Category: Quality Control (Page 8 of 74)

Look Prettier With Every Bite!

July 27, 2012 / Staff

Free image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

There are more reasons to eat fruits and veggies than just your health.

Your Vanity!

Thehe carotenoids in produce, the compounds that give plants their pigmentation, are the very ingredient that will also give you that healthy glow.

During the six-week study, participants filled out three dietary questionnaires to gauge what they ate and how their consumption changed, while researchers recorded their skin coloring. In a second part of the study, 24 observers were shown pictures of four Caucasian faces whose coloring was modified to correspond to varying levels of fruit and veggie intake. The observers were asked to rate the faces based on perceived health and attractiveness, with the goal being to figure out how many servings of produce a day was associated with a noticeable bump in beauty.

Although the actual color change was subtle, the overall appearance and quality of skin was enhanced, noticeably.

Enjoy fruits and vegetables with the skins as they contain the most nutrients.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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“All Natural” Isn’t Always What It Seems

July 27, 2012 / Staff

Free image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Ingredients labeled “natural” may actually be harmful.

“All-natural geranium extract”, only sounds healthy.
However, according to a new study, it’s anything but natural—and it might even be lethal.

Makers of workout and weight-loss products—think diet pills and sports drinks—containing DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) tout it as a natural stimulant, made from geranium plants, that can boost athletic performance. But new research from Daniel Armstrong, PhD, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, finds that DMAA is actually a synthetic substance—one that the FDA has received 42 complaints about regarding adverse effects, such as cardiac and psychiatric disorders, as well as death.

In April 2012, the FDA sent warning letters to 10 manufacturers that products containing DMAA are now considered to be “new dietary ingredients” and must meet FD guidelines for safety.

Even if the manufacturers had submitted safety documentation, the FDA probably wouldn’t have accepted it in light of clear evidence to the contrary.

There have been two deaths of U.S. soldiers reported—as well as multiple reports of kidney and liver failure—which led to the Department of Defense banning anything containing DMAA in military bases in 2012.

Nutrition, Quality Control

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Cargill Recalls 30,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef Fearing Salmonella Contamination

July 24, 2012 / Staff

According to a news release by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation is issuing an immediate recall of approximately 29,339 pounds of ground beef bases on concerns that it may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

The agency was made aware of the potential contamination during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis involving 33 patients from seven states.

The recall includes 14 pound chub packages of “Grnd Beef Fine 85/15” and bears the establishment number “EST. 9400” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The meat was produced on May 25, 2012, and shipped to centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution. The products are no longer available for purchase and the use-by date has passed, but the agency expressed concerns that the meat may still be present in consumers’ freezers.
According to a notification on the Cargill website, consumers with questions may review their ground beef recall information or call the company’s toll-free consumer relations line at 1-888-812-1646.

Proper handling is imperative when dealing with meat and meat products.

Quality Control

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Should All Kids Be Screened For Cholesterol?

July 23, 2012 / Staff

Should your child’s annual physical include a cholesterol screening?

And, if so, should the results warrant, should he be put on statins?

This is the debate amount physicians.

There is worry that pharmaceutical companies may have too much sway over doctors who may be influenced by money to push cholesterol lowering drugs on children.

However, a growing obesity rate would suggest that high cholesterol and the danger of developing heart disease is a real possibility.

The guidelines are endorsed by the Academy of Pediatrics, which publishes the journal that carried the critical commentary Monday. The panel recommends that all U.S. children should get blood tests for high cholesterol as early as age 9 and that testing should begin much earlier for kids at risk of future heart disease, including those with diabetes or a family history of heart problems. Treatment should generally begin with lifestyle changes including diet and exercise, the guidelines say.
Cholesterol drugs would be recommended for some kids, but probably less than 1 percent of those tested. But the advice says those drugs, including statins, shouldn’t be used at all in children younger than 10 unless they have severe problems.
The guidelines aim to help prevent and treat conditions in children that put them at risk for later heart-related problems. At least 10 percent of U.S. children have unhealthy cholesterol levels and one-third are overweight or obese.

How about preventing obesity and not taking the risk of side effects from unnecessary drugs?

Doctors, Health Care Policy, Quality Control, Wellness

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Can Food Cause Pain?

July 22, 2012 / Staff

There is real truth behind the “gut feeling”.

Our intestines do more than simply process food and the wrong foods can wreak havoc with our bodies.

Too much sugar, starch and fat are the leading offenders when it comes to pain because of their inflammatory affects on our bodies.

Avoiding inflammation through diet is the best way stay healthy.

Scientists are making a strong link between our food choices and pain.
About 70% of our immune cells are in our digestive system, making direct contact with the food we enjoy every day. If the immune system is triggered by bacteria in food, or flags a food as an allergen, or has an imbalance of important hormones such as insulin, it can set off the red alert of inflammation.
For example, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that processed sugars and other high-glycemic starches increase inflammation, which causes pain, overheating, redness and swelling.
While inflammation is an important part of the body’s healing process, chronic inflammation is at the root of many deadly diseases. The great news is that we can completely heal and prevent chronic inflammation with an eating plan.