Do you ever wonder if where you live impacts your health? Well, you might be onto something. New research has opened a new chapter in the rural-urban health divide saga. 



The studies rolling off their desks portray a rather disconcerting picture: rural men are living shorter lives and spending fewer of their twilight years in good health compared to their urban counterparts. Why is this so? 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-in-rural-and-urban-areas">Health in rural and urban areas</h2>



Rural areas, often romanticized as idyllic havens of tranquility, are in fact battlegrounds where lifestyle habits wage war on human health daily.



Among rural men, the troika of smoking, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions have insidiously woven themselves into the fabric of life. 



This deadly cocktail is fueling the rural-urban divide in illness. As our calendars keep flipping, this gap in health disparity widens. Spoiler alert: when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mens-brains-shrink-in-the-evening-and-reset-overnight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rural men</a> hit sixty, the game is almost over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-demand-dwindling-supply">Rising demand, dwindling supply</h2>



As if the above predicaments weren't enough, rural areas face an increasingly uphill battle when it comes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-diet-may-protect-cognitive-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthcare</a>. 



With a higher demand for care and dwindling provider numbers, the future seems bleak. Rural areas are aging faster, largely because the younger folk are packing their bags and heading to the cities. 



This mass exodus further shrinks the supply of potential caregivers, posing quite a challenge for rural communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rural-health-crisis">Rural health crisis</h2>



"Rural populations face a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, which has serious implications for healthy aging," said lead author<a href="https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/author/jack-m-chapel/"> Jack Chapel</a>, a postdoctoral scholar at the <a href="https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC Schaeffer Center</a> for Health Policy &amp; Economics.



"With an aging population and fewer physicians available, the burden on rural communities is set to grow, leading to significant challenges in providing care for those who will face more health issues in the future."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-quality-for-rural-men">Health quality for rural men</h2>



The researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Survey and a prediction tool known as the Future Elderly Model. 



The goal? To anticipate future life expectancy and health quality for rural and urban Americans after age 60. 



They compared health trajectories for Americans who turned 60 between 2014-2020 and those who hit the mark between 1994-2000.



Their results? Quite startling. The disparity between rural and urban men has tripled in the last two decades. Presently, rural men can expect to live about two years less than their urban peers. 



What's more, they suffer from quality health for 1.8 fewer years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-rural-health-gap">Urban-rural health gap</h2>



About ten years ago, a game-changing study revealed that people with lower education levels are more prone to "deaths of despair" -- think drug overdoses or suicide.



This new study shows that although education is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fathers-diets-impact-the-heart-health-of-their-daughters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">critical factor in health quality</a>, it doesn't fully explain the urban-rural gap. 



When the researchers adjusted rural education levels to match their urban counterparts, they did see a reduction in the healthy life expectancy gap. But it was far from a perfect solution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interventions-to-bridge-the-gap">Interventions to bridge the gap</h2>



So, what can be done? Researchers suggest interventions focusing on smoking reduction, obesity management, and cardiovascular disease treatment and control. 



But it's easier said than done. Even the most effective interventions couldn't completely bridge the rural-urban divide in healthy life expectancy.



Co-author<a href="https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/author/elizabeth-currid-halkett-phd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Elizabeth Currid-Halkett</a> is the James Irvine Chair in Urban and Regional Planning and a senior scholar at the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy &amp; Government Service.



“While education matters, so does smoking, prevalent obesity, cardiovascular conditions – and simply living in a rural area -- which leads not only to more deaths but more illness among rural American men,” Currid-Halkett explained.



“Closing the gap in healthy life expectancy between urban and rural areas for older adults would require encouraging health behavior changes earlier in life and making broader social and economic improvements in rural areas,” said co-author<a href="https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/author/bryan-tysinger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Bryan Tysinger</a>, director of health policy simulation at the Schaeffer Center.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-big-picture">The big picture</h2>



There's no easy way to put this: the health of rural men is in crisis. This glaring reality underscores the need for urgent, comprehensive, and multi-faceted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-could-face-an-84-increase-in-cancer-cases-by-2050/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interventions</a>. 



While progress might be slow and the challenge seems daunting, remember that every life improved is worth the effort. After all, health shouldn't be a luxury determined by your zip code.



The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.12875" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Journal of Rural Health</a>.



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Growing health gap between rural and urban men around the world

Do you ever wonder if where you live impacts your health? Well, you might be onto something. New research has opened a new chapter in the rural-urban health divide saga. The studies rolling off their desks portray a rather disconcerting picture: rural men are living shorter lives and spending fewer of their twilight years in good health compared to their urban counterparts. Why is this so? Health in rural and urban areas Rural areas, often romanticized as idyllic havens of tranquility, are in fact battlegrounds where lifestyle...

According to a new study published in the journal PloS Medicine, drinking coffee or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-tea-and-coffee-lower-the-risk-of-fatal-cardiovascular-events/">tea</a> may reduce the risk of stroke and <a href="http://archive">dementia</a>. Drinking coffee was also associated with a lower risk of developing poststroke dementia.



Stroke and dementia are widespread health hazards, bringing a heavy economic and social burden worldwide. Stroke is causing over 10 percent of global annual deaths, and it sometimes triggers dementia in its survivors.&nbsp;



“Previous studies have revealed the involvement of coffee and tea in the development of stroke and dementia. However, little is known about the association between the combination of coffee and tea and the risk of stroke, dementia, and poststroke dementia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations of coffee and tea separately and in combination with the risk of developing stroke and dementia,” wrote the study authors.



By studying 365,682 participants from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a> (with ages ranging from 50 to 74), who were recruited between 2006 and 2010 and followed until 2020, scientists from <a href="http://www.tmu.edu.cn/_t101/98/list.htm">Tianjin Medical University</a> in China have found that drinking coffee and tea could have highly beneficial health effects.&nbsp;



Participants who drank 2-3 cups of coffee or 3-5 cups of tea per day, or a combination of 4-6 cups of coffee and tea had the lowest incidence of dementia or stroke. Those who drank 2-3 cups of coffee and 2-3 cups of tea each day had a 32 percent lower risk of stroke and a 28 percent lower risk of dementia compared to those who didn’t consume such beverages. Moreover, drinking coffee alone or in combination with tea appeared to significantly reduce the risk of poststroke dementia.



However, since the UK Biobank reflects a relatively healthy sample compared to the general population, there might be problems in generalizing these findings. Also, since quite few people developed stroke (10,053) or dementia (5,079) in the studied cohort, it may be difficult to extrapolate accurate rates to larger populations. 



Finally, while it could be inferred that coffee and tea protect against stroke, dementia, and poststroke dementia, a clear causal connection has not been found yet. Further research is needed to comprehensively assess these beverages’ effects of physical and mental health.&nbsp;



---



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

Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of stroke and dementia

According to a new study published in the journal PloS...

Exercise is important for keeping our bodies <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-of-sleep-leads-to-unhealthy-snacking/">healthy</a>. It is also well documented that outdoor exercise helps the mind feel less anxious, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic presented researchers with an opportunity to examine the correlation between exercise and mental health.



Experts from the Division of Behavioral Research within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research &amp; Evaluation have investigated the mental health of Americans throughout the initial lockdown period of COVID-19.&nbsp;



A large portion of the study participants were women over the age of 50, resulting in most of the overall respondents explaining that they were retired and adhered to the stay-at-home orders.



The results were based on the surveying of 20,000 participants across 6 U.S. regions, including Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, the mid-Atlantic states, and California. The original survey took place in April of 2020 and consisted of over 250,000 participants, but people who reported symptoms of COVID-19 were not included in the final analysis.



Unsurprisingly, the results showed that those who exercised regularly during the lockdown period showed significantly reduced levels of depression and anxiety than those who did not exercise. Furthermore, people who took their exercise outdoors showed further improvements in mental health over those who stayed indoors.



The report also demonstrated that anxiety and depression decreased over time (due to people gradually relaxing how they adhered to stay-at-home orders). In addition, anxiety and depression scores were higher for young people and females, whilst they were generally lower in Asian and Black demographics relative to white people.



“What these study findings tell us is that even during an active pandemic or other public health crisis, people should be encouraged to be physically active to help maintain their physical and mental health,” explained study lead author Deborah Rohm Young. “Parks and other natural areas should remain open during public health emergencies to encourage outdoor physical activity.”



However, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic did not pan out this way. In order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, public health officials gave stay-at-home orders, discouraging people from socializing and taking part in outdoor activities, in addition to forcing businesses to temporarily close. When combined with the economic obstacles of job loss, these factors ultimately contributed to an increase in overall levels of depression and anxiety.



“What we learned from these findings is that during future emergencies it will be important to carefully weigh the decisions to close parks and outdoor areas against the negative impact those closures may have on people’s mental health,” said Dr. Young.



The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/preventive-medicine">Preventive Medicine</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Outdoor exercise improves mental health

Exercise is important for keeping our bodies healthy. It is...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.essex.ac.uk/">University of Essex</a> in cooperation with the <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/">University of Calgary</a> and the <a href="https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/institutes/leibniz-institutes-all-lists/leibniz-institute-for-resilience-research">Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research</a>, dads who are willing to have an active involvement in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-improved-mental-health-of-children-during-lockdown/">childcare</a> have a larger hypothalamus (an almond-sized region of the brain that is crucial for emotional attachment) than more distant fathers.



“Most studies on mammalian caregiving and attachment have focused on the mother-child relationship, particularly in humans. Yet, changing societal roles of male caregivers have highlighted the necessity for research with fathers,” wrote the study authors.



“In many societies, dads’ involvement in parenting has dramatically increased,” said study co-author Pascal Vrtička, an assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Essex. “Men wish to spend more time and more closely bond with their children. They want to become more involved and confident fathers. We have now shown that these caregiving beliefs can be traced deep within dads’ brains.”



By scanning the brains of 50 fathers, who previously filled a questionnaire aiming to assess their caregiving beliefs and how much they enjoyed spending time with their children, the scientists found that the fathers with larger hypothalamus considered their role as caregivers to be highly important for their children’s development. However, no correlation was found between hypothalamus size and self-reported enjoyment of spending time with children.



In a previous <a href="https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13510">study</a>, the research team also found that the brains of fathers and children who solve puzzles together are synchronized. &nbsp;



“Dads - like mums - are biologically wired to be parents.&nbsp;Our data revealed that this can be seen in dads' brain anatomy as well as brain-to-brain synchrony with their kids, and especially so for more confident and involved fathers,” explained Professor Vrtička.



“It therefore seems very relevant and justified to promote the importance of dads' involvement in childcare in a broader societal context and to support them as much as possible,” he concluded.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17470919.2021.1997799">Social Neuroscience</a>.



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

Dads who spend more time with their kids have different brain structures

According to a new study led by the University of...

Lazy,Young,Man,Playing,Video,Game,While,Lying,On,Sofa

The start of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-tons-of-covid-related-plastic-could-end-up-in-the-ocean/">COVID-19</a> pandemic brought drastic changes to our lifestyle. People had to stay at home, isolate and restrict social contact. Exercise sessions consisted of walking between the study and the bathroom, gym time was erased, and sitting and screen time increased dramatically.



Overall, our lives became more sedentary and we found ourselves sitting rather than being physically active. After initial lockdowns passed, however, those who continued to spend more time sitting during the months between April and June 2020 were more likely to suffer symptoms of depression. This is the finding of a study, recently published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry">Frontiers in Psychiatry</a>.



“Sitting is a sneaky behavior,” said study lead author Jacob Meyer, assistant professor of Kinesiology at Iowa State University. “It’s something we do all the time without thinking about it.”



As the director of the Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory at ISU, Professor Meyer and his team look at how physical activity and sedentary behaviors are related to mental health, and how changes to those influence the way people think, feel and perceive the world.



“In March 2020, we knew COVID was going to affect our behavior and what we could do in lots of weird, funky ways that we couldn't predict,” said Professor Meyer.



Meyer and a team of researchers recruited more than 3,000 participants from all 50 states and the District of Colombia, to take part in a survey of activity levels and mental health. The participants self-reported how much time they spent doing activities, like sitting, looking at screens and exercising, and how those behaviors compared to pre-pandemic times. Using standard clinical scales, they also indicated changes to their mental wellbeing (e.g., levels of depression, anxiety, feeling stressed and feeling lonely).



“We know when people's physical activity and screen time changes, that's related to their mental health in general, but we haven't really seen large population data like this in response to an abrupt change before,” said Professor Meyer.



Previous analysis of the data set showed that participants who were meeting the&nbsp;<a href="https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf">U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines</a>&nbsp;(i.e., 2.5-5 hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week) before the pandemic, decreased their physical activity by 32%, on average, shortly after COVID-19-related restrictions first went into effect. The same participants reported feeling more depressed, anxious and lonely.&nbsp;



The current study aimed to find out whether the participants’ behaviors and mental health changed after the initial lockdowns ended and they were allowed to return to more active lifestyles. Participants filled out the same survey each week between April and June, 2020.



“In the second study, we found that, on average, people saw their mental health improve over the eight-week period,” said Professor Meyer. “People adjusted to life in the pandemic. But for people whose sitting times stayed high, their depressive symptoms, on average, didn't recover in the same way as everyone else’s.”



People who still spent a large portion of their day sitting experienced less improvement in their mental health. Meyer emphasized that this was a correlational study and that finding an “association” between sitting and mental health does not necessarily imply causality.&nbsp;



“It’s certainly worthy of more investigation,” said Professor Meyer, adding that monthly survey data from June 2020 to June 2021 are intended to become publicly available soon. “I think being aware of some of the subtle changes we’ve made during the pandemic and how they might be beneficial or detrimental is really important as we look to the other side of pandemic life.”



Professor Meyer hopes that the results of the study will help people recognize that even a little bit of physical exercise or movement can improve mood and mental health. He encourages people to take breaks and walk around when sitting for a long time, or to take walks around the block to replace the pre-pandemic commute to work.&nbsp;



“If you’re no longer walking down the hall for in-person meetings, you can still incorporate that break from sitting by taking a short walk before and after your Zoom call,” said Professor Meyer. He stressed that even a short period of activity can benefit people physically and mentally, and help add structure to the day.



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

Extended sitting time increases risk of depression, anxiety

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic brought drastic changes to...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/science-of-the-total-environment">Science of the Total Environment</a> found that people in the UK are consuming more plant-based replacement foods such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-meat-paradox-people-care-about-animals-but-still-eat-meat/">vegan</a> milk and vegetarian sausages.



The researchers analyzed data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, with an emphasis on more than 15,000 individuals aged 1.5 years and over. The results showed that the number of people eating plant-based alternative foods nearly doubled from 2008 to 2019, jumping from 6.7 to 13.1 percent.



The research indicates that the largest increases were from young people in generation Y (11-23yro) and Millennials (24-39yro). Women were also 46 percent more likely to consume plant-based replacement foods.&nbsp;



“A global transformation towards sustainable food systems is crucial for delivering on climate change mitigation targets worldwide," said study co-author Dr. Pauline Scheelbeek of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).



"In high- and middle-income settings, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are increasingly being explored and developed as a strategy to reduce consumption of animal-sourced foods. However, the extent to which these foods play a role in dietary change remains largely understudied. This study helps fill that gap.”



As of now, food consumption worldwide is largely unsustainable. Food production accounts for about 21 to 37 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas production and 70 percent of freshwater consumption. To meet critical climate goals, dietary change is necessary.&nbsp;



The research suggests that for diets high in meat consumption, substituting plant-based alternatives can be beneficial to the environment. The UK Climate Change Commission (UKCCC) recommends a decrease in meat and dairy products of 20 percent by the year 2030 and a 35.perceny reduction by 2050.&nbsp;



“The willingness to reduce meat intake among populations in many European countries has increased rapidly over the past decade. Unfortunately, this does not always result into actual dietary change," said Dr. Scheelbeek.



"The plant-based alternative foods could be a stepping stone for people that are willing to reduce meat consumption, but find it hard to fit this into their daily lives. This study shows that more and more people are applying this pathway to achieve their goals on more plant-based diets.”&nbsp;



Many reasons still exist why some people resist cutting down on meat consumption. Pleasure in eating meat, belief in the importance of meat in the diet and social facilitation are all factors. Thankfully, these seem to be surmountable barriers for those trying to eat more sustainably.&nbsp;



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

Plant-based food consumption doubled in the last decade

A new study published in the journal Science of the...

Healthy,Food,Clean,Eating,Selection:,Fruit,,Vegetable,,Seeds,,Superfood,,Cereals,

As people age, inflammatory processes within their organisms increase, damaging their cells. According to new research led by the <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a>, people who had an anti-inflammatory <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutrient-profiling-system-ranks-healthy-foods/">diet</a>, including more fruits, vegetables, beans, tea, and coffee, had a lower risk of developing dementia later in life.&nbsp;



“There may be some potent nutritional tools in your home to help fight the inflammation that could contribute to brain aging,” said study lead author Nikolaos Scarmeas, an associate professor of Neurology at the <a href="https://en.uoa.gr/">National and Kapodistrian University of Athens</a> in Greece, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.&nbsp;



“Diet is a lifestyle factor you can modify, and it might play a role in combating inflammation, one of the biological pathways contributing to risk for dementia and cognitive impairment later in life.”



The researchers investigated 1,059 people in Greece with an average age of 73, who did not have dementia at the beginning of the study. The participants had to answer a food frequency questionnaire that sought information about the main food groups that respondents consumed in the previous month. Each participant’s diet was given a dietary inflammatory score ranging from -8.87 (indicating a less inflammatory diet) to 7.98 (more inflammatory).



The scientists divided the participants into three groups: people with low inflammatory scores (-1.76 and lower), medium scores (up to 0.21), and high scores (over 0.21). Those in the first category consumed a weekly average of 20 servings of fruit, 19 of vegetables, four of beans or other legumes, and 11 of tea or coffee. Those in the last group had nine servings of fruit, 10 of vegetables, two of legumes, and nine of coffee or tea per week.



Researchers followed up the participants for three years. During this period, 62 (6 percent) developed dementia, having an average score inflammatory score of -0.06. By contrast, those who remained healthy had a lower average score (-0.70). These findings show that each one-point increase in inflammatory score was correlated with a 21 percent increase in the risk of developing dementia.



“Our results are getting us closer to characterizing and measuring the inflammatory potential of people’s diets. That in turn could help inform more tailored and precise dietary recommendations and other strategies to maintain cognitive health,” concluded Professor Scarmeas.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2021/11/10/WNL.0000000000012973">Neurology</a>.



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

Anti-inflammatory foods lower the risk of dementia

As people age, inflammatory processes within their organisms increase, damaging...

Exercise, both moderate and strenuous, is known to help alleviate the symptoms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-triggers-changes-in-the-brain-that-reduce-depression/">depression</a>. Now, scientists from the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en">University of Gothenburg</a> have also demonstrated the beneficial effects of exercise on anxiety.



For the investigation, 286 patients with anxiety syndrome took part in various exercise programs. The patients, recruited from primary care services in Gothenburg and the northern part of Halland County, were randomly assigned to exercise groups where different intensities of exercise were required.&nbsp;



Patients took part in hour-long sessions of either moderate or strenuous exercise, three times a week. In addition, a control group of patients attended hour-long counseling sessions where they received advice on physical activity according to public health recommendations.



The results indicate that symptoms of anxiety were significantly reduced by partaking in exercise, even when the anxiety was a chronic condition. Most individuals in the treatment groups dropped from a baseline level of moderate or high anxiety to a low anxiety level by the end of the 12-week program.&nbsp;



For those who exercised at a relatively low intensity, the chance of improvement in anxiety symptoms rose by a factor of 3.62. The corresponding factor for those who engaged in high intensity exercise was 4.88.&nbsp;



“There was a significant intensity trend for improvement – that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their anxiety symptoms improved,” explained study first author Malin Henriksson.



Both cardio (aerobic) and strength training were given during the 60-minute exercise sessions. A warmup was followed by circuit training that included 12 stations and lasted around 45 minutes. The sessions ended with a cooldown and stretching.&nbsp; Patients who exercised at a moderate level aimed to reach about 60 percent of their maximum heart rate, while patients in the strenuous training session aimed to attain 75 percent of their maximum heart rate.&nbsp;



In the past, anxiety disorder has been routinely treated using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychotropic drugs. However, these drugs commonly have side effects, and patients with anxiety disorders frequently do not respond to this medical treatment. This study provides an alternative method of alleviating symptoms of anxiety, even in patients who have suffered from anxiety for more than ten years.



The present study was led by Maria Åberg, associate professor at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy, specialist in general medicine in Region Västra Götaland’s primary healthcare organization.



“Doctors in primary care need treatments that are individualized, have few side effects, and are easy to prescribe. The model involving 12 weeks of physical training, regardless of intensity, represents an effective treatment that should be made available in primary health care more often for people with anxiety issues,” said Professor Åberg.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-affective-disorders">Journal of Affective Disorders</a>.



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

Exercise alleviates the symptoms of anxiety

Exercise, both moderate and strenuous, is known to help alleviate...

Most people are aware that getting plenty of rest is essential to staying healthy, and experts recommend that adults get seven to nine hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-of-sleep-changes-how-you-walk/">sleep</a> every night. However, the importance of precise bedtimes remains relatively unexplored, and new research from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> is attempting to change this.



A study led by researcher Dr. David Plans has concluded that the risk of heart disease is greatly decreased by going to sleep between 10 and 11 pm. Dr. Plans noted that this bedtime range is very specific, with heart-related problems increasing for both later and earlier bedtimes.



“The body has a 24-hour internal clock, called circadian rhythm, that helps regulate physical and mental functioning,” explained Dr. Plans. “While we cannot conclude causation from our study, the results suggest that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health.”



Based on data in the UK Biobank, the study objectively measured the bedtimes of over 88,000 adults with an average age of 61 years. The sleep onset data was collected through wrist-worn smart devices. Participants also completed questionnaires to provide information on their demographic, lifestyle, and physical condition.



The individuals were followed for an average of 5.7 years. During this time frame, 3,172 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. The lowest risk was found among those who had bedtimes between 10 and 11 pm, while the highest risk was found among individuals who fell asleep at midnight or later.&nbsp;



“Our study indicates that the optimum time to go to sleep is at a specific point in the body’s 24-hour cycle and deviations may be detrimental to health” stated Dr. Plans. “The riskiest time was after midnight, potentially because it may reduce the likelihood of seeing morning light, which resets the body clock.”



Although late bedtimes were significant, the analysis revealed that there was a 24 percent increase in cardiovascular risk among those who typically fell asleep before 10 pm. The association was strongest among women, who appeared to be affected by both early and late sleep schedules, while heart-related issues in men were only linked with bedtimes before 10 pm.



It is currently unclear as to why there is a stronger association between cardiovascular disease and sleep onset in women. Plans hypothesized that “it may be that there is a sex difference in how the endocrine system responds to a disruption in circadian rhythm.”



He continued to suggest an alternative conclusion, that the older age of study participants could be a confounding factor since women’s cardiovascular risk increases post-menopause – meaning there may be no difference in the strength of the association between women and men.



The research is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ehjdh">European Heart Journal – Digital Health</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals a precise bedtime that reduces heart disease risk

Most people are aware that getting plenty of rest is...

Herbs and spices bring flavor to our meals and make them more interesting. Moreover, a new study finds that the addition of herbs and spices to food that is high in saturated fat and carbohydrate may lower blood pressure and reduce the risks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-air-pollutants-contribute-to-cardiovascular-disease/">cardiovascular disease</a>.



Professor Penny Kris-Etherton of Evan Pugh University and Professor Kristina Petersen, co-principal investigator of the study while at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>, said the findings of the study offer people a simple way to help improve their heart health.



“Adding herbs and spices to your food is a great way to add flavor without adding extra sodium, sugar or saturated fat,” said Professor Kris-Etherton. “And, if you go a step further and add these seasonings to foods that are really good for you, like fruits and vegetables, you can potentially get even more health benefits by consuming that extra produce.”



During the study, 71 people with risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity and high blood pressure, were asked to add a mixture of herbs and spices to their daily meals. Three levels of herb and spice use were defined; the low-spice diet involved the addition of 0.5 g per day, the medium-spice diet added 3.2 g per day and the high-spice diet made use of 6.5 g of herbs and spices per day. The mixture added to the food contained 24 different herbs (such as basil and rosemary) and spices (including cinnamon and turmeric), all commonly used in the daily preparation of food.



Every participant took part in all three of the diet trials and each trial lasted for four weeks. Blood pressure was measured, and blood samples from every participant were tested, at the start of each four-week trial and then again at the end. Trials were separated by a two-week break during which the participant ate a normal diet.&nbsp;



Apart from adding the herbs and spices to the food, the diets were based on an average American diet and were not adjusted in any way other than by adding the flavorings.



The results showed that participants had a lower systolic blood pressure after consuming the high-spice diet than after the medium-spice diet. They also had lower diastolic blood pressure after the high-spice diet than they did after the low-spice diet.&nbsp;



Kris-Etherton said the results were especially exciting to her because the diets in the study were not designed to be specifically heart healthy, and only differed from an average diet by the amount of herbs and spices added.



“As nutritionists, we’re interested in new ways we can use diet to benefit health, and cardiovascular health in particular,” said Professor Petersen. “We were curious about how herbs and spices could affect heart health, since they are versatile and can be added to many different types of food.”



It has long been recognized that high blood pressure is a risk factor in cardiometabolic diseases like heart disease, strokes and type two diabetes, and that these diseases are a leading cause of death in the United States. Sodium intake, in the form of table salt, has been implicated as a factor in high blood pressure. Professor Petersen said that while people have been encouraged to flavor their food with herbs and spices instead of salt, less was known about whether herbs and spices have health benefits of their own.



“I think it’s really significant that participants consumed an average American diet throughout the study and we still found these results,” said Kris-Etherton. “We didn’t decrease sodium, we didn’t increase fruits and vegetables, we just added herbs and spices. It begs the next question that if we did alter the diet in these ways, how much better would the results be?”



The researchers suggest that future studies should test the effects of including herbs and spices into a healthy diet that is lower in salt, added sugars and solid fats. The results could help guide future dietary recommendations.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">the&nbsp;American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.



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

Herbs and spices linked to lower blood pressure

Herbs and spices bring flavor to our meals and make...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0245-21.2021">eNeuro</a> has found that sharing happy stories can increase feelings of closeness and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-have-brains-that-synchronize-when-they-socialize/">brain synchrony</a> between speakers and listeners to a greater extent than sharing sad or neutral stories.



A research team led by the <a href="http://english.ecnu.edu.cn/">East China Normal University</a> compared how emotional stories impacted interpersonal communication and feelings of closeness and connection.&nbsp;



“Our lives revolve around sharing stories with others. Expressing emotion (i.e., happy and sad) is an essential characteristic of sharing stories and could enhance the similarity of story comprehension across speaker and listener pairs,” explained the study authors.



In the study, one participant (the speaker) watched happy, sad, and neutral videos and then recorded themselves explaining the contents of the videos. Other participants listened to the narrated stories and rated how close they felt to the speaker. Both the speaker and the listeners completed the tasks while the scientists used EEG to measure their brain activity.



The researchers discovered that sharing happy stories produced higher ratings of interpersonal closeness between the listeners and the speaker. These stronger feelings of interconnection were linked to increased synchrony between the brain activity of the listeners and the speaker, especially in the frontal and left temporoparietal cortices, which are known to play a fundamental role in emotional processing and interpersonal understanding.



Moreover, the researchers found that the quality of recall after hearing an emotional story was also correlated with the affective pattern of the story. Thus, happy stories were more vividly recalled than the sad ones.



“Our results suggest that sharing happy and sad stories can facilitate interpersonal closeness. Positive emotional information is more likely to be transferred and received by representing a positive image. On the behavioral level, this result further contributed to the reconciliation of the controversy on the effect of sharing different emotional stories on interpersonal closeness. Specifically, our findings show that, compared with the sad group, the happy group showed the better recall quality and led to higher interpersonal closeness,” the study authors concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Further research is needed to map the brain mechanisms that facilitate story comprehension and that help storytellers and listeners connect in meaningful ways.



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

Sharing happy stories increases interpersonal closeness

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

While eating high amounts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-seafood-has-one-sixth-the-carbon-footprint-of-red-meat/">red meat </a>and non-dairy animal fat increases the risk of stroke, consuming more vegetable fats can lower stroke risk, according to a new study led by Harvard University’s <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>.



“Our findings indicate the type of fat and different food sources of fat are more important than the total amount of dietary fat in the prevention of cardiovascular disease including stroke,” explained study lead author Fenglei Wang.



Wang and his colleagues analyzed data collected in two of the largest studies examining the risk factors for various diseases, the <a href="https://nurseshealthstudy.org/about-nhs/history">Nurses’ Health Study</a> (1984-2016), and the <a href="https://sites.sph.harvard.edu/hpfs/">Health Professionals Follow-up Study</a> (1986-2016). In these longitudinal studies, 117,136 participants were followed over a period of 27 years. 



At the beginning of the studies, as well as every four years, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire in order to assess the types and amounts of dietary fats that they consumed. The amount of fat intake was divided in five groups, or quintiles.



The experts found that the participants in the highest quintile of non-dairy animal fat intake were 16 percent more likely to experience strokes compared to those in the lowest quintile.&nbsp;



By contrast, those who ate the most vegetable and polyunsaturated fats were 12 percent less likely to have strokes compared to those who ate the least. Furthermore, dairy fats consumed from products such as cheese, milk, butter, or ice cream were not associated with higher risks of stroke.



“Based on our findings, we recommend for the general public to reduce consumption of red and processed meat, minimize fatty parts of unprocessed meat if consumed, and replace lard or tallow (beef fat) with non-tropical vegetable oils such as olive oil, corn or soybean oils in cooking in order to lower their stroke risk,” said Wang.



“Key features of a heart-healthy diet pattern are to balance calorie intake with calorie needs to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, choose whole grains, lean and plant-based protein and a variety of fruits and vegetables; limit salt, sugar, animal fat, processed foods and alcohol; and apply this guidance regardless of where the food is prepared or consumed,” added Stanley Gershoff, a professor of Nutrition Science and Policy at <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a>.



The study will be presented at the American Heart Association’s&nbsp;<a href="https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/scientific-sessions">Scientific Sessions 2021</a>.



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

Vegetable fat reduces the risk of stroke

While eating high amounts of red meat and non-dairy animal...

Among the things that are often listed as making us “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-named-a-new-human-ancestor/">human</a>” are tool use, advanced problem solving-capabilities, even religion. However, one thing above all enables the development of humankind - language. Now, scientists are doing their level best to unlock the mystery of how the brain turns our thoughts into words - even across different systems of language.&nbsp;



“Our brains are capable of engaging in multiple languages," said Sarah Phillips from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a>. "Languages may differ in what sounds they use and how they organize words to form sentences. However, all languages involve the process of combining words to express complex thoughts.”&nbsp;



“Bilinguals show a fascinating version of this process - their brains readily combine words from different languages together, much like when combining words from the same language," said Liina Pylkkänen.



Phillips and Pylkkänen are the authors of a new study examining the way the brain of bilingual people operates, especially when two bilinguals converse.&nbsp;



To accomplish this, the researchers studied a group of people who spoke both English and Korean. Then they performed tests on words that accurately described pictures - the words were sometimes English, and sometimes Korean. Then, the experts used magnetoencephalography to measure the portions of the brain that were active during the exercise.



The results? The brain’s left anterior lobe&nbsp; was able to formulate meaning out of the word-picture associations, even when switching between languages. 



"Our results reveal one neural substrate that may underlie the intuitive ease of language switching: a combinatory mechanism in left anterior temporal cortex that can take mixed-language vocabulary as its input with no sensitivity to language switching," wrote the study authors.



Because there’s not an extra “step” involved in the multi-lingual exchanges, this suggests that bilingual people have a distinct neurological ability to combine and interpret different languages.



“Earlier studies have examined how our brains can interpret an infinite number of expressions within a single language," said Phillips. "This research shows that bilingual brains can, with striking ease, interpret complex expressions containing words from different languages.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/">eNeuro</a>.



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By <a href="http://mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bilingual brains can switch between languages with ease

Among the things that are often listed as making us...

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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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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.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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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.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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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...