Scientists squeeze value from citrus peel
Citrus peel, coffee waste, pea pods and cashew shells could provide an untapped carbon source for producing commercially viable, higher value chemicals and materials, according to scientists at the University of York.
Citrus fruit peel waste could be converted into high value chemicals, say researchers.
The university is leading a new EU-backed scheme, called the Biowaste Industrial Symbiosis Network, to explore how green chemical technologies could be deployed to turn food waste into useful chemicals.
“We are using green chemical technologies such as low temperature microwave processing and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (both food-compatible) to extract valuable chemicals such as pectin, limonene, fatty acids, aromatic compounds etc,” Professor James Clark, director of the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, told FoodProductionDaily.com.
“In some cases we can also do chemistry on these natural chemicals, for example, converting limonene to other terpenes.”
Chia seeds raise blood ALA and EPA levels for postmenopausal women
Consumption of chia seeds, rich in ALA, may increase blood levels of the long chain omega-3 EPA by 30% for postmenopausal women, says a new study from the Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina.
Twenty-five grams per day of milled chia seed for seven weeks were associated with 138% increases in levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and 30% increases in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels, according to data presented in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.
However, there was significant variation between the women in the study. The study does support previous findings about the conversion of ALA to EPA, said the researchers.
Two apples a day keeps the cardiologist away
Scientists found apples significantly lowered blood fat levels in postmenopausal women, the group most at risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Snacking on the fruit every day for six months slashed cholesterol by almost a quarter.
The biggest reduction was seen in low-density lipoprotein, the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol that furs up arteries and raises the risk of a life-threatening clot forming near the heart or brain.
The findings, by a team of researchers at Florida State University in the US, support previous evidence that apples could be good for the heart.
But the latest study suggests they could benefit one of the highest-risk groups.
Chew Gum to Relieve Stress
Few things in life are universal, but stress is definitely something we can all agree on. And we’d all like to have a means to beat it as quickly as possible. Sure, there are a lot of solutions out there, but none are as easy to incorporate into your day-to-day grind as this one: Chew gum.
It’s been shown to increase alertness, improve performance and lower stress. In fact, in a study carried out by researchers at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, subjects who chewed gum while multitasking under stressful conditions experienced reduced stress and anxiety as well as increased alertness.
They also had lower cortisol levels than the control group and exhibited better overall performance. Other research has uncovered similar benefits. In one study, participants who chewed gum displayed quicker reaction times, which increased as the task at hand progressed. Not bad for a treat your mother told you to stay away from.
Dried grapes as good as energy bars
Raisins can help power the body when exercising just as well as expensive sports nutrient bars, a study suggests.
The dried grapes give athletes all they need during vigorous exercise, the Daily Mail reported quoting a study by researchers at the University of California-Davis.
The research team studied people running three miles, giving them either raisins, supplement bars or simply water.
Runners who ate raisins or bars ran the distance a minute faster on average than those who had only water.
The results are published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Organic tomatoes have higher antioxidant value
Tomatoes grown by organic methods contain more phenolic compounds than those grown using commercial standards, say researchers.
The study – published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry – analysed the phenolic profiles of Daniela tomatoes grown either using ‘conventional’ or organic methods, finding that those grown under organic conditions contained significantly higher levels of phenolic compounds than those grown conventionally.
“The nutrient composition of plants, including secondary plant metabolites, may be affected by different production systems, such as organic and conventional,” noted the researchers, led by senior author Rosa Lamuela from the University of Barcelona.
“Organic farming doesn’t use nitrogenous fertilizers; as a result, plants respond by activating their own defence mechanisms, increasing the levels of all antioxidants,” explained study lead Anna Vallverdú Queralt.
Organic vs Conventional: Controversial
The fundamental differences between organic and conventional agricultural systems are in fertilization strategy and soil fertility management, which in theory affect the nutrient composition in plants and provide healthier better tasting produce.
However, years of research investigating the nutrient content of plants grown using the two systems have generated largely contradictory results. A 2009 UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) review investigating the nutritional content of organic and conventional produce sparked controversy after it concluded that there was no difference.
Higher but Not Lower Doses of Vitamin D Are Effective in Fracture Risk Reduction in Older Adults
Based on the results of a pooled analysis of 11 unrelated randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D supplementation and fracture risk in more than 31,000 older adults, Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, says higher doses of Vitamin D may be the most beneficial in reducing bone fractures in this age group.
As part of the study, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dawson-Hughes and colleagues divided the subjects into quartiles ranging from 0 to 2,000 International Units (IUs) of daily vitamin D intake. In the top quartile, there was a 30% reduction in hip fracture risk and a 14% reduced risk of fracturing other bones, compared to the control groups.
“Taking between 800 IUs and 2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduced the risk of most fractures, including hip, wrist and forearm in both men and women age 65 and older,” said Dawson-Hughes, the study’s senior author. “Importantly, we saw there was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs per day for fracture prevention.”
Study finds meditation may help with acute respiratory infections
There has been a growing interest in the value of meditation for relaxation. Mayo Clinic states if stress has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation. Just spending a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace. New research shows that meditation may also help with acute respiratory infections. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has reported on its website ”Meditation or Exercise May Help Acute Respiratory Infections, Study Finds.”
Exercising or practicing meditation may be effective in reducing acute respiratory infections according to a recent study. Acute respiratory infections are caused by influenza and other viruses and are very common illnesses. These illnesses account for millions of doctor visits and lost school and work days every year. It has been suggested by previous research that enhancing general physical and mental health may offer protection against these illnesses. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison randomly assigned 154 people, who were aged 50 and older, to one of three groups: a mindfulness meditation group, an exercise group, or a wait-list control group.
Whey Cool Helps Boost the Immune System Says Rockwell Nutrition
Proteins and peptides from milk and colostrum can help improve the immune system according to research studies reviewed by Rockwell Nutrition. The term used to refer to this immune boosting capability is ‘immunotropic properties’.
M. Zemicki and J. Artym were curious about the “potential application in prevention and therapy” and conducted a study to find out. The researchers discovered that “preparations derived from milk and colostrum are effective, easily bioaccessible, and safe, finding wide application in prevention and therapy for newborns and adults.”
According to Rockwell Nutrition, other benefits of proteins and peptides from cow’s milk include growth promotion, and bone formation. They also have antibacterial properties and can help protect against intestinal cancer.
Whey Cool
Rockwell Nutrition retails Whey Cool by Genestra Brands. The health website describes the process of making Whey Cool:
“Whey Cool whey is created from fresh raw milk from (non-pesticide treated) grass fed cows (from happy USA Holstein Heifer cows) which have not been treated with antibiotics or growth hormone. This whey is not a by-product from the cheese industry. No animal or alcohol derivatives are used in the manufacturing. They are manufactured in a facility with equipment that does NOT process nuts.”
Wild blueberries may protect DNA from damage
Juice made from wild blueberries may reduce oxidative damage to DNA by around 3% and decrease the risk of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, suggests new data.
DNA damage in 18 male volunteers was reduced from 12.5 to 9.6% following daily consumption of an anthocyanin-rich blueberry juice for six weeks, according to findings published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
“Under our experimental conditions, the wild blueberry drink reduced the level of oxidized DNA bases and increased the protection from the ex vivo [hydrogen peroxide] H2O2-induced DNA damage,†wrote researchers from Universita degli Studi di Milano (Italy) and The University of Maine (USA).
“These results were particularly evident in the group of smokers/ex-smoker subjects with respect to non-smokers.
“This effect on DNA damage may be dependent on phytochemicals present in the wild blueberry drink that can exert a direct protective effect against oxidative insult by scavenging reactive oxygen species in blood.â€
The wild blueberry juice provided daily doses of anthocyanins of 375 milligrams.
Study details
The researchers recruited men with an average age of 48 and with at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) to participate in their six week study. Participants consumed a daily glass of wild blueberry juice or placebo for six weeks.
Results showed that DNA damage in white blood cells was reduced from 12.5 to 9.6% following daily consumption of the blueberry juice for six weeks, while no changes were observed in the placebo group.
In addition, when blood cells were exposed to H2O2, DNA damage was reduced from 45.8 to 37.2 % in the juice group. Again, no changes were observed in the placebo group.
