THE SWEET TOOTH-A WEAKNESS INHERITED!

Who has to bear the blame for to day's over eating trend among young as well as the old, rich as well as the poor? The blame game drags in all the players who have some thing to do with food production, processing, marketing, consuming, food science and governing but the problem does not fit into any equation or mathematical modeling. What is needed is a concerted effort by all to tackle this menacing problem after understanding the reasons underlying the problem. While education of consumers, persuading the industry for voluntary action and coercion by government have the potential to reverse the present trend, so far none seems to be working as per expectations. Latest controversy about the policy being promoted in New York for banning large sized sugary beverages which has created a ruckus among human right activists and some consumer organizations is another example of the intractability of this grave problem. According to some analysts coercive policies only will work because the present addiction to sugary products is inherited through human evolution and unless humans are helped to over come this attraction to sugar through some compulsions, no voluntary action may work to chuck this trend. Here is a critique on this issue which appears to be reasonable in its conclusions.

"Since sugar is a basic form of energy in food, a sweet tooth was adaptive in ancient times, when food was limited. However, excessive sugar in the bloodstream is toxic, so our bodies also evolved to rapidly convert digested sugar in the bloodstream into fat. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors needed plenty of fat — more than other primates — to be active during periods of food scarcity and still pay for large, expensive brains and costly reproductive strategies (hunter-gatherer mothers could pump out babies twice as fast as their chimpanzee cousins). Simply put, humans evolved to crave sugar, store it and then use it. For millions of years, our cravings and digestive systems were exquisitely balanced because sugar was rare. Apart from honey, most of the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate were no sweeter than a carrot. The invention of farming made starchy foods more abundant, but it wasn't until very recently that technology made pure sugar bountiful. The food industry has made a fortune because we retain Stone Age bodies that crave sugar but live in a Space Age world in which sugar is cheap and plentiful. Sip by sip and nibble by nibble, more of us gain weight because we can't control normal, deeply rooted urges for a valuable, tasty and once limited resource. What should we do? One option is to do nothing, while hoping that scientists find better cures for obesity-related diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. I'm not holding my breath for such cures, and the costs of inaction, already staggering, would continue to mushroom. A more popular option is to enhance public education to help us make better decisions about what to eat and how to be active. This is crucial but has so far yielded only modest improvements. The final option is to collectively restore our diets to a more natural state through regulations. Until recently, all humans had no choice but to eat a healthy diet with modest portions of food that were low in sugar, saturated fat and salt, but high in fiber. They also had no choice but to walk and sometimes run an average of 5 to 10 miles a day. Mr. Bloomberg's paternalistic plan is not an aberrant form of coercion but a very small step toward restoring a natural part of our environment".

The perfectly balanced argument questions the right of the parents to guide their children or the schools to ban undesirable foods if government based on scientific evidence cannot do any thing to curb consumption of super rich, nutritionally unbalanced foods that destroys the health of its citizens, knowingly or unknowingly. If suicides can be prevented by coercive laws or if smoking can be restricted through restrictive policies, why not force people to restrict consumption of patently unhealthy foods? When a patient goes to a physician, his ailment is diagnosed and appropriate medicines, may be bitter to taste, are prescribed. Does the patient protest about it? Rarely, because he knows that it is done for his good. Then why not accept scientifically based restrictions for curing the disease of obesity? Sooner this bitter truth is realized, better it will be for the human race as a whole.    

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

NEW TOOL TO MEASURE INFLAMMATION DUE TO FOOD

Vast information about foods of various kind, especially the health benefits as being claimed by the manufacturers, can put any consumer, even if highly educated, into a state of confusion, hardly helpful in selecting right foods from the aisles of the supermarket. Government agencies have limitations in controlling or policing the industry and ultimately it falls on the shoulders of the consumer to decide which food is beat for him. Recent action by the EU in enforcing some order in health claims is a welcome move and rejecting more than 99% of the claims routinely printed on the labels generates some confidence among consumers that industry does not have unbridled freedom to mislead them. Development of a new analytical tool recently to test the healthiness or otherwise of foods developed for the market may go a long way to routinely assess the effect of any food on the inflammation will be a valuable tool for the industry as well as developmental scientists in the field of new product design. Here is a take on this new optical based test protocol which may become a common gadget in the coming years.

"The human body is complex, and designing a miniature artificial gastrointestinal system proved to be extremely exacting. The solution provided by researchers at EPFL ultimately took the shape of a two-level chip, whose levels are connected via a porous membrane. The upper level, which represents the intestinal wall, is made of a homogeneous layer of cultured epithelial cells. The lower level represents the circulatory system and is made up of immune system cells, and in particular macrophages. The macrophages' job within the human body is to keep it clean: when they encounter any potentially dangerous agents they release molecules such as cytokines that activate other immune-system cells. The NutriChip platform uses CMOS high-resolution optical sensors developed by Sandro Carrara's team in the EPFL's Integrated Sytems Lab in order to precisely detect and measure cytokine production by the immune cells that are on the other side of the layer of intestinal wall cells. These measurements, which are performed using fluorescence, show exactly how much inflammation is caused by a given food".

How far such tools become popular depends on the sincerity of the industry in ensuring the well being of the consumers because of the prevalent trust deficit that exists in the minds of consumers regarding the true intentions of industry in making products that are healthy in stead of being tasty. But a time may come when safety agencies can insist on al foods being non-inflammatory as tested by the nutriChip system as being developed now. Whether the industry will concur with such tight regulations remains to be seen. But if consumer pressure is mounted in an organized way, there is no reason as to how the industry can continue its resistance to measures like this in the interests of the consumer.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"FOODS FOR SPECIFIED HEALTH USERS"-JAPANESE SYSTEM

Labeling of health foods is a tricky matter and consumers world over are confused by different manufacturers following different practices to make one or the other health claim to promote their products. While in pharmaceutical industry, strict clinical data are demanded before a drug is cleared for a specific ailment, there are no such hard and fast rules prevailing in the food industry resulting in many players printing many claims based on unreliable published data. It is now being realized that food industry should not be allowed to make tall claims unless these claims are supported by valid scientific data. The nutraceutical and health food industry, how ever is not subjected to any control leaving a loophole for the industry to put out products with many claimed health attributes. However in Japan, a well laid down system regulates health food marketing which appears to be equitable to both the consumer and the industry. Here is a take on this interesting practice of clearing health foods in Japan. 

"It's being called the world's first "healthy cola". Japan, that boasts of the world's most stringent food regulatory laws, has approved the world's first cola for being "beneficial to health". The country's food regulatory authority has cleared 'Kirin Mets Cola' for the most sought after Foods for Specified Health Users (FOSHU) label. Japan's Health and Nutrition Food Association (JHNFA) says getting a highly sought after FOSHU certification - that can sometimes take over six months and cost as much as a million yen -- greatly boosts the credibility of approved products. Colas aren't really known for their health benefits. They are usually packed with sugar and have been fuelling the global epidemic of childhood obesity. However, according to JHNFA, this FOSHU labelled cola has zero amount of sugar and contains an indigestible form of Dextrin - a compound used as a fibre supplement, which restricts the body's ability to absorb fat while eating. "When consumed with a high fat diet like a hamburger, the drink slows down the body's ability to absorb fat thereby saving you from putting on weight. It also helps in digesting the food easily," Akira Yabuki, general manager, department of FOSHU at JHFNA, told TOI".

FOSHU certification seems to be based on the premise that each food offered as a functional food should specify the particular aspect of health which is sought to be addressed by the product. The news that the much reviled cola beverage is being given FOSHA certification may be puzzling to many but this particular product differs drastically from its famous cousins Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola in many ways. This probably shows the open mind of the regulatory authorities in assessing each product regardless of any consideration other than the data provided by the manufacturer based on scientific studies carried out by its developer. It is a laudable system worthy of emulation by countries like India for creating necessary confidence among the consumers.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

PROGRESSIVE POLICIES-SETTING THE TREND!

Food industry's visible face to day is represented by large conglomerates with high sounding branded products heavily promoted through the well oiled retail marketing system. The "love-hate" relationship between the industry and the consumers can be misleading because, on one side there are severe criticisms against the prevalent practice among the processors to flood the market with mostly unhealthy foods while the consumers, in spite of spitting fire against the industry patronize them through higher purchases day after day with no let up! In this comic scenario, small and micro scale enterprises with limited resources are side lined with no opportunity to make a decent living. There are innumerable road blocks that hamper the working of this sector, especially the stringent safety regulations which are costly and difficult to be adhered to by these marginal players. It is in this context that one has to appreciate the new initiatives coming from law enforcement agencies in the US to relax the prevalent rules without compromising the safety of products. Here is a take on this important development that can bode well for the consumers. 

"

The California Homemade Food Act (AB 1616) - more commonly known as the California Cottage Food Bill - passed the California Assembly Committee on Health, bringing small food operators in California one step closer to legally cooking food in their home kitchens and selling directly to consumers, as detailed in an article in the April issue of Food Nutrition & Science. "What I've always liked about the food business is the entrepreneurship and great ideas that come out of people's kitchens and often land on a shelf," says Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com. "But it's expensive and very risky. The Cottage Food Bill allows entrepreneurs to test their products on a smaller scale and gives consumers the opportunity to try fresh and interesting products." The California Homemade Food Act would give aspiring food entrepreneurs the ability to generate income from their home kitchen. Also in this month's issue, an article on how some community gardeners are taking the concept a step further and planting edible forests in public spaces. The Beacon Food Forest is currently being developed in Seattle adjacent to the west side of Jefferson Park with the goal to grow enough nutritious food for everyone in need and empower other communities to create a shared local food source. In addition, BJ's Wholesale Club joins the regional food trend as the company recently announced its locally grown produce program, "Farm to Club," will be available in each of its 195 clubs in all 15 states where its clubs are located. The program, which provides BJ's members with a variety of quality fresh fruit and produce from their state's local farms, is rolling out this spring and summer".

Dilemma of government agencies in evolving equitable safety regulations is understandable because of the conflicting pull from the industry and the consumers. While ideally rules must be as stringent as possible, the ground reality and practicality of such protocols must be kept in view while finalizing the same. In many developing countries there are millions of food makers with investments as low as a few thousand rupees but do not have the wherewithal to test their products regularly for meeting the standards laid down by the government. While some leeway can be given in relaxing the standards, safety can never be compromised. It is here that collective and co-operative based cluster or pods of processors can pool their resources for establishing common testing facilities with shared costs. The famous Mumbai based Lijjat cooperatives that was able to make its mark in micro scale processing of many traditional food products is a classical example of such collective efforts. Another feature in India is the active involvement of many house holds in cooking food in their homes and delivering the same to families in need of such a service. As it is a private arrangement between two parties, the state may have no role to play in regulating them. Traditional foods made and consumed in India are mostly confined to cottage scale sector and government should show special consideration till they grow into industrial scale where after the regulatory protocols can be made stringent.    

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

 

DIABETES DEVELOPMENT-NEW INSIGHT

Advances in biotechnology have enabled scientists to map out the genetic sequences in many living creatures including man. Genomic information is thought to be very useful for the drug industry for developing more effective medicines which eventually will replace many of the present generation formulations. Prediction of diseases is also possible if the genetic make up is known at individual levels. Once the predisposition of an individual is unraveled it becomes easier to monitor the blood profile to detect the disease at an early stage before it becomes "toxic". This is what has been demonstrated recently by one of the geneticists who performed the gene sequencing on himself and after finding that he is vulnerable to development of diabetes took extra precaution to monitor his blood for early signs of diabetes. Here are some details of the efforts of the scientist who proved how gene sequencing can help humanity.    

"HUMAN genome sequencing is already helping researchers find new treatments for illness. Now an unusual case study suggests that the benefits of sequencing may be enhanced in combination with detailed blood tests. Michael Snyder was both lead author and subject of a study that showed the medical promise of combining genomics and blood tests. The case involves Michael Snyder, a geneticist who was both the lead author and the subject of a study on genomics reported in the journal Cell. The study began with the sequencing of Dr. Snyder's genome, which showed that he was at high risk for Type 2 diabetes. Then the research team did extensive blood tests every two months or more, keeping track of 40,000 molecules in Dr. Snyder's cells. About midway into the 14-month study, analyses showed that Dr. Snyder had indeed developed diabetes. "My genome did predict I was at risk," he said, "and because I was watching out, I detected the illness pretty early." The research team monitored the molecular changes closely as the disease developed. The illness was treated successfully while in its early stages, long before it might have been if Dr. Snyder had relied on a conventional visit to the doctor. "This study is a landmark for personalized medicine," said Dr. Eric J. Topol, a professor of genomics at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and author of "The Creative Destruction of Medicine." The study "is an unprecedented look at one person's biology, showing what can be accomplished in the future," he said. "This kind of granular information will one day allow doctors to manage illness in an altogether different and precise way." The business of personalized genomic medicine has long been expected to blossom as low-cost sequencing of the human genome becomes available from the many companies now working in the field. Currently, the price of human genome sequencing is typically about $4,000, said George M. Church, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School. But within a year, he said, it could be down to $1,000 or even less. Dr. Snyder, a professor and chairman of the genetics department at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said he wasn't worried when his genome sequencing showed at the beginning of the study that he had a high risk for Type 2 diabetes. "The disease doesn't run in the family," he said, "and I'm a touch on the thin side, so I don't fit the usual stereotype." Still, he kept a close eye on his glucose levels. Then, in the midst of the study, he caught a cold. "I have two little kids," he explained. "They get sick periodically," passing their colds on to others. It was this viral infection that apparently prompted the onset of diabetes, possibly because of stress. "The cold was a bonus," Dr. Topol said. "We have not been generally associating viral infection with this type of diabetes. It is possible that the viral infection added additional stress."Dr. Snyder treated his diabetes through a change in diet — he eliminated desserts — and a doubling of his typical bike-riding regimen. He also returned to running. "It took about six months," he said, "but my glucose levels came back to normal, allowing me to avoid medication."

High cost of mapping the gene sequence may be a dampener, at least for the time being, in wide scale adoption of this diagnostic tool. But if the past trend is any indication the cost is bound to come down to some what affordable levels making it a popular technique for disease prediction. Probably future health assessment protocols may include gene sequencing also as one of the pre-requisites for deciding the healthiness of an individual. The experience of this scientist is really revealing as he, without any family history for diabetes, developed it after a simple viral infection, contracted from his children. Probably this is a lesson for every body that no one is immune to diabetes, in spite of apparently normal health, if the responsible gene shows the vulnerability.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"SPACE" JUICE-SPIN OFF FROM SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAMS

Recent splashing of a news item in popular media regarding the effectiveness of a fruit juice blend evolved by NASA in the US for consumption by their astronauts during space travel in improving the health of human skin created lot of excitement among people concerned with the progressive deterioration of skin during the aging process. Of course the cosmetic industry is also interested in marketing products that can improve skin health without use of chemicals having any side effects. NASA's interest was, of course, not keeping their astronauts young but to protect them from the ill effects of radiation encountered in outer space. The juice blend named AS10, probably because it has about 10 fruit juices mixed in some proportion to make use of the high antioxidant properties exhibited by the fruits from which juice is extracted and these fruits containing high levels of anthocyanins are known to have excellent anti oxidant properties as measured by in vitro studies. These fruits include Cupuacu, acai, acerola, prickly pear, yumberry , grape and pomegranate besides some vegetables and green tea extract. Though this product was being used in space flights, its civilian use has not yet been established so far. Probably it is a question of time before an entirely new industry is spawned around this innovative product. Here is a take on this development about which lot will be heard in the coming days.

"These startling images may prove that a fruit drink developed by Nasa to protect astronauts from radiation can rejuvenate the skin. A groundbreaking study has shown that the concoction, known as AS10, dramatically reduces wrinkles, blemishes and sun damage after four months. Visia photographs – which reveal the condition of the skin below the surface by using different types of light exposure – were taken of 180 participants at the start of the trial, and again after four months of drinking two shots of AS10 a day. By the end UV spots were reduced by 30 per cent and wrinkles by 17 per cent. AS10 was developed as a nutritional supplement for astronauts to protect them from the damaging effects of high levels of radiation outside the Earth's atmosphere. The drink contains a blend of fruits including cupuacu (a Brazilian fruit from the cacao plant family), acai, acerola, prickly pear and yumberry, which all provide vitamins and phytochemicals – compounds known to block the harmful effects of radiation. Other ingredients are grape, green tea, pomegranate and vegetables. Radiation particles alter oxygen molecules in the body to create reactive oxygen species (ROS) – so-called 'free radicals' which damage cells in a process known as oxidative stress. This process has been linked to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. The toxic molecules are also thought to play a role in the skin ageing process. ROS are created naturally within the body as cells generate energy, but also through environmental factors such as chemicals and ultraviolet light from the sun – the strongest stress to skin. Mobile phone radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol also generate ROS. Space-age: AS10 was developed in conjunction with Nasa for the Astronaut Programme to ensure they received enough fruit and vegetables 'Think of them as little Pac-men taking bites out of molecules that are essential for cells to function,' says Dr Aaron Barson, the nutritional scientist from Utah who carried out the AS10 study after patients reported dramatic improvement from the drink.AS10 is thought to improve skin condition because the drink's large quantities of antioxidants ward off oxidative stress, allowing the skin to heal naturally. Antioxidants attach themselves to ROS and neutralise them before they cause damage.  Dr Barson says: 'The skin is the first body tissue to be exposed to UV rays and we know it is sensitive to oxidative stress. Our study shows it greatly benefits from a reduction in this stress. The effects of oxidative stress on the skin can be quickly modified and the skin can heal itself by drinking AS10.' Dr Barson suggests that the results may have been even better had the trial been conducted during the winter, when exposure to ultraviolet light would have been less.  A second, larger study is planned this summer to investigate for how long the effects last and whether skin condition reaches a plateau or deteriorates once the drink is no longer consumed.  The main drawback is the high price of the drink. The women in the trial drank a sherry glass – 60ml – of AS10 a day. At £30 per 750ml bottle, the cost was just under £300 over the four months. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting says: 'The Visia scans show a marked improvement in the level of UV spots, which represent sun damage beneath the surface of the skin. The kind of interventions that might deliver this level of improvement are glycolic skin peels, which use acids to strip away layers of skin, retinoids, high-potency Vitamin C and hydroquinone with the use of sun block on a daily basis. 'If these changes were due to AS10, this would be of great interest as UV is responsible for 80 per cent of the skin changes we associate with ageing.' She adds that although AS10 might well do what it claims, a critical appraisal of the methods in the study would be required to back this up. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Mervyn Patterson, of Woodford Medical, agrees. He says: 'These images show a reduction in the degree of pigmentation on the skin caused by UV exposure. This could be due to the drink.' But he says daily use of sunscreen with UVB/UVA sun protection factor of 50+ could deliver results on a par with AS10. 'It is more likely to protect the skin, resulting in reductions in redness and pigmentation and a subtle reduction in wrinkles.'"

Scientifically the principle based on which this product was designed is sound as most of the fruits used contain large amounts of the colored pigments anthocyanins which are known to have high antioxidant properties. There are a number of variants among anthocyanins and each fruit has a compliment of these phytochemicals in different proportions with varying properties and their absorption across the intestine and further metabolism remain unclear. Probably this may the reason why multiple sources of anthocyanins are used to formulate this juice product. As the report suggests the existing data may not be sufficient to make any definite  health claims and much more studies need to be carried out with large scale clinical trials to conclusively establish the beneficial effect of AS10. Also not clear is whether this product is curative in nature or can be a preventive material that can ensure continued health benefits if taken regularly. The cosmetic products industry which has a plethora of products under the Sun-screen category may not be immediately interested unless AS10 is dried without adversely affecting its beneficial properties, for easy incorporation into cream type of consumer friendly product for external application. One of the imponderable factors that may come in the way of successful marketing of AS10 is its manufacturing cost which at present is considered exorbitant for most consumers. Probably increased volume of production by the organized sector may bring down the cost significantly if the product establishes itself as a reliable health oriented product with long term benefits.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

  

CURRY FOR BETTER HEALTH?-THE SCIENTIFIC ANGLE!

Curry dishes of India have often been ridiculed and reviled because of their strong smell and pungency not tolerated by people in the West. Traditionally Curry preparation is a blend of different spices, the major one being Turmeric which imparts its characteristic yellow color and mild aroma. Turmeric shot into prominence some years ago as a source of natural color after synthetic colors were weeded out by the food industry due to their toxicity to humans. The Curcumin fraction in Turmeric is responsible for the yellow color and it can be extracted in relatively concentrated form through oleoresin route. India is the major country which supplies Curcumin to the world market for use by the food and pharmaceutical industries. It was known that Turmeric has health protecting properties which were exploited by the traditional Ayurvedic medicinal system in India. Now comes the news that Curcumin from Turmeric plays an important role in boosting human immune system and reducing systemic inflammation in the body when taken regularly and can protect the regular consumers from many infections. Here are more details about these findings. 

"Any natural compound that can influence or raise CAMP levels is of significance to human health, as it helps boost immunity and provides a barrier against a host of chronic conditions and pathogenic invaders. In recent years, vitamin D has been studied extensively and has been found to be a potent stimulator of CAMP activity. New research has found that curcumin and vitamin D work synergistically to fight infection and systemic inflammation as they both exhibit disease-fighting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The lead study author from the Linus Pauling Institute, Dr. Adrian Gombart commented about the study,"This research points to a new avenue for regulating CAMP gene expression... it's possible that sustained consumption over time may be healthy and help protect against infection, especially in the stomach and intestinal tract."Researchers compared the CAMP-stimulating activity of curcumin to omega-3 fatty acids and found that curcumin caused levels of CAMP to almost triple. Vitamin D and curcumin have both been the subject of intense research over the past decade, because of the many potential therapeutic benefits in treating infection, cancer, psoriasis, and other diseases. New studies will be designed to fully examine the ability of these natural nutrients to enhance the genetic expression of the CAMP peptide to protect against a broad range of bacteria, including those that cause tuberculosis and protect against the development of sepsis. Experts suggest 2000 to 5000 IU of vitamin D and 500 mg of a standardized curcumin supplement daily to yield optimal protection from bacterial and viral pathogens and chronic diseases".

The synergy between Curcumin and Vitamin D is another discovery with far reaching implications. Those living in Tropical countries like India are exposed to Sun more than others in other parts of the world which helps them to generate plenty of Vitamin D in the process and interestingly the same people also consume lot of curry preparations containing Turmeric. Probably this may explain the relatively high immunity enjoyed by Indians against many pathogens that are prevalent here under conditions which are conducive to their proliferation while food poisoning episodes in highly "sanitized" countries like the US are frequent and serious. More studies planned to elucidate the full impact of Curcumin+Vitamin D combination preparations may herald a new era of food based palliative products that can fight a plethora of diseases that bother the world to day.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com