Articles by Sharon Gerdes

At this year’s IFT Food Expo, many companies were demonstrating products with novel proteins, including plant and insect proteins.

Over 2,300 years ago Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Scientists are now beginning to unravel the link between the gut, inflammation and a wide range of central nervous system disorders.

While Today’s Dietitian listed “Probiotic Push” as one of the hot nutrition trends for 2016, their synergistic partners, prebiotics, have not gained as much traction with either consumers or health professionals.

People are living longer, but their golden years are often marked by physical and mental decline. It is estimated that as many as 90% of seniors are deficient in Vitamin D, a critical nutrient for aging bodies and brains. Physicians frequently prescribe a vitamin D supplement, but fortified dairy foods contain a readily absorbable source of this nutrient, plus an overall nutrient package that may be more beneficial to bone, cardiovascular and cognitive health than a pill.

In early March, the state of West Virginia passed a new law making it easier for its citizens to purchase raw milk. To celebrate the passage of the legislation, one lawmaker shared a toast of raw milk with his colleagues. It may have been just a coincidence, but many of the lawmakers ended up getting sick in the ensuing days.

Milk is the genetic blueprint for foods to support health, according to Bruce German, director of the Foods for Health Institute at University of California, Davis. From the moment of conception, a mother’s nutritious diet, including dairy products, promotes health and vitality.

Healthy fruits, especially whole fruits with peel, boost the nutrition of dairy foods.

Infant formula and fortified milk remain key delivery vehicles for essential fatty acids.

Formulating dairy foods and beverages with naturally occurring and isolated functional fibers can fill the gap in daily fiber intake.

The dairy industry needs to fortify more foods with this vitamin, and promote its inclusion. Otherwise, other food categories or supplements will emerge as the preferred delivery vehicle for this important nutrient.