Super Foods For Super You is a new easy-reference guide by nutritionist and avid gardener Amber Jessica Mackenzie. The book lists entries for a wide variety of ‘super foods’ or ‘functional foods’, as well as offering plain-English explanations of terms like ‘antioxidant’ and ‘phytochemical’. Each entry in the book, from Acai to Yoghurt, includes basic information on the food, a list of its properties and recommended uses, and tips on gardening. Allergy... ...Read more »

The National Heart Foundation of Australia has released a summary of research on antioxidants which warns that drinking red wine or coffee and eating chocolate to prevent heart disease will not achieve expected results. The Heart Foundation reviewed over 100 studies to confirm that eating fruit and vegetables and drinking tea helps lower your risk of heart disease. The Heart Foundation’s advice to consumers is not to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease by eating chocolate (milk or dark),... ...Read more »

Usage of the food descriptors ‘natural’, ‘superfood’ and ‘antioxidants’ has been debated by six leading food experts at the recent FoodLegal symposium, with calls made for tighter enforcement of such claims. Leading food nutrition academic, Dr Peter Williams – Associate Professor in nutrition and dietetics at the Smart Foods Centre of the University of Wollongong, delivered a presentation of a descriptive pilot study entitled “How is ‘naturalness’... ...Read more »

Straight fruit juice sold in supermarkets can be just as healthy than those which make health claims based on added extras such as herbal supplements or antioxidants, according to a report by consumer group Choice.Choice found juice promoting the likes of aloe vera, echinacea, ginkgo, ginseng, spirulina, barleygrass and wheatgrass did not contain enough of these extracts to be of any significant health benefit. Many of the products, which go by names such as Kickstart, Energy Lift and Green Recovery,... ...Read more »

Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol, found naturally in foods like grapes and nuts, slows age-related deterioration and functional decline of mice on a standard diet, but does not increase longevity when started at middle age. The findings, published July 3, 2008, in Cell Metabolism, may increase interest in resveratrol as a possible intervention for age-related declines, said NIA scientists. The authors emphasized, however, that their findings are based on research in mice, not in... ...Read more »

A recent study has provided further weight to the belief that drinking red wine can provide health benefits. The new study found that an antioxidant in red wine destroys cancer cells while also possibly enhancing the positive impact of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The antioxidant found in grape skins, known as resveratrol, has been found to be the reason behind the success of red wine in fighting cancer cells. Resveratrol appears to work by targeting the internal energy source of the cancer... ...Read more »