Aug 2, 2018, 21:01 PM by System

In recent years industry initiatives have drastically reduced the amount of trans fats consumed in the U.S. diet, but the concern now lies with what types of fats and oils should be used as replacements. The United Soybean Board (USB) is taking specific measures to help consumers eliminate trans fats in their diets.

Aug 2, 2018, 21:00 PM by Jessica Burch, RDN, LDN, CLC,

Using fat is essential to most of our cooking techniques, but how do you pick which type is best? Making an informed decision is important when it comes to cooking with fat.

Aug 2, 2018, 20:58 PM by Eric Decker

The food industry has aggressively decreased the level of saturated fats in processed foods, but such a switch has not been easy since solid fats play an important role in the shelf-life and acceptability of foods. For example, the textural properties of dairy, meat, and some plant foods such as chocolate, are very dependent on their solid fat content.

Aug 2, 2018, 20:55 PM by Bruce Griffin, PhD, RNutr,

The replacement of dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat has been the mainstay of our dietary guidelines for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) for over 30 years. However, the validity of these guidelines has now been challenged by the outcome of meta-analyses that could find no evidence for a direct relationship between the intake of saturated fat and CHD.

Aug 2, 2018, 20:37 PM by Pablo Adreani

Though Hispanics around the world are far from homogenous, diverse segments overall stay true to significant commonalities when it comes to food. In particular, Hispanics broadly share a strong preference for fresh, local and whole ingredients and traditional dishes that help preserve their connection to each other and their country of origin. In the United States, for example, Hispanics outspend the general market on food and are spending at a higher rate on “fresh” more frequently than other consumer groups.

Aug 2, 2018, 20:29 PM by Christine Werner, PhD, PA-C, RD,

The history of incorporating soy into the Indian diet revolves around the large population of vegetarians and a concern over a lack of high-quality protein. These circumstances sparked interest in studying soy as a new food source.

Aug 2, 2018, 20:27 PM by Jim Hershey

With nearly eight billion people living on Earth today and another one billion projected by 2040, an abundant source of efficiently produced and nutritionally-rich foods is going to be one of the keys to survival. Fortunately, we have Glycine max, more commonly known as the soybean, to help meet the nutritional needs of the growing population

Aug 2, 2018, 18:40 PM by Mark Messina, PhD, MS,

Fermented soyfoods play an important role in the cuisines of many Asian countries. Fermentation produces changes in the composition of the food itself but the health implications of these changes aren’t precisely understood. Limited evidence suggests fermented soyfoods exert favorable changes on the composition of the intestinal microbiota.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:38 PM by Elaine S. Krul, PhD,

Gut microbiota play a critical role in human metabolism and health by processing nutrients and drugs, synthesizing vitamins and inhibiting growth of potential pathogen. The gut microbiota co-evolved with humans in a symbiotic manner, so that those microbes that thrive on ingredients in the human diet serve to provide additional metabolic activity to the host (gut microbiota have 100 times more genes than human), thereby enhancing nutrient availability while also affording protection against opportunistic pathogens. The large intestine harbors most of the gut microbiota and is the major site for fermentation of dietary ingredients which are not efficiently digested in the small intestine. The efficient extraction of energy from the diet made possible by the metabolic activity of the colonic microbiota, in some cases, has undesirable consequences. For instance, gut microbiota have a causal role in the development of obesity in mice. Ridaura et al. demonstrated that when gut microbiota from human twins who were discordant for obesity were transferred to germ-free mice, the mice receiving the microbiota from the obese twin had significantly more body mass and fat tissue than mice receiving the microbiota from the lean twin. The donor obese individuals had a higher ratio of certain phyla of bacteria (Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes) and overall reduced bacterial diversity in the gut compared with lean individuals.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:28 PM by System

Soybean oil was introduced to the American consumer during World War II when domestic and imported sources of fat became limited. Because of its versatility for home and commercial food preparation, soybean oil grew to be the major contributor of both essential fatty acids to the US diet.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:27 PM by Mian N. Riaz, PhD, CFS,

Consumers continue to demand healthier food products. Given the choice, most consumers would prefer to enhance or improve their diet using food and drink related products rather than pharmaceuticals.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:26 PM by System

When one thinks of soy, the traditional Asian soyfoods – tofu, miso, natto, tempeh – most likely come to mind. While these foods play key roles in Asian cuisines and increasingly in non-Asian cuisines, they account for only a small percentage of the soybeans produced worldwide.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:20 PM by System

The health impacts of dietary fat and carbohydrate are hotly debated topics. Although health authorities are continuing to recommend that saturated fat (SFA) intake be reduced from current levels there has been recent controversy about the relationship between SFA and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:18 PM by Mark Messina, PhD, MS,

There continues to be confusion among consumers about the health attributes of soyfoods. To this point, a recent survey found that whereas the vast majority of health professionals view soyfoods very positively, little more than half of the public agrees. Four specific concerns about soyfood use are addressed below. They are misconceptions about male feminization, soy and breast cancer, thyroid function and fertility. First, the overall conclusion or takeaway is presented on each topic, and then the evidence underlying the concern is discussed, followed by a summary of the evidence refuting the concern.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:03 PM by Mark Messina, PhD, MS,

The U.S. Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) mandates labeling of all ingredients derived from commonly allergenic foods. In the United States, eight foods have been identified as the most frequent human food allergens, accounting for 90 percent of food allergies. These foods are milk, eggs, fish, crustacea, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy. However, these foods are not equally allergenic—in fact, soy protein allergies are relatively uncommon. Being allergic to soy protein is much less common than being allergic to milk or peanuts.

Aug 2, 2018, 18:01 PM by Aline Andres, PhD,

Soy formula has been in use since the 1960s and estimates are that 20 million Americans consumed this food at some point in their development. Currently, approximately 13% of formula-fed infants use soy formula. After an extensive review in 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that soy formula produces normal growth and development. Similarly, in 2010, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (USNTP) concluded that there is minimal concern about the safety of soy formula. Nevertheless, soy formula has become controversial because infants are exposed to high levels of isoflavones. To help address this controversy and to answer a call by the USNTP for more data, investigators at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) undertook the “Beginnings Study” in 2002.

Aug 2, 2018, 17:58 PM by Mark Messina, PhD, MS,

Despite being high phytate and oxalate, two compounds that inhibit mineral absorption—the absorption of calcium (and likely also iron) from soyfoods is only modestly inhibited as a result. Incorporating soyfoods into a healthy diet does not impair mineral status.

Aug 2, 2018, 16:24 PM by Virginia Messina, MPH, RD

While cost, taste and nutrition are all factors that drive food purchases, consumers are increasingly concerned about the carbon footprint of their dietary choices. Nearly 50 years ago, the book Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé emphasized the impact of food choices on water and land usage. More recently, researchers have also focused on how different diets impact greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE).

Aug 2, 2018, 16:22 PM by Marty Matlock, PhD,

The success of soybeans as a global crop reflects its value, resilience, and low environmental impact. Maintaining the highly sustainable quality of this important crop means continually improving these characteristics. U.S. soybeans are sustainable in part because of the aggressive adoption by American farmers of technologies that improve efficiencies and reduce impacts. These technologies include crop genetics, field cultivation, pest control, automation, precision agriculture, and post-harvest quality control.

Aug 2, 2018, 16:20 PM by David Baer, PhD,

Soybean oil is a critically important oil in the global food supply. Conventional soybean oil, also known as “commodity” soybean oil, is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which are consistently associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And while some individuals have suggested that the n-6 PUFA found in commodity soybean oil are “proinflammatory” and detrimental to health, those claims are not supported by the scientific evidence. Despite their positive impact on health, a limitation of oils high in PUFA is that they are susceptible to oxidation, which can reduce its shelf- and fry-life.