Ingredients and additives
Nitrites in sausage: why they are there and what is known about them
Sodium nitrite is an additive with the worst reputation and one of the most clear-cut functions.
Blog
Every article takes a claim you have already heard about food and follows the mechanism behind it — what actually happens in the body, what the research supports, and where the claim stops being true.
Ingredients and additives
Acidity regulators: why citric acid and baking soda are in food
Acidity regulators are the most numerous and the most boring group of additives.
Ingredients and additives
Sorbate and benzoate: the two most common preservatives
Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate account for the majority of industrial preservation: the former works against mold and yeast, while the latter works in acidic environments against a wide range of microorganisms.
Ingredients and additives
Stabilizers and thickeners: gums, starches, and pectin
Xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, pectin, modified starch — this is a set of words that looks alarming on an ingredient label but means something quite boring: the product needs to have the right consistency and not separate before its expiration date.
Nutrition
Berberine: what research has shown and why it is called a "natural supplement"
Berberine is a plant alkaloid that shows an effect on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism markers in meta-analyses.
Calorie counting
Buckwheat or rice: which is higher in calories and how do they really differ
In their cooked form, both grains provide about a hundred kilocalories per 100 grams: buckwheat is approximately 110, white rice is approximately 120.
Weight loss
Nutrition while on weight loss medication: how to maintain muscle mass
In published observations, lean tissue accounted for between one-quarter and forty percent of total weight lost.
Health
Weight during menopause: what changes in body composition and what to do about it
During the transition period, not only does weight change, but also how it is distributed: the proportion of fat increases, lean mass decreases, and the fat itself shifts to the abdominal area.
Nutrition
Chromium picolinate: what the tests showed and why the conclusions are cautious
A meta-analysis of randomized trials showed a difference from placebo of about 1.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.