Healthy New Nutrition Trends

There are changing trends in food as new products are developed and as science finds some things to be safe or necessary for good health and it also finds some items to be unsafe. Generally many people are better informed about disease prevention through making healthier food choices.

The first trend: Anti up!

Antioxidants are being added to a multitude of food and drinks. The promise of antioxidants is to help prevent cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients which can prevent or slow oxidative damage to our body. This means when our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (which are by-products) and they cause damage. So you can think of antioxidants as free radical scavengers (which remind me of that old game Pac-Man) as they prevent and repair the damage. Some of the health problems caused by free radicals are macular degeneration, heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name just a few. Scientist have only uncovered a small percentage of the total number of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are being added to vinegars, snack bars, juices, red wind and a number of other food products. Eating colorful fruit and vegetables, nuts chocolate and dried spices will give you natural antioxidants. In a recent study completed in London they found that eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day reduced the risk of stroke by 25%.

The second new trend: Fat is Back!

Heart healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are naturally found in nuts, avocados, fish, nuts and seeds. Plant based oils contain omega-3 fatty acids and they are appearing in all types of fortified foods, like cheese, milk, juices and even baby food. These promise to nourish your brain and your heart. The safe amount to eat on a daily basis is unknown, so stick to natural sources to be safe. Eat less saturated fat which is found in animal products for good health.

The third trend:  Good Digestion!

Fiber is showing up in fruit juices, ice cream, surgery cereals and many other unexpected places.  Probiotics, those beneficial bacteria that promote healthy digestion are moving beyond yogurt and into soy beverages, fruit drinks and even in sugar substitutes.  Ideally your best choice for high fiber food would be minimally processed and provide 4g or more of fiber per serving.  Fiber is known to help prevent diseases such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, constipation and other diseases.  Check the labels of Probiotic products to make sure they contain live, active cultures as they are going to give you a better quality product

The fourth new trend:  Fixing your Sweet tooth!

Competition in the sugar substitute market has been heating up over a period of time.  There are dozens of new options being produced, including stevia and suralose.  Stevia is a Latin American plant bearing leaves that are sweet in taste. This plant belongs to the Composite family, or in other words it is related to the family of chicory, marigold and lettuce. Stevia is considered safer than suralose.  It may be used in most any recipe.   Suralose , better known as Splenda,  is certainly more pleasant tasting than some of the other artificial sweeteners.  It is a laboratory created sweetener.  These sweeteners may contribute zero calories, but the jury is till out on how safe they are for weight management.  Are they better than sugar?  Probably they are but all things in moderation is the key.

The fifth trend:  No more Gluten! 

Gluten free products are taking over the shelves at the grocery stores.  The craze has been prompted number of people being diagnosed with Celiac disease, which is an auto-immune disorder where the gut is unable to tolerate certain nutrients found in gluten products.  Gluten is found in wheat, oats, barely and rye.  Numerous processed foods contain gluten from breads to soy sauce.  The diet for people with this disease is very strict.  In the United States in average healthy people you find 1 in 133 with the disease and in people with related symptoms it is 1 in 56.  With a first degree relative with the disease the chance is 1 in 22 so we are seeing this disease in many more children.  Overall it affects at least 3 million Americans.  The symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes very severe but it takes on average 4 years to get diagnosed.  If you don’t have the disease there is no reason for you to avoid gluten, especially whole grains as they have such good health benefits.

If you want to be healthy the science points to increasing your fruit and vegetable intake to five each day.  There are many other changes spelled out in this hub that will help you make healthy selections for your diet.  The changing nutritional trends will probably continue to change as scientist continue to work on the safety of various products and as new products are developed.

The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.