Are carbohydrates good or bad? This is a trick question.
That’s because there are many types of carbs, and they all have
differing effects on our health.
So, what is a carbohydrate? Many clients think “bread” when I ask this question. They are often surprised that fruit and milk also contain natural carbohydrates. Vegetables are also a source of carbs, both in the form of natural starches as well as dietary fiber.
Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. They can be in the form of sugar, starch or fiber. And their fibers can be soluble or insoluble.
I was drawn, then, to a review on this topic by medical experts that recently appeared in the journal Atherosclerosis. Besides that, carbohydrates are the cleanest, most efficient fuel for our brains, muscles and nerves, here are some other truths about this group of foods.
• Carbs such as whole grains and dietary fiber are good for keeping blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight in healthy ranges.
• More refined carbs such as sugar and low fiber snacks have the opposite
effect on our health when we overindulge. We therefore need to eat smaller
amounts of sugar cookies and candy canes. Darn.
• More healthful carbs supply dietary fiber — a type of carb that the body does not digest (so no calories!) and has other benefits. Foods that contain dietary fiber include whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. High consumers of high-fiber foods show consistently lower incidents of heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer, to name a few.
Quinn on Nutrition: Tips for Finding the Best Breakfast – Good Health Medicine
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Thoughts on doughnuts (msn.com)
Some dietary fibers called “probiotics” are fermented by good bacteria in our guts. Is this good? You bet.
Beneficial effects of this process include better blood sugar control, reduced appetite to keep us from overindulging on Christmas cookies and protection from disease-producing inflammation.
Does a high-carb diet make you fat? That’s still up for debate and again, the type of carbs we eat makes a difference. Studies do show, however, that, given unlimited access to sugary foods or sweetened beverages, many of us will put on extra pounds. What does this mean in the real world?
Check your plate. Each meal deserves a serving or two of vegetables, fruit or legume. Slice tomatoes or add salsa to your morning eggs. Open that bag of baby carrots to crunch along with your sandwich.
Add a festive dose of green/red/orange veggies to your meat and potatoes. Nibble on nuts or popcorn at the next party. Along with celebratory sips of eggnog and champagne, enjoy a myriad of flavors of sugar-free waters. Bake candy cane cookies with your grandkids without feeling obligated to eat a dozen. And savor every bite of this holiday season!
Peppermint 101
I like traditions. So, I admit being somewhat bothered when I hear Christmas carols on the radio before my turkey dinner is digested. And why do they call the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” when I’m still giving thanks for leftovers?
That said, I do love the holiday season. And as soon as the turkey soup is made and we’ve gobbled up the last of the dressing and cranberry sauce, I’m ready to transition from everything orange and pumpkin to all things red, green … and peppermint.
Why peppermint? Some say we started our Christmas obsession with this flavor in 1670, when a choirmaster handed out a peppermint-flavored treat to children who participated in a living Nativity scene. Peppermint candy canes came a couple of centuries later.
Besides getting us in the holiday spirit, are there any health benefits to consuming peppermint? According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (www.nccih.nih.gov), peppermint is a cross between two types of herbs — spearmint and water mint. Health properties have been attributed to its leaves and oil that is extracted from the leaves and flowering parts of the plant.
Like many herbal products, however, research on peppermint’s medicinal effects is scant. A few small studies suggest peppermint oil capsules may help relieve tummy pain and possibly some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Caution though: These capsules were specially coated so they would not break down until they reached the small intestines. Straight peppermint oil, say researchers, is likely to make digestive issues worse.
Peppermint tea has historically been used to treat indigestion and menstrual cramps. Its leaves also give us a healthful dose of antioxidant substances that may protect us from certain diseases and premature aging. And one of the oils extracted from peppermint leaves is menthol, which may help relieve cold and allergy symptoms like stuffy noses and sore throats.
Peppermint is not for everyone, however. People with acid reflux disease
(Aka GERD) need to avoid peppermint, as it can worsen symptoms. Organ transplant patients who take a medication called cyclosporine should stay
clear of peppermint.
And if you’re prone to kidney stones or have severe allergies, be cautious with peppermint products. As much I love the peppermint flavors of this season,
I need to remember that many are attached to foods with extra sugar and fat. Peppermint ice cream, anyone?
Let’s not be Scrooges, though.
Add a little peppermint to your life this season and remember the simple rule of moderation.
Quinn on Nutrition: Holiday nourishment | Nutrition | ArcaMax Publishing
On Nutrition: Fructose: The simple sugar with a bad reputation – Everett Daily Herald News (newsmemory.com)
“Fructose is a simple sugar with a bad reputation,” says registered dietitian Carrie Dennett, MPH, in a recent review of this sometimes-confusing topic.
Here are some facts:
Fructose is a component of table sugar (aka sucrose). In fact, the sugar we use in most sweetened foods — including those labeled “pure cane sugar” — is half fructose and half glucose. Fructose is also the main sugar that occurs naturally in fruit. And it is especially concentrated in agave syrup and honey — which contain even more fructose than high fructose corn syrup.
Fructose is used in the body somewhat differently than other sugars which some say is a plus and others say is a minus. For example, it does not increase blood sugars as readily as other sugars which is good news for people with diabetes. However, because (unlike other sugars) fructose is broken down in the liver, some consider it to be a bigger detriment to our health.
Scientific research is all over the map as far as the health effects of fructose. Several studies over the past few years have reported that replacing regular sugar (which is half fructose) with pure fructose resulted in lower blood sugars in people with diabetes. On the other hand, a more recent analysis found that consuming too much fructose from sugar-sweetened beverages increases one’s risk for metabolic syndrome, a condition that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. On yet another hand, researchers report that eating whole fruit or drinking not more than 8 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice a day may actually protect against this same metabolic syndrome.
Sooooo … Here is some advice. “While fructose in moderation appears to be fine for most people, there are two groups who do need to shun this particular sweetener,” says Dennett. Some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can have unpleasant digestive disturbances after they eat foods high in fructose (honey, agave syrup and many types of fruit). Another rare group of people are born with a genetic intolerance to fructose. These folks must completely avoid all fructose — including that contained in regular table sugar — to prevent liver damage. Dennett concludes that we need not fear fructose nor demonize high fructose corn syrup while embracing “pure cane sugar” (which is 50% fructose). At the same time, we don’t need to put a health halo on “natural” sweeteners like honey and agave which both contain more fructose than high fructose corn syrup.
Bottom line: We can eat small amounts of sweetened foods and still be healthy. Excessive amounts of any added sugar are not good for us, however. Experts say we need to reduce or limit all added sugars, including fructose. Most of us could do a better job at that.
More on fructose and sodium – Monterey Herald – swift headline
[PDF] Quinn on Nutrition: An apple a day?
https://medicalxpress.com/pdf553511869.pdf
Quinn on Nutrition: An apple a day? (newstribune.com)
Hi Barb, being a retired home economics teacher, I always enjoy reading your column.
I have always peeled the skin off of apples due to my concern about the chemicals used to spray the apples. Should I be concerned about this
or am I overly cautious?
You might be overly cautious and miss out on some great health benefits.
As I mentioned in a previous column, most of the healthful ingredients in fresh apples including dietary fiber and antioxidant compounds reside in or close to the skin of an apple.
According to experts who recently attended the “Facts, Not Fear” farm tour in the apple-producing region of the Pacific Northwest, all apples —those grown both organically and conventionally — are safe to eat with the peels. That’s because improved farming methods over the past decades have greatly reduced the use of many pesticides.
According to the pesticide calculator at Alliance for Food and Farming (safefruitsandveggies.com), a woman could eat 850 apples in one day with
no effect of pesticide residue on her health, even if the apple had the highest pesticide residue ever recorded on apples by the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA).
Again, just make sure you wash your hands with soap and water and your apples with plain water before crunching into this good-for-you food.
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Is dietary fiber really that important?
On Nutrition: Is dietary fiber really all that important? | HeraldNet.com
On another topic: I tend to go bonkers for anything pumpkin this time of year. So I was intrigued to receive a sample of a plant-based, vegan and pumpkin version of marshmallows. This product is also non-GMO, certified Kosher, has no artificial flavors or colors, no corn syrup, no gelatin, no gluten, and free of the common protein allergen’s wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Which made me wonder … What IS in vegan marshmallows?
I took a look at the label: tapioca syrup, cane sugar, filtered water, tapioca starch, carrageenan (a seaweed extract), soy protein, natural flavors and annatto (a food coloring from the seeds of the achiote tree).
Typical marshmallows are made with four basic ingredients, say food scientists — sugar, corn syrup and gelatin plus some air. Some makers add natural and artificial flavors and color plus tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) , a food additive used in other products such as meat substitutes and toothpaste.
It’s the gelatin that makes most marshmallows not vegan i.e., free of animal products. Gelatin is made with the protein collagen, an animal by-product.
Interesting, there’s not much difference nutritionally between vegan and regular varieties of marshmallows.
They both are primarily sugar (about 6 teaspoons) and contain 100 calories per serving of 18 miniature marshmallows.
What do I think? Marshmallows are not really a healthy food but strict vegans who love marshmallows may enjoy this special variety. (It does cost twice as much as regular marshmallows.) I think my grandkids would love either type in their hot chocolate.
How a healthy diet may help us get through the pandemic.
I’m seeing more reports about how nutrition may help us fight against covid-19. No one is saying we can totally avoid the disease or cure it if we eat right. But the case for improving our diets to get through this pandemic is certainly strong.
Our immune system, after all, is made from the components we find in food. And like a well-tuned football team, a strong immune system needs the right balance of individual nutrients working together. Those include protein plus vitamins (such as A, C, E, B6 and B12) and minerals such as iron and zinc.
And we get these substances when we eat a balanced diet that includes foods such as eggs, meat, fish, poultry, soy, a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and dairy foods. Without a doubt, say experts, the foods we choose to eat (or not eat) have a profound effect on our immune system and susceptibility to disease.
Here are some ideas: Take a look at your plate. Does it contain
a good source of protein? Is there a variety of green, red, orange and yellow (M&Ms don’t count) fruits and vegetables? Does it include whole grains?
If not, a lack of key nutrients may lower your resiliency to infectious disease.
Don’t put too many men on the field. Supplements can help if our diets lack certain nutrients, but don’t overdo it. Zinc, for example, is needed to enhance our immune system and is found primarily in oysters, shellfish, meat, pork, poultry, beans and fortified cereals. Excessively high doses of zinc supplements, however, can actually reduce the body’s ability to fight disease.
Eat your veggies and other plant-based foods. Last year, before vaccines were available and before the highly contagious delta variant had raised its ugly head, researchers in the United States and Britain conducted a phone survey on people who had tested positive to covid-19. People who reported eating more plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and vegetable oils) had a slightly lower (9%) risk of developing covid-19 than the folks with lower intakes. And among the people who did contract covid-19, those who ate more plant-based foods had a 41% lower risk for developing severe symptoms.
Get your omega-3s. Also known as fish oils, these fats (DHA and EPA) fight against chronic inflammation. Some studies suggest the presence of omega-3s in our blood may help lessen the severity of covid-19. Besides fatty fish — like salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel, other forms of these good fats are found in flaxseed, walnuts and in some fortified foods.
Consider vitamin D. A deficiency of this vitamin can increase our risk for getting an infectious disease, say researchers. Until we know more, it’s a good idea to make sure we get the recommended daily dose of 400 to 800 IU vitamin D a day.
Deal with stress. Yes, this does have to do with nutrition. Fear and distress can trigger hormones that drive us to the comfort of foods that feed us little more than sugar, fat and extra calories. Stress busters include exercise, prayer and meditation.
And don’t skimp on sleep! Sleep fortifies the body’s immune function.
Now more than ever, say experts, we need to make healthful food a top priority to reduce our susceptibility and lingering complications from covid-19. Let’s do that.
Reader Kari B from Lincoln, Nebraska, writes:
“Would you be able to review Vitamin K2 sometime in your nutrition column? I was researching bone health online and came upon an article that discusses how important this vitamin is in bone health. It states that Vitamin K2 is part of the bone health package that includes magnesium, calcium, weight-bearing exercise, minimizing inflammation in the body, and having a healthy gut (microbiome). It appears that some docs might take the easy way out and only tell their patients to take calcium supplements, possibly along with Vitamin D. If you could shed some light on this, it could be very helpful to know how much Vitamin K2 to ingest each day. Thank you for any consideration!
Hi, Kari, Happy to comment on this interesting topic! Vitamin K is the term given to a family of compounds that are similar but somewhat different. Thus, Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and several types of Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) are collectively called “Vitamin K.” You might also read about MK-4, MK-7 or MK-9 which are various forms of Vitamin K2.
And that’s all the chemistry we need for now.
Vitamin K has historically been known as the “coagulation vitamin” because
of its important role in helping our blood to clot. In fact, a classic symptom of a Vitamin K deficiency is abnormal bleeding.
More recently, Vitamin K has been studied for its role in bone health. Both Vitamin K1 and K2 are involved in processes that help build bone strength,
but it appears that vitamin K2 is the most protective in this particular job. A deficiency of the K2 form of Vitamin K has been linked to osteoporosis (fragile bones) as well as calcium deposits in the arteries (commonly called hardening of the arteries).
The current recommendation for an adequate intake of Vitamin K for people
19 years of age and older is 90 micrograms (mcg) for women and 120 mcg for men.
This includes both forms … K1 and K2.
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Fortifying weak bones – Articles for a Healthy Lifestyle (herhealthonly.com)
Because of its emerging role in bone and heart health, some researchers now believe Vitamin K needs its own recommended daily requirement. And whether or not to take a supplement of K2 is not yet clear.
In 2020, a randomized controlled study (the best kind) tested various doses of Vitamin K2 on 311 older men and postmenopausal women. After one year, they found that the most effective dose to reduce bone loss in the femoral neck (hip) for postmenopausal women was 90 micrograms (mcg) a day, with or without additional calcium or Vitamin D3. Interestingly, no change in bone health was found in the men of this study.
For now, the best recommendation is to include food sources of vitamin K1 and K2 in our diets. And those sources differ. Vitamin K1 is more abundant in leafy greens such as broccoli and spinach. Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods (especially natto, fermented soybeans), cheese, egg yolk and meats (especially liver).
Why animal foods? Experts say animals have a unique ability to synthesize Vitamin K2 from the Vitamin K1 they obtain from grass.
[PDF]HEALTH MATTERS | HEARING, VISION AND BACK TO …
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Barbara Quinn-Intermill Tom Leyde Sales Team Mike O’Bleness Rachel Martinez Alyson Stockton Danielle Landaker Advertising Services Manager Lorraine Roque To contact Health Matters, please email: mh.healthmatters@gmail.com Health Matters is a monthly magazine
[PDF]HEALTH MATTERS | DIABETES & HEART HEALTH FEBRUARY …
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Barbara Quinn-Intermill Tom Leyde Sales Team Mike O’Bleness Rachel Martinez Alyson Stockton Danielle Landaker Advertising Services Manager Lorraine Roque To contact Health Matters, please email: mh.healthmatters@gmail.com Health Matters is a monthly magazine
Best Box Cereal For Diabetics – 07/2021
https://bestproductlists.com/review/best-box-cereal-for-diabetics
Barbara Quinn-Intermill is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition.” Herald Net.
Read more › … Best Cereal Brands for Diabetics – 08/2021
https://bestproductlists.com/review/best-cereal-brands-for-diabetics
Thanks for writing!
Barbara Quinn-Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist and diabetes care specialist affiliated with the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Email her at barbara@quinessentialnutrition.com.
She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition:
The Uncomplicated Science of Eating.”
Articles (thorn communications.org)
Quinn on Vitamin: What’s true about cows and world warming | Way of life (homeandfitnessnews.com)
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: What’s true about cows and global warming – Monterey Herald
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Intermittent fasting, fad or fact? – Monterey Herald Health
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Dehydration or heat stroke? – Monterey Herald Health
Quinn on Nutrition: Supplements for high blood pressure (newstribune.com)
A primer on the health advantages of eating whole grains | HeraldNet.com
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: The perfect brew – Santa Cruz Sentinel
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: What about lectins? – Monterey Herald
Best Cereal Brands for Diabetics – 12/2021 (bestproductlists.com)
Beetroot Diet and Wellness Added benefits – Biondi Santi Spa
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Good for your heart (msn.com)
Barbara Quinn, On Nutrition: Food from the fair (msn.com)
New Year, new ideas – Monterey Herald – Fit Fast Today
Enjoy fair food without tipping the Ferris wheel | Food