Nutritional Value

SAN DIEGO — Adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet during pregnancy may have some benefits in gestational diabetes, but overall, low-carbohydrate diets are not associated with any significant differences in outcomes, according to two experts.

Studies used to determine nutritional recommendations in the U.S. and Canada often lack women, including those who are pregnant, according to findings published in Science Advances.

So-called “diabetes diets” have come a long way since the discovery of insulin in 1921, yet common themes underlying many eating plans today were first developed by registered dietitians more than a century ago, according to two speakers.

U.S. adolescents consume between one-third and two-thirds of the recommended daily limits of added sugars, fats and refined grains through snacking, researchers reported recently during the virtual Nutrition Live Online meeting.

Children who watch child-oriented cooking shows featuring healthy foods are 2.7 times more likely to make healthy food choices compared with those who watch cooking shows featuring unhealthy foods, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

Adults who eat larger quantities of ultra-processed foods are at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who eat smaller quantities, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

A study presented at ObesityWeek showed that people were more likely to consider the negative health effects of drinking soda if the beverages came with warning labels on the packaging. This was the week’s top story in endocrinology.