Nutrient composition and health benefits

Barnyard millet is one of the hardest millet. The grains can be used as food and can be cooked similar to rice. The carbohydrate content is low and slowly digestible. This property makes the barnyard millet a natural designer food. The objective of the present investigation was to develop barnyard millet based products and to determine their nutrient composition. A total of seven products using barnyard millet, viz., fruit cake, paddu, instant dosa, puliyogare, gulab jamun, nutri bar and maddurvada were developed. Three of the above products were analysed for nutritional composition, while for remaining the nutritional value was computed for developing a nutrient database. All the prepared products were subjected to sensory analysis by 30 untrained panel members for evaluating the acceptability. Sensory analysis of all millet incorporated products showed that they were acceptable in comparison to control products prepared with traditional cereals. Nutritional composition of millet-based products was similar to control products for macronutrients and showed a higher content of micronutrients. Maddurvada was a baked product with a lesser fat content than the commercial fried product. Puliyogare prepared using only millet was found to be highly acceptable and was nutritionally superior. The sensory parameter of instant dosa prepared with millet was also acceptable. The study showed that preparation of various traditional products using barnyard millet did not affect the sensory parameters; hence, its use can be promoted for health benefits.

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Gluten-free food database: the nutritional quality and cost of packaged gluten-free foods

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.1337 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. e1337 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Benjamin Missbach ◽

Lukas Schwingshackl ◽

Alina Billmann ◽

Aleksandra Mystek ◽

Melanie Hickelsberger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Celiac Disease ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Food Products ◽

Free Food ◽

Food Composition ◽

Nutrient Composition ◽

Bakery Products ◽

Gluten Free ◽

Approximation Process

Notwithstanding a growth in popularity and consumption of gluten-free (GF) food products, there is a lack of substantiated analysis of the nutritional quality compared with their gluten-containing counterparts. To put GF foods into proper perspective both for those who need it (patients with celiac disease) and for those who do not, we provide contemporary data about cost and nutritional quality of GF food products. The objective of this study is to develop a food composition database for seven discretionary food categories of packaged GF products. Nutrient composition, nutritional information and cost of foods from 63 GF and 126 gluten-containing counterparts were systematically obtained from 12 different Austrian supermarkets. The nutrition composition (macro and micronutrients) was analyzed by using two nutrient composition databases in a stepwise approximation process. A total of 63 packaged GF foods were included in the analysis representing a broad spectrum of different GF categories (flour/bake mix, bread and bakery products, pasta and cereal-based food, cereals, cookies and cakes, snacks and convenience food). Our results show that the protein content of GF products is >2 fold lower across 57% of all food categories. In 65% of all GF foods, low sodium content was observed (defined as <120 mg/100 g). Across all GF products, 19% can be classified as source high in fiber (defined as >6g/100 g). On average, GF foods were substantially higher in cost, ranging from +205% (cereals) to +267% (bread and bakery products) compared to similar gluten-containing products. In conclusion, our results indicate that for GF foods no predominant health benefits are indicated; in fact, some critical nutrients must be considered when being on a GF diet. For individuals with celiac disease, the GF database provides a helpful tool to identify the food composition of their medical diet. For healthy consumers, replacing gluten-containing products with GF foods is aligned with substantial cost differences but GF foods do not provide additional health benefits from a nutritional perspective.

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A time to fast

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aau2095 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 362 (6416) ◽

pp. 770-775 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

Andrea Di Francesco ◽

Clara Di Germanio ◽

Michel Bernier ◽

Rafael de Cabo

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Caloric Intake ◽

Nutrient Composition ◽

Meal Size ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Future Research ◽

Physiological Processes ◽

Repair Mechanisms

Nutrient composition and caloric intake have traditionally been used to devise optimized diets for various phases of life. Adjustment of meal size and frequency have emerged as powerful tools to ameliorate and postpone the onset of disease and delay aging, whereas periods of fasting, with or without reduced energy intake, can have profound health benefits. The underlying physiological processes involve periodic shifts of metabolic fuel sources, promotion of repair mechanisms, and the optimization of energy utilization for cellular and organismal health. Future research endeavors should be directed to the integration of a balanced nutritious diet with controlled meal size and patterns and periods of fasting to develop better strategies to prevent, postpone, and treat the socioeconomical burden of chronic diseases associated with aging.

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Evaluation of Nutrient and Phytochemical Composition of Cola lepidota Fruits (K. Schum): An Underutilized Fruit

European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety ◽

10.9734/ejnfs/2020/v12i1130313 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 13-19

Author(s):

G. I. Okwu ◽

C. Okwu- Abolo ◽

C. F. Emereole ◽

O. A. Ogbonna

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Nutrient Composition ◽

Carbohydrate Content ◽

Potential Health ◽

Spectrophotometric Methods ◽

Phytochemical Composition

This study examined the nutrient and phytochemical composition of Cola lepidota fruits commonly known as Monkey Kola. The pulps were extracted, grated and dried. Dried pulps were milled into flour and packaged in properly labeled air-tight polyethene sachets. The nutrient composition was determined using standard AOAC methods while the phytochemical composition was determined using the gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods. Findings from the results revealed that 100 g portion of fresh Cola lepidota was high in moisture content (88.9%), moderate in carbohydrate content. The most abundant mineral was calcium (182.5 mg/100 g), followed by magnesium (87.5 mg/100 g), potassium (68.1 mg/100 g) and phosphorous (34.4 mg/100 g). Cola lepidota has substantial amount of vitamin A (25.63 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (12.98 mg/100 g). The phytochemical compositions found in the fruit were quite high, the most abundant were flavonoid (420.7 mg/100 g) and saponin (42.4 mg/100 g). These findings indicate rich nutritional and potential health benefits of this underutilized fruit. Thus, the information obtained from the study will contribute in widening the scope of the knowledge and encourage conservation and domestication preservation of this species.

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