Eating your greens could prove life-saving if a heart attack strikes
According to a study published in the November 12, 2007 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition, a diet rich in leafy vegetables may minimize the tissue damage caused by heart attacks. The findings of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University researchers suggest the chemical nitrite, found in many vegetables, could be the secret ingredient in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.
Nitrite and its “chemical cousin” nitrate are important because of their role in producing nitric oxide gas. Nitric oxide is produced by cells lining healthy arteries and plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health by dilating arteries and aiding blood flow. Damage to the artery lining impairs nitric oxide production and leads to cardiovascular disease and, ultimately, to heart attacks and strokes.
Researchers have evidence that hearts undergoing heart attacks have a “backup” pathway for making nitric oxide. Triggered by falling oxygen levels, enzymes in heart muscle convert nitrite stored there into nitric acid that can then help minimize tissue damage. Nitrite in the diet comes mainly from vegetables—celery, beets, and spinach, lettuce and other leafy types.
Once consumed, nitrite exits in the bloodstream and then accumulates and becomes stored in organs such as the heart, kidney and brain.
Click here to read the story in its entirety: http://www.aecom.yu.edu/home/news/PRdetails.asp?isPR=1&id=386
The Power of Nutrition
The April 3, 2007 edition of Dallas Morning News titled "The Power of Nutrition" discusses the benefits of a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and grains which are loaded with phytochemical properties. The article states that such nutrients including vitamins A and C and carotenoids act to slow the growth and development of cancer.
Jennifer Thompson, a clinical dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center, suggests that the more color one can include from foods they eat, the more phytochemicals and antioxidants are consumed - which provides the body with powerful tools to fight damage caused by everyday living. Healthy foods highlighted include: flax, garlic, strawberries, green tea, soy, tomatoes, carrots and broccoli.
Click here to read more:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/DN-nh_cancerfood_0403liv.ART.State.Edition1.2084ca1.html
Lettuce Eat More Salad!
The July 2007 issue of Prevention magazine includes a story titled “Lettuce Eat More Salad!” The premise of the article is to encourage consumers to put the “salad scare” of 2006 behind them and enjoy salads again. The article discusses washing tips for bagged salads, how to store them, and when to throw them away. It concludes with this statement regarding the health aspects of salad: It's worth noting that pre-washed lettuces have accomplished something most public health campaigns can only dream of: We're eating more vitamin- and mineral-packed greens than ever before.
Serving New Tastes
Salad’s image as a health food has helped the category to grow quickly, with seafood, Asian, Southwestern and Mediterranean particularly popular.
Salads were extremely popular in 2007, as consumers’ growing desire for foods with a “fresh” and “healthy” profile stimulates operators to find creative ways to fill those needs. High on the list of favorites are: seafood salads, Asian-influenced salads, Southwestern salads and Mediterranean and Greek salads.
Technomic’s research shows consumers want salads they cannot easily make themselves at home, so offering a salad with a wide variety of ingredients, or a “create your own” salad, can be the perfect opportunity to provide something customers perceive as unique and special.
Consumers who say they are trying to “eat healthy” tend to purchase salads more frequently. Perhaps this is because purchasing a salad lets them eat something viewed as “good for them,” or because it guarantees a full serving of vegetables.
Forty–three percent (43%) of consumers indicate they are likely to purchase a salad if it is unique or new to them and sounds appealing, according to Technomic’s “Salad Category Report.”
Full Service Salads
While interest in seafood on the part of American consumers is at an all-time high, it may be that the price premium commanded by these salads could, to some extent, limit their growth potential in the large chains.
Ethnic, Emerging and Niche Trends
Pasta and noodles were incorporated into salads at the Top 250 FSRs (full-service restaurants) and limited-service restaurants but not in the independent restaurants and emerging chains. As consumer interest in fresh produce and low-carb choices accelerates, interest in pasta salad is declining.
Among the most striking ethnic trends, Mediterranean-influenced (particularly Greek) salads are gaining the spotlight.
The rise of Southwestern salads coincided with the decline of Cajun blackened meats, which completely disappeared from Top 250 salad menus in the past year. Buffalo seasoning also became less prominent. This may indicate that consumers with a taste for spice and heat may be substituting such items with more Mexican/Southwestern-oriented flavors.
Greek and other Mediterranean cuisines continue to be popular, and there are numerous other traditional Mediterranean salads still to explore, such as Tuna Nicoise (from the French Riviera).
Salad-centric Concepts
At restaurants, salads work to grow the customer base by offering something for just about everyone. In addition, they are a cost-effective way to introduce trendy, ethnic flavor profiles. Something as simple as a cucumber-wasabi dressing or Asian peanut dressing capitalizes on the growing appeal of Asian flavors—one of the most important taste trends of the past year.
The salad category is fiercely competitive, and competition comes from many segments. The major chains and other emerging salad operators will continue to compete, particularly in the quick-casual realm, by focusing on what makes a salad appealing in the first place: high-quality ingredients, interesting flavors, fresh, globally-inspired dressings and a commitment to speed and convenience for the customer.
Click here to read the entire article in the November 2007 issue of Prepared Foods.
Eat Your Greens to Promote Eye Health
Researchers have found that two nutrients found in eggs, spinach and other leafy green vegetables offer some protection against macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness among the elderly. The September 10, 2007 article from Reuters reports that the nutrients, lutein and zeazanthin (both carotenoids), help ward off the condition, reportedly by allowing the eyes to filter harmful short-wavelength light and by curtailing other damaging effects to the macula (i.e., the center of the eye’s retina).
The 6-year study asked about the dietary habits of 4,519 people aged 60 to 80 when enrolled. "No clear associations with other nutrients were seen," including the vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, according to the researchers, led by John Paul SanGiovanni of the National Eye Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. Those in the top fifth of dietary consumption of foods containing the two nutrients had 35 percent less chance of developing the condition compared to those in the lowest fifth of consumption. The study is in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.
Foods considered good sources of the nutrients include eggs, spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, corn, garden peas and Brussels sprouts.
Tangerine Tomatoes – Better Source of Lycopene?
The lycopene content of orange tomatoes is more bioavailable than the form of lycopene found in the red variety, says new research from the US.
According to the January 1, 2007 issue of Food Navigator, lycopene is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-colored fruits and vegetables. As well as being used as a food coloring, it is also used in supplements. The role of lycopene in heart health and in reducing the risk of certain cancers is supported by a body of all-trans-lycopene.
In the Journal of Agricultural and Food Science, a study from Ohio State University, led by Steven Schwartz, reports that red tomatoes typically contain about 95% of their lycopene as the all-trans-isomer, reported to be the most stable form. In tangerine tomatoes, on the other hand, the lycopene is present as tetra-cis-lycopene, a geometric isomer of all-trans-lycopene. Geometric isomers refer to two or more substances that have the same chemical make-up but the arrangement of the constituent elements is different, giving the substances different properties.
According to the research, it is suggested that the tetra-cis-lycopene form is more bioavailable to humans, and could offer a more interesting source of the nutrient.
The researchers stated that the reason why the tangerine tomatoes predominantly contain the tetra-cis-lycopene is because they lack a specific enzyme that converts the cis- isomer to the more stable trans form.
The research is in keeping with a trend looking at different varieties of the fruit. Recently the purple tomato was studied and researchers found that its purple pigmentation is due to the presence of compounds called anthocyanins, and are the source of the blue, purple and red color of berries, grapes and some other fruits and vegetables. These pigments also function as antioxidants, believed to protect the human body from oxidative damage that may lead to heart disease, cancer and aging.
Click here to read more.
Forbidden Fruit No Longer
According to the February 6, 2007 Washington Post, the UglyRipe tomato is like the frog prince. Once finally kissed by Washington regulators, it turned into a thing of beauty, and potential profit, for a Philadelphia produce distributor.
Joseph Procacci, who started in the wholesale tomato business in Philadelphia with his brother in 1948, said he was after taste, not appearance, when he developed a new variety of tomato that he trademarked in 2000 as "UglyRipe".
After a three-year regulatory dispute that drew the attention of top Washington lawyers, lobbyists, and members of Congress, the struggle is finally over.
The new variety, know as misshapen with big “shoulders” and a concave stem, was derived from a French heirloom tomato called Marmonde and then crossed twice for strength, disease resistance and sweet, juicy taste.
To read more about the tomato’s regulatory battle in the February 6, 2007 Washington Post, click here.
Root Vegetables Add to Seasonal Salads
Root vegetables are not often thought of as standard salad fare, but during the colder months many root veggies are not only in good supply, but are also a good value.
Prepared properly in salads, sturdy vegetables such as beets, turnips, carrots, and jicama can boost the nutrition and enjoyment of winter meals with their appealing color, refreshing crispness and delicious taste. Most of these vegetables thrive in colder climates and are available through the winter most everywhere.
Look for small to medium sized carrots for salads. As with carrots, turnips for salad will be milder tasting and more tender if they aren’t too large.
Jicama, also know as yam bean or yam turnip, is a large, brown tuber with rough skin and crisp, sweet white flesh. To retain its crispness, store jicama in a tightly closed plastic bad in the refrigerator crisper.
Read more of the article in the November 29, 2007 issue of The Sun News.
Salads Get An Edge With Mizuna
Mizuna is a Japanese vegetable that is known for having pointed, dark-green leaves and a bitter taste that many chefs use to complement fish and the saw-toothed leaves of this green give salads equally pointed, bold taste.
The vegetable known by the plant name “brassica rapa,” or “feuille de moutarde” in French, mizuna can be identified by its feathery, pointed, dark-green leaves and mild mustard flavor. Some say the leaves resemble dandelion greens, but mizuna is more tender and delicate. It’s not as bold in flavor as arugula or radicchio, but mizuna offers more backbone and richness to a salad than romaine or leaf lettuce. Early in 2007, Nation’s Restaurant News stated that Mizuna is also rich in vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron, calcium, folic acid and other minerals.
Chefs have been known to incorporate the green into a mix of radicchio, Belgian endive, spinach and fresh herbs such as tarragon or basil.
Kids Eat More Fruits, Vegetables When Schools Offer Salad Bar
According to a press release posted on Newswise on December 6, 2007, a University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) study has found that elementary schools can significantly increase the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income students by providing a lunch salad bar.
The findings, published in the December issue of Public Health Nutrition, show that the frequency of students' fruit and vegetable consumption increased significantly — from 2.97 to 4.09 times daily — after a salad bar was introduced. In addition, students' mean daily intake of energy, cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat declined considerably.
"One of the major contributing factors to the high rate of overweight children in the United States is that they do not consume the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables," said lead author Dr. Wendy Slusser, assistant professor of pediatrics at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and the UCLA School of Public Health. "Increasing the availability and accessibility to healthy foods is one way to improve children's diets. In turn, this sets up opportunities for kids to have repeated exposure to healthy food and positively impact their choices."
The UCLA study was conducted at three Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools participating in the salad bar program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's reimbursable lunch program. Study participants included 337 children in grades 2 through 5. Children were interviewed using a 24-hour food-recall questionnaire, both before and after the salad bar intervention — in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
The salad bar program was developed together by LAUSD Food Services and Occidental College in Los Angeles.
"The results are clear — if we provide fresh fruits and vegetables in kid-friendly ways, we will increase consumption," said school board member Marlene Canter. "I am excited to see that our efforts to find new and creative ways to improve our students' nutrition and help reduce obesity are working."
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can improve health by increasing amounts of vitamin C, phytonutrients, potassium and fiber in the body and displacing energy-dense fatty foods.
To check out the entire press release on Newswise, click here.
In addition, a study of more than 1,500 kids ages 6-18 (published in the summer of 2007 by Weekly Reader Research) found that if kids could change their school lunch, many would add a salad bar.
