Food Research: Genetically modified crops to fight spina bifida ♦ How the Government allows chemicals in ‘organic’ food ♦ Three secrets to healthier eating

Genetically modified crops to fight spina bifida Genetically modified crops are usually designed to have herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, but there are other applications of such engineered plants, such as the incorporation of genes for specific nutrients. Research suggests that the biofortification of rice with a gene to produce more folate (vitamin B9) could significantly reduce the risk of birth defects, such as spina bifida and other neural tube defects

How the Government allows chemicals in ‘organic’ food You might think the USDA "organic" label is reserved for foods produced without any man-made chemicals. But under government rules, "organic" food may be grown or processed with the aid of scores of synthetic substances, as long as those chemicals have been deemed essential. Exactly which chemicals should be allowed? This week, in a process that is largely

Three secrets to healthier eating A new study analyzed 112 studies that collected information about healthy eating behaviors and found that most healthy eaters did so because a restaurant, grocery store, school cafeteria, or spouse made foods like fruits and vegetables visible and easy to reach (convenient), enticingly displayed (attractive), and appear like an obvious choice (normal).

Can cheap wine taste great? Brain imaging and marketing placebo effects When consumers taste cheap wine and rate it highly because they believe it is expensive, is it because prejudice has blinded them to the actual taste, or has prejudice actually changed their brain function, causing them to experience the cheap wine in the same physical way as the expensive wine? Research has shown that preconceived beliefs may create a placebo effect so strong that the actual chemistry of the brain changes.