|
Researchers at Teagasc, the Irish agency that provides advice and services to the agriculture and food industries, have found that two varieties of seaweeds harvested in Ireland are rich in essential fatty acids (lipids) known to reduce the risk of heart disease. Seaweeds contain a number of heart-healthy compounds, including ACE inhibitors and antioxidants, as well as fatty acids. Eight Irish and Canadian seaweed species were tested in the study, though two – Pelvetia canaliculata and the sustainable Irish seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum – had the highest percentages of lipids per dry weight. Further study is needed, but the researchers said these lipids could potentially be used in foods such as bread and soup. In Ireland, approximately 36,000 tons of seaweed are harvested annually.
"Seaweed Does the Heart Good?", News release, Teagasc, September 13, 2011
Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center have discovered that plant compounds known as phytoestrogens, particularly lignans found abundantly in flax seeds and vegetables, reduce the risk of developing breast cancer and the risk of dying from it. Phytoestrogens attach to the receptors for the female sexual hormone estrogen and have a protective effect. In the bowel, phyoestrogens are turned into enterolactone, a blood biomarker. In a study of 1,140 postmenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer, the researchers found that women with the highest blood levels of this biomarker had an approximately 40 percent lower mortality risk. However, the authors recommended that women get lignans from seeds and vegetables, rather than from supplements.
"Serum Enterolactone and Prognosis of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer", Journal of Clinical Oncology, September 13, 2011
Dutch researchers have discovered that two types of fatty acids – omega 3 and omega 6 – produced by stem cells in the blood and found in commercially-available fish oil supplements make cancer cells insensitive to chemotherapy. In experiments conducted in mice, malignant tumors became insensitive to chemotherapy after administration of normal amounts of fish oil. Natural products that include fish oil are frequently used by cancer patients in addition to their regular treatment. But an oncologist who supervised the research advised cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to avoid fish oil supplements.
"Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induce Resistance to Chemotherapy through the Release of Platinum-Induced Fatty Acids", Cancer Cell, September 12, 2011
A Cochrane review of eight clinical trials involving nearly 4,000 infants in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean found that semi-solid foods enriched with nutrient-packed powder reduces the risk of anemia. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies among infants are a major global health problem. Fortifying the diets of children aged two months to one year with powders containing several vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and vitamin A, reduced the risk of anemia by 31 percent and iron deficiency by 51 percent compared with no intervention or a placebo. However, the researchers cautioned that using the powders requires basic sanitation. And food hygiene and handling needs to be done properly with safe water.
"Micronutrient Powders Reduce Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Infants in Low-Income Countries, Review Finds", Press release, Cochrane Reviews, September 06, 2011
|
The Cochrane Library, September 07, 2011
Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, September 07, 2011
|