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December 26th, 2010
01:01 PM ET
What's inside chocolate, strawberriesStrawberries and chocolate go all too well together in fondue, cakes, and any other dessert you can imagine. Now, scientists are learning more than ever about the genetic makeup of both of these foods, and that knowledge could lead to genetically modified versions that are more nutritious and easier to grow. The journal Nature Genetics is publishing studies about the genomes of each of these foods. Each of the studies is led by a different international team of researchers, and has received a mixture of academic, U.S. government and industry funding (strawberry industry groups contributed to research on that fruit, and Hershey Corp. helped fund the cocoa study). By sequencing the strawberry genome, scientists can learn about how the fruits could be bio-engineered to be bigger, better-tasting, and more resistant to disease, said Kevin Folta, University of Florida researcher who collaborated on the study of the woodland strawberry. Folta estimates that it will be another 5 to 10 years before strawberries genetically modified for these qualities hit the market. This is the first sequencing of the wild strawberry genome, and one of the first of any important fruit, said co-author Mark Borodovsky of Georgia Institute of Technology. The grape's genome was sequenced in 2008, and the apple earlier this year. Strawberries are rich in many kinds of compounds implicated in health benefits, such as antioxidants. Antioxidants may guard your body from free radicals, atoms or groups of atoms that can damage cells. Understanding the genes underlying the synthesis of these beneficial substances may lead to the creation of strawberries that produce higher amounts of those compounds. The cocoa study, similarly, could lead to the invention of more nutritious chocolate, said Mark Guiltinan, professor of plant molecular biology at Pennsylvania State University, who collaborated with a large consortium of researchers from around the world. They found 96 genes in the flavonoid pathway; flavonoids are compounds thought to improve artery health and reduce inflammation. Special breeding could increase those flavonoids. "That would mean we’d be able to get more of these healthy, health-beneficial nutrients from chocolate with eating less chocolate; that’s probably a good thing," Guiltinan said. In fact, German researchers announced in March that eating as little as a quarter ounce of chocolate per day could lower heart attack and stroke risk. Other research has linked eating cocoa to lowering blood pressure, improving blood vessel function, lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). Guiltinan and colleagues studied Criollio cacao, a tree that the Maya domesticated about 3,000 years ago in Central America. It used in fine gourmet chocolate, and only in about 5% of commercial chocolate, because of its susceptibility to disease and low production. Chocolate made from it has more flowery, fruity notes than what's in your average candy bar, said Siela Maximova, study co-author and associate professor of horticulture at Penn State. The genome sequence for this tree could help engineer more disease-resistant cacao, which would help local farmers in developing countries, Guiltinan said. Similarly, the strawberry genome could lead to genetically modified fruits that would help strawberry farmers in the developing world, Folta said.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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yuke. Some foods are popular, I suppose, but it takes a certain twist of the tongue to stomach this combination.
always make these and everyone loves them!
I think you have to be open minded about food.. there are so many flavors that work well together that might be unexpected.. take Soy Sauce and Vinegar.. this makes such an easy and great flavor for stirfiry's.. in fact I make this one stirfry called Miso honee stirfry that uses this as a base.. I found the recipe in this hilarious, politically incorrect cookbook called.well i won't tell you the name of it cause some of you will freak out at me, but if you google "whipped and beaten culinary works" you can find it.. but seriously.. don't go unless you have a good sense of humor and don't get offended easily... seriously.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Enough with raping our foods already! They are perfectly fine the way they are. Stop screwing around with nature. We cannot improve on it and time and time again we have found that when we screw foods up , it leads to greater health problems. BAD BAD IDEA.
Mankind has been messing with nature since... Well, since we learned that we can.
Do you have a pet dog? Cat? Nothing natural there.
Every single thing you eat has been messed with, since farmers have been breeding crops and animals for centuries.
Could they make chocolate LESS healthy so we have to eat MORE of it to get the benefits? I think they are going about this all backwards.
sounds like a "Trojan horse", courtesy of Monsanto, to get people on the GMO bandwagon...don't fall for it...
I agree. This is complete BS. Stop genetically modifying our foods. Its making is sicker. Monsanto is purely evil.
Yep, that's humans for ya. God gives us these perfect little things called strawberrys and man wants *make* them better. Not content much?
Throughout history, it has been the people of this world who are not content that make all the advancements that the rest of the human race enjoys. Let's thank the inventor of the wheel, the inventor of the microwave, and the inventor of the telephone for not being content.
I guess you like your macaroni without any cheese. Since God made macaronis are so perfect.
What a dumb thing to say. You must be dumb.
Stop raping our food please. There is a REASON why OUR MILK IS BANNED IN EUROPE AND CANADA! They don't want our foods because its toxic and yet the American public is still allowed to consume it. Look it up people. Even third world countries wont accept our foods because its toxic.
Sounds good, but so far taste has been a big miss with modified produce (They actually tend to be less flavorful), so I've low expectations. On chocolate, they've got to come up with a way to keep all the good stuff in milk (and other processed) chocolate.
You mean like pus and hormones? That is what is in our milk. Watch Food Inc. You will never want to drink milk again. Oh and MOST AMERICAN ADULTS are allergic to dairy. It is not just hives and itching. Its stomach problems. Depression. Anxiety. Pain. Food Allergies are VERY VERY common in this country but go undiagnosed for a reason.
I watched it, and laughed after. I'm not so naive as to fall for propaganda.
Most people are lactose intolerant, since that's the "natural" thing. It was a mutation that caused lactase to be readily in high amounts throughout one's lifetime. Oh, I'm lactose intolerant, but I take in 2+ glasses of milk a day. That's mostly because I'm not a weeny and I've respect for nature and the human body, which is really good at adapting.
Cole, but you are falling for propaganda if you think that GM foods are healthy. Do you honestly believe that after years and years of proof that the Food Industry is corrupt and in bed with the politicians constantly lobbying for their benefits and their profits over the public's health, that they all of a sudden care about helping people to be healthier? They don't care. Please research the dangerous implications of GM foods and how they will be our downfall. It is and always has been about PROFITS FIRST. Please don't be so naive.
Where did I say GM foods are healthy?
GM foods, far as the end consumer is concerned, is pretty much the same as their non-GM counterparts, and that's science fact. But, if you want to talk about "healthy" I guess I'll bring up canola oil, which is made mostly from GM crops, but is one of the healthiest oils you can use.
What I actually said was that GM foods, so far, have been down on the flavor scale. Now, am I pro-GM food? Yes and no. I don't have an issue with a lot of GM foods. But, there are some, with the proposed salmon is on top of the list, that I am strongly against. But, I don't make up lies in order to validate my points. For example, with the salmon, I'm against it because it can't be fully controlled and can potentially devastate the natural ecosystem. In addition, salmon is something of a high-end fish and the farm raised variety is pretty yucky since it doesn't have that natural diet high in shellfish.
GMOs are LESS nutritious, and are actually dangerous (see Organic Consumers Association).
When money drives the food industry,we get such articles that glorify GMOs.
Yep. This is a horrible idea. Did you know there is no law that requires these devious food manufacturers to tell you if their product is GM or not? Unbelievable.
That's outright false.
Currently, GMO and regular (still modified, by the way) crops have the same nutritional value. That's simply because factors outside of genes (soil, water, temperature, etc.) have a lot to say. Eventually, GMO crops will be more nutritious, which is a very good thing, since they'll be used to support the food supply of areas most in need.
The apple is one of the most perfect natural foods out there. It has numerous health benefits and they are STILL finding out the amazing things the apple is good for. Why do you think they are trying to modify it to prevent it from browning? That is a BAD IDEA. CNN just recently ran an article about this. We need to KNOW when the apple has gone bad to throw it away!!! The whole point is to keep the apples on the shelf longer so they can sell more. Its a horrible idea. Anytime they change the genetic makeup of food , it is to our detriment.
Oh great, Frankenstein strawberries and chocolate. That bump at the end of my spine is looking more like a tail and that dry skin is looking more like scales. Frankenfood bites big! You never know what you'll end up with when your DNA is altered from eating this junk. Maybe we will learn to breathe underwater too.
I wouldn't mind being able to breathe underwater, personally.
So... Eating GMO is going to change your DNA?
Then, explain to me how you haven't already changed, since you've been eating DNA your entire life.
We don't need genetically modified larger strawberries. With any fruit or vegetable the younger and smaller it is the tastier it is. Our chocolate is already modified with plenty of chemicals so that there's not much chocolate in it.
Yes, I don't link Frankenberries. They are unhealthy and have no taste. They just make Big Agri rich.
The article said:
"By sequencing the strawberry genome, scientists can learn about how the fruits could be bio-engineered to be..."
Emphasis on the "could be" part. As in, they haven't done this yet. So, please tell us how you know they are unhealthy and whatnot when THEY DON'T EVEN EXIST yet.
They are not doing it for our good. You have to be a complete idiot to think they want to do this for our good. It is all about profits.
And where did I say they were doing this for our good? I said that THEY HAVEN'T DONE THIS YET. READ THE ARTICLE. An estimate time frame is 5-10 years before these products hit the market.
And, by the way, name a company that's doing anything "for our good." That company had better be making 0% profit.
This article is completely backwards. Modified foods have no taste (unless your definition of taste is refined carbs). AND are less nutritious. The problem also is that the more you eat modified/refined foods, the more your body expects and wats this empty refined carbs and fat taste common to all of them. It takes a while to get off this habit. Give organic produce for a year. Your taste will return to normal, your allergies will mostly disappear and you will wonder how you ever managed to eat non-organic food.
I'm sorry, the ADD happened a few sentences in, when I started thinking of the implications of crossing a strawberry with a cocoa plant. That would be AWESOME.
Like Tomacco, but far tastier.
Daddy, this Tomacco tastes like Grandma...
Oh, no! They'll probably make them "better" the same way they have already made tomatoes "better" over the years.
Great!!! More of what we do not need. Growth Hormones in our diet. Why not have in its natural form without any genetic manipulation? Is that so hard? US has a lot of money. Why not grow fruits and vegetables(No growth hormones, thank you) here, at home and be self sufficient to a certain extent?
This is all done on purpose. Our food industry in America is incredibly corrupt. They are in bed with the Pharmaceutical industry as well. Why is it that we are getting sicker as a nation as our medications are becoming more plentiful? There is a pill for every possible issue. NOT A COINCIDENCE. Please leave our fruits alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uh... How the heck did you make the leap from strawberries and cocoa to GH?
Unfortunately I have allergy to both ! besides even if i hadn't have allergy, these artificial strawberries and chocolates are not delicious at all!
Again, from the article:
"By sequencing the strawberry genome, scientists can learn about how the fruits could be bio-engineered to be..."
They don't exist yet. How do you know what is and what isn't?
I like frankenberries! I also like count chocula and boo berries too. Yum!
The article says that studies show quality chocolate can lower heart attack and stroke risk.
This is a great threat to the hugely powerful Drug Industry that is heavily backed by our FDA. Now that they can study down to the molecule the great benefits of our God-given fruits and vegetables, they want to corrupt our foods to bring them greater profits. More and more people are realizing this.
Which is more valuable to them: People who PREVENT illness through healthy eating? Or, NOT preventing the illness, getting sick, and being forced to take a host of medications. Please people, wake up. There is a systematic effort to get everyone on medication for all of their ailments. There is no such thing as preventative health care in this country. The MONEY is in treating your symptoms AFTER you get sick.
No... The article said that the foods MAY be beneficial. But, if you were actually concerned with this stuff, you would already know that dark chocolate, along with other foods with high ORAC values, may be beneficial.
That's right Brenda. Organic foods all the way. Is it a coincidence that packaged mutant imitation garbage foods are in an abundance in poor neighborhoods and they have the most health issues?
leave natural food alone. there is plenty of food in the grocery stores that ROT that can be shipped to other countries if they really gave a crap. its not about that.
"....make [strawberries] bigger....." Bigger is not necessarily better! Strawberries are huge already, grotesquely huge. A better strawberry would be smaller - like a berry, instead of a deformed apple. Bigger is not better. More and more is not better and better. Less IS more. Fewer is better. Down with junk.
There are areas in the world where people starve, because there isn't enough food for everyone. Give that area GM crops that have higher yield and more people can be fed.
That's a bad thing? Perhaps you should think about more than just yourself.
Dont you like how Cole twists it? No. Many countries in Africa actually REFUSE our foods because it is genetically modified and/or filled with garbage chemicals. They see us dying from cancers at an alarming rate. We are so brainwashed here its astounding. Some people need to get out of this country more and see the REAL WORLD.
Typical Americans. I see a stickingly similarity with the Chinese. We should have never introduced Chocolate to White America. Disgusting!!!
This is BS.
Dr Mark Goldberg is my family practicioner and he confirmed much of what this article said to me.
The paranoia over GMO foods is pretty astounding. I'd say it's a safe bet that the trend is directly related to the horrific state of science-related education in this country. A little learning will do you a lot of good, my friends. GMO foods aren't some sort of monster that lives under your bed. They are safe and effective crops designed for higher yields and better resistance to pests and diseases, for the most part. If everyone insists on growing our human population completely out of control as we currently are, then you have to account for the needs of all those extra people. With a population of just under 7 billion people currently on the Earth and expected to reach 9 billion or more by 2050, we are going to need all the technology we can get in order to feed all of these folks. Don't be scared of things you don't understand. Just take the time to read the research and LEARN. Don't let ignorance be the downfall of our society.
Rational, effective nutrition for fat loss and long-term health: http://www.NutritionPerfected.com/np-blog.html
Great article! Medicine needs to start turning more towards the food we eat and less towards the pharmaceutical industry. Poor nutrition is the main cause of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These diseases could be prevented if the government put more stringent regulations on the foods we eat.So far, they have failed to do so. However, the New York City Department of Public Health did an excellent job banning trans fats from restaurants in NYC. More city public health agencies need to take charge and do the same.
It's important that people DON'T confuse dark chocolate with milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is healthy and milk chocolate is not healthy. I wrote a detailed article on my blog that discusses the differences between the two! Here it is -> http://applebananacoconut.com/why-is-dark-chocolate-healthier-than-milk-chocolate
Laurence
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