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Science
And Technology
- Low Fat Milk with Plant Sterols Effective in Reducing LDL Cholesterol
- Scientists Introduce New Test to Spot Toxins
- Low Fat Milk with Plant Sterols Effective in Reducing LDL Cholesterol
According to a study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Boris Hansel from Paris’ Hôpital de la Pitié and co-workers have reported that daily consumption
of the low fat milk containing 1.6 grams of phytosterols was effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol levels by eight per cent after six weeks.
The study claimed that plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption, which leads to a decrease in plasma and LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Plant sterols also lower plasma concentrations of carotenoids and -tocopherol, but the mechanism of action is not yet understood.
The researchers recruited 194 subjects with LDL cholesterol levels between 130 and 190 milligrams pre deciliter and randomly assigned to consume two low-fat portions of plain fermented milk (control group) or the milk containing 0.8 grams of plant sterol ester (experimental group) or for six weeks. Dr. Hansel and co-workers report that consumption of the sterol ester-containing milk led to plasma LDL-cholesterol reductions of 9.5 and 7.8 per cent after three and six weeks, respectively, compared to the control group.
Moreover, concentrations of oxidised LDL were significantly reduced in the group consuming the plant sterol-enriched milk PS group compared with the control group. However, no significant changes in plasma triacylglycerol and HDL-cholesterol concentrations were reported.
- Scientists Introduce New Test to Spot Toxins
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley has recently said that the new tests will replace older laboratory procedures used for spotting the toxins. They believe that the old tests were lengthy and cumbersome, and therefore led to consumers suffering needless head pains after they consumed alcohol products, cheeses, chocolates, and other fermented foods.
The new test, based on lab-on-a-chip technology, can spot within five minutes the presence of biogenic amines, naturally occurring toxins that cause headaches, researchers claim. It will help manufacturers and food processors to provide for increasing consumer demand for products that are as healthy and “risk-free” as possible.
According to study leader Dr. Richard A. Mathies, a Chemist with the research team, “These toxins can be a serious health problem and are more common than people think”. He added that the toxins could lead to nausea, headaches, and even respiratory disorders. The new technique, officially termed portable microchip capillary electrophoresis, involves testing a sample of the food product on a small microchip. The components of the food products are then separated by applying an electric field, followed by a laser beam, allowing scientists to analyse the pattern of light produced.
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