All posts tagged: Foods

Ultra-processed foods could harm our health. Here are what nutritionists say to buy instead

Ultra-processed foods could harm our health. Here are what nutritionists say to buy instead

Published by Daniella Wilson

Growing evidence suggests that a huge amount of the pre-packaged food we consume could be damaging our health. But it’s not just fried food and takeaways that we should be wary of, buying food for the weekly shop has become a minefield. Ultra-processed food (UPF) such as ready meals, crisps, sugary snacks and breakfast cereals, have been linked to poor health, including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and early death. Even foods such as sliced bread, flavoured yoghurt and some cereals are high in salt, fat, sugar and contain a long list of preservatives and emulsifiers, leaving shoppers second guessing what is actually healthy. Some sliced bread, flavoured yoghurt and some cereals are considered to be UPF (GettY) Here, The Independent asks nutritionists what the healthier and non UPF options are. What are healthier swaps? Strawberry yoghurt Rather than buying a flavoured yoghurt which is likely to be high in sugar, nutritionist Rob Hobson suggests buying plain Greek yoghurt and simply adding fresh strawberries. “You still get the protein and calcium, but …

Sleep and Nutrition: Foods That Could Help You Sleep Better

Sleep and Nutrition: Foods That Could Help You Sleep Better

Published by Jenni Sidey

Millions of people around the world have poor sleep quality. If you’re reading this post, you’re likely one of those people. Sleep quality declines with normal aging. It’s inevitable. If your 10th birthday is a vague memory, then you’re probably not sleeping too well today. Humans sleep most soundly and deeply around the time of puberty. After those wonderful few years, sleep begins to degrade. The longer you are alive, the worse sleep usually becomes. We cannot make our brain younger, but we can eat certain foods to counter the impact of poor sleep quality. The relationship between sleep and nutrition is not well studied. However, there is good scientific evidence to support these nutrients as aids in falling asleep. Tryptophan‑Rich Foods Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, both of which positively influence sleep. Tryptophan can cross the blood-brain barrier, but not easily. Tryptophan must compete with virtually all of the other amino acids in the blood to get access to the brain. The best approach is …

Overcoming consumer scepticism in biotechnology foods

Overcoming consumer scepticism in biotechnology foods

Published by Miika Tikkanen

A new EIT Food report examines how consumer trust, health, safety and perceptions of naturalness could shape the future of biotechnology foods. The science behind novel proteins is advancing quickly. But according to new research from EIT Food, the biggest challenge facing biotechnology foods may not be developing the technology itself. It may be convincing consumers that the food produced with it is safe, healthy and worth putting on the dinner table. The EIT Food Consumer Observatory’s report, Turning novel proteins into trusted foods: Consumer perceptions of high-tech proteins, examines how European consumers understand food processing and how they respond to three different biotechnology-enabled protein concepts: mycoprotein produced through biomass fermentation, precision fermentation, and cultivated meat. The research involved 215 consumers using EIT Food Consumer Observatory’s citizen participation forum, an online research community involving more than 300 consumers from 17 European countries. Its findings point to a complicated picture. Consumers are not simply divided between people who embrace food biotechnology and those who reject it. Instead, their attitudes depend heavily on how a product is …

6 Foods A GP Says We Should Consider Tapering Out After 65

6 Foods A GP Says We Should Consider Tapering Out After 65

Published by Sam Flores

!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement(‘iframe’);t.display=’none’,t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement(‘script’);c.src=”//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js”,c.setAttribute(‘async’,’1′),c.setAttribute(‘type’,’text/javascript’),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src=”https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb”;cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({“playerId”:”8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb”,”mediaId”:”426003e6-31ab-4ecf-b3ce-28c645b13714″}).render(“6a7b2cc5e4b0ecad6d3c9e89”);}); In his book How To Prevent Dementia, neurologist Dr Richard Restak wrote: “I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet”.  He said that’s because it’s a “direct neurotoxin” and could increase your risk of falls. And according to America’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC), we should consider striking some foods off the list, too.  But do those stand in the UK?  Here, we asked Dr Giuseppe Aragona, a GP and medical adviser for Prescription Doctor, about whether he agrees with the guidance here.  Which foods does the CDC caution against for over-65s? The CDC said that people aged 65+ are more likely to become hospitalised from bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria. “Some foods are more likely to spread harmful germs, including undercooked meat and eggs, unpasteurised milk and cheese, and unwashed produce,” they wrote.  Therefore, they suggested people in that age group might want to consider that the following could pose a higher risk to them: Raw or undercooked …

8 Snacks and Guilty-Pleasure Foods Chefs Can’t Live Without 

8 Snacks and Guilty-Pleasure Foods Chefs Can’t Live Without 

Published by Miika Tikkanen

While the world’s top chefs have direct access to premium ingredients, complex recipes and state-of-the-art appliances, they, too, fall for guilty-pleasure foods, shortcut ingredients and other foods nobody tells us novices about. Until now… To get the inside scoop on the best online food buys, I asked eight chefs to share the snacks, condiments and cooking must-haves that bring them the most joy when not on the line and firing up other people’s orders. Here are their picks.  Torres black truffle potato chips  There’s no denying the allure of a salty, crunchy potato chip, and umami-packed Torres black truffle variety is a staple for Executive Chef Michael Quigley of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. “I first noticed these at the grocery store several years ago and was instantly hooked,” Quigley said. “When my local store stopped carrying them, I naturally had to turn to Amazon because I genuinely can’t live without them.” “They are ridiculously good: super salty, which I love, and completely addictive,” he added, noting that while best enjoyed on their …

The 41 Best Disease-Fighting Foods, According to Science

The 41 Best Disease-Fighting Foods, According to Science

Published by Sam Flores

GP Dr Dawn Harper previously told HuffPost UK that she’s sceptical of “superfoods” – “there is no one single silver bullet that will enhance your chances of living a long and healthy life,” she said. You might think that Dr Jennifer Di Noia, an Associate Professor of Sociology at William Paterson University, whose 2014 paper sought to find the best fruits and veg to reduce our disease risk, was more fond of terms like these. But she had her own concerns. “Efforts to define… powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk… are lacking,” she wrote at the time. So, the researcher set out research-backed terms. What counts as “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” or PFVs? In her study, “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables had to offer at least 10% more of 17 nutrients per 100 calories than other foods. These nutrients the study looked at were: potassium, fibre, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin …

A dietitian says most people can skip the probiotic supplements and eat these six foods instead

A dietitian says most people can skip the probiotic supplements and eat these six foods instead

Published by Jenni Sidey

If my gut is unhappy, I’m unhappy too; few things ruin my day faster than an upset stomach. I recently experienced one such instance of grumbly guts after a course of antibiotics and spoke to dietitian Avery Zenker about how to best support my gut to get it back to normal. I was surprised that she didn’t suggest taking a probiotic supplement. Latest Videos From “Taking probiotics doesn’t guarantee that the bacteria actually stay alive and thrive in the gut. That’s why microbiome-friendly foods are important,” she explains. That’s not to say that probiotic supplements are entirely useless; they just shouldn’t be the first thing you reach for when you experience stomach upset. You may like “Probiotics shouldn’t be the first line strategy when people aren’t already doing the foundations with fiber-rich and fermented foods, says Zenker. You can get many natural sources of probiotic bacteria from dietary sources, so these should be your first stop. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. “All the food choices …

The link between ultraprocessed foods and muscle health

The link between ultraprocessed foods and muscle health

Published by Sam Flores

Eating too much ultraprocessed food could take a toll on muscle health, according to new research published Tuesday in the journal Radiology. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Ultraprocessed foods, which include salty snacks, sugary drinks and fast food, make up the majority of calories in Americans’ diets. The negative effects they have on heart health and diabetes risk is well-established. “What is not so well-known is that diet also has a significant impact on musculoskeletal health,” said Dr. Thomas Link, chief of the musculoskeletal imaging section at the University of California San Francisco and the senior author of the study. Muscles store fat in two ways: in “streaks” of fat that sit between healthy muscles, called intermuscular fat, and in droplets stored in muscle fibers, called intramuscular fat. Everyone, regardless of weight or physical ability, has some of both types, but you typically won’t find thick streaks of intermuscular fat in extreme athletes, said Christopher Fry, co-director of the Center for Muscle Biology at the …

Keep These 11 Foods Out of the Freezer at All Cost

Keep These 11 Foods Out of the Freezer at All Cost

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Americans already lose roughly $1,500 a year to spoiled groceries, according to a 2025 CNET survey, but the freezer isn’t always the rescue it appears to be.  The freezer feels like a safe haven for anything you’re not ready to use or that bulk haul of produce you bought on sale. The problem? Not everything comes back from the cold in one piece. Some foods need special handling before they’re frozen, while others simply can’t be saved — emerging mealy, mushy or completely inedible. Before you seal something in a bag and call it “saved,” here are 11 common foods that have no business in your freezer. 11 foods you should never freeze 1. Milk and cream Most dairy products can’t be frozen and will become inedible if they are. Milk, cream, yogurt and sour cream tend to separate when frozen. Once they do, there’s no returning them to their former state, and the thawed result will be grainy, watery or even curdled. Nut milk, on the other hand, can be frozen more successfully.  Ice cream …

How worried should you be about ultra-processed foods?

How worried should you be about ultra-processed foods?

Published by Miika Tikkanen

In the past few years, there has been a growing clamour from scientists, doctors and the media about ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Some have warned that the trend towards more and more processed food in our diet is mainly responsible for the huge burden of chronic diseases in the modern world. But what are UPFs, what makes them bad for you, and how worried should you be? The first question is surprisingly difficult to answer. Humans have processed food for millennia to make it tastier and last longer, for example by milling grains, salting, drying, fermenting, pickling and smoking. The term ultra-processed food was coined in the late 2000s by Carlos Monteiro at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who defined it as food created by breaking down whole foods into their constituents, such as sugars, fats and fibres, and chemically modifying them into products, frequently with additives. Things in this category include breakfast cereals, biscuits, fish fingers, ice cream, cakes, mass-produced bread and carbonated drinks. Traditionally, healthy eating advice has focused on nutritional composition: we …