An article analysis and commentary on an article about low-salt diets and related media postings.

The rise in mis- and disinformation throughout and following the COVID-19 global pandemic is well documented. Social media has intensified the rapid spread of misinformation to the public about nutrition and health, which has implications for dietetic professionals.

Social media influencers are sharing their gut health struggles and tips to "hack" your gut” using hashtags such as #guttok, #guthealth and #guthealing. Recently, this included promoting the use of L-glutamine supplements to heal the gastrointestinal system. The content targets individuals experiencing various ailments, including diarrhea, constipation, bloating and other symptoms associated with a ‘leaky gut’.

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives just released a report assessing the health impacts of aspartame. The PEN Team has been watching the media headlines in anticipation of the report’s release to determine whether a change in practice recommendation was needed on the safety of the daily consumption of aspartame.

Recently, there’s been more attention in the media on the sugar substitute allulose. The PEN Team thought a look into allulose’s characteristics was warranted to help guide practitioners when responding to client questions about this sugar substitute.

A 2022 paper, Vegetarian Diet, Growth, and Nutrition in Early Childhood: a Longitudinal Cohort Study, has gained traction on social media. The PEN Team took a closer look at the study to assess if the current PEN recommendations related to children and vegetarian eating are up to date with this latest evidence.

A recent study observed that vegetable consumption was only minimally protective for incident cardiovascular disease. Media headlines subsequently reported that “eating veggies won't protect your heart”. The PEN Team thought an analysis of the study was needed to determine if any changes to current recommendations to “eat lots of vegetables” are required.