Nutrition News and Research

Nutrition experts share top five food and nutrition trends for 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:44:20 -0500

The primary trend for 2010 will be consumers choosing more fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as more packaged produce, in an effort to eat healthier. Produce sections of supermarkets and farmers’ markets have experienced greater traffic over the past year than previously. Reduced sodium in foods is also anticipated as producers experience pressure from the health community to help Americans consume less salt.

Syria expanding organic agriculture, international market

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:51:21 -0500

Under a new FAO project, organic farming will be strengthened in Syria through development of production standards, certification systems, capacity building programs and educational campaigns. Consumers, farmers, agronomists, researchers and processors will be incorporated in the effort as awareness programs and techniques for increased production are pursued.

Phytochemical in vegetable family helps to combat plaque for healthy hearts

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:23:57 -0500

New research suggests that the chemical sulforaphane in vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, rapeseed (canola), radish, turnip, mustard greens and watercress activates a protein protecting against heart disease. The protein combats plaque buildup in the cardiovascular system, promoting fluid blood flow. The work was done by the Imperial College, London.

The study provides a possible explanation for how green vegetable consumption can promote a healthy heart, researchers said.

Ontario bans candy, unhealthy foods, beverages in schools

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:42:21 -0500

Passage of the Health Food for Schools Act requires Ontario schools to prohibit the buying of soda, fries, or candy by students on school property beginning September 2010. The act also mandates elementary school children to have 20 minutes of daily activity during the week.

Pat Hoy, Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP, states, “Studies show that 28 percent of our students, between 2 and 17, are overweight or obese. We would like to do something about it.”

Organic or "Natural"

tim — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:29:01 -0500

A defined system vs. a “feel-good” claim

In the United States, only farms and businesses that meet federal U.S. Department of Agriculture standards of the National Organic Program can market their products using the word “organic.”

Michael Taylor set to tackle food safety at FDA

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:01:13 -0500

The Obama Administration and Congress have directed focus towards preventing disease outbreaks after food poisoning incidents have raised national attention. The new FDA deputy commissioner for foods, Michael Taylor, is responsible for addressing food safety threats, and has taken actions such as streamlining the three divisions of the FDA to increase efficiency and tightening regulation to ensure accurate nutrition claims.

Gene expression in chickens affected by organic, non-organic feed

rodalewm — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:07:38 -0500

In research findings from the Louis Bolk Institute in the Netherlands, organically cultivated feed fed to chickens altered gene expression among 49 genes. Seven of the genes are active in assisting chickens in synthesizing cholesterol, indicating a biological effect from chicken feed type.

Ag pesticides, genetic variants linked to Parkinson’s risk

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:29:43 -0500

A study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) indicates that exposure to organophosphate pesticides increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in study participants exhibiting a common gene variant. Two copies of an identified gene variant in an exposed individual appeared to elevate the risk of Parkinson’s disease two-fold compared to unexposed participants not carrying the variant.

Common household pesticides linked to childhood cancer

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:47:44 -0500

A new study by researchers at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University finds a higher level of common household pesticides in the urine of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer that develops most commonly between three and seven years of age.

Researchers caution that these findings, which do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, suggest an association between pesticide exposure and development of childhood ALL.

Use of insect repellent associated with birth defect

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:40:30 -0500

Pregnant women should reconsider applying insect repellent after a study finds a link to an increasingly common birth defect. European researchers have found an association between mothers who used insect repellent in the earliest phase of pregnancy and an increased rate of malformed penises of their male children.