In the face of a rapidly globalizing world, the ever-increasing numbers around one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders are alarming. By 2022, the rate of adults worldwide living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes had shockingly doubled compared to cases in 1990 - reaching a daunting 800 million.



An analysis from The Lancet reveals that about 445 million adults are currently living with diabetes that has not been adequately treated. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-increasing-rate-of-diabetes">Increasing rate of diabetes</h2>



The data presents a startling revelation - India bears the brunt of this health crisis, hosting over a fourth of the world’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/type-2-diabetes-heightens-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetic adults</a>.



A total of 212 million individuals, trailed by China's 148 million, are combating diabetes across India. This escalating issue is also prevalent in the United States, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Brazil.



Although this study did not distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults, it's widely accepted that the majority of these cases are attributed to type 2 diabetes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inequalities-in-healthcare">Inequalities in healthcare</h2>



Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London expressed serious concerns about global inequalities in diabetes treatment.



"Our study highlights widening global inequalities in diabetes, with treatment rates stagnating in many low- and middle-income countries where numbers of adults with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diabetes-drugs-may-protect-against-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a> are drastically increasing," noted Ezzati.



"This is especially concerning as people with diabetes tend to be younger in low-income countries and, in the absence of effective treatment, are at risk of life-long complications - including amputation, heart disease, kidney damage or vision loss - or in some cases, premature death."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diabetes-rates-an-upward-spiral">Diabetes rates: An upward spiral</h2>



Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization, we now have a comprehensive analysis of global diabetes rates and treatment. 



This study, which included data from over 140 million individuals aged 18 years and older from various countries, has revealed deeply unsettling truths.



The numbers are a bitter pill to swallow. Since 1990, diabetes rates have doubled for both men and women (rising from 6.8% to 14.3% and from 6.9% to 13.9%, respectively). 



This translates to around 828 million adults living with diabetes in 2022 - a drastic increase from nearly 198 million in 1990.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disparities-across-the-globe">Disparities across the globe</h2>



Not all nations are equal when it comes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-snail-venom-possible-key-to-improving-diabetes-medicine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a> rates. Between 1990 and 2022, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) saw the biggest increases. 



In contrast, several high-income countries, such as Japan, Canada, and parts of Western Europe, observed no change or only minor decreases in diabetes rates.



In 2022, the prevalence of diabetes was particularly high in the Pacific island nations, the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Pakistan, and Malaysia. On a brighter note, Western Europe, East Africa, Japan, and Canada reported the lowest rates.



Obesity and poor diets have largely fueled the surge in Type 2 diabetes. Areas where obesity is prevalent, or has dramatically increased, faced higher diabetes rates between 1990 to 2022.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-global-diabetes-rate">Addressing the global diabetes rate</h2>



Dr. Ranjit Mohan Anjana, an expert at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in India, emphasized the need for diabetes prevention through healthier diets, exercise, and strong health policies, specifically in economically disadvantaged regions.



As of 2022, three out of five adults aged 30 years and older with diabetes - and total of 445 million individuals - did not receive adequate medication. The discrepancy in treatment coverage among nations is striking, with Belgium maintaining the highest rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coverage-for-diabetes-treatment">Coverage for diabetes treatment </h2>



Despite the swelling diabetic populations, the coverage for diabetes treatment in many LMICs remains low. It’s troubling to note that over 90% of people were untreated in 1990, a figure that has not changed substantially even in 2022.



“Our findings suggest there is an increasing share of people with diabetes, especially with untreated diabetes, living in low- and middle-income countries," said Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, <a href="https://uy1.uninet.cm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Yaoundé 1</a>, Cameroon. 



"In 2022, only 5-10% of adults with diabetes in some sub-Saharan Africa countries received treatment for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insufficient-sleep-increases-diabetes-risk-in-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a>, leaving a huge number at risk of the serious health complications.” 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02317-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet</a>.



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Global diabetes rate has doubled, reaching over 800 million

In the face of a rapidly globalizing world, the ever-increasing numbers around one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders are alarming. By 2022, the rate of adults worldwide living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes had shockingly doubled compared to cases in 1990 - reaching a daunting 800 million. An analysis from The Lancet reveals that about 445 million adults are currently living with diabetes that has not been adequately treated. Increasing rate of diabetes The data presents a startling revelation - India bears the...

A new study from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> describes how sleep clears the brain of waste, which is critical for cognitive <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-why-breastfed-babies-live-healthier-lives/">health</a>. The researchers examined brain activity in fruit flies and found that deep sleep restores the brain by clearing harmful proteins that may cause neurodegenerative disease.

"Waste clearance could be important, in general, for maintaining brain health or for preventing neurodegenerative disease," said study senior author Dr. Ravi Allada. "Waste clearance may occur during wake and sleep but is substantially enhanced during deep sleep."

The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a well-studied model organism for sleep, circadian rhythms, and neurodegenerative diseases. The neurons that control the sleep-wake cycles of fruit flies are strikingly similar to those found in humans. 

For the current investigation, Dr. Allada and his team examined a sleep stage in fruit flies that is similar to deep, slow-wave sleep in humans known as proboscis extension sleep (PES). During this stage of deep sleep, fruit flies repeatedly extend and retract their proboscis, or snout.

"This pumping motion moves fluids possibly to the fly version of the kidneys," explained Dr. Allada. "Our study shows that this facilitates waste clearance and aids in injury recovery."

The team manipulated the flies so that they could not achieve deep sleep. As a result, the flies struggled to clear an injected non-metabolizable dye from their systems, and were found to be more susceptible to traumatic injuries.

According to Dr. Allada, the study brings us closer to understanding the mystery of why all organisms need sleep. All animals are incredibly vulnerable when they sleep, particularly those in the wild. However, a growing collection of evidence shows that the benefits of sleep outweigh the increased risks. 

"Our finding that deep sleep serves a role in waste clearance in the fruit fly indicates that waste clearance is an evolutionary conserved core function of sleep," wrote the researchers. "This suggests that waste clearance may have been a function of sleep in the common ancestor of flies and humans."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deep sleep clears the brain of waste

A new study from Northwestern University describes how sleep clears...

Green,Salad,With,Colorful,Tomatoes

A green Mediterranean (MED) diet reduces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by half, according to a study from <a href="http://bgu.ac.il/en">Ben-Gurion University of the Negev</a>. This modified version of the MED diet targets intrahepatic fat more than other healthy <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-linked-to-low-quality-diets-among-children/">diets</a>, according to the 18-month clinical intervention trial.

Professor Iris Shai, the study's lead researcher, is an epidemiologist in the BGU School of Public Health and an adjunct lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

"Our research team and other groups over the past 20 years have proven through rigorous randomized long-term trials that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest," said Professor Shai. "Now, we have refined that diet and discovered elements that can make dramatic changes to hepatic fat and other key health factors." 

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects 25 to 30 percent of people in the United States and Europe. Excessive fat in the liver - 5 percent or higher - leads to type two diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and poor gut health. 

Currently, the only treatment for fatty liver is losing weight and cutting back on alcohol.

The clinical trial conducted for the study, called Direct-Plus, is the first to develop and test a new green Mediterranean diet. The modified MED diet includes the daily consumption of vegetables, walnuts, and green tea. The dietary regimen also includes an aquatic green plant called Mankai, which is rich in protein, iron, B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols.

"Addressing this common liver disease by targeted lifestyle intervention might promote a more effective nutritional strategy," said study last author Dr. Anat Yaskolka-Meir. "This clinical trial demonstrates an effective nutritional tool for NAFLD beyond weight loss."

The long-term trial was focused on 294 adults in their fifties with abdominal obesity. The participants were divided into three groups: healthy dietary regimen, Mediterranean diet, and green Mediterranean diet. Before and after the trial, MRI scans were used to measure the exact proportion of excess intrahepatic fat of each individual.

The results showed that every diet led to fatty liver improvement. The greatest reduction of liver fat,, however, was achieved through the green MED diet. This group dropped an average of 39 percent of hepatic fat compared to a 20 percent reduction with the traditional Mediterranean diet and a 12 percent reduction in liver fat with the more general healthy guidelines.

Furthermore, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease dropped from 62 percent at baseline to 31.5 percent in the green MED group,

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/">Gut</a>.

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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

Green Mediterranean diet reduces fatty liver disease by half

A green Mediterranean (MED) diet reduces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease...

A groundbreaking study from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> is providing new insight into the long-term <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gut-health-may-protect-you-from-severe-covid-19/">health</a> benefits of breastfeeding. The researchers have discovered why breastfed babies have vastly improved immune systems, get sick less often, and recover more quickly. 

Breastfeeding has been linked to better health from infancy to adulthood. Previous research has shown that breastfed babies are less likely to develop a wide range of chronic conditions later in life, including obesity, diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Breastfed babies are also known to be much less prone to gut, ear, and respiratory infections. 

Despite the enormous health benefits associated with breastfeeding, the underlying biological mechanisms have remained unclear. Researchers have now discovered, for the first time, that breastfeeding increases a specific type of immune cells - regulatory T cells - in the first three weeks of life. These immune cells were found to be nearly twice as abundant in breastfed babies compared to babies who were fed formula.

Furthermore, the study revealed that breastfed babies have more abundant beneficial gut bacteria - Veillonella and Gemella - which specifically support the function of regulatory T cells. According to the researchers, the findings emphasize the importance of breastfeeding.

Study senior author Gergely Toldi is a researcher at the University of Birmingham and consultant neonatologist at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust.

"The influence of the type of milk received on the development of the immune response has not previously been studied in the first few weeks of life," said Toldi. "Prior to our research the outstanding importance and the early involvement of this specific cell type in breastfed babies was unknown."

"We hope this invaluable new insight will lead to an increase in rates of breastfeeding and will see more babies benefit from the advantages of receiving breastmilk."

"Furthermore, we hope for those babies who are formula fed, these results will contribute to optimising the composition of formula milk in order to exploit these immunological mechanisms. We are very grateful for the mums and babies who contributed to this special project."

Going forward, the researchers will further investigate this biological mechanism in sick and preterm newborn babies who have developed inflammatory complications.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13989995">Allergy</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals why breastfed babies live healthier lives

A groundbreaking study from the University of Birmingham is providing...

Rising temperatures are contributing to lower quality diets and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cost-healthy-foods-malnutrition/">malnutrition</a> among children. An international study led by the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a> is the largest-ever investigation into how climate change affects children's diets. 

The researchers analyzed the diet quality of 107,000 children, including micronutrient intake. They found that climate change has an equal or greater impact on child malnutrition as poverty, poor education, and unsanitary conditions.

Study lead author Meredith Niles is an assistant professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences and a research fellow in the University's Gund Institute for Environment.

"Certainly, future climate changes have been predicted to affect malnutrition, but it surprised us that higher temperatures are already showing an impact," said Professor Niles.

The experts examined diet diversity among more than 100,000 children aged five and under in 19 countries. Five of the six regions that were represented across Asia, Africa, and South America showed significant reductions in diet quality that were related to higher temperatures. 

Micronutrients like iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamins A and D are critical for child development. A lack of these nutrients can cause malnutrition, which affects one out of every three children under the age of five.

The study was focused on diet diversity, which is measured by counting the number of food groups eaten over a given time period. The experts found that children in the study had eaten food from an average of 3.2 out of 10 food groups in the previous 24 hours. By contrast, diet diversity in other countries such as China have been measured at more than double this average.

"Diet diversity was already low for this group," said study co-author Brendan Fisher. "These results suggest that, if we don't adapt, climate change could further erode a diet that already isn't meeting adequate child micronutrient levels."

The researchers also found that higher precipitation was associated with higher child diet diversity. In some cases, the effect of higher precipitation had a greater impact on child diet diversity than education and improved sanitation.

"Higher rainfall in the future may provide important diet quality benefits in multiple ways, but it also depends on how that rain comes," said study co-author Molly Brown of the University of Maryland. "If it's more erratic and intense, as is predicted with climate change, this may not hold true."

"A warming climate has the potential undermine all the good that international development programs provide," said study co-author Taylor Ricketts. 

"In fact, that is something we find again and again in this global research: continued environmental degradation has the potential to undermine the impressive global health gains of the last 50 years."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures linked to low quality diets among children

Rising temperatures are contributing to lower quality diets and malnutrition...

Stretching is more effective than walking for lowering blood pressure, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.usask.ca/">University of Saskatchewan</a>. The research suggests that stretching should be part of a treatment plan for high blood pressure, the biggest risk factor for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-cardiovascular-benefits-of-exercise-are-unlimited/">cardiovascular</a> disease. 

"Everyone thinks that stretching is just about stretching your muscles," said study co-author Dr. Phil Chilibeck. "But when you stretch your muscles, you're also stretching all the blood vessels that feed into the muscle, including all the arteries. If you reduce the stiffness in your arteries, there's less resistance to blood flow." 

Dr. Chilibeck noted that resistance to blood flow is the cause of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The investigation is the first of its kind to directly compare walking and stretching for reducing hypertension. 

The researchers randomly assigned 40 older adults with stage 1 hypertension to two groups for an eight-week study period. One group engaged in a full-body stretching routine for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, while the other group engaged in brisk walking for the same amount of time. 

Before and after the study period, the experts measured participants' blood pressure while they were sitting, lying down, and over 24 hours using a portable monitor. Across all three measures, stretching lowered blood pressure more than walking. 

On the other hand, participants in the walking group lost more body fat in their waist over the course of the eight weeks. According to Dr. Chilibeck, people who are walking to reduce their high blood pressure should continue to do so, but also add in some stretching sessions.

"I don't want people to come away from our research thinking they shouldn't be doing some form of aerobic activity. Things like walking, biking, or cross- country skiing all have a positive effect on body fat, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar."

Dr. Chilibeck believes the same benefits can be achieved through even shorter stretching routines that focus on the larger muscle groups in the legs, particularly the quadriceps and hamstrings. He pointed out that yoga produces similar reductions in blood pressure.

The beauty of stretching, said Dr. Chilibeck, is that it is so easy to incorporate into a daily routine. Stretching is not limited by inclement weather, is easy on the joints, and does not require a big time commitment. 

"When you're relaxing in the evening, instead of just sitting on the couch, you can get down on the floor and stretch while you're watching TV."

The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/jpah-overview.xml">Journal of Physical Activity and Health</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stretching reduces high blood pressure more than walking

Stretching is more effective than walking for lowering blood pressure,...

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> have found that tea and caffeine help you lose weight while you <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-caused-severe-sleep-disruptions/">sleep</a>. The experts report that drinking two cups of oolong tea per day triggers the breakdown of fat overnight.

"The effects of oolong tea consumption to increase fat oxidation during sleep may have clinical relevance for controlling body weight and glucose metabolism," wrote the researchers. 

"Several lines of evidence suggest that an individual’s capacity to oxidize dietary fat is a metabolic determinant of future weight gain."

All tea originates from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, by they are distinguished by their processing techniques. Unoxidized tea is green tea, while fully oxidized tea is black tea. Oolong tea is half-oxidized and shares characteristics with both green and black tea. 

The health benefits of green tea, such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, are well documented. The potential effects of oolong tea, however, have remained somewhat of a mystery.

"Like all teas, oolong contains caffeine, which impacts energy metabolism by increasing our heart rate. However, studies suggest that tea consumption may also increase the breakdown of fat, independent of the effects of caffeine," said study senior author Professor Kumpei Tokuyama. 

"We therefore wanted to examine the effects of oolong consumption versus caffeine alone on energy and fat metabolism among a group of healthy volunteers."

The researchers found that both oolong tea and pure caffeine increased fat breakdown by about 20 percent in the healthy volunteers, and oolong tea continued to have an effect while the participants were asleep. 

The experts report that neither treatment caused an increase in energy expenditure, which means that the volunteers developed a tolerance to the stimulatory effects of caffeine over the two-week study period.

Furthermore, the tea did not disrupt the sleeping patterns of the individuals. This indicates that drinking oolong tea, and burning fat overnight, did not prevent any of the participants from getting a good night's sleep.

"The stimulatory effects of oolong tea on fat breakdown during sleep could have real clinical relevance for controlling body weight," said Professor Tokuyama.

"However, we need to determine whether the effects we observed in the 2-week study translate into actual body fat loss over a prolonged period."

"In addition, we want to trial a decaffeinated oolong tea to better distinguish the effects of caffeine from other components of tea, which will help us understand exactly how oolong helps with fat breakdown."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients">Nutrients</a>.

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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

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep. Researchers at the...

Stress in the workplace is a major public health issue that affects the mental and physical <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/everyday-activities-improve-well-being-and-boost-brain-health/">well-being</a> of people worldwide. A new study from the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> has found a very simple way to help relieve work-related stress, and the solution is in nature.

Led by Professor Shinichiro Sasahara, the team set out to investigate how taking walks in greenspaces such as parks and forests may affect an individual's sense of coherence (SOC), or the coping capacity that people use to deal with stressors in everyday life.

The concept of SOC was introduced in 1979 by Aaron Antonovsky to explain why some people become sick under stress while others stay healthy. 

People with strong SOC are known to have greater resilience to stress. The SOC scale is used to assess how people perceive life based on three key elements: meaningfulness - having a sense of purpose; comprehensibility - the ability to recognize and understand stress; and manageability - feeling equipped with the resources to solve problems. 

Previous studies have found that SOC scores are influenced by factors such as martial status, education, and physical fitness. 

For the current investigation, the researchers analyzed data on more than 6,000 Japanese workers between 20 and 60 years old. The experts found stronger SOC, and therefore greater resilience to work-related stress,  among people who regularly took walks in forests or greenspaces.

"SOC indicates mental capacities for realizing and dealing with stress," said Professor Sasahara. "With workplace stress as a focal issue, there's a clear benefit in identifying everyday activities that raise SOC. It seems we may have found one."

In many countries like Japan, urban greenspaces are increasing in popularity. This gives workers easier access to nature, and the research indicates that taking advantage of these spaces is a simple way to increase SOC and relieve work-related stress.

"Our study suggests that taking a walk at least once a week in a forest or greenspace can help people have stronger SOC," explained Professor Sasahara. "Forest/greenspace walking is a simple activity that needs no special equipment or training. It could be a very good habit for improving mental health and managing stress."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/public-health-in-practice/">Public Health in Practice</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nature walks help relieve work-related stress

Stress in the workplace is a major public health issue...

There is no limit to the cardiovascular benefits of <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/high-intensity-exercise-can-help-you-live-longer/">exercise</a>, according to a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>. The researchers found that people who are the most active have the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease.

While the link between exercise and reduced cardiovascular risk was previously established, the extent of these benefits remained unclear. 

A team led by Terence Dwyer of University of Oxford set out to investigate by analyzing data from 90,211 UK Biobank participants who did not have cardiovascular disease. The individuals had worn activity trackers over a 7-day period from 2013 through 2015.

During five years of follow-up, 3,617 of the participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. The more physically active the individuals were, the less likely they were to develop cardiovascular issues. For example, those who exercised the least were about 54 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease compared to the most active people. 

Participants in the lowest category of physical activity, who also smoked more and had higher body mass index, were most often diagnosed with hypertension. 

"This is the largest ever study of exquisite device-measured physical activity and cardiovascular disease. It shows that physical activity is probably even more important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease than we previously thought," said Professor Aiden Doherty. 

"Our findings lend further weight to the new WHO guidelines on physical activity which recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for all adults."

According to Professor Dwyer, the results of the study reaffirms that physical activity is an important way of preventing cardiovascular disease. 

"The potential risk reduction estimated in those engaging in relatively high levels of activity is substantial and justifies a greater emphasis on measures to increase levels of physical activity in the community."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The cardiovascular benefits of exercise are unlimited

There is no limit to the cardiovascular benefits of exercise,...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/higher-coffee-intake-may-be-linked-to-lower-prostate-cancer-risk/">BMJ</a>, experts have confirmed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coffee-before-breakfast-has-a-negative-impact-on-metabolism/">coffee</a> has a protective effect against certain types of cancer. In particular, the researchers found that people who drink several cups of coffee per day are less likely to develop prostate cancer.

The study suggests that a higher intake of coffee is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, with every additional cup reducing the risk by one percent.

Previous studies have linked coffee consumption to a lower risk of developing liver, bowel, and breast cancers. Prior to the current investigation, however, there was no conclusive evidence that coffee protects against prostate cancer, which is the second most common cancer. 

The researchers analyzed the results of relevant cohort studies involving more than one million men that were conducted in North America, Europe, and Japan. Overall,  57,732 of these men developed prostate cancer.

The highest level of coffee consumption ranged from 2 to 9 or more cups a day, while the lowest ranged from none to fewer than 2 cups a day. Individuals who consumed the most coffee were found to lower their likelihood of prostate cancer by nine percent.

Furthermore, the analysis showed that the highest intake was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of the cancer becoming advanced, as well as a 16 percent lower risk of the cancer becoming fatal.

According to the study authors, coffee improves glucose metabolism, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and affects sex hormone levels, all of which may influence the initiation, development and progression of prostate cancer.

"This study suggests that increased coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Further research is still warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and active compounds in coffee," explained the researchers.

"If the association is further proved to be a causal effect, men might be encouraged to increase their coffee consumption to potentially decrease the risk of prostate cancer."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://bmj.com">BMJ Open</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee consumption lowers the risk of prostate cancer

In a new study published by the BMJ, experts have...

Poor gut health may increase the severity of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-immunity-may-persist-for-eight-months-or-more/">COVID-19</a>, which is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea. According to the <a href="https://asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>, a growing collection of evidence shows that having an altered gut microbiome allows the virus to gain entry into the GI tract.

Dr. Heenam Stanley Kim, an expert at the Korea University Laboratory for Human-Microbial Interactions, reports that gut dysfunction may exacerbate the severity of infection by enabling the virus to access the surface of the digestive tract and internal organs.

COVID-19 patients experience a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which are high fevers and respiratory problems. Autopsies have confirmed that COVID-19 infection can also affect the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, and the gastrointestinal tract. These organs are vulnerable to infection because they have a number of ACE2 receptors that are targeted by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

A substantial amount of hospitalized patients with breathing problems also have diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. This indicates that when the virus breaches the GI tract, it worsens the severity of the disease. "There seems to be a clear connection between the altered gut microbiome and severe COVID-19," explained Dr. Kim.

Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are known to face a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Both of these factors - age and chronic conditions - are also associated with an altered gut microbiome. 

Dr. Kim noted that this imbalance can affect gut barrier integrity, which can give pathogens easier access to cells in the intestinal lining. He is not the only expert who has promised the idea that unhealthy gut microbiomes may be an underlying reason for why some people have such severe infections.

In Singapore, a study on symptomatic COVID-19 patients found that about half had a detectable level of the coronavirus in fecal tests, but only about half of those experienced GI symptoms. Dr. Kim pointed out that a person's gut health at the time of infection may be critical for symptom development.

The disease has been linked to a decrease in beneficial gut bacterial species, as well as an increase in pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, many recent studies have found reduced bacterial diversity in gut samples collected from COVID-19 patients compared to samples from healthy people. 

The researchers have identified bacterial species which may provide resistance to COVID-19 infection, including some families that are responsible for producing butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid. This bacteria plays a critical role in gut health by reinforcing gut-barrier function.

Dr. Kim said he started analyzing studies on the link between COVID-19 severity and gut health after realizing that wealthy countries with a good medical infrastructure, including the United States and nations in Western Europe, were among the hardest hit by the virus. The most common diets in these countries are low in fiber. 

"A fiber-deficient diet is one of the main causes of altered gut microbiomes, and such gut microbiome dysbiosis leads to chronic diseases," explained Dr. Kim.

Eating more fiber, he said, may lower a person's risk of serious disease. And fecal microbiota transplantation might be a treatment worth considering for patients with the worst cases of COVID-19.

According to Dr. Kim, the problem with poor gut health goes beyond COVID-19. "The whole world is suffering from this COVID-19 pandemic, but what people do not realize is that the pandemic of damaged gut microbiomes is far more serious now."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://mbio.asm.org/">mBio</a>.

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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

Gut health may protect you from severe COVID-19

Poor gut health may increase the severity of COVID-19, which...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> has found that mindfulness training is not always the most effective strategy to improve mental health. The researchers confirmed that mindfulness can reduce <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-tool-can-detect-heat-stress-in-corals/">stress</a>, anxiety, and depression in most, but not all, non-clinical settings.

Mindfulness is generally defined as being aware of what is happening in the moment, and being present in that moment without interpretation or judgement. This practice has become increasingly popular for reducing stress and anxiety.

In the UK, the National Health Service offers mindfulness training to help treat mental health issues such as depression. However, most people who practice mindfulness are taught in community settings such as universities or private courses. 

Worldwide, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to assess the potential mental health benefits of mindfulness training, but the results are inconsistent. The Cambridge team analyzed the findings of 136 relevant trials, which involved a total of 11,605 participants between the ages 18 and 73 from 29 countries.

The data showed that in most community settings, mindfulness training effectively reduced anxiety, depression, and stress and increased well-being. On the other hand, in more than one in 20 trials settings, mindfulness-based programs did not necessarily improve mental health outcomes.

"For the average person and setting, practicing mindfulness appears to be better than doing nothing for improving our mental health, particularly when it comes to depression, anxiety and psychological distress - but we shouldn't assume that it works for everyone, everywhere," said study first author Dr. Julieta Galante.

"Mindfulness training in the community needs to be implemented with care. Community mindfulness courses should be just one option among others, and the range of effects should be researched as courses are implemented in new settings. The courses that work best may be those aimed at people who are most stressed or in stressful situations, for example health workers, as they appear to see the biggest benefit."

When compared to other "feel good" practices such as exercise, mindfulness training was neither more nor less beneficial. 

"While mindfulness is often better than taking no action, we found that there may be other effective ways of improving our mental health and well-being, such as exercise," said Professor Peter Jones. "In many cases, these may prove to be more suitable alternatives if they are more effective, culturally more acceptable or are more feasible or cost effective to implement. The good news is that there are now more options."

The techniques and frameworks taught in mindfulness have diverse backgrounds, ranging from early Buddhist psychology and meditation to cognitive neuroscience.

"If the effects of online mindfulness courses vary as widely according to the setting as their offline counterparts, then the lack of human support they offer could cause potential problems," said Dr. Galante. "We need more research before we can be confident about their effectiveness and safety."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>.

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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

Mindfulness training can boost well-being, but is not always the best option

A new study from the University of Cambridge has found...

A diet rich in plant-based foods has been linked to an abundance of healthy gut microbes that are associated with a lower risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/water-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-obesity-and-diabetes/">obesity</a>, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The large-scale international study is the first to reveal strong links between gut microbes, diet, and health.

Study co-senior author Dr. Andrew T. Chan is a gastroenterologist and chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit at <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> and a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

"This study demonstrates a clear association between specific microbial species in the gut, certain foods, and risk of some common diseases," said Dr. Chan. "We hope to be able to use this information to help people avoid serious health problems by changing their diet to personalize their gut microbiome."

In the Personalized Responses to Dietary Composition Trial 1 (PREDICT 1), the researchers analyzed detailed data on the dietary habits, gut microbiome composition, and metabolic health of more than 1,100 individuals.

The experts found strong evidence that the microbiome is linked with specific foods and diets, and also that these gut microbes influence metabolic biomarkers of disease. Furthermore, the study showed that microbiome content has a greater association with these disease markers than genetics.

"As a nutritional scientist, finding novel microbes that are linked to specific foods, as well as metabolic health, is exciting. Given the highly personalised composition of each individuals' microbiome, our research suggests that we may be able to modify our gut microbiome to optimize our health by choosing the best foods for our unique biology," explained Dr. Sarah Berry of King's College London. 

According to Dr. Chan, two of the strengths of this trial are the number of participants and the detailed information the was collected. "Studying the interrelationship between the microbiome, diet and disease involves a lot of variables because peoples' diets tend to be personalized and may change quite a bit over time."

The researchers found that participants who ate a diet rich in healthy, plant-based foods were more likely to have high levels of specific gut microbes. 

"When you eat, you're not just nourishing your body, you're feeding the trillions of microbes that live inside your gut," said epidemiologist Tim Spector, who started the PREDICT study.

Some microbes were tied to a favorable blood sugar level after a meal, while others were linked to lower post-meal levels of blood fats and markers of inflammation. The trends were so consistent, the researchers believe that their microbiome data can be used to determine the risk of cardiometabolic disease among people who do not yet have symptoms.

Overall, the team uncovered a panel of 15 gut microbes that are associated with an increased risk of developing common illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Some of these microbes are so novel that they have not been described.

"We were surprised to see such large, clear groups of 'good' and 'bad' microbes emerging from our analysis," said Dr.. Nicola Segata of the University of Trento. "And it is intriguing to see that microbiologists know so little about many of these microbes that they are not even named yet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nm">Nature Medicine</a>.

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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

Plant-based diet helps protect against chronic diseases

A diet rich in plant-based foods has been linked to...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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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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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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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...