Compound in spinach may help people feel "fuller" and eat less

Mom was right when she said to eat spinach to be healthier and now researchers in Sweden find an extract from the green plants may make people thinner.
Professor Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson at Lund University in Sweden said thylakoid, a compound in spinach and other green leaves, slows down food digestion and therefore makes people feel fuller.

How it works
Erlanson-Albertsson and colleagues said thylakoids are believed to slow down fat digestion, meaning the whole intestine has time to get involved. Once food enters the distal intestine, satiety hormones are released and sent up to the brain, telling people they are full. However, processed food tends to only utilize the upper intestine, so the key hormones are not released.
"I like to say our intestines are unemployed," Erlanson-Albertsson said in a statement.

Thylakoids are essentially small pouches located in the chloroplasts of green leaves that have the ability to trigger satiety signals in us. However, eating spinach fresh as is doesn’t necessarily release the thylakoids. First, it must be crushed, filtrated, and centrifuged, which would release the compounds from the cells, turning it into a natural water extract of sorts. "Our bodies can't break it down from fresh spinach directly," the university said. It may be time to make some spinach smoothies --find a recipe below.

The findings
In her research, Erlanson-Albertsson discovered that when humans were given a shot of the spinach water extract in the morning, they experienced less hunger and fewer food cravings throughout the day. The participants who received the shot had higher satiety hormones in their blood, in addition to more stable blood glucose levels.
In another Swedish study conducted by Dr. Rickard Kohnke at the Department of Experimental Medicine at Lund University, eleven health participants were given a high-fat meal. Some of the pesto sandwiches contained thylakoids, and some did not. According to the results, the people who had eaten the pesto sandwiches containing thylakoids showed a reduction in ghrelin, which is an appetite signaling hormone. There was also an increase in leptin, another satiety signal, and lower insulin levels. What this showed was that thylakoids were able to suppress people’s appetites for longer, which could be useful for those who are trying to lose weight while battling constant hunger pangs.

Popeye’s super-food
Erlanson-Albertsson said the powerful effect of thylakoids couldn't be traced to just one active ingredient. "It contains hundreds of substances -- galactolipids, proteins, vitamin A, E, K, antioxidants, beta-carotene, lutein, and so on," she said.

Interestingly enough, though Popeye made healthy foods popular and spinach sales rise, spinach nutrition facts - based off during the early 1900s - were not entirely accurate. In the late 1800s, a German chemist by the name of Erich von Wolf incorrectly wrote down the amount of iron in spinach in his notes. He recorded that spinach had 35 milligrams of iron per 100-gram serving, when it really only has 3.5 milligrams. This tiny decimal misplacement led to the belief that spinach was the top super-food for almost 70 years, and it’s how Popeye’s favorite food came to be.
Even though the amount of iron spinach contains is much lower than previously believed, it’s still highly rich in antioxidants and nutrients. One cup of spinach contains only 27 calories, but it is made up of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and folate. Magnesium assists in maintaining heart rhythm, a solid immune system, and blood pressure along with muscle and nerve function. Spinach has also been shown to lower blood pressure, improve bone health as well as skin and hair.

Do you want your food to taste better ? Put on the right music

Comfort foods get even more comforting if you eat them with the right kind of musical ambiance, according to a new study on the effects of different background music on the taste of foods. Similar earlier research showed genres of music can also elicit different emotions and some foods can be more enjoyed with emotions.

The recent study has taken one more step ahead and tries to find out how the music can affect the perception of food.
“Little has been known about the influence of background music genre on food perception,” explained Han-Seok Seo of the University of Arkansas. “Most of the studies investigating influences of background music have focused on eating and shopping behaviors.” 

Seo is the co-author of the study that is published in the Appetite journal. He mentioned in the paper when German or French music was played in a wine store, it was seen wines from the same country outsold other.

The study
Seo and his team rearranged one music piece (Air on the G string) into four different genres: classical, jazz, hip-hop and rock. Each version was arranged as a solo performance and with multiple performers. A total of 99 study participants were seated in individual sensory booths and given headphones. Each participant listened to either the solo performances or the group performances of all four genres of music. At 45 seconds into each song, the participants were presented with either chocolate or bell pepper and asked to rate the flavor and intensity of the food from 0 (extremely unpleasant or weak) to 15 (extremely pleasant) or strong.

Among their findings was the discovery that jazz made the chocolate taste measurably better and hip hop did not. The same effect wasn't seen on the bell peppers. Classical music didn't change the participants' impressions at all.

But Seo cautions restauranteurs from rushing to switch music stations.
“This study showed that background music genre can modulate flavor pleasantness and overall acceptability of chocolate,” Seo explained.

They also found that the background music-induced food perception varies by music performer, type of food, consumers’ demographics, experience and culture. “Thus, to strengthen the current findings, further studies with diverse musical and food stimuli must be conducted.”

Bottom line
The study underscores how much more there is to eating than just putting food in your mouth. “When we eat it is clearly not only the palate that determines what we eat and how much we eat,” said Thomas Hummel of Technische Universität in Dresden, Germany. “The acoustic environment also plays a big role, it let's us eat faster, leaves us hungrier, changes the pleasantness of foods, turns regular food into something special. I also can imagine that this may change the depth of our social contacts.”

Sources: http://news.discovery.com/, http://www.thealmagest.com/, http://www.reuters.com/

Eating rice boosts diet quality, reduces body weight

Want to improve your diet? Just add white or brown rice to your daily meal. Eating rice can boost diet quality, reduce body weight and improve markers for health, a new study has found.

The study
In a study published online in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences, lead author Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, of Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets from 2005-2010 and evaluated the association of rice consumption with overall diet quality and key nutrient intakes in a nationally representative sample of 14,386 U.S. adults.

"Our results show that adults who eat rice had diets more consistent with what is recommended in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and they showed higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber while eating less saturated fat and added sugars," said Nicklas. "Eating rice is also associated with eating more servings of fruit, vegetables, meat and beans," she added.

The truth about rice
Americans enjoy some 27 pounds of enriched white and brown rice per person per year with the majority (70%) of rice consumption coming from enriched white rice. Americans eat a variety of grain-based foods, but rice stands out because it is eaten primarily as an intact grain that is naturally sodium free and has only a trace amount of fat, with no saturated fat. Consumers can control adding fat, salt and flavors at their discretion.

This research builds on two previously published studies that showed the positive contribution of rice to diet quality. A 2009 observational study found that rice eaters consumed significantly less fat and saturated fat and consumed more iron, potassium, fiber, meat, vegetables and grains.
A follow-up study in 2010 included children in the study group and further confirmed that rice consumption was associated with greater intake of a range of healthier foods and nutrients. The majority of rice consumed is white rice, indicating that rice, when consumed with other foods, such as fruit, vegetables, meat and beans, can provide valuable nutrients and boasts beneficial effects on consumer diets.

In addition to the positive results in cross-sectional studies linking rice consumption with healthier diets, a human clinical trial found that having white or brown rice at a meal increased satiety and feelings of fullness more than a calorically equivalent glucose solution control.

Considering the cross-sectional and clinical findings, both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice should be recommended as part of a healthy diet. 

Rice is a nutrient-rich carbohydrate
Rice is a quality carbohydrate. Rice is a naturally nutritious grain that provides about 100 calories per half-cup cooked serving and is naturally free of gluten. Brown rice is a 100% whole grain food and white rice is enriched with important nutrients, including folic acid and iron. 

Both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice are considered nutrient-rich quality complex carbohydrates and can be part of a sustainable, plant-based diet that promotes optimal health.

Enriched white rice contributes more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folate and other B vitamins, iron and zinc to the diet. Brown rice is slightly higher in dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus, but lower in B vitamins and iron than enriched, fortified white rice. Rice is naturally low in sodium and cholesterol free and contains traces of fat and no saturated or trans fats.

The research was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture and the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, and it was funded in part by The Rice Foundation.

How To Make Grilled Meats Better And Healthier - A Beer Marinade

Rather than simply enjoying a good beer alongside the BBQ this summer, we should be using our cans to marinade the meat, scientists have said.
As well as adding some extra taste, basting the meat in beer before it hits the grill reduces the chance of potentially cancerous chemicals being formed during cooking, researchers suggest. They say pilsner and black beer are most effective, halving the amount of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to colorectal cancer.

The study
To carry out the study, researchers marinated pork for four hours (by which time chemical reactions on the surface of the meat had stopped) in three different types of beer - lager, non-alcoholic lager and a black beer.
The meat was then cooked to well done on a charcoal grill.
The results found that all of the beers reduced the levels of eight types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a chemical linked with cancer which forms when meat is cooked at very high temperatures.
The black beer proved most effective, cutting the levels by more than half, the researchers said. The non-alcoholic beer was the least effective, although it did still reduce levels.

Bottom line
“Thus, the intake of beer marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy,” the team concluded, suggesting that the antioxidants in the beer make the surface of the meat resistant to PAHs.

Past studies have shown an association between consumption of grilled meats and a high incidence of colorectal cancer.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances that can form when meats are cooked at very high temperatures, like on a backyard grill. And high levels of PAHs, which are also in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, are associated with cancers in laboratory animals, although it's uncertain if that's true for people. Nevertheless, the European Union Commission Regulation has established the most suitable indicators for the occurrence and carcinogenic potency of PAHs in food and attributed maximum levels for these compounds in foods. Beer, wine or tea marinades can reduce the levels of some potential carcinogens in cooked meat, but little was known about how different beer marinades affect PAH levels, until now. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

Stop sipping coffee! Gulp it down to best savour the flavour - study found

Coffee lovers who want to get the best flavour from their favourite brew should gulp the drink down rather than sip it.

Scientists say taking big slurps of a coffee releases much more aroma compared to merely drinking it slowly. They said: ‘The findings could be useful to understand the factors which contribute to attract consumers to the pleasant aroma of coffee.’
However, the advice goes against that for other drinks, such as wine, where people are advised to take small amounts in their mouth to get the maximum flavour and aroma.

The study
The study looked at ‘sip volume’ when drinking coffee and found larger sips have a ‘higher aroma release’.

It also considered different sipping amounts and the impact they had on the smell of coffee. It was found that different coffee brewing techniques appeared to affect aroma release and that the bigger the sip taken, the more fragrance was released.

The researchers, from the University of Naples, said it was well known that smell and taste are related and that one can have a significant impact on the other. They said the varying levels of aroma from different sized sips or gulps could be explained by the amount of saliva in drinkers’ mouths.

The researchers tested four different types of coffee brews - American, Neopolitan, moka and espresso. Espresso coffee - the one type of coffee usually sipped - was identified as giving off the most aroma when bigger rather than smaller sips were taken.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the journal 'Food Research International'.

So, while gulping down your coffee, read also how many health benefits this super-beverage can give its lovers: Health Benefits of Coffe

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.worldcoffeepress.com/, http://www.business-standard.com/

Green tomatoes may help build bigger, stronger muscles

Want to grow bigger, stronger muscles? Eat green tomatoes!

Natural compound from green tomatoes stimulates muscle growth, improves muscle strength and endurance and protects against muscle wasting, research reveals.

Using a screening method, University of Iowa scientists discovered that tomatidine, a compound from green tomatoes, is potent for building muscle and protecting against muscle atrophy.

Muscle atrophy, or wasting, is caused by ageing and a variety of illnesses and injuries, including cancer, heart failure, and orthopedic injuries, to name a few. It makes people weak and fatigued, impairs physical activity and quality of life, and predisposes people to falls and fractures.

"Muscle atrophy causes many problems for people, their families, and the health care system in general. Exercise certainly helps, but it is not enough and not very possible for many people who are ill or injured," said Christopher Adams, an associate professor of internal medicine and molecular physiology and biophysics.

The study

In the study -published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry-, Adams searched for a small molecule compound that might be used to treat muscle atrophy. He zeroed in on tomatidine using a systems biology tool called the Connectivity Map.

Adams discovered that tomatidine generates changes in gene expression that are essentially opposite to the changes that occur in muscle cells when people are affected by muscle atrophy.

After identifying tomatidine, Adams and his team tested its effects on skeletal muscle. They first discovered that tomatidine stimulates growth of cultured muscle cells from humans.

"That result was important because we are looking for something that can help people," said Adams.

Their next step was to add tomatidine to the diet of mice.
They found that healthy mice supplemented with tomatidine grew bigger muscles, became stronger and could exercise longer.
And, most importantly, they found that tomatidine prevented and treated muscle atrophy.

"Interestingly, although mice fed tomatidine had larger muscles, their overall body weight did not change due to a corresponding loss of fat, suggesting that the compound may also have potential for treating obesity," Adams noted.

Bottom line
"Green tomatoes are safe to eat in moderation. But we still do not know how many green tomatoes a person would need to eat to get a dose of tomatidine similar to what we gave the mice. We are working hard to answer this," Adam explained.

 Sources: http://now.uiowa.edu/, http://www.redorbit.com/, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, http://www.thehindu.com/

Why Eating Less May Make You Live Longer

Australian scientists have claimed that eating sporadically, like animals in the wild, could make people healthier and live longer.

Scientists know an extreme diet does not appeal to many people but say their discovery could lead to ways of mimicking its effects and pave the way for an "anti-ageing pill".

Evolutionary biologist Dr Margo Adler, who led the research, said that cutting back on food leads to increased rates of "cellular recycling" and repair mechanisms in the body.

Dr Adler, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, believes this evolved to help animals continue to reproduce when food is scarce. Their bodies adapt by recycling and reusing nutrients stored in the cells.

She said: "This is the most intriguing aspect from a human health standpoint. Although extended lifespan may simply be a side effect of dietary restriction, a better understanding of these cellular recycling mechanisms that drive the effect may hold the promise of longer, healthier lives for humans."

Low nutrient diet restores cells

Researchers have indentified pathways that respond to nutrients, and particularly protein, by dialling up cell growth rate and reproduction, and turning down some important cellular recycling processes.

"One of them is called autophagy, which is literally means self-eating. What they do is they allow the animal to recycle nutrients that are stored within its own cells," Dr Adler said.
"And so an animal that's dietarily restricted might increase its rates of cellular recycling mechanisms so that it can get more of its own stored nutrients, so it needs fewer nutrients from the environment."

However, she says the diet may allow the body to reproduce more in the short-term.

"But the benefit is that these cellular recycling mechanisms actually kind of clean up the cells and they reduce rates of cancer and reduce rates of cellular deterioration and so animals live longer and they have lower rates of cancer when they have higher rates of cellular recycling processes," she said.

Bottom line
Dr Adler says while the development of the drugs for human use is still a fair way off, further study of cellular recycling mechanisms may help find interventions for humans.
"The best suggestion is have a fairly low-protein diet, do exercise and you're probably doing well," she said.

In 2012, a study found that a low calorie diet can slow down ageing and ward off diabetes, cancer and dementia. Other studies have pointed to the need to cut food intake by about 40% to live 20 to 30% longer.

Sources: http://www.abc.net.au/news/, https://au.news.yahoo.com/, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, http://www.express.co.uk/