Food allergies have become increasingly common, affecting roughly one in 13 children, as reported by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). With such a rise, scientists continue to explore how maternal diets might influence allergy risk in infants. 



Recent research in Finland sheds light on a surprising connection between avocado consumption during pregnancy and reduced food allergy risk in infants.



A study involving 2,272 mother-child pairs, conducted over nearly a decade, uncovered a striking finding. Infants whose mothers consumed avocados during pregnancy had a 43.6% lower chance of developing food allergies by 12 months. 



The study accounted for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-omega-3-deficiency-is-rising-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">variables</a> such as maternal age, smoking status, and education - yet the link remained consistent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocados-lower-allergy-risk">Avocados lower allergy risk</h2>



For years, researchers have explored how specific dietary patterns during pregnancy might influence infant allergy risk. However, individual foods like avocados have not received the same level of scrutiny. 



The Finnish study aimed to fill that gap. The team utilized an online food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess maternal avocado intake during the first and third trimesters. 



Participants who reported any avocado <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-production-more-difficult-climate-change-plant-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption</a> were classified as consumers, while those who did not became non-consumers.



The analysis revealed a significant contrast. Among non-consumers, 4.2% of infants developed food allergies. In comparison, only 2.4% of infants whose mothers consumed avocados experienced the same outcome.



The reduction in allergy risk remained significant even after adjusting for various maternal health factors .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocado-research-offers-hope">Avocado research offers hope</h2>



“As a caregiver, the growing prevalence of food allergy feels very scary and out of my control,” said Sari Hantunen, senior lecturer at the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Eastern Finland</a>.



“There is no cure for food allergy, but promising prevention and therapeutic strategies are in development as well as emerging research such as this."



”Based on these findings, it’s encouraging to know that eating avocados may provide even more value to maternal and children’s health, beyond the benefits that have already been established through scientific research.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-avocado-and-allergy">Tracking avocado and allergy</h2>



The Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) provided a rich dataset for analysis. Researchers recruited pregnant women during routine first-trimester appointments at <a href="https://pshyvinvointialue.fi/web/en/kuopio-university-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kuopio University Hospital</a>. Data collection continued until November 2022, capturing dietary intake throughout the first and third trimesters.



Mothers completed FFQs that detailed food consumption over the past three months. The FFQ specifically assessed avocado intake, classifying participants as consumers or non-consumers.



After birth, researchers tracked infants to assess allergic outcomes, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-therapy-may-help-reduce-peanut-allergies-in-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> allergies, eczema, rhinitis, and wheezing. Even after adjusting for variables like maternal age, smoking, and breastfeeding duration, the data maintained its significance. 



Infants of non-consumers showed a 4.2% allergy rate, while those of avocado consumers showed a 2.4% rate .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-choose-avocados">Who choose avocados?</h2>



Avocado consumers shared common traits that distinguished them from non-consumers. They tended to be older and more educated. They also reported longer breastfeeding durations and higher diet quality scores.



These women generally had lower BMI levels in the first trimester and were less likely to undergo caesarean deliveries. Researchers noted that these trends might reflect broader health-conscious behaviors rather than avocado <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-transforming-pollen-science-and-health-planning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption</a> alone .



Avocados pack essential nutrients that may benefit both maternal and infant health. Each serving provides 9.25 grams of dietary fiber, supporting gut health and potentially influencing immune responses.



Additionally, avocados contain 2.6 mg of vitamin E, an antioxidant linked to immune function, and 0.93 mg of zinc, which plays a role in immune development. Lutein, a carotenoid crucial for eye health, also features prominently in avocados.



The nutrient profile aligns well with dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, previously associated with lower allergy risks in offspring. While the study focused solely on avocados, researchers suggest that other nutrient-dense foods may offer similar protective effects .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consuming-avocados-for-allergy-prevention">Consuming avocados for allergy prevention</h2>



The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that pregnant women consume 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups of vegetables daily. Avocados, with their nutrient density, count as a full cup per serving.



For toddlers aged 12-23 months, the guidelines suggest 2/3 to 1 cup of vegetables each day. With its rich nutrient profile, a single avocado serves as a practical choice to meet these recommendations without the need for supplements.



Despite the promising findings, the study did not identify any significant links between avocado consumption and other allergic conditions like rhinitis, eczema, or wheezing. 



The focus on food allergies yielded notable results, but the other conditions showed no significant differences between consumers and non-consumers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-the-research">Expanding the research</h2>



The researchers caution against overgeneralizing the findings. While avocados may contribute to reduced food allergy risk, the mechanisms remain unclear. 



Further studies could clarify whether specific nutrients within avocados influence immune development and whether similar effects extend to other foods .



The study opens doors for future research that could extend beyond infancy. Tracking infants beyond the first year of life may provide insights into how early dietary exposures shape allergy risk throughout childhood.



Additionally, examining other nutrient-dense foods with similar profiles, such as nuts, seeds, or leafy greens, could help determine whether the observed effects result from specific nutrients or broader dietary patterns. 



Understanding these connections could refine dietary recommendations for pregnant women, offering clearer guidance on foods that may reduce allergy risk in infants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-nutritional-choice-with-potential">A nutritional choice with potential</h2>



As food allergies continue to rise, identifying preventive strategies during pregnancy remains a critical focus. This Finnish study suggests that avocados, with their nutrient-rich profile, may play a role in reducing food allergy risk in infants.



While the study does not establish causality, it highlights the potential impact of nutrient-dense foods during pregnancy - a time when maternal diet can leave lasting imprints on infant health. 



Further research will clarify whether these findings hold across diverse populations and whether other foods offer similar benefits.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-03968-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pediatric Research</a>.



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Eating avocados during pregnancy reduces baby's allergy risk

Food allergies have become increasingly common, affecting roughly one in 13 children, as reported by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). With such a rise, scientists continue to explore how maternal diets might influence allergy risk in infants. Recent research in Finland sheds light on a surprising connection between avocado consumption during pregnancy and reduced food allergy risk in infants. A study involving 2,272 mother-child pairs, conducted over nearly a decade, uncovered a striking finding. Infants whose mothers consumed avocados during pregnancy had a 43.6% lower chance...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-back-roads/">Self-driving cars</a> will soon change the way that people commute in the city. Private car ownership will be largely replaced by shared mobility, which is transportation services that are shared among users on-demand. 

A shift to shared mobility will reduce both traffic congestion and air pollution in urban areas. The issue, however, is determining how many vehicles are needed within each city to meet the on-demand needs of commuters. For years, researchers have struggled to develop a mathematical model capable of effectively calculating these numbers.

Experts at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> have just announced the discovery of a computationally efficient solution, which they have named the “minimum fleet problem,” that can be applied to even the largest cities.

“We started looking into this problem motivated by the increasing trends toward shared mobility, which will likely become even stronger with the transition to autonomous vehicles,” said study co-author Professor Carlo Ratti. 

“If demand for mobility is served by fleets of shared vehicles, a fundamental question is: How many vehicles do we need to serve the mobility needs of, say, a city such as New York?”

Study lead author Paolo Santi explained that while previous solutions have been proposed for fleet management, they have been constrained in size, meaning they can only be computed for fleets with just a few tens of vehicles.


“If we were to consider replacing the current taxi system in New York with an optimized fleet of vehicles, we would have to find the best way of serving the around 500,000 trips made in a day, which are currently served by about 13,500 taxis,” said Santi.

The researchers used a network-based model which they named the “vehicle sharing network” in their approach to the problem.

The algorithm represented the shareability of the taxi fleet as a graph consisting of nodes and edges. The nodes were used to represent trips, and the edges were used to represent the fact that two specific trips can be served by a single vehicle. 

The experts found that the graph enabled the algorithm to find the best solution for fleet sharing. They tested the solution on a data set of 150 million taxi trips taken in New York over the course of one year. They used the Manhattan road network and GPS-based estimations derived from taxi trip datasets to compute travel times.

The researchers found that real-time implementation of the method could reduce the current fleet size by 30 percent, while still providing optimal service. According to Ratti, the solution could become even more relevant in the years ahead, as fleets of networked, self-driving cars become commonplace.

“If we look at Manhattan as a whole, we could theoretically satisfy its mobility demand with approximately 140,000 vehicles - around half of today's number,” said Ratti. “This shows that tomorrow's urban problems regarding mobility can be tackled not necessarily with more physical infrastructure but with more intelligence, or in other words: with more silicon and less asphalt.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reduce congestion by calculating ideal number of taxis for a city

Self-driving cars will soon change the way that people commute...

New research has revealed that nearly a quarter of the global population will be obese by the year 2045 if the current trends continue. At this rate, 12 percent of all the people in the world will have type 2 diabetes by the same year.

The researchers noted that in order to prevent the incident of type 2 diabetes from rising above 10 percent in 2045, global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-obesity-diabetes/">obesity</a> levels must be reduced by 25 percent.


The study was led by Dr. Alan Moses of <a href="https://www.novonordisk.com/rnd.html">Novo Nordisk Research and Development</a> in Denmark.

“These numbers underline the staggering challenge the world will face in the future in terms of numbers of people who are obese, or have type 2 diabetes, or both,” said Dr. Moses. “As well as the medical challenges these people will face, the costs to countries' health systems will be enormous.”

“The global prevalence of obesity and diabetes is projected to increase dramatically unless prevention of obesity is significantly intensified.”

The team obtained population data for all countries in the world from the <a href="http://ncdrisc.org/">Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration</a>. 

For each country, the population was divided into age groups, which were then divided into body mass index (BMI) categories. The prevalence of obesity and diabetes were estimated for each country for every year between 2000 and 2014, and future projections were based on these patterns.

The study authors noted that there are varying trends across different countries, which must be targeted individually. 

“Each country is different based on unique genetic, social and environmental conditions which is why there is no 'one size fits all' approach that will work. Individual countries must work on the best strategy for them,” said Dr. Moses.

“Despite the challenge all countries are facing with obesity and diabetes, the tide can be turned - but it will take aggressive and coordinated action to reduce obesity and individual cities should play a key role in confronting the issues around obesity, some of which are common to them all and others that are unique to each of them.”

If current the trends in the United States continue, obesity will increase from 39 percent in 2017 to 55 percent in 2045, and diabetes rates will rise from 14 percent to 18 percent. To stabilize diabetes rates in America between 2017 and 2045, obesity must fall from 38 percent today to 28 percent.

“Developing effective global programs to reduce obesity offer the best opportunity to slow or stabilize the unsustainable prevalence of diabetes.” 

“The first step must be the recognition of the challenge that obesity presents and the mobilization of social service and disease prevention resources to slow the progression of these two conditions.”

The research was presented at this year's <a href="https://eco2018.easo.org/">European Congress on Obesity</a> in Vienna, Austria.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nearly 25 percent of people will be obese by 2045 at current rate

New research has revealed that nearly a quarter of the...

As the official start of grilling season approaches, new research suggests that changing clothes after a cookout may help prevent exposure to harmful carcinogens produced in barbecue smoke.

The experts have found that the cancer-causing compounds generated by grilling are more likely to enter our bodies through skin contact than through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-dangerous-seniors/">smoke</a> inhalation.

According to the Barbecue Industry Association, 70 percent of Americans own a grill or a smoker and over half of them barbecue at least four times per month. 

Barbecuing produces large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are carcinogenic compounds known to cause respiratory diseases and DNA mutations. 

The research team found in a previous study that eating grilled foods is the most common source of PAH exposure while grilling outdoors, but barbecue fumes and particles can also affect bystanders. Led by Eddy Y. Zeng of <a href="https://english.jnu.edu.cn/">Jinan University</a>, the team set out to expand on these findings by quantifying the risk of skin exposure to PAHs at cookouts.

Study participants were divided into groups at an outdoor barbecue and were placed at varying distances from the food and smoke.


The analysis of urine samples from the individuals confirmed that the consumption of grilled foods accounted for the largest amount of PAH exposure, which is what the researchers expected. What they did not anticipate, however, is that skin was the second-highest exposure route among participants, followed by smoke inhalation. 

The researchers explained that the oils contained in barbecue fumes likely boost the uptake of PAHs by the skin. 

The team also found that clothes can reduce contact between the skin and PAHs to a degree, but the skin can absorb a considerable amount of PAH from clothing that is saturated with barbecue smoke. To reduce this risk, the experts recommend washing clothes as soon as possible after attending a barbecue.

The research is published by the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> in the journal in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/toc/esthag/52/1">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human skin absorbs dangerous carcinogens from barbecue smoke

As the official start of grilling season approaches, new research...

According to federal dietary guidelines, 75 percent of Americans do not eat enough fruit, vegetables, and dairy. The typical American diet is now one that is high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats.  

This is partly why diet-related diseases like diabetes and obesity have been on the rise in the US and around the world. Many people simply aren’t getting the right balance of nutrients and foods necessary to maintain a healthy diet. 

However, when trying to eat healthy, cost can be an issue. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.nestle.com/randd">Nestle Research Center</a> in Switzerland set out see how much a healthy diet actually costs and which diet would be the most cost-effective.

It turns out that eating vegetarian is the most affordable option for people if they shop online. 

Eating a diet rich in greens, grains, fruit, and dairy has many health benefits and the researchers found that it cost around $2.00 dollars less per day than the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-air-pollution/">Mediterranean diet</a> and what is considered a healthy US diet. 

For the study, the researchers chose three healthy diet options, the US healthy diet, the Mediterranean diet, and a vegetarian diet and bought groceries online for two weeks worth of food for each diet plan. 

Each diet plan was based on the <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130491">Nutrient Balance Concept</a> which is a new metric for assessing the nutritional value of foods in an overall diet established in 2015.

The researchers bought groceries from Amazon's Grocery and Gourmet Food platform, which is currently responsible for 26 percent of all online food and drink markets in the US. 

Food was bought depending on the price and the researchers went for the cheapest option excluding sales, discounts, and deals. 

The cost of food groups was also calculated for the study because most dietary guidelines are organized into food groups. 

The nutritional value of all three diet plans was similar, but the vegetarian diet was much more affordable than the Mediterranean. On average, the cost per person per day was $15.40 dollars for the vegetarian diet, $17.00 for the US healthy diet, and $17.30 for the Mediterranean diet. 

The reason for the significant cost difference is likely attributable to the lack of meat in the vegetarian diet. 

As online grocery shopping is expected to become more and more common, with sales in the US predicted to reach 30 billion dollars by 2021, understanding how sourcing food online will impact the cost of healthy diets is important. 

“Online shopping makes it convenient to buy foods for a nutritious diet that meets government recommendations, but it may be expensive,” said Hilary Green, one of the leaders of the research. “Even though a vegetarian menu plan may be more affordable than other healthy menu plans, $15.4 per day per person is still expensive. The United States Department of Agriculture has previously estimated that the daily cost of food for a healthy menu plan can be as little as $6.5 per day.”

The research will be presented at the <a href="https://eco2018.easo.org/">European Congress on Obesity</a> in Vienna, Austria later this week. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Vegetarian diet shown to be the most affordable healthy choice

According to federal dietary guidelines, 75 percent of Americans do...

A new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology has found that psilocybin, the main substance in magic mushrooms, may potentially help patients with severe depression process emotions.

Previous research has found that magic mushrooms show promise as a treatment for depression, with one <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41608984">BBC report</a> saying that psilocybin acts like a “lubricant for the mind” and resets the brain. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">Magic mushrooms</a> seem to be especially helpful for patients who have not had any success with other traditional medications for anxiety and depression. 

The drug helps with changing mood and perceptions, and this recent study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College</a> and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> found that psilocybin was effective for helping depressed patients process and understand others emotions. 

Often times, patients with depression are not able to interpret social cues and read expressions as negative. 

For the study, researchers administered a psilocybin treatment and psychological support to 17 patients with treatment-resistant depression. 16 control patients were also given a placebo treatment as part of the study. 

The participants were shown a series of photographs of 12 male and female actors that had been doctored so each face portrayed an emotion such as happiness, sadness, or anger. 

After receiving the psilocybin treatment, the patients were able to read the faces and categorize the emotions. The control patients, however, had no improvement and were not able to read the faces any better. 

“Prior to treatment with psilocybin, depressed patients in this trial were shown to have a global deficit in processing emotional faces as compared with healthy controls, as reflected in longer reaction times to identify all emotion types,” the researchers said. “We observed a reaction time improvement post-treatment for all emotion types in depressed patients.”

Magic mushroom treatments are still a long way off, even though some researchers claim they are the safest recreational drug to take. 

The study itself was also relatively small and more in-depth research will be needed to better understand how psilocybin affects depression. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Magic mushrooms help people with depression process emotions

A new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology has found...

Woman lighting a cigarette

People who quit smoking, even if they were heavy smokers, have a lowered risk of lung disease compared to people who are light smokers or have cut back. 

A new study analyzing data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study found that quitting improved lung health while heavy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smoking-leads-poor-diet/">smokers</a> experience the greatest decline in lung function. 

The CARDIA study included participants from Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Oakland. The average age at the time of enrollment in the study was 25 and nearly half had smoked at some point in their lives. 

As part of the study, the participants had to undergo periodic lung function assessments as well as chest CT scans 15, 20, and 25 years after the start of the study. 

This most recent study was led by researchers from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University </a>who set out to examine the impacts of smoking on lung health even with those who were considered low-rate smokers and who were often excluded from other clinical trials and studies. 

Data was collected and analyzed from 3,140 participants from the CARDIA study. 

“The CARDIA dataset gave us a unique opportunity to learn about the impact of different levels of smoking on lung health and lung disease risk,” said Amanda Mathew, the lead author of the new study. “Participants were asked about their smoking each year, which minimize recall bias and allowed us to model changes in smoking habits over time.”

The researchers discovered that stable, heavy smokers were 26 times more likely to develop emphysema and almost 8 times more likely to develop obstructive lung disease. 

Interestingly, the analysis also revealed that smokers who quit, even if they had smoked more than light smokers, had better lung function and a lowered risk of developing emphysema. 

“We were surprised to find that those who quit had lower disease risk than the group we identified as stable, low-rate smokers, even though those who quit had a greater lifetime exposure to cigarettes,” said Mathew. 

The results show how beneficial quitting can be on lung health and that smokers should be vigilant about following through with quitting. 

“There is no safe threshold of smoking on lung health,” said Mathew. “Cutting down can be a great first step, but quitting for good is the most effective way to reduce lung disease risk.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: ATS

Cutting back doesn’t help, but quitting smoking improves lungs

People who quit smoking, even if they were heavy smokers,...

Coal- and oil-fired power plants are known to cause environmental issues that affect the areas immediately surrounding the plants, as well as the global climate. Now, new research shows that getting rid of these plants actually improved human health – lowering the rate of preterm births in neighboring communities and boosting fertility. The study on preterm births was published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje">American Journal of Epidemiology</a>, while the study on fertility was published in <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Environmental Health</a>.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> compared preterm births and fertility before and after eight California power plants closed between 2001 and 2011. Preterm births often result in a baby spending time in the neonatal intensive care unit, and is a major contributor to infant mortality and health problems as the child age. 

The data showed that the percentage of preterm births (defined as babies born before 37 weeks of gestation) dropped from 7 percent while a plant was open to 5.1 percent for the year after it was shut down. Rates for non-Hispanic African-American and Asian women dropped even more significantly, going from 14.4 percent to 11.3 percent. This 20-25 percent decrease in preterm birthrates was larger than expected, but is consistent with other studies that have linked air pollution near power plants to birth problems. 

The study on fertility and proximity to power plants used similar data, and found that fertility (defined as the number of live births per 1,000 women) increased in the vicinity of recently closed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coal-mining-aquatic-life/">coal</a> and oil power plants.

“We were excited to do a good news story in environmental health,” says Joan Casey, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study. “Most people look at air pollution and adverse health outcomes, but this is the flip side: We said, let’s look at what happens when we have this external shock that removes air pollution from a community and see if we can see any improvements in health.”

The authors believe these findings could help policy makers in the United States come up with strategies for decommissioning power plants and replace them with more renewable sources of energy.

“We believe that these papers have important implications for understanding the potential short-term community health benefits of climate and energy policy shifts and provide some very good news on that front,” says Rachel Morello-Frosch, a UC Berkeley professor of environmental science, policy and management and of public health and co-author of the study. “These studies indicate short-term beneficial impacts on preterm birth rates overall and particularly for women of color.”

This study did not specify the effects of individual pollutants, which would include particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, lead, mercury, and other health hazards. Rather, it looked at the combined effect of all the pollutants expelled by these power plants. Moving forward, they may attempt to assess this relationship in other states and see if similar results can be found, which may ultimately support the goal of retiring these polluting power plants.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Closing coal, oil power plants improves fertility, infant health

Coal- and oil-fired power plants are known to cause environmental...

New research reveals how melatonin works to help you sleep. Sleep disorders are becoming increasingly common, and it’s been estimated by the<a href="https://sleepfoundation.org/"> National Sleep Foundation </a>that 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from problems with sleep. 

Sleep deprivation can inhibit performance and focus, affect mood, trigger irritability, and cause problems with memory retention.

Many people take non-prescription sleep aids such as melatonin supplements to help them fall asleep, but the underlying mechanisms of melatonin have not been well understood, causing some to <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/melatonin-help-sleep-hype/">question</a> their effectiveness.

But now, researchers from the <a href="https://medicine.missouri.edu/">University of Missouri School of Medicine </a>have conducted a study that investigated how exactly the hormone melatonin promotes sleep. 

The results were published in the Journal of Pineal Research and show how melatonin suppresses certain neurons in the brain that keep you awake and alert. 

For the study, the researchers discovered that mice who were given melatonin during their active period at night had reduced wakefulness and were less alert. 

The researchers also found that blocking the melatonin receptors during bedtime increased activity and made the mice more alert. Melatonin specifically suppressed the particular neurons that were responsible for wakefulness in the mice.

One receptor, MT1, was singled out by the researchers and was the main mechanism that allowed the melatonin to suppress the wakefulness neurons. 

“Melatonin has been used as a sleep drug for many years, but people didn't know how it worked,” said Mahesh Thakkar, the lead author of the study. “Our research suggests that if you target the melatonin MT1 receptor, you will get the most sleep with minimal side effects.”

Finding effective treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders with few side-effects that help promote restful, quality sleep without risking dependency has been challenging. 

This study could aid in creating treatments that specifically target the neurons responsible for alertness and wakefulness. 

“We as a society are losing sleep because we are working too hard, and it's causing a variety of health concerns," said Thakkar. “We often don't even think about sleep or consider it important. However, there is nothing more important than sleep. We need to focus on therapies that can help you have quality sleep, not just sleep.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research reveals how melatonin works to help you sleep

New research reveals how melatonin works to help you sleep....

People who incorporate physical activity into their daily commute are reducing their risk of fatal heart disease or stroke by 30 percent, according to a new observational study. Walking and cycling were also linked to a lower risk of mortality from all diseases.

Even though the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity have been well-documented, low levels of exercise are still reported in many countries. This is due in large part to increasingly sedentary jobs and the lack of time for physical activity.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, and Imperial College London set out to investigate the heart health advantages of using more active alternatives for commuting and traveling purposes.

The study was focused on data from 358,799 participants in the UK Biobank, a national survey designed to measure and track the health of adults in urban areas.


The individuals reported on whether they relied exclusively on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-back-roads/">vehicles</a> for both commuting and non-commuting. The participants gave details on any active modes of travel that they used and how often. 

The data was collected between 2006 and 2010, and the health of the individuals was tracked for an additional seven years.

Approximately two-thirds of the participants reported that they relied exclusively on their vehicles to travel to work. Physically active travel alternatives were reported more frequently for non-commuting travel.


Cycling was not very common among participants, with only 8.5 percent incorporating cycling into their regular commute and 7 percent riding a bike for non-commuting travel.

The study revealed that regular commuters with more active modes of travel had an 11 percent lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 30 percent lower risk of fatal CVD.

Those individuals who were active during both their commute and non-commute travel were found to have a 43 percent lower risk of fatal CVD.

The researchers determined that interventions to encourage walking, cycling, and other active methods of commuting should be regularly promoted, particularly by health professionals.

“More active patterns of travel were associated with a reduced risk of incident and fatal CVD and all-cause mortality in adults,” said the study authors. “This is an important message for clinicians advising people about how to be physically active and reduce their risk of disease.”

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. April Mohanty wrote: “This study provides further evidence to support efforts, including policies and guideline recommendations, that encourage active travel even if that is only possible for part of the journey.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://heart.bmj.com/">Heart</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ditching the car to bike or walk to work can extend your life

People who incorporate physical activity into their daily commute are...

Eggs have long been a delicious breakfast food staple, but a new study has now found that people who eat an egg a day are far less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. 

Egg and heart health studies have been inconsistent, and most research has shown that eating eggs does not impact the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke. 

However, researchers from China and the UK recently set out to better understand the connections between egg consumption and heart disease or stroke. 

The study was led by Liming Li and Canqing Yu from the School of Public Health at the<a href="http://english.bjmu.edu.cn/"> Peking University Health Science Center</a> and published in the journal Heart. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-cardiovascular-disease/">Cardiovascular disease</a> is the leading cause of death worldwide and that includes China. Ischemic heart disease is one of the biggest culprits behind premature death in most Western countries, but in China, stroke is the leading cause of early death. 

For the study, the researchers collected data from the <a href="http://www.ckbiobank.org/">China Kadoorie Biobank</a> study, an ongoing project with around half a million participants from ten different geographical areas in China.

Participants were recruited between 2004 and 2008 and were asked about how many eggs they typically ate. Later the researchers followed up with the participants to record morbidity and mortality. 

From the Kadoorie Biobank study, Liming Li and Canqing Yu focused on 416,213 participants who had no history of cancer, heart disease or diabetes.

13.1 percent of the participants of the group said they had about one egg a day while 9.1 percent reported that they rarely ate eggs if at all. 

Within that group, the researchers for the new study found after 8.9 years there were 83,977 recorded cases of cardiovascular disease and 9,985 deaths. 

Surprisingly, after analyzing the results, the researchers found that those who ate about an egg a day had a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. 

In fact, daily egg consumption correlated with a 26 percent lowered risk of haemorrhagic stroke and a 28 percent lowered risk of death from the same type of stroke. 

All in all, the results showed that eating eggs reduced the risk of heart disease compared to those who rarely or never consumed eggs. 

“The present study finds that there is an association between moderate level of egg consumption (up to 1 egg/day) and a lower cardiac event rate,” said the authors. “Our findings contribute scientific evidence to the dietary guidelines with regard to egg consumption for the healthy Chinese adult.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

An egg a day keeps heart disease at bay, study finds

Eggs have long been a delicious breakfast food staple, but...

Chemicals called obesogens, which are found in everyday products, promote obesity by interfering with the way that our bodies store and process fat. A recent study reveals how using less plastic, getting rid of your carpet, and even taking off your shoes as soon as you get home can help reduce weight gain associated with obesogens.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-obesity-misleading/">Obesity</a> has become an increasing problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. Among babies and children, a sharp rise in obesity cannot be fully explained by changes in diets and lifestyles alone.

Individuals who are overweight are at a higher risk for many serious health complications such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and certain types of cancer. Obesity contributes to an estimated 2.8 million deaths every year.

Obesogens disrupt how our bodies work on a cellular level. The chemicals increase our appetite and promote fat accumulation by increasing the number and size of our fat cells. Obesogens also change our ability to burn calories, making it more difficult to lose fat.

Led by Dr. Ana Catarina Sousa, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ua.pt/">University of Aveiro</a> and the <a href="http://www.ubi.pt/en/">University of Beira Interior</a> set out to identify the main sources of obesogens.

The team performed a comprehensive analysis of existing surveys and studies, and found that indoor exposure to obesogens is primarily caused by certain foods, house dust, plastics, cleaning chemicals, kitchenware, and cosmetics.


“Obesogens can be found almost everywhere, and our diet is a main source of exposure, as some pesticides and artificial sweeteners are obesogens,” said Dr. Sousa. “Equally, they are present in plastics and home products, so completely reducing exposure is extremely difficult - but to significantly reduce it is not only feasible, but also very simple.”

The experts have developed specific recommendations to reduce obesogen exposure based on their investigation. They say to choose fresh food over processed food, avoid cleaning products whenever possible, and to buy fruits and vegetables without pesticides.

The researchers also recommend to dust and vacuum very often, and to buy high-efficiency particulate air filters. They explain that reducing the use of plastic, particularly when heating or storing foods, will also help reduce exposure to obesogens.

Furthermore, removing your shoes as soon as you get home will help to avoid the spread of obesogens that have accumulated on the soles outdoors.


“These are baby steps to achieve an obesogen-free lifestyle but a really good start. Essentially, watch your diet and get rid of the dust at home,” said Dr. Sousa. 

“Adults ingest about 50mg of dust every day, and children twice as much, so keeping the house clean is a very effective measure. And use a humid cloth to dust your furniture, rather than a cleaning product that may contain more of these chemicals.”


The team is currently conducting further studies to provide unequivocal evidence of how obesogens are contributing to the obesity epidemic.


The research was presented in Barcelona at the <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/">European Society of Endocrinology</a> annual meeting (ECE 2018).

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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

Taking off your shoes when you get home can help you lose weight

Chemicals called obesogens, which are found in everyday products, promote...

Anxiety could increase the risk of bone density loss and fractures after menopause, according to a new study examining the connection between stress levels and bone health. 

The study was conducted by Antonio Catalano and a team of researchers from the <a href="http://www.unime.it/it">University Hospital of Messina</a> in Italy.  

Catalano is an expert in bone metabolism and osteoporosis, but until this study, no links between fracture risk and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-anxiety-depression-dementia/">anxiety</a> had been explored. 

The study was published in the journal Menopause. 

Both anxiety and osteoporosis, a condition where the bones become weak and brittle, affect more women than men. This is because after menopause, the dip in estrogen levels in women decreases bone mass. 

But Catalano also found that high anxiety levels can additionally decrease bone density in women. 

For the study, 200 participants, all of whom were women, were chosen for the research because they were part of an osteoporosis clinic in 2017. 

The average age of the participants was 67 and the researchers conducted in-depth health screenings, asking about any prior fractures, their smoking and drinking habits, and if the women had diagnosed arthritis.

The researchers also measured bone density, assessed heart and lung health, and explored any mental health concerns including depression and anxiety levels. 

Overall, the researchers found that the loss of estrogen due to menopause was not the only thing contributing to a higher risk of fractures and that high levels of anxiety were associated with a four percent greater risk of incurring a major fracture over a ten year period. 

Anxiety was also linked to a three percent increased risk of hip fracture in the same time frame. 

“Our findings are quite surprising because an association between anxiety levels and bone health was not reported before,” Catalano told <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-anxious-women-eye-bone-health.html">MedicalXpress</a>. 

Anxiety can cause a wide array of negative effects including high blood pressure and an increased risk of obesity. 

“Our opinion is that anxious women are more likely to engage in poor health behaviors, such as smoking or a poor diet,” said Catalano. “Moreover, the negative effects of stress hormones on bone status may be considered as also enhancing fracture risk.” 

The researchers recommend that women who suffer from anxiety should avoid smoking, stay active, and drink moderately as well as possibly take calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplements to enhance bone strength. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Anxiety linked to weaker bones and increased risk of fractures

Anxiety could increase the risk of bone density loss and...

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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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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