COVID-19 has led to a global economic slowdown that is affecting all four pillars of food security – availability, access, utilization, and stability – according to a new article from researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), published in the journal Science. Agricultural…
Sitting back and watching your toddler explore their world is good for parent mental health, a new study has found. As part of her PhD at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, Mandy Richardson conducted the world’s first data-driven study of parenting classes based on…
You’re faced with a big decision so your second brain provides what’s normally referred to as ‘gut instinct’, but how did this sensation reach you before it was too late? The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is an extensive network of neurons and transmitters wrapped in…
Having more flowers and maintaining diverse bee communities could help reduce the spread of bee parasites, according to a new study. The research, conducted on more than 5,000 flowers and bees, reveals how bee parasites spread and what measures could help control them. Bees can…
Eating chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 “Our study suggests that chocolate helps keep the…
Nearly 60% of American children do not have healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a key measure of physical fitness and overall health, according to “Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Youth – An Important Marker of Health,” a new Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association, published today in…
Cannabis appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for the chronic pain that afflicts people with sickle cell disease, according to a new clinical trial co-led by University of California, Irvine researcher Kalpna Gupta and Dr. Donald Abrams of UC San Francisco. The…
New study reveals how a compound found in capers regulates proteins that control important bodily processes A compound commonly found in pickled capers has been shown to activate proteins required for normal human brain and heart activity, and may even lead to future therapies for…
Adopting a plant-based diet can help promote healthful aging and mitigate the global burden of disease, according to an editorial published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reviewed clinical trials and epidemiological studies related…
A record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, up 21 per cent in just five years, according to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020. The new report also predicts global e-waste — discarded products with a battery or…
Light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older age, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The study examined the link between alcohol consumption and changes in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. “We…
From low-income countries to high-income countries, long-term exposure to fine particulate outdoor air pollution is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and death, a new Oregon State University study found. But even small reductions in air pollution levels can result in a reduction of disease…
Beekeepers across the United States lost 43.7% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2019 to April 2020, according to preliminary results of the 14th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership (BIP). These losses mark the second highest loss rate…
The lives of honeybees are shortened – with evidence of physiological stress – when they are exposed to the suggested application rates of two commercially available and widely used pesticides, according to new Oregon State University research. In a study published in the journal PLOS…
A good vitamin D status is beneficial both in cancer prevention and in the prognosis of several cancers, according to a new research review. The anti-cancer effects of vitamin D are especially pronounced in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer and blood cancers. In…
Researchers from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan have proven it is possible to create nitrogen-rich fertilizer by combining the solid and liquid components of human waste. The discovery, published recently in…
New research suggests mindfulness training may help multiple sclerosis patients in two very different ways: regulating negative emotions and improving processing speed. People with MS who underwent the four-week mindfulness training not only improved more compared to those who did nothing – they also improved…
When it comes to future food production, the combined farming of fish and vegetables through aquaponics is currently a hotly debated topic. But how realistic is the idea? Publicly available data and analysis on the economic feasibility of professional aquaponics are at present very limited….
Scientists have called for labelling to warn the public about levels of arsenic in rice, after their research found half of rice varieties studied exceeded maximum limits on the deadly toxin. Scientists have called for labelling to warn the public about levels of arsenic in…
Food wrapping, fishing gear and plastic waste continue to reach the Antarctic. Two new studies into how plastic debris is reaching sub-Antarctic islands are published this month (April 2020) in the journal Environment International. New findings include analyses of some of the longest continuous datasets…
