26 March, 2015

Soon We Will be Able to Eat Healthier and Tastier Chocolates

Cocoa solids are one of the richest sources of polyphenol antioxidants. Cocoa undergoes several steps before it takes shape as a chocolate bar. The process involves roasting, which brings out the flavor. But some of the healthful polyphenols are lost during the roasting process. With an aim to retain as much of the polyphenols and good flavors as possible, scientists are now working on making chocolate treats more nutritious.

Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Ph.D., at the University of Ghana said, "We decided to add a pod-storage step before the beans were even fermented to see whether that would have an effect on the polyphenol content." 

The research team divided 300 pods into four groups that were either not stored at all or stored for three, seven or 10 days before processing. This technique is called 'pulp preconditioning'. After the storage period passed, fermentation and drying were done as usual. Researchers found that the seven-day storage resulted in the highest antioxidant activity after roasting.

The researchers also studied the effects of roasting at the same temperature for different times. The current process involves roasting the beans for 10-20 minutes at 248-266 degrees Fahrenheit. The research team adjusted this to 45 minutes at 242 degrees Fahrenheit and discovered that this slower roasting at a lower temperature increased the antioxidant activity compared to beans roasted with the conventional method. 

"In addition, the beans that were stored and then roasted for 45 minutes had more polyphenols and higher antioxidant activity than beans whose pods were not stored prior to fermentation. The pulp preconditioning likely allowed the sweet pulp surrounding the beans inside the pod to alter the biochemical and physical constituents of the beans before the fermentation, which aided the fermentation processes and enhanced antioxidant capacity of the beans, as well as the flavor," said Afoakwa. 

The research will be presented at the 249th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Source: www.medindia.net

26.03.2015

'Fats' may be Used in the War Against Type 2 Diabetes

Dr. Alan Saghatelian, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies with Barbara Kahn, conducted the research and found a new class of potentially therapeutic lipids, called fatty-acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs), found in people with insulin resistance. The FAHFAs when administered to diabetic mice improved their glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, and opened an avenue for the development of novel medications for the disease. 

Kahn's team at Beth Israel Medical Deaconess Center found that they could create obese mice that were unusually sensitive to insulin and suspected that the lipids found in them were behind it. The research on these newly discovered fats could lead to a diabetes therapy. 

Using the mass spectrometry technique, researchers identified a total of 16 different types of FAHFAs in the mice. 

The lipids were fed to insulin- resistant mice and it was observed that there had been an improvement in inflammation, insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake. 

The researchers also measured FAHFA levels in the blood samples from human subjects, and found lower levels of these compounds in those with insulin resistance. 

Saghatelian said that they would be able to come up with better therapies to treat the disease with fewer side effects and that would be effective to a large number of people. 

The research would be described recently at the 249th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Source: www.medindia.net

26.03.2015

Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do

Oprah Winfrey