Carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Z Ernahrungswiss 1982 Dec;21(4):257-65 and a recipe for albondigas soup.

Study title and author:
Carnitine in human nutrition.
Bach AC.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6758382

The human body needs carnitine to be able to utilize long-chain fatty acids for energy production.
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Bach states that: "A diet rich in meat supplies a lot of carnitine, while vegetables, fruits, and grains furnish relatively little". He also notes "that the diet of the adult human need not necessarily furnish carnitine..... if it is sufficiently rich in lysine and methionine" (found in eggs and fish), and that "carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance".

For mothers with new born he advises: "dietary carnitine is more important during the neonatal period. The transition from fetal to extrauterine life is accompanied by an increased role of lipids in meeting energy needs. This change is accompanied by a rise in the body of the levels of carnitine, which is mainly supplied in the maternal milk".

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Recipe of the day

Albondigas Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup of ground almond
1 pound ground beef                                                                                    Food Mall: Ground Beef

1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A dash of cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mixground almond into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Wheat, rye and barley a cancer risk

Books:

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Medical Hypotheses 1997 Sep;49(3):285-8 and a recipe for coconut milk and curry frittata.

Study title and author:
Considering wheat, rye, and barley proteins as aids to carcinogens.
Hoggan R.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9293475

To maintain their health people with celiac disease have to avoid food which contain gluten such as wheat, rye barley and oats.

Gluten is implicated in the increased incidence of cancer of white blood cells in celiac disease, and the risk of developing this malignancy is 40-100-fold greater than in the general population.

Hoggan believes that gluten may also be at the root of this cancer in another section of the population as well. Molecules called Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) factors may be involved in this process.

Human Leukocyte Antigens are found on the surface of cells and are involved in removing bacteria and viruses. There are many different types of HLA and people with the types; HLA - DR3, HLA - B8 and HLA - DQ2 are prone to celiac disease. About 20 -30% of the population have these types of HLA.

Hoggan explains that gluten is leaked into the bloodstream in people with these particular HLA's which then increases the risk of cancer in the white blood cells. So, as well as celiacs having this increased risk, up to 30% of the general population have as well.

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Recipe of the day

Coconut Milk and Curry Frittata

Ingredients:

7 eggs

½ red onion, finely diced

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Food Mall: Eggs

¼ cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sea salt to taste

Instructions:
Heat the coconut oil in a medium sized skillet, add the onions and cook until the onions begin to caramelize. While the onions are cooking whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, tomato paste, curry powder and salt. Rowan helped me whisk and then I used a hand held mixer to make sure all the ingredients were well blended. Add the spinach to the onions and oil and cook until the spinach is wilted. Evenly spread the onion and spinach mixture over the bottom of the skillet and pour in the egg mixture. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 4 minutes. Transfer the frittata to the oven and cook under the broiler uncovered for another 2 -3 minutes or until the frittata is cooked all the way through. Slice like a pizza and serve.

Coconut Milk and Curry Frittata

Eating whole grains increases the risk of prostate cancer

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Cancer Causes Control 2010 Oct 31 and a recipe for crockpot Italian chicken.

Study title and authors:

Books:

Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, insulin index, fiber and whole-grain intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer.

Nimptsch K, Kenfield S, Jensen MK, Stampfer MJ, Franz M, Sampson L, Brand-Miller JC, Willett WC, Giovannucci E.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 2, Room 304, Boston, MA, 02115, USA, knimptsc@hsph.harvard.edu.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21069447?dopt=Abstract
 
The study investigated the association between the consumption of whole grains and prostate cancer in 5,112 men.

The study found the men who ate the most whole grains had a 13% increase in prostate cancer compared to the men who ate the least.

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Recipe of the day

Crockpot Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

12 boneless, chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Food Mall: Boneless Chicken Thighs

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes with Italian herbs

2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
1 cup baby carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Stir to mix. Cook on low setting 6 to 10 hours or until done.

Crockpot Italian Chicken



High fibre bread leads to deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus

This post includes a summary of a study published in the Journal of Nutrition April 1, 1976 vol. 106 no. 4 493-503 and a recipe for oyster perloo.

Study title and authors:
Decreased Absorption of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Phosphorus by Humans due to Increased Fiber and Phosphorus Consumption as Wheat Bread

John G. Reinhold, Bahram Faradji, Parichehr Abadi and Framarz Ismail-Beigi

Medical Research Unit, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Nemazee Hospital, and the Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, School of Medicine, Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran

This study can be accessed at: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/106/4/493
 
During a 20 day period of high fiber consumption in the form of bread made partly from wheaten wholemeal, two men developed negative balances of calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.

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Recipe of the day

Oyster Perloo

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Oysters

1 qt. oysters, drained

4 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Fry bacon in heavy Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon. Saute' onions, celery and pepper in bacon grease until onions are translucent. Crumble bacon and return to pot. Add drained oysters and cook until they release juice, 1 to 2 minutes.

Oyster Perloo