Antioxidants in Mint

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Antioxidants are an important component of cell health. Cells require antioxidants for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most importantly, they use them to control oxidation, a process that if left unchecked can significantly negatively affect the health of the cell. Cells can manufacture their own antioxidants, but many are derived from the diet. Plants are high in antioxidants, which plant cells use for the same reason as human cells. Plants such as mint are highly useful in this regard because not only do they provide a significant amount of antioxidants, but mint plants are also very easy to grow even in pots, and this can be a very useful source of additional antioxidants in the diet. Studies show that mint is high in polyphenols and a large amount of the polyphenols in mint are made up of various flavonoids. As with most plants, the leaves are also rich in vitamin C. Adding mint to foods as a herb can therefore provide significant antioxidant protection to the consumer, and can be an easy way to improve health.  

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RdB

Fatiha, B., Khodir, M., Farid, D., Tiziri, R., Karima, B., Sonia, O. and Mohamed, C. 2012. Optimisation Of Solvent Extraction Of Antioxidants (Phenolic Compounds) From Algerian Mint (Mentha spicata L.). Pharmacognosy Communications. 2(4): 72-86
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The Nutrition of Plums

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Plums are an important commercial crop and one of the most commonly consumed fruits in the Western diet. This makes them nutritionally important as they are a rich source of nutrition in what is generally a poor quality diet. Plums are high in antioxidants, with the skin containing higher amounts of antioxidants compared to the flesh. Some of the nutrients in plums include phenolic acids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavanols, organic acids, (e.g., citric and malic acids), fibre (pectin), tannins, aromatic substances, enzymes, minerals (e.g., potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium), organic acids, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin K. Like most fruit, plums are reasonably high in sugar, and for this reason they are often used in pies and conserves such as jams. Concentrated forms of plums such as jams appear to retain their antioxidant capacity and are therefore still nutritionally advantageous as part of a healthy diet. The skins of plums are purple because of the high concentration of anthocyanin antioxidants.  

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RdB

Birwal, P., Deshmukh, G., Saurabh, S.P. and Pragati, S. 2017. Plums: a brief introduction. Journal of Food, Nutrition and Population Health. 1(1): 1-5
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Effects of Grass on Cow’s Milk: Nutrition

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Robert Barrington

The milk produced by dairy cows reflects the nutrition that the cow is exposed to. Higher quality milks are produced by higher quality diets. Dairy cow’s are generally fed grass, and this grass can vary in its nutritional content. One of the biggest determinants of this variation is the season in which the grass is grown, with winter grass generally having a different profile to summer grass. Studies have analysed the effects of seasonality on grass and how this affects the milk of dairy cows. In general, summer grass produces a higher fat milk compared to winter grass, and this includes high concentrations of certain important fatty acids such as alpha linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) and cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic, as well as lower concentrations of some of the nutritionally less important fatty acids such as palmitic acid and myristic acid. Therefore summer grass may improve the nutritional content of milk and butter and this may have consequences for those that consume dairy products as part of their healthy diet. 

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RdB

Sojak, I.F.W.L.L. 2010. Fatty acid composition of summer and winter cows’ milk and butter. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 49(4): 169-177
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Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are an important food crop because of their high nutritional value. The peanut is perhaps most commonly consumed in its salted or roasted form with the shells removed. In these forms it is easy to over consume peanuts, and this can increase sodium consumption significantly. Peanuts can also be made into peanut butter, and this again is easy to over consume. Peanuts are actually legumes, and consuming them has been shown to provide some of the nutritional benefits of legumes and their pulses, including weight loss and appetite control. Overconsuming peanuts may be detrimental as they are high in energy and therefore it becomes possible to consume excess energy in the diet if moderation is not maintained. However, that is not to say that all the energy in peanuts is absorbed, as evidence suggests that a significant portion never enters circulation. As with all plant foods, peanuts also contain antioxidants, which may explain some of their beneficial effects. 

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Higgs, J. 2003. The beneficial role of peanuts in the diet–Part 2. Nutrition & Food Science. 33(2): 56-64
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Coleus forskohlii As A Weight Loss Supplement

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Coleus forskohlii is a plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae or mint family of plants. The plant grows naturally in India, where it is cultivated for its medicinal properties. As with most plants Coleus forskohlii is high in antioxidants and this provides a significant protection against oxidative stress in the consumer. However, Coleus forskohlii also has a specific anti-obesity effect in humans and animals which may relate to its ability to upregulate the generation of cyclic AMP in cells. Rat studies attest to the anti-obesity effects of Coleus forskohlii. In one study a group of rats were fed a cafeteria style diet containing foods that might be expected to cause obesity. However, another group of rats were fed the same diet with a Coleus forskohlii extract. The Coleus forskohlii extract was significantly effective at reducing the appetite of the rats and also reduced the rate at which the diet was able to cause detrimental weight gain. This supports the contention that Coleus forskohlii is an effective anti-obesity herb. 

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Shivaprasad, H.N., Gopalakrishna, S., Mariyanna, B., Thekkoot, M., Reddy, R. and Tippeswamy, B.S. 2014. Effect of Coleus forskohlii extract on cafeteria diet-induced obesity in rats. Pharmacognosy Research. 6(1): 42
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Niacin as a Treatment for Migraines

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Niacin is a compound that belongs to the B vitamin group of vitamins. Niacin is also referred to as nicotinic acid and it is available as a supplement, usually in tablets of anywhere from a few milligrams to a few hundred milligrams. Oral niacin has been suggested to be a treatment for tension and migraine type headaches and a number of studies have reported beneficial effects when using niacin for this purpose. The exact mechanism by which niacin causes this benefit is not known, but it may relate to the flushing effects of the skin, and it has been speculated that this may cause changes to cerebral blood flow, thus modifying the conditions under which the headache formed. The flushing effects of niacin are caused by its ability to release prostaglandin D2 in the skin, which leads to increase of its metabolite, 9α, 11β-PGF2, in the plasma. This metabolite may have cellular effects and it has been speculated that this may be the factor that facilitates alleviation of the headache or its symptoms. As beta-alanine also causes flushing, it could be hypothesised that beta-alanine may have the same migraine relieving effects. 

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RdB

Prousky, J. and Seely, D. 2005. The treatment of migraines and tension-type headaches with intravenous and oral niacin (nicotinic acid): systematic review of the literature. Nutrition Journal. doi:10.1186/1475-2891: 4-3
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Happy Hens Lay Healthy Eggs

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Eggs are a highly nutritious food because they contain all the nutrients required to make a small chicken. However, eggs are not fertilised and as such are not living organisms. One aspect of egg production that has come under scrutiny is the battery system of farming, and whether the animal’s welfare is maintained in this system. Evidence from studies suggests that battery hens are not as healthy nor as happy as free range chickens, and that the eggs that free range chickens lay are more nutritious. The reason for this may partly be due to the ability of the chicken to fulfil normal behavioural patterns in a free range environment. However, there is also a nutritional aspect as free range chickens are able to find their own food, including insects and grubs, and these provide an advantage to the chicken in terms of optimal nutrition, and this allows the growth of a healthier chicken. In turn, a healthier chicken lays healthier eggs, and so although they are more expensive, free range eggs are nutritionally worth the extra cost. 

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RdB

Bray, H.J. and Ankeny, R.A. 2017. Happy chickens lay tastier eggs: motivations for buying free-range eggs in Australia. Anthrozoös. 30(2): 213-226
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Glycerol: The Nutrition

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Glycerol is a sugar alcohol with a very sweet taste that is not unpleasant to humans or animals. Eating glycerol in its chemically unbonded state decreases ketone body concentrations of the blood and also increases blood glucose concentrations. In the ruminant animal glycerol is fermented in the gut to propionate and butyrate, and this suggests that some of the glycerol ingested by humans may also be fermented in the colon to short chain fatty acids. Glycerol contributes to energy needs when bound to fatty acids in the form of triglycerides, and ingesting unbound glycerol may also increase energy intakes, relative to the amount consumed. Whilst glycerol is more frequently used as animal feed, in humans glycerol has a very limited application for use. Its sweet taste can be taken advantage of in cooking, and it can be used as a source of energy in place of sugar. Its ability to aid glycogen resynthesis could also be useful to athletes, but in general glycerol still has limited human nutritional uses. 

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RdB

Kholif, A.E. 2019. Glycerol use in dairy diets: A systemic review. Animal Nutrition. 5(3): 209-216
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Sardines As A Source of Omega-3 Fats: Breast Feeding

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Omega-3 fatty acids are an important part of any diet as they are essential to health. Diets devoid of omega-3 fats cause death and low intakes result in disease. Adult humans can moderate their intakes of omega-3 fats and can choose whether to consume them or not, based on their goals. However, infants are reliant on their mothers to provide omega-3 fatty acids for them, and in their regard the diet of the mother will determine how many omega-3 fats reach the infant. Oily fish are an excellent way to increase the omega-3 intake of the milk that the mother provides to the infant, and in this regard, sardines have been shown to be beneficial. Eating 100 g canned sardines two times per week can significantly increase the omega-3 fatty acid content of the mother’s milk. Of course fresh sardines are equally beneficial, but are much harder to obtain and they have a much shorter shelf life. Canned sardines are convenient, relatively cheap and effective at providing considerable amounts of long chain marine omega-3 fats.

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RdB

Patin, R.V., Vítolo, M.R., Valverde, M.A., Carvalho, P.O., Pastore, G.M. and Lopez, F.A. 2006. The influence of sardine consumption on the omega-3 fatty acid content of mature human milk. Jornal de pediatria. 82: 63-69
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Melon Seeds

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Melons such as muskmelon (Cucumis melo) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) are important nutritional crops. Whilst most consume the soft and sweet flesh they provide, nutritionally melons have interesting properties in their seeds. As with other foods, the seeds of melons are a rich source of energy and this derives mainly from fatty acids and other lipids. In particular, melon seeds are high in omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid), and monounsaturated fatty acids such as omega-9 (oleic acid). Protein and carbohydrate are present but provide less energy compared to fat. Melons also have a very high water content. Minerals are also in high concentrations in melon seeds with minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium being particularly high compared to other minerals. Melon seeds are also high in antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolics, and also contain a number of other important phytochemical groups including alkaloids, saponins and other secondary metabolites. 

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RdB

Mehra, M., Pasricha, V. and Gupta, R.K. 2015. Estimation of nutritional, phytochemical and antioxidant activity of seeds of musk melon (Cucumis melo) and water melon (Citrullus lanatus) and nutritional analysis of their respective oils. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 3(6): 98-102
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