THE ANTIOXIDANT DATA BASE-A NEW CHILEAN INITIATIVE

Antioxidants are to day more or less recognized as the saviors of mankind from many non-infectious diseases like cancer. Such a situation has come about after it was found by many scientific studies about the ability of antioxidants to scavenge free radicals from the body. Oxy radicals generated in the human body due to various metabolic reactions, if not removed promptly, are believed to cause damage to DNA which can cause various types of cancers affecting different organs and other vital functions. It is believed that fruits provide high levels of antioxidants, mainly in the form of poly phenols and a generous consumption of these protective foods can keep many diseases away. The latest dietary recommendations suggest that almost half the plate of foods consumed every day should be contributed by fruits and vegetables.

It is believed that human body makes its own anti oxidants to neutralize the day to day generation of oxy radicals there by protecting it from many serious diseases but modern day life contributes a much larger levels of oxy radicals which need more anti oxidants to make them innocuous. Optimum health to day means ensuring taking adequate amounts of anti oxidants through daily diet. This naturally raises the question regarding the relative efficiency of various food sources in providing high levels of antioxidants to the body. Poly phenols which are natural constituents of many foods consumed daily are considered to be of efficient antioxidant credentials though there is always the question of their absorption across the GI tract under normal conditions. For these antioxidants to be effective they are required to be delivered to the cells in their active form and it is here where some confusion still exists. If a product claims it is rich in antioxidants, it may not be telling a lie but if the claim refers to health advantages by consuming them, same may not be tenable because of uncertainties regarding the actual absorption and delivery to the cells for making them work.

ORAC Value proposed by the National Institute on Aging under National Institution of Health, Bethesda, USA is widely used to assess the efficacy of foods as a source of antioxidants. ORAC value simply predicts the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of a substance through laboratory analyzes and is widely used in estimating the antioxidant value of different foods. It was the USDA which first brought out a compendium of foods with different ORAC values to help the consumers to select antioxidant rich foods in their daily diet. Recently the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology in Chile has brought out the ORAC values of 140 different fruits grown all over the world, besides providing useful information about other nutrients present in them. Unfortunately the world has not reached a stage where ORAC values can be used as a reliable indicator for making legally health claims by different food resources. But it till serves the purpose of helping the consumers to select the ones with highest ORAC value for his continued well being. 

Many people may be unaware that Sorghum, considered a poor man's staple in many countries is a rich source of antioxidants boasting of a high ORAC value of 45,400! Compare this with the ORAC value of 290,285 for a spice like Cloves or 131, 420 for Cinnamon or 127,068 for Turmeric. The much ridiculed Curry Powder of India can boast of an ORAC value of 48, 504. Some times it is intriguing to see many published scientific papers touting about high ORAC values for fruits like Blackberries, Blueberries and other berries like Calafate, Macqui, Murtilla etc because these are not produced in substantial quantities to be available year around, if the demand rises rapidly. Besides they are not consumed in big quantities to deliver high levels of antioxidants. On the other hand take the case of foods like Sorghum which is taken to meet bulk of the energy needs in some parts of the world and the impact can be quite high. Of course a good balanced diet containing different sources of antioxidants like Berries and other colored fruits and vegetables, grains like Sorghum, Spices like Turmeric, Cumin, Black Pepper etc will always be a sure bet against accumulation of Oxy radicals in the body as they can effectively scavenge them regularly. 

The Compilations by the USDA and the Chile Institute are considered a great service to humanity because of the educational value they have on the food consumption behavior of the population at large. With such readily available data, industry must be encouraged to use ORAC value of every food marketed by it and such a step can hope to tide over the increasing wave of Cancer and other diseases in the coming years.

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

CHOCOLATES-CAUSE OR CURE FOR ACNE?

Faith and beliefs need not not be based on facts or convincing reasons as they are part of the human societal evolution. There are thousands of myths, traditions, practices and folklores inherited over generations which are refusing to fade away even if rationalists challenge them from time to time. Science, with its expanding horizon has been able to debunk many such beliefs with facts and figures though conservatives continue to follow them because of their conviction or convenience. Different people have varying perceptions about the food they eat or shun in their day to day life. It is aptly said that "one man's food is another man's poison" , precisely for the above reason.

Chocolate confections made from cocoa beans are liked universally by one and all, young and old alike. The input material cocoa beans are obtained by fermenting the wet seeds in the coco pods and drying them to ensure long term storage before processing. Modern technology of chocolate making involves roasting the beans, breaking them into nibs, removing the shell, grinding and compounding with one or more of the ingredients like sugar, milk, dry fruits and nuts. Cocoa powder, with varying fat content is made by defatting the cocoa mass in hydraulic presses to remove bulk of the fat commonly referred to as cocoa butter. The powder finds extensive use in food industry as a flavoring material, especially baked goods and beverages. Chocolates as one is familiar with are rich in sugar and fat making them persona non grata with many consumers scared of disorders like CVD, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity, dental decay, etc. Of all the negative attributes, the most ridiculous is the blame that chocolates cause development of acne disease (pimples) which is manifested as skin lesions on the face! Such a myth is wide spread and many women believe that it is true. What are the facts?

Acne appearance is due to walls of pores on the skin sticking to gather and no amount of washing will stop its formation and spread. The skin lesions called pimples are caused by too much formation of selbum, an oily substance which leads to plugged pores. A rare bacteria P.acnes also can, some times,cause acne. Generally food has nothing to do with this skin problem though in some communities acne does not affect people and this has led to the deduction that some foods cause acne for which there is no scientific evidence at all. Stray reports do indicate that essential fatty acids, if present in high amounts in the diet can cause acne but chocolate cannot be considered a decent source of these fatty acids. The belief that chocolates can cause acne might have gained currency because of high fat and sugar present on this confection.

On the contrary the recent development of acne chocolates by the US food industry proves that chocolate is a cure for acne and not a cause. The recommendation is to consume 2-5 acne chocolate bar in a day to clear the acne symptoms within 2-3 weeks. These chocolates are not based on alkalized cocoa mass as in the case of normal chocolates but use cocoa mass containing high levels of antioxidants epicatechins, poly phenols, minerals like Mg, Fe, Cr, Zn and vitamin C. High flavonoid cocoa preparations are known to improve the overall quality of human skin such as structure, texture, blood flow, hydration and improved vessel function allowing blood to flow under the skin. Antioxidant levels in cocoa are twice that in red wine or thrice that in green tea. Its Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) value is 28000 per 100 gm where as the ORAC score for the renowned Acai berry is only 18500, strawberry a mere 1540 and spinach 1260. Addition of milk and other ingredients dilute the ORAC value in chocolate to just 6740.

Xocai, a dark chocolate, being made by a firm in Reno, Nevada and marketed through direct selling is also a health oriented product made from cocoa beans that are blanched, unfermented, sun dried and cold pressed. It contains polycyanidins with high antioxidant properties, almost 8 times as much as that present in normally processed chocolates. its ORAC value is 3882 per a serving of 6 gm bar and contains 1008 mg of total flavonoids in a pack of 18 gm chocolate. The one of its main products containing acai fruit and blue berries also boasts of a billion live cells of a probiotic culture, has an ORAC value of 15300 and a flavonoid content of 2250 mg in a serving of 3 bars! Big hype surrounds its marketing through direct sales and it is not known whether it will ever be introduced in the open market.

The indisputable fact remains that defatted cocoa powder is a store house containing high levels of some of the most unique health boosting nutrients where as the chocolate industry, in the process of making their products popular amongst consumers, could only make their products unhealthy because of the presence of highly saturated fat at unacceptable levels to make them smooth and high sugars such as white sugar and HFCS to satisfy the palate. Though India is not a major cocoa bean producer, efforts must be made to exploit whatever is produced for boosting the health of our population rather than imitating the west in manufacturing unhealthy products. Cocoa industry must pay to the nutrient needs of the body rather than tickling the palates of the consumer!


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