Category: Health

{Scientists may be closing in on a way to let consumers savor the sweet taste of cake, cookies and other culinary delights without the sugar rush. In preliminary tests using a new device developed in-house that allows them to screen for odor compounds in real foods, they have isolated several natural aromatic molecules that could be used to trick our brains into believing that desserts and other foods contain more fat, sugar or salt than they actually do.}

The researchers will present their work today at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“Most consumers know that they should be eating more healthful foods made with reduced amounts of fat, sugar and salt. But this is problematic because these are the very ingredients that make many of the foods we like taste so delicious,” says Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Ph.D. “Based on our lab work, we’ve come to believe that aromas can help compensate for the reduction of fat, sugar and salt in healthful foods and make them more appealing to consumers.”

Aroma plays a vital role in how we perceive food (just try pinching your nose closed while you eat — odds are you won’t taste anything). Based on this fact, food scientists have long used chemical aromatics, essential oils and botanical extracts to enhance the flavor of food and beverages to boost sales.

Recently, scientists have turned their attention to using aromas to improve the taste of foods made with reduced amounts of fat, sugar and salt, which many consumers avoid because of their notoriously bland flavor.

“If you buy a product made with 30 percent less salt, and you don’t like it because it isn’t very tasty, what do you do?” Thomas-Danguin asks. “You’ll probably reach for the table salt and put some into the product. So the target is missed. Our goal is to optimize the reformulation process, so the food industry can produce more healthful products that consumers will like as they are and will choose to eat them regularly.”

In earlier work, Thomas-Danguin set out to prove that if the right aroma is added in the right amount in the right places in the right food, the brain can be fooled into thinking there is more fat, sugar or salt in it. Study participants were asked to taste flan, a type of custard, made in layers containing varying amounts of ham aroma and salt. The researchers found that the ham aroma, even though it contained no salt, increased the perception of saltiness of the flan. In fact, some participants thought one variation of the custard made with ham aroma and salt distributed unevenly in layers throughout it tasted the same as a flan made in the traditional way with 40 percent more salt.

In their latest study, Thomas-Danguin and his colleagues at the Centre des Sciences du Goût de l’Alimentation in France, sought to find a new way to isolate aroma molecules associated with sweet tastes. So they created a first-of-its-kind device called a Gas Chromatograph-Olfactometry Associated Taste (GC-OAT) and used it in conjunction with an olfactoscan, which delivers a continuous stream of aromas through a tube to a subject’s nose.

Participants were asked to smell real fruit juice aroma through the olfactoscan. Meanwhile, the researchers used the GC-OAT to isolate molecules from the juice. Then, they added the molecules one at a time into the olfactoscan tube. As the participants smelled each of these mixtures, they were asked if the molecule contributed to their perceived sweetness of the fruit juice. Thomas-Danguin says the preliminary results suggest that this new technique could eventually help food manufacturers better formulate more healthful foods without sacrificing taste, aroma or texture of the original products.

{About 300 commercial motorcyclists operating in Bugesera District, on August 19 held a meeting in which they discussed and laid internal arrangements to reinforce crime prevention strategies.}

The motorcyclists organized under their three cooperatives; COTAMOBU, Icyizere and Icyerekezo-Ruhuha also talked about issues related to promoting road safety.

During the meeting held in Nyamata Sector and attended by Police officers, the chairman of COTAMOBU Eugene Havugimana warned of “appropriate action” against defiant members who breach road safety standards resulting into accidents.

“Some of our members have a tendency of feeling as if they are above the law and violate the rules and regulations governing this profession as well as traffic regulations and even go beyond to involve or facilitate criminality; there’s no need of having such characters. We should be defined for only good deeds,” Havugimana said.

“If we don’t exercise vigilance, we find ourselves abetting crime transporting thieves or illegal goods; trafficking illicit drugs or drug traffickers should not define our business profession. We are all aware of our role in community policing and that binds us to provide information on any person involved in unlawful acts either where we operate and live or those we transport,” he added.

His counterpart of Icyerekezo-Ruhuha, Jean Damascene Harerimana also appealed to members not to be swayed away by the desire for money to facilitate criminality or put their lives at risk over speeding to scramble for passengers.

Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Cyprien Uwitonze, the District Community Liaison Officer (DCLO) of Bugesera, who also attended the meeting, thanked them for the zeal to support community policing activities and challenged them to value their lives whenever they are riding.

{It’s the dream of everyone to be strong and healthy at old age, and to also have good memory.
}
A study carried out by researchers from UCLA, California, USA has found that regular physical activity in older adults could increase brain size and decrease the risk of cognitive decline.

For the study, the team used a previous research (the landmark Framingham Heart Study) to look at an association between exercise, brain volume and the risk of developing dementia. The team looked at the physical activity levels from the original group of participants in the Framingham Heart Study as well as their offspring who were age 60 or over.

The team looked at an association between physical activity and the risk of developing all types of dementia in 3700 participants from both groups, as well as an association between physical activity and total brain volume and hippocampal volume, as measured by brain MRI scans, from a further 2063 participants from the offspring group only.

The participants, who did not suffer from dementia at the start of the study, were followed for more than a decade.

The results showed that there was an association between a low-level of physical activity and a higher risk for dementia in older individuals, and that physical activity had a positive effect on brain volume, in particular on the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in short-term memory.

The researchers also found that the positive effects of exercise were also strongest in people age 75 and older. The findings showed that physical activity in old age could reduce the risk of dementia and lead to higher brain volumes, although the researchers acknowledged that more research needs to be done to understand the intensity and duration of physical activity.

{Most foods at the grocery store come wrapped in plastic packaging. Not only does this create a lot of non-recyclable, non-biodegradable waste, but thin plastic films are not great at preventing spoilage. Scientists are now developing a packaging film made of milk proteins that addresses these issues — and it is even edible.}

At the grocery store, most foods — meats, breads, cheeses, snacks — come wrapped in plastic packaging. Not only does this create a lot of non-recyclable, non-biodegradable waste, but thin plastic films are not great at preventing spoilage. And some plastics are suspected of leaching potentially harmful compounds into food. To address these issues, scientists are now developing a packaging film made of milk proteins — and it is even edible.

The researchers are presenting their work today at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage. When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain,” says research leader Peggy Tomasula, D.Sc.

And spoiled food is just one issue. Current food packaging is mainly petroleum-based, which is not sustainable. It also does not degrade, creating tons of plastic waste that sits in landfills for years.

To create an all-around better packaging solution, Tomasula and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are developing an environmentally friendly film made of the milk protein casein. These casein-based films are up to 500 times better than plastics at keeping oxygen away from food and, because they are derived from milk, are biodegradable, sustainable and edible. Some commercially available edible packaging varieties are already on the market, but these are made of starch, which is more porous and allows oxygen to seep through its microholes. The milk-based packaging, however, has smaller pores and can thus create a tighter network that keeps oxygen out.

Although the researchers’ first attempt using pure casein resulted in a strong and effective oxygen blocker, it was relatively hard to handle and would dissolve in water too quickly. They made some improvements by incorporating citrus pectin into the blend to make the packaging even stronger, as well as more resistant to humidity and high temperatures.

After a few additional improvements, this casein-based packaging looks similar to store-bought plastic wrap, but it is less stretchy and is better at blocking oxygen. The material is edible and made almost entirely of proteins. Nutritious additives such as vitamins, probiotics and nutraceuticals could be included in the future. It does not have much taste, the researchers say, but flavorings could be added.

“The coatings applications for this product are endless,” says Laetitia Bonnaillie, Ph.D., co-leader of the study. “We are currently testing applications such as single-serve, edible food wrappers. For instance, individually wrapped cheese sticks use a large proportion of plastic — we would like to fix that.”

Because single-serve pouches would need to stay sanitary, they would have to be encased in a larger plastic or cardboard container for sale on store shelves to prevent them from getting wet or dirty.

In addition to being used as plastic pouches and wraps, this casein coating could be sprayed onto food, such as cereal flakes or bars. Right now, cereals keep their crunch in milk due to a sugar coating. Instead of all that sugar, manufacturers could spray on casein-protein coatings to prevent soggy cereal. The spray also could line pizza or other food boxes to keep the grease from staining the packaging, or to serve as a lamination step for paper or cardboard food boxes or plastic pouches. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently banned the perfluorinated substances that used to coat these containers, so casein coatings could be a safe, biodegradable alternative.

Bonnaillie says her group is currently creating prototype film samples for a small company in Texas, and the development has garnered interest among other companies, too. The group plans to keep making improvements, and she predicts this casein packaging will be on store shelves within 3 years.

{Certain foods can help give the brain a boost by helping you focus more and improving memory.}

{{1. SALMON}}

Deficiency in omega-3 can lead to you having a poor memory. To improve your memory, it’s important you eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

{{2. AVOCADO}}

Avocado is another food your brain needs because it contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids which help keep nerve cells in the brain healthy.

{{3. WALNUTS}}

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are crucial for brain performance. Walnuts are also rich in vitamin E which helps protect against some aspects of age-related cognitive decline.

{{4. LEAFY GREENS
}}

Several studies have found that leafy greens such as spinach help by brain by protecting against cognitive deficits.

{{5. BERRIES}}

A 2012 study found that berries contain a high concentration of flavonoids which have memory-enhancing properties.

{{6. DARK CHOCOLATE}}

A Harvard study found that dark chocolate contains flavanol which appeared to boost the brain’s blood supply, providing it with more fuel for the work it does.

{Scientists have discovered our spinal discs have a 24-hour clock that, when malfunctioning, can trigger aches.}

A team of researchers from Manchester University said a good sleep at night will help protect the clock and alleviate age-related issues.

Ageing and inflammation are major causes of disc degeneration. The study showed both can also cause the body clock — circadian rhythm — to malfunction.

Dr Qing-Jun Meng said: “Our research shows this system is regulated by our internal body clock. When it ceases to work properly lower back pain is more likely to become an issue. Looking after your body clock will help manage or delay the onset of your back pain.”

Dr Natalie Carter said: “Many people find that their symptoms get worse at certain times of the day and the results of this study reveal a likely biological basis to this effect.”

Tests on genetically-engineered mice and human disc samples also found taking medication at the right time of day is vital in relieving the pain.

The study also suggests night workers are more prone to back complaints.

The researchers suggest people should avoid working at night or to work fixed hours rather than a rotating shift pattern to combat the issue.

{It’s amazing that the things that can help us live longer are simple things we can actually do but we still neglect these simple things.
}

Below are 10 simple things you should do to live longer

{{1. Learn to forgive }}

You can actually live longer if you learn to forgive. Having a forgiving heart helps reduce your blood pressure, anxiety and also help you breath more easily.

{{2. Friends }}

An Australian research has proved that elderly people with more friends were less likely to die over a 10-year period compared to those with fewer friends. You should ensure you choose your friends wisely. Ensure you choose friends with healthy lifestyles if you want to live longer.

{{3. Diet }}

If you want to live longer, you should ensure you go for a diet high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and fish.

{{4. Quality sleep }}

Sleeping less than 5 hours daily increases your risk of premature death so ensure you get enough sleep daily.

{{5. Get married }}

Getting married has lots of benefits and one of them is that it helps you live longer. Studies have shown married people have lower mortality rates compared to people who are divorced, widowed or never married.

{{6. Be religious
}}

A study has shown people who attended religious services more than once a week have a higher level of a key immune system protein when compared to those that don’t attend religious services. The same study also says that people who attend religious services also tend to live longer when compared to those that don’t.

{{7. Throw away the cigarettes }}

Tobacco smokers are liable to die young so quitting smoking would lengthen your lifespan.

{{8. Exercise }}

Studies have shown that people who exercise live longer on average when compared to those that don’t. 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly is important.

{{9. Lose weight }}

Slimming down if you are overweight can protect you against heart diseases, diabetes and other ailments that shorten lifespan.

{{10. Drink moderately }}

Moderate drinkers are less likely to have a heart disease when compared to those that don’t. Too much alcohol increases blood pressure and can cause lots of other health problems so if you want to enjoy the benefits of alcohol, moderation is key. If you don’t take alcohol, no point starting as there are other ways of protecting your heart.

{I’ve got bad news for every tattoo lover. A recent research has warned that tattoo can cause cancer.}

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) warned that some tattoo inks could be toxic, and has called for the banning of the potentially deadly substances.

The organisation’s report claims that the toxic ink could cause skin problems which could last for years, as well as increase the risk of cancer.

Other side effects include serious allergic reactions to the suspect ink and painful itching which can last for years.

Blue, green and black inks also came under fire, with the agency’s report likely to result in certain inks and chemicals being banned by the EU.

The agency said: “Many reports show concerns for public health stemming from the composition of inks used for tattooing.

“The most severe concerns are allergies caused by the substances in the inks and possible carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxic effects.”

According to the research, the inks aren’t covered by any regulations applying to drugs or food, with many tattoo shops operating without any government oversight or guidelines.