Hort urged to back controversial emissions plan
The country's horticulturalists have been urged to get in behind the controversial He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) agricultural emissions plan.
A new study by Plant & Food Research has found that an extract from New Zealand blackcurrants could help active people.
The study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, contributes to mounting research on the benefits of anthocyanin-rich NZ blackcurrants on exercise recovery and post-exercise immune function.
“NZ blackcurrants may have benefits for those living an active lifestyle,” says Dr Roger Hurst, a biomedical scientist leading the work at Plant & Food Research.
This new study looked at the minimum serve size required and found that consumption of a single serve of 1.6mg of NZ blackcurrant anthocyanins per kg of bodyweight taken one hour before exercise had positive effects on exercise recovery.
According to this study, the benefits are unlikely to be attributable to the antioxidant properties of the extract and more likely due to the blackcurrant extract activating adaptive defensive pathways in cells and tissues.
A separate pilot trial explored the effects of the NZ blackcurrant supplement on immune function, which can be compromised following prolonged or intense exercise.
The researchers looked at neutrophils – the body’s first line of defence against infection – and found that consumption of the NZ blackcurrant extract one hour prior to exercise preserved circulating neutrophil function. This could benefit active people wanting to maintain performance and avoid decreased immune function that can accompany training.
Previous studies by Plant & Food Research found that NZ blackcurrants could promote a positive mood and the desire to exercise for longer.
Other intervention studies are underway.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.