tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99018062024-03-13T21:25:16.016-04:00Capico International UpdateCapico International is a firm that deals with small, emerging franchises or chain operations, predominantly in the food, bakery & gourmet coffee field (although our extensive resources are often utilized by non-food related organizations as well!)Capico Internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07070472963752601842noreply@blogger.comBlogger2105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9901806.post-59569752155738786672014-04-02T08:53:00.001-04:002014-04-02T08:53:18.701-04:007 SERVINGS OF FRUIT, VEGETABLES CUT MORTALITY RISK BY 42%<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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New research published in the <em><a href="http://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2014/03/03/jech-2013-203500.short?g=w_jech_ahead_tab" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health</a></em> suggests individuals who consume 7 servings of fruit and vegetables a day may reduce their risk of death by 42% compared to those who eat less than 1 serving a day. The findings come at a time when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies are developing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.</div>
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America’s obesity epidemic weighed heavily in the development of the <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2011/01/usda-releases-2010-dietary-guidelines.aspx" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>, which placed stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption, increasing physical activity and choosing healthy foods, including more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and fat-free and low-fat dairy items while limiting sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars and refined grains.</div>
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For this particular study, researchers at the University College of London used Health Survey for England to study the eating habits of 65,226 people representative of the English population between 2001 and 2013, and found that the more fruit and vegetables they ate, the less likely they were to die at any age. Eating 7 or more portions reduces the specific risks of death by cancer and heart disease by 25% and 31%, respectively. The research also showed that vegetables have significantly higher health benefits than fruit.</div>
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This study was the first to link fruit and vegetable consumption with all-cause, cancer and heart disease deaths in a nationally-representative population, the first to quantify health benefits per-portion, and the first to identify the types of fruit and vegetable with the most benefit.</div>
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Compared to eating less than 1 portion of fruit and vegetables, the risk of death by any cause is reduced by 14% by eating 1-3 portions, 29% for 3-5 portions, 36% for 5-7 portions and 42% for 7 or more.</div>
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The study found fresh vegetables had the strongest protective effect, with each daily portion reducing overall risk of death by 16%. Salad contributed to a 13% risk reduction per portion, and each portion of fresh fruit was associated with a smaller but still significant 4% reduction.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #808285; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">For decades, its link to major health issues like heart disease has demonized saturated fats among health experts. Now, a recent meta-analysis puts that claim into question, finding insufficient evidence to draw the long-held conclusion. Researchers tracking saturated fat intake among subjects have been unable to find a clear and consistent link to increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Experts suggest that the impact of saturated fats depends on the rest of one's diet and is unlikely to pose a risk to consumers on its own, reports NPR.</span></div>
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Consuming calcium and vitamin D after menopause can help improve women's cholesterol levels, according to new research published in the journal <a href="http://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/publishahead/Calcium_vitamin_D_supplementation,_serum.98418.aspx" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>Menopause</em></a>. Researchers from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) found much of this effect stems from raising women's vitamin D levels.</div>
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Although the topic of whether calcium or vitamin D can improve cholesterol levels has been debated, lead researcher Peter Schnatz, D.O., NCMP, and his team found women who took a calcium and vitamin D supplement daily lowered their low-density lipoprotein (LDL—the “bad" cholesterol) levels and raised their high-density lipoprotein (HDL—the “good" cholesterol) levels.</div>
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Each day, women in the trial took either a supplement containing 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3 or a placebo. This analysis looked at the relationship between taking supplements and levels of vitamin D and cholesterol in about 600 of the women who had both their cholesterol levels and their vitamin D levels measured.</div>
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The women who took the supplement were more than twice as likely to have vitamin D levels of at least 30 ng/mL (normal according to the Institute of Medicine) compared to the women who took the placebo. Supplement users also had LDL levels that were between 4 and 5 points lower. The investigators discovered, in addition, that among supplement users, those with higher blood levels of vitamin D had higher levels of HDL and lower levels of triglycerides (although for triglycerides to be lower, blood levels of vitamin D had to reach a threshold of about 15 ng/mL).</div>
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Taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements was especially helpful in raising vitamin D levels in women who were older, women who had a low intake, and women who had levels first measured in the winter—what you might expect. However, lifestyle also made a difference. The supplements did more to raise vitamin D levels in women who did not smoke and who drank less alcohol.</div>
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Whether these positive effects of supplemental calcium and vitamin D on cholesterol will translate into benefits such as lower rates of cardiovascular disease for women after menopause remains to be seen, but these results are a good reminder that women at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency should consider taking calcium and vitamin D, according to the authors.</div>
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“The results of this study should inspire even more women to be conscientious about their calcium and vitamin D intake—a simple and safe way to improve health," said NAMS executive director Margery Gass, M.D. "One action can lead to multiple benefits."</div>
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The study, “Calcium/vitamin D supplementation, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and cholesterol profiles in the Women’s Health Initiative calcium/vitamin D randomized trial," will be published in the August 2014 print edition of <em>Menopause</em>.</div>
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Consuming less animal protein could lower the risk of dying from cancer by up to four times, according to new research published in the journal <em><a href="http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(14)00062-X" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Cell Metabolism</a></em>.<br />
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Researchers from the University of Southern California tracked a sample of adults for almost two decades and found eating a diet rich in animal proteins during middle-age years makes a person four times more likely to die of cancer compared to someone with a lower protein diet.<br />
“There’s a misconception that because we all eat, understanding nutrition is simple," said corresponding author Valter Longo, professor of Biogerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and director of the USC Longevity Institute. "But the question is not whether a certain diet allows you to do well for three days, but can it help you survive to be 100?"<br />
Not only is <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2011/12/high-red-meat-consumption-linked-to-kidney-cancer.aspx" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">excessive protein consumption linked to a higher risk of developing different types of cancer</a>, but middle-aged people who eat lots of proteins from animal sources—including meat, milk and cheese—are also more susceptible to early death in general. Protein-lovers were 74% more likely to die of any cause within the study period compared to their lower-protein counterparts. They were also several times more likely to die of diabetes. But how much protein one should eat has long been a controversial topic—muddled by the popularity of protein-heavy diets such as Paleo and Atkins.<br />
Before this study, researchers had never shown a definitive correlation between high-protein consumption and mortality risk. Rather than look at adulthood as one monolithic phase of life, as other researchers have done, the latest study considers how biology changes as we age and how decisions in middle life may play out across the human life span. In other words, what’s good for you at one age may be damaging at another.<br />
Protein controls the growth hormone IGF-I, which helps our bodies grow, but has been linked to cancer susceptibility. Levels of IGF-I drop off dramatically after age 65, leading to potential frailty and muscle loss. The study shows that while high-protein intake during middle age is very harmful, it is protective for older adults: those over 65 who ate a moderate- or high-protein diet were less susceptible to disease.<br />
The latest research draws from Longo’s past research on IGF-I, including on an Ecuadorian cohort that seemed to have little cancer or diabetes susceptibility because of a genetic mutation that lowered levels of IGF-I; (the members of the cohort were all less than five feet tall).<br />
“The research shows that a low-protein diet in middle age is useful for preventing cancer and overall mortality, through a process that involves regulating IGF-I and possibly insulin levels," said co-author Eileen Crimmins, holder of the AARP Chair in Gerontology at USC. “However, we also propose that at older ages, it may be important to avoid a low-protein diet to allow the maintenance of healthy weight and protection from frailty."<br />
The researchers found that plant-based proteins did not seem to have the same mortality effects as animal proteins, and <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/2011/01/plant-based-proteins.aspx" style="color: #1aa001; font-weight: bold; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">plant-based foods can still fulfill consumers' protein needs</a>. Rates of cancer and death also did not seem to be affected by controlling for carbohydrate or fat consumption, suggesting that animal protein is the main culprit.<br />
“The majority of Americans are eating about twice as much proteins as they should, and it seems that the best change would be to lower the daily intake of all proteins, but especially animal-derived proteins," Longo said. “But don’t get extreme in cutting out protein; you can go from protected to malnourished very quickly."<br />
Longo’s findings support recommendations from several leading health agencies to consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day in middle age. For example, a 130-pound person should eat about 45 to 50 grams of protein a day, with preference for those derived from plants such as legumes, Longo said.<br />
The researchers defined a high-protein diet as deriving at least 20% of calories from protein, including both plant-based and animal-based protein. A “moderate" protein diet includes 10% to 19% of calories from protein, and a low-protein diet includes less than 10% protein.<br />
Even moderate amounts of protein had detrimental effects during middle age, the researchers found. Across all 6,318 adults over the age of 50 in the study, average protein intake was about 16% of total daily calories, with about two-thirds from animal protein. The study sample was representative across ethnicity, education and health backgrounds. People who ate a moderate amount of protein were still three times more likely to die of cancer than those who ate a low-protein diet in middle age, the study showed. Overall, even the small change of decreasing protein intake from moderate levels to low levels reduced likelihood of early death by 21%.<br />
For a randomly selected smaller portion of the sample (2,253 people) levels of the growth hormone IGF-I were recorded directly. The results showed that for every 10 ng/ml increase in IGF-I, those on a high-protein diet were 9% more likely to die from cancer than those on a low-protein diet, in line with past research associating IGF-I levels to cancer risk.<br />
The researchers also extended their findings about high-protein diets and mortality risk, looking at causality in mice and cellular models. In a study of tumor rates and progression among mice, the researchers showed lower cancer incidence and 45% smaller average tumor size among mice on a low-protein diet than those on a high-protein diet by the end of the two-month experiment.<br />
“Almost everyone is going to have a cancer cell or pre-cancer cell in them at some point. The question is: does it progress?" Longo said. “Turns out one of the major factors in determining if it does is protein intake."</div>
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<span>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm387114.htm" target="_blank">proposed new labeling rules</a> to provide clearer nutrition information to consumers. Significant changes include a more prominent calorie count and the addition of "added sugar" content. In an effort to make serving sizes more applicable to today's consumer, calorie counts per container will be revised as well to display the actual count in some containers, such as 20-ounce soda bottles, rather than calories per serving. The industry and consumers will have 90 days to comment on the proposed changes and will likely have at least two years to implement the new changes.</span></div>
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A federal health survey has found that the obesity rate among 2- to 5-year-old children has plummeted 43 percent over the past decade. It's the first broad decline in what's been called an epidemic and national health issue linked to higher risks for cancer, heart disease, and stroke. While earlier reports have found modest drops in certain groups of children, this report finds the trend spanning all groups of young children, and significantly so. About 8 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds were obese in 2012, down from 14 percent in 2004, reports <em>The New York Times</em>. </div>
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<span>Research network PwC has released a report detailing global online shopping behaviors. According to the report, retailers can provide a so-called total retail experience for their consumers with a compelling brand story that promises a distinctive experience, customized offers based on protected personal information, and an enhanced and consistent experience across all devices. </span><span>The study states that a high percentage of survey respondents were attracted to brands that tell a story in an engaging manner. The top reason consumers cited for shopping at their favorite retailer was trust</span></div>
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Doctors have long thought extra sugar in a person's diet is harmful to heart health because it promotes chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes.<br />
But the added sugar Americans consume as part of their daily diet can -- on its own, regardless of other health problems -- more than double the risk of death from heart disease, a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.<br />
The average American diet contains enough added sugar to increase the risk of heart-related death by nearly 20 percent, the researchers said.<br />
And the risk of death from heart disease is more than doubled for the 10 percent of Americans who receive a quarter of their daily calories from sugar that's been added to food, said CDC researcher and study lead author Quanhe Yang.<br />
The findings were published online Feb. 3 in the journal <i>JAMA Internal Medicine</i>.<br />
"They're seeing that people who are moderately heavy consumers of added sugar have a heightened risk of dying of [heart] disease, and the heaviest users have the highest risk of dying of [heart] disease," said Laura Schmidt, who wrote an accompanying journal commentary. "When you start seeing a dose-response reaction like they found, that is powerful evidence that consuming added sugar puts people at risk of death from cardiovascular disease."<br />
Food manufacturers add sugar to many different products to improve flavor, appearance or texture. People who eat those varied products might not be aware that they have increased their total sugar intake, because the sugar is hidden inside the food, the researchers said.<br />
About 37 percent of the added sugar in Americans' diets comes from sugar-sweetened beverages, the authors said. One 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 9 teaspoons of sugar (about 140 calories), Yang said -- enough to put the person into a higher-risk category if they drink soda daily.<br />
"I could be eating a 2,000-calorie diet, not overeating, not overweight. But if I just drink a can of soda a day, I increase my risk of dying from [heart] disease by one-third," said Schmidt, a professor of health policy at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. "I think people would assume one can of soda a day would not have that kind of impact over the course of their lives."<br />
Other major sources of added sugar include cakes, pies, fruit drinks, candy, and ice cream and other dairy desserts, the researchers said.<br />
Added sugar can even be found in foods most people would consider savory, such as salad dressing, bread and ketchup, Schmidt said. Another major offender is yogurt, which often comes with as much sugar as you'd find in candy.<br />
Previous research has focused exclusively on the health effects of sugary beverages, Yang said. For the new study, the research team decided to look at how the total amount of added sugar in the American diet can affect the risk of heart-related death.<br />
Recommendations for added sugar consumption vary, and there is no universally accepted threshold for unhealthy levels.<br />
The Institute of Medicine recommends that added sugar make up less than 25 percent of total calories, the World Health Organization recommends less than 10 percent and the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories daily for women and 150 calories daily for men, according to background information included in the study.<br />
The researchers used national health survey data to review consumption of added sugar. They found that added sugar made up an average of 14.9 percent of daily calories in the American diet from 2005 to 2010, down from 15.7 percent from 1988 to 1994 and 16.8 percent from 1999 to 2004.<br />
Nearly three of four adults consumed 10 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar, while about 10 percent of adults consumed a quarter or more of their calories from added sugar in the latest study years.<br />
The researchers then compared data on sugar consumption with data on death from heart disease.<br />
The risk of heart-related death increases 18 percent with the average American diet that receives about 15 percent of daily calories from added sugar, compared to diets containing little to no added sugar, the study authors found.<br />
The risk is 38 percent higher for people who receive 17 percent to 21 percent of their calories from added sugar, and more than double for people who get more than 21 percent of their daily diet from added sugar, Yang said.<br />
Although the study found that eating more food with added sugar was tied to a higher risk of heart-related death, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.<br />
The Corn Refiners Association, which represents the manufacturers of one popular form of added sugar, fructose, said it had no comment on the study.<br />
Commentary author Schmidt said added sugar could be increasing heart attack risk by disrupting a person's hormone system, throwing their metabolism out of whack.<br />
By comparison, foods that are naturally rich in sugar -- such as fruit -- also contain lots of fiber and other nutrients, which reduces the impact the sugar has on the body, said Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and chairwoman of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.<br />
To avoid added sugar, read Nutrition Facts and ingredients labels carefully, Johnson said. Look out for ingredients that end in <i>-ose</i>, such as fructose or sucrose, as well as any type of syrup, she said.</div>
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Food transportation companies will be required to adhere to certain sanitation standards to prevent food from becoming contaminated during transit under a new rule proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.<span id="midArticle_0"></span><br />
The rule would require shippers and carriers to properly refrigerate food, clean vehicles between loads and protect food during transportation.<br />
<span id="midArticle_1"></span>The rule is the seventh and final plank of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, a sweeping initiative designed to reduce food-borne illnesses by giving the FDA greater powers to intervene before an outbreak occurs.<br />
<span id="midArticle_2"></span>It would establish standards for vehicles and transportation equipment, transportation operations, information exchange, training and records.<br />
<span id="midArticle_3"></span>"This proposed rule will help reduce the likelihood of conditions during transportation that can lead to human or animal illness or injury," said Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.<br />
<span id="midArticle_4"></span>Excluded from coverage will be shippers, receivers or carriers whose operations generate less than $500,000 in annual sales. The rule also excludes food that is fully packaged and stable, and live food animals and raw agricultural <span class="mandelbrot_refrag"><a class="mandelbrot_refrag" data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/commodities?lc=int_mb_1001">commodities</a></span>transported by farms.<br />
<span id="midArticle_5"></span>The FDA proposes staggering the implementation of the rule based on the size of a <span class="mandelbrot_refrag"><a class="mandelbrot_refrag" data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.reuters.com/finance?lc=int_mb_1001">business</a></span>, ranging from one to two years after publication of the final rule. The proposed rule is open for public comment through May 31.</div>
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Good news for coffee drinkers. New research published in the journal <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0084154" target="_blank"><em>PLoS ONE</em></a> found drinking moderate amounts of coffee does not result in dehydration and actually contributes to daily fluid requirements in regular coffee drinkers just as other fluids do.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Previous research showed the acute effects of caffeine as a mild diuretic, and there is a common assumption that caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, can cause dehydration. However, the effect of coffee consumption on fluid balance cannot be directly compared with that of pure caffeine.<br />
Researchers at the University of Birmingham School of Sport and Exercise Sciences conducted the study to directly assess the effects of a moderate consumption of coffee compared to equal volumes of water.<br />
"Despite a lack of scientific evidence, it is a common belief that coffee consumption can lead to dehydration and should be avoided, or reduced, in order to maintain a healthy fluid balance. Our research aimed to establish if regular coffee consumption, under normal living conditions, is detrimental to the drinker's hydration status," said Sophie Killer, a doctoral researcher and lead author of the study.<br />
In a sample of regular coffee drinkers, the researchers measured the effects of moderate consumption of black coffee compared to the consumption of equal volumes of water on fluid balance and hydration status. Fifty male participants were tested in two phases, where they were required to drink four mugs (200ml) of either black coffee or water per day for three days. In the second phase, those who had initially consumed coffee switched to water and vice versa. The two phases were separated by a 10-day wash-out period. Females were excluded from the trial to control against possible fluctuations in fluid balance resulting from menstrual cycles.<br />
To assess hydration status, the researchers used a variety of well-established hydration measures including body mass and total body water, as well as blood and urine analyses. The researchers found no significant differences in total body water or any of the blood measures of hydration status between those who drank coffee and those who drank water. Furthermore, no differences in 24-hour urine volume or urine concentration were observed between the two groups.<br />
"We found that consumption of a moderate intake of coffee, 4 cups per day, in regular coffee drinking males, caused no significant differences across a wide range of hydration indicators compared to the consumption of equal amounts of water," Killer said. "We conclude that advice provided in the public health domain, regarding coffee and dehydration, should be updated to reflect these findings."<br />
A separate report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) in December 2013, found <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/11/coffee-may-reduce-diabetes-risk-25.aspx" target="_blank">regular, moderate coffee consumption may decrease type 2 diabetes risk by 25%</a>. The report, outlined the latest research on coffee and type 2 diabetes, including epidemiological evidence showing that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day is associated with an approximate 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to consuming none or less than 2 cups per day.<br />
Research has also suggested an inverse dose response, with each additional cup of coffee reducing the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 7%-8%. Caffeine is unlikely to be responsible for the protective effects of coffee, as both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.</div>
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The FDA has sent potentially far-reaching labeling regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The agency's proposals center on updates to the Nutrition Facts information on food labels, to build consumer awareness of healthful dietary practices. Revisions include providing updated Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed for certain food categories and adding a "per container" column in addition to "per serving." The FDA also proposes revising the definition of a single-serving container. Serving size regulations have not been updated since mandatory nutrition labeling was first required in 1993</div>
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Alpha tocepherol, fat-soluble vitamin E and antioxidant, may slow functional decline—problems with daily activities such as shopping, preparing meals, planning and traveling—in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in the <em><a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1810379">Journal of the American Medical Association</a></em>. <!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Veterans Administration Medical Centers examined the effects of vitamin E and memantine in a group of 613 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. <br />
Patients were administered either vitamin E 2,000 IU/d, 20 mg/d of memantine, the combination or placebo and were then examined based on the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study/Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) Inventory Score. Alzheimer’s disease cognitive, neuropsychiatric, functional and caregiver measures were secondary outcomes.<br />
“This trial showed that vitamin E delays progression of functional decline by 19% per year, which translates into 6.2 months benefit over placebo," said Mary Sano, Ph.D., trial co-investigator and professor in the department of psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine. There was no added benefit for memory and cognitive testing with the vitamin. <br />
Vitamin E is inexpensive and easy to obtain. The clinical trial investigators believe it can be recommended as a treatment strategy, based on the study findings.<br />
“This study is the first to show an added benefit for vitamin E in mild-to-moderate disease," said Kenneth Davis, M.D., chief executive officer and president, Mount Sinai Health System. “Now that we have a strong clinical trial showing that vitamin E slows functional decline and reduces the burdens on caregivers, vitamin E should be offered to patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease." <br />
In 2011, Ohio State University researchers found that <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2011/07/vitamin-e-protects-brain-after-stroke.aspx">vitamin E, in the form of alpha-tocotrienol, can also trigger production of a protein in the brain that flushes toxins from nerve cells, preventing those cells from dying after a stroke</a>. The findings, published in the journal <em>Stroke</em>, suggest natural vitamin E may be more potent than drugs targeting single mechanisms for preventing stroke-induced brain damage. In addition, <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/04/vitamin-e-benefits-liver-heart-health.aspx">vitamin E may help alleviate obesity-related liver disease and boost heart health</a> in former smokers.</div>
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While the price of gas was what consumers most noticed at convenience stores in 2013, they also say that they have increasingly noticed stores offering prepared and healthy food options in the past year, according to a consumer survey released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).<br />
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A majority of consumers (56%) say overall gas prices overall in 2013 were noticeably higher or lower, depending upon where the consumer lives. There were significant regional variations, with 26% of consumers in the Midwest saying that gas prices in December are lower than a year ago, while 45% of consumers in the South saying that gas prices are higher than a year ago.</div>
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Customers at the pump have taken particular notice of more opportunities for savings and discounts. One in three (32%) consumers say that they saw more stores offering loyalty card discounts, and one in five (18%) say that they saw more stores offering discounts for consumers who paid by cash, which reduces swipe fee expenses.</div>
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Consumers also noticed that stores increasingly offering alternative fueling options: 8% of consumers say that they saw more stores offer diesel fuel and 7% say that they saw more stores offer alternative fuels like E85 or natural gas.</div>
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Inside the store, consumers say that they saw more stores offering food options of all types. One in five consumers (20%) say that they saw more stores offer prepared foods and 11% say that stores offered more healthy options like salads, nuts and fruits. Consumers also noticed changes to the store itself; 15% say that they saw more stores remodeled in order to improve their attractiveness.</div>
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Younger consumers were much more likely to notice these improvements at convenience stores and they also were much more likely to shop more. Nearly one in five (17%) of consumers 18 to 34 say that they bought more items inside a convenience store than last year.</div>
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"Gas prices will always be top of mind with consumers but many are looking beyond the price and selecting where to stop based on what's inside the store," said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Jeff Lenard</span></span>. </div>
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The consumer results are from a nationwide survey commissioned by NACS and conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates LLC. For this survey, 801 consumers were surveyed from <span class="xn-chron">December 3-5, 2013</span>. </div>
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Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (<a href="http://www.nacsonline.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nacsonline.com</a>) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 149,000 stores across the country, posted <span class="xn-money">$700 billion</span> in total sales in 2012, of which <span class="xn-money">$501 billion</span> were motor fuels sales. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.</div>
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Office workers in search of snacks will be counting calories along with their change under new labeling regulations for vending machines included in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law.<br />
Requiring calorie information to be displayed on roughly 5 million vending machines nationwide will help consumers make healthier choices, says the Food and Drug Administration, which is expected to release final rules early next year. It estimates the cost to the vending machine industry at $25.8 million initially and $24 million per year after that, but says if just .02 percent of obese adults ate 100 fewer calories a week, the savings to the health care system would be at least that great.<br />
The rules will apply to about 10,800 companies that operate 20 or more machines. Nearly three quarters of those companies have three or fewer employees, and their profit margin is extremely low, according to the National Automatic Merchandising Association. An initial investment of $2,400 plus $2,200 in annual costs is a lot of money for a small company that only clears a few thousand dollars a year, said Eric Dell, the group's vice president for government affairs.<br />
"The money that would be spent to comply with this — there's no return on the investment," he said.<br />
While the proposed rules would give companies a year to comply, the industry group has suggested a two-year deadline and is urging the government to allow as much flexibility as possible in implementing the rules. Some companies may use electronic displays to post calorie counts while others may opt for signs stuck to the machines.<br />
Carol Brennan, who owns Brennan Food Vending Services in Londonderry, said she doesn't yet know how she will handle the regulations, but she doesn't like them. She has five employees servicing hundreds of machines and says she'll be forced to limit the items offered so her employees don't spend too much time updating the calorie counts.<br />
"It is outrageous for us to have to do this on all our equipment," she said.<br />
Brennan also doubts that consumers will benefit from the calorie information.<br />
"How many people have not read a label on a candy bar?" she said. "If you're concerned about it, you've already read it for years."<br />
But Kim Gould, 58, of Seattle, said he doesn't read the labels even after his choice pops out of a vending machine, so having access to that information wouldn't change what he buys.<br />
"People have their reasons they eat well or eat poorly," Gould said.<br />
Standing with his 12-year-old daughter near a vending machine in a medical clinic where he bought some drinks last week, he said he only makes purchases at the machines when he's hungry and has no other options.<br />
"How do we know people who are buying candy in the vending machines aren't eating healthy 99 percent of the time?" he added.<br />
As for the new labels, Gould said he wasn't sure what the point would be, and that they would just be "nibbling around the edges of the problem."<br />
The FDA also is working on final rules for requiring restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to post calories information, something some cities already mandate and some large fast-food operations have begun doing voluntarily. A 2011 study in New York found that only one in six customers looked at the information, but those who did generally ordered about 100 fewer calories. A more recent study in Philadelphia found no difference in calories purchased after the city's labeling law took effect.<br />
"There is probably a subset of people for whom this information works, who report using it to purchase fewer calories, but what we're not seeing though is a change at an overall population level in the number of calories consumed," said Brian Ebel, the study's author and an assistant professor at New York University's department of population health and medicine.<br />
Ebel said he wouldn't be surprised if the vending machine labels end up being equally ineffective, but he said it's possible that consumers might pay more attention to them for a couple of reasons. In some locations, a vending machine might be the only food option, he said. And reading a list of calorie counts on a machine will be less overwhelming than scanning a large menu at a fast-food restaurant with other customers waiting in line behind you, he said.<br />
"It could go either way, but I think there's at least some reason to think it could be slightly more influential in vending machines."<br />
Even without the calorie counts, consumers already have ways to make healthier choices from vending machines. The vending machine industry group launched its "Fit Pick" system in 2005, which includes stickers placed in front of products that meet healthy guidelines for fat and sugar content. The program is used by nearly 14,000 businesses, schools and government agencies, as well as all branches of the military.</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas</span></div>
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The global dairy industry can expect continued high prices in 2014 due to high Chinese demand, according to a new report from Rabobank.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->According to the report, international dairy commodity prices strengthened from already high levels and are expected to remain high at least for the first half of 2014. The increase of export supply since September, as producers have responded to improved margins, has been largely soaked up by continuing <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/10/us-dairy-exports-up-25.aspx">vigorous buying from China</a>. <br />
"Global prices have remained high despite the taps being turned on in key export regions," said Rabobank analyst Tim Hunt. "China continues to buy exceptionally large volumes of product from the international market to supplement falling local milk supply and this is likely to mop up most, if not all, of the increase in exports arising from key surplus regions in Q4." <br />
The global dairy market will enter 2014 with farmgate milk prices at record or near record highs in many export and import regions. Meanwhile the prices of commodity feeds, such as soybeans and corn, have fallen 10%-40% below prior year levels, opening up large margins for milk producers in intensive feeding regions. <br />
Despite a small softening in prices in October and November, global prices have remained high due to an uptick in December. By mid-December, Whole Milk Powder (WMP) held above $5,000 per ton in fob Oceania trade, while prices of other key commodities rose between 3% and 5%, as Southern Hemisphere processors switched milk type towards the higher-yielding WMP. <br />
China's buying has left the rest of the buy-side of the international market with less supply to go around, keeping the market tight. With export supply still in the early stages of recovery, prices edged up even further in Q4 to ration supply.<br />
The report predicts a further increase in China's dairy purchases from the world market in 2014. A strong Northern Hemisphere production season, following on from an exceptional season in the Southern Hemisphere should generate more than enough exportable supply to exceed China's additional demand, the report says.<br />
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<b>About half of samples tested had at least one bacteria resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics; bacteria were more resistant to antibiotics approved for use in chicken production </b></div>
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<span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">YONKERS, N.Y.</span></span></span>, <span class="xn-chron">Dec. 19, 2013</span> /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its most comprehensive tests of meat and poultry to date, Consumer Reports found bacteria that could make consumers sick on nearly all of the 316 raw chicken breasts purchased at retail nationwide. The full report, "The High Cost of Cheap Chicken," is featured in the <span class="xn-chron">February 2014</span> issue of <i>Consumer Reports</i> and online at <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/chicken0214" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.ConsumerReports.org</a>.</div>
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While Consumer Reports has consistently been testing chicken for more than 15 years, this is the first time it has looked at the contamination rates for six different bacteria – enterococcus (79.8 percent), E.coli (65.2 percent), campylobacter (43 percent), klebsiella pneumonia (13.6 percent), salmonella (10.8 percent), and staphylococcus aureus (9.2 percent). It also evaluated every bacterium for antibiotic resistance and found that about half the chicken samples harbored at least one multidrug-resistant bacteria.</div>
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As part of this investigation, the Consumer Reports National Research Center recently conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,005 respondents about their understanding of labels and their handling and cooking habits for chicken. The survey found that more than half of respondents thought that "natural" chickens did not receive antibiotics or genetically modified feed and more than one-third thought "natural" was equal to "organic," all of which are not true.</div>
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"Our tests show consumers who buy chicken breast at their local grocery stores are very likely to get a sample that is contaminated and likely to get a bug that is multidrug resistant. When people get sick from resistant bacteria, treatment may be getting harder to find," said Dr. <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Urvashi Rangan</span></span>, a toxicologist and Executive Director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center. "Our survey also shows that consumers are making buying decisions based on label claims that they believe are offering them additional value when that is not in fact the case. The marketplace clearly needs to change to meet consumer expectations."</div>
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Consumer Reports' study comes at a time when 48 million people are falling sick and 3,000 dying in <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">the United States</span></span></span> each year from eating tainted food, with more deaths being attributed to poultry than any other commodity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</div>
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Other highlights from Consumer Reports' findings include:</div>
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<li>The majority of samples tested positive for one of the common measures of fecal contamination – Enterococcus and E.coli. More advanced testing showed that 17.5 percent of the E.coli are the type (known as ExPEC) that have genes that make these bacteria more likely to cause urinary tract infections. </li>
<li>About half of chicken samples contained at least one bacterium resistant to three or more antibiotics, commonly referred to as multidrug-resistant bacteria or "superbug." Slightly more than 11 percent contained two or more multidrug-resistant bacteria. </li>
<li>Bacteria were more resistant to antibiotics approved for use in chicken production for growth promotion and disease prevention than those not approved for those uses. </li>
<li>One sample was a Foster Farms chicken breast from a plant associated with the recent outbreak. The sample contained a Salmonella Heidelberg that was a match to one of the outbreak strains. Consumer Reports released its results about this sample in <span class="xn-chron">October 2013</span> immediately after it was confirmed. </li>
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Since 1998, Consumer Reports' tests of chicken have shown salmonella rates have not changed much, ranging between 11 and 16 percent.</div>
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"We know especially for salmonella, other countries have reduced their rates. In fact, systemic solutions were implemented throughout the European Union. Government data show that in 2010, 22 countries met the European target for less than or equal to 1 percent contamination of two important types of salmonella in their broiler flocks. There is no reason why <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">the United States</span></span></span> can't do the same," concludes Rangan.</div>
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For more information on what has been done in <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Europe</span></span></span> and different sustainability practices, visit <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/chicken0214" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.ConsumerReports.org/cro/chicken0214</a>.</div>
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<b>What the Government Can Do</b></div>
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"We are looking to the government to ensure the safety and sustainability of the entire food supply," said Rangan. "We need to attack the root causes of the problems. Without a government focus on effective solutions, meat safety will continue to be compromised."</div>
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In order to reduce rates of bacterial contamination as European counterparts have done and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics, Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, calls on the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), Congress, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do the following:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;" type="disc">
<li>Congress should give the USDA authority to mandate a recall of meat and poultry products, especially when product from a plant matches that of a human outbreak strain. Currently, it cannot mandate any recall. </li>
<li>The FDA should prohibit antibiotic use in food animals except for the treatment of sick ones. FDA's action last week giving voluntary guidance to drug companies to end labeling of antibiotics for growth promotion uses is an important first step, but is far from what is needed overall. An effective way to ensure that antibiotics are only used to treat sick animals is for Congress to pass the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. </li>
<li>The USDA should classify strains of salmonella bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics and known to have caused disease as "adulterants," so that inspectors look for those strains routinely and when found, the products cannot be sold. </li>
<li>The USDA should move quickly to set strict levels for allowable salmonella and campylobacter in chicken parts. The agency expects to put that proposal out for public review and feedback this year. As part of this process, the USDA should publish a list of meat products like chicken parts for which it has no performance standards and indicate a timetable for establishing them. We say these standards can't come soon enough. </li>
<li>The USDA's proposed rule to increase maximum line speeds and reduce the number of USDA inspectors at slaughter plants should be dropped. </li>
<li>The National Organic Program should eliminate the loophole allowing antibiotics to be used in the chicken eggs up until the first day of life in organic chicken broilers. </li>
<li>USDA should ban the use of the "natural" claim, which is not a meaningful label, and require claims on meat to be certified and inspected. </li>
</ul>
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<b>What Consumers Can Do</b></div>
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Consumer Reports advises consumers to follow these tips to ensure proper handling and cooking of chicken: </div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;" type="disc">
<li>Wash hands when handling any type of meat or poultry – frozen or fresh – before touching anything else and wash them for at least 20 seconds with hot soapy water – even if it means multiple washings. </li>
<li>Use a cutting board designated strictly for raw meat and poultry. When done, place it in the dishwasher directly from the counter or wash with hot soapy water. </li>
<li>Don't run chicken under the faucet before cooking. </li>
<li>When cooking, use a meat thermometer and always cook chicken to 165°F. </li>
<li>When shopping, buy meat last; keeping chicken cold delays bacteria overgrowth. Place chicken in a plastic bag to prevent other items from contamination. </li>
<li>Buy chicken raised without antibiotics to help preserve the effectiveness of these drugs; avoid meaningless labels like "natural" and "free range". </li>
</ul>
</div>
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More specific testing to identify fish allergies in affected persons may identify allergens not common to all types of seafood, which could lessen the severity of fish allergies, according to a new study published in the <em><a href="http://www.jiaci.org/issues/vol23issue3/vol23issue03-4.htm?jiaci=1">Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology</a></em>.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Researchers at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), University of Leipzig and Haukeland University Hospital examined 12 patients to determine the extent of their fish allergies. One of the subjects had developed an allergy to Nile perch (<em>Lates niloticus</em>) after having come into contact with the raw fish following consumption of salmon (<em>Salmo salar</em>), called a "cross allergy." Tests indicated signs of allergies to Nile perch and salmon, but not to Atlantic cod (<em>Gadus morhua</em>). <br />
The most common allergen in fish and crustaceans is parvalbumin, a calcium-binding protein. While other substances may also trigger allergies, such as certain proteins in cell metabolism called aldehyde dehydrogenases, these proteins have been overlooked due to the prevalence of the more frequent parvalbumin.<br />
Researchers concluded the tests that are currently used are very non-specific, whereas more specific testing could identify less common allergens. The most direct way of identifying new allergens is through analyzing the serum of affected patients and the proteins of the allergy source. If certain antibodies in the patients’ serum bind to the proteins of the food, the allergy is triggered. The identified allergies can be used initially for individual diagnoses and later for epidemiological studies, to determine the relevance of individual allergies.<br />
"For some people who suffer from fish allergies there may be hope of finding a fish that they can tolerate if we managed to make the relevant tests suitable for mass implementation and use them in allergy diagnostics," said Janina Tomm, Ph.D., from the UFZ, who specializes in research into proteins. <br />
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Cows graze in a pasture at the University of New Hampshire's organic dairy farm in Lee, N.H., Sept. 27, 2006.</div>
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<img alt="Cows graze in a pasture at the University of New Hampshire's organic dairy farm in Lee, N.H., Sept. 27, 2006." data-original="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/12/10/cows_wide-8fa0504b87d184b0348ac5a2a970f0c88872a4df-s40.jpg" title="Cows graze in a pasture at the University of New Hampshire's organic dairy farm in Lee, N.H., Sept. 27, 2006." /></div>
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Cows graze in a pasture at the University of New Hampshire's organic dairy farm in Lee, N.H., Sept. 27, 2006.</div>
<span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">JIM COLE</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">AP</span></span></div>
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<!-- END CLASS="ENLARGE_HTML" -->While milk consumption <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1118789/err149.pdf">continues to fall</a> in the U.S., sales of organic milk are on the rise. And now organic milk accounts for about 4 percent of total fluid milk consumption.<br />
For years, organic producers have claimed their milk is nutritionally superior to regular milk. Specifically, they say that because their cows spend a lot more time out on pasture, munching on grasses and legumes rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the animals' milk is higher in these healthy fats, which are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.<br />
But the evidence for this has been scant, except for some small studies from Europe.<br />
Now, a <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0082429">new study</a> evaluating organic milk produced in the U.S. finds that organic milk has about 62 percent more omega-3s, compared to milk produced by cows on conventional dairy farms. Cows raised on conventional farms typically spend a lot more time in a barn or confined, and instead of grazing, they're fed a diet of animal feed that contains a lot of corn.<br />
"We were surprised by the magnitude of the differences," lead author <a href="http://csanr.wsu.edu/pages/Benbrook">Charles Benbrook</a> of Washington State University tells The Salt.<br />
Benbrook and his colleague analyzed about 400 samples of organic and conventional milk over a period of about a year and a half. The samples were taken at processing facilities around the country.<br />
The findings, published in the journal <em>PLoS ONE</em>, come at a time when <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15823852">we're being told</a> to consume more omega-3 fatty acids. Most people hear this advice and think of fatty fish — which is, of course, an excellent source of the omega-3s DHA and EPA.<br />
What's less well known is that plant-based foods, such as leafy greens and nuts, are rich in another omega-3 called ALA. Now, it's becoming clearer that organic milk is a good source of that, too.<br />
Benbrook says that consuming ALA-rich milk is also a good way to change the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your diet. <a href="http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcidsandHealth-HealthProfessional/">According to</a> the National Institutes of Health, the consensus is that, for good health, we need to be eating more omega-3s and less omega-6s.<br />
Omega-6s are found in corn and sunflower oil, and in foods fried in these oils. While some experts don't see a problem with omega-6s, many say that the typical American diet already contains too many. And averaged over 12 months, the study found, organic milk contained 25 percent less omega-6 fatty acids than conventional milk.<br />
So, here's the rub: if you want all of the omega-3s found in organic milk, are you better off drinking whole milk rather than skim?<br />
Yes. That's because skimming off the fat also reduces the omega-3 content. For example, if you choose 1 percent milk, it has about one-third the fat of whole milk. So you're left with a much lower level of omega-3s. Of course, you're also fewer calories, so it might be a hard choice for people who are watching their weight. If they choose whole milk, they may have to trim calories elsewhere.<br />
And there seems to be a movement towards consuming whole milk. Sales of whole, organic milk are up 10 percent this year, making it the fastest-growing category of milk, according to a spokeswoman from Organic Valley. Skim sales, meanwhile, are down 7.0 percent, she says.<br />
As I <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/19/174739752/whole-milk-or-skim-study-links-fattier-milk-to-slimmer-kids">reported</a> earlier this year, some studies have linked fattier milk to slimmer kids, despite the fact that pediatricians routinely recommend switching kids to low-fat dairy at the age of 2 to reduce their consumption of saturated fats. These fats, which are more abundant in whole milk than in reduced fat milk, are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.<br />
As falling sales figures show, lots of Americans have simply taken milk out of their diets — due to lactose intolerance or other reasons. Some have replaced dairy milk with alternatives such as almond milk, which many doctors say is fine, since there are plenty of other sources of calcium.<br />
But for people who are still milk drinkers, this study suggests that yes, there is a benefit in choosing organic in terms of boosting omega-3 intake.<br />
One thing to note: Dairy farmers of the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, a group which markets through the Organic Valley brand, helped fund the study. But the groups had no role in its design or analysis. The analysis was funded by the Measure to Manage program at the <a href="http://csanr.wsu.edu/">Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources</a> at Washington State University.</div>
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Adding eight ounces of cranberry juice per day or one serving of dried cranberries to consumers’ diets would nearly double the U.S. population’s intake of flavonoids, according to research discussed at the American Society for Nutrition’s 2013 Advances and Controversies in Clinical Nutrition Conference in Washington, Dec. 5. <!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Flavonoids are a category of polyphenols found in colorful fruits and vegetables linked to improved cardiovascular and cellular health as well as reduced inflammation. <br />
Presenter David Baer, Ph.D., USDA-Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, said polyphenols (plant compounds found in wine, tea and many common fruits) could enhance diets and improve whole body health—a hundred grams of <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/11/polyphenols-in-cranberries-linked-to-whole-body-h.aspx">cranberries contains more polyphenolic antioxidants</a> than the equivalent amount of strawberries, broccoli, white grapes, bananas or apples.<br />
Consuming cranberries or cranberry juice can also improve urinary tract health and heart health. During a double blind placebo controlled clinical study, subjects drinking low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail had significantly lower C-reactive protein and diastolic blood pressure than subjects on a placebo beverage. Cranberries, because of their high concentrations of flavonoids, can help promote cardiometabolic markers and help maintain cardiovascular health, including lowering blood pressure.<br />
In addition, people who consume cranberry beverages were more likely to have a lower waist circumference and be less overweight or obese, showing cranberries can be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.</div>
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The increasing usage of pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) and antibiotics in the food products are raising health concerns in the United States.<br />
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013 estimates shows that about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides active ingredients are being used annually in the country and over 20,000 pesticides products are being marketed annually, which is adversely impacting the health of the consumers, and the environment. Therefore, the Organic foods which are produced using environment and animal friendly organic farming methods are gaining awareness in the country. Organic Trade Association 2012, estimates shows that about 81% families are purchasing organic food at least some times.<br />
<br /><br />
According to “United States Organic Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018”, it is forecasted that the organic food market in United States will grow at the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of about 14% during 2014-18.<br />
The organic fruits & vegetables will continue to dominate till 2018 and with the growth in organic food market revenues, the demand for organic meat, fish, poultry, etc. is also expected to gain demand in the forecasted period. The western states in United States hold the major market share in the total organic food market revenues. However, increasing per capita income coupled with the growing domestic production and commercial sector are anticipated to surge the demand of organic food in other regions of the country.<br />
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A diet low in vitamin D may cause damage to the brain, according to a new study published in the journal <em><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089158491300350X">Free Radical Biology and Medicine</a></em>.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->University of Kentucky researchers fed middle-aged rats a diet low in vitamin D for several months to study its effects on brain health.<br />
Results showed the rats developed free radical damage to the brain, and many different brain proteins were damaged as identified by redox proteomics. These rats also showed a significant decrease in cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory. <br />
"Given that vitamin D deficiency is especially widespread among the elderly, we investigated how during aging from middle-age to old-age how low vitamin D affected the oxidative status of the brain," said lead author Allan Butterfield. “Adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in brain and subsequent deleterious consequences."<br />
Previously, low <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2012/10/low-vitamin-d-ups-alzheimer-s-risk.aspx">levels of vitamin D have been associated with Alzheimer's disease</a> and to the development of certain cancers and <a href="http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/06/vitamin-d-fortified-foods-may-prevent-cvd.aspx">heart disease</a>. Butterfield recommends eating foods rich in vitamin D, taking vitamin D supplements and/or getting at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day to ensure that vitamin D levels are normalized for optimal health. </div>
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Being severely obese may change a person’s ability to taste sweet foods and lead to more weight gain, according to a new study published in the journal <em><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0079403">PLOS One</a>. </em><!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Researchers at University of Buffalo who conducted the study concluded that diet-induced obesity significantly alters the responsiveness of the peripheral taste cells that are responsible for the initial detection of taste stimuli and for sending that taste information to the brain.<br />
Kathryn Medler, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Buffalo, says it's possible that the trouble detecting sweetness may lead obese mice to eat more than their leaner counterparts to get the same payoff. <br />
For the study, researchers compared 25 normal mice to 25 of their littermates who were fed a high-fat diet and became obese. After 10 weeks on the high-fat diet, researchers used calcium imaging to measure how taste-evoked calcium signals were affected in the obese mice discovering that significantly fewer taste receptor cells were responsive to some appetitive taste stimuli, while the numbers of taste cells that were sensitive to aversive taste stimuli did not change.<br />
The researchers noted that further research is imperative to determine the connection between taste, appetite and obesity because it could lead to new methods of encouraging healthy eating.</div>
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New food and drink product launches with "low carb" claims in Europe have increased 95% between 2008 and 2013, suggesting the low-carb trend may be back in action and with support from high-protein claims, according to new market research from Mintel.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Ten percent of new low-carbohydrate food and drink launches were pasta products, 10% baking ingredients or mixes, 9% bread and 8% snack, cereal and energy bars. The top three countries in Europe for new low-carbohydrate food and drink product launches are France (17%) followed by Germany and Spain, accounting for 15% of NPD share respectively.<br />
Research shows high protein is aiding the comeback of the low-carb trend, with European new product launches in the food and drink category carrying both a low-carb and high-protein claim growing 57% between 2008 and 2013. <br />
New product launches with high protein claims have tripled over the past five years in Europe with a 260% increase in high-protein product launches in 2013 compared with 2008, driven by snacks, yogurt and prepared meals. This year in Europe, of total new product introductions making a protein claim, snacks accounted for 24%, dairy 20% and processed fish, meat and egg products 15%.<br />
Protein's satiety benefits constitute as an important component in weight management; research shows new products launched in Europe carrying high-satiety claims grew 164% between 2008 and 2013.<br />
"As well as communicating the low-carb content of the products, the presence or absence of other nutrients is also highlighted, with high-protein claims positioning products as more than just low-carb alternatives," said Laura Jones, food science analyst, Mintel.<br />
In addition, there is also opportunity for further growth for high-protein products—for example, 66% of Polish, 61% of Spanish, 51% of Italian and 51% of German and 48% of French consumers would be interested in trying high-protein bread. <br />
Meanwhile, dairy products are a good source of natural protein that has served as a base for high-protein claims, with milk gaining recognition over the past few years as an ideal sports drink. Indeed, 52% of Italian consumers, 49% of French, 45% of Spanish and 37% of Germans think milk is good to drink during exercise. Meanwhile, 20% consumers in the United Kingdom think milk is good to drink during and after sports activity.<br />
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USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently published a final rule that expands the circumstances in which the agency will generically approve labels of meat and poultry.<!-- top content ends --><!-- Begin Article Side Bar --><br />
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<!-- End Article Side Bar --><!-- bot content starts -->Usually, labels that are used on federally inspected meat and poultry products must be approved first by FSIS through a review of a "sketch label". But FSIS has explained there is an exception for labels whose mandatory label features meet applicable regulations. Such "generic" labels don't need to be submitted for sketch approval. <br />
According to FSIS, the final rule expands the circumstances in which it will generically approve meat and poultry labels, further relieving companies of the requirement to submit their labels for evaluation. <br />
"The final rule provides that establishments are required to submit for evaluation only certain types of labeling, e.g., labels for temporary approval, labels for products produced under religious exemption, labels for products for export with labeling deviations, and labels with claims and special statements," FSIS stated in the final rule. <br />
The agency has adopted the proposed rule with four changes, including making an exception to its sketch approval process for labels that bear a child-nutrition box. <br />
The final rule takes effect. Jan. 6 and can be found <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-11-07/pdf/2013-26639.pdf" target="_blank">here via the Federal Register</a>. </div>
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