Issue 124

5110 Kali Era, Sarvadhari Year, Chaitra month
2066 Vikramarka Era, Sarvadhari Year, Chaitra month
1930 Salivahana Era, Sarvadhari Year, Chaitra month
2008 AD, April

Contents

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Diet and Exercise

Blue Berries
Tomatoes
Bananas for Moms to Beget Male Babies
Vegetarian Diet-DASH Prevents heart Attack
Children’s Cereals Less Healthy

Miscellaneous

Oral Diabetic Medication
Dangerous Chemical in Plastic
Longevity

Recipes

Egg-free Vegan Matzo (Matzah) Ball Soup
Vegan Fettucine Alfredo with Tofutti Cream Cheese
Chinese Vegetable and Hoisin Stir-Fry
Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Diet and Exercise

Blue Berries
Phytochemical-rich foods, such as blueberries, are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory, according to a study to be published in the science journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. The researchers working at the Schools of Food Biosciences and Psychology in Reading and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter supplemented a regular diet with blueberries over a 12-week period, and found that improvements in spatial working memory tasks emerged within three weeks and continued throughout the period of the study.
Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. Although the precise mechanisms by which these plant-derived molecules affect the brain are unknown, they have been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake. It is believed that they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal (brain cell) connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration.
The enhancement of both short-term and long-term memory is controlled at the molecular level in neurons. The research team was able to show that the ability of flavonoids to induce memory improvements are mediated by the activation of signalling proteins via a specific pathway in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls learning and memory.

Tomatoes
A team found adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet of 10 volunteers improved the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Damage from these rays can lead to premature ageing and even skin cancer. The study, presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology, suggested the antioxidant lycopene was behind the apparent benefit.
This component of tomatoes - found at its highest concentration when the fruit has been cooked - has already been linked to a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. Now researchers at the universities of Manchester and Newcastle have suggested it may also help ward off skin damage by providing some protection against the effects of UV rays.

Bananas for Male Babies
Women who eat bananas would give birth to boys! What is the connection? Having a hearty appetite, potassium-rich foods including bananas, and not skipping breakfast all seemed to raise the odds of having a boy. The British research is billed as the first in humans to show a link between a woman's diet and whether she has a boy or girl. It fits with evidence from test tube fertilization that male embryos thrive best with longer exposure to nutrient-rich lab cultures. Hopefully, this may put an end to barbaric practice of female feticide by certain cultures.

Vegetarian Diet-DASH Prevents heart Attack
A large study offers the strongest evidence yet that a diet the government recommends for lowering blood pressure can save people from heart attack and stroke. The plan, called the DASH diet, favors fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein over meat. Women with those eating habits were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke than women with more typical American diets.
About two in five U.S. women at age 50 will eventually develop cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes.
Also, people with high cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with low cholesterol, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12–19, 2008.

Children’s Cereals Less Healthy
Children’s breakfast cereals are still higher in calories, sugar, and salt than in an equal amount of adult cereals, according to a study by Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. One in five middle school students and one in three high school students do not eat breakfast. There are a number of public health and food industry initiatives to encourage children to eat breakfast, particularly cereal, so the nutritional content is important. Researchers found that when comparing nutrients per gram, children’s cereals were higher in calories, sodium, carbohydrate, and sugar, but significantly lower in fiber and protein. They also found that the majority of children’s cereals, 66 percent, failed to meet national recommended nutritional standards for foods sold in schools.

Miscellaneous

Oral Diabetic Medication
A widely used class of diabetes medications appears to be associated with an increased risk for fractures, according to an article in Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[8]:820-825. "The insulin-sensitizing thiazolidinediones are a relatively new and effective class of oral antidiabetic agents that have gained wide use in clinical conditions characterized by insulin resistance," the authors write as background information in the article. Two drugs in this category, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, account for 21 percent of oral diabetes medications prescribed in the United States and 5 percent of those in Europe. Recent studies have suggested that these therapies may have unfavorable effects on bone, resulting in slower bone formation and faster bone loss.

Dangerous Chemical in Plastic
The federal National Toxicology Program said that experiments on rats found precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty when the animals were fed or injected with low doses of the plastics chemical bisphenol A. More than 90 percent of Americans are exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol, according to the CDC. The chemical leaches out of water bottles, the lining of cans and other items made with it.

Longevity
Recently, Edna Parker, the world’s oldest living person, turned 115. Scientists have found several genetic mutations in centenarians that may play a role in either slowing the aging process or boosting resistance to age-related diseases. The secret to a long life is now believed to be a mix of genetics and environmental factors such as health habits. The research on about 1,500 centenarians hints at another factor that may protect people from illnesses such as heart attacks and stroke: they appear not to dwell on stressful events and seem to manage their stress better than the rest of us.

Recipes

Egg-free Vegan Matzo (Matzah) Ball Soup
INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup soft (silken) tofu, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer, 4 sheets egg-free flat bread, crumbled fine, vegetable broth or soup
PREPARATION: In a medium bowl, mix tofu and oil together until smooth. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients (except vegetable broth) in a mixing bowl. On low speed, blend in the tofu mixture for 1 minute. Scrape sides and mix another 3 minutes at medium speed. Let it sit for 5 minutes. In a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, place matzah ball mixture in broth by the tablespoonfuls. Let the broth boil for 35 minutes, covered.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupsstewsandchili/r/veganmatzo.htm

Vegan Fettucine Alfredo with Tofutti Cream Cheese
INGREDIENTS: 1 package silken (soft) tofu; 1 tbsp soy margarine; 1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme vegan sour cream; 2 tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese vegan cream cheese; 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese; 1 tsp garlic powder; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 cup soy milk; pasta.
PREPARATION: Place all ingredients (except pasta) into a blender. Blendy to a creamy sauce, adding more soy milk to achieve desired consistency. Heat gently until hot, but do not boil. Serve over fettucini pasta. http://vegetarian.about.com/od/pastaandnoodlerecipes/r/veganalfredo.htm

Chinese Vegetable and Hoisin Stir-Fry
INGREDIENTS: 3 tbsp hoisin sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil+ 2 tbsp; 2 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp sugar or liquid sweetener; 3/4 cup vegetable broth; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced; 1 tbsp corn starch; approx. 1 cup seitan, chopped into 1 inch pieces; 3-4 green onions, chopped; 1 red or yellow bell pepper; approx 2 cups broccoli, chopped.

PREPARATION: In a small saucepan, whisk together hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, vegetable broth, garlic, ginger and corn starch over medium heat. Allow to simmer until mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. In a large wok or skillet, stir-fry seitan in 2 tbsp sesame oil and 2 tbsp soy sauce until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add onions, pepper and broccoli and stir-fry another 2-3 minutes. Add sauce mixture to the stir-fry and combine well, allowing to cook another 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is done cooking. Serve your Chinese vegetable stir-fry over cooked rice or noodles, if desired. http://vegetarian.about.com/od/stirfries/r/SeitanHoisin.htm

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry
INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced, 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, well pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes, 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil, 1/2 cauliflower, chopped; 1 bunch broccoli, chopped; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 onion, chopped; 1 bell pepper, any color, sliced; 1 cup snow peas; 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (any kind); 3 green onions (scallions), sliced; rice, pre-cooked
PREPARATION:
In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice and ginger. Marinade the tofu in this sauce for at least one hour. In a wok or a large skillet, cook the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, onion, bell pepper and tofu over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the snow peas, mushrooms, green onions and marinade from the tofu. Allow to cook for just a few more minutes. Vegetables should be tender but not soft. Add the rice and cook just until heated through and well mixed. http://vegetarian.about.com/od/stirfries/r/simplestirfry.htm

Health and Nutrition

Issue 124