Food Research: First beef with the omega 3 of fish ♦ Deciphering the neural code that links food to aging D ♦ coffee grounds could make some food more healthful

First beef with the omega 3 of fish Chinese scientists have reared beef rich in the beneficial fatty acids associated with fish oils. The study highlights the scientific challenges that remain following the successful introduction of a gene into fetal cells from Luxi Yellow cattle. The fat1 gene, isolated from a nematode worm, codes for desaturase enzymes that are involved in the conversion of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Property inhibiting growth of bird flu virus discovered in eggs An egg is many things. It is a versatile food but also an efficient source of bioactive compounds. A researcher has discovered that fractions isolated from the ovomucin protein in egg white can inhibit virus growth.

How noise affects the palate: When flying, taste buds prefer savory tomato  While examining how airplane noise affects the palate, food scientists found umami-rich foods become your taste bud's best buds.

How used coffee grounds could make some food more healthful Coffee has gone from dietary foe to friend in recent years, partly due to the revelation that it's rich in antioxidants. Now even spent coffee grounds are gaining attention for being chock-full of these compounds, which have potential health benefits. Researchers now explain how to extract antioxidants from the grounds. .

Deciphering the neural code that links food to aging Diet exerts a major impact on health and aging. The nervous system plays an important role in this process but, thus far, how food signals are interpreted by the nervous system has been a mystery. A new study has found that serotonin and TGF-beta hormone levels in specific neurons of C. elegans communicate information about food abundance in roundworms. These signals from the nervous system influence the animal's lifespan, thus mediating the effects of food on aging.

Cancer Research: Nanoparticles outperforms PSA screen for prostate cancer ♦ Cancer genes turned off in deadly brain cancer ♦ Chemoresistance after consuming fatty acid in fish ♦

Cancer genes turned off in deadly brain cancer Scientists have identified a small RNA molecule that can suppress cancer-causing genes in mice with glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly and incurable type of brain tumor. While standard chemotherapy drugs damage DNA to stop cancer cells from reproducing, the new method stops the source that creates those cancer cells. The approach could also potentially be used for gene silencing in other cancers and diseases of genetic origin.

Researchers combine common genetic variants, other factors to improve breast cancer risk prediction Recent large-scale genomic analyses have uncovered dozens of common genetic variants that are associated with breast cancer. Each variant, however, contributes only a tiny amount to a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. Now an international team of researchers has combined 77 of these common genetic variants into a single risk factor that can be used to improve the identification of women with an elevated risk of breast cancer. This factor, known as a polygenic risk score, was built from the genetic data of more than 67,000 women.

Potential chemoresistance after consuming fatty acid in fish Researchers found that consuming the fish herring and mackerel, as well as three kinds of fish oils, raised blood levels of the fatty acid 16:4(n-3), which experiments in mice suggest may induce resistance to chemotherapy used to treat cancer

One dollar blood test using gold nanoparticles outperforms PSA screen for prostate cancer A test that uses gold nanoparticles to detect early-stage prostate cancer costs less than $1, returns results in minutes and is more accurate than standard PSA screening, pilot studies show. The new technique leverages the ability of gold nanoparticles to attract cancer biomarkers

2/28/15 Health News: Secret Treaty Leads to Food Safety Labeling Concerns ♦ NC Salmonella Outbreak ♦ Oat breakfast cereals may contain mold-related toxin ♦ Plus More

Trans-Pacific Partnership could prevent clearer food – health advocates Australia’s Pacific free-trade deal could stand in the way of clear country-of-origin labelling being considered by the Abbott government in the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported frozen berries Continue Reading

NC SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO RE-COOKED PULLED PORK  A Salmonella outbreak in North Carolina this past fall that sickened dozens of people has been linked to re-cooked pulled pork served at a church conference. According to news reports published Friday, the problem was probably smoked Boston butt prepared overnight by a member of the Living Word Tabernacle Church in Bessemer City, NC, and then re-cooked the... Continue Reading

Oat breakfast cereals may contain a common mold-related toxin  Oats are often touted for boosting heart health, but scientists warn that the grain and its products might need closer monitoring for potential mold contamination. They report that some oat-based breakfast cereals in the US contain a mold-related toxin called ochratoxin A that's been linked to kidney cancer in animal studies Continue Reading

Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D may control brain serotonin, affecting behavior and psychiatric disorders  Although essential marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to improve cognitive function and behavior in the context of certain brain disorders, the underlying mechanism has been unclear. In a new paper, serotonin is explained as the possible missing link tying together why vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids might ameliorate the symptoms associated with a broad array of brain disorders.Continue Reading

Adults with disabilities screened for cancer less often  Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are much less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer, research shows. "As individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live longer, their risk of developing chronic conditions like cancer increases. Suboptimal screening may contribute to a greater cancer burden," Continue Reading

1/28/15 Health News: TOXIN FEARS GROW ♦ Repair damage caused by osteoarthritis ♦ New Anti-microbial coatings ♦ Fatty acids shield brain from mercury damage

AS TOXIN FEARS GROW, MORE CHINESE ARE BUYING IMPORTED RICE

Despite being the number-one producer and consumer of rice in the world, more Chinese citizens are buying rice imported from Japan and elsewhere due to fears about heavy metals and other toxins, according to Reuters. While the amount of rice imported to China from Japan in 2014 is still extremely small, it was triple the .. Continue Reading

New 'microcapsules' have potential to repair damage caused by osteoarthritis

A new ‘microcapsule’ treatment delivery method could reduce inflammation in cartilage affected by osteoarthritis and reverse damage to tissue, scientists report. Continue Reading

Anti-microbial coatings with a long-term effect for surfaces

Hygienic conditions and sterile procedures are particularly important in hospitals, kitchens and sanitary facilities, air conditioning and ventilation systems, in food preparation and in the manufacture of packaging material. In these areas, bacteria and fungus  Continue Reading

Fatty acids in fish may shield brain from mercury damage

The benefits of fish consumption on prenatal development may offset the risks associated with mercury exposure.The new study suggests that the nutrients found in fish have properties that protect the brain from the potential toxic effects of the chemical. Continue Reading

Blood vessels in older brains break down, possibly leading to Alzheimer's

Researchers used high-resolution imaging of the living human brain to show for the first time that the brain's protective blood barrier becomes leaky with age, starting at the hippocampus, a critical learning and memory center that is damaged by Alzheimer's disease.Continue Reading

Toxins in Your Fish Oil Tablets

Fatty predatory fish like sharks, swordfish, tilefish, and albacore tuna may be high in omega-3 fatty acids, but due to their position at the top of the food chain, these species may also accumulate toxic substances through what they eat. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends limiting consumption of certain (predatory) fish species (e.g. albacore tuna, shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish) due to high levels of toxic contaminants such as mercury, dioxin, PCBs and chlordane.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are thought to be beneficial in treating excessive triglycerides in your blood and it is beneficial in preventing heart disease..The Question is is there more benefit to taking fish oil  or there more risks from the contaminates ? Would it be better to get the Omega-3 from another source?

Contaminants

 Mercury is an element sometimes called quicksilver. It is Toxic. The burning of coal and gold mining release mercury The mercury that ends up in the atmosphere and may increase the amount of mercury in the oceans.Fish store the murcury in the form of methylmercury As mercury and methylmercury are fat soluble, they primarily accumulate in the viscera, although they are also found throughout the muscle tissue of fish.

Dioxin  is a member of the class of persistent organic pollutants that is produced through combustion, in the bleaching of paper/pulp or in the chemical manufacturing process. In regards to Agent Orange dioxin was a by-product of the deliberately accelerated production of the herbicide 2,4,5-T, one of the components of Agent Orange. Specifically the dioxin contaminating Agent Orange was 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo P Dioxin (TCDD)which is the most toxic of all the dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the International Agency for the Research on Cancer list TCDD as a known human carcinogen. Dioxin has been found to be an endocrine disruptor, it can cause acne-like eruption of blackheads, cysts, and pustules , certain cancers, and reproductive and developmental effects (at least in animals).

Dioxin is not absorbed by plants nor is it water soluble. It can attach to fine soil particles or sediment, which are then carried by water downstream and settle in the bottoms of ponds and lakes. It continues to adversely affect people who eat dioxin-contaminated fish, molluscs and fowl produced around point sources of dioxin. However, dioxin is toxic over a long period – a scale of many decades – and does not degrade readily.

PCBs  belong to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were domestically manufactured from 1929 until their manufacture was banned in 1979. They have a range of toxicity.  Due to their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point, and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications  

Once in the environment, PCBs do not readily break down. Thay may remain for long periods of time cycling between air, water, and soil. PCBs can be carried long distances and in areas far away from where they were released into the environment. As a consequence, PCBs are found all over the world.

PCBs can accumulate in the leaves and above-ground parts of plants and food crops. They are also taken up into the bodies of small organisms and fish. As a result, people who ingest fish may be exposed to PCBs that have bioaccumulated in the fish they are ingesting.

PCBs have been demonstrated to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.

Chlordane is a compound used as a pesticide. This white solid was sold in the U.S. until 1983 as an insecticide for crops like corn and citrus, and on lawns and domestic gardens. Depending on the site of home treatment, the indoor air levels of chlordane can still exceed the Minimal Risks Levels (MRLs) for both cancer and chronic disease by orders of magnitude.

Chlordane is excreted slowly through feces, urine elimination, and through breast milk in nursing mothers. It is able to cross the placenta and become absorbed by developing fetuses in pregnant women. A breakdown product of chlordane, the metabolite oxychlordane, accumulates in blood and adipose tissue with age

Exposure to chlordane metabolites may be associated with testicular cancer. The incidence of tumor of the testis in men with the highest blood levels.  Prostate cancer has been associated with trans-nonachlor levels, a component of chlordane. Japanese workers who used chlordane over a long period of time had minor changes in liver function.

The non-cancer health effects of chlordane compounds, which include diabetes, insulin resistance, migraines, respiratory infections, immune-system activation, anxiety, depression, blurry vision, confusion, intractable seizures as well as permanent neurological damage probably affect more people than cancer. Recent results from 8 large epidemiological studies in the United States, using CDC's NHANES data, have consistently shown of all the chemicals found in the blood of Americans, heptachlor epoxides and oxychlordane have the highest associated risk with insulin resistance and diabetes.

Some fish oil products have more contaminated than others.Sense the FDA does not require that information on the label there is no way for the consumer.There are some fish oil products that reduce the amount of PCBs.