Visit these links for a round-up of nutrition news, information, and events from the past month. Note that any particular research finding is only one part of a large and complicated picture of a healthy diet. For general healthy eating information based on an expert analysis of nutrition research, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov. For individual diet questions, consult a registered dietitian or medical provider.
HOW SNAP PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED THE 2018-2019 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND SNAP BENEFIT DISRUPTION - Research conducted locally in Tuolumne County, as well as San Mateo and L.A. counties, looks at a hidden hardship of the government shutdown: disruption to SNAP/CalFresh for millions of Americans who depend on the program to feed their families. Read the report brief to learn more. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/316104.pdf
'WE NEED THE FOOD THAT WE LOST.' LOW-INCOME FAMILIES STILL REELING FROM BLACKOUTS - The impact of food loss due to California's Public Safety Power Shutoffs create hardships for families with low food security. One bright spot is that while PG&E is not replacing food lost in planned outages, CalFresh/SNAP benefits should be recharged automatically to EBT cards when recipients are included in PSPS areas. https://www.kqed.org/news/11788115/we-need-the-food-that-we-lost-low-income-families-still-reeling-from-blackouts
CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS THIS CENTURY WILL ALTER THE PROTEIN, MICRONUTRIENTS, AND VITAMIN CONTENT OF RICE GRAINS - One of the predicted effects of climate change on agriculture relates not only to crop production and growth, but also to decreased nutrients in the resulting foods when grown under high-CO2 conditions. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/5/eaaq1012
WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY MAY RELEASE TOXIC COMPOUNDS FROM FAT INTO THE BLOODSTREAM - A study has found that fat-soluble toxins are released into the bloodstream of patients who undergo bariatric surgery and lose large amounts of weight in a short time. https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/11/15/toxins-in-bloodstream-after-bariatric-surgery/