Monthly Archives: February 2012

More on Vitamin D and Diabetes

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Vitamin D is a hormone that research has shown to have been underestimated with regard to its importance in human health. The traditional view of vitamin D is that deficiency leads to the bone diseases osteomalacia in adults and rickets … Continue reading →

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Zinc and Inflammation

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Research suggests that a large proportion of the Western population is deficient, or at least insufficient, in the mineral zinc. The likely reason for the low intakes in zinc are major changes to the diet over the last century, coupled … Continue reading →

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Diet Quality During Pregnancy

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Robert Barrington

During pregnancy the developing infant is entirely dependent on its nutrient requirements from its mother’s blood. Because the chemical composition of the parental blood is related to the quality of the diet, diet quality can therefore have an impact on … Continue reading →

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GLA and Weight Control

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The essential fatty acids α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) and linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 (n-6)) and their metabolites play an important role in human health. Metabolism of ALA and LA produces a range of pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, and the … Continue reading →

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Pulses for Weight Control

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Legumes are the pods of plants from the Fabaceae (leguminosae) family and include alfalfa, clover, lupin, peas, peanuts, green beans, chickpeas, broad beans and soybeans and lentils. Pulses are legumes that are harvested for their dry grain, hence the common … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbohydrate, Fibre, Obesity, Phenolic Acids, Phytic Acid, Polyphenols, Protein, Pulses / Legumes, Retrogradation, Weight Loss | Comments Off on Pulses for Weight Control

Palmitoleic Acid

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Evidence suggests that ratios of cellular and circulating fatty acids in can have an effect on metabolic regulation. Palmitoleic acid (POA, C16:1 (n-7)) is an omega 7 fatty acid that is produced during de novo lipogenesis in humans. Palmitoleic acid … Continue reading →

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Steroyl CoA Desaturase

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Lipids play an important role in cellular inflammation and research has identified a role for a number of dietary and endogenously produced fatty acids in the generation or inhibition of systemic inflammation. For example, the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids … Continue reading →

Posted in Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Enzymes, Fatty Acids, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Omega 3, Omega 6 | Comments Off on Steroyl CoA Desaturase

Nicotine and Caffeine

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Nicotine and caffeine belong to a group of chemicals called alkaloids. Alkaloids have a cyclic nitrogen-containing structure, although no defined chemical classification exists. The alkaloid grouping contain poisons, neurotoxins, psychedelic and some social drugs. Of the social drugs caffeine and … Continue reading →

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The Biochemistry and Nutrition of Carotenoids

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Chemically, carotenoids consist of hydrocarbon chains that can be classified as xanthophylls and carotenes depending on the presence or absence of oxygen in the chain, respectively. Carotenoids are synthesised in plants in the plastids via the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate from the isopentenyl … Continue reading →

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