ScienceDaily: Food News

Compound in Mediterranean diet makes cancer cells 'mortal'

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:43:43 EDT

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death.

Making ice-cream more nutritious with meat left-overs

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Most of the animal proteins found in the meat industry waste have, until now, been underutilized. The challenge is to transform such waste into food of higher functionality and added value.

New era of fisheries policy needed to secure nutrition for millions

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:26:26 EDT

A new study argues that for fisheries policies to be effective they must take in to account not just fish stock conservation and environmental issues, but also research data on the patterns and dynamics of fish trade, markets and user consumption.

Students' diet and physical activity improve with parent communications

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

College students eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more on days when they communicate more with their parents, according to researchers.

Fish oil may stall effects of junk food on brain

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimize the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review has shown.

Flower power fights orchard pests

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Researchers have found they can control one of fruit growers' more severe pests, aphids, with a remarkably benign tool: flowers. The discovery is a boon for organic as well as conventional tree fruit growers. The researchers found that plantings of sweet alyssum attracted a host of spiders and predator bugs that in turn preyed on woolly apple aphids, a pest that growers often control with chemical sprays.

Seabird bones reveal changes in open-ocean food chain

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:43:43 EDT

Remains of endangered Hawaiian petrels -- both ancient and modern -- show how drastically today's open seas fish menu has changed. Scientists analyzed the bones of Hawaiian petrels -- birds that spend the majority of their lives foraging the open waters of the Pacific. They found that the substantial change in petrels' eating habits, eating prey that are lower rather than higher in the food chain, coincides with the growth of industrialized fishing.

Poultry drug increases levels of toxic arsenic in chicken meat

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:50:50 EDT

Chickens likely raised with arsenic-based drugs result in chicken meat that has higher levels of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, according to a new study.

Human impacts on natural world underestimated

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

A comprehensive five-year study by ecologists -- which included monitoring the activity of wolves, elks, cattle and humans -- indicates that two accepted principles of how ecosystems naturally operate could be overshadowed by the importance of human activity.

Coumarin in cinnamon and cinnamon-based products and risk of liver damage

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:31:31 EDT

Many kinds of cinnamon, cinnamon-flavored foods, beverages and food supplements in the United States use a form of the spice that contains high levels of a natural substance that may cause liver damage in some sensitive people, scientists are reporting.

Soy and tomato may be effective in preventing prostate cancer

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:43:43 EDT

Tomatoes and soy foods may be more effective in preventing prostate cancer when they are eaten together than when either is eaten alone, said a new study.

For adolescents, Subway food may not be much healthier than McDonald's, study finds

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:54:54 EDT

Subway may promote itself as the "healthy" fast food restaurant, but it may not be much healthier than McDonald's for adolescents, according to a new study. Subway meals had nearly as many calories as McDonald's, and both are likely to contribute toward overeating and obesity, researchers found.

And the beat goes on...: The reliable heartbeat of hibernators

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:08:08 EDT

At the current temperatures, all hibernators have probably emerged from their winter hibernation and are enjoying the warm weather. However, this is quite different during the cold season. Many small mammals such as marmots, hedgehogs, bats and some hamsters, and even some birds have a particular skill: they can induce a state of inactivity and reduced metabolic rate to significantly lower their energy consumption when food becomes limited and ambient temperatures drop.

You are what (and where) you eat: Mercury pollution threatens Arctic foxes

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:10:10 EDT

New scientific results show that arctic foxes accumulate dangerous levels of mercury if they live in coastal habitats and feed on prey which lives in the ocean.

Is the humble fig more than just a fruit?

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:36:36 EDT

Figs and fig trees are familiar to a wide cross-section of human society, both as a common food and for their spiritual importance. What is less well understood is the global nature of this association between figs and humans, which is maintained across species, continents and societies.

Heart-healthy diet helps men lower bad cholesterol, regardless of weight loss

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:31:31 EDT

A heart-healthy diet helped men at high risk for heart disease reduce their bad cholesterol, regardless of whether they lost weight, in a new study.

Soil may harbor answer to reducing arsenic in rice

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:44:44 EDT

Agricultural researchers are studying whether a naturally occurring soil bacterium, referred to as UD1023, can create an iron barrier in rice roots that reduces arsenic uptake.

Substances in honey increase honey bee detox gene expression

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:20:20 EDT

A new study shows that some components of the nectar and pollen grains bees collect to manufacture food increase expression of detoxification genes that help keep honey bees healthy.

Electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce viral food poisoning

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:16 EDT

Researchers have studied how electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce the possibility of food poisoning through virus.

Mediterranean diet linked to preserving memory

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:46:46 EDT

A new study suggests that the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes consuming foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, chicken and salad dressing, and avoiding saturated fats, meat and dairy foods, may be linked to preserving memory and thinking abilities.

U. S. has surprisingly large reservoir of crop plant diversity

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:35:35 EDT

North America isn’t known as a hotspot for crop plant diversity, yet a new inventory has uncovered nearly 4,600 wild relatives of crop plants in the United States, including close relatives of globally important food crops such as sunflower, bean, sweet potato, and strawberry.

Fish win fights on strength of personality

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:54:54 EDT

When predicting the outcome of a fight, the big guy doesn't always win suggests new research on fish. Scientists have found that when fish fight over food, it is personality, rather than size, that determines whether they will be victorious.

Contact killing of Salmonella by human fecal bacteria

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:08:08 EDT

Researchers have recently found a novel mode of interaction between Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen, and the bacteria that live in our guts. Fecal bacteria collected from healthy donors effectively inactivated Salmonella, when they were allowed close contact. Mathematical modelling of this interaction is now being used to find new ways of controlling Salmonella.

Is pet ownership sustainable?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:11:11 EDT

There has been much talk about sustainability, but little attention has been paid to its nutritional aspects. Scientists have raised a number of important questions on the sustainability of pet ownership.

Experts examine Mediterranean diet's health effects for older adults

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:57:57 EDT

According to a new study, a baseline adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of hyperuricemia, defined as a serum uric acid concentration higher than 7mg/dl in men and higher than 6mg/dl in women.

More efforts needed to regulate dietary supplements, experts urge

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:49:49 EDT

Dietary supplements accounted for more than half the Class 1 drugs recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration from 2004-12, meaning they contained substances that could cause serious health problems or even death, a new study has found.

Making fruit easier to eat increases sales and consumption in school cafeterias

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:50:50 EDT

People believe that children avoid fruit because of the taste and allure of alternative packaged snacks. Researchers have concluded that the size of the snack counts the most. Apple sales in schools with fruit slicers increased by 71 percent and the percentage of students who ate more than half of their apple increased by 73 percent, an effect that lasted long after the study was over.

Clenbuterol in livestock farming may affect results of doping controls in sport

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:40:40 EDT

The illegal use of clenbuterol in livestock farming may affect the results of doping controls in sport, a new study concludes.

Turning algae into clean energy and fish food; helping Africans to irrigate crops

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:17:17 EDT

Two student teams working hard to move their “green” ideas off the drawing board and into the real world will showcase their progress.

Scientists transform cellulose into starch: Potential food source derived from non-food plants

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:53:53 EDT

A team of researchers has succeeded in transforming cellulose into starch, a process that has the potential to provide a previously untapped nutrient source from plants not traditionally though of as food crops.

Drinking cup of beetroot juice daily may help lower blood pressure

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:22:22 EDT

A cup of beetroot juice a day may help reduce your blood pressure, according to a small study.

Without adequate funding, deadly wheat disease could threaten global food supplies

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:14:14 EDT

Disease-resistant wheat developed over the past half century helped ensure steady world food supplies, but a global team warns in a new article that without increased financial support for disease resistance research, new strains of a deadly fungal disease could leave millions without affordable access to food.

Following a Western style diet may lead to greater risk of premature death

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:45:45 EDT

Data from a new study of British adults suggest that adherence to a "Western-style" diet (fried and sweet food, processed and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products) reduces a person's likelihood of achieving older ages in good health and with higher functionality.

Enzymes from horse feces could hold secrets to streamlining biofuel production

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:46:46 EDT

Stepping into unexplored territory in efforts to use corn stalks, grass and other non-food plants to make biofuels, scientists have now described the discovery of a potential treasure-trove of candidate enzymes in fungi thriving in the feces and intestinal tracts of horses.

High levels of lead detected in rice imported from certain countries

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:18:18 EDT

Rice imported from certain countries contains high levels of lead that could pose health risks, particularly for infants and children, who are especially sensitive to lead's effects, and adults of Asian heritage who consume large amounts of rice, scientists say.

Biofilm helps Salmonella survive hostile conditions

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

Scientists have provided new evidence that biofilms — bacteria that adhere to surfaces and build protective coatings — are at work in the survival of the human pathogen Salmonella.

New evidence that natural substances in green coffee beans help control blood sugar levels

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:47:47 EDT

Scientists today described evidence that natural substances extracted from unroasted coffee beans can help control the elevated blood sugar levels and body weight that underpin type 2 diabetes.

Population boom poses interconnected challenges of energy, food, water

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Mention great challenges in feeding a soaring world population, and thoughts turn to providing a bare subsistence diet for poverty-stricken people in developing countries. But an expert described a parallel and often-overlooked challenge of feeding a larger middle class.

Do cells in the blood, heart and lungs smell the food we eat?

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:35:35 EDT

In a discovery suggesting that odors may have a far more important role in life than previously believed, scientists have found that heart, blood, lung and other cells in the body have the same receptors for sensing odors that exist in the nose. It opens the door to questions about whether the heart, for instance, "smells" that fresh-brewed cup of coffee or cinnamon bun.

Reducing waste of food: A key element in feeding billions more people

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:35:35 EDT

Families can be key players in a revolution needed to feed the world, and could save money by helping to cut food losses now occurring from field to fork to trash bin, an expert said. He described that often-invisible waste in food — 4 out of every 10 pounds produced in the United States alone — and the challenges of feeding a global population of 9 billion.

Communicating the science of the '6x°C egg'

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:35:35 EDT

Why does the "65-degree egg" and its "6X°C" counterparts continue to entice chefs and diners at chic restaurants, when the science underpinning that supposed recipe for perfection in boiling an egg is flawed? It all boils down to the need for greater society-wide understanding of basic scientific concepts, an expert says.

New link between heart disease and red meat: New understanding of cardiovascular health benefits of vegan, vegetarian diets

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:33:33 EDT

A compound abundant in red meat and added as a supplement to popular energy drinks has been found to promote atherosclerosis -- or the hardening or clogging of the arteries.

Ready for debut: Fruit-juice-infused chocolate with 50 percent less fat

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:29:29 EDT

Already renowned as a healthy treat when enjoyed in moderation, chocolate could become even more salubrious if manufacturers embraced new technology for making “fruit-juice-infused chocolate,” a scientist says.

The Snakelocks Anemone, a marine species prized in cooking, has been bred for the first time in captivity

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:43:43 EDT

Researchers have managed to breed for the first time in captivity a marine animal known as the snakelocks anemone and have also begun breeding a species of sea cucumber although this process is still in its initial stages. Both species have great culinary potential and possess excellent nutritional properties.

Chimps: Ability to 'think about thinking' not limited to humans

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:14 EDT

Humans' closest animal relatives, chimpanzees, have the ability to "think about thinking" -- what is called "metacognition," according to new research.

Verifying that sorghum is a new safe grain for people with celiac disease

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

Strong new biochemical evidence exists showing that the cereal grain sorghum is a safe food for people with celiac disease, who must avoid wheat and certain other grains, scientists are reporting. Their study includes molecular evidence that sorghum lacks the proteins toxic to people with celiac disease.

An inside look at carnivorous plants

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:26:26 EDT

A pitcher plant's work seems simple: Their tube-shaped leaves catch and hold rainwater, which drowns the ants, beetles, and flies that stumble in. But the rainwater inside a pitcher plant is not just a malevolent dunking pool. It also hosts a complex system of aquatic life, including wriggling mosquito, flesh fly, and midge larvae; mites; rotifers; copepods; nematodes; and multicellular algae.

Eating fish associated with lower risk of dying among older adults: Risk of dying from heart disease significantly lowered

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:15:15 EDT

Older adults with higher levels of blood omega-3 levels -- fatty acids found in fish and seafood -- may be able to lower their mortality risk by as much as 27 percent and their mortality risk from heart disease by about 35 percent, report researchers. Older adults with the highest blood levels of the fatty acids lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels.

Organic labels bias consumers perceptions through the 'health halo effect'

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:15:15 EDT

In a new study, researchers show that an organic label can influence much more than health views: perceptions of taste, calories and value can be significantly altered when a food is labeled "organic". Certain people also appear to be more susceptible to this 'health halo' effect than others.

'Miracle foods': Can they decrease the risk of cancer?

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Cancer is a disease that invokes fear, so it is not surprising that the public is eager to identify ways to decrease the risk. The media often features information on "Miracle Foods" and publicizes whether these foods can actually decrease the risk of cancer. A new commentary calls on both researchers as well as media sources to consider the validity of multiple studies as opposed to singular studies before assuming that media information is factual.

Monounsaturated fats reduce metabolic syndrome risk

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

Canola oil and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends, according to a new study. Researchers also found that consuming certain vegetable oils may be a simple way of reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which affects about one in three US adults and one in five Canadian adults.

Eating more fiber may lower risk of first-time stroke

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:14:14 EDT

Eating more fiber may decrease your risk of first-time stroke, according to new research.

Diverse bacteria on fresh fruits, vegetables vary with produce type, farming practices

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:05:05 EDT

Fresh fruit and vegetables carry an abundance of bacteria on their surfaces, not all of which cause disease. In the first study to assess the variety of these non-pathogenic bacteria, scientists report that these surface bacteria vary depending on the type of produce and cultivation practices.

Poultry probiotic cuts its coat to beat bad bacteria

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:05:05 EDT

A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings. The probiotic is currently being taken forward through farm-scale trials to evaluate how well it combats Clostridium perfringens.

Cancer biologists find DNA-damaging toxins in common plant-based foods

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:33:33 EDT

In a laboratory study pairing food chemistry and cancer biology, scientists tested the potentially harmful effect of foods and flavorings on the DNA of cells. They found that liquid smoke flavoring, black and green teas and coffee activated the highest levels of a well-known, cancer-linked gene called p53.

Caffeine-'addicted' bacteria: Finding may lead to new decontamination methods, new medicines

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that -- literally. Their report describes bacteria being "addicted" to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for asthma.

More fat, less protein improves canine olfactory abilities

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:26:26 EDT

From sniffing out bombs and weapons to uncovering criminal evidence, dogs can help save lives and keep the peace. Now, researchers have uncovered how to improve dogs' smelling skills through diet, by cutting protein and adding fats.

Better-educated parents feed children fewer fats and less sugar

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:27:27 EDT

Almost 15,000 children aged between two and nine years old took part in the study. The level of education of parents has an influence on the frequency with which their children eat foods linked to obesity. The children of parents with low and medium levels of education eat fewer vegetables and fruit and more processed products and sweet drinks.

New DNA test identifies ingredients in foods

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:27:27 EDT

Almost all foodstuffs contain the genetic material of those animal and plant species that were used in their preparation. Scientists have developed a novel screening procedure that provides for highly sensitive, quantifiable analysis of animal, plant, and microbial substances present in foodstuffs. For this, the researchers have adapted the latest techniques of DNA sequencing, which are otherwise currently employed in human genetics to unravel the genetic information of thousands of patients.

Protein-rich breakfasts prevent unhealthy snacking in the evening, study finds

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:11:11 EDT

Eating a breakfast rich in protein significantly improves appetite control and reduces unhealthy snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods in the evening, which could help improve the diets of more than 25 million overweight or obese young adults in the U.S., new research finds.