Science

Science says the real danger is in how we do it

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A very typical gesture in our daily lives is to reuse the bottles we use to drink water or any other beverage. Something that is usually done to reduce the carbon footprint that can be caused by using a bottle only once and throwing it away. But at a time when microplastics are the order of the day, the truth is that it makes us think If reusing a bottle is harmful to us. But we are not only talking about the plastic bottles that we buy in the supermarket with water or any other liquid such as a soft drink, but also the classic bottles that we are used to seeing in many places that They promise to keep you warm or cold inside.. Its plastic construction can set off alarm bells after seeing how microplastics have been found in the testiclesthe breast milk and other parts of the bodyit is logical to think that if we use the same bottle twenty or thirty times in the end we are consuming this type of substance. The fear of microplastics. Little by little they get to know each other details about the effect that the consumption of microplastics has about our health, especially fertility. This means that we basically have to question the containers from which we consume food in order to ‘protect ourselves’ from its bad effects, as can occur in these bottles in container containers. The problem. Popular belief states that reusing bottles could pose a significant risk due to the alleged accumulation of bisphenol A (BPA) and the proliferation of dangerous bacteria if they are not cleaned daily. However, current scientific evidence intensely qualifies these statements, distinguishing between real risk factors and unfounded precautions. The release of bisphenols. Several studies have evaluated the migration of BPA and phthalates from reused bottles. under real use conditions. A recent experiment from 2021 simulating daily use in more than 20 types of bottles concluded that no migration of bisphenol A was detected in the stored water, even after several weeks of reasonable reuse. And the most interesting thing is that the classic aluminum bottles used as thermoses were also included. Other scientific articles agree: the release of BPA depends fundamentally on the type of material, exposure to high temperatures and extreme wear, not on the mere fact of filling them with tap or refrigerator water. Bottles suitable for food use, well maintained and not subjected to excessive heatdo not dangerously increase exposure to BPA. This logically changes radically if liquids are poured at high temperatures, which can cause more microplastics to be released. This is why you must always take into account the temperature of the liquids that are stored, so that it is the same as the original liquid that was stored. But there are also different opinions. In this case, food technologist Luis Ribera, director of the Saia food safety consultancy, has warned of the risk of reusing bottles manufactured for single use, as reported by El Confidencial. ​Although he goes further by stating that the real danger lies in the microorganisms that can appear in these bottles. Bacteria and bottles. Precisely, it is also a recurring theme, since logically on the surface of the bottle you can accumulate different common microorganisms like for example Escherichia coli either Staphylococcus. This is something that can be common, especially when a sugary drink has been stored, which leaves a substrate on the plastic walls, as if it were a Petri dish. But the key in this case to avoid the accumulation of bacteria logically lies in hygiene. Recent studies show that regular cleaning Soap and water is enough to keep the bottles safe. In cases in which high levels of bacteria have been reported, the analyzes always point to the lack of frequent washing or the use of cracked containers, rather than the rational reuse for drinking water as many of us do at home to avoid having to buy more bottles. Is it dangerous to reuse bottles? With this evidence, we can have several clear conclusions. The first of them is that there is no health prohibition when it comes to using bottles that are reusable and that have been manufactured to contain water. The second is that the associated health risks are almost exclusively due to poor hygiene habits or extreme wear and tear of the packaging. And the third is that if a bottle has not been manufactured to give it more than one use, Yes, we must be careful with its reuse.. In this way, neither the migration of bisphenol A nor the “bacteriological danger” justify throwing away your bottle after a single use, as long as it is used sensibly and basic hygiene is maintained. Science supports responsible use and regular cleaning, debunking some of the alarmist discourse around reusing plastic bottles for tap water. Images | charlesdeluvio Nigel Msipa In Xataka | The true size of the microplastics that populate our lives, exposed in this disturbing graph ​

science believes it has an explanation

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Walking down the street and seeing someone walking with their eyes downward can make us instantly think that something is happening to that person emotionally, such as being sad. But the reality is that walking down has many meanings and that have been proven through sciencewhich go far beyond the field of psychology and makes us rethink the thoughts we have when we see someone in this situation. The body language. One of the letters of introduction we have to the world is undoubtedly the gestures we make. It is not the same to be with them all the time. crossed arms which may indicate a more closed attitudeto be much more open in front of another person. And the look is another fundamental letter of introduction that we can understand perfectly. What psychology says. The most widespread interpretation of looking down while walking is attributed to the insecurity, shyness, sadness or low self-esteem. It is a fact that avoiding eye contact can seem evasive and, in a society like ours, is often considered a sign of vulnerability or emotional processing. This is something that has been collected in different studies focused on non-verbal communication where they reinforce this idea: the hunched posture, the gaze towards the ground and the absence of eye contact can indicate internal states such as introspection, emotional stress or the need for protection from the environment. However, the field of psychology warns that this overly simple or ‘generalist’ interpretation is inaccurate. To understand it we can go to other cultures such as the Japanese, where looking at the ground is a sign of respect or modesty, or can even be interpreted as a form of concentration or reflection. In this way, the social context, personality and frequency of the gesture make the difference between a ‘good clinical indication’ and perfectly normal behavior. Neuroscience. But beyond psychology, Neuroscience also has a lot to say in this field to thoroughly study why, in many situations, looking down is a very useful strategy. Studies published in journals such as Nature demonstrate That directing your gaze toward the ground helps adjust your balance and reduces the risk of tripping. Within these studies, brain activity and movement patterns have been specifically measured in people walking in different environments. And the conclusion is quite clear: looking down provides the brain with critical information about the terrain and allows you to adjust your step, especially if there are obstacles or the ground is uneven. In this way, if you go in the middle of the field for example, the normal thing is to look down to avoid tripping or ending up on the ground. The same occurs with a work published in 2021 that observed that this position improves stability in older people and also when the cognitive load increases, for example, when we are distracted. Thus, far from being just an emotional symptom, it is also a rational and functional response. facing physical and mental challenges. Mental health. Should every gesture of looking at the ground worry us? The clinical literature clarifies: if the gesture appears in isolation, it does not imply problems. But if it is combined with other signs such as social isolation, apathy or mood changes, it can be part of a picture of depression, anxiety or stress. The problem is that a simple look down the street is not enough to know this, but you must know that person much more. But the evidence is quite clear in this sense: ​there is a relationship between emotions and posture, but it is never a single indicator. Beyond the myth. In this way, every time we see a person with their gaze downcast, we don’t always have to think about the most negative thing, but we don’t always have to think about the most positive thing either. The reality is that if we are walking down a street Looking at the ground serves to avoid obstacles, process information while walking or adopt multitasking strategies (or even if you are lucky to find a ticket). Images | Caspar Rae In Xataka | The psychology of doomscrolling: the trap our brain is programmed to fall into again and again

Science has found the secret of the giant tomato, but it may be at the cost of destroying its good flavor

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Imagine being able to take a small, bitter, wild eggplant and with a single genetic tweak, turn it into a very different variety, much larger and ready for the market. This, it seems something out of a science fiction movieit may be a reality that is getting closer, as one pointed out published study in the magazine Nature who deciphered the genetic “instruction manual” of the entire eggplant family and also the tomato. The problem. We are currently living in a time in which the climate is changing radically. with increases in temperatures or reduction in rainfall that reach our fields. This forces us to have a ‘plan B’ in the bedroom that allows us to continue having crops efficiently and to be able to feed an entire population despite there being a climate decline. And genetics in this case is preparing for it with different changes. The agriculture of the genetically modified foods is starting to gain strength. The fact of modifying the seed of a fruit so that it comes out with significant improvements, such as being juicier, larger or more efficient, is the future of agri-food engineering. And all to be able to respond to an increasingly growing demand for food, but with a space suitable for it that is smaller. A commitment to flavor. But these genetic alterations raise many questions. The goal right now is to have fat tomatoes or eggplants that are also very elongated but without thinking about anything else. If we eat a tomato on many occasions what we want is for it to be juicy and good. But genetic modification may overlooks these types of essential components to be more ‘productive’ and nutritious. But the objective in this case of the investigation that is currently being carried out is on size. And if one tomato ‘from the future’ can be equivalent to three ‘current’ ones, the truth is that we will have taken a very important step. And this is already being seen. The investigation. An international team of scientists has created the first “pangenome“of the genus Solanum. This is not only the tomato and eggplant family, but also the potato and dozens of other crops consumed locally around the world, and which opens the door to a great evolution in the field of food and the agri-food industry. The objective. For the researchers, the objective was quite clear from the first moment: to know why a gene that produces a desirable trait, such as having a larger fruit in a tomato, does not work when tried to apply it to an eggplant. The answer in this case is quite clear: genetic redundancy. The obstacle. In this case, scientists saw that the main obstacle to this genetic modification not being applied was in gene duplications, known as paralogues. In order to understand this concept we can imagine the light in a room that would be our phenotype and that in order to turn it off we need to press two switches that control it. These switches are what we know as paralogs, and in order to turn off the light it would be necessary to deactivate both. This is what happens in many species, which have created ‘backup copies’ of their switches so that turning off just one would do absolutely nothing and would not materialize in their phenotype, such as their size. That is why this team analyzed 22 species of Solanum and discovered that, although the overall structure of chromosomes is similar, thousands of key genes have undergone different variations throughout their evolution. The brake gene. Scientists have long known that a gene called CLAVATA3 (CLV3) is the master regulator of fruit size in tomatoes. Its function is, basically, to act as a brake. It tells stem cells at the plant’s growing points (the meristems) when to stop dividing. Thus, when this gene is mutated or ‘off’ the brake is released and the plate produces more cells, resulting in larger flowers with more seed compartments and also a much larger fruit. And here is the key to how a tomato will end up being domesticated. The problem is that the tomato has an additional “handbrake”, which is a paralogous gene called CLE9. In this way, even if we alter CLV3, it will not have its full effect, since it will have this extra switch that must also be altered. CRISPR. It is a genetic ‘editing weapon’ that will allow us to achieve the effect we want and cut the brake on CLV3 so that the fruits can evolve. The scientists ran the tests on the African eggplant, a species that lost its CLE9 handbrake a long time ago, but has a functional copy of CLV3. When scientists used CRISPR to deactivate that only functional copy, the result was massive and uncontrolled growth, demonstrating that that gene was the only brake he had left. In another experiment, we used S.prinophyllum that did not have CLE9, but did have two units of CLV3 (CLV3a and CLV3b). In this case, when the researchers edited a single copy, the brake was weakened and the plant produced fruits with more lobes and therefore slightly larger fruits. But when they removed the two brakes, uncontrolled growth was seen again. The surprise find. While research was being carried out along these lines, experts saw something they did not expect: a completely different gene on chromosome 2 called SaetSCPL25-like acted as the main size “switch” in the African eggplant. Something that responded to a small natural mutation of this gene that was associated with the additional locules per fruit. To check this, they did the experiment in reverse. They took this new gene and they cracked it with CRISPR on a standard tomato. The result in this case is that fruits were produced with more locules, that is, they were much larger. In this way, the researchers had found a second genetic path to increase the size of the fruit in addition to breaking its brakes. … Read more

Science already knows why they generate an indestructible bond with their grandchildren.

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It is often said that some family traits skip a generation, and we have some scientific evidence that this is true. But people have four grandparents. Are there any that have some evolutionary favoritism when it comes to perpetuating their traits? The secret of longevity. Scientists have been asking for years why humans survive for a long period of time. after their reproductive agesomething that differentiates us from practically all animals, even those closest to us evolutionarily. This is especially notable since women generally live many years past menopause. We still don’t have a clear answer to this question, but the “grandmother’s hypothesis” postulates that the reason is that the presence of these relatives represented a survival advantage for the little ones. Evidence of the importance of grandmothers. Theories are of little use without evidence to support them, and one of the first was provided by Finnish researchers in a study published in the magazine Current Biology. In it they verified that the survival of children between 2 and 5 years old was positively correlated with the presence of grandmothers. The researchers found that the age and general health of the grandmothers were also associated with that of the child: the older and more frail the grandmothers, the less the benefits. The results were similar whether the grandmothers were maternal or paternal, except when they were very old or in poor health. Health status matters. This is where one of the most curious results of this study can be found: the possibility of competition. The authors postulated that grandmothers in worse condition could have a negative effect on the well-being of their grandchildren by “competing” for care, that is, since adults in good health should distribute these tasks among more people. This effect was greater in the case of paternal grandmothers, although the authors explain why. Different forms of care. The way in which ties are established can also have a lot to do with how relationships are established in families. The idea that parents take on a harsh role in the upbringing of children, while grandparents tend more towards indulgence, is widespread. A sort of familiar good cop and bad cop that makes us see people in a different way. And why science can have it too: a study, this one published in the magazine Proceedings of the Royal Society B analyzed the brain responses of grandmothers to images of two family generations and other control images. The team observed that the brain response was more pronounced with grandchildren even with the children. Environment and genetics. Not everything depends on care. Genetics matter too. One of the most obvious reasons is the possible presence of certain diseases that can manifest in the first years of life, many of which may have a genetic origin. This is where we can find a curious fact brought to light by biostatistics. Clarice R. Weinberg through an article published in the magazine American Journal of Human Genetics. In it he reported a curious anomaly with respect to what genetics predicted, and it was a greater matrilineal genetic contribution. The explanation given in the article was the transfer of phenotypes between mother and offspring during the nine months of pregnancy. Therefore, the genetic imprint of the maternal grandmothers would be greater than that left by the rest of the ancestors. Although the difference is not great, the effects can be great when it concerns diseases related to genetics, some of them serious. Matrilineal inheritance. Matrilineal genetic inheritance has greatly helped scientific development, in this case thanks to mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA, which is transmitted solely and exclusively through the mother, has allowed us to solve the most varied mysteries, from crimes until the death of the cave bearand of course, it has helped us better understand our origins. Each family, a world. Tolstoy began his Anna Karenina by saying the famous phrase: “All happy families are similar to each other, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” It will surely fall short because surely every happy family is also a world. This implies that differences can be large from one family unit to another, but also between countries and regions and between periods. It is difficult to know what will the relationships be like? between alternate generations in the future, but at least we are getting a better idea of the bases of this relationship. Image | Ekaterina Shakharova In Xataka | The connection between a grandmother and her grandchildren is greater than with her children. And science has studied why

Science is moving creatine from the gym shelf to a more relevant one: cardiovascular health

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When we think of creatine, the mental image It is almost always that of a gym: someone shaking a white powder in a shaker to get more strength or a faster sprint. However, science has greatly expanded the focus on this compoundand its applications are reaching unexpected places, such as cardiology consultations. Opinion of cardiologists. The surprise recently popped up on the podcast I have a plan where cardiologist Aurelio Rojas claimed that creatine “is one of the most essential supplements” that he uses in his patients with a dose of between three and five grams daily. This statement, which may seem shocking at first, is actually the tip of the iceberg of a large body of scientific literature that attempts to explore how apply creatine in daily clinic of a doctor with his patients. But what does a sports performance supplement have to do with the heart? And does science support this enthusiasm? Muscle motor. To understand the connection, you first have to understand what creatine does. Simply put, creatine is key in cellular bioenergetics, especially by facilitating rapid production of ATP, which is essential for muscle and heart function. Creatine monohydrate is most researched and recommended way for supplementation, as an improvement in muscle contractility, performance and exercise tolerance has been seen. in the heart musclecreatine acts by stabilizing energy metabolism and may have a relevant role in situations of heart failure or ischemic diseases. Within the scientific literature It is highlighted that creatine and phosphocreatine depletion is characteristic in failing hearts, and exogenous administration can contribute to the metabolic protection of the myocardium.​ Furthermore, there is scientific interest in the potential role creatine protector on the vasculature in risk populations, by reducing chronic inflammation and contributing to better control of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.​ Beyond the gym. All this means that the interest of cardiologists goes beyond gyms and the number of repetitions they can do in a specific exercise. One of the first diseases where emphasis is placed is heart failure and its supplementation with creatine. Although it is not a cure, the findings suggest which can improve muscle strength, endurance and exercise capacity in these patients. By improving the energy efficiency of the musculoskeletal system, the overall workload of the heart is reduced. Sarcopenia. A medical term that refers to the loss of muscle mass and strength related to age and chronic illness. It is a silent enemy that drastically worsens the prognosis of cardiological patients. and here is where creatine shinessince it is essential to increase muscle mass, especially when combined with resistance training. For a 70-year-old patient who has lost muscle mass after a cardiac event, regaining the strength to get up from a chair or climb stairs is essential. Creatine, in this context, is not an aesthetic supplement, it is a therapeutic tool to improve quality of life as they point out. the studies. It doesn’t work for everything. Creatine is not perfect. It is excellent for very intense, short-duration exercises that need immediate energy such as sprinting or lifting weights. But in low-intensity and long-duration exercises such as a marathon it is of no interest, since the aerobic metabolism of the muscle that maintains constant ATP production endogenously. The myths. Despite being a really studied supplement, creatine continues to spread myths. The ISSN is categorical about this In his review, he gives the following points: Does not damage the kidneysas long as the doses recommended by scientific evidence are followed. Obviously, if there is an underlying kidney problem, you should consult your doctor. It is not known if it causes baldness, or at least the scientific evidence has not been able to state it categorically. This is something that points to a study that showed an increase in DHT, but its relationship with hair has never been proven. It is not a steroid. It is a natural organic compound, made up of three amino acids, that the body produces and that we also ingest when eating meat or fish. In this way, science has moved creatine from the bodybuilding shelf to the general health shelf. Its ability to manage cellular energy makes it a valuable tool not only for athletes, but also, as Dr. Rojas points out, for clinical populations struggling with muscle weakness and energy depletion. Images | Alexander Saks Alexander Red In Xataka | When we stop sleeping our brain is irremediably damaged. Research believes that creatine fixes it

How Amazon Has Been Filled With Supplements That Sell Imitation Science

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Just over 20 years ago, the stem cell research promised a revolution against disease and aging. These master cells, with the potential to become any tissue in the body, seemed the key to true regenerative medicine, something that It moved away from the complex reality that we have inside our body. Although there are different merchants who try to sell us stem cells as a true wonder. Distorted. Something we are accustomed to (unfortunately) is that where science hits the brakes, the market hits the accelerator. In the infinite Amazon showcase, next to the vitamins and the collagen supplementsa new family of miracle products has emerged: stem cell supplements. Of course, they cannot contain cells in a capsule or in a cream, but that does not promise them to stimulate or regenerate them. Something that for many is the most ideal. This is something that a group from the Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta (Canada) has decided to investigate. has put the magnifying glass on this emerging market. To do this, it analyzed 184 of these products from 133 different companies associated with Amazon.com and has been able to conclude that behind an apparent scientific rhetoric hides a deliberate strategy to avoid regulation and deceive the consumer. The trick. The study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports shows how the sellers of these supplements exploit a legal loophole that allows them to launch ambiguous health messages without the need to demonstrate their effectiveness. The labels carefully avoid terms such as ‘cure’ or ‘prevent’ diseases, something that legislation prohibits. Instead, they use harmless verbs like “support,” “promote,” or “maintain” brain health, energy, or healthy aging. This ambiguity is its main weapon. In the United States and Canada, regulations allow calls structure/function claimswhich are vague claims that link a product to overall well-being without requiring rigorous clinical testing. That loophole is where most of these supplements slip through. The data. They can be summarized in several points: More than 40% of products explicitly mentioned “science” or “scientific evidence” to support the features they promised. 35% included references to health professionals or scientists to reinforce legitimacy. 94% of the supplements made promises related to specific ailments by pointing out that they were anti-aging, strengthened immunity or increased the consumer’s energy. This type of marketing, which the authors call scienceploitation (exploitation of science), “gives the consumer the impression that there is broad scientific support, which contrasts with the current state of stem cell therapies,” the study warns. Regulation. The strategy works because regulation in North America barely requires testing for safety or efficiency before a supplement hits the market. In theory, public bodies can sanction misleading advertising, but their oversight capacity is minimal. In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 supplements in circulation. In practice, you only have to add a phrase that is “this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA” for pseudoscience to become legal. In Canada, although a license from Health Canada is required, a 2021 audit found that the agency did “little” to prevent poor consumer information from being provided. The case in Spain. Although the study in question focuses on the United States and Canada, its conclusions can be extrapolated. In Spain, any statement about health must be authorized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS). However, law enforcement on the internet is often very lax, and on Amazon.es you can find products with language very similar to that reported by researchers. Products on Amazon.es that promise anti-aging effects thanks to the stem cells they contain. The authors of the work, led by Alessandro R. Marcon and Timothy Caulfield, warn that this situation not only harms consumers’ pockets, but also erodes trust in science and real research on stem cells. Selling products without a scientific basis under the umbrella of biotechnology is, they conclude, a form of marketing that exploits the prestige gained by science to sell smoke. Images | Doodlart mmmCCC In Xataka | Amazon lost 25 billion with Echo because no one bought with it: now it punishes you with constant advertising for having bought it

science has solved the mystery of plasma rain

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Although it may seem incredible, it rains in the Sun. But it is not a rain of water like the one we know on Earth. It’s a rain of incandescent plasmaa phenomenon that for decades has baffled scientists by not understanding it. Now, a team from the University of Hawaii has solved the mysteryand the answer is completely changing our way of understanding the atmosphere of our ‘reference’ star. The discovery. Published in the prestigious magazine The Astrophysical Journal, not only explains why these spectacular plasma condensationsbut also gives us new tools to predict space weather that affects our technology here on Earth. The mystery. The “solar storm“, or more technically coronal rain, occurs in the corona, the outermost and hottest layer of the Sun. There, masses of denser and relatively “cold” plasma condense and fall back towards the solar surface, creating bright arcs and loops. And although we talk about ‘cold’, the reality is that we are talking about tens of thousands of degreescompared to the millions of degrees in the surrounding plasma. Although for us it would be something unthinkable. The big enigma was speed. Solar models predicted that this cooling and condensation process should take hours, or even days. However, observations showed that rain formed within minutes during solar flares. Something didn’t add up. Now the problem has been located in the models that were used. And they assumed that the chemical composition of the corona was static and uniform, a simplification that has undoubtedly resulted in us calculating the phenomena that occur in our star much worse. The key. The key breakthrough came when the researchers, led by graduate student Luke Fushimi Benavitz, decided to abandon that old assumption. They introduced into their simulations a factor that until now had been overlooked: the abundance of chemical elements varies in space and time without being static. And this is where physics gets very interesting. The mechanism. The first thing that happens in this case is a solar flare that heats the chromosphere (the layer below the corona). This impulsive heating causes a large amount of plasma in the chromosphere to “evaporate” and rise at high speed towards the coronal loops. This ‘new’ plasma will have a composition similar to that of the photosphere, which is the surface we see of the Sun. Once the plasma was already in the coronal loop, rich in materials such as iron or silicon, it is pushed and concentrated at the highest point of the arc, creating a ‘peak’ with these elements. One property of these elements is that they can radiate a lot of energy quickly and this causes the plasma to cool. And this sudden concentration at the apex of the loop acts as an ultra-powerful radiator, causing localized and very rapid cooling. Finally, this sudden cooling causes a pressure drop. As a result, more plasma from the surrounding area is sucked into that area, increasing the density. The most interesting thing is that the higher the density, the cooling becomes even more efficient and a ‘thermal runaway’ occurs. As its name indicates, the temperature will plummet and the plasma will condense, forming rain. The importance. For the first time, this model has done something that had not been achieved before: simulate the formation of rain on the Sun. And understanding it goes far beyond solving an old riddle, but it affects us completely. Most importantly for us, it improves our ability to predict space weather. solar flares They can launch enormous amounts of energy and particles into space which, upon reaching Earth, can damage satellites, disrupt communications and overload electrical networks. More precise models of the Sun’s behavior allow us to better anticipate these events that until now gave us very little preparation time. Rewriting. This discovery forces us to rewrite a fundamental part of solar physics. The idea that the composition of the solar atmosphere is dynamic and not static opens a large field of research ahead to understand exactly how energy moves through the star. Images | Javier Miranda In Xataka | As if nothing were going on, the Sun has just caused a radio blackout with its most powerful eruption of 2025

When it comes to meat, science knows there’s something better than protein shakes: lean pork

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If you are one of those who he takes his gym workouts seriouslyyou will know that the post-workout window It is almost sacred. It’s time to give the body what it needs to repair and build muscle, and protein is the undisputed queen. This is where the big question comes in: does the type of protein we provide to the muscle matter? This is exactly what the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign wanted to answer. with a new study. What we think. Within this world of wanting to be as ‘masked’ as possible, without a doubt one of the diets that has transcended the most into the annals of history is the chicken and rice. In this way, chicken has almost taken first place in the type of meat that best suits us after training for its amount of protein and its low fat content. But in the case that we eat pork, it is important to make several distinctions according to science. The study. The research that has been published in the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that when eating pork after a weight training session, the lean version is significantly more effective in stimulating muscle growth than its counterpart with more fat, even when both provide the same amount of protein. The experiment. To reach this conclusion, scientists, led by Professor Nicholas Burd, designed a rigorous experiment with 16 young, physically active adults. The goal was to compare how the body responded to three different “meals” after a hard leg workout with press leg and quadriceps extension. A routine that would leave many shaking. In this case, participants consumed one of the following diet options: Low-fat pork: a burger with 20 grams of protein and only 4.4 grams of fat. High-fat pork: A burger with the same 20 grams of protein, but only 20.6 grams of fat. Carbohydrate drink as a control measure without any type of protein to measure only the effect of exercise. The measurements. Once the dietary intervention was applied, muscle construction had to be measured. To do this, they used an advanced technique based on the administration of a ‘labeled’ amino acid, specifically L-(ring-13C6)phenylalanine. By marking it, it could be very easy to follow this ‘brick’ that was going to constitute part of the muscles that were hypertrophying. To follow up, a blood sample was taken as well as a muscle biopsy before and after exercise and food. And this allowed us to see in real time how quickly the body was generating new proteins that would end up in the muscle, in a process known as myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS). The results. As expected, both types of pork increased muscle protein synthesis above resting levels. However, lean pork did so much more potently, despite having the same protein levels. The difference between the two groups was so marked that the anabolic effect of the high-fat hamburger was not statistically significant to that of the carbohydrate drink, which did not contain any protein. In other words, the high concentration of fat seemed to negate the benefit of the protein consumed. Because. The reason for everything seems to be the speed of digestion and absorption of macronutrients. The blood analysis revealed that participants who ate the lean burger experienced a faster and more pronounced spike in essential amino acids and specifically leucine in their blood than those who ate the fatty version. This is fundamental for the leucine “trigger” hypothesis. This theory postulates that a rapid and high increase in the amino acid leucine in the bloodstream acts as a powerful signal for the body to initiate the muscle-building process at that time. The lean pork activated this trigger effectively, while the pork fat probably slowed down gastric emptying and, thus, the arrival of amino acids into the blood and muscles. In fact, the study found a direct correlation between the magnitude of the leucine spike and increased muscle synthesis. The decision. In a time where protein shakes are the ‘norm’, the question may be asked whether it is better to eat food or drink protein. There is scientific literature that points Because it is always best to have a protein diet with food, since they not only provide protein, but also other components such as lipids, carbohydrates, micronutrients and bioactive compounds that can enhance muscle protein synthesis and improve the overall quality of the diet. In this way, drinking a protein shake can be a good way to complement the diet, but without forgetting about real foods like meat. Contradicting. This study has also come to ‘fight’ with the rest of the research teams that pointed out that naturally fattier whole foods such as whole eggs or salmon showed a superior anabolic response. The difference, according to the researchers, could be in the “food matrix.” The pork in the study was processed (minced and blended), which could alter how its nutrients interact, unlike an unprocessed whole food. Conclusion. This study has come to show that not all sources of animal protein are equal. If the goal in this case is to maximize muscle gain and you want to eat pork, opting for the lean version will give a clear anabolic advantage. This way, it’s not just about how much protein you eat, but how it is packaged and how quickly it gets where it needs to go. Images | Alora Griffiths Cindie Hansen In Xataka | The largest study on sustainable eating confirms it: vegetable protein wins the game

We have been talking about microplastics for years without being very clear about how they affect us. Science is close to solving it

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Plastic no longer only wraps our food or makes up the clothes we wear, but it has silently colonized our body. And microplastics have been found almost everywhere in the body: placenta, blood, lungs, testiclesbreast milk, brain human… But when faced with the big question of What effect does it have on the body?we are already having answers. The measurements. Studies already suggest that we could hold up to five grams of this material in our own brain. The image is shocking: the equivalent of a plastic teaspoon lodged in the deepest part of our being. Microplastics are particles, in this case they are very tiny, that come off from packaging, synthetic clothing, tires, cosmetics and countless everyday objects such as lettuce. But some are so small that they are able to cross the barriers of our lungs and intestines, travel through the bloodstream and deposit in our internal organs. What happens once there is the great unknown that scientists strive to clear up. The studies. Dr. Christian Pacher-Deutsch, from the University of Graz (Austria), recently presented a study in which he exposed human intestinal bacteria to five types of common microplastics. The result was quite clear: bacterial populations were altered, producing chemical changes, in some cases reflecting patterns observed in patients with depression and colorectal cancer. Although the researcher himself was cautious in pointing out that “although it is early to make definitive statements, reducing exposure to microplastics is a sensible precaution.” But the effects don’t stop in the intestine. Dr. Jaime Ross, a neuroscientist at the University of Rhode Island, conducted a revealing experiment: gave a group of mice water contaminated with microplastics to drink. Soon, the mice began behaving strangely, anxiously venturing into open spaces, an atypical behavior that is associated with aging and neurological diseases. Analyzing their brains, Ross found plastic in all organs and a reduction in GFAP, a key protein for brain health. This same pattern of exhaustion is seen in humans with depression and dementia. Caution. In this case, microplastics have been detected in arterial plaques, and an analysis concluded that people whose plaques were loaded with plastic were almost five times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or die within three years. The practice. Faced with this avalanche of data, The Guardian wanted to move from theory to practice. The British journalist herself decided to undergo a test from the company Plastictox which, for £144, promises to reveal the amount of microplastics circulating in the blood. The test result indicated a concentration of forty microplastics per milliliters of blood. And although this figure placed her in the 25% of people with the least exposure, the laboratory gave her the total result: about 200,000 plastic particles in the bloodstream. However, other experts urge caution. Professor Stephanie Wright, a researcher at Imperial College London, calls this evidence “very premature.” He points out that although an analysis shows that there are 40 particles per ml, it is unknown if this is good or bad or if it will depend on the type of plastic it is or its origin. We live in real uncertainty. The advice. Although it is impossible to avoid exposure completely, there are a number of tips to avoid consuming this type of microplastics. For example, you can choose not to use plastic kitchen utensils or drink hot liquids from plastic cups. Even with the tap water either bottled we can have the same problem. Outside of food, the material composition of bedding or pajamas should also be reviewed, as they can release these types of particles, making cotton the best. Images | FlyD Chad Montano In Xataka | When Tap Water Tastes Like Hell: The Invisible Chemistry of Drinking Water That Explains Why It Tastes How It Tastes (And Why It’s One of the World’s Greatest Inventions)

Our grandparents even poured vinegar on lentils and fried eggs. Science is now legitimizing them

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I don’t know if it’s out of habit or memory, but I’m also one of those people who puts vinegar on lentils. It is an automatic gesture, inherited from my grandmother, who said that “they rested better this way.” For years I thought it was just another hobby from another era, one of those routines that survived more out of nostalgia than science. But it turns out no: vinegar is back, and not just in salads. Networks recover tradition. In both viral videos and cooking shows, vinegar has gone from being a forgotten ingredient to becoming a protagonist. In tiktok either YouTube There are plenty of clips in which users teach the “drip trick” on fried eggs or lentils. Some well-known chefs they have turned it to become fashionable for its ability to balance flavors, just as our grandparents did: to “kill the flavor” of what they didn’t like and enhance what they did. In French cuisine there is a classic dish, oeufs à l’assassin, in which cooks add a splash of vinegar when frying the eggs to intensify the flavor and give creaminess to the yolk. And if we look towards home, in Castilla it was common to add vinegar to both the lentils and the fried egg, a custom that, according to researchers from the Río Hortega Hospital in Valladolidcan even reduce the allergic response to these foods. Acetic acid modifies gastric pH, improves digestion and transforms the allergenicity of certain compounds. So were our grandparents right? What was previously done by intuition — to “kill the flavor” or “settle the stomach” — today has a scientific explanation. Nutritionist Luis Zamora has explained “A splash of vinegar on lentils or having an orange for dessert helps absorb vegetable iron.” The reason is in vitamin C and acidity: both protect non-heme iron—that of plant origin—and facilitate its assimilation. Along the same lines, dietitian Diego Ojeda has assured: “Your grandmother was absolutely right: to help the body understand vegetable iron, you must add vitamin C, like that provided by vinegar or lemon.” In addition, this acidity helps break down antinutrients such as phytic acid, present in legumes and responsible for some of the iron being lost during cooking. In fact, scientific publications match: adding a source of acidity to a meal rich in legumes can multiply up to three the amount of iron absorbed. In studies carried out with cellular and animal modelsvinegar or lemon juice showed similar effects when added to dishes rich in vegetable iron. But nowadays it has become abused. From a minimal splash to a shot. On social networks, thousands of people began to drink “shots of apple cider vinegar” on an empty stomach with the promise of losing weight or “detoxifying” the body. However, the study that popularized that practice It was retracted due to statistical errors, and science has found no solid evidence that vinegar causes weight loss. Experts also warn that excessive consumption of vinegar on an empty stomach can irritate the stomach, damage tooth enamel and cause digestive discomfort. It is not, therefore, about drinking it as if it were a miraculous elixir, but about using it with common sense, as grandparents did: a few drops to enhance flavors, balance dishes and help digestion. The gesture that never left. Perhaps our elders did not talk about antinutrients or bioavailability, but they sensed the essential thing: that vinegar, in addition to giving flavor, helped the body feel better. Today science confirm They weren’t so wrong. That acidic touch that gave character to the lentils or softness to the fried egg has a chemical explanation, a nutritional basis and, above all, an enormous cultural load. Because in the end, between the laboratory and the kitchen, there is the same principle: good traditions do not go out of style, they just needed a good explanation. And every time the vinegar sparkles in the pan or perfumes a stew, we are not only cooking: we are also honoring a way of understanding food, time, and memory. Image | FreePik and FreePik Xataka | Thousands of people have been drinking apple cider vinegar before eating to lose weight for years. An erroneous study is to blame

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