There are always many trends in nutrition, but now the trend is to get away from trends. There is a shift back to the ancients, a need for some history. Are we feeling nostalgic or has our science finally shown us that the ancient cultures may have known a thing or two? Our culture is starting to evaluate our long-term health (since we live longer now) and our food supply. Many of the “things in boxes andbags” were not around 50 years ago, and certainly not 6000 years ago. We have no real historical data on long term consumption of highly processed foods, but the initial polls don’t look good. Clearly, the brakes need to be applied to the runaway train of food manufacturers, perhaps with a little incentive to indeed produce a higher quality, higher nutrient dense product with words we can pronounce under the ingredients list. The incentive would be a trend (trends equal money) back to the green, back to the wholesome days, but forward enough to use the scientific knowledge we have to choose the right foods and produce a large enough quantity without dangerous or questionable side effects.
Grains have been on a roller coaster ride from being on top as a giant bowl of pasta, to the lowly and abandoned food sworn off by everyone and anyone desiring weight loss. However, some new ancient grains have sprouted back to the surface. Kefir is the hot, new trend in “grains,” but with a low glycemic property (GI=36), low carb folks love it! Kefir is produced by the fermentation of milk with a grain-like starter culture. These grains have a very specific balance of microbes that keep each other in check (no one microbe overpowers another). Health benefits of kefir include reduction of lactose intolerance symptoms, stimulation of the immune system, lower cholesterol, and antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. This is an example of our scientific knowledge coming to fruition, and used to evaluate the old.
Saturated fats have been touted as the evil food whose artery-clogging abilities are unmatched. Nothing is 100% evil, and saturated fats may have some beneficial qualities. Coconut oil is now getting the nod and our guilt over ordering Thai food with coconut milk is alleviated. Lauric acid seems to be the winner here, as the predominant medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). Coconut oil contains MCT, a particular type of fatty acid. Fatty acids are chains of carbon molecules, and their length determines their properties, function and metabolism. MCT’s are absorbed right into the portal blood, which means they do not require bile acid for absorption and can quickly get to a destination, either for energy or repletion. Most other dietary fats are not used right away to create energy, but are stored. Fifty percent of coconut oil is in the form of an MCT, allowing most of it to be metabolized like a carbohydrate, available for immediate energy, as opposed to being stored as adipose tissue (fat). Additionally, these fatty acids are taken up by the cells rapidly and thereby contribute to increased metabolism. Coconut oil has also been shown to increase HDL, the good stuff.
Evening Primrose Oil is an oldie and a goodie, but should get some new visibility. Many herbal remedies include this oil, and the benefits are mostly attributed to a special fatty acid called Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). GLA is created in the body from dietary essential fatty acids such as those found in flax oil (meaning if you eat fat, the body can chop up and reorganize the fatty acid chains to create this one). However, in some people and circumstances, GLA is not adequately produced. Primrose Oil may contribute to clear, smooth skin, strong nails and hair, hormonal and mood balance, and may support the structure and function of inflammatory and immune responses, cardiovascular system, glands and organs responsible for hormone metabolism, nerve function, joint health and skin cell production.
Consumers are quite interested in Omega 3’s, and demand more, for instance, chickens are now expected to lay eggs higher in omega 3’s are a top consumer, as well. Our diets tend to favor omega 6 over omega 3’s, and this ratio should well be decreased in favor of the omega 3. This ratio contributes to a host of hormone-like substances that are involved in blood vessel action and inflammation. A favorable dietary intake of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids (3:1) in the form of flaxseed oil ensures balanced prostaglandin production helping regulate proper arterial constriction and relaxation.
Flaxseed may be one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence that it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries. These days, flaxseed is found in all kinds of foods, from crackers to frozen waffles to oatmeal. 75 new products were launched that listed flax or flaxseed as an ingredient in 2006. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. The lignans, a group of compounds found in plants, are one of the major classes of phytoestrogens, estrogen-like chemicals that also act as antioxidants. Omega 3’s can be obtained most commonly via plant origin, flaxseed, or animal origin in fish oil. Stock tip, here - buy shares in any company manufacturing these products. Already, we are starting to see flavored omega 3’s, and we’ve only just begun!
One thing is clear…there are no boxed or manufactured foods on the superfoods list. (Superfoods are foods packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, the term made somewhat famous by Oprah and Dr. Perricone). People who mention acai berry, omega 3’s and high protein yogurt are no longer consider “crunchy,” but rather “in the know” about healthy new food trends. Our hot new trend is to return to ancient foods with sound science. Now we understand why aboriginal tribes made tea from eucalyptus for ailing tribe members (also known as the fever tree, compounds in the bark are fever reducers) as our ancient cultures used many foods by trial and error for centuries. Somehow we came to decide they didn’t know as much as our laboratories. There is plenty of evidence leading us to go back to the earth: self-preservation and hundreds of years of trial and error. Join the trend, look to history, not 50 years of mass food distribution.
If you have any questions about Food Trends, please contact me at Anne@JointVenturesPT.com.