scholarly journals The Color Nutrition Information Paradox: Effects of Suggested Sugar Content on Food Cue Reactivity in Healthy Young Women

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Potthoff ◽  
Annalisa La Face ◽  
Anne Schienle

Color nutrition information (CNI) based on a traffic light system conveys information about food quality with a glance. The color red typically indicates detrimental food characteristics (e.g., very high sugar content) and aims at inhibiting food shopping and consumption. Red may, however, also elicit cross-modal associations with sweet taste, which is a preferable food characteristic. We conducted two experiments. An eye-tracking study investigated whether CNI has an effect on cue reactivity (dwell time, saccadic latency, wanting/liking) for sweet foods. The participants were presented with images depicting sweets (e.g., cake). Each image was preceded by a colored circle that informed about the sugar content of the food (red = high, green = low, gray = unknown). It was tested whether the red circle would help the participants to direct their gaze away from the ‘high sugar’ item. A second experiment investigated whether colored prime circles (red, green, gray) without nutrition information would influence the assumed sweetness of a food. In Experiment 1, CNI had the opposite of the intended effect. Dwell time and saccadic latency were higher for food items preceded by a red compared to a green circle. This unintended response was positively associated with participants’ liking of sweet foods. CNI did not change the wanting/liking of the displayed foods. In Experiment 2, we found no evidence for color priming on the assumed sweetness of food. Our results question whether CNI is helpful to influence initial cue reactivity toward sweet foods.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 802-807
Author(s):  
Shashi Bala ◽  
Vinod K. Nigam ◽  
Ambarish S. Vidyarthi

Background: Annona squamosa L. (custard apple) is a tropical fruit known for its sweet taste, distinct flavour, and pleasant, aromatic creamy pulp. The fruit is traditionally used as different folk medicines by tribal community in India. The present study was focussed on the nutritional properties of custard apple based products like pulp, juice, jam, jelly and powder. Methods: Standard ICP-OES and recognized methods of analysis were used for investigation of minerals and biochemical constituents of process products of custard apple. Results: The proximate analysis showed the highest quantity of vitamin C as 32.5 mg/100g, 16.4 mg/100g, 15.8 mg/100g 16.85 mg/100g and 12.3 mg/100g in pulp, jam, jelly, juice and in powder with a total sugar content of 20.96, 51.26, 49.83, 13.17 and 33.5 g/100g for pulp, jam, jelly, juice and powder respectively. The content of calcium in different products of custard apple was observed as 64.25, 58.15, 55.20, 58.20 and 138.35 mg/100g while, the amount of iron as constituent was found as 2.8, 2.25, 2.25, 2.65, 5.45 mg/100g respectively. The observed value of potassium in pulp, juice, jam, jelly and powder was recorded as 428.00, 545.50, 415.0, 411.9 and 1094.5 mg/100g while the concentration of magnesium was found as 54.5 mg/100g in pulp, 65.0 mg/100g in juice, 45.5 mg/100g in jam, 41.2 mg/100g in jelly and 130.4 mg/100g in powder respectively. The study of analytes like As, Pb, Ni and Sn in custard apple products were found below the level of toxicity. Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that these underutilized fruits could greatly add in the improvement of the nutrition of consumers and promote good human health.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Katherine M Appleton ◽  
Jessica Rajska ◽  
Sarah M Warwick ◽  
Peter J Rogers

Abstract This work investigated the effects of repeated sweet taste exposure at breakfast on perceptions and intakes of other sweet foods, while also examining effects due to duration of exposure (1/3 weeks), test context (breakfast/lunch), and associations between taste perceptions and intakes. Using a randomised controlled parallel-groups design, participants (N=54, 18 male, mean age: 23.9±5.8yrs, mean BMI: 23.6±3.5kg/m2) were randomized to consume either a sweet breakfast (cereal with sucralose) (N=27) or an equicaloric non-sweet breakfast (plain cereal) (N=27) for 3 weeks. On days 0 (baseline), 7, and 21, pleasantness, desire to eat and sweetness were rated for other sweet and non-sweet foods, and sweet food consumption was assessed in an ad-libitum meal at breakfast and lunch. Using intention-to-treat analyses, no statistically significant effects of exposure were found at breakfast (largest F(2,104)=1.84, p=0.17, ηp2=0.03), or lunch (largest F(1,52)=1.22, p=0.27, ηp2=0.02), and using Bayesian analyses, the evidence for an absence of effect in all rating measures was strong to very strong (smallest BF01=297.97 (BF01error=2.68%)). Associations between ratings of pleasantness, desire to eat and intake were found (smallest r=0.137, p<0.01). Effects over time regardless of exposure were also found: sugars and percent energy consumed from sweet foods increased throughout the study smallest (F(2,104)=4.54, p=0.01, ηp2=0.08). These findings demonstrate no effects of sweet taste exposure at breakfast for 1 or 3 weeks on pleasantness, desire for, sweetness or intakes of other sweet foods in either the same (breakfast) or in a different (lunch) meal context.


Author(s):  
N. V. Shmeleva ◽  

The article presents the results of field studies aimed at expanding the species composition of herbs and the search for adaptive cereals with a high sugar content in the Upper Volga region in 2015-2020.


1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 2533-2538 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Brewer ◽  
K. J. Collyard ◽  
C. E. Lott Jr.

Nectar produced by pistillate flowers of the dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium abietinum Engelm. was analyzed by thin-layer and gas–liquid chromatography. The inconspicuous (0.5–1.5 mm) flowers produce relatively large (0.24 μliter) droplets of highly concentrated nectar (58–92% total solids, expressed as sugars). The major components were glucose (48%), fructose (39%), and sucrose (11%). Traces of other sugars were also present. It is suggested that nectar of this high sugar content is probably a strong insect pollinator attractant, and this, in turn, may be a major factor in the successful spread of the parasitic dwarf mistletoes.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3009
Author(s):  
Leng Huat Foo ◽  
Ying Jing Tan

Schools are an important food environment to cultivate and promote healthy food choices and practices among children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to assess the type and quality of food and beverages sold in school canteens in public primary and secondary schools in Kelantan, Malaysia. Eligible schools were randomly selected from the list of all schools and detailed information of all food and beverage items sold in the school canteens were collected during school days. Food and beverages were classified based on food groups derived from the Malaysian Food Dietary Guideline and the Recommended Foods for Healthy Cafeteria Guideline. An assessment of the traffic-light nutrition food-labelling system of the total sugar content in all pre-packaged foods was also undertaken. A total of 568 food items were identified, with secondary school canteens selling a greater proportion of food items than the primary schools (55.5% vs. 44.5%). In terms of the main food groups, grains and cereal products represented the largest food group served (33–36%), followed by beverages (21–25%) and confectionary and sweet foods (12–13%). In contrast, the vegetable and fruit group represented the smallest proportion of food items sold (1–3%). Comparisons between primary and secondary schools showed a similar trend and pattern of food types and quality of foods sold, except for animal-based foods. A greater percentage of food items in this category was found among secondary schools (12.1%) versus primary schools (6.7%). When total sugar content of all pre-packaged foods was quantified based on the traffic-light nutrition-labelling system, almost one-third of foods and beverages were classified as high (29.1%). Confectionary (19.1%) and flavoured milk and fruit drinks (10.0%) both exceeded the recommended sugar levels of >22.5 g per 100 g and >11.25 mL per 100 m L, respectively. Only one of these packaged foods and beverages (0.9%) was classified as a healthy food choice. About a quarter of the food items available in school canteens were classified as prohibited based on a new revised list of prohibited food and beverage items. These findings indicate that, despite the Guidelines, a large number of unhealthy food items are being sold in school canteens. Hence, interventions such as sustainable healthy school canteen menus should be implemented to promote healthy food choices amongst school-aged children.


Author(s):  
Anoumid Vaziri ◽  
Morteza Khabiri ◽  
Brendan T. Genaw ◽  
Christina E. May ◽  
Peter L. Freddolino ◽  
...  

AbstractDiets rich in sugar, salt, and fat alter taste perception and food intake, leading to obesity and metabolic disorders, but the molecular mechanisms through which this occurs are unknown. Here we show that in response to a high sugar diet, the epigenetic regulator Polycomb Repressive Complex 2.1 (PRC2.1) persistently reprograms the sensory neurons of D. melanogaster flies to reduce sweet sensation and promote obesity. In animals fed high sugar, the binding of PRC2.1 to the chromatin of the sweet gustatory neurons is redistributed to repress a developmental transcriptional network that modulates the responsiveness of these cells to sweet stimuli, reducing sweet sensation. Importantly, half of these transcriptional changes persist despite returning the animals to a control diet, causing a permanent decrease in sweet taste. Our results uncover a new epigenetic mechanism that, in response to the dietary environment, regulates neural plasticity and feeding behavior to promote obesity.


2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Jones ◽  
Miles Richardson

AbstractObjectivePrevious research on nutrition labelling has mainly used subjective measures. This study examines the effectiveness of two types of nutrition label using two objective measures: eye movements and healthiness ratings.DesignEye movements were recorded while participants made healthiness ratings for two types of nutrition label: standard and standard plus the Food Standards Agency's ‘traffic light’ concept.SettingUniversity of Derby, UK.SubjectsA total of 92 participants (mean age 31.5 years) were paid for their participation. None of the participants worked in the areas of food or nutrition.ResultsFor the standard nutrition label, participant eye movements lacked focus and their healthiness ratings lacked accuracy. The traffic light system helped to guide the attention of the consumer to the important nutrients and improved the accuracy of the healthiness ratings of nutrition labels.ConclusionsConsumers have a lack of knowledge regarding how to interpret nutrition information for standard labels. The traffic light concept helps to ameliorate this problem by indicating important nutrients to which to pay attention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Nasser ◽  
Eram Albajri ◽  
Lisa Lanza ◽  
Shanon Casperson

Abstract Objectives Reproduce the objective assessment of brain response to tasting of high sugar/fat food as reported in 2013 when using the dilated eye/contact lens-ERG. We hypothesized that tasting a high sugar/fat food would increase the amplitude of the dopamine-mediated retinal b wave as measured by the RETeval instrument, which uses a skin sensor and no eye dilation. Methods Twenty three health men and women (8 M, 15 F) completed one session in which they tasted and consumed 5 gram portions of 90% chocolate and 38% chocolate (Lindt™) just prior to having S-cone b wave measured by electroretinography (ERG) using the RETeval™ (LKC, Inc). Participants also completed the BES, and had height and weight determined. Participants were grouped by change in ERG response to the chocolate (38%–90%). Results Seven individuals (30%) showed an increase in ERG b-wave in response to increasing sugar content of the chocolate. The difference in b wave response was significant between the two groups (–0.89 ± 0.18 vs 1.39 ± 0.52 (90% chocolate vs 38% chocolate, respectively mean ± SR) F = 27, P < 0.01). Age and BES score correlated with response grouping (r = 0.495, P = 0.016; r = 0.415, P = 0.049, respectively). Conclusions Thirty of participants showed an increase in b wave response by ERG after tasting high sugar chocolate (0.375 g/5 g sample vs 2.6 g/5 g sample). This response rate is about half of that seen with the dilated eye methodology. Correlation of b wave response to increased sugar with BES score was reproduced by our prior data. Further studies are needed to determine experiment conditions to increase the response sensitivity of the RETeval method for assessing brain response to tasting food. Funding Sources This project was partially funded through the Clinical Translational Research Institute and the College of Nursing and Health Professions of Drexel University.


2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (5) ◽  
pp. 328 ◽  
Author(s):  
N C Marais ◽  
N J Christofides ◽  
A Erzse ◽  
K J Hofman

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