Eating An Apple A Day Cuts Atherosclerosis by 40%

There’s new science supporting the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Healthy middle-aged adults who ate one apple a day for four weeks lowered blood levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is linked to hardening of the arteries, by 40%, according to a new study published online in the Journal of Functional Foods.

For the study, Ohio State University researchers recruited non-smoking healthy adults between the ages 40-60 who had a history of eating apples less than twice a month and who didn't take supplements containing polyphenols or other plant-based concentrates. In all, 16 participants ate a large Red or Golden Delicious apple for four weeks; 17 took capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenols a day for four weeks; and 18 took a placebo containing no polyphenols. The researchers found no effect on oxidized LDLs in those taking the placebo.

When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Lead researcher Robert DiSilvestro, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and a researcher at OSU’s Agricultural Research and Development Center, said they found a tremendous effect against LDL being oxidized with just one apple a day for four weeks. The difference was similar to that found between people with normal coronary arteries versus those with coronary artery disease.

"We think the polyphenols account for a lot of the effect from apples, but we did try to isolate just the polyphenols, using about what you'd get from an apple a day," DiSilvestro said. "We found the polyphenol extract did register a measurable effect, but not as strong as the straight apple. That could either be because there are other things in the apple that could contribute to the effect, or, in some cases, these bioactive compounds seem to get absorbed better when they're consumed in foods."

He described daily apple consumption as significantly more effective at lowering oxidized LDL than other antioxidants he has studied, including the spice-based compound curcumin, green tea and tomato extract. “Not all antioxidants are created equal when it comes to this particular effect," he said.

Gluten-Free Marketing is Catching on in the Food Industry

As the gluten-free market is exploding, food manufacturers are taking note. More and more food companies are recognizing the need to inform and serve the segment of the market that needs or wants gluten-free products. From gluten-free flours to gluten-free restaurant menus, the prevalence of these products is only expanding—and that means good things for the gluten-free community

 The Rise of Gluten-Free Merchandising
In the United States alone, sales of gluten-free food and beverages hit $2.64 billion in 2010, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% over the 2006-2010 period, according to Packaged Facts. A report by the Frost & Sullivan consulting firm estimates retail sales of packaged foods free of the protein are approaching $2 billion a year in the U.S. What's more, sales are expected to continue growing—even exceeding $5 billion by the year 2015.

The growth of gluten-free parallels the growth of celiac disease, a gluten intolerance that has doubled in case numbers every 15 years since 1974, according to University of Maryland study. With an increasing number of Americans diagnosed with Celiac, not to mention many more non-diagnosed individuals finding health benefits from avoiding gluten, the market has a ready audience.

Brands Already Active in the Gluten-Free Market
Because gluten-free products require specialty flours and premium ingredients that command higher prices, they're typically more expensive than their traditional counterparts. Yet despite that fact, they're selling fast, which is exactly why so many companies and brands are jumping in.

Gluten-free sales are soaring at Cub Foods grocery stores, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio. The chain has a website that helps shoppers create shopping lists of items that don't contain gluten, and almost every Cub now has a section dedicated to the category.

Food-manufacturing giant General Mills, the company behind Cheerios and Betty Crocker, now offers hundreds of products with the gluten-free label. Kellogg has gluten-free Rice Krispies. Beer manufacturer Anheuser-Busch sells Redbridge, a gluten-free beer. There's a long list of gluten-free menu options at P.F. Chang's, a wide variety of gluten-free options at specialty grocers like Whole Foods Market (a grocery that has more than doubled its gluten-free products in the last five years) and designated sections of gluten-free products at most major supermarkets, including Kroger, Publix and Wal-Mart.

The Problem for the Celiac Community
Given that there's money to be made in the gluten-free marketplace as the idea grows in popularity among celebrities, athletes, etc., it's no surprise to see so many different brands jumping on board. The problem, however, is not that companies are offering gluten-free products—it's that the products labeled "gluten-free," are often cross-contaminated in production, making them still seriously unsafe for celiac patients. For patients diagnosed with celiac disease, going gluten-free is more than a trend—it's a necessity.

One example of this struggle is Domino's gluten-free pizza crust, launched earlier this year, which the company itself admits it "cannot guarantee … will be completely free from gluten." For someone jumping on the gluten-free fad diet, the pizza is perfect; for someone with celiac, it's a reminder of how hard eating out can be. The same goes for Starbucks, which cannot guarantee a gluten-free environment, as well as many other retailers.

What All This Means for Gluten-Free Customers
There is good news on the horizon for the gluten-free community. What's so significant about the upswing in gluten-free merchandise is that the more gluten-free expands, the more variety there will be and the more that prices are likely to go down. It's the basic law of supply and demand. Whereas in 2007, low availability of gluten-free goods raised prices, soon it could be the opposite that is true. As more companies seek to gain a piece of the gluten-free pie, there will be greater options, more competition and lower price tags.

"The more you produce of something, the less it costs in general in an industrial society, if you're talking about processed products," a University of Minnesota professor, Benajmin Senauer, said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio. "And there's going to be increased competition [in the gluten-free market]."

 

Tomato Trade Pact: U.S., Mexico on Collision Course?

The United States and Mexico could find themselves in a trade war should the U.S. Department of Commerce terminate a 16-year old agreement that has kept prices of tomatoes low for many consumers who purchase fruit that is grown south of the border.

Florida tomato growers want to end a pact that was worth more than $1.8 billion to Mexico last year. The Associated Press said the decision to do so would allow U.S. growers to seek anti-dumping duties on imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday signaled it may end the 1996 agreement, leading to anger and frustration for Mexican officials and businesses. The federal government said it would make a final decision in no later than 270 days.

"We're disappointed. We're confused. We're frustrated. We're angry," Martin Ley, vice president of Del Campo Supreme, a family business that exported $60 million in tomatoes to the U.S. and Canada last year, told The New York Times. "We don't understand where this is going and where this is coming from."

The Obama Administration faced criticism from the right that it is trying to placate Floridians ahead of the Nov. 6 election, and The Wall Street Journal opined that Mexico is likely to retaliate with tariffs against U.S. exports as it has done previously.

Florida tomato growers have griped the pact fails to protect them against Mexican tomatoes sold in the U.S. below the cost of production, according to Reuters.

Eating Cherries Reduces Gout Attacks by 35%

Consuming cherries over a two-day period reduces the risk of gout attacks by 35% in patients suffering from the disease compared to those who did not eat any cherries, according to a new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. The findings also suggest the risk of gout flares was 75% lower when cherry intake was combined with the uric-acid reducing drug, allopurinol, than in periods without exposure to cherries or treatment.

Researchers at Boston University recruited 633 gout patients who were followed online for one year. Participants were asked about the date of gout onset, symptoms, medications and risk factors, including cherry and cherry extract intake in the two days prior to the gout attack. A cherry serving was one half cup or 10 to 12 cherries.

Participants had a mean age of 54 years, with 88% being Caucasian and 78% of subjects were male. Of those subjects with some form of cherry intake, 35% ate fresh cherries, 2% ingested cherry extract, and 5% consumed both fresh cherry fruit and cherry extract. Researchers documented 1,247 gout attacks during the 1-year follow-up period, with 92% occurring in the joint at the base of the big toe.

“Our findings indicate that consuming cherries or cherry extract lowers the risk of gout attack," said Dr. Yuqing Zhang, professor of medicine and public health at Boston University. “The gout flare risk continued to decrease with increasing cherry consumption, up to three servings over two days."

The researchers also found further cherry intake did not provide any additional benefit; however, the protective effect of cherry intake persisted after taking into account patients’ sex, body mass index, purine intake, along with use of alcohol, diuretics and anti-gout medications.

More than 8 million U.S. adults suffer with gout, an inflammatory arthritis triggered by a crystallization of uric acid within the joints that causes excruciating pain and swelling. Prior studies suggest that cherry products have urate-lowering effects and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus may have the potential to reduce gout pain.