Bites

An international team of scientists has found that anti-oxidants commonly touted for their health-promoting benefits could contribute to the early onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Led by Professor Tony Tiganis of Monash University, researchers found that molecules known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) may play a protective role in the early stages of Type 2 diabetes [...]

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that frozen vegetables provide the same nutrients as fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are usually picked and processed at the peak of their ripeness, when they are also at the peak of their nutritional value. They are then blanched in hot water, then flash-frozen, locking in [...]

The four most commonly enjoyed berries — blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries — are all among the top 10 antioxidant-containing fruits, according to Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
Blueberries are listed among the Mayo Clinic’s top 10 healthiest foods, and the National Cancer Institute touts raspberries, particularly black raspberries, because of their high [...]

Dietary curcumin in the form of curry and turmeric appears to inhibit weight gain and body fat, according to results from a new animal model study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists and colleagues.
The study found that supplementing a high-fat diet with curcumin reduced weight gain and total body fat. Animals with curcumin in their [...]

Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma symptoms, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
In what is believed to be the first study in [...]

Many dietary supplements contain caffeine, even though it’s not listed on the label.
Caffeine is a natural alkaloid that occurs not only in tea and coffee, but also in more than 60 other plants and in plant derivatives known as “botanicals.”  These botanicals, such as guarana, yerba mate, kola nut and green tea extract, are common [...]

Penn State food scientists have found that mushrooms are a better natural source of the antioxidant ergothioneine than either of the two dietary sources previously believed to be best.
The researchers found that white button mushrooms, the most commonly consumed kind in the U.S., have about 12 times more of the antioxidant than wheat germ and [...]

Recipes in America’s classic cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, keep getting bigger and richer per serving, according to a new Cornell study.
By examining the 18 recipes that have been continuously published in “The Joy of Cooking” since it was first published in 1936, Cornell University marketing professor Brian Wansink has found that the average calories [...]

A new study suggests that neutralizing an acid-producing diet may be an important key to reducing bone breakdown, or “turnover,” while aging. The study comes on the heels of several other studies questioning the efficacy of consuming more-than-recommended amounts of calcium to protect against bone loss.
The study was led by physician and nutrition specialist Bess [...]

In a new study of aged laboratory animals, a diet rich in the berry and grape compound pterostilbene produced measurable improvements in brain functions and behaviors negatively affected by aging.
Animals eating a diet rich in pterostilbene performed significantly better than those in a group that did not eat the enriched diet, according to scientists with [...]