For more information, we reached out to Ethan Bergman, PhD, RD, CD, FADA, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies and Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Central Washington University, and food and nutrition consultant Judy Barbe, MS, RDN. What did they have to say? Is it healthier to eat at home than it is to dine out? The answer is…

It all depends on you, the consumer!

Both Dr. Bergman and Judy Barbe agree that this question can’t be answered with a simple yes or no.

Dr. Bergman says: “When a person eats at home and prepares the food themselves, they have control over the ingredients that are added to foods. Home eating also provides the opportunity to select foods that lead to good health. But eating at home is no guarantee that the foods prepared and selected will be healthier or more nutritious. A person preparing the home meals may add ingredients that lead to chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes.”

Is eating at home healthier than dining out? It’s more than just a simple “yes” or “no”.
Click To Tweet

Because you have more control over what you’re eating when you choose to prepare it yourself, it’s more likely that it will contain fewer calories than restaurant meals. Judy Barbe refers to a recent study on meals where researchers found that those who choose to eat home-cooked meals actually do end up eating healthier and consuming fewer calories. The study, which will be published online in the journal Public Health Nutrition, also found that those who cooked dinner at home at least six to seven times a week consumed an average of 2,164 calories daily, while those who dined out more, cooking at home no more than once a week, consumed an average of 2,301 calories daily.

Both experts point out that there are certain circumstances that may lead to dining out being considered unhealthy. Judy Barbe asks, when you eat out are you celebrating with cocktails and foods you wouldn’t normally eat at home? Do you start off with a bread or tortilla chip basket? Do you order an appetizer plus the fried shrimp and fries? Are you choosing steamed, broiled, or grilled versions? Restaurant serving sizes tend to be generous. Are you taking half home? Dr. Bergman agrees that when eating in a restaurant, a person may overeat as a consequence of finishing the entire portion that is served.

What have we learned? Dining out can be just as healthy as eating at home – it’s all about the choices you make! While cooking at home gives you total control over what you are consuming and may often lead to a healthier, more balanced meal, we understand that sometimes you need a break and would rather someone serve you! If you do choose to head out for your next meal, stick to registered dietitian Carolyn O’Neil’s Restaurant Road Rules to help you determine a better route to nutritious eating at your favorite restaurant.

The post Is Eating At Home Healthier Than Dining Out? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Rita Pichardo-Geisinger, MD:

For centuries, people have investigated medical properties in natural products. The truth is: many actual medications are derived from herbs and plants.

There are many articles, videos and opinions posted on the internet with personal experiences related to the excellent properties of onions. But do they really work? I have found articles in magazines, internet, and books summarizing the multiple and apparently wonderful good health properties of onions.

Onions are rich in sulfur which is one of the essential nutrients in promoting hair growth. High amounts of sulfur in onions make them particularly effective in regenerating hair follicles and stimulating hair regrowth. Onions contain many important and essential minerals and vitamins, such as vitamins C and B6, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They appear to be particularly useful in skin conditions because of their abilities to promote circulation and decrease inflammation.

The fascinating world of the natural products in medicine has motivated me to investigate this more. There are not many medicine-based evidence articles which demonstrate in a scientific way the benefit of applying onion extract to scalp may help to improved hair loss.

A review of 10 years in the literature only identified one article that was published in 2002 in the Journal of Dermatology; this investigation was designed to test the effectiveness of topical crude onion juice in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata, a non-scarring hair loss condition, in comparison with tap water. In this study, one group of subjects applied the onion treatment twice daily for two months. Re-growth of terminal coarse hairs started after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice. At four weeks, hair re-growth was seen in 17 patients (73.9%), and, at six weeks, the hair re-growth was observed in 20 patients (86.9%) ; it was significantly higher among males (93.7%) compared to females (71.4%) P<0.0001. This was definitely a great report to evaluate.

A hair loss remedy with onion

So how exactly does this work? Here’s what Dr. Pichardo-Geisinger recommends:

Apply freshly-squeezed, raw onion juice directly onto the scalp, massage deep into the scalp and hair roots. Leave on the scalp for about half-an-hour before shampooing. Do these treatments at least 3 times per week. In most cases, regular onion treatments are alleged to result in dramatic improvement of hair thickness within just several months. Since onion juice restores hair follicles and improves scalp circulation, it will help to promote the strong-hair growth. I found experiences with alopecia areata, female pattern hair loss and traction alopecia. The smell may be neutralized using a mixture of water and vinegar after the use of onion juice.

It’s an interesting and cheap alternative, but my recommendation is to visit your dermatologist if you do not see any improvement with this home remedy.

_{“invasion of the red onions” by Robert Couse-Bakermizo is licensed under CC BY.}

The post Onions for Healthy Hair and Scalp? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

In the old cowboy Westerns, you could always tell the good guy from the bad guy by his white button-down shirt. Recently, a similar guideline has been applied to many of the foods that we once enjoyed. This time though, the new “bad guy” in town, an alleged less-nutritious option, now wears white: white bread, white pasta and white sugar. In reality, it takes more than a glance at a food’s color to determine whether something is inherently healthier.

Be sure to use any type of sugar sparingly!

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) vs. Other Sweeteners

Dr. John White, MD, Founder and President of WHITE Technical Research, and one of the leading experts in fructose and HFCS says science tells us that there is little difference between HFCS and any other caloric sweetener. It adds calories in the same way that sugar, honey, fruit juice concentrate or agave nectar do. In fact, they all contribute to the same number of calories per gram. Sugar comes from sugar cane or sugar beets; HFCS comes from corn; fruit juice concentrate comes from various types of fruits; and agave nectar comes from the agave cactus.

Consumers tend to view sugar as a pristine sweetener that falls in crystalline form out of a sugar cane or sugar beets and right into the sugar bowl, as white shiny crystals, but “normal sugar” – or sucrose – is not as pristine as people think.

Nutritive vs. non-nutritive sweeteners

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD, past president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and current Director of University Nutrition, Washington University, says stevia powder provides a lower calorie option for those who want the sweet taste without the calories of sugar. Stevia is one of several non-nutritive sweeteners that are acceptable options for those watching calories or those who need to monitor blood sugar.

Stevia is one of several non-nutritive sweeteners that are acceptable options for those watching calories or those monitoring blood sugar
Click To Tweet

Nutritive sweeteners occur naturally in foods or may be added in food processing or by consumers before consumption. Higher intake of added sugars is associated with higher energy intake and lower diet quality, which can increase the risk for obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. On average, adults in the United States consume 14.6% of energy from added sugars. Sugar alcohols (also referred to as polyols) add sweetness with less energy and may reduce risk for tooth decay. Foods containing polyols and/or no added sugars can, within food labeling guidelines, be labeled as sugar-free.

Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as food additives, and they are generally recognized as safe. The Food and Drug Administration approval process includes determination of probable intake, cumulative effect from all uses, and toxicology studies in animals. Seven NNS are approved for use in the United States: acesulfame K, aspartame, luo han guo fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia, and sucralose.

We covered this topic during the True? Or Not? Your Food Questions, Expert Answers webinar. Check out the webinar slides here.

Do you have a question about sugar? Submit a question!

_{“Sugar cane (Saccharum Officarum)” by Franco Folini is licensed under CC BY SA 2.0.}

The post Is Real Cane Sugar Healthier Than Other Sweeteners? appeared first on Best Food Facts.