Monthly Archives: May 2011

Aspartame Digestion

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Aspartame (3-amino-N-(α-carboxyphenylethyl) succinamic acid, N-methyl ester), is a methyl ester of the dipeptide aspartyl-phenylalanine (figure 1). Aspartame is used as a sweetening agent in  many foods on account of the fact that is roughly 180 times sweeter than table sugar … Continue reading →

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Methanol Production by Colonic Microflora

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Methanol is of interest to nutritional scientists because it is metabolised in the body to formate, high plasma concentrations of which can lead to metabolic acidosis and blindness. While methanol is a metabolic toxin, it is present naturally in a … Continue reading →

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L-Tyrosine and Catecholamine Synthesis

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline catecholamine neurotransmitters, so named because their structure is based on catechol (figure 1). The catecholamines play an important role in the nervous system, where they are involved in activation of the sympathetic branch of the central … Continue reading →

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Fluoride and Calcium

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Before fluoride was added to drinking water in some Western countries, it was considered a toxic substance. Scientists had concerns that high levels of fluoride in the diet would lead to toxicity symptoms, the first of which was a mottling … Continue reading →

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Fluoride: Metabolism and Excretion

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Fluoride is of interest to nutritional scientists because of its toxic properties and because it is added to drinking water in many areas of the world. Fluoride is considered an essential element in man, based on its ability to accumulate … Continue reading →

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Cider and Apple Polyphenols

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Red wine has attracted a lot of attention from nutritional researchers because evidence is mounting that it has favourable effects on cardiovascular health. Red wine is thought to be beneficial because it contains high levels of grape polyphenols such as … Continue reading →

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More on Selenium

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Selenium is an important trace mineral in humans, which is incorporated into a number of selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase, iodothyronine deiodinase and thioredoxin reductase (here). It is known that supplementing with 200 µg of selenium a day reduces the … Continue reading →

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β-Glucans and Oats

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Dietary fibre is of interest to nutritionists because research suggests that it may have health benefits. Dietary fibre is generally classed into two groups based on its solubility in water. Water insoluble fibres tend to provide roughage to foods and … Continue reading →

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Carotenoids in Tomato Products

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Plants are known to contain a wide variety of biologically active phytochemicals that may have important health benefits in humans. Carotenoids are one group of phytochemicals that have been shown to protect from degenerative diseases such as cancer. Carotenoids are … Continue reading →

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Medium Chain Triglyceride Metabolism

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Robert Barrington

Triglycerides are biomolecules comprising of three fatty acids esterified to a glycerol back bone. Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are those triglycerides that contain fatty acids of carbon length from 6 to 12. Chain length not only determines the physical and … Continue reading →

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