Dietary patterns Archive

Research we're watching

You've heard of the Grammys and the Emmys, but how about the MilliGrammys? This satirical award is given by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to the American restaurant foods that give you the biggest dose of sodium in one serving. On Oct. 11, 2017, the organization gave the award for Sodium Content in a Sandwich by a Chain Restaurant to Subway's Footlong Spicy Italian with Provolone and Mayo, with 3,380 milligrams (mg) of sodium, 1,080 mg more sodium than you're supposed to eat in an entire day. Most Sodium in a Single Menu Item went to P.F. Chang's Pad Thai with Shrimp (5,250 mg of sodium), and Chili's restaurant received a Lifetime Achievement Award for a trio of high-salt offerings, including the Beef Bacon Ranch Quesadilla (3,990 mg of sodium), Crispy Fiery Pepper Crispers (6,240 mg), and Texas Dry Rub Ribs (6,260 mg).

CSPI's goal is to raise awareness and get restaurants to curb high sodium levels in their food. To learn more about the awards, visit www.health.harvard.edu/mga.

News briefs

Brace yourself for confusion when looking at food labels. The FDA is delaying the launch of its new Nutrition Facts label, which features clearer serving sizes, a new line for added sugars, and the actual amounts of vitamins and minerals (not just percentages of Daily Values). Large food makers were supposed to start using the updated design by July 2018, and smaller companies had until July 2019. Now the FDA is extending the deadlines to January 2020 and January 2021, respectively. The FDA says the extra time will give the agency a chance to lend guidance to manufacturers. But some food makers have already rolled out the new label on their products. This means consumers will see two different types of nutrition labels for years to come, which could be confusing. "Ironically, however, remember that fresh whole foods that don't have a label — especially fruits and vegetables — may be your wisest choice," says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

On call

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Q. How can I get my daily requirement for calcium if I am lactose intolerant?

A. We usually associate high-calcium foods with dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you cannot tolerate these foods from a digestive standpoint, you can still meet your calcium requirement by increasing your consumption of certain green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified foods.

Losing the desire to eat can lead to many health problems, but there are ways to make mealtime more inspiring.

Remember when you could eat almost anything, lack of hunger was never an issue, and meals were a high point of your day? But now, perhaps not so much. What has changed?

"It's common for your appetite to diminish as you age, but the problem is that this can keep you from getting enough of the vital nutrients you need and can contribute to poor health," says Vasanti Malik, a nutrition research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Try these strategies to help you fill your social calendar.

 Image: © Mike Watson Images/Thinkstock

In an effort to ward off the loneliness that followed his wife's death, a 94-year-old man in Minnesota decided to install a swimming pool in his back yard for the neighborhood children. His back yard is now a hub of activity in the summer, filled with laughter, splashing children, and their parents and grandparents. And he's no longer alone.

While not everyone would be willing to go to such extreme lengths to make social connections, contact with other people should still be a top priority. Chronic loneliness does more than just make you bored; it can actually harm your health.

Research we're watching

 Image: © Boonchuay1970/Thinkstock

Noshing on a handful of nuts on most days of the week has been linked to a lower risk of obesity and heart disease. New research may help explain why: walnuts appear to activate a brain region involved in appetite and impulse control.

For the study, nine people with obesity drank a smoothie that contained about 14 ground walnut halves or a placebo smoothie (identical in taste and calories) for five consecutive days. After a month on their regular diets, the participants returned for another five days, during which the placebo group drank walnut smoothies and vice versa. On day five of both periods, they underwent brain imaging tests while looking at pictures of desirable foods (such as burgers and cake), less desirable foods (vegetables), or neutral pictures of rocks and trees.