6 Times Food News Made Us Say “I KNEW IT!” in 2016

This year, nutrition science confirmed a few suspicions. A time or two, it even fulfilled our wildest dreams! Here’s a short list of our favorite food news stories from 2016.

1. Coffee Might Make Us Live Longer

OK, maybe we just thought coffee was making us live longer — because when we don’t drink coffee, we pretty much Zzzz right through half the day. But now, Science has had its say. Here’s a rundown of coffee’s health benefits, which include protective qualities for heart disease, liver disease, and stroke — plus, yes, an increase in overall longevity. And it’s not just that coffee may be protective against disease, coffee is also linked to other things that help keep you alive, like increasing driver safety and improving workouts. Coffee just gets us.

Photo by Meredith

2. Eating Nuts Helps Keep the Weight Off

Knew it! Every time we snack on nuts when we get home from work, it practically ruins us for dinner. Mom used to say that about potato chips (“You’ll ruin your appetite!”), but it was never true. So why is it true about nuts? Or put another way, how does a food with so many calories coming from fat (about 80 percent!) help us maintain weight? Well, new nutrition research is showing that it may be nuts’ unique triad of protein, fiber, and healthy fats: The fiber helps make you feel full right away, then the protein and fat reduce your cravings by keeping you feeling full longer. Can you handle four more surprising facts about how how good nuts are for you?

Photo by Meredith

3. Sugar Substitutes Were Just Making Us Hungrier!

This one comes pretty much straight from the Department of Pure Evil. This year, scientists discovered that calorie-free artificial sweeteners may have an unkind chemical effect on the brain. In fact, rather than offering us some kind of (sugar-free) free lunch, they actually mess with our metabolism and baffle our brains, inducing hunger by creating a starvation-like scenario in the brain that makes us eat more! Such sweet saboteurs! Here’s a little more on the story, including a trick for eating less of the foods you crave.

Photo by Meredith

4. Cheese May Actually Be Good for Our Hearts

OK, truthfully, nobody saw this one coming. Although for years, this was essentially all we’ve wanted for Christmas. Actually, in 2016, there were two slices of good news about cheese: First, we learned that full-fat cheese may be just as healthy as low-fat cheese. Next, we learned about a compound in aged cheese that may actually protect the heart — and even have anti-aging properties. The news cannot get any better than this! Unless…

Photo by Meredith

5. Something in Beer May Actually Protect Our Beleaguered Livers

Again, we never dared to dream it. But a 2016 study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found that hops, an ingredient in bitter beers, may protect the liver by guarding against the build up of liver fat. Here’s more on the story, including a break down of the hoppiest beers. Because when it comes to beers, be as bitter as you like!

Photo by Meredith

6. Our Love of Starchy Flavors Is Actually a Sixth Taste

By now, we can all name the 5 flavors. Let’s see, sweet, sour, salty, bitter…and savory (umami). But this year, Science may have happened upon a sixth category of taste. Starchy! Whuh? No, it’s true. According to scientists from Oregon State University, starchy may be an elusive sixth taste, which could help explain our mad cravings for carbs, our need for noodles, and why we go into a frenzy for fries.

Spaghetti and Meatballs | Photo by Meredith

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