Group items tagged

Quantifying human calcium absorption using pharmacokinetic methods. Heaney RP. J Nutr. 2003 Apr;133(4):1224-6. PMID: 12672947

Using a new, more sensitive-testing approach they developed for fungi, Penn State food scientists have found that mushrooms are a better natural source of the antioxidant ergothioneine than either of the two dietary sources previously believed to be best. The researchers found that white button mushrooms, the most commonly consumed kind in the U.S., have about 12 times more of the antioxidant than wheat germ and 4 times more than chicken liver, the previous top-rated ergothioneine sources based on available data. Until the Penn State researchers developed their testing approach, known as an assay, there was no method employing the most sensitive modern instrumentation and analytical techniques to quantify the amount of ergothioneine in fungi. The researchers say that their assay can be used for other plants, too, not just mushrooms.

n-3 Fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: mechanisms underlying beneficial effects. Jung UJ, Torrejon C, Tighe AP, Deckelbaum RJ. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):2003S-9S. PMID: 18541602 Dietary n-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, are important nutrients through the life cycle. Evidence from observational, clinical, animal, and in vitro studies indicates a beneficial role of n-3 fatty acids in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. Although the precise mechanisms are still unclear, clinical and preclinical studies indicate that the cardioprotective effects of n-3 fatty acids may be attributed to a number of distinct biological effects on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, blood pressure, platelet function, arterial cholesterol delivery, vascular function, and inflammatory responses. Substantial evidence supports n-3 fatty acids as a practical, therapeutic adjuvant for promoting cardiovascular health and preventing and treating disease. n-3 Fatty acids modulate a number of important physiologic responses that can contribute to their cardioprotective effects. The multiple and complex mechanisms through which DHA and EPA exert their action appear to be distinct but also complementary. However, more studies are needed to quantify their protective effects and to define exact mechanisms of action.

"Scientists at the University of Granada have identified and characterized for the first time different antioxidant compounds from foods such as olive oil, honey, walnuts and a medicinal herb called Teucrium polium. They have used two new techniques, capillary electrophoresis and high resolution liquid chromatography, that have enabled them to identify and quantify a great part of the phenolic compounds contained in these foods."