Archive for the ‘Guide’ Category

Nutritive Value of Oats and Oat Products

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Oats are high in protein and oil compared to other grains. The distribution of fat in oat groats is different from other cereal grains in that the endosperm is relatively much higher in fat. Oats contain enzyme systems comoatsmon to other cereal grain such as amylases, lipases, esterases and proteinases. However, oats have been shown to exhibit relatively high lipase and proteinase activity, compared to other grains. Because oat endosperm carries apprecialble portions of fat, lipolytic activity of rolled oats as a food is of paramount importance. When groats are properly dried and steamed the flakes will remain low in free fatty acids for long period of time. This stability has been attributed to the inactivation of lipases during the drying and steaming process prior to rolling the flakes.

Rolled Oats in The Diet

Rolled oats is essentially a whole grained product and has a higher crude protein content than other cereal foods. Only the hull is removed and the germ fraction containing protein of superior nutritional quality is not lost. This fact helps explain the superior growth promoting value of protein in rolled oats compared to other cereal products. The results of growth tests using weanling rats indicate no significant difference in quality between proteins of groats and rolled oats made from them.

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Proper Diet for a Healthy Heart

Monday, June 1st, 2009

healthy-heartPlant foods like wholegrain cereals, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts etc.), fruits and vegetables are good for the heart and decrease the risk of heart disease. Omega 3 fatty acid lowers cholesterol, improves blood vessel elasticity and thins the blood, thereby reducing the chances of blood-clot. Olive oil, tuna and salmon varieties of fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids. About 100-200 gm of such fish should be consumed twice in a week after cooking it in a little oil or by roasting, baking or steaming it. Omega 6 fatty acid can be found in some vegetable oils like corn, soy or sunflower oils.
Fruits and vegetables should be consumed in adequate quantities as the anti-oxidants in them offer protection against heart disease. However, the fiber from wholegrain cereals offers greater protection against the risk of a heart attack than the fiber from fruits and vegetables. Wholegrain breads, breakfast cereals, legumes, unpolished rice and pasta which are sources of unrefined carbohydrate are useful in checking the level of blood sugar. Legumes and soy protein are helpful in lowering the level of blood cholesterol. Nuts like almonds, peanuts and walnuts, eaten unfried and in small quantities, are helpful in giving protection against heart diseases. Green tea is an anti-clotting agent with anti-oxidant properties which prevents the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. Around three cups of green tea a day are healthy but it should be avoided after a meal as it hinders the absorption of iron. Another good anti-oxidant is Vitamin E which helps protect against bad cholesterol. Dark green vegetables, vegetable oils, wholegrain products, avocado and almonds with skin are good sources of Vitamin E. Again, one or two cloves of raw garlic, taken early in the morning on an empty stomach, helps in lowering cholesterol. Even onions are good for the heart.

The Essential Nutrients

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

The essential nutrients are those materials which must be supplied by the diet to produce and maintain optimum health. Several species of animals have now been raised to maturity upon diets of essentially known composition and there is reason to believe that practically all of the essential nutrients have been identified. Nearly all of these have been synthesized and the gross effects of the corresponding deficiency diseases have been documented. On the other hand, the absolute amounts required under varied conditions and by different species, the long term effects of slight deficiencies or excesses and the biochemical mechanisms involved, are still being actively investigated. Few statements in this field can be accepted as definite and the reader should be duly cautions. The original expectation that once the various factor were identified and requirements determined it would be relatively simple to determine which diets were adequate or inadequate, is still far in the future. We now recognize numerous interrelationships between nutrients, variation between individuals of the same species, great differences among species, intestinal synthesis of variable amount depending upon the diet and sanitary conditions, adaptations to diets, and there are undoubtedly other factors influencing requirements. When one considers the permutations possible among the forty odd nutrients, the possibilities and difficulties become clear.
Nutritional requirements must be considered as approximations based upon the average individual and perhaps under average conditions as we understand them today. They are much less applicable to the individual. Recommended allowances as distinct from requirements are always set somewhat above estimated requirements to provide a margin of safety.