Medieval History
A 12th century organically grown apple called Pendragon has higher levels of health- giving plant compounds than modern non organically grown rivals, such as Golden Delicious, Royal Gala and Cox. From peel to core, the mighty Pendragon outperformed 14 other pipsqueak competitors, pharmacist Michael Wakeman told delegates at a recent pharmaceutical conference in Manchester, England.
"Of all the organic varieties, Pendragon was the best apple variety and contained 7 of the 8 kinds of healthy components at the highest levels. In contrast, the non-organic apples consistently had low levels and less major healthy components in both the flesh and the peel," said Wakeman.
Twelve organically grown and three non organically grown varieties of apple were tested for a range of plant compounds with beneficial properties that have been linked to health-giving actions, including cholesterol and blood sugar reduction, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant and anti-ageing effects.
Higher levels of healthy substances were found in all of the organically grown varieties compared to non-organically grown apples, especially in the peel. Runners up to Pendragon were an organically grown variety of Golden Delicious, a cider apple called Collogett Pippin, and old Cornish and Devon apple varieties, Ben's Red and Devonshire Quarrenden.
Mr Wakeman explained that in the absence of pesticides, organically grown apples produce larger amounts of many plant compounds to protect themselves from fungal and other infections, and some of these also have health-giving properties for humans.
"This research confirms that whilst some measures of organic versus non-organic food benefits might appear equivocal, more sophisticated analysis of compounds which are newly recognised as being of importance to good health do show a significant difference.
"Moreover, it demonstrates that these compounds, which are only available from plants, are disappearing from our diet as a result of modern day farming and food production techniques combined with the need to develop produce which meets our desire for perfect shapes and sweeter tastes" he said.
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Dear Reader(s), I know you're busy. You have lots to do - I get this. I get that. I get it. Got it. But really, you want to learn, right? Expand your horizons. Have a good time. Learn while having fun. These are good things, yes? WELL THEN! Come...
Medieval History
Medieval Apples were Healthier than Modern Ones
A 12th century organically grown apple called Pendragon has higher levels of health- giving plant compounds than modern non organically grown rivals, such as Golden Delicious, Royal Gala and Cox. From peel to core, the mighty Pendragon outperformed 14 other pipsqueak competitors, pharmacist Michael Wakeman told delegates at a recent pharmaceutical conference in Manchester, England.
"Of all the organic varieties, Pendragon was the best apple variety and contained 7 of the 8 kinds of healthy components at the highest levels. In contrast, the non-organic apples consistently had low levels and less major healthy components in both the flesh and the peel," said Wakeman.
Twelve organically grown and three non organically grown varieties of apple were tested for a range of plant compounds with beneficial properties that have been linked to health-giving actions, including cholesterol and blood sugar reduction, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant and anti-ageing effects.
Higher levels of healthy substances were found in all of the organically grown varieties compared to non-organically grown apples, especially in the peel. Runners up to Pendragon were an organically grown variety of Golden Delicious, a cider apple called Collogett Pippin, and old Cornish and Devon apple varieties, Ben's Red and Devonshire Quarrenden.
Mr Wakeman explained that in the absence of pesticides, organically grown apples produce larger amounts of many plant compounds to protect themselves from fungal and other infections, and some of these also have health-giving properties for humans.
"This research confirms that whilst some measures of organic versus non-organic food benefits might appear equivocal, more sophisticated analysis of compounds which are newly recognised as being of importance to good health do show a significant difference.
"Moreover, it demonstrates that these compounds, which are only available from plants, are disappearing from our diet as a result of modern day farming and food production techniques combined with the need to develop produce which meets our desire for perfect shapes and sweeter tastes" he said.
- Norwegian Vikings Grew Hemp
Cannabis was cultivated 1,300 years ago at a farm in Southern Norway The Sosteli farmsted, in Norway's southermmost Vest-Agder County, offers strong evidence that Vikings farmers actively cultivated cannabis, a recent analysis shows. The cannabis...
- Iron And Sulphur Compounds Threaten Old Shipwrecks
Sulphur and iron compounds have now been found in shipwrecks both in the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden. The group behind the results, presented in the Journal of Archaeological Science, includes scientists from the University of Gothenburg...
- Call For Papers: 9th Annual Graduate Student Conference In Medieval Studies - "celebrations"
Hello all! Jenn here again. Here's another CFP from my friends at the CUNY Grad Center. I'm well into the first semester of my very first year as A.B.D., and I'm beginning to contemplate some blog posts on the dissertation...
- Amy Kaufman On Mass Market Medieval, Ed. David Marshall
Amy Kaufman recently reviewed David W. Marshall, ed., Mass Market Medieval: Essays on the Middle Ages in Popular Culture, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007, for medievally speaking....
- Discussion Night!
Dear Reader(s), I know you're busy. You have lots to do - I get this. I get that. I get it. Got it. But really, you want to learn, right? Expand your horizons. Have a good time. Learn while having fun. These are good things, yes? WELL THEN! Come...