1. Lignans: Reduce lung cancer risk
Researchers in the US report that a diet high in plant-derived phytoestrogens may be linked to a lower lung cancer risk.
2.Fibre: Keeping women slim Research from Tufts University , US , suggests that women should place a greater emphasis on including fibre in their diet to help keep the weight off.
3. Resistant starch: Improves insulin sensitivity
According to two new studies, eating breakfast may help women and girls to maintain a healthy weight. Researchers hope that this may persuade more people not to skip the first meal of the day.
4. Barley: Reduces bad cholesterol
Research is currently being conducted into a new barley crop, to be produced in Canada , that may help reduce bad cholesterol.
5. Grains in the News:
Cereal: The new probiotic food?
A coating technology used in the baking industry may have new applications for adding probiotic bacteria to cereals.
Fibre: Benefits must be emphasised
A new report claims that fibre sells when it is linked to positive benefits such as energy, weight management and digestive health.
MyPyramid: For Kids
The USDA's new MyPyramid for Kids aims to help motivate children to put dietary messages into practice in a fun and interactive way.
Biotechnology: Improving crop productivity
A press release from The Crop Doctor (GRDC) says that biotechnology could be just the catalyst grain-growers need to crop more productively, without degrading their most important productive tool, the land.
According to a study published in the September 28 issue of JAMA , a diet high in phytoestrogens is linked with a lower lung cancer risk.
Phytoestrogens are compounds found mainly in soy products, linseed, whole grains and some vegetables, possessing weak estrogen-like activity. The three main classes of phytoestrogens are isoflavones, lignans and cumestrans. Phytoestrogens have been shown to have a protective effect against some solid tumors, but there has been little epidemiologic research focused on dietary intake of phytoestrogens and lung cancer risk.
Matthew B Schabath PhD, and colleagues, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, analysed data from an ongoing case-control study to examine the relationship between dietary intake of phytoestrogens and the risk of lung cancer.
The study included 1,674 patients with lung cancer (cases) and 1,735 matched healthy controls.
"Our main findings were that patients with lung cancer tended to consume lower amounts of phytoestrogens than controls, that there were sex-specific differences both in intake and in protective effects, and that the apparent benefits were evident in both never and current smokers but less so in former smokers," said the authors.
Reduction in lung cancer risk tended to increase with increasing phytoestrogen intake.
"The highest quartiles of total phytosterols, isoflavones, lignans, and phytoestrogens were each associated with reductions in risk of lung cancer ranging from 21 per cent for phytosterols to 46 per cent for total phytoestrogens from food sources only," they continued.
Sex-specific effects were also apparent.
"For men, statistically significant trends for decreasing risk with increasing intake were noted for each phytoestrogen group, with protective effects for the highest quartile of intake ranging from 24 per cent for phytosterols to 44 per cent for isoflavones. While in women, significant trends were only present for intake of total phytoestrogens from food sources only, with a 34 per cent protective effect for the highest quartile of intake," they said.
The apparent benefits of high phytoestrogen intake were evident in both current smokers and those who had never smoked, but less apparent in former smokers.
In women, statistically significant joint effects were evident between hormone therapy use and phytoestrogen intake.
"Specifically, high intake of the lignans [metabolites] enterolactone and enterodiol and use of hormone therapy were associated with a 50 per cent reduction in risk of lung cancer."
"In summary, these data provide further support for the limited but growing epidemiologic evidence that estrogens and phytoestrogens are associated with a decrease in risk of lung cancer, especially in never and current smokers," they concluded.
Dieters are bombarded with messages about low-carb, high-protein and low-fat approaches to weight loss, but new research from Tufts University suggests that they should also consider placing greater emphasis on fibre in their diet.
In a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association , researchers set out to examine the association between variables in the diet and body mass index (BMI), the most common measurement of overweight (BMI over 30) and obesity (BMI over 25).
They based their inquiries on data from 4,539 adults aged 20 to 59 years, who participated in the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals between 1994 and 1996.
Of these, 1,932 reported a plausible energy intake, that is, within a 22 per cent margin of predicted energy requirements for the average of two 24-hour recalls. Only around five per cent of these reported consuming the adequate intake of fibre (established by the new dietary reference intake to be 3.0g/MJ for an 8.4 MJ/day or 2000 kcal/day diet).
However, only in the women reporting plausible energy intake, was fibre seen to have an affect on BMI in women. Its interaction with percentage energy from fat and energy density also seemed to have an independent association with BMI.
For them, a low-fibre, high-fat diet (consisting of less than 1.5 g/MJ fibre and fat making up 35 per cent or more of total energy) came with the greatest risk of being overweight or obese.
In the plausibly reporting men, only percentage energy from fat was associated with BMI.
These results somewhat confounded the researchers' expectations, since they hypothesised fibre intake would be inversely associated with BMI in all plausibly reporting subjects, independent of other dietary composition and sociodemographic variables. The reason for the different results for the two sexes is not known.
However, the researchers were able to conclude that "Weight control advice for US women should place greater emphasis on consumption of fibre."
3. Resistant starch: Improves insulin sensitivity | ( back to contents )
New research from Oxford University has found that resistant starch could improve insulin sensitivity, underlining the potential of this increasingly popular food ingredient.
Tapping into opportunities gleaned from the growing trend for health and wellness foods, resistant starches fit with the low-glycaemic food trends, as well as health product positions such as prebiotic fibre benefits and a healthy digestive system.
The growing popularity of the glycaemic index diets (GI), a regime that ranks foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels, is encouraging food makers to launch new food brands onto the shelves that incorporate low-GI ingredients in their recipes.
Much of the popularity is linked to the phenomenon that high blood sugar is known to be the defining feature of diabetes. The majority of new low-GI food products are designed to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
For their small study researchers at Oxford University studied the impact of resistant starch on insulin sensitivity and tissue metabolism in ten participants.
Over four weeks, study volunteers were given 30g resistant starch per day, compared with a placebo.
"Insulin sensitivity was higher after resistant starch supplementation than after placebo treatment," the researchers said in the September 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .
Forearm muscle glucose clearance during the meal tolerance test was also higher after resistant starch supplementation, despite lower insulin concentrations, they added.
Although the researchers suggest that dietary supplementation with resistant starch has the potential to improve insulin sensitivity, further research is required.
Canadian barley growers are on the verge of making a major contribution to heart health by growing a crop with properties clinically proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Barley is rich in soluble fibre," says Bev Whitmore, registered dietitian consultant with the Alberta Barley Commission. "In several US clinical trials, consumption of soluble fibre from barley significantly reduced levels of bad cholesterol in study subjects."
Whitmore points to results from two trials published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the American College of Nutrition . Data showed that subjects' levels of LDL cholesterol were reduced between 8.6 per cent and 17.4 per cent after consuming diets with either low, medium, or high levels of soluble fibre from barley for five weeks.
"High cholesterol is a major risk factor in heart disease and many people want to prevent or minimise the need for drug solutions," said Ms Whitmore.
"Barley can be part of a diet and lifestyle based solution to managing that risk and is becoming more available in soups, side dishes, or in baked goods."
Mounting clinical evidence is supporting a petition before the US Food and Drug Administration to permit a health claim for barley. Such a claim would allow food manufacturers in the US to label food containing barley soluble fibre as an aid in lowering cholesterol. The FDA is expected to rule on the petition by the end of 2005.
Internationally-renowned Canadian researchers are also studying the health and barley link. A clinical trial based at the University of Calgary and University of Toronto is testing the efficacy of a soluble fibre concentrate in reducing cholesterol, with results expected sometime in 2006.
A coating technology, first used to keep biscuits crisp, may be the key to opening up new applications for probiotic bacteria, including foods such as cereals and ice cream.
Most foods containing probiotic bacteria are found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets as the bacteria is destroyed by heat and other processing conditions.
However, Swedish probiotics producer Medipharm revealed at a conference recently that it is planning to launch a coated bacteria that can resist the damaging conditions in ambient foods like cereals, or even the low temperatures of ice-cream.
The Arla Foods subsidiary worked with Sensient Flavors, the Nordic division of US-based Sensient Technologies, to create a probiotic that remains stable when stored in dry conditions at room temperature for six months.
The coating layer contains Medipharm's Lactobacillus F19 and has shown in studies to boost the immune system, according to Kerstin Holmgren, R&D Manager at Medipharm.
"We eat a lot of yoghurts in Scandinavia but in other countries people aren't so interested and they may not like taking supplements either. This is an opportunity to add probiotics to other foods like cereals and maybe nutrition bars as well," she said.
"New foods could be on the market by the end of the year," said Holmgren.
The technology is based on a technique designed by Sensient some years ago to encapsulate pieces of biscuits so they stayed crisp when added to ice-cream.
The coating is made from a common food fat. Only one gram of the coating has to be consumed to get the daily dose of probiotic bacteria.
A new report claims that fibre sells if its intake is linked to benefits such as energy management, weight management and digestive health in popular foods such as bread, cereal and pasta.
The study, conducted by HealthFocus International on behalf of National Starch Food Innovation, was presented at the recent Resistant Starch is a Natural Conference in Chicago. The finding could revolutionise how fibre is marketed in the future.
The aim of the event was to discuss how best to achieve greater awareness of a naturally occurring class of fibre, resistant starch, among consumers.
"While consumers may be hesitant about fibre, they do like the health benefits associated with it: feeling full after a meal, learning how to balance energy following a meal, and the colonic benefits that help prevent colon cancer and other diseases," said K Dun Gifford, President of Boston-based Oldways Preservation Trust, a non-profit food issues think tank.
"Since everyone urges consumers to get more fibre into their diet, it's our view that food processors need to find names for it that will attract them to buy it and eat it."
National Starch believes that by focusing on specific classes of fibre and how they benefit health, consumers can begin to think of the product as a nutritional ingredient rather than a dull food type.
The US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, recently unveiled a child-friendly version of the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System called MyPyramid for Kids .
"This is a fun approach to addressing the very serious problem of childhood obesity," said Johanns.
MyPyramid for Kids provides age-appropriate information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System released earlier this year. The new MyPyramid for Kids symbol represents the recommended proportion of food from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices every day.
Daily physical activity is prominent in MyPyramid for Kids . Through an interactive game, lesson plans, colourful posters and flyers, worksheets, and tips for families, MyPyramid for Kids encourages children, teachers, and parents to work together to make healthier food choices and be active every day.
An interactive computer game, called MyPyramid Blast Off , involves a rocket that needs fuel to blast off. The game reinforces the key concepts of MyPyramid for Kids by challenging students to select a healthy variety of foods and physical activities to fuel their rockets.
The MyPyramid for Kids lesson plans provide nutrition and physical activity information that can be included in Math, Science, Health, Language, Arts and Physical Education curriculum for elementary school students. Students participate in active learning assignments and handouts are provided for students to share with their families.
The MyPyramid for Kids slogan for children is "Eat Right. Exercise. Have Fun". The key messages of MyPyramid for Kids are:
Be physically active every day ? The child climbing the steps reminds children that physical activity should be done every day.
Choose healthier foods from each group ? Every food group has foods that you should eat more often than others.
Eat more of some food groups than others ? The different size stripes suggest how much food you should choose from each group.
Eat foods from every food group every day ? The different colors of the pyramid represent the five different food groups plus oils.
Make the right choices for you ? MyPyramid.gov gives everyone in the family personal ideas on how to eat better and exercise more.
Take it one step at a time ? Start with one new, good thing a day, and continue to add another new one every day
Biotechnology could be just the catalyst graingrowers need to crop more productively, without degrading their most important productive tool, the land.
Growers know they have to look after tomorrow's natural resources today by maintaining soil fertility, using chemicals wisely and utilizing the biological advantages of rotation farming.
Biotechnology could help pave the way for producing crops that add to the land, rather than take away, and could even create health benefits for consumers.
Jim Peacock, President of the Australian Academy of Science, addressing the National Press Club, outlined his belief that, in the future, agriculture will increasingly be linked directly to matters of public health.
He stated that the diseases of our western societies are largely a consequence of lifestyle changes and that many diet-related diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colonic cancer, result largely from the way we live and can be helped by what we consume.
Dr Peacock said that changing our staple foods so that they helped guard against the onset of these diseases would make a significant contribution to reducing the $72.2 billion the Australian government annually spends on health.
Biotechnology can help us grow crops that use 86 per cent less chemical insecticides, which could directly benefit not only the health of the land but also the health of consumers.
Dr Peacock said it is possible to genetically modify cereal grains so that they will be of greater nutritional value and more closely meet our dietary requirements.
"As the world's population increases, we need to produce more food, but we need to produce it more reliably and with greater empathy for the natural environment," he said.
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