Heya You, Shut Up & Eat Your Garlic Pasta

I'm sold on the Mediterranean diet. I've been reading articles about it and hearing people talk about it for years, and now here is evidence from ScienceDaily (and here and here) that it is justa soooo gooda for you. (The French paradox is interesting too.) Please pass the fruits, veggies, legumes, Parmesan reggiano, whole wheat pasta, polenta, wine, modest servings of lean meat, garlic, olive oil and fresh fish. Bellissimo!

QUOTE ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2005) — The Mediterranean diet is associated with longer life expectancy among elderly Europeans, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.
The Mediterranean diet is characterised by a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and cereals; a moderate to high intake of fish; a low intake of saturated fats, but high intake of unsaturated fats, particularly olive oil; a low intake of dairy products and meat; and a modest intake of alcohol, mostly as wine.

Current evidence suggests that such a diet may be beneficial to health.
The study involved over 74,000 healthy men and women, aged 60 or more, living in nine European countries. Information on diet, lifestyle, medical history, smoking, physical activity levels, and other relevant factors was recorded. Adherence to a modified Mediterranean diet was measured using a recognised scoring scale.
A higher dietary score was associated with a lower overall death rate. A two point increase corresponded to an 8% reduction in mortality, while a three or four point increase was associated with a reduction of total mortality by 11% or 14% respectively.
So, for example, a healthy man aged 60 who adheres well to the diet (dietary score of 6-9) can expect to live about one year longer than a man of the same age who does not adhere to the diet.
The association was strongest in Greece and Spain, probably because people in these countries follow a genuinely Mediterranean diet, say the authors. UNQUOTE

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Oh, Give Me A Home Where the Buffalo Roam...

A new national survey released yesterday by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reports that the American public loves and reveres bison, and would like to see their populations restored. This is great news which we hope is followed up by actions which both restore the bison and give respect to the indigenous peoples of North America by honoring the broken treaties, unbreaking them.



From Science Daily

QUOTE The survey showed that:

- Less than ten percent understood how many bison remain in the United States
- More than 74 percent believe that bison are extremely important living symbol of the American West

- More than half view the bison as emblematic as a symbol of America as whole

While an estimated 500,000 bison remain in the United States, the vast majority of those live on private ranches, with only about 9,000 plains bison considered free-ranging in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. An additional 7,000 free-ranging wood bison live in Canada. Bison once numbered in the tens of millions and ranged from Alaska to Mexico but were wiped out by commercial hunting and habitat loss largely as a result of U.S. westward expansion.

"The results of this survey clearly show that the American public wants more to be done to restore the bison," said Dr. Kent Redford of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "We know it will take decades of strategic planning and a wide group of stakeholders will need to take appropriate action." UNQUOTE
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Lederhosen, Oktoberfest and Sports Jerseys

Dirndls and lederhosen are becoming the ever more popular choice of outfit for going to the Oktoberfest -- and not only among the born-and-bred Munich inhabitants. Today half of staid Lincoln, Nebraska will be clad in gaudy red sports gear, some sporting children of the corn hats, for the Nebraska-Missouri football game.

Group affiliation is apparently a huge psychological need. And an amusing one...

From Science Daily

Why Does Lederhosen Conquer The Oktoberfest In Munich?

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Overload of calories throws critical portions of the brain out of whack

Here is yet more scientific proof that overeating is not so good: you know how you feel drowsy and sort of dull after a really huge meal? Well, that's just your brain, like, shutting down.

From Science Daily

QUOTE In today's society, this pathway is mobilized by a different environmental challenge—overnutrition," he said. Once activated, "the pathway leads to a number of dysfunctions, including resistance to insulin and leptin," both important metabolic hormones. UNQUOTE
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Cappuccino Superconductors

I just can't resist a good geek story. (This is an eclectic blog, after all!) From Science Daily.
How cool is this?

Also, I think someone should name their Italian rock band "Cappuccino Superconductors".
;D

QUOTE ScienceDaily (Jun. 11, 2008) — To see the latest science of type-I superconductors, look no further than the froth on a morning cup of cappuccino. A team of U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory physicists and collaborating students have found that the bubble-like arrangement of magnetic domains in superconducting lead exhibits patterns that are very similar to everyday froths like soap foam or frothed milk on a fancy coffee.
See also:
Matter & Energy
Physics
Quantum Physics
Nature of Water
Materials Science
Chemistry
Medical Technology
Reference
Electrical conduction
Soap bubble
Security engineering
Optics
The similarities between the polygonal-shaped patterns in conventional foams and "suprafroths," the patterns created by a magnetic field in a superconductor, establish suprafroths as a model system for the study of froths.
"There are certain statistical laws that govern the behavior of froths, and we found that suprafroths satisfy these laws," said Ruslan Prozorov, Ames Laboratory physicist and primary investigator. "We can now apply what we know of suprafroths to all other froths and complex froth-like systems." UNQUOTE

The French Paradox

Anything that keeps your heart healthy while eating French cuisine, with its heavy sauces, butter-rich croissants and decadent desserts is worth investigating.

From Science Daily
QUOTE The answer to the so-called "French paradox" may be found in red wine. More specifically, it may reside in small doses of resveratrol, a natural constituent of grapes, pomegranates, red wine and other foods, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.
Writing June 3 in the online, open-access journal Public Library of Science One, the researchers report that low doses of resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice has a widespread influence on the genetic levers of aging and may confer special protection on the heart. UNQUOTE

Hayfever Hopes: Yummy Probiotic Drink

I know the hay fever sufferers amongst us can dig this. Who knew yogurt and tasty "friendly bacteria" could help one's hay fever?

QUOTE ScienceDaily (Jun. 6, 2008) — With the peak grass pollen season approaching, scientists can reveal that a daily dose of probiotic can change the immune status of people with hay fever. In the first human study of its kind, scientists at the Institute of Food Research found that probiotic bacteria in a daily drink can modify the immune system's response to grass pollen, a common cause of seasonal hay fever. UNQUOTE