This week each student should find a news article (no duplicates please-check before you post) from a reputable news source which relates to humans and the food or supplements we consume. This is a very wide topic. Find something that seems interesting to you and share it with the rest of the class. Make sure you give credit to the author by telling us we might find this information. Some of us may want to read the article so we need to be able to find it.
Reputable sources include but are not limited to:
CNN.com
MSNBC.com (both have science pages)
News for Kids
sciencedaily.com
National Geographic
Next, post a summary of your article. Your goal is to spark conversation between yourself and your classmates. Here are some questions to help guide your summary:
1. The main points of the article are...
2. A brief summary of the science discussed in the article.
3. A critical analysis of the source of the article's information (Do they tell you where they got their data? Is it clear who conducted the research and whether or not they had a conflict of interest?)
4. What do you think of the topic being discussed? Do you have further questions that were not answered by the article?
5. Spark discussion...ask a question, give others something to ponder and write about.
Remember, never criticize people, just ideas. Always explain why you agree or disagree. Back up your comments!
I can't wait to read your summaries!
Don't forget...original post by Wednesday at 11:59pm, replies by Friday at 11:59pm.
Research recently shows that an amino acid arginine greatly improves the body’s ability to stabilize glucose. Arginine is found in foods such as, eggs, salmon, and nuts. Arginine stimulates a hormone that helps to treat type 2 diabetes. It is also said to work as well as several drugs on the market.
ReplyDeleteThis theory has been tested on mice who aren’t insulin resistant and mice that are insulin resistant. Arginine has showed significant insulin improvement both types of mice. The improvement in metabolizing glucose was up to 40% better. Arginine has also increased the production of GLP-1. Although arginine does help to metabolize glucose it won’t cure diabetes.
The process of arginine affecting insulin is an indirect process. The amino acid helps to secrete the hormone GLP-1, which, helps to secrete insulin.
The scientists still have many unanswered questions since doing this experiment. One of the major questions is if it can be moved from mice to humans.
This topic is definitely interesting. It makes me wonder what other medical advancement we will make or find out in the future. These experiments were conducted through the University of Copenhagen. Christoffer Clemmensen was the researcher who conducted this experiment. He seemed to have an unbiased, or neutral, view on this subject.
What do you think the next new medical discovery will be?
If you would like to know more about type 2 diabetes you can go to http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-2/ for more information on the topic.
source: University of Copenhagen. "Amino acid with promising anti-diabetic effects." ScienceDaily, 9 Sep. 2013. Web. 9 Sep. 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130909121954.htm
According to the Article “Coumarin in Cinnamon and Cinnamon-Based Products and Risk of Liver Damage” from the Sciencedaily.com claims the a naturally occurring substance called coumrin, that is found in Ceylon or true cinnamon can cause liver damage to people that that are sensitive to courmarin. This form of spice is found in many kinds of cinnamon, cinnamon flavored food supplements, drinks, and foods. Ikhlas Khan and colleagues state is one of the most important flavoring agents used in foods and beverages. Ceylon cinnamon is very expensive so many food product use cassia cinnamon as an alternative, which can contain large amounts of coumarin. This is not a good thing because coumarin could lead to liver damage.
ReplyDeleteWhile I found this article was interesting, I was also quite shocked at the same time. Who knew that eating foods that contain cinnamon may not only be bad for you but could also possiably harm you? This makes me wonder, how you could know if you were sensitive to the coumarin? I think this is very interesting and definitely worth looking into.
Citation: American Chemical Society (2013, May 8). Coumarin in cinnamon and cinnamon-based products and risk of liver damage. ScienceDaily
Recent studies show that copper may be a trigger to Alzheimer's disease. Everyday we take in copper from anywhere with drinking water to red meats. Over time, copper impairs the system through which amyloid beta is removed from the brain. This causes protein to accumulate in the brain and form plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers looked at the effect of copper-laced water on mice. The dose was 10% of the maximum contaminant level set by the Environment Protection Agency. Even with such low levels, scientist still found toxic protein on the brain cells. If that was only mice with low levels, imagine how this is effecting us with normal levels! I think this should be further researched to find ways to take in less copper. For more information on the experiment, here is the link : http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/19/copper-may-trigger-alzheimers-disease/?iref=allsearch
ReplyDeleteDo you think maybe other supplements in food could be causing diseases like this?
I would like to add we do need copper in our diet, of course not a lot. Also I do agree that we should do something about unnecessary copper intake.
DeleteAbout if foods we take may be causing diseases, I think that some of us may be taking in more of something that we should not. The FDA usually keeps good track of not letting products on shelves that may have health risks to us, but tomorrow people may be looking back thinking how bad our diets are.
A very interesting topic, especially looking at the minerals, metals, and vitamins we take deliberately, and it's obvious that sometimes a good intention can go bad. It is very thought provoking to see how such a common metal with a minor role in our bodies can turn major when taken in large amounts.
DeleteAccording to Healthy Vegan, during a pregnancy an orange can be one of the best or most healthy food for a woman to eat. During pregnancy, women want to try and eat any type of fruit that has a low glycemic index. A change in your glycemic index can cause your blood glucose or insulin to change. Oranges provide a good balance of folic acid which is vidal for healthy neural development and vitamin C. Other fruits such as raisins, apricots, strawberries, and peaches also provide vitamin C. One food that women should stay away from is watermelon because it has to high of a glycemic index. I thought this was very interesting because i didn't know that fruit could be so important during a pregnancy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.healthyvegetarianpregnancy.com/fruits-to-eat-during-pregnancy
This was a very interesting topic to learn about. I wasn't aware of the certain fruits that a pregnant women should eat. Good Job!
DeleteI find this topic very interesting. I never knew that watermelon could be bad for a pregnant women's diet. I knew that oranges were good for everyone but did not know that oranges could be extra good for a pregnant women to eat. Very interesting topic.
DeleteThat's a scary fact the watermelon is bad it makes you think what else could be bad depending on the situation.
DeleteI think this topic is very interesting. I knew that eating healthy food was important during pregnancy, but I never considered that eating certain fruits could make such a difference. Great job!
DeleteI found this topic very interesting, because as I knew there were certain things women should/shouldn't do during pregnancy, I didn't know that eating oranges was good for pregnant women. I also found that women should not eat watermelon during pregnancy VERY interesting. Great topic!
DeleteFrom a test in Sweden, fatty fish can help slow down the rate of growth of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis a condition which the immune system attack the body' s joints which eventually could hurt the bone. The test asked 32,000 Swedish women (the condition showed up more in women than men) to take a food questionnaire one in the 1980's and one ten years later. The women that ate at least one serving of fish every week these ten years showed that the condition grew at haft the rate than the women that didn't eat fish. The science behind it is the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish. These fatty acids have an anti inflammatory reaction on the immune system of the women that the fish. However while this can happen in Sweden it has a less likely chance of happening in the U.S. for the smoking which can possibly cause it. Its just strange to me that if you eat a few things different you could be free from most diseases and why the fact that we don't do it.
ReplyDeletehttp://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/12/eating-fatty-fish-may-help-prevent-rheumatoid-arthritis/
I've always heard that fish are good for you. I guess this is one if the many ways that makes that true. This is a perfect example of how a healthy food can cure the body instead of a drug which goes with the video we watched this week. Interesting topic!
DeleteI've seen and heard the popularity of taking Omega-3 's and fish oil, and always wondered whether or not the fish was actually providing an above average amount of beneficial fatty acids. The best cures for our natural ailments are those found in nature. I love the last sentence, it's thought provoking. Why don't we do better at taking care of our bodies, especially when we know how to do it?
DeleteThat's really interesting. I didn't know fish could help things like that
DeleteAre energy drinks bad for you? Scientists from the FDA can't prove whether or not they are. Energy drinks are relatively new to the market. Not all energy drinks are the same though. Some are labeled as dietary supplements while others have the label conventional foods. The FDA regulates both of them. The FDA also investigates anytime somebody believes a product did something to them. Sadly, not all energy drink companies are allowing access to records or even lying about the information to the FDA. Although any serious conditions are required by law to be reported within 15 days of the incident. Since some energy drinks contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, which can cause weight gain, high blood sugar, and sometimes death. An incident like that must be reported and investigated. When the FDA evaluates an incident they must also calculate in some complicating factors. Some of those factors are undiagnosed medical conditions, use of medications at the same time, and improper use of the product. Some officials recommend not drinking energy drinks simply because of inadequate data and testing.
ReplyDeleteArticle:
Energy "Drinks" and Supplements: Investigations of Adverse Event Reports
Website:http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm328536.htm
(Click on links at the bottom for more information)
I think this is a widely debated topic. I like to drink Red Bull but only if I am doing something that will use all the Carbohydrates. Also the high level of caffeine which can cause people to be jittery, have an increased heart rate, and have headaches does not present itself if you are going to be putting that caffeine to use in a high intensity sport. The problem arises when people drink a couple Monsters and then sit on their couch or in a car and don't use all the energy.
DeleteThis is a very interesting topic. I can definitely see both sides of the debate. Great job!
DeleteI agree with Chris. I also think that this is a widely debated topic, and I see both sides of the debate. I think that you can drink energy drinks if you'd like, but I believe it would be unhealthy to drink them every day.
DeleteAccording to tests by Rush University Medical Center, eating certain foods can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease. Foods that are rich in Vitamin E or n-3 polyunsaturated fats found in fish. Studies show that people who at least ate fish once a week were 60% less likely to develop the disease than those who rarely or never eat fish. These two substances have chemical similarities to the grey brain matter help combat the effects of the disease. High cholesterol, which is bad for the heart, has also been found to be bad for the brain. I think this is interesting because it makes me wonder if this has effected my grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. I hope that these studies will be continued to see if there are ways to cure the disease.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rush.edu/rumc/page-1102020578338.html for more information on the subject.
DeleteThese are very important discoveries. If the public and nutritionists new more about this they could set up a food plan that could reduce the chance of elderly people catching the disease. My great grandmother suffered from this, sadly she died three years ago.
DeleteThat's really cool that eating certain things can help reduce the chances of developing Alzheimers.
DeleteIs cloned meat safe? And how does it differ from regular meat? According to the FDA meat and milk from cloned animals are safe to sell. Also according to tests with normal consumers they say the products look and taste the same as regular products from normal animals. In my opinion I feel that as long as scientists say it’s safe to eat it then I am fine with eating it and like it said you can’t tell the difference so most people probably have eaten it without knowing, because the only way to make sure you’re not eating cloned meat is too buy organic products which are much more expensive. So as of now cloned meat is safe but my question is will it stay that way in the future?
ReplyDeleteyou might find this information at http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/dailydose/11/21/cloned.meat.safety/index.html?iref=allsearch
A morning cup of coffee may not only give you a good caffeine boost to start the day. A new study shows that women who routinely drink several cups of coffee per day over the course of years or decades could possibly be less likely to develop endometrial cancer. A group of researchers at Harvard University conducted a study and examined data on over 67,000 women. These women were between the ages of 34 and 59 and were followed for about 26 years. Women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day ended up having a 25% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer and those who had two or three cups a day had a 7% lower risk. In previous studies coffee has been shown to lower levels of insulin and estrogen. High levels of both these hormones have already been linked to endometrial cancer. Although the study revealed a lot of information, there is still a lot that is unknown about the subject. I found this topic really interesting because many people say coffee is bad for you. Who knew that it could be helpful? I personally don’t plan on drinking four cups of coffee a day, but maybe coffee isn’t as bad for us as we sometimes think it is.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2011/11/22/health/coffee-reduces-cancer-risk/index.html
This was a very interesting topic. I can agree with you about not planning on drinking four cups a day. Great Job!
DeleteDiet soda may not be any better than regular soda, according to Purdue University researchers.
ReplyDeleteThe researchers looked over studies published in past five years about diet soft drinks and the heath results.
According to the article artificial sweeteners give the body the sugar it thinks it gets, without the calories. This means your body, after used to the artificial sweeteners, does not know how to respond to normal sugar. This results in blood pressure and blood sugar to go unregulated. Meaning diet sodas do not have an edge on regular.
Although not everyone agrees, the American Beverage Association saying that low calorie sweeteners are safe, effective to weight loss, and claimed to be backed by decades of research.
However, weight gain is not the only health risk, according to the article, diabetes, heart disease and stroke risks are increased as well.
The main point this article makes is that you have to be careful of what is going in your body, like many others are saying, as it could lead to a healthier and overall better life style. Now, do you think diet soda is still better than regular, or is it just the same poison to your body to you?
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/
I like this topic. I always thought "diet" products are no better then normal products. Soda is simply not good for you so just because it's "diet", that doesn't mean it makes it good for you. I personally think if someone is worried about diet and normal soda, they should just not drink soda at all. You made very good points. Good job.
DeleteExposure to a high-fat diet in the womb and after birth can permanently change the cells in the brain that control food intake, said some scientist Monday, at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteJuliana Gastao Franco and her co-investigators tested this with monkeys. One group of pregnant monkeys was fed a low-fat diet of 14 percent of calories from fat and the other group was fed a high-fat diet in which 36 percent of calories came from fat. After the monkeys were born, the babies were fed to same diet for 6-11 months of age. The researchers measured their total food intake, dietary preferences, body composition, physical activity and metabolic rate. With special technology, they examined the neurotransmitter systems in the monkeys' hypothalamus, which is the region of the brain that regulates food intake. All male offspring that had fetal exposure to a high-fat diet, had increased body weight regardless of what they ate after being taken off their diet. Also the offspring that were switched to a regular diet displayed more overall food intake and increased binge eating of food with high sugar and fat. The tests demonstrated that consumption of a high-fat diet during gestation changes fetal development of neurons that control food intake. Which could further lead to an increased preference for high-calorie food.
I think that this was an interesting article but I didn't fully understand how the high and low-fat diets can change the way the babies are. Maybe I'm missing it in the article? I don't know. I think that if you are pregnant, you should take care of your body and feed it healthy foods to nourish the baby inside you. If you can find out how the diets change how the babies come to be, let me know! I would like to fully understand this topic.
High-Fat Diet During Pregnancy Contributes to Offspring's Increased Weight. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130617142033.htm
I completely agree with your opinion! Women who are pregnant should eat healthy for the sake of their child's health! Also i'm not positive, but i'm pretty sure that that foods that the mother is eating goes to the child too, and that determines their health!
DeleteI read an article linking some enzymes to the early development of autism and other diseases on the autism spectrum, these enzymes known as toipisomerases,if consumed during a mothers pregnancy or while a child is very young, can attack the developing brain and cause abnormalities linked with autism, this enzyme can also be found in some drugs, which can be screened to find if they contain this enzyme. if you can do that, then why not reverse it and create drugs to combat the enzyme once it has already attacked the brain?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting development. I think your question is very interesting as well. I would agree if they know "possible" causes then why not try to dig deeper and try to combat these certain enzymes. Can post the link to the article, this seems like an interesting read.
DeleteStill creating a drug to combat a different one is a waste of time also nobody would be able to know what would happen to the child.
DeleteAlthough I may be wrong, I think creating a new drug to be used on a child's brain will take a lot of time, research, and money. I doubt it can be that simple, but your question is a good question. What is really stopping us from making a drug to fix this problem? I'm sure it may be just wound that time will mend, and we may see in the future. It may also be possible that we already have treatment for the problem.
DeleteIf creating that drug happened in a fast and orderly manner then I would say go for it! Along with the previous commenters I'd be very interested to find this out.
DeleteAccording to National Geographic mosquitos that have malaria are attracted to humans that drink beer. The way that these mosquitos find the beer drinking victims is by there smell. They do not now why mosquitos are attracted to the smell of people who drink beer. Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide, but the people who drink beer are exhaling any more co2 then any other human that doesn't drink. The mosquitos are picky about who they suck blood from, and an important global study revealed that in problem areas, 20 percent of people receive 80percent of all malaria infections. As such, it’s quite important to work out what makes one person a delectable feast and another person a bloody turn off.
ReplyDeleteI think that this topic was interesting because who would think that drinking beer would make you have a higher chance of getting bit by a mosquito that has malaria. I also thought that it was interesting how a mosquito can smell the different smells of humans that drink beer.
If yall would like to go look this article up for yourself here the site http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2010/03/04/beer-makes-humans-more-attractive-to-malarial-mosquitoes/
Good evening all. So lately I have been hearing a lot of talk about vegetarian and vegan diets in the Parkour community. For those who are interested I went ahead and did some research into this for you. The article, a long one at that, summarizes the difference between the types of Vegetarians. It also weighs benefits and risks to this type of diet. The article was written by Betty Kovacs, a Registered Dietitian, she has done extensive research into foods and their relations to weight and overall health. The research was conducted by the New York Obesity Research Center. I was surprised to find out the planning that must go into a healthy vegetarian diet, such as incorporating Vitamin B12, a very difficult nutrient to get in a plant based diet that is important for proper brain function. However the risks outweigh the benefits, such as higher levels of energy, a healthy level of body fat, lower blood sugar, lower risk of disease and other illness, and a slimmer figure. I for one would be willing to cut out meat from my diet and focus more on this type of diet. So what do you guys think, post in the comments if you want to try this? I also highly suggest taking a glance at the original article, it has some really interesting facts I couldn't highlight in this post.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.medicinenet.com/vegetarian_and_vegan_diet/page3.htm
I would love to have a vegan or vegetarian diet, especially with those results. Sadly, I would never be able to pass up a good steak. I wish there could be a solution for me so I could continue to eat meat. I find it interesting that you heard of this is the Parkour community.
DeleteHello everyone. In the documentary we were watching today in class they were mostly talking about how a lot of people in America are having heart diseases because of the meats and animal products. While many dietitians are focusing on a “vegan” diet to help prevent and sometimes reverse heart disease others are saying to continue to eat meat and fish as a source of protein. This article states how to build the best diet for your heart's health. The article is mainly telling you what foods to eat. This article is broken into ten topics and eighteen subtopics. Two of the ten topics are about how children and women should eat. This article is also made in bullets so it makes it a little easier to read. Any who, in 2011, the American Heart (AHA) emphasized in a scientific statement that diet and lifestyle changes are essential for patients with high triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are blood fats associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease. In addition to the standard advice on limiting saturated and trans fats, the AHA recommends that people with unhealthy triglyceride levels should: Limit fructose intake, avoid processed foods with added sugars of any kind, limit or avoid alcohol, and maintain a healthy weight.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel like people should “go vegan” or just follow the rules that the article states?
Source: Heart-healthy diet | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/hearthealthy-diet#ixzz2edkMjSBE
this is a very interesting topic. in my opinion I've always thought bad about soda so if people are worried about having those things in their diet should just completely cut them out
DeleteAs the population increases, the demand for food will only do the same. 30% of our land is used to tend to, raise, and feed livestock. As natural resources such as fresh water lower, there is only one solution: insects. Though some may find insects "totally gross," they are a source of a highly nutritious food. As a matter of fact, two of the UN's "Millennium Development Goals-" eradicating poverty and hunger, and reducing child mortality rates- can be solved by the consumption of insects. As important as animals are to our fiery, insects are high in protein comparing to that of beef and dairy. Eating insects, for instance, is also good for the environment as cows give off higher levels of greenhouse gases. In conclusion, insects make up the largest group of organisms on Earth and can be used as a great advance to us. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34172/title/Why-Insects-Should-Be-in-Your-Diet/
ReplyDeleteCorrection: fiery= diet.
DeleteThe ingredient MSG, also known as Monosodium glutamate, has a lot of controversy surrounding it. Some doctors say it's associated with migraine headaches, food allergies, hyperactivity in children, and obesity. Other doctors say it's a natural occurring additive, a flavor enhancer just like salt and pepper and it shouldn't be worried about. The most common foods with MSG are Chinese food, potato chips, tomatoes, and canned foods. The G in MSG, glutamate, is a form of a natural amino acid present is almost every protein. In fact, using MSG nearly lowers the the total sodium in the food by almost half. Most of the information gathered in this article was from local doctors, dietitians, food inspectors, and neurologists. I honestly think that MSG is not a bad thing, sure it may make you want to eat more of the food, but if you set limits and serving sizes then it's actually beneficial to you. The question I want to pose to all of you is would you rather have food with MSG and eat more of it with lower sodium, or eat food with lots of sodium and no MSG?
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/controvery-continues-over-msg-and-whether-it's-really-safe-to-consume#ixzz2ecGaV03I
author: Wendy Ryan
I agree with you! Over all, MSG seems to be the healthier choice, even though you have to eat a lower serving size.
DeleteI would definitely agree, nearly everything we eat is need for good health but the problem is that we just eat too much. Americans need to learn to set limits.
DeleteI think that this is a very interesting topic to discuss! Also, I agree with you. MSG seems to be a way healthier choice even if you have to eat a smaller serving.
DeleteWhat’s better diet or regular soda? Well did you know that boost stroke risk. People that drink regular sodas have same health issues as those who drink diet. Diet and regular soda have been linked to people getting obese, kidney damage, and some cancers. Your blood pressure can be harmed by regular soft drinks if you drink too much. The fake sugars in diet soda tease your body by pretending to give it real food. When your body doesn’t get what it needs it gets confused on how to respond. Diet soda drinkers tend to pack more pounds then those who don’t drink it. A sweet taste can increase your appetite and make you eat when you might not even be hungry. Artificial sugars in soda can dampen the “reward center” in your brain. Low calorie sugars are used in most foods today, and artificial sugars are mostly used in soda. Most people think that diet soda is better than regular soda so they drink it, but studies show that they can both harm your body if you take in too much at once. A person that drinks a lot of soda doesn’t realize how much FAKE sugar they are taken in.
ReplyDeletesource:http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/
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