1. Resistant Starch: Burn fat faster
A new study shows that resistant starch may play a role in speeding up metabolism, helping people to burn more fat.
3. Breakfast: Benefits brains and waistlines
A literature review examines 47 studies in to the effect of breakfast on nutrition, body weight and academic performance in children and adolescents.
4. Grains in the News:
Porridge: Heart Protector?
Scientists in Scotland are about to carry out a study as to whether porridge can prevent heart disease.
Food Pyramid: Healing foods
Nutrition experts at the University of Michigan have come up with the 'Healing Foods Pyramid', which contains foods known to have healing benefits and recognises the benefits of moderate indulgence.
AIFST conference: Grains of the future
AIFST's 38 th annual convention will be in Sydney from 10-13th July. Dr Jan Mahoney from Grain Foods CRC will be speaking about the development of grains in the future.
Dr Janine Higgins from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre addressed health professionals at seminars in Sydney and Melbourne last month on her findings about resistant starch being a natural fat fighter.
Dr Higgins believes resistant starch could decrease fat accumulation over time .
"Our research has shown just by eating a meal containing resistant starch, you can burn 20-25 per cent more fat and this increase is sustained throughout the day, even if only one meal contains resistant starch," Dr Higgins said .
"Also, we have just shown that this effect is sustained if you keep eating resistant starch on a daily basis," she said.
Resistant starch is defined as any starch that is not digested in the upper digestive tract , but passes to the large bowel where it is an available substrate for fermentation.
"The resistant starch actually changes the order in which the body burns food. C arbohydrates are usually used first, but resistant starch seems to move fat to the top of the list to be burned for energy before it has a chance to be stored," Dr Higgins said .
Over time this could promote an increase in lea n body mass and a decrease in fat stores. An increase in lean body mass could help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
"Having more lean mass can provide metabolic benefits on a continuing basis as it is lean body mass that drives your metabolism. Also, burning more fat spares carbohydrate which means more energy for us to use in exercise or just day-to-day life," Dr Higgins said.
Resistant starch can be found naturally in cold cooked potatoes, pasta and rice as well as baked beans and lentils.
A high intake of wholgrains may decrease the risk of colon cancer in women, according to a new Swedish study.
Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Medicine in Stockholm , Sweden , prospectively examined the association between wholegrain consumption and colorectal cancer risk in the population-based ' Swedish Mammography Cohort.'
A total of 61,433 women completed a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline (1987-1990) and, through linkage with the Swedish Cancer Registry, 805 incident cases of colorectal cancer were identified during a mean follow-up of 14.8 years.
High consumption of whole grains was associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, but not of rectal cancer.
The multivariate rate ratio (RR) of colon cancer for the top category of whole grain consumption ( at least 4.5 servings day ) compared with the bottom category ( less than 1.5 servings day ) was 0.67 . The corresponding RR after excluding cases occurring within the first 2 years of follow-up was 0.65 .
Based on these results, the researchers conclude that high consumption of wholegrains may decrease the risk of colon cancer in women.
Breakfast has long been heralded as 'the most important meal of the day'. Now researchers at the University of Florida have conducted research that adds further support to this claim.
The results of 47 studies were examined and summarised in a meta-analysis of the literature in this area. The studies looked at the association of breakfast consumption with nutritional adequacy (nine studies), body weight (16 studies), and academic performance (22 studies) in children and adolescents.
Skipping breakfast is a common habit in the United States and Europe (10% to 30%), varying with age group, population, and definition. Although the quality of the breakfast meal was variable within and between studies, the children who reported eating breakfast on a consistent basis tended to have diets with superior nutritional profiles compared with those who tended to skip breakfast.
Even though breakfast eaters generally consumed more daily calories, they were less likely to be overweight. However, not all studies associated breakfast skipping with being overweight.
The evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance.
The researchers recommend that parents and schools should encourage the consumption of a healthy breakfast on a daily basis consisting of a variety of foods, especially in high fibre and nutrient rich wholegrains, fruits, and dairy products.
Scottish scientists are conducting a study into whether porridge can prevent heart disease.
Previous studies have suggested that eating wholegrain foods may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and that eating three serves a day may protect the heart, and this research will help determine which wholegrain foods have the best heart health effect.
Volunteers will be asked to eat only refined foods such as white bread and white rice but no wholegrain foods for four weeks. Recruits will then either remain on this diet or switch to one of two wholegrain diets.
One of these diets is wheat-based and would include eating wholemeal bread and wheat-based breakfast cereals. The other diet is oat and wheat-based and would include eating porridge and oatcakes.
Study leader Dr Frank Thies, lecturer in Human Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen , said w holegrain food s such as wheat and oats appear to have a beneficial effect on the heart and may protect against heart disease .
"Wholegrain food seems to reduce the levels of cholesterol, sugar and other chemicals in the blood which may be responsible for the development of heart disease ," Dr Theis said .
"Our study will look at the effects of three different diets containing different portions of wholegrain food on cholesterol, sugar and other chemicals in the blood.
"We hope that information from this study will tell us which wholegrain foods are the best for the heart and arteries," he said.
Nutrition experts at the Interactive Medicine Clinic at the University of Michigan have designed the Healing Foods Pyramid.
Dr Monica Myklebust and Jenna Wunda created the Healing Foods Pyramid with their passion for food in mind as well as focussing on those foods known for their beneficial or healing properties. Plant foods make up the essential base foods, accented by animal foods, rather than them being a focus.
The pyramid however does recognise the benefits of moderate amounts of alcohol and dark chocolate. Even occasional "treats" are recognised as part of the pyramid as the authors recognise it may not be measurable in a laboratory, but some foods just make you feel good.
The categories and their placement on the pyramid reflect the creators' intention of emphasising the foundational role of Water , followed by the importance of a rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables.
Grains emphasise wholegrains and includes some starchy vegetables that act like grains in the body
Legumes are excellent sources of non-animal protein in this plant-based pyramid
Healthy Fats emphasises monounsaturated oils and nuts
Eggs offer high quality protein
Dairy includes foods low in fat yet rich in calcium
Lean meats complement other foods rather than playing the starring role
Fish and seafood , fish high in omega-3 fatty acids is emphasised
Seasonings include herbs, onions, garlic, pepper, salt and others that add flavour while contributing healing benefits
Dark chocolate is a source of antioxidants
Alcohol , when used in moderation, has health benefits. Use of alcohol is to be guided by consideration of one's personal health
At the top of the pyramid is a personal space purposely left open to be filled in by yourself, a space for your favourite treats.
Big name food companies in the US have struck a discord over what counts as an "excellent" source of whole grains. The answer is worth billions of dollars to cereal-makers such as General Mills Inc. and bread and pasta makers such as Sara Lee Corp., Campbell Soup Co., and ConAgra Foods Inc.
The US Food and Drug Administration is considering adopting General Mills' proposed standard that foods containing at least 16 grams of wholegrains per serving are "an excellent source of wholegrain" while 8 to 15 grams per serving are "a good source of whole grain".
Bread and pasta makers argue that the definitions pushed by General Mills unfairly favour cereals and crackers over foods like bread and pasta whose water content makes them unlikely to meet what even General Mills says are high standards.
"The petition stacks the deck toward one food group," said Bill Nictakis, president of the Sara Lee Bakery Group's US fresh bread business in St. Louis.
"If we set the bar too high, we will have less ability to tell the public about wholegrains," said Mr Nictakis.
Although the recently revised US dietary guidelines and food pyramid recommend increased consumption of wholegrains, industry executives say most consumers are unaware of wholegrains and their significant health benefits. The FDA is being called upon to eliminate consumer confusion by establishing labelling standards.
"It's probably one of the most crucial issues facing whole grains," said Len Marquart, an assistant professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota.
"Until we can provide [wholegrain foods] with seals, logos, insignias, we can't educate, we can't market. We can't sell wholegrains unless we can identify what wholegrains [people] are consuming," said Len.
New federal dietary guidelines in the US recommend that at least half the daily intake of bread and cereals be taken from wholegrain foods.
In reaction to the new guidelines, Wonder Bread , the number one selling bread in the US , will launch a 100 per cent whole-wheat white bread next month. The new bread will be aimed at mothers who are concerned about their children's nutrition.
Made with an 'albino' wheat variety that doesn't have the harsh taste of whole red-wheat flour, the bread has the same spongy texture, the same 'mushability' and similar taste as Wonder Bread . It is a shade or two browner because it's made from 100 per cent whole wheat and has three times the fibre. Whole wheat and wholegrain flours contain all three parts of the wheat kernel: the bran, germ and starchy endosperm.
Traditional Wonder Bread , made with white flour from which the bran and germ are removed, won't be removed from the market.
The 100 per cent whole-grain alternative is meant to "deliver all the goodness and health benefits of wholegrain without sacrificing the benefits of white bread," according to Jacques Roizen, chief marketing officer for bread maker Interstate Brands.
"It still has the taste and texture of white bread, but the benefits of wholegrain," Mr Roizen said.
To prevent confusion, Interstate Brands has given the new bread the name "White Bread Fans 100% Whole Grain".
Dr Jan Mahoney, CEO of the Grain Foods CRC Ltd, will be speaking at the upcoming Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology conference on how the Australian grain industry is aiming to differentiate itself by combining genomics and applications technology to develop new products and look to the future.
"I'll be focussing on the whole grain, the various fractions, and many compounds produced by grains," Dr Mahoney said.
"Grains have healthy, disease-fighting compounds such as anti-cancer compounds. I'll be discussing how we can naturally fortify food by increasing the nutritious components in grains and pulses," Dr Mahoney said.
"Whilst organic food may have less residues, it won't feed the world. We're looking to marry the best of everything - how to capture the goodness of natural whole foods and integrate it into the modern food system.
"Over 80 per cent of the bread market is sliced white bread; we can make it healthier by combining the beneficial components of grains and pulses into the bread without changing the texture or flavour of the bread," Dr Mahoney said.
Bread is not the only food that can be made healthier by the addition of grains and pulses. Even beer can be fortified by certain components of grains to become a more nutritious product.
" Australia has terrific research and development and a competitive advantage of skilful producers and manufacturers. We are trying to make reaping health benefits convenient, not only for the consumer but for the growers and manufacturers as well," said Dr Mahoney.
Dr Mahoney will be speaking on Wednesday 13th July, in a session called "Biotechnology - on the farm".
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