Pass
the Stuffing - and the Antioxidant - Please
Bread
crust may contain a healthful disease fighter
Your
holiday table may be laden with more than turkey and the trimmings—it
may be rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, too.
It
is not necessarily in the dishes you would expect, such as sweet potatoes
or cranberries, but in the stuffing.
German
researchers have discovered that during the baking of bread, an antioxidant
called pronyl-lysine is created, especially in the crust.
"[Pronyl-lysine]
is more present in the crust because you need higher temperatures to
generate that compound," says study author Thomas Hofmann, a professor
and head of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the University of Muenster.
Results
of the study appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry.
Antioxidants
Help Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
Antioxidants
are healthful compounds found in many foods. Vitamins C and E are two
examples of antioxidants. These compounds are believed to help fight
cancer and other diseases, according to the American Dietetic
Association.
Hofmann
and his colleagues analyzed a sourdough bread mixture that contained
rye and wheat flour, and discovered the pronyl-lysine after baking.
The antioxidant was not present in the flour used to make the bread.
The
antioxidant is created during a chemical reaction between the amino
acid L-lysine and starch and sugars in the bread. This same reaction
causes the crust to have a darker color than the rest of the bread,
Hoffmann says.
Pronyl-lysine
is also found in malt, as well as in beer. The antioxidant is present
in higher amounts in dark bread and beer, Hofmann says.
He
adds that pronyl-lysine is formed in bread with yeast or without, but
it is more abundant when the bread is baked in smaller pieces, as it
might be for used in stuffing.
Once
the scientists identified the antioxidant, they tested it on human intestinal
cells in the lab and found that pronyl-lysine increased the amount of
certain enzymes that are believed to play a role in the prevention of
some cancers.
The
next step in the research is to learn if the antioxidant is actually
absorbed into the blood during digestion, where it might be able to
help fight disease. The researchers are currently conducting animal
tests to see if this occurs.
No
Reason to Over-indulge
Of
course, this does not mean you can gorge yourself with stuffing over
the holidays, guilt-free.
"People
who like to complement their Thanksgiving meal with stuffing need to
remember that stuffing is usually soaked with butter and gravy. And
antioxidants can't counteract those things," says Samantha Heller, a
senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in
New York City.
Heller
also points out the German study is only the first step in the research.
Now, she says, the scientists need to learn what the antioxidant does
when it is in the body and how available it is in the blood after digestion.
Bread,
and its crust, can be part of healthy diet, however, adds Heller. She
says fiber, which is found in whole grain breads, fruits, and vegetables,
is a known disease fighter and it helps keep you feeling full.
Always
consult your physician for more information.
Online
Resources
American
Cancer Society
American
Dietetic Association
Journal
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
US
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
|
December
2002
Antioxidants
Help Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
No
Reason to Over-indulge
Any
Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise
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Resources
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Other Mind & Body News:
Any
Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise
Expert
says tough new guidelines may scare some people away from workouts
A
little bit of exercise is better than no exercise at all.
Earlier
this year, the US government issued new exercise guidelines that
recommend adults and children spend at least an hour a day in
moderately intense physical activity to maintain maximum cardiovascular
health.
That
is double the daily amount suggested in the 1996 US Surgeon General's
report.
While
it is a good idea to encourage people to exercise, the new guidelines
may actually discourage some people, says Dr. Howard Eisenson,
director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, at Duke University
Medical Center.
He
says some people who are not able to exercise for an hour may
feel they have nothing to gain from exercising for shorter periods
each day. But Eisenson says those short stretches of exercise
do benefit people.
"I
would probably disagree with the new guidelines because I think
they could give people the impression that unless they're exercising
for an hour a day, every day of the week, they're not getting
much health benefit," Eisenson says.
"That's
not really true. Research shows that the Surgeon General's recommendation
from the mid-1990s is still a good one, and if people will exercise
for 30 to 40 minutes most days, they will realize health benefits
from that," Eisenson says.
That
is a good first target for people who are sedentary and will provide
them with health benefits. Once they master that amount of exercise,
they may choose to increase their amount of exercise to an hour
each day.
Eisenson
reminds people they do not need to join a gym and use all the
latest exercise equipment to get their exercise.
"Regular
lifestyle activities are fine, including walking or doing chores
around the house. Becoming more physically active is beneficial
at whatever level. More might be better, but some is certainly
a lot better than none," he says.
Always
consult your physician for more information.
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According
to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), about
40 percent of weight loss advertisements are misleading and 55
percent of them contain at least one unproven statement.
The
FTC studied 300 print ads and concluded that
many of them made dubious claims—especially regarding rapid
weight loss or the ability to lose weight without diet or exercise.
The FTC also cautioned consumers not to get sucked
in by "before-and-after" pictures, because they are rarely realistic.
Always
consult your physician for more information.
|
