10 Beastly Tales Front-line testers At the beginning of the space race countries sent chimpanzees dogs and rabbits into space as testers.
and find food so they are now remaining at these high elevation sites throughout winter rather than migrating to lower elevations like they have done historically.
There they incubate their eggs and raise their young until they grow big enough to leave the nest.
When the birds divvied up their use of the different nest sites in the past predation on their eggs
Milk is nature's buffet for babies providing all the nutrition a mammalian infant needs for early development outside the womb.
Cow's milk provides a range of nutrients for humans although intolerance to lactose a difficult-to-digest sugar is a common affliction.
Milk consists of about 5 percent lactose 3. 7 percent fats and 3. 5 percent proteins.
and certain fats that give bovine juice its color. The color white is nature's light buffet in that it results from all the wavelengths of visible light being reflected into the eye.
Indeed agriculture has been a critical driver of well-being for centuries ensuring the food security central to human health
The Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company for example developed a technology that brings a mobile cassava processing plant to villages enabling farmers in Mozambique to process their roots into cassava cakes that can be stored for up to two years.
and Oxfam America helps Ethiopian farmers strengthen their food security and income security through a combination of improved resource management crop insurance microcredit and savings.
and corrupted officials and business people only too eager to pilfer a slice of the pie.
They have also been found rummaging in the fodder of dairy cattle which they can contaminate with their droppings Sullivan said.
We consider them a real delicacy on the table in my house Hughes said. Especially at Thanksgiving he added.
#Will Eating Pet food Kill Me? There s no official record of how many people dine on crunchy kibble
or mushy canned pet food but the act is probably as harmless as eating table scraps.
Most pet food is made from food humans won t stomach slaughterhouse leftovers such as organs blood and offal like the trim from hides (an indigestible but harmless filler).
Many dry and wet dog pet foods also contain rice wheat and other plants not to mention added vitamins and minerals.
But don t rip into a mouth-watering can of Alpo just yet on March 16 2007 the U s. Food
and gravy style of canned pet food that caused rapid kidney failure and death in hundreds and possibly thousands of animals.
The FDA later recalled more animal edibles tracing the problem back to wheat gluten a component used to thicken pet foods.
Scientists who tested the pet meals in question say an ingredient called melamine (a fire retardant
The melamine that made its way into pet food sold in the United states came from a Chinese manufacturer of wheat gluten.
but sticking to food intended for humans for awhile would be a wise choice. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter@llmysteries. We're also on Facebook & Google+&
which increase fire spread and intensity. Climate change is described usually as an increase of a certain number of degrees over 50
when cleared for cattle oil palm soy or pulp production. And this pressure is only increasing with population growth and global demand for agricultural commodities.
Berries are one part of a diverse food source that aids bear survival and reproduction and at certain times of the year can be more than half their diet in many places in North america.
Because bears have made up for the decline in berries by eating more elk in the last 50 years the berry bounty may also help offset the decline in elk.
Follow Tia Ghose on Twitterand Google+.+Â Followâ Livescience@livescience Facebookâ & Google+.+Original article onâ Livescience. com i
See Photos of Giant Salmon-Eating Owls The dead of winter Little was known about how this owl used its habitat
I own sipping tea from a Thermos and watching a fish owl hunt not more than 100 feet 30 m away completely unaware of my presence.
and it should have been shortening. This was due to earlier springs and the later onset of fall.
Some are even pointing a finger at blubber-eating birds. The whales come to the peaceful Atlantic bays around Peninsula Valdes along Argentina's Patagonian Coast to give birth
and at a site where little to no food is available to replenish fat reserves.
#Yogurt Lovers Have Better Diets People who like yogurt may be enjoying more than its taste and texture.
They also may be enjoying a better-balanced diet and getting more key nutrients than people who never eat the cultured dairy product  new research shows.
As a group people who said they ate yogurt also reported consuming higher amounts of other good for you-you foods such as fruits vegetables nuts fish
and whole grains than did people who didn't eat yogurt. And their diets obtained fewer calories from processed meats refined grains
and beer than did the diets of non-yogurt eaters according to the study which received some funding from a yogurt manufacturer.
The peer-reviewed findings are available online in the journal Nutrition Research. Yogurt is a very good source of many shortfall nutrients calcium potassium
and magnesium that Americans don't currently consume enough of said study author Paul Jacques of  Tufts University.
 Yogurt is a good way to meet your dietary requirements for nutrients that you may not be currently eating.
Jacques is director of the nutrition epidemiology laboratory at the university's Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research center on Aging.
For this observational study researchers analyzed data collected from slightly more than 6500 adults ages 19 to 89 all of them either the children or grandchildren of the original participants in the Framingham Heart Study.
All the men and women in the yogurt study filled out a 126-item questionnaire indicating how frequently they had eaten certain foods during the previous year.
 Boosting shortfall nutrients People participating in the study were asked to recall how often they ate a one-cup serving of yogurt.
Among the women 64 percent were yogurt-eaters; among the men 41 percent were. The average amount of yogurt eaten was two and one-quarter cups a week.
In addition to having a better-quality diet the men and women who regularly spooned in some yogurt had higher potassium intakes.
and 55 percent less apt to have shortfalls of Vitamin b12 a nutrient lacking in some older people's diets.
 We found that yogurt consumers had higher intakes of just about every nutrient we measured Jacques said.
If people substitute yogurt for less healthy foods in the diet it may help eliminate the inadequate intake of shortfall nutrients.
One serving is considered one cup of cow's milk soy milk or yogurt; one and a half ounces of a hard cheese like Swiss or cheddar;
or two cups of cottage cheese for example. A one-cup serving of low-fat yogurt has a similar nutrition profile to that of a cup of low-fat milk
but with roughly 50 percent more potassium calcium and magnesium the researchers pointed out. Pass it on:
Yogurt eaters seem to have healthier diets overall. This story was provided by Myhealthnewsdaily a sister site to Livescience.
Follow Myhealthnewsdaily on Twitter@Myhealth mhnd. We're also on Facebook & Google+a
#Yosemite national park: Facts, Information & Lodging Yosemite national park created in 1890 is one of the oldest nature preserves in the United states. A wonderland of geological formations
Word of Yosemite s beauty spread and the first group of tourists arrived in 1855.
and trails are Cook s Sentenial Stoneman and Leidig. Giant sequoias and Mariposa Grove: Mariposa Grove is blessed with about 500 mature giant sequoias.
While many have tap water and flush toilets only Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp have showers. Those who want a roof over their heads have no shortage of choices.
The Ahwahnee Hotel and historic Wawona Hotel offer plenty of comfort while canvas-and hard-sided cabins at Curry Village White wolf Lodge
and others provide a back-to-nature feel without the tents. Yosemite is open 365 days a year
Many people I know would feel guilty preparing a green bean casserole with frozen beans or (gasp) using frozen corn for grandma's corn pudding recipe.
But are frozen vegetables really inferior? What about canned? Research has provided some answers. Frozen vs. Fresh Frozen fruits and vegetables may have higher levels of vitamins A
and mineral content of eight fruits and vegetables and found that some had. 10 New Ways to Eat Well This study supports the findings of a 1998 Food Chemistry study
or jarred counterparts according to a 2002 study in the journal Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies.
It's true that canning often lowers the content of water-soluble nutrients and those that are broken down at high temperatures
whether there are other nutritional benefits of eating canned vegetables according to a 2007 review in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Health Benefits, Risks (Stinky Pee) & Nutrition Facts In ancient times asparagus was renowned as an aphrodisiac.
Regardless of its powers to put you in the mood this succulent savory vegetable contains a stimulating blend of nutrients making this member of the lily family a fantastic food for your health.
Here are the nutrition facts for asparagus according to the U s. Food and Drug Administration which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act:
Nutrition Facts Serving size: 5 asparagus spears (3. 3 oz/93 g) Calories 20 Calories from Fat 0*Percent Daily Values(%DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Heart health Asparagus is good for your ticker in a variety of ways. Its high level of B vitamins helps regulate the amino acid homocysteine too much
Regulating blood sugar The B vitamins abundant in asparagus play a key role in metabolizing sugar and starches
Therefore asparagus impressive anti-inflammatory properties and high levels of antioxidants make it a good preventive food.
One 2011 study published in The british Journal of Nutrition also suggested that asparagus ability to improve insulin secretion
Pregnancy Diet: What to Eat What Not to Eat Digestive health Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that contain inulin a unique carbohydrate associated with improved digestion.
People who are allergic to other members of the lily family such as onions garlic and chives are more likely to be allergic to asparagus.
Symptoms include a runny nose hives trouble breathing and puffiness or swelling around the mouth and lips.
Asparagus is the only food to contain the chemical asparagusic acid. When this aptly named chemical is digested it breaks down into sulfur-containing compounds
Nutrition Science News & Feature F
#Onions: Health Benefits, Health Risks & Nutrition Facts Turns out that onions are nothing to cry over these flavorful bulbs are packed with nutrients.
They are excellent sources of Vitamin c fiber folic acid antioxidants and other important flavonoids and phytochemicals.
Partly because of their use in cooking around the world onions are among the most significant sources of antioxidants in the human diet.
when onions are simmered to make soup. It transfers to the water instead especially when cooked on a low heat.
Here are the nutrition facts for avocados according to the U s. Food and Drug Administration which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act:
Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 medium onion (5. 3 oz/148 g) Calories 45 Calories from Fat 0*Percent Daily Values(%DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Heart health Onions encourage a healthy heart in many ways. The sulfur in onions can help lower high blood pressure lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
One recent study from The netherlands showed that people who ate onions absorbed twice as much quercetin as those who drank tea and more than three times as much quercetin as those who ate apples
They initiate detoxification by forming the basis for glutathione helps the liver process toxins. Digestion The fiber in onions promotes good digestion
While not especially serious eating onions can cause problems for some people. The fructose in onions may cause gas
Eating a large amount of green onions or rapidly increasing your consumption of green onions may interfere with blood thinning drugs.
It is also possible to have a food intolerance or allergy to onions. People with onion allergies may experience red itchy eyes
People with a food intolerance to onions may experience nausea vomiting and other gastric discomfort.
We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.
Before competition athletes would consume pounds of onions drink onion juice and rub onions on their bodies.
By the Middle ages the three main vegetables of European cuisine were beans cabbage and onions.
eating them raw or cooked as a seasoning or as a vegetable. Onions were used also in syrups as poultices as an ingredient in dyes and even as toys.
Slicing onions makes you cry because when you cut into it the onion produces a sulfur-based gas.
The largest onion ever grown weighed 10 pounds 14 ounces (about 5 kilograms) according to the Guinness Book of World records.
To avoid onion breath eat a sprig of parsley or rinse your mouth with equal parts lemon juice and water or chew a citrus peel.
#Butterflies Caught Lapping Up Crocodile Tears Crocodile tears may be drinks for thirsty butterflies and bees new research reveals.
See Video of Butterflies Drinking Croc Tears & Tear-Drinking Images It was one of those natural history moments that you long to see up close de la Rosa said in a statement.
But then the question becomes what's going on in here? Why are these insects tapping into this resource?
Animals sometimes drink salt from sweat urine and even blood de la Rosa said. These new findings support a 2012 report of a bee sipping the tears of a yellow-spotted river turtle in Ecuador's Yasunã National park. Similar findings were seen with butterflies drinking the tears of yellow-spotted river
When de la Rosa did research online he was surprised to find more evidence of tear-drinking than he expected not only from scientists but also casual tourists wilderness enthusiasts and professional photographers.
This suggests tear-drinking or lachryphagous behavior may not be as rare as biologists had assumed. It remains uncertain
what other kinds of nutrients might be in crocodilian tears in addition to the sodium in salt.
whether the reptiles somehow benefit from such tear-drinking. The reptiles may allow insects to drink tears simply
#Early Life Pain May Affect The next Generation A mom's painful early life experiences might influence her offspring's sensitivity to pain according to a new study of lambs and ewes.
It's likely that the same is true in lambs though the link is currently speculative.
Next the researchers tested the lambs of the 20 ewes in the study for their sensitivity to discomfort.
To do so they pressed a metal rod into the lambs'feet gently just until the lamb twitched
The lambs from ewes that had had an early-life infection responded more promptly than the lambs born to ewes in the other groups.
Epigenetics could be the cause of the lambs'greater sensitivity Mendl said but researchers don't know that yet those lambs might also have altered sensitivity because of their more difficult birth experiences for example.
A lot more work needs to be done to fully understand the results Mendl said starting with reproducing the findings and investigating their causes.
Good bacteria are turning up in everything from toothpaste and chocolate to juices and cereals.
Putting probiotics into foods that don't naturally have the beneficial bacteriamight not make these products healthier higher quality
or worthwhile additions to the diet she said. At some level there's more hype about probiotics than there should be told Hibberd Livescience.
The Nutrition Business Journal anticipated that U s. sales of probiotic supplements in 2013 would top $1 billion. 5 Ways Gut Bacteria Affect Your Health To separate the reality from the hype here are eight
tips to keep in mind before buying probiotics in foods or taking them as supplements. 1. Probiotics are regulated not like drugs.
or minimum levels required in foods or supplements. 2. Mild side effects are possible. When people first start taking probiotic supplements there's a tendency to develop gas
and they generally go away after two to three days of use she said. 3. All foods with probiotics are created not equal.
and the amount of live bacteria in these foods is quite good Hibberd said. To get billions of good bacteria in a serving choose a yogurt labeled live and active cultures she said.
Other probiotic-rich foods include kefir a fermented milk drink and aged cheeses such as cheddar Gouda Parmesan and Swiss.
Beyond the dairy case probiotics are also found in pickles packed in brine sauerkraut kimchi (a spicy Korean condiment) tempeh (a soy-based meat substitute)
and miso (a Japanese soybean paste used as a seasoning). Then there are foods that seemingly jumped on the probiotics bandwagon.
They aren't naturally fermented or cultured but may supply some live organisms; these foods include probiotic-enriched juices cereals and snack bars.
Although the majority of probiotics found in foods are safe for most people the bigger concern is
whether the organism is actually present when the person consumes the food Hibberd said. In some cases the organism may have decayed making it less active than it could be
and less able to offer health benefits she said. 4. Probiotics might not be safe for everyone.
There are definitely some people who should avoid probiotics in foods or supplements Hibberd said. These might include individuals with weakened immune systems such as cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy.
The amount of probiotics in a food product is often unclear. Ingredient labels may reveal the organism's genus
Probiotics are some of the most expensive dietary supplements with one dose often costing more than $1 a day according to a 2013 study by Consumerlab. com
The researchers also sampled white suckers and redhorse suckers. Neither species showed signs of intersex characteristics
although the team did find an egg cell precursor in the blood of some white suckers.
and the manure of animals like cows chickens and pigs the researchers said. It's not clear exactly
#Shorebirds Adopt Baby Duckling, Cuteness Ensues A family of long-legged shorebirds adopted a fuzzy baby duckling this month in California's San francisco bay.
U s. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist Jarred Barr discovered the duckling among a brood of downy avocet chicks on July 2.
The blended family was foraging in wetlands at the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve part of the massive South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project.
We don't know how the duckling got separated from its family but they were all feeding already
See Adorable Photos of the Baby Shorebirds Avocets have upturned long bills that they skim back and forth in the water to catch food.
Plucking a few feathers from shorebird hatchlings reveals how much mercury was in their eggs before they hatched.
The biologists occasionally find eggs from other species such as terns in avocet nests Hartman said.
Avocets have sat also on stilt eggs and raised the hatchlings as if they were their own chicks.
But this is the first time the USGS biologists have discovered a duck-avocet adoption. Hartman thinks it's likely the duckling was separated from its family after it hatched
and glommed on to the avocets. This is cross-species and it's really cross-order.
They have different diets and different foraging modes so a duckling would really be raised better off by other ducks Barr felt the same
and after spotting a mallard family a few ponds over from the avocet-duck flock he went back for the duckling
#but it couldn't be found again. Our plans fell through but we didn't want to disturb the birds any further he said.
For the most part we just let nature take its course and the birds can sort themselves out.
Both ducklings and avocets are resourceful babies however with the capability to feed on their own soon after hatching.
As long as the duckling finds the right food sources and the right habitat it could survive on its own the scientists said.
They are normally 26 to 34 inches (66 to 86 centimeters) from head to rump.
Wolverines are omnivores; they eat both meat and vegetation. Typical meals for a wolverine include large game like caribou moose and mountain goats;
smaller animals like ground squirrels and rodents; and even birds'eggs and berries. They like meat best
though and will go to great lengths to get it. They can travel 15 miles (24 kilometers) in a 24-hour period in search of food
and will even eat dead animals they did not kill. Wolverines have a keen sense of smell; they can smell prey 20 feet under the snow.
They will dig down into burrows and kill hibernating animals. Wolverines are sneaky when finding food too.
They have strong jaws and teeth and can crush a carcass and munch right through the bone.
They have been known to eat the bones and teeth of their prey. Wolverines also seem to be aware of how to store food.
Research shows that wolverines use snow as refrigerators to keep their food fresh. During times when food is scarce the wolverines will go back to their stockpile to
and retrieve a meal. Wolverines prefer colder areas because they use the snow for dens besides food storage.
They live in the Arctic and subarctic in grasslands Alpine forests taiga boreal forests and tundra of Europe Asia and in North america in the northern latitudes.
Wolverines are solitary creatures and need great swaths of territory to roam. Males mark their territory with their scent and only share their turf with females.
Their territories can range from 40 miles (65 km) to more than 372 miles (600 km.
Warmer weather could mean less snow which wolverines are dependent on for food and reproduction as mentioned earlier.
which means glutton. M56 is a wolverine that was fitted with a tracking device near Grand teton national park in Wyoming.
Wolverines are called also skunk bear quickhatch (of Native american origin) carcajou (French for wolverine) glutton and stink-bear.
Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts Your parents knew what was up when they told you to eat your broccoli.
This verdant vegetable is a powerhouse of nutrients. It's reputed to benefit digestion the cardiovascular system
Broccoli also contains additional nutrients including some magnesium phosphorus a little zinc and iron. Here are the nutrition facts for broccoli according to the U s. Food and Drug Administration
which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act: Nutrition Facts Serving size:
1 medium stalk (raw)( 5. 3 oz/148 g) Calories 45 Calories from Fat 0*Percent Daily Values(%DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Cancer prevention Probably the most publicized health benefit of broccoli is its possible ability to help prevent cancer.
Excess homocysteine an amino acid that builds up after a person eats red meat increases the risk of coronary artery disease.
The way that you prepare broccoli can affect the amount of nutrients you get and which ones.
A 2007 University of Warwick study found that boiling broccoli can undermine the effects of the food's good cancer-fighting enzymes Researchers studied the effects of boiling steaming microwave cooking
and stir fry cooking on fresh broccoli Brussels sprouts cauliflower and green cabbage. Boiling led to the biggest losses of cancer-fighting nutrients.
Steaming for up to 20 minutes microwaving for up to three minutes and stir-frying for up to five minutes produced no significant loss of cancer-preventive substances.
Raw broccoli maintains all of its nutrients but it is also more likely to irritate your bowels and cause gas.
Would these areas be attractive to herbivores searching for high-quality food? Or would the remains of the carcass repel herbivores?
Zebra like anthrax grasses The scientists found that the soil fertilized by the carcasses they studied was rich with nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.
The grass around the carcasses was also significantly taller and richer in nutrients. The scientists also discovered that anthrax spores were found on grasses up to two years after the zebras had died.
Carcass sites became less attractive 1. 5 to 2. 5 years after a zebra had died once the nutrients from the corpses faded away.
Because anthrax prevents blood from clotting the researchers suspect that the anthrax-ridden carcasses might release more nutrients into the soil than regular carcasses do
And keep pets clean to limit the spread of pollen indoors. Rinsing your nose with saline nasal sprays
#Trendy'Paleo'Diet May not Suppress Appetite The trendy paleo diet a plant-based diet inspired by the idea that human ancestors mainly consumed roughage may not be so good at suppressing appetite according to new research conducted on gut bacteria.
We didn't find any suggestion that people should start eating grass and that doing
Moreover the findings do not support the idea that weight gain results from the mismatch between the foods people tend to eat these days and
what humans'ancestors used to eat the researchers said. 11 Surprising Things That Can Make Us Gain Weight According to paleontological evidence the diet of early hominins included considerably more plants than the contemporary human diet the researchers wrote in the study.
which brings a variety of benefits study author Glenn Gibson a professor of food microbiology at the University of Reading in the United kingdom told Live Science in an email.
The benefits include helping food move through the gut and helps maintain a healthy community of gut bacteria he said.
To obtain the gut bacteria for the study the researchers took fecal bacterial samples from three human vegetarian volunteers and three gelada baboons
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