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The following information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 by: Lina Trivedi, contributing writer

The disturbing reality of many low income communities and their inability to access fresh produce due to the lack of supermarkets in some communities is unsettling.

In November of 2011, Preventing Chronic Disease, a publication produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, printed a study that evaluated the accessibility of fruits and vegetables among low-income communities broken down by racial concentration. Many prior studies have revealed that diet-related diseases affect low-income communities in staggering numbers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that fresh fruits and vegetables are not as accessible among low-income communities. In fact, some communities do not have supermarkets accessible at all, preventing people from even purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. A sample of ten fruits and ten vegetables were evaluated at all stores that accepted food stamps and the results were that stores in more affluent communities carried a wide variety of fruit and vegetable options. However lower income communities has stores that had minimal fruit options and no fresh vegetables.

Are Stores Accepting Food Stamps Accessible?

After a series of studies coordinated by the University of Georgia, it was concluded that the size and type of store will cause people’s food choices to vary. Those that shopped at supermarkets tended to opt for healthier food choices. Those that shopped at other facilities did not necessarily have a healthy option of food provided to them, so therefore, their food choices were not as healthy.

The study evaluated the counties within Florida where there are 2.9 million food stamp recipients. Ten percent of the subjects within the study were food stamp recipients and when evaluated county to county, it was found that many of these recipients could not get to a supermarket. In fact, some counties that were situated in poorer areas did not even have a supermarket within the entire county.

Convenience Store Groceries As the Only Option

With no viable option to shop for food, many people in low-income communities are guided to shop at convenience stores, as that is the only store within proximity that accepts food stamps. The alternative would be to travel to another county or long distances to access a supermarket, however in larger metropolitan areas, bus routes are a consideration, as well as the walking distances to each of the stops.

Angela Leone who wrote the findings of this study in part says, “For dietetic professionals such as myself, these studies were eye-opening. We often think there is a lack of nutrition education or nutrition knowledge when in fact there may be other barriers that individuals face that inhibit their ability to follow a healthy diet, such as the nutrition environment that they live in and around.”

Sources for this article include:

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-healthy-foods-low-income-black-neighborhoods.html

http://www.jneb.org/article/PIIS1499404611004647/abstract

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/nov/10_0231.htm

Lina Trivedi, contributing writer

Lina Trivedi is a vegetarian and consistently in search of new ways to be healthy without a lot of effort. Raw food options are right up her alley because she does not particularly like cooking anyway. She has been a freelance-writer, designer and Web developer since 1995 and has had the pleasure of working with individuals and companies throughout her career that support healthy life choices.

Find her online at LinaTrivedi.com, or follow her writing projects on Facebook.

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The above information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. It is valuable to seek the advice of an alternative health care professional before making any changes. The statements above have not been evaluated by the FDA (or your country’s equivalent). Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Article source: http://rawfoodhealthwatch.com/raw-food-news/poor-fresh-produce/

The following information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 by: Michelle J. Bosmier, staff writer

New research into the genetic susceptibility to diet-induced obesity shows that a specific variation of the CD36 gene may be responsible for fat preference in 21% of the population.

A team of scientists from Penn State, Columbia University, Cornell University and Rutgers University have discovered that certain forms of the gene CD36 are linked to a preference for fatty foods. The study, recently published in the research journal Obesity, could explain why some people find it very difficult to stay on a low-fat diet whilst others pursue such diets naturally. Doctors and nutritionists may eventually also be able to advise people toward the right kind of diet in accordance to their genetic makeup.

Fat Gene CD36 Determines Which Foods Taste Good

Assistant professor of nutritional sciences and lead-study author Kathleen Keller, discussed the study’s long term implications, noting that “fat is universally palatable to humans, yet we have demonstrated for the first time that people who have particular forms of the CD36 gene tend to like higher fat foods more and may be at greater risk for obesity compared to those who do not have this form of the gene.”

Recent studies on rodents have shown that the CD36 gene has essential roles in fatty acid and glucose metabolism, but may also influence heart disease, blood pressure, taste, as well as dietary fat processing in the small intestine. “In animals, CD36 is a necessary gene for the ability to both detect and develop preferences for fat. Our study is one of the first to show this relationship in humans”, explained Dr. Keller.

The science team used a sample of 317 African-American individuals, as this ethnic group is highly susceptible to obesity and metabolic diseases. Participants were first asked to consume a series of Italian salad dressings prepared with canola oil (which is rich in long chain fatty acids) and then rate the salad dressings in terms of ‘oiliness, fat content and creaminess’, using a scale from ‘extremely low’ to ‘extremely high’.

Study participants were also asked to complete questionnaires and rate how much they liked different food items. The food list included a variety of popular items that are typically associated with various health complications: fried chicken, bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, chips, french fries, hot dogs, cakes, doughnuts and cookies. The information collected therein was then used by the researchers to understand and catalog the participants’ food preferences.

Understanding Gene CD36 Can Help Us Make The Right Food Choices

Next, Dr. Keller and her team used saliva samples from the study participants to determine which from of the CD36 gene they presented. To achieve this, the scientists looked at specific DNA segments for each participant and then analyzed the existing CD36 variations.

Participants who had the AA form of the gene found the salad dressings creamier, irrespective of how much fat the dressings actually contained (showing that their perception had a definite genetic basis). These participants also showed a preference for other fatty foods in the questionnaire and regularly enjoyed a variety of cooking oils. According to estimates, the AA form of the CD36 gene is present in about 21% of the population.

Relaying her thoughts on the study results, Dr. Keller explained that “it is possible that the CD36 gene is associated with fat intake and therefore obesity through a mechanism of oral fat perception and preference. In other words, our results suggest that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may find fat creamier and more enjoyable than others. This may increase their risk for obesity and other health problems.”

“We hope these results will one day help people select diets that are easier for them to follow. We also think the results could help food developers create better tasting low-fat foods that appeal to a broader range of the population”, concluded Keller.

Dr. Keller also revealed that she plans to take this research one step further and also examine children with the CD36 gene. She believes that it may be easier to adjust a child’s eating habits and help them develop healthier eating habits that will benefit them later on in life.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203113312.htm

http://weightcontrol.com/genetics-of-obesity-2/common-variants-cd36-gene-oral-fat-perception-fat-preferences-obesity-african-americans-dr-keller/

http://www.tripdatabase.com/doc/1290439-Common-Variants-in-the-CD36-Gene-Are-Associated-With-Oral-Fat-Perception#content

Michelle J. Bosmier, staff writer

Michelle Bosmier is a passionate nutrition expert, author and health journalist with a vast experience in dieting and wellness, as well as a committed ‘high’ raw foodist and raw foods researcher.

Having written extensively on popular health topics and leading scientific studies on nutrition, she enjoys sharing knowledge and resources on how to achieve inner balance, maintain top-notch health, lose extra weight and improve the quality of life by consuming more vibrant, wholesome, raw foods.

Michelle has co-created RawFoodHealthWatch.com, a resource base dedicated to unraveling the perks of raw foodism, sharing recipes and tips, as well as inspiring readers interested in healthy alternatives to traditional dieting. Michelle currently collaborates with several health blogs and acclaimed online publications, with a focus on topics such as raw food, natural health and nutrition.

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The above information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. It is valuable to seek the advice of an alternative health care professional before making any changes. The statements above have not been evaluated by the FDA (or your country’s equivalent). Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Article source: http://rawfoodhealthwatch.com/raw-food-news/fat-genetic-basis/