Interesting (Nutrition) Tid-bits.

After some Nutrition studying last night, I rounded-up the following tid-bits:

- Cranberry juice is effective at clearing and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The bacteria that cause UTIs bind to D-mannose, a sugar present in cranberries, and thus no longer bind to the wall of the urinary tract (where they cause infection). You can literally flush the bacteria out during a UTI with cranberry juice as the bacteria leave the body when the juice leaves the body during urination.
- The fats we eat determine the inflammation in the body. This is why it is important to eat a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids as they are anti-inflammatory fats.
- Vitamin E and rosemary are often added to oils that go rancid easily (e.g. flax oil, fish oil) as they are antioxidants and lessen the amount of harmful free-radicals that develop in the oils overtime.
- It is important to brush your teeth multiple times a day because mutants of the mouth-residing bacteria Streptococcus produce acids from any lingering food sugars. If left on the tooth for too long, these acids can demineralize tooth enamel, cause tooth decay, and can contribute to cavity formation. Also, sucrose (a type of sugar) can also be converted into polysaccharides called dextrans which stick to the tooth and form plaques.
- Pectin is a gel-like substance found in a variety of foods (e.g. apples, strawberries, citrus fruits, carob). Pectin is a prebiotic (i.e. food for probiotics). Pectin is only digested through microbial action, meaning only the probiotics of the gut can digest it.
- Buteric acid is a component of the fat in butter. It is what gives butter its name