Food Facts

Vitamin E may help treat and prevent cancer

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com has always kept a close eye on the potential effects of vitamins and supplements on our health. Recently, we introduced our own line of vitamins and supplements that address the need for better-formulated products that are free from the controversial ingredients we are always addressing. You can find them at the FoodFacts TRI Nutritionals website.

Today we read some great information we wanted to share with our community about Vitamin E and its anti-cancer properties. It’s long been presumed that this vitamin could prevent cancer, in fact many animal studies have suggested the idea. However, human clinical trials that were conducted to follow up on those findings did not illustrate the same benefits.

A new study out of Ohio State University and Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center have now shown that Vitamin E can, in fact, have some benefit in cancer prevention and treatment. Researchers showed that in prostate cancer cells, one form of Vitamin E inhibits the activation of an enzyme (the Akt enzyme) that must be present in order for cancer cells to survive.

The study points out that a readily available Vitamin E supplement won’t do the trick. Affordable Vitamin E supplements are based on a vitamin form that didn’t fight cancer as effectively in the study. In addition, the human body can’t absorb the high dose of a typical supplement that would be required to achieve the anti-cancer effect demonstrated.

The most commonly known form of Vitamin E is a variety called tocopherols. Researchers were able to show that a specific form of tocopherol is the most potent anti-cancer form of the vitamin. The scientists manipulated the structure of the Vitamin E molecule and found that the new substance created was able to reduce the size of prostate tumors in mice. Effectively it was able to shut off the Akt enzyme. Mice with prostate cancer who were injected with the agent created by the scientists experienced suppressed tumor growth when compared to those mice injected with a placebo which had no effect on tumor growth. Chemical analysis of the treated tumors showed that the Akt enzyme signal was suppressed. The animal study also suggested the experimental agent was not toxic.

These findings suggest that an agent based on the chemical structure of one form of vitamin E could help prevent and treat numerous types of cancer. It was noted that this is a new finding. While other benefits of Vitamin E have been known for years, no one knew about the specific anti-cancer benefits of this specific form of the vitamin. The researchers are continuing to work on the Vitamin E formulation that they have developed.

FoodFacts.com hopes to report further information in the future regarding the work of these researchers. We look forward to the day that Vitamin E may become a treatment for cancer that will present patients with non-toxic, more natural options in fighting their disease.

There’s more information here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/257741.php

Posted in Cancer, Cancer Treatment, cancers, Vitamin E | Tagged cancer treatment, food facts, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, Vitamin E, Vitamin E cancer prevention, Vitamin E cancer treatment | Leave a comment

Olive Oil the fat that makes you feel full

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com understands that there are millions of consumers who gravitate towards reduced-fat food products. Generally, people feel like these products are better choices for their health and their weight. Especially with the skyrocketing rates of obesity, those “light”, low-fat products appear to be healthier than their full-fat counterparts. Unfortunately for the folks that are eating these products, we know that people will eat more because the products themselves don’t help those folks achieve a “full” feeling after eating a regular serving size. A new study seems to point out one of the reasons this is true.
It appears that natural oils and fats regulate the sensation of feeling full after eating – most especially olive oil.

Work groups at Technische Universität München (TUM) under Prof. Peter Schieberle and at the University of Vienna under Prof. Veronika Somoza studied four different edible fats and oils: Lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil and olive oil. Over a period of three months, the study participants ate 500 grams of low-fat yogurt enriched with one of the four fats or oils every day — as a supplement to their normal diet.

It was reported that olive oil had the biggest effect on satiety. The group consuming low-fat yogurt with olive oil showed a higher level of serotonin in their blood. This is the hormone responsible for the feeling of being satiated. These particular participants reported that they found the olive oil enriched yogurt very to be very filling. During the study period, no member of that group recorded an increase in their body fat or their weight.

The researchers were surprised by the findings. Rapeseed oil and olive oil contain similar fatty acids. So the scientists decided to look more closely at the aroma compounds in olive oil. For this they gave one group of participants yogurt with olive oil aroma extracts while another group was given plain yogurt.

The results were conclusive: The olive oil group’s calorie intake remained the same, but the control group had been consuming an extra 176 calories per day. The researchers explained that the group consuming the yogurt enhanced with the olive oil aroma extracts adapted their eating habits, while the other group could not do the same thing. The second group also had less of the hormone serotonin in their blood.

Blood sugar level plays a major role in how the feeling of fullness will last after eating. The faster the blood sugar level falls, the sooner the person will begin to feel hungry again. This is due to the absorption of glucose in the blood. So, the next thing the researchers studied was which of the aroma substances present in oils are most effective at inhibiting glucose absorption.

The researchers used olive oils from Spain, Greece, Italy and Australia for their study. The research team managed to identify two substances that reduce the absorption of glucose from the blood in liver cells: Hexanal and E2-Hexenal. They also discovered that Italian olive oil contained larger amounts of the two aroma compounds.

Foodfacts.com hopes that this fascinating research will be expanded on, and perhaps manufacturers create healthier products for the population in the future.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130314124616.htm

Posted in oils, Olive Oil, Serotonin | Tagged food facts, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, olive oil, serotonin | Leave a comment

Black tea drinkers may have a reduced risk of stroke

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com really enjoys a good cup of tea! We’ve always been big proponents of the health benefits of tea drinking and have long been interested in the newest findings about those benefits. We regularly hear news about green tea … but today we want to talk about some recent research regarding black tea.

This study out of the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden has illustrated that black tea drinkers were over 21 percent less likely to experience a stroke when compared with those who did not drink black tea.

The study examined data from over 70,000 men and women without any cardiovascular disease beginning in 1997. This population was followed for up to ten years, until December of 2008. During the study period, 4089 people experienced a stroke for the first time. The researchers considered potential risk factors for stroke in looking at the group as a whole. Even with those factors considered, it was found that high black tea consumption resulted in a significantly lower stroke risk. Specifically, those involved in the study who drank four or more cups of tea every day had a 21 percent lower risk of stroke than those who did not drink any tea at all.

The study strongly suggests that drinking four or more cups of black tea a day can reduce stroke risk. While this is great news for black tea drinkers, further study will be needed to determine definitively that tea drinking itself is responsible for this reduced risk. It is possible that those who consume four or more cups of tea each day have healthier habits than those who don’t.

FoodFacts.com is aware of other health benefits associated with tea drinking. This is just another great reason to relax, slow down and enjoy the warmth of some black tea. While we understand further study is needed to prove these findings conclusively, we love the idea that the simple act of drinking black tea might possibly reduce stroke risk for us all!

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Disease/stroke_risk_can_be_reduced_by_drinking_black_tea_0308130752.html

Posted in Black Tea, stroke, stroke risk | Tagged black tea, black tea and reduced stroke risk, black tea reduces the risk of stroke, food facts, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information | Leave a comment

Consumers mistakenly link the color green on food labels with healthier choices

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Luanne

Marketing tactics actually work. FoodFacts.com is always watching and learning how consumers can be led to believe whatever food manufacturers want them to through the simple use of marketing tactics. We’ve discussed this phenomenon often on our blog and our Facebook page. Words like “natural”, “healthy”, “whole grain”, and “multi-grain” often dissuade consumers from reading ingredient lists and fully understanding the products they purchase. Foods marketed to kids often employ the use of a cute, colorful cartoon character that “speaks” directly to them. The list goes on and on.

Today we came across some fascinating research regarding food product marketing. Specifically, the research took a look at the use of a green calorie label appearing on the front of packaging. It appears that this study out of Cornell University has discovered that consumers are more likely to think that a food is healthy if it carries a green calorie label as opposed to a red one … even if the calorie count is exactly the same. It appears that consumers associate the green label with healthfulness – especially among those consumers who place high value on healthy eating.

93 university students were asked to imagine that they were hungry and they see a candy bar while waiting on a grocery checkout line. The students were shown an image of a candy bar with either a red or a green calorie label. They were asked whether the candy bar with the green label contained a greater or lesser number of calories than the candy bar with the red label and how healthy it was in comparison. The students consistently perceived the candy bar with the green label as healthier than the bar with the red label, even though the calorie count was exactly the same.

The experiment was repeated with almost 40 online participants. These consumers were shown images of candy with green or white labels. They were asked how important health was as a factor in their food purchasing decisions. The more importance the participants placed on health as a decision-making factor in food purchases, the more they perceived the green-labeled candy bar as healthier to eat.

Front-of-package labeling has become increasingly popular as a way to attract consumers with a desirable calorie count in the foods they are purchasing. These labels are designed to be conspicuous, especially at point of purchase. And they are especially prevalent on candies and other sugary snacks. The research suggests that the color of the label may have more of an effect on the consumer’s perception than the actual information the label is attempting to convey. This has tremendous implications for food labeling and suggests that the FDA might serve the public well be instituting a uniform front-of-package labeling system.

FoodFacts.com can actually understand how consumers may automatically relate the color green with healthier food choices. These days, everything good is “green”. We have green cleaning products, green fabrics, green paper products, etc. All of these are designed to be better for our environment. And we relate the word “green” with better products because of that. But that association is carrying over to food labeling, when it really shouldn’t be the case. Let’s remember that not all green is clean and good for us – especially when it comes to front-of-package labeling in our food supply. Just because the label is green, doesn’t mean we should really consider the product healthy.
Read more here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312134452.htm

Posted in nutrition facts, nutrition facts label, nutrition labeling, Nutrition Labels | Tagged food facts, Front of Package labels, Green Front of Package Labels, Green labels perceived as healthy, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information | Leave a comment

Consuming too much salt may be a trigger for autoimmune diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com is aware that the rates of autoimmune diseases have been on the rise for quite some time. Instances of diseases like Multiple Sclerosis have increased in the population with little explanation as to why. While it’s understood that people can be genetically predisposed to these diseases, the rates of autoimmune disease have risen fairly quickly.

Now, new research suggests that salt consumption may be an underlying reason for the rapid increases. A new report published in the journal Nature has reported that a high-salt diet may increase levels of a specific immune cell that is linked with autoimmune diseases. These cells are linked with inflammation. The report was culled from three different studies from Harvard and Yale universities. It was noted that mice that had been genetically engineered to develop Multiple Sclerosis got much worse when they were fed a diet comparable to a high-salt Western diet when compared with mice who were fed a diet more moderate in salt.

The results suggest that salt intake may play a role in the triggering of autoimmune diseases in individuals who are already genetically predisposed. It appears that the development of diseases like MS may not just be about genetics after all, but rather a combination of genetics and environmental factors. While the paper links salt and MS, the researchers can’t say how much salt makes the difference.

One of the studies used in the report involved the cell function of 100 healthy individuals. It was noted that when people in the study ate fast food more than once per week, there was a significant increase in levels of destructive inflammatory cells. These cells respond to injury from foreign invaders – but in individuals with autoimmune diseases, the cells actually attack healthy tissue. The autoimmune cell known as a T helper 17 or a Th17 seems to be the cell affected by the high salt diet. The Th17 cells can promote inflammation that’s key to defending against pathogens. But they are also linked to autoimmune diseases.

Researchers then moved to studying the genetically engineered mice. All of the mice involved would develop MS. Based on the observations of the individuals in the previous study, the mice were divided into two groups. One group which had been fed the high salt diet experienced the production of an increased amount of Th17 cells. These were the mice that developed a more severe form of Multiple Sclerosis. The mice that were fed a regular diet experienced less severe disease.

The researchers are anxious for these findings to be studied in the human population. There is already a study that’s been approved that will test the effects of lowering the dietary salt levels of people with MS to see if it might improve symptoms of the disease. While it may be years before the link between salt intake and autoimmune disease can be confirmed, the researchers think that it may be advisable for MS patients to go ahead and lower their daily sodium levels.

FoodFacts.com is always encouraged when science finds implications of links between our diets and our health. The benefits of making small dietary changes can be enormous. The idea of treating chronic, debilitating disease through diet can help us all live longer, healthier lives and may help alleviate the need for powerful medications that often cause physically and emotionally stressful side effects. We look forward to future studies on this important subject.

Posted in Autoimmune Disease, High Salt Diets, Multiple Sclerosis, salt, sodium | Tagged autoimmune disease, diets high in sodium, food facts, High Salt Diet, high sodium levels, Multiple Sclerosis, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, salt consumption | Leave a comment

Could processed meats be a factor in premature death?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com has never been an advocate of consuming processed anything – and that includes processed meats. There are so many inherent problems with it … controversial ingredients, excessive sodium levels, unnecessary fats. It’s just not a healthy food choice for anyone.

Today we read about a new study that confirms those feelings and raises questions about the consequences of including processed meats in our diets. This exceptionally large study involved more than 500,000 men and women and showed a link between processed meat, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study involved ten different countries. The inclusion of processed meat in diets was linked with other unhealthy choices. Those men and women who ate the most processed meat also were found to eat the fewest fruits and vegetables. They were also more likely to smoke cigarettes. And those men who consumed high levels of processed meats also tended to report a higher alcohol consumption as well.

The risk of premature death (from any cause) rose with the amount of processed meats consumed. This remained true after factoring in other variables. While the consumption of some red meat appeared to be beneficial in the diet, the high consumption of processed meats had a decidedly negative effect on longevity.

While it’s true that vegetarians are found to have an overall healthier lifestyle – they are less likely to smoke or be overweight and tend to be more physically active than meat eaters, this study helped to isolate the effects of eating processed meats from other lifestyle choices.

The study did conclude that the risks of dying sooner from cancer and cardiovascular disease increase with the amount of processed meat eating. It’s possible that 3% of premature deaths every year might be prevented if people can eat less than 20 grams of processed meat each day.

FoodFacts.com wants to stress again that the consumption of processed meats is unnecessary in our diets. There are better choices to be made that are fresh and healthier that bring us the benefits of protein and vitamins. Let’s all remain aware of our choices and continue to make the most educated dietary choices possible for ourselves and our families.

Posted in Processed Meats | Tagged food facts, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, Premature Death, Processed Meats | Leave a comment

BPA …it’s even bad for babies before they’re born

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com has been examining a lot of new information on BPA. Bisphenol A has been banned for use in baby bottles and sippy cups here in the U.S., but still remains (unless removed voluntarily) in canned products and other plastics. Regardless of the amount of information being uncovered regarding the negative health impacts of BPA, our country has continued to allow its use in a variety of products.

Today we found more research from the Netherlands that has discovered that the chemical may impact the health of newborn babies.

The study involved the collection of urine samples from pregnant mothers at different stages of their pregnancies. They compared the BPA levels in those samples to their babies growth rate in the womb as well as their developing head circumferences. We know that a small head circumference can imply that a baby’s brain isn’t developing as quickly as it should. A slow rate of growth can lead to a low-birth-weight baby and low-birth-weight babies are more likely to develop delays than those born at a normal weight.

All the women involved in the study had relatively common levels of BPA. However, it was noted that the women showing the highest BPA levels were carrying babies that grew about 20 percent slower in utero than the women who had the lowest levels. The head circumferences of the babies whose mothers showed the highest levels of exposure were also about 11 percent smaller.

BPA is a known endocrine disruptor. It acts like estrogen in the body. It’s been linked to asthma as well as the impairment of neurological development in children. Because its use is so widespread, most people have constant low levels of the chemical in their bodies. Complete avoidance is almost impossible to achieve.

It’s true that the FDA has banned BPA from baby bottles and toddler cups, but this study shows that, in fact, those bans are not protecting our children at all. BPA can actually cause damage to babies while they are still in the womb. And because it’s so difficult to avoid the chemical, babies are really at risk.

While we can’t rid our country of BPA, we can certainly reduce our exposure by eliminating those things we have some control over. FoodFacts.com encourages everyone in our community and those in their networks to purchase canned foods carefully. Manufacturers who have voluntarily eliminated BPA from their canned products are usually very forthcoming about it on their websites and in the news. And when you’re storing beverages or foods, find containers that do not contain the chemical. While we may not be able to avoid BPA completely, we can make enough changes in our households to make sure that we keep levels as low as possible to minimize the dangers we learn more about every day.

Posted in bisphenol A, bpa, Pregnancy | Tagged bisphenol A, bpa, effects on babies before birth, effects on developing babies, food facts, low birthweight, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, small head circumference | Leave a comment

Junk food junkies may be born, not made …

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Luanne

Everyone in our FoodFacts.com community knows where we stand on the issue of junk food – it’s best left alone … for so many different reasons. Bad ingredients, sodium levels, fat levels, added sugars … the list goes on. We’ve seen research saying that junk food consumption can be linked to depression and studies that have linked junk food to the obesity epidemic. But today we found even more information that should be a motivation to help us all stay away from it – especially expectant mothers.

New research from the FOODplus Research Center at the School of Agriculture Food and Wine at The University of Adelaide in Adelaide, Australia was published in the latest issue of The FASEB Journal. It suggests that pregnant mothers consuming too much junk food can cause changes in the development of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their growing babies. As a result, their newborns will be less sensitive to opioids which are released when consuming foods high in fat and sugar. These children are born with a higher tolerance to junk food and need to consume more of it in order to experience the same response as other children. In other words, they are born “junk food junkies.”

The researchers studied the offspring of two different groups of rats. One group of rats had been fed a regular diet while pregnant and nursing. The other group had been fed a variety of human junk foods during their pregnancy and nursing period. After the offspring of both groups were weaned, they were given injections of an opioid receptor blocker each day in order to block opioid signaling, thereby lowering the intake of fat and sugar by inhibiting the release of dopamine. The opioid receptor blocker was less effective at reducing the fat and sugar intake of the rats of the mothers who were fed human junk food than it was in the offspring of the mothers who ate a regular rat food diet.

The study clarifies the idea that junk food can be a real addiction. It employs the identical body chemistry as opium, morphine or heroine. And the junk food addiction can be passed on to a baby developing in its mothers womb … creating a lifetime of battling the problems that the over-consumption of junk food brings with it for yet another generation.

FoodFacts.com hopes that this new study gains worldwide attention. It’s really eye-opening to learn that our cravings for junk food can start before we’re born and to see in such an explicit manner the importance of maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy. We can affect the health and well-being of the next generation … and generations to come by making sure that our own diets meet the nutritional standards our bodies deserve.

Posted in fast food, Junk Food | Tagged Effects of Junk Food Consumption During Pregnancy, food facts, junk food, Junk Food Addiction, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, pregnancy | Leave a comment

Fish is great food

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Luanne

FoodFacts.com has been keeping up with the latest research regarding Omega-3 fatty acids and their benefits to our overall health and well being. Today we found some interesting research from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital that helps us to better understand how Omega-3 fatty acids positively affect our bodies.

We’ve known for a long time that eating fish is a healthy choice. Fish is an easily digestible source of lean protein. And the Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish bring added benefits for us all. Omega-3 fatty acids are found mostly in fatty fish like herring, salmon, and whitefish. They are linked with lowering blood pressure, strengthening our immune systems and being beneficial to our nervous systems and cardiovascular systems.

While we have evidence of all of these positive effects of Omega-3 fatty acids, we’ve never had a true picture of how they work for our benefit on a molecular level. This new study does just that. In articles published in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA,” the scientists involved in the research describe how they analyzed the impact of Omega-3 fatty acids on a systemic level.

They were able to show that the “SLO1” potassium channel is an important component in the effectiveness of Omega-3s. These channels act like receptors for DHA (the most complex form of Omega-3) and are opened by the binding of Omega-3 fatty acids. The researchers explored the effects on the SLO1 channels on the cardiovascular systems of mice. Lab experiments found that administering DHA to the mice expanded their blood vessels and resulted in a drop in blood pressure. The same effect did not occur in genetically modified mice who lacked the ability to produce the SLO1 channel. So the findings confirmed that DHA has an impact on blood pressure that is mediated through SLO1 channels.

In addition, the researchers were surprised to find that a variant of DHA, often found in nutritional supplements, doesn’t seem to have the same effect on blood pressure. In fact, it appeared to suppress the effect of the natural DHA. So that consumption of non-natural Omega-3 fatty acids might actually counter the positive effects of the natural substance. This will be important for the supplementation patients and may alter clinical requirements in the future.

FoodFacts.com has always been a proponent of the inclusion of fish on our menus. Fish offers great taste and variety to meals and important nutritional benefits. We’re happy to see the confirmation of those benefits on a very meaningful level. You can read more about this fascinating study here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305080655.htm

Posted in fish, Omega 3 fatty acids | Tagged DHA, fish, food facts, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information, omega 3s, Omega-3 fatty acids | Leave a comment

Happy National Nutrition Month!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Luanne

Today, FoodFacts.com wants to recognize that March is National Nutrition Month! We wanted to make our community aware of this month long event in our country that tries to focus our population on healthy eating and nutrition!

While there will be several themes throughout the month, kicking off National Nutrition Month is National School Breakfast Week. Beginning with School Breakfast Week will hopefully highlight the importance of promoting the healthiest choices for our children throughout their school day. In addition, we already know how important it is for children – and the rest of us too – to start their day off with a nutritious breakfast. Eating breakfast has been proven to help maintain a healthy weight and, in addition, helps students remain focused throughout the school day.

This year’s Breakfast Week theme is “Be a Star with School Breakfast.” Its aim is to highlight how eating a balanced breakfast at school can help students to shine. The USDA’s School Breakfast Program provides a nutritious meal at the beginning of every school day for almost 13 million children in over 90,000 schools around our country. There’s research that has shown that children learn better after eating a healthy breakfast.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act has helped schools throughout the country help kids make healthier choices in the cafeteria throughout their school day.

On March 8th, the USDA will also celebrate the first International School Meals Day. This was a collaboration between the USDA and the United Kingdom. During that collaboration the two countries exchanged ideas, strategies and best practices regarding food and nutrition policy. The International School meals Day will engage children around the world in classroom discussions on healthy eating at school and at home.

National School Breakfast Week and International School Meals Day are just two of the important events coming up during National Nutrition Month that are designed to get us thinking and ACTING on healthy eating and better nutrition for ourselves and our families. FoodFacts.com hopes that you are your family will read more about this nationwide event and be inspired to become even more active in maintaining your healthy lifestyle with the best food and nutrition choices available. Happy National Nutrition Month from FoodFacts.com!

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/03/0040.xml&contentidonly=true

Posted in National Nutrition Month, National School Breakfast Week | Tagged food facts, International Meals Day, National Nutrition Month, National School Breakfast Week, nutrition data, nutrition facts, Nutrition News, nutritional information | Leave a comment

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