TOMORROW'S FOOD-CAN TECHNOLOGY DELIVER IT?

Serious concern is being expressed about the ability of this planet to sustain itself till the end of the current century. Number one concern is whether adequate food will be available to avoid large scale starvation. Some knowledgeable people assert that it is not a question of availability that pose the threat but it is the wide disparities in purchasing power amongst the population that will make it difficult to ensure equitable distribution of what is available in sufficient quantities. In support of this it is claimed that current food production, arithmetically, can provide every person with 2800 kC to make them over weight and in 2 decades due to population decline, the food available at that time will be sufficient to supply 3050 kC per capita!. In contrast international agencies like FAO, World Bank and many others predict large scale starvation in coming years due to declining agricultural productivity and food production in many parts of the world. Added to this is the worry that global environment is increasingly becoming dangerous affecting the over all quality of life.

The alarm signal is set off by the burgeoning population, led by Asian, African and South American continents, with relatively less per capita income, increasing poverty and declining agriculture productivity. A daunting figure of 9 billion is being projected as the likely population by the year 2050. To provide adequate nourishment to this incremental population, the world food production may have to double within the next 40 years which calls for dramatic break through in agriculture, much beyond the current level of thinking. It is estimated that the global food reserve has come down from 585 million tons (mt) in 1999, adequate for 115 days of survival to 309 mt in 2007, just sufficient to meet the needs for 54 days. Food grain production has taken a beating during last year plummeting to 2075 million tons from the previous year's 2098 million tons, necessitating dipping into the already depleted food reserves.

It is true that newer technologies like genetic engineering have contributed to increased productivity from the land, especially in the developed countries. The well established production regimes for genetically modified crops like maize and soybean are increasingly being adopted but these crops are finding their way into production of bio-fuels and live stock feeds with very little positive impact on the food front. Lack of sustained interest in developing high yield versions of rice, wheat, oil seeds and legumes through biotechnology route is telling on the stagnant/declining productivity of these staples during the last few years. It must be remembered that more than 3 billion people about 50% of world population, are rice eaters and no private bio-tech players seem to be interested in investing on staples such as this because of limited market potential for innovations as the most of the growers are concentrated in poor countries with low purchasing power.

Instead of expanding areas of cultivation to cope up with emerging demand, there appears to be decline in cultivable land for food due to anthropogenic climate changes, live stock raising practices and bio-fuel production. More than half of the Amazon deforestation is being swallowed by large scale cultivation of agricultural crops for animal feeds. World is ignoring the fact that mindless expansion of livestock production to satisfy the insatiable demand for meat is causing rapid deterioration of the environment through massive greenhouse gas emission. 18% of global emission is accounted for by the livestock production which must be curtailed if global warming is to be arrested. Agriculture in countries like Brazil, Australia and New Zealand with vast stresses of land devoted to industrial livestock and feedstock agribusiness is found to be responsible for more than 50% of greenhouse gas emission, outdoing the carbon impact of emissions from cars, planes and coal fired power plants.

The African continent presents a stark picture of what has gone wrong in the food front in many impoverished countries in the world. 75% of world's ultra poor people live in this region with hardly 50 cents per day income. Population is increasing uncontrollably while agricultural productivity was falling during the last 30 years and food demand far outstrips the domestic supply. In 1970 most countries in this region were net exporters of food whereas now many of them are net importers. Because of continuous cultivation and large scale mining during the last 6 decades, every bit of nutrients has been drained out without any effort for replenishment. It is estimated that, if US levels of yield can be transferred, East Africa can double the current productivity, in South Asia it can be tripled and in sub-Saharan Africa productivity can be raised five-fold. Hybrid seeds, fertilizers and appropriate pesticides combined with introduction of drought resistant, water saving, heat tolerant and salt tolerant technologies can dramatically change the continent, provided large scale investments are forthcoming.

The future of this planet lies in moderating the wants of the inhabitants, all round efforts to stem the global warming and sharing equitably the resources that are at our disposal. Peace and prosperity in Asia, South America and Africa can only ensure peace in other parts of the World also. No nation can live in isolation imagining its wealth can insulate it from the turmoil around due to poverty and deprivation amongst its co-inhabitants.

V H POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

THE PUFA MUDDLE-CONFUSION WORST CONFOUNDED!

It was poly unsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA) that made news in eighties and nineties and tons of money were made by the health food industry touting their virtues. Then came Linoleic Acid ( ALA) a n-3 fatty acid and Linolenic Acid (LA), a n-6 fatty acid, both branded as essential fatty acids. They were declared as most important PUFAs that humans should have through their diets and more money is made by same health food lobby. Now we have the Omega-3 fatty acids fad and if the emerging reports are to be believed, all the ills of modern world can be overcome if every food is laced with this PUFA from fish, not from any other sources!

The reported recommendations of American Heart Association (AHA) to consume more Omega-6 fatty acids(n-6 acids) make the nutrition related to essential fatty acids topsy turvy. Until recently excessive consumption of n-6 acids in the diet was considered dangerous with an array of diseases being attributed to it. Linoleic Acid, the torch bearer amongst n-6 acids, present in many vegetable oils, tree nuts and plant seeds, is supposed to be converted to physiologically active arachidonic acid which is the precursor for prostaglandins. Palm oil, Soybean oil, Rapeseed Oil and Sunflower seed oil with an annual production of 100 million tons (mt) provide 32 mt of n-6 fatty acids and 4 mt of its n-3 isomer. Hitherto nutritionists were swearing that an ideal diet should have n-6 acids and n-3 acids in the ratio of 4 to 1 where as in a typical western diet the ratio ranges from 10 to 1 at the lower level to as high as 30 to 1 at the other end of the spectrum. The reasoning for the change in the stand of AHA is that n-6 fatty acids give both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory compounds in the body and therefore outweigh any negative consequences that may arise due to any excess consumption. Their recommendation calls for 5-10% of calories to be derived from n-6 fatty acids which works out to 12-22 g intake per day replacing the saturated fats and trans fats in the diet for an adult.

According to those opposing high intake of n-6 fats and espouse more consumption of n-3 fats, all the ills of the modern world can be attributed to drastic changes taking place in the diets of the population as a result of increasing demands for foods. Emphasis seemed to have shifted since the last 5 decades on cutting down carbohydrates, proteins, fats, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans-fats. It is not realized that the key to good health lies not in ruthlessly cutting down on fats in the diet but eating the best possible fats suitable for the human body. Their judgment is that n-3 fats are critically needed for brain functions and protection against CVD and other disorders. n-3 fats, also called Omega-3 fats, is synthesized from CO2, water and sun light in the chloroplasts of terrestrial plants and marine algae. During olden days animals raised in open farms exposed to sun light and feeding on grass and other forage materials yield milk and milk products like butter, cheese etc rich in n-3 fats. But the modern farming systems fatten cows using feed stocks containing grains like corn and soybean and use antibiotics and growth hormones to get them to the slaughter house in 1 year as against 4-5 years under the old open farming system.

n-6 fats are supposed to contain more rigid fatty acids that give the cell its structure while n-3 fats being more fluid help the body fight inflammation better. Oils from Soybean, Corn, Cottonseed and Canola, all seed oils constitute 96% of the edible oils consumed in the US. Seed oils are increasingly being implicated in diseases like Alzheimer's, CVD, Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity. The radical shift in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fats from 1:1 at beginning of the last century to 20:1 to day is one of the most dramatic changes that accompanied the increased incidence of many modern day diseases. Powerful pleas are being made for including fish as a 'must' component of regular human diet, if we have to reverse the present trend of continuing onslaught of life style disorders. Already the industry is gearing itself to meet the expected demand for Omega-3 acids from the food industry which wants to fortify many processed foods with fish PUFA. With modern edible oil refining technology of decolonization and deodorization, fish oil can be converted into a water like product and further encapsulated for protection from oxidation and incorporation in many dry products. These fortified foods, positioned as 'super foods' in the markets, ranging from fruit juices to every day bread, have become money-spinners in no time!

The layman consumer is totally lost regarding the implications of all these claims and counter claims. There are al least 10 versions of PUFAs available from different foods. Firmly believing in the concept of PUFAs many consumers cultivated the practice of consuming PUFA rich foods including Flax seed which has more than 85% PUFAs. When Omega-3 fatty acid concept emerged, ALA was courted as the savior for keeping good health. The startling claim that only 1-5% of ALA consumed is converted into readily usable form of Omega-3 Acids like docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA) by the body further raises alarm in the minds of the consumer. Added to this, the two fatty acids DHA and EPA are readily available only in fish and algae making the life of vegetarians miserable! A moot question is how those not consuming fish or Algae have been surviving for centuries so long without suffering from the tragic health problems of to day? Whether ratio of n-6 to n-3 imply that simple n-3 acid like ALA is not adequate but it has to be in the form of DHA or EPA? Added to this worry is the current belief that n-6 acids are not convertible to n-3 acids while reverse is possible in human body. Probably these mundane questions may not be critical for fish eating populations but are important in addressing the concerns of countries like India where majority of the population is vegetarian by nature or by compulsions. Indian Council of Medical Research, Ministry of Health must bring out clarity on this issue for the benefit of the consumers in the country.


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

EDIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS-A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT

 

Bio-sensors are increasingly being considered as monitors for vital health parameters. Latest to arrive on the scene is an intelligent pill that sends digital signals to an external receiver after being swallowed. Developed by a US company the pill, when swallowed, can send digital signals to an external receiver for recording vital parameters in side the body. The pill consists of a food based sensor that is digestible in the body and activation is achieved through exposure to the stomach fluids. The existing invasive system calls for introducing retrievable sensors, monitors or cameras into the body through oral or anus route and the computerized system receives digital signals via the cable which are monitored live or recorded for diagnostic purpose. The familiar angiogram uses the venous route to assess the health of the heart and its arteries before deciding on relevant treatment or otherwise.

 

The sensor containing pill after reacting with the stomach fluids sends detectable signals to a receiver which can record the data with date and time stamps. It further decodes information about the medicines used, heart rate, activity and respiratory rate. The receiver is designed as a small bandage type skin patches which can be connected to 3G phone networks for easy access from any where in the world. Patients, recuperating at homes and old age sick persons can use this system so that hospitals located in far away places can monitor the health condition for prompt and effective intervention as and when required. Though the system is in final stages of development, the industry expects its availability during the year 2011-2012.

 

Bio-active silk films made by boiling silk cocoons and preparing purified silk solution are cast into lenses, microlens arrays and holograms to make edible optical sensors which can be used in food packs to detect infection by organisms like E.coli. Polymers like silk proteins used as edible sensors are strong, flexible, benign and biodegradable. The idea is to include such optical edible sensors in bags of fresh produce like spinach which will provide the consumers with a read out of whether the product is contaminated before consumption.

 

Luminescent sensors are still in the conceptual stage and probably they may yet provide the industry with a relatively low cost tool for monitoring microbial quality of food. These probes, 20-200 nm in particle size are made incorporating edible dyes like erythrosine or naturally occurring phytochemicals like quinones or flavonols and provide high signals due to more than 10000 particles present. They are easily dispersible without the risk of sedimentation,  versatile and selective in their properties. The signals generated can be easily and precisely detected with inexpensive, portable and reliable instruments.

 

With the threat of pathogenic microorganisms posing serious health challenges, both industry and the safety monitoring agencies are worried about the future of the food processing sector, especially those handling fresh produce for cold consumption without heat processing. Quick and reliable detection systems like the ones mentioned above can only restore the rapidly declining consumer confidence on products marketed by the organized food industry and the efficiency of the enforcement agencies in protecting consumer health.   
 

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

NATURE'S OWN 'JUICE" IN ITS OWN CONTAINER!

The modern search for things that are natural as regular food, manifests in many new products with manifold claims. Commercial interests and absence of irrefutable scientific evidence to support health claims have contributed to the decline and demise of many such products on the market shelves. The so-called Nutraceutical Industry is founded on the premises that many food ingredients and biotechnology products have health boosting and protective roles in preventing or ameliorating many disease conditions. With liberal use of GRAS list of food adjuncts and citing traditional practices of yester years in old civilizations like that in India and China, many new edible products were launched with scant scientific evidence on their long term effects on human beings. While botanical drug route is relatively easy to get clearance for many products, such an approach does not confirm the health values of many of the products emerging through this strategy.

Sugarcane juice is often touted as a natural product having several health related advantages. Chewing of sugar cane is practiced in many places, especially in rural areas and street corner cane juice vendor is conspicuous by his presence in urban areas. Sugar cane juice is even aseptically packed in tetra brick format available in some countries. It is no doubt a natural product that can be refreshing if taken fresh without heat processing. The tendency to develop brown color on exposure to heat imparts a jaggery like flavor not desirable from the consumer angle. The street vendor modifies the juice by incorporating extracts from ginger and lemon both having some beneficial effect in the GI tract. Presence of phytochemicals like chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, kaempferol etc in small concentrations in cane juice gives it a powerful antioxidant activity and hence its health attributes. Of course when the fresh juice is processed through filtration and other cleaning steps combined with use of preservatives like benzoate, the health claims might not stand any critical scrutiny. Cane juice, however cannot claim the distinction of being nature's own juice as human intervention is necessary to squeeze the cane to yield juice. That honor goes to tender coconut water.

Coconut water, also called in some parts of the world as juice, is another natural product which is gaining attention for its many supposed health benefits. During the last few years consumption of this product has increased significantly all over India with millions of nuts being shipped from the South for marketing in many Northern metropolitan areas. Dedicated coconut groves are being raised exclusively for harvesting tender nuts which can stay well for a week if not dehusked. It is puzzling as to the reasons for the tender coconut to fetch prices 20-30% higher than the mature nut which has many culinary uses. Probably several claims of health attributes for tender coconut water may be responsible for its ever increasing popularity. Such claims include reducing intestinal disturbances, doubling as oral re-hydration medium, containing many organic compounds possessing growth promoting properties, keeping the body cool, maintaining skin health, killing intestinal parasites, controlling urinary infections, acting as a diuretic, reducing cholesterol, dissolving kidney and urethral stones, substituting for blood plasma, finding use as an intravenous infusion, aiding quick adsorption of drugs from the intestine and eliminating mineral poisoning from the body.

On an average a coconut takes 12-14 months to mature but in 6-7 months' time tender coconuts can be harvested, each nut providing about 200 ml of water. While Indian coconut water is considered some what saltish in taste, Brazilian nuts offer sweeter and fleshy water. The levels of reducing sugars and total solids decreases from 4.4% and 6.5% in tender coconut water to 0.2% and 5.4 % respectively in mature coconut water. High levels of Calcium and Potassium in coconut water are responsible for some of the health claims but presence of kinetin growth factors, cytokinins, some biologically active enzymes, nucleotides, active peptides and several other growth factors might be cumulatively conferring on this product some of the USPs attributed to it.

Recent reports of commercial marketing of tender coconut water in a ready to use natural form in Bangalore IT corridors by some enterprising entrepreneurs confirm the potential for this product to establish as a truly natural health drink untampered by man presented to the consumer in its original container. It was in South Asia that trimmed coconuts were marketed in early nineties and the browning resulting from trimming was checked by appropriate treatment giving an attractively white trimmed surface, ready to be consumed by gentle piercing with the straw. Its appearance in India is a welcome development as this country is world's largest coconut producer with an annual production of 16 billion nuts. The Bangalore entrepreneur claims to be marketing about 1500 to 2000 nuts a day and specialized equipment is used to trim the freshly harvested nuts before pasting the label. The need of the hour is more such entrepreneurial initiatives through out the country to spread the goodness of this natural product which is at least safe from adulteration. There are practical and logistical problems posing great challenges to the industry to establish a sustainable production regime. These include uncertainties associated with maturity determination, non-uniform quality of the water, transportation from the growing area, trimming infrastructure, distribution, disposal of residual shells and limited shelf life.

With coconut meat consumption limited to Kerala and neighboring southern states, increasing cultivation of coconuts will pose a problem for the growers in getting remunerative returns. Coconut Development Board's efforts to popularize coconut water will go a long way to provide the much needed relief to coconut growers. The Bangalore model will offer hopes for many entrepreneurs to exploit these natural resources for creating viable industries in the coastal areas of the country.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

FOOD SALES-BY WEIGHT, VOLUME OR COUNTS?

Standards of Weights and Measures Act (SWMA) of 1977, as applicable to sale of packaged foods clearly stipulate that all selling and buying of food and food products must be mostly by weight. Exceptions are there for products like Ice Cream,fruit and vegetable juices and some liquid products which can be sold by volume. But edible oil has to be sold by weight only. The main objective of enacting such laws is supposed to be to protect the consumer from any economic loss due to lack of clarity and transparency. Besides the nutrition labeling is expressed in 100 g of the product though what purpose it serves is still not clear. The metric system made mandatory in India certainly makes it easier for the consumer to do quick calculations about the worth of the product in comparison to others. But insisting on presenting the product only in terms of weight may not be ideal in a country like India where people are familiar with buying in terms of numbers or volume.

Buying 1 kilo of a fruit is rather inconvenient as the number of fruits in that lot can vary depending on the size of the fruits. A consumer is much more comfortable buying half a dozen fruit rather than doing such a transaction by weight. Invariably the trader is more advantageously placed because one can never buy exactly half a kilo of fruits! Besides many consumers have some what hazy idea about the number of fruits that can come in a half kilo lot.
Of course some leeway is given to fruits only to be sold by numbers though this may not apply to vegetables like tomato, beet root, carrots, potato etc. Most of the traders prefer to sell even the fruits by weight rather than by number as they find it is advantageous to them. Similarly milk is purchased by volume though in some places buyers insist on weight as a unit of measure because of the profuse frothing and foaming during milking making it difficult to measure the volume easily. Legally milk is allowed to be sold in packed condition by volume only. Light food materials like puffed rice, cereals, poha, etc are still sold by measures in many places, especially in rural areas, though this is not legal under SWMA.

Weight units score over others when it comes to materials of irregular size and shape. Lower the specific gravity of the product higher will be the value for the volume. Food commodities vary enormously in specific gravity and within the same category of foods, the variations can be very significant. Take for example the case of red chillies. Drier the material lower will be its specific gravity. Small chillies will have higher specific gravity compared to longer and bigger chilli varieties. Consumers can be easily fooled by the volume figures and may end up getting more or less of the material depending on specific gravity and comparison becomes difficult. Same is true with flours where particle size makes a big difference in the volume scale, finer flours having lesser bulk density compared to the coarse flours.

Probably the weight units were decided as the most desirable means of trading because of its advantage of comparison amongst similar products of different manufacturers and helping the consumer in taking value decisions. But allowing sale by counts or volume in many cases also should be allowed in the interest of the consumer, especially not so well educated ones and such practices should not be branded as an offense.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

COFFEE TIME, MODERATION TIME!

Coffee drinking is mired in controversy with antagonists and protagonists swearing regarding the danger and virtues of this beverage. There are many reports supporting both the views though no conclusion can be drawn as to whether it should be shunned or can be taken as a refreshing beverage. There are many people for whom a good day is supposed to start with a cup of hot coffee. Connoisseurs of coffee make their own roasted coffee seeds, grind them, prepare the brew in their own way using percolators and create a superb blend of milk and coffee brew with typical aroma and taste. For them there is no compromise on quality of coffee drink with respect to seed ( Robusta or Arabica), roasting (mild, medium or dark roast), grinding, particle size of the powder, extent of chicory used, percolator design, the way the powder bed is prepared, the quality and 'temperature' of water used for the brew, freshness of boiled milk, proportion of milk used, mixing of milk and coffee brew, extent of foaming of the final product and the way it is sipped. Instant coffee products whether made by spray drying or freeze drying are not acceptable to many because of the flavor differences perceptible in coffee drink when it is made with instant powder. The ready to use milk-coffee powder combo products have not made their appearance in India due to their grossly inferior beverage quality, though they are accepted in other countries.

It is interesting to note that coffee brew home percolators contains more caffeine than that in instant coffee. Generally a half cup brewed coffee is equivalent to 1 cup of instant coffee. This is probably due to the pressure extraction used for extraction during the manufacturing process of instant coffee where carbohydrates are hydrolyzed and solubilized increasing the extraction yield. While almost 55% solids are extracted under pressure, the home brew rarely contains more than 20% coffee solids. This accounts for the difference in caffeine levels in the two versions of coffee drink. Caffeine is a Central Nervous System stimulant that temporarily wards off drowsiness and restores alertness. Caffeine is absorbed within an hour of its ingestion through the stomach and the small intestine. Coffee if moderately consumed can increase significantly one's capacity for mental and physical work.

The half life of caffeine in normal adults is 3-4 hours while in pregnant women it can be as long as 10-12 hours. The liver cytochrome P-450 Oxidase system converts caffeine first into three break down products, Paraxanthene (increased lipolysis), Theobromine (dilating blood vessels and increasing urine volume) and Theophylline ( relaxing smooth muscles of bronchi). These are further metabolized into smaller molecular entities and eventually excreted through the kidneys.

If consumed excessively caffeine can bring about undesirable consequences causing intoxication, nervousness, irritability, anxiety, muscle twitching, insomnia, headache and heart palpitation. 3 cups of brewed coffee or 7 cups of instant coffee or 9 servings of cola drink or 6 cups of strong tea will contain more than 300 mg of caffeine sufficient to bring about some undesirable effect.Most of those, consuming 7 cups of coffee, tend to have a higher tendency to experience hallucinations by seeing things or hearing voices that were not there, though this is not a serious manifestation of any psychotic problem.

Excess caffeine is claimed to exacerbate the physiological effects of stress. Under stress body is known to release a stress hormone called cortisol and people under stress, after drinking excess coffee, produce more of cortisol. As cortisol level has some effect on hallucinations, excess coffee consumption tends to induce temporary hallucination through increased secretion of this critical hormone into the blood stream. As a way out to avoid the undesirable effect of high coffee intake, one can have smaller doses of home brewed coffee at a time, spreading the consumption over a longer period. Many restaurants in India have reduced the serving size to hardly 75-100 ml (more for economic reasons) and consuming it even 5 or 6 times during a span of 10 hours in a day should not be a cause for worry.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

WEIGHT WATCHERS, WELCOME ABOARD THE "CEREAL" BAND WAGON!

" Eat a bowl of cereal for each of the two meals out of three in a day for 6 weeks and lose 2 kg body weight" This is the new commercial being aired recently in the electronic media by a reputed manufacturer of break fast cereals all across India. Of course this is not an empty claim confined to only India and same is being touted in UK also by one of the scientific groups based on their 'study'. International media had picked up this story flashing it extensively across most of the news networks during the last few days. One wonders whether losing weight is as simple as leaving the favorite foods for six weeks and eating the delicious breakfast cereals available in the market. If true there will not be any adherents to more demanding Atkins Diet or other diet based weight losing programs.

The above mentioned study was reported to have been carried out by 'experts' in a University in UK using 41 subjects for 6 weeks. They compared the cereal eating group's weight dynamics with another group not eating the cereal. The subjects ate two bowls of cereal for break fast and lunch but were allowed to eat whatever they wanted for dinner to achieve the miracle!. There are several questions that need to be addressed before taking these results without 'a pinch of salt'. The bowl size is not mentioned but probably it is one serving size of about 4 ounce or about 120 g. What about the type of cereal that can accomplish the task? Will the frosted corn flakes will do the same magic as the plain one? What about Rice Krispies, Coco Puff etc? The two bowls of cereals with 4 ounce of milk (3% fat) can provide about 1000 kC energy. That means the dinner will have to provide the remaining1000 kC of energy and balance nutrients. What about snacking between the servings? Forbidden? Any clinical data regarding the various health parameters of the subjects before and after the study? If really the subjects have reduced their body weights as claimed, could it be due to caloric deficit in the food regime? Answers for these troubling questions will have to come from those who splashed the news across the world as a breath taking finding.

The energy content in break fast cereals varies between 265 kC and 410 kC per serving of 100g while the protein content on an average is about 7%-9%. Dietary fiber is practically nil except in case of special products containing bran fractions. Is it practical to expect a wholesome diet under such a regime as suggested by the UK group? In one of the recent surveys of 275 cereal products in global markets, it was found that more than 75% had sugars as high as 15 g per 100 g, 20% had salt content above 1.5 g per 100g while 7% contained saturated fat beyond 5 g per 100g. Nine out of ten products targeted at children were high sugar products. With these types of products on the super market shelves what will be the choice of a consumer looking for the most suitable cereal for weight control?

If one eats toasted bread slices equivalent to a bowl of cereals in the morning and repeat the same for lunch also, will it work? Or Idli, Dosa, Noodles or any other foods providing same food value can ensure weight loss to the same extent? According to another study from the same University, there is an association between slim people and cereal consumption during break fast, though they are not sure about the scientific basis for such a claim! It is not clear whether the satiety and appetite factors were considered by the protagonists of cereal products. Else where in the world studies are focusing on the possibility of increasing satiety and depressing appetite by incorporating alginates, guar gum etc in cereals and baked foods to prolong the feeling of fullness and consequently reduced food intake. Life style changes in diet should not be accepted unless there is scientific confirmation about the advantages and disadvantages of taking such a recourse.

Treating diet in a holistic way can only help to evolve safe foods for weight control and any restrictive dieting must keep in mind the impact it will have on many critically essential nutrients needed for sound health.


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/