Should you be worried about your sugar intake?

I blogged on sugar in Feb last year, but it seems sugar is still a very hot topic. 

And I'm not surprised. Sugar is a complex nutrient. Some sugars are naturally occurring in foods, while other sugars are added. Some foods that contain natural sugars (fruit, milk) & small amounts of added sugars (yoghurt) are healthy, while some foods and drinks containing added sugars are not healthy (lollies, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits).

I was interviewed this week by Karen Collier, journalist from the Herald Sun, and the interview particularly focused on the amount of sugary drinks that are out there. Here's the article. 

UNSUSPECTING consumers are swigging 3000 teaspoons of sugar a year hidden in popular drinks, a study has calculated.

The shopper survey found many Australians seriously misjudge the amount of the sweet stuff in non-alcoholic beverages.

Even supposedly healthy options such as some fruit juices and iced teas are crammed with far more sugar than we realise.

Packaged juice had an average 8 1/2 teaspoons in a standard bottle - yet most people guessed three to six teaspoons.

Few knew iced teas contained seven or eight teaspoons on average.

Half thought vitamin water had less than two teaspoons, when it was actually six.

Soft drinks were highest, at up to 10 teaspoons in a single can.

New draft dietary guidelines released by the National Health and Medical Research Council recommend Australians limit intake of foods and drinks with added sugars, and in particular, restricting sweet drinks.

The World Health Organisation says added sugars should not make up more than 10 per cent of our total energy intake.

One teaspoon equates to 4.2g of sugar. Serving sizes for the surveyed drinks were 375ml-600ml.

The Pure Profile research, commissioned by the makers of new product Flave Water, asked 1000 adults about consumption and estimated sugar content for soft drinks, iced tea, vitamin water, reconstituted juice and sport drinks.

Dietitian Jemma O'Hanlon said as well as tooth decay, sweetened drinks could contribute to weight gain and obesity.

"If people are consuming more of highly processed, sugary foods and drinks, this means they're having less of the healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and dairy foods," Ms O'Hanlon said.

"You don't receive that feeling of fullness from a sugary drink, so people tend to forget that these still contribute to their daily kilojoule intake."

GET IT RIGHT

FOCUS on eating a variety of foods from the five food groups - fruit, vegetable, breads and cereal, meat and alternatives, and dairy and alternatives.

DON'T worry about the natural sugars  in fresh fruit and milk, nor the small amount of added sugar in yoghurt. These foods are packed full of nutrients which makes them a good choice.

HIGHLY processed foods and fluids such as confectionery, soft drinks, cakes and biscuits are nutrient-poor yet high in kilojoules, and these should be limited.

DRINK more water as opposed to any other fluids. Water is sugar and kilojoule-free.
 

collierk@heraldsun.com.au

The bottom line with sugar is you can't go wrong if you focus on eating the 5 food groups. This means eating fruit, vegetables/legumes, wholegrain breads & cereals, lean meats/fish/poultry/eggs/nuts and dairy foods. Try to limit your intake of highly processed foods and drinks such as confectionery, soft drinks and flavoured waters, which are nutrient poor and yet kilojoule rich (and only end up on the waistline). 

For more info, check out the Dietitian's Association of Australia's thoughts here and here. 

Fish Oil - Part 2

Here's Part 2 of the Fish Oil blog from dietitian Sally Marchini. If you didn't catch part 1, check it out here.


Sally Marchini

Sally is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian after successfully completing the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle.
Having lived with diabetes and coeliac disease for many years, Sally is passionate about helping other people with these conditions and is opening a private practice in Swansea, NSW as a specialist dietitian.

Connect with Sally on Linked In, Facebook & Twitter

In the first blog on fish oil l started by talking about what omega-3 fatty acids are, the variety of health benefits that can be gained by consuming fish oil and three of its active components (EPA, DHA & DPA), what the best sources are, and how much we need to consume for the health benefits to be realised.  I hope you found it useful.

Today I’ll be discussing some of the other issues associated with fish oil such as whether there are differences between fish oil and krill oil, wild and farmed fish, leading on nicely to sustainability of seafood in general, and safety relating to mercury levels in deep sea fish and fish oils.

What's the difference between fish oil and krill oil - which one should I choose?

We’ve all seen the ads on the telly that claims that krill oil is more effective than ordinary fish oil.  This claim is based on a fact that krill oil and fish oils are chemically structurally different thereby making the krill oil easier for the human body to assimilate and use.

A study in 2011 that looked at 113 subjects investigated the effects of krill oil and fish oil on blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.  The study found no significant changes in the EPA, DHA and DPA levels between subjects on fish oil and those on krill oil, and no differences in the blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels or on the markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.

There is also some discussion relating to an additional antioxidant that occurs naturally in krill oil.  Called Astaxanthin, it is believed to further reduce pain and stiffness in arthritis from fish oil alone.  It is also understood that the antioxidant component of krill oil also protects the active ingredients from oxidation as it travels into the cells.  It does not however appear to affect the other health issues known to benefit from fish oils (see part 1 for details).  This is an area of research that is currently being further investigated, so watch this space to keep up to date!

As to which one you should choose, it would seem that either would be a good choice so it would depend on how much money you wanted to pay and specifically what the health benefits are that you’re looking to achieve through taking a marine oil supplement.   

Sustainable seafood – what’s so important?

So following on from our krill oil discussion, it is heartening to note that the harvesting of Antarctic krill is relatively new and a close eye is being kept on it according to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources  (CCAMLR).  The CCAMLR has implemented a ‘precautionary’ approach to minimise risk associated with unsustainable practices. Most of it is harvested as feed for fish farms, and a minor (<5%) is harvested for human consumption.

Regarding sustainable seafood in general, this is a huge topic that really needs its own blog.  In brief, sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase future production without jeopardising the ecosystems from which it was acquired. In Australia we have the Australian Marine Conservation Society that keeps a close eye on maintaining that sustainability, which is helped by people like us who support their work.  So please visit the site to learn more.

Wild vs Farmed

Another big issue!  According to the CSIRO, aquaculture contributes about a third of Australia’s total fisheries production, and by 2030 more than half our seafood will be farmed.  The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry claims that, ‘Australia has established a reputation as a supplier of safe, high quality seafood which is produced using environmentally sustainable practices’.  Fortunately for us as Australians, Australian researchers are also at the cutting edge of research into fish nutrition to ensure that farmed fish in Australia will provide the same omega-3 and other benefits as fresh fish caught from their natural environments.

Of course one must consider where the fish that you’re eating has come from, and especially if it’s imported, does that country have the stringent guidelines that our aquaculture farms adhere to? You can read more about this controversial issue of international aquaculture here.

What about mercury? I heard that some fish are higher in mercury than others? How much can I eat safely?

Mercury is a heavy metal that is recognised to have increasing levels in the larger fish that are further up the food chain such as tuna, marlin, swordfish and shark among others.  It tends to affect the nervous system, and the developing nervous system in the unborn baby is particularly sensitive to mercury.

The current recommendations from FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) are that:

·      Pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and young children should eat shark (flake), broadbill, marlin and swordfish no more than once a fortnight and should not eat any other fish during that fortnight (one serve = 150g for adults, and 75g for children).

·     Orange roughy and catfish should be eaten no more than once a week, and no other fish should be eaten during that week (one serve = 150g for adults, and 75g for children).

·      The general population should also only eat shark (flake), broadbill, marlin and swordfish once per week and no other fish that week (one serve = 150g for adults, and 75g for children).

·      Canned fish generally has lower levels of mercury than fresh as the fish used for canning are a smaller variety and are generally caught when less than one year old.  FSANZ has calculated that it is safe for all population groups to consume a snack can of tuna (95g) everyday, assuming no other fish is eaten.

In terms of fish oil supplements, there are currently no issues associated with mercury as it binds with the fish protein rather than its oil and the processing and deodorising further reduces any contamination risk. For fish oil supplements, the risk of mercury toxicity is minimal and is even considered safe in moderate amounts for women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children.

Low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat and omega 3 oils, fish is also a rich source of iodine so everyone, especially pregnant women, should regularly include fish in their diet.

On that note I’ll finish this blog, and please feel free to ask if you have any other questions about fish and fish oils, and of course, you can always book in to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian if you have specific health issues that you’d like to discuss.


Editor's note:


Thanks Sal! You've done an amazing job at answering all the common questions associated with fish oil. I myself aim to eat my 2-3 serves of fish a week, but for those that don't get around to eating these amounts, or those that just don't like fish, supplementing with fish oil is a good way to get these nutrients.

We haven't spoken about the infamous chips that often accompany our fish, but I wanted to take this opportunity give a big plug to Hooked, who in my opinion, do the most amazing (eat in or takeaway) fish & salad. They have a focus on keeping things healthy, which is why they give you the option of grilling your fish and giving you a salad that you'd never imagine you'd find at a fish n chip shop. I'm hooked :)

Any questions on fish oil shoot us a comment and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! 

Fish Oil - Part 1

Walk into a supermarket or chemist these days and you'll be bombarbed with more vitamin supplements than you can poke a stick at. One of the supplements that seems to be in right now is fish oil, so I asked my dietitian friend Sal to give me the low down on what it is, do we actually need it, and if so, how much should we be taking? Here's the scoop.

Sally Marchini

Sally is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian after successfully completing the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle.

Having lived with diabetes and coeliac disease for many years, Sally is passionate about helping other people with these conditions and is opening a private practice in Swansea, NSW as a specialist dietitian.

Connect with Sally on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter

Before studying to become a dietitian I often used to wonder about fish oil:  what it was that made it so healthy, how it worked to be healthy for so many parts of our body, what these EPA and DHA letters were all about and what difference they made to me, what’s the best way to have it, how much of it should I have – that sort of thing.  So, I thought I’d write something for you all along those lines in case you have similar wonderings about this quite complex subject.

I’ll start by explaining briefly what omega-3 fatty acids are, then the variety of health benefits that can be gained by consuming fish oil and three of its active components (EPA, DHA & DPA), what the best sources are, and how much we need to consume for the health benefits to be realised.  In my next blog I’ll discuss some of the other issues associated with fish oil such as whether there are differences between wild and farmed fish, fish oil and krill oil, sustainability of seafood in general, and safety relating to mercury levels in deep sea fish and fish oils. 

Omega-3 fatty acids

In the deep cold sea, fish need a kind of ‘anti-freeze’ to allow them to survive.  It is the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that do that job for them.  Interestingly these omega-3 PUFAs that we associate with fish originate in the plant form of microalgae.  Deep sea foraging fish (like sardines and herring) eat the microalgae and accumulate the omega-3 fatty acids.  In turn, these fish are eaten by the larger predatory fish like tuna and salmon.  It is this ability of the fish to accumulate the omega-3 PUFAs that makes them special.

In our human bodies fatty acids provide energy, protection, and transmission of messages to and between the millions of cells.  Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential in our diet as the human body cannot produce them itself. The three of those fatty acids are most talked about are known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and DPA (docosapentaenoic acid).  Each of these play specific roles in our health, however are generally available together in oily fish such as mackerel, herrings, sardines, salmon and tuna and other seafood. The plant-based Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) also has many health benefits (found in legumes, canola oils and margarines, linseed oils, certain nuts such as walnuts, and in small amounts in leafy vegetables) but does not benefit human health as well as marine n-3 PUFAs for certain conditions. For those with seafood allergies, marine algae are a viable alternative although an expensive one.

Health benefits that can be gained by consuming fish oil


These omega-3 fatty acid components in fish oil provide several properties that have also been proven effective in humans including:

·       Anti-inflammatory properties that help the immune system, heart health (by decreasing the risk of Coronary Heart Disease, decreasing arrhythmias, and slightly lowering blood pressure) and that help reduce the swelling and stiffness associated with arthritis and other inflammatory conditions

·       Anti-coagulant properties that reduce the risk of stroke, thrombosis and again help heart health

·        Being known to help with high cholesterol by increasing the good cholesterol (HDL), increasing the size of the bad cholesterol particles(LDL) making them less dangerous, and reducing the triglycerides

·         Helping with building and maintenance of neural pathways in the brain, being linked with lower levels of depression and helping with ADHD in some cases

·         Being linked with increased UV protection for our skin and improved breathing for those with asthma

·         Decreasing colonic damage and inflammation in people with Irritable Bowel Disease

·         Reducing insulin sensitivity for people with or at risk of Type 2 diabetes

How much do we need?

The Heart Foundation currently recommends that the adult population of Australia should consume about 500 milligrams of omega-3 (marine source) every day.  On some days you may consume more or less omega-3s than on other days, but aim to consume about 3500 milligrams of EPA and DPA over the whole week.  The Heart Foundation and the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) recommend that you achieve this amount by eating two to three serves of oily fish every week and supplementing your intake with fish oil and/or foods and drinks enriched with omega-3.  So, if you were relying entirely on supplements then two 1000mg capsules per day (each 1000mg usually contains 300mg of marine triglycerides) should be ample.

It’s also worth noting at this point that omega-6 fatty acids (found in safflower, corn, sunflower, peanut and other vegetable oils) actually compete with the omega-3s and generally cause an opposite effect in our cells, so choose olive oil in preference to those to obtain an improved benefit.

The Heart Foundation also advises that even though fish sources of omega-3s have great benefits for heart health, pregnant and breastfeeding women must not consume more than the recommended amounts of the larger predatory fish due to the risk of consuming too much mercury (this will be covered more in the next blog). Requirements for specific health conditions will need to be worked out for individuals by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) or other health professional.

Best sources

This table (data taken from the Heart Foundation) gives you a feeling for the levels of Omega-3 in some more common Australian seafoods.  Each listing contains at least 200mg EPA+DHA/150g serve.

EPA+DHA levels per 150g serve

200-300mg /150g serve	300- 400 mg /150g serve	400-500 mg /150g serve	300-500 mg /150g serve	>500 /150g serve
Australian bass	Smoked cod	Australian sardine	Green Mussels	Atlantic salmon
Snapper	Rainbow trout	Yellow-tail kingfish	Oyster, Pacific, raw	Blue mackerel
Silver trevally	Flathead: deep water,	Australian herring	Scallops	Australian salmon
King Dory	southern sand, tiger	Sea mullet	Blue Mussels	Blue-eye trevalla
Whiting	Mirror dory	Silver perch	Crab, blue swimmer	Oyster, Sydney rock
John Dory	Jack mackerel	Some canned salmon and tuna	Baby octopus	Squid, arrow
Other white fleshed fish	Grey morwong		Some canned salmon and tuna	Some canned salmon and tuna

Some ideas to increase your intake might be to include a serve of canned salmon or sardines, which have very high omega-3 levels, and adding another serve of oily fish or seafood (either caught or bought) to your weekly eating plan to help you to reach your weekly omega-3 targets.

It is easy for children to meet recommended intakes of omega-3s. Based on recent Australian Government dietary intake recommendations,  one small serve (100 grams) of a fish such as flathead, plus two small cans of sandwich tuna a week, will provide a child up to age 14 with an adequate intake (AI) of omega-3s.

There is also a wide range of products available that have been fortified with marine-based omega-3s including eggs (chickens fed on fish meal), bread, dairy products, oil and even ice cream.

What about fish oil supplements?

Fish oil supplements are readily available and can be helpful for people who find it challenging to consume enough marine sourced omega-3s from their diets.  In this case, two 1000mg fish oil capsules per day (providing 600mg marine triglycerides) will be ample for most people, unless you have a condition that is known to benefit from an increased dosage such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol and others  – check with your health professional if this is the case.  The odourless varieties have been safely encapsulated to allow digestion without the fishy aftertaste.  If you have a fish allergy, ensure you seek medical advice to avoid possible reaction.

It is advisable to include a 250mg dose of Vitamin E with fish oil supplements to provide antioxidant stabilisation for the omega-3s as they make their way to your cells.  Additionally, ensure the fish oils you use are protected from heat and light (store them in the fridge) to avoid losing potency due to oxidation.

In terms of brands, most reputable brands will contain similar ingredients.  Some brands such as Blackmores make different types with qualities aimed at specific health conditions (like cardiac and brain health) but really they’re all quite similar. Ask your APD if you’re still unsure. 

The NHMRC recommends an upper level of omega-3s of 3000mg for children, adolescents and adults as there is some evidence to suggest that high levels of these fatty acids may impair immune response and prolong bleeding time.  Therefore medical advice is recommended for condition specific larger doses. (Note: It is unlikely that this level of intake would be reached by consumption of seafood alone. If it were, then consideration would need to be given to the possible effects of concomitant intakes of other potential toxins such as mercury.)

People with high blood triglycerides and other medical conditions should take advice from their GP or APD before choosing fish oil supplements and omega-3 enriched foods and drinks as an alternative to drug therapy.

Check out Part 2 next week for info on fish vs krill oil, wild or farmed, mercury levels and that ever-so-hot word right now called 'sustainability'...  

Organic food

Last month, my mentee, Mary shared a blog with us on vegan baking. This month, she tackles the topic of organic food and whether it really is any better than regular produce.


Mary Lin
Mary Lin is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian after successfully completing the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Monash University. Mary is passionate about exploring food possibilities to promote health and wellbeing.  She has a special interest in heart health, vegetarianism/veganism, and food intolerance. Mary's hobbies include cooking, baking, and playing music.

Connect with Mary on LinkedIn

Connect with Mary at her blog Food is a Many-Splendoured Thing

Organic food can be found scattered almost everywhere in supermarkets and markets these days. Even though it is more expensive, more and more people seem to be buying organic food. It has been found that most people go organic because they believe that it’s fresher and healthier. I’ve also noticed that many supermarkets put a lot of organic food in their ‘health food’ section. But is organic food really better for us nutritionally?

What is organic food?

In a nutshell, organic food is produced without chemicals or drugs with the intention to protect the environment. Organic foods include crops produced without using pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Where livestock is involved, organic means that the animals are bred ‘naturally and traditionally’ (e.g. no hormones to make them grow larger).

Is organic food more nutritious?

The claim that organic food is healthier has been flying around for a very long time. However, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has recently published a couple of very interesting reviews of studies on organic food and nutrition. A systematic review by Dangour in 2009 has concluded that organic food does not have different nutrient quality compared to conventional food. Even though there were small differences detected in some of the studies, these were more likely to be biological-related or caused by the production processes. Another review explored whether eating organic food has any nutrition-related health benefits. The evidence shows that there are no differences in nutrition-related health outcomes between organic food eaters and conventional food eaters. Therefore, the current evidence we have demonstrates that organic food is not nutritionally better compared to conventional food.

What about conventional food? Is it safe to eat even though they use chemicals?

The Food Standards Australian New Zealand has regulations on the maximum residue levels from chemicals that are allowed in food. These maximum residue levels are scientifically proven to be safe for us. Standard 1.4.2 in the Food Standard Code has a list of all the residues that are allowed to be found in food as well as their maximum residue levels. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority also regulates the registration of agriculture and veterinary chemical products to assess and ensure that they are safe. They also review any products that have been registered to make sure that they are still safe to use. Therefore, even though they use chemicals in some conventional foods, the government is making sure that the chemicals, as well as the amount of chemical residues, are safe for us to eat.

So should I go organic then?

Well, we now know from the evidence available that there are no significant nutritional differences between organic food and conventional food, therefore I’d say it really comes down to personal preference. Organic is more environmentally friendly, but it is often more expensive. Organic fruit and vegetables may look less perfect, but some people prefer their taste. So make your own judgement on what you want to go with, and if you don’t go organic, don’t worry, you’re not missing out on any extra nutrients.

Links:
Australian Certified Organic
Organic Growers of Australia



Editor's note:


Thanks Mary. I appreciate the time you've taken to give us the low-down on organic eating. For me personally, I love to support the Victorian Farmers Markets and would certainly encourage people to support local growers wherever possible, regardless of if they're organic or not. I do find that some organic fruit and veg tastes much sweeter, but I can't say that I buy it all the time. I think it's really up to the individual, what their values are, and what they support. Thanks again for an informative blog post.


I also wanted to share some of the commentary that was published following the systematic review by Dangour in 2009. Provides some interesting reading. 

Gibbon, D (2009)
Benbrook, C, Davis, D, Andrews P (2009)
Dangour, D (2009)