On February 22, Jose Luis Perez took a trip that helped him meet professionals in his chosen career and reinforced his feeling that he was headed in the right direction. Perez says he got “the feel of how stuff works in Washington.” For example, he unexpectedly found himself being filmed for television while asking a question during a panel discussion. “I got up and suddenly see cameras pointed at me,” Perez says. “I came up on CSPAN.” Perez asked the panel about the future of agricultural research. In… Read More →

Texas Researcher: Peaches Inhibit Breat Cancer Metastasis in Mice by KATHLEEN PHILLIPS on MARCH 24, 2014 COLLEGE STATION – Lab tests at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have shown that treatments with peach extract inhibit breast cancer metastasis in mice. AgriLife Research scientists say that the mixture of phenolic compounds present in the peach extract are responsible for the inhibition of metastasis, according to the study, which was this month published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. “Cancer cells were implanted under the skin of mice with an aggressive… Read More →

Managing Diabetes an Expensive Affair by R. AVADHANI on MARCH 24, 2014 – A few complications may be addressed by consuming vegetables The economic burden of diagnosed diabetes in the US is $245 billion per year while in India it is $5 billion. Approximately, $12.5 billion is spent on diabetes among all age groups in Texas annually. Diabetes is increasing at rapid rate and it is expected that by 2030, India will have 100 million people with diabetes. While diabetes may be treatable in future, currently there is… Read More →

Cool weather delays start of Texas deal, new Vidalia ship date could extend season. Texas growers anticipate a good crop with promising markets and strong prices as season begins.  March 10-24, 2014, by Chip Carter. The Texas onion deal will be a little late out of the gate this season but growers will get some help extending that season with a new later start date for Vidalia onion growers. A cold winter by Texas standards — averaging about 10 degrees cooler than normal — will mean the Texas… Read More →

If a new medication came on the market to help one lose weight, increase exercise, stop smoking and prevent heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory illness and diabetes, people would flock to physicians for a prescription and buy stock in the company, one expert believes. But that’s not likely, according to Dr. David Katz, a physician and director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, who spoke at Texas A&M University today. Yet, the knowledge already exists to prevent those ailments and few are taking advantage, Katz told about 200… Read More →

Several of the nation’s leading food industry experts will convene here next week to discuss the latest findings on the connections between fruit and vegetable production and medical advances. The national conference will also mark the 20th anniversary of Texas A&M University’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center. Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, founder and president of California-based Healthy Dining, has been invited to share her expertise during the national, daylong conference, Produce for Health. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 25th, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center. Jones-Mueller… Read More →

TEXAS A&M – The Texas A&M College of AgriLife Sciences held the 20th anniversary celebration for its Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center today, hosting national experts to discuss ways to promote healthy diets. Event speakers say the key to spreading health is not just through funding, but education as well. “The application of that and getting it in the public use and educating the public, all the way from K-12 up into adulthood about the value of healthy eating and the role food plays in disease prevention and… Read More →

COLLEGE STATION – There’s a lot more to agriculture than just driving a tractor. And you might be surprised to know some of the carrots, onions and peppers you have in your fridge were developed right here at Texas A&M. You are what you eat. “There’s so much stuff out there, so many produce,” Jose Perez, a PhD student, said. Researchers at Texas A&M have been at the forefront of finding connections between food and health. “We gave the maroon carrot and the regular orange carrot to breast… Read More →

by Emily Davis [emily.davis@theeagle.com] The Texas A&M University Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center is celebrating 20 years of helping provide healthy food options to consumers. The center began under the direction of former A&M professor Leonard Pike as a facility to research the health benefits of vegetables and how to produce ones that are healthier and more economically and environmentally efficient than regular vegetables. Fruit was added to the scope of research in 1999. Bhimu Patil, center director, said that when it began, the center was the first… Read More →

“Everything in excess is opposed by nature.” – Hippocrates Sometimes it seems that the health and fitness industry is hell-bent on turning itself into a cartoon. Every weight-loss and athletic training program is declared to be “the ultimate.” Outrageous claims are everywhere and extremism is the order of the day. Supplements, exercise machines and trainers are routinely advertised as “ferocious,” “insane,” “outrageous,” “alpha,” “maximum,” “mega,” “incredible” and “awesome.” Everything is bigger, faster, stronger and more scientific than everything else. Like the Lake Wobegon kids, everything and everyone in… Read More →