Whole Foods Research Articles

Sustainability benefits of transitioning from current diets to plant-based alternatives or whole-food diets in Sweden

Plant-based alternatives (PBAs) are increasingly becoming part of diets. Here, we investigate the environmental, nutritional, and economic implications of replacing animal-source foods (ASFs) with PBAs or whole foods (WFs) in the Swedish diet. Utilising two functional units (mass and energy), we model vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian scenarios, each based on PBAs or WFs. Our results demonstrate that PBA-rich diets substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions (30–52%), land use (20–45%), and freshwater use (14–27%), with the vegan diet showing the highest reduction potential. We observe comparable environmental benefits when ASFs are replaced with WFs, underscoring the need to reduce ASF consumption. PBA scenarios meet most Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, except for vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium, while enhancing iron, magnesium, folate, and fibre supply and decreasing saturated fat. Daily food expenditure slightly increases in the PBA scenarios (3–5%) and decreases in the WF scenarios (4–17%), with PBA diets being 10–20% more expensive than WF diets. Here we show, that replacing ASFs with PBAs can reduce the environmental impact of current Swedish diets while meeting most nutritional recommendations, but slightly increases food expenditure. We recommend prioritising ASF reduction and diversifying WFs and healthier PBAs to accommodate diverse consumer preferences during dietary transitions.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet and Diet Modification as Induction Therapy for Pediatric Crohn's Disease: A Randomized Diet Controlled Trial.

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder associated with intestinal dysbiosis. Diet modulates the intestinal microbiome and therefore has a therapeutic potential. The aim of this study is to determine the potential efficacy of three versions of the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) in active Crohn’s Disease. Methods: 18 patients with mild/moderate CD (PCDAI 15–45) aged 7 to 18 years were enrolled. Patients were randomized to either SCD, modified SCD(MSCD) or whole foods (WF) diet. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. PCDAI, inflammatory labs and multi-omics evaluations were assessed. Results: Mean age was 14.3 ± 2.9 years. At week 12, all participants (n = 10) who completed the study achieved clinical remission. The C-reactive protein decreased from 1.3 ± 0.7 at enrollment to 0.9 ± 0.5 at 12 weeks in the SCD group. In the MSCD group, the CRP decreased from 1.6 ± 1.1 at enrollment to 0.7 ± 0.1 at 12 weeks. In the WF group, the CRP decreased from 3.9 ± 4.3 at enrollment to 1.6 ± 1.3 at 12 weeks. In addition, the microbiome composition shifted in all patients across the study period. While the nature of the changes was largely patient specific, the predicted metabolic mode of the organisms increasing and decreasing in activity was consistent across patients. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the impact of diet in CD. Each diet had a positive effect on symptoms and inflammatory burden; the more exclusionary diets were associated with a better resolution of inflammation.

A Gluten-Free Meal Produces a Lower Postprandial Thermogenic Response Compared to an Iso-Energetic/Macronutrient Whole Food or Processed Food Meal in Young Women: A Single-Blind Randomized Cross-Over Trial.

Consumption of ultra-processed food (PF) is associated with obesity risk compared with whole food (WF) intake. Less is known regarding the intake of gluten-free (GF) food products. The purpose of this study was to directly compare the thermic effect (TEM), substrate utilization, hunger/taste ratings, and glucose response of three different meals containing PF, WF, and GF food products in young healthy women. Eleven volunteers completed all three iso-caloric/macronutrient test meals in a single-blind, randomized crossover design: (1) whole food meal (WF); (2) processed food meal (PF); or (3) gluten-free meal (GF). TEM was significantly lower following GF compared with WF (−20.94 kcal/meal, [95% CI, −35.92 to −5.96], p = 0.008) and PF (mean difference: −14.94 kcal/meal, [95% CI, −29.92 to 0.04], p = 0.04), respectively. WF consumption resulted in significantly higher feelings of fullness compared to GF (mean difference: +14.36%, [95% CI, 3.41 to 25.32%], p = 0.011) and PF (mean difference: +16.81%, [95% CI, 5.62 to 28.01%], p = 0.004), respectively, and enhanced palatability (taste of meal) compared to PF meal (mean Δ: +27.41%, [95% CI, 5.53 to 49.30%], p = 0.048). No differences existed for substrate utilization and blood glucose response among trials. Consumption of a GF meal lowers postprandial thermogenesis compared to WF and PF meals and fullness ratings compared to a WF meal which may impact weight control and obesity risk over the long-term.

From Headshops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs

From Headshops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs

Amazon Whole Foods: When E-Commerce Met Brick-and-Mortar and Saved the Brand of Conscientious Capitalism

Amazon Whole Foods: When E-Commerce Met Brick-and-Mortar and Saved the Brand of Conscientious Capitalism

Current Strategies in Nutrition Education to Optimize Glycemic Management for Children with Diabetes.

Recent developments in the understanding of the impact of dietary quality and meal composition are driving changes in the education provided to children and young people about nutrition and lifestyle management of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Nutrition education is moving beyond carbohydrate counting and insulin adjustment to acknowledging the influence of whole food choices on glycemic outcomes.

Plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals: implementing diet as a primary modality in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.

Cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading cause of death. Yet, we have known for decades that the vast majority of atherosclerosis and its subsequent morbidity and mortality are influenced predominantly by diet. This paper will describe a health-promoting whole food, plant-based diet; delineate macro- and micro-nutrition, emphasizing specific geriatric concerns; and offer guidance to physicians and other healthcare practitioners to support patients in successfully utilizing nutrition to improve their health.

Effects of whole grain-bean mixed staple food on intestinal microecology and metabolic parameters of obese people

Objective To investigate the effects of whole grain-bean mixed staple food on intestinal microecology, anthropometric, and metabolic parameters of obese people. Methods Totally 87 obese people were divided with random number table into whole grain-bean mixed staple food group (test group) and refined grains staple food group (control group). Body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist/hip ratio (WHR), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and colony count of intestinal flora (bacillus bifidus, lactobacillus, clostridium perfringens, enterobacteria, enterococcus, bacteroides) were measured at baseline and 3 months after intervention. Results Ten people were excluded from this research, 6 in the test group and 4 in the control group. After 3 months of dietary intervention, BW, BMI, WC, HC, and WHR were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group [(69.45±7.07) kg vs. (72.42±5.79) kg, P=0.000; (26.08±1.48) kg/m2vs. (27.27±0.81) kg/m2,P=0.000; (82.48±9.30) cm vs. (86.96±4.93) cm, P=0.000; (90.08±6.57) cm vs. (92.42±6.67) cm, P=0.000; 0.92±0.11vs. 0.95±0.10, P=0.003]. The levels of FPG, TC, and LDL-C in the test group were significantly lower than those in the control group [(4.92±0.75) mmoL/L vs. (5.41±1.21) mmoL/L, P=0.037; (3.85±1.13) mmoL/L vs. (4.38±1.26) mmoL/L, P=0.046; (3.55±1.04) mmoL/L vs. (4.16±1.40) mmoL/L, P=0.033]; the level of HDL-C in the test group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(1.13±0.37) mmoL/L vs. (0.92±0.26) mmoL/L, P=0.004]. The colony counts of intestinal bacillus bifidus, lactobacillus, and bacteroides in the test group were significantly higher than in the control group [(7.94±0.58) lg CFU/g vs. (6.95±0.38) lg CFU/g, P=0.000; (7.67±0.46) lg CFU/g vs. (6.96±0.57) lg CFU/g, P=0.000; (5.53±0.44) lg CFU/g vs. (4.80±0.23) lg CFU/g, P=0.000], while the colony count of clostridium perfringens was significantly lower than in the control group [(4.40±0.49) lg CFU/g vs. (5.11±0.63) lg CFU/g, P=0.000]. Conclusions In obese people, whole grain-bean mixed staple food can improve anthropometric parameters, some lipid metabolic parameters, and intestinal flora. The underlying mechanism may involve promoting the survival and proliferation of probiotics, thereby improving glucose and lipid metabolism. Key words: Whole grain; Bean; Dietary fiber; Obesity; Intestinal microecology

Antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation of selected wheat cultivars under salt stress

Antioxidants and dietary fibers are compact sources that are recommended for healthy diets in whole grain foods. The antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC) and lipid peroxidation was measured among 15 cultivars of wheat which are commonly used in Pakistan and the effect of salt stress was also evaluated. The results revealed that different concentrations of wheat (25, 50, 75, 150 and 300 µg/ml) in control and under salt stress (that is, electrical conductivity, 2 EC, 4 EC, 8 EC and 16 EC) showed antioxidant activity. The inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50) values of different cultivars of wheat ranged from 22.9 to 27.01 µg/ml. On the basis of comparison of scavenging percentage of non-stress and stressed wheat groups at different doses of salt, we have concluded that LU26-CTR, PAS-90, BARS, NARC, WAFAQ, LISANI, SEHAR, MEHRAJ, GA-02 and SHAFAQ are salt tolerant varieties. The change of phenolic content suggests that wheat uses antioxidant properties of phenolics as a mechanism of salt stress. Whereas, the lipid peroxidation data has indicated that LU26-CTR, PAS-90, BARS, NARC, FSD-08, PIRSBAK-09, SEHAR, SH-03 and GA-02 are salt resistant varieties as they showed a less percentage increase in lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA) content) compared to control at different doses of salt. Key words: Antioxidant activity, phenolic content, salt stress, lipid peroxidation, wheat cultivars.

Postprandial energy expenditure in whole-food and processed-food meals: implications for daily energy expenditure

Background: Empirical evidence has shown that rising obesity rates closely parallel the increased consumption of processed foods (PF) consumption in USA. Differences in postprandial thermogenic responses to a whole-food (WF) meal vs. a PF meal may be a key factor in explaining obesity trends, but currently there is limited research exploring this potential link.Objective: The goal was to determine if a particular PF meal has a greater thermodynamic efficiency than a comparable WF meal, thereby conferring a greater net-energy intake.Design: Subjective satiation scores and postprandial energy expenditure were measured for 5–6 h after isoenergetic meals were ingested. The meals were either ‘whole’ or ‘processed’ cheese sandwiches; multi-grain bread and cheddar cheese were deemed whole, while white bread and processed cheese product were considered processed. Meals were comparable in terms of protein (15–20%), carbohydrate (40–50%), and fat (33–39%) composition. Subjects were healthy women (n=12) and men (n=5) studied in a crossover design.Results: There were no significant differences in satiety ratings after the two meals. Average energy expenditure for the WF meal (137±14.1 kcal, 19.9% of meal energy) was significantly larger than for the PF meal (73.1±10.2 kcal, 10.7% of meal energy).Conclusion: Ingestion of the particular PF meal tested in this study decreases postprandial energy expenditure by nearly 50% compared with the isoenergetic WF meal. This reduction in daily energy expenditure has potential implications for diets comprised heavily of PFs and their associations with obesity.

INCORPORATION OF BARLEY WHOLE MEAL IN SOME DAIRY AND FOOD PRODUCTS

INCORPORATION OF BARLEY WHOLE MEAL IN SOME DAIRY AND FOOD PRODUCTS

Veterinary Education in Europe 2009 and beyond

Veterinarians have a special responsibility both within and for human society i.e. the protection of the health and welfare of both animals and humans. Veterinarians are not only responsible for animal health and welfare but also for monitoring the safety of the whole food chain from feed to food as well as for safeguarding public health in terms of zoonotic diseases. All this shows that veterinarians have a broad field of occupation. An excellent and thorough undergraduate training and the willingness to maintain life-long learning are the bases for a successful undertaking as a veterinarian.

Omega-3s from Whole-Food Flaxseed

Omega-3s from Whole-Food Flaxseed

The whole foods encyclopedia: a shopper's guide

The whole foods encyclopedia: a shopper's guide