Researchers at the Institute for Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology at Universidad de Chile are on the verge of developing the world’s fisrt vaccine for alcoholism.

The vaccine doesn’t ease cravings but induces severe headaches and nausea when one consumes alcohol. It does this by preventing the liver from breaking down the alcohol and intensifying the body’s response.

The Santiago Times reports that Dr. Juan Asenjo, director of the Institute for Cell Dynamics and Biotechnology at Universidad de Chile, thinks that although the vaccine is not a cure-all, it could provide an important first step.

The preclinical trial precludes the phase one clinical trial in India, when doctors will inject people with the vaccine for the first time. If all goes well, the vaccination could be available in two years.

If it works, it’s going to have a worldwide impact, but with many vaccines one has to test them carefully. I think the chances that this one will work are quite high.

Inspiration for the vaccine came from the Far East where it was discovered that hangover prone individuals have a gene mutation that inhibits the breakdown of alcohol and results in severe nausea which slashes alcoholism rates among those with the gene.

People who are Japanese, Chinese or Korean and have this mutation – Let’s say 15 to 20 percent of the population – they don’t touch alcohol, and that’s because they feel bad with the vomit and the nausea.

While the vaccine is not a cure-all scientists believe that it will have a major impact on reducing the number of victims afflicted with the disease.

Via First We Feast | Santiago Times

World’s first alcoholism vaccine to run preclinical trial in Chile first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

We’ve all seen the adverts claiming to turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger in a few simple steps by following a training program and purchasing their magical products.

An American blogger, FuriousPete.com has produced a video in which he shows us exactly how it’s done and it’s not necessarily as the advertisers claim.

Furious Pete recommends heading to the gym for a big work out to get you all pumped up with muscles bulging. Then you take the after shot first but not before spraying yourself with cooking oil to accentuate every muscle and rip.

Then comes the fun part as you take it easy for a few hours, eating as much junk food as you care to enjoy while not forgetting to down a few litres of soda to get the tummy really bulging. Now you’re ready to take the before photo!

It all makes perfect sense.

Fat to Fit in Five Hours!!! How to create those before and after fitness photo’s with the help of junk food! All is revealed… first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Kate Middleton has found that lavender biscuits help with the agony of acute morning sickness

The Duchess of Cornwall is said to have recommended the traditional folk remedy to Kate, from one future Queen to another. Camilla is known to be a fan of lavender biscuits.

The Sun reports that the Royal Family has been keeping Kate well stocked with the tea time treats which are sold by Prince Charles’s organic food brand, Duchy Originals and can be found at the Queen’s favourite London store, Fortnum & Mason.

A source told The Sun “A lot of women develop cravings during pregnancy and Kate is no exception. She has got a real taste for these biscuits.

“Lavender is said to have healing properties, so it is not such a wacky food to nibble on when you’re pregnant.”

Duchess of Cambridge nibbles on lavender biscuits to combat morning sickness first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

No more mouldy bread according to US firm MicroZap which claims to have found a solution to keeping bread mould free for up two months.

The company claims to have developed a micro-wave technique which sterilised pathogens in food without actually cooking it.

The method can be used not just for bread but for a wide range of food products including poultry, fruit and vegetables which are subjected to pulsed microwaves that pasteurise the food at low temperatures without damaging or changing the quality.

When using bread as an example the treated bread was shown to have the same quality and freshness as one that was recently made.

The company does admit though that it might be difficult to convince consumers of the benefits of long life bread saying, “We’ll have to get some consumer acceptance of that. Most people do it by feel and if you still have that quality feel, they probably will accept it.”

This technology will have a massive positive impact on food waste despite some objections to it by some no doubt.

What are your thoughts, good thing or bad thing?

Via Mail Online

Microzap uses microwave technology to keep bread fresh for two months, no mould! first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Nine year old Holly Lindley has a serious inherited metabolic disorder called glycogen storage disease.

The disease prevents Holly from being able to use stored glucose as a form of energy and as a result the nine year old must drink 3.4 litres of milk per day mixed together with 5 tablespoons of cornflour just to stay alive.

There is no treatment for the condition so Holly has to drink the cold milk & cornflour mixture before bed to stop her falling into a coma. The cornflour contains starch, which acts as a slow release of energy during the night.

The Mail Online also reports that she has to regularly snack on chocolates and other sweets.

Her mother told the Daily Mail that it would be easier if she drank fizzy drinks that are loaded with sugar but she doesn’t like them so it has to be milk.

The Association for Glycogen Storage Disease describes it as,

A person with a Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD) has an absence or deficiency of one of the enzymes responsible for making or breaking down glycogen in the body. This is called an enzyme deficiency. The enzyme deficiency causes either abnormal tissue concentrations of glycogen (too much or too little) or incorrectly or abnormally formed glycogen (shaped wrong). Depending on the type of GSD a person has, their enzyme deficiency may be important in all parts of the body, or only in some parts of the body, like the liver or muscle. Typically, the forms of GSD are described by the part of the body that has trouble because of the enzyme deficiency. The categories most often are: the liver only, the muscles only, or both the liver and the muscles. Other systems that may be involved include blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets), heart, and kidneys amongst others.

There is hope that a cure will be found through research that is taking place at the University of Florida in the USA.

Nine year old girl has to drink over three litres of milk a day, just to stay alive first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Coca Cola UK has launched a calorie counter for its range of products.

On the work it out counter you select your product be it a straight forward Coke, Diet Coke or Fanta.

Press the button and hey presto you get to see how many calories are in the drink and most importantly what exercise and how long you have to do it for to burn off one drink.

Coca Cola clocks in at 139 calories (330ml) and you are provided with a few suggestions for burning it off, The quickest is a hard 9 minute run while backstroke and squash for 11 minutes will work just as well.

Its not just sports activities that they give you estimated work out times for either. You could iron for 70 minutes, mow the lawn for 21 minutes or clean the windows for 39 minutes.

On the website Coca Cola explains:

Coca‑Cola has developed the Work It Out Calculator in association with Dr Greg Whyte, to highlight some of the unusual, fun and interesting ways you can achieve energy balance. Making sure there isn’t an imbalance between the amount of calories you take in each day and the amount you burn can help you to maintain a healthy weight – and the best way to ensure energy balance is by eating a well-balanced diet and enjoying regular physical activity. The Work It Out Calculator also highlights the wide range of drinks on offer from Coca‑Cola Great Britain, which includes low calorie and sugar free drinks such as Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

We have a simpler solution, don’t drink the stuff!

How long does it take to burn off one coke? Check out the Coca Cola Calorie Counter with burn off activity options. first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Breakfast snacks are marketed as wholesome yet convenient by food manufacturers including Belvita, McVitie’s and Kellogg’s while research shows that ‘healthy’ yogurts can have a far higher sugar content than ice cream.

Despite being positioned as a wholesome start to the day, breakfast biscuits contain more saturated  fat than biscuit favourites like digestives, Rich Tea and Hobnobs.’

Full Story Mail Online

Research reveals shocking levels of fat and sugar in ‘on-the-go’ snacks and low-fat yogurt first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

We don’t want to be scaremongers but follow these simple guidelines to protect yourself and your family from contracting salmonella.

1. Wash your hands after handling raw meat or poultry
2. Wash fresh fruit and veg before eating
3. Avoid eating raw eggs
4. Prevent cross contamination of raw food with fresh produce and cooked meat.
5. Use separate chopping boards for meat and veg, always wash after using
6. If raw meat has come into contact with a kitchen surface, wash it down.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria that enters through the digestive tract and must be ingested in large numbers to cause disease in healthy adults.

Salmonellosis is a disease caused by raw or undercooked food.

Infection usually occurs when a person ingests foods that contain a high concentration of the bacteria, similar to a culture medium.

Infants and young children are much more susceptible to infection, easily achieved by ingesting a small number of bacteria

How to protect yourself against salmonella poisoning. first appeared first on Gourmet Guys

Scientists investigate the validity of the three second rule with varying results

We have all done it, eaten something that has fallen on the floor and then tell ourselves that it is okay as long as it was not on the floor for more that three seconds. Even then some people will stretch that age old law to 5 seconds depending as to how much they want the tasty morsel they inadvertently dropped on the floor.

The whole premise of the rule is based on the length of time the food has been on the floor and that it could not possibly have been there long enough to be contaminated with bacteria and other nasty things that live down there in the world beneath our feet.

The Mail Online reports that there has been no research of any substance into this matter until now. Scientists at the Manchester Metropolitan University have investigated this the three second theory to test its validity, fact or fiction. Five food items; bread with jam, cooked pasta, ham, a biscuit and dried fruit have been used to conduct the experiment. They are all commonly eaten foods and have differing water activity levels, which is a key factor in sustaining bacterial growth within the three second rule.

The Manchester Metropolitan University food sciences team carried out the work on behalf of cleaning experts Vileda

They were all dropped on the floor for varying time intervals, three, five and ten seconds.

The experiment revealed different results for each of the different food types with salt and sugar being the key determining factor.

The foods with a high salt or sugar content were safer to eat as it is more difficult for bacteria to survive. This leads to the startling revelation that processed foods that have been dropped on the floor are a lot safer to eat due to the high salt and sugar levels used in flavouring and preserving them.

The ham (high salt) and the bread and jam (high sugar) performed very well and after three seconds on the floor showed little sign of bacterial growth. Ham is a processed meat preserved with salt and nitrates which prevents the growth of most bacteria. The bread and jam showed no bacterial growth after time on the floor, which can be linked to the high sugar content of the jam which makes it unlikely to support microbial growth.

The dried fruit and pasta however showed signs of klebsiella after three seconds. Klebsiella, named after the German microbiologist Edwin Klebs, is a bacteria which has the potential to cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicaemia and soft tissue conditions.

The dried fruit and pasta also had increased yeast counts

The biscuits proved safe after ten seconds due to their low water content with the technical office on the team Kathy Lees saying, ‘No specific organisms were detected on the biscuit, which has a low water activity level and low adhesion ability.

Scientists research the three second food on the floor rule. Some good news and some bad news… first appeared first on Gourmet Guys