Internationally Renowned Dietician to the Stars Speaks of the Many Health Detriments of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

By: Fern Sidman

Now that ice cream has been dominating conversations both large and small because of Ben & Jerry’s ill-advised move to no longer be sell their creamy desserts in areas to the east of Israel’s green line. Claiming to support the Palestinian mantra that the West Bank is occupied by Israel, Ben & Jerry’s have decided to halt sales there.

To say that this egregious decision resulted in a clamorous uproar amongst opponents of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement would be a gross understatement. With each passing day, the snowball effect is taking place and more organizations, more US states and more elected officials are speaking out in bold defiance of Ben & Jerry’s lethal hatred towards Israel and its reprehensible anti-Semitic posture.

Having said this, the question of whether ice cream consumption has any nutritional value and which ice cream brands are healthier than others has also been consistently raised by experts and laypeople alike. Because Ben & Jerry’s has taken center stage in this boycott imbroglio, once again the health aspects and detrimental factors in partaking of the luscious comfort food dessert are now been seriously chewed over.

In an interview with the Jewish Voice, Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, the creator of the renowned F-Factor™ Diet and an internationally renowned registered dietician, said ice cream consumption can be enjoyable, but like everything in life, one is required to practice moderation.

“It happens to be that if someone would have one cup of Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, it would be 525 calories, 27 grams of fat, 15g of saturated fat, 54g sugar, 63g carbs, 3g fiber and 9g protein,”  said Tanya. She added that what is most concerning is that this brand is really calorically dense, exceptionally high in fat and that “this is NOT even their heaviest, most decadent flavor!”

Based on a 2000 calorie a day diet, a (1 cup) serving of B&J chocolate fudge brownie is more than ¼ of daily calories (525 calories; ¼ is 500), said Tanya.  She added that it is more than 1/3 of the fat should eat in a day (no more than 30% calories from fat; 600 calories fat per day = 66.67g of fat. 22g fat is 1/3 of fat one should eat. 1 cup has 27g).

Tanya explained precisely why ice cream consumption on a regular basis can be a leading factor in raising bad cholesterol levels, thereby putting people at risk for heart disease and stroke. “As we know, saturated fat is worse than regular fat because too much of it causes elevated cholesterol levels as plaque builds up in the arteries. This particular flavor of Ben & Jerry’s has 15 grams of saturated fat, “ explained Tanya.  She said that saturated fats not only raise LDL (bad) cholesterol but lowers HDL (good) cholesterol and added that the high LDL increases risk for heart disease and stroke.

Tanya also said that in addition to increasing one’s risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, the consumption of such massive amounts of sugar in ice cream converts into fat and is a highly significant contributor towards adult onset diabetes. Today in the United States tens of millions of Americans are afflicted with diabetes which has life threatening consequences.

Added Tanya, “Saturated fats should be less than 10% of your daily calories.” She said that 200 calories is equivalent to 22 grams of saturated fat. 15 grams of saturated fat is more than 2/3s of the saturated fat you should have in a day.

Concerning ice cream, Tanya said that a one cup serving has 14.75 teaspoons of sugar. She added that, “You have to remember that in a one cup serving of ice cream, there is little under 1/3 cup of sugar.”

\The ingredients in ice cream are cream, liquid sugar, skim milk, water, sugar and generally cocoa, said Tanya. Another ingredient that sends up a health alert is soybean oil. Tanya explained that “soybean oil is mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids. It’s mostly used for drying because it has a high smoke point and its inexpensive.”

Tanya added that according to a January 2020 study conducted at the University of California in Riverside, recent research shows soybean oil leads to obesity and diabetes but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and depressi“Putting politics aside, there are health related concerns that should influence your decision to switch from Ben & Jerry’s to other ice-cream brands,” said Tanya.

Tanya knows from whence she speaks. With more than 20 years experience in private practice in Manhattan, Tanya’s F-Factor diet evolved from her early work with patients. She discovered that by counseling her patients to follow a lifestyle diet rich in dietary fiber, they all not only improved their overall health – but also lost weight without hunger. Tanya is the author of two bestselling weight loss books: The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss (2006, G.P Putnam & Sons), and The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber! (2012, Hyperion).

After 10 years,Tanya has released a new, long-awaited edition of The F-Factor Diet (2018, TarcherPerigee) that includes updates to the overall diet, as well as new research and recipes. In addition, Tanya launched her own food line this year that includes F-Factor 20/20 Fiber/Protein Powders and F-Factor Fiber/Protein BarsIn addition to working with private clients, including celebrities such as Megyn Kelly and Olivia Culpo, media personalities, and business and government leaders, Tanya is a lecturer, consultant, spokesperson and national media personality. Tanya has been profiled in The New York Times, and has been featured in The New York Post, The New York Daily News, Town & Country, Elle, Vogue, Allure, Self, The Huffington Post, The Miami Herald, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post and Daily Mail. She has also appeared on national television programs including Megyn Kelly TODAY, The Dr. Oz Show, NBC Today, CBS News, CBS The Early Show, Live with Kelly!, EXTRA, The View, The Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning America, Telemundo, and more.

For further information on Tanya Zuckerbrot’s practice, please call 917-453-3477 or visit her web site at: www.ffactor.com

Below, please find easy to read graph that Tanya provided to offer healthier choices in ice cream selection.

ACTUAL ICE CREAMS (AND LIGHT ICE CREAM, IF BRAND OFFERS)

DAIRY FREE FROZEN DESSERTS

FROZEN YOGURTS/ OTHER