What we’re reading: 5/13

Anyone remember Euell Gibbons?

French maritime pine bark, which is also known as Pinus Pinaster, may help boost attention span, memory, decision making and overall cognitive function. Food Manufacture reports on a new study.

Oh, so trendy.

Who says our readers aren’t hip? Food and Wine gives us nine ingredients top chefs are buzzing about. (Hint: Can you say liver?)

A little dirt is good for you.

We may be becoming a “more naïve or vulnerable population” when it comes to our gut flora, according to a recent piece in the New York Times. Today’s “food sanitation practices — along with home cooks’ antibacterial veggie washes, chlorine bleach kitchen cleaners and sterilization cycle dishwashers — kill off so-called good bacteria naturally found in foods that bolster our health.”

Waste not… (there’s an app for that)

I don’t know about you, but I pitch a lot of expired food from my frig or cupboards. I’m not alone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 36 pounds of food per person is wasted each month at the retail and consumer levels! So USDA created an app, FoodKeeper, that can remind you to use items before they are likely to spoil. (It has a lot of other great info, too!)

One lump or two?

New research suggests high sugar — but not aspartame — consumption may relieve stress in humans. But, cautions Kevin D. Laugero of the University of California, Davis, and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, “The concern is psychological or emotional stress could trigger the habitual overconsumption of sugar and amplify sugar’s detrimental health effects, including obesity.” (Yeah, well there’s that…) Via the Institute for Food Technology.

Move over, Ling-Ling

Bamboo isn’t just for pandas anymore. Food entrepreneur Vincent Villanis is hoping his Bamboo Water will make a splash like coconut water among foodies and health food lovers. Via Food Navigator-USA.