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Bittersweet result for dark chocolate

17 Jul 2012

Studies show that polyphenol-rich dark chocolate has health benefits for overweight females

UK scientists have clinically proven that consuming polyphenol-rich dark chocolate has health benefits for overweight and obese females, whilst showing adverse effects for polyphenol-deficient chocolate.

Evidence already shows that polyphenol-rich dark chocolate can benefit blood pressure and glucose levels in healthy people, thanks to dark chocolate’s antioxidant properties. Fewer studies have examined the involvement of the endocrine system – glands that secrete hormones – in mediating the cardiometabolic health-effects of polyphenols, until now.

Suzana Almoosawi from Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, and the Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and her colleagues, applied these findings to a group of healthy women with a range of body mass indexes (BMIs). Obesity is often linked to numerous chronic diseases, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, so the team were keen to study the metabolic effects observed for different concentrations of polyphenols in dark chocolate, across a range of BMIs.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Link to journal article
Differential effect of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate on biomarkers of glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy, overweight and obese subjects: a randomized clinical trial
S Almoosawi et al
Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo30060e

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Food & Function receives its first partial impact factor

09 Jul 2012

Volume 1 Issue 1

For every new journal there are several important stages in its early life and development. Initially there is the journal announcement and the appointment of an Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors and Editorial Board members. Then the first Advance Articles appear online followed by the publication of the first issue of the journal.

The first issue of Food & Function was published in October 2010, with two more issues in November and December completing the first volume, a total of 28 articles. The next big step was the news, in 2011, that Food & Function had been accepted for indexing in both ISI and MEDLINE raising the visibility of research published in the Journal.

The next big event in the development of a journal comes after about two years; the first impact factor. Thomson Reuters announced the 2011 impact factors at the end of June 2012 and Food & Function received an impressive first partial impact factor of 1.179.

Why is it a partial impact factor? To explain, the impact factor provides an indication of the average number of citations per paper, calculated by dividing the number of citations in a year by the number of citeable articles published in the preceding two years. The number of citeable articles that the Food & Function 2011 impact factor is based on is only 28, from the three issues of Volume 1 published in October – December 2010.

Additionally, unlike the calculation of a full impact factor where articles have up to 3 years to be read and cited, these articles were published at the end of 2010 so had a much shorter time to be read by researchers and referenced in future work.

With increased visibility of the articles published in Food & Function the number of citations to the Journal is growing rapidly every week, a reflection of the high quality research being published in the Journal.

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Food & Function Issue 7 Now Online

29 Jun 2012

Food & Function issue 7 is now online; you can read it in full here. This issue contains an Editorial introducing the new editors in food structure and functionality. Tim Foster (Nottingham University, UK) joins Steven Feng Chen and Cesar Fraga as Associate Editor and Nissim Garti joins the Editorial Board. Read the editorial here and read Nissim Garti’s Review on lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) as delivery vehicles for cosmetoceuticals, nutraceuticals, and drugs, also contained in this issue, here.

The front cover features work form Michel Britten and co-workers in Quebec, Canada. In their study the team investigate the influence of the physical characteristics of cheeses (including cheddar and mozzarella) on digestion in an in-vitro model. The team relate the matrix degradation and fatty acid release of the cheese in relation to its matrix composition, rheological properties and microstructure.

Read the full article online here, free until 1^st August.

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Food & Function by signing up for free table of contents alerts and monthly e-newsletters.

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Food & Function appoints new Associate Editor

15 Jun 2012

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Tim Foster (University of Nottingham, UK) as Food & Function Associate Editor. We also welcome Nissim Garti (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) to the Editorial Board.

Dr Foster’s Editorial Office opened for submissions at the end of May and he joins Professor Steven Feng Chen and Professor Cesar Fraga who maintain the highest standards, so only the best research at the interface of the chemistry, physics and biology of food is published in Food & Function.

The appointment of Dr Foster and Professor Garti further strengthens the Editorial Board’s expertise in Food Structure and Functionality and you can now ensure that your Food Structure and Functionality papers will be handled by an expert in the field. Submit your article to Dr Foster online here!

Tim Foster

Dr Tim Foster is Associate Professor and Reader in Food Structure at the University of Nottingham, UK in the Division of Food Sciences of the School of Biosciences, he joined Nottingham after over 15 years in Unilever’s R&D organisation. His research interests include microstructure design through an understanding of the interplay between ingredients and process, and the subsequent deconstruction/reconstruction in the GI tract. Such understanding allows a description of bioaccessibility of micro- and macro-nutrients and ultimately provides design rules for foods of the future for maximum functionality. Since joining the University of Nottingham in 2007 Tim has received the IChemE Award for Innovation and Excellence in Food and Drink in 2009 and, in collaboration with Loughborough University has developed food structures for controlling body hydration. He has over 70 publications in peer reviewed journals, conference proceedings, book chapters and patents.

Professor Nissim Garti is full professor of Chemistry at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is incumbent of the Ratner Chair of Chemistry. He has published over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts, written 80 review chapters, edited 6 books, and holds 90 patents. Garti is member of the scientific boards of several scientific journals, and has received national and international awards, including the AOCS Chang Award, the Rockefeller Award, the IFT Award (2008), and Life Time Achievement Award (2009). Recently Garti’s second (modified LLCs) invention was included in the Hall of Fame of The Hebrew University. The Food Society of Israel awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Professor Garti has already shown his support of the Journal through his recently published review on lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) as delivery vehicles which you can read here.

Nissim Garti

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Food & Function by signing up for free table of contents alerts and monthly e-newsletters.

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12th International Nutrition & Diagnostics Conference 2012 – INDC 2012

08 Jun 2012

The International Nutrition & Diagnostics Conference 2012 will be held between the 27-30th August at the Carolinium, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

INDC is an international forum for scientific discussion focused on understanding the relationship and connections between nutrition and clinical diagnostics.

The aim of this multidisciplinary conference is to bridge the gaps between the specialists and fields of science as diverse as nutrition, clinical biochemistry, food technology, analytical chemistry and medicine. The mission of the INDC is to increase our understanding of the effects of common food on long term health, performance, mental and physical fitness.

To achieve this goal, we need to gain insight into bioactive compounds in food, how they are absorbed and metabolized in the body, taking into account the genetic and metabolic uniqueness of individuals. This requires very sensitive analytical methods to determine what we really eat. The same instrumentation can be used to control quality and content of food and to analyze metabolites and nutritional biomarkers.

The deadline for early registration has been extended to the 30th June 2012. Register for INDC 2012 now!

Call for Posters

Posters are an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to present and demonstrate their late-breaking results, ongoing research, and work in progress.

Posters are intended for authors and participants to engage in discussions about their work, and to obtain feedback from their peers in an informal setting.

The deadline for poster presentations has been extended to the 30th June 2012.

For further information about this conference, please visit the website.

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Food & Function Issue 6 now online

31 May 2012

Issue 6 of Food & Function is now online. The front cover highlights a review article from Siv K Bøhn and co-workers from The University of Western Australia including Food & Function Editorial Board member Kevin Croft.

Their article ‘Effects of tea and coffee on cardiovascular disease risk’ examines the mechanisms by which tea and coffee and the polyphenols contained within affect, positively and negatively the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. You can read the full article online here, free for 6 weeks!

Read Food & Function issue 6 online here.

You can keep up to date with the latest developments from Food & Function by signing up for free table of contents alerts and monthly e-newsletters.

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Tropical fruit to tackle obesity

29 May 2012

Mango peel is better than the flesh at inhibiting adipogenesis (the development of fat cells)

Researchers in Australia have found that chemicals in the peel, but not the flesh, of certain mango varieties prevent the formation of fat cells.

Obesity is a global issue linked with many complex health problems including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Fatty (adipose) tissue is produced in the body by increases in the number of fat cells (adipocytes) and increased lipid content in those cells. Adipocytes develop via adipogenesis, a process involving the development of pre-adipocyte cells and lipid accumulation. By disrupting this process, it is possible to reduce fat accumulation in the body.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Link to journal article
Mango Fruit Peel and Flesh Extracts Affect Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Cells
Meng-Wong Taing, Jean-Thomas Pierson, Van L.T. Hoang, Paul N Shaw, Ralf G Dietzgen, Michael Gidley, Sarah J Roberts-Thomson and Gregory R Monteith
Food Funct., 2012, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO30073G, Paper

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Food & Function Blog

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Top ten most accessed articles in June

Bittersweet result for dark chocolate

Food & Function receives its first partial impact factor

Food & Function Issue 7 Now Online

Top ten most accessed articles in May

Food & Function appoints new Associate Editor

12th International Nutrition & Diagnostics Conference 2012 – INDC 2012

Food & Function Issue 6 now online

Tropical fruit to tackle obesity

Top ten most accessed articles in April

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