From a report on "The Press" by Kate Fraser
The avocado is a native of South America which explains its name.
It's from the Aztec word for testicle - ahuacatl - an apt enough
description of the oval fruit on the tree.
It is a contrary fruit. It seldom ripens on the tree and can hang
for months waiting to fall or be picked, whereupon it starts to soften.
Its flesh is buttery and, according to WordofMouth food blogger,
"slicked with lipids" (descriptive but misleading; fat in an avocado is
mono-unsaturated fat, which helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels),
but avocado is now recognised as a superfruit, a valuable source of
fibre, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B6 and containing high levels of
potassium.
[.....]
AVOCADO FACTS
* The Guinness Book of World Records lists the avocado as the most nutritionally complete fruit in the world.
* To ensure evenly ripened fruit, buy unripe hass avocado and ripen
at home. Place in a bag with an apple, or in a fruit bowl with bananas.
When the skin is black the fruit is ripe. They will hold in a
refrigerator for up to four days.
(Read the full report here) ... some great recipes too
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Manganese Can Stop E. Coli Toxin, Study Says
From a report by Elizabeth Lopatto of Bloomberg.com
A deadly toxin produced by certain kinds of E. coli, including those that caused an outbreak in Europe last year, can be combated using the element manganese, according to research that may lead to an inexpensive treatment for infections.
Manganese, commonly found in nature, protected cells against as much as 4,000 times the amount of that toxin required to cause death in the lab, according to scientists in the journal Science. In a study, mice dosed with manganese were resistant to the poison.
That toxin, called Shiga, caused the severe diarrhea and kidney damage seen in the European outbreak. Antibiotics aren’t effective and may make the poison worse by causing the bacteria to burst open, releasing more Shiga and making patients sicker. There is no treatment for the infections, which sicken 150 million worldwide and kill more than 1 million each year, according to the study authors.
“An inexpensive, accessible treatment -- not a designer drug -- is the ideal solution,” said Adam Linstedt, a biologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a study author, in a statement. Most of the illnesses from Shiga take place in the developing world, so cheapness is important, he said.
The toxin is also produced by Shigella, which can be acquired through contaminated food or water. About 14,000 cases of this illness are reported in the U.S. every year.
Manganese protects cells by blocking the path the Shiga toxin takes to shut down the cell. Shiga avoids the cell’s lysosomes, which would render it harmless, by riding on a protein called GPP130. The presence of manganese causes GPP130 to go to the lysosomes, leading Shiga there as well.
(Read full story)
A deadly toxin produced by certain kinds of E. coli, including those that caused an outbreak in Europe last year, can be combated using the element manganese, according to research that may lead to an inexpensive treatment for infections.
Manganese, commonly found in nature, protected cells against as much as 4,000 times the amount of that toxin required to cause death in the lab, according to scientists in the journal Science. In a study, mice dosed with manganese were resistant to the poison.
That toxin, called Shiga, caused the severe diarrhea and kidney damage seen in the European outbreak. Antibiotics aren’t effective and may make the poison worse by causing the bacteria to burst open, releasing more Shiga and making patients sicker. There is no treatment for the infections, which sicken 150 million worldwide and kill more than 1 million each year, according to the study authors.
“An inexpensive, accessible treatment -- not a designer drug -- is the ideal solution,” said Adam Linstedt, a biologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a study author, in a statement. Most of the illnesses from Shiga take place in the developing world, so cheapness is important, he said.
The toxin is also produced by Shigella, which can be acquired through contaminated food or water. About 14,000 cases of this illness are reported in the U.S. every year.
Manganese protects cells by blocking the path the Shiga toxin takes to shut down the cell. Shiga avoids the cell’s lysosomes, which would render it harmless, by riding on a protein called GPP130. The presence of manganese causes GPP130 to go to the lysosomes, leading Shiga there as well.
(Read full story)
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