Thursday, October 16, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Eat Nordic rice!

Published 12 September 2022
– By Editorial Staff
Caption: With only horses and mechanical tools, the Nordic region can once again become self-sufficient in food in times of crisis. The picture shows harvest times in Närke 1913.
4 minute read

Wheat, oats, cereals, mixed groats – the Nordic region’s new rice on the dining table. In fact, it is the grains we have been growing for a long time. The cereals can be cooked and eaten just like rice, but it is more than twice as climate smart as rice. Frebaco Kvarn on Västgötaslätten has made use of this.

There really is nothing strange about it. “Nordic rice” does not need to be processed, it is not a semi-finished product. Anyone can take the grain from the field and cook it for a meal. It is difficult to consume grain more naturally. What Frebaco does on Västgötaslätten is to shorten the cooking time from about 40–50 minutes to 10–15 minutes with a gentle steam preparation. The nutritional loss is minimal.

Grinding grain and baking bread is not wrong. But eating the grain whole is the least labor-intensive way and the most useful because you literally eat the whole grain.

We have delved deeply into the issue of this relatively undiscovered domestic food. Frebaco Kvarn in Lidköping is currently the only producer that delivers whole grains – food groats – to our grocery stores. We have put Staffan Pehrson, product manager at Frebaco Kvarn, on the spot regarding the company’s food groats products.

To begin with, why is it not more common to eat “Nordic rice”?

– Why you do not eat whole grains to a greater extent today is mainly due to the unfamiliarity of consumers. There is also another “ignorance” of the existence of the products, about their rapid cooking, their use and about their positive properties, both from a nutritional, taste and climate point of view.

What are the climatic aspects of the food groats?

– Compared to rice, our Swedish food grains cause significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions. This is confirmed in a report from SIK – the Institute for Food and Biotechnology.

How long have you been offering the food groats?

– We have been producing our organic Food Wheat since the start in 1981. We have been producing Food Barley, Food Oats and Mixed Groats for 2–4 years, depending on the product. We are the only producer that provides Swedish food groats and with a short cooking time.

What kind of grain do you use in cultivation?

– We use “ordinary” Swedish grain. Food wheat is organically grown while the others are conventionally grown. Everything is grown on Västgötaslätten which is unique because the soils naturally have very low levels of cadmium. We also do not allow the fields to be fertilized with sludge from treatment plants, which means that we also do not have any supply of heavy metals and other unwanted substances to the soil.

Are the crops for your products genetically modified? If not, why not print it out on the packaging?

– We do not allow genetically modified grain. That this is not stated on the packaging is due to the fact that the labeling rules do not allow this and that cereals have not been particularly much discussed in this context.

Why are your products not KRAV-labeled?

– Food wheat meets all the criteria for KRAV* labeling, but we have for various reasons opted out of it in favor of the at least equally well–known EU organic labeling. There is a greater relevance in marketing the origin and the climate–smart of buying Swedish food groats.

What happens to the grain when it comes to your mill from the field?

– When the grain comes to us, it is dried. We clean it before a very gentle steam treatment. It is then lightly rolled and then air–dried. In addition to the cleaning, both oats and barley must be peeled (the inedible chaff must be removed) before steam preparation.

Cereal food groats are probably the obvious alternative next to potatoes as a basic food in the Nordic cuisine, as there is no Swedish–grown rice or Swedish pasta. How would you describe the differences between pasta and rice?

– The food grains are by far better from a nutritional point of view than pasta and above all compared to rice. Pasta “should” be made from durum wheat, which is not grown in Sweden. There have previously been smaller cultivations of Swedish durum wheat on the islands of Gotland and Ven, but they are no longer available for large–scale food production. Durum wheat is not suitable for growing in Sweden for climate reasons.

How do you briefly describe the differences between the four cereals in terms of consumption for humans? You do not sell “food trays” especially e.g.

– Food wheat has a full–bodied, rich taste and wonderful chewing resistance. Food barley are a little milder and become a little softer when cooked. Food oats has a mild unique oat taste and is quite soft in themselves because oats naturally contain relatively much (wholesome) fat. Mixed groats consist of all four grains and are juicy and multifaceted in taste. That we do not have “food rye” is because the rye itself has a very strong and slightly “different” taste that does not suit the food. It’s a shame because rye has very good nutritional properties.

In times of crisis and difficulties in importing food to the Nordic countries, consumption of whole grains would be a good solution as it only requires cooking or soaking to be able to be eaten. As in the past, grain can be grown using only horses and mechanical tools. Cereals can be stored for several years, although the nutritional value naturally decreases gradually.

Food groats, just like potatoes, can be used as a basic food with both meat, fish, poultry and in vegetarian meals.

By choosing food groats for your kitchen instead of rice and pasta, you do not only benefit Swedish farmers and support our self–sufficiency, you also contribute to a significantly longer environmental impact. “Nordic rice” is simply smart food!

* KRAV is a label for organic food, produced without artificial chemical pesticides. KRAV was founded in 1985 in order to create a credible and broadly-based regulatory framework with associated certification and labelling of organic products.

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PFAS during pregnancy alters child’s brain

Published today 8:27
– By Editorial Staff
Research shows for the first time how PFAS in pregnant women can alter children's brain structure several years later.
2 minute read

For the first time, researchers can demonstrate how PFAS in pregnant women affects their children’s brains long-term. The Finnish-Swedish study shows that structural changes can be observed in children when they are five years old.

The study, which has been published in Lancet Planetary Health, is a collaboration between Örebro University (Sweden), Åbo University (Finland), and Turku University Hospital (Finland), and is part of the EU project INITIALISE (Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health).

PFAS consists of a range of chemicals that are difficult to break down and have been found not only in nature, but also in humans and animals. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to health. Research has shown that PFAS can affect the immune system and is also suspected to have effects on metabolism, hormonal balance, and brain development.

Because PFAS remains in the body, it can also pass from a pregnant woman to the placenta, which means the child can be exposed. Previous studies have, for example, indicated that if pregnant women have PFAS in their blood, there is a greater risk that the child will become overweight later in life.

Affected brain structure

This study is the first of its kind to examine the entire brain simultaneously in a brain scanner in children in relation to PFAS exposure during pregnancy – several years after birth.

The study was conducted using the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, which was established at Åbo University (Finland) in 2011. It is a long-term study that follows thousands of children and mothers from pregnancy onward. Some of the children underwent brain scans, and these results have been compared with the levels of PFAS measured in the mothers during pregnancy.

The results show that there is a connection between higher levels of PFAS in pregnant women and changes in both the brain’s structure and in the connections between different brain regions in their children. These changes were observed five years later.

This is the first time researchers have been able to describe how PFAS in pregnant women can be linked to changes in their children’s brains several years later.

This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how chemicals can affect children’s development. Step by step, we are gaining more knowledge about how different environmental factors interact and can contribute to health problems, says Tuulia Hyötyläinen, professor at Örebro University, in a press release.

Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy and also during early development in the child is considered particularly sensitive, the researchers say, because the brain and other organs grow rapidly and are formed during that time. More research is now needed on how PFAS affects brain function.

Overall, the research shows that PFAS can affect brain development even at low levels. More research is needed on how chemicals affect cognition and brain function in children, what the causes are, and what it leads to, says Hyötyläinen.

Researchers' tips to avoid PFAS while awaiting stronger legislation:

  1. Eat fish, but avoid fish from lakes contaminated with PFAS. For more information about contamination levels, contact your local municipality. Also reduce consumption of takeaway food and microwaveable meals in grease- and water-repellent paper packaging.
  2. Avoid cooking with non-stick products.
    Avoid makeup, soap and beauty products containing PFAS. In ingredient lists, look out for: PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, "...perfluoro..." or "...polyfluoro...".
  3. PFAS is often found in water-repellent functional clothing. Since most PFAS is released during production, buying second-hand clothes can help reduce these chemicals in nature.

Study: Diet crucial against obesity – not activity level

Published 6 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The problem is not a sedentary lifestyle – but too much and the wrong kind of food, according to the researchers.
2 minute read

Sedentary and physically active people can burn almost the same amount of energy per day, shows a new American study. The researchers therefore argue that the fight against obesity must focus more on diet – and less on exercise.

In the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, researchers compared data from 4,200 people from different continents with different lifestyles – including herding cultures in Siberia, hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, as well as people from both low-income and high-income countries. In total, they compared 34 different population groups.

The results show that total daily energy expenditure did not differ significantly between the different population groups. This means that, for example, a hunter-gatherer used the same amount of energy as an office worker in Sweden during a day.

Even when people live different lifestyles, once we account for the effects of body size, we do not see meaningful differences in the total number of calories people burn, says Amanda McGrosky at Elon University in the US, who is the lead author of the study, in a press release.

McGrosky points out that obesity is therefore primarily about increased calorie consumption, not decreased activity expenditure.

If you are worried about excess body fat, focus on calories in, not calories out, the researcher suggests.

Westerners eat too much

Obesity and overweight are growing health problems in the Western world, something often linked to the increasingly sedentary culture. However, this study suggests that sedentary behavior is not the biggest problem causing obesity, and McGrosky believes the study offers hope in the fight against obesity. Instead, one should look at diet and especially reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods and increase the proportion of healthy ones.

The researchers therefore suggest that it is not sedentary behavior that is the culprit in Western countries’ obesity epidemic, but rather that people simply eat too much and too unhealthily.

Exercise is still important

However, the researchers point out that this does not mean one should exclude exercise and movement, as it has a range of health-promoting benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death, and also improves mental health.

A key takeaway from the study is that increases in body fat that accompany changes in lifestyle are primarily linked to changes in energy intake, or diet. Physical activity is still very important for all-around health and should be considered complementary to diet, says McGrosky.

Fifteen minutes in the park can reduce anxiety

Published 26 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
All types of green spaces in cities improve residents' mental health, but urban forests stand out – particularly when it comes to reducing depression and anxiety.
2 minute read

Just fifteen minutes in urban green spaces is enough to improve mental health, a study shows. The best approach is to sit or rest in the park for a while.

Today, approximately 55 percent of the world’s population lives in cities, according to the UN. This figure is expected to increase to nearly 70 percent by 2050. This means a greater absence of nature and also more health problems linked to city life, such as anxiety, which is more common among urban dwellers.

In a study by researchers at Stanford University in the US and Leiden University in the Netherlands, results from 449 published studies were compiled and 78 field experiments analyzed to examine how different types of urban green spaces affect 12 different aspects of mental health. Nearly 5,900 participants were included in total.

The results, published in Nature, show that all types of urban green spaces improved mental health, but urban forests stood out – particularly when it came to reducing depression and anxiety. And you didn’t need to spend particularly long to get a positive effect; less than fifteen minutes was enough. However, spending more than 45 minutes in nature provided greater benefits.

Our results show that even brief contact with nature can provide significant mental benefits, says Roy Remme from Leiden University, according to Medical Xpress. What’s more, longer nature exposure is linked to even greater reductions in stress and boosts in vitality.

Rest or sit

Young adults see even greater benefits, which is remarkable considering that most mental health problems begin before age 25. However, there was also a significant benefit for other age groups. Primarily, it was beneficial for mental health to sit or rest in the park or natural area, while moving around in nature increased energy and positivity.

Based on the results, the researchers emphasize the importance of protecting forests and parks in cities, but also promoting smaller parks and more street trees to improve residents’ access to nature. Furthermore, they point out that simpler changes, such as placing more windows facing greenery or organizing community programs with guided meditation, for example, can be cost-effective ways to promote public health.

Researchers: More people affected by meat allergy as ticks spread

Published 25 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Meat allergy can be triggered by tick bites – the immune reaction against alpha-gal in mammalian meat causes the symptoms.
2 minute read

Meat allergy is becoming increasingly common in Sweden following tick bites, researchers confirm. For those affected, it means a complete lifestyle change since there is no treatment – only complete abstinence from meat helps.

Karin Ottosson was struck by severe stomach problems after a tick bite. It took time to figure out what problem Karin had been affected by, she felt very ill and nothing seemed to help.

I was bedridden and tried to eat, but it just continued and continued, she tells Swedish media outlet TV4.

After several hospital visits and numerous investigations, the answer came: Karin had been affected by meat allergy. It is caused by an immune reaction to the substance alpha-gal, which is found in tick saliva and in meat from mammals. The symptoms can include, in addition to various stomach problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, rashes and even asthma reactions.

Researchers have seen a marked increase in meat allergy in connection with ticks spreading to new areas, and also becoming more active for larger parts of the year.

No treatment

Karin had to completely change her diet, but it is not entirely simple to avoid meat – even small amounts or hidden additives can trigger the allergy.

It can be anything from starting to itch, getting a rash, to becoming as ill as I was from the beginning. It’s impossible to predict, says Karin.

There is no treatment for meat allergy, and the only thing that works is to completely avoid meat.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment other than having to avoid mammalian meat and making sure not to get bitten by ticks, says Marianne van Hage, professor of clinical immunology.

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