>> ALL RIGHT.
YOU WANNA PICK IT?
THAT'S GINORMOUS!
YOU GOT IT, BUDDY!
>> WE ALL KNOW MOM'S ADVICE.
EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOU.
SCIENTISTS ALWAYS KNEW THAT MOM WAS RIGHT.
THEY'RE JUST BEGINNING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHY.
>> THESE ARE FANTASTIC!
>> THEY CAN FINALLY DISCERN WHAT THESE CHEMICALS ARE, HOW THEY
ARE SYNTHESIZED WITHIN A PLANT, WHAT THAT COMPLEX PATHWAY IS
THAT MAKES IT, AND THEN HOW THAT CHEMICAL IS ABLE TO INTERACT
WITH THE HUMAN RECEPTOR IN ORDER TO CURE A CHRONIC DISEASE.
>> WE GOT MORE.
>> WE NEED TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> BOTTOM LINE, PLANTS HAVE A LOT OF GOOD STUFF INSIDE.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS!
>> THE CHEMICALS THAT PLANTS PRODUCE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
FROM ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, PESTS AND DISEASES CAN ALSO PROTECT US
FROM DISEASE.
CALL THEM HEALTH-PROMOTING COMPOUNDS.
BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS AS EASY AS GOING OUT TO FARM TO FIND FRESH
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
THINK OF SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
THAT'S WHY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION IS FUNDING, AND THE
U.S. ARMY IS SUPPORTING, A PROJECT TO EXTRACT AND
CONCENTRATE THE GOOD STUFF FROM PRODUCE AND DEVELOP HEALTHIER,
MORE PORTABLE COMBAT RATIONS FOR SOLDIERS.
>> SO THIS IS A WAY TO TAKE THE BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS, THE
HEALTH-PROTECTIVE COMPOUNDS, OUT OF THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE,
LEAVING ALL THE WATER, SUGARS, BEHIND AND GETTING IT
CONCENTRATED, VERY MUCH CONCENTRATED, IN A SMALL AMOUNT
OF FLOUR OR HIGH-PROTEIN MATRIX, LIKE A HIGH-PROTEIN FLOUR.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GET IN A HANDFUL OF SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE,
FOR EXAMPLE, THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO OR THREE SERVINGS OF
BLUEBERRIES.
>> AND HERE'S WHY THAT CREATION OF THOSE FRUIT AND
VEGETABLE-INFUSED MIXES COULD BE SO IMPORTANT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS FRESH PRODUCE IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF EVERYDAY
DIET AND HEALTH.
NATURAL COMPOUNDS FOUND IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CAN HELP
IMPROVE IMMUNE FUNCTION, INHIBIT CHRONIC DISEASE DEVELOPMENT, AND
EVEN INCREASE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CAPACITY.
BUT THE REALITY IS ONLY 1% OF AMERICANS EAT THE RECOMMENDED
DAILY AMOUNT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY.
TAKES TOO LONG TO COOK.
DON'T KNOW HOW.
DON'T LIKE THE TEXTURE.
DON'T LIKE THE TASTE.
BAD COLOR.
TOO EXPENSIVE.
>> LOOK AT THAT ONE.
>> BUT THERE'S A PRACTICAL PROBLEM ALSO.
TO GET A SUFFICIENT DOSE OF THOSE BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS, A
PERSON NEEDS TO EAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF PRODUCE.
THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
ARE DIFFICULT TO TRANSPORT AND THEY CAN SPOIL QUICKLY.
>> YOU COULD PUT IT IN A PILL.
YOU CAN SELL IT AS A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT IN A CAPSULE.
IT'S NOT A FOOD.
SO WE THOUGHT HOW CAN WE DO THIS?
HOW CAN WE CONCENTRATE THINGS IN A FOOD?
>> AND HERE'S WHAT THE RESEARCHERS AT NORTH CAROLINA
STATE UNIVERSITY'S PLANTS FOR HUMAN HEALTH INSTITUTE HAVE
DISCOVERED.
>> THIS IS MUSCADINE GRAPES.
>> THAT BAG CONTAINS PROTEIN POWDERS AND FLOURS, THE KIND YOU
FIND AT HEALTH FOOD STORES.
IT'S BEEN MIXED WITH THE ACTIVE NATURAL INGREDIENTS FOUND IN
MUSCADINE GRAPES.
THAT'S RIGHT.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND A WAY TO ISOLATE THE GOOD STUFF FROM
PLANTS AND KEEP IT CHEMICALLY ACTIVE, CONCENTRATE IT INTO A
DAILY SERVING, AND KEEP IT FROM SPOILING.
>> AND YOU CAN VERY EASILY MAKE THIS FLOUR INTO A POWER BAR,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH IS VERY PORTABLE.
NOW, THE THING THAT'S REALLY THE BEST, WHEN WE DO THIS PROCESS OF
SORBING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BIOACTIVES ON TO A HIGH-PROTEIN
MATRIX, IT BECOMES SHELF STABLE.
SO THE SAME PEPPER OR THE SAME APPLE THAT WILL ROT ON THE SHELF
IS SHELF STABLE FOR OVER A YEAR IN THE FLOUR AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
AND THE BIOACTIVITY IS MAINTAINED.
>> SO HERE'S THE BASIC PROCESS.
THE JUICE FROM THE FRUIT OR VEGETABLE IS SENT THROUGH A
COLUMN TO REMOVE UNNEEDED SUGARS, FATS AND WATER.
THAT REDUCES THE WEIGHT AND LEAVES BEHIND A CONCENTRATED MIX
OF THE HEALTHY COMPOUNDS FOUND IN PRODUCE.
SO FAR, THE PROCESS WORKS WITH ANY FRUIT OR VEGETABLE.
>> BY PURIFYING THESE COMPOUNDS, WE TAKE THE PURIFIED COMPOUNDS
AND START WORKING ON THEIR CHEMISTRY.
SO WE TAKE THE CONCENTRATED MATERIAL, EVEN IF THE COMPOUND
IS VERY SMALL.
BY THIS PROCESS, YOU ENRICH IT.
>> BESIDES THE MILITARY, NASA IS INTERESTED IN THE PROCESS TO
HELP ASTRONAUTS STAY HEALTHY ON LONG SPACE MISSIONS, AND EVEN
SCHOOLCHILDREN COULD ALSO EAT HEALTHIER WITH THE DISCOVERY OF
NUTRIENT-ENHANCED FOOD INGREDIENTS THAT COULD BE USED
TO MAKE POWER BARS, COOKIES OR OTHER HEALTHY SNACKS.
>> SO THE IDEA IS, OKAY, CAN WE GET GOOD STUFF IN EDIBLE PROTEIN
THAT CAN BE MADE INTO POWER BARS FOR -- POWER BARS OR OTHER --
OTHER RATIONS IN THE ARMY THAT MAY HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH -- IT
MIGHT HAVE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT THE SAME TIME!
IT MAY HAVE A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IN ONE
THING THAT THE ATHLETE CAN EAT, OR THE ATHLETE OR THE WAR
FIGHTER CAN EAT, BE HAPPY WITH IT BECAUSE THE TASTE IS GOOD.
>> SNACKS THAT EVEN MOM WOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT.
>> SO IT'S ACTUALLY FUN TO EAT, GOOD TO EAT.