_ WASHINGTON — Omega-3 claims are popping up in everything from cereal to mayonnaise, but are those foods the panacea that marketers would have you believe? According to the cover story in the October issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, certain omega-3s may reduce the risk of heart disease and might even help protect against cancer, Alzheimer's, and vision problems. But many foods making claims have little or none of those omega-3s, and labels don't have to reveal how much or which omega-3 fat the foods contain.

Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest

To read the entire article, go to: http://cspinet.org/new/200710011.html

Omega-3s may protect children from diabetes

New research finds kids who consumed more omega-3 fats were less likely to test positive for auto-antibodies that lead to diabetes

We're told repeatedly to consume more omega-3 fatty acids to guard against heart attack, stroke, even Alzheimer's disease. It's also advice that might protect children from Type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More than 200,000 Canadians have Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition that occurs mainly in childhood and early adolescence and requires daily insulin injections for survival.

In Type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin, the hormone that clears sugar from the bloodstream. The body's immune system behaves inappropriately by producing auto-antibodies, compounds that destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

Scientists speculate that genetic background and environmental factors - including diet - play a role in the autoimmune process that leads to diabetes. Studies suggest that inflammation is involved in the development of Type 1 diabetes. Since omega-3 fats have strong anti-inflammatory properties, it's thought they might help reduce the risk of the disorder.

Source: The Globe and Mail

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070926.wbeck26
/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home

Bacterial protein influences feed quality

Margareth Øverland and colleagues from the Aquaculture Protein Centre of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Ås looked at the effects of adding bacterial protein on dog food and salmon feed quality after different extrusion conditions.

The results demonstrate that low amounts of Bacterial protein meal (BPM) and its homogenate (HOM) influenced the technical quality of extruded diets for dogs and salmon. The effect of BPM and HOM was different in dog food with higher starch content compared to the salmon feed with lower starch content, and was dependent on extrusion conditions.

Source: AllAboutFeed.net

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.allaboutfeed.net/news/id102-6901 /bacterial_protein_influences_feed_quality.html