Here are some of the best food stories we came across this week:
- Drinking Soda May Permanently Affect Metabolism – A study published by Bangor University in England found that drinking soda impacts not only the drinker’s immediate health, but that the body responds to the added sugar by processing calories less efficiently. The soda interferes with the body’s ability to burn fat and cope with rises in blood sugar, and leads to muscles burning sugars over fats, with negative implications for long-term health.
- Kids With Healthy Diets Have Higher IQs – A study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that children from six months up until two years of age whose diets included breast milk, legumes, cheese, fruit and vegetables had a higher IQ by the age of eight. Likewise, kids who had diets that included more sweets, cookies, soda, chocolate and chips under the age of two tested for lower IQs.
- Farmers Markets in the U.S. Explode – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that the number of direct sale, farmer-to-consumer markets grew 9.6% last year, with the greatest increases occurring in California and New York. In 1994, there were 1,744 farmers markets registered with the USDA. Today there are 7,864.
- Sustainable Seafood is Also Healthier to Eat – A study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment found a correlation between the sustainability of a fish or shellfish and it’s health impact on the people who consume it. More sustainable fish species tend to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids and have lower contaminant exposure (like mercury poisoning).
- Anti-Cheese Campaign Targets Children – The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a vegan, anti-dairy group, has taken its fight to the school cafeteria. Forget vending machines full of junk food or sugary soda; this group has launched a campaign to try to get milk and cheese removed from school lunches in the Washington, D.C., region. The campaign plagiarizes Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” organization with its “Let’s Really Move” posters.
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Photo courtesy of USDAgov.
