NEWS NAME CHANGE www.foodtechnology.co.nz 55 For the first time, South Australian researchers have recorded how human gut cells react to glucose, one of the key nutrients in our diet. The study focuses on the secretion of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) from the lining of the gut. When it is released after a meal, GLP-1 triggers insulin secretion from the pancreas and signals fullness, to limit further food intake. As a result, this hormone has been the focus of significant new drug development for type 2 diabetes and obesity in the past decade. Research leader Professor Damien Keating from Flinders University and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) says little has been known about how the release of the hormone is controlled in humans. “We have now recorded how the arrival of glucose in the upper intestine triggers the release of this important hormone, which has been a chief therapeutic target for a number of diabetes and new anti-obesity drugs,” he says. “By learning more about the gut’s mechanism to process glucose and produce this hormone, we can begin to develop potential new therapies which may be much more targeted and effective.” With obesity and Type 2 (acquired) diabetes on the rise, these therapies will be important in increasing public health and wellbeing, and in reducing the future cost burden of these conditions to the community, Keating says. Drugs that mimic GLP-1, or increase its levels in blood, are now used successfully for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. In the past year, one such drug, a long-acting stable version of GLP-1, was approved in Australia as the first new anti-obesity treatment in more than 10 years. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other health problems including osteoarthritis, cancer and stroke. Report co-author University of Adelaide Associate Professor Richard Young says these findings show that the secretion of GLP-1 in humans is triggered by the precise movement of glu- GLUCOSE RESPONSE HOLDS KEY TO BETTER OBESITY New research into the mysteries of food digestion has pinpointed exactly how an important metabolic hormone is released from the human gut in response to the food we eat. cose across the gut and into the blood. The American National Institutes of Health says more than two in three adults are considered to be overweight or obese, and more than one in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity. A third of children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese, and more than one in six children and adolescents are considered to be obese. The 7th edition of the International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas estimates that while one in 11 adults has diabetes (415 million worldwide), one in two (or 46.5%) of adults with diabetes are undiagnosed. Global expenditure on diabetes was estimated at $US673 billion in 2015. We start from the position that water should be protected, te Tiriti o Waitangi should be honoured, and commercial water users should pay their fair share. In announcing a policy that it says will ensure New Zealanders have access to clean, safe drinking water, the Greens say companies that profit from sales of clean water should be paying for the privilege. Co-leader James Shaw says water bottling and exporting isn’t the only sector profiting from the use of water. “In government, we’ll develop a fair way to charge all commercial water users, something that the National Government has avoided responsibility for in the entire time it’s been in government. We’ll do this through a process involving nationwide meetings and hui with all interested people and organisations. We start from the position that water should be protected, te Tiriti o Waitangi should be honoured, and commercial water users should pay their fair share. It will be up to tangata whenua to decide exactly how to engage in the conversation and influence its outcomes; we expect tangata whenua will play a critical role. We’ll reinstate funding to smaller communities and marae who struggle to pay for water treatment infrastructure, safe drinking water planning, and technical help, so that everyone in every corner of New Zealand has access to clean, drinkable water.” Frucor Beverages New Zealand has changed its name to Frucor Suntory. The company, a leading Australasian beverage manufacturer, has been part of the Suntory Group since 2009, and the decision to take on the Suntory name came from within Frucor, chief executive Jonathan Moss says. “We wanted to acknowledge and reinforce the opportunities that have come from being part of Suntory,” he says. “Suntory has invested heavily in our business while supporting our local leaders, local culture and local brands so we have had the best of both worlds.” Moss says the new brand will also allow the company to incorporate Suntory’s global name recognition into business activities in Australia and New Zealand. Frucor Suntory has more than 50 years in the beverage industry, starting in New Zealand in 1962 as part of the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. Its flagship V Energy drink was launched in 1997 and in 2001 the Australian arm of the business was established. Frucor Suntory employs nearly 1000 people across Australia and New Zealand and has a portfolio of more than 30 brands including V, Just Juice, Fresh Up, Sparkling OH and OVI, Gatorade and Pepsi.
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