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.

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.

The American not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) has recently published an updated 2024 Dirty Dozen, which lists the fruit and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides. The EWG maintains that children are most likely to be susceptible to pesticide exposure and related health consequences, which has led to the American Academy of Pediatrics listing the Dirty Dozen as a resource for information on pesticide residues in produce.

A recently published systematic review builds on a previous review examining the evidence of the physical effects of energy drink consumption on children and adolescents.

How accurate is ChatGPT in giving nutrition information and recommendations? Read to the end to fully find out!

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.

A PEN System user recently reached out to the PEN Team to share their experience with parents of young children choosing high protein milk products for their children and questioned if this is good practice. The PEN Team thought a deeper dive into the possible merits or adverse effects of recommending high protein milk to clients would be useful to dietitians.

A concern about vitamin B12 deficiency causing adverse outcomes in pregnant women, particularly of South Asian descent, prompted us to look more closely at this hot topic. We identified a systematic review (SR) that focused on the vitamin B12 status of women and infants living in India (1).

Can prescribing ‘food as medicine’ have a positive effect on health outcomes, health care costs and health-related quality of life? A recent U.S. study that looked at the impact of implementing a fruit and vegetable prescription program for adults living with diabetes and food insecurity might provide some answers.