State of the Nutritionist 2012

Topics That Dominated the Wellness Landscape in 2012.

• Mainstream Media's Attack on Supplements. This Will Not Cease Until Big Pharma Is Fully Invested in the Vitamin Business. Then, You Will Barely Hear a Whisper.

• Statins Officially Linked to Diabetes Risk and Memory Impairment by the FDA. Look on Your Labels!

• PPI and Antibiotic Overuse Identified and Taken Seriously by FDA Through Labeling and by the CDC Through Physician Awareness. 

• Assault on Organic Food. Organic is Growing, so Now Dr. Oz, Stanford, and Others Call Those Who Choose Organic "Elitist."

• FDA Gets Tough on Food Safety. Recalls Up Exponentially This Year.

• Arsenic in Rice. Consumer Reports Scares the Public With Misguided Report.  

• Excess Calcium and Heart Risk Front and Center.

• Telomere Length As a Biomarker for Aging.

• If You Can't Beat Em, Join Em. Big Pharma Gobbling Up Vitamin Companies.

Wellness Victories in 2012

• SB2936 Passes in Illinois, Putting RD's in Their Place and Depriving Them of a Monopoly.

• Many Gastros Embrace Food Intolerance as a Legitimate Reason for Digestive Disorders.

• Stevia Takes Over As Second Most Popular Non-Caloric Sweetener.

• Probiotics Are Darlings in Numerous Facets of Healthcare.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup Rebuffed in Attempt to Change Its Name to Corn Sugar. 

The Battle Still Rages On.

• Food Coloring - FDA Ruled That There Was No Need for Warnings. For Colors, That Ship Has Already Sailed. Many Are Already Transitioning to Natural Colors and Flavors.

• Neutralizing the Dr. Oz Effect. Who Knew That What Started With Good Intentions Has Now Turned Into a Sensationalist, One-Size-Fits-All, Misinformation Factory.

• Congress Angling for an EU-Style Poison Pill for the Supplement Industry.

• USDA Organic Seal Continues to Be Taken Advantage of and Breached by Certain Companies.

• GMOs - Prop 37 Loss May Be a Battle Loss, but the War Will Still Be Won.

• Removing Meaningless Diet Drugs Like the Recently Approved Belivq and Qsymia From the Market.

• FDA Rules Against Removing BPA From Consumer Products. This Ruling Won't Last. 

What's In Store for 2013 and Beyond?  

• Hot ingredients for 2013
  
  Magnesium Explosion!
  The data will start flowing similar to that of vitamin D. All we can say is that it is about time!
  
  Monk fruit (luo han guo)
  Zero-calorie monk fruit, which gained GRAS status in 2010, is just starting to appear in packaged foods (such as So Delicious no-sugar-added ice creams) and some supplements (such as Soothie Suckers, herbal remedy ice pops). With its simple processing, lack of side effects, non-GMO sourcing, and pure taste, it's a natural to replace high-glycemic agave and taste-problematic stevia in natural and mainstream foods.
  
  Coconut nectar
  Coconut sugar's precursor, coconut nectar, is an ideal liquid for food formulations that are hopping on the low-glycemic, low-fructose nutritive sweetener bandwagon.
  
  Sea buckthorn
  After emerging in personal care products a couple years ago, this ingredient—high in vitamin C, carotenes and rare omega-7 EFAs—is showing up in supplements. And it's not just targeting beauty-from-within, but also digestive health and combating inflammation. A new study just showed sea buckthorn leaf extracts may also boost exercise capacity and protect against oxidative damage caused by excessive exercise.
  
  Kaniwa
  Quinoa and amarmanth, it's time to share the spotlight with another emerging powerhouse seed that's just as tasty and nutritious. Kaniwa (pronounced ka-nyi-wah), which may be considered quinoa's smaller cousin, is packed with protein, amino acids and dietary fiber. The Peruvian mountain grain also lacks saponins, the bitter tasting coating found on quinoa, so it does not need to be rinsed before cooking. As quinoa's demand outgrows its supply, kaniwa is ready to step in as another nutrient-dense staple of a healthy diet.

• Need Higher Quality Gluten-Free Food
  While celiacs now enjoy more choice than ever when they shop, the ingredients list on many products remains surprisingly uninspiring given the wealth of ingredients now available to formulators. Most gluten-free manufacturers stick with corn and white rice flour, tapioca and potato starch. Carob flour, yellow pea flour and bean flours are rarely used. Looking for ingredients that can provide fiber, protein and balanced nutrition as opposed to making people’s blood sugar rise should be the future.

• The gigantic swarm of young people born between 1982 and 2001 are rising to prominence, and findings indicate that these younger consumers approach food shopping much differently. Convenience and price trump loyalty. However, millennials are more willing to invest in product attributes such as product quality, health profile and natural/organic.

• US shoppers are looking to maintain lean muscle mass and muscle tone, across all age groups. Hunger management, not weight loss by adding fiber and protein will be key.

• Take out the fake. Simple natural ingredients will dominate in the form of snackable mini-meals, veggie protein, healthier breakfasts and portion-controlled frozen foods.

• Restaurants will add smaller plates and appetizers to menus while grocery stores will offer new pre-portioned snacks.

• Supermarkets will increase their focus on men as they've become more active in shopping, meal planning and cooking.

• Anticipate strong growth in meatless proteins including eggs, nut butters, tofu, beans and legumes.