dairy, hard-boiled eggs, or turkey breast.  These foods do not provide large amounts of fat or fiber, so they will be easier to digest.

Hydration

Drink water regularly to make sure you stay properly hydrated on a day-to-day basis.  It’s best to avoid drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine before exercise, since these have diuretic effects and can actually lead to dehydration. Instead, consider drinking about 24 ounces of a diluted sports beverage to provide fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates at least two hours before your event.  Stop drinking within the hour before your event so you won’t have to use the bathroom during exercise.

Practice Makes Perfect

Just like your physical training prepares you to for competitions, it’s important to train your nutrition by eating a pre-exercise snack before practices each day.  This way, you’ll have an idea of the way different foods make you feel and will be able to choose the pre-exercise meal and snack that will work best for you during competitions.  If you suddenly change your eating habits on the day of a competition, you could end up with an upset stomach that slows you down.  Instead, experiment with different meal and snack options during your training season to learn which foods work best for you, and how long you need to eat before exercising.  Building nutrition into your training plan will ensure that you function at your peak when competition day arrives!

References:

1.         Dunford M, Doyle JA. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning; 2015.

2.         nslabaugh. Fueling for Performance: How proper timing of meals affects both sport and academic performance. NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both. Published December 18, 2013. Accessed March 29, 2017.

3.         Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition. Eating Before Exercise. 2013.

4.         Timing Your Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition. www.eatright.org. http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/exercise/exercise-nutrition/timing-your-nutrition. Accessed March 29, 2017.

Nutrition for Athletes Part 1: Day-to-Day

 

Submitted by: Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Whether you’re a casual athlete or someone who takes competition seriously, there’s no doubt that you always want to do your best.  You’re likely already aware that eating well helps you stay energized during activity, but the food you eat on a day-to-day basis also plays an important role in athletic performance. 

Your Energy Needs

First and foremost, make sure you’re eating enough calories to fuel your activities, prevent weight loss, maintain your muscle mass, and keep your body working properly.  Eating regular meals and snacks is the best way to meet this goal.  Your daily calorie need depends on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level.  You need to eat more calories as your activity level increases, and men usually need more calories per day than women.  You can roughly estimate your calorie needs by multiplying your weight in kilograms by a set number of calories per kilogram.  You can find your weight in kilograms by multiplying your weight in pounds by 0.454.  For example: 

• A woman who trains five days per week would need about 37 calories per kilogram of body weight to maintain her weight.  At 140 lbs, this woman would need about 2,350 calories each day.¹
• A man who trains five days per week would need about 41 calories per kilogram of body weight to maintain his weight.  At 160 lbs, this man would need about 2,980 calories each day.¹ 
• If you increase this training schedule to rigorous training nearly every day, the 140-lb woman would need about 40 calories per kilogram, or about 2,600 calories each day.¹
• A 160-lb man who trains rigorously every day would need about 45 calories per kilogram, or about 3,270 calories each day.¹

If you would like to know exactly how many calories you need each day, meet with a Registered Dietitian who can calculate your daily energy need more precisely.  You can also use this interactive tool to estimate your daily energy needs based on your age, height, weight, and activity level.

Carbohydrates

In addition to getting enough calories, you need to eat enough carbohydrates every day.  Carbohydrates provide fuel for your muscles and brain, and if you don’t get enough you will feel tired, have trouble concentrating, and find exercise to be more challenging.  As a result, you won’t be able to perform at your peak.² 

After you eat carbohydrates, they’re broken down into glycogen, which is stored in your muscles and liver.  During exercise, your body breaks down the stored glycogen to use as energy.  As with calories, the amount of carbohydrates you need to eat each day varies depending on your activity level and body weight.  Low-intensity exercise does not use a lot of stored glycogen, so someone who plays a sport such as golf or baseball would only need about 5-7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight each day.  For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 363 and 508 grams of carbohydrates each day.  On the other hand, a distance runner, swimmer, or cycler would need about 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight to replenish the glycogen that gets used up during periods of intense activity.  For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 580 and 720 grams of carbohydrates per day.¹

Sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, dairy products, beans, and grains.  These foods are considered nutrient-dense because they also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Soda, desserts, and candies also provide carbohydrates, but these are considered energy-dense because they provide calories without many other nutrients.  It’s best to include 2-3 servings of nutrient-dense carbohydrates with every meal and snack to ensure that you’re getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber each day. 

Protein

Athletes also need to make sure they’re meeting their protein needs each day.  Although non-athletes are only recommended to get about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, athletes need more protein to ensure that their muscles can repair themselves after exercise.² Endurance and strength athletes who are in their competitive season need between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight.¹ For a 160-lb man, this would mean eating between 87 and 145 grams of protein each day.  A Registered Dietitian will be able to tell you how much protein you need to eat every day, based on your training level and health goals.

Good sources of protein include dairy products, eggs, lean meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, beans, and soy products.  You should make sure to include 1-2 servings of protein in every meal and snack.  You also need to make sure that you’re meeting your body’s carbohydrate needs so the protein you eat will be used for muscle repair, rather than energy.

Fat

It’s also crucial to include sources of healthy fats throughout the day.  Fat provides calories, helps maintain your cell membranes, and allows you to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  If fewer than 20% of your calories come from fat, it is likely that you aren’t absorbing enough of these vitamins.² It’s recommended that athletes get about 1 gram of fat per kilogram of your body weight.  For example, a 150-pound athlete would need about 68 grams of fat each day.  Fat is found in a variety of foods, including whole grains, dairy products, beans, nuts, and meat, so as long as you’re eating a variety of foods from each food group you are probably getting enough fat. 

It’s important to emphasize the unsaturated fats you can get from fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados, instead of the saturated fats you get from full fat dairy products, processed foods, and some meat.  Unsaturated fats help reduce inflammation in your body, whereas saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to the development of heart disease.¹

Hydration

Drink water regularly throughout the day to make sure you’re well hydrated.  Keep in mind a formula to determine the amount of fluids you need to be well hydrated is approximately half your weight (in pounds) in ounces.  This means a 150-pound person should be drinking about 75 ounces per day.  This doesn’t include the amount of water you’ll need to replenish fluids lost during exercise.  To find out how much you need to drink in order to replace the fluids you lose in sweat, weigh yourself before and after exercise.  If you lose one pound, this means you’ve lost two cups of fluid and will need to drink this much to become adequately hydrated again.²

Planning Your Meals

In order to make sure you’re getting enough calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, you should eat regular meals and snacks.  Eating breakfast can give you the carbohydrates you need before an early morning training session, and can be a significant source of calories.  Make sure your breakfast is high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates and protein, and lower in fat, so you’ll feel full throughout the morning.  Eggs on whole grain toast with a side of fruit and a glass of low-fat milk is one nutritious option.³

Eating a balanced lunch can provide the carbohydrates and protein you need to recover from a morning workout or fuel up for an afternoon workout.  If you eat on the go, try packing yourself a sandwich made with whole wheat bread, lean meat, and a variety of vegetables with ¼ cup of trail mix on the side.³ Dinner is also a valuable way to refuel with nutrient-dense foods after a day of activity.

If your schedule is very busy, plan your meals for the day or week in advance, making note of times when you can prepare meals and choosing foods that you can easily reheat for lunch or dinner.  You can also pack snacks, such as fruit with nut butter, cheese sticks, or low-fat yogurt with granola, to make sure you always have food available throughout the day.  Make sure your snacks are “mini meals” that contain a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, to help you stay satisfied and get a variety of vitamins and minerals.  It’s especially important to eat a snack within 30 minutes of training if you won’t be able to eat a full meal, since this will provide the carbohydrates and protein your body needs to recover from exercise.³

Your calorie and nutrient needs will vary depending on the intensity of your training and your overall health goals.  Including a balance of nutrient-dense carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat in each meal will ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals.  If your weight is remaining stable, you are likely meeting your energy needs each day.  If you’re concerned that you aren’t eating enough calories, or want to make sure you’re getting the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat meet with a Registered Dietitian who can provide you with an individualized meal plan. 

References:

1.         Dunford M, Doyle JA. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning; 2015.

2.         Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501-528.

3.         Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition. Eating Frequency for the Student Athlete. 2013.

Sugar in your Wine

 

Submitted by Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Have you ever wondered what makes some wines so sweet? “Dry” wines, like Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon, could have as little as 1 gram of sugar per 5 ounce glass, whereas a glass of Reisling could have as many as 14 grams of sugar.¹ The amount of sugar in wine can vary quite a bit and depends on the type of wine you’re drinking and the method used by individual producers to make the wine.

Sugar naturally occurs in grape juice in the form of sucrose, glucose, and fructose.² In order for wine to be made from grape juice, yeast has to convert this sugar into alcohol through a process called fermentation. If the grapes aren’t very ripe before fermentation, however, they may not contain enough sugar to produce the necessary amount of alcohol.  In cases like this, before fermentation begins the wine maker may add cane sugar, beet sugar, or grape juice concentrate to provide the yeast with more sugar to convert into alcohol.  This practice is called “chaptalization,” and it’s common in colder areas of Oregon, France, Germany, and Austria where grapes take a long time to ripen.  Most of the sugar added during chaptalization will be converted to alcohol by yeast and won’t be present in the final product.^3,4

Wine makers might also add sugar after fermentation to alter the wine’s taste.  Adding cane sugar to wine is illegal in California, so wine makers there usually add grape juice or grape juice concentrate to produce a sweeter wine.⁵ In another process known as “dosage,” sugar, grape juice, or wine is added to Champagne or other sparkling wines to balance their acidity.  The rationale behind this process is similar to chaptalization; the grapes used to make sparkling wines ripen more slowly than other grapes, so the resulting wine tends to be acidic after fermentation is finished and adding sugar makes it taste better.⁶

Regardless of how it got into your wine, any sugar left over after fermentation is called “residual sugar.”  You will need to visit a tasting room, check a vineyard’s website, or contact a wine producer directly and ask for the “tech sheet” with detailed information about your wine to learn how much residual sugar it contains.⁷ If you don’t have a chance to search for the tech sheet, choosing a dry wine will help you limit the sugar in your glass.  Remember to drink in moderation.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that men have no more than two drinks per day, and women have no more than one drink.  They define a drink as 12 oz of beer, 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor, or 5 oz of wine.  The graphic above shows the amount of sugar in 6 oz glasses of wine, but still provides a nice comparison of the sugar content of different types of wine.  If you’re drinking wine, consider making a wine spritzer to bring your sugar and alcohol intake down even farther.

References:

1.         Watching your sugar intake? Toast to dry wine. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/watching-your-sugar-intake-toast-to-dry-wine/2014/04/22/b0ebf500-ba73-11e3-a397-6debf9e66e65_story.html. Accessed July 10, 2017.

2.         Creasy E. The Sugar Content of Red Seedless Grapes. LIVESTRONG.COM. http://www.livestrong.com/article/399685-the-sugar-content-of-red-seedless-grapes/. Accessed July 11, 2017.

3.         Health Q&A: Do winemakers add sugar to wine? | Wine & Health Q&A | News & Features | Wine Spectator. WineSpectator.com. http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Health-QA-Do-winemakers-add-sugar-to-wine_4885. Accessed July 10, 2017.

4.         Bell E. What Is Chaptalization? VinePair. April 2016. https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/what-is-chaptalization/. Accessed July 10, 2017.

5.         Egan S. How Much Sugar Is in a Glass of Wine? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/well/eat/how-much-sugar-is-in-a-glass-of-wine.html. Published May 26, 2017. Accessed July 10, 2017.

6.         Bell E. What Is “Dosage” And What Is It Doing In My Champagne? VinePair. November 2015. https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/what-is-dosage-and-what-is-it-doing-in-my-champagne/. Accessed July 10, 2017.

7.         Sugar in Wine Chart (Calories and Carbs). Wine Folly. http://winefolly.com/review/sugar-in-wine-chart/. Published May 22, 2015. Accessed July 11, 2017.

Medium Chain Triglycerides and Weight Loss

Submitted by: Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

One of the first weight loss recommendations you’ll usually hear is to eat less fat, so it might come as a surprise that some people actually add a fat to their diet to promote weight loss.  The fat they’re adding is manufactured from coconut and palm kernel oils and contains only medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).  MCTs are saturated fats that have a different chemical structure than other types of fat.  All fat molecules, or triglycerides, are made up a glycerol molecule connected to three chains of carbon atoms.  The fats most commonly eaten in the United States are long chain triglycerides (LCTs) with chains that are about 12-18 carbons long.  The carbon chains in MCTs are about half as long, containing between 6 and 10 carbons.¹

When you eat LCTs they’re absorbed into your intestinal cells, then transported through your bloodstream to your tissue where they’ll be stored or used for energy.  Since MCTs are smaller, they’re absorbed more easily than LCTs.  After absorption, they go directly to your liver and are less likely to be deposited in fat cells throughout your body.^2,3 Researchers also believe that digesting MCTs may use more calories than other types of fat, so eating them could slightly increase the number of calories you burn every day.  People have also suggested that MCTs can promote satiety, so you will stay full for longer and eat less later on in the day.^1–3

Studies researching MCTs and weight loss have had mixed results.  One systematic review found that people using MCTs lost an average of about 1.12 pounds more than the control groups over 10 weeks.  Participants lost the most weight when they ate between 4 and 10 grams of MCTs per day; as the dose of MCTs increased up to 25 grams per day, the difference in weight loss between the experimental groups and control groups disappeared.²

Other short-term studies have found that people who eat a breakfast containing MCTs may eat less at lunch.  In one instance, people who ate yogurt combined with 20 grams of MCTs ate an average of 273 calories less at lunch than people whose yogurt contained 20 grams of LCTs.  When participants were given the MCTs along with a muffin and orange juice, however, they ate the same amount at lunch as the control group.³ In another study, participants who drank a smoothie with 25 grams of MCTs ate the same amount at lunch as the people who were given LCTs, but ate about 594 calories less throughout the remainder of the day.¹ Both of these experiments were conducted only once with small groups of people, so it isn’t really possible to apply their results to an entire population.  It will be important to conduct more studies on larger groups to see whether eating MCTs consistently results in a lower calorie intake throughout the rest of the day.

If you would like to lose weight, using MCTs in your diet might not make a big difference in your efforts. Some people have started using coconut oil instead of butter or vegetable oil because about 60% of its triglycerides are MCTs.  However, coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and research about its impact on weight loss and satiety has been mixed.⁴ To promote health and weight loss, look for sources of unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, fatty fish, and nuts.  Meet with a Registered Dietitian who can give you a meal plan that meets your calorie needs, fill up on low-calorie fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, and get active every day!

References:

1.         Coleman H, Quinn P, Clegg ME. Medium-chain triglycerides and conjugated linoleic acids in beverage form increase satiety and reduce food intake in humans. Nutr Res. 2016;36(6):526-533. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2016.01.004.

2.         Mumme K, Stonehouse W. Effects of Medium-Chain Triglycerides on Weight Loss and Body Composition: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(2):249-263. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.10.022.

3.         St-Onge M-P, Mayrsohn B, O’Keeffe M, Kissileff HR, Choudhury AR, Laferrère B. Impact of medium and long chain triglycerides consumption on appetite and food intake in overweight men. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014;68(10):1134-1140. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.145.

4.         Coconut oil for weight loss: Does it work? Mayo Clinic. http://mayoclinic.org. Accessed July 7, 2017.

Probiotics Part 2: Effectiveness and Unknowns

Submitted by Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

The idea that eating bacteria could actually improve your health might not seem logical, but that’s exactly the thought behind probiotics.  Probiotics are live bacteria that you get from food or take in pill form to gain some health benefit.^1,2 The long list of diseases that probiotics might impact includes obesity, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and cancer.³

Researchers believe probiotics work by changing your microbiome, or the 39 trillion bacterial cells that live in your body, to help “good” bacteria grow and prevent “bad” bacteria from suriving.⁴ The bacteria living in your large intestine break down un-digested food components, like fiber, to form products that will be used as food for other bacteria or will be absorbed by the cells of your large intestine.  It’s thought that different types of bacteria produce compounds that affect your health in different ways.  Some might be beneficial, such as improving your immune system or supporting healthy digestion, while others may negatively impact health by promoting inflammation or causing harmful bacteria to grow.^1,5 It’s thought that consuming “good” bacteria in the form of probiotics will help more “good” bacteria grow and produce compounds that will benefit your overall health.

Unfortunately, the research on probiotics is still in its early stages. Your microbiome is unique; no one else has the same amounts or types of bacteria that you do.  Scientists have only classified about 14% of the bacteria they’ve identified so far, meaning there’s a lot more to learn about which bacteria are helpful, which bacteria are harmful, how much of each type of bacteria is best to include in a probiotic, and how different types of bacteria might interact to impact health.¹

At the same time probiotics are only sold as supplements, which do not have to be approved for safety or proven effective.⁶ Additionally, the ingredients in supplements are not regulated; a supplement may contain ingredients that are completely different from those listed on its label.  One study found that a probiotic supplement contained smaller amounts and different strains of bacteria than listed on the label, which could lead to a potentially dangerous situation if the bacteria in the probiotic turned out to be harmful.⁷

Luckily, you can impact your microbiome through your food choices.  People who eat a variety of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and have diets lower in cholesterol, saturated fat, and simple carbohydrates tend to have more beneficial bacteria living in their microbiomes.² Changing your eating habits to include more fiber-rich foods can alter your microbiome within a few days.^8,9 You can also choose fermented foods that already contain beneficial bacteria, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, or kombucha tea.  This way, you’ll get the nutritional benefits of these whole foods and won’t have to wonder whether you are getting the right amounts or types of bacteria to keep you healthy!

References:

1.         Hemarajata P, Versalovic J. Effects of probiotics on gut microbiota: mechanisms of intestinal immunomodulation and neuromodulation. Ther Adv Gastroenterol. 2013;6(1):39-51. doi:10.1177/1756283X12459294.

2.         Ettinger G, MacDonald K, Reid G, Burton JP. The influence of the human microbiome and probiotics on cardiovascular health. Gut Microbes. 2014;5(6):719-728. doi:10.4161/19490976.2014.983775.

3.         The Role of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Human Health. J Probiotics Health. 2013;1(2):1-8. doi:10.4172/2329-8901.1000108.

4.         Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. bioRxiv. January 2016:36103. doi:10.1101/036103.

5.         Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015;31(1):69-75. doi:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000139.

6.         Venugopalan V, Shriner KA, Wong-Beringer A. Regulatory Oversight and Safety of Probiotic Use. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;16(11):1661-1665. doi:10.3201/eid1611.100574.

7.         Probiotics: In Depth. NCCIH. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics/introduction.htm. Published November 21, 2011. Accessed May 30, 2017.

8.         Turnbaugh PJ, Ridaura VK, Faith JJ, Rey FE, Knight R, Gordon JI. The Effect of Diet on the Human Gut Microbiome: A Metagenomic Analysis in Humanized Gnotobiotic Mice. Sci Transl Med. 2009;1(6):6ra14. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3000322.

9.         David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505(7484):559-563. doi:10.1038/nature12820.

Probiotics Part 1: Happy Bacteria, Happy Body

Submitted by Jeremy Greenhaus

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

What are probiotics anyway?

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that make their home inside the human gut. They eat and grow off of dietary fiber that we consume and can have real benefits for the person they live inside.¹  Bacteria are everywhere, and it is a common assumption that all bacteria are bad. While some unwanted types of bacteria do try to enter and grow in our bodies, there are many good bacteria that live harmoniously inside of us.

Probiotic benefits…

Probiotics may offer several potential benefits for your health including promoting healthy digestion, boosting your immune system, and helping to relieve and manage gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and conditions.

Food sources of probiotics...

Foods to add to your diet that are good sources of probiotics include fermented foods such as kimchi and tempeh, and dairy products like yogurt, kefir, and cheese.²

Some people choose to use a supplement...

       

A probiotic supplement may be the only way to get the necessary amount of bacteria to manage a number of symptoms and illnesses. The most effective dosage for probiotic supplements is still unclear. Keep in mind that dietary supplements are not regulated and ingredients and amounts on the label may not match what is in the product.³

When supplements might be useful...

     

A probiotic supplement may help to manage conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis. Additionally, they may also help relieve symptoms from antibiotic-related diarrhea and similar gastrointestinal issues from viral infections seen in children.⁴

So what does this mean for you?

     

If you think probiotics may benefit you, seek advice from your healthcare provider before taking a supplement as there may be risk for some people.² Currently, more research is needed to determine whether probiotics can offer the potential benefits that are often claimed.²  Most healthy people do not need to take a supplement, but instead should focus on incorporating probiotic rich foods into their diet to support healthy immune and digestive function by discouraging the growth of unwanted bacteria.

References:

1. Are probiotics right for you? Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. 2011;29(9):4-5.https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uvm.edu/docview/906040336?accountid=14679. Accessed January 16, 2017.
2. Douglas, Sanders. Probiotics and prebiotics in dietetics practice.Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2008;108(3):510-521. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2007.12.009
3.Probiotics: Know what works, what doesn’t. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.
2013;31(2):6.https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uvm.edu/docview/1365656271?accountid=14679. Accessed January 16, 2017.
4. Williams N. Probiotics. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2010;67(6):449-458. DOI: 10.2146/ajhp090168.

Image Source:  https://www.shutterstock.com

Health Food or Snack Food? Seeing Beyond Marketing Schemes

 

Submitted by Mattie Alpaugh

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Have you ever been swayed into buying a product because of its nutrition marketing? Most of us have. Many packaged foods in the grocery store have labels advertising that they are “made with real fruit or vegetables.” Such health claims often disguise snacks as nutritious foods.

First, let us look at why companies promote that their products contain fruits or vegetables.  We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us, because they contain vitamins, minerals, and natural fiber. Despite these benefits, few Americans (13%-20%) eat the recommended three to four servings of fruit a day.  And worse, only 11%-18% of Americans eat the recommended five servings of vegetables a day.^1,2 Food manufacturers know that many people are trying to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that they eat, and use this to sell their products.³

The problem with buying processed foods made with fruits and vegetables is that these ingredients are often added to food products in a powdered form. This powder lacks much of the fiber and some of the vitamins and minerals found in whole fruits and vegetables.³ Ingredients that have been heavily processed can be identified by the use of terms such as dehydrated, extract, starch, proprietary blend or other terms that indicated they are not the ingredient in its whole form. These “healthy” snacks are also frequently made with added oils, sugar, and salt. Look for these added terms and ingredients listed on labels, and check the nutrition label for fat, sodium, and sugar content. If any of these amounts are greater than 5% per serving, eat this food sparingly like you would any other snack.

When choosing a healthy snack, read the nutrition label, check the ingredient list, and then decide if the item is the healthy choice you were looking for. Choose whole, fresh foods instead of food products that claim to contain healthy ingredients but are ultimately a snack food.  Take a moment to compare the following snack food to the real thing.  

References:

1.     Krebs-Smith SM, Guenther PM, Subar AF, Kirkpatrick SI, Dodd KW. Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. The Journal of Nutrition. 2010;140(10):1832-1838. doi:10.3945/jn.110.124826.
2.     Moore LV, Thompson FE. Adults meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations- United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly. CDC. 2015;64(26):709-713.
3.     3. Leibman B. Hijacked: how the food industry turns diet advice into profits. Nutrition Action Newsletter. 2014; October:3-7.