Turn things away into useful health

Fish heads, orange peels, grape skins . are things people often throw away without knowing that they contain lots of beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Professor Fariba Dehghani, from the School of Chemical and Molecular Biology (Cornell University, in New York), heads a research group to find the best way to take advantage of the discarded parts of real types. products, fruits, vegetables, seafood, including fruit peels or eggshells.

'Food is seriously wasted. Some parts of the food are put in the trash, while they can be recycled into high-value products such as functional foods rich in vitamins, minerals, nutrients and energy-producing benefits for the body. ' said the professor.

Statistics across the globe, food waste is everywhere. It is estimated that in 2011, nearly one third of human food is wasted (ie about 1.3 billion tons of food is discarded each year). Meanwhile, if fully utilized, this amount of food can feed all the hungry people around the world. This waste is most evident in the food industry, which eliminates a wide range of valuable parts of food from manufacturing to retail.

Orange peel has health benefits.(Photo: Bodyandsoul)

In order not to waste, Professor Fariba advised each person to learn to take full advantage of the beneficial parts of processed foods into truly healthy products.

Orange peel

Consumers often prefer to eat only sweet citrus fruits and throw away their shells. The industry that produces orange juice has thrown away thousands of tons of orange peels in a wastebasket without knowing that they are wasting a good source of fiber and throwing away the excellent anti-cancer essences.

Many recent studies show that orange peel contains many antioxidants that help fight cancer.'Scientists are focusing on studying how to extract useful essences from orange peels , ' the professor said.

Grape skin

We like to eat grapes with juicy fruits without knowing that grapes are filled with good essences, especially with high levels of resveratrol. A study by the University of Missouri found that resveratrol made malignant tumor cells more responsive to radiation treatment. Previous studies have also shown that this substance has a similar effect to prostate cancer cells.

Fish head

Fish's head, brain, and cartilage are very nutritious and rich in vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, and calcium. Earlier this year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization called on people to increase seafood consumption because they have more nutrients than meat. Professor Fariba said her research team is considering how to effectively use the discarded parts of this seafood, such as fish heads, fish bones, fish scales .

Soy products

A University of Illinois study found that lunasin peptide in soybeans is often removed in soy milk factories, while it contains many anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory substances.

What Professor Fariba Dehghani is thinking about is how to take advantage of waste from fermentation of soybeans to produce vitamins MK-7. Research shows that instead of eating 5 kg of cheese, we only need one teaspoon of oil produced by this technology to strengthen bones, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Coffee beans

The nitrogen content in discarded coffee beans will become an excellent source of raw material for compost fertilizer production. You can also turn it into an exfoliating solution by mixing a generous amount of coffee beans with little water or olive oil to apply to your skin.

Celery leaves

Slicing and adding a handful of celery leaves to soups, salads or fruit juices will be more delicious. This vegetable leaf can also be eaten raw to replace coriander or parsley.

Chicken bone

After cooking chicken, take advantage of the bone to stew, add vegetables or other herbs, you will have a delicious pot of broth.

Eggshell

Scooping dry eggshells, mixed with an egg white will give a white skin mask to remove toxins in your skin.

Used tea bags

Tea tannins help soothe and soften all skin types. Put a chilled tea bag on your eyes when swollen or on sunburned skin will be effective immediately. You can also add some tea to the footbath to kill the bacteria that cause odors.