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Ice Cream That's Good for Your Heart?

New Zealand University Unveils Frozen Treat with Omega 3

The (mad?) scientists at Massey University, New Zealand, are developing ice cream that they claim may actually reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The key question: will it be ready in my lifetime?

According to a story reported by Nathan Beaumont for New Zealand’s Dominion Post, the university has developed a technology that allows Omega 3—a fatty acid derived from fish oil that is credited with fighting heart disease—to be added to ice cream, but with no fishy aftertaste.

The ice cream research was the highlight of the opening of the university’s $6.5 million food technology plant in Palmerston North, NZ, last week.

The success with ice cream has led the university to see if other healthy ingredients can be added to food to fight diseases including cancer.

The university has had some success adding lycopene into certain foods. Lycopene is the pigment that makes fruits and vegetables red, such as tomatoes. Studies have shown that high consumption of lycopene-rich vegetables is associated with a lower risk of certain types of cancer.