Recent Research on Folate Intake, Rice Products, Fiber Intake, and Enzyme Degradation of Gluten

Abstract

Recent research on nutrition and health is discussed, including the impact of folate intake during pregnancy on the incidence of autism, developmental delays in children, and typical child development. Recent studies are also providing insight into the health benefits of rice products, their arsenic content, and their impact on chronic diseases. Two European reports indicate higher dietary fiber intakes are associated with lower overall and specific disease mortality. The results support recommendations for high dietary fiber intake for health maintenance. Another study focused on death from ischemic heart disease (IHD), finding an association between increased dietary fiber intake and decreased risk of IHD. Recent studies also have shown that gluten and its resulting peptides can be degraded by prolyl endopeptidases. Thus, gluten-containing materials could potentially be rendered less problematic for most celiac patients through the use of these enzymes in the production of foods intended for this popula...