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Understanding food
Science Briefs
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Health benefits associated with wholegrains may be, in part, due to their prebiotic effect. This is the conclusion of a 3-week intervention study conducted by UK scientists at Reading. |
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A new US study shows that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) used to sweeten certain beverages has a similar impact on hunger and satiety as sucrose. |
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The anti-cancer properties of Brassica vegetables, namely broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, are well-known. However, boiling such vegetables severely impairs their potential health benefits, as a new UK study has reported. |
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A research group of the Animal Nutrition Unit at Zaidín Experimental Station, which is owned by the Higher Board of Scientific Research, located in Armilla (Granada), have demonstrated that leguminous plants can have beneficial effects on the body. Amongst others, eating these foods can reduce the probability of suffering cancer of the colon, as they reduce the replication ratio of tumour cells. |
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Antioxidants are believed to have substantial health benefits and raspberries in particular are a good source. In fact, raspberries may have 10 times more antioxidants than tomatoes or broccoli. Further, raspberries contain some specific antioxidants that are found almost nowhere else.
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In a recent review, researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, closely examined the widely claimed link between obesity and addiction. They demonstrated that the evidence for food addiction in humans is limited, and that there are issues with the usefulness of the current food addiction model which need to be addressed. |
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In a review published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, Dr Macdiarmid from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health (Aberdeen), addresses the question whether a healthful diet can also be environmentally sustainable. While she finds that it may be possible to achieve a diet that is both healthful and sustainable, one should not automatically assume that they go hand in hand. Consumer understanding of sustainable diets is often poor and a more effective combination of research and communication is needed to establish dietary recommendations which can fulfil both of these societal goals. |
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A recent review has highlighted the latest research on whether nutrition labelling has been effective in encouraging healthy eating. While the last decade has seen the emergence of a great deal of research in this area, it remains unclear whether the provision of nutrition information has been able to prompt consumers to make healthier food choices in real life. |
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The UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) salt campaign may have successfully reduced salt intakes by about 10% by raising public awareness of salt as a public health issue and encouraging product reformulation. This is the conclusion of a recent study undertaken by researchers of the University of Reading, University of Bologna and University of London as part of the EU project EATWELL (Interventions to Promote Healthy Eating Habits: Evaluation and Recommendations) which assessed healthy eating interventions. |
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In view of the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), identifying functional foods that reduce CVD risk factors (including high blood cholesterol) is an important area of research. A body of evidence has accumulated, strengthening the association between oat beta-glucan consumption and a decrease in blood cholesterol, according to a review by researchers from the University of Manitoba, Canada. |
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