Articles

post-imgpost-img

Navigating Menopause: Celebrating World Menopause Day

 October 18th is World Menopause Day. It’s a day to come together an recognize the significance of menopause in the lives of women worldwide. With the importance of Women’s Health across the life stages, we would like to share key insights from our women’s health webinar that explored the intricate relationship between menopause, health,… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Role of Enzymes in Food

Author(s): Niall Higgins, PhD, Billy Ryan, PhD, and Josh Taylor, PhD

Enzymes are used in food processing as a natural way to improve nutrition and texture. Learn about their importance in plant-based foods, infant formula, and more.

post-imgpost-img

Interpreting the Types of Research Studies Used in Nutrition Science

Scientific research studies play a vital role in advancing our understanding of human health and making evidence-based decisions. In the field of nutritional science, researchers employ different types of studies to unravel the complex relationship between nutrition and well-being. This infographic provides a concise overview of the main types of nutrition research study design, highlighting… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Functional Food Expert Dr. Yasuo Watanabe Joins KHNI Scientific Advisory Council

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Yasuo Watanabe to our Scientific Advisory Council. Read a Q&A with Dr. Watanabe in this article – from the link between mind and body health and the importance of sleep, to the importance of taste and the health benefits of turmeric, kelp, tea catechins and botanical extracts, Dr. Watanabe has a unique expertise and insight on the functional health benefits of food.

post-imgpost-img

Does the Keto Diet Help Endurance Athletes?

Author(s): Lisa Ryan, PhD, RNutr

The Ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet Different dietary trends come into popularity at various stages and recent times have seen the resurgence of the low carbohydrate – high fat diet (LCHF) diet, this time in the form of ‘the ketogenic diet’.  This diet encourages less than 10% of total calories… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Dairy Matrix: Beyond Individual Nutrients

Author(s): Aoife Marie Murphy, PhD

Is dairy fat healthy or unhealthy? Why do we see recommendations to reduce saturated fat intake, while at the same time see headlines from studies showing full-fat dairy may be healthy for us? The answer lies in the fact that food can often be more than the sum of its parts. Dairy, saturated fat &… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Vitamin D and COVID-19 – Reviewing the Evidence

Vitamin D has been one of the most commonly purchased supplements for immunity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been varying accounts of how strong the evidence is for vitamin D’s role in preventing infection. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Role of Genetics in the Perception of Fatty Food

New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone – it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception. The team published their findings in Chemical Senses. Research has shown over the… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Postbiotics, Fermented Foods, and Health

The boom in microbiome research in recent years has led to a greater understanding of how we interact with the microbes that live in the human body. It has also brought a multitude of different ways to manipulate the microbiome to improve health along with it, including probiotics, prebiotics, and now the postbiotics. Probiotics are… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Challenges and Opportunities in Sodium Reformulation

Sodium content is one of the major topics of interest when it comes to discussions about packaged foods. One one hand, it has important roles in food preservation, safety, and taste. On the other hand, global organizations like the World Health Organization, as well as national regulatory bodies, are calling for reduction of sodium in… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Our Scientific Resources for COVID-19, Nutrition, and Health

The COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, isolation, and stay-at-home orders can have a substantial impact on personal mental and physical well-being, and is also influencing changes in the food and beverage industry. Here are our resources to support our visitors during this time. This page will be updated weekly so check back for new resources.  … Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Your Favorite Nutrition, Food, and Health Articles of 2019

Our most popular content among our readers in 2019 reflects what we do best: digging into the science behind the most popular trends in nutrition, food, and health. Most-read articles from 2019 1. Nutritional Benefits of Plant Proteins Taking Root with Consumers The plant-based trend continues to surge, so it’s no surprise this article topped… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Whole Grains At-A-Glance

Whole grains are consistently linked to health benefits, yet few people around the world eat enough of them. Only 8% of adults in the United States meet their recommended intake, for example. The International Food Information Council recently published a great summary on whole grains that answers key questions like: What makes a whole grain… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Dr. Maria Marco, Scientific Advisor to KHNI: “Cultivating Our Microbial Gardens: Tailoring Diets for Gut Health”

In a recent article on Nutrition Insight, our Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Maria Marco answers key questions about the future of digestive health, including: How can the microbiome space inform food product development? What are the key opportunities for the food industry in gut-health? How important is the nutritional aspect of fermented foods? Read… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Are Sugar Taxes Working?

A new study published in the journal Obesity Reviews finds the answer seems to be “yes”, sugar taxes are working. The analysis showed that the equivalent of a 10% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is associated with an average of a 10% reduction in beverage purchases and dietary intake of SSBs. The systematic review and… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Fiber Can Improve Weight Loss and Diet Adherence

A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition has found that during weight loss, those who increase their fiber intake the most lost the most weight and are also able to stick to their recommended diet plan more effectively than people who do not increase their fiber intake. In the POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

FDA Takes Strides to Make Potassium Salt More Label-Friendly

In the United States, over 90% of people consume more than the recommended intake  The majority of the population in France (89%), the UK (83%), and Mexico (44%) also fail to meet recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). Potassium chloride is one way to reduce sodium content of foods, potentially helping people meet sodium… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Personalised Nutrition: Is It All About the Microbiome and Technology?

What sparked the conversation about personalised nutrition? To nutrition scientist Dr. Aoife Marie Murphy, two things stand out: the emergence of research on the gut microbiome alongside development of technology focused on tracking exercise and nutrition uniquely for each individual. Hear more about Dr. Murphy’s perspective on what drives personalised nutrition, and learn her thoughts… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Updated Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium

In March of 2019, the National Academy of Medicine has updated the Dietary References Intakes (DRI) for sodium and potassium last established in 2005. The DRI for potassium has decreased, while sodium has an entirely new recommendation category. The Dietary Reference Intakes are science-based nutrition recommendations created by the National Academy of Medicine and in… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

More Evidence for Chocolate Milk in Exercise Recovery

The world of sports nutrition is full of different choices of supplements for recovery or performance. Standing out among them due to its simplicity, though, is chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has gained attention in exercise due to its carbohydrate and protein content, but also due to its widespread appeal and affordability. Now, researchers have found… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Alpha-Lactalbumin: A Role in Sports Nutrition?

Could exercise performance be added to the list of potential benefits of alpha-lactalbumin, a protein already showing promise for sleep improvement and humanization of infant formula? What is Alpha-Lactalbumin? Alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) is the major protein found in human breast milk, but is only found at low levels in cow’s milk.  This has caused the protein… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Calorie Reduction Initiatives Continue to Spread Across Europe

Germany recently approved an initiative called the National Reduction and Innovation Strategy focused on introducing voluntary reduction targets for the amount of salt, sugar, and fat in food. The government is working with industry players to determine what the reduction targets will be in early 2019, with the goal of achieving the targets by 2025.… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Best Articles of 2018

What better way to start 2019 than reflecting on some of our readers’ favorite content from 2018? It’s no surprise that our most popular content is aligned with top nutrition trends in 2018, like digestive wellness, beverages redefined, and clean label. Be sure to check out our updated 10 Key Health and Nutrition Trends for… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Are Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Worth Taking?

For every 4 people you walk by on the street, 3 of them are taking some kind of dietary supplement. For some, they are taken ‘just in case’, to cover any potential gaps in their diet. Others may feel a multivitamin/mineral supplement provides them all of the nutrition they need in a day. Among those… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Intermittent Fasting Can Work, But Not a Magic Bullet

Intermittent fasting, a weight loss strategy which involves greatly restricting food intake on certain days of the week, has gained a lot of attention recently. In a recent article on Food and Nutrition, dietitian Taylor Wolfram explored the science behind intermittent fasting and found that it probably isn’t the magic bullet everyone is looking for, but… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Sensory Science Can Help Solve Loss of Appetite

For most of our lives, many of us are fighting a constant battle of trying to eat less to maintain a healthy weight. Tasty foods and large portion sizes are alluring throughout most of childhood and adulthood. There are certain times, though, when the opposite is true. Some people struggle with loss of appetite and… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Do High Protein Diets Impact Kidney Health?

A recent scientific review set out to understand whether long-term intake of high protein diets has any negative impact on kidney health. They found that in the short-term (<6 months), there are no negative outcomes for measurements of kidney health. However, there were not enough long-term studies to confidently say if high protein intakes do… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Food Trends & Heart Health – Which Are Yay or Nay?

Many food trends are driven by health motivations, but sometimes a health halo doesn’t translate into an actual benefit. A recent review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology looked at the evidence for which fads have a heart health benefit and which have no clout. Trends that align with science: Legumes: foods… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Consumers are Split on Coffee’s Role in Healthy Diet

A scientific review published in the journal Appetite, which focused on consumer coffee consumption, attitudes, and purchasing behavior, found consumers are split on whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy. In reviewing over 54 studies, the researchers found that belief in health benefits of coffee drove consumption for consumers in some studies, while other studies showed… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

What Nutrients Should Infants and Toddlers Get More Of?

A new study identifies gaps in the diets of infants and toddlers, which gives insight on what nutrients can be added to food and beverages to improve the health of these age groups.   Infants and toddlers are rapidly growing and developing, and have unique nutrition needs as a result. Despite many products existing that… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Do Nutrition Claims Impact Purchase Intent?

Ever wonder if it’s worth putting nutrition claims on a product, and which consumers the claims have an effect on? A review from researchers at the University of Kassel provides some answers. The authors studied the impact of nutrition, health, and risk-reduction claims on consumer preference and purchase intent by looking at 66 studies published between… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Dietitians Provide 9 Ways to Repurpose Food Waste

In a recent article, dietitians weigh in on ways to reduce food waste in the kitchen. Food waste continues to be a major concern globally, and consumers are catching on. Although the list below is targeted toward ways individuals can reduce food waste in their kitchens, they provide some insights into strategies for foodservice or… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Which Nutrients Help with Joint Pain? A New Study

In a study published in the journal Rheumatology, researchers examined the role between nutrition and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition driven by inflammation, resulting in joint pain. It is one of the fastest growing causes of disability worldwide. Here’s what the researchers found to be effective at reducing osteoarthritis symptoms. Fish oil Omega-3 fatty acids… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Mediterranean Diet May Protect Against Brain Ageing

A new study published in Neurology shows that the Mediterranean diet may help keep our brains healthy by reducing markers associated with onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The study showed that healthy people aged 30 to 60 years old developed improved levels of markers associated with development of Alzheimer’s disease when they consumed a Mediterranean diet,… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Avocados and Heart Health

Science shows that avocados may benefit heart health by increasing our HDL cholesterol. Avocados and other foods high in monounsaturated fats are often part of heart health recommendations as a replacement for foods high in saturated fats. A new scientific review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which included 18 studies, explored the… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

High Protein Foods – What Matters to Consumers?

Protein is one of the strongest trends in the food and beverage industry, but there aren’t many scientific studies which measure consumer preferences and perceptions toward high protein foods and beverages. A study recently published in the journal Appetite tried to answer some important questions using a qualitative focus group approach in European consumers. Questions… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Superfoods of the Future may be from Labs, not Fields

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has made strides in developing plant-based food using plant cell culture (PCC) rather than cultivating it from traditional farming methods. Feeding the world’s growing population is a common agricultural concern due to a limited amount of arable farmland globally. New methods of producing food, like PCC, have promise since… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Comparing Nutrition of Cow’s Milk to Plant-Based Alternatives

How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow’s milk? This is the title of a study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology. Plant-based substitutes for dairy, like almond milk or vegetarian cheese, have been steadily increasing in popularity as more people self-identify as being sensitive to lactose or dairy… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

How Much Do Supply Chains Support Sugar Reduction? World Health Organization Investigates

Numerous countries across the globe have initiated actions to reduce sugar intake, including reformulation, targeted taxation, front-of-pack labeling, and more. Initiatives to reduce sugar content of foods can be dependent on the supply chain being able to support such changes. The World Health Organization recently undertook a novel food supply chain analysis to identify possible… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Study Shows Wellmune® May Help Our Intestine Protect Us From Infection

“The body’s intestinal barrier function allows for the absorption of things like nutrients and water, while simultaneously maintaining an effective defense against toxins and pathogens that can be harmful to our health,” explained Donald Cox, Ph.D., Kerry’s Director of R&D for Wellmune. “While these are preliminary results and more research is needed, Wellmune may protect… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Link Between Processed Foods and Nutrition

Trends in the food and beverage industry are moving more and more toward the idea of ‘natural’, including eating less processed food. This can leave many of us wondering ‘what is the role of processed food for my nutrition?’ A scientific statement in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled Processed foods: contributions to nutrition… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

How Important is Fat for Sugar and Salt Reduction?

Could fat be the key to maintaining flavor when modifying sugar or salt levels in food? A new study in the journal Food Quality and Preference explores the impact fat content has on liking of soups and custards with varying levels of fat, sugar, and salt content. Researchers provided study participants either creamy tomato soup… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Changing Prices to Improve Health: Beyond Sugar Taxes

Sugar taxes have seen news coverage in recent years as a way to decrease sugar intake, but a new study found potential merit for additional price changes to improve health. A study from Tufts University published in BMC Medicine found that changing the price on 7 foods by 10% could prevent an estimated 23,000 deaths per… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Taste of Complex Carbohydrates Pleases Some More Than Others

A new study in the Journal of Nutrition found that carbohydrate taste sensitivity is associated with starch intake and waist circumference in adults. Individual differences in taste sensitivity and the role of taste in  promoting intake of specific foods or ingredients associated with obesity have long been investigated but results are mixed.  Results from this new… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

How to Get in Control of Holiday Weight Gain

Weight gain is something that can impact everyone around the winter holidays. In an article titled Moving Beyond Holiday Weight Gain, Rachel Cheatham, PhD offers some tips to help give us some control over the winter weight gain. Dr. Cheatham’s tips include taking a pause before picking up sweet treats, being mindful about which foods… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Study Shows Wellmune Provides Immune Support for General Fitness

A newly published clinical study with adults at an average fitness level shows improvement in immune health both during and after strenuous exercise when taking Wellmune®, an immune health ingredient found in food, beverages, and supplements. The study, titled “Oral Supplementation with Baker’s Yeast Beta Glucan Is Associated with Altered Monocytes, T Cells and Cytokines Following… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Defining Optimal Brain Health in Adults

A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association proposes definitions for optimal brain health in adults. Cognitive function is an important component of aging and predicts quality of life, functional independence, and risk of institutionalization. Cardiovascular disease risk factors have been shown to be closely associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. Because many… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Role of Ketones in Athletic Performance

Ever heard of ketones? You may have heard someone mention them when talking about low-carb, ‘ketogenic’ diets. Ketones are an alternative fuel source for our bodies. Under normal conditions, our bodies use glucose (sugar) for energy. That’s right, despite the low-carb craze in recent decades, our body’s main fuel source is carbohydrates! Ketones are made… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Grazing Could Be Hurting Your Diet Quality

Frequent snacking throughout the day rather than eating at dedicated mealtimes, sometimes called grazing, may have an impact on diet quality and health. In a study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Australian researchers from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University set out to understand how the timing of… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Join Us at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo 2017!

The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute is hosting two educational sessions at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo 2017 (FNCE) in Chicago, Illinois. FNCE 2017 takes place October 21-24. From the FNCE website: “Each fall, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors the world’s largest meeting of food and nutrition experts — more than… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Vegans vs Omnivores – Who Has Healthier Behaviors?

Do vegans have healthier eating and health behaviors than omnivores? A recent study in the journal Appetite found that health behaviors don’t differ much between them. People who choose to be vegans (not consume any animal products) could choose to do so for reasons ranging from ethical to health-related. However, there isn’t much research to… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Clean, Natural, and Organic: A Dietitian Perspective

Clean, natural, and organic are popular words we see on food packages aimed to guide shoppers toward healthy products. In this article in the latest issue of Today’s Dietitian, health educators weigh in on the free-from trend.  Dietitians are consumers’ most trusted source of health information (2017 Food & Health Survey) and are the health professionals responsible for… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Answering Questions about Color for Food and Beverage

‘No artificial colors’ is a quality of food and beverage becoming more and more in demand, which can make a couple of questions come to mind. First, ‘are artificial colors safe?’ and second, ‘what do we use for coloring, instead?’ Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RDN, recently provided answers to both questions in her article Color Additives in… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Climate Change Can Make Crops Less Nutritious

New research studies show that rising carbon levels may impact the nutrition of crops globally. Carbon dioxide is one of just a few resources plants need to grow, along with water and sunlight. As CO2 levels increase in our atmosphere due to global warming, plants will see an abundance of this resource, which can have… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

A Snapshot of Diabetes in the United States

Diabetes is a challenging condition that has far-reaching effects beyond physical health. Managing the condition requires constant attention to what someone must eat, which can impact mental and social health, too. The infographic below from the US Center for Disease Control is an at-a-glance snapshot of what diabetes is, who if affects, and how it… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

More Evidence for Whole Grain Benefits in Kids

Whole-grain consumption seems to have cardiovascular benefits in adults, but not as much is known about whole-grain benefits in children. Most of us eat do not eat enough wholegrains to get the health benefits from the whole range of nutrients they contain such as fiber, B vitamins, essential fatty acids, protein, antioxidants and other micronutrients… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Knowns and Unknowns of Food Sensitivities

‘Free-from’ trends like gluten-free and lactose-free are becoming increasingly common with consumers, leaving many scientists and health practitioners scratching their heads. After all, the rate of diagnosed food allergies aren’t increasing. Nevertheless, gluten-free has grown to an industry worth almost $2 billion. If you speak to a dietitian about the role of ‘free-from’ foods in… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Red Meat and Colon Cancer Debate Continues

The association between eating red meat and risk of developing colon cancer has been of great interest over recent years. In a recent systematic review, researchers tried to establish if there is a plausible link based on experimental data. A key finding of the review was that red meat intake may not have a causative… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

The Return of Ancient Grains

Ancient Grains are a group of grains from plants like quinoa, millet, and sorghum.  Consumer demand for ancient grains has grown fast, in part, because of consumers’ perceived “sensitivities” to grains that contain gluten.  According to new research in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, eating bread made with ancient grains as part of a… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

A Handy Resource for Top Antioxidant Sources

A resource providing antioxidant content for over 3000 foods and beverages is only becoming more relevant with time. Antioxidants continue to be a hot topic in nutrition science and with consumers. Research studies have shown potential roles of antioxidants in improving cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and exercise performance, to name a few.  As demand for… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Have Consumers Changed How Much Sodium They Purchase?

Reducing sodium intake to promote vascular health has been a key public health initiative for decades. Awareness campaigns and reduction in sodium content of packaged foods by food manufacturers have been the main strategies of this public health initiative. In a recent study, researchers at the University of North Carolina asked the question “Did the… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Study Shows Many Foods Claiming Probiotic Content Don’t Contain Enough for Health Benefit

Is your probiotic-containing food providing you the benefit you think it is? A recent review conducted by professors at the University of Toronto and published in the journal Nutrients, found that, although most probiotic food products contain bacterial strains that have been shown to have health benefits, the amount of probiotic bacteria contained in foods is often much lower… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Reviewing the Safety of Caffeine

Energy is a top functional benefit consumers seek from food and beverages, and one ingredient we all strongly associate with energy is caffeine. This has led to a surge of products in non-traditional categories containing caffeine, from energy bars to potato chips. This gives us plenty of choices to get our caffeine buzz, but could… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

What are the Effects of Sugar, Salt, and Fat Taxes?

In 2010, Australia implemented a number of taxes on unhealthy foods alongside subsidies on fruits and vegetables. A new study in the journal of PLOS medicine reveals that Australia could save AUD $3.4 billion (USD $2.3 billion) in healthcare costs. The greatest impact, the researchers concluded, came from a sugar tax, which could avert 270,000 years… Read more »

post-imgpost-img

Improving Dietary Resilience to Support Aging

The aging population is growing and is susceptible to “nutrition frailty”, which can decrease quality of life, mobility, and dependence in later years. This review identifies possible nutrition solutions to support resilience in aging.

post-imgpost-img

Review seeks to understand snacking behavior

Scientists recently attempted to identify areas for dietary intervention and improvement in the area of snacking by answering the questions “What is a snack?”, “Why do we snack?”, and “what food choices are people making when they snack?”