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Fatty Food Liking Gene Found, Researchers Claim

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The gene related to fatty foods preference in humans has been claimed to be found by researchers.

The researchers have discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene.

The results helped explain why some people struggle when placed on a low-fat diet and may one day assist people in selecting diets that are easier for them to follow.

The results also may help food developers create new low-fat foods that taste better. [Read more...]

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Blueberry Wine Has More Antioxidants Than Many Grape-Based Wines: Study

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Blueberry wine can provide more potentially healthy compounds than white wines and many red wines, according to a new University of Florida study.

Researchers with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences measured antioxidant content in a Florida-produced blueberry wine and compared it to published reports of antioxidant content in white and red wines made from grapes. Antioxidants are compounds that may offer cells protection from damaging molecules called free radicals.

The researchers found the Florida wine, produced from southern highbush blueberries, had more antioxidants than all of the reported white wine values and all but 20 percent of the reported values for red wines, which are considered high in antioxidants. [Read more...]

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Cooked Tomatoes Can Be Key To Cancer Cure

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A nutrient in cooked tomatoes can slow the growth and even kill prostate cancer cells, a study done by an Indian-origin researcher-led team has claimed.

Mridula Chopra and colleagues at the University of Portsmouth, through laboratory studies tested the effect of the nutrient lycopene on the simple mechanism through which cancer cells hijack a body’s healthy blood supply to grow and spread. The research found that lycopene , which is what gives tomatoes their red colour, intercepts cancer’s ability to make the connections it needs to attach to a healthy blood supply.

The researchers, from the university’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, are now calling for tests to check if the same reaction occurs in the human body, the Daily Telegraph reported. [Read more...]

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Women Who Eat Fish During Pregnancy ‘More Likely To Have Brainy And Sociable Children’

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Women who eat fish during pregnancy are more likely to have brainy and sociable children, according to new EU-funded research.

Those mothers-to-be who tucked into oily fish like tuna, sardines and salmon produced infants who scored better in various tests of skill and intelligence, it found.

As part of a £5 million European Commission study into diet, Spanish researchers examined 2,000 women at the 20th week of pregnancy and again after birth.

They questioned them on their diets and took blood samples to test for levels of omega-3 and omega-6, the healthy fatty acids found in oily fish in particular. [Read more...]

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Eat For Your Blood Type

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What’s the secret to a fit body? Experts say it may be hidden in the blood type. The blood group diet is based on the premise that your blood type – A, B, AB or O – should determine your diet and exercise regimen.

Proponents of this type of diet say that food proteins called lectins are digested differently, based on your blood type. If you eat food that’s not compatible with your blood type, you may experience many health complications. Hence, follow a diet that’s tailored to your blood type, which will help you lose weight, improve chronic health conditions and prevent certain diseases. For instance, this diet suggests if you are blood type A, you should have a vegetarian diet with fresh, organic foods and do yoga to help avoid the conditions you’re more susceptible to. [Read more...]

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Drinking Tea Cuts Blood Pressure

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Drinking up to eight cups of tea a day lowers blood pressure and could prevent heart disease, Australian scientists have found.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia gave black leaf tea, such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast to volunteers with normal to high blood pressure.

They were given drinks containing 429 milligrams of the plant chemical polyphenols—or the equivalent of eight and a half cups of tea a day.

A second group were given a tea-flavoured placebo.

After six months, the blood pressure of the tea-drinking group had fallen by between two and three mmHg, the measurement of pressure used in medicine. [Read more...]

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Fried Food Myth Debunked

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you hanker after fried food but keep controlling yours urges because of the numerous advertisements that link the use of cooking oil to heart disease? If that is the case, you need not worry any more.

A study published in the British Medical Journal has found no association between the frequency of fried food consumption — when olive or sunflower oil is used — and the incidence of serious heart disease and premature death.

The Spanish study says it is a myth that regularly eating fried food can lead to cardiac complications, provided fresh olive oil or sunflower oil is used. Well, fried food is part of many traditional Indian delicacies; and the use of sunflower oil for cooking too is quite common. [Read more...]

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