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Rice is a staple food in much of the world, and for good reason: with the addition of some vegetables and perhaps a bit of meat or fish, a bowl of rice makes a tasty, satisfying, and nutritious meal. Brown rice, which has only the outer hull removed, retains--along with its bran layer--an impressive variety of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and even some vitamin E. Brown rice contains only a small amount of protein, but that is of good quality because of its relatively high level of the amino acid lysine. Because the bran is not milled away, brown rice contains four times the amount of insoluble fiber found in white rice--a prime reason for eating brown rice instead of white.



Varieties



Long-grain: Long-grain brown rice stays firm when cooked. It is suitable for most western and Indian recipes, and makes a fine side dish.



Medium-grain: Medium-grain rice, found in Latin and some Asian recipes, is the main ingredient in commercially produced cold rice cereals and cakes. Its grains are plumper than those of long-grain rice, and it works well in soups and stews.



Short-grain: Short-grain, or sticky rice, is most often found in Asian recipes; because it sticks together when cooked, it's easier to eat with chopsticks.



Sweet rice: Sweet rice, or mochi rice, is a Japanese rice (also grown in the U.S.) that is used for desserts. It cooks in about half the time required for long-grain brown rice.



Aromatic rices: This category includes domestic rices such as Texmati and imported versions, including the renowned Indian basmati and Thai jasmine rices. Aromatic rices gives off a nutty-sweet fragrance as they cook, and have a sweet, delicate flavor.



Quick-cooking: Quick-cooking brown rice has been precooked so that it's ready in about 10 minutes.



Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified,(see Brown Rice)

Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) have found that blueberries rank #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful by-products of metabolism called "free radicals" that can lead to cancer and other age related diseases. Anthocyanin -- the pigment that makes the blueberries blue -- is thought to be responsible for this major health benefit.

In another USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) lab, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans. Again, the high antioxidant activity of blueberries probably played a role.

A one cup serving of blueberries contains 16% DV of fiber. Blueberries are a source of Vitamins A and C, potassium and folate.

Blueberries are very low in fat and sodium.

– A concentrate is a form of substance which has had the majority of its base component, or solvent, removed. Typically this will be the removal of water from a solution or suspension such as the removal of water from fruit juice. The benefit of producing a concentrate is that of a reduction in weight for transportation as the concentrate can be re-constituted at the time of usage

Tricalcium phosphate is a compound with formula Ca3(PO4)2. It is also known as calcium orthophosphate, tertiary calcium phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, or "bone ash" (calcium phosphate being one of the main combustion products of bone).



It has an alpha an alpha' and a beta crystal form, the alpha state being formed at high temperatures. As rock, it is found in Whitlockite.



Tricalcium phosphate is used in powdered spices as an anti-caking agent.



Calcium phosphate is an important raw material for the production of phosphoric acid and fertilizers, for example in the Odda process.



Calcium phosphate is also a raising agent (food additives) E341. Is a mineral salt found in rocks and bones, it is used in cheese products.



It is also used as a nutritional supplement. There is some debate about the different bioavailabilities of the different calcium salts.



It is commonly used in porcelain and dental powders, and medically as an antacid or calcium supplement, although calcium carbonate is more common in this regard.



Another practical application of the compound is its use in gene transfection. The calcium ions can make a cell competent (a euphemism for "rip holes in its membrane") to allow exogenous genes to enter the cell by diffusion. A heat shock afterwards then invokes the cell to repair itself. This is a quick and easy method for transfection, albeit a rather inefficient one.

The laymans name for ascorbic acid, vitamin C helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer (see SODIUM NITRITE). It helps prevent loss of color and flavor by reacting with unwanted oxygen. It is used as a nutrient additive in drinks and breakfast cereals. Sodium ascorbate is a more soluble form of ascorbic acid. ERYTHORBIC ACID is very similar to ascorbic acid, but has no value as a vitamin. Large amounts of ascorbic acid may reduce the severity of colds and offer other health benefits.Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means you need it in your diet every day because it cant be stored in the body.

The scientific name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer (see SODIUM NITRITE). It helps prevent loss of color and flavor by reacting with unwanted oxygen. It is used as a nutrient additive in drinks and breakfast cereals. Sodium ascorbate is a more soluble form of ascorbic acid. ERYTHORBIC ACID is very similar to ascorbic acid, but has no value as a vitamin. Large amounts of ascorbic acid may reduce the severity of colds and offer other health benefits.

electrolytic iron - one of the least absorbable forms of artificial iron. ...

Often used in baby foods.

This is a mineral used to treat or prevent low levels of zinc. It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. Though there is no prof, people have claimed it has helped with hair loss.



Zinc is a essential element for humans; naturally occurs in meat (especially liver), fish (especially shellfish), lentils, green leafy vegetables, whole cereals (including wheat germ), brewer's yeast, cheese, milk, nuts, sunflower and sesame seeds; toxic doses of zinc cause vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, stomach irritation, depressed immune function and anemia; excessive zinc doses may decrease the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol and increase the risk for heart disease.

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation (antioxidant)in the body cells and prevents breakdown of body tissues.



Found natural in Vegetable oil, Spinach, whole grains and sunflower seeds.



Deficiency Symptoms: Rare symptoms may include anemia & edema



Toxicity Symptoms: Generally non-toxic; nausea, dizziness & diarrhea can occur



Source: foodfacts

The term “vitamin E” refers to a family of eight related, lipid-soluble, antioxidant compounds widely distributed in plants. The tocopherol and tocotrienol subfamilies are each composed of alpha, beta, gamma, and delta vitamers having unique biological effects. Different ratios of these compounds are found in anatomically different parts of a plant. For example, the green parts of a plant contain mostly alpha-tocopherol and the seed germ and bran contain mostly tocotrienols. Along with other nutrients tocopherols and tocotrienols are concentrated in the bran layers of the rye grain, and are only present at low levels in the flour endosperm. Tocopherols are also present in algae, mint teas, and other food stuff.87-93



When this family of compounds was first discovered and determined to be essential for health, a standardized test for its activity was devised for which the members of the family were rated for their biological activity. In one test, alpha tocopherol scored highest and was rated 100% with all others having lower ratings. In accordance with this rating, alpha-tocopherol was deemed to be the essential compound and was called vitamin E. One International Unit (IU) of vitamin E activity is the activity under this rating of one mg of the plant-derived form of alpha-tocopherol.94



Since the original rating method was established, many additional important biological effects of these compounds have been discovered and many nutritional scientists now consider that rating method to be incomplete. For example, by the original rating, gamma-tocopherol was only 10% to 30% as strong as alpha-tocopherol, yet more recent studies have shown it to be essential for maintaining the health of cell membranes, especially if alpha-tocopherol is being supplemented. New studies continue to elucidate the unique benefits of individual members of the vitamin E family. For these and other reasons, the original definition of vitamin E has been enhanced to include all eight family members and the related compounds that convert to them in the body.94



Vitamin E compounds are usually produced and made available in esterified form as alpha-tocopheryl acetate or alpha-tocopheryl succinate. Neither of these forms has any antioxidant activity until converted to alpha-tocopherol in the body, but they are much more stable with respect to storage time and temperature than the unesterified forms. Moreover, while the acetate form is rapidly activated within the body, activation of the succinate form is slower. The succinate form appears to access and benefit areas of the tissues that are unavailable to the other forms. For this reason, there is a tendency to regard alpha-tocopherol succinate as a distinctly different and beneficial compound. Alpha-tocopherol succinate appears to have longer half-life in the body, and does not interfere with vitamin A or K absorption.95-98



Serious vitamin takers prefer cold-water dispersible dry powder vitamin E supplements in the form of alpha-tocopheryl succinate or acetate because the cold-water dispersible forms are efficiently absorbed even when taken on an empty stomach or with a low-fat meal. The non-cold water dispersible (oil) forms of vitamin E may be poorly absorbed unless taken with several grams of fats or oils.



Cold-water dispersible vitamin E is more efficiently absorbed than some other forms. Both “acetate” and “succinate” vitamin E can come from natural sources. The importance to the consumer is how well the vitamin E absorbs into the bloodstream. Cold-water dispersible vitamin E, whether in a succinate or acetate form, always comes in a white dry powder, while non-cold water dispersible natural and synthetic acetate forms of vitamin E are always in a thick brown oil.



Source: http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00063.html

Known to millions as vitamin E, d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is stored in the liver, muscle, adipose tissue, red blood cells, and several vital organs and glands. Vitamin E, a strong antioxidant, plays a starring role in protecting body tissues from damaging free radicals as well as critical functions in cellular respiration and for prolonging the life of red blood cells.



Naturally, vitamin E occurs in wheat germ oil, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, whole grains, egg yolks, and leafy green vegetables. Discovered in 1922 by American anatomists and physiologists Herbert McLean Evans and Katherine Scott Bishop, alpha-tocopheryl was known as food factor X and found essential for rat pregnancy. In the same year, food factor X was discovered in yeast and lettuce. By 1924, it was renamed vitamin E and in 1936, Evans and his colleagues extracted and isolated alpha-tocopheryl from wheat germ oil. Synthesis was completed in 1938 by the Swiss Nobel laureate for Chemistry, Paul Karrer, and in 1968, the United States Food and Drug Administration set the recommended dietary (or daily) allowance (RDA) for vitamin E at a conservative 20 milligrams or 30 international units (IU). Over-the-counter synthesized forms as dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (or succinate) are often 200 international units (or 165 milligrams) or 400 international units (13.3 times the recommended daily allowance), with a dosage of one capsule per day.



Research on the many uses of vitamin E started in 1950 with its use in a topical skin cream formulation for treating frostbite, and then as antioxidant fighting free radicals and reducing the risks of heart disease. Vitamin E is unstable when exposed to heat, light, and oxygen, but may help prevent and fight cancers, protect cell membranes from breaking down, and may play a role in therapy for Alzheimer's patients. Interestingly, alpha-tocopheryl helps the body effectively use and store vitamin A and protects B-complex and vitamin C from oxidation reactions. The human body does not make its own vitamin E, so it must be taken from nutritional sources or as a dietary supplement. While the acetate form is fat soluble, the succinate compound is water-soluble. As a crystalline solid, d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate has a melting point of 28 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of 184 degrees Celsius. Alpha-tocopheryl is only one of a group of the lipid-soluble compounds known as tocopherols and tocotrienols (or tocols), but it is considered the most biopotent or powerful. The synthesized version, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate exists in equal amounts of eight isomers while the natural extraction from vegetable oils, d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, exists only as one isomer. Some indications are that the natural version is a better alternative to the synthesized form of the vitamin for increasing levels in body tissues and extending retention time.



Source:http://www.mic-d.com/gallery/polarized/alphatocopheryl1.html

Vitamin B3



Also called Niacin, Nicotinic Acid, Niacinimide, Nicotinic.



Acts as a co-enzyme in the release of energy from carbohydrates. Also needed to help breakdown fats and proteins. Aids in formation of red blood cells.

Since the 1950's doctors have used nicotinic acid to treat high cholesterol. Niacin is the only drug available that both substantially lowers the "bad" lipids (LDL), and increases the "good"(HDL) cholesterol. The reason this vitamin is not in the forefront of cholesterol therapy is because many people treated with high doses of niacin experience bothersome side effects such as; facial flushing, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and much more serious, liver damage.



Milk, eggs, meats (especially liver), chicken, fish, and most other protein-rich foods contain a significant amout of niacin. Also in smaller amounts in coffee and tea.



Dificiency is very rare in modern countries. Symptoms include: Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia) Less severe symptoms of deficiency include irritability, loss of appetite, weekness and swollen tongue.

Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine, thiamin and aneurin. Thiamine is the currently accepted name for vitamin B1 in the US. Aneurin is still widely used in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom.

Necessary for proper metabolism of sugar and starch to provide energy. Maintains a healthy nervous system as well as aiding proper function of the heart and other muscles. Stress increases the need for B-1 and all B vitamins.

Vitamin B-1, Perfectly safe, despite adding minuscule amounts of nitrate to our food.

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is required to complete several reactions in the energy cycle. Reddening of the lips with cracks at the corners of the mouth, inflammation of the tongue, and a greasy, scaly inflammation of the skin are common symptoms of deficiency.Riboflavin (B2)- Classic riboflavin deficiency involves the lips, tongue, eyes, skin and nervous system. Vision changes, cheliosis (tiny lesions in the mouth or cracks in the corners of the mouth) tongue inflammation and discomfort eating or swallowing.



Riboflavin?s role in the body involves the metabolism of fats and proteins. Enzymes influenced by riboflavin are absolutely necessary to transport oxygen to the cells. A decrease in this vitamin can result in fatigue. New research indicates that migraine headache sufferers may benefit by riboflavin. 400mgs.day have been shown to lessen the incidence of migraines.



Required for red blood cell formation, antibody production, cell respiration and growth. Important for good muscle tone. Involved in metabolism of protein, protein fats, and carbohydrates. Necessary for good vision, skin, hair and nails.

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is required to complete several reactions in the energy cycle. Reddening of the lips with cracks at the corners of the mouth, inflammation of the tongue, and a greasy, scaly inflammation of the skin are common symptoms of deficiency.Riboflavin (B2)- Classic riboflavin deficiency involves the lips, tongue, eyes, skin and nervous system. Vision changes, cheliosis (tiny lesions in the mouth or cracks in the corners of the mouth) tongue inflammation and discomfort eating or swallowing.



Riboflavin?s role in the body involves the metabolism of fats and proteins. Enzymes influenced by riboflavin are absolutely necessary to transport oxygen to the cells. A decrease in this vitamin can result in fatigue. New research indicates that migraine headache sufferers may benefit by riboflavin. 400mgs.day have been shown to lessen the incidence of migraines.



Required for red blood cell formation, antibody production, cell respiration and growth. Important for good muscle tone. Involved in metabolism of protein, protein fats, and carbohydrates. Necessary for good vision, skin, hair and nails.

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin This means you need it in your diet every day because it cant be stored in the body.that exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine, It performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health. For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin)

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride

Activated vitamin B-6 is extensively involved in the metabolism of amino acids. efficiently from pyridoxine in the liver. Ex cessive protein intake, alcohol or contraceptive use also indicates a greater need for vitamin B-6. It also plays a crucial role in the multiplication of cells.



Source: Vitamin & Mineral Safety 2nd edition - by John N. Hathcock PHD

a common leavening agent used in baked goods. Used for fireproofing, in baking powder, and as an antirheumaticalso used as a fire retardant and in fertilizers.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate. Folic acid is necessary for the synthesis of nucleic acids and the formation of red blood cells. Folic-acid deficiency most commonly causes folic-acid-deficiency anemia. Symptoms include gastrointestinal problems, such as sore tongue, cracks at the corners of the mouth, diarrhea, and ulceration of the stomach and intestines. Large doses of folic acid can cause convulsions and other nervous-system problems.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require enriched grain products to contain this essential vitamin.



Current studies have discovered a link between folic acid and brain function in older people. The study divided 818 people ages 50 to 75 to take either a vitamin containing 800 micrograms of folic acid a day, or a dummy pill, for three years.



On memory tests, the supplement users had scores comparable to people 5.5 years younger, Durga said. On tests of cognitive speed, the folic acid helped users perform as well as people 1.9 years younger.