Latest news with #FriedmanSchoolofNutritionScienceandPolicy
NBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
As Trump pushes for cane sugar in Coca-Cola, is it really better than corn syrup?
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said Coca-Cola agreed to start sweetening its products with cane sugar, rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Whether that will indeed happen remains to be seen; a Coca-Cola spokesperson did not confirm the president's assertion. Still, Trump said on Truth Social, 'You'll see. It's just better!' Is it, though? When it comes to potential health impacts, the answer is no, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. 'Both high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are about 50% fructose, 50% glucose, and have identical metabolic effects,' he said. That is, both can equally raise the risk for obesity, diabetes, and high triglycerides and blood pressure. Both provide the same number of calories, but the body processes them differently. Whether from cane sugar or corn syrup, it's the fructose that appears to cause the most harm. The sugar is almost entirely processed by the liver, which converts excess fructose into triglycerides, a type of fat linked to heart disease. And unlike glucose, fructose doesn't prompt the body to produce insulin. Insulin triggers a hormone that helps a person feel full. Over time, too much fructose can lead to insulin resistance and increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Corn syrup does have slightly more fructose than table sugar, at a ratio of 55% fructose to 45% glucose. Dr. Melanie Jay, a professor of medicine and population health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity Research, said it's possible that switching from corn syrup to cane sugar may be beneficial on a population level. 'A 5% difference might mean that millions of people are getting less fructose,' she said. 'But it's not like table sugar is a health food. Added sugar in whatever form should be limited.' Sugary sodas have long been associated with obesity in children. A 2023 international study found that adolescents who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a higher prevalence of being overweight or obese, compared to young people who didn't drink soda daily. There are 240 calories in a 20-ounce original Coke, with 65 grams of added sugars. The current dietary guidelines recommend that teens and children limit added sugars to less than 50 grams a day. No matter the choice of sweetener, sodas generally fall into the category of ultraprocessed food because of their added sugars, artificial colors and flavorings. All have been targets of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., long an opponent of ultraprocessed foods. The HHS did not respond to a request for comment on the potential change in sweeteners. Is natural sweetener different? While all fruit contains some level of sugar, and some vegetables do, as well, that kind of natural sweetener isn't on the same level as added sugars in soda, Jay said. An apple, for example, does contain sugar, but it's also rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals — and especially fiber. 'When you eat the apple, your stomach has to process it. The sugar isn't released into the body quickly, so you feel more full,' she said. 'When we drink soda, we're not getting that fiber, so the sugar is absorbed directly into our bloodstream.' Does cane sugar taste the same as corn syrup? Would a change in sweetener alter the taste of an icy cold Coca-Cola? Discerning Coke-aphiles probably would notice a difference, said Mozaffarian. (He's on team cane sugar, by the way: 'I can't stand the taste of corn syrup.') Reducing sweetness overall, he said, is key. 'We need to kick America's addiction for intensely — really sickly — sweet taste.' Said NYU's Jay, 'it's always better to cut down on soda, no matter what the form of sugar is.'
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
In Lincoln, the community rallies around a farmer facing personal loss and the end of federal funding
He also faces another crisis. Last year, as with every year since it launched, the farm's biggest buyer was the Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Jennifer Hashley, director of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, a program of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Mohammed Hannan view young organic greens last month. The plants were being grown in a high tunnel, one of two on the property at Hannan Healthy Foods in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Advertisement Established in 2005, the Food Hub aggregates and distributes vegetables grown by more than 35 beginning, immigrant, and refugee farmers in the Boston region. It is an initiative of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, which was founded in 1998 to integrate recent immigrants and refugees with farming backgrounds into Massachusetts agriculture. New Entry director Jennifer Hashley explained that, thanks to four years of unprecedented support prior to the cuts, her organization was just beginning to 'transform how we do work and how we do agriculture and distribute food and get it to people that need it the most,' especially beginning, historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers. In addition to the food grant programs, in 2025, the Trump administration halted the Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership, land-purchase grants, and multiple initiatives linked to the 2018 Farm Bill. This sudden termination of multiple streams of support disrupted many long-planned efforts and, in some cases, left farmers holding the bill for purchases they had already made based on awards that were withdrawn. Farm garlic at Hannan Healthy Foods in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE It's no coincidence that Hannan is the steward of a successful farm. He's always had close ties to agriculture. He grew up on his family's organic farm in Bangladesh, which was both a source of food and income. Hannan went on to earn a master's degree in wildlife biology, studying the country's ecologically critical coastal areas. In 2014, he gave up an opportunity to accept a Duke fellowship when his wife received a Advertisement Afsheen Hannan, the fifth-grade daughter of Mohammed Hannan, has an interest in growing and selling flowers. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE He eked out a living at multiple minimum-wage jobs — Walgreens, Indian restaurants, and MIT facilities — before landing work in biotech, then as a lab manager at MIT. During the lean years, he yearned for the affordable organic food that was so accessible in Bangladesh. He wondered, 'How can I change my situation? How can I grow food here?' His aspirations grew: 'I need to get access to healthy produce. I realized that it is not only me. There are thousands of people here. They also do not have access.' This realization shaped his mission: 'Getting healthy food should be a fundamental human right. No matter whether you are poor or you are rich, everybody should have access to proper, healthy food.' Unsure about whether working a full-time job while running a farm would be feasible, Hannan spent the summer of 2017 volunteering mornings, nights, and weekends at Advertisement Volunteers sort organic greens at Hannan Healthy Foods farm stand in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE The weeds were chest-high on the 2.5-acre barren plot, and there was no potable water for washing produce. 'When I went to see the plot with my kids and my wife, they were super scared. They were saying, Oh my God, what are you doing?! I was also not sure how to make this into a farm; there was literally nothing, [just] a pond [to] irrigate the farm — that's it, that was the only thing I had.' Hannan didn't have a car, so driving to the new plot he had leased from the town would be difficult. Yet, 'Instead of getting discouraged, I was looking at the opportunities. I came up with a plan: I'll grow veggies that do not need washing: bottle and bitter gourds, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers.' As he expanded, Hannan connected with the Lincoln community through an online forum. There, he met Tom Flint, an 11th-generation Lincoln farmer. Flint introduced him to Lincoln Land Conservation Trust trustee Jim Henderson, who let Hannan use his backyard sink and cure garlic in his barn. These were the first of many new friends who welcomed him to Lincoln. Mohammed Hannan of Hannan Healthy Foods farm stand in Lincoln inside the CSA shed where members of the program pick up presorted organic greens. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE In 2021, Hannan expanded and leased a second 7.5-acre plot, using savings to buy a greenhouse, and obtained two high tunnels with funds from the Advertisement A member of the CSA program enters the shed where bags of presorted greens are packaged in reusable bags for pickup. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE For Hannan, giving back is a core value. Even when he operates at a loss, he donates produce to local food banks. He launched a food donation initiative with Cambridgeport Public School, where his daughter attends, providing produce for its pay-what-you-can farm stand fund-raiser — helping fifth-graders attend the Farm School overnight camp — and donates 10 percent of his CSA proceeds and 15 percent of sauce sales to support the school — many students and parents also volunteer at the farm (his second CSA pickup is in Cambridge). CSA members Andrew Robinson and Hannah Frankel of East Boston walk out of a shed with bags of presorted organic greens. At right is stand owner Mohammed Hannan. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Most recently, Hannan's community rallied to support him when his wife died in March, putting in extra hours to lessen his load on the farm. This help, he said, has 'meant a lot to me.' Looking ahead, despite the termination of the food grant programs, the Food Hub will still buy produce from its 38 farmers, but, according to Hashley, 'it will be significantly less than [we] would have … were those funds in place.' She and her purchasing partners are urgently searching for ways to make up the difference. Organic greens are displayed at the farm stand at Hannan Healthy Foods in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE She's frustrated by the loss of momentum — not only in direct support for small farmers, but also in building infrastructure, from production to distribution and transportation. 'Finally, the government was stepping up in the middle, saying, we're going to use our purchasing power to bridge this transition to help both farmers and people that we need to help feed. It was beautiful.' Advertisement Despite his family's grief and the precarious financial landscape, Mohammed Hannan brims with excitement when he speaks about his farm. 'If you walk in the tomato fields, you feel the smell of the tomato plants. This is wonderful.' He plans to plant fruit trees in undeveloped fields and transform the farm into a fully integrated, certified organic system with a closed-loop composting operation. Eventually, he hopes to find a successor. Presorted greens are packaged in reusable bags for pickup at Hannan Healthy Foods farm stand in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Hannan balances his full-time job and family responsibilities with 50 hours a week in his fields. The Trump administration's grant cancellations have disrupted his plans: 'My goal was to ramp up every season to see if I can do farming full time.' He asks, 'How can I go to the next step? How can I make a living from farming?' He's at a loss as to how to solve the problem of diminished sales. 'We can see if I can find more wholesalers. Or if we can sell more through the farm stand here.' Given his home and work responsibilities, he says, 'I have limited capacity.' Fortunately, Hannan's MIT job subsidizes his farm, and his volunteer community provides supplemental support. However, for many other small farmers affected by funding cuts, the consequences will be existential. As Hannan puts it: 'Small farmers like me … will definitely choose other options.' Visit the Hannan Healthy Food farm stand Saturdays and Sundays through October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 270 South Great Road, Lincoln. Jocelyn Ruggiero can be reached at jocelyn@jocelynruggiero. Mohammed Hannan at the entrance to a high tunnel at Hannan Healthy Foods farm in Lincoln. MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More than 46,000 people observed in a coffee study. Here's what happened to the ones who took theirs black
Those who drink one to two cups of black coffee a day are at a lower risk of death, a new study suggests. Black coffee and coffee with small amounts of added sugar and saturated fat were linked to a 14 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) compared to no coffee consumption, according to the study from Tufts University's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Researchers of the study, published online in May in The Journal of Nutrition, observed the drinking habits of more than 46,000 people who were 20 years old or older between 1999 and 2018. Data was used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which collects health and dietary information from adults in the United States. While black coffee was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, per the study, coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat had no such benefits. The study's findings suggest that adding more than 5 per cent of the daily value of sugar, saturated fat, or both, to coffee diminishes the mortality benefits associated with coffee consumption. Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, daily values are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. Researchers considered a low amount of added sugar (from granulated sugar, honey, and syrup) to be around 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup or approximately half a teaspoon of sugar. Those amounts are under 5 per cent of the daily value. They considered low saturated fat (from milk, cream, and half-and-half) to be around 1 gram per 8-ounce cup or the equivalent of five tablespoons of 2 per cent milk, 1 tablespoon of light cream, or 1 tablespoon of half-and-half. Those amounts are also under 5 per cent of the daily value. 'The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits,' the study's senior author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang said in a news release. Bioactive compounds are types of chemicals found in small amounts in plants and certain foods that promote good health, and are being studied in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. The amount of coffee consumed per day also played a part in how the drink could potentially be beneficial. Drinking at least one cup a day was linked to a 16 per cent lower risk of death, whereas two to three cups were associated with the 'greatest reduction,' at a 17 per cent lower risk of death. However, researchers observed that drinking more than three cups of coffee per day 'was not associated with additional reductions in all-cause mortality.' Many studies have aimed to show the overall health benefits of coffee consumption, including a 2017 study published in research journal The BMJ indicating that it seems 'generally safe within usual levels of intake.' More recently, a 2024 study by the Endocrine Society found that drinking three cups of coffee a day might help to reduce the risk of developing more than one cardiometabolic disease. However, coffee may not be beneficial for everyone. 'Individuals drinking more than five cups of coffee per day can have an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or unstable angina (heart problem causing sudden chest pain),' according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health also noted in a 2021 study that 'pregnant women who consumed the caffeine equivalent of as little as half a cup of coffee a day on average had slightly smaller babies than pregnant women who did not consume caffeinated beverages.' One of the limitations of the Tufts' study is that the information used was based on self-reported recall data, which is 'subject to measurement error due to day-to-day variations in food intake.' There was also a lack of significant associations between decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality, which could be due to the low consumption among the population studied, per the news release. Zhang, who is the Neely Family Professor at the Friedman School, said in an email to National Post on Tuesday that the driving force behind the research was to address concerns about how coffee additions such as sugars and creams 'may counterbalance coffee's health benefits.' 'Our findings confirm our hypothesis that adding high levels of added sugar and saturated fat make the benefits of coffee consumption lowering mortality risk go away,' she said. She added: 'The key take away is that we need to be mindful about the amount of sugars and saturated fat that we add to coffee when we drink it.' The study is one of the first to quantify the amount of added sugar and saturated fat in coffee. It concluded: 'Although our findings support the health benefits of coffee consumption, the potential negative effects of adding excessive amounts of sugar or saturated fat to coffee warrant public attention.' Protein coffee is gaining momentum, with Tim Hortons and Starbucks joining the fray What drinking 3 cups of coffee daily did to a study group of more than 170,000 people
Vancouver Sun
18-06-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
More than 46,000 people observed in a coffee study. Here's what happened to the ones who took theirs black
Those who drink one to two cups of black coffee a day are at a lower risk of death, a new study suggests . Black coffee and coffee with small amounts of added sugar and saturated fat were linked to a 14 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) compared to no coffee consumption, according to the study from Tufts University's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Researchers of the study, published online in May in The Journal of Nutrition , observed the drinking habits of more than 46,000 people who were 20 years old or older between 1999 and 2018. Data was used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which collects health and dietary information from adults in the United States. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. While black coffee was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, per the study, coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat had no such benefits. The study's findings suggest that adding more than 5 per cent of the daily value of sugar, saturated fat, or both, to coffee diminishes the mortality benefits associated with coffee consumption. Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, daily values are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. Researchers considered a low amount of added sugar (from granulated sugar, honey, and syrup) to be around 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup or approximately half a teaspoon of sugar. Those amounts are under 5 per cent of the daily value. They considered low saturated fat (from milk, cream, and half-and-half) to be around 1 gram per 8-ounce cup or the equivalent of five tablespoons of 2 per cent milk, 1 tablespoon of light cream, or 1 tablespoon of half-and-half. Those amounts are also under 5 per cent of the daily value. 'The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits,' the study's senior author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang said in a news release . Bioactive compounds are types of chemicals found in small amounts in plants and certain foods that promote good health, and are being studied in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. The amount of coffee consumed per day also played a part in how the drink could potentially be beneficial. Drinking at least one cup a day was linked to a 16 per cent lower risk of death, whereas two to three cups were associated with the 'greatest reduction,' at a 17 per cent lower risk of death. However, researchers observed that drinking more than three cups of coffee per day 'was not associated with additional reductions in all-cause mortality.' Many studies have aimed to show the overall health benefits of coffee consumption, including a 2017 study published in research journal The BMJ indicating that it seems 'generally safe within usual levels of intake.' More recently, a 2024 study by the Endocrine Society found that drinking three cups of coffee a day might help to reduce the risk of developing more than one cardiometabolic disease. However, coffee may not be beneficial for everyone. 'Individuals drinking more than five cups of coffee per day can have an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or unstable angina (heart problem causing sudden chest pain),' according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine . Researchers at the National Institutes of Health also noted in a 2021 study that 'pregnant women who consumed the caffeine equivalent of as little as half a cup of coffee a day on average had slightly smaller babies than pregnant women who did not consume caffeinated beverages.' One of the limitations of the Tufts' study is that the information used was based on self-reported recall data, which is 'subject to measurement error due to day-to-day variations in food intake.' There was also a lack of significant associations between decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality, which could be due to the low consumption among the population studied, per the news release. Zhang, who is the Neely Family Professor at the Friedman School, said in an email to National Post on Tuesday that the driving force behind the research was to address concerns about how coffee additions such as sugars and creams 'may counterbalance coffee's health benefits.' 'Our findings confirm our hypothesis that adding high levels of added sugar and saturated fat make the benefits of coffee consumption lowering mortality risk go away,' she said. She added: 'The key take away is that we need to be mindful about the amount of sugars and saturated fat that we add to coffee when we drink it.' The study is one of the first to quantify the amount of added sugar and saturated fat in coffee. It concluded: 'Although our findings support the health benefits of coffee consumption, the potential negative effects of adding excessive amounts of sugar or saturated fat to coffee warrant public attention.'
Vancouver Sun
18-06-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
More than 46,000 people observed in a study took their coffee black. Here's what happened to them
Those who drink one to two cups of black coffee a day are at a lower risk of death, a new study suggests . Black coffee and coffee with small amounts of added sugar and saturated fat were linked to a 14 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) compared to no coffee consumption, according to the study from Tufts University's Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Researchers of the study, published online in May in The Journal of Nutrition , observed the drinking habits of more than 46,000 people who were 20 years old or older between 1999 and 2018. Data was used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which collects health and dietary information from adults in the United States. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. While black coffee was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, per the study, coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat had no such benefits. The study's findings suggest that adding more than 5 per cent of the daily value of sugar, saturated fat, or both, to coffee diminishes the mortality benefits associated with coffee consumption. Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, daily values are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day. Researchers considered a low amount of added sugar (from granulated sugar, honey, and syrup) to be around 2.5 grams per 8-ounce cup or approximately half a teaspoon of sugar. Those amounts are under 5 per cent of the daily value. They considered low saturated fat (from milk, cream, and half-and-half) to be around 1 gram per 8-ounce cup or the equivalent of five tablespoons of 2 per cent milk, 1 tablespoon of light cream, or 1 tablespoon of half-and-half. Those amounts are also under 5 per cent of the daily value. 'The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits,' the study's senior author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang said in a news release . Bioactive compounds are types of chemicals found in small amounts in plants and certain foods that promote good health, and are being studied in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. The amount of coffee consumed per day also played a part in how the drink could potentially be beneficial. Drinking at least one cup a day was linked to a 16 per cent lower risk of death, whereas two to three cups were associated with the 'greatest reduction,' at a 17 per cent lower risk of death. However, researchers observed that drinking more than three cups of coffee per day 'was not associated with additional reductions in all-cause mortality.' Many studies have aimed to show the overall health benefits of coffee consumption, including a 2017 study published in research journal The BMJ indicating that it seems 'generally safe within usual levels of intake.' More recently, a 2024 study by the Endocrine Society found that drinking three cups of coffee a day might help to reduce the risk of developing more than one cardiometabolic disease. However, coffee may not be beneficial for everyone. 'Individuals drinking more than five cups of coffee per day can have an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or unstable angina (heart problem causing sudden chest pain),' according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine . Researchers at the National Institutes of Health also noted in a 2021 study that 'pregnant women who consumed the caffeine equivalent of as little as half a cup of coffee a day on average had slightly smaller babies than pregnant women who did not consume caffeinated beverages.' One of the limitations of the Tufts' study is that the information used was based on self-reported recall data, which is 'subject to measurement error due to day-to-day variations in food intake.' There was also a lack of significant associations between decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality, which could be due to the low consumption among the population studied, per the news release. Zhang, who is the Neely Family Professor at the Friedman School, said in an email to National Post on Tuesday that the driving force behind the research was to address concerns about how coffee additions such as sugars and creams 'may counterbalance coffee's health benefits.' 'Our findings confirm our hypothesis that adding high levels of added sugar and saturated fat make the benefits of coffee consumption lowering mortality risk go away,' she said. She added: 'The key take away is that we need to be mindful about the amount of sugars and saturated fat that we add to coffee when we drink it.' The study is one of the first to quantify the amount of added sugar and saturated fat in coffee. It concluded: 'Although our findings support the health benefits of coffee consumption, the potential negative effects of adding excessive amounts of sugar or saturated fat to coffee warrant public attention.'
