Flat,Lay,Composition,With,Tasty,Maple,Syrup,And,Dry,Leaves

Sweet treats come with strings attached. Added sugar pushes blood pressure higher, drives visceral fat, and nudges blood glucose past healthy limits. For most people, swapping table sugar for something less taxing could be a small shift with outsized benefits.



A new study suggests that the switch might already be sitting on the breakfast table. 



Researchers looked at what happens when adults trade two tablespoons of refined sugar for an equal amount of pure maple syrup, and the results point to improvements in several early warning signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strawberries-promote-cardiometabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiometabolic</a> trouble.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sugar-has-invaded-our-lives">Sugar has invaded our lives</h2>



Americans swallow about 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day, roughly two to three times the <a href="https://www.heart.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Heart Association</a>’s recommended cap for men and women. 



Health guidelines urge keeping added sugars below ten percent of daily calories and, ideally, closer to six percent for better heart health.



Cutting back is easier when the replacement tastes familiar. Maple syrup fits the bill but offers more than sweetness. 



Scientists have cataloged more than 67 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-polyphenols-promote-heart-health-youthful-skin-and-a-healthy-waistline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyphenols</a> in the amber liquid alongside minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maple-syrup-vs-sugar-the-test">Maple syrup vs. sugar - the test</h2>



The latest work, led by Dr. André Marette at Laval University’s <a href="https://www.iucpq.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quebec Heart and Lung Institute</a> and Dr. Marie-Claude Vohl at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (<a href="https://www.inaf.ulaval.ca/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">INAF</a>), enrolled 42 volunteers aged 18 to 75 with body mass index values between 23 and 40. 



Each person replaced five percent of daily calories - about two tablespoons - with either Canadian maple syrup or a flavored sucrose syrup for eight weeks. After a four-week washout, the groups switched syrups so every participant served as their own control.



“We know from decades of research that maple syrup is more than just sugar. It contains over 100 natural compounds, including polyphenols, that are known to prevent disease in part through their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-with-milk-has-powerful-anti-inflammatory-properties/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anti-inflammatory effects</a>,” remarked Dr. Marette. 



Because the fundamental chemistry of maple syrup is unique, they wondered if ingesting maple syrup instead of an equivalent amount of refined sugar would differently impact cardiometabolic health and the intestinal microbiota in humans. 



According to Dr. Marette, "The results were extremely encouraging. I did not expect to see so many improvements of risk factors within a relatively short treatment period.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-shifts-in-key-markers">Surprising shifts in key markers</h2>



After eight weeks on maple syrup, participants handled an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meal-time-has-a-major-influence-on-our-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oral glucose</a> tolerance test far better than when they consumed the sucrose syrup, showing a change of -50.59 versus +29.93. 



Systolic blood pressure edged down by -2.72 millimeters of mercury, while it crept up +0.87 millimeters on the sucrose phase. 



Android fat mass - deep abdominal fat linked to heart disease - dropped -7.83 grams on maple syrup but rose +67.61 grams with refined sugar.



“Both individually and collectively, the study findings are quite significant. The combined decrease of such key risk factors may help to reduce the risk of diabetes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>," Dr. Marette enthused. 



"Making a commitment to lifestyle changes and small adjustments to our everyday diets is important and can be a powerful tool in preventing future diseases.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-maple-syrup-is-different">Why maple syrup is different</h2>



Blood tests were only half the story. Stool samples showed fewer Klebsiella species and Bacteroides pectinophilus - microbes tied to inflammation - after maple syrup consumption. 



At the same time, Lactocaseibacillus casei and Clostridium beijerinckii flourished. These shifts hint that maple’s natural compounds may influence metabolism partly through the gut.



Pure maple syrup brings trace nutrients along for the ride. 



Two tablespoons supply about 35 percent of a day’s manganese, 15 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/low-carb-diets-have-more-nutritional-value-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">riboflavin</a>, eight percent of copper, and small but measurable amounts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amaranth-seeds-rich-in-calcium-and-iron-prevents-tumors-and-keeps-bones-strong/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">calcium</a>, thiamin, and potassium, all while carrying roughly twelve percent fewer calories than light corn syrup. 



Refined sugar, in contrast, arrives stripped of such extras.



“With each new study, we learn more about the benefits that natural products from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-plant-species-show-great-promise-in-fight-against-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medicinal plants</a> and functional foods, like maple syrup, provide,” noted Dr. Navindra Seeram. 



“The promising results of this first human trial provide more reasons to educate consumers about maple syrup’s many health benefits. It is truly a ‘smarter sweetener’ and a healthier alternative to refined sugar.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-maple-syrup-data-is-needed">More maple syrup data is needed</h2>



The sample size was modest, and the trial lasted just eight weeks. Even so, the consistency across multiple risk factors stands out.



“While this study was limited to a relatively small sample size (42 men and women) and took place during a relatively short period, the results are still significant,” Dr. Marette remarked. 



“We now have human evidence to support replacing refined sugars with maple syrup, a natural sweetener, for preventing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/christensenella-minuta-gut-bacteria-linked-obesity-different-men-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolic diseases</a>."



The scientists' next goal is to conduct larger studies with other populations to explore how replacing refined sugars with maple syrup might impact their unique health conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-make-the-swap">How to make the swap</h2>



Swapping maple syrup for sugar in your diet is as simple as it sounds.



“Before the study, I would consume pure maple products regularly but not consistently," one study participant shared. 



"I have always enjoyed it. Today my routine is to replace refined sugars with two tablespoons of pure Canadian maple syrup daily."



Small swaps add up. Cutting just two tablespoons of refined sugar trims roughly 96 calories and more than 24 grams of straight sucrose.



By choosing pure maple syrup in place of refined sugar, you enact a modest dietary change backed by evidence of healthier glucose responses, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-foods-might-work-like-medicines-to-lower-blood-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower blood pressure</a>, diminished visceral fat, and a more favorable gut microbiome.



While larger studies will refine these insights, the present trial already encourages individuals, clinicians, and food producers to rethink sweetening habits and embrace this nutrient-rich natural syrup as a wiser everyday indulgence.



For anyone edging toward metabolic trouble, that simple switch may be one easy step toward better numbers at the next check-up.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(24)00465-6/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Nutrition</a>.



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This sugar substitute has surprising health benefits, including weight management

Sweet treats come with strings attached. Added sugar pushes blood pressure higher, drives visceral fat, and nudges blood glucose past healthy limits. For most people, swapping table sugar for something less taxing could be a small shift with outsized benefits. A new study suggests that the switch might already be sitting on the breakfast table. Researchers looked at what happens when adults trade two tablespoons of refined sugar for an equal amount of pure maple syrup, and the results point to improvements in several early warning signs...

A team of psychologists from <a href="http://uni-heidelberg.de/">Heidelberg University</a> has recently found that, contrary to previous widespread assumptions, mental speed - the speed at which we respond to issues requiring rapid decision-making - does not change substantially between the ages of 20 and 60, and starts deteriorating only at older ages.



“The common assumption is that the older we get, the more slowly we react to external stimuli. If that were so, mental speed would be fastest at the age of about twenty and would then decline with increasing age,” said study lead author Mischa von Krause, a postdoctoral researcher at Heidelberg.&nbsp;



Dr. von Kraus and his colleagues re-evaluated data from a large-scale online experiment with 1.2 million participants that was initially designed to study implicit biases. In the initial study, the participants had to press a button to sort pictures of individuals in the categories “white” and “black” and words into the categories “good” and “bad.” According to Dr. von Krause, the content focus was not important for the new study. Instead, the large dataset was used as an example of a response-time task to measure the duration of cognitive decisions.



Although the data analysis showed that, on average, the response times of the subjects increased with age, applying a complex mathematical model helped the scientists discover that, in fact, this phenomenon was not due to changes in mental speed. “Instead, we think that older test subjects are mainly slower because they reply more cautiously and concentrate more on avoiding mistakes,”&nbsp;said Dr. von Krause. Moreover, motor execution speed slows down with age, with older participants needing more time to press the appropriate button after finding the right answer.



The findings also suggest that, after the age of 60, average information processing speed only progressively declined. “It looks as though, in the course of our life, we don’t need to fear any substantial losses of mental speed – particularly not in the course of a typical working life,” concluded Dr. von Krause.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01282-7">Nature Human Behavior</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mental speed remains high until the age of 60

A team of psychologists from Heidelberg University has recently found...

A new study has identified structural connectivity changes that "rewire" the brains of cosmonauts during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-hibernating-squirrels-can-teach-space-travelers/">space</a> missions. To study the changing of the human brain due to spaceflight, the scientists studied brain images created using fiber tractography.&nbsp;



The research was a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos led by Dr. Floris Wuyts.



“Fiber tractography gives a sort of wiring scheme of the brain. Our study is the first to use this specific method to detect changes in brain structure after spaceflight,” explained Wuyts.&nbsp;



“From previous studies, we know that these motor areas show signs of adaptation after spaceflight. Now, we have a first indication that it is also reflected at the level of connections between those regions,”



The research team studied images of the brains of 12 male cosmonauts before and immediately after spaceflight, as well as eight scans seven months after the flight. All of the cosmonauts were on long flights, averaging 172 days.&nbsp;



Motor function control in the brain seemed to adjust over time, to compensate for weightlessness. Even seven months after a return to earth, these changes in the brain were still visible. There were also changes in anatomy seen immediately after spaceflight that the researchers were able to explain.&nbsp;



“We initially thought to have detected changes in the corpus callosum, which is the central highway connecting both hemispheres of the brain,” explained Wuyts. “The structural changes we initially found in the corpus callosum are actually caused by the dilation of the ventricles that induce anatomical shifts of the adjacent neural tissue."



"Where initially it was thought that there are real structural changes in the brain, we only observe shape changes. This puts the findings in a different perspective.”



The research shows one small piece of how humans change during spaceflight, something important to understand if we continue to explore space into the future.&nbsp;



“These findings give us additional pieces of the entire puzzle. Since this research is so pioneering, we don’t know how the whole puzzle will look yet. These results contribute to our overall understanding of what’s going on in the brains of space travelers," said Wuyts.



"It is crucial to maintain this line of research, looking for spaceflight induced brain changes from different perspectives and using different techniques."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits">Frontiers in Neural Circuits</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cosmonaut brains are "rewired" during long spaceflights

A new study has identified structural connectivity changes that "rewire"...

By pooling and analyzing data from dozens of experiments, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> has found that exercise can help older adults retain their episodic memory. This refers to the capacity to recollect personal experiences which contain detailed information about what happened, when, and where.



When asked to describe the nature of episodic memory, “I usually like to talk about the first time you got behind the wheel of a car,” said study lead author Sarah Aghjayan, a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh. “So you might remember where you were, how old you were, who was in the passenger seat explaining things to you, that feeling of excitement.”



While experiments in mice have already shown that exercise improves <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-finds-strong-correlation-between-heart-and-brain-health/">brain health</a> and memory, studies investigating this link in humans had mixed results. In order to seek more clarity, Aghjayan and her colleagues pored over 1,279 studies, eventually narrowing them down to 36 which met specific criteria. By using specialized software to analyze the data, the researchers shown that a comparison of the 36 studies suggests that, for older adults, exercise has clear benefits for episodic memory.



Although the studies in themselves could not find clear correlations between exercise and improvements in memory, examining the whole body of research and comparing individual studies brought this pattern into focus. “When we combine and merge all this data, it allows us to examine almost 3,000 participants,” Aghjayan said. “Each individual study is very important: They all contribute to science in a meaningful way.”



The scientists found that there were greater improvements in episodic memory among participants who were 55 to 68 years old, compared to those with ages between 69 and 85. Moreover, the greatest effects of exercise were found in those who hadn’t yet experienced any cognitive decline and exercised about three times a week for at least four months.



Although further research is needed to clarify how the intensity of exercise affects the memory benefits, this study’s implications for public health are clear: exercise is an accessible way for older adults to mitigate cognitive decline, benefiting not only themselves but also their caretakers and the healthcare system in general.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43856-022-00079-7">Communications Medicine</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise helps you hold on to cherished memories

By pooling and analyzing data from dozens of experiments, a...

Although sales of non-alcoholic beer have increased substantially in Europe in the past few years, there are still many people who refuse to drink such alternatives. One reason is that they find the taste of non-alcoholic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-drinking-dietary-choices/">beers</a> not to be quite as good as that of regular ones. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> and the biotech company <a href="https://evodiabio.com/">Evodia Bio</a> has found a way to improve this taste, and thus make it more similar to that of alcoholic beer.



Beer drinkers often complain that non-alcoholic beers have a flat and watery taste. According to Sotirios Kampranis, a biochemical engineer at the University of Copenhagen and co-founder of Evodia Bio, this has a natural explanation.&nbsp;



“What non-alcoholic beer lacks is the aroma from hops. When you remove the alcohol from the beer, for example by heating it up, you also kill the aroma that comes from hops. Other methods for making alcohol-free beer by minimizing fermentation also lead to poor aroma because alcohol is needed for hops to pass their unique flavor to the beer,” he said.



Together with Evodia Bio’s co-founder&nbsp;Simon Dusséau, Dr. Kampranis has found a way to produce a group of small molecules called monoterpenoids which can give non-alcoholic beer back its “hoppy-flavor” when added at the end of the brewing process. Thus, instead of adding expensive aroma hops in the brewing tank, just to “throw away” their flavor at the end of the process, the scientists turned baker’s yeast cells into &nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2013968117">micro-factories</a>&nbsp;which can be grown in fermenters and release the unique and tasty aroma of hops.



“When the hop aroma molecules are released from yeast, we collect them and put them into the beer, giving back the taste of regular beer that so many of us know and love. It actually makes the use of aroma hops in brewing redundant, because we only need the molecules passing on the scent and flavor and not the actual hops,”&nbsp;explained Dr. Kampranis.



This method is also much more sustainable than other techniques. Since aroma hops are mainly farmed on the western coast of the United States, there is need for extensive transportation and cooling down of crops in refrigerators. Moreover, hops demand a large amount of water (approximately 2.7 tons of water to grow one kilogram of hops), thus making them not very climate-friendly.



“With our method, we skip aroma hops altogether and thereby also the water and the transportation. This means that one kilogram of hops aroma can be produced with more than 10,000 times less water and more than 100 times less CO2,” said Dr. Kampranis.



Finally, the researchers hope to contribute to a healthier lifestyle by helping people cut down alcohol.&nbsp;



This innovative method, briefly described in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-01202-0">Nature</a>, is now tested in breweries in Denmark and is planned to be ready for the entire brewing industry by October 2022.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brewing non-alcoholic beer that tastes just like regular beer

Although sales of non-alcoholic beer have increased substantially in Europe...

Each year, billions of dollars are spent on sexual and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reproductive-health-is-impacted-by-geographic-location/">reproductive</a> health and rights (SRHR) programs around the world. These programs, usually funded by governments, often aim to change people’s attitudes and behaviors so that they are more likely to practice safe sex. However, the education and programming usually stress the dangers and risks of unprotected sex instead of highlighting the potential pleasure to be gained from sexual behaviors that are safe.



In a research paper published today in the open access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS ONE</a>, scientists from Oxford University, The Pleasure Project and the World Health Organization report on a systematic review they made of public health interventions and their effectiveness. They included 33 unique interventions (18886 participants) described in published literature, all of which involved education programs to reduce the risks of HIV and STI infection. In addition, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of eight of these intervention programs (6634 participants). Their aim was to establish whether incorporating considerations of sexual pleasure into education programs resulted in better outcomes in terms of sexual behavior.



Their analysis showed that acknowledging that sex is pleasurable and encouraging people to find pleasure in safe sexual behavior, such as condom use, had a significant positive effect on outcomes related to attitudes, knowledge and behavior in a sexual health context. They find that too many interventions make no reference at all to the fact that sex is pleasurable and this is a key driver of why people have sex in the first place. The researchers call for a fundamental rethink of how programs are oriented.



“Pleasure has been over-looked and stigmatized in health promotion and sex education, despite its obvious connection to sexual health and well-being," wrote the study authors. "Our systematic review and meta-analysis, the first of its kind, shows that including sexual pleasure considerations in sexual and reproductive health services improves condom use and so may also improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes.”



The team argues that continuing to avoid the factor of pleasure in sexual health and education risks misdirecting or ineffectively using resources. They recommend that agencies responsible for developing sexual and reproductive health interventions need to affirm human sexuality and the reasons why people have sex in order to ensure that future sexual health interventions are effective.&nbsp;



This recommendation comes at a time when governments are striving to implement the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 3.7 and 5.7, that target universal access to sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights.&nbsp;



“With fewer than ten years to go, and many countries not on track to meet these SRHR goals, interventions that incorporate pleasure may prove an important strategy to ensure that positive outcomes are obtained,” said the study authors.



“Policymakers and program managers should more readily acknowledge that pleasure is a key driver of sexual behavior, and that incorporating it in sexual and reproductive health services can reduce adverse outcomes."



"Eight years out from the Sustainable Development Goal deadline, innovative strategies that can accelerate progress towards SRHR targets, including for STI and HIV prevention, are urgently needed. Programs adopting a sex-positive and pleasure-inclusive approach is one such innovation that should be urgently considered.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How sexual health programs could be more effective

Each year, billions of dollars are spent on sexual and...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> and the <a href="https://semmelweis.hu/english/">Semmelweis University</a> in Budapest has found that drinking up to three cups of <a href="http://archive">coffee</a> per day is highly beneficial for heart health. In addition, the results suggest that consuming moderate amounts of coffee reduces the overall mortality rate and the risk of strokes.



The scientists gathered data on coffee-drinking habits, lifestyle, blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol levels from 468,629 UK <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">Biobank</a> participants who didn’t have any record of heart disease before the beginning of the study. They were divided into three groups – non-coffee drinkers, light-to-moderate coffee drinkers, and heavy coffee drinkers.



“The large sample size, linked health data, and detailed heart MRI scans available in the UK Biobank offered a strong base to address this research question,” said study co-author Professor Steffen Petersen, a professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary.&nbsp;



“According to the results, light-to-moderate coffee consumption is not damaging from a cardiovascular point of view, and it could be beneficial. As far as we know, this has been the largest study to date which focused on the effect of coffee on cardiovascular health.”



“Light-to-moderate coffee consumption was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of overall mortality, and with a 17 percent lower risk of death caused by cardiovascular diseases compared to non-coffee drinkers. In addition, from half to three cups of coffee was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of stroke,” reported study lead author Judit Simon, a PhD student at Semmelweis University.



Moreover, even for participants who were heavy coffee drinkers, the scientists did not find evidence of negative cardiovascular consequences. However, there were no positive heart benefits observed for this group, as was the case of light-to-moderate coffee drinkers.



The researchers also investigated the relationship between the type of coffee consumed (ground, instant, decaffeinated) and discovered that, while the consumption of ground coffee was associated with lower mortality risks, this benefit was not found in the case of instant coffee drinkers. This may be caused by the different production process of ground coffee, and the use of different types of additives during its manufacture.&nbsp;



The consumption of decaffeinated coffee was also associated with lower mortality risks, suggesting that it is not only the caffeine that plays a role in the positive effects of coffee. Further research is needed to understand which are the beneficial elements contained in coffee and how they function.



The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac008/6512055">European Journal of Preventive Cardiology</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee drinkers may actually live longer

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London...

A recent U.S. study indicates that one in 12 people experiences loneliness to the extent where it may cause serious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-use-may-negatively-impact-brain-health/">health</a> problems. Still yet, the true extent of loneliness on a global scale remains unclear.



In an effort to help decision makers understand the severity of the loneliness epidemic, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> analyzed evidence from more than 100 countries and territories. The results have confirmed that the issue is widespread throughout many countries.



"Humans thrive on meaningful social connections. Feelings of loneliness set in when a discrepancy exists between one’s desired and one’s actual level of social relationships," wrote the study authors. "Loneliness is a negative, subjective experience closely linked to the quality of social connections.&nbsp;



"Loneliness is similar to, but distinct from, social isolation, which is defined as a lack of social contacts, and being alone, characterized as being physically removed from social connections. Transient loneliness is a common experience, but chronic or severe loneliness pose threats to health and well-being."



The experts noted that a growing collection of research has linked loneliness to various adverse health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, coronary heart disease, sleep disturbance, and increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.



The researchers said that feeling lonely may also be detrimental to behavioral, mental, and social health throughout the lifespan, with potential outcomes like depression and substance abuse.&nbsp;



"According to a 2015 meta-analysis, people with chronic loneliness had a 26 percent increased risk of mortality," wrote the study authors. "This increased risk is comparable to established risk factors such as physical inactivity and grade 1 obesity."



Based on studies from 106 countries, the prevalence of lonely feelings among adolescents ranged from 9.2 percent in Southeast Asia to 14.4 percent in the Eastern Mediterranean region. 



"Based on our meta-analysis, the prevalence of loneliness is highly heterogenous across countries, even within the same region. While insufficient data prevented us from identifying geographical patterns of loneliness outside of Europe, within Europe the pattern is clear and consistent," said the researchers.



"Across different adult age groups, northern European countries consistently reported the lowest prevalence of loneliness, whereas eastern European countries reported the highest."&nbsp;



"One study attributed country level differences to demographic characteristics, health status, social participation, and social support. Others have cited welfare systems and social security schemes as contributing factors, as welfare generosity has been positively linked to social participation and inversely associated with social exclusion."



Most of the data examined for the study was from high income countries, particularly Europe. This makes the data insufficient to make conclusions about trends on a global scale.



Regardless, the researchers pointed out that even if the problem of loneliness had not worsened during their search period, from 2000 to 2019, the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on loneliness. With this in mind, the experts said that their review provides an important pre-pandemic baseline for future surveillance.



The study authors also noted that while the data gaps in low and middle income countries raise an important issue of equity, the findings still reinforce the urgency of approaching loneliness as an important public health issue.



“Public health efforts to prevent and reduce loneliness require well coordinated ongoing surveillance across different life stages and broad geographical areas,” wrote the researchers.



“Sizeable differences in prevalence of loneliness across countries and regions call for in-depth investigation to unpack the drivers of loneliness at systemic levels and to develop interventions to deal with them."



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Loneliness is a global health issue that must be addressed

A recent U.S. study indicates that one in 12 people...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has recently investigated the relationship between cannabis use and brain health. Despite the perception that this drug is harmless, which led to its legalization in several states across the U.S., as well as in other countries such as the Netherlands, animal studies show that its psychoactive component, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) could cause behavioral and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/housework-promotes-cognitive-strength-and-mental-agility/" data-type="news" data-id="1898804">cognitive</a> abnormalities, particularly if exposure occurs prenatally or during adolescence.&nbsp;



While further research is necessary in order to clearly map the risks and benefits associated with cannabis, scientists warn that there might be an increased risk of cognitive impairment associated to the use of this substance.



Cannabis contains two main substances, THC and CBD (cannabidiol). While THC is the compound that gives the sensation of being high, CBD has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can have significant therapeutic benefits. This compound is similar to substances that the human body produces naturally (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-increases-the-bodys-own-cannabis-like-substances/">endocannabinoids</a>), which are involved in the regulation of many fundamental bodily processes during life, including learning, memory, pain control, and sleep. The proper functioning of endocannabinoids is essential to prenatal brain development and brain maturation during adolescence.



According to scientists, since both THC and endocannabinoids attach to neurons through molecules called cannabinoid receptors, exposure to THC may interfere with and disrupt the normal actions of endocannabinoids, particularly during prenatal life and adolescence.&nbsp;



“Data obtained in these animal studies demonstrate that disruption of endocannabinoid pathways leads to behavioral and cognitive abnormalities, such as poorer memory and learning ability and a heightened sensitivity to stress. Also, there may be vital life periods – gestation and adolescence – when the brain may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of THC,” explained study lead author Fernando Testai, a professor of Neurology and Rehabilitation at the <a href="https://www.uic.edu/">University of Illinois at Chicago</a>.&nbsp;



Several studies performed on humans led to similar results: children whose mothers consumed cannabis during pregnancy had more psychological problems and poorer cognitive function, while cannabis use during adolescence has been associated with the thinning of the prefrontal cortex, a brain area crucial for cognition. Moreover, regular consumers tended to score poorly on verbal memory tests and driving tests. Finally, cannabis users were found to have an increased risk of clot-caused stroke, with one study finding a 17 percent and another a 24 percent increase in strokes among this population.



Further research is needed to clarify whether the relationship between cannabis use and brain health depends upon a person’s age, whether different types of cannabis impact the brain differently, or whether there are differences in brain health effects depending on whether the substance is smoked or consumed in edibles. Most importantly, urgent research is needed to clarify the ways in which cannabis interacts with prescription medications, particularly in elderly people who may be using multiple drugs such as blood thinners, antiarrhythmia or anticonvulsant medications to treat chronic health issues.



“Our understanding of the effects of marijuana on the brain is imperfect, and human research in this area is a work in progress. Still, the results of recent animal studies challenge the widely accepted idea that cannabinoids are harmless and call for caution when using marijuana, particularly while pregnant or during adolescence,” concluded Professor Testai.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1161/STR.0000000000000396">Stroke</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cannabis use may negatively impact brain health

A new study led by the American Heart Association has...

Young people can add years onto their life expectancy through dietary changes, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>. The experts report that a young adult in the United States can add more than a decade to their life by shifting away from a typical Western diet to a healthy diet with more legumes, whole grains and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eat-a-handful-of-walnuts-every-day-for-better-heart-health/">nuts</a>.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed data from existing studies, such as the Global Burden of Diseases study, to build a model that instantly estimates the impact of dietary changes on life expectancy. The results show that healthy diets, including less red or processed meat, could also extend the lives of adults by eight years.&nbsp;



“Research until now have shown health benefits associated with separate food group or specific diet patterns but given limited information on the health impact of other diet changes. Our modeling methodology has bridged this gap," said study lead author Lars Fadnes of the University of Bergen.



For young adults in the United States, the model estimates that a sustained shift from a typical Western diet to the optimal diet beginning at age 20 would increase life expectancy by up to 10.7 years among women and 13 years among men.&nbsp;



Adopting a healthy diet at age 60 could increase life expectancy by eight years for women, and by 8.8 years for men. Furthermore, an 80-year-old adult could gain an average of 3.4 years from such dietary changes.



The largest gains in life expectancy are associated with eating more legumes, more whole grains, and more nuts, while eating less red or processed meat.&nbsp;



Each year, dietary risk factors are estimated to cause 11 million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life-years annually. The new model makes it possible to instantly calculate how life expectancy (LE) is affected by a range of dietary changes. This tool, called the <a href="https://food4healthylife.org/">Food4HealthyLife calculator</a>, is available to the public online.&nbsp;



“Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains,” said the researchers. “The Food4HealthyLife calculator could be a useful tool for clinicians, policy makers, and lay-people to understand the health impact of dietary choices.”



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dietary changes can add years to your life expectancy

Young people can add years onto their life expectancy through...

Healthy,Serene,Young,African,American,Girl,Sleeping,Well,In,Comfortable

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a> and the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> has found that getting more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childrens-sleep-can-be-disrupted-by-even-dim-light-at-bedtime/">sleep</a> can reduce caloric intake, and thus lead to weight loss, without sustained control over dietary habits or increases in the frequency or intensity of physical exercise.



In a randomized clinical trial with 80 adult participants, a team of researchers led by Dr. Esra Tasali, the director of the University of Chicago’s <a href="https://sleep.uchicago.edu/">Sleep Research Center</a> (SRC), has helped young, overweight adults who habitually slept fewer than 6.5 hours per night to increase their sleep duration by an average of 1.2 hours per night through a personalized sleep hygiene counselling session.&nbsp;



“We saw that after just a single sleep counseling session, participants could change their bedtime habits enough to lead to an increase in sleep duration,” said Dr. Tasali. “We simply coached each individual on good sleep hygiene, and discussed their own personal sleep environments, providing tailored advice on changes they could make to improve their sleep duration. Importantly, to blind participants to sleep intervention, recruitment materials did not mention sleep intervention, allowing us to capture true habitual sleep patterns at baseline.”



Dr. Tasali and her colleagues monitored participants’ caloric intake both before and after the change in their sleeping patterns, and found that the increase in sleep duration helped participants reduce this intake by an average of 270 kilocalories per day – which would translate to roughly 12 kg of weight loss over three years if the effects were maintained over a long term.



“Over the years, we and others have shown that sleep restriction has an effect on appetite regulation that leads to increased food intake, and thus puts you at risk for weight gain over time,” said Dr. Tasali. “More recently, the question that everyone was asking was, ‘Well, if this is what happens with sleep loss, can we extend sleep and reverse some of these adverse outcomes?”



Further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms explaining these results, and to design larger studies on weight control to determine if extending sleep could be of use in weight-loss programs and help prevent or reverse obesity.



“Many people are working hard to find ways to decrease their caloric intake to lose weight - well, just by sleeping more, you may be able to reduce it substantially,” concluded Dr. Tasali.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.8098">JAMA Internal Medicine</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Getting more sleep can boost weight loss

A new study led by the University of Chicago and...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a> (ECU), researchers have found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-can-control-single-muscle-fibers-while-singing/">muscle</a> strength can be improved in as little as three seconds a day by lifting weights.&nbsp;



In collaboration with researchers from Niigata University of Health and Welfare (NUHW) in Japan, the researchers focused their study on 39 healthy students over the course of four weeks.&nbsp;



The participants performed one muscle contraction at maximum effort for three seconds per day, five days a week.&nbsp;The students were assigned one of three exercises (isometric, concentric or eccentric bicep curls) in which the muscle has different duties while being activated. 



Concentric contraction is achieved by lifting the weight in a bicep curl, eccentric contraction is activated by lowering the weight, and holding the weight parallel to the ground produces an isometric contraction.&nbsp;



Before and after the study period, the experts measured the muscles’ maximum voluntary contraction strength. The same measurements were obtained from an additional 13 students who performed no exercise.



Professor Ken Nosaka, who led the research, said the results show that people don't have to spend vast amounts of time exercising to improve their muscle strength.&nbsp;



“The study results suggest that a very small amount of exercise stimulus - even 60 seconds in four weeks - can increase muscle strength,” said Professor Nosaka.&nbsp;



“Many people think you have to spend a lot of time exercising, but it’s not the case. Short, good quality exercise can still be good for your body and every muscle contraction counts.”&nbsp;



The study revealed that all three lifting methods improved muscle strength, with the biggest gains found among students who performed eccentric contractions. Overall, the eccentric group’s&nbsp;



muscle strength improved by 11.5 percent after a collective effort of just 60 seconds. Students in this group saw significant improvements across all three measurements: concentric strength increased by 12.8 percent, isometric by 10.2 percent, and eccentric strength increased by 12.2 percent.&nbsp;



“Although the mechanisms underpinning eccentric contraction’s potent effects are not clear yet, the fact only a three-second maximal eccentric contraction a day improves muscle strength in a relatively short period is important for health and fitness,” said Professor Nosaka.&nbsp;



The concentric lifting group improved slightly in isometric strength but not elsewhere. The isometric group saw an increase in eccentric strength of 7.2 percent, while the volunteers who did not lift weights showed no improvement.&nbsp;



Professor Nosaka said the findings were exciting for promoting physical fitness and health, such as prevention of sarcopenia – a decrease in muscle mass and strength with aging.&nbsp;



“We haven’t investigated other muscles yet, but if we find the three-second rule also applies to other muscles then you might be able to do a whole-body exercise in less than 30 seconds,” said Professor Nosaka. “Also, performing only one maximal contraction per day means you don’t get sore afterwards.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16000838">Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports</a>



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Three seconds a day is all it takes to build muscle strength

In a new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU), researchers...

International tourism has been hailed as economically important. Some experts even see ecotourism as an important part of environmental preservation. Unfortunately, there are environmental downsides to international travel as well, beyond the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-rings-reveal-the-carbon-storage-capacity-of-a-forest/">carbon</a> footprint.&nbsp;



A recent study from New Zealand looked at the potential for international travelers to introduce non-native and sometimes invasive species from abroad. This follows up on a 2011 study which showed that for every gram of soil carried on shoe soles, 2.5 plant seeds, 41 roundworms, 0.004 insects and a host of microorganisms were also carried along. These organisms were alive and potential threats to the local ecology.&nbsp;



The experts found that international travelers can introduce new species both abroad and to their home country, effectively doubling their impact.&nbsp;



The new research picks up where this study left off, investigating the role of international travel in the spread of exotic species.&nbsp;



The researchers looked at the period from 2011 to 2017 and examined insects, spiders, mites, snails, plants and roundworms. They compared the interceptions of non-natives species to accommodation data for both international and domestic tourists.&nbsp;



The team found that there was a significant correlation between the number of nights spent in hotels and the number of species intercepted. Interestingly, there was no noticeable difference between international and domestic travelers. This shows that even domestic tourism can spread invasive species around.&nbsp;



"The core take-home message is that anthropogenic movements associated with tourism correlate with detection of exotic organisms in New Zealand," explained the study authors. "The results also reinforce the need for biosecurity authorities to continue to allocate resources to managing the tourism pathway."



The scientists suggest that some resources should continue to be used to intercept invasive species carried in by returning tourists. They also point out that there are other vectors such as sea freight to worry about, and suggest that the different vectors should be compared to allocate resources properly.



According to the researchers, understanding the links between international travelers and the potential biosecurity risks that these visitors may present is a new and important area of research.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

International travelers can introduce invasive species

International tourism has been hailed as economically important. Some experts...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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