Findings

(With apologies to Harper's.)

By using a simulated model of the mammalian gastro-intestinal tract, researchers in Ohio were able to show that tannins degrade in your intestine, not in your stomach. Ultrasound makes potatoes more nutritious. Organic grapefruits are more nutritious than conventional ones, but they taste bad. In Florida, tasters were unable to distinguish between the 'Festival' and 'Radiance' strawberry varieties once the level of ripeness was controlled for. Deer antler extract may improve memory.

Workers at the Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research fed humans cranberry juice and then attempted to grow E. Coli in their urine. Scientists in Germany harvested bacteria from the colons of freshly slaughtered pigs and then combined them with fruit and vegetable extracts. Researchers in Illinois claimed to have identified the molecules responsible for the "lemon-lime" flavor in carbonated beverages.

Both too much and too little selenium can cause diabetes. It was suggested that the "meltiness" of cheese be characterized by measuring the activation energy of flow. Currants kill cancer cells. Caffeine makes you skinny. Milk makes you full.

Taken from abstracts of papers presented at the 240th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; references available upon request.

Posted at 11:16 on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 in category food | Comments (3)