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Friday, January 22, 2021
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Eggs are not to be blamed for Heart Attacks

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"Eggs are not to be blamed for Heart Attacks"

Finnish researchers declared that there is no evidence to support the fact that eggs cause cardiovascular issues.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Since forever everybody is talking about why are eggs bad for our health. According to a couple of studies, these tiny white wonders, which are the highlight of every decent breakfast can, in time, harden our heart arteries, thus upping the risk of deadly heart attacks. But a new study has emerged, in order to challenge the old beliefs by saying that eggs are not to be blamed for heart attacks.

A brand new study, coming all the way from the frozen North, has managed to prove that eggs, no matter how they are consumed, are in no way contributing to heart diseases. In fact, this study also pointed out that even those carrying the APOE 4 gene (increased sensitivity to cholesterol found in various foods) are not in any danger of developing a heart disease.

But don’t jump out of the wagon yet, before you understand all the factors involved in this brand new study. According to Jyrki Virtanen, the lead author of the novel study, he and his team of researchers noted down the diets of every patient only at the beginning of the study. This means that the team cannot account for any dietary changes which occurred later on.

So, the study in question was performed by Virtanen and his team of medical researchers from the University of Eastern Finland. It involved approximately 1000 middle-aged men from Finland, with ages between 42 and 60. Moreover, the study spanned over a period of 21 years.

As stated, the team was able to write down the participant’s dietary information only at the beginning of the study, meaning that they are unable to determine whether a participant switched to another diet in the meantime.

All of the subjects enrolled in the study consumed one egg per day, and the average daily cholesterol intake was estimated at around 398 milligrams. At the end of the trial, approximately 230 men from the control group suffered heart attacks.

Even though others would look upon this fact as evidence to support the fact that cholesterol found in eggs is capable of increasing the risk of heart diseases, the team of scientists from Finland declared that they haven’t found any palpable link between cholesterol intake and cardiovascular diseases.

So, eggs are not to be blamed for heart attacks, but one cannot account for the side dish. The team declared that their study was not to be construed as irrefutable evidence that eggs have nothing to do with heart attacks. As Virtanen stated, it’s one thing to consume a hard-boiled egg at breakfast, but it’s entirely another when you decide to use fat-enriched butter, a side of bacon or some buttery croissants.

Photo credits:www.flickr.com

How to Diet in Space

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"How to Diet in Space "

The scientists are still trying to figure what’s the best diet for a hungry astronaut.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Space is not only the ultimate frontier but also the ultimate challenge for mankind. Give the current technological advance, man can easily plot a course towards the Red planet. However, there are a couple of things not sorted out yet, the astronaut’s diet being one of them. Here is how to diet in space, according to NASA’s dietary guidelines.

As stated, there are a couple of things we should sort out before making the big trip to Mars. If we can recall correctly, the movie “The Martian” managed to stress out the necessity of elaborating systems capable of growing crops. The plants not only help to replenish the sources of oxygen, but they are a primary food source for the astronauts. And yes, it may be possible for someone to survive on a potato-based diet.

Hydroponic gardens they’re called these make-shift vegetable gardens, a word heard so many times by those who are into science fiction. Well, to make a long story short, this is exactly the sort of thing NASA needs in order to feed the space-faring crew.

Furthermore, the source of food is not the only things we should have in mind when it comes to great expeditions. Several hundred years ago, during the age of great exploration, sailors spending too much time on shore were struck down by a terrible malady, known today as scurvy. But they soon discovered that if they ate fruits packed with vitamin C, the disease won’t show its hideous face.

The same thing applies when the age of industry came. Tons of canned food were deposited aboard the ship, due to the fact that it was not as perishable as fresh food. However, after some time, the crew began to show symptoms of yet another disease called saturnism (intoxication with heavy metals, more specifically with the lead used to manufacture the cans).

As we can see, there is a pattern here. There are certain things we have to take into account before we can make the big leap. Here is how to diet in space. According to NASA’s recent guidelines on diet, all the food served by astronauts must be packed with nutrients in order to ensure that they do not fall ill to certain space-related diseases, such as muscle dystrophy, bone loss, radiation sickness, metabolical changes and last, but not least, auto-immune diseases.

Obesity is still an issue, although fat has little to no effect on the cholesterol levels. Still, sugar and starch should be avoided at all cost.

All these and other issues must be resolved before the scheduled trip to Mars, which should last approximately 3 years, given the fact that the astronauts must cross a distance of 225 million kilometers.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

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