1. Allergy: Wheat products wrongly blamed
A new international research review has found that wheat-based foods are often incorrectly blamed for many allergic reactions and symptoms of intolerance.
3. Flaxseed: A muffin a day ...
A new scientific study suggests that one muffin a day for 30 days could reduce breast cancer cells, in newly diagnosed women, by up to 31%.
4. Rice: Mapping the way. International scientists believe they have sequenced the complete rice genome. This may lead to improvements in the size and quality of crops produced.
5. Grains in the News:
Wholegrains: Surge in the market
According to market research there has been an amazing increase in the purchase of wholegrain products in the US. New dietary guidelines and scientific evidence of the benefits of wholegrains have helped to grow the market.
Bread: Back on the menu
With Atkins Nutritionals Inc. going bankrupt and the sale of ?forbidden foods' on the rise, it looks like the low-carb craze is over.
Oats: Basis for a new fat substitute
A new oat-based product has been developed to replace butter or oil, in baked foods, and may reduce the fat content by 50 per cent.
Cereal: Not just for breakfast
The Cereal Bowl, a new concept in cafes, has been launched in the US. Customers are able to mix and match their cereal with over 35 hot and cold choices as well as cereal bars and oatmeal smoothies.
A NEW international literature review has found that wheat-based foods are often incorrectly blamed for many allergic reactions and symptoms of food intolerance.
The prevalence of allergic disease has doubled in the last 25 years, now occurring in around one in three Australians sometime during their life. Allergies currently account for around 500,000 sick days annually in this country.
However, despite these worrying figures, a review * of all available scientific evidence shows the wrong villain is often blamed for the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic food reactions and intolerances.
The review, conducted by Linda Hodge who is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and expert in allergy and food sensitivity with the Dietitians Association of Australia, found the perception of a high prevalence of cereal grain allergy in our population is, to a large degree, an urban myth.
Ms Hodge said wheat and other cereal grains generally provide a safe and important source of nutrients for the vast majority of the population, and should only be avoided if food hypersensitivity can be proven through appropriate and validated clinical investigations.
Her examination of the scientific literature shows that wheat and other cereal grains are rarely a cause of serious food allergy, although wheat can trigger symptoms in some people with irritable bowel syndrome and eczema.
?Natural and alternative therapists frequently cite wheat as the most common cause of food allergies, or a close second to dairy products, but without specifying any corroborating data,? Ms Hodge said.
?In the peer-reviewed scientific literature, however, wheat and other grain products are rated below foods such as nuts, fish, shellfish, milk and eggs as the most common triggers for food related allergic symptoms.
?E ven in studies of perceived food hypersensitivity, milk, fruit, vegetables, seafood, dairy products, chocolate, spices/herbs, beans, eggs, peanuts, additives, meat and nuts are all reported more often as a cause of symptoms than wheat or any other cereal grain,? she said.
In one of the few population-wide studies conducted into food hypersensitivity, the prevalence in 18,000 Britons was estimated at between 1.4% and 1.8% of the population. But hypersensitivity to wheat was calculated to be only 0.2% of participants in this study.
?People often come to me clutching a long list of foods they have been told to avoid but, after careful investigation using proven techniques, it's usually the case that many of these foods have nothing to do with their symptoms,? Ms Hodge said.
?Routinely taking people off wheat is, in many cases, a waste of time and causes unnecessary hardship. Such restrictive diets, without any scientific justification, could even cause nutritional problems, particularly in children,? she said.
* This review has been submitted for publication in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
2. Wholegrains and legumes: Halting prostate cancer | ( back to contents )
US researchers claim that men with early stage prostate cancer, who make radical changes to their diet and lifestyle may be able to stop, or even reverse, the progression of their cancer.
This study is one of the first randomised, controlled trials to show that changing diet and lifestyle may affect the development of a cancer.
The researchers from the University of California enrolled 93 men with ?biopsy proven' prostate cancer who had chosen not to seek conventional treatment for the cancer.
Divided into two random groups, the first group was put on a vegan diet, eating fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes. This group also received supplements of soy, vitamins and minerals and undertook moderate aerobic exercise, yoga or meditation and a group support session once a week. No members of this group undertook conventional cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation) during the trial.
The second group did not alter their diet and lifestyle. Six members of this group underwent conventional treatment as their cancer had progressed.
After one year, PSA levels (a protein marker for prostate cancer) decreased in the group who had changed their lifestyle. In comparison, the second group PSA levels increased. The study showed a direct correlation between the degree of lifestyle change and the change in PSA levels.
?This study provides important new information for men with prostate cancer and all men who hope to prevent it,? said Dr Peter Carroll, study author and Chair of the Urology Department at the University of California.
Dr Carroll said that the study is the first in a series of trials attempting to better identify the exact role of diet and lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.
One flaxseed muffin a day for 30 days could destroy up to 31% of breast cancer cells in newly diagnosed women, according to recent research.
The role of flax lignans as a treatment for cancer has been studied in cell cultures and animals for many years, but they had not been tested people diagnosed with cancer.
Canadian researchers enrolled women who had been newly diagnosed with breast cancer as volunteers to study the effects of flaxseed on breast cancer progression. One flaxseed muffin a day, containing a predetermined concentration of pre-lignans, was consumed each day for 30 days. The results showed that flaxseed pre-lignans, converted in the intestines by bacteria into anti-cancer lignans, were effective in destroying the breast cancer cells.
The growth index in the cancer cells was reduced 34.2 per cent, while the level of programmed cell death increased to 30.7 per cent
According to Dr Stephen Martin, Chief Scientist of Grouppe Kurosawa, said that data like this had never been reported before.
?This study is critically important not only for breast cancer patients, but for all cancer patients because lignans kill many kinds of cancers, including the presently incurable melanoma. With the exception of palmitic acid, the common saturated fatty acid, specific foods do not normally have the ability to kill cancer cells. We are only talking a muffin a day. What if we ate two?? said Dr Martin.
A group of international scientists says it has sequenced the complete rice genome. The discovery finds that rice contains more genes than humans and could provide new tools to improve the quality and size of future crops.
Six years of research work conducted by The International Rice Genome Sequencing Project, which includes The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), has found that the completed sequence for the genome consists of around 400 million DNA bases holding 37,544 genes on rice's 12 chromosomes.
?Rice is a critically important crop, and this finished sequence represents a major milestone,? said Robin Buell, lead investigator for TIGR's portion of the project.
?We know the scientific community can use these data to develop new varieties of rice that deliver increased yields and grow in harsher conditions.?
Currently 400 million tonnes of rice is consumed in the world each year, making it a staple food commodity for half the world's population. These sums mean that even the smallest alterations to the production of crops could have a major impact on the world's leading food commodity.
Scientists and food experts now know that, with the world's population rapidly heading for the 7 billion mark, feeding everyone is a growing problem. In line with the population growth, world rice production must increase 30 per cent over the next 20 years if all the extra mouths are to be fed.
The scientists that have cracked the rice genome mystery say that in turn, the newly discovered sequence should provide a roadmap for agricultural researchers using both biotechnology and conventional farming methods to develop hardier, more resistant strains of rice.
To achieve this the next step will be to identify and isolate the specific genetic traits responsible for increasing yield, protecting against disease, and providing drought resistance.
As rice is genetically similar to other crops such as maize, wheat, barley, sugarcane and rye, the discovery could also help to map out similar gene sequences that will help to boost these crops as well.
The latest figures from an AC Neilsen report, reveal a surge in wholegrain product sales in the US over the past year.
For the year to June 18 2005, sales of wholegrain bread and baked goods rose 18.3 per cent, to $US 1.1bn; sales of wholegrain crackers were up 10.2 per cent, to $US 330m; wholegrain muffin sales surged 287 per cent to a total of $US 23.4m, while fresh wholegrain buns rose 23 per cent to $US 22m.
The wholegrain trend received a boost in January from the US Department of Agriculture's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that adults consume at least three portions of wholegrains each day.
?The effect on sales was immediate,? said the AC Nielsen report. ?Sales of key wholegrain categories in the first quarter of 2005 increased noticeably compared to the previous quarter."
The Packaged Facts report predicted a ?spike' in wholegrain sales in 2005, with a gradual decline in subsequent years. Growth was forecast to stabilise at around six per cent in 2009, with sales of $US 7.5bn.
This compares to less than one per cent growth in the US wholegrain market between 2000 and 2004, from $US 4.75bn to $US 4.79bn.
The move towards wholegrains has also been boosted by scientific evidence demonstrating the health benefits of the food group.
Recent research has revealed how wholegrain foods can have a protective effect against heart disease, stroke and diabetes, while also helping to keep weight down.
* Click here to find out more about how the consumption wholegrains can help protect against heart disease , stroke , and diabetes .
With Atkins Nutritionals Inc. going bankrupt and the sale of ?forbidden foods' on the rise, it looks like the low-carb craze is over.
Low-carbohydrate diets such as Atkins favour meat, eggs and green vegetables over white bread, pasta and fruit. In its wake, food experts believe there, is a lingering ?carb awareness' and interest in nutrition that now is driving demand for wholegrains and natural foods.
Food producers who were cast aside while consumers experimented with bacon and beef are cheering the change, but experts say some low-carb foods will survive, just like low-fat and low-salt foods.
Marketing experts surveying consumers have chronicled the change as well. One survey showed that only 2.2 per cent of Americans were on a low-carb diet in July, down from 9.1 per cent in February 2004. Another found that the number of people who say they are on a low-carb diet has not changed much: It was about 14 per cent in northern spring 2004 and 13 per cent in July. What has changed is the way the ?dieters' are eating.
Back in 2004, for example, more than 40 per cent of low-carb dieters said they rarely or never ate potatoes. Now, only 20 per cent say that they do not eat potatoes. The percentage of dieters who occasionally eat pasta rose from 46 per cent in 2004 to 67 per cent this year.
According to Information Resources Inc, sales of pasta have been higher than the comparable period in the previous year for the last three quarters. Bread sales have been rising slowly for the last year. Meanwhile, sales of breakfast meats have been falling for the last 26 weeks.
A new fibre-based fat substitute may be able to reduce the fat content of baked goods by 50 per cent. The substitute was launched at the New Orleans International Food Technology show in the US.
The oat-derived product has been developed specifically for the European market, as a more suitable alternative to the US corn-based equivalent, which raised GM concerns in Europe.
According to its manufacturers, it can be used in place of butter or oil in baked goods, reducing calories and increasing healthy insoluble fibre without altering the taste of the food. It is also suitable to be used in desserts, meat products and dressings.
The product can either be used as a powder or a gel and is added to dough in the initial mixing stages and requires high-turbulence mixing machines to ensure proper and complete dispersion but the manufacturers believe that these types machines will already existing most commercial bakeries.
The new product will be targeted at major food makers, currently under pressure to increase the nutritional value of their products and reduce the fat content, to respond to the growing global obesity problem.
A new breed of café is fusing an old time favourite, with a new twist, in the US. The Cereal Bowl enables guests to make their own cereal creations or pick from one of many unique combinations created by The Cereal Bowl Team .
With over 35 cereals both hot and cold as well as 50 toppings there are endless possibilities. As well as the large assortment of cereal, the cafés also provide cereal bars, oatmeal smoothies and cakes.
The Cereal Bowl concept was created by Kenneth Rader, Joshua Rader and Michael Glassman. The idea for the style of caf é s occurred to them during their college days when they saw the popularity of cereal among their fellow students. They realised this love of cereal was not only confined to campus and, apparently, knew they were on to something.
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