Fifteen years ago today, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its final rule authorizing the use of the health claim linking soluble fiber from whole oats and reduced risk of coronary heart disease.1 In essence, the FDA agreed with The Quaker Oats Company that consumption of soluble fiber from whole oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, lowered blood cholesterol levels. Read more
This post is co-authored by Jose Luis Prado, President, Quaker Foods and Snacks North America, PepsiCo // Eating a healthy breakfast is a fundamental step in building a nutritious, total diet that meets the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A growing body of research supports eating breakfast regularly for heart health, lower body weight and improved overall diet quality. Breakfast consumers tend to have higher micronutrient intakes, partly because of the fortification of breakfast cereals, and have a better macronutrient profile than “breakfast skippers” (1). Studies in children suggest that breakfast eaters are more likely to meet daily nutrient intake guidelines compared with children who eat breakfast infrequently or skip breakfast (2). Evidence suggests that regular breakfast consumers also have healthier body weights than those who skip breakfast (3). It has been suggested that skipping breakfast may lead to overall greater levels of hunger later in the... Read more
In 1963, the U.S. Congress requested the President issue a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month. Beginning in 1964, these presidential proclamations have urged Americans to take action for the prevention and control of diseases of the heart and blood vessels and their major risk factors. These proclamations typically inform Americans of the huge social, economic, and human toll of heart disease and adverse trends such as the rising tide of risk factors and associated health care costs. The grim statistics quoted annually can truly spell bad news! As President Obama noted in this year’s proclamation, heart disease is “a staggering health problem” and remains the “leading cause of death for American women and men.” Recent data supporting genuine concern about heart health are well-documented in the 2011 update of the Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics published by the American Heart Association (AHA), in conjunction... Read more
Co-authored by: Mallika Janakiraman, VP Health and Wellness, PepsiCo International and Ellen Exum, Program Director, Wellness & Prevention, PepsiCo
Sunday, September 26th, marked the 10th anniversary of the observance of World Heart Day (WHD),a time each year to teach people around the globe about heart disease and stroke. Together as cardiovascular diseases, heart disease and stroke are the world's leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year. World Heart Day is also a time to assess the progress made and the challenges that persist in the prevention and control of heart disease and stroke.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) cites low intake of fruits and vegetables as one of the top risk factors contributing to mortality from non-communicable diseases, hunger and micronutrient deficiencies. Researchers examining fruit and vegetable intake globally have found that populations are consuming less than half of the recommended minimum intake of 5 servings per day (400g of fresh weight equivalent). Global populations are consistently deficient in key nutrients such as folate, potassium, fiber, vitamin A, C, K and magnesium found in fruits and vegetables. Globally, people are more likely to adopt diets that include more meat, fats and refined cereals, and fewer traditional cereals, vegetables and fruit because of increasing urbanization and growing prosperity. In the most recent report from the World Health Organization on mortality and burden of disease attributable to major risks (Global Health Risks), nearly 1.7 million deaths were attributed to low intake of... Read more
At PepsiCo, we believe in mentoring and nurturing young scientists. We, and our colleagues on the R&D team, recognize the influence of mentors as we built our own careers. In fact, our senior leadership team has formalized the importance of support systems for students and young professionals as part of our company’s talent sustainability goals. Each year, we sponsor a summer internship program for young scientists in the nutrition field. The program provides students an opportunity to see the important role the food industry can play in meeting global nutrition challenges, and it provides us the opportunity to learn from the intern’s fresh perspectives. As the summer draws to a close, we want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the great work the PepsiCo R&D interns did in nutrition science and food policy. Our 21 interns all had impressive backgrounds in science and nutrition. They hailed... Read more
We often receive questions about the role of sodium in the diet. It surprises people to know that dietary sodium actually has an important role in maintaining health. Sodium is an essential mineral or micronutrient which along with potassium helps to regulate the body’s fluid balance. However, when consumed in excess (as sodium chloride or common salt), it can raise blood pressure and contribute to death and disability from heart disease and stroke. A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 9 out of 10 Americans exceed the limit recommended for daily sodium intake. In fact, for the group of Americans whom a lower dietary intake of sodium is important, the amount of sodium consumed was more than double the recommended limit. The CDC report also showed that only 9.6% of U.S. adults were below the recommended dietary limit of 2,300... Read more
George Mensah is currently Director, Heart Health and Global Health Policy at PepsiCo. His role on the R&D team is focused on the company’s initiatives to promote heart health around the world. George came to PepsiCo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and today, the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught up with George to find out a little more about his transition to PepsiCo and how he sees the company’s role in global public health efforts. See the link below for more details, and if you have any questions for George please post them in the comments section: Atlanta Journal Constitution: Whatever happened to… George Mensah? Read more
The observance of World Hypertension Day provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness about hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure (HBP). This condition is often called a “silent killer” because many people who succumb to its complications often do not even know they have it. An estimated 1.5 billion people in the world have HBP and about 7 million people die every year as a result. Other than advancing age, HBP is the most powerful risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and it is second only to diabetes as the leading cause of end-stage kidney failure. Knowing your blood pressure is important because most complications can be prevented if high blood pressure is detected early, treated, and controlled. When your blood pressure is measured you will be given two numbers (for example, 120/80). If your first number is always less than 120 and the second... Read more
As the different activities during American Heart Month come to a close this week, it is important to remind all of us what PepsiCo is doing to promote heart health and help reduce the burden of heart disease and its risk factors. As many of you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is also a major cause of disability, reduced quality of life, and rising health care costs. It is now well-recognized that poor nutrition and physical inactivity are some of the most important factors that contribute to poor health. At PepsiCo, we are on a journey to transform our portfolio of products to support our consumers in their effort to reduce their risk of heart disease and promote overall well-being. We recognize that specific changes in food industry practices can favorably impact diet and nutrition,... Read more
