obsessed

We are obsessed with magnesium as a dietary supplement. Your “overdose” has a name: hypermagnesemia

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In recent years, magnesium has become the star supplement for many people. Promoted as the definitive remedy to sleep betteravoid muscle cramps, slow aging or reduce stress, has managed to penetrate a society that has seen these benefits as a real lifesaver for their daily lives. However, taking magnesium without a laboratory-documented deficiency is not only useless, As we have commented on several occasionsbut it can trigger a very dangerous clinical condition. There are differences with respect to the vitamin complexes that we also sin of taking in an abusive way without an analysis involved. And in these cases the excess is usually easily eliminated through urine without major impact, but serum magnesium operates in a very narrow physiological range, and this means that when we saturate our body exceeding its safety limits, the adverse effects manifest themselves in a domino effect that compromises everything from the digestive system to the heart rate. And it’s something we fall into thinking that ‘the more the better’. The balance. Our body has all its parameters well regulated within a range of fairly well-defined values ​​so as not to generate pathology due to excess or deficiency. In this case, different references suggest that the normal value of magnesium in blood ranges between 1.7 and 2.2 mg/dL, and can reach 2.4 mg/dL in some laboratories. Hypermagnesemia is formally diagnosed when these levels exceed 2.5 or 2.6 mg/dL, and the truth is that it is easy to reach these extremes in the case of widespread supplementation when there is no clear deficit. Its effects. In the case of overdoing it with magnesium intakethe first warning that we are going to have will be in the digestive system, since the magnesium here will act by attracting water to the intestine, causing diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. But when we increase the excess to a moderate range of between 4 and 6 mg/dL, magnesium begins to act as a depressant of the nervous system and a vasodilator, which translates into a drop in blood pressure and muscle weakness. In serious cases. When levels exceed the barrier of 6 mg/dL, the condition becomes critical, and here the guidelines warn of a profound neuromuscular blockade that can lead to muscle paralysis, which can be fatal if it reaches the respiratory muscles. But it does not stop there, since the cardiovascular system also goes into crisis in this situation, and the electrocardiogram of these patients shows severe alterations that cause it to lose its natural rhythm. The role of the kidney. In completely healthy patients, this organ acts as an extremely filter efficient when it comes to excreting all the excess magnesium through urine. However, when we talk about people who have compromised kidney function, the kidney will not be able to work properly removing magnesium from supplements, so it will accumulate quickly, generating all the complications we have seen before. The physiology. For all this, you cannot take magnesium like a candy, trusting that all the benefits they sell us will magically come true. The recommendation is always to consult a doctor to determine this mineral, and supplement (if necessary) with a maximum between 250 and 300 mg of magnesium per day. Exceeding this dose, especially by consuming multiple supplements or abusing magnesium-containing laxatives, is playing Russian roulette with our electrolyte balance. Images | MIND FAVOR In Xataka | Like so many supplements before, we need to be clear about something about magnesium: it’s not going to work miracles.

Thousands of Spaniards are obsessed with Hyrox. So Amazfit has launched two smart watches for them

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Crossfit is dead long live Hyrox. The other day a colleague asked me what the hell is that, and I had a hard time answering him in a simple way. So that we understand each other, it is basically a mix of running and seasonal exercises. You do one mile, move on to a station (sled pushing, burpees, rowing, weighted lunges), you do another mile, move on to another station for a total of eight. A boom that already brings together thousands of participants in competitions. Such is the Hyrox boom that one of the most relevant smart watch manufacturers in the world, Amazfit, has released two especially oriented for sports measurements of this discipline. Let’s take a look at the new ones Amazfit Balance 3 and Balance Ultra. Technical sheet of the Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra amazfit balance 3 amazfit balance ultra DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 47.5 × 47.5 × 12.5mm 48.6 x 48.6 x 13.3mm MATERIAL Grade five titanium for the case Stainless steel and grade five titanium versions for the case SCREEN 1.5 inches AMOLED technology Resolution 480×480 3,000 nits peak brightness Supports glove mode sapphire lens 1.5 inches AMOLED technology Resolution 480×480 3,000 nits peak brightness Supports glove mode Sapphire Lens STRAP SIZE 22mm 22mm CONNECTIVITY Dual band GPS Bluetooth 2.4GHz WiFi Dual band GPS Bluetooth 2.4GHz WiFi SENSORS BioTracker PPG biometric sensor (supports blood oxygen measurement) temperature sensor Acceleration sensorGyroscopic sensorGeomagnetic sensorbarometric altimeterAmbient light sensor BioTracker PPG biometric sensor (supports blood oxygen measurement) temperature sensor Acceleration sensorGyroscopic sensorGeomagnetic sensorbarometric altimeterAmbient light sensor ENDURANCE 10ATM 45 meters diving 10ATM 45 meters diving processor ZPS3044S ZPS3044S memory 64GB 64GB BATTERY 780mAh 780mAh COMPATIBILITY iOS and Android iOS and Android SOFTWARE Zepp OS 6 Zepp OS 6 PRICE 349 euros for the steel version 449 euros for the titanium version 599 euros, unique titanium version Born for Hyrox Amazfit Balance Ultra vs Amazfit Balance 3 The most notable thing about the new Amazfit Balance Ultra and Amazfit Balance 3 is that they are specifically designed for Hyrox. It’s not that they have just one specific way to practice this sport, it’s that they have an entire library of hybrid training plans to prepare ourselves when making one. They are able to create strategies depending on the actual length of the track we are going to compete on, and even the size of the ROX Zone (the transition area between the running track and the exercise stations). The degree of analysis during Hyrox training is more than precise: We will see the weather in each of the stations in the apptarget pace, completed pace and average pace. In addition, a monitoring system called Hybrid Chargein which not only a measurement of physical parameters is made objectively: the watch will also ask us about our subjective sensation to track our recovery even more completely. These measurements will also analyze how we have performed in our training, to tell us if we have done better in the strength or resistance stations, with the aim that we are clear about the points to improve. Two great clocks with all the letters Beyond the specialization in Hyrox that Amazfit has wanted to provide to its Balance 3 and Balance Ultra, we are faced with two watches with more than interesting specifications. The panel is both 1.5 inches, AMOLED, with sapphire coating (it is quite difficult to scratch us due to the physical properties of this material), and with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Don’t you know if this is a lot or a little? It is the same brightness of a iPhone 17 Pro Maxwithout going any further. The main differences are in the battery. The Ultra model has 780mAh and lasts up to 30 days of typical use according to Amazfitwhile the Balance 3 has 658mAh and up to 21 days of typical use. Although in real use with GPS the figures go down, Amazfit is well known for offering one of the most complete autonomy in sports watches. There are also slight differences in the finish: The Ultra model is finished entirely in grade five titaniumwhile the Balance 3 has grade five titanium and stainless steel versions. Of course, the steel Balance 3 is not completely metallic (just the frame), the casing is plastic. These watches have something that their competition does not usually include: a Dual band circular polarization GPS antenna. This curious name refers precisely to how many GPS satellites transmit signals (circularly), which allows the signal to reach widely and with less interference. By the way As Amazfit usually does, there are dozens of sports modes, measurement of blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep and stress (among others), all through the app Zepp Lifewhose data can be synchronized with third-party apps such as StravaAdidas Running, Apple Health or Google Health. If you have never tried an Amazfit, it is worth knowing that incorporate ZeppOS 6. It is a hybrid between a simple java system and a complete system like WearOS either WatchOS. It has its own “application store” (a small repository), countless watchfaces (both official and third-party), and it works quite correctly. Besides, It is a system that allows callswith hardware that incorporates a microphone and speakers to be able to respond from the watch, just as we would do in the most advanced systems. Versions and price of the Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra The Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra are from the company’s most advanced watchesand they will arrive in Spain at the following prices. Amazfit Balance 3 in stainless steel case | 349 euros Amazfit Balance 3 in titanium frame | 449 euros Amazfit Balance Ultra in Titanium Case and Frame | 599 euros With the Ultra, Amazfit begins to look closely at the heaviest rivals on the market, looking for a niche in the Hyrox athlete that has not yet been covered. In Xataka | The Deportivo de la Coruña store knows how many people come in, … Read more

Benicio del Toro and James Cameron have been obsessed with adapting a “cursed” work for decades: ‘Prometheus’

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In March 2011, Guillermo del Toro resigned. He sent an email to his team announcing that the project to which they had dedicated years of work was definitively cancelled. Behind them were more than three hundred pieces of conceptual art, a script they had worked on for almost a decade, James Cameron as producer and Tom Cruise as star. The novel that inspired it, a classic of literary horror, is still waiting to be adapted ninety years after its original publication. Foundational text. HP Lovecraft He published ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ in 1936 in installments in the magazine ‘Weird Tales’. The story follows a team of researchers who travel to Antarctica and discover, within a colossal mountain system, the remains of a civilization that predated humanity. Its builders, known as “the Ancients” are organisms whose existence makes it clear that humanity does not occupy any special place in the universe, as happens in so many other stories by the author. It is a scheme that laid the foundations (after multiple experiments in the form of stories) of the cosmic horrorand its influence on cinema is obvious in movies like ‘Alien’ or ‘The Thing’. Marked at eleven years old. Guillermo del Toro discovered the short novel as a child in Mexico and it became an obsession that stayed with him for decades. In 2002 he began working on an adaptation with Matthew Robbins, screenwriter and frequent collaborator of the director on projects such as ‘Mimic’ or ‘Pinocchio’. They completed a script but difficulties began when they tried to finance it: Warner Bros. rejected the project, and Del Toro chained films while the project returned again and again to the drawer: ‘Hellboy’, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘The Hobbit’… Ready. In 2010 the project took a little more shape, for the first time in its eventful career. James Cameron, fresh off the success of ‘Avatar‘, came in as a producer and Tom Cruise began talks to play the protagonist. The film would be shot in native 3D and distributed by Universal. In 2011, Del Toro was hurriedly working on a new version of the script to shoot that summer, but before that, in March, Universal archived the project. The reason was, mainly, the exorbitant budget of 150 million for a horror film for adults in which Del Toro did not want to reduce the violence. Curiously, Universal next financed ‘Pacific Rim’, which cost $190 million but, yes, had much less exaggerated violence. The coup de grace: ‘Prometheus’. In April 2012, del Toro published in the forums of their official website a text that related ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ with ‘Prometheus’, the feature film by Ridley Scott. According to the director, they had an identical premise, very similar scenes and an absolutely parallel final revelation. That is: explorers of unknown places discover an ancient alien civilization and realize something devastating about their own origins. More attempts. Despite the disappointment of ‘Prometheus’, Del Toro did not completely abandon the project. When he joined Legendary Pictures, he considered the possibility of making a PG-13 film, that is, with less violence. When he later signed a contract with Netflix in 2020, he submitted the project to the platform, but it was not accepted. In November 2022posted on Instagram 25 seconds of CGI footage prepared by Industrial Light & Magic for the 2011 version. The clip showed the Ancients in spectacular fidelity to Lovecraft’s description. Later would recognize than a feature film stop motion could be a viable format for the project. At the end of 2025, del Toro released ‘Frankenstein’ on Netflix, another project he had been wanting to do for decades. The film was a success in the awards season (nominated for nine Oscars and won three), with audiences and critics. Perhaps it is also, without us knowing it, an open door for one of the most deservedly legendary projects of modern fantasy cinema. In Xataka | HP Lovecraft wrote 75,000 letters in his entire life. And they give a definitive insight into all its secrets

115,000 years ago, Neanderthals were already obsessed with ‘seasonal cuisine’. The evidence is in a cave in Murcia

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For a long time, the evolutionary narrative has told us a story of superiority in which the Homo sapiens He survived because he was smarter, more adaptable and above all because he was capable of long-term planning. At his side were the neanderthalswho were seen as a group of opportunistic hunters who lived from day to day without planning anything. But science has been committed to rewriting this history for years. The Spanish case. 115,000 years ago, long before our species set foot on the Iberian Peninsula, Neanderthals already inhabited the Cave of the Planes in Cartagena and even collected shellfish to feed themselves. But they did not do it in any way or at any time, but rather they had a perfectly designed collection calendar. This is the conclusion to which a team has arrived where the University of Burgos and the International Prehistoric Research Center of Cantabria participated, without the need for a time machine, but ‘only’ needed an analysis of oxygen isotopes. How they have done it. Here the researchers analyzed the remains of shells of two very specific species, such as the Phorcus turbinatus popularly known as caracolillo, and the Patella ferruginea. The interesting thing about these is that, as the mollusks grow, the carbonate in their shells traps oxygen isotopes whose proportion varies depending on the temperature of the sea water at that exact moment. By analyzing these layers, scientists found an authentic “prehistoric thermometer”, achieving unprecedented resolution, as they discovered the exact time of year in which the mollusk was collected and consumed. The results. What was seen is that 78% of the consumption of these mollusks occurred in the coldest months, between November and April. On the contrary, during the summer, consumption plummeted to a mere 5%. And here the question is practically obligatory: Why did Neanderthals prefer to go into the coast in the middle of winter to search for shellfish? The answer suggests that during winter and autumn, due to their reproductive cycle, these mollusks have more meat, a better texture and, therefore, a better flavor. But also, by avoiding summer, Neanderthals avoided the rapid decomposition of food due to heat and, much more importantly, they avoided the feared “red tides” that were a proliferation of toxic microalgae that make shellfish poisonous during the warm months. The inferiority complex. The truly important thing about this study is not the discovery that Neanderthals ate shellfish, but rather the irrefutable demonstration that they carried out planned seasonal harvesting. Until now, it was thought that the ability to understand annual cycles and diet planning was a consequence of a cognitive advantage of our species, but now we see that Neanderthals were more advanced than we thought. Images | Marc Tremblay wirestock at Magnific In Xataka | A mixture of 4,000 kilometers: we have the first detailed map of the coexistence between Neanderthals and Sapiens

We have become obsessed with “natural” sleeping pills. The problem is that we are not solving much

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In a society where problems falling asleep are on the agenda, the promise of having a deep and restful rest It has become one of the great businesses of the 21st century. And faced with a silent epidemic of insomnia, millions of people have turned to a parallel pharmacy where no prescription is needed, since products such as melatonin, magnesium or CBD are available to anyone. The melatonin paradox. Health authorities in the United States have been warning for years of a drastic increase in melatonin consumption among adults. It is perceived here as a “natural hormone” and therefore harmless, and although it is true that has proven usefulnessscience calls for curbing enthusiasm. Here’s Duffy’s essay pointed Because at low doses it can improve the efficiency and duration of sleep, but what must be taken into account is the importance of following medical instructions to have a dose adjusted and controlled to the personal situation. It is true that there is still a lot of research ahead to determine the safety of melatonin supplementation, since some studies they even point to an increased risk of heart failure with taking for more than one year. The CBD. Cannabidiol is another of the protagonists that is beginning to have more and more importance on the shelves of many people who have sleep problems. Unlike melatonin or magnesium, CBD is a compound derived from cannabis to “turn off” the nighttime mental noise. And here the science suggests that the effect of CBD is promising, but there is still a long way to go to determine its safety. The most solid studies conclude that CBD is not a pure sedative, but that its greatest effectiveness is observed above all with patients whose insomnia is directly related to anxiety or chronic stress, since it can modulate the stress response, reduce nocturnal rumination and allows sleep to come as a side effect. But they have problems. Right now, marketing inconsistency is a big drawback of CBD, as much of the failures reported by users are due to over-the-counter products that are not of the proper purity or concentration. Magnesium. If there is a mineral that has capitalized on the attention on the internet in recent years, it is this one. It is promoted as the ultimate natural anxiolytic and sleeping pill; However, science suggests that they are greatly inflating the effects it has. Here, as we have repeated on many occasions, supplementing when there is no deficiency of this or other minerals is not the best decision. Some small trials indicate that specific formats such as magnesium bisglycinate can provide modest improvements in cases of mild insomnia, but at a general level, the scientific community concludes that its “miracle pill” status lacks robust support. Go to the doctor. On many occasions, when we have a problem, we want to resort to the miracle pill without doing anything else. When we are told about maintaining good sleep hygiene, keeping screens out of our sight several hours before going to sleep or forgetting about heavy dinners, the truth is that we find it complicated. Or at least more difficult than taking a pill they sell us, which will make us sleep without doing anything else. It is for all this that it is always best to go to the doctor to determine what is underneath the insomnia, to be able to treat the root of the problem and not put patches on top, which is ultimately what is achieved with supplements. Images | diana.grytsku in Magnific In Xataka | There is a whole fever for magnesium as a supplement to sleep better: science has things to say about it

How the Black Death caused Europe to become obsessed with the act of sneezing for centuries

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Hebrew tradition tells that, just before biting the apple, Adam sneezed. At that moment it seems that he didn’t care much, but after the incident with the fifth piece of fruit a day he ended up interpreting it as “a sign of evil and a harbinger of death.” The noise stayed there, of course, and when the very old Jacob was worried about not getting to see his son, he begged God to change the natural order of things lest a bad sneeze take him to the other neighborhood. That’s where it comes from (collected or perhaps invented anew by medieval tradition) that we desire “health” in Spain, “saúde” in Portugal or “Gesundheit” in Germany to someone who has just sneezed. As if to ward off bad omens; that life is not enough to play with dice. However, because it is common, I still find it surprising how much a simple sneeze has come to mean. Aristotle, explains García-Morenowas convinced that, compared to flatus or belching, the sneeze was the only one that had a ‘sacred nature’ because it came “from the main and deepest and most divine of the organs, the one that contains the spirit.” Hippocrates, on the other hand, although he did not decide on the goodness or badness of sneezing, he did describe the principle of reciprocal inhibition by pointing out that sneezing was, mind you, the best remedy for hiccups. As I said, the history of sneezing in the West cannot be understood in all its complexity without the Black Death. It was then that the “health” of the Jewish tradition or the “Jesus” of the Christian tradition became popular again as a way of wishing that this ‘achís’ was not the doorway of the damned plague. The “God bless you” that still resonates in English formulas (‘bless you’) comes, it seems, from one of the many plagues that struck medieval papal Rome. In contrast, in many other places, sneezing was considered a good thing. Fantastic. Traditional Hindu medicine used to provoke it as a way to balance internal humors and treat illnesses while the more archaic African medicine used it protopsychiatrically as a way to cure mental illness (supposedly caused by the existence of worms in the brain). To finish, to finish at some point, the Aztecs used it for headaches. What is a sneeze really? In reality, a sneeze is something very simple. It is a reflex actionsudden and compulsive, whose purpose is to expel large amounts of air through the nose and (sometimes) also through the mouth. It is, therefore, a physiological reflex that the respiratory system uses defensively. Therefore, it usually occurs when certain foreign particles irritate the nasal mucosa. And yes, I have used “usual” with all the intention in the world. As it seemsand these are average estimates, before each sneeze we inhale about two and a half liters of air. That is the first phase, the inhalation phase. At that moment, the abdominal muscles tense the diaphragm to increase the pressure in the lungs and force the air to come out through the nose at dizzying speed: between 70 and 130 kilometers per hour. The saliva that is usually expelled when sneezing can cover an area of ​​up to 8 square meters. And that is precisely what makes a sneeze one of the worst vectors of disease spread in the world. However, sneezing is most popular precisely when it is most harmless: in spring, summer or autumn. When it is caused by ‘allergic rhinitis’. A classic, indeed. This type of rhinitis, caused by pollen from trees, weeds and grasses, becomes the great recurring character in the lives of practically a third of the population. It is unbearable, unbearable, a cross. But, still, there are worse sneezes. Between 18 and 25% of the population sneezes suddenly when exposed to bright light. This is what is known as ‘photic sneeze‘and it’s an old acquaintance (and a cause of disability) of aviation pilots. Apparently it is hereditary and is produced by an anatomical proximity between the second cranial nerve (the ocular, responsible for carrying visual information to the brain) and the fifth (the trigeminal, which seems to be responsible for sneezing). When there is very bright light, excitation of the optic nerve can cause excitation of the trigeminal nerve. This signal is interpreted as irritation of the mucous membranes and releases a beautiful, annoying and enormous sneeze. Something similar (although this time linked to the medulla oblongata) may be behind people with a natural tendency to sneeze after eating, when they see something pleasant, or even during orgasm. It is already a bad idea, although used well (and even Aristotle would agree with this) it can be seen as a “wonderful” way to improve communication in the bedroom. In Xataka | We have been believing for years that yogurt was the best probiotic. Science is now crowning kefir In Xataka | There are people who sleep four hours a day and are still functional. It’s the closest thing we have to genetic “superheroes” Image | Pexels

why the USSR was obsessed with a planet that literally ate its machines

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There was a time when it was thought that Venus would be a good planet to explore or even terraform. After all, it is close to Earth. Carl Sagan himself made a theoretical proposal to adapt this planet for human life. Therefore, it is not surprising that it became one of the biggest objectives of the Soviet Union (USSR) during the beginning of its space race. With the Venera missions, dozens of probes were sent to explore the neighboring planet. A few were enough to prove that it was a more inhospitable place than one thought. However, that did not make those scientists give up their efforts. Only 16 named probes. Between 1961 and 1984, The USSR sent 28 probes to Venus. Only 16 of them, those that partially completed their mission, were baptized as Venera. Of those 16, only 13 crossed the atmosphere of the neighboring planet and 10 managed to land. Some even survived a few minutes to transmit important information to Earth. The violent destruction of each probe provided new data that was used to improve the next one. Even knowing that the next one would also succumb, the program continued forward and laid the pillars of the space exploration technologies that came later. An inhospitable planet. Venus It is an extremely inhospitable planet for many reasons. To begin with, its temperatures are very high. Temperatures can reach 465ºC, which is why many Venera probes literally melted when they reached their destination. The pressure is also very high. It is equivalent to about 90 atmospheres and could quickly crush a submarine. Many of these probes were also crushed. On the other hand, more than 96% of its atmosphere is carbon dioxide, making it highly toxic, although that is not as problematic as the corrosive clouds of sulfuric acid that accompany it. The Venera probes also had to deal with this corrosion. step by step. The first Venera probes lost communication with Earth before even reaching Venus. Others, however, managed to transmit information from the surroundings of the neighboring planet or even on its surface. The first to send data before being crushed by the pressure were Venera 5 and Venera 6. Previously, Venera 4 had been the first probe to manage to pass through the atmosphere of a planet other than Earth. Venera 7 even managed to land and stay 23 minutes on the surface of Venus before being torn apart by the heat and pressure. Later, Venera 9 sent the first black and white images. Images of the surface of Venus taken by the Venera probes Special mention to Venera 13. Possibly the greatest advances came with Venera 13. Although it was planned to last 32 minutes, the probe stayed on Venus for 127 minutes before disappearing like all the others. There he managed to take photographs much more advanced than those of Venera 9. He also measured the composition of the atmosphere and used a lightning detector to measure the electrical activity of Venus. It was even able to analyze the winds thanks to its built-in anemometer. Along with Venera 14, it was possibly the probe that provided the greatest discoveries before disappearing like all the others. 40 years later. With the Venera missions, the USSR verified that, in reality, Venus was a planet too inhospitable for exploration. But knowing our neighbors can help us know ourselves. For this reason, despite knowing that it was all suicide, 28 probes were sent, with landing, chemical analysis or image taking technologies that have continued to be used over time. Today, more than 40 years after the launch of the last probe, we can access the data obtained by many other missions that have also headed to Venus. Other missions. First it was NASA, in 1970, with its Mariner 10 probe. Although its main objective was Mercury, it also had time to explore the surroundings of Venus. Later in 1989 The Magellan mission made the first global map of the Venusian surface. Today the American agency is preparing for the launch of VERITAS and DAVINCI+, which should leave for the neighboring planet in the coming years. For its part, Europe launched the Venus Express probe in 2005 and Japan launched the Akatsuki probe in 2010. In the next decade, Europe is prepared to launch Envision, which will be in charge of studying the core of the planet. All of these missions were clearly inspired by the Venera probes. Of course, even if we can never live there, being able to send probes to a planet that melts and crushes ships is a great achievement of space technology. Images | Reimund Bertrams (Wikimedia Commons) | USSR In Xataka | A day on Venus: the (hellish) conditions on the surface of the neighboring planet

The world became obsessed with pistachios because of Dubai chocolate. Now the war has turned it into a trap

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The last few years have been anything but quiet for the pistachio industry. First ‘Dubai chocolate’ fever Its demand skyrocketed, straining supply chains and skyrocketing prices. Now the Iran conflict has struck a blow to its market, causing an earthquake whose consequences are still difficult to predict. For now there are already analysts warning that the fruit is beginning to be priced at highs that have not been seen for almost a decade. The big question is… And now what? What has happened? That the pistachio market is showing signs that it does not remain immune to the Middle East conflict, something that is otherwise expected if we take into account that Iran is one of the large world producers of this dried fruit. The alarm signal was raised by Bloomberg, which on Monday warned that the conflict is already affecting the price of pistachios in the markets. Their analysis is based on measurements from Expana Markets, a British firm specialized in the agri-food sector, which assures that in March the pound of pistachios reached $4.57the highest value since May 2018. Is it important? Yes. The pistachio market is very broad, it moves billions and it is supplied from more suppliers than Iran, so Expana’s data should be taken as a clue. Even so, they are interesting for their context. The pistachio had already experienced a price increase in recent years, driven by its popularization in the the drinks and food in general and especially for the enormous success of Dubai chocolate, a sweet made with cocoa and pistachios. After TikTok was filled with viral videos about its tablets, the price of grain skyrocketed: Bloomberg estimates that between the end of 2023 and 2025, Expana’s reference value for the US rose 30%. Are there more indicators? Yes. In Spain we have the platform data Pistachio Prowhich shows the increase in prices that the different varieties of grain have experienced in recent years in the Lonja de Albacete. A few months ago, in fact, the website informed that the price of Kerman-type grain had reached a “historical record” in both conventional and organic grains. Globally, a year ago Financial Times I already warned that Dubai chocolate was straining global pistachio supplies, driving up prices. Does the war in Iran have that much influence now? Yes. And for several reasons. The main one is that Iran does not occupy just any place on the world pistachio map. Although his weight is nowhere near what it was a few decades ago, when he hoarded good part of global production, the Islamic Republic continues to be the second largest breadwinner on the planet, only behind the United States. USDA estimates in fact indicated that during the 2025/2026 season its production would be around 200,000 metric tons, 18% of world production. They are 80,000 tons more than the third country by volume, Türkiye, and 160,000 tons more than the contribution of the entire EU. Some analysts it’s been several weeks warning that Iranian crops may be affected by the impact of the war on energy and water supplies for irrigation, in addition to problems with infrastructure. This is without, of course, taking into account the blow that the conflict has dealt to maritime traffic and the entire logistics chain. Some voices even have slipped in which the Iranian pistachio industry has been directly punished by the bombings. Are there more factors? The answer is once again affirmative. The war has tightened the rope, but the reality is that the pistachio trade was not going through its best moment in Iran. The industry has not been immune to the sanctions and geopolitical tensions that preceded the attack launched by the US and Israel on February 28. Neither, remember Bloombergto the repression with which Tehran responded to the protests internal. Even the harvest would have been lower than expected. All these factors also impact the supply of the fruit. “Pistachios are undoubtedly sensitive to disruptions in the Middle East, given the region’s role as a producer, transit hub and destination,” warns Nick Moss of Expana Markets. Tehran is also a key supplier of pistachio to the gigantic Indian market, which has now seen its supply chains affected, like other nations. “The war has led shipping companies to cancel all new reservations from March 2 for shipments destined for the Middle East,” duck Gyana Ranjan Das, from Grown Point. Does it only affect Iran? At all. If the war in Ukraine in 2022 and that in Iran now demonstrated anything, it is that the effect of bombs and drones is still felt in the countries where the battles are fought, but the disruptions they generate extend to markets and economies around the world. Iranian farmers are not the only ones affected by the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz is key to global shipping oil and ureaso its blockage directly affects the supply (and therefore the costs) of two essential inputs for farmers: fuel and fertilizer. Although there are those who believe that US producers will be the big beneficiaries, in recent weeks media such as Associated Press (AP) or Los Angeles Times They have interviewed California farmers who acknowledge that they have also been harmed by the conflict. one of them assured have merchandise worth five million dollars blocked on ships, fruits that under normal conditions would have already arrived in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. An expectant market. Surely that is the adjective that best defines the current state of the world pistachio market. Expectant. And not only because the second largest producer on the planet is at the center of a conflict that is currently hanging on a very delicate truce. After years marked by increased demand, the sector faces a potential increase in costs, a rise in prices, a decrease in supply and a strangulation of trade. “Even for buyers who do not normally source directly or indirectly from Iran, these supply restrictions could lead to increased competition for stock available elsewhere,” … Read more

There are people obsessed with magnesium as a supplement when the best way is to put it directly into your diet

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We live in the era of biological optimization, where The strange thing without a doubt is not taking dietary supplements from the supermarket such as magnesium, collagen, calcium, various vitamins… Magnesium in particular is sold as an almost magical way of sleep betterreduce anxiety and recover muscle. But the truth is that we are forgetting the most important thing: We have all this in food. The reminder. With so many food supplements (which often do not come cheap), sometimes we forget that we have these nutrients in the supermarket in different presentations. This is something in which Doctor Federica AmatiChief Nutritionist at ZOE Science & Nutrition, has put its finger on the sore spot of the supplement industry: For the vast majority of the population, there are plenty of pills and no food. Why magnesium matters. There is an obsession with taking this mineral, and the reality is that it makes sense because its functions are critical for our body to function correctly. Its fundamental role in many metabolic reactions of the body makes it essential for human survival, since without magnesium we would literally be extinct. And it is no wonder, because beyond being used to prevent cramps, it has important functions in energy production, DNA synthesis, metabolic control such as glucose levels, and also structural function by allowing bone to develop. Given its importance, the consumer logic seems simple: “If it’s so important, the more you take, the better”. But this is where science has to put the brakes on because a large amount does not always equal better performance. The best foods. One of the positions that we can have on the table right now is that magnesium supplements (and even others) are not necessary, unless it is known that there is a deficit. All this because it has a big problem: they are isolated. The problem with supplements is that they are isolated. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) emphasizes that the food matrix It is irreplaceable. When you get magnesium from an almond or spinach, you’re not just ingesting the mineral, you’re getting fiber, phytochemicals, and other micronutrients that work together and that no pill can fully replicate. The daily doses. The official recommendations today indicate that the minimum levels of magnesium They are not unattainablesince for adult men between 400 and 420 mg per day are needed, while for women between 310 to 320 mg per day is sufficient. Low figures mean that they cannot be easily achieved with food by adjusting the shopping list without going to the pharmacy. Where can it be found. If the goal is to reach 400 mg daily, the strategy is not to look for supplemented foods, but to go back to the basics. In this case, science points because the food where we have the greatest amount of magnesium are seeds and nuts, where we find almonds, cashews and especially pumpkin and chia seeds. But in addition, it should also be noted that green leafy vegetables such as spinach or chard have chlorophyll in their composition, which also acts as a highly coveted magnesium reserve. All this without forgetting legumes and whole grains. Who needs supplements. Logically, they have a site, but it is by no means a universal recommendation for everyone who may have their requirements met with the diet. According to the ODS, there are different groups of people who may require this supplementation (under medical supervision). These are the following: Gastrointestinal disease such as celiac disease where nutrient absorption is compromised. Type 2 diabetes, since its pathophysiology causes a decrease in magnesium. Chronic alcohol consumption. Elderly people where absorption is naturally decreased. In these specific cases, the evidence indicates that supplementation can help improve parameters such as sleep quality or anxiety, but because they have an absorption problem. A previous visit to the doctor. Before starting supplementation of any type, it is best to go to your primary care doctor to verify in a blood test the nutritional deficiencies that you want to counteract. And our body does not store these minerals, meaning that anything taken in excess has no effect whatsoever. In Xataka | Magnesium, creatine, collagen: we are taking supplements above what science believes is useful In Xataka | Which dietary supplements really work and which don’t, in a great graph A version of this article was published in January 2026.

We have been obsessed with measuring deep sleep with a watch for years. Science says what matters is dreaming vividly

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The reality is that waking up feeling like you’ve fallen asleep like a dormouse is one of the greatest pleasures in life, since it makes you start the day in a very different way. Until now, sleep science has told us that to achieve that feeling of rest we had to maximize deep sleepbut now the rarity and the intensity of dreams They are also gaining a starring role here. A new study. A recent published research in the prestigious magazine PLOS Biology by an Italian team has revealed that vivid and immersive dreams are directly related to a greater subjective sense of deep sleep. And most fascinating: this occurs even when the brain’s electrical activity tells us that we are in a phase of light sleep. How they have done it. To reach this conclusion, the researchers did not settle for morning surveys, but rather They took 44 adults healthy people to a sleep laboratory for four consecutive nights. Here they simply had to be connected to a high-density electroencephalogram to monitor their brain activity in real time. The methodology used was quite methodical, since all of them were awakened repeatedly, reaching the figure of 1,900 awakenings in total throughout the entire study. But they were not waking them up at any time, but rather sleep phase N2 which is what belongs to non-REM sleep and is what is considered relatively light sleep, where the biological need to sleep usually decreases as the night progresses. But the important thing is that, after each awakening, the participants had to describe their previous mental experiences and rate, from 1 to 10, how deep they felt their sleep had been just before opening their eyes. The result. By crossing the data from the dream stories with the EEG activity and the subjective perception of the participants, the scientists found a pattern that indicated that when the participants reported vivid, strange dreams, with high emotional intensity or very visually rich, they reported having been immersed in a very deep sleep. In contrast, if the mental activity before waking up was abstract, vague, or the participants had “meta-awareness,” which is thinking about real problems or being aware that they were sleeping, they felt that their sleep had been very superficial. A change. In this way, this sensation of dreamlike depth challenged the electroencephalograms themselves. And the fact is that, although the EEG showed that the participant’s brain activity was dangerously close to wakefulness, if he was immersed in an intense dream plot, his brain interpreted that he was resting peacefully. Memory doesn’t matter. One of the most interesting details of the study points to a situation that can be frustrating: waking up knowing that you had an incredible dream, but unable to remember the entire plot. Here the scientific study demonstrates that narrative memory is not necessary for rest, since the participants continued to rate their sleep as deep and restorative despite not remembering it. In this way, the simple fact that the brain has been “disconnected” from the physical environment and immersed in its own virtual world seems to be enough to preserve the subjective perception of rest. What does it mean? This discovery opens the door to new treatments for sleep disorders, since, in the case of insomnia, the problem could not only be in the clinical architecture of sleep, but in an alteration of dream activity or a lack of mental disconnection from the environment. And this is precisely where science has to begin to investigate. Images | iam_os In Xataka | Waking up at 3 in the morning is totally normal: sleeping straight through is a modern invention, not an evolution

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