Category: Issue 523
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Crops Grown in Higher CO2 Conditions Have Lower Levels of Nutrients
Harvard researchers have found that staple crops grown in environments with levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) similar to the levels expected in 2050 had less zinc, iron and protein than crops grown at current CO2 levels. Samuel S. Myers et al., “Increasing CO2 threatens human nutrition,” Nature, May 2014. The researchers conducted field trials of…
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Study Finding Health Benefits of Omega-3s Had Significant Flaws, Researchers Say
A recent review has reportedly identified several flaws in the widely cited 1970s study which found that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids could help fight coronary artery disease (CAD). George J. Fodor et al., “‘Fishing’ for the origins of the ‘Eskimos and heart disease’ story. Facts or wishful thinking? A review,” Canadian Journal of…
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Children’s Consumption of Food Dyes Allegedly Increased Five-Fold Since 1950
A recent study has claimed that children consume more artificial food colors (AFCs) than previously thought, raising concerns about potential health effects not addressed by federal guidelines. Laura Stevens, et al., “Amounts of Artificial Food Dyes and Added Sugars in Foods and Sweets Commonly Consumed by Children,” Clinical Pediatrics, April 2014. In addition to reporting…
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Food Substitute Drinks Capture Media Attention
Drink mixes intended to replace meals altogether have garnered attention from the media recently as part of a larger trend of “lifehacking,” a cultural Silicon Valley export that aims to streamline daily life obligations. A recent New Yorker article by Lizzie Widdicombe profiles Rob Rhinehart, creator of Soylent, a drink mix that purports to provide…
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NYC Food Policy Center to Host Salt Discussion
The New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College has announced a May 20, 2014, meeting at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City, to discuss ways of translating conflicting information about salt into public health policy. Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York…
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Coffee-Making Motions May Cause “Barista Elbow”
Repeated motions of lifting pitchers, steaming milk and stamping espresso may cause medial epicondylitis—golfer’s elbow—or other stress injuries in baristas. A recent New York Post article chronicles one woman’s experience with a stress injury allegedly resulting from her job duties as a barista. In addition, a former barista in Canberra, Australia, was recently awarded $600,000…
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Mister Softee Files Motion for Injunction Against Master Softee
Ice cream truck franchiser Mister Softee Inc. has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement and violation of a non-compete covenant against former franchisee Dimitrios Tsirkos, who converted his 16 Mister Softee trucks to Master Softee trucks and began selling his own ice cream out of them at the…