Food Diet

Health Advantages of Juice

2012-01-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

Nothing is more nutritious than juice. The benefit of juice is that it is comparable to fresh fruit in terms of the nutrients it provides. Also it is sometimes easier for a child to drink juice that its is to eat fruit.

Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice, drinking something tastes great and is nutritious is benefit enough.

Raw juice, when extracted from originally grown fresh vegetables and fruits, provides the easiest way to the body to ingest a high percentage of the vitamins and minerals found in these foods.

Raw juice fats are great for losing weight and for cleansing the organs, cells and tissues of the body.

Juices have an effective cleansing effect and also have the additional benefit of providing enzymes for detoxification that our stressed livers may require in extra amounts.

The concentration of pounds of valuable foods into a single glass of juice maximize digestion and is the major benefit of fresh of squeezed juice.

For optimal benefits the juice must be prepared fresh daily.

Health Advantages of Juice

Sources of of vitamin E

2011-11-22T00:22:00.000-08:00

Vitamin E is present in human tissues and it is necessary for normal metabolism. It is found to be widely distributed in foods.

Much of the vitamin E in the diet comes from vegetable oils and products made from them, such as margarine and salad dressings.

Among vegetable oils, the content of vitamin E isomers differs vastly. Some vegetable oils such as olive, safflower and sunflower are rich in alpha-tocopherol, while other oils such as sesame seed, soybean, maize and rapeseed oil are rich in gamma-tocopherol.

Wheat germ oil is especially rich in vitamin E. While major sources of vitamin E in Japan are fish and shellfish.

Vitamin E also can be found in sweet corn, cashews, almonds and peanuts. Avocadoes are another good sources of vitamin E.
Sources of of vitamin E

Mineral in Avocado

2011-11-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

The avocado is a native American exotic fruit unlike any other.

They contain no starch and little sugar but are an excellent source of usable food energy.

Avocado includes necessary minerals like potassium, calcium and sodium. These are used to provide the mineral necessity of the body.

Potassium regulates pressure of blood. They can decrease the risk of stroke, lower high blood pressure, relieve heartburn, prevent ulcers and speed the recovery from diarrhea.

Sodium reduces the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Sodium and potassium, give avocado a high alkaline reaction.

Avocado also contain iron and copper which are so necessary in building red blood cell and the prevention of nutritional anemia.
Mineral in avocado

Healthy Diet with Honey

2011-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Honey is produced from the nectar in flowers gathered by bees to feed young bees. Honey also used as energy source for their workers.

Honey bees collect nectar, a sugary solution form nectarines in blossoms and sometimes for nectarines on the leaves or stem of plants.

It has been long recognized as one of the finest of nature’s energy foods.

Nectar may consists of 50 to 80 percent water . Most of the water in the nectar evaporates, when converted, resulting in honey, which is thirty five to forty percent fructose, thirty to thirty five percent dextrose, water 16 to 18 percent and small amounts of enzymes, etc.

The finest and most prized honeys, deliciously sweet and white are likened to fat in color, consistency and sweetness.

Researchers have found that honey is a rich source of disease fighting antioxidants and recommended honey as a healthful sugar substitute.

Honey can be very useful in treating diabetic in many cases: as a means of preventing acetonaemia, for which sugar always has to be a prescribed diet, as a nutritious diet to the diabetic and as sweet taste substance.

Studies also singled out honey as a key nutrient to be used in endurance exercise, providing blood sugar restoration and extra staying power.

Honey also found to contain an anti-hemorrhaging factor, which suggest the presence of vitamin K.

Hippocrates was said to have prescribed honey for longevity and general good health.

The Romans also believed that honey belonged in the diet of those who desire a long and healthy life.

Honey is specially useful in providing energy and heat to the body in old age.

Honey is best taken in a water solution, because in this form its component are easily absorbed and reach the blood stream and thence are transport into the tissues and cells of the body.
Healthy Diet with Honey

Diet with passion fruit

2011-10-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Passion fruit is a popular fruit in many subtropical and tropical countries. Yellow and purple passion fruit are good sources of pro-vitamin A, niacin, riboflavin and ascorbic acid.

Ripe passion fruit yields to gentle pressure and is loaded with nutritional values.

Purple passion fruit have plenty of nutrients with only low moderate calories. They contain no fat or cholesterol. Lots of vitamin C and some vitamin A means better immunity and possible cancer protection.

Passion fruit contains about 70-89% water, 6-23% carbohydrates and 2-3% proteins.

Passion fruit juice and in particular the edible seeds are considered an excellent source of dietary fiber. Passion fruit contains about average 10-16%, while its edible seeds may contain more than 65% dietary fiber.

A good source of iron. Although passion fruit are higher in sodium than most fruit, there’s nice amount of potassium to help offset the sodium and potassium also helps prevent stroke.
Diet with passion fruit

Nutrition of Phospholipids

2011-09-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

Like triglycerides, phospholipids contain glycerol and fatty acids. However, phospholipids also contain other substances that give them entirely different properties and functions.

All fats and oils and fat containing food contain a number of phospholipids. The phospholipids used by the food industry as emulsifiers.

Phospholipids occur naturally throughout the plant and animal world, albeit is small amount compared with triglycerides.

The lowest amounts of phospholipids are present in pure animal fats such as lard and beef tallow.

In some crude vegetable oil, such as cottonseed, corn and soybean oils, phospholipids may be present at levels of 2 to 3 percent. Fish, crustacea, and mollusks contain approximately 0.7 percent of phospholipids in the muscle tissue.

Naturally occurring phospholipids are often lost when foods are processed, but other phospholipids are frequently used as food additives.

Phospholipids are surface active, because they contain a lipophilic, and hydrophilic portion.

Since they can easily be hydrated, they can be removed from fats and oil during the refining process.

Overall, a typical diet contains only about 2 grams per day, However, phospholipids are not dietary essential because the body can readily synthesize them from available raw materials.

Because of phospholipids are soluble in both water and fat, they can help fat soluble substances including vitamins and hormones to pass easily in and out of cells.

The phospholipids also can act as emulsifiers in the body, helping to keep fats suspended in the blood and body fluids.
Nutrition of Phospholipids

Health Benefits of Fiber in Oats

2011-09-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Oats is a good source of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs cholesterol from the blood and carries it away.

Higher fiber oats aid in food digestion and may help with the memory performance.

It helps slow digestion and absorption of foods and promotes a feeling of fullness.

It also promote a slower and more sustained release of glucose into bloodstream.

In addition, high fiber oats seem to improve insulin sensitivity by keeping blood sugars stable and reduce your risk factors of cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol.

Beta glucan is the soluble fiber in oats. It has been shown to help lower cholesterol.

To help reduce blood cholesterol, one must consumed 3 grams a day of soluble fiber. Rolled provides 4 grams of total fiber in a cup serving. It means that 3 grams of soluble fiber from oats daily is equivalent to about 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal.

Oatmeal or rolled oats, oat flakes are high in soluble fiber and low in gluten. Regular rolled oats are higher in fiber than instant oatmeal.

Evidence for the effectiveness of fiber in the control of other disease appears equivocal; however, populations with higher fiber intakes have a lower incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease and breast and colon cancers.
Health Benefits of Fiber in Oats

Guar gum and diabetes

2011-09-24T18:01:00.001-07:00

Guar gum is a vegetable gum derived from the Indian cluster bean. It is mostly used in food products. They have many food applications, including ice cream, frozen desserts, low-fat cheese products, bakery goods, sauce and dressings.

It is a low viscosity water soluble dietary fiber that has been used to treat diabetes because it slows the absorption of glucose from the gut. It also slows down gastric emptying.

It was known has the ability to reduce the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoproteins in the blood and binds with toxic substance and carries them out.

According to research in Finland guar gum can reduced after meal blood glucose, insulin requirements, and total blood cholesterol in type 1 diabetics.

Guar gum can be consumed for an extended period by type 2 diabetics without compromising mineral balance, according to researchers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research center and Sinai Hospital. Guar gum is an effective aid to glycemic control and its use might have a role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

People whose diet naturally contain high proportions of food with high glycemic scores are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, to be obese, to be insulin resistant and to develop Type 2 diabetes.

Guar gum also have been reported to reduce fasting hyperglycemia and postprandial blood glucose response in type 1 diabetes, One of the mechanism accepted is that guar gum inhibit absorption of glucose from the small intestine by slowing the rate of gastric emptying and intestinal transit.
Guar gum and diabetes

Protein consumption

2011-08-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Protein consumption
Protein seems to have more positive image than the other macronutrients. Unlike carbohydrates and fats, protein is usually associated with promoting good health and increasing one’s strength and vitality.

Athletes often choose high protein foods or take protein supplements with the promise of increasing muscle mass, strength and endurance.

But does dietary protein deserve such a positive reputation? Does it really increase a person’s strength and vitality? Should we be concerned about eating to much protein?

First, as an essential nutrient, protein is required in the diet to replace body proteins that degraded as part of normal metabolism.

Most people in developed countries consume about twice as much protein as the body needs.

Second, the body uses only what it needs, so excess dietary protein in mostly “burned” for energy. Consuming excess protein doest not automatically make muscles larger or become stronger – only exercise will do that.

Finally, consuming high protein diets does have some risks. The processing of protein in the body requires lots of water.

Consequently, dehydration is a common problem, particularly for people who exercise and lose even more water through sweat and evaporation.

Also, the kidneys arte the only organs that can process the waste products metabolism for elimination in the urine.

An excess of dietary protein over time can overwhelm the kidneys and cause permanent damage.

Like all nutrients, protein should be consumed as part of an overall balanced diet that contains adequate - but not excessive - amounts of protein.

Overconsumption of protein can easily occur in economically developed countries where both animal and plant foods containing protein are readily available.
Protein consumption

Role of Sodium in Human Body

2011-07-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

The human body contains approximately 1.3 g of sodium. About a third is found in our bones. The rest is our body fluids. It ensures a proper fluid and electrolyte or pH balance in our body, together with chlorine and potassium.

Sodium in the form of sodium chloride is ingested directly though food and many food materials contain this material.

Sodium helps our body retaining the body’s water and pH. It enables our cell walls to draw in nutrients. It plays a role in nerve function and muscle contraction. Sodium works in close association with chlorine and potassium.

Sodium also plays a special role in controlling the heartbeat by helping in its origin and maintenance.

Food sources of sodium including salt, smoked, pickled or refined foods, crisps, condiments such as tomato sauce, bread and breakfast cereals.

Many dieticians say that adding any salt to our food means we’re having too much in our diet. High levels of sodium in the body are associated with high blood pressure and hypertension.

Salt tablets may be recommended for dehydration and low blood pressure. Any active sport participation leads to a considerable loss of water.

Sufficient quantities of water should therefore be consumed during and after exercising. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will also reduce cravings for sweet and savory things.

Daily requirement is about 3-5 g for a normal adult. It is absorbed nearly completely from diet in the intestinal tract. Normally kidney excretes the excess if the sodium and deregulate the sodium content in the body.

Sodium deficiency results in muscle cramps. Headache. Poor appetite and dehydration, but the main sign is fatigue.
Role of Sodium in Human Body

Fat in our body

2011-07-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Fat is the name given to a broad category of substances we get from our food or make in our bodies.

Fat is an essential nutrient, which contributes approximately 30-45% of food energy in western diets.

In technical they are referred to as lipids.

Fat along with proteins and carbohydrates, one of the three nutrients are used as energy sources by the body.

Energy is one of the principal nutritional requirements of man and fat is a principal source of the energy.

Each grams of fat consumed supplies the body with 9 calories worth of energy.

Total fat: the sum of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Cholesterol is from another lipid family called sterols.

Intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help reduce blood cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats in the diet.

In chemistry, a compound formed from chemicals called fatty acids. These fats are greasy, solid materials found in animal tissues and in some plants.

For most part, human di not require fat sources in their diets because the body can synthesize most of the fatty acids it needs from other constituents, including carbohydrate and protein.

The brain needs saturated fats, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, and a number of other fats.

Fats are also a component of cell membranes, vitamin D and sex hormones.

Some types of fats give cell membranes flexibility and help regulate the transfer of nutrients into and out of cells.

While others serve as precursors to vitamin D and sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.

Most saturated fats come from animal products. Unsaturated fats are prominent in both animal and vegetable foods.

The importance of dietary fat is underscored by the fat that 35% of the weight gain of an infant in early is accounted for by fat.

Most of the dietary fat is in the form of triglyceride formed by the three fatty acids esterified to a glycerol backbone.

The role of fat in the diet is both physiological and psychological. In its psychological aspect, it is important to appearance and taste of foods.
Fat in our body

Gout and Uric Acid

2011-07-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

There is small but significant association between incidence of gout and increased consumption of seafood.

What is gout? Gout is considered a form of arthritis that may benefit from anti-inflammatory diet that restricts saturated fat and sugar and includes omega-3 fatty acids.

People with gout suffer from joint pain caused by a buildup of uric acid.

Uric acid is the end product of the degradation of chemical called purines. The diet most often recommended for gout restricts purines.

Purine is one of uric acid component. Seafood rich purines especially sardines and anchovies.

Most of our own purines are recycled for re-use by our cells. The problem is that our food contributes to purines, which are broken down immediately in the gut membranes to create uric acid before transported in the blood to the kidney.

If the level of uric acid raised in the blood due to purine rich food and drink is taken rapidly where no more can be dissolved, crystal will form.

Crystal will be deposited in joints and soft tissue, where they cause local mechanical pressure and acute or chronic inflammation.

In the early stages, gout is characterized by episodic attacks of joint inflammation, which are usually monoarticular (affecting one joint) and begin abruptly with intense pain, swelling, warmth and redness of the affected joint.

What are the symptoms of gout?
*Pain and swelling within joint
*Often, an initial episode that occurs at night.
*Red skin around the affected joint.
*Extreme tenderness around the joint
Gout and Uric Acid

Sources of Manganese

2011-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

The largest quantities of manganese are found in avocados, nuts and seeds, seaweeds and whole grains.

Refined grains are a poor source of manganese, as milling removes 73 percent of the manganese content and the enrichment process does not put it back.

Manganese may also be found in blueberries, egg yolks, legumes, dried peas, pineapples and green leafy vegetables.

Vegetable products contribute almost 75 percent of the manganese consumed by the average adult human male.

Meat, dairy products, poultry, fish and refined foods are poor sources: they contain little manganese.

Herbs that contain manganese include alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion, eyebright, fennel seed, fenugreek, ginseng, hops, horsetail, lemongrass, mullein, parsley, peppermint, raspberry, red clover, rosehips, wild yam, yarrow and yellow dock.

Other sources included tea and coffee. Some estimates suggest that coffee or tea supplies as much as 20 to 30 percent of our daily manganese intake.
Sources of Manganese

What is Nutrition?

2011-06-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

What is Nutrition?
Food is vital for life. It cam be defined as any solid or liquid substance which, when taken by the body, provides it with the necessary materials to enables it to grow to replace worn-out and damaged parts and to function normally.

The human is like a complex piece of machinery in that its is prone to faults and weakness it if is poorly maintained.

This can happen if too little or too much food d is eaten, or if the daily food intake is in any way unbalanced.

One way of ensuring that heath and fitness are maintained, when food is plenatoful, is to have an understanding of food and its effects on the body and to use those knowledge wisely.

Food, like other substance is composed of different chemical elements, arranged in a variety of ways to form molecules.

These molecules collectively give individual foods their flavour, color, and texture and affect their reaction to heat and their digestion.

The body uses some of the molecules in food to function correctly and to stay healthy. These are the nutrients. There are many different nutrients, and each has its own function in the body. Each nutrients is vital to life and the health of an individual will suffer if any one nutrient is in short supply.

The study of nutrients and their relationship with food and living things is called nutrition.

Most foods contain more than one nutrient, so are of use to the body in several ways,. Some foods such as sugar, contain only one nutrient and are limited use to the body.

However, no single food provides all the nutrients required by the body in sufficient quantities, so a variety of foods must be eaten.

The term used in the study of nutrition include the following:

Diet
Diet means the food that a person normally eats every day. There are also special diets, e.g. slimming diets, low fat diets.

Malnutrition
Malnutrition means an incorrect or unbalanced intake of nutrients.

Under-nutrition
Under-nutrition means an insufficient total intake of nutrients.

Balanced diet
Balanced diet means a diet that provides the correct amount of nutrients for the needs of an individual.
What is Nutrition?

Food and Diet

2011-04-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

Food is the main tool for balancing the hormones and chemicals in the body and brain. Once food is broken down into glucose, amino acids and fatty acids, it travels through the bloodstream and feeds all the areas of the body.

It creates all the chemicals that control every system of the body. Food creates a positive or negative hormonal adjustment that lasts for up to six hours. Each meal readjusts the body chemicals.

The function of food is to keep us alive and healthy. The foods we eat derived from plants and animals. Foods are a complex mixture of many different chemical components. Food is that which nourishes the body.

Food components vary with the growth, maturation, harvesting or slaughtering, storage and handling of plant and animal parts used as food.

A balanced diet consists of adequate uncontaminated water, safe protein sources, starches (carbohydrates) fats, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals.

A balanced diet consists of different types of food items includes a variety of foods.

The major aim is to ensure that all nutrient are supplied.

The problem with the modern food supply is that real food is transformed into processed chemicals, which effect the body’s biochemistry.

Meats are domesticated and filled with hormones, additives and antibiotics.

Grains and vegetables are contaminated with pesticides and sprayed with antibiotics.

Everyone needs safe water and food. It is time to learn to make the best food choices to control individual body chemistry.
Food and Diet

Mineral in General

2011-04-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

A number of minerals or elements are required for normal body functions. Certain mineral matters are indispensable to the growth of the body; the chief of these are water, common salt and certain commons of calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and potassium; also chlorine which is present in common salt and sulphur, phosphorus and silicon.

Minerals are unlike other nutrients in that they consist of single atoms and carry a charge in solution.

The properties of being charge carried by minerals allows them to combine with other minerals to form stable complexes in bone teeth, cartilage and other tissues.

Iron is required, since it is an essential part of both the blood pigment, hemoglobin, and muscle pigment, myoglobin. Some body enzymes also have composites that include iron.

Iron absorption occurs following entry of iron into the intestinal mucosa cell through the brush border membrane.

Deficiencies of iron cause anemia. Liver, animal muscle tissues, eggs, oats meal, wheat flour, cocoa, and chocolate are good source of iron. Approximately 10.0 mg of iron are required daily.

In human iodine is a component of the hormone, thyroxine, produced by the thyroid gland. This hormone regulates metabolic levels.

Deficiency of iodine leads to low level metabolism, lethargy, and goiter. Requirements of iodine are believed to be about 0.1 mg daily. Sea food and salt water fish are the beat sources of iodine.

Iodine deficiency can be especially harmful in unborn babies and young children because the brain is developing at these stages of life.

Iodine deficiency can cause mental retardation or death in newborns and infants.

In areas where the water is known to be deficient in iodine, iodized table salt may be used in place of regular table salt.

The World Health Organization recommends that iodized salt contains one molecule of iodine for every 100,000 salt molecules.

In United States, iodized salt contains one iodine molecule in every 10,000 molecules of salt.
Mineral in General

Proteins in Human Diet

2011-03-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

Protein constitutes 10-15 per cent of the energy in almost all human diets. It is also important in the structure of all cells in the body, as well as forming enzymes, molecules that transport substances in the blood and some hormones.

The problem of providing adequate protein for an expanding world population is a second only to the overall food problem.

Apart from their nutritional significance, proteins play a large part in the organoleptic properties of foods.

Proteins exert the controlling effect on a texture of foods from animal sources.

Foods in meat, poultry, dry peas and beans, eggs, ad nuts group and in the milk, yoghurt and cheese group contribute an abundance of high quality protein.

Two others, the vegetable group and the grains group, contribute smaller amounts of protein, but they can add up to significant quantities.

Protein content of wheat and flour is considered one of the best single indices of bread making quality.

Protein often occurs in foods in physical or chemical combinations with carbohydrates and lipids.

The glycol proteins and lipoproteins affect the rheological properties of food solution or have technical applications as edible emulsifiers.

During the heating (boiling, baking or roasting) the amino acid side chains are degraded or interact with other food component (e.g. lysine with reducing sugar) to give typical flavor.

Excessive heating may, on the other hand, reduce nutritive value.

The protein quality of the diet determines, in large part, how well children grow and how well adults maintain their health.

High quality protein provide enough of all the essential amino acids needed to support the body’s work, and low quality proteins do not.

Two factors influence protein quality – the protein’s digestibility and its amino acid composition.
Proteins in Human Diet

Sources of Vitamin D

2011-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Diet is not a major source of vitamin D. Perfectly reasonably and well balanced diet may not supply the amount required to prevent deficiency.

Some food items that naturally contain small amounts of vitamin D include oil fish such as salmon, mackerel and blue fish. Cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D.

The two basic substances with vitamin D activity D2 and D3, occur only in yeast and fish liver oils.

Vitamin D is also present in small quantities in vegetables, meat and egg yolk.

The main food source are those to which crystalline vitamin D has been added. Milk, because it is commonly used, has prove to be the most practical carrier.

The most efficient source of the vitamin is not a food at all, but exposure to sunlight, which transforms a related pro-vitamin substance in the skin into a substance which the kidney can change into active vitamin D.

Sunlight, in the form of ultraviolet-B radiation, providing 90-100% of the requirement for most people who are exposed to adequate sunlight.

Like other fat soluble vitamins, the sunlight activated pro-vitamin D can be stored away in the liver.

Vitamin D can also be obtained from nutritional supplements, For example, multivitamin supplements typically contain 400 IU vitamin D and pharmaceutical preparations can contain as much as 50,000 IU vitamin D per capsule/tablet.
Sources of Vitamin D

Fats in Human Diet

2011-03-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Most fats are derived from animals or vegetable food sources. All of its share a common feature in that they are made of carbon and hydrogen with a molecule of oxygen. Normally dietary fats have a negative reputation since their link to heart disease and cancer.

In some cases their negative reputation is justified, although the role of dietary fat in health and disease is very complicated.

Certain fats have required for proper growth and maintenance of health, while their absence can cause specific deficiency disease.

Too much certain kind of fats can increase the risk of chronic and serious diseases. The person who chooses a diet too high in saturated fats or trans fat invites heart and artery disease, the number one killer of adults in United States and Canada.

Obesity carries serious risks to health, and the high energy density of fatty foods makes it easy for people to exceed their energy needs and so gain unneeded weight.

High-fat diets are indirectly related to type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Both disorders may stress the circulatory system; a high dietary fat intake may further limit the functioning of circulatory system through the potential development of atherosclerosis.

The most important lipids in the food supply are triglycerides and cholesterol, which are chemically unrelated substances except for the fact that they do not dissolve in water.

Triglycerides are the lipids commonly known as fat, oil, grease, shortening, lard, tallow, suet, ghee, and a variety of other names.

Many triglycerides eaten in foods are transported to the fat depots – muscles, breasts, the insulating fat layer under the skin and others – where they are stored by the body’s fat cell for later use.

When a person’s body starts to run out of available fuel from food it begins to retrieve this stored fat to use for energy.

Cholesterol is another dietary lipid but it is found only in animal products - cholesterol does not exists in the plant kingdom.

Cholesterol is made in the body in adequate amounts and is therefore not considered an essential nutrient. Liver manufacturers cholesterol, manages their release into the bloodstream and collects them back form the blood stream.

Unlike triglycerides, cholesterol provides no energy but it is critical structure component of every cell in the body.

Dietary cholesterol has been studied primarily with respect to intestinal cancer. Although the data inconsistent, most points to a possible relationship between dietary cholesterols and colon tumor development.
Fats in Human Diet

Cadmium in Foods

2011-03-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Humans take in cadmium through the respiratory system or the stomach – it collects in the liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Symptoms of food poisoning include shortness of breath, bronchitis, renal malfunctions and if exposures is excessive, death.

While cadmium is found in most foodstuff, this is normally at very low levels, unless contamination has occurred.

Whole foods have a more desirable ratio of cadmium to zinc than refined foods such as white flour, white rice and sugar.

Coffee, tea and shellfish are other dietary sources of cadmium.

Cadmium levels are typically higher in people that eat excessive amounts of carbohydrates. It means that consumptions of fats or refined foods that are low in nutrients increase the body’s cadmium levels.

Cadmium in foods results mainly from the food processing and refining; in drinking water, from areas of “soft” water lacking in minerals such as calcium and magnesium, as well as from water piping; and in air from industrial pollutants.

Daily intakes by human adults have been estimated to be 25 to 60 mg/day. About 5% of dietary cadmium is absorbed.
Cadmium in Foods

Food sources of pantothenic acid

2011-03-01T05:21:00.001-08:00

Pantothenic acid is widespread in the food supply. The organs of animals (liver, heart, brain, kidney), and eggs, whole wheat products, and peanuts are excellent sources of pantothenic acid.

The muscular tissues of animals, cheese, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, and salmon are very good sources of this vitamin.

Others including potatoes, oats, tomato products and whole grain.

Most of the pantothenic acid in food occurs as a component of coenzyme A.

Pantothenic acid is damaged easily. Freezing and caning to decrease the pantothenic acid content of vegetables, meat and dairy products.
Food sources of pantothenic acid

Pyridoxine Nutrition

2011-02-13T05:31:00.000-08:00

Vitamin B6 also known as pyridoxine, is part of the enzyme systems that removes CO2 from the acid group (COOH) of certain amino acids and transfers amine groups (NH2) from one compound to another in the body.

It is also needed for the metabolism of protein and the proper utilization of stored glycogen as fuel for muscles.

Pyridoxine also participates involved in the production of neurotransmitters, the chemicals signaling agents of the nervous system. This including dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine and gamma aminobutyric acid.

It is also critical in the synthesis of many hormones, such as insulin and growth hormone. It is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and plays an essential role in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism.

Deficiency is rare except in cases of alcoholism and severe malnutrition.

Pyridoxine is unique in that both the deficiency and toxic states result in neurological symptoms.

Deficiency manifestations are dermatitis around the eyes, eyebrows, and angels of the mouth.

Pyridoxine deficiency disorders are characterized by fatigue, nervousness, irritability, depression , insomnia and walking difficulties.

There are also a sensory neuritis, and a decrease in certain white blood cells and an increase in others.

Prolonged deficiency leads to fall in hemoglobin, mental depression, confusion, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distension and convulsions.

Since pyridoxine is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, deficiency of pyridoxine may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Low serotonin levels can lead to general stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

The best source of pyridoxine include chicken, fish, kidney, and liver. Good source include egg, brown rice, soybeans, oats, whole wheat bread, peanuts and walnuts.

Because of the widespread occurrence of the vitamin in food, pure pyridoxine deficiency is uncommon, except when the pyridoxine content of food is destroyed or covered to less available protein bound forms during processing.
Pyridoxine Nutrition

Definition of Calories

2011-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

Definition of Calories
Nutritionist measure the amount of heat produced by metabolizing of food in units called kilocalories. A kilocalorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree on a centigrade (celsius) thermometer at sea level.

In common use, nutritionists substitute the word calorie or kilocalorie. This information isn’t scientifically accurate: strictly speaking, a calorie is really 1/1000 of kilocalorie. But the word calorie is easier to say and easier to remember, so that term we see whenever we read about the energy in food.

Calories provide fuel to keep the human body going. They provide our body with the energy that we require to perform all our body functions.

We require energy for survival – to breathe, pump blood and for all kinds of physical activity like walking, running, sitting and working.

Calories are required even when we are lying down or sleep. They also expended in digestion of food, and for making available the calories from that food to our body.

They are essential for maintenance of our body temperature. Thus, adults require calories mainly for physical activities and involuntary body functions.

In case of infants and children in their growing years, besides the above mentioned roles, calories perform they very vital function of supporting growth and development.
Definition of Calories

Starch in food diet

2011-01-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Starch are by far the most significant polysaccharide in the diet. They are are found in grains, legumes and other vegetables and some fruits in minute amounts.

It is the most important dietary carbohydrate worldwide.

Starch made up of glucose until linked together to form long chains. It is one of the most abundant storage polysaccharides in plants and at the same time the most important energy source in human and animal nutrition.

After cooking starch is highly digestible by human beings, raw starch often resists digestion.

The number of glucose molecules joined in a single starch molecule varies from five hundreds to several hundred thousand, depending on the type of starch.

Starch is the storage form of energy for plants. However to use it for humans, either as structuring compound in foods or for technical application, as it does not provide all the desired properties.

They breakdown slowly and supply energy over as longer period of time. For starch to be used more promptly by the body, the outer membrane can be broken down by grinding or cooking.

Two types of starch molecules exist-amylose and amylopectin. Amylose averages 20 to 30 percent of the total amount of starch in most native starches.

Amylopectin is a branched chain polymers. Amylose consists of linear chain polymers.

Different plants have different relative amounts of amylose and amylopectin. These different proportions of the two types of starch within the starch grains of the pant five each starch its characteristics properties in cooking and gel formation.

In food starches are used to increase viscosity or to form gels. Because starch is insoluble in water, a mixture of starch with forms a suspension.

Thermal processing can change the physiochemical properties of starch, therefore it can affect s the texture of food products, characterization of aqueous starch suspension behavior and its interaction with other food additives.

Many cooks use starch for such diverse properties as thickening gravies and soups, making a sweet pudding or dusting pastry before cooking.

The major food sources of starch include grains in the form of cereal, pasta, crackers, bread and other baked goods.

Starch is used to produce food extenders and sugars syrups such as maltodextrins, glucose, dextrose, fructose, maltose and hydrogenated derivatives.
Starch in food diet

The functions of protein in human body

2011-01-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

Protein molecules serve as some of the major structural elements of living systems.

There are thousands of different proteins with a specific functions.

Proteins have many different biological functions Proteins are classified according to their biological roles.

Enzymatic Proteins
Protein found in many enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts, meaning that they increases the rate of reactions e.g. food digestion , sometimes by more than a million times without being destroyed.

Enzymes necessary for the digestion of carbohydrates, fats, proteins.

Transport Proteins
It transport iron, fats, minerals and oxygen.

Structural Proteins
It serves as structural components of cells and organisms. It is the fundamental structural material of every cell in the body.

This functions depends on specific association of protein subunits with themselves as well as with other proteins, carbohydrates or others.

Hormonal Proteins
Hormones are chemical messengers secreted into the bloodstream by various organs, such as the liver. It regulates certain activities so that a constant internal environment is maintain.

For example insulin that plays a key role in regulating the amount of glucose in the blood. It is released from the pancreas in response to a rise in blood glucose levels.

Defensive Proteins
Protein used to build special white blood cells and antibodies as a part of the body’s immune systems for fighting invasion and infection by foreign substances.

Provide energy as last resort
Actually carbohydrates are the primary fuel source but in times of need, protein can be burned to supply energy.

Build and maintain the body
Proteins are used for building and maintaining body tissues. All this tissue must be repaired and replaced.
The functions of protein in human body

Food Diet and Chromium

2010-12-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Food Diet and Chromium
There is evidence that a number of common diseases, including cardiovascular disease and maturity-onset or type II diabetes, are related to the foods eaten throughout life.

For example, cholesterol or high fat foods are associated with cardiovascular diseases, and sugar and refined carbohydrate have been associated with maturity-onset diabetes.

However, decreased intake of these foods may only be part of the solution, and an increased intake of trace elements, especially chromium, may also be important in lessening the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases and/or maturity onset diabetes.

Fortunately, dietary improvements, including decreasing dietary intake of fat, cholesterol, sugar and other refined carbohydrates, would be associated with the increased intake of more nutritional foods, including fruits and vegetables that are usually lower in fat, cholesterol, and refined carbohydrates and also often good sources of chromium.

Studies involving humans swell as experimental animals suggest very strongly an association of dietary chromium intake with signs and symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease and maturity onset diabetes but the problems are also amplified by the observation that dietary intake of chromium even by affluent, apparently healthy individuals is suboptimal.
Food Diet and Chromium

Honey and Diet

2010-12-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

Honey is produced from the nectar in flowers gathered by bees to feed young bees. Honey also used as energy source for their workers.

It has been long recognized as one of the finest of nature’s energy foods.

Most of the water in the nectar evaporates, resulting in honey, which is thirty five to forty percent fructose, thirty to thirty five percent dextrose, seventeen to twenty percent water and small amounts of enzymes, etc.

Researchers have found that honey is a rich source of disease fighting antioxidants and recommended honey as a healthful sugar substitute.

Studies also singled out honey as a key nutrient to be used in endurance exercise, providing blood sugar restoration and extra staying power.

Hippocrates was said to have prescribed honey for longevity and general good health.

The Romans also believed that honey belonged in the diet of those who desire a long and healthy life.
Honey and Diet

Iron in human diet

2010-12-01T04:46:00.000-08:00

Iron in human diet
The iron content of the body is 4-5 g. Most of it present in the hemoglobin (blood) and myoglobin (muscle tissue) pigments.

The metal is also present in a number of enzymes (peroxidase, catalase, hydroxylases and flavine enzymes), hence it is an essential ingredient of the daily diet.

The iron requirement depends in the age and sex of the individual, it is about 1.5-2.2 mg/day. Iron supplied in the diet must be in the range of 15 mg/day in order to meet this daily requirement.

The large variations in intake can be explained by different extents of absorption of the various forms of iron present in food (organic iron compounds vs. simple salts).

The most utilizable source is iron in meat, for which the extent of absorption is 20-30%. The absorption is much less from liver (6.3%) and fish (5.9%) or from cereals, vegetables and milk, from which iron absorption is the lowest (2.0-1.5%).

Eggs decrease and ascorbic acid increases the extent of absorption.

Bran interferes with iron absorption due to the high content of phytate. Apparently, the absorption of iron present in food is in a healthy organism regulated by the requirement of the organism.

Nevertheless, in order to provide a sufficient supply of iron to persons who require higher amounts (children, women before menopause and pregnant or nursing women), cereals (flour, bread, rice, pasta products) fortified with iron to the extent of 55-130 mg/kg are recommended.

Extensive feeding test with chickens and rats have shown that FeSO4 is the most suitable form of iron, but ferrous gluconate and ferrous glycerol phosphate are also efficiently absorbed.

Two food processing problems arising form mineral fortification are the increased probability that oxidation will occur and in the case of wheat flour, decreased baking quality.

Generally, iron is an undesirable element in food processing; for example, iron catalyzes the oxidation of fat or oil increase turbidity of wine and as a constituent of drinking water, its support the growth of iron requiring bacteria.
Iron in human diet

Mineral in Human Bodies

2010-11-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Mineral in Human Bodies
In general, the function of minerals in the body can be divided into two categories, namely, building body tissue and regulating numerous processes.

Potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron and other minerals are structural components of soft tissue.

Sodium is principally found in extracellular fluid (bone is an exception), where it is the chief cation, and thus it is considered mainly as a primary determinant of body fluid osmolarity as well as the maintainer of body fluid pH.

Intracellular fluid contains much smaller amounts of sodium though these stores, and perhaps the sodium of the bone also serve in this capacity.

It is also important to mention that the energy for impulse transmission in the nerve and its action potential derive from the potential energy represented by the separathion of sodium and potassium across the cell wall.

On the other hand, calcium, together with phosphorus, magnesium and fluorine are components of bone and teeth. Deficiencies during the growing years cause growth to be stunted and bone tissue to be poor quality.

A continual intake of mineral is essential for the maintenance of skeletal tissue in good condition

Minerals are an integral part of many hormones, enzymes and other compounds that regulate physiological functions in the organism.

For example, iodine required to produce the hormone thyroxine, chromium is involved in the production of insulin and hemoglobin is an iron containing compound.

Thus, production of these substances in the organism depends on adequate intake of the involved minerals.

Minerals can also act as catalysts. Calcium is a catalysts in blood clotting. Some minerals are catalysts in the absorption of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract, the metabolism of proteins, fat and carbohydrate and the utilization of nutrients by the cell.

Mineral dissolved in the body fluids are responsible for nerve impulses and the contraction of muscles, as swell as for water and acid base balance.

Minerals play an important role in maintaining respiration, heart rate and blood pressure within normal limits.

The deficiency of minerals in the diet may lead to severe chronic clinical signs of disease, frequently reversible after their supplementation on the diet or following total parenteral nutrition.

The influence of minerals on biochemical reactions in living systems also make it possible to use them intentionally in many food processes.
Mineral in Human Bodies

Fats in Food

2010-11-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

Fats in Food
Much attention has been focused on the need to limit dietary intake. Nevertheless, the body does need fats – but the right fats and in appropriate quantities.

Specifically, it needs essential fatty acids. which perform a variety of vital bodily functions.

Essential fatty acids carry the fat soluble vitamins. They are essential for growth and development, and for the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails. And they provide the body with energy.

A variety of problems can occur if the body fails to receive adequate amounts of essential fatty acids.

Signs of deficiency may include retarded growth; skin hair and nail disorders; and an impaired metabolism of fats and fat soluble vitamins.

Most of us are aware that there are several kinds of dietary fat – saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated – and that some are better than others.

Cholesterol is white, waxy, fatty substance produced by liver. It is essential to our well being, as it helps to builds cell membranes, to produce hormones, and to manufacture bile acids.

The liver is capable of manufacturing all of the cholesterol needed for good health.

The cholesterol manufactured by the liver is carried through the bloodstream, by molecules known as low density lipoproteins, or LDLs. High levels of LDLs is in the bloodstream are associated with clogged arteries high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

This is why LDL is sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol.” Fortunately, many people can reduce their LDL levels through proper diet.

High density lipoproteins, or HDLs are molecules that carry excess cholesterol from different body tissues back to the liver, where the cholesterol is converted into bile acids and then eliminated through the intestines.

High levels of HDLs are linked with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why is often called “good cholesterol.”

How are there three types of fats related to cholesterol? Saturated fats – which come from foods of animal origin such as meat, poultry, milk, butter and cheese, as well as from palm, coconut, and palm kernel oil – have been shown to increase total blood cholesterol levels, especially the undesirable LDL portion.

Polyunsaturated fats – found mainly in vegetable oils like corn, sunflower, safflower and soybean – tend to lower levels of both HDL and LDL.

Monounsaturated fats – found mainly in certain vegetable and nut oil, including olive, peanut, and canola- have been shown to reduce total blood cholesterol without lowering levels of the good cholesterol, HDL. Indeed , some monounsaturated fats have been shown to raise HDL levels.

Most experts agree that it is best to limit fat consumption and to choose mostly monounsaturated fats, which increase need for saturated fat.
Fats in Food

Childhood Obesity

2010-09-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Childhood Obesity
Breakfast
We should look what is he eating for breakfast. In order to help overweight and obese child, their families should understand the importance of eating breakfast and they should provide suggestions about ways to incorporate breakfast into their family’s daily routine.

Is your child eating a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk. Does he using a very large soup bowl
which probably could hold three to four individual servings of cereal. With the extra milk, that means that he was probably getting about 500 to 600 calories, instead of the 150 calories that you would expect from a cup of cereal and half cup of low fat milk.

Snack
There are numerous reasons that snack food intake might increase the risk of becoming or remaining overweight. For example, snack foods may contribute to excessive caloric intake by eating consumed in addition to regular meals, instead of as replacement.

Eating fast food
Eating at fast food restaurants two or three times a week after school. These after school 'fast food' were really full meals, after which he usually ate a regular dinner.

He was also drinking 20 ounce bottles of regular soda one or two times a day, plus some fruit flavored drinks.

On the good side, he was taking regularly on most days and did eat a lot of healthy foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and low fat dairy products.

Getting childhood obesity under control though improved die and regular exercise is the best way to the solve the problems.

Healthy foods may take a little more time and attention than ordering pizza, or happy meals but change in your child’s health is worth it.

Let kids help prepare their own food, even though they might get in the way and it seems more trouble than it’s worth. They will better understanding of good food. They will appreciate the goodness of whole foods by growing their own food.
Childhood Obesity

World Demand of Animals Products

2010-08-30T15:50:00.001-07:00

World Demand of Animals Products
Animas and animal products supply many of the basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, fuel and emotional well-being) and contribute to a high standard of living that is sometimes associated with a high consumption of animal products.

About 30 percent of the world human population and 32 percent of the animal population live in developed regions of the world. The animals of these regions produce two third of the world’s meat and 80 percent of the world’s milk.

There has been an increasing pressure on the livestock sector to meet the growing demand for high value animal protein.

The world’s livestock sector is growing at an unprecedented rate and the driving force behind this enormous surge is a combination of population growth, rising incomes and urbanization.

Annual meat production is projected to increase from 218 million tons in 1997 – 1999 to 376 million tons by 2030.

There is a strong positive relationship between the level of income and the consumption of animal protein, with the consumption of meat, milk and eggs increasing at the expense of staple foods.

Urbanization is a major driving force influencing global demand for livestock products. Urbanization stimulates improvements in infrastructure, including cold chains, which permits trade in perishable goods.

Compared with the less diversified diets of the rural communities, city dwellers have a varied diet rich in animal proteins and fats, and characterized by higher consumption of meat, poultry, milk and other dairy products.

As diets become richer and more diverse, the high value protein that the livestock sector offers improves the nutrition of the vast majority of the world.

Livestock products not only provide high value protein but are also important sources of a wide range of essential micronutrients, in particular minerals such as iron and zinc, and vitamins such as vitamin A.

Overall, animal products provide about 36 percent of the caloric content of the food supply. Red meats account for the largest portion of the calories (about 15 percent), followed by dairy products (10 percent) and animal fats (4 percent).

For large majority of people in the the world, particularly in developing countries, livestock products remain a desired food for nutritional value and taste.

In these countries, animal products are a much smaller but still important part of the diet, providing 20 percent of the protein for human consumption.

However, animal production has been rising rapidly and can increase several fold in the future if research and development can overcome certain obstacles.

The growing demand for livestock products is likely to have an undesirable impact on the environment. For example, there will be more large-scale, industrial production, often located close to urban centers, which brings with it a range of environmental and public health risks.

The low energy conversion ration from feed to meat is another concern, since some of the cereal grain food produced is diverted to livestock production.

Likewise, land and water requirements for meat production are likely to become a major concern, as the increasing demand for animal products in more intensive livestock production systems.
World Demand of Animals Products

The Appetite Control Center

2010-07-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Appetite Control Center
The appetite control center is housed in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. There are many hormones that affect it; here are the most important ones.

Ghrelin
Ghrelin stimulates appetite. It’s released when the stomach is empty, and its released stops when we eat. Carbohydrates and protein appear to suppress this appetite stimulating hormone more than fat does, which seems to be one of the reason that high fat diets promote weight gain.

Leptin
Leptin, insulin and amylin work together to reduce appetite. Both leptin and insulin dampen appetite by inhibiting neurons in the appetite control center that stimulate appetite and by stimulating neurons that depress appetite.
Leptin is released from fat tissue, and as the amount of body fat grows leptin levels also increase. It would be logical to assume this would work to the advantage of people who are obese, as leptin reduce appetite.
However research suggests that the appetite control center becomes resistant to leptin when levels are unusually high over time.
Consequently, leptin would be less efficient at suppressing hunger. Weight loss helps to reduce body fat and leptin secretion; it helps to restore leptin sensitivity.

Insulin
The story for insulin is strikingly similar. Insulin is released by the pancreas. As body fat increases, the risk of insulin resistance also increases ( a condition in which the body fails to use insulin properly).
The pancreas pumps out even more insulin, in effort to compensate. Not surprisingly, when the body becomes resistant to insulin, the appetite control center also becomes resistant to insulin.
With increasing weight gain, a vicious cycle is set in motion; appetite control is lost energy expenditure slows down, and eating increases.
As is the case with leptin, weight loss helps to decrease insulin secretion and restore insulin sensitivity.

Amylin
Amylin is secreted along with insulin from the pancreas. This hormone works together with insulin to slow emptying of the stomach. Amylin reduces hunger and helps to control body weight.

All in all, overweight and obesity seem to upset the delicate balance of appetite control hormones, Fortunately with a healthful lifestyle and weight loss, this balance can be restored.
The Appetite Control Center

Growing and Harvesting in Food Production

2010-06-27T02:25:00.000-07:00

Growing and Harvesting in Food Production
Present practices in food production have drastically altered nutritional values in our food supply.

For example, animals are routinely fed, not with natural feedstuff, but with special types of feedstuffs known as “concentrates.”

Such feeding result in meat that contains smaller amounts of the desirable unsaturated fatty acids; in some instances, it adds antagonistic fatty acids that increase our dietary need for the essential polyunsaturated ones.

In eagerness to produce more kernels per row, more rows per ear and more ears per stalk, the plant breeder has scarified nutrient content. In desire to produce lovelier apples, sweeter oranges, blander vegetables, ship resistant foods, he has often produced varieties which are less nutritious.

An analysis of common food crops grown in Mexico and Central America showed that the Latin America varieties usually had higher contents of nutrients.

Another study showed that the average amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per 100 grams (g) of orange juice was 61 milligrams (mg) from California Navels; 49 mg for California Valencias; and 37 mg from Florida Valencias. In several thousand samples of oranges, the ascorbic acid content ranged from 20 mg per g of juice to more than 80 mg, a fourfold difference.

Soil may be a factor in nutrient content In certain regions, the soil may be deficient in nutrients. Animals raised for food production on such soils, or crops grown on such soils, may reflect such deficiency.

Current practices in harvesting, shipping and storing crops can lessen their content of nutrients.

Some crops, picked prematurely and shipped unripe, never develop their full potential in nutrients or in flavor. It was found that postponing the date of harvest for early grown carrots could develop greater nutritive value.

Because falling temperature favors the formation of the protein and unsaturated fatty acids in soybeans, late harvesting of this crops can increase its nutritional content.

Tomatoes grown in greenhouses during the winter tome may have only half the amount of ascorbic acid of tomatoes that are vine ripened and grown outdoors in sunlight.
Growing and Harvesting in Food Production

Availability in Consumption of Dietary Fat

2010-05-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Availability in Consumption of Dietary Fat
The increase in the quantity and quality of the fats consumed in the diet is an important feature of nutrition transition reflected in the national diets of countries.

There are large variations across the regions of the world in the amount of total fats (i.e. fats in foods, plus added fats and oils) available for human consumption.

The lowest quantities consumed are recorded in Africa, while the highest consumption occurs in parts of North America and Europe.

The important point is that there has been a remarkable increase in the intake of dietary fats over the past three decease and that this increase has taken place practically everywhere except in Africa, where consumption levels have stagnated.

Rising incomes in the developing world have led also to an increase in the availability and consumption of energy dense high fat diets.

Food balance data can be used to examine the shift in the proportion of energy from fat over time and its relationship to increasing incomes.

In 1961-1963, a diet providing 20% of energy from fat was associated only with countries having at least a per capita gross national product of $1475. By 1990, however even poor countries having a gross national product of only $750 per capita had access to a similar diet comprising 20% of energy from fat.

By 1990, vegetable fats accounted for a greater proportion of dietary energy than animal fats for countries in the lowest per capita income category.

Changes in edible vegetable oil supply, in prices and in consumption equally affected rich and poor countries although the net impact was relatively much greater in low-income countries.

An equally large and important shift on the proportion of energy from added sugars in the diets of low income countries was also a feature of the nutrition transition.

Examinations of the purchasing habits of people, aimed at understanding the relationship between level of education or income and the different amounts or types of commodities purchased at different times were also revealing.

Research conducted in China shows that there have been profound shifts in purchasing practices in relation to income over the past decade. These analysis show how extra income in China affects poor people and rich people in a differential manner, enhancing the fat intake of poor more than that of the rich.
Availability in Consumption of Dietary Fat

Weight Gain Due To Environmental Factors

2010-04-23T03:26:00.000-07:00

Weight Gain Due To Environmental Factors
Our culture has established the perfect environment for weight gain. Food is abundant and accessible at home, at work and everywhere in between.

Food is at the center of our social gatherings, from birth to death. All too often indulging means a heaping plate of nutritionally depleted, fat and sugar-laden processed food.

To make matter worse, portion sizes, like our waistbands, keep expanding.

In the 1960s, a family sized soft drink bottle was 26 ounces, allowing for four servings, each 6.5 ounce. Today, in many restaurant and theatres, a “small” serving of soda is 16-20 ounces.

Muffins and bagels have double in size since the 1970s, and portion sizes of many entries have also swelled.

Consumers are lured by supersizing- the offer of much more food for just a little extra money. The bargains are irresistible. For a mere 25-50% more money, you can often receive 100-300% more food.

The problem is that when we are served larger portions, we eat more. It’s human nature.

In addition, most of us have sedentary jobs, and in our spare time we watch television, play video games, or surf internet.

Every possible convenience has been developed to help save us time and energy.

In this environment,, staying slim seems greater challenge than becoming overweight or obese.
Weight Gain Due To Environmental Factors

Fibre effects of Gut Lower Region

2010-03-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

Fibre effects of Gut Lower Region
The large intestine is inhabited by a colony of bacteria. It is perfectly normal for these bacterial to be here, and they probably contribute to our well being. They live on whatever arrives down in their region of the gut, which inevitably means that part of our diet which isn’t or can’t be digested in the stomach or small intestine.

Hence, fibre supplies large part of their diet. In fact these bacteria can break down dietary fibre into simpler substances some of which are absorbed and utilized by the liver and other tissues for energy.

So strictly speaking, some fractions of fibre (which by definition is indigestible by man) are digestible by microorganisms and some of that material can be used by man.

However, what are more important to the fibre eater are the by-products of this digestion.

These bacteria live in an environment devoid of oxygen. Just like as wine or beer fermenting yeasts produce gas during the fermentation reaction, the amount of gas (carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen) produced depends on the amount and nature of fibre delivered to them. They are receptive to carbohydrates.

Breaking wind is one of the draw backs of a high fibre diet and has always been socially unacceptable.

The Roman emperor Claudius is said to have planned an edict to legitimize the breaking of wind at table, either silently of noisily after hearing of a man who has so modest that endangered his health by an attempt to restrain himself.
Fibre effects of Gut Lower Region

Eat What You Crave

2010-03-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Eat What You Crave
If the sight of certain foods puts your mind into a tailspin, you may need to readjust your approach to eating. An overly restrictive diet may “feed” a food craving and set you to overindulge.

The jury is still out on the true cause of food cravings. It may be physiological, psychological, or both.

We don’t yet know if food cravings are linked to a need to resupply the body with nutrients it lacks, or if cravings are reinforced by positive emotional; and social links to certain foods.

Studies suggest that avoiding foods altogether often makes them irresistible.

The results? Giving in to a food craving and perhaps overeating. Then guilt creeps in and people try to resists those foods once again, only to overindulge and feel guilty again.

Eat a small portion of any food you enjoy – even if it’s higher in fat or calories. Even when you’re trying to shed pounds, you can enjoy some high calorie foods as long as your eating plan is healthful and you eat fewer calories overall than your body uses.

As another option, try to satisfy your palate with a low fat, low calorie versions.
Eat What You Crave

Food Consumption Patterns and Trend

2010-02-22T04:16:00.001-08:00

Food Consumption Patterns and Trend
Promoting healthy diets and lifestyles to reduce the global burden of noncommunicable diseases requires a multisectoral approach involving the various relevant sectors in societies.

The agriculture and food sector figures prominently in this enterprise and must be given due importance in any consideration of the promotion of healthy diets for individuals and populations groups.

Food strategies must not merely be directed at ensuring food security for all, but must also achieve the consumption of adequate quantities of safe and good quality that together make up a healthy diet.

Any recommendation to that effect will have implications for all components in the food chain.

It is therefore useful at this juncture to examine trends in consumption patterns worldwide and deliberate on the potential of the food and agriculture sector to meet the demands and challenges.

Economics development is normally accompanied by improvements in county’s food supply and the gradual elimination of dietary deficiencies, thus improving the overall nutritional status of the country’s population.

Furthermore, it also brings about qualitative changes in the production, processing, distribution and marketing of food.

Increasing urbanization will also have consequences for the dietary patterns and lifestyles of individual not all of which are positive.

Changes in diets, patterns of work and leisure - often referred to as the “nutrition transition” – are already continuing to the causal factors underlying noncommunicable disease even in the poorest countries.

Moreover, the pace of these changes seems to be accelerating, especially in the low income and middle income countries.

The dietary changes that characterize the “nutrition transition” include both quantitative and qualitative changes in the diet.

The adverse dietary changes include shifts in the structure of the diet toward a higher energy density diet with a greater role for fat and added sugars in foods, greater saturated fat intake (mostly from animal sources), reduced intakes of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber and reduced fruit and vegetable intakes.

These dietary changes are compounded by lifestyle changes that reflect reduced physical activity at work and during leisure. At the same time, however, poor countries continue to face food shortages and nutrient inadequacies.
Food Consumption Patterns and Trend

Food Sources of Vitamin E

2010-02-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Food Sources of Vitamin E
Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of vitamin E in humans, and is a powerful biological antioxidant. The alpha-tocopherol form is the one found in the largest quantities in human blood and tissue. Small amounts of the gamma from are also found.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism.

Vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables are the main dietary sources of vitamin E. Fortified cereals are also an important source of vitamin E in the United States.

Vitamin E is found in the following food sources: avocados, cold pressed vegetable oils (olive, soybean, corn, canola, salflower and sunflower), dark green leafy vegetable, legumes, nits (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts), seeds, and whole grains.

Significant quantities of this vitamin are also found in brown rice, cornmeal, dulse, eggs, kelp, desiccated liver, milk, oatmeal, organ meats, soybeans, sweet potatoes, watercress, wheat, wheat and wheat germ.

Herbs contain vitamin E include alfafa, bladderwrack, dandelion, dong quai, flaxseed, nettle, oat straw, raspberry leaf and rose hips.

Vitamin E was discovered and characterized a as a fat soluble nutritional factor during reproductive studies with rats.

The observation was published in 1922. First named factor X and the antisterility factor, the vitamin was later designated vitamin E since its discovery closely followed the discovery of vitamin D.

A vitamin E active compound was isolated from wheat germ oil in 1936.

At this point, research group named the compound alpha-tocopherol from Greek word tocos (birth) and ferein (bringing), relating to its essentiality for rats to bear young. The ol suffix denotes that the compound is an alcohol.

Demand for vitamin E has rapidly increased. Along with market demand, the number of product types available to the pharmaceutical food, feed, and cosmetic industries has increased.

For all applications, oxidative stability of the vitamin E product is required. Use of microencapsulation or coatings to protect tocopherol and tocotrienols by forming oxygen barriers allows wider use of non-esterified delivery forms.
Food Sources of Vitamin E

Approach to diet and nutritional related diseases

2010-01-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Approach to diet and nutritional related diseases
The root causes of malnutrition include poverty and inequity. Eliminating these causes requires political and social action of which nutritional programmes can be only one aspect.

Sufficient, safe and varied food supplies not only prevent malnutrition but also reduce the risk of chronic disease.

It is well known that nutritional deficiency increases the risk of common infections disease, notably those of childhood, and vice versa.

There is, therefore, complimentary in terms of public and programmes designed to prevent chronic diseases and those designed to prevent other diet related and nutrition related diseases.

The double burden of disease is most effectively lifted by a range of integrated policies and programmes.

Such am integrated approach is the key action in countries where modest public health budgets will inevitably remain mostly devoted to prevention of deficiency and infection.

Indeed, there is no country, however, privileged, in which combating deficiency and infection are no longer public health priorities.

High incomes countries accustomed to programmes designed to prevent chronic diseases can amplify the effectiveness of the programmes by applying them to the prevention of nutritional deficiency and food related infectious disease.
Approach to diet and nutritional related diseases

Functions of Carbohydrate

2010-01-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Functions of Carbohydrate
The main function of carbohydrate is to provide energy. Each gram of starch or sugar gives four calories to the body.

About 65 top 80 –percent of energy is supplied by the carbohydrates, mainly in the form of starch.

Some of this energy is used as glucose to supply immediate energy needs of the body, a small portion is stored as glycogen (about 350 g) mainly in the muscles and liver; and any excess intake is converted to fat and stored as adipose tissue.

Glucose is the source of energy for the central nervous system.

Another important function is to spare proteins for their main function of tissue building and maintenance. It is important to supply sufficient carbohydrates and fats to meet the essential energy needs of the body, otherwise proteins are metabolized to meet energy requirement of the body.

A third functions is related to proper utilization of fat from the diet. It is that fats burn in the flame of carbohydrates, indicating the need for major part of energy to be supplied in the form of carbohydrates.

Certain carbohydrates have special role in the body. Lactose aids the absorption of calcium, Ribose a five carbon sugar, is a part of the important compounds DNA and RNA.

Cellulose and other indigestible carbohydrates aid the movements of food through the digestive tract by their capacity to absorb water and help to maintain muscle tone.
Functions of Carbohydrate

To Lose Weight with Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices?

2009-12-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

To Lose Weight with Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices?
Many working men who want to lose weight fall into the trap of cutting back on alcohol and drinking soft drinks, such as cola, instead.

It’s not uncommon for such men to have up to ten – or even twenty – bottles of coke in a day.

Soft drink is often more of a problem for men wanting to lose weight than beer or alcohol.

Most people think of fruit juices as healthy and they are because they contain more vitamins than soft drink. But fruit is high in fruit sugars and when juice is separated from the fiber of the fruit, the bulk is reduced and it becomes easy to take in all the sugar and kilocalories from three to four pieces of fruit in one drink.

This might be fine for someone who’s not fat, but it’s not much use to anyone trying to solve a waist problem.

There’s no real need to drink fruit juices. The hype that says you must have orange juice breakfast is a bit of a con.

It’s better to eat a few pieces of fruit (say, three to four a day) and get your fiber intake up.

Fruit cordials are even worse because they have concentrated sugar in place of most of the nutrients of the fruit.

The obvious solution is to cut back on, or cut out, regular soft drinks, fruit juice and cordials.

The best alternative is water or mineral water. They have no calorie.

If you can’t stomach these and you really want a sweet drink, diet drinks are the next best thing.

They have no kilocalories, although some researchers have found that their artificial sweeteners might increase appetite so you end up eating more than you’ve saved by having the low energy drink.

Fat is a great insulator so an overweight man gets hot easily. When this happens, you sweat and then you need to replace the lost fluid.

If you replace fluids with alcoholic drinks, soft drink or fruit juice you’ll take in lots of energy.

If you have a high fat content in your daily food intake on top of this, you’ll get fatter, sweat more, drink more of these drinks and continue in a vicious cycle.

Alcohol is also a diuretic – it makes you lose more fluid in urine than the drink provides.

Far from rehydrating the body, alcohol causes dehydration as you’ll know from the amount of time you spend at the urinal in any pub.

If you’re going to drink alcohol, always drink water first especially if you’ve been sweating heavily.

Water is not a diuretic nor is it high in sugar.
To Lose Weight with Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices?

The Meaning of Nutrient Density

2009-12-24T02:36:00.000-08:00

The Meaning of Nutrient Density
Nutrient density refers to the nutritional quality of any given food. The concentration or denseness of nutrients that a food contains describes the overall quality of that food.

Foods that are very nutrient dense are the most concentrated sources of vitally important nutrients.

These foods support and build super health because they are exceptional sources of all the building blocks necessary for our bodies to function optimally.

In essence, nutrient rich foods are the opposite of empty calories junk foods.

Berries, blackstrap molasses, eggs, fish, gourmet mushrooms, green tea, most nuts, organic meats, sea vegetables, whole grains, and many fruit, and vegetables especially dark leafy greens, all qualify as nutritionally dense foods.

Surprisingly, dark chocolate, microbrew beers, and red wines also qualify as dense sources of important nutrients.

Typically, specific foods are dense for particular nutrients. As an examples, eggs contain large amounts of lecithin, proteins, and vitamins A and are therefore considered to be highly nutrient dense in these nutrients. But it would no be accurate to say that eggs are a dense source of fiber or vitamin C.

Fresh, raw sugar cane (and the molasses that is pressed from it) contain large amounts of minerals, such as calcium, chromium, iron and potassium and can be considered nutrient dense.

Once refined, however and the end products – white cane sugar – contains virtually none of these nutrients and is considered very poor in nutritive value.

Eating with a nutrient- dense sensibility is not an exotic new trend. Whole unprocessed foods that have been human mainstays for centuries are often considered nutrient dense.

Many ethnic cuisines, such as curries and hummus, are dense sources of important nutrients, as are many condiments, spices and herbs.

Organic foods are generally denser in vitamins and minerals that their conventionally grown counterparts, which contain agricultural chemicals, residues of pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.

In cooking eggs, poaching or boiling them may preserve and protect their vital nutrients, while frying or scrambling, which exposes them to higher temperature may destroy sensitive molecules.
The Meaning of Nutrient Density

Physical Factors in Obesity

2009-12-05T20:59:00.001-08:00

It seems certain people require more physical activity and fewer calories to maintain a healthy body weight than their peers.

This is sometimes referred to as a slow metabolism. In the face of food abundance and a sedentary lifestyle, such are at greater risk for overweight, obesity and chronic disease.

Extremely low calorie diets serve only to make matters worse as they signal the body to move into conservation mode, further showing metabolism.

Yet while a slow metabolism is a reality for some people, may others mistakenly believe that the blame for their problem rests here.

Obesity researchers have found that, in truth, overweight and obese people commonly consume double the number of calories that they believe they are eating. For most people, overeating trumps a slow metabolisms when it comes to weight gain.

Less commonly, overweight and obesity are triggered buy medications or endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid reduces metabolic rate).

While such causes are relatively rare, they do occurs and can make it extremely difficult or succeed at weight loss.

Another factor that is just beginning to emerge as a major player is appetite control. When our appetite control center is overwhelmed, desensitized or otherwise impaired, the system can be thrown off balance, resulting in weight gain.
Physical Factors in Obesity

Fats and Diet

2009-11-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

Fats and Diet
For more than two decades, fats have been in the limelight. With the health advice of today’s experts, we’re advised to moderate the total fat and lower the saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol in out food choices.

Certainly media continues to report new research linking various types of fats and cholesterol to health outcomes.

Culinary experts provide flavorful ways to use sensible amounts of fat in food prep.

And the food industry has launched many fat modified products; “reduced fat,” “0 grams trans fat,” and “with omega-3s.”

Not surprisingly, many consumers hear the message and consider the “fat facts” as they buy and prepare food.

While other nutrition-related concerns have emerged, attention to fat likely will be around for some time.

Evidence indicates that a diet high in saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol increases risks for unhealthy levels of blood cholesterol, and therefore cardiovascular disease.

High fat eating is likely high in saturated fat and risky for heart health.

Managing excess calories is also harder harder with high fat eating.

There may be a link to some cancers, too. As science reveals more, it’s also becoming clear that the links between the different types of fat and health are more complex than once thought.

Aging baby boomers are being forced to face the “fat facts of life.” And people of all ages recognized that cutting back to a moderate fat intake – and eating less “sat fats,” tans fat” and cholesterol and replacing some with healthy oils – will promote good health in the long run.

Many people especially Americans already have cut down on their total fat intake to moderate levels. Yet there’s still room to improve, to make healthier food and fat choices and to consume less saturated and trans fats.
Fats and Diet

Fiber in Plant

2009-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Fiber in Plant
Plant Food is basically divisible into stems, fruits, tubers, seeds and leaves. Stems are rich in fiber to support the upper leaves and connect them with the nutrient on soil.

The leaves are green, rich in the protein chlorophyll which traps the sun’s energy on which plants depend.

The fiber content of leaves and stems varies, tending to increase with age.

Seeds, fruits and tubers come in variety shapes, sizes and colors.

A seeds has an outer coat to protect the embryo as the seed lies dormant during the winter.

Come the warm days of spring and the seed begins to germinate, pushing a new shoot through the now cracked outer coat to reach the soil surface and point its tiny leaves towards the sun.

In the period between the onset of germination and the emergency of the seedling into the sunlight, the energy reserves of the seed are used up in growth.

Some seeds (e.g., soya) use oil for these energy reserves, but most (cereals, rice, cassava, potatoes) use starch.

Although there is some fiber in these starchy stores it is present in much greater quantity in the structural part of the seed – its protective coats and its plant embryo, or ‘germ’.

It is these coats and germs which man chooses to remove and discard, so that his enjoyment of the starch core is unimpaired. That is a botanical description of fiber.

There are four main molecular species which make up fiber: cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin.

The first three can be classified as carbohydrate lignin being unclassified in the nutritional sense.

Cellulose, for example, is comprised of long chains of glucose molecules joined end to end. Cellulose is not digested. Neither are hemicellulose, pectin and lignin.

And that is the biological definition of fiber in human nutrition: indigestible plant matter, particularly indigestible plant carbohydrates.
Fiber in Plant

The Burden of Diseases in the Developing World

2009-09-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

The Burden of Diseases in the Developing World
Hunger and malnutrition remain among the most devastating problems facing the majority of the world’s poor and needy people, and continue to dominate the health of the world’s poorest nations.

Nearly 30% of humanities are currently suffering from one or more of the multiple forms of malnutrition.

The tragic consequences of malnutrition include death, disability, stunted mental and physical growth and as a result, retarded national socioeconomic development.

Some 60% of the 10.9 million deaths each year among children aged less than five years in the developing world are associated with malnutrition.

Iodine deficiency is the greatest single preventable cause of brain damage and mental retardation worldwide, and is estimated to affect more than 700 million people, most of them located in the less developed countries.

Over 2000 million people have iron deficiency anemia.

Vitamin A deficiency remains the single greatest preventable cause of needless childhood blindness and an increased risk of premature childhood mortality from infectious disease, with 250 million children under five years of age suffering from subclinical deficiency.

Intrauterine growth retardation, defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile of the birth weight for gestational age reference curve, affects 23.8% or approximately 30 million newborn babies per year, profoundly influencing growth, survival, and physical and mental capacity in childhood.

It also has major public health implications in view of the increased risk of developing diet related chronic disease later in life.

Given the rapidity with which traditional diets and lifestyles are changing in many developing countries, it is not surprising that food insecurity and undernutrition persist in the same countries where chronic disease are emerging as a major epidemic.

The epidemic of obesity with its attendant comorbidities – heart disease, hypertension, stroke and diabetes – is not a problem limited to industrialized countries.

Children are in a similar situation; a disturbing increase in the prevalence of overweight among this group has taken place over the past 20 years in developing countries as diverse as India, Mexico, Nigeria and Tunisia.

The increasing prevalence of obesity in developing countries also indicates that physical inactivity is an increasing problem in those countries well.
The Burden of Diseases in the Developing World

Cranberries

2009-08-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

Cranberries
Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocapron) for millennia have been part of the diet of North Americans and used for medicinal purposes in folk medicine.

Although cranberries are most familiar to consumers in North America, close relatives of the cranberry are also consumed in Northern Europe and Asia.

In North America and Europe, cranberries are primarily processed and consumed in the form of cranberry juice cocktails, and cranberry fruit drinks, with the oldest cranberry juice recipe dating back to 1683.

Cranberries have only been cultivated for the last 150 year; therefore, relative to grapes and other cultivated fruits, there is little genetic diversity.

The typical annual crop size is approximately 500 million pounds, with 60% being used directly in beverages, 35% being processed into sauces and concentrates that are mostly made into beverages and 5% being consumed fresh.

Cranberries are popular with consumers because of their bitter taste, and because of their positive implication for health as a functional food, they are one of the first functional foods in America.

As a functional food, cranberry juice is associated with protection from urinary tract infection.

Cranberry juice may also be useful for promoting cardiovascular health and inhibiting cancer development, and suggestions have also been made regarding cranberry applications for improving oral and gastric health.
Cranberries

The Obesity Battle

2009-08-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

The Obesity Battle
Americans have more choices when it comes to food than anyone else on the planet.

While we are constantly seduced by hot fudge sundaes, double cheeseburgers, stuffed-crust pizza and deep-fried doughnuts, we are expected to be as lean as the models that grace the covers of fashion magazines.

How many people have the willpower to resist temptation time and time again?

A small minority, it would seem. In 2005, approximately two thirds of the Americans adult population was classified as overweight or obese, with about one third fitting into the overweight category and the other third being obese.

The harsh reality is that fewer than one third of Americans have healthy body weights.

Overweight and obesity come with a hefty price tag - $100 billion a year in medical bills and more than 400,000 premature deaths each year.

Excess body fat causes unwanted changes to the basic functioning of the human body, adversely affecting blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, respiration, fertility, skin and joint health, hormones and insulin action.

Such changes significantly increase the risk for debilitating and often fatal health conditions, including the following:

Cancer
Gallbladder disease
Gout
Heart disease and stroke
Kidney disease
Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea
Type 2 diabetes

To add insult to injury, a recent report found that being obese affectively ages a person by 20 years (in terms of physical health).

That puts an obese 30 year old in the same risk group as a normal weight 50 year old for developing serious medical problems.
The Obesity Battle

Fiber for Health

2009-07-19T17:06:00.001-07:00

Fiber for Health
Fiber works complimentarily as a weight loss aid and health protector.

There’s an obvious link between high fiber diets and diabetes prevention because diabetes is characterized by an ability to properly process blood sugar levels.

Not only does weight loss itself lower your diabetes risk, there’s also evidence that diets rich in high fiber whole grains also reduce your chances of getting it.

Researches show that fiber is protective against heart disease.

According to a Harvard study of 40,000 subjects eating a lot of fiber is associated with a 40 percent lower heart disease risk compared to low fiber intake.

Soluble fibers especially lower blood cholesterol level.

That’s one reason why oatmeal is such a fine breakfast choice; it’s one of the few grains with more soluble than unsalable fiber, so it’s simultaneously an effective cholesterol flowerer, digestion slower and energy booster.

And don’t look fiber’s gastrointestinal benefits. It helps you avoid intestinal inflammation and is well known for its ability to relieve or prevent constipation.

Fiber, especially wheat bran and oat bran, seems to work best.

But a high fiber diet in general is the surest way to get all these benefits.
Fiber for Health

Fats

2009-07-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Fats
Fats are glyceryl esters of fatty acids. Fats, as do carbohydrates, contain the elements carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, but the proportion of oxygen in fats is less, and it can be can said that fats are fuel foods of a more concentrated type than are the carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates and fats are interchangeable as fuel foods, but it can be shown, by calorimeter, that fats produce more than twice the heat energy produced by carbohydrates.

One gram of fats yields 9 cal, while 1 gram of carbohydrate yields 4 cal. An additional advantage of fat form viewpoint of energy availability is that it stores well in large amounts in adipose tissues.

Thus fat, considered to be a reserve form of fuel for the body, is an important source of calories.

Paradoxically, this is not advantageous in affluent societies where the problem is not the availability of food for energy, but rather the health hazard of obesity.

Fats may occur in foods as materials that are solid at room temperatures or as oils that are liquid at room temperatures. Solid fats contain comparatively small amounts of fatty acids with two or more groups of adjacent carbons that are not fully saturated with hydrogen.
Fats

Healthy Eating

2009-07-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

Healthy Eating
Big foods are those that are low in caloric density, but they give you a feeling of satiety on fewer calories.

Examples include salads, noncreamy soups, vegetables fresh fruits, water, nonfat plain yogurt, fish and seafood, and cooked oatmeal.

Because these natural high-volume, or “big,” foods are high in fiber and water they fill you up on fewer calories than the calorie-dense highly processed foods.

You are hard-wired to eat until your stomach is stretched, which generally takes about fifteen to twenty minutes.

If you are eating cheese fries, chicken nuggets and M&M’s and drinking sugared sodas, during that fifteen to twenty minute meal, you will consume thousands of calories, mostly in the form of unhealthy and nutritionally barren foods that will be stored as belly fat and leave you hungry again in two or three hours.

On the other hand, if you sit down to a meal of boil shrimp, crisp celery sticks with guacamole dip, an apple and a tall glass of iced tea, fifteen to twenty minutes later you will be just even full though you consumed a fraction of the calories and loads more antiaging antioxidants, fiber and vitamins.

As a bonus, you remain full for four to six hours without cravings for junk food.

Many healthy foods are essential calorie-free, including spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and asparagus. But not everybody enjoys all the vegetables.

Drinking calorie-free beverage such as water tea and coffee is another way to fill up without stressing your system with excess calories.
Healthy Eating

Contribution of Fruits to Human Nutrition

2009-06-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Contribution of Fruits to Human Nutrition
Fruits are not only colorful and flavorful components of our diet, but they also serve as a source of energy, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The U.S department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines encourage consumers to enjoy “five a day,” eat at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day and to choose fresh, frozen, dried or canned forms of a variety of colors and kinds of fruits and vegetables.

In some countries, consumers are encouraged to eat up to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

ENERGY (Calories)

Carbohydrates: banana, breadfruit, jackfruit, plantain, dates, prunes, raisin

Proteins and amino acids: nuts, dried apricot, fig

Fats: avocado, olive, nuts

VITAMINS
Fresh fruits and vegetables contribute about 91% of vitamin C, 48% of vitamin A, 27% of vitamin B6, 17% if thiamin and 15% of niacin to the U.S diet.

Vitamin A: apricot, peach, cherry, orange, mango, papaya, persimmon, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon

Vitamin C: strawberry, orange, grapefruit, kiwifruit, pineapple, banana apple, cantaloupe

Niacin: peach, banana, orange, apricot

Riboflavin: banana, [peach, orange, apple, avocado

Thiamin: orange, banana, grapefruit, apple

MINERALS
Fresh fruits and vegetables contribute about 26% of the magnesium and 19% of the iron to the U.S diet
The following fruits are important contributors to the supply of indicated minerals in the U.S diet

Potassium: banana, peach, orange, apple, dried fruits such as apricot and prune

Phosphorus: banana, orange, peach, fig, raisin

Calcium: tangerine, grapefruit, orange

Iron: strawberry, banana, apple, orange

DIETARY FIBER

All fruits and nits contribute to dietary fiber. Dietary fiber consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and pectic substances, which are derived primarily form fruit cell walls and skin.

The dietary fiber content of fruits ranges form 0.5 to 1.5% (fresh weight)

Dietary fiber plays an important role in relieving constipation by increasing water holding capacity of feces. Its consumption is also linked to decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diverticulosis, and colon cancer.

ANTIOXIDANTS
Fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the daily diet have been strongly associated with reduced risk for some forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other chronic disease. This is attributed, in part, to their content of antioxidant phytochemicals.

Red, blue, and purple fruits (such as apple, blackberry, blueberry, blood orange, cranberry, grape, nectarine, peach, plum, prune, pomegranate, raspberry, and strawberry) are good sources of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds that are positively correlated with antioxidant capacity of the fruit.

Orange-flesh fruits (such as apricot, cantaloupe, mango, nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, persimmon and pineapple) and some red flesh fruits (such as tomato, watermelon and pink grapefruit) are good sources of carotenoids. Availability of lycopene to human is increased during tomato processing.

Contribution of Fruits to Human Nutrition

Oatmeal for Your Heart

2009-06-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal for Your Heart
In recent years, clinical studies have affirmed the ability of oatmeal and oat bran to reduce blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and generally reduce the long term risk of hart disease.

In recognition of these well-established benefits, in 1996 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted manufacturers/packagers of oatmeal the right to make specific health claim about this food, stating that diets high in oat meal or oat bran may reduce the risk of heart disease.

It was the first permissible health claim ever accorded to a food by the FDA, an agency that generally has favored drugs over natural substance.

In 1995, researchers at John Hopkins, in Baltimore, Maryland, reported that people who regularly consumed even a modest portion of oatmeal (one ounce cooked daily) had lower blood pressure and cholesterol readings than those who never ate oatmeal.

The study was based in the evaluation of 850 men, 17 – 77 years old living in China; their oatmeal consumption was 25 – 90 g daily.

The researchers stated that “the higher the oats intake, the lower the blood pressure,” regardless of other factors such as age and weight or alcohol sodium, or potassium intake, which are known to affect blood pressure.

According to researcher, it is oatmeal’s high content of water soluble fiber (beta glucan) that can produces the heart benefits.

A six-year study involving 22,000 middle-aged Finnish males showed that consuming as little as 3 g daily of soluble fiber (from the beta glucan fiber component of oats, barley or rye) reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 27%.
Oatmeal for Your Heart

Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood

2009-06-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood
The high nutritional quality of seafood makes it an important component of a healthy diet.

While protein is an important macronutrient in the diet, most American already consumes enough and do not need to increase their intake.

Fats and oil are also part of a healthy diet, but the type and amount of fat can be important - for example, with regard to cardiovascular disease.

Many Americans consume greater than recommended amounts of saturated fat as well as cholesterol from high-fat protein foods such as beef and pork.

Many seafood selections are lower in total and saturated fats and cholesterol than some more frequently selected anima protein foods such as fatty cuts of beef, pork and poultry and are equivalent in amount of fat to some leaner cuts of meat.

Since it is lower in saturated fats however by substituting seafood more often for other animal foods, consumers can decrease their overall intake of both total and saturated fats while retaining the nutritional quality of their protein food choices.

Seafood is also a primary source of EPA and DHA in the American diet.

The contribution of the nutrients to improving health and reducing risk for certain chronic disease in adult has not been completely elucidated.

There is evidence however, to suggest there are benefits to the developing infants such as increasing length of gestation, improved visual acuity and improve cognitive development.

In addition, there is evidence to support an overall benefit to the general population for reduced risk of heart disease among those who eat seafood compared to those who do not, and there may be benefits from consuming EPA and DHA for adults at risk for coronary heart disease.
Benefits Associated with Nutrients from Seafood

Summary of Fats

2009-06-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

Summary of Fats
Fats are comprised of fatty acids bound, in bundles of three, to glycerol.

Fatty acids are either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.

Fats contains mixtures of all three types of fatty acids; the balance of the mix determines whether the fat is generally saturated (hard) or polyunsaturated (soft).

Fats are insoluble in water and require special treatment for digestion and transport.

In digestion, bile acids act as detergents to solubilize fats to aids digestion.

In transport, the fatty material is surrounded by a coat of protein plus phospholipid. The full particle is a lipoprotein.

The liver can convert carbohydrate to fat, which is exported from the liver as a lipoprotein.

Certain polyunsaturated fatty acids are nutritionally essentially because:
1. They are the precursors of the vitality important regulators of metabolism, the prostaglandins
2. The body cannot make them from either carbohydrate or existing dietary fatty acids.

Summary of Fats

Major Constituent of Milk

2009-05-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Major Constituent of Milk
The major portion of ash is composed of the chlorides and oxides of potassium, calcium and phosphorus.

It is of interest to note that these three elements are in greater concentration in milk than in blood, thus the mammary gland exerts a selective action to concentrate these elements.

Too, a fact frequently overlooked is the greater weight percentage of the potassium over that of calcium.

This kind of information can be used to detect injured udders because in the injured udder the composition of the milk becomes more like that of the blood.

The changes in chloride content and in acidity are easily measured.

Milk from cows suffering from mastitis contains a higher sodium and chloride content than normal milk.

Chloride content in milk in excess of 0.14% suggests the possibility of mastitis milk.

All cases of toward the end of lactation and colostrums secreted at the beginning of lactation contain more sodium and chloride than normal milk.

Small variations in the concentrations of Ca and Mg relative to the concentrations of citrate and phosphate are known to affect the ability of milk to resist coagulation when heated.

The ration between the different components seems to be more important that the actual amounts present.

The term salt balance is used to refer to the ratio of these components.

In general, the most common manifestation of a disturbed salt balance is a deficiency of citrate and phosphate ions (particularly when cows are off pasture), which would suggest that in such circumstances addition of sodium citrate or phosphate would correct the balance through its sequestering effect on calcium ions and render the milk heat stable.

Milk contains more calcium that most foods because of the distribution of calcium in milk.

About two thirds of the total calcium in milk is in colloidal form as calcium caseinate, citrate and phosphate; the remaining third is in true solution.

Only because of these phenomena is it possible for milk to have an osmotic pressure equal to that of the blood.

When milk is heated or pasteurized, the equilibrium between the colloidal and soluble phrases is altered in the direction of the colloidal phase.

In cheese making, this change in the ration between of soluble and colloidal calcium is an important factor in the time taken by rennet to coagulate the milk.
Major Constituent of Milk

Variety of Foods: The Good and the Bad

2009-05-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Variety of Foods: The Good and the Bad
You will thrive best if you can learn to eat an array of fresh, natural foods to get the wide range of nutrients that are necessary for vibrant health.

Different foods provide different nutrients, so the greater variety of nature’s bounty in which you partake, the better health you will enjoy.

Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables and try new ones every chance you get.

Look for brightly or deeply colored varieties as they are high in anti-aging antioxidants.

Variety is also important when choosing animal protein sources. Red meat poultry, nonfat dairy, whey protein, seafood, and fish all have very different nutritional profiles.

Try not to eat the same type of meat or fish day in and day out.

A mixture of protein sources will supply you with an array of healthful nutrients and still help you to avoid the over-consumption of potentially toxic substance that may be present in specific meats or fish.

For instance, tuna is fine once or twice a week, but if you ate it every day, you might end up accumulating toxic amounts of mercury.

Lean red meat is great in moderation, but when eaten in excess you might absorb too much iron, saturated fat, and heterocyclic amines (carcinogens).

Lean chicken breasts are low in fat but don’t have the beneficial omega-3 fats found in fish and seafood, or the high zinc levels of red meats.

Variety, however, have a dark side. The dramatic rise in America body weight over the past twenty-five years is paralleled by a line documenting the number of new man-made foods introduced into the diet over the same time period.

They are often advertised as low fat, low carb, or vitamin-fortified, but nearly all of these synthetic, caloric-dense delicious new foods are designed to entice us into overeating.

A whole host of designer “fat free” highly processed foods were gobbled up by the American public as it packed on pounds of fat tissue faster than grain-fed cattle in feed lots.
Variety of Foods: The Good and the Bad

Garlic and Health Benefits

2009-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Garlic and Health Benefits
The garlic juice is almost impossibly to drink though, resulting in sweating and an immune system response directed at live garlic cells in the juice.

What is happening is that the live garlic is very strong so the body has a battle digesting the fresh garlic juice. Even so, this has a net positive effect if one can endure it.

Digesting cleansing does involve frequent and less than solid bowel movements, plus bloating.

Bloating is often part of the healing process as the immune system goes to work. It does take months to repair decades of poor diet and less than optimum health.

Understanding that this is a necessary part of the healing process prevents people from giving up and not recognizing progress.

A flat stomach and an ability consume cleansing vegetables plus energized water without any result other than great health and vitality, is the end goal.

Anyone who looks old has a digestive system that needs major repair. Every part of the body regenerates and is capable of healing over time. The digestive system cells, especially the inner wall of the digestive track, regenerate most frequently.

Other than that, garlic acts well against cataract, particularly in smokers and for colds. Like onion juice, one dessertspoonful of garlic in half a pint of warm water is a recognized remedy for worms in children.

One suspects that children in Mediterranean countries must be well protected against worms, and statistics show that their parents have a lower incidence of heart disease than most Europeans, all of which helps to confirm the therapeutic value of this bulb.

Garlic juice has been used beneficially for many conditions including tuberculosis, entercolitis and amoebic dysentery. It is an expectorant as well as assisting asthma and bronchitis.
Garlic and Health Benefits

Fruits and Veggies

2009-04-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Fruits and Veggies
No matter what your health concerns – preventing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, whatever – the bottom-line massage from every health organization (including the American Heart Association; the American Cancer Society; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and the USDA) is to eat more fruits and vegetarians.

Yet more than 90 percent of Americans fail to consume the recommended amount.

Ideally, you should include a hefty portion of fruit and veggies in every meal and snack.

Here are some tips to help you boost your intake of these carbohydrate-rich foods that not only fuel your muscles but also protect your good health:

Whip together a fruit smoothie for breakfast: orange juice, banana, frozen berries

To your egg (white) omelet, add diced pepper, tomato, mushrooms

Add blueberries or sliced banana to pancakes; top with applesauce

No fresh fruit for your cereal? Use canned peaches, raisins or frozen berries

Put leftover dinner veggies into your lunchtime salad or soup

Keep within easy reach grap-and-go snack, such as small boxes of raisins, trail mix dried fruit, frozen 100 percent juice bars, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and celery sticks.

Add shredded carrots to casseroles, chili, lasagna, meatloaf or soup

Fruits and Veggies

Summary of Protein and Carbohydrate

2009-04-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Summary of Protein and Carbohydrate
Protein
Proteins are composed of intercoiling strands, in turn composed of amino acids.

The proteins function to regulate specific steps in metabolism – one step, one protein. Hence, many proteins are needed.

The variety of protein structures is made possible by the order and arrangement of the amino acid building blocks.

At any time, body protein is being both synthesized and degraded, an inefficient process which leads to urinary loss of the breakdown products of the amino acid building blocks.

This loss is obligatory and necessities regular replenishment – hence the nutritional necessity for protein in the diet.

Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate are composed of sugar molecules, single, paired or in long strands. Dietary carbohydrates are predominantly starch, with some sucrose and lactose.

Starch is digested to glucose units, which are observed to be used for energy or for the synthesis of fats.

Rising blood glucose levels after a meal stimulates insulin release which disposes of this load. Falling blood glucose levels stimulates glucagon, which maintains a basic minimum level of glucose in the blood.

Although sucrose is well tolerated, lactose is poorly tolerated by many people who lack the enzyme to digest it. Both these substances yield glucose or glucose-like compounds on digestion.

Summary of Protein and Carbohydrate

Juice Fasting

2009-03-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Juice Fasting
Juice fasting is a safe and easy way to detoxify the body. Fasting is not harmful. If it were, mankind would not have evolved as a civilization.

Fasts have been recorded in ancient history and have been a part of virtually all religious. For example, in the orthodox Christian church, fasts have been practiced for centuries and are still a way of church life today.

We do not recommend water fasts because they are too hard on the body. Such fasts release too many stored-up toxins without supplying the nutrients needed to detoxify them.

These nutrients, especially the antioxidants (beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium) supplied in abundance in the juices, bind with harmful toxins and carry them out of the body.

Some word of caution are in order regarding juice fasting. Children under seventeen should not follow a strict juice fast. But fruit and vegetable juices are a great supplement to a healthful diet for your child or adolescent.

Diabetics should seek a doctor’s approval before trying a juice fast. Hypoglycemics may benefits from using protein powder as a supplement during the fast. Whenever you are sick, your body is sending you a signal that it needs rest – both from strenuous work and from foods that are hard to digest – along with plenty of immune supporting nutrients.

Juices offer great quantities of nutrients that support immune system, and the juice fast is a powerful healing tool. But don’t wait until sick then fasting. There is a suggestion that juice fast several times a year. You can fast from one t0 five days any time you like. Some people fast from one to five days any time you like.
Juice Fasting

Digestion and absorption at infant age

2009-02-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Digestion and absorption at infant age
The complex process of digestion/absorption can be optimally effective only when the GI tract and accessory organs are totally develop and fully functioning.

Not only must the muscular tube (alimentary canal) with it a mucosal lining and endocrine cells be operating efficiently in conjunction with the nervous system, but the accessory organs (pancreas, liver, and gallbladder) with their important digestive secretions also must be physiologically mature.

The feeding of infants is based on primarily in degree of maturation of the GI tract and accessory organs.

Good examples of the emphasis on GI tract maturity are the care given to the fat in infant formula and the time and sequence of the introduction of various foods into the infant’s diet.

Only those fats possessing an ease used in commercial formulas and the introduction of solid food, beginning with baby cereal usually occurs no earlier than 4 months of age.

The infant pancreas, although structurally mature at term, is usable for several months to produce enzymes sufficient for effective digestion.

Pancreatic lipase, alpha-amylase and the proteolytic enzymes are in too short supply to accommodate digestion of a mixed diet. Digestion of fat is a real concern because there is a deficiency of bile salts from the liver as well as low lipase release from the pancreas.
Digestion and absorption at infant age

Diet and Hypertension

2009-01-26T05:02:00.000-08:00

Diet and Hypertension
There is a suggestion to recommend diets that consist of 30% fats, 20% - 25% protein and 45% - 50% carbohydrates. The fats should come from fish such as salmon, mackerel, Greenland halibut, cod and blue fish. This is o basically the so-called Mediterranean diet.

One study conducted in 1980s, investigating the rate of heart attacks over a ten year period for individual in European nations, revealed that the island of Crete reported no heart attacks as a cause of death, even though many of the residents had dangerously high cholesterol levels, a presumed risk factor for heart disease.

According to expert, the Mediterranean diet, rich in monounsaturated fat (olive oil) and antioxidants, has proved to be crucial in cardiovascular protection. This diet is low in saturated fats (such as dairy products and meats), high in fiber and antioxidants (vitamin C, beta carotene, and vitamin E) from fresh fruits and vegetables, and high in essential fatty acids, found in fish, flaxseed oil and other omega-3 oils.

Avocado and asparagus, commonly eaten in this diet, are rich in L-glutathione, an amino acid that can scavenge for harmful free radicals. An olive oil is the healthiest of oils as expert said. Also garlic and other members of the onion family (prominent in this diet) help because the significantly reduce blood pressure.
Diet and Hypertension

Fats

2009-01-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

Fats
If proteins have been dubbed ‘Beauty’ by advertisers, fats are surely ‘The Beast’, for few nutrients have been subjected to as much suspicion by the health profession. This suspicion is sometime justified, although often for wrong reasons.

The confusion is understandable since the chemistry and metabolism of fats is more c0mplex than that of proteins and carbohydrates, that is, up to the point that need interest us.

There are two obvious characteristics of fats about which we are all aware. First, they are not soluble in water, hence the need for detergents to clean up after a fatty mixed grill.

Secondly, some fats are solid at room temperature, say butter, lard or margarine, while others are liquid, mainly the oils – olive, corn, peanut, etc.

These are good starting points for the study of the nutrition of fats, in that we must explain how fats, insoluble in water are digested and metabolized in the largely watery environment of the body and how the chemistry of fats can explain their physical properties.

The basic units of fats are known as fatty acids, but fat molecules are not made up of repeating fatty acid units. Fat molecules are known as triglycerides and are comprised of glycerol with fatty acids attached to the top, middle and bottom of the glycerol molecule. Hence fatty acids come in threes.

Like –proteins, there are no rules as to what fatty acids must occupy what positions on the glycerol molecule, or what mixes of three fatty acids should cling to a molecules of glycerol.

Three grouping of fatty acids:

Saturated fats

Monounsaturated

Polyunsaturated fats

If you purchase a sample of pure saturated fatty acids from a chemical supplier you would find that they were solid at room temperature. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids would be liquid. Therefore the hardness or softness of a dietary fat depends on temperature and the balance between the three categories of fatty acid.
Fats

Salt and Blood Pressure

2008-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Salt and Blood Pressure
Table salt is sodium chloride: it is the sodium which is important for your blood pressure, not the chloride.

High blood pressure is unknown among those peoples of the world which normal diet contains about 20 times less sodium than a normal Western diet, and even very high blood pressure can be controlled by reducing sodium intake to this level. The diet required for this consists entirely of rice, fruit, and vegetable and would be intolerable to most people.

The usual daily diet contains much more salt than anyone needs, it certainly does no harm to reduce sodium intake by not adding salt to cooked meals, and by reducing or avoiding high sodium processed foods (crisps, sausages, sauces, tinned meats and beans and ‘convenience’ food generally), Chinese take-away (which contain huge quantities of sodium glutamate) and strong cheeses.

Salt can be found in the most unexpected foods for example, both milk and bread contain salt in amounts which would surprise most people.

There is no convincing evidence that the roughly one third reductions in sodium intake you can achieve by these dietary changes is an effective alternative to drug treatment for severe high blood pressure.

Reducing fat in your diet by about a quarter reduces the potential complications of high blood pressure much more effectively than reducing your salt intake by about half. Most people find it difficult to reduce fat and salt at the same time, and fat reduction deserved a higher priority (especially as cutting down in fats will help you lose weight).

However, people whose blood pressure is high enough for them to need to take drugs for it may manage on lower dosage of their tablets if they reduce their sodium intake, and very heavy salt eaters should try to cut down.
Salt and Blood Pressure

Sources of Calcium

2008-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sources of Calcium
Calcium is found in dairy foods, salmon (with bones), sardines, seafood and dark green leafy vegetables. Food sources include almonds, asparagus, blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, buttermilk, cabbage, carobs, cheese, collards, dandelion green, dulse, figs, filberts, goat’s milk, kale, kelp, milk, mustard greens, oats, prunes, sesame seeds, soybeans tofu, turnip greens, watercress, whey and yogurt.

Herbs that contains calcium include alfalfa, burdock root, cayenne, chamomile, chickweed, chicory, dandelion, eyebright, fennel seed, fenugreek, flaxseed, hops, horsetails, kelp, lemongrass, mullein, nettle, oat straw, paprika, parsley, peppermint, plantain, raspberry leaves, red clover, rose hips, shepherd’s purse, violet leaves, yarrow, and yellow dock.

A diet that is high in protein, fat and/or sugar affects calcium uptake. The average American diets of meats, refined grains, and softdrinks leads to increase excretion of calcium. Consuming alcoholic beverages, coffee, junk foods, excess salt, and/or white flour also leads to the loss of calcium by the body. A diet based on foods such as vegetables, fruits and wholesome grains, which contain significant amounts of calcium but lower amounts of phosphorus, is preferable.

Oxalic acid (found in almonds, beet greens, cashews, chard, cocoa, soybeans and spinach) interferes with calcium absorption by binding with it in the intestines and producing insoluble salts that cannot be absorbed. The normal consumption of foods containing oxalic acids should not pose a problem, but overindulgence in these foods inhibits the absorption of calcium. Oxalic acid can also combine with calcium to form calcium-oxalate kidney stones. However, that taking magnesium and potassium supplements can prevent the formation of this types of stone.
Sources of Calcium

Calcium in Our Body: Function and Deficiency

2008-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Calcium in Our Body: Function and Deficiency
Calcium is vital for the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums. It is also important in the maintenance of a regular heartbeat and in the transmission of nerve impulses.

Calcium lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent cardiovascular disease. It is needed for muscular growth and contraction, for the prevention of muscle cramps. It may increase the rate of bone growth and bone mineral density in children.

This important mineral is also essential in blood clotting and helps prevent cancer. It may lower blood pressure and prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis as well. Calcium provides energy and participates in the protein structuring of RNA and DNA.

It is also involved in the activation of several enzymes, including lipase, which breaks down fats for utilization by the body. In addition, calcium maintains proper cell membrane permeability, aids in neuromuscular activity, helps to keep the skin healthy, and protects against the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy, the number one cause of maternal death. If high blood pressure develops due to pregnancy, it can be reduced by calcium intake.

Calcium protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this toxic metal. If there is a calcium deficiency, lead can be absorbed by the body and deposited in the teeth and bones.

Calcium deficiency can lead to the following problems: arching joints, brittle nails, eczema, elevated blood cholesterol, heart palpitation, hypertension (high blood pressure), insomnia, muscle cramps, nervousness, numbness in the arms and/or legs, a pasty complexion, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets and tooth decay.

Deficiencies of calcium are also associated with cognitive impairment convulsions, depression, delusions and hyperactivity.
Calcium in Our Body: Function and Deficiency

Diet During Pregnancy

2008-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Diet During Pregnancy
Many women will experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. The nausea can result from an accumulation of gastric acid in the stomach and can be alleviated by eating small amounts of food every 3 – 4 hours. Some women also benefit from eating dry toast or crackers, especially if they are nauseous when they first wake up in the morning. It is also important to consider avoiding eating food and drinking fluids at the same time. Toward the end of the pregnancy, many women will experience a return of nausea, which is often attributed to decreased gastric peristalsis. Again, eating small meals frequently may be helpful. Women need to have a good source of bulk in their diet and to maintain exercise at an appropriate level.

During pregnancy, women need to eat a well balance diet that has sufficient calories and represents a variety of food groups. They need to be encouraged to maintain a healthy diet and sufficient exercise throughout pregnancy. Inappropriate weight gain can place the newborn at greater risk for infection, illness, disabilities, and even death. Some women experience pica (persistent eating of foods that have not nutrient value). Pica behavior may lessen the nutritional level of the mother and her fetus since the mother may not eat nutritious foods in sufficient quantity, which can lead to poor weight gain, low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation. Also, the substance that the woman is eating may have harmful effects to the maternal fetal unit.

Women who drink 2 – 3 cups of coffee each day have a daily caffeine intake about 300 mg. Caffeine decreases the absorption of iron, which has a direct effect in the maternal fetal unit. During pregnancy, caffeine decreases the blood flow through the placenta and also increases the risk of spontaneous abortion during the first trimester. Caffeine consumption during pregnancy may lead to caffeine withdrawal symptoms in new born.

Aspartame (found in some artificial sweeteners) contains the amino acid phenylalanine and should be avoided by pregnant women because high levels of phenylalanine can lead to impaired fetal brain development and result in mental retardation. Women need over the counter products that may contain phenylalanine.
Diet During Pregnancy

Selenium in Food

2008-12-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Selenium in Food
The amount of selenium in a plant-derived food varies largely with its protein content and with the area of the country in which it is grown. The concentration of selenium in the milk, eggs, and meat of animals is influenced by the level of selenium in the plant material they consume.

In North American diets, cereals are the dominant food plant origin for supplying selenium, with much of the cereal consumption in the form of bread. The United States and Canadian wheat crops are produced primarily in selenium adequate regions and this result in moderately high average concentration of the elements in wheat related foods in both countries.

Meat and fish also are good sources of selenium for humans, whereas most fruits and vegetables provide little selenium. Many experts concluded that ordinary cooking techniques did not appear to result in major losses of selenium from most foods. Little or no loss of selenium occurred as a result of broiling meat, baking seafoods, frying eggs, or boiling cereals. Experts found that food preparation methods did not affect the selenium content of legumes and vegetables. They also found that although some soybean meat extenders contain comparable or higher selenium levels than the beef or chicken they replace, others have much lower levels.

However, small losses of selenium occur during the manufacturing of breakfast cereals with lost selenium appearing in the by-product destined for livestock feeding.
Selenium in Food

Diet with Cruciferous Vegetables

2008-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Diet with Cruciferous Vegetables
Eat cruciferous vegetables daily, or eat at least five servings per week. Cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, turnips and radishes are among the most common. It is best not to eat them raw, because in their raw form they contain high amounts of goitrogens, thyroid suppression agents that are removes during the cooking process. Since many people with cancer have slightly underactive thyroids, it’s a good idea to avoid goitrogens when possible.

In addition to having special anticancer compounds called indoles and isothiocynates, cruciferous vegetables are also high in vitamins A, C, and E; some contain anticancer minerals, and most are high in fiber. In experiments, indoles were added to the diets of mice before and during the administration of carcinogens; the indoles stopped the growth of tumors developing in the stomach and lungs. In some way not yet clear, indoles deactivate carcinogens or block them from damaging cells, acting at several different stages of carcinogens to stop both cancer promoters and initiators. It may be that indoles buttress the enzymes systems responsible for metabolizing carcinogens, and in all probability, they increase the antioxidant action of glutathione compounds. However this works, cruciferous vegetables have proved to be terrified anticancer nutrients.

Another component in broccoli, called sulforaphane, also appears to block tumor formation in animals and presumably in humans as well. Organically grown broccoli produces a much greater amount of sulforaphane than the commercially grown variety. Sulforaphane is a potent inducer of phase II cellular enzyme activity, which is known to deactivate cancer-causing agents though detoxification.

Broccoli sprouts, which taste something like alfalfa sprouts, contain up to one hundred times more sulforaphane than does broccoli itself. Broccoli sprouts are available in some supermarkets and health food stores or you can sprout your own. Sprouting seeds are very nutritious and cost effective and provide a relatively easy way to acquire many vitamins, minerals and important cancer inhibiting phytonutrients. Besides mung bean sprouts, found in many Asian dishes, and the recently popular broccoli sprouts, other seeds and legumes that sprouts well include red clover, buck wheat, chickpea, radish and sunflower.
Diet with Cruciferous Vegetables

Nutrition and Diet

2008-10-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Nutrition and Diet
Food is not simply a physiological fuel. It is a social phenomenon. In between we eat on average three meals a day and are subjected to a great deal of pressure on what we should eat, from manufacturer and advertisers, from experts and quacks and from custom and habit. Nutrition is a topic of conversation on which the average person can hold an opinion much as he holds opinions on nuclear weapon, the environment or taxation. Yet nutrition is unique among such controversies because the attendant opinion can be acted on at the individual level. A resident of Europe or North America cannot escape the threat of nuclear warfare, environment decay and certainly taxation. But they can change their diet any way they please without seeking permission, either by making an informed decision based on a sound understanding of nutrition, or by whim.

Nutrition controversies are not new. The Greek philosophers linked the four elements of cosmos – air, fire, water and earth – with four humors of man – blood, bile, phlegm, and black bile. Individual foods were assigned to humors. Accordingly, Hippocrates recommended pepper combined with honey and vinegar, for the treatment of feminine disorders. The ancient Chinese also held diet high in their medical kit-bag.

The old Chinese expert said: Experts at curing disease are inferior to those who warn against disease. Experts in the use of medicines are inferior to those who recommended a proper diet. The Egyptians believed the gut to be the root of all illness and sought considerable relief from the usage of figs.

Such early views on diet were theoretically arrived at by careful, logical thought. The first experimental evidence linking diet and disease was the relation between the incidence of scurvy aboard sailing ships and the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. In the ensuing centuries, scientist employed the present day approach of experimentation to understand digestion, salivation, respiratory metabolism and the biological need for certain nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. This quest extended well into the present century.
Nutrition and Diet

Vitamin in Fresh Juices

2008-10-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Vitamin in Fresh Juices
If looking for vitamin potency, fresh juice can deliver. Just choose the vitamin wanted and drink the juices that contain them, It’s as simple as that.

Vitamin A (retinol) promotes normal growth and development, foster proper eyesight, maintains clear, healthy skin, and has been linked to cancer prevention. Fresh carrot or green juices contain an abundance of pro-vitamin A (beta carotene). Pro-vitamin A is easily converted to usable vitamin A in the liver. Unlike synthetic vitamin A, which is toxic in high doses, pro-vitamin A from food sources is safe even in large amounts.

Vitamin B complex is a group of vitamin that works together to help the body digest and use the energy in carbohydrates. B complex also promotes resistance to infection.

Components of B complex are: vitamin B-1 (thiamine), vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-3 (niacin), vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B-12 (cobalamin), biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, and pantothenic acid. Whole grains are among the best natural sources of B complex. But fresh juices, especially green and sprout juices, and cirrus juice made with a high sped juicer contain significant amounts of B complex vitamins, as well.

Vitamin C is regarded popularity as a panacea, capable of curing colds, heart disease, cancer and other ailments. However, the clinical evidence that vitamin C does any of these things is inconclusive. What has been proves is that vitamin C is an antioxidant – a substance that protect important molecules and structures in the cells from being destroyed by oxygen. It helps protect the nerves, glands, joints, and connective tissue for oxidation, and also aids in the absorption of iron. All fresh fruit and vegetable are excellent sources of vitamins C.

Vitamin E is another important antioxidant. It helps to function and promotes the use of fatty acids. Because studies on animals show it to be true, scientists hypothesize that vitamin E may also protect fertility in woman and men. Fresh beet, celery, and green juices contain vitamin E, as do whole grains and nuts.
Vitamin in Fresh Juices

Age Factor in Food Digestion

2008-10-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Age Factor in Food Digestion
The complex process of digestion/absorption can be optimally effective only when the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs are totally developed and fully functioning. Not only must the muscular tube (alimentary canal) with its mucosal lining and endocrine cells be operating efficiently in conjunction with the nervous system, but the accessory organs (pancreas liver, and gallbladder) with their important digestive secretions also must be physiologically mature.

The feeding of infants is based primarily on the degree of maturation of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs. Good examples of the emphasis on gastrointestinal tract maturity are the care given to the fat in infant formula and the time and sequence of the introduction of various foods into the infant’s diet. Only those fats processing, an ease of absorption comparable to that in human milk are used in commercial formula, and the introduction of solid food, beginning with baby cereal usually occurs no earlier than 4 moths old.

The infant pancreas, although structurally mature at term, is unable for several months to produce enzymes sufficient for effective digestion. Pancreatic lipase, alpha-amylase, and the proteolytic enzymes are in too short supply to accommodate digestion of a mixed diet. Digestion of fat is a real concern because there is a deficiency of bile salts from the liver as well as low lipase release from the pancreas.

Solid foods cannot be handled efficiently by the infants’ gastrointestinal tract much before 4 to 6 months, not only because of the deficiency of pancreatic enzymes but also because of poorly coordinated gastric motility. Antral mixing during the very early months of the infant’s life is insufficient for the proper digestion of solid foods.

Particularly attention must be given to the introduction of unmodified cow’s milk and egg white into the infant’s diet. During early infancy intestinal mucosal permeability is greater than normal, and many large molecules, such as low molecular weight proteins, tend to be absorbed intact. Although this absorption has it positive side in that neonates are able to absorb immunoglobulins from their mother’s milk, the increased permeability may allow absorption of proteins such as lactalbumin and egg albumin. Usually by the age of about 2 years the gastrointestinal tract has reached maturity, and digestion/absorption normally becomes efficient, effective process.
Age Factor in Food Digestion

Atherosclerosis and Food Diet

2008-09-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Atherosclerosis and Food Diet
Atherosclerosis is used to describe several pathological processes occurring in a number of arteries and is responsible for coronary heart disease, stroke and diseases of the peripheral circulatory system. Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by deposition of a fatty material on the walls of the arteries. Their material consists essentially of cholesterol, triglycerides fats, fibrous tissue and red blood cells. As the deposit continues to build, it restricts blood flow through the artery. When the coronary artery is involved, heart attack and death may follow.

Human studies have indicated a link between atherosclerosis and diet exists. The intake of saturated fat s and cholesterol increases the likehoods of having elevated serum cholesterol which is associated with arthrosclerosis. Other factors in addition to diet are associated with the occurrence of atherosclerosis. Among them are obesity, hypertension, diabetes, sedentary living, cigarette smoking, and high blood cholesterol levels. The latter may be cause by diet or be of hereditary origin. Although diet does appear to be involved, it must be emphasized that its relative importance in contributing to atherosclerosis is not entirely clear.

Since cholesterol, a sterol found in all animal tissues, eggs, milk and other foods of animal origin, is a component of the atherosclerosis deposit, it has been reasonable to hypothesize that foods high in cholesterol can contributed to atherosclerosis. Such food may increase the level of cholesterol in the blood. But other components of diet especially large quantities of saturated fats and sugars – also can result in high levels of blood cholesterol.

Furthermore, some investigators find that high levels of blood triglycerides correlate even more closely with coronary disease than do high levels of blood cholesterol. High levels of blood triglycerides also result from the consumption of large quantities of saturated fats and sugars. Whereas consumption of large quantities of saturated fats can increase levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, liberal quantities of polyunsaturated vegetable oils tend to decrease blood cholesterol.
Atherosclerosis and Food Diet

Food Diet for High Blood Pressure

2008-09-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

Food Diet for High Blood Pressure
In healthy people, blood pressure is no more than 120/80 mmHg. The top number of blood pressure reading – the higher number is systolic pressure, which occurs when the heart beats and pumps the blood. When heart rests between beats, the pressure falls – even as the blood continues to travel through the blood vessel – producing the bottom number, which is called diastolic pressure.

High blood pressure presents no symptoms, which is why it’s often called a “silent killer”. It is more likely to occur in people who are heavy drinkers and in women who take oral contraceptives.

People who have high blood pressure should strive for a heart healthy diet that helps to maintain weight and trim inches off waist. Studies show that waist circumference may be a more accurate predictor of heart disease and high blood pressure risk than even body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body weight in relation to a height.

Any heart healthy diet should include several fruits and vegetable each day, which will fortify body with disease – fighting phytonutrients and antioxidants vitamin. Eating fruits and vegetable will help ensure get fiber as well.

Soluble fiber, the kind that dissolves in water, is especially critical because it will help slow down digestion and can help lower blood pressure. Both soluble and insoluble fiber can help with weight loss or maintenance by making us feel good. Good sources of fiber include oats, kidney, beans, peas, cauliflower, flaxseed, apples, oranges and carrots.

When it comes to protein, look for lean varieties. Good proteins include chicken, fish and soy products such as tempeh, tofu, soy milk, and soy burger. Fish has added omega 3 fatty acids.
Food Diet for High Blood Pressure

How Gastrointestinal Tract Function?

2008-09-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

How Gastrointestinal Tract Function?
An examination of the various mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract that allow to be ingested, digested, absorbed, and then its residue to be excreted reveals the complexity of the digestion/absorption process. Normal digestion and absorption of nutrients is dependent not only on a healthy alimentary canal but also on an exquisite integration of the digestive system with the nervous system, endocrine system, and circulatory system. An excellent example of this integration of systems is the finely controlled emptying of chyme from the stomach into the small intestine.

The many factors influencing digestion and absorption, including the dispersion and mixing of ingested food, the quantity and composition of gastrointestinal secretions, status of the enterocytes, expanse of intestinal absorptive area and the transit time of intestinal contents must be coordinated so that nourishment of the body can occur while homeostasis of body fluids is maintained. Much of the coordination required is provided by regulatory peptides, some of which are provided by the nervous system as well as by the endocrine cells of the gastrointestinal tract.
How Gastrointestinal Tract Function?

Pancreas – Organ Producing Digestive Enzymes

2008-09-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Pancreas – Organ Producing Digestive Enzymes
The pancreas, the organ producing the most potent digestive enzymes, is a slender, elongated organ ranging on length from 6 to 9 inches. It runs horizontally behind the greater curvature of the stomach and lies between the stomach and the duodenum.

Two distinctive types of active tissues are found in the pancreas: the acini, or ducted exocrine tissue, that produces the digestive enzymes and the ductless endocrine tissue that secrets hormones, primarily insulin and glucagon.

The enzyme-producing cells are arranged into circular glands are attached to small ducts. Enzymes are packaged into zymogen granules (secretory vesicles) and released when acini are simulated by various secretagogues. The greatest amount of stimulation appears to be exerted by the hormones CCK (cholecystokinin) and secretin. CCK stimulates the release of pancreatic enzymes, whereas secretin causes bicarbonate secretin. Other secretagogues include the regulatory peptides, neurotensin, VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) and substance P.

Released secretions are picked up by the small pancreatic ducts and carried into large, main duct of the pancreas. This duct of the pancreas joins with the common bile duct to form the bile pancreatic duct that empties into the duodenum though Oddi’s sphincter.

Enzymes produced by the pancreas are responsible for the digestion of 50% of all carbohydrates, 50% of all protein, and 90% of all fat. In addition, the bicarbonate produced by the pancreas is essential for neutralizing the acid chime passing into the duodenum from the stomach.
Pancreas – Organ Producing Digestive Enzymes

The Importance of Adequate Fiber Intake

2008-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Importance of Adequate Fiber Intake
The importance of adequate intake of fiber to the improvement of health is demonstrated by some of the physiologic effects exerted by its various components. Particularly noteworthy are the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of soluble fiber. Slowing the absorption rate of carbohydrate can be very helpful to the diabetic in regulating blood glucose levels and lowering serum cholesterol levels presently appears to have significant benefit in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Adequate fiber intake has been implicated in control of various gastrointestinal disorders, including diverticular disease, gallstones, irritable-bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and constipation. It was suggested that fiber, especially wheat bran, is effective in the treatment of constipation; but evidence for the effectiveness of fiber in control of the other diseases seems equivocal. Nevertheless, populations with high fiber intakes have a lower incidence of these gastrointestinal disorders.

A generous fiber intake appears to be beneficial to some individual in their efforts at weight control. The bulk provided by fiber may have some satiety value, so that high fiber foods possibly reduce the hunger pangs associated with caloric restriction while simultaneously somewhat reducing nutrient utilization. The anti-toxic effect of fiber is a physiologic role often overlooked. Results of studies on experimental animals, particularly growing rats, have shows the protective effects of selected fiber supplements against a variety of toxic agents.
The Importance of Adequate Fiber Intake

Physiologic Roles of Dietary Fiber

2008-07-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

Physiologic Roles of Dietary Fiber
Certain physical properties of fiber such as particle size influence its effect in the gastrointestinal tract. Important characteristics of dietary fiber in relation to its physiologic role include hydration, capacity, adsorptive attraction for organic molecules, cation exchange capacity and fermentability. Fiber exerts its effect throughout the gastrointestinal tract beginning in the mouth. Fiber components that cannot be solubilized (lignin, cellulose and most of the hemicellulose) require increased chewing, thereby stimulating, saliva secretion and serving somewhat as a tooth cleanser.

Often dietary fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble in order to more easily explain its physiological functions. This classification is imprecise, however, because determination of soluble fiber is very difficult and the amount resulting from fiber analysis is influenced by the method used.

The food providing dietary fiber can have a decisive influence in the gastrointestinal tract responses elicited because sources of fiber vary in the relative amount of the different fiber components. For example wheat bran, is primarily hemicellulose, while most fruits, and vegetables contain almost equal quantities of cellulose and pectin. Dietary fiber composition of plant depends on the plant species, the part of the plant consumed (leaf, root, stem) and its maturity. For example lignin is found relatively small amounts in edible plants; its content is highest in fruits with edible seeds, such as strawberries, and in mature root vegetables, such as carrots.
Physiologic Roles of Dietary Fiber

Sugar in the Diet

2008-06-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

Sugar in the Diet
Sugar, the common name for sucrose (also saccharides), is extracted and refined from sugar cane and sugar beets. There are many substance chemical classified as sugars, and when these are referred to, they are always used with a qualifier such as in milk sugar (lactose), corn sugar (dextrose), and malt sugar (maltose).

When the word sugar is used without qualifier in, generally refers to the common sweetener (sucrose). Other sugars have varying degrees of sweetness relative to sucrose, and some sugars differ from sucrose in that they lend varying degrees of bitterness whereas sucrose imparts only a sweet taste.

Other important sources of sucrose include palm and maple trees and fruits. Chemically, and in every other way, cane sugar and beet sugar are the same. In addition to providing energy for the body and sweetness to foods, sugars perform numerous other roles in the food industry.

Sucrose is actually composed of glucose and fructose, and it is structurally unique in that its glycosidic bond involved the anomeric hydroxyl of both residues. The linkage is alpha with respect to the glucose and beta with respect to the fructose residue.

The dietary sugars that are most important nutritionally since free monosaccharides are not commonly present in the diet in significant quantities. There is, however, some free glucose and fructose on honey, in certain fruits, and in the carbohydrates that are added to processed foods. The cellular use of carbohydrates depends on their absorption from gastrointestinal (GI) tract into the blood stream, a process normally restricted to monosaccharides. Therefore the sugars must be hydrolyzed to their constituent monosaccharides units. The hydrolytic enzymes involved are collectively called glycosidase, or, alternatively, carbohydrases.
Sugar in the Diet

Definition of Dietary Fiber

2008-05-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

Definition of Dietary Fiber
Because dietary fiber is not a constant entity, no universally accepted definition for this food component has yet evolved. Probably the most widely accepted definition for dietary fiber is that: plant polysaccharides and lignin which are resistant to hydrolysis by the digestive enzymes of man.

Dissatisfaction with this definition exists because

It fails to include all the indigestible residue from food that may reach the colon.

It uses ability to be digested as the basis for identifying fiber. All undigested food reaching the colon does not necessarily lack the ability to be digested nor is necessarily unavailable to the body.

Starch in varying amounts reaches the colon in an unaltered state along with the truly indigestible polysaccharides (nonstarch polysaccharides). Starch and much of the nonstarch polysaccharides fermentation by colonic bacteria, thereby producing short-chain fatty acids that may be used for energy by the host.

Despite their presence in colonic residue, starch and lignin are not considered by some researcher as true components of dietary fiber, starch because it is a non-carbohydrates polymer. It is generally agreed that all of the nonstarch polysaccharides should be regarded as fiber components. Dietary fiber, in spite of the controversy about its exact composition, is derived from plant cells. The plant cell wall is all particular importance in providing the non starch polysaccharides, also plant cell wall is the source of lignin.
Definition of Dietary Fiber

Water distribution in the body

2008-04-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

Water distribution in the body
Water accounts for approximately 60% of the total body mass in a normal adult, making it the most abundant constituent of the human body. In terms of volume, the total body water in a man of average weight (79kg) is roughly 40L. Water provides the medium for the solubilization and passage if a multitude of nutrients, both organic and inorganic, from the blood to the cells and the return of metabolic products to the blood. It also serves as the medium in which the vast number of intracellular metabolic reactions takes place.

Total body water can theoretically be compartmentalized into two major reservoirs, the intracellular compartment, which includes all water enclosed within cell membranes. Of the 40L of total body water, the intracellular and extracellular compartments account for about 25L and 15L respectively. The anatomic extracellular water is functionally subdivided into plasma, which is cell free, intravascular water compartment, and the interstitial fluid (ISF), which directly bathes the extravascular cells provides the medium for the passages of nutrients and metabolic products reciprocally form the blood to those cells.

He fraction of total body weight that is water and the percentage of total body water that is extracellular or intracellular do not remain constant during growth. When express as percentage of body weight, total body water decreases during gestation and early childhood, reaching adult values by about three years of age. During this time the extracellular water (expressed as a percentage of body weight) decreases while the intracellular water increases.
Water distribution in the body

Dietary Fiber

2008-03-13T02:58:00.000-07:00

Dietary Fiber
Recognition of dietary fiber as an important food component was reawakened in the mid 1970s. Since the simple notion that “roughage” relieves constipation has been replaces by the concept of an active dietary fiber with its many possible implications for general health. Result from the extensive research devoted to the dietary fiber during the last 15 or so years have suggested this food component may be quiet important in the prevention and management of a wide variety of disease states. Not surprisingly, fiber has been implicated as important in various aspect of bowel function. The metabolic diseases, diabetes and obesity, are believed by some researches s to be more easily regulated with high fiber and fiber supplemented diets. Fiber has also has been implicated in the control or prevention of variety of carcinomas as well as certain diseases affecting the cardiovascular system.

The varying aspects of the fiber observed by researches are related to the fact that dietary fiber is made up of different compositions, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Delineation of these many components plus their various, distinctive characteristics emphasizes fact that dietary fiber cannot be considered a single entity.

Food components figures of fiber traditionally have referred to crude fiber, primarily cellulose, rather than being inclusive for the various component making up dietary fiber.
Dietary Fiber

Selenium in food and diet

2007-12-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Selenium in food and diet
Selenium is an essential trace mineral in the human body. This nutrient is an important part of antioxidant enzymes that protect cells against the effects of free radicals that are produced during normal oxygen metabolism. The body has developed defenses such as antioxidants to control levels of free radicals because they can damage cells and contribute to the development of some chronic diseases. Selenium is also essential for normal functioning of the immune system and thyroid gland.

Plant foods are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries throughout the world. The amount of selenium in soil, which varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the plant foods that are grown in that soil. Researchers know that soils in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas have very high levels of selenium. People living in those regions generally have the highest selenium intakes in the United States. Soils in some parts of China and Russia have very low amounts of selenium and dietary selenium deficiency is often reported in those regions.

Selenium also can be found in some meats and seafood. Animals that eat grains or plants that were grown in selenium-rich soil have higher levels of selenium in their muscle. In the United States, meats and bread are common sources of dietary selenium. Some nuts, in particular Brazil nuts and walnuts, are also very good sources of selenium.

Selenium deficiency is most commonly seen in parts of China where the selenium content in the soil, and therefore selenium intake, is very low. Selenium deficiency is linked to Keshan Disease. The most common signs of selenium deficiency seen in Keshan Disease are an enlarged heart and poor heart function. Keshan disease has been observed in low-selenium areas of China, where dietary intake is less than 19 mcg per day for men and less than 13 mcg per day for women.
Selenium in food and diet

Weight loss diets

2007-10-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

Weight loss diets
It is a disturbing fact that almost 50% of the American population fights desperately to keep off the bulge. The fast paced lifestyle and faulty eating habits are one reason. Cigarettes and alcohol might be another. In fact there are several reasons why one might gain extra weight. As a result of this, weight loss diets have become extremely popular in the US in the last few years. There are all kinds of weight loss diets. Fast diets, diets which promise spot reduction to diets which allow you to lose weight even when you are eating loads of food. But which one really works? Will each one of these diet programs work for you?

Factors affecting performance
While it is a fact that the kitchen is the place where you pile on those extra kilos, it isn’t the only place where you will shed them. You will have to bring about a complete lifestyle change combined with a diet program that brings about a gradual change in your eating habits. Anything that promises to shed 17 kilos in one week is a fad diet. It might be impossible and often harmful for you to stick to such a diet in the long run and nor is it recommended that you do it. The trick is to lose weight without depriving yourself.

Diet Mathematics
A good weight loss program should have some mathematics involved in it. A few simple calculations about what to eat and when to eat should simplify a lot of things for you. There are times when the body will burn off the extra carbs that go in. That is the best time to eat carbs. But when the body is in the standby mode, try consuming proteins. Lastly, exercise will work wonders for your body. Even a small brisk walk should do for starters.
Weight loss diets

Diet of Anti-Aging

2007-05-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Diet of Anti-Aging
Calorie restriction is the practice of eating less than body needs to maintain normal weight. Exactly how much less a person eats on a calorie restriction diet varies. In research studies, people practicing calorie restriction ate 20 percent to 25 percent less than their bodies needed. For example, a person who needs 2,000 daily calories for weight maintenance might eat 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day on a calorie restriction diet. People who follow a calorie restriction diet do so in hopes of slowing the aging process and extending their lives.

But beyond restricting how much food they eat, people who subscribe to calorie restriction carefully monitor their food intake to ensure they're getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need. This can mean choosing more foods that are full of nutrients, but low in calories, such as vegetables and whole grains. Interest in calorie restriction has grown as studies show the diet can extend the lives of animals. Only limited studies have been conducted in people.
Diet of Anti-Aging

Vitamin A-rich diet may reduce stomach cancer risk

2007-04-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Vitamin A-rich diet may reduce stomach cancer risk
A diet rich in vitamin A (retinol) may cut the risk of stomach cancer by 44 per cent, suggests a prospective study from Sweden.

The study, which analyzed dietary data from over 36,000 women and 45,000 men, also reported that similar risk reductions are obtained from high dietary intake of both alpha- and beta-carotene.

High intakes of vitamin A, retinol, and provitamin A carotenoid may reduce the risk of gastric cancer. Stomach cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in the world, according to the European School of Oncology, and there are 800,000 new cases every year. It is Japan's most common form of cancer.

Writing in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers report that, the relative risk of gastric cancer between people in the highest versus lowest intake groups of total vitamin A was reduced by 47 per cent.

The relative risks between people in the highest versus lowest intake groups of retinol, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene were reduced by 44, 50 and 45 per cent, respectively.

No significant gastric cancer risk reduction associations were found for beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, or lycopene intake, said the researchers
Vitamin A-rich diet may reduce stomach cancer risk

Food Pyramid

2007-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Food Pyramid
Distilling nutrition advice into a pyramid was a stroke of genius. The shape immediately suggests that some foods are good and should be eaten often, and that others aren't so good and should be eaten only occasionally. The layers represent major food groups that contribute to the total diet.
Food Pyramid

Raw Food Diet

2007-01-30T00:12:00.000-08:00

Raw Food Diet
Here are a few of the many reasons:

Raw Food tastes better.
If you're into gourmet and blessed with sensitive taste buds, Raw Food is the only way to satisfy your true commitment to decadent dining. After Raw Food, cooked food tastes like cardboard.

Raw Food is a massive time saver.
Once you get the hang of Raw Food Diet planning/preparing, you'll be amazed at the time you save cooking and cleaning. Since Raw Food is easier to digest, you'll sleep better and sleep less, giving you more productive hours. Your big win is your increased quality of life and longevity.

Raw Food is a massive money saver.
Raw Food is nutrient dense which means you'll eat less, so you'll buy less. Raw Food dramatically transforms mental ability, so you'll be on a faster track to turning your $1,000,000 ideas into a lifetime of $1,000,000 cashflows.

Raw Food is enzyme rich.
Enzymes are the spark of life. Bodies work on priorities revolving first around enzymes. As an example, the pancreas can produce either metabolic enzymes to fight Cancer or digestive enzymes to break down cooked food. When cooked food is present, the pancreas stops producing Cancer fighting enzymes and shifts it's entire energy to producing digestive enzymes. A sobering thought, if you're planning a long, comfortable life.

Raw Food, when ripe, is alkalizing.
If blood and lymph become even slightly acidic, bodies transition into emergency mode. First Calcium is leeched from bone. If this fails, over production of cholesterol begins and cells pack cholesterol in cell walls to cut off fluid exchange with the acid. The familiar cycle begins - Insomnia, Arthritis and finally full blown Cancer. Continuous emergency mode operation creates adrenal/thyroid exhaustion and sets the stage for Insomnia. Calcium leeching sets the stage for Arthritis. Cholesterol packing sets the stage for Cancer by cutting off nutrient uptake and toxin elimination.

Raw Foods protect against protein poisoning.
Many people have fallen prey to the "to little protein myth". They continually focus on and over eat protein which results in acidosis (highly acid body fluids). During our life cycle we mature fastest between birth and 18 months when our only food should be mother's milk which is 3-5% protein. When we are mature, we require even less protein as we've finished building on our primary bone and tissue. The abundance of high quality, protein in greens, nuts and seeds is perfect to keep our body running at peak performance without the protein poisoning problems of fish, foul, meat, dairy, rice, grains and soy.

Raw Foods retain nutrient integrity.
Heat denatures (renders toxic) even the highest quality food nutrients. Denatured nutrients setup small imbalances which accumulate and amplify over entire lifetimes. When you hear someone has died of "natural causes", this usually means one imbalance has intensified so far, death has resulted

Raw Food promotes ethical treatment of animals.
Visit any commercial farm, fishery, hatchery or meat packing plant and if you have a conscience, you'll be a Raw Fooder for life. Nothing like the torture of small animals to put you on the Raw Food Diet for life.
Raw Food Diet

Vegetable Nutrition For a Healthy Life

2007-01-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

Vegetable Nutrition For a Healthy Life
Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fiber, plus a whole range of vitamins and minerals, and because they're low in calories, they make an important and healthy addition to any diet. Here is some information for you about vegetable nutrition. "Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet, and for good reason.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss."5 A Day" is a national health programme in the USA and also in the UK to explain why you need vegetable nutrition as well as fruit and to encourage you to eat more servings of fruit and vegetables every day.

People all over the world are becoming more and more aware of how important fruit nutrition and vegetable nutrition is to stay healthy. In general, yellow and dark green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. The greener the leaf, the richer the nutrients will be.

Here are some suggestions to think about color to pack nutritional power in your diet:
· White: Eat cauliflower more often than potatoes, onions and mushrooms.
· Green: Add more dark lettuces, such as romaine and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts to replace iceberg lettuce and green beans.
· Yellow-orange: Substitute more carrots, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruit for corn or bananas.
· Red: Select tomatoes, red peppers and strawberries in favor of apples.

If you are trying to watch your weight, an idea is to make sure you are not eating too many calories if you are adding these foods to your diet. Increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat can promote weight control, but only if they replace higher fat foods like ice cream, meat and chips to help you consume fewer calories.

But if fruits and vegetables are simply added to what you already eat, total calories won't significantly drop and weight loss should not be expected. The most important thing to do is to vary the fruit and vegetables that you eat from day to day. This is to give your body a variety but to also keep you interested in your food. There are always great new recipes, ideas and ways to make your food look and taste great!
Vegetable Nutrition For a Healthy Life

Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

2006-12-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Reducing Sodium in Your Diet
Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned "with no salt added" vegetables.

Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.

Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.

Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.

Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.

Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.

When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.

Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium
Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

Low sugar soft drinks can improve young people's diets

2006-11-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

The recent publication of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of young people (aged 4 - 18 years) in the United Kingdom has given all of those interested in food, health and diet a new databank of statistics to analyse and interpret.

Undertaken as part of a programme which will cover all age groups, this survey provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the dietary habits, nutrient intakes and nutritional status of British young people.

At a time when childhood obesity, dietary disorders and the quality of childrens' diet receive widespread media coverage, it is perhaps some comfort to know that few British children are likely to suffer from the quantity or content of their diet. Of far more concern is the fact that they are getting far too little exercise, particularly once they reach their teens.

Of course, the key issue is the balance of the diet, rather than simply the amount of energy consumed, and it is here that the survey provides some very interesting findings.

Boys derived 51.6% of their energy intake from carbohydrates while girls get 51.1% of their energy intake from this source. However the nature of these carbohydrates leaves room for some improvement. Simple sugars (NMES - Non-Milk Extrinsic Sugars) accounted for 16.7% of energy intake for boys and 16.4% for girls - this exceeds the recommended average of 11% set by COMA (Committee for Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy).

The main source of NMES intake is carbonated soft drinks which account for almost a quarter of NMES in older boys and girls. A switch to low or no sugar soft drinks could have a significant impact, not least on the incidence of dental caries.

Carbonated soft drinks are by far the most popular beverages among young people, with full sugar products consumed by three quarters of the survey sample, though market figures show that juice drinks are gaining significant 'share of throat'.

New low and no sugar products in the soft drink sector provide the opportunity to reduce extrinsic sugars without compromising on taste, which is very important in gaining product acceptance among children and teenagers.

For example, Britvic's new Juice Up in Smooth Orange, Sunshine Tropical and Cool Berry Flavours contains 17% fruit juice, 8% skimmed milk and 17% of the RDA for calcium (per 200ml). But it contains no added sugar and is sweetened with aspartame.
Low sugar soft drinks can improve young people's

Fast food: 6 ways to healthier meals

2006-11-04T21:58:00.000-08:00

Fast food: 6 ways to healthier meals
Fit fast food into your weight-loss or healthy diet plan. Make wise meal choices and practice moderation in portion control and menu selections.

Can fast food be part of a weight-loss or healthy diet plan? You might not think so. In fact, you might even think that you can't have a meal that's both quick and healthy.

But this isn't necessarily so. An occasional stop at a fast-food restaurant can fit into a healthy diet plan. The key is to choose wisely.

1. Keep portion sizes small. If the fast-food restaurant offers several sandwich sizes, pick the smallest or order half a sandwich, if available. Bypass hamburgers with two or three beef patties, which can pack more than 1,000 calories and 70 grams of fat. Instead, choose a regular- or children's-sized hamburger, which has about 250 to 300 calories. Also, skip the large serving of french fries or onion rings and ask for a small serving instead. This switch alone saves about 300 calories. Or better yet, select a lower calorie option.

2. Choose a healthier side dish. Take advantage of healthy side dishes offered at many fast-food restaurants. For example, instead of french fries choose a side salad with low-fat dressing or a baked potato. Or add a fruit bowl or a fruit and yogurt option to your meal. Other healthy choices include apple or orange slices, corn on the cob, steamed rice, or baked potato chips.

3. Go for the greens. Choose a large entree salad with grilled chicken, shrimp or garden vegetables with fat-free or low-fat dressing on the side, rather than regular salad dressing, which can have 300 or more calories per packet. Watch out for high-calorie salads, such as those with deep-fried shells or those topped with breaded chicken or other fried toppings. Also, skip salad extras such as cheese, bacon bits, croutons and fried chips, which quickly increase your calorie count.

4. Opt for grilled items. Fried and breaded foods, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and breaded fish fillets, are high in fat and calories. Select grilled or roasted lean meats — such as turkey or chicken breast, lean ham, or lean roast beef.

5. Have it your way. Don't settle for what comes with your sandwich or meal. Ask for healthier options and substitutions. For example, ask for reduced-fat mayonnaise or mustard on your sandwich. Or at a fast-food Mexican restaurant, request salsa with your meal instead of shredded cheese and nacho cheese sauce. Try to avoid special dressings, tartar sauce, sour cream and other high-calorie condiments.

6. Watch what you drink. Many beverages contain a large number of calories. For example, a large soda (32 ounces) has about 400 calories. Instead, order diet soda, water, unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water or mineral water. Also, skip the shakes and other ice-cream drinks, which can contain more than 1,000 calories and all of your saturated fat allotment for the day.

You can eat healthy away from home, even at fast-food restaurants. The bottom line: Be choosy. Make wise menu choices and focus on portion control.
Fast food: 6 ways to healthier meals

Weight Loss Resolution In 4 Weeks

2006-10-13T02:48:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss Resolution In 4 Weeks
Every year millions of us make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Every year millions of us give up before the end of January. Let’s take a look at some of the things we do to set ourselves up for failure year after year.

Super Restrictive Diets
We all like instant gratification. We want to loose 30 pounds in 3 days. That’s what drives us to super restrictive diets that promise immediate fast results. We go on the soup diet, the rice diet or the egg diet. We are bound to give up – who can eat that stuff for 30 days straight?

The Juice Diet
With this particular diet, you don’t have anything other than water and this disgustingly sweet juice for 48 hours. Sure you’ll lose a few pounds of water when you first try it, but it’s obviously not a long-term diet plan.

Diet Pills
Diet Pills are supposed to work by suppressing your appetite and boosting your metabolism by using caffeine and similar stimulants. They don’t work well long term for two reasons. You don’t feel very well if you’re jacked up on caffeine that much. I tend to get grumpy, impatient and jittery. Secondly, their effects tend to wear off over time. Your body just gets used to all the extra stimulants and you loose the intended benefits and are simply stuck with a caffeine addition.

Low Carb Diet
Any diet that cuts out most of a major food group will be hard to stick with. Low carb diets were all the craze a few years ago, but are slowly starting to fade out. The reason is simple. In the long run, we don’t want to give up bread, pasta and rice.

You already know that these quick fix diets don’t work. You’ve probably made the New Year’s resolution to lose weight a few times and given up sooner or later. Make this year different. How? By using a more common sense approach to dieting. Eat healthy, make small changes to consume fewer calories and get more active. Slow and steady changes in what you eat and what you do will get you there. You will still be sticking to your resolution in February, March, and all the way into December.
Source:articlecity
Weight Loss Resolution In 4 Weeks

Organic Food

2006-10-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Organic Food
What are Organic Foods ?Organic foods’ are health foods grown without the use of synthetic/ chemical treatments. These treatments start right from the seed and continue till the food is consumed. There is no legal definition of what all items are included in the term ‘organic food’ , so many storekeepers or roadside vendors may be claiming to supply ‘organic produce’. Even if they haven’t used chemicals or insecticides / pesticides on the foodstuff, there’s a lot more to be considered before the food can be claimed ‘organic’.

Are Organic Foods Healthier than Conventional Foods?But here, ‘healthier’ does not necessarily mean more nutritious. It means safer for human consumption. This means that growing a food organically doesn’t alter the nutritional content but the lack of synthetic pesticide & insecticide residues on organically grown foods surely makes it a safer product.

But it is to be understood that organic food itself is not guaranteed free of pesticide residues. Even the most carefully grown organic products may get contaminated from residues coming from the soil from previous farming practices or from contaminated water supplies.

Is Organic Food “Eco-Friendly’? Yes Although we can’t certify for sure on the hazards chemical treatments in food can adversely affect our health , we can certainly talk about the environmental damages they are capable of! Going for organic produce is a positive approach & a respectable gesture of showing one’s concern for the environment.

There are stories & stories of well-documented catastrophes having their Impact on plant and animal life and disturbing the ecological balance. Extensive pollution of air & river water by synthetic chemicals has resulted in crop diseases which are resistant to chemical pesticidal treatments. Hence, it is wise enough to go in for a product which is organically grown.
Organic Food