8/4/23: No prep meals, endangered comeback, and biggest whale ever

Planet Health

• SWIMMING THE SEINE: Paris is hosting the Olympic Games next summer, and after a $1.6B decade-long cleanup project, the famous river Seine will once again be safe enough to swim in. Chronic pollutants in France's famous urban river have included raw sewage, old TVs, motorcycles— and even dead bodies. Now, "30 to 35 species of fish have returned,” according to Bill François of the Paris fishing federation, “as well as aquatic insects, crayfish, molluscs and sponges."

• EAGLE RETURN: For the first time in more than 240 years following a recent reintroduction program, a white-tailed eagle chick in England has hatched. This "long-lost species" of eagle is Britain's largest bird of prey. "We were utterly elated and gobsmacked,” said a Forestry England project officer about the conservation news.

• TURTLE COMEBACK: With three months still remaining in the season, Palm Beach County is already breaking records for tallies of discovered vulnerable and endangered turtle species nests. Over 21K nests have been spotted. “Ocean conservation efforts that have been practiced for decades are finally coming to fruition, and we need to make sure that we continue to protect these animals and their ecosystems," says the vice president of research at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Human Health

• MINDFUL DECISIONS: A recent study shows that just 15 minutes a day of mindfulness meditation can "make individuals less likely to avoid information that may cause worry or regret," which can aid in decision making and assessing possible risks or consequences. "Supplementary evidence suggests that it may be mindfulness’s effects on emotion regulation (specifically, non-reaction to emotions) that acts as a potential mechanism through which this greater tolerance for information operates," says the study's author.

• WEED WORRIES: New Danish research published in JAMA Psychiatry unveils that cannabis "could have a stronger connection to the onset of mental disorders than previously believed." Reportedly, Cannabis Use Disorder is tied "to almost double the risk of developing depression, and two to three times the risk of developing bipolar disorder,” according to the doctoral candidate who led the study.

• KEEN ON KOMBUCHA: The ancient fermented probiotic tea, kombucha, has recently been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes in a small Georgetown clinical study. "To our knowledge this is the first clinical trial examining effects of kombucha in people with diabetes,” says study author Dan Merenstein, M.D. This does not exonerate kombucha of any nuanced concerns – the brand & ingredients make a big difference, depending on how much sugar is added.

Creature Feature

• ANCIENT SEA GIANT: Scientists have uncovered "the heaviest skeleton as far as mammals are concerned, possibly the heaviest vertebrate ever," in a Peruvian desert. Perucetus colossus, the newly discovered species fossil, is initially estimated at two to three times the body mass of today's blue whale, the world's largest animal.

   

Nutrition 101

• ZEAXANTHIN: Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli, as well as in colorful fruits. It's a potent antioxidant that helps protect the eyes from harmful blue light and reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.