Greensprouts :: What Are We Eating? Part 2

Summertime is a great time. There are vacations to go on, friends to visit, and most importantly, good food to eat. But before you make your next trip to the grocery store, here are some food labels and catch-all terms you want to avoid.

1 ”High in Fiber” – We all know that fiber is essential to regulating our digestive systems. But fiber can only do its good deeds in our bellies when it’s “intact” fiber. Intact fibers, like those found in beans, vegetables, fruits and grains are shown to lower cholesterol and blood sugar. But products like ice cream and yogurt often contain “isolated” fibers, which don’t have all the great health effects of intact fiber. The fiber content may be high, but it might not be the right kind of fiber. Look out for inulin, polydextrose, and maltodextrin, which are isolated fibers. If you see them listed in the ingredients, avoid that product.

“Helps Maintain a Healthy Heart” – To speak plainly, it probably doesn’t. If you see this on a product at the store, don’t let its presence on the package affect your decision to buy it. “Helps Maintain a Healthy Heart” and its cousin “Supports the Immune System” are wastes of ink. Neither term is FDA approved, and you will find no information on the product as to how it does either of these things. Because it doesn’t. The FDA only approves statements like “May reduce the risk or cancer” or “May reduce the risk of heart disease.”

“Whole Grains” – There are two main types of grains: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains are the healthy ones that the USDA recommends we eat. However, just because a bread product says it’s “made with whole grains” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Companies aren’t required to print how much of their product contains whole grains versus refined grains, so while it may say “made with whole grains”, it could contain much more refined wheat flour than whole wheat. Look for products that give actual percentages. If the wording is ambiguous, don’t buy it.

4 The last term on our list is an invisible one: caffeine. Since only energy drinks actively boast about their caffeine content, most of us don’t think about how much caffeine is in other things we consume. But it’s in more products than we can imagine, and the amount of it can be staggering. Caffeine can interfere with our sleep cycles, cause anxiety and jitteriness, upset our stomachs, and increase the risk of miscarriage and infertility in women. To top it all off, caffeine is a highly addictive substance. But even with all the risks, companies are not required to state how much of it is in their products.

The FDA and USDA are very lenient in allowing many food companies to use these terms or to omit very important information from the labels of foods and drinks. These government organizations are letting us down. Don’t stand for it. Email the FDA and the USDA and tell them you want tougher, more succinct regulations on the food that you buy.




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