Food Research: What’s wrong with the food system? ♦ Steeping temperature and time may affect antioxidants in tea ♦ Health labels influence flavor perception

Health labels influence flavor perception Researchers found that food labels influence the perception of flavor. Light products are considered less tasty. Researchers at a flavor lab organized a flavor experiment with young Gouda cheese for a test audience of 129 people. Without knowing it, the participants tasted the same cheese several times, but each time with a different label, such as 'light' or 'reduced salt'

What’s wrong with the food system? According to the government of Canada, one in eight Canadians will come down with a case of foodborne illness this year. How is it possible that so many Canadians fall victim to a preventable condition? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the situation is worse in the United States.

Another 'whey' to improve your health in the New Year?

Adding calcium, Vitamin D and prebiotic dietary fibre to a beverage made of whey can have huge health benefits for those who drink it.

Steeping temperature and time may affect antioxidants in tea Tea is the most highly consumed beverage in the world next to water. The methods of preparing the beverage varies throughout the world and also depends on the type of tea. Researchers found that the temperature and length of time tea leaves are steeped affects their antioxidant properties and differs across types of tea

Health Research: Crime-scene compound may be newest tool in fight against malaria ♦ First steps towards preventing suicide attempts by offenders

Study looks at Google Glass to bring toxicology specialists to remote emergency rooms Google Glass, a head-mounted streaming audio/video device, may be used to effectively extend bed-side toxicology consults to distant health care facilities such as community and rural hospitals to diagnose and manage poisoned patients.

Crime-scene compound may be newest tool in fight against malaria The compound that detectives spray at crime scenes to find trace amounts of blood may one day be used to kill the malaria parasite.

Study shows how aging cripples the immune system, suggesting benefits of antioxidants Scientists have shown how aging cripples the production of new immune cells, decreasing the immune system's response to vaccines and putting the elderly at risk of infection.

Promising drug for Parkinson's disease: Study supports fast track to clinical trials  A drug which has already been in use for decades to treat liver disease could be an effective treatment to slow down progression of Parkinson's disease.

First steps towards preventing suicide attempts by offenders While the risk of suicide by offenders in prison has been identified as a priority for action, understanding and preventing suicides among offenders after release has received far less attention.

Food Research: Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer ♦ High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat die ♦ Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells

Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other major causes A study confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don't consume nuts or peanuts.

Regular soda, please: Hormone that differentiates sugar, diet sweeteners could exist in humans We've all been there: We eat an entire sleeve of fat-free, low-calorie cookies and we're stuffing ourselves with more food 15 minutes later. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that artificial sweeteners don't contain the calories or energy that evolution has trained the brain to expect from sweet-tasting foods, so they don't fool the brain into satisfying hunger. However, until now, nobody understood how organisms distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweetener.

High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet In a study that seems to defy conventional dietary wisdom, scientists have found that adding high salt to a high-fat diet actually prevents weight gain in mice. The findings highlight the profound effect non-caloric dietary nutrients can have on energy balance and weight gain, and suggest that public health efforts to continue lowering sodium intake may have unexpected and unintended consequences.

Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants shows new research.

Brain Research: New stent devices fight strokes ♦ Antioxidant therapy promising in concussion treatment ♦ New way of analyzing brain data

Sea slug provides new way of analyzing brain data Scientists say our brains may not be as complicated as we once thought -- and they're using sea slugs to prove it. “This research introduces new methods for pulling apart neural circuits to expose their inner building blocks. Our methods could be used to help understand how brain networks change in disease states and how drugs act to restore normal brain function,” authors say.

New stent devices fight strokes In certain stroke patients, a new device called a stent retriever can reverse symptoms and limit stroke damage. The "stentriever," deployed with a catheter, restores blood flow and retrieves a blood clot from the brain.

Migrating immune cells promote nerve cell demise in the brain The death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a certain region of the brain is the principal cause underlying Parkinson's disease. In mice, it is possible to simulate the Parkinson's symptoms using a substance that selectively kills dopamine-producing neurons. Scientists have now shown that after this treatment, cells of the peripheral immune system migrate into the brain, where they play a major role in the death of neurons.

Antioxidant therapy may have promising potential in concussion treatment Antioxidants may play a key role in reducing the long-term effects of concussions and could potentially offer a unique new approach for treatment, a new study suggests. Common among athletes and soldiers, it is estimated that 3.4 million concussions occur each year in the United States. The development of a readily available oral supplement would have the potential to improve brain function in a percentage of concussion sufferers.

7/14/14 Health News: Organic Food Has More Antioxidants ♦ US industry has'undue influence over food additives ♦ What YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SEAFOOD ♦ SHELLFISH-RELATED ILLNESSES

Organic Food Has More Antioxidants, Less Pesticide Residue: Study

Organic food really is better for your health than its conventional counterparts. At least, that’s the conclusion of a new study conducted by researchers at Newcastle University and published this week. But not everyone is convinced Continue Reading

US industry has 'undue influence' over food additives

US food companies have "undue influence" in vouching for the safety of common additives such as salt, trans fats and artificial sweeteners, according to an analysis released on Wednesday that calls for better oversight of the additive process, which is currently self-governed by industry. An analysis of all 451 notices of additive safety voluntarily submitted to the US …continue reading

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE U.S. SEAFOOD SUPPLY

(This article by Paul Greenberg was originally published July 8 by Civil Eats and is reposted here with permission.)  The United States seafood supply is a marvel to behold in its illogic. In spite of the fact that we control more ocean than any country on earth, more than 85 percent of the fish and shellfish... Continue Reading

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SHELLFISH-RELATED ILLNESSES THIS SUMMER

Warm weather and low tides are good for harvesting shellfish, but nice weather is also ideal for naturally occurring bacteria to multiply, raising the risk of illness, warns the Washington State Department of Health. For that reason, food-safety officials in Washington state, California and Oregon advise shellfish gatherers and consumers to follow summertime health advice... Continue Reading