Getting the 'Shakes'
Nutritional Strategies Web Letter February 2010
There is a lot of misinformation regarding nutrition shakes. Discussions about them are influenced heavily by print, TV shows, and radio commercials. The points that are raised by the advertisements, however untrue, are taken to be nutritional dogma. Let's break down the fact from fiction.
We can agree that we are looking for an easy, delicious, and densely nutritious food. The idea we would like to believe is that we could find it in a magic blend of nutrients, put it in a bottle, make it taste like chocolate, be cheap, and have it ready to eat found at the grocery store. While it is true that there are chocolate bottled drinks easily found at the grocery or variety drug store, it is also true that many these drinks are not nutritious. The assortment of drinks for diabetes, and elders are especially terrible and misleading.
Bear in mind that the principle maker of these drinks is a large pharmaceutical company that has been making baby formula and drugs for years. This article will not name this company or name the products discussed. The purpose of this article is to take a look at the content of the nutrition, and the content of the advertising.
One of the claims is that there are carbohydrates that are digested slowly. This is really misleading. Each person is different; we need to remember that. We can see this difference all the time. Once a person develops diabetes and then there are exquisite differences in the time carbohydrates begin to act. There are differences in the impact that carbohydrates will make. In general it can be said that the diabetic will have and explosive reaction to all carbohydrates. This is why the glycemic index does not work for the diabetic (or anyone else). We are all different, as individuals we react differently to carbohydrates.
Fiber raises blood sugar. Let me say that again: fiber raises blood sugar. How do they get away with making statements claiming that fiber is a 'non-impact' carbohydrate? It has not been challenged seriously, and the FDA has pretty much turned its back on nutritional labeling. Any diligent diabetic will tell you that oatmeal and bran raise blood sugar especially quickly. School nurses managing blood sugars in students will also tell you that fiber cannot be left out of the carbohydrate counts. Fiber raises blood sugar just like sugar does.
The other misleading term today is 'non-impact' carbohydrate. This usually means the carbohydrate is fiber (which we already talked about) or it is sugar alcohol. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories to the gram. It doesn't matter what kind of carbohydrate it is. If it is a potato, an apple, or lettuce it contains carbohydrate as it major nutrient source. Sugar alcohol is different because it contains 4.3 calories to the gram. It raises blood sugar and has the unpleasant quality of causing loose stools. Food manufacturers are always looking at fictional ways to sweeten highly processed food, and trick us into thinking it is good for us because it has slowly digested carbohydrates, and non-impact carbohydrates.
This is true of low carbohydrate beers. The label and advertising claim that a 12-ounce serving of these especially low carbohydrate beers contain 2.4 grams of carbohydrate and 96 calories. 2.4 grams of carbohydrate multiplied by 4 calories to the gram, yields 9.6 calories. There is a small percentage of alcohol in the beverage that would yield 7 calories to the gram, and at 3% the total calories from alcohol are probably 15. This combined total of carbohydrates and alcohol yields 24 calories. If 24 is subtracted from 96 total calories in a 12-ounce beverage there are 72 calories remaining. What do you suppose it is? Is it oil? Is it beef? What can it be? If it were water, then there are no calories. The remaining 72 calories are carbohydrate. Add that number to the stated number of low carbohydrates claimed in the beverage and you get a total of 81.6 calories and a total of 20 grams of carbohydrate in the low carb beer.
20 grams of carbohydrate can be lethal to a diabetic, and careful planning must be in place in order to use a beverage like this. For those attempting a low carbohydrate lifestyle, this beverage content may be a surprise. Compare 20 grams of carbohydrate: one slice of bread, ½ medium banana, ¼ cup of rice and a medium apple.
Elder nutrition and those with poor appetites have been provided with a nutrition drink that has a deceptive title that rhymes with secure. The first ingredient of this beverage is a mysterious 'corn maltodextrin.' What is corn maltodextrin? It is high fructose corn syrup. The next ingredient is sucrose. The total carbohydrate count in an 8-ounce serving of this beverage is a whopping 51 grams—pure high fructose corn syrup and white sugar. Compare that to a 12-ounce can of cola sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which contains 38 grams of the sweetener. Did you know that the popular pomegranate beverage contains 40 grams of high fructose corn syrup in 12 ounces? Check it out for yourself the next time you see the attractive hourglass-shaped bottle.
High fructose corn syrup is especially troubling because of what it does in the liver. It is responsible for elevating triglycerides, which are repackaged by the liver into especially low dense dangerous cholesterol particles. This sweetener and the products (primarily beverages and candy) are not good choices.
There are a few good alternatives to nutritional drinks that can be made at home, with the aide of a blender or food processor. The ingredients you might use are determined by the outcome you desire. For weight gain a good nutritional drink can be made with whey protein powder, whole milk, a little fresh cream and fresh or frozen unsweetened fruit. If more sweetness is desired just add table sugar. For weight loss use whey protein, a product called soy slender and blend until mixed. The grocery store will have the soy slender and lightly sweetened protein powders in different flavors. Combining the cappuccino with the chocolate is a delicious and economical way to enjoy a nutrient-dense protein drink. There are a lot of nutritious combinations when you make ingredients in your own kitchen. It is easy, too.
We have to take a hard look at the effect of the media hype as it affects nutritional products. The consumer wants easy, and cheap. The food producers and sellers want to give you the illusion that the product you seek is easy, cheap, and give the desired results. They do this by deliberately misleading, and omitting the information on the product label.
Statistics are telling us that the current US population is dominated by obesity. 60% of us are overweight and over ideal body size. This fact will undermine longevity and economic security. If we continue to do the same things the same way, we are simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Nadine Campbell, R.N., 2/9/2010
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