Nutrition in the News: Chocolate and Coffee

What is this “new sugar” that Nestle has developed?
Nestle researchers have been trying to reduce the amount of sugar in chocolate.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we reduce our intake of “added sugars”.  So it would be a good thing if chocolate candy has less “added sugar”.  What Nestle is doing is changing the actual structure of the sugar molecule.  Basically, it will be hollowed-out sugar molecule so you taste the sugar on your tongue but it will be hollow inside, and thus reducing the sugar content by 30%.  In their press release , Nestle introduced their new Milkybar , their first candy with the reduced sugar content.  Not yet available here in the U.S.A., but will be appearing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.  Nestle describes the new sugar as, an aerated, porous sugar that dissolves more quickly in the mouth. This allows someone to perceive the same sweetness as before while consuming less sugar. 
Hopefully, we will be seeing some Nestle reduced sugar chocolate in the U.S. soon.
Reduced Sugar Milkybar
Coffee- what is the fuss about coffee and cancer risk? 
The news this week talks about a judge in California who wants coffee sellers to post warnings about coffee and cancer risk.  Why is the judge making this ruling and should we be concerned about the coffee we drink?  Like chocolate, who doesn’t like coffee?  I enjoy some coffee every morning.
Why do they want coffee sellers in California to post warnings about coffee and cancer risk?  When they roast coffee beans, acrylamide, a chemical is produced.   It is the acrylamide that the judge wants to warn consumers about.

So what are the facts?  Is acrylamide really bad for us?  NPR  wrote a Fact Check article on this topic.  They noted not only is the judge’s decision at odds with science, there is a large body of evidence that drinking coffee is safe and benefits may have health such as reducing the risk for some cancers.  Harvard Medical School in the Harvard Health Letter stated,  "Past studies have suggested that drinking coffee is associated with many health benefits, such as added longevity, lower blood pressure, less weight gain with aging, and a reduced risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, several degenerative neurological diseases (like Parkinson's disease), and cancer."

There is a lot of scientific evidence about the health benefits of drinking coffee, both regular and decaf.  If you are concerned about coffee, then keep your intake to 4 cups or less a day.  Apparently, drinking more than 4 cups a day doesn’t add any health benefits.

Look for the new reduced sugar Nestle candy coming soon.  And don’t give up your morning cup of coffee just yet.  I know I will be enjoying some coffee every morning this week.


Sources:  press release, Nestle,  cancer risk, NPR, Harvard Health Letter, health benefits  Images:  coffee. Milkybar, morning coffee

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 5, 2018 at 1:39 PM

    Hello
    Very Informative page, I hope it will be useful for all of us. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Visit our Blog Site Very Informative Good Health Tips. This website topics is << Natural Treatment, Home Remedy, Health Tips, Beauty Tips, Fitness Tips, Food Tips, Sexual Tips, Romance Tips >> . Very Interesting and helpful articles and videos of information about this health site.All health information in this site.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?  ...
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to ea...
Read more