Bran should not be eaten by people with irritable bowel syndrome

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in The Lancet Volume 344, Issue 8914, Pages 39 - 40, 2 July 1994 and a recipe for braised oxtail with star anise.

Study title and authors:
Bran and irritable bowel syndrome: time for reappraisal
C.Y Francis MRCP , P.J Whorwell FRCP
Department of Medicine, Research and Teaching Bullding, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester M20 8LR, UK

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(94)91055-3/abstract

Books:

The author had noted that whilst following up large numbers of patients with irritable bowel syndrome they got the impression that wholemeal wheat and bran products made people with the condition worse rather than better.

 
In the study Francis examined 100 people with irritable bowel syndrome to find out the effects of bran.
 
The study found:
(a) 55% of patients were made worse by bran whereas only 10% had found it helpful.
(b) Consumption of fruit made the condition worse.
(c) All symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome were exacerbated by bran, with bowel disturbance most often adversely affected, followed by abdominal distension and pain.
 
To conclude: Bran should not be eaten by people with irritable bowel syndrome and excessive consumption of bran may actually be creating patients with irritable bowel syndrome by exacerbating mild, non-complaining cases.
 
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Recipe of the day

Braised Oxtail with Star Anise

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Oxtail

2kg/4lb 8oz oxtail pieces

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

45ml/3tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 x 5cm/2inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1.4L/2½pint good, hot beef stock

4 whole star anise

Small bunch fresh thyme sprigs

Extra fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

Method:

1.Place the oxtail in a large bowl and season.

2.Heat the oil a large non–stick frying pan,and cook the oxtail pieces in batches for 3-4 minutes until brown. Transfer to a 2.8L/5pint ovenproof casserole dish.

3.In the same frying pan add extra oil if required and cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes over a moderate heat until soft, but not coloured and transfer to the casserole dish. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook in the oven at Gas mark 3, 170°C, 325°F or on the hob for 3½hours.

4.Garnish with the fresh thyme leaves.

 

Excess fruit juice and low fat diets are associated with failure to thrive in infants

Published in PEDIATRICS Vol. 93 No. 3 March 1994, pp. 438-443

Excess Fruit Juice Consumption as a Contributing Factor in Nonorganic Failure to Thrive
Melanie M. Smith MNS, RD1, Fima Lifshitz MD1
1 Department of Pediatrics, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

This study can be accessed at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/3/438

The objective of the study was to determine whether excessive consumption of fruit juice is a contributing factor in failure to thrive in early childhood. Eight patients, aged 14 to 27 months, referred for failure to thrive were evaluated.

The study found that:
(a)  In each case, deterioration of weight and growth progression coincided with excessive juice consumption.
(b) All children were underweight which ranged from 11% to 25%.
(c) Fruit juice, primarily apple juice, contributed 25% to 60% of daily energy intake.
(d) Dietary protein, fat, and micronutrient intakes were inadequate.

Smith concluded that excess fruit juice consumption may present a contributing factor in failure to thrive in infants.

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Recipe of the day

Egg and Capsicum Salad

Ingredients:
2 boiled eggs, diced
2 bacon eyes, diced
1tbs oil
½ green capsicum, diced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1tbs mayonnaise

Instructions
Place oil and bacon in a frying pan on medium heat and cook until bacon has started to crisp. Remove excess oil and place bacon into a mixing bowl along with boiled eggs, capsicum, parsley and mayonnaise. Combine well.

To serve, place salad leaves on a plate and top with egg and capsicum mixture.

High fructose intake is associated with an increased risk of gout in men

Published in the BMJ. 2008 Feb 9;336(7639):309-12. Epub 2008 Jan 31.

Soft drinks, fructose consumption, and the risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study.
Choi HK, Curhan G.
Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L7, Canada.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18244959

The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between intake of sugar sweetened soft drinks and fructose and the risk of gout in men. The study included 46,393 men with no history of gout with 12 years of follow up.

The study revealed that:
(a)  Compared with consumption of less than one serving of sugar sweetened soft drinks a month the risk of gout for 5-6 servings a week increase by 29%.
(b) Compared with consumption of less than one serving of sugar sweetened soft drinks a month the risk of gout for one serving a day increased by 45%
(c) Compared with consumption of less than one serving of sugar sweetened soft drinks a month the risk of gout for 2 or more servings a day increased by 85%.
(d) Compared with consumption of those with the lowest fructose intake, the risk of gout for those with the highest intake of fructose increased by 102%
(e) Other major contributors to fructose intake such as total fruit juice or fructose rich fruits (apples and oranges) were also associated with a higher risk of gout.

AMAZON UK Living With Dietary Fructose Intolerance: A Guide to Managing Your Life With This New Diagnosis
AMAZON USA Living With Dietary Fructose Intolerance: A Guide to Managing your Life With this New Diagnosis

High fructose intake is associated with an increased risk of gout in women

Published in JAMA. 2010;304(20):2270-2278

Fructose-Rich Beverages and Risk of Gout in WomenHyon K. Choi, MD, DrPH; Walter Willett, MD, DrPH; Gary Curhan, MD, ScD

Authors Affiliations: Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Boston University School of Medicine (Dr Choi), Channing Laboratory (Drs Choi, Willett, and Curhan), Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health (Drs Willett and Curhan), and Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (Dr Curhan), Boston, Massachusetts.

This study can be accessed at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/304/20/2270.abstract
 
The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between intake of fructose-rich beverages and fructose and the risk of gout among women. study spanning 22 years (1984-2006), Data was analyzed from 78,906 women spanning 22 years with no history of gout.
 
The study found:
(a) Compared with consumption of less than 1 serving per month of sugar-sweetened soda, the risk of gout for 1 serving per day increased by 74%.
(b) Compared with consumption of less than 1 serving per month of sugar-sweetened soda, the risk of gout for 2 or more servings per day increased by 139%.
(c) Compared with consumption of less than 1 serving per month of orange juice, the risk of gout for 1 serving per day increased by 41%.
(d) Compared with consumption of less than 1 serving per month of orange juice, the risk of gout for 2 or more servings per day increased by 142%.
(e) Compared with the lowest consumption of fructose intake, the risk of gout for those with the highest intake increased by 62%.

AMAZON UK The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick
AMAZON USA The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick

Carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Z Ernahrungswiss 1982 Dec;21(4):257-65 and a recipe for albondigas soup.

Study title and author:
Carnitine in human nutrition.
Bach AC.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6758382

The human body needs carnitine to be able to utilize long-chain fatty acids for energy production.
                                                                                                                                          Books:

Bach states that: "A diet rich in meat supplies a lot of carnitine, while vegetables, fruits, and grains furnish relatively little". He also notes "that the diet of the adult human need not necessarily furnish carnitine..... if it is sufficiently rich in lysine and methionine" (found in eggs and fish), and that "carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance".

For mothers with new born he advises: "dietary carnitine is more important during the neonatal period. The transition from fetal to extrauterine life is accompanied by an increased role of lipids in meeting energy needs. This change is accompanied by a rise in the body of the levels of carnitine, which is mainly supplied in the maternal milk".

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Recipe of the day

Albondigas Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup of ground almond
1 pound ground beef                                                                                    Food Mall: Ground Beef

1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A dash of cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mixground almond into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Vegetarians at increased risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and the blockage of blood vessels to other parts of the body

This post includes a summary of a study published in Thrombosis and Haemostasis 1999 Jun;81(6):913-7 and a recipe for simple roast duck.

Study title and authors:
Vegetarians and cardiovascular risk factors: hemostasis, inflammatory markers and plasma homocysteine.
Mezzano D, Muñoz X, Martínez C, Cuevas A, Panes O, Aranda E, Guasch V, Strobel P, Muñoz B, Rodríguez S, Pereira J, Leighton F.
Department of Hematology-Oncology and Nutrition, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile. dmezzano@med.puc.cl

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10404767

Books:

Vegetarians were found to have increased platelet function and increased homocysteine levels.

Increased platelet function is where the number of platelets is too high, blood clots can form (thrombosis), which may obstruct blood vessels and result in such events as a stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or the blockage of blood vessels to other parts of the body, such as the extremities of the arms or legs.

Increased homocysteine can cause kidney disease and macroangiopathy which is where fat and blood clots build up in the large blood vessels, stick to the vessel walls, and block the flow of blood. There are 3 types of macroangiopathy: coronary artery disease (in the heart), cerebrovascular disease (in the brain), and peripheral vascular disease (affecting, for example, vessels in the legs).

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Recipe of the day

Simple Roast Duck

Ingredients:
5lb duck
 
Instructions:
Directions:

Food Mall: Whole Duck

1.You want the skin of the duck to be dry when you start, so the day before roasting the duck, remove it from any packaging so that the skin can air-dry.

2.You also need to remove the innards from the duck if it still has them – often whole ducks are sold with the duck offal bagged up and pushed back into the cavity. Remove the offal and rinse out the cavity.

3.Preheat the oven to 150C (300F).

4.To prepare your duck start by pulling out any quills that have been left behind.

5.Next, score the skin of the breast with a diamond pattern, using a sharp knife and cutting through the skin and fat but not the meat. See the Hungry Mouse website for images of this.

6.The next step is to pierce the skin in between the slits with the point of a sharp knife, piercing through the skin but not hitting the meat. This is not easy and I took a fairly wild approach in the end, randomly stabbing several times in each little diamond of skin. Focus particular effort in the join round the legs where the skin is fattier and the fat will collect and also over the drumstick which has had very little attention at this point.

7.Stand a rack into a deep roasting tray and stand the duck on top. Using a piece of kitchen paper wipe any excess moisture off the skin and rub some salt over the skin.

8.Place the duck into the oven and leave for an hour.

9.After 1 hour remove the duck from the oven briefly. Take a sharp knife and re-pierce the skin round the leg join and also anywhere else where you can see that liquid fat is building up under the skin. If in doubt, give the duck a good gentle piercing all over the skin again – it will be easier to do now that the skin surface has had some hot air on it for a while. If the skin looks particularly soft anywhere this will also be a sign that there is some fat collecting under the skin.

10.If you are roasting a whole duck, flip it over onto its breast/back (whichever it wasn’t resting on before) so that the meat juices keep the meat moist under the skin by moving around. If you are only roasting a half duck then there’s no need to flip the duck and expose the centre of the carcass.

11.Return the duck to the oven for another hour.

12.After the second hour, remove the duck from the oven and repeat steps 9-11.

13.Continue this process up to 4 times. 2 hours was sufficient for my 1kg half duck, 4 hours is OK for a larger duck (say, about 2.5kg). I would suggest that you cook a duck that is over 1kg but less than 1.5kg for 2.5 hours, 1.5-2kg ducks for 3-3.5 hours and 2-2.5kg ducks for 3.5-4 hours. The reality is that you don’t need to be precise here, as long as your duck meat is cooked through. If you want to be certain about that then, when you think you’re near the end of this cooking time, stick a sharp knife through to deeply pierce the meat at a thick point (eg. middle of the breast and/or fattest bit of the drumstick), press the meat beside the cut using the flat side of the knife. If clear fluids come out the bird is cooked. If any blood comes out then you need to cook it a little longer.

14.To finish off, ensure the bird is breast side up again (that’s the usual way up that you expect to see a roast chicken or turkey), place back in the oven, increase the temperature to 225C (450F) and blast the bird for a final 15 mins. This should ensure you get any final non-crispy spots on the skin and achieve some crunch.

15.Place the bird on a plate and leave in a warm place for 10 mins to rest before you carve it. This helps the meat stay more moist.

Simple Roast Duck



The importence of animal protein for human health

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002 Dec;56(12):16 p following 1262 and a recipe for lamb steaks.

Study title and author:

Books:

A brief review of the archaeological evidence for Palaeolithic and Neolithic subsistence.

Richards MP.

Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK. m.p.richards@bradford.ac.uk

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12494313?dopt=AbstractPlus&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
 
Evidence of past diets from Neanderthals and a number of modern Palaeolithic and Mesolithic humans indicates the importance of animal protein in diets.
 
There is a significant change in the archaeological record associated with the introduction of agriculture worldwide, and an associated general decline in health.

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Recipe of the day

Lamb Steaks

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Boneless Lamb Leg

6-8 boneless lamb leg or shoulder steaks

Salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 large sprigs freshly chopped rosemary
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
60ml/4tbsp elderflower cordial

Method:
1.In a shallow dish mix the seasoning, rosemary, oil and elderflower together. Add the lamb, coat on both sides with the mixture, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2.Cook the steaks under a preheated grill or on a prepared barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side or until any meat juices run clear.



Lectins in foods such as grains, beans and some fruit & vegetables are detrimental to health

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in Toxicon Volume 44, Issue 4, 15 September 2004, Pages 385-403 and a recipe for smoked salmon casserole.

Study title and authors:
Antinutritional properties of plant lectins

Ilka M. Vasconcelos, and José Tadeu A. Oliveira

Books:

Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Caixa Postal 6020, Campus do Pici, CEP 60451-970, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TCS-4CHRWG0-4&_user=10&_coverDate=09%2F15%2F2004&_rdoc=6&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_origin=browse&_zone=rslt_list_item&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235178%232004%23999559995%23513799%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5178&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=11&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fe486d9cf5a06dd32f88816e9c0df823&searchtype=a

This paper examined the relationship between lectins and health.

Vasconcelos found that:
(a) Lectins damage the cells of the gastrointestinal tract and interfere with nutrient digestion and absorption.
(b) Lectins alter the bacterial flora in the digestive tract and damage the immune system.
(c) Lectins promote disease in key internal organs and tissues.
(d) Lectins disrupt the hormones.
(e) At high intakes, lectins can seriously threaten growth and health.

To conclude: Lectins which are mainly found in grains, but also in beans and some fruit & vegetables are detrimental to health.

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Recipe of the day

Smoked Salmon Casserole

Ingredeients:

4 ½ cups small cauliflower florets

Food Mall: Smoked Salmon

1 cup asparagus, finely diced

4 oz smoked salmon, finely diced
10 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
1/3 cup chives, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely diced
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350. Steam the cauliflower for 4-6 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are tender but not mushy. While the cauliflower is steaming, dice the asparagus. Spread the steamed cauliflower on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish. Layer on the diced asparagus. Next layer on the smoked salmon. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, dill, chives and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the veggies and salmon and back in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole is done all the way through. Cut into squares and serve.