Food Chemistry News
June 30, 2010 Written by JP [Font too small?]When you think of the word ‘chemistry’ an image of a science lab filled with beakers, flasks and petri dishes probably comes to mind. But you don’t need a Ph.D., safety goggles or a white lab coat to apply the power of this science as it relates to food. There are already scientists hard at work doing research in the field of food chemistry. All we have to do is pay attention to the papers they publish in the medical literature.
Most people understand that food selection is a major factor in how healthy a diet can be. Choosing to eat steamed asparagus spears rather than tempura fried asparagus makes all the difference. However, there other contributing factors as well, such as the concepts and techniques that can be applied in our very own gardens and kitchens.
Preserving the Healing Power of Broccoli – A soon to be published Australian study examined the effects of three different cooking methods (boiling, microwaving and steaming) on broccoli florets. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli are rich in select phytochemicals with diverse health benefits including chemopreventive properties. Steaming was determined the ideal cooking process as it preserved the greatest quantities of the therapeutic plant chemicals known as glucosinolates and sulforaphane. (1)
Basil Likes Water More Than Soil – Basil is widely believed to impart some of the health benefits commonly attributed to the Mediterranean diet. Now, Italian researchers have discovered that basil can be grown even more healthfully in a soil-less medium. It seems that hydroponic cultivation increases the levels of fat and water based antioxidants commonly found in basil including lipoic acid, phenols, rosmarinic acid, Vitamins C and E. (2)
Fresh Chicken Beats Frozen Chicken Every Time – Did you know that freezing does more than just preserve food? A new study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal Food Chemistry documents the chilling details. Long term frozen storage leads to oxidative damage to the naturally occurring fat and protein contained in chicken meat. This argues for the use of fresh chicken whenever possible. (3)
Selenium-Enriched Broccoli Sprouts May Fight Prostate Cancer
Source: BMC Cancer 2009, 9:414 (link)
Grow Your Own Herbs But Eat Them Dry – Food scientists from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland investigated the consequences of three different drying methods on the antioxidant content of six common herbs – basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Antioxidant capacity was assessed using two objective measures known as the ferric reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Air-drying was found to be the most effective way of maintaining the health promoting properties in the herbs tested. In fact, air-dried herbs exhibited higher FRAP and ORAC scores than fresh herbs, freeze-dried herbs and vacuum oven-dried herbs. The researchers also noted that 60 days of storage didn’t adversely affect the antioxidant potential of the dried herbs. (4)
Sprouts Like Sea Water – Sprouting is an economical way to increase your intake of essential nutrients and protective phytochemicals. But how you feed your sprouts can influence how they feed you back. A group of Chinese scientists recently discovered that germinating radish sprouts in a salt solution effectively increased the levels of several cancer fighting phytochemicals. The authors of the experiment coined the process “salt stress” and state that it “could improve the nutritional value of radish sprouts, and germination of sprouts under adequate salt stress could be one useful way to enhance health-promoting compounds of plant food”. That’s one use of salt that even doctors can get behind! (5)
The kitchen is the cornerstone of health or lack there of in most households. But just like any other specialized field, optimal nutrition requires making well informed decisions. In order to do that we need to recall the wisdom of the ages and embrace the insights that modern science adds to the mix. Mankind has been around for far too long to disregard historical eating patterns. At the same time, this is a very different environment than our distant ancestors used to populate. That’s why I think we need to integrate the best of the past with the revelations of the present.
Note: Please check out the “Comments & Updates” section of this blog – at the bottom of the page. You can find the latest research about this topic there!
Be well!
JP
Tags: Broccoli, Herbs, Sprouts
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Nutrition
July 1st, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Ieat most of my veggies raw, but I beleive steaming is the best when cooking any vegetable. Are there any vegetables that are more nutritious steamed than eaten raw?
July 1st, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Mark,
As a general rule, it’s believed that steaming vegetables enhances the absorption of some of the antioxidants contained therein. One study described it in the following manner, “An overall increase of TEAC, FRAP, and TRAP values was observed in all cooked vegetables, probably because of matrix softening and increased extractability of compounds, which could be partially converted into more antioxidant chemical species”. In other words, cooking partially breaks down the veggies and assists the digestive system to access antioxidants and nutrients otherwise trapped in the vegetables.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf072304b
It’s also important to note that eating cooked or raw vegetables with healthy fats such as olive oil can further improve their bioavailability.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19326348
Be well!
JP
July 12th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
This article is a good read! Now what’s it going to take to make these practices the norm? Much better than GMO,irradiation & pasteurization, present practices being utilized on our foods, stripping them of their valuable nutrients(the reason we eat). We, the public, are even ingesting these foods without knowing it.
July 12th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Thank you, KC!
I think awareness is a big part of the equation. Combine that with practical advice such as cooking with fresh chicken and steaming cruciferous vegetables (instead of boiling them) and we’ve got a winning package, IMO.
It’s not a total solution but it’s a good start.
Be well!
JP
July 10th, 2015 at 9:27 am
Update 07/10/15:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2015/7/ehp.1409518.acco.pdf
Environ Health Perspect – Advance Publication: 9 July 2015
Organic Food Consumption during Pregnancy and Hypospadias and Cryptorchidism at Birth: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)
Background: The etiologies of the male urogenital anomalies hypospadias and cryptorchidism remain unclear. It has been suggested that maternal diet and environmental contaminants may affect the risk of these anomalies via placental or hormonal disturbances.
Objectives: To examine associations between organic food consumption during pregnancy and prevalence of hypospadias and cryptorchidism at birth.
Methods: Our study includes 35,107 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) who delivered a singleton male infant. Information about use of six groups of organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, bread/cereal, milk/dairy products, eggs and meat) during pregnancy was collected by a food frequency questionnaire. Women who indicated that they sometimes, often, or mostly consumed organic foods in at least one of the six food groups were classified as organic food consumers in analyses. Hypospadias and cryptorchidism diagnoses were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (95% CIs) using multiple logistic regression.
Results: Seventy-four male newborns were diagnosed with hypospadias (0.2%) and 151 with cryptorchidism (0.4%). Women who consumed any organic food during pregnancy were less likely to give birth to a boy with hypospadias (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.70 based on 21 exposed cases) than women who reported they never or seldom consumed organic food. Associations with specific organic foods were strongest for vegetable (OR=0.36; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.85; 10 exposed cases) and milk/dairy (OR=0.43; 95% CI: 0.17, 1.07; 7 exposed cases) consumption. No substantial association was observed for consumption of organic food and cryptorchidism.
Conclusions: Consumption of organically produced foods during pregnancy was associated with a lower prevalence of hypospadias in our study population. These findings were based on small numbers of cases and require replication in other study populations.
Be well!
JP
May 27th, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Updated 05/27/16:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27226361
J Sci Food Agric. 2016 May 26.
Vermicompost and farm yard manure improves food quality, anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial potential of Cajanus cajan (L, Mill sp.) leaves.
BACKGROUND: Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) leaves are a good source of nutrition and health benefitting phenolic compounds. However, its importance has not yet been effectively addressed. Presently, a two-year field experiment was attempted in an alluvial soil to comprehend the role of various organic and inorganic fertilizers and their combinations not only on soil quality, but also on production of foremost phenolic compounds and imparting antioxidant and antibacterial properties in C. Cajan under vermicompost treatments.
RESULTS: Notable enhancements in crude protein, soluble carbohydrate, ash content and total flavonoid content were recorded in Cajanus leaves under vermicompost treatments. We detected a significant rise in carlinoside content in C.cajan leaves, which is known to reduce bilirubin concentration in hepatitis affected human blood. Farmyard manure treatments result a high crude fibre content coupled with a substantially high concentration of total phenols, and chlorophyll. In addition, incorporation of vermicompost with or without inorganic fertilizer in the soil had a significant impact on antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties of C.cajan leaves. Above and beyond, farmyard manure and vermicompost positively influenced the physico-chemical health of the soil.
CONCLUSION: The present nutrient management scheme based on organic input not only induced a higher yield of C. Cajan endowed with improved antioxidant and antibacterial properties, but also enhanced the production of various phenolic compounds.
Be well!
JP
November 20th, 2016 at 7:36 pm
Updated 11/20/16:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27859352
J Sci Food Agric. 2016 Nov 12.
Evaluation of polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity in two onion varieties grown under organic and conventional production systems.
BACKGROUND: Onions contain a number of bioactive compounds – in particular polyphenols. They are a rich source of such compounds in the human diet and offer significant health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is steadily increasing partly based on the expected health benefits of organic food consumption. The current study examines the influence of organic and conventional crop management practices on bioactive polyphenolic content of onion.
RESULTS: We examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in two varieties of onion grown over four years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year on year variation and were significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. The levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in generally were significantly higher (p < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. CONCLUSION: Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of potential bioactive compounds in onion. Be well! JP
March 19th, 2017 at 10:41 am
Updated 03/19/17:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28314171
Meat Sci. 2017 Mar 8;129:161-168.
Improving pork burgers quality using Zingiber officinale Roscoe powder (ginger).
Pork burgers were evaluated for physical-chemical characteristics, fatty acids profile, lipid oxidation, antioxidant capacity, microbiological growth and sensory evaluation during storage time of seven days at 4°C as function of three formulations as only meat (control, B) and meat added with ginger powder at the percentage of 1 and 2% (BG1 and BG2). BG1 and BG2 were less redness than control ones with incremented yellow hue. These modifications in color parameters did not modify sensory characteristics of burgers. PUFA were incremented (both PUFAω3 and PUFAω6) by the addition of ginger. Furthermore, BG1 and BG2 burgers showed to be less sensitive to lipid oxidation and to possess an increase in antioxidant capacity. Microbial growth evaluation of total aerobic count and Pseudomonas spp. showed that ginger powder delayed in time the bacterial contamination. Results highlighted that the presence of ginger led to an enhanced shelf life and health characteristics of burgers (increasing peroxidisability, ratio hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic and ratio ω3/ω6; reducing atherogenicity and thrombogenicity).
Be well!
JP
December 5th, 2018 at 2:56 pm
Updated 12/05/18:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.869
Food Sci Nutr. 2018 Oct 25;6(8):2553-2559.
Effect of moderate and regular consumption of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham on overall cardiovascular risk: A cohort study.
Objective: To evaluate the impact that the moderate and regular consumption of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham has on overall cardiovascular risk, lipid parameters, blood pressure, and weight.
Methods: A longitudinal, analytical, and quasi-experimental clinical study with repeated measures was carried out with 100 randomly selected individuals in primary care. The sample population included men and women (64%) between the ages of 25 and 55 (42.08, SD 9.6) who were not diagnosed with any cardiovascular illness or diabetes, were not undergoing antihypertensive treatment, nor taking lipid-lowering drugs. There were four visits during a 2-week washout period for the first of three phases. Phases 2 and 3 included an 8-week habitual diet phase followed by an 8-week intervention phase when participants consumed 40 g daily of acorn-fed 100% Cinco Jotas Iberian ham. Measurements of cardiovascular risk factors were taken following the SCORE table. These included total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), and weight.
Results: The average vascular risk (SCORE) was 0.20 (SD 0.49) before the consumption phase and 0.18 (SD 0.48) at the end of the study (p > 0.05). An increase in HDL-c of 5 mg/dl was observed while there was a decrease in LDL-c and TG of 10 mg/dl (p < 0.05). There were no differences in total cholesterol levels, blood pressure, or weight; nor were differences observed in average consumption of calories, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, or alcohol (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: The daily consumption of 40 g of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and has a favorable impact on lipid levels without affecting blood pressure or weight.
Be well!
JP