Tea, Coffee and Cardiovascular Disease

C2FO10288AIn this review article from Food & Function Editorial Board member Kevin Croft and co-workers from the University of Western Australia the effects of tea and coffee on cardiovascular risk is reviewed. 

Tea and coffee have been associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) both positively and negatively. Although tea has generally been associated with neutral or beneficial effects on CVD controversy still exists regarding the effects of coffee. 

This review article highlights the potential mechanisms by which tea and coffee phytochemicals can exert effects for CVD protection, and potential mechanisms affecting intermediate CVD risk factors are highlighted.  Read the full article for free until 21st May! 

Effects of tea and coffee on cardiovascular disease risk
Siv K Bøhn, Natalie C Ward, Jonathan M Hodgson and Kevin D Croft
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10288A

Interested in tea and coffee? Food & Function is publishing a themed issue of research presented at the 1st International Congress of Cocoa Coffee and Tea, the issue is Guest Edited by Vincenzo Fogliano and Marco Arlorio and is due to be published lated in 2012.

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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RSC US Roadshows 2012 – Week 1: California

As week 1 of the RSC US Raodshows 2012 begins, look out for Food & Function Managing Editor Sarah Ruthven who will be visiting universities in California this week.

Starting on the 16th April, RSC Publishing will be touring the United States of America to share more than 170 years experience of publishing in the chemical sciences. Sixteen universities across the country will be hosting these one-day events, which are open to all members of the hosting institute.

Week 1 sees RSC Publishing visit four universities in California:

  • 16th AprilUniversity of California Irvine
  • 17th AprilUniversity of California Los Angeles
  • 18th AprilUniversity of California Santa Barbara
  • 20th AprilUniversity of California Berkeley

Click here to find out more…

Keep up to date with the RSC US roadshow by following the Royal Society of Chemistry on Facebook, or look out for #RSC2012 on Twitter!

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Defining dietary sugars: how much should we be eating?

Carbohydrates such as sugars, starches and fibers are an important part of a healthy diet. However, government and health organizations around the world have differing guidelines for the intake and type of sugars, which are often generalised and vague. This can cause confusion for nutrition practitioners, especially in relation to “added sugar”. Consuming excess calories ultimately leads to weight gain as the calories are turned into fat by the body, therefore guidelines to asssit nutritionists may help control obesity and its related conditions.

Scientists from the US have now reviewed the health concerns about dietary sugars, and have compiled dietary guidelines for sugars issued by various organizations. In their review, Joanne Slavin and co-workers point out a need for consistent terminology and definitions in order to provide better guidance. They also note that nutrition professionals are often needed to guide the dietary choices of individuals and families, not large populations. Therefore it is important that practitioners consider factors such as health status, habits, calorific needs, and lifestyle in order to effectively translate population-based sugar guidance statements to individuals.

Click the link below to read the full review. It’s free to access for 6 weeks until the 6th May:

The confusing world of dietary sugars: definitions, intakes, food sources and international dietary recommendations, Jennifer Hess, Marie E. Latulippe, Keith Ayoob and Joanne Slavin, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo10250a

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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Registration for Soft Matter Approaches to Structured Foods: FD 158 – now open

Registration is now open for Soft Matter Approaches to Structured Foods: Faraday Discussion 158.

Food materials are unusual as soft matter. They are highly complex, operating on multiple length scales and phases and structured via multiple externally applied fields.

 To join a discussion with top experts in the field make sure you register now, and take advantage of the best prices:

  • Early bird discount – £50 saving on the standard fee
  • Member rate – available to RSC members
  • Student rate – available to undergraduates and postgraduates on a full time course
  • Bursaries – a limited number offered to students and younger members of the RSC in the early stages of their career – worth £150

Taking part in a Faraday Discussion is a great way to get your research work better known. You can also have your own poster abstract space at the meeting, so submit yours now.

Registration is quick and simple via our online booking system, so act today to be able to exchange views with food scientists and non-food experts from the soft matter community.

Dr Ruud van der Sman and the rest of the Scientific Committee look forward to welcoming you to Wageningen in July 2012.

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Quercetin helps improve the uptake of green tea polyphenols

Scientists in the US have investigated the effects of quercetin (a flavonoid found in many vegetables) on the uptake of green tea polyphenols. Green tea polyphenols (GTPs) have previously been shown to display anticarcinogenic activity against lung, liver and pancreatic cancer; however, their concentration in human plasma is quite low and ways to increase their bioavailabilty is therefore of great interest. 

The research team found that that quercetin increased the bioavailability of GTPs and decreased their methylation leading to an enhanced antiproliferative effect in different cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Quercetin increased the cellular absorption of epigallocatechin gallate (an active component of green tea) four-fold. The results suggest that eating foods rich in quercetin, such as onions, apples and red wine may help prevent cancer.

This article is free to access for 4 weeks!  Click on the link below to read the article in full:

Quercetin increased bioavailability and decreased methylation of green tea polyphenols in vitro and in vivo, P. Wang, D. Heber and S. M. Henning, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo10254d

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 issue 4 – now online!

The latest issue of Food & Function is now available online!

The cover of this issue highlights work by Ian Fisk and Xing Tan from the University of Nottingham, UK, who evaluated the rate of salt release in the mouth from salted potato crisps.  A panel were asked to chew a single potato crisp in a defined manner and held in the mouth without swallowing for 60 seconds, and sodium release was measured at regular intervals throughout this period.  The authors found that sodium release, and therefore perceived saltiness, peaked 20-30 seconds after chewing and that the flavouring is released in a pulse-type mechanism.  Therefore, with normal eating patterns, the perceived saltiness will be minimal and would result in a larger consumption of unperceived sodium.  Understanding this mechanism could pave the way for healthier crisps with faster delivery and release of salt.

To find out more, click here to read the Chemistry World story or on the link below to access the full article.  This article is free to access for 6 weeks!

Salt release from potato crisps, Xing Tian and Ian D. Fisk, Food Funct., 2012, 3, 376-380

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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Top ten most accessed articles in February

This month sees the following articles in Food & Function that are in the top ten most accessed:-

Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits
Joe A. Vinson and Yuxing Cai
Food Funct.,
2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10152A

Whole grain cereals: functional components and health benefits
Rafael Borneo and Alberto Edel León
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10165J

Espresso coffees, caffeine and chlorogenic acid intake: potential health implications
Thomas W. M. Crozier, Angelique Stalmach, Michael E. J. Lean and Alan Crozier
Food Funct., 2012, 3, 30-33, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10240K

The importance of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid n-6/n-3 ratio in development of non-alcoholic fatty liver associated with obesity
Rodrigo Valenzuela and Luis A. Videla
Food Funct., 2011, 2, 644-648, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10133A

Development of oral food-grade delivery systems: Current knowledge and future challenges
Revital Cohen Benshitrit, Carmit Shani Levi, Sharon Levi Tal, Eyal Shimoni and Uri Lesmes
Food Funct., 2011, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10068H

The metabolism and analysis of isoflavones and other dietary polyphenols in foods and biological systems
Stephen Barnes, Jeevan Prasain, Tracy D’Alessandro, Ali Arabshahi, Nigel Botting, Mary Ann Lila, George Jackson, Elsa M. Janle and Connie M. Weaver
Food Funct., 2011, 2, 235-244, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10025D

Salt release from potato crisps
Xing Tian and Ian D. Fisk
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10282J

Antihypertensive peptides from food proteins: a review
Daniel Martínez-Maqueda, Beatriz Miralles, Isidra Recio and Blanca Hernández-Ledesma
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10192K

Transcription profiles of LPS-stimulated THP-1 monocytes and macrophages: a tool to study inflammation modulating effects of food-derived compounds
Wasaporn Chanput, Jurriaan Mes, Robert A. M. Vreeburg, Huub F. J. Savelkoul and Harry J. Wichers
Food Funct., 2010, 1, 254-261, DOI: 10.1039/C0FO00113A

Inhibition of advanced glycation endproduct formation by foodstuffs
Chi-Hao Wu, Shang-Ming Huang, Jer-An Lin and Gow-Chin Yen
Food Funct., 2011, 2, 224-234, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10026B

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

Fancy submitting an article to Food & Function? Then why not submit to us today or alternatively email us your suggestions.

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Smuggling medicines in food

US scientists have encapsulated a nutraceutical – a dietary supplement with medicinal benefits – inside hydrocolloids to deliver it intact into the human body in food.

Currently, nutraceuticals’ applications in food are ‘limited by poor water solubility and instability under normal processing and storage conditions’, says Srinivas Janaswamy from Purdue University. To address this problem, Janaswamy and his team encapsulated curcumin molecules (a plant phenol found in turmeric with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-obese properties) inside water pockets in crystalline hydrocolloid fibres.

Hydrocolloids – in which the colloid particles are dispersed in water – are already used as thickeners and gelling agents in food. The hydrocolloid Janaswamy’s team used was a sodium salt of iota-carrageenan, which is cheap and holds a generally recognised as safe (GRAS) status. It belongs to a family of polysaccharides extracted from marine algae for use in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Smuggling medicines in food
Schematic encapsulation of curcumin in the hydrocolloid matrix. The filled circles are cations (black), water molecules (green) and sulfate groups (red and blue)

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Link to journal article
Hydrocolloid-based nutraceutical delivery systems
Srinivas Janaswamy and Susanne R. Youngren
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10281A

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Absorption of anthocyanins in the stomach

Scientists from Portugal have studied how anthocyanins are absorbed in the stomach using an in vitro model. Anthocyanins are flavonoid compounds which can be found in blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, but their bioavailability is difficult to assess because they exist as different structures in equilibrium depending on pH.

The stomach is often ignored as a metabolizing organ although it has been identified as a site of absorption for different compounds. In this work, adenocarcinoma stomach cells (MKN-28) as a model of the gastric barrier was used to investigate the absorption and metabolism of anthocyanins. The results show that anthocyanins can cross MKN-28 cells in a time dependent manner via a saturable transport mechanism. Also the succesful use of the MKN-28 cell line as a model for gastric digestion could be implemented for other screening procedures and in turn give new insight on bioavailability.

Click the link below to read the article in full. Free to access until April 10th:

A new approach on the gastric absorption of anthocyanins
Iva Fernandes, Victor de Freitas, Celso Reis and Nuno Mateus
Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo10295a

You may also be interested in the article below which is also free to access:

Development of a simple model device for in vitro gastric digestion investigation
Jianshe Chen, Vishwajeet Gaikwad, Melvin Holmes, Brent Murray, Malcolm Povey, Ye Wang and Ying Zhang
Food Funct., 2011, 2, 174-182, DOI: 10.1039/C0FO00159G

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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Butter substitute reduces blood pressure and cholesterol

Scientists from Finland have shown that a spread containing milk peptides and plant sterols could lower systolic blood pressure and LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.

Cardiovascular disease rates are increasing around the world and its prevention is therefore becoming more pressing, particularly as the disease is typically at an advanced stage when symptoms appear. The spread was developed by Anu Turpeinen at Valio, a company that manufactures dairy products in Helsinki, and colleagues. It offers an economical option in which only a small lifestyle change is required to enjoy the benefits and side-effects are minimal.

The milk peptides are thought to be responsible for the antihypertensive – blood pressure reducing – effects by inhibiting a blood pressure regulator called angiotensin converting enzyme. The lowered LDL cholesterol levels are attributed to the plant sterols preventing intestinal cholesterol absorption, but further research is required on the precise mechanisms of action.

Butter and Milk
The spread combines the blood pressure reducing effect of milk and the cholesterol lowering effect of plant sterols

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Link to journal article
A spread containing bioactive milk peptides Ile–Pro–Pro and Val–Pro–Pro, and plant sterols has antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering effects
Anu M. Turpeinen ,  Mikko Ikonen ,  Anne S. Kivimäki ,  Hannu Kautiainen ,  Heikki Vapaatalo and Riitta Korpela
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10286B

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