Food &
Nutrition News Briefs
- Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is injected into cows to force them to
produce 10–20% more milk than usual. Critics of this process claim that cows given
this hormone suffer negative health effects, as do people who drink their milk. Many
Parent and Teacher Associations (PTAs) have passed rBGH-free resolutions, and over 100
school systems nationwide buy only rBGH-free milk.
- In a recent experiment, researchers in England gave participants either low- or
high-fat meals and instructed them to eat until full. Those people given high-fat meals
consumed an average of 1,350 calories, while those given low-fat, high-carbohydrate meals
felt full after consuming only 680 calories. Those eating the high-fat meals were more
likely to overeat the next day. [Editor: People struggle to eat less in order to cut
down calories. However, this study suggests that if they ate unrefined, low-fat food, they
could eat as much as they wanted, be satisfied, and still keep the calories down.]
- Hot spices in hot countries may be an evolutionary adaptation to counter
contaminating bacteria. There is more danger of food spoilage in hot climates, and many
spices used in these countries, such as black and white pepper, garlic, lemon juice, hot
peppers, ginger and onion have antibacterial properties. Garlic, allspice, oregano and
onion, appeared to be the most potent, killing all bacteria against which they were
tested.
- Seeing their profits slipping away, the meat industry is attempting to persuade
kids to forego vegetarianism. Teaming up with the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), pamphlets have been developed and distributed to schools to counter the
"emotional" message of animal rights. One such bit of propaganda compares a
dairy farm to a sports team, in which the farmers are the "managers," and the
cows are the "star players." Of course, on sports teams the managers rarely
slaughter and eat their star players.
Based on information in: Delicious, Sept 1997; Health, Sept 1997; Science, 7-18-97;
Vegetarian Times, Sept 1997 |