1. Fibre: Benefits obesity
A new study, from the University of Texas, suggests that dietary fibre may play a key role in obesity and may lead to high fibre products aimed at obesity.
2. Soy: Allergen-free breakthrough
Researchers have found two soybean lines that can grow without the primary protein linked to soy allergies in children and adults.
3. GI: The debate continues
Research from the University of South Carolina adds fuel to the fire of the GI debate stating that GI may not help people to determine the foods they should eat or avoid to improve their health.
Wholegrains: For longevity
Eating 10 serves of wholegrain foods a week, including biscuits and popcorn, can help you live longer, according to an American Nurtritionist visiting Australia last month.
Cereals: Leading the health revolution Cereals and snacks were at the forefront of the healthy eating debate at a recent industry conference on meeting consumer demands.
GI: Setback for diabetes link
According to Food Business News a new study has found no connection between high GI diets and insulin resistance.
Sandwiches : Favoured fast food Sandwich chains in the US are leading the way in healthy fast food options, and consumers are eating it up.
Dietary fibre may play a key role in obesity according to the results of a new study that may lead to high fibre products aimed specifically at the obese.
"Obviously, no magic formula exists for weight loss, but our results indicated that a diet containing more than average amounts of fibre, complex carbohydrate, and fruit was associated with normal body fat stores and standard weight for height," wrote lead author Jaimie Davis in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Worldwide over 300 million adults are obese, according to latest statistics from the WHO and the International Obesity Task Force. About one-quarter of the US adult population is said to be obese, with rates in Western Europe on the rise although not yet at similar levels.
The new study, by researchers from the University of Texas, used food frequency questionnaires to compare the diets of 52 overweight/obese volunteers (average BMI of 33.7 kg per square metre, average age 39.7, 18 men, 34 women) and 52 normal weight controls, matched for age, sex, and height.
Comparison of the diets on a macronutrient level showed that the obese subjects generally had diets that were higher in fat (five per cent), higher in protein (0.9 per cent) and lower in carbohydrates (7.1 per cent).
"A key finding of our study was that diet composition between overweight/obese adults and their normal-weight counterparts differed substantially and may have played a vital role in promoting or preventing obesity," said Davis.
Dietary fibre was highlighted by the researchers as "the only nutrient that when expressed by absolute weight accounted for a significant amount of the variance in body fat."
The normal group consumed about three grams more of fibre per day than their obese counterparts, but still fell well short of the 32 grams of fibre per day recommended by the US National Fibre Council. The normal group's intake was in-line with a survey by Columbia University, that showed the average intake in the US was about 12.5 grams a day.
"Although dietary fibre accounted for a rather small amount of variance in body fat, three to five per cent, the association provides useful information that could aid in developing weight-loss interventions," concluded the researchers.
Researchers have isolated two Chinese soybean lines that can grow without the primary protein linked to soy allergies in children and adults. Scientists said the two lines will be given away to breeders seeking to produce new varieties of allergy-free soybeans without genetic engineering.
The breakthrough could help food makers tap the growing 'free-from' food market, which is set to double on the back of growing consumer concern with health and well-being. Market analyst Mintel says that the UK sector, which is being driven by increased public awareness of food allergies and intolerance, has already enjoyed sales growth of over 300 per cent since 2000.
In addition, because the newly identified lines occur naturally, they can be successfully crossed into other soybean lines "without any biotechnology-derived component", the researchers noted.
Crop scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service's Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre in St. Louis screened more than 16,000 soybean lines kept in the USDA's National Soybean Germplasm Collection.
It was discovered that two soybean lines contained virtually identical genetic mutations that do not contain the leading allergy-causing P34 protein, which consists of 379 amino acids.
"We are releasing this information with no patents so that companies and breeders involved with soybeans can incorporate these two lines as quickly as possible," said Theodore Hymowitz, emeritus professor of plant genetics in the crop sciences department at the University of Illinois.
"The lack of the protein was confirmed by more-detailed two-dimensional protein assays," said Eliot Herman, a lead scientist at Danforth who probed the seeds with post-doctoral researcher Monica Schmidt.
"We then isolated the gene responsible for the lesion, and we found there was a single significant change in the gene's sequence that likely produced a protein which could not be made as a stable product."
Herman discovered P34 in the early 1990s and in 2003 had successfully used a gene-silencing technique to create a soybean line in which P34 was 'knocked out.' However, because of public resistance to genetically modified products researchers have been seeking a more traditional approach.
The findings will appear later this year in the journal Crop Science.
The Glycaemic Index (GI), which ranks carbohydrates according to their ability to affect blood glucose, is promoted as a diet that will help people lose weight and reduce their risk for heart disease and diabetes. But a study by a researcher at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health has found GI may not help people determine the foods they should eat, or avoid, to improve their health.
The findings, published in the February issue of the British Journal of Nutrition, show people should exercise caution with the GI diet, said Dr Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a diabetes researcher and the study's lead author.
"There are valid reasons to question the GI scientifically," Ms Mayer-Davis said. "This is an area in the field of nutrition that is controversial. It turns out despite all of the interest in the GI, the scientific literature is very mixed."
Some studies show beneficial effects of low GI diets on diabetes or other conditions, and other studies show no effect, she said.
The basis for the GI is when a specific carbohydrate is eaten its effect on the body is consistent among individuals. Therefore, a specific number may be attached to it. Apples, plums and oranges, for example, have a low GI, while french fries, watermelon and dried dates have a high GI.
The limitation of the GI, Ms Mayer-Davis said, is the numbers in the index are based on blood-sugar levels recorded two hours after the ingestion of test foods, in a controlled experimental setting and after a person has fasted overnight. "However, many factors can affect the impact of food on glucose levels in a 'real life' setting, including the length of time food is cooked, your body's hormones and other foods that are eaten at the same time," she said.
"In scientific literature, the GI of foods is based on fasting. This is unrealistic because we eat throughout the day, and a certain food eaten at lunchtime can have a different impact on blood-glucose levels compared to eating that same food for breakfast after fasting overnight."
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted over five years, followed more than 1,000 people at four clinical sites. Participants included African Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians.
The researchers wanted to determine whether study participants with a relatively low GI diet had lower overall blood-glucose levels compared to participants with a relatively high GI diet. Using several different measures of blood-glucose levels, the researchers found the GI of the diet was not related to any of the measures of blood glucose. This means the GI is probably not picking up the specific effects of food on blood glucose, Ms Mayer-Davis said.
"Several recent studies show dietary fibre is important to heart disease, diabetes and obesity," she said. Typically, foods high in fibre have a relatively low GI. This means, in some studies, the GI may have been related to good health because of dietary fibre, not because of a unique characteristic of food called the GI, Ms. Mayer-Davis said.
"In general, the GI does not seem to be useful in understanding how diet impacts health, and use of the GI may not be an effective way to identify foods for optimal health."
Many of the chronic diseases that have been related to diets with high GI, including diabetes and heart disease, are much more strongly related to obesity than to other aspects of diet.
"A diet low in saturated fat and that includes wholegrains, fibre, fruits and vegetables will support weight management as long as the total calories are reduced," she said. "And, moderate physical activity is key to improving health."
The GI only makes life more complicated for those trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle, she said.
* Further information on the Glycaemic Index is available on the Go Grains website
Eating 10 serves of wholegrain foods a week, including biscuits and popcorn, can help you live longer according to a visiting American nutritionist.
Professor David Jacobs, from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, claims that eating plenty of wholegrain bread and brown rice can slash the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes by up to 35 per cent.
Speaking ahead of his presentation at the Dietitians Association of Australia's national conference in Sydney, he said wholegrains were particularly important in the diet because they contained fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They helped move cancer-causing substances through the intestines faster, lowering cancer and heart disease rates and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels steady.
Dr Jacobs said he did not rule out popular snack foods such as biscuits and popcorn provided they were made from wholegrains and their added sugar and trans fats did not cancel out the benefit of the wholegrains.
"If you die at the age of 60 instead of 75 you rob yourself of companionship with your spouse, community, years of good living and time with your grandchildren," Professor Jacobs said. "Why wouldn't people want to make this change when the probable reward is staying with the people you love longer?", he said.
Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia and Accredited Practising Dietitian, Susie Burell, said, "the best way to eat more wholegrains is to choose wholegrain breakfast cereal, bread and crackers as well as brown rice, pasta and legumes".
"Look for ingredients such as rolled and cracked wheat, and don't forget popcorn as a healthy wholegrain snack," she said.
A Wholegrain Serve Is:
2 slices wholemeal or mixed grain bread
1 wholemeal crumpet
1 wholemeal or mixed grain English muffin
1 wholemeal or mixed grain bread roll
4-6 wholegrain or wholemeal crispbreads
1 1/3 cups of whole-wheat or high fibre breakfast cereal flakes
1 cup of cooked porridge
1/2 cup of muesli
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked wholemeal pasta
1 cup low-fat air popped popcorn
* For further information on how to improve your wholegrain intake, visit the Go Grains 'Grains Nutrition' website
Cereals and snacks are at the cutting edge of the healthy eating debate, as highlighted by the recent European Parliament Plenary vote and a high-level industry conference on meeting consumer demands.
The vote, which completes the Parliament's Second Reading of the proposed Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on Foods and the proposed Regulation on the Addition of Vitamins and Minerals to Foods (Fortification), will affect the way in which these sectors formulate and market their products in Europe.
The measures have been welcomed by the European Breakfast Cereal Association (CEEREAL) - indicating members have already accepted that the food sector must adapt to new consumer and legislative demands.
"CEEREAL would like to congratulate parliament on its vote," said Phil Ruebotham, president of CEEREAL. "This compromise is a win-win for European consumers and industry."
Ruebotham was pleased that parliament members supported a compromise package on nutrient profiles, the approval procedure and the trademark issue. CEEREAL fully supports parliament's final position on fortification, which is based on safety.
"CEEREAL looks forward to the rapid adoption and entry into force of these regulations to allow its members to play an active role in ensuring a better understanding of nutrition and health claims and establishing a harmonised, safety-based criteria for fortification of their products," he said.
These issues were also touched upon at the recent 'Health & Pleasure' seminar held by French cereal ingredients giant Limagrain at its headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand. For two days, delegates from around the world discussed ways in which the cereal and snack industries could meet consumer expectations for tasty, but healthy, food.
"The perception of savoury snacks is that they are high in calories, fat and salt," said Lisa Kretschmann, scientific and regulatory affairs manager of the European snack association. "Obesity is high on the political agenda, and there is pressure from WHO, the EU, NGOs and industry at the national level."
Kretschmann told delegates that all these pressure were forcing the industry to reformulate, and she stressed the fact that the industry has been very active in meeting these demands. "We are doing something, but this is also an education issue," she said.
"While this is true, the snack industry also has an opportunity to address the issues of obesity and poor diet in a positive manner. After all, cereal, as a raw material, is a healthy commodity. Cereals fit into this picture by being a good source of carbohydrate, and also by being a good source of many micronutrients," said Dr Veronique Braesco from the Auvergne Human Nutrition Research Centre.
"Cereal-based foods can contribute to many dietary requirements including fibre intake, vitamins such as B1, minerals such as copper and zinc and also microconstituents such as polyphenols. The problem is that the more the flour is refined, the more nutrients are removed."
The increasingly popular notion that there is a link between high-glycaemic index diets and type 2 diabetes and obesity has been dealt a setback by research published in the December issue of Diabetes Care magazine, the journal of the American Diabetes Association.
Contrary to the assertions of many GI advocates, the study found no connection between high-glycaemic index diets and insulin resistance or obesity.
The study's authors included Thomas MS Wolever, a Canadian professor who has been an advocate for the glycaemic index for decades. The lead author of the study was Angela D Liese, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Arnold School of Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
The study explored the association of carbohydrates, fibre intake, glycaemic index and glycaemic load in the diet with a number of measures, including insulin sensitivity (how effectively the body responds to insulin), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
The researchers looked at data on 979 adults from the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (1992-94). The subjects' diets were evaluated for their glycaemic index and glycaemic load while their insulin sensitivity and insulin response were measured.
After adjusting for demographics, family history of diabetes, energy expenditure and smoking, no association was observed between glycaemic index and insulin sensitivity, BMI or waist circumference. Associations between carbohydrate intake and these various factors "were entirely explained by energy intake," the researchers found.
The study did find that fibre helped boost insulin sensitivity and helped fight BMI and waist circumference. They concluded that, "Carbohydrates as reflected in glycaemic index and glycaemic load may not be related to measures of insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and adiposity. Fibre intake may not only have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and adiposity, but also on pancreatic functionality."
With the Atkins low-carb diet now a memory for many, restauranteurs are pushing past the 'dread of bread' and promoting their artisan offerings to consumers with alternatives such as wholegrain loaves and other bread based goodies.
With the introduction of more wholegrain options, bread has moved off the 'guilty pleasures' list, where it lingered during the height of the low-carbohydrate phase.
New bread styles, especially the wholegrain versions, offer sandwich restaurants a chance to market their offerings as healthier fast food alternatives to the 'burger joints' in their neighbourhood.
Sandwich chains in the US are already picking up a healthy glow as Subway Restaurants, the US's most populous restaurant chain, markets itself as a healthy fast-food alternative.
Sandwich chains tend to do well on the health measure," said Jeff Davis, president of Sandleman & Associates, a firm that tracks food-service trends. Having wholegrain breads "certainly does add to that perception", he said.
In the Sandleman & Associates 2005 Aawards Of Excellence" report, three sandwich chains ranked first, second and third when consumers were asked about the availability of healthy, nutritious food at fast-food restaurants.
* Go Grains is a joint initiative of BRI Australia Ltd., an independent grains research centre, and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, which plans and invests in research and development on behalf of grain growers and the Federal Government. Privacy : Subscriber details will be used expressly for the Go Grains E-News Service and will not be provided to any other company or used for any other purpose. Each edition of the Go Grains E News Service will contain information on how to unsubscribe from future editions. Unsubscribe : If you wish to subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, this service, please email the E-News Service Coordinator at gge-news@bri.com.au . Disclaimer : The Go-Grains E-News Service is a collection of articles published by the sources identified. Go Grains and BRI Australia Ltd has collated and distributed these articles to update recipients on the latest scientific research and news concerning the nutrition and health benefits of grains and legumes. The articles may relate to products not yet approved, licensed, registered or available in Australia . Go Grains and BRI Australia Ltd accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the articles and cannot endorse the conclusions reached by researchers and/or the authors of these articles. We acknowledge NutraIngredients.com and FoodNavigator.com for providing some of the content for this edition of E-News.
