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Last Updated: Apr 20, 2011 - 9:38:09 AM |
FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH BRIEFS - October 2008
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Kim Kaplan, (301) 504-1637, Kim.Kaplan@ars.usda.gov
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Sizing Up Teen Snacking
Calcium Alone Does Not Reduce Hip Fracture Risk
Potassium and Potato Preparation
More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption
Protecting Romaine Lettuce From Pathogens
New Research on Peanut Components
Meat Safety: It All Works Out in the Wash
Pathogen Genes Targeted in Studies to Protect Salad Veggies
Food Safety Developments Are in the Air
ARS Releases Gulfcrimson Peach to Nurseries
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Sizing Up Teen Snacking
The effect of snacking on teenagers' dietary intakes of recommended
nutrients and MyPyramid food groups has been examined, and the findings
are both positive and negative. After analyzing the eating habits of
more than 4,000 teenagers surveyed nationwide, Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) scientists found that 90 percent reported eating one or
more snacks in a day. Overall, snacking was found to enhance the intake
of some MyPyramid food groups, but it also contributed to the intake of
excess discretionary calories as added sugars and fats. Among the
highest snackers--those who consumed four or more snacks in a day--both
boys and girls ate more than twice as much fruit as their non-snacking
peers. Even so, almost three-quarters of those eating relatively high
amounts of fruit failed to meet their MyPyramid recommendation to
consume 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit daily, depending on age, gender and
activity level.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080509.htm
Scientific contact: Rhonda S. Sebastian, (301) 504-0343, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Md.
Calcium Alone Does Not Reduce Hip Fracture Risk
People, especially the elderly, may reach for calcium supplements in
hopes of protecting themselves against bone fractures in case of a
fall. But a recent analysis of several studies found no reduction in
risk of hip fracture with calcium supplementation. Among the studies
that met the researchers' screening criteria, seven included a total of
170,991 women with nearly 3,000 hip fractures. Five of the studies
included a total of 68,606 men with 214 hip fractures. Pooled results
from those studies suggest that calcium intake is not appreciably
associated with hip fracture risk in women or men. That means that the
researchers did not find that a higher calcium intake reduced the
incidence of hip fractures. The analysis was supported in part by the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080611.htm
Scientific contact: Bess Dawson-Hughes, (617) 556-3066, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, Mass.
Potassium and Potato Preparation
The preparation of a potato can have a big impact on its mineral
content, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have reported.
Cubing potatoes can reduce boiling time, but it also reduces mineral
content by as much as 75 percent. This could be a good cooking strategy
for potato fans hoping to reduce potassium intake, such as dialysis
patients. But individuals who want to get the highest nutritional bang
for their buck would be better off boiling their potatoes whole. The
effects of leaching the potatoes--letting them soak in water
overnight--were also examined. Results showed that leaching had no
significant impact on potassium reduction, in contrast with
conventional wisdom.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080624.htm
Scientific contact: Shelley Jansky, (608) 262-8324, ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wis.
More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have assessed the human
body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in
strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial
plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this
popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of
healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about
their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body. The
study showed that the human body is capable of assimilating more
anthocyanin pigments as intakes increase.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080821.htm
Scientific contact: Janet Dura-Novotny, (301) 504-8263, Food Components
and Health Laboratory, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center,
Beltsville, Md.
Protecting Romaine Lettuce From Pathogens
Knowing the preferences of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli
O157:H7 is essential to a successful counterattack on these microbes.
That's why Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Maria T.
Brandl and University of California-Berkeley colleague Ronald G.
Amundson are scrutinizing the little-understood ability of E. coli
O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica to contaminate romaine lettuce. In
experiments, the scientists exposed romaine lettuce leaves to E. coli
O157:H7. They found that, after 24 hours, populations of the microbe
were 10 times higher on young leaves than on middle ones. One
explanation: The young leaves are a richer nutritional "hunting ground"
for E. coli. They exude about three times more nitrogen and about 1.5
times more carbon than do the middle leaves.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080627.htm
Scientific contact: Maria Brandl, (510) 559-5885, Produce Safety and
Microbiology Research Unit, ARS Western Regional Research Center,
Albany, Calif.
New Research on Peanut Components
Fat-free peanut flour, whole peanuts and peanut oil all may have
cardio-protective properties, results from a new animal study by
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists suggest. For the study,
male hamsters were randomly divided into four groups. Each group of
nearly 20 hamsters was fed one of four different diets, all of which
were high-fat and high-cholesterol. For three of the four test diets,
equivalent amounts of food components were substituted with fat-free
peanut flour, peanut oil or peanuts without skins. The fourth diet
contained no peanut product. Compared to hamsters in the group that ate
no peanut products, those in each of the three groups that did eat
peanut products were found to have significantly lower total
cholesterol and LDL "bad" cholesterol. Also positive, HDL "good"
cholesterol levels held steady.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080630.htm
Scientific contact: Timothy H. Sanders, (919) 515-6312, ARS Market Quality and Handling Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C.
Meat Safety: It All Works Out in the Wash
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a
hide-washing tool that has significantly improved the safety of U.S.
beef while saving the beef industry millions of dollars each year. An
estimated 50 percent of U.S. feedlot-raised beef cattle undergo the
washing treatment, which has reduced the national incidence of
pathogenic Escherichia coli in ground beef samples by about 43 percent.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080701.htm
Scientific contact: Terrance M. Arthur, (402) 762-4227, Meat Safety and
Quality Research Unit, ARS Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research
Center, Clay Center, Neb.
Pathogen Genes Targeted in Studies to Protect Salad Veggies
An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researcher is working to
pinpoint genes responsible for the widely varying ability of eight
different Listeria strains to successfully colonize the hair-thin
strands, called root hairs, of alfalfa sprouts. She's also interested
in studying, and disabling, genes that help some Listeria colonies
resist being washed off leaves of produce such as cabbage by water.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080702.htm
Scientific contact: Lisa A. Gorski, (510) 559-6046, Produce Safety and
Microbiology Research Unit, ARS Western Regional Research Center,
Albany, Calif.
Food Safety Developments Are in the Air
An experimental treatment from Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
scientists that is based on cold plasma could one day help protect some
fresh produce from potentially dangerous microbes such as Salmonella,
Listeria and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Cold plasma is generated when
some form of concentrated energy--in this case, electricity--is
introduced into a gas until free electrons are torn from the gas'
atoms. This plasma-forming process is related to the technology used to
create plasma for computer chips. But in addition to increasing
conductivity, the process of turning gas into plasma has an
antimicrobial effect. The ARS researchers aren't the first to harness
this technology for food safety purposes, but their method of
production has the potential for increased efficiency and lower costs
when applied at a larger scale.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080722.htm
Scientific contact: Brendan A. Niemira, (215) 836-3784, Microbial Food
Safety Research Unit, ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor,
Penn.
ARS Releases Gulfcrimson Peach to Nurseries
A new peach variety that requires less winter chilling will give
growers in the southeastern lower coastal plain an edge--and consumers
a more reliable supply--of early summertime peaches.
The new variety, called Gulfcrimson, was developed by the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) in cooperation with the University of Georgia
and the University of Florida. Gulfcrimson only requires 400 hours of
chilling to flower and set fruit. By comparison, a commonly grown
variety called June Gold requires 650 hours of chilling. However, in
years of insufficient winter chilling, June Gold can't reliably set
fruit, resulting in reduced crops for growers.
Details: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2008/080723.htm
Scientific contact: Thomas G. Beckman, (478) 956-6436, ARS Southeast Fruit and Tree Nut Research Lab, Byron, Ga.
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