Does good-tasting food directly cause weight gain?
A new study from the Monell Center in Philadelphia has found that desirable food in and of itself does not lead to weight gain. The study used mouse models in order to research the effects of good tasting food on overeating. Previous studies have shown that mice will show an affinity for tasty human foods such as chocolate chip cookies and crisps. However, this study aimed to examine whether the taste of food actually drives overeating. The researchers designed a series of experiments that assessed what types of food the mice liked; they then placed different groups of mice on a variety of diets. They found that the mice that ate the sweet and oily foods were no heavier than those that ate the plain foods.
These results were repeated over a period of six weeks, however food choice and overeating are complex mechanisms, many factors come in to play and therefore these results must be understood as being part of a much larger area of research. The study authors are hopeful that the results show that it is possible to create foods that are both healthy and good-tasting; however this research must be furthered to get to that point.
Read MoreUK levy on soft drinks predicted to have significant health benefits
The UK is preparing to introduce a soft drinks levy in April 2018; one of the first studies to assess its possible impact has recently been published in The Lancet. The tax is different across categories of soft drinks, with no tax on diet and low-sugar drinks, a low tax on mid-sugar drinks (5-8g of sugar per 100ml); and a high tax on high-sugar drinks (over 8g of sugar per 100ml). The study claimed that there would be three main ways in which the soft drinks industry would react. They would reformulate drinks to reduce sugar content, raise the price of soft drinks to cover the levy, and market lower sugar drinks to consumers more. The researchers then assessed each reaction in terms of its likely effect on rates of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
The study found that the response of lowering sugar content would have the greatest effect on health. The authors estimated that a 30% reduction in sugar content of high sugar drinks – a step many manufacturers have already taken, accompanied with a 15% reduction of medium sugar drinks could lead to 144,000 fewer people with obesity, and 19,000 fewer cases of T2DM. Adjusting prices would result in reducing the number of people with obesity by 81,600. Children are likely to benefit most from these changes. Fortunately, the study found that all the most likely industry responses to the levy will result in lowering obesity, T2DM and tooth decay rates, however one must remember that these numbers are purely estimates, it may be a while before we see tangible benefits from next year’s tax.
Read MoreUS sugar intake guidelines based on weak evidence
A new systematic review led by McMaster University has found that the recommendations for limiting sugar intake are based on low quality evidence, has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Some of these recommendations have come from organisations such as the World Health Organization and the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The researchers are quick to point out that these findings do not justify increased consumption of nutrient poor and energy dense foods. Official caps on daily sugar intake vary widely between organisations and this has led to confusion over what the actual recommendations should be, and also raises concerns about the quality of each guideline.
This team of researchers were hoping to assess the robustness of research that underpins these guidelines; they found many problems such as the inclusion of imprecise studies, and uncontrolled studies which are prone to bias. They also found a discrepancy amongst the types of outcomes that each study was measuring – such as tooth decay, and nutrient displacement – which are of less importance to the general public; obesity and diabetes may have been better outcomes to measure. Dr Behnam Sadeghirad, co-first author, stated that there does not appear to be any reliable evidence at this time that indicated the recommendations for sugar intake are associated with negative health effects. Hopefully, the results of this study will highlight the need for improved robustness and validity when developing guidelines.
Read MoreVitamin D improves gut flora and metabolic syndrome
A study published in Frontiers in Physiology has found that a high-fat diet alone is not enough to trigger metabolic syndrome, it must be accompanied by a Vitamin D deficiency. Metabolic syndrome is defined by a group of risk factors that can lead to diabetes and heart disease, these include obesity, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The study itself was conducted in mice models and found that vitamin D deficiency caused an imbalance in gut flora, contributing to fatty livers and the symptoms that make up metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency can decrease the production of defensins, which are anti-microbial molecules that help to regulate gut flora.
If these outcomes can be repeated in humans it seems that exposure to the sun and consuming vitamin D supplements could be a feasible approach to preventing metabolic syndrome. The authors of the study are keen to continue this area of research so that more can be done to fully understand the role of vitamin D and vitamin D supplements in the development and prevention of metabolic syndrome.
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