Planters Nuts Digestive Health Mix And Muscle Milk – Calorie Bargains Or Rip-Offs?
by Charles Stuart Platkin
Monday, 21 July 2008
Are the food-marketing claims true? Are they Calorie Bargains or Calorie Rip-offs? That’s the ongoing question with claims on food packages proliferating and food manufacturers looking for any angle to increase sales. Here are the results of two of my latest investigations.
[ To Download This Podcast as an MP3 file Right Click Here. Select "Save Target As" and Save on Your Desktop. ]
Product: Planters NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix
Claims: “Keeping it running smoothly gets a little easier with our fiber-filled Digestive Health Mix, a succulent blend of pistachios, almonds, tart cranberries, crunchy granola clusters, and sweet cherries which helps promote digestive health.”
Facts: The ingredient list indicates that the product contains inulin. “In sufficient quantities, inulin improves digestive health by helping to alleviate constipation, increasing the rate at which digested foods move through the intestine and stimulating the growth of healthy bifidobacteria in the intestine. Inulin ‘feeds’ the healthy bacteria, allowing them to out-compete some possibly detrimental bacteria in the intestine. Other health benefits of inulin include better blood lipid profiles, thus reducing the risk of heart disease, and improved mineral absorption and bone health,” says Dr. Mary Ann Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition and professor of nutrition at the University of Georgia. Inulin is a “prebiotic,” which means it boosts the growth and activity of the good bacteria in the intestines that may promote regularity.
Additionally, the first four ingredients in the product are pistachios, almonds, dried fruit and whole oats, all of which naturally contain fiber to help with regularity, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Fiction: “The inulin is 11th on the ingredients list after three types of sweeteners (sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup), and I don’t know if that would be a therapeutic amount of inulin,” says Blatner. In fact, research shows that 5 to 10 grams of inulin may be needed for a measurable health benefit, adds Johnson. The nut mix contains only 0.2 grams of inulin per 32-gram serving (about an ounce).
Concerns: The consumer wishing to avoid added sugars will see that this product has four sources of added sugars: sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and molasses. While nuts and dried fruits are healthy in moderation, these foods would need to be limited to 1 to 2 ounces daily because of the relatively high calorie content, which in this product is 150 calories per ounce. Most sedentary adults need only about 1,800 to 2,400 calories daily, so a few handfuls of this snack would contribute a large number of calories, says Johnson. Just like all nuts and trail mix products, the serving size here is 1 ounce, or one-eighth of the container. With 150 calories per serving, it is important to portion wisely and not just snack out of the container, because the calories can add up fast. In addition, this product alone is not enough to promote healthy digestion because we need a fiber-rich diet, plenty of water and exercise to get the best effects.
The Bottom Line: “There is no evidence to support these claims,” says Gerard E. Mullin, M.D., M.H.S., the director of gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. “Don’t rely on this to be the key to healthy digestion; instead, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, and drink plenty of water,” says Blatner.
Claims: “Muscle Milk helps grow muscle faster than gainers, whey or even creatine. This increased muscle growth is possible because Muscle Milk is the first product patterned after Nature's ultimate anabolic food -- human mother's milk. Locked within human mother's milk are long-held secrets to muscle growth potential previously considered impossible.”
Facts: According to Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, “Science exists behind the need for these proteins, but it is being simplified and applied to the promotion of muscle growth of an adult human for which human milk is not intended.” And according to sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, this is a product “convenient for athletes who don't take responsibility for grocery shopping.”
Fiction: What you get in this supplement you can get from eating real food. Animal-based protein from meat, milk and eggs provides the body with all the essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth. “Milk is an excellent source of leucine, which promotes muscle growth. Amino acids found in human milk intended for infants do support muscle growth, but their main function is to build antibodies for the immune system. Also, muscle growth must be stimulated by challenging the muscle with resistance. Simply drinking this supplement without resistance exercise will not provide much benefit,” says Sandon.
Concerns: The calories. This is a very concentrated source of calories, making it easy to overdo. Plus it has a lot of multi-syllable ingredients.
Bottom Line:“Research has shown that when drunk after exercise, a glass of regular low-fat chocolate milk promotes muscle recovery and growth similar to the recommendations and claims of this product. Plus, you still have to exercise and eat a balanced diet,” says Sandon. _____________________________________
CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the online source for nutrition, fitness, food, diet and wellness information. Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com.
The original 1972 book that made Dr. Atkins famous!
Sometimes I don’t even think we realize just how brilliant the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins really was for espousing what he did during his amazing career. Sure, low-carb diets had been out there in the public eye for over a century (most notably from William Banting in 1864 with his Letter On Corpulence) before he came along. But it was the charisma and enthusiasm for the low-carb lifestyle that Dr. Atkins brought to the public arena that captured the attention of millions of people worldwide who were interested in learning more about how low-carb could help them shed the pounds and restore their good health.
If you care about diabetes health, then sign this petition!
We all know how incompetent many of the government and leading health organizations are in the United States as it relates to providing information to the public about taking care of themselves to protect against disease and death. We’ve seen it with the failed low-fat, low-calorie diets they’ve been pushing on the American people for decades with no positive impact whatsoever and yet they continue to promote it as the only way to control obesity and health. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, then I do believe we can officially describe those in charge of health policy in America as INSANE!
(Source: American Medical Association. JAMA) Adults with memory problems who participated in a home-based physical activity program experienced a modest improvement in cognitive function, compared to those who did not participate in the program, according to a study in the September 3 issue of JAMA.
As the world population ages, the number of older adults living with Alzheimer disease (AD) is estimated to increase from the current 26.6 million to 106.2 million by 2050. "If illness onset could be delayed by 12 months, 9.2 million fewer cases of AD would occur worldwide. For this reason, attempts have been made to identify individuals who are at increased risk of AD and to test interventions that might delay the progression of prodromal symptoms [early non-specific symptom, or set of symptoms] to full-blown dementia," the authors write.
Eric Cressey is the owner of Cressey Performance, a facility with locations in Hudson and Framingham, Massachusetts. A highly sought-after coach for healthy and injured athletes alike, Eric has helped athletes at all levels - from youth sports to the professional and Olympic ranks - achieve their highest levels of performance in a variety of sports.
Cressey received his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science through the University of Connecticut Department of Kinesiology, the #1 ranked kinesiology graduate program in the nation. At UCONN, Eric was involved in varsity strength and conditioning and research in the human performance laboratory. Previously, Eric graduated from the University of New England with a double major in Exercise Science and Sports and Fitness Management. He has also written the book Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-Training Program
Paul Goldberg has worked with Olympic and professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA, among others. He currently works with the Colorado Avalanche hockey team and continues to train athletes in many different sports. He is a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist and a registered dietitian. He is also the author of a new book called The Lean Look (Broadway, 2008)
The Why: The TRX Suspension Trainer is a very cool product that can be used ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. No more excuses. It really works your core - and helps to get you in shape by using your own body weight. A word of caution: this product is not suitable for those who are not already physically inclined. Make sure to read ALL of the materials and follow the directions because you can get hurt if you don't. This training bundle includesthe TRX Suspension Trainer, two anchoring options and two workout dvds.
The Why: This amazing website has over 10,000 links to just about anything related to food: recipes, nutrition information, daily menus, nutrient look-up, food forums – you name it.
Are the food-marketing claims true? Are they Calorie Bargains or Calorie Rip-offs? That’s the ongoing question with claims on food packages proliferating and food manufacturers looking for any angle to increase sales. Here are the results of two of my latest investigations. 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Eric Cressey is the owner of Cressey Performance, a facility with locations in Hudson and Framingham, Massachusetts. A highly sought-after coach for healthy and injured athletes alike, Eric has helped athletes at all levels - from youth sports to the professional and Olympic ranks - achieve their highest levels of performance in a variety of sports. 
Paul Goldberg has worked with Olympic and professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA, among others. He currently works with the Colorado Avalanche hockey team and continues to train athletes in many different sports. He is a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist and a registered dietitian. He is also the author of a new book called 
Calorie Bargain: TRX Home Training Bundle
Calorie Bargain: The Recipe Link (
