COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University has a long history of cultivating international relationships.
Now the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is expanding that role through the Office of International Programs in Agriculture by forming a three-way partnership designed to bring together university expertise at Ohio State, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in India and Egerton University in Kenya.
The U.S./India/Africa Tri-lateral University Partnership Program for Food Security will combine the strengths of PAU with Ohio State's expertise in agricultural capacity-building to address poverty and hunger issues in Kenya and throughout Africa.
The program is a joint effort of the U.S. government and the government of...
In a recent column, you said oils that are high in saturated fat aren’t heart-healthy. But I’ve read about the benefits of tropical oils, especially coconut oil. What’s up?
The standard guidance to limit intake of saturated fats, including those from tropical oils, to 10 percent of total calories hasn’t changed. That message is nearly universally recognized as sound advice.
But research on diet and health is ongoing. What you’re witnessing is the scientific method in action. That is, scientists conduct studies and publish data and analyses; other scientists review those findings and either build on them or dispute them.
Eventually, consensus builds and standard guidance develops -- which is then questioned, tested, adapted, supported or refuted, and...
Our son is 9 months old. Recently we’ve become uncomfortable with some viewpoints expressed by his caregiver. It’s nothing major, and we don’t want to ruin what has been a good thing, but I think we need to find a way to bring up our concerns. Is there a good way to handle this?
This type of conflict is not uncommon, and it actually goes both ways: Sometimes, providers have a problem with parents and aren’t sure how best to approach the issue.
Family relations specialists with Cooperative Extension Services in several states across the country offer guidance, including:
Think about how serious the issue is. Are you concerned about what might happen if it doesn’t get resolved? Is it something that will affect your child’s development negatively?...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tanzania, a country of 42 million nestled on the east coast of Africa, is undergoing a sea change demographically.
Currently, about one-third of Tanzanians live below the poverty line, and more than 4 of 10 Tanzanian children suffer from stunting due to malnutrition. By 2050, Tanzania's population is anticipated to double, and its urban population will exceed its rural population.
To keep pace with these demographic changes and to reduce high rates of malnutrition, agricultural productivity will need to increase.
That's one reason why Tanzania is a focus country of Feed the Future, the Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative of the U.S. government.
And it's why eight Tanzanians are currently enrolled in advanced degree programs in Ohio...
I have a sweet tooth. I’ve been cutting back on sugar lately, but I’m worried about the holidays and all the extra sweets. Do you have any guidance?
It’s a good idea to eat less sugar -- added sugar, that is. It’s estimated that Americans consume 16 percent of total calories from added sugar -- the kind of sugar that’s added to foods during processing or preparation, as opposed to the type naturally found in fruit and other whole foods.
That 16 percent is equal to 320 calories a day on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet -- far more than recommended. The American Heart Association suggests that women consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugars, and men no more than 150 calories a day.
The nutrition community agrees that cutting back on sugar...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If doomsday -- or, alternatively, winter -- is approaching, you'd better be prepared.
Whether you believe Dec. 21, 2012, marks the end of the world as predicted by the expiration of an ancient Mayan calendar or merely designates the 2012 winter solstice, it's not a bad idea to have a disaster kit ready, said Kent McGuire, health and safety coordinator for Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and Ohio State University Extension.
"A wide variety of winter weather conditions can easily create an emergency situation,” McGuire said. “Conditions such as extreme cold temperatures, above-normal snowfall, ice storms, or blizzard conditions caused by wind can significantly reduce your ability to function...
Last year we received a gift in the mail and didn’t open it until Christmas Eve. The box contained cheese spreads that said “Keep refrigerated” on the label. They had been at room temperature for more than a week, so we threw them out. But since then, I’ve seen some types of cheese spreads sold at the grocery store on the shelf. Were we being overly cautious?
If the label said “Keep refrigerated,” you absolutely did the right thing. But it’s no wonder you’re confused. There are many different types of cheese and processed cheese products, and some don’t need to be refrigerated until they’re opened. It depends on several factors, including the product’s moisture content, its level of acidity, its packaging, and how it was...
What kind of oil is the best to use for heart health? I tend to use olive oil all the time, but I’ve been looking for alternatives.
Many consumers wonder about olive oil these days, ever since a 2007 article in The New Yorker revealed that much olive oil sold worldwide as “extra virgin” doesn’t meet that designation’s premium-grade standard, having been mixed with other types of oil. The report was corroborated in 2010 when the University of California-Davis reported that 69 percent of imported olive oil it tested didn’t meet the standard.
Although questions about quality and truth-in-labeling remain (for details, see http://www.truthinoliveoil.com/), olive oil remains a heart-healthy option. Most types of oil normally used for cooking are high in...
I need some inspiration to help keep me from gaining weight during the holidays. Any ideas?
The temptations of the season often come not with glitter and sparkle, but with sugar, fat and calories.
Fortunately, weight gain isn’t inevitable. In fact, most studies suggest an average weight gain over the holidays of about 1 pound. This is good news, because most people assume it is five or 10 times that number.
Still, researchers warn that people tend to keep that extra pound instead of shedding it after the season is over. Those pounds can pile up over time, leading to significant weight gain.
Studies also indicate that people who are already overweight are more likely to gain five pounds or more during the holidays.
Perhaps the first thing to acknowledge is that this won’t...
HARRISON, Ohio -- A southwestern Ohio turkey processing plant has much to be thankful for this season.
Whitewater Processing Co. slaughters and processes 6,000 to 8,000 turkeys on a normal day, producing about 2.5 to 3 million pounds of turkey in an average month. The Kopp family has run the business since the 1930s, and with 110 employees, wanted to stay put.
But in the 1990s, environmental concerns about the 145,000 gallons of wastewater it produces each day nearly sunk the business.
Today, with a first-of-its-kind treatment system designed by an Ohio State University researcher, the rough waters have calmed.
And though the costs have been considerable -- about $1 million to build the wastewater treatment system plus an estimated $1.8 million to operate and maintain it over...
For the month of November 2012
Every year, I spend more money than I want to during the holidays. Can you suggest ways to help me not go overboard this year?
Sure. But all the tips and guidance in the world won’t help unless you make a firm commitment to yourself that this year will be different. Just as with any change to long-held habits (think “I’m going to lose weight” or “I’m going to quit smoking”), it will take energy, determination and focus. It won’t just happen simply because you want it to happen.
With that in mind, here’s some advice:
Estimate what you want to spend overall.
Then list categories of what you plan to purchase. Include everything holiday-related: gifts (how many and who you’re buying for);...
No one in my family has ever had diabetes. Does that mean I’m not at risk for developing it?
Although there is a genetic component to diabetes, it’s not 100 percent: Many people develop type 2 diabetes without having a family history of the disease. Conversely, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll develop the disease even if you have close family members who have it, though your risk is higher.
A warning: You may think no one in your family has ever had diabetes, but many cases go undiagnosed. So you may be operating under a false sense of security.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 95 percent of all diabetes cases. It’s marked by high blood glucose levels primarily caused by the body’s inability to use its insulin efficiently. In contrast, type 1...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- The increasing incidence of a difficult-to-control bacterial illness is leading researchers to suspect that contaminated foods might be contributing to the problem.
Clostridium difficile, known as "C. diff," can cause a serious infection that is responsible for 14,000 American deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's estimated there are about 500,000 U.S. cases of C. diff infection annually, and that about 3 to 5 percent of healthy adults are carriers of toxic C. diff bacteria but experience no symptoms.
Normally associated with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics during a stay in the hospital or in other healthcare settings, C. diff infection is marked by frequent, watery diarrhea; abdominal pain or tenderness;...
I have always stuffed our Thanksgiving turkey with homemade stuffing, but my daughter tells me it’s not safe. Should I stop? Would it make a difference if I used stuffing from a box?
Cooking a stuffed turkey is potentially more risky than cooking one without, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) doesn’t recommend it.
That said, if you take a few precautions, all should be fine. And whether you make your own stuffing or prepare it from a box, you need to follow the same procedures.
The FSIS offers detailed guidelines at http://bit.ly/safestuff. Among its recommendations:
If you prepare the stuffing ahead of time, store wet and dry ingredients separately; be sure to refrigerate the wet ingredients, including any...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As newly legal casinos continue to open their doors in Ohio, a new field specialist with Ohio State University Extension wants to be sure families understand the risks involved with gambling and where to turn for help if needed.
"For some people, gambling is recreational, but for others it becomes addictive and pathological," said Jim Bates, a field specialist in family wellness for OSU Extension.
Bates joined OSU Extension in September, just as the Hollywood Casino Columbus was making preparations to open in early October. Casinos in Toledo and Cleveland opened earlier this year. A fourth and final Ohio casino is scheduled to open in Cincinnati in spring 2013.
All are the result of the passing of a statewide ballot issue in November 2009 that approved the...
What has been the effect from the ban on trans fats in New York City restaurants?
Restrictions on the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils at restaurants in New York City appear to have slashed the amount of trans fat that their patrons consume.
First, some background: Both saturated fat and trans fat increase blood cholesterol levels. High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease, so health officials have long looked for ways to reduce such fats in the diet.
Trans fat has a far more negative effect than saturated fat. It’s estimated that an increase of just 2 percent of total calorie intake from trans fat -- the equivalent of 40 calories in a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, or 4.5 grams of trans fat -- increases the risk of heart disease by as much as 23 percent...
I rarely eat breakfast. Can you explain why it’s so important? I’m always looking for ways to try to lose weight, and it seems like a good idea to not eat when I’m not hungry, which is typically in the morning.
On the surface, your habits make some sense. Nutritionists regularly encourage people to become more attuned to their inner hunger and appetite signals, and not eating (or stopping eating) when your hunger is satisfied is doing just that.
But this raises the question: Why aren’t you hungry in the morning? The whole reason the meal is called “breakfast” is because by eating it, you’re breaking the fast you’ve experienced overnight. Do you typically eat a heavy dinner or have a high-calorie snack at night? Cutting back later in the...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- "Food deserts" are normally thought of as low-income, blighted urban neighborhoods with little access to fresh, reasonably priced fruits and vegetables.
But rural areas, despite their wide-open spaces and fertile farmland, can be food deserts, too.
An Ohio State University Extension community development specialist worked with two student interns to examine this seeming paradox to discover more about people who live in rural food deserts and how they access fresh produce.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rural residents who live at least 10 miles away from a grocery store live in a food desert, said Tom Blaine.
“Participants in our study lived an average of 11 miles from a grocery store," Blaine said. "Typically in more...
A group of us were watching a football game last week, and someone claimed that the tortilla chips we were eating counted as a “whole-grain” food. I find that hard to believe. Is that right?
It could be. To determine whether a food is “whole grain,” take a look at the ingredients on the food label. You’ll find that many types of tortilla chips and other corn-based snack chips list “whole-grain corn” as the primary ingredient. Whole-grain corn, like whole wheat or other whole grains, is indeed, well, a whole grain.
While this could mean the chips are a better choice than a snack made entirely of refined grains, don’t take that as permission to down a family-size package. While the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half the...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Apparently, it's hard to beat a burger made of beets.
On Oct. 1, the "UnBeetable Burger" with a soft gourmet pretzel bun won the Student Product Development Competition of AACC International, a professional association specializing in cereal grain science.
The product was created by a team of Ohio State University students in the Department of Food Science and Technology. The UnBeetable Burger also took third place earlier this year in the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association and Mars Product Development Competition.
"We wanted to create the first frozen microwavable ready-to-heat vegetarian burger with a bun," said Liz Green, a third-year undergraduate and captain of the 16-member team. "We looked at what is already on the...
My dad is approaching 70 and seems to be getting more confused and forgetful. We don’t think it’s anything serious right now, but should we be worried about dementia?
Occasional lapses of memory are nothing to worry about, whether you’re age 40 or 80. But forgetfulness does become more common as we age. It takes longer for the brain to process new information, and it’s harder to recall things we’ve known in the past.
In addition, distractions are more disruptive as we get older and can cause us to lose focus on what we’re doing.
According to the National Institute on Aging, stress, anxiety or depression can cause more problems with confusion and forgetfulness. If your father is dealing with loneliness, boredom or other emotional problems, be...
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio -- Ohio State University Extension is hosting a community education workshop on shale energy development on Nov. 10.
"Shale and You: A Workshop for Landowners and Communities" will be held at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center, 7033 Glenn Highway, Cambridge, 1-6 p.m. Registration is $10 and must be received by Monday, Nov. 5, by the Guernsey County office of OSU Extension in Old Washington, Ohio. Registration forms with the office's address and other details can be downloaded (PDF) at http://go.osu.edu/shaleandyouPDF or by going to http://shalegas.osu.edu and clicking on the "Shale and You" event under "Upcoming Extension Events."
"What we hope to do is help landowners and community leaders make the best decisions possible,"...
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, new research suggests.
In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered by 40 percent blood levels of a substance linked to hardening of the arteries.
Taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, had a similar, but not as large, effect.
The study, funded by an apple industry group, found that the apples lowered blood levels of oxidized LDL -- low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol interacts with free radicals to become oxidized, the cholesterol is more likely to promote inflammation and can cause tissue damage.
"When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins...
Update: To see a video of the Eco-Bot Challenge, click on the video link button below.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Using inch-long "Eco-Bots" made from the head of a toothbrush, a small vibrating motor and a watch battery, thousands of youths around the nation will devise ways to clean up a simulated toxic spill on Oct. 10 in the "Eco-Bot Challenge," the 2012 experiment selected for this year's National Science Experiment for 4-H National Youth Science Day.
The experiment is designed to get the engineering juices flowing among the participants, said Bob Horton, Ohio 4-H specialist who created the challenge.
"We're getting them to think like engineers," said Horton, who is a professor and 4-H Extension specialist in STEM (science, technology,...
