Forget Universal Health Care: Eat Your Ice Cream!

Ice cream researchers are converting the cold treat into a Trojan Horse for long life and vitality. They are learning to supplement the frozen delight with ingredients known to bolster the health of the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and immune systems. And they are just getting started . . . .

Adding nutrients such as pro-biotics, which are already found in some dairy products, and fiber to ice cream can improve digestive health. Many diseases are caused by inflammation that starts in the intestines, Gruen said. Improving digestive health with functional foods might reduce that inflammation. Although functional foods have health benefits, there are many challenges to adding nutrients to ice cream.

"Our major challenges are texture, flavor and psychological acceptance," Gruen said. "The nutrients we add often have bitter tastes and affect the texture of ice cream that we have to mask. Flavors like chocolate are easier to work with because the flavor is so strong that it can overcome other flavors from the nutrients. Another challenge is determining whether people would be upset that we're 'tampering' with a comfort food. We need to know if they would be more willing to pay for ice cream with added nutritional benefits."

Gruen and his research team are looking at using the açai berry and remnants from grapes in wine-making to add nutrients to ice cream. They hope to have a prototype ready for tasting in the next six months. _SD

Al Fin nutritionists are unanimous in their support for this approach to good health. Whereas the health care bills before the US Congress threaten to destroy everything that is innovative and generative in the US biomedical system, health-promoting ice cream is merely food.

It is understandable why persons prone to premature senility and aging -- such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi -- might be obsessed with matters of health, to the point of losing all sense of reason and proportion. But that is no reason to destroy the most innovative biomedical system in the world. Don't be such a jerk, Nancy! ;-)

But seriously, folks, the concept of using ordinary foods and beverages as vectors for evolutionary and revolutionary health improvements, is an idea long overdue. Mainstream food scientists think very small. Al Fin nutritionists think very big. Stay tuned.