IMPACT NUTRITION BITES: American Society For Nutrition's 2023 Conference Preview - Ultra Processed Foods, Heart Health, Weight Loss, and Food & Society

Welcome to Impact Nutrition Bites, a monolog episode where we dive into current research, news and trends that have the potential to make a big impact in your health. 

Today we’ll focused on the American Society for Nutrition’s upcoming Nutrition 2023 Conference. 

It will be held July 22 - 25, 2023 at the Sheraton in Boston. In this conference, they’re covering what they deem to be the 4 most critical areas that impact health in 2023. These have been defined as: 

• Ultra processed foods
• Heart Health
• Weight Loss
• Food & Society
  
  

Ultra Processed Foods:
We already know that ultra processed foods (UPFs) are responsible for rising cases of unbalanced diets that lack key nutrients. On the heels of this conference, it’s expected that recommendations will soon follow that limit exposure to ultra processed foods. 

“In the U.S., a review of the evidence has been recommended for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. This session will review research from a food science perspective and examine the potential mechanisms of action of UPFs. A research roadmap will be presented to establish a stronger, more balanced evidence base to advance the understanding of if and how UPFs impact the risk of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.”
-NewsMedical Life Sciences, July 4, 2023

Heart Health:
Regarding heart health, top researchers will present and discuss the latest clinical findings, some of which argue that consumption of linoleic acid, the plant-sourced omega-6, is not in fact the culprit for heart health issues and inflammatory concerns. What present research continues to show is that fat balancing is a complex story, and that overconsumption of animal sourced omega-6s, like the arachidonic acid that is in red meats, along with overconsumption of saturated fats, can pose inflammatory issues when we aren’t using all the calories we consume. Limiting animal fat consumption while increasing consumption of omega-3 rich foods continues to be the general consensus in the medical community. 

Weight Loss:
When it comes to weight loss, the primary question this symposium seeks to answer is whether metabolic adaptation is a central cause that makes maintaining weight, or losing weight and keeping it off when needed, increasingly difficult. Can scientists with opposing views work together to figure this question out? Only time will tell. What continues to hold promise in the weight loss arena includes consuming mindfully, remaining active and getting plenty of sleep. 

Following these 7 steps can also support a healthy metabolism:

1. Eat plenty of fiber-rich and filling foods that are low in caloric density.
2. Drink plenty of water.
3. Limit consumption of processed foods, and instead choose whole foods.
4. Limit or eliminate consumption of alcohol.
5. Limit or eliminate consumption of processed sugars. 
6. Take a few core supplements to fill nutritional gaps: a whole foods multivitamin, a bioactive omega-3 supplement like Orlo Nutrition’s Omega-3 or DHA, a greens product like MacroLife Naturals or Athletic Greens, and if you are vegetarian or vegan, Vitamin B12 in the methylcobalamin form (check out Orlo’s Immunity Boost with B12 and D3), and an Iron supplement like Floradix. 
7. Complete a food journal each day. This can help you identify which foods make you feel good, what foods may not be best for you, and it can keep you accountable. Research shows that when people log their food and water each day they are more likely to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. 

The question of calories in versus calories out will continue to be hotly debated. If you aren’t metabolically healthy, you will become more so if you follow the above 7 steps. This can place you on  a track towards success. 

Food & Society: 
The last topic they will cover is Food and Society. Within this topic is how modern agriculture and food procurement continues to face challenges. Whether they will touch on topics of regenerative agriculture is yet to be seen. After the event concludes, and as research continues in health and nutrition, we will circle back with another Impact Nutrition Bite. 

In the meantime, I hope you’ll raise a cup of your favorite healthy beverage with me as I say my closing words. Here’s to your health. 

Additional Resources and Episodes Mentioned In This Episode: 

• Eat To Beat Disease: Dr. William Li's guest appearance on Nutrition Without Compromise - episode page.
• Eat To Beat Disease Course - Part 1 of 4 - 5 Health Defenses & 5 Health Surprises - episode page.
• Eat To Beat Disease Course - Part 2 of 4 - 10 Foods To Bolster Your 5 Health Defenses episode page.
• Eat To Beat Disease Course - Part 3 of 4 - Starve Disease & Regenerate Health episode page.
• Eat To Beat Disease Course - Part 4 of 4 - 5x5x5 Framework - episode page.
• Eat To Beat Your Diet: Dr. William Li's guest appearance on Nutrition Without Compromise - episode page.
• How To Check If You're Getting Enough Omega-3s with Dr. Bill Harris, Co-founder of OmegaQuant and Co-Creator of The Omega-3 Index - episode page.