Current Issue : October - December Volume : 2014 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 6 Articles
A balanced and varied diet is the best source of essential vitamins and minerals; however, nutrient deficiencies\noccur, including in populations with bountiful food supplies and the means to procure nutrient-rich foods. For\nexample, the typical American diet bears little resemblance to what experts recommend for fruit, vegetables, and\nwhole grains, which serve as important sources of an array of vitamins and minerals. With time, deficiencies in one\nor more micronutrients may lead to serious health issues. A common reason people take multivitamin and mineral\n(MVM) supplements is to maintain or improve health, but research examining the effectiveness of MVMs in the\nprevention of certain chronic conditions is ongoing. In addition to the utility of MVMs for filling in relatively small\nbut critical nutritional gaps, which may help prevent conditions such as anemia, neural tube defects, and osteoporosis,\nsome evidence supports possible benefits of MVM supplementation with regard to cancer prevention (particularly in\nmen) and prevention or delay of cataract, as well as some aspects of cognitive performance. Unlike some singlevitamin\nsupplements, MVM supplements are generally well tolerated and do not appear to increase the risk of\nmortality, cerebrovascular disease, or heart failure. The potential benefits of MVM supplements likely outweigh any risk\nin the general population and may be particularly beneficial for older people....
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major health problems all over the world. Various functional foods are being incorporated for health promotion and disease prevention. Flax seed due to its alpha-linolenic acid content have a significant cardioprotective efficacy. Oranges due to its antioxidant content possess a disease preventive role. In the present study, food add-ons incorporating flax seeds and orange juice were prepared to develop heart healthy low fat recipes. Three appetizers, starters and precooked foods each were made. One of the best for each was selected using ranking test. The best recipes selected were vegetable soup as appetizer, bhelpuri chat as starter and vermicelli as precooked food. Four variants of standard recipe having variations in amounts of flax seed and orange juice and flax seed soaking time were made for each of the three recipes. They were analyzed for overall acceptability and specific sensory attributes through 9 point hedonic test and 5 point composite rating scale. The best variant for each category was selected and then the best from selected appetizer, starter and precooked was made. The best recipe was the variant IV for vegetable soup having 15 g flax seeds, 12 hours soaking time and 50 ml orange juice. The best recipe for bhelpuri chat and vermicelli were variant II having 10 g flax seeds, 8 hours soaking time and 30 ml orange juice. Precooked vermicelli was the best of the three recipes....
Maslinic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene found in a variety of natural sources,\nranging from herbal remedies used in traditional Asian medicine to edible vegetables and\nfruits present in the Mediterranean diet. In recent years, several studies have proved that\nmaslinic acid exerts a wide range of biological activities, i.e. antitumor, antidiabetic,\nantioxidant, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antiparasitic and growth-stimulating.\nExperimental models used for the assessment of maslinic acid effects include established\ncell lines, which have been often used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action,\nand also animal models of different disorders, which have confirmed the effects of the\ntriterpene in vivo. Overall, and supported by the lack of adverse effects in mice, the results\nprovide evidence of the potential of maslinic acid as a nutraceutical, not only for health\npromotion, but also as a therapeutic adjuvant in the treatment of several disorders....
Moringa oleifera is amultipurpose plant used in Ghana and most parts of Africa. Its high mineral, protein, and vitamins content has\nenabled its use as a nutraceutical and panacea for various diseases. This study aimed at measuring the micro- and macroelements\ncontent of dried Moringa oleifera leaves using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic (EDXRF) and assessing its\ntoxicological effect in rats. Acute toxicity (5000mg/kg) and a subacute toxicity studies of the leaf (40mg/kg to 1000mg/kg) extract\nwere conducted in rats. Blood samples were assessed for biochemical and haematological parameters. Results showed significant\nlevels of thirty-five (35) elements (14 macroelements and 21 microelements) in M. oleifera extract. There were no observed overt\nadverse reactions in the acute and subacute studies. Although there were observed elevations in liver enzymes ALT and ALP\n(???? < 0.001) and lower creatinine levels in the extract treated groups, no adverse histopathological findings were found. Moringa\noleifera dried leaf extract may, therefore, be reasonably safe for consumption. However, the consumption of Moringa oleifera leaves\nshould not exceed a maximum of 70 grams per day to prevent cumulative toxicity of these essential elements over long periods....
Garlic (Allium sativum) has been prescribed as a folk medicine from the time of ancient Greeks. The European scientific cooperative on phototherapy recommends garlic to prevent atherosclerosis, treat elevated blood lipids, improve circulation in patients with peripheral arterial vascular disease and treat upper respiratory tract infections. Garlic is recommended primarily for its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure in the attempts to reduce the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. There are also studies showing immunostimulatory function of garlic extracts. In this article we had tried to review the effect of garlic on growth performance, carcass parameters, cholesterol level, organoleptic characters and cost economics of broiler chicken....
Rice bran, a by-product of milled rice, has been used in a limited manner for a long time but in the recent years, consumption of RBO has picked up due to its health benefits attributed to its unsaponifiable constituents. Such health enhancing and therapeutic actions are due to its antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic properties along with its effect on lipid metabolism and immune function. RBO contains many bioactive phytochemicals which compromise its less than five percent unsaponifiable fraction. RBO, post refining, is having attractive color, mild flavor and high smoking point, which make it suitable for use in diverse cooking methods. RBO contains various antioxidants such as gamma-oryzanol, tocotrienols, tocopherol and squalene. Vitamin E and oryzanol have antioxidant effects. Oxidation of linoleic acid and cholesterol is even much inhibited by oryzanol than that from vitamin E, the established antioxidant. Thus, over the years, sagacity and scientific endeavour have succeeded in extracting a nutritional nugget named RBO, from a hitherto regarded waste byproduct formed during rice shelling....
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