Nutritional Profile and Carbohydrate Characterization of Spray-Dried Lentil, Pea and Chickpea Ingredients.

Although many consumers know that pulses are nutritious, long preparation times are frequently a barrier to consumption of lentils, dried peas and chickpeas. Therefore, a product has been developed which can be used as an ingredient in a wide variety of dishes without presoaking or precooking. Dried green peas, chickpeas or lentils were soaked, cooked, homogenized and spray-dried.

Milk enriched with conjugated linoleic acid fails to alter blood lipids or body composition in moderately overweight, borderline hyperlipidemic individuals.

Background: Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) represents a group of positional and geometric isomers of conjugated dienoic derivatives of linoleic acid. The effects of dietary CLA on blood lipids and body composition in humans remain controversial.

Objective: To examine whether consumption of milk enriched naturally or synthetically with cis 9, trans 11 (c-9, t-11) and trans 10, cis 12 (t-10, c-12) CLA isomers alters blood lipid indices, including concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacyglycerol; indices of liver function including plasma alanine transaminase and total bilirubin; C-reactive protein; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; and body weight and composition in moderately overweight, borderline hyperlipidemic humans.

The evidence to support health claims for probiotics.

As the health benefits of ingesting live bacteria become more evident, foods are now being produced that contain probiotic bacteria. The data to support label health claims for probiotic products are often difficult to provide. The experimental evidence to identify probiotic microorganisms and to demonstrate their efficacy in clinical trials is more challenging than for other potential functional foods because effects are mediated by living microorganisms and may therefore be influenced by the status of these microorganisms.

The effect of drinking milk containing conjugated linoleic acid on fecal microbiological profile, enzymatic activity, and fecal characteristics in humans.

Background: The primary objective was to determine whether consumption of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) affected the fecal microbiota composition, fecal enzyme activity or fecal composition.

Methods: Human subjects consumed (1 L/day) cows' milk (4% fat) containing (5 mg/g fat) cis-9, trans-11 CLA (CONT), (32 mg/g fat) cis-9, trans-11 CLA (NAT) and (32 mg/g fat) trans-10, cis-12 CLA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA (SYN) for 8 weeks, in addition to their normal diet. Milk feeding periods were separated by 4 week washout periods.

Polyphasic characterization of the lactic acid bacteria in kefir.

The lactic acid bacteria of kefir were isolated and characterized using phenotypical, biochemical, and genotypical methods. Polyphasic analyses of results permitted the identification of the microflora to the strain level. The genus Lactobacillus was represented by the species Lb.

Kefir consumption does not alter plasma lipid levels or cholesterol fractional synthesis rates relative to milk in hyperlipidemic men: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN10820810].

Background: Fermented milk products have been shown to affect serum cholesterol concentrations in humans. Kefir, a fermented milk product, has been traditionally consumed for its potential health benefits but has to date not been studied for its hypocholesterolemic properties.

Methods: Thirteen healthy mildly hypercholesterolemic male subjects consumed a dairy supplement in randomized crossover trial for 2 periods of 4 wk each.