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New ARS Food & Nutrition Research Briefs Posted on Web
By Marcia WoodJuly 21, 2006
Recent discoveries about foods and our health are described in the newest edition of the Agricultural Research Service's Food & Nutrition Research Briefs. The informative, easy-to-read newsletter is available at:
Highlighted in this issue are agency studies in which scientists report that:
- Thomcord seedless grape combines the best traits of two favorites, Thompson Seedless and Concord.
- Young African-Americans tested low in vitamin D in a 14-city survey.
- Choline--found in eggs, peanuts, dairy products, bacon and other familiar foods--helps halt the homocysteine buildup associated with higher risk of heart attack, dementia, stroke and cancer.
- Female volunteers who ate a high proportion of "high-glycemic-index" foods over a 10-year period were more than twice as likely to develop an early indicator of age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss in America.
- Consuming less than the recommended level of zinc may interfere with the activity of a zinc-dependent enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, making the heart need to work harder during exercise.
To receive this free newsletter as an e-mail, or to receive an e-mail alerting you that a new issue has been posted on the World Wide Web, visit the ARS Food & Nutrition Briefssubscription page.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
