Category Archives: Science in the News

The Healthy Side to Coffee

Posted on October 14, 2013 by | 4 comments

Like many students at UBC, I rely on coffee to get me going throughout the day. I always have a tall americano from Starbucks in the morning and lately I’ve been getting a second cup in the afternoon as well. It’s come to the point where I’ve been told that I need to cut back and reduce my daily caffeine intake. But recent studies have shown that it may not be so bad for you after all.

Coffee. Image source: My Mzone

For example, did you know a cup of coffee has up to four times more antioxidants than green tea? In fact, scientists have discovered that it can contain more antioxidants than a typical serving of fruit, such as: blueberries, raspberries, and oranges. However, new research has shown the effectiveness of antioxidants may be lessened for those who add milk or cream to their coffee. This is due to the fact that when milk or cream is added, it binds to the antioxidants and therefore lessens its effectiveness.

Effect of Antioxidants. Image source: Lean it up

Antioxidants are very important for us because they help fight oxidation. This is a chemical process that occurs naturally in our body every day. When this natural process is disrupted, free radicals are created. These are highly unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells in the body if left uncontrolled.

Also, researchers have found that coffee can reduce the risk of stroke. A study at the Harvard School of Public Health followed a group of women over a 24-year period.  The group consisted of 83, 076 women who participated in the Nurses Health Study that had no history of stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Their coffee consumption and amount of strokes were recorded from 1980 to 2004. They were able to conclude that those who drank coffee reduced their risk of stroke by 20%.

Cause of Stroke. Image source: Flickr

In addition, a study in Finland suggests that coffee offers protection against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The researchers randomly selected 1409 participants and followed them over a 21-year period. They were specifically focused on the coffee consumption of participants at midlife and the occurrence of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia later on in life. Surprisingly, a 65% decrease in disease was found in people who consumed coffee daily.

So next time you think about kicking your coffee habit to the curb, remember all of these health benefits it’s linked to.

Coffee Beans. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Below is a video that describes in more detail the effects of antioxidants and caffeine in coffee.

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References:

-http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/10/antioxidants-explained-why-these-compounds-are-so-important/247311/

-http://www.naturalnews.com/025737_coffee_risk_drinking.html

-Angelica Reyes

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science in the News

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Peanut Butter Sniff Test

Posted on October 12, 2013 by | 3 comments

image source: wikipedia commons

According to the statistics of Alzheimer’s Society BC, approximately 70,000 British Columbians are suffering from Alzheimer’s or any brain-related disorder. What is Alzheimer’s? It is a neurological disorder affecting the cognitive ability (e.g. memory and thinking) and behaviour of an individual, and it worsens over time. The physiological cause of Alzheimer’s is the increase in the number of twisted fibers of protein within the brain cells and plaques between cells.

image source: flickr

 There is no cure for Alzheimer’s; therefore, prevention and early detection are vital. Assessments  of a patient suspected of having the disease includes physical and mental examination (e.g. MRI, or more generally speaking, a brain scan). The downside of a brain scan is the strenuous process of monitoring the patient and being on the waitlist, which takes months, leading up to the scan; however, there is a test still under study that could detect if an individual suffers from Alzheimer’s – it is called the PEANUT BUTTER SNIFF TEST. This test could be an alternative to brain scans. Also, this could allow for early detection of the disease, so preventative steps can be taken early.

Jennifer Stamps, a graduate student, and her colleagues from University of Florida used peanut butter to conduct an olfactory test ( article about the scientific research).

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Her group of researchers found that Alzheimer’s-affected patients had a decrease in smell sensitivity in the left nostril. David Knopman of Mayo Clinic, quoted by Singh, stated that “The idea that smell is altered in Alzheimer’s disease dementia patients is well known, and this is nothing new.” As mentioned above,  there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and the only treatment available is prevention.  Early detection of the disease leads to taking a more aggressive approach to alleviate the symptoms. The peanut butter sniff test could already be a clinical procedure used as a preventative measure for Alzheimer’s; however it is not very accurate because there are compounding variables such as: “congestion in your nasal cavities that can reduce your smell on a temporary basis, a past head trauma, severe past sinus infections”, according to Bartzokis, quoted by Oransky.

There are numerous arguments  made by other Alzheimer’s researchers against this study; however it is only at the beginning stages and Stamps is going to conduct more experiments to further develop her research.  She also gave a warning: “Don’t try this at home. Having slight differences between your left and right nostrils is normal, and you might end up freaking out over nothing.” In other words, for now just enjoy your peanut butter on a piece of toast.

-Ziharrphil Magnaye

References:

Alzheimer’s Society BC, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Society UK, Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Shots,  MedPage Today

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Brushing and Flossing Diseases Away

Posted on October 7, 2013 by | 3 comments

Brushing teeth. Credit: Richmond Smile Centre, (http://www.richmondsmilecenter.com/blog/2012/09/13/your-richmond-dentist-discusses-bad-brushing-habits/)

How often do you brush your teeth thoroughly and floss? Do you pay enough attention to oral hygiene? If you don’t, you might want to consider taking oral hygiene more seriously because research has found that bad oral hygiene could potentially lead to detrimental diseases.

We know that the oral cavity is one of the places of your body that harbors the most bacteria. These bacteria often do not cause any significant harm to our body, given that we brush our teeth and floss regularly to get rid of these bacteria in our mouth. But when we do not clean our teeth regularly and thoroughly, these bacteria easily build up around our teeth and often cause inflammation of the gums. And in cases when the individuals who suffer from periodontal disease are not taking actions to improve their practice of oral hygiene, infections exacerbate and results in chronic conditions.

Usually, when we think of heart disease, we tend to associate it with obesity, hypertension, smoking, congenital conditions, and other genetic-related problems. But now we might want to add oral problems to our list of factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. According to numerous studies, chronic bacterial infections in the gums from poor oral hygiene and serious periodontal disease increase an individual’s chance of developing heart attack and stroke.

Plaque in heart artery. Credit: Rudy Pospisil (http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/03/22/heart-attack-warning-test/)

If you have poor oral hygiene practice, it is likely that you will often accidentally scrape or damage the epithelial oral tissue in the mouth, especially the gums. When the oral tissue is damaged, pathogens can easily enter into the tissues and eventually penetrate into the bloodstream, which then carries these pathogens to other parts of the body, affecting other tissues and body systems and causing multiple inflammations in the body. For instance, a 2005 study conducted by the University of Florida even found oral bacteria inside artery plaque.

Other than heart attack and stroke, the myriads of oral bacteria may also play a role in knee arthritis. In a 2012 study which sought to examine the link between oral bacteria and knee osteoarthritis, the researchers found that out of the 36 patients with knee arthritis, five of them had gum microbes in the synovial fluid in their joints. Although the association between oral bacteria and knee arthritis is still not fully understood, these bacterial certainly worsens arthritis.

Therefore, it is important to brush your teeth regularly and thoroughly since oral hygiene is related to the health of the rest of your body. However, this is not to say that bad oral health has a direct impact on heart disease, since there are other confounding factors such as smoking and type of lifestyle.

                                                                                                 – By Connie (Kangchi Lee)

Reference:

How Oral Hygiene Affects the Rest of You

Periodontal Disease Linked to Other Disease?

 

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Posted in Science Communication, Science in the News

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Are chicken nuggets chicken?

Posted on October 7, 2013 by | 3 comments

Thankfully, the answer is yes. I’m sure most people have seen the picture of the pink slime that was said to be the ‘meat’ of chicken nuggets; however, Dr. Casey Owens has proved it to be a false claim.  So what is the problem with chicken nuggets? It is the meat content that raises concern.

Image: Yipski

As I was reading an article published a month ago, I, an occasional chicken nugget consumer, felt a little bit cheated on by the fast-food chains that serve chicken nuggets. The researchers, who wrote this article, performed what they called “autopsies” on chicken nuggets of two different fast-food chains in Jackson, Mississippi and examined the stained samples to determine the types of chicken cells in the nuggets. Only muscle tissue from the breast and thighs were considered meat. In the first type of chicken nugget, around 50% of meat was found in the sample; the rest were fat, blood vessels and nerve fibers. In the second type of chicken nugget, around 40% of meat was found and the rest were fat, bone fragments and connective tissue. Researchers concluded that the chicken nuggets contained mostly fat.

The head researcher, Dr. Richard Deshazo, said that fast-food companies turned the lean-protein-rich white chicken meat, considered to be the healthier parts of the chicken, into something unhealthy by “adding in a mixture of chicken parts, battering it and frying it.” Being high in calories, fat, salt and sugar, fast-food chicken nuggets are a danger to people’s diets and waistlines, especially in a generation of high obesity, heart attack and diabetes rates.

Although this study does make me realize how unhealthy chicken nuggets are, it does have a relatively small sample size. Some fast-food chains do advertise that they use 100% white meat for their nuggets. More research on claims made by fast-food chains will benefit people’s health.

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References:

The Autopsy of Chicken Nuggets Reads “Chicken Little”

“Pink Slime” in Chicken Nuggets?

by Cherry Lo

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Does the source of omega-3 matter?

Posted on October 5, 2013 by | 2 comments

 

It is clear that we need a certain amount of nutrients in order for our bodies to function normally. But the questions is, is the source of these nutrients better from supplementation or from whole foods?

Previous studies suggest that eating whole fish may have additional benefits to being a dietary source of omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acid is important in the prevention of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

Rich sources of omega-3 include canola oil, walnuts, and fish oil. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends consumption of fat rich fish at least three times a week.

Omega-3 food sources. Image taken from Healthable.

In 2012, Brazionis et al.  showed that eating fish had a greater and more positive impact on health than people taking fish oil supplements. The decrease in  the patient’s waist to hip ratio and blood pressure was more evident in people who ate fish.

Fish oil versus fish. Image taken from Independent.

 

According to Jamieson (2010), fish oil supplementation poses the risk of over consumption of fatty acids mostly due to the fact that taking supplements does not result in a sense of satiety.

Excessive omega-3 fatty acids may result in blood in urine, nose bleeding and
hemorrhagic strokes. A study by Bruso concluded that excessive fish oil supplementation may also result in heavy metal contamination, excessive intake of vitamin A and D and omega-3 fatty acids, increased bleeding time, and slower wound healing.

It appears that the benefits of eating fish as a source of omega-3 outweigh
the benefits of taking fish oil supplements. It is safer and more effective to obtain omega-3 from eating whole fish. Fish supplements should be considered when there is a lack of fish in the diet due to allergies, or lack of availability of fish.

The next time you eat fish, remember all the good things you can get from this amazing food.

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More bad news for fish oil supplements. Video uploaded by Brian Olson.

References:

The effects of fish or fish oil on the omega-3 index, Can you overdose on fish oil?

– Amna Awan

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Sharks are taking a bite out of antibiotic resistance

Posted on September 30, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Figure 1
Source Wikipedia :http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Ritalin-SR-20mg-1000×1000.jpg

In our fight to eradicate infectious disease and through the rigorous use of antimicrobial agents, our medical practices have inadvertently created new strains of heavily drug resistant bacteria or super bugs. What is the most concerning aspect of this superbug development, however, is that the root cause isn’t poor sanitation on the part of the patients or hospitals but the misuse and overuse of antibiotics and disinfectant. This brings to light a new question, should we really be inhibiting the spread of pathogens (and in turn drug resistance) by prescribing even more antibiotics? Or is there  another simpler solution, where their growth is limited non-chemically?

Figure 2: Sharklet vs. sharkskin Source Sharklet Technologies: http://sharklet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/compare-photo.gif

That was the realization that researchers happened upon through their observations of none other than sharks. They were able to determine that a shark’s skin not only possesses hydrodynamic qualities but antimicrobial properties as well. Yet what is so intriguing about this discovery is that a shark’s bacterially resistant exterior was due only to its skin’s microscopic shape and texture, and not to any sort of chemical reagents found on the skin. A shark’s skin consists of something known as dermal denticles (second image in Figure 2), which are a miniscule network of diamond shaped scales. The riblets found on these scales as well as their spatial arrangements are what discourages microbial habitation, making shark’s skin a non-chemical bacterial growth inhibitor. Following this research, scientists proceeded to synthetically replicate sheets of these dermal denticles, eventually creating a product known today as Sharklet (first image in Figure 2).

Figure 3: Flat vs dentricle surface adhesion
Source Sharklet Technologies: http://sharklet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/img-research-results.jpg

Sharklet makes use of a diamond shaped (dentricle) pattern of riblets, each one measuring to approximately 20 micrometers in length, to create a disruptive surface that discourages biofilm formation (colonized bacterial cell growth). It does so by possessing a surface on which bacteria must use great amounts of energy to successfully adhere and reproduce. This high stress environment does not encourage bacteria to take up residence, causing them to dissociate to either colonize a more favourable environment or perish. After much initial testing, Sharklet has been shown to greatly reduce bacterial bioadhesion and growth  in comparison to non-dermicle (eg. flat) surfaces, making it a viable option for device and surface coverings that are frequently handled in hospital environments.

Granted, Sharklet should not be seen as a cure to a patient’s bacterial infection but rather as a method to reduce the spread and transmission of bacteria. This reduction would correlate to a decrease in the amounts of infected individuals, which in turn would lessen the overall use of antibiotics and disinfectants, giving bacteria less of an opportunity to develop antibiotic resistance.

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-Natasha Smyrnis

References: Sharklet Science, Antibiotic Resistance in the 21st Centuary: A Clinical Super-Challenge, Dr. Anthony Brennan: Sharklet Founder

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Losing Weight in Virtual Reality?

Posted on September 23, 2013 by | 2 comments

It is needless to say that innovation, new technology, and refined techniques can affect one’s physique, be it the running machine,  exercise routines, or dietary pills. However, can something on a virtual level truly contribute to weight loss?

Figure 1. Plugin Image from the movie “The Matrix”
http://couldthishappen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/brain-plug-in-300×199.jpg

First, Merrian-Websters Dictionary defines virtual reality as “an artificial world that consists of images and sounds created by a computer and that is affected by the actions of a person who is experiencing it.” In other words,  it is computerized representation of our world, or an imaginary one. Thinking that something virtual can change something in the real world seems contradictory. For simplification, when we say virtual reality, the first thing that may come to mind is the movie The Matrix, where Neo the main character is plugged into the virtual world “Matrix” and fight for humanity. With this in mind, there is doubt that lying down on a table can truly make us lose weight. Nevertheless, the of process losing weight extends further away from simply being able to transfer one’s mind to another realm.

Figure 2. Screenshot of Second Life
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTHgNE4HV38/UInvSQaXLzI/AAAAAAAAAC0/Z
B6ct1BmnFM/s320/Second+Life.jpg

According to investigators from The University of Kansas Medical Center, weight maintenance was significantly more effective using a virtual environment than face-to-face sessions in real life. What makes this possible is the mental attachment to the character in control. Using the web-based virtual reality environment called Second Life, participants were able to create “avatars” that are self-representations of themselves in the environment. Being able to interact in the virtual environment more freely, participants were able to “practice meal planning, grocery shopping, and dietary control when eating at restaurants and holiday parties to a much greater extent with Second Life compared with the time-limited clinic meeting”. By having continuous imagery that the avatar is him or herself, it is thought that participants will then be able to take the practiced routine out of the virtual environment and utilize it in real life.

Here is a 10 minute first-look gameplay video for Second Life by MMOHut with commentary. Viewer discretion is  advised.

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Further research is required to gain confidence in a virtual alternative to lose weight. Most importantly, creating another self in virtual reality may alter not only one’s physical imagery but also one’s actual perceptions on the surroundings. These avatars can be modified to one’s preferences and such modification can affect one’s concept on racism, prejudice, and even values. All these questions are debatable.

By: Junki (Seraphinus) Hong

 

References:

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Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News

Emotional Eating: Is It More Than Just Psychological?

Posted on September 23, 2013 by | 1 comment

Image source: Blogspot

The beginning of October is fast approaching and with that we welcome the first round of midterms and an increase in our stress levels. As a self-diagnosed emotional eater, I always find myself craving unhealthy foods at this time. Which makes me wonder, is it all psychological or is there a more scientific reason behind this?

It is known that taste and pleasant memories associated with junk food play a role in our tendency to gravitate towards fatty or sugary food in times of stress. But a new study suggests that there is more to it than that. According to the study by Lukas Van Oudenhove and his colleagues, our stomach may be influencing our brain through the release of hormones. This occurs independently of any feelings we have toward a particular food. Suggesting that emotional eating not only operates on a psychological level, but a biological level as well.

M&M’s
Image source: Stuffpoint

In this study, Van Oudenhove and his team infused one of two meals through unmarked feeding tubes into the stomach of twelve healthy, normal weight volunteers. They were either fed a saline control solution or a solution of saturated fatty acids. By tube feeding them, the researchers eliminated the subjective and overall experience of eating, such as: tastes, smells, and textures.

After the volunteers were fed, the researchers tried to invoke a feeling of sadness in them. They had them listen to gloomy classical music and were shown pictures of people with depressed facial expressions. The volunteers were then administered a mood survey. The results revealed that those who were fed the fatty acid solution were more upbeat and happy after being exposed to the depressing environment, compared to those who were fed the saline solution.

MRI Machine
Image source: Wikipedia

In addition, functional MRI brains scan were taken during the study to further exemplify these results. The researchers compared the scans of those who were fed the saline solution to those who were fed the fatty acid solution. Surprisingly, they found that the fatty acid solution had actually dampened activity in parts of the brain that are involved in sadness.

 

This study successfully demonstrates that food can have a comforting effect on a biological level. Unfortunately, this makes it even harder to resist the urge to emotionally eat in times of stress. Although there is nothing wrong with occasionally eating unhealthy comfort food, we must still find ways to comfort ourselves without the extra calories. This is crucial in the long run if we want to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Below is a video explaining the chemical effect on stress on our eating habits, the consequences, and a possible solution.

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Reference:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/25/study.clues.emotional.eating/index.html

-Angelica Reyes

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science in the News

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Aging Is Evitable?

Posted on September 22, 2013 by | 1 comment

Dramatic amount of aging. Credit to Mary Jo Fohey (http://www.godsebook.org/political_leaders.html)

What popped into your mind when you first saw the picture to the left? Besides the amusement, I’m sure many of you thought about the horrors aging can do to people. But why exactly in terms of molecular cell biology are we all in the process of developing those depressing lines on our foreheads?

Normally, when a unicellular organism undergoes cell division, it divides in such a way that one of its two daughter cells receives mostly the old and damaged cellular material such as DNA, while the other daughter cell gets the majority of the newly synthesized cellular content.
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Because of this uneven distribution of old and new cellular material, one of the  daughter cells is always older than the other. According to previous studies, the cells that acquire the majority of old cellular material become slower in proliferating and carrying out metabolic activities, resulting in the phenomena of aging seen in research models such as E. coli bacteria. Because essentially all of the cells for most organisms divide in such way, aging is inevitable in our lives despite all the “anti-aging” products that we use!

Cell division of a single cell with replicated cell material. Credit to Roberto Piras from Shutterstock. (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-141329944/stock-photo-two-cells-divide-by-osmosis-in-the-background-other-cells.html?src=tofjyodeYvtJcAapke2fzA-1-0)

 

However, one microbe seems to have managed to evade this depressing fate of aging. A recent study of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany has identified a simple unicellular microbe, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a yeast species, to be able to avoid aging. The researchers discovered that when growing under favorable conditions, S. pombe divides in a different way from other organisms. When S. pombe divides, both of its two daughter cells receive equal amount of the old and new cellular content. Thanks to this even distribution of damaged and newly synthesized cellular material, both of the two daughter cells are “younger than before,” as Iva Tolic-Norrelykke, one of the researchers of the new study said. In the study, the researchers found that since the daughter cells were younger than before cell division, S. pombe cells did not slow down in its proliferation and metabolic activities after dividing.

The new study did not, however, argue that S. pombe cells are immortal. Instead, it stated that if a S. pombe cell is followed for a long enough time, the cell will ultimately die, although “the probability of this death will [remain] constant” rather than increasing over time. The study also stated that if being put under stressful conditions, S. pombe cells tend to divide faster and consequently distribute old cellular material unevenly. And the daughter cells with more old material will ultimately die in the same way other types of cells age.

Aging is certainly an issue that is constantly on our mind. But instead of stressing about aging and perhaps therefore making our cells divide the old material even more unevenly, it is best that we be content with the way of life.

                                                                                                  -By Connie (Kang Chi) Lee

References:

Why one microbe seemingly doesn’t age at all.

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