THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods
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November 23, 2007 at 10:39 am
· Filed under Beverages, Food Holidays & More
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| Adding citrus juice or vitamin C to green tea could increase the absorption of the tea’s antioxidants 13-fold, suggests new research published in this month’s issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. Although the results are preliminary, those wishing to hedge their bets may want to squeeze some lemon or lime into that cup of green tea. The researchers used a simulated gastric and small-intestinal digestion system to model the effects of citric juices and other additives (milk, soy) on the absorption of antioxidants from tea. The polyphenols in tea have been linked to a number of health benefits, ranging from a lower risk of certain cancers to weight loss and protection against Alzheimer’s disease. |
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Add some lemon juice to your green tea for a bigger antioxidant hit. |
| Green tea contains between 30% and 40% of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea contains between 3% and 10%. However, according to the study, the catechins are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments, such as the intestines, and less than 20% of the total remains after digestion. Oolong tea is somewhere between green and black tea, and white tea has somewhat more than green tea. The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epicatechin (EC). Bad news for those who drink black tea and like milk in it: Proteins in the milk’s casein counteract the effectiveness of the catechins. Better to switch from milk to a squeeze of lemon! Read more about tea in the Tea Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine, and about antioxidants in the NutriNibbles Section. |
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November 22, 2007 at 8:33 am
· Filed under Food Holidays & More
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Eat me—entirely—in 8 minutes or less. Photo courtesy of iGourmet.com. |
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If you think you have some relatives who are big eaters, at the third annual MLE [Major League Eating] Chowdown: Turkey Bowl today, eight “professional eaters” will compete big-time, gobbling down entire 20-pound birds. The winner will eat his or her bird in eight minutes or less, or as much of it as possible. (Please—don’t try this at home!) Competitors in food contests are extreme athletes who train all year, working on jaw strength and stomach capacity. Contrary to assumption, contestants in national food competitions are not overweight. Surely, you’ve seen Takeru Kobayashi, the slender, six-time winner of Nathan’s Coney Island hot-dog eating contest—won this year by the normal-size Joey Chestnut. Both will be competing in the Turkey Bowl, along with six other top competitive eaters. |
| The International Federation of Competitive Eating organizes about 80 eating contests a year in the U.S. alone, 100 total in 2006, including Canada, England, Germany, Japan and Thailand. The Turkey Bowl will be nationally televised today on Spike TV at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. |
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November 22, 2007 at 8:17 am
· Filed under Food Holidays & More, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free
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| Alpine Ice, makers of all-natural sorbets, is now kosher-certified (by Kosher Technical Konsultants), vegan-certified and free of all major food allergens (no soy, egg, wheat, nuts or dairy). The company was included in our “Who’s Who In American Frozen Desserts,” published last year in THE NIBBLE online magazine. The products are an alternative for people who are sensitive to a variety of foods. The base is made of herbs, fruit and flowers and erythritol, a low-glycemic sweetener. Flavors include Bolder Berry, Green Tea Verbena, Hibiscus Rose, Mango Passion and Plum Lucky. People looking for nut-free frozen dessert lines should also check out Bedford Nut Free Ice Cream, made for people with food allergies. It’s made in Massachusetts. There’s nothing on the one-page website but an email address and a phone number: Contact ahiabuhamdeh@yahoo.com, 1.978.330.5914. We haven’t tried it; if you do, let us know what you think. To see our favorite gourmet ice creams and sorbets, visit the Desserts Section of THE NIBBLE. |
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Frozen desserts made in nut-free facilities. |
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