Enhanced Foods are good for you. They must be, because it says so on the label.
For example, currently on sale in Jakarta's supermarkets is Clearly Canadian ~ oxygen enhanced natural fruit-flavoured water beverage. Apart from natural flavour, whatever that is, and sodium benzoate (to preserve freshness), the drink now contains up to 5 times the normal concentration of Oxygen naturally found in water.I acknowledge that I am an ignoramus where science is concerned, but if what they claim is true, then the change in its chemical composition means that it is not now water. Unless Clearly Canadian is still water ~ H2O, in which case this "beverage" presumably now also contains up to 5 times the normal concentration of hydrogen ~ H1005.
Ignore the fact that the website only claims 300% oxygen enhancement in the 'plain' beverage and 200% in the natural fruit flavoured choices. Also ignore the fact that the website they give on the label ~ www.clearlyo+2.ca ~ doesn't seem to be extant.
Just consider the enhanced price and think to yourselves, happy consumers, that you are being conned!
The Guardian carries a meaty article today on so-called 'functional foods', and is as cynical about them as I am.
We fall for all the marketing partly because we are confused by all the messages about diet and partly because we all want a magic bullet. But Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition Studies at New York University, and author of Food Politics, has little time for the delusion.
"No functional foods can ever replace the full range of nutrients in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, nor can they overcome the detrimental effects of diets that are not healthful. The primary beneficiaries are most likely to be the companies that make them. The degree of benefit to the public is much less certain," she says.
Enhanced foods are never as good for you as those that nature provided, some of which can prevent later diseases.
Natural chemicals found in soya beans and vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower boost the body's ability to repair damaged DNA and may prevent cells turning cancerous, scientists said yesterday.
Studies have suggested that eating vegetables appears to provide some protection against certain cancers, but until now the reason why has been a mystery.
Researchers at Georgetown University in Washington DC believe the answer lies with two naturally occurring compounds. The first, indole-3-carbinol or I3C is abundant in vegetables including broccoli and cabbage, while the second, genistein, occurs naturally in soya beans.
Those of us living in Indonesia are lucky to have the nutritious and delicious tempeh made from fermented soya beans.
Fish or fowl?
Isn't it wonderful that there are still undiscovered species to be found in Indonesia's jungles? So far, scientists from Conservation International have identified long-beaked echidnas (eh?), primitive egg-laying mammals, golden-mantled tree kiangaroos and the world's largest rhododendren flower. Wow!
The scientists are reportedly rushing back to the Foja Mountains in Papua, before the terrain gets turned into a plantation, in order to decide what species this colourful thing is.
Congratulations to Jakartass
In the past year I have awarded a compilation of my esoteric sounds to folk who've sent me a screen capture close to a significant number of hits.
Today I can send one to myself.
Also, in his latest analysis of the State of the Blogosphere, David Sifry reports that Technorati monitors 27.2 million blogs, of which about 2.7 million bloggers update their blogs at least weekly.According to the Jakartass Technorati rating, this blog is ranked 49,331 with 149 links from 44 sites. This means that in simplistic terms, the kind I readily understand, Jakartass is in the top 2%.
Thanks to all of you for dropping by and/or reading regularly and/or linking to me. I doff my bowler to you all.
PS
Java Richo covers the story of the Indonesian government contemplating entering the 21st century regarding dual citizenship for Our Kid, and others like him.
He also reproduces an excellent cartoon which indicates that the Religious Policeman is not alone in his supposition of the Danish cartoon controversy being an Arabic plot to boost the price of oil.
