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College Students Not Eating Enough Fruits And Vegetables: Study

August 20, 2011 by ·

College students get a failing grade when it comes to meeting their fruit and vegetable requirements, says a new study out of Oregon State University.

In a survey that studied the eating habits of 582 college students, researchers found that many of the students weren’t even getting one serving of fruits or vegetables a day. The recommended daily intake is five servings.

The study, announced August 17 and published online in The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, also found that both males and females surveyed were consuming more than 30 percent of their calories from fat. The American Dietetic Association recommends no more than 30 percent of calories come from fat over the course of a week. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Fitness, Research & Study ·

Could Eating Grapes Save You From Skin Cancer? Scientists Find Fruit Protects Against Premature Ageing

August 3, 2011 by ·

Grapes could protect against skin cancer and prevent premature ageing, research has revealed.

A study has shown that compounds found in the fruit protect cells from the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun – the  leading environmental cause of skin cancer.

UV rays increase the levels of reactive oxygen species – harmful molecules which damage the cells – in the skin.

Scientists from the University of Barcelona and the Spanish National Research Council have shown that substances called flavonoids extracted from grapes can prevent these from forming in cells exposed to UV rays. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Disease, Fruits & Vegetables, Health Care, Research & Study ·

Fields Of Watermelon Burst In China Farm Fiasco

May 18, 2011 by ·

Watermelons have been bursting by the score in eastern China after farmers gave them overdoses of growth chemicals during wet weather, creating what state media called fields of “land mines.”

About 20 farmers around Danyang city in Jiangsu province were affected, losing up to 115 acres (45 hectares) of melon, China Central Television said in an investigative report.

Prices over the past year prompted many farmers to jump into the watermelon market. All of those with exploding melons apparently were first-time users of the growth accelerator forchlorfenuron, though it has been widely available for some time, CCTV said.

Chinese regulations don’t forbid the drug, and it is allowed in the U.S. on kiwi fruit and grapes. But the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables ·

Mangoes Arrive In Markets As Season Begins

April 16, 2011 by ·

As the most sought-after seasonal fruit begins to make its appearance in the city, the Chennai Corporation is gearing up to curb the sale of mangoes ripened using chemicals.

According to its Health Officer P. Kuganantham, teams of health department officials have been sensitised and trained to identify and seize mangoes that have been ripened artificially. In the last few years, some fruit vendors were found selling mangoes ripened using calcium carbide.

The last few years have seen the Chennai Corporation conducting raids on godowns and storage points of fruits every summer. “We have been adopting the practice for the last four years. We seized over 150 tonnes of mangoes in a year and over 25 tonnes of calcium carbide kept in some of the godowns,” Dr. Kuganantham said.

Food inspectors, along with sanitary inspectors, will conduct raids at different points across the 10 zones of the Corporation, including the wholesale market in Koyambedu. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food, Fruits & Vegetables ·

Coaxing Nutrients From Food

April 6, 2011 by ·

The way you prepare your food can be just as important as what food you eat. Is there any point in eating broccoli, for example, if you cook the life out of its natural carcinogen killers? On the other hand, some foods, such as tomatoes, may offer more benefits when they’re cooked.

Fortunately, nutrition experts know a few tricks to help you get the most nutrients out of your food.

Eggs

The process: Scrambling your eggs activates avidin, a protein that binds to biotin and renders it useless, said registered dietitian Robert Wildman. “Biotin is an important B vitamin that helps with energy support,” he said.

The fix: Try poaching or boiling. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Fitness ·

Eat Fruits, Veggies And Look Sexy

March 12, 2011 by ·

Eating vegetables and fruits can make you look attractive, says a new study, which showed that a healthy diet is crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion.

In the study, researchers from the universities of Bristol and St. Andrews in the UK found that the colour of a person’s skin affects how healthy and therefore attractive they appear.

Using specialist computer software, a total of 54 Caucasian participants of both sexes were asked to manipulate the skin colour of male and female Caucasian faces to make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and brightness of the skin.

“We knew from our previous work that people who have more blood and more oxygen colour in their skins looked healthy, and so we decided to see what other colours affect health perceptions. This has given us some clues as to what other skin pigments may relate to a healthy appearance,” said Dr. Ian Stephen who is now at the University of Bristol. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Fitness, Research & Study ·

Fruits: The key To Good Health

March 5, 2011 by ·

Our grandmothers and mothers were onto something when they kept telling us to eat our fruits. Research through the years has proven that fruits are an important source of essential vitamins and minerals.

Dietician Namrata Mirchandani says that the thing to remember with fruits is their colour. Each colour is rich in a particular mineral or vitamin. Red fruits like apples, cherries and pomegranates are full of nutrients such as lycopene, vitamins A and C and folate. Orange and yellow fruits such as papayas, oranges and mangoes contain beta-carotene, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. Green fruits like green apples, grapes, avocados have an abundance of chlorophyll, fibre, calcium, folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

“For those who do not particularly enjoy biting into a fruit, you can have fruit juices, fruit smoothies or an extra helping of brightly-coloured vegetables. In the latter case you must be sure of eating enough vegetables to make up for the fruits. Also good are dried fruits such as raisins, dried apricots and berries,” she says. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beverage, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Fitness ·