s:.~.' 'Plant-based diets can remedy chronic diseases'
agnc -economy
OCTOBER :11. 2012
HE World Health Organisation said 63 per cent of the
consumption of plant foods is associated with
deaths that occurred in
lower incidents of chronic
T
2008 were attributed 10 non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, Type 2 diabetes and obesity - for which poor diets are contributing factors, Scien(.'e Daily reported. But people that live in soc::ieties that eat healthy, plant-baseddietsrare.lyfall victim to these ailments.
Research studies have
long indicated thai a high
m.e.s..
In its October issue of Food Technology, the
maguine indicates that bionctive compounds in
chronic inflammation and damage cells. And other plont compounds help control a gene linked to cardiovascular disease and plaque buildup in arteries and the
genes and other cellular components responsible for forming and sustaining tumors. President and Medical Direc::tor of the Angiogenesis Foundation in Cambridge, William
Li,says that all consumers should look at their diets as if food is the medicine necessary to maintain healthy, disease-free liyes, "Prevention is always w better than a cure. said
u.
Foods that may hell) prevent cancer and other chronic: diseases are artichokes, black pepper, cinnamon, garlic. lentils, olives, pumpkin, rosemary, thyme, waterc.ress. and more. --------;
plant (oods playa role in controlling genetic and
other biological factors that
lead
to
chroni c
disease. For example, anlioxidants in plant foods counter free radicals that ca n cnuse
Viral alliances overcoming plant defences
W
AS III NGTON Stale Universit)' researchers have found thai viruses will join fo rces to overcome a plant's defences Bnd cause
more severe infections, Reuters reponed on Friday. "111esC findings have
important
implications
in our ability to control these viruses,says t-Ianu Pappu, Sam Smith Distinguished Professor of Plant Virology and chair of WSU's Department of Plant Pathology. -Mixed infections are quite common in the field, and no\'" we know that viruses in these mixed infections arc helping cach other at the genetic
level to overcome host defenses and possibly lead
to the
~eneration
of new
viruses Pappu publishes his findings in the latest issue
of the journal rlos One. Joining him are Ph .D. student Sudeep Bag and Neena Miller, associate
professor at Australia's University of Queensland. Thcresean:hersfocused
on iris yellow spot virus and tomato spotted wilt virus after Bag discovered that. when they infect the same plant. they helped each other o\'ercome a plant's defense response, With Mitter's help and sophisticated moleadar techniques, Bag found both viruses dramatically changed their genetic expression, breaking down the plant's defenses and leading to more severe disease, Bag also found that genes from the tomato spotted wilt virus seemed to "aid and abet iris yellow spot \>1rus as il spread throughout the plant and W
caused more disease. Growe.rs should take this phenomenon into account, says Pappu, with broader management tactics thai target more than one virus and possible variations. The research was funded in part by the Specialty Crops Research Initiative of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a branch of the US Departmen t of Agriculture..
.L-R: Managing Director, Royal Exchange Finance & In vestmen t Limited, AIr. lIosea Dornan: Al anaging Direclor.Supra Finance Limited. All", Jo/m Udo/a : uecu riueSecrefary. Firwnce Houses Association a/Nige ria, Mr. De llll Nwokike; Vice-President, MI" . Patrick In iolJOsn: Deputy Direclor, Cen tral Bank o/Nigeria, Mr. M.A , Adegbite: a nd I....cs ide nt. Mr. Sam DUrojaye, ÂŤll/,e .2012 FllAN Annual Genera l Meeting held in Lagos ... on l1rul'5dCly
Study shows nations at risk of coral decline ew study c0authored by e Wildlife Conservation Society has identified countries most vulnerable to declining coral reef flsheries from a foodsecurity pen;pectivc while pro\>1ding a framework to plan for alternative protein sources needed to replace declining fisheries. Reuters reported. The study looked at 27 countries around the ....oorld and found two common characteristics: nations with low incomes t.hat lack the ability to adapt to alternative protein sources; and middleincome nations with higher adapth-e capacity but higher scnsitivity to climate change, Accordin& to U,e analysis, Indonesia and Liberia are the most vulnerable countries to fisheries declines from a food security perspective. while. Malaysia and Sri Lanka are the least vulnerable. The study, which appears in lhe November issue of the journal Environmental Science
~
and Policy, is authored by Sam Hughes. Annie Yau. Lisa Max, Nad,1 Petrovic, Frank Davenport. and Michael Marshall of the Uni\'C.rsity of California; Tim McClanahan of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Edward Allison of WorldF'lSh Center: and Josh Cinner of James Cook University. TIle authors say Ule
results of the study should be a wake-up call for nations to begin enacting policies to promote alternative protein sources. either through land-based means such as growing beans and poultry farming, or increased llquaculture. Coral reef rlSheries are expected to decline wiUl climate change and
other human ca.uSt.'<i disturbances. -nle study identifies countries where climate change is likely to be felt first by threatening people that depend on fisheries, ~ said the study'sco-author, Tim McClanahan of the Wildlife Conseryation Society, -rhese countries are priorities for developing
adaptation actions before the effects of climate cllange undcnlline their abilil)' to feed thelllseh-cs. Some countriec; will be stressed by climate yet have enough capacity to make the adaptation. while others \\;11 not. Making Ulelll realize this eari)' will ~\'e considerable human suffering in the futul1'. ~
Food scientists seek solutions to world hunger N honor of World Food Day in October, the Institute of Food Tecllnologists is bighlightingtheroleoffood science in environmental sustainability - a key component to solving the .....orld¡s bunger problem , has Science Daily reported, Over the past se\'cral decades, the food processing techniques developed by food scientists had ensured thai the resources rC(luired to produce raw food materials and ingredients for food manufacturing .....ere used efficienlly. the report said. While the modem rood system is capable
I
of feeding nearly seven billion people. there are still nearly one billion people that go hungry every day. Aa:ording to (Frs scientific review. Feeding the .....orld today and tomorrow~ the importance of food science and technology, ~approximnl elY30percent
to 40 per cent of raw food materials and ingredients are lost bet\\--een the points of production and consumption. The magnitude of these losses is felt far greater in develoJling countries than industrialized countries. ~ 11lis is why rood are scientists loday working harder than
ever 10 de\'clop new ways 10 further maximize the efficiency of food processing and its impact on the environment. [n order to flirt her communicate this concept. 1FT is proud to unveil a ne..... video discussing bow food science and technology provide sustainable solutions throughout the food system . - Food preservation and processing are what have helped us to reed billions. but we have to come up ....;th e\'en newer technologies to feed the billions of llC'oplc by 2050,w said the 1FT President . John Ruff â&#x20AC;˘ As food scientists, we
are committed to furth er improving sustainability within the product lifecycle from s ustainable ingredient sourcing, to product de\elopment, to waste managemel\t ~ The World Without food Science is a public education campaign created by 1FT to generate awareness of the role that food science plays in ensuring a nutritious, safe and abundant food supply. This awareness initiative is designed to helpthe public understand .... he~ their food comes from so they call make infonned decisions about the food they eat eve!") day.