Artificial ‘nano-food’ could soon show up at a store near you

(NaturalNews) The scientific community has once again caught food-tampering fever. Recent reports indicate that food scientists are busy developing nanoparticle-modified (NM) food that could one day end up on your dinner plate — and you may never even know about it. By shifting around nanoparticles, food scientists say that fat-free foods can taste like full-fat foods, and they can be programmed to digest more slowly–two changes that some say may help reverse the obesity epidemic. But most of this research is going on in secret because of fears over how the public will respond. Like genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), nano-modifying food involves literally changing its molecular properties, which has never been proven safe. So naturally, consumers are likely to reject NM food if given the choice. “These particles could be hazardous and we need to know more about their effects both in the body and in the environment,” said Frans Kampers, coordinator of research on food nanotechnology at Wageningen and Research Center in the Netherlands. “Since these particles are very small, they can…enter cells or even the nucleus of a cell if they have the right characteristics.” The stated goal of nanotechnology research in food is to create foods that behave differently than real ones in terms of digestion, assimilation, taste and nutritional value. By altering the “nano-structure” of food, so to speak, NM food can be programmed to make people feel fuller faster, for instance. And nutrients in food can also be nano-encapsulated to release at timed intervals to specific parts of the body. Even though NM food has yet to see the light day, the European Union (EU) is already taking proactive steps to make sure that, if it does make it to consumers, NM food will at least be regulated and labeled. Thus, the EU has developed a research project called NanoLyse to address the “very limited knowledge [that is] available on the potential impact of engineered nanoparticles on consumers’ health.” Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68E24W20100915

New biodegradable foam could replace oil-based plastics

(NaturalNews) Scientists from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, have developed a new biodegradable foam material that has the potential to replace a number of commonly-used plastic foams made from petroleum. The new material — which is made from a type of milk protein, simply clay, and a reactive enzyme — is extremely lightweight and seems to work very well even in heavy-use commercial applications, which makes it a viable alternative to many currently-used plastic and foam products.. Many people are already aware that synthetic plastics are a detriment to the environment. After being dumped in landfills, these plastic materials can take hundreds and even thousands of years to decompose. They also require the continual usage of non-renewable fossil fuels for their production. But according to research published in the journal Biomacromolecules , the new foam material begins to break down very quickly after being disposed of, with as much as thirty percent of it decomposing in as little as 30 days. By mixing casein, a milk derivative, with ordinary clay and a reactive molecule, researchers were able to create the new “aerogel” material. Based on initial findings, aerogel could replace commonly-used pillow and cushion stuffing, building insulation, foam packaging materials, and other similar materials. It is also one of the lightest and most airy biodegradable foam materials ever created, with its developers actually referring to it as “solid smoke”. The ingredients used in the new foam material are also derived from renewable sources. So as far as being environmentally friendly, it appears to fit the bill nicely. And by shifting plastic production away from petroleum sources, the new technology could help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/acs-bfp111710.php http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/bm100615a

Educated families increasingly refusing vaccinations

(NaturalNews) Educated Americans with private insurance plans are becoming increasingly less prone to vaccinate their children, according to this year’s annual State of Health Care Quality report released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The report states that there was a four percentage point drop in vaccination rates among middle- and upper-class families between 2008 and 2009. “This was the first time we’d seen a drop — and it was a pretty big drop,” Sarah Thomas, vice president of public policy and communication at NCQA, is quoted as saying to HealthDay. “We didn’t really explore the reasons [for the trend], but one leading hypothesis is that parents have decided not to get their children vaccinated because of concerns about the potential for side effects and even autism.” Meanwhile, vaccination rates among poorer individuals on government welfare programs like Medicaid have been on the rise. Programs like “Vaccines for Children” (VFC) that provide free (taxpayer-funded) vaccines to doctors who serve eligible children are among those that have spurred the increase within this socioeconomic group. Many experts insist that vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in the world, but numerous studies point not only to their ineffectiveness, but also to the harm they cause to both children and adults (http://vactruth.com/). Of course, there are other studies out there that insist vaccines are safe and effective, but most, if not all, of these studies are funded by the very drug companies producing the vaccines (http://www.naturalnews.com/030025_vaccines_October.html). In fact, a former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine , commented on the extent of industry corruption by revealing that “[i]t is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines.” Even though many will criticize families who choose not to get vaccinated as being “irresponsible” and “misinformed”, avoiding vaccinations because of safety concerns actually makes a lot more logical sense than simply trusting the tainted “studies” used to quell fears and increase vaccine sales. Sources for this story include: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20101103/hl_hsn/manyhigherincomeparentsforgoingkidsvaccinationsreport

Mobile phones may soon diagnose for STDs

(NaturalNews) Young people already use their mobile phones to share their most personal details with those in their social circles, but a new project out of the U.K could take cell phone “intimacy” to a whole new level. According to a recent Guardian report, researchers are in the process of developing a new technology that allows users to put a urine or saliva sample on a small chip and insert it into their mobile phone to test for sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). It may sound like a joke — and a highly unsanitary one at that — but it is quite real. A six-and-a-half million dollar research project that is part of the U.K. Clinical Research Collaboration is working on creating the device right now as a way to encourage young people who are otherwise too scared or intimidated to go to a doctor, to get tested for STDs if they think they might have one. “Your mobile phone can be your mobile doctor,” explained Dr. Tariq Sadiq, senior lecturer and consultant physician in sexual health and HIV at St. George’s, University of London, and lead of the project. “It diagnoses whether you’ve got one of a range of STIs (sexually-transmitted infections), such as chlamydia or gonorrhea and tells you where to go next to get treatment.” Interestingly, the technology has the potential to be an even more embarrassing invasion of privacy than seeing a doctor would be, since the results of the tests are tied directly back to the owner of the phone. And what happens to those results after they are determined is unclear from the report. Also, researchers did not address the negative ramifications of putting potentially-contaminated bodily fluids into mobile devices that are handled by more than just personal users. Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/05/new-test-mobile-phones-diagnose-stds

Warning: Do not eat plant fertilizer

(NaturalNews) It provides hallucinogenic feelings of euphoria similar to cocaine, methamphetamines and ecstasy, and has become a popular new recreational drug on the party scene because it is not technically illegal. The drug is mephedrone, also known as “plant food” because it is the same ingredient used in the little plant food packets that come with flower bouquets, and it is highly deadly. Recently, two young men from Raleigh, N.C., died from what appeared to be an overdose of mephedrone. The drug, which is typically made in China and exported to the U.K. and Austria where it is legally sold online to people around the world, is not regulated. So practically anyone can purchase it, which is causing an increase in serious injuries and deaths. According to a report in The Guardian back in 2009, the emergence of drugs like mephedrone that are chemically similar to legal substances are on the rise because they bypass drug laws while providing similar effects. And young people think they are safer because they are legal, even though they can be just as harmful and deadly is illegal narcotics. “They cause effects pretty much like the drugs they are derived from,” explained Dr. John Ramsey, a toxicologist at St. George’s University of London, to The Guardian . “Their acute effects are pretty much indistinguishable from MDMA (ecstasy) and amphetamines.” As far as mephedrone is concerned, the fact that it is inexpensive and can be purchased in bulk makes it even more of a threat, as unwary users are much more likely to overdose on it. Especially with a harmless-sounding name like “plant food”, young users often have no idea what they are getting themselves into. “There will always be something on the horizon that is falling outside the legislation,” added Ramsey. “The law cannot keep up with what is happening on the street. What we need to do is to explain to users the potential risks they are running.” Sources for this story include: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7713942 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/12/online-legal-drugs-stimulants

Breast cancer breakthrough: watercress turns off signal that causes tumors to develop

(NaturalNews) As a cancerous tumor develops, it quickly outgrows its existing blood supply. So a protein called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) is released that sends out signals causing surrounding normal tissues to grow new blood vessels into the tumor — and that provides the cancer with oxygen and nutrients. This plays a critical role in the development and spread of breast and other cancers. But now comes word from University of Southampton researchers in the United Kingdom that they’ve discovered something which interferes with and actually “turns off” the ability of HIF to function — a natural plant compound dubbed phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) found in the herb watercress. “This research takes an important step towards understanding the potential health benefits of this crop since it shows that eating watercress may interfere with a pathway that has already been tightly linked to cancer development,” molecular oncologist Professor Packham, who headed the two year study, said in a statement to the media. “Knowing the risk factors for cancer is a key goal and studies on diet are an important part of this.” Working with Barbara Parry, Senior Research Dietician at the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit, Professor Packham performed a study involving a group of breast cancer survivors who underwent a period of fasting. Then the research subjects ate 80g of watercress (about the equivalent of a cereal bowl full of the herb). Next, a series of blood samples were taken over the next 24 hours. The blood tests revealed significant levels of the plant compound PEITC in the blood of the participants following the watercress meal. But, most importantly, the tests showed that the function of the protein HIF was also measurably affected and “turned off” in the blood cells of the women who had eaten the watercress. The results of this research, which were just published in the British Journal of Nutrition and Biochemical Pharmacology , provide new insight and hope that simply eating watercress regularly may protect against and perhaps help treat cancer. “This is not a cure for cancer but it may well help to prevent the disease,” said Professor Packham. “We carried out this study with a handful of breast cancer survivors but it has the potential to have the same effect with other cancers too.” For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20546646

Much like humans, mushrooms generate vitamin D when exposed to sunlight

(NaturalNews) Food companies are beginning to capitalize on a little known capability of mushrooms: like humans, they synthesize vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet radiation like that in sunlight. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps the body form and maintain healthy bones and teeth. More recent research has shown that it helps regulate the immune system, lowering the risk of infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. Yet as fear of skin cancer has grown and populations have become more sedentary, exposure to sunlight has dropped dramatically and vitamin D deficiency has surged. “There’s a better understanding of importance of vitamin D in human health,” said Tara McHugh, a mushroom researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The skin cannot synthesize vitamin D if covered in sunscreen. But dietary sources, such as fortified milk or fatty fish, cannot really provide enough of the nutrient for optimal health. Three ounces of mushrooms exposed to a short burst of ultraviolet radiation, in contrast, contain a fully daily dose of the vitamin, more than three times the amount found in a cup of fortified milk. The radiation does not affect the mushrooms’ other nutritional qualities, taste, appearance or shelf life. Monterey Mushrooms and Dole Foods have already started selling vitamin D-fortified mushrooms. Although sales of mushrooms have not increased in response to date, the mushroom industry believes that consumers will soon catch on to the benefits of the food. Already, mushrooms are prized for their low fat, sodium and calorie content. “It’s a perfect food from that standpoint and you combine that with nutritional value recently discovered and we really think we’re on to something,” said Bart Minor, chief executive and president of the Mushroom Council. “Vitamin D has the potential to be a big deal for the industry.” “Mushrooms are the new super food,” he said. Sources for this story include: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/ci_14879794

Can drinking alcohol help your brain function?

(NaturalNews) A recent Norwegian study has found a possible link between moderate wine consumption and better brain function. Researchers evaluated a pool of more than 5,000 people over the course of seven years and found that women who drink wine at least four times during a two-week period perform better on cognitive tests than women who drink wine less than once during the same period. The observation is not concrete proof that wine actually helps improve brain function, noted researchers, but the link is an interesting one that raises some important questions about the potential value in moderate alcohol consumption. “A positive effect of wine…could also be due to cofounders such as socio-economic status and more favorable dietary and other lifestyle habits,” explained study authors, suggesting that perhaps wine consumption is just a marker that points to overall lifestyle differences between those who drink moderately and those who do not. However, most of the 68 studies conducted over the past decade that relate to alcohol’s potential health benefits show some relationship between light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and a reduced risk of brain abnormalities like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. So the hypothesis is worthy of further investigation. Other studies have found that red wine is rich in powerful antioxidants as well. “[W]ine…is an excellent source of polyphenols (the same class of nutrients to which green tea’s active ingredients belong),” explain Lester A. Mitscher and Victoria Toews in their book The Green Tea Book . ” If you choose to drink wine, organic, sulfite-free wine is your best option. Some people have difficulty processing sulfite preservatives, which can be harmful to health when excessively consumed. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/bumc-mde081710.php http://www.naturalpedia.com/W/Wine-Heart.html

Natural health news gets nuttier: research shows eating nuts lowers cholesterol

(NaturalNews) NaturalNews has covered how eating pistachios lowers the risk of lung cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027732_pistachios_cancer.html) and how a diet rich in nuts may help prevent age-related blindness (http://www.naturalnews.com/026369_risk_olive_oil_nuts.html). Walnuts appear to have breast cancer-fighting properties, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/026115_walnuts_health_cancer.html). And now there’s even more reason to be nuts about nuts — scientists have found new evidence that nuts are heart healthy because they dramatically improve blood cholesterol levels, without drugs. “Dietary interventions to lower blood cholesterol concentrations and to modify blood lipoprotein levels are the cornerstone of prevention and treatment plans for coronary heart disease,” Joan Sabate, M.D., of Loma Linda University and colleagues stated in their report, which was just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine . “Recently, consumption of nuts has been the focus of intense research because of their potential to reduce coronary heart disease risk and to lower blood lipid (fat and cholesterol) levels based on their unique nutritional attributes.” The Loma Linda University researchers investigated data from 25 international nut consumption trials involving 583 women and men with high cholesterol or normal cholesterol levels. Each study compared a control group of research subjects to a group assigned to specifically eat nuts regularly. None of the study participants took cholesterol lowering drugs such as Big Pharma’s widely prescribed statins. On average, the people in the trials who ate about 67 grams (approximately 2.4 ounces) of nuts each day had an overall reduction in total cholesterol levels of 5.1 percent. Even more important, there was a 7.4 percent drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is known as the “bad” cholesterol, and a significant 8.3 percent change in the ratio of LDL cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol that protects from heart disease. The news got even better when the scientists looked at the effect of nut consumption on high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream. These blood fats, when excessive, are known to contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease; triglycerides may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, too. The Archives of Internal Medicine report showed that eating nuts didn’t change healthy levels of triglycerides in the body. However, in people with high levels, a diet rich in nuts caused triglyceride levels to take a 10.2 percent nosedive. Bottom line: the researchers concluded the results of their study support the inclusion of nuts as a natural dietary therapy aimed at improving blood cholesterol levels. “Nuts are a whole food that have been consumed by humans throughout history. Increasing the consumption of nuts as part of an otherwise prudent diet can be expected to favorably affect blood lipid levels (at least in the short term) and have the potential to lower coronary heart disease risk,” the researchers stated. For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20458092 http://www.naturalnews.com/nuts.html

New testing method hints at garlic’s cancer-fighting potential

Researchers have designed a urine test that can simultaneously measure the extent of a potential carcinogenic process and a marker of garlic consumption in humans. In a small pilot study, the test suggested that the more garlic people consumed, the lower the levels of the potential carcinogenic process were.

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