Tiny heart, big promise: Understanding how cells become coronary vessels may lead to advances in repairing heart damage

The heart has its own dedicated blood supply, with coronary arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart and cardiac veins that remove deoxygenated blood. This system of vessels nourishes the heart, enabling it to pump blood to all the other organs and tissues of the body. Yet despite their critical importance, the process and molecules required for coronary vessel development have not been fully determined. Studying zebrafish, investigators at The Saban Research Institute and the Heart Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles discovered a new source for cells that can develop into coronary vessels and have identified the signaling protein, a chemokine called CXCL12, which guides this process. Results of the study will be published online May 26 by the journal Developmental Cell. Zebrafish have emerged as an important vertebrate model for cardiovascular research for a number of reasons, including the ability to regenerate its heart if damaged, and because the transparency of the embryos allows easy observation of internal processes like blood vessel development. Using confocal and time-lapse imaging, the investigators were able to visualize coronary vessels developing from the endocardium, or the inner lining of the heart -- specifically from the atrioventricular canal, the structure that divides the heart into compartments. "This furthers our efforts into heart regeneration to repair human hearts," said Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD, principal investigator at The Saban Research Institute of CHLA and senior author on the paper. "We have now found a novel source of cells that can differentiate into coronary vessels and have identified the factors required." Lien and her team observed that zebrafish with a mutation at the CXCR4 receptor survive, but are not able to form coronary vessels or undergo heart regeneration following injury. Since fish without this mutation are able to do both, the investigators concluded that an interaction between CXCR4 receptors on endothelial cells and the CXCL12b protein expressed by the myocardium regulate the process. In addition to providing basic information about the developing heart, this finding may also have clinical relevance. "Children or young adults may not be aware of having abnormal coronary vessels because their circulation is adequate until the heart is stressed by increased demands, for instance when participating in strenuous sports," explains Lien, who is also an assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine and an investigator at the Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, both at the University of Southern California. "Then suddenly, an apparently healthy, young person dies. Alternatively, a person with abnormal coronary vessels might have higher risk of experiencing heart attacks later on in life. Our findings will guide future study toward understanding these devastating conditions in order to be better able to diagnose them and develop interventional strategies."

Health Benefits of Elecampane Essential Oil and its function

Some of the most important and exciting health benefits of elecampane essential oil include its ability to boost the immune system, prevent bacterial and intestinal infections, improve the metabolism, detoxify the body, reduce respiratory distress, stimulate the circulatory system, soothe the digestive system, and protect dental health. Elecampane Essential Oil Elecampane essential oil probably isn’t the first oil on your aromatherapy list, but it is actually a very powerful and proven method to treat a number of health conditions. This essential oil is actually derived from a small perennial plant that can be found throughout Europe and Great Britain. Historically, elecampane was believed to have sprung from the place where Helen of Troy’s tears fell, but it has certain spread to a wider part of the world than that. The plant is also known as elfdock or elfwort, and is prized for its valuable root. As a plant, it has many different beneficial qualities, but the essential oil that can be extracted from the root and leaves is also very powerful and potent as an aromatherapeutic agent and a topical application. elecampaneessentialoilElecampane essential oil has the rare distinction of being an essential oil that is respected and prescribed by doctors. The studies have clearly connected the use of Elecampane essential oil to a number of treatments, and provided that you aren’t allergic to the plant or its oils, then you can find relief from a wide variety of afflictions. However, some of the traditional uses of Elecampane essential oil are not as well documented or proven as others, given that its use can be traced back more than 2,000 years, so always check with a doctor before implementing Elecampane essential oil for less traditional remedies. Let’s take a closer look at some of the well-known health benefits of Elecampane essential oil. Health Benefits of Elecampane Essential Oil Respiratory Distress: This was perhaps the first and most commonly applied benefit of Elecampane essential oil, and over the centuries, countless people have enjoyed the expectorant qualities of this essential oil to release mucus build-up in the respiratory tracts and allow it to be expelled from the body. This oil also has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, so any of the bacteria or foreign agents residing in the mucus or in the glands can be eliminated and expelled by the use of Elecampane essential oil. This oil has also been used to help ease symptoms of bronchitis and asthma, thanks to its soothing, anti-inflammatory nature. elecampaneessentialoilinfoImmune System: Thanks to the impressive antibacterial and antimicrobial qualities of Elecampane essential oil, this oil is wonderful for boosting the immune system of the body and providing a protective layer for the body against foreign invasion. When diffused in a room, Elecampane essential oil can rid your internal and external self of bacterial agents, and if topically applied, the oil can protect wounds or other high-risk spots for infection or illness. Improve the Metabolism: As both a stimulant and tonic substance, Elecampane essential oil can significantly improve the metabolism. It stimulates hormonal balance in the body, which can help to optimize all the functions of the body, including the release of toxins or waste substances. The stimulant nature helps to increase blood flow, oxygenating parts of the body that need it most and ensuring that the organ systems are all running smoothly. Diuretic: Due to its diuretic nature, Elecampane essential oil has often been turned to for people suffering from water retention, particularly pregnant women. Also, after an illness or injury, it is good to flush the body of any stray toxins, so stimulating frequent urination can achieve this. Digestive Health: Elecampane essential oil has been relief on for hundreds of years to settle stomachs, aid digestion, stimulate increased nutrient retention, and eliminate intestinal worms. Improving the health of your digestive system can impact every other system of your body, so the use of Elecampane essential oil for this purpose is perhaps its most important! Dental Health: The antibacterial and antiseptic qualities of Elecampane essential oil make it an ideal ingredient in many dental health regimens. Aside from being included in many herbal toothpastes and mouthwashes, a small amount of Elecampane essential oil can be mixed with water and applied directly to the gums to slow their retraction away from the teeth and eliminate dangerous bacteria that hide below the gums, preventing periodontal disease! Skin Health: The astringent properties of Elecampane essential oil aren’t the most widely recognized, but they are valuable for those people wanting to tone up and protect their skin. Elecampane essential oil can tighten the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and age spots at the same time. Topical Application: In various forms and scrubs, Elecampane essential oil is used in topical application on the face and skin all over the body. This can beneficially impact everything from hemorrhoids, blisters, and pimples to gout, wound healing, and rashes. The active components of Elecampane essential oil are powerful and versatile, so start using it today! 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WHAT SCIENCE THOUGHT

For years scientists have been aware of the potential problems of antibiotics being present in wastewater, and the research of engineering professor Olya Keen is showing that treatments to clean wastewater may actually be creating new antibiotics and further contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance in the environment. An assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UNC Charlotte, Keen began her current research into the behavior of antibiotics in wastewater in summer 2014. She recently presented her initial findings at a conference of the American Chemical Society held in Denver, Colo. "This research is a small piece of a larger question," Keen said. "There are varieties of antibiotics found in wastewater, and, at this point, we are just testing one. It is in a class of antibiotics that all have similar compositions, so we anticipate that other antibiotics in this class may respond the same way." The antibiotic Keen and her student are studying is doxycycline, which falls into one of the more widely used classes of antibiotics. Their research to date is showing that chlorine used to treat wastewater is actually changing the makeup of the doxycycline and forming new antibiotics. "Wastewater treatment is designed to break down biological substances but not antibiotics," stated Keen. "Surprisingly enough, though, we are finding in the lab that not only is chlorine not breaking down antibiotics, but it is actually creating even stronger antibiotics than the original doxycycline." Antibiotics find their way into wastewater in several ways. Those not broken down by the human body are passed to wastewater, expired antibiotics from homes and hospitals are dumped into wastewater, and there is discharge of antibiotic materials from pharmaceutical companies. "Wastewater tests have found every type of antibiotic known," Keen said. "The problems antibiotics cause when they are not broken down by treatment is they get into streams, where bacteria are becoming immune to them, and more dangerous, super bug, bacteria can be formed." Keen's lab is working with controlled samples, treating doxycycline with chlorine. Using a mass spectrometer, they separate samples by the mass of the molecules to identify their makeup. The next step in their research will be to treat and test real-world wastewater samples. Nicole Kennedy-Neth, a doctoral student in the Infrastructure and Environmental Systems Ph.D. program, is performing the laboratory experiments. "Antibiotics in wastewater are already impacting aquatic life," she said. "This can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which humans and animals may not be able to fight off. We're hoping to eventually find better ways of breaking down the antibiotics during wastewater treatment or developing preventative solutions to keep antibiotics out of wastewater in the first place."

Health Benefits of Burdock

Some of the most impressive health benefits of burdock include its ability to aid digestion, detoxify the liver, balance hormones, improve skin health, reduce inflammation, and lower blood pressure. Burdock Burdock is actually the common name of a genus of flowering perennials, whose scientific name is Arctium. The easiest way to describe burdock is as the small burrs that often get stuck on your trousers or socks when walking in a forest. Those small hooking burrs come from the burdock plant, whose plants, leaves, and stems actually have significant value as herbal or alternative remedies. The root of burdock is perhaps the most valued, as it can be eaten in large quantities as a root vegetable, and is very rich in important fibers. The dried leaves and seeds can also be used to extract burr oil, which has a wide range of medicinal uses.Goboburdockroots-300x183 The first real use of burdock is recorded in the medieval period, but it is also known in Chinese herbal medicine, and likely dates back considerably further. There are a number of ways to prepare burdock as either a food or an herbal medicine, making it highly sought after around the world, as several species have spread globally from the Old World. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the impressive health benefits of burdock. Health Benefits of Burdock Blood Pressure: One of the aspects of burdock that doesn’t get enough attention is its impressive ability to lower blood pressure. The plant’s high concentration of potassium, a vasodilator, helps to relieve tension within the cardiovascular system by relaxing the blood vessels and arteries, thereby helping to prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. Digestive Issues: The most well-known use of burdock is as a digestive aid for many different reasons. Firstly, the high concentration of fibers in burdock help to stimulate the digestive system and move food smoothly through the bowels, relieving constipation and preventing bloating, cramping, and ulcers. Inulin, a particular type of fiber found in burdock, is able to reduce inflammation in the gut and eliminate many types of harmful bacteria that can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. Diabetes: Although all types of fiber are able to help regulate the balance of insulin and glucose in the body, inulin is particularly effective and has been directly connected to reducing the development and severity of diabetes and diabetes-related symptoms. The significant levels of inulin in burdock can also lower overall blood cholesterol by eliminating it from the body, thereby further protecting your cardiovascular system. Detoxify the Liver: The same chemicals that give burdock its bitter taste stimulate bile production and digestive juices in the gut, which helps the liver more rapidly process toxins and flush them from the system. Clearing toxins from the blood is one of the main purposes of the liver, and burdock’s organic compounds and components have been directly linked to improving this function. Skin Health: One of the most common side effects of constipation, high toxicity in the blood, or poor dietary habits is skin inflammation, manifesting as spots, pimples, acne, rashes, or discoloration. Many herbalists recommend burdock root supplements and herbs for the treatment of skin conditions, as this powerful herb can solve the underlying problems of toxicity or constipation in a fast and efficient way, leading to clearer, healthier skin. Hormonal Balance: Having a hormonal disorder can be destructive and difficult for your life. To avoid that, you want to add foods and herbs that can regulate hormonal activity in the body. Burdock is able to help the liver metabolize certain hormones, like estrogen, which can help to rebalance the body’s hormonal levels to normalcy. Excess estrogen is the cause of many dangerous or even deadly hormonal disorders, so adding some burdock root to your weekly diet is never a bad idea! Immune Health: The significant levels of vitamin C and E, both of which act as antioxidants in the body to eliminate free radicals, mean that burdock is a major booster to our immune system function. These antioxidants have been linked to preventing infections, lowering one’s risk of cancer, and generally supporting proper growth, development, and repair of the body’s cells and tissues. A Final Word of Warning: Although this is somewhat rare, there are limited allergies to burdock, so be sure to consult a doctor before adding it to your health regimen. Also, for those people using potassium-sparing diuretic therapy, eating too much burdock (with its significant levels of potassium) may aggravate the system and result in potassium toxicity. As always, everything should be consumed in moderation

SHOULD YOU ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN WHY DOING AN EXERCISE

One of the most common and frequently asked questions from parents all over the globe is what is the best way to raise their kids to be strong and healthy human beings. Most, if not all the questions relate to them participating in exercise. Therefore, to cover the topic of children and exercise, I will answer some of the most common questions in this article and then give my best recommendations on what you can do to get your kids fit and healthy in no time at all. Before we actually get into answering questions, I think it is very important to understand exactly what kids of this generation are actually facing. If we are completely honest, then we can all see that most kids of the modern age are not that active at all. Most kids would rather sit indoors and laze about than get outdoors, which is resulting in them getting the title of the unhealthiest generation to ever exist. Things are moving downhill rather rapidly. Just 35 years ago, almost 60% of children in America would either ride a bike or walk to school. Today, that number has reduced to a pitiful 12%, with no signs of it improving ever again. These are the facts that you just can’t deny anymore. Simply look around at the kids in your neighbourhood and you will notice that most of them are not playing and running about, but are more engaged with their iPads and laptops than with balls and playing tag. The sad thing is that inactive and sedentary children usually grow up to have the same qualities, whereas the children that actually were fit and active would grow up to be extremely fit and active adults. According to a recent study, physically fit kids have faster and more robust neuro-electrical brain responses during reading than their less-fit peers. However, there is some really great news and that is the fact that you as a parent can completely change this. Your child has been born with a natural instinct to want to move about and be active. ChildrenexerciseAll you need to do is push them in that direction and show them the way. Getting your kid to love exercise is as simple as that. Now that we know some of the backstory, we can move onto actually answering some important questions. Can Lifting Weights Cause Your Child To Stop Growing? Everyone and their grandparents has probably heard of the so-called “fact” that lifting weights will cause a child to stop growing. However, the facts are radically different from these assumptions that most people make. If we take a look at the research, then we will come to find that there isn’t a single piece of solid evidence which proves to us that weight lifting will actually stunt a child’s growth. In fact, the research shows us that children that do lift light weights consistently develop stronger bone structure, have leaner and fitter physiques, and overall have much better health in the immediate and long term. Believe me; there isn’t a simple answer you can give to the question of whether or not weightlifting will actually stunt a child’s growth. Yes, if your child was to lift weights that were too much for him or her, then this would inevitably lead to injury, but of course this can happen in any sport where physical activity is required. The little evidence that is out there seems to suggest that a child who does lift weights will actually grow up to be a stronger and healthier human being than a child who doesn’t. Is There a Need For Structured Fitness Programs For My Child? It all depends on the child in question. If you are blessed to have a child that loves to be physically active and is constantly running around doing things that he loves, then you are not going to need to put him in any sort of fitness program. Structured fitness programs only become necessary when you have a child who actually prefers to live the lazy, sedentary life. My Personal Guidelines to Get Your Kid Fit These are the exact tips that I actually implement with my kids on a daily basis and I have found them to be very effective. These are tips that I’d encourage you all to implement if you want to raise your child to be fit and active and also love every moment of it. Provide Ad Libitum Play: Make Play the Complete Basis – ​It is really important that you are focused on play, because that is the best way to encourage your child to love health and fitness. Every child loves to play, and it is usually involves something that requires movement. Most kids are going to want to run around and do active things when they are playing, and the more you push them to do this, the more they are going to love being physically active. Push Them to Climb – Whatever they can climb, be it a tree, pull up bar, a rope, or whatever…just let them climb it! To encourage them further, you should get a rope or a pull up bar installed in your home so that as soon as your child is old enough they will want to get up and climb. This is a great way to keep your kid active and away from boredom, while also being an important part of remaining strong and toned. Push Them to Jump Around – Your kids are naturally going to want to jump and run, which means that they might fall down a lot too. The best way to minimise and prevent any serious injuries from occurring will be to actually take the time to teach them how to fall down in the safest possible manner. This will minimise the chances of any serious injury happening and it will actually reduce the chances of them getting injured in the first place. In the end, you just need to push them to be more active from the moment that they can walk about. The more you encourage them to be active, the more likely it is that they are going to enjoy it and want to do it on a regular basis. Once this desire to be active is inside them, nobody is going to ever be able to take it away and it will be with them for the rest of their lives. There is no gift out there that is better than that

Nutritional FUNCTION and Medicinal Properties of Wheat CONTAIN:

Abstract Wheat is considered good source of protein, minerals, B - group vitamins and dietary fiber i.e. an excellent health - building food. Thus, it has become the principal cereal, being more widely used for the making of bread than any other cereal because of the quality and quantit y of its characteristic protein called gluten. G lut en makes bread dough stick together and gives it the ability to retain gas. W heat has several medicinal virtues; starch and gluten in wheat provide heat and energy; the inner bran coats, phosphates and other miner al salts; the outer bran, the much - needed roughage the indigestible portion that helps easy movement of bowels; the germ, vitamins B and E; and protein of wheat helps build and repair muscular tissue. The wheat germ, which is removed in the process of refining, is al so rich in essential vita min E, the lack of which can lead to heart disease. The loss of vitamins and minerals in the refined wheat flour has l ed to widespread prevalence of constipation and other digestive disturbances and nutritional disorders. The whole wheat, which includes bran and wheat germ, therefore, p rovides protection against diseases such as constipation, ischaemic, heart disease, dis ease of the colon called diverticulum, appendicitis, obesity and diabetes. To enhance the quality as well as the quantity of proteins/starches, and the content of vitamins, es sential amino aci ds, minerals and other healthy components of wheat, it is essen tial to understand the molecular and genetic control of various aspects of plant growth and development. Keywords: Dietary fiber ; Digestive disturbances ; Gluten ; Triticum aestivum L . ; Wheat b ran; Wheat g erm . 1. Introduction Wheat is the most important stable food crop for more than one third of the world population and con tributes more calories and proteins to the world diet than any other cereal crops [ 2, 3, 42 ] . It is nutritious, easy to store and transport and can be processed into various types of food. Wheat is considered a good source of protein, minerals, B - group vitamins and dietary fiber [45, 46] although the environmental conditions can affect nutritional composition of wheat grains with its essential coating of bran, vitamins and minerals; it is an excellent health - building food. Wheat flour is used to prepare bread, produce biscuits, confectionary products, noodles and vital wheat gluten or seitan. Wheat is also used as animal feed, for ethanol production, brew ing of wheat beer, wheat based raw material for cosmetics, wheat protein in meat substitutes and to make wheat straw composites . Wheat germ and wheat bran can be a good source of dietary fiber helping in the prevention and treatm ent of some digestive disor ders [46]. The antioxidant activity and phytochemical content were studied in milled grain of eleven varieties which included a range of red and white wheat and durum wheat. Whole - wheat bread is good for health. There is no doubt that the adaptability and high yields of wheat have contributed to its success, but these alone are not sufficient to account for its current dominance over much of the temperate world. The key characteristic, which has given it an advantage over other temperate crops, is the uniqu e properties of dough formed from wheat flours, which allow it to be processed into a range of breads and other baked products (including cakes and biscuits), pasta and noodles, and other process ed foods. These propertie s depend on the structures and inter actions of the grain storage proteins, which together form the ‘gluten’ protein fraction. Lutein is the predominant carotenoids present in wheat [1] and the bran/germ fractions of wheat contained g reater amounts of carotenoids and antioxidant activity than the endosperm fractions [4]. Lutein, along with zeaxanthin, is important for the health of skin and eyes in humans. The latest edition of the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans clearly states that all adults sho uld eat at least three se rvings of whol e grains every day. It helps in preventing both heart diseases and cancer, therefore, lower death rates. The protection against heart disease may stem from whole grains, antioxidants, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber o r trace minerals. Apparently, by imp roving insulin sensitivity and decreasing the disordered insulin function people experience with met abolic syndrome, whole grains help prevent diabetes. The same substances in whole grains that protect against heart disease also seem to help prevent severa l kinds of cancer. Fiber and certain starches in whole grains ferment in the colon and form substances that may block the cancer - promoting effects of bile acids . Moreover, scientists believe that other substances in whole grains may affect hormone levels a nd possibly lower the risk of hormone - related cancers like breast cancer. The many MORE HEALTH INFO VICSIT rotimifavour.blogspot.com

FUNCTION OF CEREAL IN BOTH ANIMAL AND PLANT

INTRODUCTION Cereals play an important role in world agriculture. They contribute significantly to the global food pool in achieving food and nutritional security. Considering the area sown and annual production volume, they occupy an important position in the world economy and trade as food, feed and industrial grain crops. In 2000, the area harvested was roughly 675 million hectares which produced 2059.8 million tonnes with an average yield of 3049 kilograms per hectare (Table 1). As can be seen, wheat, rice and maize are of prime importance but area and production from other crops such as barley, sorghum, oats, rye and millet are also quite significant. It may be noted that maize has a great potential for yielding more per unit of land area than other cereals. TABLE 1 World cereal statistics; area, yield and production in 2000 Crop Area (Million ha) Yield (kg/ha) Production (Million tonnes) Cereals 675.631 3 049 2059.8 Wheat 215.180 2 706 582.2 Rice (paddy) 153.458 3 863 592.9 Coarse grains 306.996 2 882 884.7 Barley 55.698 2 440 135.9 Maize 137.549 4 336 596.4 Rye 9.896 2 075 20.5 Oats 14.416 1 811 26.1 Millet 36.161 752 27.2 Sorghum 42.805 1 391 59.536 Source: FAO In Asia, the area devoted to cereals was 301.8 million hectares with a production volume of 938.8 million tonnes (Table 2). This is almost 50 percent of total world cereal production. Rice is the most important crop in Asia occupying almost half of the cereal area, with a production of paddy rice touching 540 million tonnes. The other two important crops are wheat and maize, which rank second and third respectively. Other crops of importance with significant area are barley, sorghum and millets. Oats and Rrye are also grown but their area is quite small, less than one million hectares annually being sown to each crop. TABLE 2 Asian cereal statistics; area, yield and production in 2000 Crop Area (Million ha) Yield (kg/ha) Production (Million tonnes) Cereals 301.8 3 093 983.8 Wheat 96.8 2 566 248.3 Rice (paddy) 137.3 3 930 540.0 Coarse grains 84.1 2 326 195.5 Barley 12.6 1 669 20.9 Maize 41.2 3 492 143.9 Rye 0.7 1 502 1.1 Oats 0.8 1 774 1.3 Millet 14.5 812 11.8 Sorghum 12.5 1055 13.2 Source: FAO Some of the cereal crops, particularly rice, wheat and to some extent maize, sorghum and millet are consumed by humans as staple foods to meet energy and protein requirements. Feed use of cereals in Asia is more in some countries than others, but at least 158 million tonnes were used in 2000 for livestock (Table 3). Food and feed use of cereals will be greatly prioritized in future in view of projected world population growth of 80 million people every year. Unfortunately much of the increase in population will take place in the developing countries mostly concentrated in South Asia. It is expected that demand for food and meat products will increase dramatically in the next two decades. A demand driven livestock revolution is underway in Asia and it is very likely that demand for meat and other animal products may almost double by 2020. This in turn will increase demand of cereals for feeding livestock. The demand for some cereals such as maize will increase more rapidly, and will perhaps overtake demand for rice and wheat in the next two decades. TABLE 3 Feed use of grains in Asia Country/Region 2000-2001 (Million tonnes) India 8.0 Pakistan 0.9 Others 0.1 South Asia 9.0 China 103.1 Taiwan 5.0 Indonesia 4.1 Japan 15.9 Korea, Rep of 7.6 Malaysia 2.3 Philippines 4.6 Thailand 4.6 Others 1.9 Pacific Asia 149.1 Total Feed Asia 158.1 Cereal proteins vary in protein content but in general are of poor quality because of a lack of balance in amino acid composition. Breeding for improved amino acid composition has been attempted in some crops and commercially exploitable high lysine varieties are now available, at least in maize. This paper will discuss development efforts in improving protein quality in different crops, as well as their future role in livestock and human nutrition. PROTEIN RELATED NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CEREALS GRAINS The crude protein content varies in different crops (Table 4). Rice is quite low in protein (7 percent). Intermediate levels of 9-10 percent are encountered in maize, sorghum and barley. Wheat, oats and triticale exhibit a high protein content of 12 percent and more. In general high protein content is inversely correlated with yield. TABLE 4 Protein and lysine content of cereal crops Crop Protein Content (%) Lysine in protein (%) Maize 8.0-11.0 1.80-2.00 Wheat 11.0-14.0 2.50-3.20 Rice 7.0-9.0 3.50-4.00 Barley 8.0-11.0 2.90-3.20 Oats 12.0-14.0 3.80-4.00 Sorghum 9.0-11.0 2.00-2.80 In wheat and oats, however, high protein lines with good yielding ability are available. As far as protein quality is concerned, unfortunately, all cereals are deficient primarily in lysine with a secondary deficiency in threonine or tryptophan (Table 5). TABLE 5 Limiting amino acids in cereal protein Cereal 1st limiting 2nd limiting Rice Lysine Threonine Wheat Lysine Threonine Maize Lysine Tryptophan Sorghum Lysine Threonine Millet Lysine Threonine Tiff Lysine Threonine The poor quality of proteins is attributed to a high concentration of prolamin storage protein fraction in cereals. This particular fraction is practically negligible or devoid of lysine. The high level of this fraction is the sole cause of poor protein quality in cereals. The prolamin contents of major cereals fall into three distinct classes or groups (Table 6). The high prolamin group constitutes 50-60 percent of protein, as is the case in maize and sorghum, intermediate 30-40 percent as in barley and wheat and the low prolamin group with only 5-10 percent as in rice and oats. The protein quality of cereals, like protein quantity, is inversely related to the protein content. Those groups of cereals such as rice and oats, which have low prolamin content, thus exhibit superior protein quality. It may be pointed out that prolamin is one of the four protein fractions which make up cereal protein. The other three fractions are albumins, globulins and glutelins and are soluble in water, saline solution and alkali solution, respectively. The prolamins being soluble in alcohol are rich in proline and glutamine, but are low in basic amino acids including lysine. Osborne and Mandel (1914) showed that rats of all ages went into rapid decline and eventually died if placed on a diet in which zein was the sole source of dietary protein. The prolamin fraction is named differently as is zein in maize, gliadin in wheat, kafarin in sorghum, hordein in barley, and avenin in oats. As indicated earlier, both oat and rice have good protein quality owing to low levels of prolamin. Despite high lysine in these two cereals compared to others, lysine is still the first limiting amino acid. Proteins from both these cereals have higher biological value relative to other cereal proteins. It is further interesting to point out that high protein content in oat does not adversely affect the biological value of protein. TABLE 6 Prolamin content of major cereals Crop Prolamin Fraction Prolamin Group Percent of Total Protein Maize Zein High 50-60% Sorghum Kafarin High 50-60% Barley Hordein Intermediate 30-40% Rye Secalin High 60% Wheat Gliadin Intermediate 30-40% Oats Avenin Low 10-12% Rice Prolamin Low 5-10% BREEDING EFFORTS FOR IMPROVING PROTEIN QUALITY IN CEREALS People in the developing countries, particularly in Asia, consume cereal grains as staple food and derive their calories and protein requirements from such cereals. Nutritional improvement in such cereals through plant breeding efforts have been under active consideration for the past several decades but realistic breeding efforts could not be taken up in the absence of specific genes for such traits. Altering the amino acid profile of cereal proteins and making them more balanced will impact hundreds of millions of people without altering their food habits and preferences. Maize To start with, germplasm accessions were screened for genetic variability for lysine content. Variation was observed in maize but differences were rather small. It would have needed many years to elevate levels sufficiently to make the protein profile reasonably balanced in manifesting superior biological value. The protein quality therefore remained a concern but no immediate solutions were in sight and no good breeding options could be deployed at that time to affect improvements. A beginning in genetic manipulation of protein quality began with the discovery of high lysine mutant opaque-2 (o2) (Mertz et al., 1964) and a year later another mutant floury-2 (Nelson et al., 1965) was discovered by Purdue University researchers. These exciting discoveries generated a lot of enthusiasm and hopes, and paved the way for improving protein quality in maize. Of interest is the fact that these mutant alleles changed protein quality of endosperm and not that of germ. These mutants were able to alter the amino acid profile of maize endosperm protein resulting in a two fold increase in the levels of lysine and tryptophan compared to normal genotypes. The phenotype of the mutants was easily recognizable from their soft chalky appearance. Alterations were noticed in other amino acids as well. An increase was observed for amino acids such as histidine, arginine, aspartic acid and glycine and a decrease in glutamic acid, alanine and leucine. Leucine:isoleucine ratio was improved and became better balanced, which in turn is considered beneficial as it helps to liberate more tryptophan for more niacin biosynthesis, thus helping to combat pellagra. These mutants bring about improvements in lysine and tryptophan by suppressing lysine-deficient zein fraction without altering the contribution of other fractions. A reduction in zein fraction causes proportional elevation of other fractions rich in lysine, thus resulting in elevation of these two amino acids in protein, but not on an absolute basis of per unit of endosperm in the grain. The search was continued for new and better mutants, but the ones found (o7, o6, fl3) were in no way better than opaque-2. Breeding efforts were thus initially concentrated on opaque-2 and floury-2. Since floury-2 did not hold its promise it was dropped in the early 1970s. High quality protein materials developed using o2 did not show competitive performance compared to their normal counterparts. They suffered from a number of problems including lower grain yield, unacceptable soft chalky endosperm, slower drying, more vulnerable to ear rot pathogens and to stored grain pests. These agronomic deficiencies were serious enough to cause a decline in interest and even a complete abandoning of efforts in many programmes. Only a few institutions such as CIMMYT, Purdue University, Crows Hybrid Seed Company in Milford, Illinois, and University of Natal in South Africa sustained their efforts, choosing different options to develop normal looking agronomically acceptable varieties and hybrids. The success of approaches deployed at CIMMYT and the germplasm developed will be described in detail in a later section. Barley Discoveries of nutritionally superior mutant alleles o2 and fl2 in maize stimulated interest in other cereal crops. Screening efforts to identify similar types of mutant alleles as in maize were initiated in Sweden and Denmark. A high-lysine gene (Hily) was identified from the Hiproly source (Munck et al., 1971) and another gene Riso 1508 was identified in Denmark (Doll and Koie, 1975; Ingverson et. al., 1973). The latter mutant showed simple recessive inheritance and had 40 percent increase in lysine content. Both mutants suffered from agronomic defects. There was a reduction in seed size and also a reduction in yield. In feeding trials, Ris 1508 or hily Hiproly barley produced optimal growth of pigs without addition of protein or amino acid supplements. It may be added that normal barleys are intermediate between maize and sorghum on the one hand and rice and oats on the other. Again because of agronomic problems, widespread efforts in improving protein quality did not result in a positive outcome. Sorghum Thousands of accessions were screened for high lysine mutants in sorghum. Two mutants, 15-11167 and 15-11758 were identified from the Ethiopian world sorghum collections (Singh and Axtell, 1973). Later an induced mutant P721 was reported (Mohan and Axtell, 1975). The mutant allele P721 appeared to be partially dominant and had a 60 percent increase in lysine over the normal. The lysine in normal was 2.11 percent as against 2.88 percent in high lysine. P721 had soft phenotype and had reduced yield. It behaved differently in different genetic backgrounds and only in a few did yield appear to be satisfactory. Converted materials using this gene had poor acceptance because of soft kernels. Modified vitreous types have also been encountered (Ejeta, 1979) but work was not pursued rigorously. Ethiopian high lysine sorghums are proposed for for use as weaning food pending conformation of the fact that digestibility is acceptable. Rice Milled rice is low in protein concentration (7 percent). It contributes 40-80 percent of the calories and at least 40 percent of the protein in Asian diets. Rice has good quality protein despite its poor concentration. A lot of work has been done over the past five decades at IRRI to improve protein content and quality in rice. The Researchers concluded after many years of work that there is some hope and prospect of further improving the lysine concentration in rice protein (Coffman and Juliano, 1979). Improvement for protein concentration appeared to be a good possibility, but results so far have been disappointing as witnessed by the lack of high protein rice cultivars. Rice protein consists mostly of glutelin (80 percent), prolamin (less than 5 percent), albumin (5 percent) and globulin (10 percent). It is of interest to point out that albumin and globulin are concentrated in the aleurone layers. The lysine content of different fractions is glutelin (3.47 percent lysine), albumin (4.92 percent lysine), globulin (2.56 percent lysine) and prolamine (0.51 percent lysine). Bran and embryo proteins are mainly albumin proteins and are rich in lysine. Rice has more lysine and better biological value compared to other cereals (Coffman and Juliano 1979; Khush and Juliano 1984; Tanaka 1983; Frey 1977). Oat Oat ranks fifth in the total production following wheat, rice, corn and barley. It is mainly used for animal feed. Oat protein has good protein concentration and has excellent balance of amino acids (Robbins et al., 1971). Its protein quality and biological value is maintained even at higher protein concentrations. Genetic enhancement and manipulation for higher protein content is possible and commercial cultivars having 20 percent protein have been developed (Briggle, 1971). High yield has no adverse effect on protein content. A few high protein cultivars - Dal, Goodland, Marathan and Wright developed in Wisconsin have two-three percent increase in groats protein. Wheat This is chiefly used as food and its use as feed is less important. Surpluses are sometimes fed to livestock. Despite extensive research efforts, the high lysine mutants have not been encountered. There are better prospects of increasing protein content and lines exceeding 12 percent have been isolated. From by-products of wheat milling, as much as 28 percent of the grain, mainly in the form of bran and shorts, finds its way into mixed livestock feeds. Triticale and Rye These are mostly used as feed for livestock. Triticale has improved protein content and quality and so continues to generate optimism as a potential feed source. QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE SUCCESS STORY As pointed out earlier, CIMMYT scientists used opaque-2 gene because no other genes offered any greater advantage. In the beginning emphasis was on developing soft endosperm cultivars. As the agronomic problems mentioned earlier became obvious, several different options were tried which could result in acceptable quality protein maize germplasm. These approaches are described in several CIMMYT publications and journal articles (Byarnason and Vasal, 1992; Vasal et al., 1984; Vasal et al., 1980; Vasal et al., 1979; Vasal, 1994; Vasal, 2000). Only one approach appeared promising which could resolve all problems confronting soft opaques and result in high-quality protein materials with acceptable yield performance, kernel phenotype and low vulnerability to ear rots and stored grain pests. The approach involved use of two genetic systems involving the opaque-2 gene and the genetic modifiers of opaque-2 locus. Using this approach, the initial emphasis was on developing hard endosperm opaque-2 donor stocks. Subsequently these donor’s stocks were used to convert normal maize materials to hard endosperm opaque-2. In addition several broad based gene pools were formed. By late 1978, a huge volume of quality protein maize germplasm was developed with normal looking kernel phenotype. Merging and reorganization was attempted at this point to form a fixed number of pools and populations for systematic handling and improvement (Vasal, 1994, 2000). In all, 10 populations and 13 Quality Protein Maize (QPM) pools resulted from this effort. In the mid 1980s QPM hybrid effort was initiated. Problems were overcome and progress was attained in most traits deficient in original soft opaque-2 materials. International testing of QPM varieties and hybrids has been extensive and the results have been extremely encouraging. Several countries have identified varieties or hybrids which are competitive and are either equal or better than the best normal checks included in the trials (Table 7). Also during the mid 1990s, 55 QPM inbreds were announced and made available to public and private sectors. In the past four years at least 22 countries have released QPM materials, including China, India and Vietnam (Table 8). Successful field days were conducted in most of the countries releasing the hybrids. In many instances, high ranking politicians attended the ceremonies. There is enthusiasm and hope of covering more area under QPM in the coming years. TABLE 7 Superior white QPM hybrids tested across fifteen locations at El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, 1998 Pedigree Yield (t/ha) Ear Rot (%) Tryptophan (%) Ear Modification Silking (Days) Plt ht (cm) CML142xCML146 6.48 3.7 0.096 2.0 55 242 CML159xCML144 6.39 4.3 0.100 1.6 56 230 (CLQ6203xCML150) 6.28 5.7 0.088 2.1 55 239 CML176 CML145xCML144 5.81 5.8 0.840 2.0 54 241 CML158xCML144 5.59 7.1 0.103 1.3 55 228 CML146xCML150 5.48 8.1 0.084 3.6 56 222 POZA RICA 8763 TLWD 5.34 12.0 0.095 2.8 54 230 Normal Hybrid check 5.58 9.5 0.070 2.0 56 228 Local checks: HB-83, CB-HS-5G, H-59, XM7712, GUAYOPE TABLE 8 Recent releases involving CIMMYT germplasm Name Institutions/Country CIMMYT germplasm involved SHAKTIMAN - 1 DMR, India (CML 142, CML 150) SHAKTIMAN - 2 DMR, India (CML 176, CML 186) HQ 2000 NMRI, Vietnam (CML 161, CML 165) Yun Yao19 Yunnan, China (CML 140) Yun You 167 Yunnan, China (CML 194) Qian 2609 Guizou, China (CML 171) Lu Dan 206 China Shandong (P70) Lu Dan 207 Shandong, China (P70) Lu Dan 807 Shandong, China (P70) Hybrid 2075 Sichuan, China (CIMMYT QPM Populations) Zhongdan 9409 CAAS, China (Pool 33 QPM) FOOD AND FEED USE OF CEREALS Cereals are consumed principally as food for humans and feed for livestock. Total production of cereal grains in 2000 was 1870 million tonnes compared with 1581 million tonnes in 1978. It is estimated that 34 percent of the world’s grain crop is used to feed livestock raised for meat. For humans, cereal grains provide a major portion of calories and protein needed in the diet. Today the world obtains about 50 percent of its dietary protein from cereals, about 20 percent from legumes and 30 percent from animal products (Oram and Brock, 1972). In developing countries, people obtain about 26 percent of their protein from animal products and the remaining two-thirds from cereals. In contrast, people from the developed world meet 56 percent of their protein requirement from animal products. Feed use of cereals has been steadily increasing. On a worldwide basis, roughly one-third of grain crops are used for feeding livestock. The feed use of cereals in Asia totaled 158.1 million tonnes. China was the largest user (103. million tonnes) followed in order of their use by, Japan (15.9 million tonnes), India (8.0 million tonnes), South Korea (7.6 million tonnes) and Taiwan (5.0 million tonnes). Maize use as feed is quite large in Asia and perhaps exceeds 50 percent of total production. The consumption of meat and milk has grown many fold in the developing countries, at least in the past 3 decades. The total meat consumption in the world has risen from 139 million tonnes in 1983 to 184 million tonnes in 1993. This is projected to increase to 303 million tonnes by 2020. The meat consumption in developing countries increased from 50 in 1983 to 88 million tonnes in 1993, and the projected consumption for 2020 is 188 million tonnes. Between the mid 1970s and the mid 1990s, the consumption of meat in the developing countries grew almost three times as much as it did in the developed world (Pinstrup-Andersen et al., 1999). Consumption grew at an even faster rate in the second half of this period, with Asia in the lead (Delgado et al., 1999). Future projections suggest that meat and milk in the developing countries will grow by between 2.8 and 3.3 percent per year between the early 1990s and 2020. The corresponding developed world growth rates were 0.6 and 0.2 percent per year. High lysine cereals in human nutrition Most cereals have lysine as the first limiting amino acid. Naturally occurring high lysine cereals are rice and oats. The lysine values range from 3.5 to 4.0 percent in protein. Despite high lysine values, the first limiting amino acid in both cereals is lysine. As discussed earlier, conscious effects to further increase the levels of lysine have not yielded positive results. In respect of protein, rice is quite low (seven percent) but oat protein content is reasonably high. Here again breeding efforts aimed at increasing protein content in rice have not been very successful, but the prospects of developing high protein oats without sacrificing lysine are quite good. Because of high lysine values both rice and oat have demonstrated higher biological value relative to other cereals (Coffman and Juliano, 1979; Khush and Juliano, 1984; Tanaka, 1983; Frey, 1977). Rice will continue to be a staple diet of at least half of the world’s population. Compared to all other cereals, oat grain combines the advantage of both protein content and quality and its use as a human food will increase, even though its major use is presently as feed grain. Rice will continue to be an important cereal for food and has the advantage of being high in protein quality despite being low in its concentration. In the remaining crops, maize, sorghum, barley and millet, the protein quality is not good while the protein quantity is in the range of 9-10 percent in the whole grain. Except maize, the nutritional improvements for improved amino acid composition through breeding efforts have not been successful, so the benefits of nutritionally enhanced characteristics in sorghum, barley and millet cannot be harnessed by people and tribes consuming such cereals. The use of high lysine sorghum could be advocated as weaning food, as is the case in Ethiopia. The high lysine types are easily recognizable because they are somewhat dented. Farmers could produce high lysine sorghum grain as a protein source for weaning children and for pregnant and nursing mothers. Sorghum flour is quite indigestible by the infants, so more studies are needed before it can be recommended as a weaning food. QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE FOR HUMAN NUTRITION In maize, the development of QPM has turned out to be a success story. It has similar agronomic performance, appearance and taste as the normal maize. It has a reduced prolamin fraction (25-30 percent) but elevated levels of other fractions such as glutelins, albumins and globulins. There is a two-fold increase in the levels of lysine and tryptophan with high digestibility and biological value. QPM has a balanced leucine:isoleucine ratio and thus an enhanced production of niacin to help overcome pellagra. QPM is like eggs and milk, both low in niacin, but they offer protection from pellagra because their proteins contain high levels of tryptophan. Compared to skim milk, the nutritional value of QPM is about 90 percent. It meets the requirements of pre-school children for their protein needs. In countries or communities where low protein and tuber crops make up an infant’s diet, QPM offers better prospects. There is a tendency for increased nitrogen retention when a switch over from normal to QPM is made. It should in turn translate into body weight, stature and protection from protein deficiency illnesses. Clinical studies conducted in hospitals have demonstrated that QPM can give preventative help and cure of severe protein deficiency disease (Kwashiorkor) in young children by simply using it as the only source of protein (Pradilla et al., 1973). QPM could be a great weaning food when used alone in maize diets. Substitution of normal maize with QPM will produce more benefits. QPM could be really helpful in catch-up growth, particularly in the malnourished and those who are sick, especially after diarrhoea. QPM could have a role in improving birth rates. In addressing problems of infant mortality due to low birth weight, QPM fed to pregnant women could raise the chances of child survival. Poorer sections of society lacking resources to buy milk could rely on low cost QPM to provide very similar benefits (Singh and Jain, 1977). QPM could also be a better alternative for those groups who are unable to eat bulk food, even if it is available, as is the case in infants and children. A diet solely based on QPM is regarded adequate in meeting the energy and protein needs of infants and children (Graham et al., 1980, 1990). It is believed that QPM should be a good measure for infants and young children (ranging from three months to three years in age) to reduce mortality and improve growth rates. Studies on adults using QPM are limited, but there are indications that QPM is more efficient than normal corn in supplying the protein requirements of adults (Clark, 1966; Clark et al., 1977). QPM can also provide a high amount of usable protein as energy, 8.3-9.6 percent when a value of 8 percent is considered adequate for a one-year old child. Carotenoids, the coloured plant pigments which are precursors and give rise to vitamin A in the body, are better utilized in QPM compared to normal maize. From limited studies on humans and animals, it is well demonstrated that it has high biological value (BV), high digestibility and better food efficiency (g food intake/g weight gain). In defining an exact and further role of QPM in human nutrition, additional studies are needed to make nutritional and economic assessments. Value of high-lysine cereals (QPM) in animal nutrition A variety of animals have been used in demonstrating the superior performance of QPM compared to normal maize used alone or in combination with different food rations. It is fair to say that QPM has great potential in monogastric animals such as rats, chickens and swine. In experiments carried out in about the last three decades, there is clear evidence that QPM is a better feed than normal maize because its proteins are well balanced. Other advantages and roles of QPM could be seen in substituting it for high protein costly supplements like soybean or fish meal. Feeding trials showed that rats fed on opaque-2 compared with normal maize exhibited a three to six fold increase in body weight. Bressani obtained similar results with rats in Guatemala. They also exhibited a greater food intake (162 for QPM compared with 130.5 for normal maize) and a better feed conversion efficiency (7.0 in normal compared with 9.4 in QPM). In feeding chickens, QPM could play a much greater role because of increasing demand for poultry in several countries of Asia. In poultry feeding some special considerations must be kept in mind. Growing chicks need high protein and high methionine content diets. With only methionine supplementation, the opaque-2 fed chickens grew faster than those fed on normal maize, and produced better live weight gain and feed conversion, even at below optimal protein levels. Feed efficiency results obtained from Guatemalan trials were quite striking. The feed efficiency ratio for QPM and normal maize was 3.5:1 and 8.2:1 respectively. From limited studies that are available in Guatemala, one may conclude that QPM has great promise for feeding poultry if supplemented adequately with methionine. Field demonstrations of QPM on swine have produced striking and convincing results. Thus pigs can be used as model animals in demonstrating the value of this special maize. For swine, QPM can be fed as the only source of protein during finishing, gestation and pre-gestation periods without reducing growth (Maner, 1975). In Colombian trials, pigs fed QPM grew 3.5 times faster than on normal maize when maize was the sole protein source. Since protein in QPM is not concentrated, it is advisable to add or mix with some supplement. Animals gain weight faster than humans especially during the early growing period. Piglets and rats, for example, put on 10 percent of their body weight per day. In contrast, an infant puts on only one percent/day of its body weight. It is therefore recommended that for growing pigs of all ages or lactating sows, opaque-2 corn must be supplemented with extra protein to produce optimum and maximum performance. The dramatic effects of QPM have been demonstrated in other countries such as Guatemala, China, Vietnam and Kenya. In Guizou province of China, feeding QPM within pig raising systems transformed the livelihoods of the poorest people in the poorest province. From the foregoing it may be concluded that rearing and production of pigs and chickens can be carried out more efficiently on QPM, and indirectly this will improve human diets by providing more meat and eggs. The expanded demand for meat and other animal products has witnessed unprecedented growth. In the next two decades the growth is likely to continue at the rate of 3.3 percent per year. The demand for feed will thus rise rapidly and will have to be met by cereals which have potential for increased productivity and improved nutritional value through better feed efficiency. Maize will certainly play a dominant role, and QPM will have the added advantage of being superior in protein quality and higher in feed efficiency

IMPORTANT SAFETY HEALTH TIPS

POSSIBLE THYROID TUMORS, INCLUDING CANCER: Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In animal studies, BYDUREON and medicines that work like it caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if BYDUREON will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people. Do not use BYDUREON if you or any of your family members have ever had MTC or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Do not use BYDUREON if you have had an allergic reaction to exenatide or any of the other ingredients in BYDUREON. BYDUREON may cause serious side effects, including: Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using BYDUREON and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use BYDUREON with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or lightheadedness, sweating, confusion or drowsiness, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, mood changes, hunger, weakness, or feeling jittery Kidney problems (kidney failure). Tell your healthcare provider if you have or had kidney problems. In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration) which may cause kidney problems to get worse Stomach problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have severe problems with your stomach, such as delayed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems digesting food. Other medicines like BYDUREON may cause severe stomach problems. It is not known if BYDUREON causes or worsens stomach problems Serious allergic reactions. Stop using BYDUREON and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including itching, rash, or difficulty breathing Injection-site reactions. Serious injection-site reactions, with or without bumps (nodules), have happened in some people who use BYDUREON. Some of these injection-site reactions have required surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of injection-site reactions, including severe pain, swelling, blisters, an open wound, or a dark scab The most common side effects with BYDUREON may include nausea, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, constipation, itching at the injection site, a small bump (nodule) at the injection site, and indigestion. Nausea is most common when you first start using BYDUREON, but decreases over time in most people as their body gets used to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, as taking them with BYDUREON may affect how each medicine works. Before using BYDUREON, talk to your healthcare provider about low blood sugar and how to manage it. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other diabetes medicines, including insulin or sulfonylureas. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BYDUREON will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider first if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. APPROVED USES for BYDUREON BYDUREON is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and should be used along with diet and exercise. BYDUREON is not recommended as the first choice of medicine for treating diabetes. BYDUREON is not a substitute for insulin and is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis. BYDUREON is a long-acting form of the medication in BYETTA® (exenatide) injection so both drugs should not be used at the same time. It is not known if BYDUREON can be used in people with a history of pancreatitis or if BYDUREON is safe and effective for use in children. Please click here for Medication Guide, and click here for Full Prescribing Information for BYDUREON 2 mg, including Boxed WARNING about possible thyroid tumors including thyroid cancer.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SORGIUM

Sorghum is a nutritious cereal that makes for a very healthy diet. It is a grain that is generally red or pale yellow in color. It is often cooked as porridge for breakfast or along with other dishes. Nutritional Facts of Sorghum Sorghum is rich in potassium and phosphorous. It also has a good amount of calcium with small amounts of iron and sodium. Vitamin Content of Sorghum Sorghum has a good amount of thiamin and niacin with small amounts of riboflavin. Caloric Content of Sorghum 100 grams of Sorghum have 339 calories. Calories from fat are 28. Health Benefits of Sorghum Sorghum makes for a healthy diet, because it is a gluten-free food. It is good for the management of Celiac disease and other similar wheat allergies. It keeps bones and teeth healthy while also giving energy to the body. It also maintains the health of the heart, controls diabetes, arthritis, and weight of the body. Back to Nutritional Value of Food Nutritional Value of Rye Rye is also a healthy cereal, like other grains. It is boiled or eaten in the form of breads, flour, beer, whiskies, and vodkas. Nutritional Facts of Rye Rye is rich in potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. It has a good amount of calcium and sodium, with a small amount of iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. Vitamin Content of Rye Rye is rich in choline with good amounts of vitamin A, B6, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. It also has small amounts of vitamin E, K, and folate. Caloric Content of Rye 100 grams of Rye has 335 calories. Calories from fat are only 21. Health Benefits of Rye Rye helps in reducing weight and well as preventing gallstones, heart failure, cancer, breast cancer, and childhood asthma. It lowers the risk of Type II diabetes, reduces high blood pressure, and is good for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol.