Dietary Guidelines and Food Politics

Warning. This post is political. While it is very different from previous posts, and may seem like I’m abandoning the mission of hosting a plant-based nutrition website. However, as Mark Bittman makes clear, to write or blog about food, is inherently a political act. Therefore I hope you’ll forgive me for such transgressions and continue reading.

2104 was a big year for food politics if you paid attention. Multiple battles over GMO labeling laws brought new urgency and illumination to the issue – although most of those battles didn’t go quiet as well as one would hope! There was a ban against growing GMOs in Maui, soda taxes gained headlines and were passed overwhelmingly in Berkeley, gestation crates turned critical eyes toward New Jersey, and food writer Michael Pollan made a public statement in support for a national food policy!

However there are still many battles to fight – and many of them in the not-to-far-off future.

As some of you may know, the Federal Dietary Food Guidelines are currently under review. These guidelines are reviewed every five years, and have taken form in the past as the Food Pyramid and more recently MyPlate. 

When the panel of experts on nutrition and health announced that they were considering taking the environmental toll of food production into consideration for the new guidelines, there was outrage by certain food industries.

No, Big Broccoli didn’t throw a fit! But organizations like the American Meat Institute (AMI), National Beef Association, and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) among others, have issued statements basically arguing that the expert nutritionists selected to participate in the panel do not have the expertise required to take environmental questions into consideration. Borrowing from the NRA’s playbook, these lobbyist groups announced that they plan to grade Congresspeople on their votes regarding food issues.

This matters because, unfortunately, it roughly costs each of those members of Congress $7 million dollars to run a campaign and win office. While the $100 or so I donate to progressive candidates every election cycle makes me feel good, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the money spent by businesses and trade groups. According to David Robinson Simon, animal food industry spends more than $100 million paying lobbyists every year! This is a sad but important lesson in American Democracy.

In one study, members of the House of Representatives who received money from the dairy industry were almost twice as likely to vote for dairy price supports as those who received no money from them. While it is illegal to “buy” votes, it is completely legal to vote for a bill your constituents donors want. Furthermore, when a Congressperson votes against their donor’s wishes, those donors often abandon the lawmaker in their next campaign. Money, as they say, talks.

How does all of this relate back to the Dietary Guidelines? Well shortly after the new Republican controlled Congress took session, they did the unthinkable… They passed a bill! Feeling pressure from groups like AMI and IDFA, lawmakers from both parties came together and attached a list of "congressional directives" to a massive spending bill that was passed by both the House and the Senate. One of those directives expresses "concern" that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee "is showing an interest in incorporating agriculture production practices and environmental factors" into their recommendations. The Congressional directives then issued a statement telling the Obama administration to ignore such factors in the next revision of the guidelines.

The question, then, remains, why are these industries so insistent that environmental factors be excluded from the Dietary Guidelines?

It’s because animal foods have a huge carbon footprint. While the numbers vary, it has been estimated that between 14 – 40% of total carbon emissions is attributable to the livestock industry. The 2006 United Nations report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, claimed that animal agriculture makes up 18% of all greenhouse gases. Even this comparably conservative estimate accounts for more than all modes of transportation combined. That’s right. The volume of emissions created by the production of animal foods is greater than those created by operating cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and ships!

As such, any inclusion of emissions would force the new dietary guidelines to recommend a decrease in the consumption of animal products. As NYU professor Marion Nestle explains, while it is clear that Americans could benefit greatly by reducing animal and highly-processed food products in favor of more fresh fruits and vegetables, in the past, Animal lobbyist have been able to argue over language in the past, rather than saying eat less meat, eat “lean meat.” These types of arguments and compromises have a long history. Going back to the George McGovern report of 1977 – the very first Dietary Guidelines – declared that “most all of the health problems underlying the leading causes of death in the United States could be modified by improvements in diet.” The report blamed the increase in consumption of rich animal foods increasing saturated fat and an increase in added sugars.  It also specifically recommended decreasing meat consumption as the best way to decrease saturated fat intake.

As one of the authors of that original report later accounted, the meat, milk, egg, salt, and sugar producers were all very upset. The National Dairy Industry actually suggested that the food industry should be involved in creating the guidelines.

When the final report finally came out, almost all of this language had been removed. Specifically, the recommendation to decrease meat consumption was altered to read, “choose meats, poultry and fish which will reduce saturated fat intake.” Do you see what happened there? The recommendation went from a negative, “consume less” to a positive “choose meat…”

Even this wasn’t enough. In the end, the nutrition committee was disbanded and folded into the functions of the Agriculture Committee – the committee that is responsible for protecting producers rather than consumers. 

However, much of Big Agricultures power over the Guidelines will diminish if the committee begins considering the environmental footprint of the food. As Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University professor, and member of the panel, told the rest of the committee, "in general, a dietary pattern that is higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods is more health-promoting and is associated with less environmental impact."

Now, perhaps you are thinking, “big deal, I ignored the food pyramid, I’ve ignored My Plate, and I’m going to ignore the next set of regulations too.” Well, you’re probably not alone. Most Americans don’t pay much attention to the Federal Dietary Guidelines; however, these guidelines do play a large role in helping to decide which industries are subsidized, and perhaps more importantly, they serve as the guiding principle for federal feeding programs, including school lunches, foods legible for purchase with food stamps, and federal prisons. Such an update to the guidelines could mean that thousands if not millions of Americans would consume less animal products.

Unfortunately, it seems that this fight has already been lost. After a draft was released earlier this month, which included the recommendation to consume less meat, the USDA bent to the pressure of Congress and their masters, and have declared that the environmental impact of food will not be considered when creating the new guidelines.

These types of issues are vital to improving the health of our nation. Being healthy involves knowing what is in your food, where it comes from, and how it is made. These should be rights – not privileges. We must continue to demand that politicians are being held accountable to us, the people, rather than to Corporations. As Lincoln famously once said, " Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

 Further Reading:

Brendan Brazier, Thrive Foods Da Capo Press, 2011.

Dan Charles, “Congress to Nutritionists: Don’t Talk About the Environment.” NPR December 15, 2014.  

David Robinson Simon, Meatonomics Conari Press, 2013.

Richard Oppenlander, Comfrotably Unaware: Global Depleation and Food Responsibility Langdon St. Press, 2011.

Richard Oppenlander, Food Choice and Sustainablity, Langdon St. Press, 2012.

Roberto A. Ferdman, “The Meat Industry’s Worst Nightmare Might Soon Become a Realtiy.” Washington Post January 7, 2015.

T. Colin Campbell, Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition BenBella Books, 2013.

United Nations. Livestock's Long Shadow FAO Rome, 2006.

United States. Congress. Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. “Dietary Goals for the United States” Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1977.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

New Year, New Resolutions, and New Ways to make them stick

Last month, friend and BYOL contributor, Sid Garza-Hillman, laid down some excellent advice on how to approach the holiday season. Since it’s now January 1, I want to build on his post with some thoughts about how to create realistic New Year’s goals and what is needed to stick to them.

First, I’d like to point out that New Year’s resolutions are completely arbitrary. If there is something you’d like to achieve, don’t wait - just start. Start today. It’s the most powerful first step you can take.

That said, I would argue that most New Year resolutions are set with little thought or planning about how to achieve them, and then, they are abandoned even more quickly then it took to set them. Just take a quick look in the window of any gym in January, and then again at the end of February to see what I mean.

It seems to me, there are two main problems at play here.

First, many people don’t know how to set realistic goals. While goals like, “I’m going to eat better,” or “I’m going to go to the gym more,” sound great, in reality, they’re not actually goals, but rather, they’re ideals. Ideals are statements which are too vague, and leave a person without a clear action plan towards actually achieving their desired end. An ideal can be a great end place for where you will be if you achieve your actual goals, but first we need to find and set those concrete standards. Naturally, before setting any goal, we should first reflect on what we really want to achieve. Then create simple steps that can help you walk your way to success.

If you really want to “eat better” think about ways you can do this. Perhaps your first step should be as simple as committing yourself to eating one serving (or one extra serving) of fruit/vegetables every single day for one month. The point is, you first need a realistic understanding of where you currently are, and then you need to find a way to actively work on achieving your goal (of eating better). For most people, going from zero to ten isn’t achievable, so be realistic. You need to be able to walk a mile before you can run a marathon.

The second issue is one of willpower. We often assume that to achieve our goal (especially goals where one resolves to be healthier and fitter) we need a certain amount of willpower. One needs to exercise their willpower to drag themselves out of bed and force themselves to the gym. Then we call upon that same strength when challenged later in the day with decisions about which foods to eat.

Part of the problem is, that every decision we make uses some of our brain’s energy. After a long day, many of us experience a mental fatigue where our willpower has essentially been exhausted. As a result, we begin to react more impulsively. At this point, you are far more likely to abandon your once quixotic resolutions. This is why at the end of a long day, a person is far more likely to skip their workout or binge eat on unhealthy foods.

As an example, one study took two groups of children. The first group spent one hour having fun and playing outside. The second group spent the hour performing challenging math problems. Then each group was placed in a room containing a table with a plate of cookies on it. The children were told the cookies were not for them, and were promised a reward if they didn't touch the plate. I’m guessing you know where this is going. The group that was more relaxed had less trouble resisting the tasty, tempting treats.

Your willpower works the same way.

When we exhaust our mental reserves, we lose our ability to resist temptation, even when we know we would be happier if we did. If, or more accurately, when we fail, we often self-flagellate, and then make excuses about our inability to achieve our goals. This often leaves us feeling even worse than before we even set the goal.

Instead of following this all-to-common path of abandoning your resolutions, try these two simple steps for maintaining your willpower.

Similar to the muscles of athletes, stress and mental taxation (ie: decision making) burn glucose. Mental fog is the result of depleting your brain’s glucose stores. Often, when this happens, the brain begins to crave sugary treats. Just as athletes need to take in fuel to continue exercising, having a healthy snack - like a banana, or an apple - can help replace the needed sugars your brain is craving. Before caving in and having a piece of cake that you might later regret (which will only increase your stress and further reduce your willpower), try eating something healthy first. It might be exactly what you need.

Another great strategy for helping to clear your brain and resetting your willpower is to take a short timeout when feeling overwhelmed or even just fatigued. While exercising itself can tax your willpower and be a cause of stress, by taking a few minutes to get up and walk around your home or office (or better yet getting out and walking around the block) can help you reset some of your mental prowess. It doesn't have to be high intensity, but you should aim to raise your heart rate, at least slightly.

By combining these couple of tips, you can set yourself up for a far more successful 2015! But remember, even when you stumble, the important thing is to learn from those occasions, not to be too hard or critical of yourself, and to keep going forward with new resolve.

Here is to a wonderful 2015.

***  

Also, I’d like to add that BYOL Nutrition & Wellness Counseling is now open. There is a 10% off deal on all programs for the month of January. Visit here or contact me at Anthony@bringyourownlentils.com for more information.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Oil-free Baked Falafel

In my last post, I shared a hummus recipe that got some really kind feedback, well today I’ve got another chickpea-based Middle Eastern inspired recipe: oil-free baked falafel.

As I mentioned in my post about mung beans, legumes are one of the healthiest foods available worldwide, and some recent research suggests that bean intake is the most important factor associated with longer lifespans! Not only this, but beans are some of the cheapest foods making their nutrition value a huge bang for the buck!

This falafel recipe is super easy, essentially fool-proof, and tastes phenomenal.

I’m also including a very basic tahini dressing recipe. This is one of those once-in-a-while foods. Tahini is a thick paste made from pulverized sesame seeds, which sounds healthy on its face. However, it is very high in calories with most of those calories coming from fat. Unfortunately, most of that fat comes from Omega-6, an essential fatty acid, but one that most westerners get too much of in relation to their Omega-3 consumption. It is also possible for tahini to oxidize as it ages, which can cause the release of free radicals in your body.

That said few things are so cut and dry. Tahini is rich in phosphorus, lecithin, magnesium, potassium and iron. It’s also a good source of methionine and very high in calcium. It also boasts vitamin E and many of the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15). Most tahini’s are around 20% protein as well. So feel free to weight the costs for yourself. If you’re healthy and fit, including tahini in your diet won’t have a negative impact on your health when consumed sparingly.

Oil-free Falafel:

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas

2-3 cloves fresh garlic

1 small sweet onion

1 cup fresh parsley (it’s important to use fresh for this recipe)

Juice from ½ of a lemon

1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax in 1 tablespoon of water)

Pinch of baking soda

1 tablespoon cumin

Black pepper and salt to taste

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for several hours. Try adding some citrus (like apple cider vinegar) to speed up the process and help with digestibility. Once the beans can be crushed by pinching them between your fingers they are ready. (Note: if you don’t have time to soak them, boil the chickpeas until they are about half cooked. Roughly 30 minutes).

Now, put all of the above ingredients into a food processor or hand held blender. Process until well combined and relatively processed, but not completely smooth. Stop the food processor and push the ingredients down towards the blends when needed. The entire mixture should turn into a light green from the parsley and have a pleasant cumin smell.

Now pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture into small 2 inch balls and put onto the pan. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes and check. The falafel balls should begin to brown. Flip them over and return to the oven for another 8 – 10 minutes. Take out and let cool.

While the falafels are cooking making the tahini sauce.

Tahini sauce:

2 tablespoons tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

Onion powder

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined and smooth.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

The Electrolyte Myth

As the Old Man Winter finally settles into its long solstice slumber, and the temperature and humidity have begun to rise, I've already started to hear runners and cyclist talking about how many electrolytes they need to consume per hour in order to not only prevent cramping, but to continue exercising at a high level of performance.

However, as is so often the case, it appears the belief that endurance athletes need to replenish electrolytes is a bit exaggerated.

Electrolytes are sodium ions and they make up the bulk of the “salty” non-water part of your sweat. Potassium is also excreted in sweat, but electrolytes are lost 10 times faster than potassium.

While electrolytes are lost when you sweat, sweating actually increases the concentration of electrolytes in your body. This is because when you sweat, you are excreting more water than electrolytes. Just as you don’t loose potassium and electrolytes at the same rate, you don’t loose water and electrolytes at the same rate. The result is, as you become dehydrated – meaning you have less water in your blood – the sodium to water ratio also changes, causing a higher concentration of sodium.

In fact, some research shows that even after exhaustive exercise, the amount of sodium lost is quite small. This was supported by double blind placebo test, which demonstrated that people who consume sodium-free (electrolyte-free) sports drinks performed at the same levels as those who received sports drinks with added sodium.

Furthermore, there is evidence that even electrolyte-added sports drinks cannot prevent a drop in blood sodium levels, because the drinks hydrate you more than they replace electrolytes. Again changing the sodium - water ratio in your body.

However, that doesn’t mean that sports drinks are completely worthless. Drinks like Gatorade have the simple sugars needed to help replenish the carbohydrates burned by the body during long periods of exercise as well as the water needed to help stave off dehydration. In a study performed at the University of Texas in Austin, they found that male athletes experienced a 6 percent improvement in sprinting (on a bike) when they consumed enough water to remain properly hydrated when compared to a group which drank water, but didn’t consume enough water to stave off  dehydration. This shouldn't be all that surprising... dehydration hurts performance. 

The final word: adding electrolytes does not appear to be needed, especially for performances that are less than 2 hours in duration. However learning to properly fuel your body is still an important and necessary skill, particularly when exercising in the heat. Experiment and find out what works for you. Even if the research doesn't support it, placebos can have a strong performance enhancing ability. Now go get outside!  

Brazier, Brendan, Thrive Fitness; The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness. Da Capo Press, 2009.

Burke, L. M.; et al., “Carbohydrates for training and competition.” Journal of Sports Sciences 2011, 29 (sup1), S17-S27.

Coyle, E. F., “Fluid and fuel intake during exercise.” Journal of Sports Sciences 2004, 22 (1), 39-55.

Gisolfi, C.; et. al. “Intestinal fluid absorption during exercise: role of sport drink osmolality and [Na+].” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2001, 33 (6), 907-915.

Larson-Meyer, D. Enette, Vegetarian Sports Nutrition: Food Choices and Eating Plans for Fitness and Performance. Human Kinetics, 2007.

(Note Runner'sConnect also has an article on electrolyte consumption, and they were kind enough to point me to some of the articles they consulted.) 

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Iron Deficiency and Anemia

Recently a good friend of mine told me that she was diagnosed with anemia. She has been vegan for as long as I have known her (at least five years) and is the first vegan I’ve met who actually had a mineral deficiency of any kind. While I can’t go into specifics, I do know she follows a mostly health promoting lifestyle. Besides generally eating well she is also an accomplished Ironman athlete. Some of the symptoms she felt included general fatigue and dizziness but other signs of anemia include: pale skin, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath during exercise, headaches, insomnia, and muscle cramps. 

She reached out to me for a little advice and happy to oblige I started doing a little more in-depth research. This is what I found.

The main function of iron in our body is to create hemoglobin, which helps facilitate red blood cell health. An adequate iron level is of paramount importance as it ensures the cells are able to deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Iron also plays a role in building blood proteins needed for food metabolism, digestion, and proper circulation.

First, while my friend is anemic, meaning she does not have enough iron in her system, having too much iron is equally dangerous – watch for a fuller post on this subject in the future. While it is relativity rare to be diagnosed, iron toxicity typically occurs in those who eat meat. This is because of the type or “quality” of iron in animal vs. plant foods. People obtain iron from either eating plants or from eating animals that have been fed plants. It is then absorbed into their bodies through the upper gastrointestional tract. Plant foods contain what is known as non-heme iron. Animal foods contain non-heme iron but also has whats known as heme iron or “blood iron.” 

Traditionally, we our told that heme iron is more easily absorbed by our bodies and therefore of a higher quality, but that view is starting to be questioned as excess iron has increasingly been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, a double digit increased risk in colorectal cancer, type II diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Heme iron intake has also been associated with increased risk of stroke, gestational diabetes, gallstones, and cancers of the prostate, lung, stomach and kidneys, among others.   

Our bodies are remarkable. Because the human body doesn't have a mechanism to rid itself of excess iron, we evolved a way to regulate its absorption. When our bodies have sufficient storage levels of iron approximately 5% percent of the iron present in food is absorbed, when a person is iron deficient, then the amount absorbed from the foods eaten can increase by as much as 20%. However, studies have found that the body has a much more difficult time regulating the absorption of heme iron, making iron toxicity or iron overload much more possible.

Now, back to the original topic of anemia. I want to stress that it is very possible to become anemic on any type of diet. Vegetarian’s levels of Hemoglobin, which reflects the amount of iron in the blood, are comparable to those in people who eat flesh. In a review by Craig McPherson, M.D., he stated that while iron stores may be lower in vegetarians, there is no reported increase in incidence of iron deficiency anemia. In fact, iron reduction has been shown not only to decrease the risk of getting various types of cancer by 35%, but anemia has actually been found less frequently overall in those who eat a strict vegetable based diet than those on the Standard American Diet – this is potentially caused by the consumption of large amounts of dairy in the Standard diet, which can bind and inhibit the body from absorbing iron.

Back in July when I had my blood tested, my hemoglobin levels were found to be in the ideal range so I don’t overly concern myself with iron (Hemoglobin A1C: 5.1 which also puts me at a lower risk of diabetes). That said many plant foods that I regularly consume are high in iron. Dark leafy greens and dried beans are perhaps the best sources of non-heme iron. Not only is kale, collards, and spinach all high in iron but they also contain vitamin C, which helps the absorption of non-heme, and are overall, healthy for everyone to consume. In fact, per 100 calories, cooked spinach has more than 15x the amount of iron than a steak! Soybeans, lentils, tofu are also all excellent sources - and all higher in iron than steak per 100 calories-and are accessible and affordable.

However, sometimes just eating foods high in iron won’t be enough, as my friend recently found out. The good news is just because she was diagnosed as being anemic, doesn’t mean she needs to turn to meat. Nor does it necessarily mean she should start gulping iron supplements. Dr. Michael Greger of nutritonfacts.org suggests that those who are diagnosed with anemia talk with their physician about first trying to get their blood hemogloblin levels up through diet alone, because a recent study found an increase in oxidative stress in the body when using suppliments.

Luckily, there are many things we can do to help encourage our bodies to absorb non-heme iron found in our food.

As I mentioned above, vitamin c rich foods helps our bodies absorb non-heme iron. While dark leafy greens have both iron and vitamin c, if you are eating a food that is lower in vitamin C such as chickpeas, it is best if you include a food higher in vitamin c with it such as bell pepper, citrus fruits, broccoli ect. It’s also not a bad idea to avoid taking in tea or coffee as both can block iron absorption.

Another slick trick to help improve the bioavailability of non-heme iron is to prepare your dish with foods such as garlic and onion. The allium family of vegetables foods have phytonutrients that help promote iron absorption. Also steaming your dark leafy greens before eating them can also help improve your bodies iron absorption.

While cooking with cast iron has also been shown to increase the amount of iron content in foods, our bodies are less able to manage the absorption of that type of iron - making it less than ideal for those already with healthy storages of iron.

 

Below is a chart of plant foods high in iron:

Food                       Amount            Iron (mg)

Soybeans, cooked         1 cup                  8.8

Lentils, cooked             1 cup                  6.6

Spinach, cooked           1 cup                  6.4

Tofu                             4 oz                     4.7

Chickpeas, cooked       1 cup                   4.7

Swiss Chard, cooked    1 cup                   4.0

White Potato                1 large                3.2

Quinoa, cooked            1 cup                  2.8
Pumpkin Seeds             1 cup                  2.1

Raisins                          ½ cup                 1.6

Kale, cooked                1 cup                  1.2

Broccoli, cooked          1 cup                  1.1

Source: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Further reading:

Brazier, Brendan, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. 2007.

Cook, J.D. “Adaption in Iron Metabolism.” Journal of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. February, 1990

Stankiewicz, J. and S. D. Brass. “Role of iron in neurotoxicity: A cause for concern in the elderly?” Current Opinon of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 2009. 

McDougall, Craig, M.D. “Letter to the Editor: Plant Based Diets Are Not Nutritionally Deficient.” The Permanente Journal. Spring; 17. 

 “The McDougall Newsletter.” Vol 12, Issue 8. The Asian Paradox: End of the Line for Low Carb Diets? Literature Review

Hunt, JR. “Bioavailablitliy of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Sept 2003; 78. 

Pulde, Alona, M.D. and Matthew Lederman, M.D. Keep it Simple, Keep it Whole: Your Guide to Optimum Health. 2009.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

The Secret Power of Citrus!

UPDATE: 8/28/13

I have a few updates that I need to make to this post. When I wrote the post I understated two important points.

Eating oranges really is better than drinking the juice. Regardless of how fresh the orange juice is, in a study preformed on 18 non-insulin-dependent diabetes patients there was no difference in the sugar spike in the blood between drinking a glass of fresh squeezed, unsweetened orange juice and decaffeinated coke. There was a significantly lower spike in blood sugar levels when an entire orange was consumed instead. While this does not necessarily mean orange juice shouldn't be consumed, as the study puts it, it suggests that unsweetened juices should not be part of regular meal planning. 

I also mentioned, that when juice is consumed, you should also go for the least processed juice that is available. In this case, it would always be fresh squeezed. Even 100% juice isn't good enough. As one of my label reading rules goes: NEVER TRUST A PACKAGE! The reason why is because non-fresh squeezed juice is stored for over 1 year in giant tanks. During this period, the oxygen is removed, to keep the juice from spoiling. This also strips the juice of it's natural flavor. So: 

"Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that formulate perfumes for Dior and Calvin Klein, to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it taste fresh. Flavor packs aren’t listed as an ingredient on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and oil. Yet those in the industry will tell you that the flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice, resemble nothing found in nature."

As such, you should always choice 100% fresh squeezed juice. Who knows what is in anything else. 

ORIGINAL POST:

A little over one year ago, I wrote a post I called Vegan Doping, to be more specific, the post was about how nitrates in beets, beet greens, and arugula can help improve athletic performance when taken before exercise. It has since become one of my more popular posts, and several people have commented to me that they now “nitrate-load” religiously before races! Now, thanks to science and tons of research, I have another little tip to offer athletes… and it should come at no surprise that it has to do with healthy, plant-based nutrition!

When we think about the nutrients in oranges, we almost exclusively think about Vitamin C, however, all whole citrus fruits also come loaded with thousands of phytonutrients. One of these flavonoids, known as hesperetin, and found primarily in citrus fruits, has been found to increase blood flow! Not only is this a reason why citrus is an excellent food to help reduce one’s risk of stroke, but it also can help keep extremities warm and more importantly for athletes, it can help reduce muscle soreness!

When we exercise our muscles expand energy to contract. This process creates a natural byproduct known as lactic acid. While our bodies can become pretty efficient at removing the lactic acid, and in fact, training can result in the reduction of lactate formation, during very strenuous or long forms of exercise, no matter how fit one is, lactic acid will begin to build up in the muscles and will ultimately cause a burning sensation so great that the body will simply not be able to continue working at it’s current rate. Most often, this means the athlete has to stop, or significantly slow down to give the body a chance to clear this lactate out of it’s system.

Citrus fruits seem to have a remarkable ability to help expand the bodies ability to process lactate. This is most-likely because of the increased blood flow as a result of ingesting hesperetin. A study took over-weight women and started them on an aerobic exercise regimen of walking and running. After a few months the women’s lactate threshold increased by nearly 17%. A second group followed the same program but drank two cups of orange juice each day. They increased their levels by 27%. While both groups made large improvements over the three-month study, the citrus group had a lower level of lactate build up, signifying a significant improvement in performance while experiencing far less muscle fatigue from the control group.

While the study was conducted using juice, the whole orange or other citrus fruits were found to be even better at helping the body cope with lactate without causing as large of a sugar spike in blood levels. That said, it is far easier to fill a water bottle up with orange juice than it is to carry a bunch of oranges! Doing so may allow an athlete to work harder for a longer period of time. For those participating in serious endurance events, not only will the juice provide natural electrolytes and calories but it also helps to hydrate at the same time.

Hespertin also has advantages for non-athletes. As mentioned above, it helps increase blood flow. Drinking citrus juice or eating citrus fruits has been shown to help keep limbs warm when subjected to cold water. So if you are one of those people who always has cold hands in the winter, increasing your citrus consumption, may help. And finally, who doesn’t want to decrease their risk of stroke? Overall, there are tons of great benefits to eating oranges and other citrus fruits, and unlike drugs, the only side effects are increased health and vitality!

So either peel a grapefruit or drink a fresh squeezed glass of OJ each morning... it will make you
Better, Faster, Stronger! 

Note: Thank you to Dr. Greger for bring light to this subject and for making the research so readily available.

Further reading:

C. Morand, C. Dubray, D. Milenkovic, D. Lioger, J. F. Martin, A. Scalbert, A. Mazur. “Hesperidin contributes to the vascular protective effects of orange juice: A randomized crossover study in healthy volunteers.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011 93(1):73 – 80.

A. Aguiló, P. Tauler, A. Sureda, N. Cases, J. Tur, A. Pons. “Antioxidant diet supplementation enhances aerobic performance in amateur sportsmen.” Journal of Sports Science. 2007 25(11):1203 – 1210. 

 N. P. Aptekmann, T. B. Cesar. “Orange juice improved lipid profile and blood lactate of overweight middle-aged women subjected to aerobic training.” Maturitas. 2010 67(4):343 – 347.

UPDATED SOURCES:

M. J. Sullivan, R. L. Scott. “Postprandial glycemic response to orange juice and nondiet cola: is there a difference?” Diabetes Educ. 1991 17(4) 274-278.

For more about the processing of OJ, see this Huffington Post article.