1. Breakfast Grains: Help Men Lose Weight
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US have reported that men who eat grain-based breakfast cereals consistently weigh less, and put on less weight over time, compared with those who eat smaller amounts of breakfast cereal.
2. Blood Pressure: Reduced by Grains, Fruit, Nuts
Research findings from the US confirm that plant food intake has a beneficial effect on blood pressure levels while meat intake has an adverse effect.
3. Fibre Benefits: Mixed Results
The authors of a recent study, reported to show that fibre intake may not be associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer, have said the evidence is still ?inconclusive' and ?inconsistent' when it comes to fibre and cancer.
4. Magnesium: Preventing Osteoporosis
Increasing magnesium intake could increase bone density in the elderly and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, according to a large American study.
5. Grains in the News:
New Trends: 2006 Predictions
Omega-3, wholegrains, super-fruits and chocolate are four of the trends in packaged goods tipped by ProductScan Online to take the market by storm in 2006 .
Australian Health Claims: Still Time to Comment
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has published new proposals for a health claims standard that would allow disease risk reduction claims for the first time.
Barley For CHD: Claim Allowed in the US
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that whole grain barley and barley-containing products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
New Rice : Biofortified with Iron
Rice bred to contain high levels of iron has been shown to improve the iron status of Filipino women, but it is unlikely to be a substitute for the growing number of fortified foods coming onto the market.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US have reported that men who eat grain-based breakfast cereals consistently weigh less, and put on less weight over time, compared with those who eat smaller amounts of breakfast cereal ? regardless whether the cereals were wholegrain or refined grain products.
Previous studies have suggested that substituting whole grain for refined grain products may lower the risk of overweight and obesity, and breakfast cereal intake is a major source of whole and refined grains that has been associated with a lower body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the association between whole and refined grain breakfast cereal intakes and the risk of being overweight or gaining weight over time.
A team from the Division of Preventive Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston examined 17,881 US male physicians aged 40 to 84 in 1982. These subjects were free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer at the beginning of the study.
During the eight and 13 years of follow-up intervals, men who consumed breakfast cereal, regardless of type, consistently weighed less than those who consumed breakfast cereals less often. Whole and refined grain breakfast cereal intake was inversely associated with body weight gain regardless of age, smoking habit, baseline weight, alcohol intake, physical activity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and use of multivitamins.
Compared with men who rarely or never consumed breakfast cereals, those who consumed one or more servings of breakfast cereal per day were 22% less likely to become overweight during the eight year follow-up period, and 12% less likely during the 13 year follow-up period.
The researchers concluded that ?BMI and weight gain are inversely associated with intake of breakfast cereals, regardless of the presence of any other risk factors?.
2. Blood Pressure: Reduced by Grains, Fruit, Nuts | ( back to contents )
Research findings from the US confirm that plant food intake has a beneficial effect on blood pressure levels while meat intake has an adverse effect.
An international group of investigators used the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study to determine the association between plant food, dairy product, and meat intakes with the 15-year incidence of elevated blood pressure (EBP) in young black and white adults.
The team from the Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the University of Oslo in Norway , evaluated relations of dietary intake at year zero and year seven with the 15-year incidence of EBP in 4,304 participants aged 18 to 30.
They found that the incidence of EBP varied from 12% in white women to 33% in black men. Plant food intake (whole grains, refined grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, or legumes) was inversely related to EBP after adjustment for age, sex, race, trial centre location, energy intake, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and other potential confounding factors.
The researchers concluded that the risk of EBP dropped with increasing plant food intake. Dairy intake was not related to EBP, but an increased risk was observed as meat intake increased. In a subgroup analyses, the risk of EBP increased with red and processed meat intake, whereas it reduced with intakes of whole grain, fruit, nuts, and milk.
The authors of a recent study, reported to show that fibre intake may not be associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer, have said the evidence is still ?inconclusive' and ?inconsistent' when it comes to fibre and cancer.
According to lead author Yikyung Park and his colleagues, part of the problem appears to be the classification of the various fibres used in the research studies they analysed. Different forms of fibre behave in different ways and can often result in confusion.
In their combined analysis of previous research, Park and his team did find evidence of an increased risk of colorectal cancer among people who had very low dietary fibre intake. However, they also said the collective evidence suggests that while a relatively modest minimum fibre intake can prevent an increased risk of the disease, there was no further reduction in risk at higher fibre intakes.
In animal models, insoluble fibres such as wheat fibre have tended to result in a reduction of bowel cancer, whereas soluble fibres such as pectins have had the opposite effect. In human epidemiological studies the opposite pattern has been observed - soluble fruit and vegetable fibres have often been found to be protective while cereal fibres have not.
The authors suggest that a more helpful classification would be ?soluble fibres' and ?insoluble fibres.'
The current finding was based on a re-examination of primary data from 13 prospective studies. The pooled analysis included 725,628 men and women who were followed up for six to 20 years across the various studies.
Dietary fibre has previously been reported to protect against several cancers, and was first linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in the late 1960's.
?The association between dietary fibre intake and risk of colorectal cancer has been inconsistent among observational studies and several factors may explain the disparity: potential biases in each study, the failure to adjust for co-variates in the multivariate models, and the range of dietary fibre intake,? they concluded.
Increasing magnesium intake could increase bone density in the elderly and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, according to a large American study.
"Higher magnesium intake through diet and supplements was positively associated with total-body BMD [bone mineral density] in older white men and women. For every 100 mg per day increase in Mg, there was an approximate two per cent increase in whole-body BMD," said Kathryn Ryder and colleagues.
Magnesium intake was positively associated with BMD in white (but not black) men and women. These observations could be due to racial difference in calcium regulation or nutrient responses.
Dietary sources of magnesium include grains and nuts, green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches and milk. Earlier dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium (320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men).
More than 2,000 volunteers aged 70 to 79 took part in the cross-sectional American study by completing a food-frequency questionnaire. All supplements and dietary intakes of magnesium were calculated from ingredients databases.
The authors did not identify the exact role of magnesium, but suggested it may be via calciotropic hormones, by acting as a buffer against acidic Western diets, or by substituting for calcium in the bones.
Responding to this study, a spokesperson for the UK-based charity, the National Osteoporosis Society, said: "Although there have been previous studies into the effect of magnesium on bone density, it is always encouraging to learn of studies which help build upon our knowledge of bone health."
"Some research has suggested that a low magnesium level may be a risk factor for osteoporosis although magnesium deficiency is, in fact, very rare in humans. As yet there is no evidence that magnesium supplementation reduces fracture risk," she said.
Omega-3, wholegrains, super-fruits and chocolate are four of the trends in packaged goods tipped by ProductScan Online to take the market by storm in 2006.
Since the demise of the low carb trend, the packaged goods market has been left wide open for other health and wellness trends to make their mark. Of these, omega-3 is one of the most prevalent, with a spate of mainstream foods products such as bread, milk, pasta, eggs and yogurt containing DHA and EPA launched in the past year.
Up until December 5, 2005 , ProductScan recorded 308 new omega-3 products launched in the US market compared to 171 in 2004.
Consumers' awareness was given a boost in September 2004 when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the qualified health claim linking DHA and EPA to reduced risk of coronary heart disease from dietary supplements to foods.
The market researcher anticipates that some of the biggest names in the food industry may board the bandwagon in the coming year, following Danone's example in Canada , where it recently launched Cardivia omega-3 yogurt.
ProductScan said a deluge of wholegrain products has hit the market in 2005 ? 248 products up until December 2. And with wholegrains featuring large in the USDA's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid as an excellent source of fibre, this year's offerings could be received by newly-educated consumers who are eager to receive the benefits.
Another term that has made an impression on consumer consciousness is ?antioxidant'. Although it refers, rather nebulously, to any substance that helps prevent cell damage through oxidation, research has shown that certain fruits pack a particularly powerful punch.
The Brazilian fruit acai is said to be ?nearing breakout status? in packaged foods and beverages. The first products were recorded by ProductScan in 2004, when there were 15 products. In 2005 to December 5 there were 19 launches. Other antioxidant fruits, such as pomegranate, guarana, noni, mangosteen, goji betrries, blueberries and black currants are considered ?up and coming?.
Dark chocolate's reputation as an antioxidant is also gaining ground; confectionary Mars recently launched its CocoaVia healthy chocolate bar and has been a major force in the unfolding research.
In the beverage market, ProductScan says that hot chocolate drinks are starting to encroach on territory traditionally occupied by coffee ? especially in products where it contains a shot of caffeine.
Australian Health Claims : Stil time to comment | ( back to contents )
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has published new proposals for a health claims standard that would allow disease risk reduction claims for the first time.
FSANZ has been working on updating its health claims laws for several years. Until now, the Antipodean markets have been among the stricter food markets in this regulatory area.
Currently, they only allow nutrient content claims such as 'this food is high in fibre' and some health maintenance claims like 'calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth'. The only health claim permitted is for the benefit of folate to help prevent neural tube defects in babies.
The new draft standard, expected to be finalised in the middle of this year, proposes two levels of claims. The first are those referring to the content of a food such as 'this food is high in calcium' or a general level health claim on a non-serious disease such as 'yoghurt high in X and Y as part of a healthy diet may reduce your risk of stomach upsets'.
The second type are high level health claims ? those that describe the function of a nutrient, vitamin, mineral or other substance in relation to a serious disease. Examples include 'This food is low in sodium. Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of hypertension'.
Melanie Fisher, FSANZ's food standards manager, said that the proposals would encourage healthier eating and may boost the development of health food products.
She added: ?There are checks and balances in the proposed standard. All claims must be substantiated with scientific evidence and, in the case of high level claims, these will be assessed by FSANZ before the product goes on the market.?
The Australian proposal follows European draft health claims in that it specifies limits on the amount of fat, sugar and salt for any product making a claim, known as 'nutrient profiling' in Europe.
?Some foods, such as infant formula and alcohol products, will not be allowed to make health claims,? Ms Fischer said.
There will also be specific qualifying criteria for some nutrient content claims, for example, food described as ?low salt' must contain no more than 120mg per 100g for solid food and there will be additional information on all content and health claims, for example, the percentage of daily nutrition needs.
Comments on the draft law can be made until 22 February 2006 . The report is available on the FSANZ website .
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that whole grain barley and barley-containing products are allowed to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Consumers can expect to see whole barley and dry milled barley products such as flakes, grits, flour, meal, and barley meal bearing the health claim. An example of the health claim that may be used is:
"Soluble fibre from foods such as [name of food], as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of [name of food] supplies [x] grams of the soluble fibre necessary per day to have this effect."
Risk factors for CHD include high total cholesterol levels and high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and scientific evidence shows that adding barley to one's diet can contribute to lowering serum cholesterol.
"Promoting health by helping people get better nutrition information about the foods they eat is among FDA's top priorities, because the choices that Americans make about their diet have a great impact on their well-being," according to the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs, Dr Scott Gottlieb.
"The FDA review process for making health claims, when combined with our strong enforcement work, rewards companies that make healthier products while we enforce the law against companies that appeal to consumers through false and misleading health claims,? Dr Gottlieb said.
The FDA is authorising food manufacturers to immediately use the health claim for barley and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease through the issuance of an interim final rule. To qualify for the health claim, the barley-containing foods must provide at least 0.75 grams of soluble fibre per serving of the food.
Rice bred to contain high levels of iron has been shown to improve the iron status of Filipino women, but it is unlikely to be a substitute for the growing number of fortified foods coming onto the market.
A nine-month, double-blind study found that women who ate the special rice developed by the Philippines ' International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) had iron levels 20 per cent higher than peers who ate traditional rice.
"Although this sounds like a modest increase, it means that instead of 50 per cent of women getting adequate iron, 71 per cent of the women who consumed the biofortified rice, while eating a traditional Philippine diet, met the estimated average requirement for iron," said lead author Dr Jere Haas, based at Cornell University in the US.
However, the rice still only provided 1.7mg of iron per day for the study subjects, which is below the recommended daily amount. This means the new rice variety is unlikely to compete head-to-head with the fortified foods market currently growing in the Philippines following a government program to encourage vitamin and mineral enrichment.
"It's only part of a strategy. It's not the silver bullet that many people might be looking for," Dr Haas said.
For the past decade, plant breeders have been trying to boost the vitamin and mineral content of rice and other staples through traditional plant breeding and genetic engineering in order to combat widespread nutrient deficiencies in the developing world.
But Dr Haas said that none of the staple crops bred to contain higher nutrient levels have reached amounts that could replace fortified foods, where the doses added are significantly higher. Nevertheless, the new research does show the merits of plant breeding for the very poor who are unable to afford fortified foods, even if they are subsidised by charities or public health initiatives.
Known technically as IR68144-3B-2-2-3, the new rice has four to five times more iron than commercially available rice in the Philippines . Haas and his colleagues tested it on 192 nuns living in convents in the Philippines .
"The greatest improvements in iron status were in non-anaemic women who had the lowest body iron reserves at the beginning of the study and in women who consumed the most rice and, therefore, the most iron from rice," said Dr Haas.
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