How Matcha Blocks Iron Absorption
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Matcha's antioxidant properties make the green tea a healthy beverage, but its tannins contain a polyphenol that binds to iron in digestion, preventing iron absorption. Studies suggest one serving of green tea can hinder iron absorption up to 60-90%, which could lead to iron deficiencies in some individuals. Drinks like red wine and black tea have similar effects, but matcha's high concentration makes the beverage particularly polyphenol heavy. “This mostly affects non-heme iron (from plants), not heme iron (from meat), which is absorbed more easily and isn’t as affected by polyphenols,“ says Debbie Petitpain, MBA, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Study Reveals Food Assistance Programs Are Associated With Slower Cognitive Decline In Adults
Food Safety Experts Say Recent FDA Cuts Threaten Food Supply Safety Long Term
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Mass federal layoffs among the departments overseeing food in the U.S. like the FDA, USDA, and CDC have experts worried about food safety going forward. Nearly 80 percent of the U.S. food supply is regulated by the FDA, and in March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed the FDA would cut 3,500 FDA employees. “I’m not worried about the food I’m buying tomorrow or in a week or in two weeks, I’m worried about long-term,” says Martin Wiedmann, a food safety scientist at Cornell University. Former FDA commissioner Robert Califf points out that "the food side of the FDA has been massively underfunded," and in 2024, 17% of the FDA’s nearly $7 billion budget went to food regulations, about half of what the agency spent on overseeing drugs.
Recent Study Shows Why Bananas May Dilute Health Benefits In Smoothies
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A new study published in the Food & Function Journal from Royal Society of Chemistry suggests bananas may be hindering the nutritional value of other ingredients in digestion. Bananas contain the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which reduces the absorption of flavan-3-ols in fruits. This subgroup of flavonoids are found in most fruits and they carry immense nutritional value. The study found that when bananas are blended with other fruits in smoothies, polyphenol oxidase reduced the amount of flavonoids present in the blood stream. The consumption of bananas directly after eating other fruits also hindered the digestion of the flavan-3-ols in other fruits.
Study Shows Climate Change Will Increase Arsenic Levels In Rice
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For about half as long as we've been eating rice, we have been aware of the presence of arsenic in the grain. Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical that attaches to rice granules in the soil, and researchers in China tested its presence based on environment to see if arsenic levels varied by climate. This study was conducted by growing 28 different varieties of rice in 4 different locations. Researchers concluded that arsenic levels in the rice shot up as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and temperatures rose. As climate change brings high CO2 levels and global warming, arsenic levels in rice are expected to rise. If you're worried, eat white rice. It has less inorganic arsenic than brown rice.
Researchers Find Byproducts Of Olive Oil Are Extremely Healthy
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Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is the liquid left behind after olives are pressed for oil. OMW has long been discarded, but scientists say the product is packed with powerful antioxidants that can battle pathogens and improve overall human health. A study from Rome's Sapienza Unifersity found anti-inflammatory flavonoids, hydroxytyrosol, and oleuropein present in OMW. The study outlines OMW's potential in aiding digestion, hearth health, and even overall brain function. Researchers found another compound in OMW, oligogalacturonides, which help protect plants from infections. "OMW contains a wide range of valuable phenolic compounds with proven antimicrobial properties," the study states.
Study Shows How Tea Filters Contaminants In Water
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Brewing tea cleans your water, according to a study published in ACS Food Science & Technology. The study found that tea leaves absorb contaminants such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic with as little as 5 minutes of steeping. Steeping overnight increases the amount of metal contaminants extracted. “You’re taking the metals out of the water with the tea, but you don’t consume the tea leaves after, which is why it works,” said Benjamin Shindel, lead author of the study. Ground up leaves work best because of increased surface area, and the tea bag used also influences effectivity.
