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They are located at checkout counters in grocery stores and gas stations, and it is tough not to pick up the first one with a shiny wrapper and a label that boasts of energy and protein. Who doesn't want energy and protein, or a single chocolate bar that can replace an entire meal? Not so fast, says the latest ConsumerLab.com report. Though the label may be accurately reporting the ingredients of that nutrition bar, the actual content of the "meal" may not be what that on-the-go consumer really wants or needs.
According to tests in 2001, most nutrition bars were mislabeled, so much so that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to improve the process. By 2005, most tested products had met the industry standards for honest labeling, and the current ConsumerLab.com report showed that all of the 20 nutrition bars tested were accurately listing their nutrients. This is a vast improvement, but without the FDA consistently testing these products, it requires an independent company to evaluate them for the public. That is where ConsumerLab.com stepped in.
Although nutrition bars are correctly labeled and making no false claims, the recent report cited other concerns, such as the actual amounts of various ingredients contained in some of the products. Out of the 20 bars tested, 16 were selected and four were included at the request of their manufacturers or distributors. All were analyzed to break down the amounts and percentages of calories, carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, protein, fats, sodium, and cholesterol.
Fats were an important part of the research, and saturated fats were looked at specifically, as it is recommended by the USDA that it be less than one-third of any product. The winners in this category were Renew Life and gnu, which had absolutely no saturated fats. Ones that contained quite a bit of the unhealthy fats were Zone Perfect, Kellogg's Special K, Muscletech, MHP Probolic, Met-Rx, and Promax.
It should be noted that some of the nutrition bars were found to have high amounts of total fats, but most of those were due to whole food ingredients like nuts. Those fats are generally healthy one, though the caloric content may be higher because of those ingredients.
Another area of focus for researchers was the level of sugar alcohols in some of the bars. These ingredients are typically added to reduce the calories contained in a bar because they have fewer calories than sugar itself, but they tend to cause discomfort in many consumers and should likely not be consumed in large amounts on a regular basis. South Beach Diet and MHP Probolic bars were found to have the highest level of sugar alcohols, followed by Muscletech, Pure Protein, and Slim Fast Optima.
Many of the vitamins added to the bars are well within daily recommended levels, but this is one area in particular that ConsumerLab.com felt is ignored by many consumers. When people take daily vitamins or eat products fortified with fiber or other powerful nutrients, the consumption of a bar or two per day may put them over the recommended level of a particular vitamin. In addition to adults paying special attention to those details, this is particularly the reason that young children should not include nutrition bars with high percentages of vitamins in their diets.
Tod Cooperman, M.D. President of ConsumerLab.com, noted, "Bars can be a good occasional source of nutrients such as protein for people on the go, but they vary dramatically in their content. Before eating a bar, a consumer should be sure it has what he or she needs without unwanted ingredients."
Some tips that emerged from the study included the following:
1. Make sure that the bar contains enough calories for energy, especially if the bar is meant to replace a meal. Besides adults requiring approximately 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, more calories ensure that the person will feel less hungry and listless.
2. It is recommended that adults ingest more than 50 grams of protein per day, so a bar, namely a meal replacement bar, should contain enough protein to compliment the rest of a daily diet.
3. Check serving sizes when looking for the appropriate nutrition bar.
4. Carefully examine the labels of specific products before purchase. Multiply the listed weight of each ingredient, such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats, by the number of calories per gram of each, then add all together for the total number of calories. If the label doesn't match or come close to it, be wary.
Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to check nutritional bars of choice to ensure that selected products fit into the range of vitamins, calories, and other ingredients that is being sought. ConsumerLab.com provides guidelines for 20 products, but it is the consumers who must be educated on such supplement-heavy products and judge for themselves.
Healthy Eating - ConsumerLab Report on Nutrition Bars – Buyer Beware | Health News
According to tests in 2001, most nutrition bars were mislabeled, so much so that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to improve the process. By 2005, most tested products had met the industry standards for honest labeling, and the current ConsumerLab.com report showed that all of the 20 nutrition bars tested were accurately listing their nutrients. This is a vast improvement, but without the FDA consistently testing these products, it requires an independent company to evaluate them for the public. That is where ConsumerLab.com stepped in.
Although nutrition bars are correctly labeled and making no false claims, the recent report cited other concerns, such as the actual amounts of various ingredients contained in some of the products. Out of the 20 bars tested, 16 were selected and four were included at the request of their manufacturers or distributors. All were analyzed to break down the amounts and percentages of calories, carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, protein, fats, sodium, and cholesterol.
Fats were an important part of the research, and saturated fats were looked at specifically, as it is recommended by the USDA that it be less than one-third of any product. The winners in this category were Renew Life and gnu, which had absolutely no saturated fats. Ones that contained quite a bit of the unhealthy fats were Zone Perfect, Kellogg's Special K, Muscletech, MHP Probolic, Met-Rx, and Promax.
It should be noted that some of the nutrition bars were found to have high amounts of total fats, but most of those were due to whole food ingredients like nuts. Those fats are generally healthy one, though the caloric content may be higher because of those ingredients.
Another area of focus for researchers was the level of sugar alcohols in some of the bars. These ingredients are typically added to reduce the calories contained in a bar because they have fewer calories than sugar itself, but they tend to cause discomfort in many consumers and should likely not be consumed in large amounts on a regular basis. South Beach Diet and MHP Probolic bars were found to have the highest level of sugar alcohols, followed by Muscletech, Pure Protein, and Slim Fast Optima.
Many of the vitamins added to the bars are well within daily recommended levels, but this is one area in particular that ConsumerLab.com felt is ignored by many consumers. When people take daily vitamins or eat products fortified with fiber or other powerful nutrients, the consumption of a bar or two per day may put them over the recommended level of a particular vitamin. In addition to adults paying special attention to those details, this is particularly the reason that young children should not include nutrition bars with high percentages of vitamins in their diets.
Tod Cooperman, M.D. President of ConsumerLab.com, noted, "Bars can be a good occasional source of nutrients such as protein for people on the go, but they vary dramatically in their content. Before eating a bar, a consumer should be sure it has what he or she needs without unwanted ingredients."
Some tips that emerged from the study included the following:
1. Make sure that the bar contains enough calories for energy, especially if the bar is meant to replace a meal. Besides adults requiring approximately 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, more calories ensure that the person will feel less hungry and listless.
2. It is recommended that adults ingest more than 50 grams of protein per day, so a bar, namely a meal replacement bar, should contain enough protein to compliment the rest of a daily diet.
3. Check serving sizes when looking for the appropriate nutrition bar.
4. Carefully examine the labels of specific products before purchase. Multiply the listed weight of each ingredient, such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats, by the number of calories per gram of each, then add all together for the total number of calories. If the label doesn't match or come close to it, be wary.
Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to check nutritional bars of choice to ensure that selected products fit into the range of vitamins, calories, and other ingredients that is being sought. ConsumerLab.com provides guidelines for 20 products, but it is the consumers who must be educated on such supplement-heavy products and judge for themselves.
Healthy Eating - ConsumerLab Report on Nutrition Bars – Buyer Beware | Health News