Expert Speak: A Guide To Read Nutrition Labels

Expert Speak: A Guide To Read the Nutrition Labels

Give Attention To Ingredients On The Label

For instance, high sugary foods are not good for any person. So, if you watch added sugar, ignore that food. Seed oils can trigger an insulin resistance and inflammation. So, if you watch sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil on the labels please ignore these foods – coconut oil and ghee are relatively safer.  Other nutrients such as gluten, hydrogenated fat, soy, corn, and high fructose corn syrup are other additives found in packaged foods and these can speedily take you away from health.

Check For Allowed Artificial Colors

Manufacturers utilize permitted artificial colors or flavors and preservatives to extend the shelf life or increase  taste of products. Most of these compounds are often carcinogenic or can also trigger liver inflammation. If you discover these written on the label, run in the opposite direction.

Check a Serving Sizes and Calories

Always create it a point to check the serving size and calories/sugar etc. For example, if you purchase a one-litre cold pressed juice bottle, where 1 portion is about 200 ml per person and you end up consuming the whole bottle thinking you are only consuming the number of calories/sugar printed on the label, you are being a misled. Calculate the all over amount of sugar, calories etc for the whole amount you might consume.

Aman Puri, founder of Steadfast Nutrition even shares a some pointers while reading labels:

• Do not get deluded by catchy phrases such as low-calorie, low-fat, low-cholesterol and sugar-free. Food labeling regulations are a complex to understand.

• Low calorie means not more than forty K cal per hundred grams.

• Fat-free may not actually be totally free of fats. Any product can claim to be fat-free given the fat content is not more than 0.5 grams per 100 grams.

• Low-cholesterol food products may have a up to 20 mg cholesterol per 100 grams.

• Sugar-free foods may even include 0.5 grams sugar per 100 grams.

• Food companies may even add sugar with other less common names such as beet sugar, golden syrup, molasses, barley malt, etc.