Article: Milk, Glorious Milk

New research heralds the amazing health benefits of milk

By Melanie Hundley
Photo credit: Ambro.

A most refreshing article on the medical research of mammalian milk caught my attention recently.  And I found Dr. Darewicz, Professor and Chair, from the University of Warmia and Mazury very helpful as I gathered more information on her team's research efforts.  Here is a link to the review posted on Suite 101 online magazine.

For more information on this topic, also consider:

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Do Indian Plants and Spices Hold Future Secrets for Diabetes Medication?

2011 scientific researchers test Indian culinary plants, spices, and herbs for anti-diabetic properties

By Melanie Hundley

Diabetics are usually very familiar with the carbohydrate load of their food. They are trained to analyze their blood sugar levels after eating specific foods or combinations of foods so they can predict the impact to their blood. This may be said of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.

As they perform the ritual of eating and then testing their blood, diabetics become aware that some foods move more slowly through the digestion and absorption process. Diabetic education may encourage patients to seek nutritionally rich foods that digest more slowly and do not cause a high spike or long period of rise in the blood sugar level which demands a high insulin response.  That is one reason foods containing certain levels of sugar or carbohydrates may be discouraged or perhaps combinations of some lower glycemic foods may be more considered advantageous.

As a result, diabetics are often looking for the "right foods" for their body's digestive and insulin response.  Meanwhile, certain medications have been derived to assist with reducing hyperglycaemia (elevated blood sugar) or mimicking insulin.

A very interesting research article is coming out in the December 2011 issue of Food Chemistry

For Men: Information For Future Fathers

2011: New research says chemicals released from some plastics may be harming human reproduction

By Melanie Hundley
A new research article appeared in the June 2011 issue of Human & Experimental Toxicology that may be of interest to men who want to be fathers.  A group of researchers, Pant et al, in New Delhi analyzed the “environmental and experimental exposure of phthalate esters” to human sperm.  In this review, we will learn more about phthalates (THAL-ates), look at their study, and see their results.

What Are Phthalates?

According to Pant and the research team, phthalates are chemical additives that may be used to increase flexibility in some manufactured plastics.  Phthalates are believed to be released from some

Article: New Research: Food Safety is Studied Worldwide

Searching through upcoming academic journal articles, I ran across quite a few research activities related to food safety around the world.  I was not familiar with the "food code" before I explored this information.  Link to article on www.suite101.com by Melanie Hundley.

2011: Did Exposure to PCBs Cause Thyroid Disease?

New research reports on the possible link between thyroid disease and PCBs

By Melanie Hundley

If you were a tot in the 1960s in the U.S., your frame of reference for PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) chemicals may have been similar to mine.  PCBs were around, but you were unaware of them. You probably did not hear about the cattle feed disaster in Michigan in 1973-74. At best, about 1980, your parents may have pointed to the big gray cylinders mounted on telephone poles (transformer pots) and told you to "never touch one of those if you find it on the ground."


Eventually more people did hear about the health hazards of PCBs, but news moved slowly in those olden days.  We had no ubiquitous Internet, limited news sources, and no online MSDS sheets to share that type of information.