Japanese Company Creates Onion That Doesn’t Make You Cry

Hiya! How're you doing? Thanks for clicking by! Always a treat to see you. Pull yourself a mug of coffee and munch on a virtual muffin while I bring you news of the latest in onion technology!

Thanks to Japanese company House Foods Group, tear-inducing onions could be a thing of the past! The company claims to have produced the world’s first ‘tear-free’ onion, by disabling the compounds that the popular vegetable releases when chopped.

According to a House Foods Group press release, their researchers have spent over a decade studying the chemistry of onions. In 2002 they published a study describing the biomechanical process of how chopping onions makes you cry, which won them them an Ig Nobel Prize – an award handed out to honor achievements organizers consider unintentionally funny.  In their paper, the scientists hypothesized that it would be possible to weaken the tear-inducing enzymes while maintaining the onion’s flavor and nutritional value.

And, in their recent announcement, House Foods Group claims to have turned the theory into a reality, by bombarding onion bulbs with irradiating ions which causes them to produce low amounts of enzymes. Apart from facilitating a completely tear-free chopping experience, the technique also makes the onion less pungent.

All 20 employees of House Foods have apparently tested the altered onions themselves and confirmed the complete absence of pungency. That means no more bad breath and smelly hands. According to the Japanese company, this is sure to put more smiles on the faces of whoever works in a kitchen.

However, not everyone agrees removing the tear-causing enzymes is a good idea. “They are often compounds that will repel insects or animals that try to bite into it. So everything is, I believe, very Darwinian from the standpoint of the chemistry of plants, a very large number of compounds that we view as either being pleasant smelling or unpleasant smelling,” said chemist Eric Block.

“They’re not there for our pleasure. They’re there to allow the plant to survive in a very hardscrabble world, a world where there are lots of worms in the ground and animals that would devour something that exists as a bulb and has to survive in the ground.”

These irradiated onions may not make you cry, but the announcement that House Foods Group has no plans to produce them commercially anytime soon, is sure to bring tears to the eyes of chefs and housewives around the world.

While we're waiting until these no-cry onions are available at the local supermarket, there are all kinds of tricks people use to avoid tears while slicing and dicing onions. Check out YouTube!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Drink Milk for Brain Health

Hi there! Glad you could make it today. How’s it going? Keeping the ol’ brain active, are you? Soon as you fill your coffee mug and wolf down a virtual treat or two, I’ll tell you about a new study on brain food. 

Although it’s in almost every fridge, few adults have enough of this healthy brain food.

Milk consumption has been linked to higher levels of naturally-occurring antioxidants in the brain, a new study finds.

Despite this, few adults reach the recommended daily intake for this healthy brain food.

Professor Debra Sullivan, chair of dietetics at University of Kansas Medical Center and one of the study’s authors, said:

“We have long thought of milk as being very important for your bones and very important for your muscles.

This study suggests that it could be important for your brain as well.”

The study of healthy older adults found that glutathione levels were higher in those drinking more milk.

Glutathione may help to stave off the effects of oxidative stress on the brain.

Professor Sullivan explained the importance of oxidative stress:
“You can basically think of this damage like the build-up of rust on your car.

If left alone for a long time, the build-up increases and it can cause damaging effects.”

Oxidative stress is thought to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease along with many other conditions.

Well now, one point for me. Though I take my coffee black, I do generally start the day with a bowl of either bran flakes or oatmeal (made with milk instead of water). So how about you? Gotta keep feedin’ your bones, muscles and the ol’ brain, y'know!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2015/03/the-healthy-brain-food-in-every-fridge-that-gets-overlooked.php

Beef perfume from Burger King Japan

Hey there! Great to see you this Good Friday...two days after April Fool's Day. And you survived again, which is good of course. Fill your coffee mug and slide a virtual Hot Cross Bun or other treat onto your plate while I fill your ears with a new scent of something you may want to dab behind those ears...

April Fools’ Day had a new twist this year with the introduction of a new perfume by...wait for it...Burger King!  The “flame-grilled” scent is a special one-day only affair. It’s an April Fools’ gag made real. Uh-huh. I kid you not my friend.

A few weeks ago, Burger King’s local arm announced that it would produce a limited-edition meat perfume called “Flame-Grilled Fragrance” and sell it on April 1st. “Burger King customers can wear the much-loved, flame-grilled patty scent on their bodies, letting them feel like they’re in a restaurant any time,” read an excited press release. But the date, along with the fact that Burger King’s most famous sandwich is named after a synonym for “lie,” led many to believe that it was an early April Fools’ joke...as in he told a Whopper!

If any country in the world would sell an obviously ridiculous product for one day only, it’d have to be Japan: geographically small, ultra-efficient local manufacturing, and a significant number of people willing to line up for almost anything. 

Burger King’s Shibuya outlet is a minute’s walk down the busiest pedestrian street off the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, so there was bound to be some turnout. Sure enough, by 10AM, there were a few people waiting inside for the fragrance, and by the time it went on sale half an hour later there was a line snaking up the staircase.

Flame-Grilled Fragrance costs ¥5,000, which is about $42 US. You do get a Whopper with it, but no fries or drink are included. You would think for the price, they could at least include a full ‘set’, eh! 

Only in Japan, you say? That's what you get from drinking so much green tea!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Another New Sport...Teapot Racing!

I thought that was you steaming your way through cyberspace in preparation for your spiral descent. Glad you made it safely once again. Coffee's freshly brewed and you should try a New Zealand favourite treat...chocolate fish (chocolate-coated marshmallow fish) or some Kiwi Pavlova. As you may have surmised, our topic today comes from NZ...

Last weekend, New Zealand’s capital hosted its first ever teapot racing event at CubaDupa – Wellington’s vibrant new street festival modeled on the lines of Cuba Street. The sport, a new favourite among Steampunk enthusiasts, involves navigating radio-controlled teapots through an obstacle course with tunnels, ramps and jumps.

Organized by Capital! Steampunk, a Steampunk events community in New Zealand, Splendid Teapot Racing saw radio-controlled cars carry teapots through the indoor obstacle course in under two minutes. 

Steampunk enthusiasts interested in participating had to register in advance, and according to festival co-ordinator Helen Jansen, the level of interest and curiosity in the race was quite high. 

“This event has pre-sold more tickets than any other so far,” she said. “This is a first in the steampunk world and a great addition to the Southern hemisphere’s premier steampunk event.”

There you go! Something new for you to try out. Why not build your own teapot racer and start a club in your community? Think of the fun you could have...and with a bit of luck, you could have a league set up by next winter. Why it could even replace curling (hopefully)! Next the Olympics!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Herb May Help Restless Leg Syndrome

Hiya! How the heck are you? Bumper to bumper in cyberspace? Yeah, I thought so. Time to take a break; fill your coffee mug and latch on to a virtual doughnut, muffin or pastry, don’t’cha think? Go for it! Say...do you have Restless Leg Syndrome? I do. My legs can drive me crazy at night! This may help...

When you think of the herb St. John’s Wort you probably think of depression. But new research published in the medical journal Clinics found that you might also want to consider this herb to help with restless leg syndrome.

Officially known as Willis Ekbom’s disease, restless leg syndrome is a common condition affecting the nervous system and characterized by jumpy legs that can’t remain still at night. It’s not a dangerous condition but it can be uncomfortable for sufferers and can interfere with quality of sleep and life.

The study found that St. John’s Wort effectively boosted certain liver enzymes that tend to drop to low levels in individuals suffering from restless legs. Researchers believe that the herb’s effectiveness in the pilot study may be attributed to the significant enzyme boost, resulting in a calming effect on restless legs.

That is potentially good news for sufferers of the condition who are often placed on a drug known as pramipexole, which has many side-effects, including: fainting, dizziness, suddenly falling asleep, unexpected gambling or sexual urges, tiredness, abnormal dreams, muscle pain, difficulty walking, skin growths, weight gain, difficulty breathing or swallowing, and an increased risk of the skin cancer melanoma. Ironically, the drug can also cause unusual twitching or muscle movements, which are what sufferers of restless leg syndrome are trying to alleviate when they seek medical intervention.

While the study was a small pilot study, the herb showed impressive results, improving the symptoms of 17 of the 21 participants. The study results are also invaluable considering the superior safety record of St. John’s Wort in comparison to pramipexole. Some of the potential side-effects of St. John’s Wort include: photosensitivity when taken within a few hours of direct sunlight exposure, anxiety, headaches, muscle cramps, sweating, weakness, dry mouth, or skin irritation; however, many of these symptoms tend to be infrequent.

Conversely, St. John’s Wort is commonly recommended as a treatment for: anxiety, mild to moderate depression, cancer, nerve pain, and obsessive compulsive disorder. The dosage used in the study to treat restless legs syndrome was 300 mg daily of St. John’s Wort extract for three months. For other health conditions, dosages vary greatly. For more information about dosages for other health conditions, consult my article “St. John’s Wort is for Much More than Depression.”

Because many drugs can interact with this herb it is important to check with your doctor, pharmacist, or natural health provider before taking.  Avoid taking if pregnant or nursing.

Hey, no chance of the last one happening, right! I did read somewhere that breastfeeding does help to reduce the pressure while flying but so far I haven’t had much luck when mentioning it to good-looking lady passengers seated next to me...not that I do much flying these days either!

Come to think of it, I have to visit my local pharmacy today. Maybe I should pick up some St John's Wort. Trouble is, I take so many dang pills now, I don't really want to add any more...know what I mean?

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/surprising-herb-may-help-restless-leg-syndrome.html#ixzz3SwZUcwet