Peanut Brittle and Much, Much More

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

sam — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:14:23 +0000

American Heart Association expands national fats awareness campaign with ‘Better Fats Sisters’

Fewer than half of Americans know that

the “better” fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce

their risk of heart disease, according to a recent survey(1) by the

American Heart Association.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/aha/33320/

“Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans. Consumers have

heard a lot about the ‘bad’ fats lately and what not to eat. That’s why

it’s important for people to know the ‘better’ fats and foods where they’re

found so they can lower their risk for heart disease,” said Robert H.

Eckel, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association, chair of its

trans fat task force and professor of medicine at the Anschutz Medical

Campus of the University of Colorado Denver.

Facing the Fats with the Better Fats Sisters: Your Heart Helpers

The American Heart Association is introducing two new characters, the

Better Fats Sisters — Mon and Poly — to help consumers learn more about

the benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the foods

where they are found. The Web site

(http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats) features the Better Fats Sisters

alongside their Bad Fats Brothers, Sat and Trans. The Sisters help

consumers find comprehensive information about fats so that they can eat

healthier in restaurants and use the better fats when preparing meals at

home.

The Better Fats Sisters remind everyone that all fats have the same

number of calories: 9 per gram, compared to the 4 calories per gram found

in proteins and carbohydrates. That means that even the “better fats” are

good only in moderation.

Types of Fat and Heart Disease: Many Consumers Know the Bad, Fewer Know

the Better

The survey shows that:

* Only 41 percent of Americans know that consuming monounsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

* Only 44 percent of Americans know that consuming polyunsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

In comparison:

* 72 percent of Americans understand that consuming saturated fats

increases the risk of heart disease

* 68 percent of Americans understand that consuming trans fats increases

the risk of heart disease

Heart-Healthy Benefits of Better Fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower your LDL — or “bad”

– cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils like olive and

canola oils; and many nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts and sesame

seeds. Peanut butter and avocados are also good sources of monounsaturated

fats.

Polyunsaturated fats can be found in oils like soybean and corn oils

and in many nuts and seeds such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. Fatty fish

like salmon and trout are also good sources of polyunsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6, essential fats that your

body needs but can’t produce.

http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats

The American Heart Association’s Face the Fats Web site helps consumers

make heart-healthy choices, including:

* Test Your Fats IQ — An interactive quiz that tests consumers’

knowledge of dietary fats and helps them learn more about fats on the

spot.

* My Fats Translator — An easy-to-use calculator that gives individuals

their personalized daily calorie and fat consumption results. Its food

scenarios give ideas for smarter ways to prepare summer favorites, each

with three examples of “bad,” “better” and “best” selections.

* Better Fats Recipes — New heart-healthy recipes that make use of the

better fats.

The American Heart Association’s trans fat education campaign is funded

by a class action lawsuit settlement against McDonald’s. The American Heart

Association has the sole judgment as to the most effective use of the

funds. For more information on the campaign, call the American Heart

Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s

oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building

healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases,

America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases

claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07, the association

invested more than $554 million in research, professional and public

education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans

live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit

Americanheart.org.

(PR Newswire,American Heart Association, May 22, 2008)

Read the article here

The nutritious advantage of nuts

Nuts are high in calories and fat, but those calories are loaded with nutrition. “Nuts in moderate amounts daily can make a huge difference in your health,” said a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health specialist.

Studies have consistently linked nuts to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, mostly because they lower total cholesterol and LDL (”bad” cholesterol), said Susan Mills-Gray. Some research has even shown that nuts may increase HDL (”good” cholesterol).

Nutrients and substances in nuts that have heart-protective benefits include B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, copper, magnesium, selenium, soluble fiber, arginine (an amino acid that promotes blood vessel relaxation) and sterols (which help lower cholesterol).

In 2003, the FDA approved heart-health claims for the product labels of seven kinds of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. Nut butters (almond, cashew and peanut) are a healthier sandwich filling than full-fat cheese and most deli meats.

New research indicates that eating nuts daily may serve as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management. “The fiber and protein in nuts helps make you feel fuller longer, so you are less hungry, and that means you may eat less,” Mills-Gray said.

Interestingly, some research has found that not all the fat in whole nuts is absorbed - from 4 percent to 17 percent passes out of the body undigested.

“While all this is great news, keep in mind that nuts are loaded with calories,” she said. “Even though the fat is healthy, going overboard could lead to excess calorie intake. Limit yourself to a small handful daily, and instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of saturated-fat foods.”

Consumers should also watch out for the sodium in packaged nuts. Unsalted varieties are widely available.

Mills-Gray offered a quick assessment of the nutritional strength of popular nuts:

Almonds are rich in vitamin E and calcium.

Brazil nuts are the best dietary source of selenium; eating three a day provides 200 mcg, an amount found to lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Cashews are rich in copper and zinc.

Chestnuts are lowest in calories and contain extremely small amounts of fat.

Peanuts contain resveratrol, an antioxidant also found in grapes and red wine. They are rich in arginine and contain the most protein.

Walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid.

(University of Missouri Extension, May 30, 2008)

Read the article here

sam — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:08:28 +0000

High antioxidant: the future of peanuts?

sam — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:15:52 +0000

Peanuts are in the news again as being healthy - despite their high-fat levels - as researchers suggest that they may be as rich in antioxidants as many fruits.

Scientists from the University of Florida have found that peanuts often rival fruits in their levels of antioxidant.
“When it comes to antioxidant content, peanuts are right up there with strawberries,” said Steve Talcott, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “We expected a fairly high antioxidant content in peanuts, but we were a bit shocked to find that they’re as rich in antioxidants as many kinds of fruit.”

Antioxidants are chemicals that block the aging effects of free radicals - unstable molecules naturally occurring in the human body that damage living cells. The damage caused by free radicals has been linked to heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and macular degeneration of the eye.

The Florida researchers found that peanuts contain high concentrations of polyphenols - particularly p-coumaric acid - and that roasting can increase the level of the compund, boosting overall antioxidant content by as much as 22 percent.

“If you compare peanuts to other foods people think of as rich in antioxidants - mostly fruits and berries - peanuts come out somewhere in the middle,” said Talcott. “They’re no match for the foods at the top of the scale, such as pomegranate, but they do rival other foods.”

He said roasted peanuts are about as rich in antioxidants as blackberries or strawberries, and richer in the chemicals than fruits such as apples, carrots or beets.

The researchers’ findings were part of a broader study designed to measure the nutritional differences between traditional peanut breeds and the growing number of high oleic (”good” fat) peanuts now available to peanut growers. However, the tests showed no significant differences in antioxidant content between high-oleic and traditional peanuts.

Agronomy professor Dan Gorbet, heads of the University of Florida’s peanut-breeding program, said it should be possible to breed the nuts with the purpose of creating high antioxidant levels.

“The big question is not whether it can be done - the question is whether the demand is there. So far, people haven’t been seeking out peanuts for their antioxidant content, but maybe in the future they will be,” said Gorbet.

Last month, a study from Pennsylvania State University suggested that one serving of peanuts or peanut butter a day could help children and adults meet requirements for nutrients often lacking in American diets.

Kristen Ciuba, a spokesperson for the The Peanut Institute that part funded the research, told FoodNavigatorUSA.com that although past studies had shown that peanuts are high in nutrients, this was the first time, to their knowledge, a study had shown that just one portion a day could provide enough nutrients.

Moroever, peanut butter and peanut eaters had increased levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and dietary fiber in their diets.

The researchers also concluded that their study “helps to dispel the myth that higher-fat foods automatically lead to weight gain”, noting that the peanut eaters had leaner bodies compared to the non-peanut eaters, as measured by body mass index (BMI), an indicator of body fatness. Peanut eaters also had lower intakes of “bad” saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher intakes of “good” monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.

“Peanuts are higher in fats than other foods, but most of these fats are unsaturated,” said Ciuba

National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day is March 1st

peanut — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:00:12 +0000

Today is a sticky day. National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day salutes America’s favorite sandwich spread.

Peanut Butter is not limited to a sandwich. It’s popular on crackers, celery. It is also used in recipes for cookies and snacks.

Did you Know? Peanut Butter is 90% or more peanuts. While it has no artificial preservatives, an opened jar is stored on a shelf at room temperature.

Celebrate today with a little (or a lot) of Peanut Butter.

Peanut Brittle Recipe

peanut — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:26:40 +0000

There are a lot of recipes for peanut brittle out there but this is the easiest one that I have tried. This recipe is very light and airy. When you add the baking soda after you take it off of the heat then it doesn’t make it sticky like in other recipes.

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
raw peanuts (however many you like)
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda

Put all the ingredients, except the peanuts and soda, in a deep sauce pan. Put on medium heat. stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Add the peanuts. Stirring at all times, take mixture to 290 on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in one heaping teaspoon baking soda (make sure baking soda is fresh). Now pour out on a greased cookie sheet. do not tip cookie sheet to thin, peanut brittle is best when thick which makes it more airy.

Rebel Nutrition: Benefiting from Peanut Butter - Looking at the advantages of a well-known snack

sam — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:07:16 +0000

Peanut butter is a highly enjoyed food that offers nutritional value.

Due to its high protein profile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture places it in the meat category of the food pyramid. Since the nuts are high in “good” fats, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, the nut butter can actually lower bad LDL cholesterol.

With all the varieties out there, does it really make a difference if one opts for a natural brand opposed to a commercial one?

There are two things one should consider when purchasing this heart healthy food: ingredients and production climate.

Natural brands of peanut butter contain only peanuts and may have sugar, salt or natural oils added to enhance taste and texture.

Commercial brands contain a small amount, usually two percent or less, of partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They also contain emulsifiers such as monoglycerides and diglycerides to improve consistency and shelf-life.

Hydrogenation is a process that adds hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fatty acids. The addition converts liquid fats (oils) into a more solid form.

This conversion often creates trans-fatty acids. Although most commercial brands list zero grams of trans-fat in the nutritional information box, a very small amount can be present.

If a product contains traces of trans fat per serving, the manufacturer is not required to list it. Some companies make mention of this by stating, “contains trivial amounts of trans fat.”

The trivial amount of trans fat can add up if one is eating more than one serving at a time. Consuming trans fat increases levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, which contributes to fatty acid build up in arteries.

According to WebMD.com, this extra coating in arteries is an indicator of heart disease and will increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The manufacturing process of peanut butter is important because it may facilitate the growth of a cancer-causing carcinogen.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, the father of integrative medicine, the natural toxin aflatoxin is produced by specific strains of mold. It thrives on peanuts stored in warm and humid conditions. Aflatoxin is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Storing natural peanut butters and nuts properly will greatly reduce their risk of growing the mold and prolong their shelf-life. After opening, natural peanut butter should be refrigerated.

K.D. Alexander, an herbalist for more than 20 years, only eats natural, raw nut butters. “Refrigerating nut butters is a good practice,” Alexander said. “The oil in nuts and nut butters can become rancid quickly, especially in Las Vegas.”

Processed peanut butters have a lower risk of developing the mold because they contain chemical preservatives.

It is easy to store and safely indulge in this savory spread.

Write expiration dates three or four months from the opening date on top of the jar. The perfect place for storing nuts is the freezer. Because it is cool, the low humidity environment will inhibit spoilage from oils.

For easier spreading, place nut butter jars upside down in the fridge so the oil doesn’t sit at the top.

Since nuts are produced once a year during the late summer and fall months, now is the best time to buy.

There is a multitude of peanut and nut butters most people are unaware of. If one is looking to try something new, all nuts have a nut butter counterpart.

Almonds are high in vitamin E and calcium. Cashews have high amounts of monosaturated fat and are good sources of copper and magnesium. Macadamia nuts are high in protein and fiber and using this butter will make phenomenal chocolate chip cookies.

Creative peanut butters from The Peanut Butter and Co. will satisfy any sweet tooth. White Chocolate Wonderful, Dark Chocolate Dreams and Cinnamon Raisin Swirl are some of the company’s most popular flavors. These gluten-free vegan peanut butters are all-natural and contain no hydrogenated oils or refined sugar.

If one is allergic to nuts, sunflower seed and pumpkin seed butter are safe and tasty alternatives. Sunflower seed butter is packed with vitamin E and fiber. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids make pumpkin seed butter a nutritious and delicious choice.

Peanut butter is a healthy source of protein and aids in lowering bad cholesterol.

When indulging in this naturally divine food, be sure storage does not make it have the opposite effect.

Source: The Rebel Yell, Las Vegas, September 13, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Peanut butter, the new weapon to fight world hunger?

sam — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:58:06 +0000

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are lauding fortified peanut butter as a potential savior for the world’s malnourished children.

The research team has spent several years researching the use of the enriched peanut-butter mixture, called Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), with small groups of malnourished young children in Malawi. Their findings, published in July’s Maternal and Child Nutrition, showed an 89 percent recovery rate in severely malnourished children given RUTF at home.

Providing easily accessible aids to curbing severe malnutrition could not only save millions of lives every year but also overcome an initial hurdle in many children’s lives that has a far-reaching socio-economic impact.

“Mothers in Malawi know that malnutrition is the single biggest threat to their children’s existence,” said Dr. Mark Manary, co-author in the study as well as professor of pediatrics and an emergency pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

In developing countries, one in four children - approximately 146 million - are underweight, according to UNICEF figures. Every year, 10.9 million children under the age of five die in the same countries and malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of these deaths.

The RUTF mixture contains peanuts, powdered milk, oil, sugar, and added vitamins and minerals. For the project, the food was produced in a Malawian factory and donated to the project through funding from UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

As part of the three-year project, village health aides identified severely and moderately malnourished children based on World Health Organization guidelines and then gave the peanut butter to the mothers of those children to give to them at home.

The village aides followed up with the participants every other week for up to eight weeks. Of the 2,131 severely malnourished children treated with the mixture, 89 percent recovered, and of the 806 moderately malnourished children, 85 percent recovered.

“The peanut-butter feeding has been a quantum leap in feeding malnourished children in Africa,” said Manary. “The recovery rates are a remarkable improvement from standard therapy.”

While the researchers had previously seen positive resulting using the peanut butter for malnutrition, it did not have the opportunity to use it on a large-scale feeding program until recently.

“What’s really exciting to me is that we’ve demonstrated that we can put this research into practice on a large scale, it can benefit tens of thousands of kids, and there are not going to be operational barriers in some very remote settings like sub-Saharan Africa,” said Manary.

In 2001, he founded a non-profit organization, the Peanut Butter Project, which produces approximately 300 tons of the RUTF in Malawi each year.

Combating malnutrition through a non-medical method can be important given the lack of on-site medical personnel in many areas. The research team found that the peanut butter feeding program and the involvement of village aides accomplished the task.

The recovery rate for children given standard therapy is less than 50 percent, they said.

The results of the project point to the potential for dietary supplement and functional food companies to get involved in development projects.

NutraCea is one such company that has been leading the way in trying to bring its stabilized rice bran ingredient to such products and projects in developing countries. The manufacturer developed a rice bran technology that provides a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The company has been promoting the ingredient as a means of eradicating malnutrition around the world, through the use of what is generally discarded as a waste product.

Source: NutraIngredients/Europe.com, September 13, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

U.S. consumers are now looking for the country label

sam — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:53:57 +0000

After contending with tainted toothpaste, suspect seafood, and poisoned pet food traced to China, many U.S. consumers are now looking for labels that indicate a product’s country of origin.

Some foods - like shrimp and other types of seafood - already must be labeled with a country name, thanks to legislation the U.S. Congress passed in 2002.

Other suppliers added labels voluntarily long before a series of recalls made consumers skittish about Chinese products.

After years of delays, labels for a wider variety of foods - including beef, lamb, pork, perishable agricultural products, and peanuts - are on course to become mandatory by September of next year.

A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this month is expected to be taken up by the Senate and signed by President George W. Bush with few revisions. But despite the long-awaited regulations, plenty of food still will not carry country labels.

Consider poultry. Because opponents of the legislation were so strongly against requiring country labels and so little imported poultry is sold in the United States, legislators exempted it to avoid jeopardizing the bill, said a staffer at the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.

Then there are the labeling law’s quirks. For example, jalapeño peppers sold fresh will have to be labeled. But if they are sold frozen as “poppers” - wrapped in a jacket of breading with cream-cheese filling - they will be exempt.

And a laundry list of countries are likely to grace various hamburger labels, owing to the multitude of countries that send beef here for processing. But if that same beef is used as an ingredient in a frozen dinner, for instance, the dinner’s maker will not be required to note the country of origin.

Opponents have seized upon what they call the arbitrary nature of the legislation. Why pigs and not poultry? Why green peanuts but not peanut butter? The answers lie in politics, and the definition of processing.

Processed foods do not have to carry country labels. For peanuts, that exempts nuts that are pulverized and sold as peanut butter, roasted nuts coated in chocolate, and peanuts roasted in their shells.

“We’ve made our case to USDA and Capitol Hill that snack nuts go through a roasting process,” said Jim McCarthy, president of the Snack Food Association, referring to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Congress.

Bob Sutter, chief executive of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association, suspects that snack makers want to purchase ingredients from all over the world, “without having to say they came from Argentina or Mexico or Honduras.”

When it comes to gourmet peanuts, however, Sutter hears from buyers seeking as much information as possible. Callers say, “We want to tell our customers where these peanuts came from. Not just North Carolina. We want to tell them they came from a farm in Northampton, N.C.,” he said.

Those against the labeling law also say it provides few benefits for consumers but plenty of additional costs for suppliers and retailers.

The three-year-old practice of adding “U.S.” labels to seafood did not boost sales, according to the Food Marketing Institute, which represents food retailers and wholesalers with annual sales volume of $340 billion. First-year costs for adding the labels soared up to $16,000 per store, 10 times what the Department of Agriculture estimated.

And the new labeling will be complicated. For instance, new meat labels will mark beef, lamb, and pork born, raised, and slaughtered domestically as well as meat that came from animals raised in other countries before being sold here. Mixed labels will highlight animals born and raised in one place, but slaughtered elsewhere.

Scraps from hundreds of carcasses can wind up in massive hamburger grinders, meaning a hamburger package could potentially list scores of countries.

A long list will inform consumers that a tub of hamburger may contain animals from a range of countries whose meat is processed by U.S. slaughterhouses. The largest exporters of fresh and frozen beef to the United States last year were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Mexico, according to the Department of Agriculture.

In the dozen or so years it has taken for country-of-origin labels to move from concept to congressional action, consumers have come to see them as shorthand for which food is safer.

American shoppers are reassured by food imported from such countries as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, said Christine Burhn, director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California at Davis. They are wary of imports from lesser-developed countries, including China, India, and Mexico.

Source: International Herald Tribune, August 24, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

JOHANNS NAMES APPOINTEES TO NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD

sam — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:54:11 +0000

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today reappointed one member and appointed one member and two alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board.

John Clay of Carnegie, Okla., was reappointed to serve a three-year term of office. M. Gayle Walker, member, Portales, N.M., and alternates Gayle White, Frederick Okla. and Richard Robbins, Portales, also will serve three-year terms. The terms for all of the appointees will run from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2010.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight and monitors the operations of the National Peanut Board in accordance with the Commodity Promotion Research and Information Act of 1996 and the Peanut Promotion, Research and Information Order. The board is authorized to collect assessments from domestic producers - who pay the rate of 1 percent of the total value of all farmers’ stock peanuts sold. These assessments allow the board to conduct generic promotion and research for consumer and producer information, as well as maintain, develop and expand markets for peanuts.

Source: USDA News Release, September 7, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Schools Prepare To Be Peanut-Free

sam — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:51:17 +0000

Schools across Rhode Island must abide by a new law this coming school year to protect children with peanut allergies.

The law requires schools to post signs noting that if some students have a peanut or tree nut allergy, the schools must prohibit the sale of any food with nuts.

NBC 10’s Kelley McGee said the law also requires one classroom per grade and one table in the cafeteria to be peanut- and tree nut-free.

“This particular allergy is life-threatening,” said Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, D-Woonsocket. “You’re not telling these folks that they can not eat peanut butter. You’re just simply asking them to not eat peanut butter or peanut products in the presence of a child who has a peanut or nut allergy.”

The law was passed over the summer by the General Assembly.

“There are many students who have dairy allergies and we certainly would not want to go to the next step and eliminate milk from the lunch program,” said Rep. Joe Amaral, R-Tiverton/Portsmouth.

Amaral believes the law goes too far and that there are better ways to protect kids that don’t draw attention to their condition.

“I believe that there are HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws that are being violated by segregating kids because they have peanut allergies,” he said.

The state Department of Education is assisting schools with implementing the law.

“They need to know if they have a child in their school that has a peanut allergy,” said school health specialist Jackie Ascrizzi. “And most schools do know that because the school nurses review the records before school starts.”

McGee said both proponents and opponents of the law agree that the success of the initiative relies on the diligence of students and parents who have to make sure peanut products don’t show up where they are not supposed to be.

Source: TurnToTen.com, Providence, August 22, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Med diet found to have further Alzheimer’s benefits

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:06:01 +0000

Adhering to a Mediterranean diet could allow sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease to live longer than patients who eat a more traditional Western diet, according to new research published today.

The findings are the latest in a string of health benefits linked to the eating plan of the people of southern Europe, which has in the past also been associated with the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in today’s issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the new findings were based on researchers’ observations of 192 Alzheimer sufferers for four and a half years.

During that time, 85 of the people died. Researchers found that those patients who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet were 76 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who followed the diet the least.

“The more closely people followed the Mediterranean diet, the more they reduced their mortality,” said study author Nikos Scarmeas of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

“For example, Alzheimer’s patients who adhered to the diet to a moderate degree lived an average 1.3 years longer than those people who least adhered to the diet. And those Alzheimer’s patients who followed the diet very religiously lived an average four years longer.”

Previous research by Scarmeas published last year found that greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet could cut the risk of healthy people developing Alzheimer’s disease by 68 percent.

The Med diet is rich in cereals, wine, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains, fish and olive oil. Its main nutritional components include beta-carotene, vitamin C, tocopherols, polyphenols, and essential minerals. It is these antioxidants and polyphenols that appear to offer protection, suggested the researchers.

Another study by the same researchers, published earlier last year in the Annals of Neurology (Vol. 59, pp. 912 - 921), reported that elderly individuals whose diet closely resembled the Med diet had a 40 per cent lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who adhered the least to the diet.

“New benefits of this diet keep coming out,” wrote Scarmeas today.

“We need to do more research to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet also helps Alzheimer’s patients have slower rates of cognitive decline, maintain their daily living skills, and have a better quality of life.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over $100 bn (€ 81 bn) in the US alone. The direct cost of Alzheimer care in the UK was estimated at £15 bn (€ 22 bn, $30bn).

The Mediterranean diet has also been linked to longer life, less heart disease, and protection against some cancers - and the flow of scientific back-up for its healthfulness has started to trickle into consumer consciousness, with more and more people seeking out products that meet the diet’s criteria.

Common foods of the eating plan include bread, pasta, rice, couscous and potatoes; olives, avocados and grapes; eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, nuts and beans; and cheese and yogurt. Moderate consumption of fish and poultry is also encouraged, whereas consumption of red meat is advised only a few times a month.

In the US, a nutrition group recently launched a Med Mark symbol to allow manufacturers to flag up Mediterranean diet foods. Introduced three months ago by Oldways, the packaging symbol already appears on 50 products.

Source: FoodNavigator.com, September 11, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Nuts for Nuts

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:40:55 +0000

In terms of protein, total fat, and calories, 1 oz of nuts is roughly equivalent to 2 oz of lean meat plus 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Nonetheless, the health benefits of nuts are considerable, as Johns Hopkins nutritionist Lora Brown Wilder explains.

Ask any nutritionist today about nuts, and he or she will tell you they are good for you — in moderation, of course. That’s a whole new way of thinking about nuts, which for years were perceived as “bad” foods because of their high fat and calorie content. But a slew of recent studies have brought a better understanding of nuts’ health benefits. The turnaround has been so dramatic that packages of some nuts have labels approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration touting the possible heart benefits of nuts, and the most recent dietary guidelines mention nuts as good sources of protein and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Why Nuts Are Good for You

Nuts pack a powerful nutritional punch. Nuts contain monounsaturated fats, which help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol and may raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats in the diet. So it’s not surprising that several major studies have found that eating nuts significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease — by 25–50% in both men and women. One of these studies, the Nurses’ Health Study, also found that regularly eating nuts and peanut butter reduces the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 21–27%.

Besides monounsaturated fats, nuts are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other substances that are beneficial to your health. For example, walnuts contain a type of omega-3 fat similar to fish oil, and almonds contain calcium and vitamin E. Nuts are also good sources of protein and fiber.

Nuts and Weight Control

It sounds paradoxical, because they’re calorie dense (160–200 calories per oz), but research shows that people who eat nuts tend to weigh less than those who don’t eat nuts. Possible explanations: Nut eaters may follow a healthier diet (lower in calories and saturated fat) than people who abstain from nuts, and those who are overweight may shun nuts because of their high-calorie content.

But other factors also may come into play. Nuts are quite filling because of their high protein and fiber content. In one study, subjects who snacked on nuts and peanut butter weren’t hungry for 2.5 hours afterward and, interestingly, spontaneously adjusted their calorie intake for the rest of the day so they didn’t consume extra calories.

Protein also requires more energy to digest than fats or carbohydrates, so you use up more calories in the process. Also, because people tend not to chew nuts fully before swallowing them, they aren’t well digested and some of the calories they contain may be lost in the stool.

Source: Johns Hopkins Health Alert, July 18, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Cashews cause stronger reactions than peanuts – study

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:28:51 +0000

The allergic reaction to cashew nuts is more severe than peanuts, says a new study that deepens our understanding of food allergies and highlights the need for clear labeling.

“Cashew nuts present a considerable hazard, being hidden in a wide variety of commonly ingested foods, such as Asian meals, sweets, ice cream, cakes, chocolates and they are increasingly used in commercially prepared pesto sauce instead of pine nuts,” wrote lead author Andrew Clark in the journal Allergy.

“Specific information on how to achieve nut avoidance should always be provided,” he added.

An estimated 4 per cent of adults and 8 per cent of children in the 380 million EU population suffer from food allergies, according to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations.

There is no current cure for a food allergy, and vigilance by an allergic individual is the only way to prevent a reaction.

But a peanut allergy can be so severe that only very tiny amounts can be enough to trigger a response. While cashews are used less extensively as ingredient than peanuts, the new study suggests that the allergic reaction to the former may be more severe than even that of peanuts.

The researchers, from Addenbrookes Hospital (Cambridge University Hospitals) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn, matched children whose worst ever reaction was to cashew nut (cashew group, 47 children) with children whose worst ever reaction was to peanut (peanut group, 94 children). The comparison matched the children according to sex, age of reaction and presentation, amount ingested, and asthma.

“This is the first study to employ case-matching to compare severity of peanut and cashew nut allergy and demonstrates increased severity of reactions to cashew nut,” said Clark.

The researchers note that wheezing and cardiovascular symptoms were reported more often during reactions in the cashew than compared to the peanut group, while those allergic to cashews also received intramuscular adrenaline more frequently.

“A recent study showed that 10/37 (27 per cent) of nut-allergic children were unable to correctly identify the type of nut to which they were allergic,” wrote the researchers.

“Previous studies show cashew nut can cause severe reactions. The nut type which caused the worst reaction to date should be considered when providing emergency medication,” they concluded.

Source: FoodNavigator.com, July 20, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

One Kid Chef Will Win a $25,000 Scholarship Fund in the Sixth Annual Jif(R) Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM)

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:49:57 +0000

A peanut butter sandwich could help a creative kid chef pay for college. The makers of Jif® peanut butter, the number one choice of choosy moms, announced today a call-for-entries for the Sixth Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM). The grand prize is a $25,000 scholarship fund with each of the four runners-up receiving a $2,500 scholarship fund. Parents can help their kids (ages 6-12) enter this nationwide contest between August 1, 2007 and November 15, 2007.

“We are once again excited to encourage parents to get creative with their children in the kitchen for an opportunity to win a college scholarship fund,” says Maribeth Badertscher, Director, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company.

The Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM) is intended to foster creativity and encourage parents and children to spend time together in the kitchen. Over the past five years, thousands of kid chefs from across the country have reinvented the classic peanut butter sandwich. From sushi rolls and lettuce wraps to empanadas and paninis, kids have been inspired from all different culinary styles and cultural backgrounds to create a “sandwich” with their favorite foods.

The winner of last year’s most creative peanut butter sandwich was inspired by a love of sushi. Twelve-year-old Alexandra Yoder of Fort Wayne, Indiana created “Peanut Butter Rolls - Sushi Style,” consisting of Jif Creamy peanut butter, strawberry cream cheese and fruit rolled in a crepe, cut and served “sushi style.” Alexandra added more creativity to her sandwich by finishing off the “sushi” with pretzel rods for chopsticks and chocolate yogurt for soy sauce.

The Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM) is open to children ages 6 to 12, and sandwiches will be judged on the following criteria: creativity, nutritional balance, taste, appearance and ease of preparation. For Official Rules and entry form visit www.jif.com. Entries must be postmarked by November 15, 2007 and received by November 22, 2007: Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM), Cohn & Wolfe, 292 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Ten finalists will be selected by a panel of judges in December and posted on www.jif.com in January as part of a nationwide online vote. Five finalists will ultimately be selected to compete in a live judging event in New York City in March 2008.

For more information about other Jif tips, recipes, contests and promotions log on to www.jif.com. Also on the Web site, families can see never-before-seen footage of the 5th Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM).

About The J.M. Smucker Company

The J. M. Smucker Company is the leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker’s®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses® and Bick’s® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. Since 1998, the Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine’s annual listing of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the company, visit www.smuckers.com.

Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, used under license.

Source: PR Newswire, August 1, 2007 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Spread’s the word, peanut butter or not PB&J is the classic, but there are many choices

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:47:20 +0000

The triple-decker marshmallow berry soy sandwich is a variation on the classic peanut butter and jelly. Larry Crowe | Associated PressFor many families, the morning is the ultimate in deadline cooking.

Soon, parents will be getting the children out of bed, into their clothes and onto the school bus. Just figuring out what to stuff into their lunch boxes that won’t get traded or tossed is enough to keep most parents busy.

And perhaps that at least partly explains the persistent popularity of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Which is great, assuming your children don’t attend a school that is peanut-free.

Motivated by food-allergy concerns, many schools now either say no to nuts or have special peanut-free lunch tables.

So what’s a parent to do if junior simply has to dine on PB&J? First, chat with your doctor, then head to a natural-foods store, where there are options aplenty.

Natural-foods stores excel at offering sandwich fixings that are free of peanuts and other possible allergens. Once your doctor has told you which ingredients are safe, assembling kid-pleasing sandwiches is easy.

For example, if your child lives for Fluffernutter sandwiches but can’t eat eggs (Fluff includes egg whites), try Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme, a gluten-free, vegan marshmallow spread made from brown rice syrup.

And if peanuts are off the table, try a jar of soy nut butter, many brands of which brag of being produced in nut-free factories. Opt for a sweetened variety, which mellows the flavor of the soy nuts.

If some nuts are acceptable but you’re looking for a peanut-free alternative, consider chocolate hazelnut spread. It’s especially delicious with marshmallow spread.

Also, consider thinking beyond nuts and their soy alternatives. Check out pear and apple butters, which are similar to jam and often contain little or no sugar.

Canned sweet potato and pumpkin pie purŽes also make great sandwich spreads. Some varieties are sweetened and spiced, making them an easy way to slip some produce into the sandwich. If you can’t find sweetened varieties, mix in a bit of honey and cinnamon. Refrigerate the leftovers for use in other sandwiches later.

Here are ideas for peanut butter and jelly alternatives that come together in a flash. (see full article for recipes).

Source: Associated Press, Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/07 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

Georgia facility linked to tainted peanut butter to re-open

sam — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:45:31 +0000

ConAgra Foods Inc. said Monday it plans this month to reopen the South Georgia plant where thousands of jars of peanut butter linked to a national outbreak of salmonella were filled.

The Omaha-based company said it was planning to reopen its Sylvester plant after spending at least $15 million on renovations that include repairing the roof, installing new equipment and creating a design to better separate raw materials and the finished product.

“Right now we’re in the final stages of getting everything ready to produce Peter Pan peanut butter there,” said Stephanie Childs, a company spokeswoman.

The plant was shut down in February after health officials linked the Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter to a salmonella outbreak. More than 600 people in 47 states reported becoming ill, and the company faces lawsuits in several states.

The company traced the outbreak to three problems at the plant last August.

The plant’s roof leaked during a rainstorm, and the sprinkler system went off twice because of a faulty sprinkler, which the company said was repaired. The moisture from those three events mixed with dormant salmonella bacteria in the plant that the company said likely came from raw peanuts and peanut dust.

The plant was cleaned thoroughly after the roof leak and sprinkler problem, but the company said the salmonella remained and somehow came in contact with peanut butter before it was packaged.

The outbreak cost ConAgra $66 million before taxes during the fiscal year and hurt peanut butter sales, which still generated about $92 million in 2007 versus $147 million in 2006, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

The Peter Pan brand will be back on store shelves this month, although initially it will be produced at another plant, Childs said.

Another Georgia company, Castleberry’s Foods off Augusta, is involved in a recall of canned goods found to contain botulism.

Source: The Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 08/06/07 and the American Peanut Council Newsletter.

New Survey Shows Most Canadians Not Prepared for Potentially Fatal Allergic Reactions

sam — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:09:48 +0000

A new national survey shows that the majority of Canadians at risk for a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction do not carry their life-saving medication with them. Worse yet, most Canadians would not know what to do in the event of someone having a potentially fatal allergic attack, known as anaphylaxis.

The new survey of 1,502 Canadians commissioned by King Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Anaphylaxis Canada, reveals that only one in five Canadians at risk for an anaphylactic attack remember to carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them at all times. An injection of epinephrine is the definitive treatment for someone experiencing an anaphylactic attack, which can be fatal in minutes if untreated. Additionally, while 97 percent of Canadians are aware that an allergic reaction can kill someone, only 45 percent would know how to treat someone having an allergic reaction by administering a life-saving dose of epinephrine using an emergency auto-injector such as the EpiPen(R) auto-injector (epinephrine injection). “The results of this survey emphasize the need to educate Canadians about. life-threatening allergies and how we can all work together as a community to protect the safety of people who are at risk,” says Laurie Harada, Executive Director, Anaphylaxis Canada. “Since it is often difficult for people to avoid exposure to different allergens, it is important to make sure that an allergic person’s family, friends, and teachers are educated about their allergies. These people should be ready to assist in the event of an emergency.” Approximately 600,000 Canadians (or 1 percent to 2 percent) are estimated to have allergic sensitivities, placing them at risk for anaphylaxis, although some experts believe that this incidence rate could be understated. The most common triggers for anaphylaxis include foods, insect stings, drugs, latex and exercise.

People experiencing anaphylaxis should use an epinephrine auto-injector at the earliest signs of reaction and then call 911 or be taken to an emergency room. According to the study, 35 percent of respondents say they or someone they know has suffered from an anaphylactic reaction. “If untreated, anaphylaxis can be fatal within minutes, therefore it is vital that individuals with severe allergies carry an up-to-date epinephrine auto-injector at all times,” says Dr. Rhoda Kagan, Pediatric Allergist, North York General Hospital. “In a critical situation where someone is experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, simplicity matters and EpiPen auto-injectors are designed for easy self administration. When administered at the first signs of anaphylaxis, EpiPen auto-injectors can provide individuals the time necessary to obtain more definitive emergency treatment.”

Additional survey highlights:

- 75 percent of Canadians think peanuts can cause a more serious
allergic reaction than milk, when in fact they both can cause a
serious reaction.

- 60 percent of Canadians support a peanut ban in schools and child
care centres, but only 27 percent support a peanut ban in all public
places. Peanut allergy is the most common cause of death from food
allergy, in addition to shellfish, fish and tree nuts.

- Half of Canadians think the food industry is doing a good job of
declaring dangerous allergens on package label.

- Half of Canadians agree that child care centres should be held
responsible if they don’t carry an epinephrine auto-injector and a
child on their premises has a severe allergic reaction.

- One in four survey respondents think public places should be held
responsible if they don’t carry EpiPen and someone on their premises
has a severe allergic reaction.

- 7 out of 10 Canadians agree that restaurants and cafeterias should be
required to list all ingredients on their menu products, even if it
costs diners more.

The Leger study was commissioned by King Pharmaceuticals, maker of EpiPen (epinephrine auto-injector), and in collaboration with Anaphylaxis Canada. Data collection for this study was conducted via Leger Marketing OmniCan. Data was collected between May 29 and June 3, 2007. A random household selection was achieved by inviting residents across Canada over 18 years of age to complete the survey. A total of 1,502 interviews were completed. The margin of error for a sample of this size is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

From the American Peanut Council Newsletter

Peanut Allergy

sam — Sat, 05 May 2007 04:38:21 +0000

Early exposure to food allergens may increase tolerance

4/30/2007 - Exposing premature and low birth weight babies to food allergens early in life may boost tolerance later in life, suggests a new study from Canada.

The study, looking at the risk of developing food allergy in premature or low-birth-weight children, found no difference between the normal and premature babies, challenging the hypothesis that immature gastrointestinal tracts may boost food allergy development.

“To the best of our knowledge, this population-based study is the first to examine prematurity or low birth weight and the risk of developing food allergy,” wrote lead author Joel Liem from the University of Manitoba.

“Our data suggest that no association exists between gestational age and birth weight with the development of IgE-mediated food allergies. As a result, the theory that an immature gut mucosa results in increased permeability to large-molecular-weight proteins and predisposes the baby to early sensitization needs to be questioned,” he added.

According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations, an estimated four per cent of adults and eight per cent of children in the 380m EU population suffer from food allergies.

As a result, the “free-from” food market has been enjoying sales growth, with of over 300 per cent reported in the UK since 2000, according to market analyst Mintel.

The most common food allergen ingredients and their derivatives are cereals containing gluten, fish, crustaceans, egg, peanut, soybeans, milk and dairy products including lactose, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seed, and sulphites.

Previous studies had indicated that immature gastrointestinal tracts as found in premature babies result in an increased uptake of food antigens, but limited studies have investigated the immunologic response of preterm or low-birth-weight infants to dietary antigens, said the researchers in the current issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The researchers analysed 13,980 children were born in 1995 and living in the province of Manitoba, and of these, 592 children were found to have food allergy. When the data was analysed with respect to birth weight and maturity, no association with food allergy was observed.

“Prematurity and low birth weight are not associated with a change in risk for development of food allergy in childhood,” said the researchers.

The researchers did find that food allergy was associated with a maternal history of asthma and food allergy, however.

“The theory is that at a young age (ie. less than 3 years), an immature and permeable gastrointestinal tract will result in increased antigen uptake. Thus, highly allergenic foods may be absorbed more easily, increasing the risk for sensitization,” said Liem.

“However, our large, population-based epidemiologic study does not support [this]. A possible mechanism preventing sensitization might be the development of immunologic tolerance to orally ingested allergens in premature infants.

“Such tolerance might result from interaction of high antigen concentration with the immature immune system of the preterm infant,” he said.

“These data prompt us to ask whether it may be possible that introducing highly allergenic proteins (such as peanut) early in life would tolerise (as opposed to sensitise) a child to that particular antigen?” said the researchers.

They called for carefully designed and monitored studies to identify the best approach to the introduction of foods for infants and young children.

An extensive review, published towards the end of 2006 by the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN) reported that the growing number of people suffering from allergies is due to changes in European diets over the past 30 years.

But by targeting several key areas, particularly how children are fed early in life, including breastfeeding, their early diet and increasing the use of pre- and probiotics could have a direct positive effect on the subsequent development of asthma and allergies.

Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

May 2007, Volume 119, Issue 5, Pages 1203-1209

“The risk of developing food allergy in premature or low-birth-weight children”

Authors: J.J. Liem, A.L. Kozyrskyj, S.I. Huq and A.B. Becker

Source: foodnavigator.org

Peanuts –the Natural Lipitor?

sam — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:27:27 +0000

Old Cholesterol Remedy Is New Again
Pfizer Inc., the pharmaceutical giant, halted late-stage trials of a cholesterol drug called torcetrapib after investigators discovered that it increased heart problems — and death rates — in the test population. Torcetrapib wasn’t just another scientific misfire; the drug was to have been a blockbuster heralding the transformation of cardiovascular care. Statin drugs like simvastatin (sold as Zocor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) lower blood levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, thereby slowing the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

But torcetrapib worked primarily by increasing HDL, or good cholesterol. Among other functions, HDL carries dangerous forms of cholesterol from artery walls to the liver for excretion. The process, called reverse cholesterol transport, is thought to be crucial to preventing clogged arteries. Many scientists still believe that a statin combined with a drug that raises HDL would mark a significant advance in the treatment of heart disease. But for patients now at high risk of heart attack or stroke, the news is better than it sounds. An effective HDL booster already exists.

It is niacin, the ordinary B vitamin found in peanut. In its therapeutic form, nicotinic acid, niacin can increase HDL as much as 35 percent when taken in high doses, usually about 2,000 milligrams per day. It also lowers LDL, though not as sharply as statins do, and it has been shown to reduce serum levels of artery-clogging triglycerides as much as 50 percent. Its principal side effect is an irritating flush caused by the vitamin’s dilation of blood vessels. Despite its effectiveness, niacin has been the ugly duckling of heart medications, an old remedy that few scientists cared to examine. But that seems likely to change.

“There’s a great unfilled need for something that raises HDL,” said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and president of the American College of Cardiology. “Right now, in the wake of the failure of torcetrapib, niacin is really it. Nothing else available is that effective.”

In 1975, long before statins, a landmark study of 8,341 men who had suffered heart attacks found that niacin was the only treatment among five tested that prevented second heart attacks. Compared with men on placebos, those on niacin had a 26 percent reduction in heart attacks and a 27 percent reduction in strokes. Fifteen years later, the mortality rate among the men on niacin was 11 percent lower than among those who had received placebos. “Here you have a drug that was about as effective as the early statins, and it just never caught on,” said Dr. B. Greg Brown, professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. “It’s a mystery to me. But if you’re a drug company, I guess you can’t make money on a vitamin.”

By and large, research was focused on lowering LDL, and the statins proved to be remarkably effective. The drugs can slow the progress of cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of heart attack or other adverse outcomes by 25 percent to 35 percent. But recent studies suggest that the addition of an HDL booster like niacin may afford still greater protection. After analyzing data from more than 83,000 heart patients who participated in 23 different clinical trials, researchers at the University of Washington calculated this month that a regimen that increased HDL by 30 percent and lowered LDL by 40 percent in the average patient would reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by 70 percent. That is far more than can be achieved by reducing LDL alone.

Researchers at 72 sites in the United States and Canada are recruiting 3,300 heart patients for a study, led by Dr. Brown and financed by the National Institutes of Health, comparing those who take niacin and a statin with those who take only a statin. This large head-on comparison should answer many questions about the benefits of combination therapy. Many cardiologists see no reason to wait for the results. But niacin can be a bitter pill; in rare instances, the vitamin can cause liver damage and can impair the body’s use of glucose. High doses should be taken only under a doctor’s supervision. A more frequent side effect is flushing. It becomes less pronounced with time, and often it can be avoided by taking the pills before bed with a bit of food. Doctors also recommend starting with small doses and working up to larger ones.

Extended-release formulations of the vitamin, taken once daily, are now available by prescription, and in many patients they produce fewer side effects. And a new Merck drug to counteract niacin-induced flushing is being tested in Britain. If it works, the company plans to bundle the drug with its own extended-release niacin and with Zocor, its popular statin.

Until then, consider this: If it means preventing a heart attack, maybe it is better to put up with flushing than to wait for the next blockbuster. “If you can just get patients to take niacin, HDL goes up substantially,” said Dr. Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic. “Most of the evidence suggests they’ll get a benefit from that.”

Source: NY Times 1/24/07

Folic Acid May Prevent Age-Related Hearing Loss

sam — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:34:06 +0000

Supplements of folic acid may prevent age-related hearing loss in older men and women, says a new double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial from the Netherlands. The study, published in the new issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 randomly assigned to receive either a folic acid supplement (800 micrograms per day) or placebo for three years.

Lead author Jane Durga and her colleagues from Wageningen University and Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences, and University Hospital Maastricht, reported that the folic acid-supplemented group exhibited lower age-related hearing loss in the low frequency region.

“Considering that the folate status of older adults is generally low in countries without folic acid fortification programs, our findings suggest a possible way to diminish the public health burden of hearing loss in those countries,” wrote Durga.

However, it is not known if such benefits would be observable in countries like the US and Canada where mandatory fortification occurs.

Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, peanuts, chick peas and lentils, and an overwhelming body of evidence links has linked folate deficiency in early pregnancy to increased risk of neural tube defects (NTD) – most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly – in infants.

The researchers suggest that hearing loss may be linked to homocysteine levels, which could be reduced by folic acid supplementation. However the focus of the study on people with lower homocysteine levels limited the researchers from extending the findings to a general population. The authors also note that no mandatory folic acid fortification was present in the Netherlands during the study, and that the baseline levels of folate in the blood was about 50 per cent that of the US population, where mandatory folic acid fortification is present.

“Folic acid supplementation slowed the decline in hearing of the speech frequencies associated with aging in a population from a country without folic acid fortification of food. The effect requires confirmation, especially in populations from countries with folic acid fortification programs,” concluded the researchers.

In an accompanying editorial, Robert Dobie from the University of California, Davis said that if such a benefit could be applied generally then a five-decibel decrease in age-related hearing loss might be observed over a 20-year period. This would lead to a subsequent significant reduction in the need for hearing aids.

The research was supported by grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Wageningen University, and Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences.

Source: Annals of Internal Medicine
2 January 2007, Volume 146, Issue 1, Pages 1-9
“Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Hearing in Older Adults - A Randomized, Controlled Trial”
Authors: J. Durga, P. Verhoef, L.J.C. Anteunis, E. Schouten, and F.J. Kok

Get OK for Engineered Peanuts

sam — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:36:20 +0000

A leading industry group has given scientists the go-ahead to build genetically engineered peanuts that could be safer, more nutritious and easier to grow than their conventional version.

The work could lead to peanuts that yield more oil for biofuel production, need less rainfall and grow more efficiently, with built-in herbicide and pest resistance — traits that have already been engineered into major crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans and canola.

For consumers, the work could lead to peanuts with enhanced flavor, more vitamins and nutrients, and possibly even nuts that are less likely to trigger allergic reactions, a life-threatening problem for a small percentage of the population and a major food industry concern.

A few researchers have been genetically modifying peanuts for at least a decade, but their discoveries have had little impact because the industry, fearing a consumer backlash, was reluctant to support the work.

However, with the two leading peanut-producing countries, China and India, working aggressively on transgenic peanuts, the American Peanut Council and its research arm, the Peanut Foundation, this month approved a major policy change. The council represents all segments of the industry — growers, shellers, exporters and manufacturers.

The foundation urged scientists to move ahead with ‘’due diligence’’ on genetically engineered peanuts.

The work is expected to cost about $9.5 million and will require university, government and industry support.

‘’It’s a significant redirection in their thinking,’’ said Peggy Ozias-Akins, a University of Georgia horticulture professor who has been working with genetically modified peanuts since the late 1990s.

The foundation also called for additional genome studies to learn more about the location and function of the natural peanut genes.

Because peanuts are considered a minor crop, their genetics still have not been studied as extensively as major crops such as soybeans, Ozias-Akins said.

Peanuts are believed to have originated in South America at least 3,500 years ago. Farmers in the Southern U.S. only started cultivating them in the early 1900s when the boll-weevil made it nearly impossible to grow cotton. Now they are grown in 15 states from Virginia to New Mexico. Georgia is traditionally the nation’s No. 1 producer.

The U.S. peanut acreage dropped from nearly 1.7 million acres in 2005 to 1.2 million this year, while the acreage for two crops that benefit from genetic modification, cotton and soybeans, increased.

While experts say peanut acreage may drop again next year, scientists believe genetically modified peanuts could help reverse the trend.

A group of 14 university, U.S. Department of Agriculture and food industry scientists, including Ozias-Akins, prepared a report on biotech peanuts and presented it recently to the Peanut Foundation. The scientists concluded the technology could reduce growing costs, improve nutrition and overall quality for consumers and have the potential to reduce the allergy threat in peanuts.

‘’There is a sense in the industry that genetically modified products are becoming slightly more accepted in most of the world and that by the time we would have the first genetically modified peanut on the market — five years — that trend will have accelerated,’’ said Howard Valentine, the Peanut Foundation’s executive director.

A small amount of genetically modified sweet corn, squash and about half of Hawaii’s papayas are the only U.S. crops currently grown for human consumption, said Gregory Jaffe, biotechnology director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food and nutrition consumer advocacy group.

‘’Overall, our view is that genetic engineering is a technique that can be used to overcome grower problems, or to enhance consumer value in products,’’ he said. ‘’We support that as long as those products have been determined safe for human consumption.’’

(The New York Times, December 26, 2006)

Eat Peanuts to Get Folic Acid

sam — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:35:21 +0000

Eating enough of the B vitamin, folic acid, in the first weeks of pregnancy can prevent certain disabling birth defects. Additionally, studies show that folate consumption may aid in decreasing incidence of stroke and coronary disease among the elderly.

With these findings in mind the Government recommends increased folate consumption. Women of childbearing age, according to FDA, should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. On average most only get half that.

A peanut butter sandwich or a snack of peanuts are an easy tasty way to incorporate more folic acid into the diet. For example a one ounce serving of peanuts delivers as much as 17.5% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of folate. When spread on enriched bread, peanut butter delivers even more.

Eating enough folic acid can cut by up to 50 percent a woman’s risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect in which the brain and spinal cord form improperly. In addition to peanuts and peanut butter other sources of folic acid are enriched bread and grains, citrus fruits and dark leafy vegetables.

http://www.aboutpeanuts.com/nutr3.html

Ever-Wonder-Why-Circus-Elephants-Never-Forget/ Higher Folate Levels Linked to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk

sam — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:32:54 +0000

An increased intake of folate by diet and supplements may halve the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, suggests new research from the US. Writing in the Archives of Neurology, lead author Jose Luchsinger from Columbia University Medical Center, New York, reports that after analyzing the diets of 965 individuals, and then following them for about six years, the highest intake of folate from both dietary and supplements was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

After an average of 6.1 years of follow-up, 192 cases of Alzheimer’s disease had been diagnosed. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, like age, sex, ethnicity, cardiovascular history and B6 and B12 intake, Luchsinger and co-workers report that increasing folate intake, from both dietary and supplemental sources, was associated with a significantly reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (50 per cent risk reduction).

“We found that higher folate intake was independently related to lower AD risk in a predominantly Hispanic and African American cohort of elderly persons with a high prevalence of vascular risk factors,” wrote the researchers.

Higher folate intake was modestly correlated with lower homocysteine levels, “indirectly suggesting that a lower homocysteine level is a potential mechanism for the association between higher folate intake and a lower Alzheimer’s disease risk,” said the authors.

The link between Alzheimer’s and homocysteine involves the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brains. In vitro studies have reported that folate deficiencies and high homocysteine levels may enhance the effects of amyloid-beta, which in turn would indicate an increase in Alzheimer risk factors.

The researchers stress that no definitive conclusion about the role of folate in the development of Alzheimer’s disease can be made, since the findings are at odds with previously published studies.

“Thus, the decision to increase folate intake to prevent Alzheimer’s disease should await clinical trials,” they concluded.

The B-Vitamin Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration should soon be better able to address the link between B-vitamins, homocysteine levels, and cognitive function. The effects of three to seven years of treatment with B vitamins on cognitive function should eventually be available on about 20,000 of the 50,000 participants with previous cardiovascular or renal disease from 12 large homocysteine-lowering trials.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Charles S. Robertson Memorial Gift for research on Alzheimer’s disease, the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Foundation, and the New York City Council Speaker’s Fund for Public Health Research.

Source: Archives of Neurology
January 2007, Volume 64, Pages 86-92
“Relation of Higher Folate Intake to Lower Risk of Alzheimer Disease in the Elderly”
Authors: J. Luchsinger, M-X. Tang, J. Miller, R. Green, R. Mayeux