fnrb0716 : USDA ARS

<!DOCTYPE HTML> <html> <head> <title>fnrb0716 : USDA ARS</title> <meta http-equiv='Content-Type:text/html; charset=UTF-8' /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />  <meta name="description" /> <meta name="keywords" content="" /> <meta key="ID" value="184668" />   <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css"> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script> <meta name='bbsect' content='Main'> <meta name='modestem' content='00a00b00c00d'> <meta name='modestem1' content='00a'> <meta name='modestem2' content='00b'> <meta name='modestem3' content='00c'> <meta name='modestem4' content='00d'> <meta name='site_code' content='00-00-00-00'> <meta name="WT.ModeCode" content="00-00-00-00">  <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <title>Research : USDA ARS</title>   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/USWDS/css/styleguide.css"> <link href="/css/ARSbranding.css?t=20250216" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/Jquery/ARSbranding.js"></script> <link media="print" href="/css/print.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=arsociowb"></script> </head> <body class="layout-demo" role="banner"> <a class="usa-skipnav" href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a> <header class="usa-header usa-header-basic" role="banner">  <div class="usa-banner"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <header class="usa-banner-header"> <div class="usa-grid usa-banner-inner"> <img src="/USWDS/img/favicons/favicon-57.png" alt="U.S. flag"> <p>An official website of the United States government</p> <button class="usa-accordion-button usa-banner-button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner"> <span class="usa-banner-button-text">Here's how you know</span> </button> </div> </header> <div class="usa-banner-content usa-grid usa-accordion-content" id="gov-banner"> <div class="usa-banner-guidance-gov usa-width-one-half"> <img class="usa-banner-icon usa-media_block-img" src="/USWDS/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" alt="Dot gov"> <div class="usa-media_block-body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong> <br> A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner-guidance-ssl usa-width-one-half"> <img class="usa-banner-icon usa-media_block-img" src="/USWDS/img/icon-https.svg" alt="SSL"> <div class="usa-media_block-body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong> <br> A <strong>lock</strong> ( <span class="icon-lock"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewBox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-title banner-lock-description"><title id="banner-lock-title">Lock</title><desc id="banner-lock-description">A locked padlock</desc><path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z"></path></svg></span> ) or <strong>https://</strong> means you鈥檝e safely connected to the .gov website. 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href="/contact-us/?modeCode=00-00-00-00"><b>Contact Us</b></a></li> </ul> </div>  </nav> </div> </header> <div class="usa-overlay"></div> <main class="usa-grid usa-section usa-content usa-layout-docs" id="main-content"> <div> <a href="/">ARS Home</a> 禄 <a href="/oc/">Office of Communications</a> 禄 <a href="/oc/fnrb/">FNRB</a> 禄 fnrb0716  <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" id="Social-Share-Icons"> <a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a class="addthis_button_print"></a> <a class="addthis_button_compact"></a> </div>  </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <hr /> </div> <aside class="usa-width-one-fourth usa-layout-docs-sidenav"> <ul class="usa-sidenav-list"> <h4>ARS-wide</h4> <li><a href="/news-events/news-events/" >ARS News & Events</a></li> <li><a href="https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/" >AgResearch Magazine</a></li> <li><a href="/oc/images/image-gallery/" >Image Gallery</a></li> <h4>At this Location</h4> <li><a href="/news-events/?modeCode=00-00-00-00" >News</a></li> </ul> </aside>  <div class="usa-width-three-fourths usa-layout-docs-main_content" >    <p align="CENTER"><a href="/oc/fnrb/archive/"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/np/fnrb/fnrb.png" border="0" alt="Table place setting with apple. Title: Food and Nutrition Research Briefs. Link to FNRB home page" /></a></p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="485" align="CENTER" bgcolor="#cecece"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="RIGHT">July 2016</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>聽</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="10" width="85%" align="CENTER"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="CENTER" valign="top"><hr /> <p align="CENTER"><a href="/is/np/fnrb/">FNRB Index</a> | <a href="/is/np/fnrb/">Search</a> | <a href="mailto:Kim.Kaplan@ars.usda.gov">Comments</a></p> <hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">聽</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"> <h2 align="center"><a name="Contents"></a>Contents</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#UTI">Cranberry Compound May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections</a></h4> </td> <td width="50%" align="LEFT" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#sodium">Sodium Monitoring Key to Reducing Dietary Intakes</a></h4> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#sap">Native Vine's Sap Eyed as Potential Gum Arabic Alternative</a></h4> </td> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#walnuts">Walnuts Lower in Calories than Label Suggests</a></h4> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#storage">New Hope for Extending Fresh-cut Vegetable Storage</a></h4> </td> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#grains">Ancient Grains Make Healthful, Tasty Cookies</a></h4> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#sugar">The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Sugars</a></h4> </td> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#cranberry">Cranberry Juice Can Boost Heart Health</a></h4> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" valign="top"> <p><strong><a href="#wash">Antimicrobial Wash Reduces Health Risks in Fresh Produce</a></strong></p> </td> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p><strong><a href="#lecture">Roberts Delivers 2016 ARS W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture at Experimental Biology</a></strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="LEFT" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#grapes">Lowering the Risk of Infection with Grapes</a></h4> </td> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top"> <h4 align="left"><a href="#wheat">New Wheat Line Eliminates Discoloring in Foods</a></h4> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%" align="LEFT" valign="top">聽</td> <td width="50%" align="left" valign="top">聽</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="CENTER" valign="top"><hr /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="UTI"></a>Cranberry Compound May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections</h3> <p>A new cranberry bioactive component that has the potential to control urinary tract infections (UTIs) has been identified by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators. The bioactive component, referred to as SSGG fraction, is found in cranberry juice and is purified from enzyme-treated cranberry pulp. In laboratory tests, SSGG was found to inhibit <em>Escherichia coli</em>鈥攖he most common bacterial cause of UTIs鈥攆rom sticking to human cells. ARS and Ocean Spray representatives have a recently approved patent describing how to produce cranberry xyloglucan oligosaccharides that have anti-adhesive activity.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160308.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=2602">Arland Hotchkiss</a>, (215) 233-6448, <a href="/northeast-area/wyndmoor-pa/eastern-regional-research-center/dairy-and-functional-foods-research/">Dairy and Functional Foods Unit</a>, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/aug12/d2569-1.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/aug12/d2569-1i.jpg" border="1" alt="Fresh cranberries, juice and pulp. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="top" /></a><br /> A new cranberry compound purified from pulp has the potential to control urinary tract infections.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="sap"></a>Native Vine's Sap Eyed as Potential Gum Arabic Alternative</h3> <p>Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers have found a sap oozing from the stem of frost grapes, a native U.S. grapevine, that has an uncanny similarity to gum Arabic, a common thickening agent and emulsifier used in cake frosting, candies, paints, cosmetics and other products. Gum Arabic is harvested commercially from wild acacia trees throughout the Sahara region of Africa, with more than 80 percent of commercial production centered in Sudan. Domestic equivalents of gum Arabic have proven elusive鈥攗ntil possibly now. Frost grape, <em>Vitis riparia</em>, occurs throughout North America and typically grows as a woodland vine reaching up to 50 feet in length and measuring four to five inches in diameter. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy found frost grape sap to be a "polysaccharide," a type of long-chain carbohydrate whose ratio of two primary sugars resembles that of gum Arabic.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2015/151215.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=34743">Neil Price</a>, (309) 681-6246, <a href="/midwest-area/peoria-il/national-center-for-agricultural-utilization-research/renewable-product-technology-research/">Renewable Product Technology Research Unit</a>, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/dec15/d3527-1.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/dec15/d3527-1i.jpg" border="1" alt="Sap on a debarked frost grape stem. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> The sap from debarked frost grape stem has properties similar to gum Arabic, an imported emulsifying and thickening agent.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="storage"></a>New Hope for Extending Fresh-cut Vegetable Storage</h3> <p>An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) team evaluated a diverse collection of peppers for attributes that would prolong their shelf life after being cut. They looked at 50 types of peppers available commercially and from the ARS germplasm collection鈥攕weet bell, large elongated peppers, jalape帽o and serrano鈥攖o find those that can stand up to prolonged cold storage. Fresh-cut sweet bell and elongated peppers exhibited signs of deterioration, such as fluid leakage, after 10 to 14 days of storage, whereas jalape帽o and serrano peppers didn't lose fluids until after 14 days of storage. Fluid leakage is undesirable as it causes peppers to lose firmness and marketability. Some varieties in each pepper type showed exceptional fluid maintenance beyond 14 days, meaning the peppers stayed firm and didn't exhibit tissue breakdown. The results provide opportunities for plant breeders, via traditional breeding, to incorporate attributes that contribute to fresh-cut quality into elite varieties that will benefit the food industry and consumers.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2015/151231.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=5431">John Stommel</a>, (301) 504-5583, <a href="/northeast-area/beltsville-md-barc/beltsville-agricultural-research-center/genetic-improvement-for-fruits-vegetables-laboratory/">Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory</a>, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/dec15/k9774-10.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/dec15/k9774-10i.jpg" border="1" alt="Different types of peppers. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="top" /></a><br /> ARS scientists evaluated different types of peppers for attributes that prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut peppers.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="sugar"></a>The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Sugars</h3> <p>A study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists indicates that consuming lower amounts of added sugars is a more effective approach to health than consuming a sugar that is more neutral in terms of its health effects. This study was part of an effort to solve the controversy over whether all sweeteners produce the same metabolic effects in consumers despite the sweeteners' chemical similarities. The researchers looked at whether there was a difference in the metabolic and health effects of chronically consuming sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), or honey. Volunteers in the study did not show any differences in blood sugar levels based on the dietary sugar source. In addition, blood triglyceride levels, an indicator of blood fat concentrations (a marker for heart disease risk), increased in response to all three sugars tested.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160414.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=44863">Susan Raatz</a>, (701) 795-8274, <a href="/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/">Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center</a>, Grand Forks, North Dakota</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/apr16/d3583-1.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/apr16/d3583-1i.jpg" border="1" alt="Sugar cubes on a spoon. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="top" /></a><br /> The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugars.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="wash"></a>Antimicrobial Wash Reduces Health Risks in Fresh Produce</h3> <p>An antimicrobial wash that reduces the risk of foodborne pathogens in fresh produce has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and his collaborators. The combination of lactic acid, fruit acids and hydrogen peroxide can be used in a produce rinse for commercial food distributors. First Step+ 10, the new product, is expected to be used in the commercial flumes and rinse tanks that wash fresh produce. The wash also has been approved for use in Canada; is U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic; biodegradable; and does not affect the taste, texture, smell, or appearance of produce. To test First Step+ 10, fresh-cut apples, baby spinach, cantaloupe rind, and cherry tomatoes were inoculated with highly resistant strains of <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7, <em>Listeria</em> and <em>Salmonella</em>. The antimicrobial wash reduced pathogen levels on the produce by 99.99 percent. It also rid the wash water of 100 percent of pathogens, making it safer to reuse on other produce.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160120.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=41091">Joshua Gurtler</a>, (215) 233-6788, <a href="/northeast-area/wyndmoor-pa/eastern-regional-research-center/food-safety-and-intervention-technologies-research/">Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Unit</a>, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/jan16/d530-2.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/jan16/d530-2i.jpg" border="1" alt="Fresh fruits and vegetables. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> ARS developed a new organic antimicrobial wash for fresh produce.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="grapes"></a>Lowering the Risk of Infection with Grapes</h3> <p>Eating grapes may help obese people decrease certain types of fats in their blood that are linked to heart disease and lower their risk of infection, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. Obese participants in the study drank either a mixture of water and grape powder made from freeze-dried table grapes or a placebo twice a day for three weeks. The two groups switched to the opposite mixture for the next three weeks. When scientists stimulated immune cells from blood with a bacterial component, they found an increase in the production of proteins鈥攃ytokines鈥攖hat are instrumental in fighting off infections.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160323.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=34944">Susan Zunino</a>, (530) 752-5156, <a href="/pacific-west-area/davis-ca/whnrc/idp/">Immunity and Disease Prevention Research Unit</a>, University of California, Davis, California.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/mar16/k3681-16.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/mar16/k3681-16i.jpg" border="1" alt="Purple, red and green grapes. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> Consuming grapes may help reduce infection risk in obese people.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3>Sodium Monitoring Key to Reducing Dietary Intakes</h3> <p>Over 90 percent of the U.S. population consumes more than the recommended daily maximum amount of sodium, most of which comes from commercially processed and restaurant foods. Reducing sodium in these foods is key to lowering the amount in the U.S. diet. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators have now launched an online dataset of key foods that contain sodium added during preparation or processing prior to purchase by consumers. They have been working on the project to monitor key high-sodium foods since 2010 to serve as indicators for assessing changes over time in the sodium content of common sodium-contributing commercial foods. The dataset is available on the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) home page and may be found at /Services/docs.htm?docid=22861</p> <p>Details</p> <p>For details, contact: Jaspreet Ahuja, (301) 504-0695, Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/jan16/d3540-3i.jpg" border="1" alt="Pretzels, crackers and sesame sticks. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /><br /> A database of foods that contain sodium added during preparation can help consumers make educated food choices.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="walnuts"></a>Walnuts Lower in Calories than Label Suggests</h3> <p>Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that walnuts have fewer calories than previously thought. Using current techniques, they found that a typical 28-gram serving actually contains 146 calories, 21 percent fewer than the 185 calories currently assigned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The current system for calculating calories generally works well for estimating calories in mixed diets involving several foods, but not so well for estimating calories in certain foods individually, including tree nuts. In the 1950s, scientists grouped walnuts and other tree nuts with other plant-based foods, such as dry beans, legumes and peas, and estimated the calories of energy those foods contained in each gram of protein, carbohydrate and fat.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160301.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=236">David J. Baer</a>, (301) 504-8719, <a href="/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/food-components-and-health-lab/">Food Components and Health Laboratory</a>, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/sep08/d1234-1.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/sep08/d1234-1i.jpg" border="1" alt="Walnuts. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> ARS scientists have found that walnuts contain fewer calories than the amounts now assigned to them by the USDA.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="grains"></a>Ancient Grains Make Healthful, Tasty Cookies</h3> <p>New chia-oat and amaranth-oat mixtures developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists may be used to make healthful foods in the future. Scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois, examined the physical properties of chia and amaranth that contain lysine鈥攁n essential amino acid. They also experimented with blending amaranth flour with oat products containing beta-glucan, which is associated with lowering blood cholesterol, to make nutritious, gluten-free sugar cookies. They demonstrated that amaranth-oat and chia-oat composites have desirable physical qualities such as improved texture. These qualities, along with the ancient grains' nutritional value, may make them desirable ingredients for healthful foods.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160316.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=2721">George E. Inglett</a>, (309) 681-6363, <a href="/midwest-area/peoria-il/national-center-for-agricultural-utilization-research/functional-foods-research/">Functional Foods Research Unit</a>, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/mar16/d3572-2.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/mar16/d3572-2i.jpg" border="1" alt="Amaranth seeds, flour and cookies. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> Amaranth seeds (left) and amaranth flour (right), above the final product, amaranth cookies.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="cranberry"></a>Cranberry Juice Can Boost Heart Health</h3> <p>Drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day can lead to significant heart health benefits, according to a study led by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) physiologist. After 8 weeks, volunteers given the juice had lower levels of 5 of 22 indicators of cardiometabolic risk in their blood, compared with volunteers given a placebo, "a notable result." Cardiometabolic risk is the combined risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and stroke, which together causes more deaths in the developed world than anything else. CVD alone causes about 930,000 deaths in the United States each year.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160504.2.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=4152">Janet Novotny</a>, (301) 504-8263, <a href="/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/food-components-and-health-lab/">Food Components and Health Laboratory</a>, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/jan14/k4414-2.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/jan14/k4414-2i.jpg" border="1" alt="Cranberries growing on a bush. Link to photo information" vspace="4" align="TOP" /></a><br /> Volunteers who drank cranberry juice had lower levels of several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke than volunteers who drank a placebo.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <p align="CENTER">聽</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="lecture"></a>Roberts Delivers 2016 ARS W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture at Experimental Biology</h3> <p>"How Can Nutrition Scientists Help Reverse the Obesity Epidemic?" was the subject of Susan B. Roberts' 2016 W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture, which she gave at the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego in April. Roberts is internationally recognized as an expert in nutrition and a visionary when it comes to scientifically developing and testing new methods for dealing with obesity and weight control research. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) established the W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture in 1968 to honor the memory of Wilbur Olin Atwater (1844-1907) and to recognize scientists who have made unique contributions toward improving the diet and nutrition of people around the world.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160405.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=36816">Kim Kaplan</a>, (301) 504-1637, ARS Office of Communications, Beltsville, Maryland.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/pr/2016/sueroberts160405.jpg" border="1" alt="Susan B. Roberts." vspace="4" align="top" /><br /> Susan B. Roberts presented the ARS W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecture at Experimental Biology 2016.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="CENTER">聽</p> <p align="CENTER"><a href="#Contents">Back to Contents</a></p> <hr /> <table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="74%"> <h3><a name="wheat"></a>New Wheat Line Eliminates Discoloring in Foods</h3> <p>Getting rid of gray discoloring in foods such as fresh noodles, breads and refrigerated biscuits is now possible, thanks to a new white hard wheat breeding line developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. They have developed a wheat that has no polyphenol oxidase鈥攁n enzyme present in all plants that causes discoloring. The enzyme causes browning in sliced apples, black spots in cut avocados and dark marks on banana peels. The new wheat line, 070R1074, was developed by crossing two Australian wheats entered into the ARS National Small Grains Collection in the 1930s. Collaborating with the University of Nebraska and Montana State University, Graybosch screened wheats in the Collection for polyphenol oxidase and then mated wheats with different forms of the genes that produced this enzyme. Naturally occurring genetic mutations in the new wheat line resulted in a nearly complete loss of polyphenol oxidase activity. Researchers have used the trait to improve breeding lines and could eventually incorporate it into elite lines to produce highly desirable cultivars.</p> <p><a href="/is/pr/2016/160418.htm">Details</a></p> <p>For details, contact: <a href="/people-locations/person?person-id=2095">Robert Graybosch</a>, (402) 472-1563, <a href="/plains-area/lincoln-ne/wheat-sorghum-and-forage-research/">Grain, Forage, and Bioenergy Research Laboratory</a>, Lincoln, Nebraska.</p> </td> <td width="26%" height="25" valign="TOP"> <p><a href="/is/graphics/photos/apr16/d3580-1.htm"><img src="/ARSUserFiles/oc/graphics/photos/apr16/d3580-1i.jpg" border="1" alt="Cooked white wheat Asian noodles. 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