Coca-Cola turns to baobab in new low calorie soft drink brand

Coca-Cola turns to baobab in new low calorie soft drink brand. Coca-Cola has launched a soft drink which counts baobab extract among its ingredients: a beverage that could be rolled out globally in the future. Read more

GENOMICS, FOOD AND DISEASE PREVENTION.

Eighty per cent of the global disease burden is preventable, Maloof, a health optimisation practitioner, told the audience at WIRED Health, and a large part of that is down to bad diet. Dr Molly Maloof keeps the entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley in peak physical condition, but you won't find many pills on her prescriptions. An appointment with Maloof is usually rounded up with a new Instagram to check out and five app recommendations ,that's because she believes that food is the best medicine. The diabetes epidemic is so bad that the UK public health journal The Lancet branded it a "public health humiliation." Type two diabetes is perhaps the most prevalent preventable disease – in 2013, 5.1 million people died from diabetes and there are as many as 382 million people currently living with the disease, costing the global economy billions of pounds. Maloof believes the answer is simple, there is a need to treat the root cause of our disease with better food. Although our bodies tell us that doing the wrong thing feels right and doing the right thing feels wrong,since the body is used to sugar/sweets overload. Maloof, said using drugs to control body weight only exacerbates the problem. Statins are commonly prescribed to limit blood cholesterol and lower the risk the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but are also associated with an 12 per cent increased risk of diabetes. "Are people trading a heart attack for diabetes?" said Maloof. A visit to Maloof,she usually prescribes a strict regimen of boxed meal kits (such as Hello Fresh), fresh produce and inspirational food Instagrams. In most people, it's simple changes over time that have the biggest result. Maloof's recommendations are openly available on the internet,but her secret weapon is Nutrigenomics. Maloof uses data from genome sequencing companies like 23andMe to produce a diet plan that she claims is unique to your genetic makeup. She also runs micronutrient tests that identify the nutrients her patients are low on and then provides a bespoke diet plan to supplement those deficiencies. Add in quarterly data from blood, saliva and stool samples, and Maloof said she can create a diet plan that responds to minute changes within your body. "The real blockbuster drug of this century is the activated patient," said Maloof. "They have to want better health." The patients have to take control over their own diets to really reap the benefits and there are no quick wins. culled from wired.co.uk

HOW TO CONTROL FELINE HAIRBALL USING DIETARY CELLULOSE.

Cellulose-enriched dry and wet cat foods make claims on hairball control. Research data indicate that supplemental dietary cellulose reduces hairball symptoms and raises fecal hair excretion in cats, but the type and amount of 
cellulose determine the efficacy.
 
  The Grooming behavior of cats is associated with the ingestion of fur and most of the swallowed, non-digestible hair passes through the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted with the feces. About 10% of short haired cats bring up hairballs periodically, the need being around twice as common in their long haired counterparts.     

Aggregates of hair formed in the stomach have reached a size that cannot enter the duodenum and will eventually be ejected by vomiting. Occasionally, fur masses obstruct the intestine and cause severe clinical signs and even potentially mortality.

 Normally, gastric hairball formation and elimination is harmless. 
Bringing up hairballs is common in pet cats and presents an unpleasant nuisance for many owners as they dislike the signs of vomiting, retching and coughing.

 This situation forms the basis for industrially produced cat foods with a hairball-control claim. 
When the pet food label declares the ingredients by individual names, powdered cellulose is usually found in the list.
 The hairball claim is often explained by the food formula moving hair through the digestive tract for fecal voiding. 

 The anti-hairball effect of dietary cellulose as shown in cats is based on two synergistic mechanisms; Cellulose may prevent the clustering of single strands of hair in the stomach, thereby increasing the transfer of loose hairs into the duodenum.

This effect may be greater for fibrillated cellulose prepared by modern and sophisticated milling technology and facilitating the formation of an insoluble fiber network.

 Cellulose ingestion also accelerates the transit of digesta and thus propels duodenal hair into the feces.

Together, the two mechanisms lead to the observed cellulose-induced fecal excretion of hair. An unchanged grooming behavior with ingestion of fur results in an increase in fecal hair excretion .
 This infers less formation of mats of hair in the stomach, Consequently there will be less vomiting of hairballs.
     Read about research at allaboutfeed.net

DIABETES IN DOGS.

Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the cells of the body cannot metabolize the glucose from the blood this results in rise in blood sugar levels. This condition results either because of lack of insulin or an inability of the cells to effectively utilize it. Diabetes usually begins in middle age and it is more common in females dogs than male dogs of certain breeds like puli,while in cats the male and female of all breeds are equally at risk. Diabetes mellitus in dogs is characterized by a high level of glucose in the blood. The level of glucose in the blood and its absorption by cells are regulated by a hormone called insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. If there isn't enough insulin, or if the cells can't use it effectively, then glucose levels in the blood increase, resulting in diabetes The signs develop overtime and these include drinking a lot of water, urinating more often than usual, an increased appetite, and weight loss. Delayed healing in cases of skin infections , where sores or skin infections that take a long time to heal or are resistant to treatment. Diabetes is usually diagnosed by measuring increased levels of glucose in the blood. If the level of glucose in the blood is high enough, it will lace the urine and can be detected . Mild cases of diabetes can sometimes be managed by diet, exercise, and weight control. Most cases of diabetes require insulin injections to keep the level of blood glucose in the normal range. Managing a dog with diabetes requires a commitment by owner and to stick to the same routine every day. Feed a fixed amount of a balanced diet, divided into equal morning and evening portions, treats and other snacks should not be given because they will interfere with the proper regulation of your pet's glucose level. Exercise also needs to be consistent to maintain a particular weight. There will be the need to check your dog's urine glucose on a daily basis and to return regularly for a blood glucose test. Once a routine / Pattern is established and the dog is used to it, checking a urine glucose level, keeping meals and exercise consistent, and administering insulin takes very little time. Dogs with diabetes,if properly managed can still live productive lives. If diabetes is not treated, metabolic byproducts of fat breakdown referred to as ketones will build up in the blood, leading to fatigue, poor appetite, and vomiting. When ketones accumulate in the body, the dog's breath will be foul .This odor is one of the pointers that your dog has a metabolic disorder.

BANANAS! BANANAS!! BANANAS!!!

. The risk of diabetes,stroke and cancer are reduced with intake of bananas. The ripe,unripe and over-ripe bananas play vital roles in health and well-being. The peels are also valuable and can be consumed along with the fruit. The skins are an even richer source of antioxidants, potassium, magnesium and resistant fiber. A study of a group of over 90,000 women, ages 50-79, was tracked for 11 years to see how their diets predicted their stroke risk. Those who had the potassium from an extra banana each day had a 25 percent reduction in their risk of stroke. Bananas are the most powerful fruit for reducing the risk of kidney cancer. A study of shows the result of monitoring 61,000 adult women,they were assessed based on their diets and monitored for kidney cancer for 13.4 years and bananas were shown to lower the risk of kidney cancer. The diabetic can benefit from the properties of bananas,but only the unripe bananas are useful.Skins from ripe bananas are edible either cooked or raw ,while skins from green bananas are edible when cooked. A study looked at how the starch from unripe bananas affected the weight of a group of obese diabetics. After four weeks of a diet high in bananas, diabetics lost significantly more weight than on a control diet. There is a difference in insulin sensitivity from a banana diet.

THYME EXTRACT AS A GROWTH PROMOTER IN BROILERS.

Antibiotics have been banned as a growth promoter but, there are alternative feed additives that can improve broiler performance. Thyme oil is an important antibiotic alternative .The use of antibiotics in poultry feed has demonstrated beneficial effects with regard to improved performance and morbidity in broiler chickens. However, the occurrence of antibiotic residues in products and the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has resulted in the ban of its use as growth promoter. Alternative feed additives in animal rations may also improve broiler performance. Essential oils, organic acids, and phytogenic compounds such as thyme oil are important antibiotic alternatives. Essential oils consist of several active compounds, with some of them comprising more than 60 individual components that can inhibit the growth of certain microorganisms, as Salmonella spp and other pathogens.The chemical composition of essential oils is variable. The primary components are the major active ingredients, whereas the secondary components act synergistically to increase the total effectiveness. It has been reported that dietary thyme (major components thymol and carvacrol) had a different effect on weight gain and body mass when used as an herb or oil; there is limited evidence whether its inclusion as a solid herb material would have a growth-promoting effect in live birds. The effects of dietary thyme-oil-extract fortification on immune functions of male broiler chicks were therefore determined. In a 42 day feeding trial the effect of dietary thyme-oil extract supplementation on immune functions of male broiler chicks were assessed by feeding graded levels (50, 100, 200, or 400 ppm). Negative-control diet with no feed-additive supplementation and 2 positive-control groups supplemented with virginiamycin or zinc bacitracin were included. Diet modifications had no significant effect on blood leukocyte sub populations and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, dietary supplementation with thyme-oil extract, especially at the level of 100 ppm, improved immunological responses of broiler chicks. The inclusion of thyme in diets of broilers will not only increase weight gain but will improve performance. Excerpts from pig progress.

HOW TO HANDLE HEAT STRESS IN PIGS.

Heat stress affects the pig industry in tropical climates as well as temperate regions. Losses due to heat stress include nonproductive days for sows and economic losses in growing-finishing pigs. Even in mild climate conditions such as the Netherlands pigs have problems in the summer with performance losses due heat stress .This problem can be dealt with by improved nutrition. Pigs are much more sensitive to hot weather than other livestock animals – largely due to the fact that pigs hardly sweat and their lungs are relatively small compared to their body size. When pigs are exposed to heat stress, their respiration rate increases, pulse rate falls, they start panting heavily and they stop eating because this contributes to further heat production. The fact that bigger pigs are more sensitive to heat stress can be clearly seen in growth performance. Investigation of different weight classes (75, 80 and 28 kg body weight) showed a direct negative correlation on average daily gain (ADG) with increasing room temperature. While 75 kg pigs start to decrease their ADG at around 23°C, pigs weighing 25 kg can compensate up to 27°C (Langridge, Western Australia, 2014). A commonly accepted temperature range for sows in the farrowing house typically spans between 21°C and 25°C - though this is too big of a range. Nursery sows begin to show signs of heat stress starting at 22°C . The feed intake drops almost 0.5 kg/day as temperature increases to 25°C. Technical solutions to reduce heat stress are often time 
consuming and can be highly expensive, e.g. building cooled stables. A nutritional approach can prove more adaptable and quicker to implement. Based on current knowledge there are some measures we can take to improve the swine productivity during periods of heat stress. The nutritional intervention include; 1) Smaller, more frequent meals per day and/or night feeding. 2)A sufficient supply of fresh, clean water. 3)Wet the feed with water. 4)Use pelleted feed instead of mash. 5)Lower crude protein. 6) Replace starch with fat as an energy source. 7) Use less fiber. Story from materials from pig progress.

WATER,YOU AND YOUR HEALTH.

A study by the University of Birmingham indicates that,If you drink two glasses of water before one or two meals a day, can it help you to lose weight faster?.This saves a lot of money on diet drugs,diet foods and weight loss programmes. The research selected 80 obese adults in their fifties for a three month study. The method used was to give all participants advice on how they might lose weight and how to go about it using diet and exercise. Then, half the group were asked to load up by drinking about a pint or two glasses of water before one or two meals a day. They were also checked to see if they were really doing so by regularly measuring their urine output! The other half group were just told to imagine they were full before they sat down to eat. The results showed that both groups lost weight. But those who were drinking water before all meals had reduced their weight by 4.3kg (9.48 lbs) over the 12 weeks. They also lost 2.7 pounds more than the “full stomach thinkers”, who, interestingly enough were working out and exercising more than their water-drinking colleagues. The water drinkers were eating less which probably helped them a lot. More studies need to be done with larger and more diverse ethnic groups and ages for a broader picture. The conclusion off the research is that drinking a glass or 2 of water before your main meal helps you lose weight. Start the water challenge today.#Water for life project.

TIPS FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/11/food-safety-tips-for-people-with-diabetes/#.VjkKLrerSM8

THE PREBIOTIC POTENTIAL OF PORRIDGE.

Oats has been identified as a good source of fiber in the diet.Weight-watchers/health conscious people ensure they balance out their meals. Oats are super foods,and are very important in GIT health.The good news is that both animals and man benefit from the power of oats, see what a new study discovered about oats; http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Porridge-oats-alter-gut-microbial-functions/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=02-Nov-2015&c=KviYxCjZMiW1PCARqREhVC7E0ZZqG6mF&p2=