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Food in the News Nutritional news you can use, compiled from recent headlines on topics that relate to everyday living. Blueberry and Cherry Nutraceuticals: Brownwood named to Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies Eastport, Mich. -- Brownwood Acres Foods, Inc., a northern Michigan company specializing in cherry and blueberry nutraceuticals and functional foods, has won a coveted spot on the Inc. 500 ranking as one of the fastest growing private companies in the country. |
Food in the News
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| Brownwood Acres Foods ranks number 207th on the list with a four-year average annual sales growth of 691 percent. The family-owned business began as a honey stand during sugar-rationing of World War II almost 60 years ago, then produced homemade jams, jellies, specialty foods and gifts before evolving into a functional food retailer focusing on the health benefits of tart cherries and wild blueberries. (Brownwood Acres was the only Michigan company north of Grand Rapids to make the list and the only company in the health and food industry to be recognized.) Inclusion in the Inc. 500 issue, released October 26, validates the direction of the company, according to President Steve de Tar. “To be included with the top privately-held companies in America is an outstanding achievement,” said de Tar. “The word is spreading rapidly that natural and functional foods offer numerous health benefits and alternatives to pharmaceuticals. As more consumers discover the side effects associated with prescription drugs like Vioxx, the nutraceutical sector will continue to see rapid growth and we intend to stay at the forefront of that progress.” Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, tart cherry products are being used by thousands to treat gout, arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches and joint inflammation. With Cox-1 and Cox-2 inhibitors, tart cherries help reduce inflammation in the body. Recent studies show the antioxidant compounds in cherries may be 10 times stronger than Aspirin or Ibuprofen in relieving arthritic pain. Cherries have also been found to lower uric acid, which causes gout. Wild blueberries also contain anti-inflammatory properties. They have been found to guard against heart disease and stroke, promote urinary tract health, improve vision and combat aging. Brownwood
Acres recently began selling CherryFlex and Wild Blueberry IQ one a
day softgels. These revolutionary softgels capture 90 percent of the
Phytonutrients found in fresh fruit. One capsule has the nutrient equivalent
of a serving of cherries or wild blueberries. The proprietary manufacturing
process took years to develop and implement. The softgels also offer
a convenient solution for those on low carbohydrate or low sugar diets;
they are safe for Diabetics and are convenient for travelers. Brownwood
Acres also sells tart cherry, wild blueberry and pomegranate juice concentrates.
Marketing their products from their Eastport location to customers around
the U.S. and in other countries, Brownwood Acres can be reached toll
free at 1.877.591.3101 or at their website, www.brownwoodacres.com.
Wholesale and retail calls accepted. For more information, contact Dee Smith at Lawton Gallagher Group, (231) 947-2304 or email dsmith@lggroup.us. White Bread Adds Waistline Two researches show that white bread and flour products add fat to the abdominal area and increases diabetes risk and heart risks. Whole grain products are beneficial. (PRWEB) October 13, 2004 -- A Tufts University 3 year study found that eating refined flour foods, white bread and other white flour products adds inches to the waistline. Participants in the study who favored white bread actually gained a disproportionate amount of weight in the abdominal area. The danger? It’s well established that abdominal fat is an independent risk factor for diabetes, which, of course, increases risk for many health problems. The three year study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked eating habits of 459 healthy people, both male and female, with a mean age of 60. The study’s purpose was to see how the types of foods people habitually ate, impacted their waist circumference – the common “spare tire”. After analyzing the food-intake habits of the participants, the researchers determined that there were five basic dietary patterns. Members of the white bread group (16% of daily calories from white flour) ate five times more refined flour products than those of the healthy group, and gained three times as much in the waist as the healthy group. P. Kisten Newby PhD, ScD, MPH, MS. scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univesity, the study’s lead author reported that the dominant feature of the study results was not that the healthy group ate a lot of whole-grain products. Rather, she says, it was that they ate such a limited amount of white bread and flour products. She and her colleagues can only speculate why white-flour consumption results in fat deposits in the abdomen, but what is certain is that white and refined flours have again been shown to be unhealthful White flour, called “enriched flour” by the milling industry, is refined to the point that it is devoid of the fiber and almost 20 minerals and vitamins found in freshly milled wheat berries. The healthy way of eating includes complex carbohydrates from whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans claims G. T. Hewlett, M.A., M.P.H.. For a free e-mail report on whole grain flours for the best breads and baked goods, send your request for Home Mills to e-mail protected from spam bots. In answer to the question, “Is whole-grain bread really more healthful than white bread?” Mark A. Pereira, PhD. assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, states, “Yes. For six weeks, in a recent study, participants ate six to 10 servings daily of breakfast cereal, bread, rice, pasta, muffins, cookies and snacks made from refined flour. For another six weeks, they ate the same foods made from whole grains. Result:
Insulin levels were 10% lower when eating the whole-grain diet. Low
insulin levels allow the body to control blood sugar more effectively,
reducing the risk for diabetes and heart disease. To allow your taste
buds and digestive system to adapt, gradually introduce whole grain
products into your diet.” Are Antioxidants the Key to Living Longer? Antioxidants are an important part of general health and play a factor in anti-aging. New research brings to light the foods that contain these essential compounds. (PRWEB) September 2, 2004 -- Are Antioxidants the Key to Living Longer? The USDA and Harvard School of Public Health recommend that Americans eat a minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables daily in order to stay sufficiently healthy to prevent aging disease. Fruits and vegetables are a main source of antioxidants which are the natural compounds used by the body to help with the aging process as well as weight control and strengthening the immune system. However, according to an AC Nelson poll of 2,472 people, more than 85% of consumers are not eating the federally recommended minimum of produce servings a day. With consumers falling short of the recommended five to nine servings of produce a day it is suggested that they will have more difficulty in defending their bodies from an increasingly toxic world full of chemicals, polluted air, radiation, smoke, steroids and pesticides. These new studies now entice many to search for strong sources of antioxidants. To increase health awareness, Tufts University has produced a chart to rate supplemental options for consumers. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC has become an advanced scientific method that measures the level of antioxidant protection in food. According to the University’s research the higher the ORAC value, the more beneficial it is for the body. This new standard is already changing the way consumers think about what they eat. As to date, the highest scoring food on this new ORAC chart is the 7 Essentials, a product manufactured as the complete “Super Food” by a nutritional company in Texas. A single scoop of 7 Essentials was recorded to contain the antioxidant equivalent of 42 servings of fruits and vegetables and tested a phenomenal score of 21,010 ORAC units per serving (22grams). Most average serving of fruits and vegetables contain approximately 500 ORAC units that equate to 2500 ORAC units daily when consuming the recommended amount. By understanding what ORAC is and how antioxidants help the body, future Americans may be scanning food labels for ORAC Scores as well as calories and carbs. More information on the ORAC results and the highest scoring antioxidant foods can be found at http://www.e-optimalhealth.com/7essentials/orac.html
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