Pass the Stuffing—and
the Antioxidant—Please
Bread crust may contain
a healthful disease fighter
Your holiday table may
be laden with more than turkey and the trimmings—it may be
rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, too.
It is not necessarily
in the dishes you would expect, such as sweet potatoes or cranberries,
but in the stuffing.
German researchers have
discovered that during the baking of bread, an antioxidant called
pronyl-lysine is created, especially in the crust.
"[Pronyl-lysine] is more
present in the crust because you need higher temperatures to generate
that compound," says study author Thomas Hofmann, a professor and
head of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the University of Muenster.
Results of the study appeared
in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry.
Antioxidants
Help Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
Antioxidants are healthful
compounds found in many foods. Vitamins C and E are two examples
of antioxidants. These compounds are believed to help fight cancer
and other diseases, according to the American Dietetic Association.
Hofmann and his colleagues
analyzed a sourdough bread mixture that contained rye and wheat
flour, and discovered the pronyl-lysine after baking. The antioxidant
was not present in the flour used to make the bread.
The antioxidant is created
during a chemical reaction between the amino acid L-lysine and starch
and sugars in the bread. This same reaction causes the crust to
have a darker color than the rest of the bread, Hoffmann says.
Pronyl-lysine is also
found in malt, as well as in beer. The antioxidant is present in
higher amounts in dark bread and beer, Hofmann says.
He adds that pronyl-lysine
is formed in bread with yeast or without, but it is more abundant
when the bread is baked in smaller pieces, as it might be for used
in stuffing.
Once the scientists identified
the antioxidant, they tested it on human intestinal cells in the
lab and found that pronyl-lysine increased the amount of certain
enzymes that are believed to play a role in the prevention of some
cancers.
The next step in the research
is to learn if the antioxidant is actually absorbed into the blood
during digestion, where it might be able to help fight disease.
The researchers are currently conducting animal tests to see if
this occurs.
No
Reason to Over-indulge
Of course, this does not
mean you can gorge yourself with stuffing over the holidays, guilt-free.
"People who like to complement
their Thanksgiving meal with stuffing need to remember that stuffing
is usually soaked with butter and gravy. And antioxidants can't
counteract those things," says Samantha Heller, a senior clinical
nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
Heller also points out
the German study is only the first step in the research. Now, she
says, the scientists need to learn what the antioxidant does when
it is in the body and how available it is in the blood after digestion.
Bread, and its crust,
can be part of healthy diet, however, adds Heller. She says fiber,
which is found in whole grain breads, fruits, and vegetables, is
a known disease fighter and it helps keep you feeling full.
Always consult your physician
for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization is not
responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
American
Dietetic Association
Journal
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
US
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
|
December 2002
Antioxidants
Help Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
No
Reason to Over-indulge
Any
Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise
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Online
Resources
In Other Mind & Body
News:
Any
Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise
Expert says tough
new guidelines may scare some people away from workouts
A little bit of exercise
is better than no exercise at all.
Earlier this year, the
US government issued new exercise guidelines that recommend adults
and children spend at least an hour a day in moderately intense
physical activity to maintain maximum cardiovascular health.
That is double the daily
amount suggested in the 1996 US Surgeon General's report.
While it is a good idea
to encourage people to exercise, the new guidelines may actually
discourage some people, says Dr. Howard Eisenson, director of the
Duke Diet and Fitness Center, at Duke University Medical Center.
He says some people who
are not able to exercise for an hour may feel they have nothing
to gain from exercising for shorter periods each day. But Eisenson
says those short stretches of exercise do benefit people.
"I would probably disagree
with the new guidelines because I think they could give people the
impression that unless they're exercising for an hour a day, every
day of the week, they're not getting much health benefit," Eisenson
says.
"That's not really true.
Research shows that the Surgeon General's recommendation from the
mid-1990s is still a good one, and if people will exercise for 30
to 40 minutes most days, they will realize health benefits from
that," Eisenson says.
That is a good first target
for people who are sedentary and will provide them with health benefits.
Once they master that amount of exercise, they may choose to increase
their amount of exercise to an hour each day.
Eisenson reminds people
they do not need to join a gym and use all the latest exercise equipment
to get their exercise.
"Regular lifestyle activities
are fine, including walking or doing chores around the house. Becoming
more physically active is beneficial at whatever level. More might
be better, but some is certainly a lot better than none," he says.
Always consult your physician
for more information.
False
Ads for Fighting Fat
According to the US
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), about 40 percent of weight
loss advertisements are misleading and 55 percent of them contain
at least one unproven statement.
The FTC
studied 300 print ads and concluded that many of them made dubious
claims—especially regarding rapid weight loss or the ability
to lose weight without diet or exercise. The FTC
also cautioned consumers not to get sucked in by "before-and-after"
pictures, because they are rarely realistic.
Always consult your physician
for more information.
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