While bioactive nutrients—like those found in fruits, veggies, tea, and cocoa—have been praised as a source of good health, professionals are calling for safe level guidelines to regulate them.

A team of researchers at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) want public health officials to recommend maximum intake levels for bioactives. This, they say, will help to educate people about what they are consuming.

John Erdman, a professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois and leader of the study, reports that the key to establishing appropriate levels is assessing bioactives’ safety and potential toxicity.

“There’s been a huge amount of interest in bioactives in foods, not only in the College of ACES at Illinois, but around the world, as they relate to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and longevity,” he says. “Often times we’ll use an animal model or cell culture model to test a bioactive to see if it has efficacy. I don’t think very many people think about the safety side, though.”

Today, bioactive use is not currently regulated. Because of this, Erdman and his team want to see Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and/or Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) set for these nutrients. This, says Erdman, will determine efficacy, as well as safety.

“If we’re going to make recommendations for something like resveratrol, a compound in red wine, as an example, or lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, we should have an idea about how much is really needed for efficacy,” he explains. “How often do you need to consume it? And are supplements of resveratrol or lycopene absorbed by humans and stable in the bottles? If you just go to a health foods store for supplements, you don’t really know what you’re getting.”

Erdman adds, “You don’t want people thinking they are improving their health by consuming large amounts of the material and are actually causing harm. In order to make recommendations you have to know what the upper safe limit of the material is. In many cases that’s not known very well. There has been much less work done with bioactives.”

According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, several natural compounds in food could thwart the growth of prostate cancer. These include apple peels, turmeric, and red grapes.

Researchers used a new analytical approach to screen several plant-based chemicals, rather than testing a single agent. They found that together, a variety of these substances can shrink prostate tumours.

“After screening a natural compound library, we developed an unbiased look at combinations of nutrients that have a better effect on prostate cancer than existing drugs,” says corresponding author Stefano Tiziani, assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dell Pediatric Research Institute at UT Austin. “The beauty of this study is that we were able to inhibit tumor growth in mice without toxicity.”

The researchers tested 142 natural compounds on mouse and human cell lines to see which were able to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. The most promising ones included ursolic acid, found in apple peels and rosemary; curcumin, found in turmeric; and resveratrol, found in red grapes and berries.

“These nutrients have potential anti-cancer properties and are readily available,” says Tiziani. “We only need to increase concentration beyond levels found in a healthy diet for an effect on prostate cancer cells.”

The study also discussed demonstrates how the plant-based chemicals work together. When ursolic acid was combined with either curcumin or resveratrol, it blocked cancer cells from absorbing glutamine, which they need to grow.

While nutrition is one of the core foundations of cardiovascular health and its risk reduction guidelines, little is known about whether professionals in this field have a firm grasp of it. A recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine determined that they do not.

Researchers looked at the educational experiences, attitudes, and practices relating to nutrition among cardiovascular professionals. Through surveys completed by cardiologists, fellows-in-training, and cardiovascular team members, scientists hoped to better understand their real knowledge of nutrition. Nine hundred and thirty subjects were asked questions about their personal dietary habits, history of nutrition education, and attitudes regarding nutrition interventions.

The results showed that among cardiologists, 90 per cent reported receiving no or minimal nutrition education during fellowship training, 59 per cent reported no nutrition education during internal medicine training, and 31 per cent reported receiving no nutrition education in medical school. On the other hand, 8 per cent described themselves as having “expert” nutrition knowledge. Despite this, fully 95 per cent of cardiologists believe that their role includes personally providing patients with at least basic nutrition information. Addditionally, only 20 per cent of cardiologists ate more than 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day.

Because of this, all medical professionals—especially those dealing with heart health—need to ensure that they understand and appreciate the vital role nutrition plays in wellness. Ensure that you, your colleagues, and your staff are able to properly explain nutrition to your patients—and, just maybe, practice what you preach.

The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is welcoming on David Clark as its new vice-president. In this role, Clark will manage key business files, including finance and membership.

Previously, Clark worked with GS1 Canada, the Canadian sector of world’s leading supply chain standards organization. There, he worked as senior director of industry relations, partnering with the grocery community on a variety of different initiatives.

David is a key leadership team member, and is responsible for managing key business files including finance and membership,” says the CHFA website. “He works closely with president Helen Long and the Board of Directors in determining strategic direction and supporting the Board’s objectives. He brings his experience and entrepreneurial spirit to CHFA as we continue to support our members and promote the growth of the industry.”

At its annual shareholders meeting, Walmart announced that it has begun to reinvent the future of shopping. Now, the company plans to leverage technology to empower its associates and improve its customer experience.

“[Technology will] make shopping with us faster, easier and more enjoyable. We’ll do more than just save customers money and you, our associates, will make the difference,” Doug McMillion, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., told the meeting’s 14,000 attendees. “Looking ahead, we will compete with technology, but win with people. We will be people-led and tech-empowered.”

He also highlighted a variety of new company initiatives, including:

• An automated pick-up tower for online non-grocery orders
• A 20-by-80-foot refrigerated self-serve kiosk for grocery orders
• Pick-up stations in parking lots
• A discount for in-store pick-ups of online items
• A delivery service for suburban and rural communities
• Robotics and image analytics for item availability
• Digital endless-aisle shopping
• Advanced pricing algorithms
• Free two-day shipping

It was also revealed that the company is creating jobs in new areas, including data scientists, machine-learning engineers, and mobile app developers.

Organic Garage is pleased to announce the opening of its third store location on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 in Toronto’s west-end Junction neighbourhood. The new 15,000 square foot store is located at 43 Junction Road (Keele and Dundas area). This will be Organic Garage’s largest location and the first in a multi-store expansion into the Toronto market.

The flagship store will open at 9 a.m. and the first 100 people to shop at the new location on opening day will receive a free tote bag, among other goodies. At 8:45 a.m., the store will hold its grand opening ribbon cutting event with many special guests including MP’s and brand ambassadors in attendance. Attendees are invited to spend time afterwards exploring the store.

“The upcoming opening of our new flagship store in Toronto showcases the evolution of the Organic Garage brand,” commented Matt Lurie, “and represents a significant milestone in our GTA growth strategy.”

Some of the features for this newest Organic Garage location include:

• A 100 per cent Certified Organic produce department; one of the largest selections available in Toronto.
• A bulk section with over 100 options boasting over 80 per cent Certified Organic items and 3 fresh nut butter mills.
• The launch of its private label program under the banner Kitchen Originals.
• A fresh salad bar with unique and seasonal items.
• State of the art, environmentally friendly refrigeration and HVAC technologies.
• 300+ car parking and patio seating.

“Our stores are different”, explains Matt Lurie, “you really have to come in and experience it yourself.”

On Saturday, July 8 and Sunday, July 9, in celebration of opening in the Junction neighbourhood, along with lots of in-store specials and bi-weekly flyer deals, Organic Garage will be putting on a Grand Opening Weekend Event with indoor and outdoor product demos and prizes to be won.

Square One has announced that it has achieved $1 billion in annual retail sales, the shopping centre’s most productive year over year performance to date. From May 2016 to May 2017 sales have resulted in $1 billion, making the foremost fashion, lifestyle and entertainment destination the second shopping centre in Canada to achieve this milestone.

Owned by Oxford Properties Group and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), Square One’s success can be attributed to a number of factors including the opening of the new 130,000 square foot Holt Renfrew, and a number of luxury and aspirational retailers such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Rolex at Raffi Jewellers and Ontario’s first Simons.

“This incredible sales milestone echoes our mission to create a connected and thriving city centre that inspires our community, maximizes the infinite opportunities of our city and resonates beyond our boundaries,” says Greg Taylor, Director and General Manager, Square One. “With unprecedented redevelopment, along with the arrival of highly coveted brands to Square One, we will continue to be a passionate and genuine partner in creating and driving positive growth and development in Mississauga’s downtown core. This milestone heralds a new era for Square One as a world-class destination for fashion, lifestyle and entertainment.”

Over the past year, Square One introduced over 30 new retailers, including German premium fashion brand Marc Cain, the first freestanding Urban Decay store in Canada, Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI, Fascination Porsche popup, high-end shoe retailer Stuart Weitzman, and many more.

About Square One Shopping Centre

Proudly managed by Oxford Properties, Square One is distinctively positioned as Ontario’s largest and foremost fashion, lifestyle and entertainment destination with over 340 merchants including Holt Renfrew, Salvatore Ferragamo, Simons, Apple, Stuart Weitzman, Crate and Barrel, Zara and Whole Foods Market. Square One is owned by Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) on behalf of its clients and Oxford Properties Group. Dedicated to sustainability, Square One’s 2.2 million square feet has been recognized and awarded by the City of Mississauga for creating a balance between sustainable environmental programs and an exceptional shopping experience. Square One continues its rapid growth, and is one of Canada’s Top Ten most productive shopping centres with a current sales productivity of $1,056 per square foot. Square One is a designated tourist destination and is open on statutory holidays. For details visit www.shopSQUAREONE.com. Follow us on Twitter/Instagram @shopSQUAREONE and at Facebook.com/SquareOne.

Probiotics could be the answer to depression, says research from McMaster University.

The study, published in the medical journal Gastroenterology, found that twice as many adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) found that their co-existing depression improved when they took a specific probiotic. This provides further evidence for the link between the brain and the gut.

“This study shows that consumption of a specific probiotic can improve both gut symptoms and psychological issues in IBS,” says Dr. Premysl Bercik, an associate professor of medicine at McMaster and a gastroenterologist for Hamilton Health Sciences. “This opens new avenues not only for the treatment of patients with functional bowel disorders but also for patients with primary psychiatric diseases.”

The study looked at 44 adults both with IBS and mild to moderate anxiety or depression. They were followed for 10 weeks, as half took a daily dose of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001, while the rest were administered a placebo.

At six weeks 64 per cent of the patients taking the probiotic had decreased depression scores. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) showed that the improvement in depression scores was associated with changes in multiple brain areas involved in mood control.

iLevel Management Inc. has announced that Jeanette Sousa is joining its team as a marketing assistant.

Jeanette draws from her broad experience in holistic nutrition and working in marketing health and wellness products for over 10 years. She has worked in both marketing business to business, as well as online direct to consumer. She has an extensive skillset that will allow iLevel’s brands to develop and execute integrated marketing strategies and campaigns.

Jeanette can be contacted at:

jsousa@ilevelmanagement.ca

1 (416) 342-0213