The FDA required food manufacturers to remove artificial trans fats from their products by June 18, 2018, due to their negative impact on health. Despite the ban, consumers should still be cautious of foods containing trans fats due to ingredients like mono- and diglycerides, which are not regulated as trans fats. Listen in this week as Dee discusses what mono- and diglycerides are, and why they are a concern for your health.

References:

Kalmus, S. (n.d.). What is bad about mono- & diglycerides? Livestrong.com. https://www.livestrong.com/article/445850-what-is-bad-about-mono-diglycerides/

Sellem, L., Srour, B., Javaux, G., Chazelas, E., Chassaing, B., Viennois, É., Debras, C., Salamé, C., Druesne-Pecollo, N., Esseddik, Y., De Edelenyi, F. S., Agaësse, C., De Sa, A., Lutchia, R., Louveau, E., Huybrechts, I., Pierre, F. H., Coumoul, X., Fezeu, L. K., . . . Touvier, M. (2023). Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: Prospective cohort study. BMJ, 382, e076058. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-076058

Apeel is an edible coating made of fatty acids that is used on apples and other produce, both conventional and organically grown, designed to extend their shelf life, but there's no label on the produce to let you know it's there. How concerned should you be? Listen in this week as Dee discusses what Apeel is, why the fatty acids it's made of may be a concern, and where you can find produce not coated with Apeel.

References:

Apeel. (2024). Product information. https://www.apeel.com/product-information

Cornucopia Institute. (2023, August 9). Apeel and edible coatings: Your questions answered. https://www.cornucopia.org/2023/07/apeel-and-edible-coatings-your-questions-answered/

Get the free Apeel Wallet Guide: https://greensmoothiegirl.com/apeel/

A recent study found that dark chocolate and other cocoa products are contaminated with lead and cadmium, two neurotoxic metals associated with cancer, chronic diseases, and reproductive or developmental issues, especially in children. Surprisingly, even organic dark chocolate, grown with fewer pesticides, was found to have some of the highest concentrations of these harmful metals. Listen in this week as Dee discusses the findings of the study and whether it's still possible to enjoy the health benefits of dark chocolate.

References:

Hands, J. M., Anderson, M. L., Cooperman, T., Balsky, J. E., & Frame, L. A. (2024). A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231/full