Thanks to a Rutgers professor, one of our healthiest foods has gotten healthier and the product is hitting grocery store shelves on Saturday. “[It’s]The first time I think something really good happened to lettuce, because it’s the second most commonly consumed vegetable in the world and yet it’s not known for anything good or bad and now it’s gotten a functionality and some true benefits for health,” plant biology professor Ilya Raskin told WCBS 880’s Levon Putney. Raskin broke down lettuce into individual cells, reproduced the cells high in antioxidants and there you go – super lettuce!
Archives for 2014
Rutgers professor develops ‘superfood’ lettuce
Blueberries are considered the gold standard of “superfoods” because of their high levels of polyphenols, beneficial compounds shown to protect against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, memory loss, inflammation and cancer. However, this seasonal fruit, often priced at a premium, is high in sugar content, requiring limited consumption by people on restrictive diets…A new superfood that’s low in sugar and available year-round and exceeds the high polyphenol content of blueberries hits the market this month. This high-polyphenol lettuce has been named Rutgers Scarlet Lettuce (RSL) – a tribute to Rutgers’ school mascot and color, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and is the brainchild of Rutgers Distinguished Professor in Plant Biology Ilya Raskin.
Roger Barr, Retired Bergen County 4-H Agent, Inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame
Roger Barr of Upper Saddle River, NJ, was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on October 10 for his lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H. The former Bergen County agent was honored by the New Jersey 4-H Youth Development Program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension and was one of 14 people inducted during the […]
Oyster farmers ride the wave of consumer tastes – Lawmaker offers his help to the shellfish growers
Aquaculture farmers in Middle Township are riding the leading edge of an oyster renaissance, a Rutgers marine scientist said recently, and last week independent growers in the area got the vocal support of a federal lawmaker in their pursuit to revital…
Rutgers Gardens celebrates nature at Fall Festival
Rutgers Gardens hosted its annual Fall Festival over the weekend to help raise funds for the 180-acre public garden. Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens, said the festival is a fun day out intended to serve as a fundraiser and community awareness event. “As long as the gardens have been here, there are still a number of families who don’t know we exist,” he said. “There’s nothing out front that screams ‘Rutgers Gardens.'”…The preserve, which opened in 1922, is tucked away off Ryders Lane between New Brunswick and East Brunswick.
New Jersey’s Creeping Crisis in Water Infrastructure
New Jersey has an enviable system of water supply, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. However, the State has historically under-invested in maintaining these systems and has not upgraded many antiquated components to modern standards. Associate Research Professor for Water, Society & the Environment Daniel Van Abs (CC’77) and his research team have completed recent reports on […]
Alumni Story: Tom Pluta (Ag ’64, GSNB ’76), A Solid Foundation
The School’s open invitation to alumni to share their “stories” has resulted in scores of interesting, even inspirational, memoirs about work and careers and the influence that their Rutgers education and experiences had on the direction of their lives. And in some cases, there have been several roads taken. Such is the case with Deacon […]
Rutgers Students Help Transform Part of Downtown New Brunswick in PARK(ing) Day 2014 Celebration
On September 19, members of the Rutgers Student Chapter of the New Jersey American Society of Landscape Architects (NJASLA), working with its parent organization, helped in the design and installation of PARK(ing) Day 2014 in downtown New Brunswick. This annual event, which takes place on the third Friday in September, temporarily transforms metered parking spaces […]
Natural Treatments Kill Bed Bugs
Researchers from Rutgers University have found that two “natural” commercial alternatives to pesticides were 90 percent effective in killing and controlling bed bugs. The two products – sold as EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol – killed more than 90 percent of the bugs treated with them. Nine other non-synthetic insecticides tested by the Rutgers researchers had any noticeable effects against bed bugs, according to a study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
Some foods really don’t belong in the refrigerator, experts say
Distinguished scholar, microbiologist and Rutgers University professor Dr. Don Schaffner would like to impart some personal wisdom upon the general public in an effort to educate those who might benefit from his insight: He eats his peanut butter at room temperature only. “I personally just don’t like cold peanut butter, so I keep it out of the refrigerator,” Schaffner said. And he’s not just talking Skippy, or Jif. He means natural peanut butter, without any preservatives. While other food safety experts, in an abundance of caution, might say he’s living dangerously, you know what, says the renowned food scientist and unabashed peanut butter lover? It ain’t gonna kill ya.
