Originally published December 1 2005
Nutrition expert informs public about the health claims of energy bars
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Toronto-based dietitian Leslie Beck discusses energy bars, providing advice on their purpose and practical uses, as well as exploring the range of specialty bars and their relative benefits.
Wrapped in shiny packages, these portable pieces of carbohydrate fuelled marathoners and triathletes to the finish line.
With names like CarbZone, Oat-Rageous, Protein2Go, Body For Life and Optimum Energy, today there's a bar for anyone looking for an energy boost.
Packages boast energy bars that are high protein, low carb, tailored for women and made for active people.
Energy bars won't boost your energy level any better than real food.
Depending on which bar you choose, you might be scarfing more calories than you think -- and more than you need.
For example, a Tri-O-Plex High Protein Food Bar packs 440 calories.
While many are fortified with vitamins and minerals, energy bars don't have the disease-fighting phytochemicals found in whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables.
Examples are Clif Bar, Nature's Path Optimum Energy Bar, PowerBar, PowerBar Harvest, Kellogg's Vector Energy Bar.
Some high-carb energy bars pack as much as five to eight teaspoons of sugar.
The study found that a moderate-carbohydrate bar (Balance Bar) didn't raise blood sugar levels as quickly as a high-carb bar (PowerBar).
Most contain 25 grams of protein from soy or whey (a milk protein), but some have as much as 35 grams (the amount of protein in five ounces/140 grams of chicken).
These bars are for people lifting heavy weights at the gym; they're not for busy moms or people wanting to lose weight.
For example, one Clif Luna Bar provides one-quarter of a day's requirements for calcium (297 milligrams) and folic acid (0.1 milligrams).
palm kernel oil and coconut oil are added to many energy bars to prevent their coatings from melting all over your hands.
If you're unwrapping bars more often than you're sitting down to meals, it's time to adjust your eating plan.
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