Sunday 25 March 2018
Sticking to your diet? This tooth-mounted food sensor could transmit the truth
With this latest wearable gadget, you could really sink your teeth into tracking your diet and health.
A tiny tooth-mounted sensor can wirelessly transmit radio frequency data about the foods you’re noshing, reporting on sugar, salt, and alcohol in real-time. The creators, led by biomedical engineer Fiorenzo Omenetto of Tufts University, hope that the dental device will someday help consumers and researchers make “conclusive links between dietary intake and health.” They report their prototype in a study that will be published next week in the journal Advanced Materials.
Omenetto’s team has long been working on such radio frequency sensors—ones for the skin, brain, and surgical implants. It made sense to move to the mouth, Omenetto tells Ars. “There are a plethora of markers in the mouth that… are very relevant to our health states,” he said. But the team was in talks with the nutrition researchers at Tufts that they thought “’gee, wouldn’t it be great if you could track your diet.’”
The 2mm X 2mm prototypes to do that use their three-layer sensor design. It involves a middle layer of bio-responsive material, sandwiched between two gold, split-ring resonators. The bio-responsive layers in the prototypes were either a silk film or a hydrogel. The silk film can contain things like enzymes or antibodies to detect specific molecules. In doing so, it changes the chemical conditions between the resonators. The hydrogel, on the other hand, sops up the slurries in your pie hole, swelling to different sizes depending on what you’re munching.
The resonators, meanwhile, act like antennas, picking up and transmitting ambient radio frequencies. In early tests, the researchers used a portable radio frequency analyzer attached to a tablet or mobile phone to monitor the frequencies. Those frequencies change depending on what’s going on with the bio-responsive layer of the sensor.
“It’s a passive device,” Omenetto explains. “And you’re pinging it with your phone, essentially.”
In initial tests of the hydrogel-containing prototype, Omenetto and his team had undergraduate researcher Logan Garbarini and other volunteers attach it to their teeth. They then sampled tap water, apple juice, alcohol, mouthwash, and salty soup while donning their grill bling. The tooth-chip transmitted clear frequency shifts with varying sugar, salt, and alcohol intake.
For now, those frequency shifts don’t reveal how much of any of those foods or ingredients you’ve eaten. “There is still a big gap,” Omenetto says. But he says that with more data and testing with common foods, he thinks they’re on the cuspid of building in such specificity and sensitivity.
“We’re pretty far away from having the app that tells you, ‘You have consumed 216.3 calories today,’” he said. “But it’s really not implausible to think that you can get there tomorrow.”
Is Peanut Butter Powder Healthier Than Peanut Butter? A Dietitian Answers
If you're a peanut butter addict, peanut butter powder may seem like a dream come true. People love it for its peanutty flavor, and as a source of protein with fewer calories and fat than regular peanut butter. But is it healthier?
POPSUGAR wanted an expert's opinion, so we asked Stephanie Ferrari, a registered dietitian with Fresh Communications what she thought about peanut butter powder. It helps to know what it is and how it's made. Stephanie explained, "PB Powder is created when roasted peanuts are pressed, and the oil and fat are removed from the peanuts. Most of the calories in peanut butter actually comes from that oil and fat, so when you remove it, the caloric content of what's left goes way down."
For comparison, two tablespoons of regular peanut butter has 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, and seven grams of protein. Two tablespoons of PB powder has 50 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and offers six grams of protein. That's 90 percent less fat and one-third fewer calories!
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Stephanie says that just because PB powder is lower in calories and fat, doesn't mean that it's healthier, or that there's something wrong with eating regular peanut butter. Which you choose to eat depends on your goals.
Stephanie added, "The fat in peanut butter comes from monounsaturated fats [MUFAs], which is a fancy term for healthy fat." MUFAs are heart-healthy because they can lower bad cholesterol levelsand reduce your risk of heart disease. Peanuts also offer omega-3 fatty acids and tons of omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for a robust immune system. Including MUFAs in your diet can also help diminish belly fat.
"I personally love to spread peanut butter on a whole grain English muffin in the morning for breakfast," Stephanie shared. "However, if you are looking to lose weight and cut calories, but you LOVE the taste of peanut butter, PB powder could be a good alternative."
One benefit of using PB powder over peanut butter is that it's easier to cook with because it doesn't clump. PB powder can made into a spread for toast, can be added to smoothies, mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, or chia pudding — or incorporated into pancake and waffle mixes, muffins, and energy bar recipes.
One other thing to note is that the popular brand PBFit contains palm sugar. Although it only adds two grams of sugar per two-tablespoon serving, if you want to avoid added sugars, the Crazy Richard's brand only has one ingredient — peanuts — and has just one gram of sugar.
15 Foods Experts Say You Don't Have to Buy Organic If You're on a Tight Budget
With widespread knowledge about the benefits of shopping organic as well as the dangers of pesticides, it's hard not to feel guilty when reaching for nonorganic groceries to save money. Luckily, the following produce items — deemed the Clean 15 by the Environmental Working Group — are perfectly safe and healthy to eat when grown nonorganically.
Elizabeth Caton, brand and nutrition manager at Guiding Stars, points out that while the following foods have very little pesticide residue in their edible portions, they're still grown with pesticides. If you prefer to remain conscious of pesticide use in general, she suggests buying organic foods "to protect yourself, farmers/growers, the environment, or a combination of these." But if you're on a tight budget, these foods make it possible to eat well and save a few dollars.
The study shows implications of access to high-quality fruits and vegetables
Researchers at Montana State University in Bozeman have published a study showing how access to high-quality fruits and vegetables—or lack thereof—strongly influences whether healthy foods make it to a person's breakfast, lunch or dinner plate.
"Fruit and vegetable desirability is lower in more rural built food environments of Montana, USA using the Produce Desirability(ProDes) Tool" was published Jan. 23 in the journal Food Security.
The researchers developed and used a food environment measure, the Produce Desirability (ProDes) Tool, to assess consumer desirability of fruits and vegetables. With the tool, the researchers found fruit and vegetable desirability is lower in more rural areas of Montana.
"This is important because it has the potential to impact consumer selection and consumption in rural areas, furthering health disparities," said Selena Ahmed, MSU professor of sustainable food systems and one of the study's authors. Carmen Byker Shanks, professor of food and nutrition and sustainable food systems, was co-author. Ahmed and Byker Shanks, both in the College of Education, Health and Human Development's Department of Health and Human Development, also serve as co-directors of the Food and Health Lab at MSU.
The research findings indicate a potential for long-term health implications based on access to high-quality fruits and vegetables, Byker Shanks said.
"It turns out that the overall quality of food available in a food environment really matters," said Byker Shanks. "Whether or not there's access to quality fruits and vegetables in a given area affects the daily choices people are able to make about what they eat. The food choices made each day add up to a person's overall dietary quality and impacts long-term health."
Although food deserts—areas lacking affordable, high-quality food—can exist anywhere, Byker Shanks said that in Montana they're most prevalent in rural areas.
"We have measured fruit and vegetable quality in several different ways across rural and urban areas of Montana," she said. "We're seeing real disparities along rural and urban lines in grocery stores, where fresh fruitand vegetable quality in Montana's rural grocery stores tend to be significantly lower than in urban settings.
"The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day—an amount that is difficult to achieve if the fresh fruits and vegetables are not as desirable to the consumer due to quality," she added.
7 Benefits of Moringa: From Developing Countries to Nutrition Supplements
Despite its strong taste, moringa is quickly becoming a popular nutrition supplement in the U.S.
All parts of the moringa tree — including the seeds, pods and leaves — have long been used in other parts of the world for their nutritional properties. This article looks at what moringa is and some of its most beneficial uses, including disease prevention and even water purification.
WHAT IS MORINGA?
Often referred to as the “miracle tree,” the fast-growing moringa tree is actually native to northern India.
The most well-known and widely used part of the tree are its seeds, which have been part of a traditional diet in Asia and Africa for centuries.
Today, moringa is readily available in various forms, including capsules, extracts, oils, powders and teas. The seeds can also be roasted and eaten like nuts, and the flowers can be used to make tea. The easiest way to consume moringa is in powder form, made from dried leaves. The taste is much milder than the seeds, and dried leaves actually contains higher amounts of nutrients than the fresh versions.
Overall, moringa is highly valued for its nutritional benefits. It’s also been used for non-food purposes like biodiesel production and as an ingredient in beauty products (1).
BENEFITS OF MORINGA
1. Moringa Is Rich In Nutrients
Moringa is rich in vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds.
One cup (140 g) of moringa seeds contains (2):
- Calories = 37
- Carbohydrates = 8.5 g
- Protein = 2 g
- Fat = <1 g
- Vitamin C = 235 percent daily value
- Iron = 350 percent daily value
- Potassium = 13 percent daily value
- Magnesium = 28 percent daily value
- Calcium = 3 percent Daily Value
Note the exceptional amounts of iron (350 percent of daily value) and Vitamin C (235 percent).
Moringa seeds also contains 19 of 22 amino acids, including all 9 essential amino acids, which your body can’t produce itself. This is similar to other well-known “superfoods” seeds like sunflower and chia seeds (3).
Meanwhile, the pods are especially fibrous, which can help with digestive issues.
Even with this impressive amount of nutrients, moringa is very low in calories.
2. The Moringa Plant Combats Malnutrition
In developing nations, where malnutrition is more prevalent, moringa can be a lifesaver. In fact, many communities and villages are cultivating the moringa plant in order to make it a staple part of their diet.
Along with its impressive amount of vitamins and minerals, moringa is a good source of protein and essential fats.
The leaves have even been used as a multivitamin supplement because of their high amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc, all essential for growth and development.
The tree is also resistant to drought and can withstand dry and hot climates, making it an excellent, nutrient-dense food source for impoverished communities.
3. Can Be Used for Water Purification
Boasting antimicrobial properties, moringa seeds also play a powerful role in water purification in developing nations. When you extract the oil from moringa seeds, it leaves a protein-rich “cake” behind. This can inhibit bacterial growth and be used to purify water for humans and animals (3).
Because moringa is easy to grow in abundance, this is a simple, cost-effective way to prevent waterborne diseases.
4. Acts as an Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant
Research shows that moringa seeds contain a powerful mix of health-promoting antioxidants (4). They offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which may help symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
In mouse studies, moringa seed extract functioned as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, improving symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC). This data suggests a similar effect could be seen in humans (5). Another study found that boiling the seeds increased the availability of both antioxidants and iron (6).
5. Boosts Heart Health
Various studies have found that moringa seeds may improve heart health by reducing triglycerides, oxidative stress and inflammation.
They contain high levels of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke if replacing saturated fat.
In one lab study done on rats, the consumption of moringa seeds decreased oxidative stress and protected heart cells while reducing inflammation (7). Another study on rats found that moringa seed powder reduced cardiac fibrosis, triglycerides and heart rate, and improved overall cardiac function (8).
6. Moringa Supports Digestion
Due to its high fiber content, moringa pods may be beneficial for your digestion.
Each pod contains around 47% fiber and can help you digest regularly and easily (9). Keep in mind, though, that whether you’ll benefit from an increase or decrease in fiber depends on your situation. It’s also unclear if this would be considered low FODMAP and suitable for IBS as it has not been tested.
7. May Help Fight Cancer
Moringa seeds have been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells in various lab studies.
A protein extracted from moringa seeds has been shown to slow the growth of liver cancer in both human and animal cells by up to 71% (10). In another lab study, moringa seed extract kept breast cancer cells from significantly growing and spreading (11). Liver and colon cancer cells have also been shown to decrease significantly when treated with moringa seeds (12).
Although this research only reflects lab studies and cannot be applied to humans, the results are promising.
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