SUGAR AND AGING-THE STARTLING 'CONNECTION'

It is well known that increased consumption of sugar and fat is a major dietary change brought about by the plethora of products offered by the industry, playing to the uncontrollable sensory desires of the consumer who can afford, being more and more affluent with higher disposable incomes. Scientific endeavors in the field of nutrition and health were always focused more on relation between food and over weight syndromes than the potential for food to influence the aging process. Preventing on-set of diseases like CVD, BP, Diabetes, Cancer and others through optimal and balanced diets, will of course ensure normal progress to old age. Similarly food can also hasten aging if not properly balanced or the diet is not moderated preventing excess consumption of some food components. Longevity depends on many factors and no single explanation can bring clarity to this issue.

Implication of sugars in health disorders is by now well established. Role of liquid calories in weight control was discussed in an earlier blog. Similarly wide spread consumption of corn based HFCS through a plethora of formulated food and beverages is widely believed to be one of the important causative factors for obesity. Maintaining blood sugar levels, even for a normal healthy person, free from diseases, is considered critical for preserving cognitive health. Hippocampically challenged state can develop during progressive aging, causing lapses in memory and rising blood sugar level during aging process is partly responsible for this phenomenon. Decreasing brain function in one area of hippocampus called dentate gyrus is the main contributor for declining memory condition and its connection with rising blood sugar level is well established. A decline in blood glucose can increase dentate gyrus function and consequently improve the cognitive function.

In simulation studies using yeast cells it has been found that over consumption of sugar is directly linked to aging. The life span of these cells was adversely affected by their ability to sense the presence of sugar in the medium. The specific gene responsible for the glucose sensor, when removed from the cells, they lived longer, similar to those cells which grow under glucose starved conditions (calorie restriction regime). In all higher living beings calorie uptake involves two aspects viz tasting and digestion. Before nutrients can reach the cells, there is an analogous process in which sensors on the surface of the cell detect the presence of glucose where upon the glucose inside the cell is broken down. The by-products of such break- down process are believed to be responsible, at least partly for aging. In humans when sugar is consumed, the absorbed sugar rushes to through the blood stream and insulin is promptly released in an attempt to keep the blood sugar level stable. Excess insulin is known to cause fat storage besides contributing to diseases like asthma, arthritis, gallstone, tooth decay, elevated triglycerides linked to CVD and suppression of immune system.

Higher levels of sugar in the blood eventually make proteins stick to gether thereby damaging the function of the proteins. Excess sugar can react, especially with proteins such as Collagen in the skin which may lead to brown "splotches" or age spots on the skin as well as loss of elasticity causing premature wrinkling . Sugar damaged, dangerously cross-linked proteins known as Advanced Glycation End products (AGE) can wreak havoc in all body tissues and lead to untimely aging. There are special enzymes in the body which do break down such potentially dangerous mattrix of glycated proteins continuously up to a limit but when glucose levels attain high values in the blood, equilibrium shifts to more AGE products formation. Use of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Chromium and Taurine are claimed o be effective to varying extent in preventing AGE formation through different mechanisms. But the most effective way of preventing premature aging is through exercising self-control on high sugar consumption in the daily diet. It is not for nothing that the health experts preach replacement of simple sugars in the food with complex carbohydrates which prevent sudden glucose build up in the blood and help keeping the relentless onslaught of aging at bay.

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

WHY NOT PROCESSED FOODS FOR NATIONAL FEEDING PROGRAMS?

The Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) Program, with a massive funding of Rs 6500 crore from Government of India and spanning all the states in the country, is considered the largest child feeding project in the world with a net-work of kitchens equipped with the barest of bare paraphernalia to serve warm foods to children and vulnerable women. The beneficiaries include 6.86 crore children of age up to 6 years and 1.45 crore pregnant and lactating mothers. It is a tragedy of monumental proportion that the resources earmarked for this noble cause have not made any dent on the targeted group of children and nothing seems to have changed even after a decade of operation of this much touted development program. No less an authority than the very Ministry for Women and Child development admitted that the program had very slow impact on physical growth and development of children and found that lack of provision for incorporating micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals in the prepared foods supplied at the feeding centers as a reason for under performance of this well intentioned scheme.

According to the reputed International Food Policy Research Institute in USA, while China has been able to reduce sharply the extent of child malnutrition during nineteen nineties, India lags behind even the sub-Saharan poor nations, in terms of the number of impoverished children left behind in our relentless pursuit of wealth. Despite the robust economic growth, 42.5% of the child population under the age of 5 years in the country remain under weight, a true reflection of the magnitude of malnutrition prevailing that has disastrous consequences in terms of illness, morbidity, stunted growth and vulnerability to death. World Food Program claims that a quarter of world's hungry people live in India, a national shame brought upon ourselves by the human failure in managing our own affairs logically, rationally and honestly.

The present system of providing some staples like rice, dal etc to the kitchens under the ICDS program and 'hoping' that every thing will be alright is just not working, if we go by the results achieved so far. Do we need more time to come to a conclusion that the present 'hot' food concept just will not work in a country like India where corruption knows no boundaries and pilferage is rampant, the sufferers being the poor beneficiaries in whose name unscrupulous 'managers' are lining their pockets? Country must wake up and force the governments to rework out the strategy to ensure 100% of the beneficiaries targeted are physically covered without any diversion of funds or input materials provided. How can this be achieved?

The processed food industry in India can provide the right answer. It has the technologies, resources and infrastructure required for manufacture and necessary distribution network to deliver the foods to every nook and corner of the country. If there is a lack of appropriate technological wherewithal, the two food research and development institutions, DFRL and CFTRI, funded fully by the taxpayer of this country must be asked to shut down all their existing projects and take up a 'mission mode' endeavor to evolve appropriate products and processes for meeting the needs of the ICDS and midday school feeding programs. The famous ENERGY FOOD product developed and productionized in seventies was unjustifiably side lined due to political considerations though it happened to be the most balanced and lowest costing food product in the world. Which food can deliver 16 g of proteins and 360 kC of energy plus the micro nutrients for a meager cost of Rs 2, as was done with energy food earlier, when subsidized input materials from the PDS were provided? What about the indirect benefits flowing out of a program of this dimension, based on industry processed products proven for their organoleptic and nutritional qualities, such as opportunities for employment, expansion of industrial base, more hygienic food, elimination of hazards of food contamination and poisoning, lesser wastage, saving of water and many others?

The criticism that Energy Food was a dry product and beneficiaries were 'bored' with its monotonous taste can be avoided to a great extent by diversifying the product profile and opting for different products and technologies. In a country like the US, subsidized canteens provide snacks and meals operated by private caterers but the school system there is more organized and dispersed with school transportation facilities provided by the county administration making the system work efficiently. The burden of cooking on the school staff must be avoided as teaching is the task entrusted to them which will get hijacked if non-teaching work load is thrust on them. A 3-party joint strategy involving government, industry and the R & D organizations must be evolved to put on track the derailed feeding program and make sure the investments lead to tangible long term results. performance of the Industry, if roped into the school feeding program, must be measured in terms of well defined development yardsticks vis-a-vis the beneficiaries coming under their area of operation. The onus will be on it to show results, in stead of the teachers or the school management. Let us strive to achieve our full potential and climb out of the bottom basket of those nations with highest Global Hunger Index where India is presently consigned based on its past performance, along with some of the poorest countries in the world in sub-Saharan Africa.This is the least we owe to the fellow citizens of this country who are unfavorably placed in life due to circumstances, not of their choice.

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

"LIQUID" CALORIES VS "SOLID" CALORIES-THE WEIGHT DYNAMICS

Considering that man needs about 3 liters of water every day for maintaining the moisture balance in the body, food and beverages provide a major part of this through the diet, rest coming from drinking water. While water by itself does not contribute to any calories, foods and beverages contain calories contributed by carbohydrates, fat and proteins to varying extent depending on their concentration. Beverages based on fruits, vegetables, herbs, sugar, alcohol and milk offer a wide variety competing for the minds of the consumer. The calorie contents in these beverages are influenced by the extent of metabolizable carbohydrates like sucrose, high fructose syrup or other natural sweeteners. Sugar content in most of the beverages can vary from 10% to 20% depending on the source or the recipe. Alcoholic beverages like wine derive the calories from sugar as well as alcohol while others like hard liquor or beer have only alcohol to contribute to calories.

Soft drinks including aerated beverages are usually based on white sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and are at the center of controversy regarding their role in uncontrolled weight gain. HFCS is increasingly being implicated in obesity in the US probably because of the large consumption base for such drinks in that country. Compared to India where the per capita soft drink consumption is a "healthy" 2 liters per year, corresponding figure for the US is around 190 liters in 2005 and shockingly this figure is almost 100% jump from that in 1980. In contrast total milk intake dropped from 95 liters per capita per year in 1980 to less than 70 liters in 2005! How far this shift in consumption pattern is responsible for the current day health problems in that country is a matter of conjecture. How ever it is well recognized that soft drinks are high in Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL)while milk has significantly lower values for GI and GL.

The caloric density and quantum of foods consumed determine the extent of calories ingested and unless calorie intake is balanced with its expenditure through physical activity, excess will invariably cause body weight increase. Though pure sugar and pure fat, when taken directly will have highest caloric density (CD), products containing these ingredients in varying proportions can have different CD values. Theoretically solid foods should always be high in CD values because of higher metabolizable solids but their consumption is self limiting due to satiety factor and limitations vis-a-vis oral cavity, moisture content and gastrointestinal capacity. In comparison liquid foods are easily consumed and metabolized fast in the body creating more cravings for beverages. It is believed that fluid calories do not give a strong feeling of fullness and consequently more food is consumed to get the satiety resulting in higher consumption of calories unintentionally. A person drinking an alcoholic beverage or a soft drink before a meal usually does not compensate for these extra calories by consuming less food at the table, a major reason for higher calorie intake.

Looking into the development of soft drink industry world over, 4 out of 10 top selling grocery items in most of the developed countries belong to the beverage category which includes soft drinks, juices, milk and beer and sugar sweetened juices account for more than 35% of the beverages on the market shelves. Though both 'solid' and 'liquid' calories are associated with weight changes, only reduction in the intake of sugar sweetened beverages is translated into significant weight loss in many cases. The logical question that arises is whether one can lead a healthy life without the fear of gaining undue body weight by avoiding regular consumption of sugar sweetened drinks? Many experts think so and advocate drinks which are not sweetened like unsweetened versions of juices, coffee and tea, low calorie beverages or plain water when ever necessary. Drinking 1 or 2 glasses of water before a meal also reduces the quantity of food eaten resulting in lesser calorie intake and better health in the long run.

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

FRUIT SUGAR-A DOUBLE EDGED FOOD INGREDIENT

 

Fructose, Galactose and Glucose happen to be the three important mono saccharides found in nature and play crucial roles in the human metabolic system. The great blame game centered around Fructose, also known widely as fruit sugar since it is present naturally in many fruits, does not seem to be abating amongst the food and health experts, many of whom feel, rightly or wrongly that fructose is the main cause of epidemic obesity being faced by the population in some affluent countries. To the classical food scientists it does not make any sense as to why Fructose should cause obesity while Glucose, its more famous hexose isomer is the main source of biological energy produced through the TCA Cycle at the cellular level. But there appears to be substantial support to the theory that corn based High Fructose Syrup and its omnipotent presence in most of the foods consumed by the Americans could be a major contributing factor for obesity in that country.

 

Tomato, an inconsequential vegetable in the daily lives of many population, has come to the rescue of Fructose by showing the latter in a better light because of the reported beneficial effect of tomato products in protecting humans from some types of cancers. This phenomenon was first observed when scientists found such an effect with dehydrated product but not with fresh tomatoes. It is true that FDA of USA permits declaring claims for tomato in reducing the risk of cancers like prostate, gastric, ovarian and pancreas. Though lycopene, a major constituent in Tomato, was thought to be the active substance responsible for this effect, in actual experiments pure lycopene did not show the same result as tomato products. This led to the hypothesis that anti-cancer property of tomato is due to the combine action of carotenoids, vitamin C and poly phenols. That fresh tomato did not had the same effect as reconstituted products from dehydrated tomato provided the vital clue that some artifacts formed during the dehydration process could be the real active principle for the anti-cancer property.

 

Fructose has a ketone functional group and when dissolved in water it forms a ring structure like that of glucose. It undergoes Maillard reaction or non-enzymatic browning as Glucose does by combining with amino acids present in the food at high temperatures. As fructose exists to greater extent in the open-chain form than does glucose, the initial stages of the Maillard reaction occurs more rapidly than with glucose. An understanding of the role of fructose in the Maillard reaction products helped scientists to isolate several ketosamines, reaction products between fructose and different amino acids and further studies zeroed on one compound, the reaction product with histidine amino acid, as responsible for the beneficial effect of tomato products against cancer. Further proof arrived when this ketosamine, in presence of lycopene was found to stop cancerous growth more than 98% of the time. In rat experiments 45% fewer animals died of prostate cancer. Being an Amadori compound, fructose ketosamine is present in many dry fruits but the significance of dehydrated tomato products being effective is possibly because of presence of lycopene and vitamin also as believed by many.

 

Fructose thus has a positive role in human diet and if at all it is involved in some way in obesity, it must be due to over consumption by the unsuspecting consumers, affecting their normal glucose-centric metabolism.   

 

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

'LAB' TO HELP DIABETICS?

Chinese scientists have made a splash in the international circuit recently by claiming the development of a technology to make low carbohydrate juice products from vegetables like carrot using lactic acid fermentation and further claiming that these products are good for diabetic people. What is not clear in this claim is whether they have found a new strain of microorganism that will 'eat up' complex carbohydrates like starch present in many vegetables. Use of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in many traditional vegetable products is ancient dating back to centuries and many traditional foods in Asian and African continents are based on this fermentation. Professor Steinkraus, an internationally acclaimed and highly knowledgeable microbiologist, has brought out an epic book on the fermented foods which is virtually an encyclopedia on the subject. It is difficult to understand what is new in the present findings reported by Chinese scientists. Lack of any substantial data on their study makes it difficult to come to any meaningful conclusion.

To begin with most vegetables are low in carbohydrates including sugars and their consumption is recommended because of this reason. Besides they are rich in dietary fiber, several vitamins and essential minerals. The carbohydrate content in most of the vegetables vary from 2.5% in bitter gourd to 9.7% in carrot but is high in some like Peas (14.4%) potato (22.1%), Yam (18.4%), Breadfruit (15.8%) and Plantain (14%). There are many vegetables grown in India with low carbohydrate content like bottle gourd (2.5%), brinjal (4%), squash (3.4%), okra (6.4%), snake gourd (3.3%), pumpkin (4.6%), ridge gourd (3.4%), spinach (4.3%), radish (3.4%), and tomato (4.7%). More over the glycemic index (GI) of of most of the vegetables is very low because whatever little carbohydrates present in them, are encased in so much cellulosic material that they cause practically no rise in blood sugar even if consumed in large quantities. Only some like Potato ( GI 80+), Peas (GI 48), Corn (GI 53) and Carrot (GI 47) are considered having some what higher GI values. Vegetables are rich sources of dietary fiber, both soluble as well as insoluble and many of them contain 2-6% fiber, considered vital for good health. If this is so where is the need to reduce the carbohydrate involving costly technological intervention which will also remove the beneficial dietary fiber and other nutrients in the process? Nonetheless LAB fermentation process does not involve heating of the raw material and there fore the products may contain some health protecting phytonutrients like isothiocyanates in significant quantities generated by live enzymes like myrosinase.

If the purpose is to make drinkable juice products, use of pectinase can serve the same purpose faster. Subjecting vegetable pulps to LAB fermentation is time consuming and cumbersome and the products will have a distinct acidic taste which has to be adjusted to suit the palates of the consumers that calls for significant dilution. Again addition of salt or sugar may be necessary to make the product palatable especially to young age consumers. A 3/4 cup juice is supposed to be equivalent to one serving of vegetables and if 5 servings are to be made, almost 4 cups of juice will have to be consumed requiring at least 4 g of salt to make them palatable! It is true that health freaks are already consuming such juices from many vegetables and herbs but their number and quantities consumed are rather limited raising a question regarding the commercial viability of these LAB fermented vegetable juices.

LAB group consists of homofermentors and heterofermentors, converting sugar to lactic acid and CO2 or a mixture of lactic acid, acetic acid, ethyl alcohol and CO2 respectively. These include Lactobacillus acidophilus, L.bulgaricus, L.plantarum, L.caret, L.pentoaceticus, L.brevis and L.thermophilus. Streptococcus and Leuconostoc species also produce lactic acid but much less than that produced by Lactobacillus species. They are all microaerophilic organisms requiring no oxygen for their growth and metabolism. Traditional sauerkraut fermentation of cabbage brought about by Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a classical example of lactic acid preserved vegetable, consumed widely by Europeans. There are typical traditional fermented products in many countries, almost all of them preserved by lactic acid fermentation in presence of salt. Kimchi of Korea, Gundruk of Nepal, Kocho of Ethiopia, Pak-gard-dong, Hum-dong, Hua-chai po and Naw-mai-dong of Thailand, Hum choy and Tai-tan-tsoi of China, Tempoyak of Malaysia, dozens of pickles from mango, lime, gooseberry etc in India, are all LAB mediated preserved foods that have stood the test of time for centuries.

The critical substrate for LAB is sugar and only in case of vegetables that contain small concentration of sugar can initiate fermentation. The role of the salt is primarily to bring out the juice and subsequent liberation of sugar for further action by the microbes. During LAB action glucose is broken down mainly to lactic acid and lactate which enters the blood when pickles are consumed is converted to pyruvate in the liver for deriving energy through the Kreb's Cycle. Excess accumulation of lactate in the blood can end up as glucose through the pyruvate route. Though lactic acid fermentation does bring down carbohydrate load, it does not guarantee against rise in blood sugar in the blood under certain conditions. While LAB fermented vegetable juice products can be a separate category of newly developed beverages which should stand scrutiny of the consumer for its acceptability, claiming it to be a panacea for diabetic people is some what far-fetched!

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

SAFETY OF BOTTLED WATER-IS THERE A GUARANTEE?

A recent finding that mineral water packed in plastic bottles can extract dangerous chemicals from the container which will exert estrogenic functions, when consumed regularly, cannot be easily dismissed. The conclusion was drawn based on the observation that the chemicals isolated from such water samples caused an increase in the development of embryos in some species of mud snails. How far this evidence translates into any potential threat to human beings who consume water packed in plastic bottles cannot be ascertained with any certainty because of insufficient data to support such a possibility.Use of plastic bottles especially PET for disposable type of containers and Poly carbonates for reusable purpose is widely prevalent in India and therefore it must get the attention of scientists as well as the authorities concerned with this product. While small containers of capacity 500 ml to 2 liter are in use in the retail market, bulk supply with reusable containers with capacities 5 liters to 20 liters is common at the house hold level and in mass catering places.

There is a strong group of activists who feel that water packed in plastic bottles entails heavy health risks because during their manufacture a cocktail of chemicals are used for imparting various properties to the plastics. Environmentalists oppose use of plastics because for making every bottle of 1 liter capacity, 3-5 liters of water is used which is considered as wasteful. Also cited is the reported presence of Antimony, a heavy metal, in water packed in plastics, leached out from the container. Alarming picture is painted to show that water stored in plastic containers leaches more and more Antimony with time and temperature but maximum reported was less than 700 parts per trillion (ppt) while up to 20000 ppt is considered safe in potable water by international safety organizations. In another study some commercial samples of bottled water reportedly contained 38 different pollutants like Bacteria, fertilizers and industrial chemicals though many of these pollutants could have come from the source from where the water originated. The Bisphenol A (BPA) episode of recent origin is still fresh in the minds of the consumers but water is generally not bottled in polycarbonates from where BPA can be leached out. Polycarbonate bottles are popular amongst consumers as reusable water bottles but realizing the risks of BPA, polycarbonate is being shunned by all major retailers across the world.

Use of Polyvinyl chloride pipes for transport of water also is under scrutiny as it is likely to release trace chemicals like BPA, phthalates, organotin etc all with estrogenic activity. Relatively safe plastics like HDPE are increasingly being preferred for piping and storage of water for the households as well as commercial purpose. While those who consume bottled water occasionally may face relatively lesser risk of health hazards, if the house hold plastics being extensively used to store and supply water were found to be leaching out such chemicals, there is bound to be some concern. Fortunately, as of now, such fears may be misplaced, though what future holds is not certain. Going back to cement or steel storage tanks and GI pipes for water supply may yet be a safer bet in the long run.

The mud snail story from Germany may provide some grist for the anti-plastic groups to denigrate bottled water industry for some time but a critical scrutiny of the data brings out the startling fact that even in snails bred in glass bottles there were abnormal embryo development. Probably this indicates that the original water used itself had some xenoestrogen chemicals and extractive from the plastic bottles only increased the incidence. Also to be noted is that the German study was on bottled mineral water, not on normal potable water and whether the cocktail of minerals present had any role needs to be checked. Further study is warranted to come to a definitive conclusion that plastic bottles are risky to be used for packing water and damning an industry based on such scanty studies is not justified. Globally drinking water industry made 115. 4 billion liters of water in 2006 worth about $ 60.9 billion. By 2011 world will witness a production of 174.3 billion liters valued at $ 86.4 billion.

In a country like India where millions of people travel 365 days an year, bottled water is only the dependable source of bacteria-free water. Similarly millions of people gather in thousands of venues across the country for religious, social and professional meetings and bottled water is the major source of safe drinking water. Suggesting alternate containers like cans and bottles is not practical considering the cost and availability. If there is a risk proven beyond doubt through scientific evaluation, ways and means will have to be found to make the containers safer through better manufacturing technologies.

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

WHOLE JUICE, NOTHING BUT THE JUICE!

 

One out of 5 calories consumed by humans comes through liquid foods that include beverages also, highlighting the crucial importance of water for life sustenance. Water needs vary from person to person, the nature of foods consumed and the environmental conditions. Too much water intake can also cause water 'intoxication' resulting in excess sodium drain and consequent effect on electrolyte balance. Juices extracted from fruits and vegetables are major carriers of water though they also contain many valuable nutrients. Conventionally juice from any fruit is made by removing so called inedible portions like peel and seeds, thermal inactivation of native enzymes, coarse and fine filtration steps, clarification by pectinase enzyme in some cases and sterilization. The juice is packed aseptically or canned or concentrated and frozen for marketing. Sugar preserved products like squashes and syrups are made by comparatively inexpensive process. Ready To Serve Beverages (RTS) made with fruit pulp, water, sugar and added flavors and citric acid are packed in returnable glass bottles or tetra pack cartons. Nutritionally RTS beverages are just a source of sugar with very low nutrient density as the fruit pulp content can be as low as 10% in many cases. Why such products with almost empty calories are permitted, targeted especially against younger consumers, is beyond one's comprehension. Why do we blame soft drink industry for doing precisely the same through their syrup based carbonated drinks?

 

Advent of Tetrapack technology has encouraged a couple of processors to introduce 100% juices from fruits like orange, guava etc but due to cost factor they are yet to take off. Considering that the yield of juice from a fruit like orange is less than 50%, the final cost of the end product is bound to be on the higher side, especially when the processors have no control on the raw material price as the fruits are sourced at prevailing wholesale market prices. There is a possibility of reducing the prices if yield can be increased, thus diluting the cost component from the fruit in the final production cost. Food technology must take the blame for playing to the illogical demands of consumers when it comes to juice products. Use of pectinase to clarify fruit juices is a classical example of this trend. Fruit juices are invariably made to look thin or clear and consumer is under the mistaken impression that clear juices are better ignoring the reality that the suspended insoluble matter removed during clarification is rich in dietary fiber and many phytonutrients. There is an urgent need to revisit the juice making technology as it is practiced to day to make the products more health friendly.

 

Comminuted fruit juices, containing almost all the goodness present in the whole fruit, can be made adapting the existing technology. Whole fruit is crushed and comminuted to reduce the particle size of the pulp to about 100-500 micron levels and the yield can be as high as 97% in a fruit like orange or grapefruit, only residue rejected being the seeds. The product so obtained is a highly concentrated beverage base which can be diluted to the desired taste threshold to get RTS drinks. Major advantages for such a product include lower cost of the finished product and significantly higher health benefits. Probably other fruits like apple, guava, plums, peaches, etc also could be processed into comminuted beverage base for preparing more healthy RTS drinks. The process for comminuted beverage type of products involves selecting fully ripe fruits, their washing, steaming, cutting into pieces, mixing with sugar solution, blending, pulping and making a homogeneous product which can then be formulated into RTS drinks.

 

A fruit like orange has more than 170 different phytonutrients and 60 flavonoids, all considered good for protection against diseases like low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation, many types of cancers, heart disease, strokes, cardiac arrhythmia, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Diabetes and Chrohn's disease. Orange fruit has two distinct parts, Pericarp consisting of Flavedo, the outer colored peel layer and Albedo, the inner white portion of the peel and Endocarp made of segments and juice vesicles containing the juice. Pericarp, which is normally thrown away is the repository of essential oils rich in terpenes and oxygenated terpenes, bicyclic terpenes, sesquiterpenes, aliphatic compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters containing nitrogen, paraffin wax, steroids, triterpenes, fatty acids, coumarins, psoralins, flavones such as hesperetin and naringenin, anthocyanins, hydroxy cinnamic acid, polyphenols, pigments, carotenoids, chloroplasts, pectin, fiber etc. Gallic acid, a polyphenol and hesperidin, a polymethoxylated flavone are considered highly beneficial in maintaining good health if regularly consumed. These phytonutrients in presence of Vitamin C, contained in the juice exert high antioxidant effect at the cellular level. 

 

Citrus fruits like orange, lemon and grapefruit typically yield 22-38% peel, 34-78% pulp and 22-51% juice. Presence of limonin does impart some bitterness in the concentrated base but this is diluted when RTS drinks are formulated and masked in presence of sugar. The superior flavor due to higher content of oxygenated terpenes in comminuted juice, as compared to thin and clear juices is another feature deserving consideration. There is every justification for encouraging manufacture and consumption of comminuted fruit drinks considering the enormous health benefits such products can confer on the consumers.  
 

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