Dietary phytates and tannins may lead to iron deficiency

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in the American Journal of Public Health 1998 Apr;88(4):576-80 and a recipe for grilled steaks.

Study title and authors:
Deficient dietary iron intakes among women and children in Russia: evidence from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey.

Books:

Kohlmeier L, Mendez M, Shalnova S, Martinchik A, Chakraborty H, Kohlmeier M.

Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7400, USA.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9550997

The study of 10,548 women and children evaluated the iron sufficiency of the Russian diet.

The study found:
(a)  Dietary iron intakes were deficient in the most vulnerable groups: young children and women of reproductive age.
(b) Poverty status was strongly associated with deficiency.
(c) Grain products rich in phytates, (which inhibit iron absorption), were the major food source of iron in Russia.
(d) High intakes of tea rich in tannins, also inhibited iron bioavailability.

To conclude: The dietary data suggests that Russian women and children are at high risk of iron deficiency. Since changes in eating behavior could potentially double iron bioavailability, (consuming less grain and less tea), educational programs should be explored as a strategy for improving iron nutriture.

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Recipe of the day

Easy Grilled Steaks

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Rib-Eye Steak

Rib-Eye Steak

Instructions:
As many steaks as you will need to feed your family, bring to room temperature, sprinkle each side with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and grill over medium high heat. We like our steak rare to medium rare so for thinner cuts of meat it only takes about 5 min. per side on the grill. Let your meat rest for at least 10-15 minutes before you slice into it so that you do not lose all those precious juices.

Grilled Steaks

Glycine is a promising treatment for inflammatory diseases

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care 2003 Mar;6(2):229-40 and a recipe for bone broth.

Study title and authors:
L-Glycine: a novel antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective agent.

Zhong Z, Wheeler MD, Li X, Froh M, Schemmer P, Yin M, Bunzendaul H, Bradford B, Lemasters JJ.

Books:

Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Pharmacology, Surgery and Environmental Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7090, USA. zzhong@med.unc.edu

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12589194

This paper reviewed the beneficial effects of glycine in different diseases.

Zhong found that:
(a) Glycine protects against shock caused by hemorrhage, bacterial infection and blood poisoning.
(b) Glycine prevents ischemia/reperfusion injuries in tissues and organs including liver, kidney, heart, intestine and skeletal muscle. This refers to tissue damage caused when blood supply returns to the tissue after a period of diminished supply.
(c) Glycine diminishes liver and kidney injury caused by liver and kidney toxicants and drugs.
(d) Glycine offers protection from arthritis and ulcers.
(e) Glycine is antiinflammatory, helps to regulate the immune system and protects the cells from noxious chemicals.

The richest dietary source of glycine is from gelatin. See here. Gelatin can be obtained easily from a bone broth. See here for details.

To conclude: Multiple protective effects make glycine a promising treatment strategy for inflammatory diseases.

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Recipe of the day

Basic Bone Broth

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Marrow Bones

* Depending upon your preference, take the carcass of a chicken or go out and buy the MARROW BONES and Knuckle Bones of Beef from the butcher. Everything MUST be Organic, Free Range, No Hormones, etc.

Instructions:
* Put them in a large stew pot or crock pot with water to cover at least 2 inches over the top of the contents.

* Bring to a boil.

* Turn down to simmer and leave it alone.

* Cook for 12 to 24 hours for Chicken Broth or 24-72 hours for Beef Bone Broth.

* Pull all of the large pieces out with a slotted spoon, then strain all through a fine mesh strainer, a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Discard the chunks, compost them or feed them to a pet.

* Refrigerate for several hours and skim off the fat when it is cool

*You can refrigerate the broth for several days or freeze for several months. Freeze the broth in ice cube trays then transfer to zip loc bag for ease of use.

* Season as desired and use to make soups and stews.

Bone Broth



Vegan diets may lead to malnutrition and growth retardation in infants

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Pediatrics 1982 Oct;70(4):582-6 and a recipe for slow cooked rabbit.

Study title and authors:
Totally vegetarian diets and infant nutrition.

Books:

Shinwell ED, Gorodischer R.

Department of Pediatrics "A," Soroka University Hospital, and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6812012

The paper reports on the harmful effects of a vegan diet in infants.

Shinwell found that:
(a) 25 infants from the vegan community who were seen at the hospital showed evidence of protein-calorie malnutrition, iron- and vitamin B12-deficient anemia, rickets, zinc deficiency, and multiple recurrent infections.
(b) Evidence of growth retardation was also found in 47 infants seen at the local mother-child health (well-baby) clinic.
(c) Samples of breast milk showed low levels of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
(d) The main constituent of the infants' diet after the age of 3 months (a "soya milk" prepared at the community's central kitchen) was extremely dilute with a very low calorific value.

To conclude: A vegan diet may lead to malnutrition and growth retardation in infants.

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Recipe of the day

Slow Cooked Rabbit

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Rabbit

• 2 whole rabbits, cut into serving pieces

• sea salt
• pepper
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 15 oz diced tomatoes
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 t rosemary
• 1/2 t thyme
• crushed red pepper
• 1 lb carrots
• 1 cup dry white wine

Instructions:
Brown rabbit pieces in large skillet. Salt and pepper the rabbit to taste. Place the rabbit in a crock pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over rabbit, stirring to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6- 8 hours.

Slow Cooked Rabbit

4 cups of coffee a day, or more is associated with an increased risk of bone fractures

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Osteoporosis International 2006;17(7):1055-64 and a recipe for sausage and mushroom stuffed boneless turkey breast.

Study title and authors:
Coffee, tea and caffeine consumption in relation to osteoporotic fracture risk in a cohort of Swedish women.

Hallström H, Wolk A, Glynn A, Michaëlsson K.

Books:

Department of Toxicology, National Food Administration, P. O. Box 622, 75126 Uppsala, Sweden. heha@slv.se

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16758142

The study examined the relationship of consumption of coffee and tea, and total intake of caffeine and osteoporotic fracture risk in 31,527 Swedish women aged 40-76 years over a 10 year duration.

Hallström found that:
(a) The women with the highest caffeine consumption (over 330 mg/day) had a 20% increased risk of fracture compared with those with the lowest caffeine consumption (less than 200 mg/day).
(b)  A high coffee consumption significantly increased the risk of fracture, whereas tea drinking was not associated with risk.
(c) The increased risk of fracture with both a high caffeine intake and coffee consumption was confined to women with a low calcium intake (less than 700 mg/day).

To conclude: The results of the study indicate that a daily intake of 330 mg of caffeine, equivalent to 4 cups (600 ml) of coffee, or more may be associated with a modestly increased risk of osteoporotic fractures, especially in women with a low intake of calcium.

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Recipe of the day

Sausage and Mushroom Stuffed Boneless Turkey Breast

Serves 4

Ingredient list:

Food Mall: Boneless Turkey Breast

Cooking string

1 boneless turkey breast
1 pound of Chorizo sausage
2 medium sweet-yellow onion
16 ounces of mushrooms
20 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth
1 Granny Smith apple
6-8 carrots
6-8 stalks of celery
Extra virgin olive oil
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt

In preparation:
Chop onion, mushrooms, and Granny Smith apple into bite-sized pieces. Remove Chorizo sausage from casing or divide into bite-sized chunks. Pull skin from a boneless turkey breast and butterfly it to make a wide, flat surface. Cover with plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat mallet to flatten. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Directions:
Add olive oil to a wok over medium heat. Add onions and stir fry a few minutes until onions begin to soften. Add mushrooms. Add salt, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and garlic powder to taste. Stir fry for 6-8 minutes until mushrooms begin to cook down. Add sausage and cook until it browns evenly. Add one Granny Smith apple. Mix all ingredients and let cook covered over low heat for a few minutes.

Lay turkey breast out on a flat surface. Add sausage, mushroom, and apple mix on top to a depth of about one inch and roll it up, creating a neat, even log. Rolling it up evenly is harder to do than to say, but keep trying until you’ve got it. Tie the roll with cook’s string to hold it together. I got my wife, a veterinary surgeon, to handle the tying and can’t imagine doing this job without help, but cooks on TV seem to do it alone easily without help.

Put a large roasting pan on the stove top over medium heat. Coat bottom with olive oil. Add turkey roll and brown all sides. When browned, add one chopped onion and all carrots and celery around turkey. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried thyme to taste. Add chicken broth. Create a tent of tin foil over the roasting pan. Roast in the oven covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for 20 more minutes.

Remove roasting pan from the oven. Transfer turkey to a large casserole dish, cover, and let rest for a few minutes. Add remaining sausage and mushroom mix to the carrots and celery in the roasting pan. Mix together. Remove string from the turkey roll-up and slice into medallions. Serve with carrots, celery, sausage, mushrooms, onions.

Sausage and Mushroom Stuffed Boneless Turkey Breast

Dietary fat has no bearing on cholesterol levels

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in the British Medical Journal 1963;1:571-576  2 March 1963 and a recipe for roast leg of lamb with spring onions and mint.

Study title and authors:
DIET AND PLASMA CHOLESTEROL IN 99 BANK MEN

Books:

J. N. MORRIS, D.Sc., F.R.C.P. JEAN W. MARR J. A. HEADY,. Ph.D.

Social Medicine Research Unit of the Medical Research Council, London Hospital
G. L. MILLS,* Ph.D. Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry, Middlesex Hospital. London
T. R. E. PILKINGTON,* M.D., M.R.C.P. Medical Unit, St. George's Hospital, London

This study can be accessed at: http://www.bmj.com/content/1/5330/571.full.pdf
 
The study investigated the relationship between dietary fat intake and cholesterol levels. The study included ninety-nine British bank men aged 40-55, whose individual diets were studied by the week's weighed method, showed a wide range in food intake and in casual plasma cholesterol. Total fat-consumption varied from 84 to 189 g. a day, that of animal fat from 55 to 173 g. a day. The cholesterol level varied from 154 to 324 mg./100 ml.
 
The study found there was no association between the amout of fat the men ate and their individual cholesterol levels.
 
To conclude: This study shows that dietary fat has no bearing on cholesterol levels.

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Recipe of the day

Roast Leg of Lamb with Spring Onions and Mint

Serves 8

Food Mall: Semi-Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) semi-boneless leg of lamb

6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch spring onions or 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
1 large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine or water
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Method:
Preheat oven to 475°F. Place lamb in a roasting pan fitted with a rack.

Put garlic, fennel seeds, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in a tablespoon of the oil. Rub mixture over lamb.

Roast lamb 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to

300°F and continue roasting until lamb reaches desired doneness, about 1 1/2 hours for medium. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.

While lamb rests, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and fennel and cook 2 minutes. Add wine, cover, and continue to cook until vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and stir in mint leaves. Carve lamb and serve slices with spring onion mixture.

Roast Leg of Lamb

Organically grown eggplants have more beneficial minerals and phenolic compounds than conventionally grown egglants

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2010 Jun 9;58(11):6833-40 and a recipe for Garlic Studded Pork Loin.

Study title and authors:
Effects of organic and conventional cultivation methods on composition of eggplant fruits.
Raigón MD, Rodríguez-Burruezo A, Prohens J.
Departamento de Química, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, CP 46022 Valencia, Spain.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20443597

Books:

The study examined the effects of organic and conventional cultivation methods on dry matter, protein, minerals, and total phenolic content over two successive years in eggplants.

In the first year organically produced eggplants had higher levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

In the second year, in which matched plots having a history of organic management were cultivated following organic or conventional fertilization practices, organically produced eggplants still had higher contents of potassium and magnesium as well as copper, than conventionally fertilized eggplants.

To conclude: The results show that organic management and fertilization have a positive effect on the accumulation of certain beneficial minerals and phenolic compounds in eggplants.

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Recipe of the day

Garlic Studded Pork Loin

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Pork Loin

1 3 lb pork loin

12 garlic cloves
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
5 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
4 small sweet potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions:
Using a knife cut about 1/2 inch slits into your pork loin about 1 – 2 inches apart. Stuff a garlic clove into each slit. Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper and rub the salt and pepper into the loin. In your pressure cooker, sear the loin in the coconut oil for 5 minutes on each side or until browned. If any garlic cloves fall out in the searing process just use tongs or a fork to put them back into place. Add the chicken stock to the pressure cooker, cover and bring to pressure. Cook for 15-18 minutes. Release the pressure and add the veggies to that pot. Cover and again, bring back to pressure and cook for another 8 minutes. Slice the pork loin and serve with the veggies. You can also make this in the slow cooker. Make sure you sear the loin before putting it in the slow cooker, add the veggies in with the meat and the chicken broth and cook all day on low for 7-8 hours.

Garlic Studded Pork Loin

The risk of methaemoglobinaemia, especially for children

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in Toxicology Letters 2011 Jan 15;200(1-2):107-8 and a recipe for quick steak.

Study title and author:
Vegetable-borne nitrate and nitrite and the risk of methaemoglobinaemia.
Chan TY.
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. tykchan@cuhk.edu.hk

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075182

Books:

Chan notes that high levels of nitrate in vegetables are frequently reported. Nitrates themselves are relatively nontoxic. However, when swallowed, they are converted to nitrites that can react with hemoglobin in the blood, creating methemoglobin. This methemoglobin cannot bind oxygen, which decreases the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen so less oxygen is transported from the lungs to the body tissues, thus causing a condition known as methemoglobinemia which is an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the blood, which can cause respiratory failure.

Chan found that:
(a) Infants under 3 months old are particularly susceptible to methaemoglobinaemia.
(b) Older infants and children are also at risk.
(c) Adults are not thought to be at risk of vegetable-borne nitrate or nitrite induced methaemoglobinaemia. This view should now change if the high nitrate levels in some vegetables and the effects of storage and food processing on its conversion to nitrite are taken into consideration.
(d) Measures should be taken to reduce the nitrate and nitrite in vegetables.
    (i)  Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers should be avoided so as to reduce nitrate build up in soil or vegetables.
    (ii) Removal of stem and midrib results in a decrease of nitrate content in lettuce and spinach.
    (iii) Peeling of potatoes and beetroot decreases the nitrate content.
    (iv) Nitrate levels in some vegetables can decrease after cooking in water or blanching.
(e) Home prepared infant food containing vegetables should be avoided until the infant is 3 months or older.

To conclude: Children, especially infants under 3 months old should avoid vegetables (and processed meats) because of the risk of methaemoglobinaemia. Adults should not be at risk of methaemoglobinaemia, however this view should now change if the high nitrate levels in some vegetables and the effects of storage and food processing on its conversion to nitrite are taken into consideration.
 
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Recipe of the day

Quick Steak

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Food Mall: T-Bone Steak

1 1/2-2 lbs ribeye or T-bone steak

1-2 tablespoons cracked pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Sprinkle steaks with pepper and press in.

Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet.

Saute steaks a few minutes a side until desired doneness.

Quick Steak