Local researchers find anti-obesity properties in
rice bran
Updated: 2015-03-16 16:26:26 KST
About 500,000 tons of rice bran is produced every
year in Korea after rice is polished.
Thirty percent of the residue is used in cosmetics or livestock feed, while the rest is discarded.
But a group of local researchers has recently discovered evidence that special properties in rice bran could be beneficial in preventing obesity.They released the results early this month.The researchers conducted a test in which a control group of mice was fed high-fat foods, while an experimental group was fed high-fat foods and given an injection of rice bran extract.After six weeks, the mice in the control group gained 44 percent more weight, but the group that was given the rice bran injections showed a significant difference in weight gain of only 33 percent.( , Korean)
Thirty percent of the residue is used in cosmetics or livestock feed, while the rest is discarded.
But a group of local researchers has recently discovered evidence that special properties in rice bran could be beneficial in preventing obesity.They released the results early this month.The researchers conducted a test in which a control group of mice was fed high-fat foods, while an experimental group was fed high-fat foods and given an injection of rice bran extract.After six weeks, the mice in the control group gained 44 percent more weight, but the group that was given the rice bran injections showed a significant difference in weight gain of only 33 percent.( , Korean)
"The mice given the rice bran extract injections gained significantly less weight and there was a reduction in the amount of fat in the liver cells."The difference was also noticeable in the size of fatty tissues and cells. The mice in the high-fat control group had enlarged cells, but the mice in the rice bran group saw no change in their fatty tissues.The researchers discovered that certain bioactive components in rice bran helped decrease the proportion of fat in the body.( , Korean)
"Through animal testing, we've proven that rice bran is effective in fighting obesity. It could be used to make health-functional food or medicine."After confirming the effectiveness and safety of rice bran in humans, the researchers anticipate the results will transform the unused raw material into a high-value product while tackling the oversupply of rice in the country.
Sohn Jung-in, Arirang News.
Rice is not
bad after all, says study
Eating rice may do more good and
less harm if you watch your portions, suggests a new campaign that aims to
promote guilt-free rice consumption. Best Foods Limited, which owns the label
‘Best Rice’, seeks to reinstate rice as staple diet as part of its ‘I Love
Rice’ campaign. The company engaged market research firm TNS India to discern
new-age myths surrounding rice consumption. The findings showed thatHyderabadi s love rice dishes, but a majority (73
per cent respondents), fear the cereal is fattening.
City-based nutritionist B.
Janaki, who sought to bust myths on Friday, said rice’s high glycemic index,
which has earned it the reputation of being a fattening food, is actually
lowered by its combination with other components of an Indian meal. Glycemic index
is the effect of a food on blood glucose level.“Rice is seldom taken by itself.
Though it has a high index, when mixed with dal, vegetable or meat, it does not
dramatically influence blood glucose levels. Most importantly, unlike wheat,
rice does not contain any gluten. So it does not cause stomach bloating. If
consumed in moderate quantities as required by the body, it becomes the main
source of nutrients,” Dr. Janaki said.
Myths
Other myths that discourage
people from eating rice, the research revealed, included rice having low-fibre
content and being bad for diabetics.Dr. Janaki said eating brown rice and less
polished rice could make available higher fibre content and also stressed that
diabetics could consume rice if they adhere to regular eating hours and
restricted portions.The research found that people from the city regularly
cooked an average of 12 rice dishes, higher than other metros where the
research was conducted.Best Foods CEO Ayushman Gupta said rice was the only
food that could change form easily even after cooking.The respondents were
married women aged 25 to 45, and hailed from higher income families. Two
hundred and fifteen of them were from Hyderabad.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/rice-is-not-bad-after-all-says-study/article6992702.ece
Red
Yeast Rice as Alternative to Diabetes-Causing Statins?
Mar
13, 2015
A new
study by researchers in Finland shows
that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may significantly increase a person’s
risk of developing type 2 diabetes – in fact, it may increase a person’s risk
by as much as 50%!
What’s a person to do when faced
with a choice between high cholesterol or increased risk of type 2 diabetes?
Rice to the rescue once
again! Red yeast rice has been a controversial product – especially
in the West. In fact, Switzerland
doesn’t even allow its sale in the country. However, it’s popularly used
in Asia for a variety of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and
improving blood circulation.On the back of a study showing that statins, which
millions of people around the world (and especially in the West) take daily,
can increase the risk of another chronic disease, perhaps scientists should consider
investing research into red yeast rice so that we can finally reach a
conclusion about its efficacy in treating cholesterol. If it is found to
be scientifically effective, it could prevent millions of people from
developing type 2 diabetes every year.
ORYZA Rice.com
Int’l Centre for Chemical
& Biological Sciences, China institute sign MoU on rice research
KARACHI:
An MoU on rice research was signed between International Center for Chemical
and Biological Sciences and China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) of
Hangzhou, China.
The objective of the agreement is to conduct research for developing new high yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and such other areas as the two parties may agree upon.
The objective of the agreement is to conduct research for developing new high yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and such other areas as the two parties may agree upon.
The MoU
was signed in an official ceremony held at Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular
Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi.Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal
Choudhary, on behalf of ICCBS and Deputy Director General CNRRI Dr Peisong Hu
on behalf of his institute signed the agreement.Speaking on the occasion, Prof
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said that this was the positive sign that Pakistani and
Chinese scientists were jointly carrying out research on rice.
Dr Iqbal
Choudhary informed that the Chinese institution will train the scholars from
ICCBS in the field of rice breeding and production of high quality hybrid rice
seed.As per the agreement, both the institutions have agreed to enhance
relations between the two institutions and to develop academic exchange in the
area of research,” he said.Dr Peisong Hu said that CNRRI focused on basic and
applied researches with priority on solving significant scientific and
technical problems in rice production.
ICCBS, Chinese institute to work on rice
research
our correspondent
Saturday, March 14, 2015
From Print Edition
Saturday, March 14, 2015
From Print Edition
Karachi
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for rice research
was signed between the KU’s) of Hangzhou on Thursday.The objective of the
agreement is to conduct research for developing new high-yielding and disease
resistant varieties of rice and any such other areas the two parties may agree
upon.
The
MoU was signed at a ceremony held at Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine
and Drug Research (PCMD), said a spokesperson of the ICCBS.Chinese officials,
including CNRRI Deputy Director General Dr Peisong Hu, Dr Liyong Cao, Dr Xinhua
Wei, Aijuan Ge, ICCBS Patron-in-Chief Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, ICCBS Director
Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary and other faculty members attended the
ceremony.Prof Dr Rahman said the agreement would further promote collaborative
research between the two countries and termed the MoU a positive sign for
research on rice.Dr Choudhary said the centre was engaged in research and
development of various fields of chemical, biological, biomedical and genomic
research.
“The Chinese institution will train scientists from
ICCBS in the field of rice breeding and production of high quality hybrid rice
seed,” he added.As per the MoU, both institutions will work together in the
field of agricultural biotechnology and both have agreed to enhance relations
and develop academic exchange in the area of research.Dr Hu said the CNRRI
focused on basic and applied researches with priority on solving significant
scientific and technical problems in rice production.http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-306708-ICCBS,-Chinese-institute-to-work-on-rice-researchHome / Science & Technology / Science / Int’l Centre for Chemical & Biological Sciences, China
institute sign MoU on rice research
Dr Swaminathan wants special package for
state
MS Swaminathan in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: S Chandan
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 13
Former Director-General of
International Rice Research Institute and one of the pioneers of the Green
Revolution, Dr MS Swaminathan today said that Punjab should be declared a
special agriculture zone and should be given a special package to maintain food
security.Regarding amendments in the Land Acquisition Act, he said without
specifying the objective, agriculture land should not be acquired by the
government. “A sizeable chunk of land was acquired for special economic zones,
many of which failed to take off and have now become real estate sites,” he
said.
No land should be acquired without
consulting farmers and without declaring the need for acquiring the land, he
said. “While acquiring land, three factors—food security, security of farmers
and purpose for which land is to be acquired—should be kept in mind. Preserving
land is a must as 90 per cent of food for humanity comes from the soil and only
10 per cent comes from other resources such as the ocean,” he said.
Cropping pattern
On the crisis in the farm sector, he
said Punjab farmers should adopt a three-year cropping pattern. In the first
two years, they should grow wheat and in the third, leguminous crops or green
fodder to invigorate the soil.
Likewise, farmers should grow paddy
(rice), especially basmati, for two years and shift to pulses the third year,
he said. Dr Swaminathan said that it would be in the national interest if
farmers in Punjab continued to grow paddy and wheat. He said there was a need
to move to “evergreen revolution” which meant making farming viable for small
and marginal farmers, ecological sustainability and maintaining soil health.
Likewise, farmers should grow paddy
(rice), especially basmati, for two years and shift to pulses the third year,
he said. Dr Swaminathan said that it would be in the national interest if
farmers in Punjab continued to grow paddy and wheat. He said there was a need
to move to “evergreen revolution” which meant making farming viable for small
and marginal farmers, ecological sustainability and maintaining soil health.
On the Shanta Kumar committee report
regarding FCI restructuring, he said before taking a decision, there should be
an informed debate on the issue among all stakeholders. He said the policy of
MSP and grain procurement could not be abandoned. “Implementing the report
without a debate could pose a threat to the country’s food security,” he
claimed.“ I have only recommended a 50 per cent margin for the farmers whereas
some pharmaceutical companies earn profit up to 500 per cent,” he said.
On need for MSP
There has been a hue and cry across
the country over the non-implementation of Dr Swaminathan’s recommendations
regarding the MSP. The BJP, that had promised to implement the recommendations
on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, has backed off. Dr Swaminathan suggested
that this could be done in phases — announcing a 10 per cent increase in the first
year, a 20 per cent increase the second year and ultimately a 50 per cent rise
in the third year. “Saving small and marginal farmers is a must to save the
farm sector as the survival of 60 per cent of the population depends on it,” Dr
Swaminathan said.
Value addition in the farm produce
and starting allied ventures was the need of the hour, said Dr Swaminathan. He
said he was for a single agriculture market in the country. Along with
technical upgradation of technology, there was a need to improve the labour
efficiency to ensure inclusive growth in the farm sector.
On climate change
On climate change, he said there was
a need for anticipatory research to counter the effect of climate change. More
money needed to be pumped into agriculture research for coming out with
weather-resistant varieties of wheat. With the increase in temperature (up to 2
degree Celsius) there could be a huge fall in food production in Punjab, he
warned. He said soil health cards would not serve any purpose if the panchayats
were given help in maintaining soil health. He said after ensuring food
security, there was a need to raise the nutritional value of foodgrain.
Need for insurance
There is a need to introduce
insurance for the farm sector, said Dr MS Swaminathan. This would ensure
stability in the farm sector and ensure food security. He said there was no
harm in growing genetically modified crops. He said foreign direct investment
(FDI) could prove beneficial for the farm sector. It would be a win-win
situation for farmers as well as investors, he said.
Drought
Might 'Make It Rain' for California Rice Farmers
Mar
13, 2015
Rice farmers in drought-stricken
California might finally have something to look forward to: the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California has offered up to $71 million for farmers
to ship their water to the Los Angeles area in southern California. As
much as 115,000 acre-feet of water, or more than 37 billion gallons, could be
sold.According to the Sacramento Bee, some farmers may actually make more cash from selling their
water than they would from selling their rice! Last year, when Sacramento
Valley water districts shipped their water down south they were getting $500 an
acre-foot. This year prices are around $700 an acre-foot. (An acre
foot is 326,000 gallons and will supply roughly two Southern California
households for about a year.)
So far, nine irrigation districts
have made tentative deals with the Water District to ship some of their
water.This news might decrease rice acreage in California even further; in 2014
rice acres in California decreased by 140,000 acres due to drought, and about
one-fourth of the crop didn’t get planted. Most rice farmers in the
Sacramento Valley region make around $1,000 to $1,500 an acre profit when they
plant rice. Idling an acre of rice would save about 3 acre-feet of water,
or more than $2,100 at this year’s rates. However, many growers take a
long-term approach and recognize the importance of supporting the rice industry
as a whole; most farmers will likely still grow some rice – the question is how
much?
VN plans greener rice cultivation
Viet Nam plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from rice cultivation alone by 14 per cent by 2030.
This was announced in Ha Noi on Tuesday by an official
from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at a conference.Pham
Hoang Yen, an expert involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, said in the last few years, the
country had chased the goal of a 20 per cent reduction in GHG in the overall
cultivation sector by 2020.What the country has been doing includes preparation
for National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) and other policies developing
countries adopted to control global GHG at a UNFCC conference in Bali eight
years ago.In addition, Viet Nam has also carried out a programme of Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM).In June last year, the country had 253 CDM projects and had
registered 11 programmes of activities.
This move earned it 10.7 million certified emission
reduction (CEF) credits granted by CDM Executive Board through CDM activities,
Yen said.The total GHG emissions reduction from the 253 CDM projects was 137
million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.Viet Nam ranks fourth in the world
in term of the number of CDM projects and ninth in terms of granted CEF
certificates.In the near future, many projects would be started to lower
methane emissions in rice cultivation in a number of localities, Yen said.The
agricultural sector also applied Good Agricultural Practices and cultivation
methods that economise the use of fertiliser, pesticide and water in order to
limit methane emission on rice fields, she said.According to the 2010 National
Greenhouse gas inventory, there will be an increase in emissions on both
livestock and farm land.
In livestock breeding sector, GHG emissions are expected
to grow from 18.03 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2010 to 24.95 million
tonnes in 2020 and 29.32 tonnes in 2030.In agriculture, GHG emissions are
expected to increase from 23.81 million tones of carbon dioxide in 2010 to
33.94 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020 and 37.4 tonnes in 2030.The
industrial process had an GHG emission growth, but it was still small compared
with the total of emissions, Yen said.It is predicted that Land use, Land use
Change and Forestry activities in Viet Nam will absorb 42.5 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020, and 45.3 million tonnes in 2030. The main
source of emissions and absorption will be forest and cultivated land.The
workshop was organised by the Research Programme on Climate change, Agriculture
and Food Security and its partners.http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/125513/vn-plans-greener-rice-cultivation.html
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