mistake Archives - usatoday24

We have been banishing the humble traditional salt shaker from the table for years. Now we have realized that it is a mistake

April 12, 2026 by usatoday24

For decades, problems such as goiter, hypothyroidism, and childhood cognitive deficits linked to a lack of iodine in the body seemed to be a thing of the past in developed countries. All this was a success of the advances that were seen in public health from the 20th century onwards by targeting the need to add iodine to salt of table that we all consume. But now in many countries there is a significant deficiency in iodine that can lead to the appearance of serious diseases. The culprits. Ironically, new health and wellness trends, as we are seeing a huge boom in non-iodized “gourmet” salts that seem very cool, but they do not have the iodine that is supplemented to classic salt and that we need in our diet. The map of a deficit. According to data from the WHO itself in Europe and the Iodine Global Network, mild iodine deficiency persists and is spreading in countries where it was believed to be an eradicated problem. To give us an idea, in the UK Recent data suggest that women of childbearing age have gone from having sufficient levels to being classified as having mild deficiency. If we continue investigating, in Australia the problem has been reappearing for years despite fortification attempts, while in the United States, recent reviews published indicate that the deficit is growing again despite the historical iodization of salt, linked to new dietary patterns. The ‘gourmet’ culprit. Historically, common table salt has been our primary vehicle for consuming dietary iodine. But in recent years we have seen a trend appear for this product, such as Himalayan pink saltflaked sea salt or kosher salt. The problem with these options, in addition to being much more expensive, is that they are perceived as very healthy alternatives. The problem is that they are almost never iodized, and that is why their increasing consumption in order to improve health is ultimately causing the opposite. There is more. In addition to the salt problem, it must also be kept in mind that in many countries cow’s milk has traditionally been the main source of iodine in the diet due to livestock supplementation and milking disinfectants. But its consumption is falling radically. This is in addition to a general transition towards vegan or flexitarian diets that has increased the consumption of vegetable drinks that, although they are reinforced with calcium or vitamin B12, are not fortified with this iodine. Its consequences. That there is an iodine deficiency is not nonsense, since iodine is the fundamental fuel of the thyroid gland and is vital for neurological development, and that is why the European Food Safety Authority establishes that an adult needs 150 micrograms of iodine per day, a figure that rises to 200 µg in pregnant women. If we focus on pregnant women, having a deficit can have fatal consequences with problems in fetal cognitive development or even drops in IQ. The cases. An analysis published in 2019 estimates that there are currently 81.4 million cases of deficiency in women of reproductive age and, although since 1990 the global prevalence has decreased enormously thanks to universal iodization, the problem now presents a dichotomy: it affects regions with a low human development index such as sub-Saharan Africa due to lack of resources, and rich countries due to modern dietary decisions. The solution. Here the WHO demands that prevention policies be reinforced through specific legislation, promoting universal iodization of all salts, both those for direct consumption and those used in processed foods and bakery. In addition, the need to require or encourage vegetable drinks to be systematically fortified with iodine is pointed out, matching the nutritional profile of cow’s milk. In this way, we return to the original idea of introducing iodine into common table salt, so now it is time to supplement the new foods that appear on the market. Images | Jonathan Cooper Melissa DiRocco In Xataka | If you fall asleep in less than five minutes, you don’t have a “superpower”: it’s a warning signal from your brain

We have been sending pregnant women to bed for decades as a precaution. Science has just proven that it is a big mistake

April 11, 2026 by usatoday24

In the face of a potentially risky pregnancy, the prescription that was administered was very clear: absolute bed rest to avoid any fall or inappropriate movement that could cause an abortion. But this is something that today is no longer the norm, since staying still during pregnancy not only does not prevent the premature birth of a baby, but it can be very harmful. You have to move. Here, institutions as important as the Mayo Clinic are quite blunt in their guidelines by noting that there is no evidence that bed rest is effective in treating preterm labor. To reach this conclusion, they logically resort to different clinical studies inside the Cochrane Library In this case, they point out, for example, that in singleton pregnancies, routine bed rest does not prevent premature births and, in fact, the adverse effects of being immobilized outweigh the supposed benefits. In the situation of being in a multiple pregnancy, hospitalization and strict rest do not reduce perinatal risks and, ironically, an increased risk of spontaneous birth has been observed. What dangers does it have? Lying in bed may be something that a priori is seen as completely harmless, but the reality is that science advises against it for different reasons. The first of them is that immobility increases the risk of venous thromboembolism if one is not properly anticoagulated. In addition, it causes bone demineralization, where an estimated loss of bone mass is 2% to 3% per month, muscle atrophy and weakness, orthostatic hypotension, and is also associated with low neonatal birth weight and a higher rate of cesarean sections. Beyond the physical. Having complete rest isolates the pregnant woman in a bed watching television all day, and this only causes increased emotional stress, anxiety, and can lead to depression. In studies, this is something that currently affects 20% of pregnant women subjected to this isolation in countries like the United States. What is recommended. The objective of the different international guidelines to treat these pregnant women has taken a great turn in recent years. The SEGO guide of Spain, for example, recommends these women with aerobic activity for 3-5 days a week, avoiding routine rest. If we cross the ocean, in the United States it is recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, also to reduce the rate of cesarean sections and gestational diabetes. There are exceptions. Generalizations are never good, and that is why you cannot ask all pregnant women for absolute rest, but neither for a lot of activity. Here the most current guidelines establish that there are very specific and documented cases, such as premature rupture of membranes, where this rest is necessary. But these cases are very few. What we must stay with here is that immobility during pregnancy is not the best, and we must stay active as much as possible with activities logically adapted to the pregnancy situation. Images | Anna Hecker In Xataka | There are couples who couldn’t have children. Now AI has managed to give them hope

Larry Ellison promised them very happy with his new luxury yacht named after a Japanese goddess. Made a rookie mistake

March 28, 2026 by usatoday24

In the world of technology, there are more or less discreet billionaires and then there is Larry Ellison. He millionaire founder of Oracle has made ostentation his watchword: has a private island (where he wanted to feed the world with a sophisticated 500 million dollar irrigation system), a long list of properties distributed throughout the United States and other countries such as Japan, an exclusive private jetand is also investing in the search for eternal youth. Of course, he also has boats: he currently owns the Musashi, which is his fourth superyacht. Love for ships and Japan. Ellison’s love for the sea dates back to at least the 90s, at which time he even became a sponsor of the BMW Oracle Racingwinner of the 2003 America’s Cup. His current superyacht is 88 meters long, cost him about 160 million dollars in 2011 and its name is clearly of Japanese origin. In fact, it is a tribute to one of the most famous samurai. Its interior also shows Japanese influences. In addition to the Musashi, in its history of boats with Japanese names there is the Sayonara sailboat, with which won several world championships racing, or the 75-meter superyacht Katana. But his first motor superyacht was the Ronin and it cost him some headaches. Ronin It means lordless samurai, but that was not his original name. It was conceived as Izanami. The impressive Izanami. In the late 90s Ellison set his sights on a superb second-hand superyacht called Izanami. Designed by none other than Norman Foster in the early 90s, built at the German Lurssen shipyard and commissioned by a mysterious Japanese businessman, it stands out for its defined geometric lines and its aluminum hull. It combines modernist architecture with great performance: at 59 meters in length, it was capable of reaching an impressive maximum speed of 34 knots. Inside, five cabins to accommodate up to 10 guests and 14 crew members in total. The mistake that no one saw coming. The name chosen by its original owner, Izanami, comes from Japanese Shinto mythology: the goddess of creation and death, consort of Izanagi. On paper, it fits like a glove: it is cultured, it is evocative… it fits for such a superb yacht. Larry Ellison paid 25 million dollars for it and was preparing to enjoy it when, docked in San Francisco Bay, in Sausalito, his name made a splash. If you read the name “Izanami” backwards you find a tasteless surprise: “I am a Nazi”, especially considering the German manufacturing and Ellison’s Jewish origins. Change of name and owner. The tycoon tells it in his authorized biography “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle” from 2003: “When local newspapers started pointing out that Izanami was ‘I’m a Nazi’ spelled backwards, I had to choose between explaining Shintoism to reporters at the San Francisco Chronicle or renaming the ship.” He did the latter: Izanami became Ronin. Ellison enjoyed the Ronin until 2013, at which time He sold it to the Venezuelan banker Víctor Vargas and this one would later be sold to the Italian businessman Alessandro Del Bonothe CEO of the pharmaceutical company Mediolanum Farmaceutici. Today is for sale for 28.5 million euros. In Xataka | In 1988, Larry Ellison rented a Concorde and filled it with journalists just to say that Oracle 6 was going at supersonic speed. In Xataka | Larry Ellison has overtaken Mark Zuckerberg as the second richest man in the world. Their secret: building a home for AI Cover | Flickr and Lidija Jakovljevic

A woman spent six months in prison because an AI made a mistake. The terrible thing is that no one checked it

March 13, 2026 by usatoday24

Angela Lipps is a resident of Tennessee (USA) who has never been on a plane or taken a trip to other states in the country. Even so ended up in a security cell 2,000 km from her home for a terrifying reason: AI facial recognition software decided that her face matched that of a scammer operating in North Dakota. we have it. It all started with the clue given by the security cameras. Fargo police were investigating a bank fraud in which a woman used fake military IDs to withdraw huge amounts of money. The detectives in charge of the case decided to entrust the work of recognizing the images from the security cameras to a AI facial recognition softwareand after the analysis the system returned a name: Angela Lipps. An agent took a look at her social media, decided that her body and hairstyle matched those of the suspect, and signed the arrest warrant. like in the movies. A US Marshals team showed up at Lipps’ home in Tennessee and He detained her at gunpoint. She was babysitting four children, but that didn’t matter: she was treated like a fugitive from justice. They did not ask him any prior questions, nor did they compare his version. They didn’t even have physical evidence that placed her in North Dakota beyond what the facial recognition system had said. And since the AI said it, it had to be true, right? Six months in prison (and in limbo). Being considered a fugitive, Lipps was not eligible for bail, and spent 108 days in a Tennessee jail waiting to be extradited to a state she had never visited. Then, in late October, she was transferred to a prison in North Dakota. In all that time, no one at the Fargo Police Department bothered to even check to see if the suspect had an alibi because once again, there was no need to check: AI couldn’t fail. At least, according to the police forces that were in charge of the case. Zasca. The funny thing is that proving Lipps’ innocence was really easy. When a public defender finally reviewed the suspect’s bank statements, the case fell apart. While the scammer was stealing thousands of dollars in North Dakota, Angela Lipps was buying tobacco at a Tennessee gas station, using Uber Eats and cashing her Social Security check in her hometown. The GPS and bank records were definitive and irrefutable evidence. Come home come back. On December 24, on Christmas Eve, the prosecutor’s office in charge of handling the case dropped the charges and Angela Lipps was released. Of course: they did it without further ado, on the street, in a state she didn’t know and where it was very cold while she had been arrested wearing summer clothes. The defense lawyers were in charge of paying for a hotel for him and another NGO called F5 Project helped him return home. The tragedy does not end there. The problem is that his return to Tennessee was not happy at all. During the six months he spent in prison, Lipps was unable to pay his bills and ended up losing his house, his car, his savings and even his dog. The Fargo police chief, who held a news conference to mark his retirement, did not even want to answer questions about the case. There has been no official apology or compensation for this huge police error. It’s not the first time, but it seems incredible that it won’t be the last.. We do not know what will end up happening with this scandal, but it is not the first of its kind that has occurred. In the US they have been arresting suspects using facial recognition systems for some time, but These systems fail and cause arrests of innocent people. This type of problem of poor application of AI tools in criminal investigations is present in Spain, where we already talked about the tragic consequences of using VioGén or what happened to him false complaint detection system just a year ago. AI can help, but in these types of processes human supervision is especially crucial. Image | Xataka with Freepik In Xataka | AI videos have broken Instagram and TikTok algorithms. Welcome to the new “AI dumps”

Zuckerberg in the front row of Prada seems like a mistake in The Matrix, but it’s actually Meta’s biggest statement of intent

February 27, 2026 by usatoday24

Any regular attendee of Milan Fashion Week know what to expect in the first row: a perfectly choreographed ecosystem of K-pop idols, internet stars and Hollywood actors with million-dollar contracts. However, at the presentation of the Prada Fall/Winter 2026 women’s collection, a figure appeared which at first glance seemed like a mistake in The Matrix: Mark Zuckerberg. As the magazine points out GQthe usual fashion audience is undergoing a metamorphosis and the technological elite is reclaiming its place in the spotlight, as demonstrated the appearance by Jeff Bezos in Jonathan Anderson’s debut for Dior. However, the founder of Meta did not finish blending in with the environment. As described The Times With a certain British irony, Zuckerberg looked tense in front of the flashes, like “someone who has ever heard of the concept of sitting on a bench, but has never tried it,” awkwardly spreading his fingers over his pants and not really knowing where to look as the models paraded. But what are the Silicon Valley elite doing there? Despite its recent change of image – which some have dubbed the Zuckaissanceleaving behind his uniform of gray t-shirts for Balenciaga clothes and gold chains—his presence in Milan does not respond to the mere whim of a shopping tourist. It’s a top-notch corporate chess move. As detailed The Timesthe key was in the seating arrangement (the coveted Frow either front row). Zuckerberg was not placed next to any random celebrity, but strategically shoulder to shoulder with Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s marketing director and son of designer Miuccia Prada. At his side, his wife, Priscilla Chan, shared confidences with none other than Andrea Guerra, executive director of the Italian brand. Besides, they fulfilled the aesthetic duties completely changing her style for the sobriety of Prada. lhaute couture as a Trojan horse. All this social choreography points in a single commercial direction. According to the CNBCMeta and Prada are collaborating closely to launch luxury smart glasses powered by artificial intelligence. The corporate bridge that connects Silicon Valley with Milan is already built. Goal has been collaborating for years successfully with EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian giant that manufactures the current Ray-Ban Meta. Glasses that, by the way, will reach the not inconsiderable figure of 7 million units sold in 2025. Given that EssilorLuxottica has just renewed its licensing agreement with Prada until the 2030s, the triangulation of the business is evident. The goal of this maneuver is to legitimize personal surveillance technology through exclusivity. As explained TechCrunch, Bringing AI to high fashion fills a niche that more sporty or casual brands like Oakley and Ray-Ban can’t reach. Consolidating these glasses as a symbol of status and luxury is the definitive step to benefit the global image of the Meta brand. The technological muscle behind the design. For a Prada product to make sense, the technology inside cannot fail, and this is where the specialized technology media provides the crucial context. As explained in an in-depth analysis by my colleague Lacort in Xatakahe hardware The current Ray-Ban Meta is brilliant—fantastic as speakers and great as a discreet camera—but its software is the weak link. Your “Meta AI” assistant currently feels like a “clueless intern” suffering from a lack of context and erratic responses. To solve this and live up to a luxury label, Meta has taken out the checkbook. Another recent report by Xataka details that the company has just signed a multi-million dollar agreement with NVIDIA to acquire its new generation of server infrastructure (the Rubin architecture and Grace processors). Mark Zuckerberg knows that to sell the glasses of the future he needs to achieve what he calls “personal superintelligence”, processing data in real time without the current glitches, whatever the cost. The elephant in the room. Despite the change of look and multi-million dollar investment, Meta faces a challenge that fashion cannot easily hide. Just a few days before sitting on the catwalk, the owner of Meta was testifying in a Los Angeles courtroom in a landmark trial over social media addiction. Most ironic of all, the judge threatened to hold her team in contempt for showing up in the courtroom wearing Meta glasses equipped with a camera, in a place where recording is prohibited. As he warns TechCrunch, Prada glasses will arrive at a time of growing citizen rejection of constant surveillance devices. Society is beginning to react against invasive technology. The rejection is so real that, as the media highlights, there is already a developer who has created a mobile application exclusively to notify you if someone around you is wearing AI glasses. This raises serious doubts about whether Meta will dare to incorporate controversial features such as facial recognition, something that The New York Times He already suggested that it was under study. Does the devil wear Prada? At the end of the parade, one detail did not go unnoticed. As observed Business InsiderZuckerberg was not wearing his signature Meta smart glasses while sitting in the front row. And he didn’t need it. The photograph of him sitting next to Prada’s leadership was the message in itself. Silicon Valley has finally understood that to convince millions of people to wear a camera, microphone and AI on their faces every day, design matters as much as microchips. The next great technological revolution will not be announced in an aseptic California auditorium with a presenter in jeans; It is being decided right now, under the spotlight on the Milan catwalk. Image | José Goulao and Mark Zuckerberg Xataka | AMD wants to be the great alternative to NVIDIA in AI chips, and Meta has a plan that involves both

It is a serious mistake according to the latest study on Alzheimer’s

February 18, 2026 by usatoday24

To this day, Alzheimer’s disease continues to be one of the greatest challenges in medicine to understand why it occurs, to lead to better treatments. And although pharmacology is advancing in leaps and bounds to try to stop it, science makes it increasingly clear to us that lifestyle is our best weapon to prevent the disease. And we not only talk about the diet either physical exercisebut also of how the brain is ‘trained’ with writing or reading. Some activities that we are losing. New evidence. A new study published in the prestigious magazine Neurology has pointed out that having “cognitive enrichment” throughout life can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 38% and delay the onset of the disease up to five years. Although here the question is how the brain can be enriched to avoid this devastating disease. A protective shield. The study is based on a small sample of 1939 peoplewith an average age of 80 years and with 75% women, who did not have any type of dementia at the beginning of the experiment. From here they began to follow them for eight years with different annual evaluations to determine the degree of dementia they had. But what exactly is “cognitive enrichment”? The team of researchers measured the exposure of these individuals to intellectually stimulating environments throughout their lives, which include such everyday and accessible habits as reading, writing, learning new languages, visiting museums or libraries, and having educational resources at home from childhood. The results. Once all the data was analyzed and cross-referenced, it was possible to see that the people who had the greatest cognitive enrichment showed an incidence of Alzheimer’s of 21%. This is a figure that increases as less intellectual and cultural activity is seen, until reaching an incidence of 34% in those patients who are in the 10% range of cognitive enrichment. Overall, the group with greater stimulation had a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. Delaying the disease. Beyond the risk percentages, the most important thing is the delay in the onset of the disease. Here the study found that people with a highly stimulated mind delayed the onset of Alzheimer’s in about five yearsmanifesting on average at 94 years of age compared to 88 years of age in the group with less stimulation. In the case of mild cognitive impairment, the “delay” achieved was even greater when the disease debuted at age 78 to age 85. What is it due to? One of the most fascinating aspects of the work comes from analyzing different corpses to see what was happening in their own brains depending on the lifestyle they lived when they were alive. And here it was seen that cognitive enrichment did not prevent amyloid plaques from forming, which is one of the causes of Alzheimer’s. What was seen here is that people who had kept their minds active with writing or reading showed much slower cognitive decline and better memory and thinking ability, even when their brains already showed the physical damage associated with dementia. It is as if the brain, having been trained and nurtured for decades, had built other pathways to continue functioning efficiently even though the main pathways began to collapse due to the ‘junk’ in the brain generated by the disease. There are nuances. In this case we have focused on an observational study based, in part, on the memory of the patients’ own experiences, such as what they did fifty years ago. This shows an important association, but it is not a direct coincidence or indisputable by other studies. However, the findings do not fall on deaf ears, but rather They add to a mountain of previous evidence which suggests that prior enrichment reduces the pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s. This makes science point to the recommendation of dedicate at least one hour a day to hobbies and reading can protect our brain. Technology against us. It is a reality that today some activities such as handwriting have declined in favor of writing on a tablet or computer to take notes or write emails. This is also added to the fact that audiobooks are beginning to have a lot of weight in our daily lives, which means that we train our brain less and less to put on and read a good book. In this way, keeping the brain busy with activities such as crossword puzzles, sudoku or any type of activity can be essential to stop diseases as devastating as this one. Images | Thought Catalog In Xataka | Alzheimer’s no longer seems irreversible: science allows brains with advanced damage to recover for the first time in animals

bomb them with 6,000 logs from helicopters to fix a decades-old mistake

February 5, 2026 by usatoday24

Historically, the rivers of the Pacific Northwest of the United States They were a chaos of fallen wood, deep pools and irregular currents that prevented the normal flow. The logic marked clean them and remove all the trunks to facilitate the passage of water and transportation, something they did not hesitate to do. The problem is that this has subsequently been seen to be a mistake, and they have literally had to fix it throwing logs into the river with a helicopter. Something that may seem crazy, but that science has endorsed as the best. A bombardment of wood. The project, led by the Yakama Nation in collaboration with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy has reached an unprecedented milestone. They have managed to place more than 6,000 Douglas fir logs and cedar along Central Washington’s 24 miles of rivers and streams. With helicopters. A task that was not easy, and for which helicopters have been requiredsince access by land to these virgin areas is almost impossible without building roads that would destroy the ecosystem that they are trying to save, in a paradoxical way, ‘dirtying’ the rivers. That is why the use of cargo helicopters has allowed the wood to be deposited with surgical precision without touching the surrounding forest floor to do as little damage as possible. An image that has actually attracted a lot of attention on social networks due to the impression of seeing a helicopter dumping wood into a river. A dirty river. Although seeing thousands of logs piled up in a river may seem like a natural disaster, to a biologist it is a perfect work of engineering. And these stacks are called ‘Engineered Log Jams’ and have a very clear meaning. The first is that the logs create deep pools and shadows where the water stays cold, which is vital for the survival of salmon and bull trout in the face of rising global temperatures. Stopping the current. This is another reason why science justifies the need to have these logs in the river, since slowing down the water allows the gravel to settle for the salmon to lay their eggs. Something that is complemented by the possibility of shelter that the trunks provide to hide from predators. Furthermore, by forcing the water to go around the obstacles, the complexity of the channel is recovered, avoiding accelerated erosion of the banks. The backup. As we have said before, it has not been a unilateral political decision, but rather it has had the support of science with different studies. These targeted a survival rate of 78% of fauna after major floods, more than meeting the protection objectives. And the success has been such that they are already being replicated in other parts of the country. The public administration itself is financing similar projects in the olympic peninsula and in counties like Cowlitz they have doubled down, placing up to 8,000 logs in the Grays River. The return of the salmon. This project is not just a question of river aesthetics. It is a battle for food sovereignty and biodiversity. Research in the Elwha River already confirms an immediate positive response with the presence of young salmon in front of these structures. In this way, what was eliminated decades ago because it was considered “garbage” or obstacles to progress, is today reinserted with high-tech helicopters. It is the recognition that sometimes, for nature to function properly, we need to make rivers “dirty” and full of obstacles again. Images | Job Vermeulen Magnus Mandrup In Xataka | Finally we have salmon without an environmental footprint, without overfishing and without microplastics. It’s just not salmon

Science says that eating three oranges is health and drinking them is a mistake

January 28, 2026 by usatoday24

One of the most characteristic images of the ideal breakfast is undoubtedly the freshly squeezed orange juice that They try to place us in any cafeteria thanks to being an icon of health and vitamin C. However, in recent years it has been seen that the way to get the most out of this fruit is to leave it whole and without squeezing it. The juice is different. A juice, whether natural or bottled, It is not the same as fruit, no matter how much they try to sell it to us that way.. And the difference is precisely in what ends up in the trash, better known as food matrixwhich has a large number of benefits that we are constantly discarding. The matrix rotates. To understand why juice is not the same as fruit, we must understand how our digestive system works in the presence of food. In the case of eating whole fruits, what we eat is a complex “matrix” that has water and fructose ‘trapped’ inside. This is a network of insoluble and soluble fiber that forces our body to work a little to be able to absorb the nutrients that are in between. The fact of having to ‘search’ for nutrients among the fiber favors a much slower digestion that makes the sugars pass through the body in a more ‘controlled’ manner and not abruptly. But when you squeeze the fruit, this matrix ends up destroyed and the sugars are released from its prison, making it much easier for the body to trap them. The consequences. For the WHOintrinsic fructose, the sugar from the fruit itselfis now called ‘free sugars’ since they have nothing to hold them back. In this way, when drinking the juice, gastric emptying is very fast because there are no solids to process and the result is a large amount of glucose and fructose reaching the bloodstream. Something that represents stress for the body that is not prepared for it. The glucose curve. While eating whole fruit generates a much more moderate and sustained curve, juice causes an acute glycemic peak, followed by reactive hypoglycemia that awakens hunger shortly after. Although anyone in these cases may think that logically the amount of sugar in both the juice and the fruit is the same, so the behavior of the organism should be identical. But the reality is quite different, since science has been able to demonstrate that although the amount of sugar is identical, insulin response is significantly greater in the liquid version. For metabolic purposes, the pancreas does not distinguish much between industrial orange juice, homemade one or a sugary soft drink: it detects a flood of energy that it must manage immediately. What the data says. In this context, science already pointed out in 2014 a figure that should make us rethink breakfast: a higher intake of fruit juice was associated with a 14% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the contrary, the consumption of whole fruits (especially blueberries, grapes or apples) is systematically associated with a reduced risk. The fructose trap. Beyond glucose, which is like the main enemy against health that many of us have in mind, another enemy must be highlighted: liquid fructose. In this case, when it suddenly reaches the liver, it converts its excess into fat, generating uric acid as a byproduct, raising blood pressure and the risk of gout. In parallel, inflammatory pathways are activated that contribute to insulin resistance in the long term. But the key data is found in a 2025 Chilean analysis that concluded that, although 100% natural juices are “neutral” in small doses, They are consistently inferior to whole fruit in preventing major diseases. The satiety factor. There is a very interesting relationship between juices and obesity in the act of chewingas pointed out by different Japanese studies that have shown that the act of chewing not only crushes the food, but also sends satiety signals to the brain. But when we are drinking we skip these control signals to stop eating when the body says it is fine. If we start talking about figures, a glass of juice requires more or less 2-3 oranges (depending on the size), and it is very easy to drink it in forty seconds. But it is much more difficult to eat three oranges in a row, chewing slice by slice, since we are giving the body time to assimilate that sugar. It is not absolute evil. Obviously, juice is not poison for the body, but different nuances must be taken into account. Reviews published in 2024 and 2025 suggest that 100% natural juices may have a place in a healthy diet under very specific conditions. The dose in this case is very important, since It has been shown that small amounts (less than 150 ml per day) do not increase cardiovascular risk and they can provide vitamins. The problem is that the usual consumption size is usually double or triple that amount. Furthermore, the context matters since a high-performance athlete who takes that quick energy shot is not the same as a sedentary person already prone to diabetes. However, general public health advice increasingly aligns with the radical stance: if you have the choice, always choose whole fruit. Images | Mateusz Feliksik In Xataka | It turns out that a longevity expert has said something that makes sense. And the reason is the juices

Physics is clear that it is a mistake

January 7, 2026 by usatoday24

In the middle of winter, a classic dilemma always returns in Spanish homes: is it advisable to leave the heating on all day to avoid the “peak of consumption” when turning it back on or is it better to turn it off every time we go out? For years, fear of an astronomical bill has fueled the myth that “keeping warm” is cheaper. But this winter, experts have decided to settle the issue by relying on an unbeatable ally: the laws of physics. The five minute rule. For Jorge Morales de Labra, industrial engineer and energy analyst, the answer does not allow nuances. As explained in Cadena CopeTurning off the heating is always worth it. In fact, he exemplifies it very simply: “Even if you go down for five minutes to buy bread, it is economically worthwhile to turn it off.” This statement has a solid scientific basis. As Morales de Labra details, heating systems consume energy constantly to compensate for the heat losses that the home suffers through walls, ceilings and windows. If the heating remains on while no one is there, we are paying for a comfort that no one enjoys, forcing the boiler to work tirelessly to counteract the cold outside. So why does shutting down save more than maintaining? The key lies in demystifying the “effort” that the boiler makes when starting. Although it is true that the boiler works more intensely to recover the initial temperature, this specific consumption is much lower than the sustained expenditure to keep the system running during hours of absence. Furthermore, the figures support this thesis. According to data from the OCU (Organization of Consumers and Users)If we decide to turn off the heating completely at night, the savings can skyrocket up to 67%. For their part, energy efficiency studies cited by El Español They estimate that by simply turning off the system for short and moderate absences, a family can reduce their annual bill by 8% to 15%. In an average home, this represents a direct saving of between 50 and 120 euros per year. The “invisible limit” of 21 degrees. Another common mistake is to confuse comfort with excess heat. The Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) warns that Each degree we go above that threshold makes the bill 7% more expensive. The official recommendation is clear: During the day: Between 19 °C and 21 °C is the optimal temperature. At night: Simply keep it between 15°C and 17°C, or turn it off directly. It should be remembered that this rule is universal for radiators and heat pumps. Nevertheless, systems such as underfloor heatingwhich have great thermal inertia and take hours to heat up, require more stable management and do not benefit from shutdowns lasting just minutes. The crucial role of insulation. It’s not all the thermostat’s fault; The reality is that almost half of what we pay depends on the walls. If your house has leaks, heat literally escapes through the cracks, forcing you to turn up the heat to avoid shivering. It is a vicious circle that empties the pocket. Luckily, the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests several effective patches that do not require getting into work: Seal drafts: Installing weather stripping on doors and windows can save up to 100 euros annually. Blind management: Open them during the day to take advantage of the sun and close them tightly at nightfall to add an extra layer of insulation. Adjust the boiler: It is recommended to lower the boiler delivery temperature (the water that goes to the radiators) to improve the efficiency of the equipment. Smart ventilation: Simply open the windows for a few minutes in the morning to renew the air without the walls getting cold. An investment in control. Savings do not come from being cold, but from managing the heat intelligently. Jorge Morales de Labra emphasizes the importance of smart thermostats. These devices allow programming the heating so that it turns on half an hour before we get home or turn it off from our cell phone if we have forgotten. In short, this winter science gives us permission to turn off the switch. Heating an empty house is not comfort, it is waste. True efficiency is not about generating more heat, but about preventing the heat we have already paid for from escaping. Image | freepik Xataka | Heating has an invisible limit: going over that temperature raises the bill without you noticing more heat

Buying seafood before Christmas Eve saves up to 40%. A mistake when freezing it ruins your dinner

December 20, 2025 by usatoday24

Christmas is coming and, with it, the spread of the large tables. In Spain, seafood is the absolute king of the banquet, but its presence this year is once again marked by a “stratospheric” price increase. According to data from the OCUshopping on the eve of Christmas Eve can mean paying 78% more for barnacles or 53% more for clams. Given this scenario, the freezer becomes the best ally of savings, allowing discounts of up to 40%. However, saving can be expensive. Science and gastronomy issue an urgent warning: the problem of Christmas poisoning is usually not the original product, but rather our management of the cold at home. The golden rule: immediacy. The most common mistake begins at the front door. According to CuidatePlusmany consumers make the mistake of leaving seafood in the refrigerator “for a couple of days” before deciding to freeze it. Microbiology explains that the final quality depends directly on the initial state. You have to freeze it “as soon as you get home” to stop the proliferation of microorganisms in its tracks. Furthermore, prior preparation is a step that we cannot skip. As highlighted in the online fishmonger Mariskitoit is essential to wash the pieces well and, above all, dry them with absorbent paper. The outside humidity creates ice crystals that damage the fiber of the animal, ruining its texture. It is not just a question of flavor, but freezing is the only safe barrier to neutralize parasites like Anisakis. Each species has its manual. Not all seafood accepts the same treatment. To avoid errors that ruin the product, we must distinguish the families: Large Crustaceans (Crabs, crabs, crabs): They should always be frozen cooked. The professional trick is to wrap them in a cloth moistened with their own cooking water so that they do not dry out. a detail: they should be stored with their legs up to prevent the internal broth from being lost (“the chub broth“). Small Crustaceans (Prawns, prawns, crayfish): They prefer raw, especially if they are going to be grilled. In the case of crayfish, although crude oil can aesthetically blacken the headits quality is not altered; If you prefer to avoid this, pre-cooking is a valid alternative. Bivalves (clams, mussels): There is a technical debate here. In the sources consulted, some of them suggest steam them beforehand so that the meat does not stick to the shell, others hold which must be raw to keep their marine essence intact. The forbidden: never freeze barnacles or oysters. Their texture is destroyed and, in the case of oysters, it is extremely difficult to know if the animal has died before the process, raising the risk of toxicity. The moment where everything can be ruined. Yes, we are talking about the defrosting process. The gold standard It is non-negotiable: always in the refrigerator, never at room temperature or under hot water. The safest method is to use a rack over a tray. This prevents the shellfish from coming into contact with the water it releases, a place where bacteria “have their fun.” If time is of the essence, from a food safety portal recommends submerging the piece in cold water with salt in an airtight bag, but they prohibit the use of the microwave because it “cooks” the edges of the seafood and ruins its texture. How do they last in our refrigerators? According to the fishmonger Solo Mariscosthe freezer must reach at least -18ºC. In the refrigerator, the optimal temperature ranges between 0ºC and 4ºC. But the cold also has enemies. From Mariscos Carrillo warn that the air in the refrigerator dries out the product; Therefore, they recommend covering the seafood with a damp cloth. Regarding the times, Mariscos Gallego set expiration date to the “trunk of memories”: bivalves should not spend more than 2 months frozen and large crustaceans a maximum of 3 to 4 weeks if we want them to maintain their premium quality. Can I die from poor intake? Food poisoning is not just an upset stomach. bacteria like Salmonella, E.coli wave Vibrio They can cause everything from severe dehydration to sepsis (a fatal immune system response). Additionally, there is the danger of toxins; as Dr. Masarat Jilani explains in a report to The Guardiansome like those of Bacillus cereus (common in reheated seafood rice) they resist even the heat of cooking. Added to this is the problem about heavy metals. Although shellfish (prawns, mussels) usually have low levels of mercury, we should avoid large species such as bluefin tuna or swordfish in pregnant women and children under 10 years of age. The safety test on the plate. As a final piece of advice, there is one piece of advice that is infallible: the “hit test“. Before cooking a clam, if it is open and does not close when you give it a little touch, it is dead and should go directly in the trash. Christmas is a time to enjoy, but as Dr. Jilani concludes“most poisonings disappear within days, but prevention is the only way to avoid extreme cases.” This year, don’t let saving in your shopping cart be a bet against your health. Image | Unsplash Xataka | The great Christmas revolution in Spain is not the millions of LED lights: it is the rise of “Tardebuena” and “Tardevieja”

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