Juicy Blackcurrants.... mmmmmmm

Blackcurrants can REDUCE risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease

THEY'RE a humble berry growing in hedgerows up and down the country but did you know blackcurrants could be the secret to a healthier life?

By Felicity Thistlethwaite Felicity Thistlethwaite

PUBLISHED: 06:20, Fri, Sep 25, 2015 | UPDATED: 09:53, Fri, Sep 25, 2015

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GETTY-Blackcurrants don't get the praise they deserve, and they could be saving lives

Usually associated with drinks or summer pudding, blackcurrants don't get enough high-fives for all the great work they do.

Packed with vitamin C they should really be labelled as a super food - but we all know that branding doesn't really mean anything anyway.

But news scientists in Finland have discovered berries such as blackcurrants may be linked to reducing risk factors associated diabetes.

If we're being technical the berries are actually linked to reducing the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrom -  which is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. 

GETTY-It's thought dark berries could work wonders when it comes to various ailments

The study found those who incorporated berries into their diet significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) – high levels of ALAT usually indicate a damaged liver.

The 23 per cent decrease in the ALAT value in the berry group showed significant signs of enhancing liver function.

In the long term, this reduction could contribute to a decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease - which is a win-win situation.

The juices in berries also affect the enzymes that regulate the so-called ‘happy chemicals’ serotonin and dopamine in our bodies.

Researchers at Northumbria University discovered blackcurrants could enhance your mood, boost energy levels and even combat symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and depression.

GETTY- Blackcurrants are linked to reducing depression and even Parkinson's disease

Impressive for a berry most of us associate with squashes and cordials, right?

By incorporating blackcurrants and other deep purple foods into your diet, it's said to enabling the human body to protect itself against a wide array of diseases and infections and fight back when under attack.

British blackcurrants are grown and bred especially for their high level of anthocyanins, which gives them their deep purple colour, and helps to ward off a multitude of different illnesses, from the common cold to cystitis.

Whilst they can only be found fresh during the season, which starts mid-June in Britain and lasts until the end of August, their health benefits can be reaped all year round in the form of blackcurrant juices, cordials, yoghurts and frozen fruit.

Source:http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/602497/Diabetes-symptoms-high-blood-pressure-Parkinson-s-disease-blackcurrants?_ga=1.45495981.865290387.1456944170

Diabetes Breakthrough.

New diabetes breakthrough: Food experts find key to halting the disease 'epidemic'

 

BRITAIN’S diabetes epidemic could be brought to a halt by a new way of making everyday foods healthier, research suggests.

 

By Giles Sheldrick

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sat, Sep 5, 2015 | UPDATED: 10:11, Sat, Sep 5, 2015

 

GETTY - A change in the way processed food is made could lead to the creation of “diabetic friendly” foods

 

 

 

The breakthrough technique would see favourites like bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits loaded with extra fibre.

Scientists at King’s College, London, say a change in the way processed food is made could lead to the creation of “diabetic friendly” foods.
Increasing the amount of fibre contained in staple foods could also see cases of obesity and heart disease plummet.

Current procedures mean that milling grain to produce flour damages the starch cells, allowing the body to consume them more quickly.
This can lead to a spike in insulin which repeated over time can cause Type 2 diabetes.
By altering milling techniques, the natural structure of dietary fibre can be protected which means the body absorbs the starch more slowly and the rise in blood sugar levels after a meal is delayed, the scientists found.

Their experiments showed eating porridge made from larger fibre particles produced significantly lower blood sugar levels than a bowl made with traditional smooth wheat flour.
Both were made of the same ingredients and had the same nutrient contents, but starch was digested more slowly in the coarser porridge.

Within two hours of eating coarser particles, blood sugar was 33 per cent lower and insulin 43 per cent lower.

Researchers also found people were less likely to experience an undesirable “sugar low” following the earlier peak in blood sugar than when they ate the smooth porridge.
It means inexpensive tweaks could now pave the way for a host of new versions of starchy foods, meaning it might soon be possible to enjoy favourite snacks guilt-free.

Keeping more dietary fibre in processed foods means “diabetic friendly” or healthier versions could have exactly the same ingredients but with a more natural, enzyme-resistant structure around the starch that enables it to be digested more slowly.

Starch is one of the largest sources of calories and an important component of a healthy diet, with wheat being the main source.

Wheat also contains dietary fibre, which forms a complex protective network of cell walls around the starch.

The results suggest developing new milling techniques that maintain the microstructure of wheat could provide healthier versions of white bread, breakfast cereals and biscuits.

Dr Cathrina Edwards, who led the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said: “Our research has shown there is a relatively easy way to limit the availability of starch/calories from food simply by preserving more of the natural structure of plant-based ingredients.

“The way in which foods are processed clearly has a big impact on how much of the nutrients/calories are absorbed from that food.”

The lives of four million people are now blighted by diabetes and the scale of the epidemic gripping Britain is so great that treating the condition costs the NHS £10billion a year – £1million an hour.
Diabetes can lead to a number of serious long-term health problems like blindness, heart and kidney disease and stroke and the furring and narrowing of blood vessels.

Estimates show 11.5 million Britons are at risk of developing lifestyle- driven Type 2 diabetes because of unhealthy carbohydrates and cholesterol.

Dr Richard Elliott, of Diabetes UK, said: “We already know changing the way starchy foods are produced and prepared can affect their influence on blood glucose levels when eaten.

“Over time, high glucose and high insulin levels can contribute to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, so following the approach used in this study to create new versions of staple starchy foods could potentially be one way to help prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes.”



Source:http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/603127/Diabetes-breakthrough-halt-everyday-foods-healthier-research