Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week how the FDA is killing us softly, rats get fat on calorie-free sweeteners, and why coffee is better than 5-Hour Energy.

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Links of the week

• The FDA Is Out to Lunch <<The title doesn’t do this article justice. If you’ve ever eaten fruit salad, you need to read this. Did you know more people die from food poisoning every year in the US than were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks? And nothing is being done about it. (On Earth)
• 5-hour Energy Stops Deceptive Web Ad <<You didn’t really think this stuff was harmless, did you? But it is probably not the caffeine that’s the problem. (Center for Science in the Public Interest)
• Do artificial sweeteners make rats fat? <<People looking to lose weight often turn to artificial, calorie-free sweeteners, even though they’ve never been shown to be effective for weight loss. In this study, rats gained more eating fake sugar than real sugar, despite eating the same number of calories. (Food Politics)
• The Case for Drinking as Much Coffee as You Like <<A thorough examination of the benefits of coffee. (The Atlantic)
• Mild Vitamin B12 Deficiency Associated With Accelerated Cognitive Decline <<I’ve often argued that there may be more subtle implications of slight nutrient deficiencies. Here’s some data that it may indeed be the case for vitamin B12. (ScienceDaily)
• Less Than 25 Percent of Americans Walk for More Than Ten Minutes Continuously in a Typical Week <<Seriously??? This isn’t talking about you guys though, right? Get those 10,000 steps! (ScienceDaily)
• The Physical Toll of Negative Emotions <<Sometimes health problems start with stress. Great read, especially if you’re having problems and cannot pinpoint the cause. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Analysis of Conflicting Fish Oil Studies Finds That Omega-3 Fatty Acids Still Matter <<Confused by the press over omega-3s and fish oil? A new analysis sorts it out. (ScienceDaily)
• Diet’s Role In Lowering Risk of Repeat Heart Attacks <<Know someone who ignores their diet because they assume the medications they are on will keep them healthy? You might want to share this one with them. (Wall Street Journal)
• Moroccan Grated Carrot and Beet Salad <<Moroccan flavors are my favorite. Though beets and carrots are so sweet already I’d skip the honey in this recipe. (Simply Recipes)

What inspired you this week?