Weekly Gravy « Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

You have a lot of choices when buying milk, from the traditional cow variety to some made from plants. But how do these options compare in terms of nutrition? An expert from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston breaks down the differences. “If you’re looking for a high-protein product, cow’s milk and soy milk are the best options. If you want something lower calorie that doesn’t need to meet your protein needs, a plant-based product might be the right thing,” said Sarah Mahlke, senior program management associate at Baylor’s Weight Loss and Metabolic Center. “Maybe you’re just going for taste, which is important too, because at the end of the day, food makes us happy, and that’s a good thing,” Mahlke said in a Baylor news release. Cow’s milk Cow’s milk contains calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, B2 (riboflavin), B12, and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. It’s also high in protein, much more so than most plant-based milks. Cow’s milk is also a source of less heart-healthy saturated fats, but skim and nonfat milk provide a less fatty option. “All of the dairy milks have similar amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Choosing the type of cow’s milk to drink depends on the stage of life that you’re in and what your goals are,” Mahlke said. Trying to lose weight? Nonfat or… read on > read on >

A California bill would have made free condoms available for high schoolers, but it was vetoed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom because of cost. California has a budget deficit of $30 billion, Newsom noted in his veto of Senate Bill 541. This bill, plus several other measures lawmakers passed, would have increased state budget costs by $19 billion. “This bill would create an unfunded mandate to public schools that should be considered in the annual budget process,” the Democratic governor wrote. If the bill had been allowed to go through, it would have required public schools with grades 9 through 12 to make condoms available and free for all students. Those with grades 7 through 12 would have been required to allow condoms to be available as part of educational or public health programs. The state has 1.9 million high school students in more than 4,000 schools, the Associated Press reported. Under the bill, retailers would also have not been allowed to refuse to sell condoms to youth. The bill would have helped “youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from [sexually transmitted infections], while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex,” said the bill’s author, State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Los Angeles, the AP reported. Newsom said programs that increase access… read on > read on >

Exercise has been dubbed “nature’s antidepressant” by doctors for years, and now a new study confirms the notion. The finding follows a four-month look at the impact that running had on anxiety and depression when compared to a common antidepressant. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) work by boosting levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s a key player when it comes to regulating mood, depression and anxiety. But among 140 depression patients, those who engaged in regular group running — meaning two or three 45-minute runs each week — actually saw their depression levels drop a bit more than those who took the popular SSRI medication escitalopram (Lexapro). And those who treated their depression with exercise reaped an added reward, with improvements seen in their physical health as well. That group, said study author Brenda Penninx, also “lost weight, improved fitness and reduced heart rate and blood pressure.” The medication group did not see those benefits. Penninx, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology and vice chair of the department of psychiatry at Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands, presented her findings this weekend at the ECNP meeting, which focuses on the science and treatment of brain disorders. The research was published earlier this year in the Journal of Affective Disorders. All told, she said, the findings suggest that “we should pay much more attention to lifestyle… read on > read on >

Anyone with a cat knows the calm, low rumble of purring, but how does such a small animal make such a low sound? New research suggests it boils down to a pad embedded in feline vocal cord folds. That’s different than previously thought, which was that purring happened through a special mechanism, with cyclical contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the vocal folds within the larynx, and that it required constant control from the brain. “Anatomical investigations revealed a unique ‘pad’ within the cats’ vocal folds that may explain how such a small animal, weighing only a few kilograms, can regularly produce sounds at those incredibly low frequencies [20 to 30 Hz, or cycles per second] — far below even than lowest bass sounds produced by human voices,” researcher Christian Herbst, a voice scientist from the University of Vienna, said in a university news release. The findings, published online Oct. 3 in the journal Current Biology, aren’t an outright contradiction of the previous theory, but they are a clear indicator that the understanding of cat purring is incomplete, the researchers said. A controlled laboratory experiment showed that the domestic cat larynx can produce these low-pitched sounds with a mechanism similar to the human “creaky voice.” More information The U.S. Library of Congress has more on how cats communicate with each other. SOURCE: University of… read on > read on >

Former pro football players with symptoms of depression or anxiety are far more likely to receive an unverifiable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) than players without those mental health conditions, a new study reports. Players with depression are 9.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with CTE, while players with both depression and anxiety are 12 times more likely, the study results showed. The problem: At this point CTE can only be diagnosed as part of a brain autopsy. “CTE can only be diagnosed after death,” said lead author Shawn Eagle, a research assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “It shouldn’t be diagnosed in anyone while they’re living. Being told you have CTE when you’re alive is a problem because there’s no valid test to diagnose CTE in a living person.” Researchers argue that those players’ doctors are dropping the ball by handing out a CTE diagnosis, because there are effective treatments for the mood disorders that led to the diagnosis. “Depression, anxiety and sleep apnea produce cognitive symptoms, are treatable conditions, and should be distinguished from neurodegenerative disease,” Eagle said. “CTE is a neurodegenerative disease without available treatments or available diagnosis in a living person.” CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can be caused by repeated head impacts and concussions. It usually affects athletes who… read on > read on >

Long COVID, a constellation of symptoms that extend past the initial illness, is now a recognized condition. But researchers say COVID-19 may not be the only respiratory virus that causes these lasting health impacts — “long colds” may also exist. “Our findings shine a light not only on the impact of long COVID on people’s lives, but also other respiratory infections. A lack of awareness — or even the lack of a common term — prevents both reporting and diagnosis of these conditions,” said lead study author Giulia Vivaldi, a researcher from Queen Mary University of London. To study this, researchers compared the prevalence and severity of long-term symptoms after a COVID case versus illness with another acute respiratory infection that tested negative for COVID-19. Those recovering from COVID-19 were more likely to feel lightheaded or dizzy after the illness and to have problems with taste and smell compared to those who had a non-COVID respiratory infection. While those with a “long cold” didn’t seem to have those symptoms, among the symptoms they experienced were cough, stomach pain and diarrhea that lingered for more than four weeks. Severity of illness seemed to drive these other symptoms. Other respiratory illnesses can include colds, the flu and pneumonia. “As research into long COVID continues, we need to take the opportunity to investigate and consider the lasting effects… read on > read on >

New research suggests that concert goers may synchronize their breathing and more as they listen to the intricacies of a classical symphony performance. Previous studies have shown that music may be able to induce synchronization in listeners, but the authors of this study said there has been little investigation into whether concert audiences actually become synchronized. This new study, involving 132 participants, suggests that heart rate, breathing rate and the electrical conductivity of skin (which suggests excitement) may synchronize between audience members at classical concerts. People who rated more highly for personality traits such as agreeableness or openness were more likely to synchronize with other audience members. Those with neurotic or extravert traits were less likely to become synchronized. The researchers, led by Wolfgang Tschacher, from the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, in Bern, Switzerland, observed the 132 people while they listened to a concert in which three classical music pieces were played by a string quintet. They were Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Op. 104 in C minor,” Brett Dean’s “Epitaphs,” and Johannes Brahms’ “Op. 111 in G major.” The research team monitored participants’ movement using overhead cameras and measured their physical responses with wearable sensors. They also asked the participants to fill in questionnaires about their personality and mood both before and after the concert. While the investigators saw synchronization in a variety of… read on > read on >

FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Postpartum depression is commonly thought of as something new moms experience, but fathers can also suffer from these feelings when entering this phase of life. A pilot study from the University of Illinois Chicago suggests new dads should also be screened for the condition. Addressing their health may also be an important tool for improving the maternal health crisis, given that the physical health of these parent partners are so intertwined, according to the authors. “A lot of dads are stressed. They’re scared. They’re struggling with balancing work and parental and partner responsibilities,” said lead author Dr. Sam Wainwright, an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics. “Men are often not doing well, but no one is asking them about it.” For the study, researchers interviewed and screened 24 dads using a tool commonly used for screening moms. About 30% of dads were positive for postpartum depression. “A woman at risk for postpartum depression is much more likely to get postpartum depression if she has a depressed partner,” Wainwright noted in a university news release. Nearly 90% of study participants were from groups facing structural racism and social factors such as crime and poverty that can worsen mental health. This may have led to more men screening positive for depression than in past studies, which have seen a… read on > read on >

FRIDAY, Oct. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Healthy steps: Living in a neighborhood that’s easy to walk in could be good for women’s health. New research finds that women who live in walkable neighborhoods have lower rates of obesity-related cancers. This was particularly true of postmenopausal breast cancer, but also of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and multiple myeloma, according to researchers at several universities in New York City. “These results contribute to the growing evidence of how urban design affects the health and well-being in aging populations,” said researcher Andrew Rundle, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Researchers noted that interventions to increase physical activity and reduce obesity one by one are costly. They also tend to have temporary effects. “However, urban design can create a context that promotes walking, increases overall physical activity, and reduce car-dependency, which could lead to subsequent improvements in preventing diseases attributed to unhealthy weight,” Rundle said said in a Columbia news release. Past research has linked obesity to increased risk for 13 types of cancer in women, independent of body size. Physical activity lowers the risk for some of these cancers. The study included data from more than 14,000 women ages 35 to 65 who were recruited at a New York City mammography screening center between 1985 and 1991. Researchers followed the women… read on > read on >

Should Fluffy and Fido go vegan? A new study says yes — for the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that livestock are responsible for 14.5% of the greenhouse gas emissions. In response, some experts say eating vegan — meaning a nutritionally sound diet without animal proteins or products — for two-thirds of meals could slash food-related emissions by 60%. “Vegan pet food is clearly associated with very large savings in greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and a range of other environmental parameters,” said Dr. Andrew Knight, a professor of philosophy at Griffith University in Australia, who led the new study. “If implemented globally, such diets would also save the lives of billions of ‘food’ animals annually, and enable the feeding of billions of additional people (and dogs and cats), with the food energy saved.” The new study said American dogs and cats consume about one-fifth as much meat as their human counterparts and about one-tenth of that worldwide. Recent research suggests that nutritionally sound vegan diets — lacking meat, eggs and dairy — are safe for pets and may have comparable health benefits, the study noted. If all U.S.-based dogs and cats went vegan, researchers estimated that the lives of 2 billion livestock animals a year could be saved, along with billions of aquatic animals. If pets around the… read on > read on >

Weekly Gravy

Look Good – Feel Good – Feed Good

A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Cow’s Milk Vs. Plant-Based Milks: A Nutritionist Weighs In

California Governor Rejects Bill to Provide Free Condoms to High Schoolers

Running vs. Meds: Which Works Best to Beat Depression?

Scientists Discover Secrets of the Cat’s Purr

Could Living Football Players Be Overdiagnosed for CTE?

Could Folks Suffer From ‘Long Colds,’ Similar to Long COVID?

Music Lovers’ Physiology ‘Synchronizes’ at Classical Music Concerts

New Dads Might Also Need Screening for Postpartum Depression

Living in ‘Walkable’ Neighborhoods Lowers Women’s Cancer Risk

Going Vegan Healthy for Dogs, Cats — and the Planet