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Meet My Distant Cousin…Arabidopsis
For years, scientists have faced the lofty challenge of confirming the evolutionary link between primates and humans, but with new research from Purdue University, scientists may turn their focus on evolutionary kinship between apes and plants.
While attempting to revive dying plants, researchers discovered...
Organic Anti-Fungal Compound
Food competition in the tropics is not limited to two animals fighting over a single prey. In fact, carnivorous plants and fungi also compete for food, albeit at a much more molecular level. After an insect is trapped by a carnivorous plant, it falls into the plant’s “pitcher,” which contains enzymes...
New Way to Reduce Resistance to Breast Cancer Drug
With the advent of the cold season, several of my classes here at UT Austin have been plagued with the echoes of people coughing; the sounds often drown the professor’s voice! I have also started to feel under the weather as of a few days ago. To make matters worse, I seem to have acquired resistance...
Plant Buffers Prove Productive
Posted by Deepa in Agriculture, Environment, Featured Articles, Health on 02 19th, 2010 | No Comments
The cycle of agricultural life across the globe occurs as a series of chain reactions. Scientists are now becoming acutely aware of the immense cross industrial impacts that stem from a few seemingly harmless practices in the agricultural world. Today’s featured study is one that investigates the impact...
What Can Kanna Do?
Sceletium tortuosum is a plant native to South Africa that has been used for a few hundred years with a variety of purposes. Also known as Kanna, Channa, and Kougoed, the plant has been known to enhance mood, reduce anxiety, relax the user, and even cause euphoria when taken in large amounts. The plant,...
Soybean Oil: Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fish oil is known to be one of the healthiest ways to obtain omega-3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA, two of the most studied omega-3-fatty acids, have numerous health benefits; they decrease triglycerides, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and heart rate. Essentially, they decrease the adverse effects of low...
Even green emissions can sometimes be harmful
One of the biggest transitions any teenager makes in his or her life occurs when they move away from their family’s home and begin their independent lives as college students. Although this prospect seems exciting for many young students, I remember feeling a peculiar mix of anxiety and sadness...
Broccoli: As Healthy As Parents Insist?
The nutritional value of cabbage-like vegetables (such as broccoli and cauliflower) has been known for years; parents don’t nag children about eating their vegetables for nothing! A family of compounds known as carotenoids constitutes a major part of the nutritional value that humans get from these...
Gingko Biloba: Solution to Radiation Damage?
Posted by Pallavi in Featured Articles, Health, Medicinal Plants, Research on 10 29th, 2009 | No Comments
Have you ever thought about the evolution of pharmaceutical drugs? When I watch Grey’s Anatomy or House, I constantly feel amazed by far humans have come, how much we understand about the human body, and how many drugs and procedures have been procured to help us live longer. However, while the contemporary...
Conservation or Curing?
Southern Africans have used native plants for hundreds of years to treat a slew of different illnesses in a wide variety of animals. Researchers at Kansas State University are just beginning to document the 506 herbal remedies that have been used in 18 different areas of Southern Africa. While gathering...
Seeds Yield Nutritional Value
Most agricultural studies focus on improving crop yield or preventing the adverse effects of environmental conditions. Other studies, however, focus on increasing the nutritional value of crops. Phillipe Seguin and his fellow researchers from various universities and governmental agricultural agencies...
Reducing Anxiety with a Pacific Plant
For thousands of years, tribes and villagers worldwide have looked to nature for solutions to their medical problems. Even today, researchers continue to look into traditional remedies to discover if they are truly successful. One such natural treatment stems from (pun intended) the kava plant, found...
Public Transportation: Not Always the Environment’s Friend
Posted by Sarah in Environment, Featured Articles, Health, Strange But True on 10 19th, 2009 | No Comments
Before taking your bike out for a joy ride on the same route that your bus travels, you may want to reconsider, or better yet, consult the nearest…tree?
A recent study, by scientists at Western Washington University in Bellingham, has uncovered that the leaves of trees may be very helpful in detecting...
The Greener the Better
Whether consuming green vegetables raw or cooked, these colorful plants provide us with many essential nutrients. I have always heard, “The greener the vegetable, the better the nutritional value,” but scientists from The University of Nottingham are presently conducting research that could possibly...
Promising Herbal Remedy for H1N1?
(We began to cover this story last week, here’s another, more personal perspective!) South Asian cooking is known for its use of spices. Coming from a South Asian background, I remember when I first ate a raw vegetable. I was confused because that raw piece of carrot tasted nothing like the carrots...
Updating Tradition and Fighting Cancer
Traditional Chinese medicine provides of a wide variety of homemade remedies for a wide variety of illnesses, even illnesses that modern technology’s pharmaceuticals have failed to treat. Of course, traditional Chinese medicine is not as widely accepted as the medicine that comes in the form of a pill...
The Ongoing Immunity Struggle between Plants and Bacteria
With the recent increase in the activity of the H1N1 virus, the evolution of pathogens is under the spotlight. It scares me to think how one strain of the flu virus that affected birds, evolved and jumped to pigs and then ran rampant among humans. It has taken a long time for scientists to finally come...
Easy Diet Prevents Painful Kidney Stones
Prevention is better than cure. This age-old adage carries with it a meaning that we rarely value until it’s too late. We may watch our diet to stay slim, but we don’t often diet to avoid potential health conditions such as kidney stones.
Kidney stones are more common than most people know –...
Spit the Seeds Out, but Save Them
My father was at one time a farmhand in rural South India. He sat on the floor with his eight siblings and ate his food off of a banana leaf. In this mud-made shanty made by my grandfather, the family would very often have dessert after their feast. They may have not had running water or electricity,...
Big News for Organic Foodies: Conventionally-Grown Food Nutritionally Equivalent
While organically-grown food is nothing new to human societies, the increase in public awareness of organic food over the last several years has caused an explosion in the demand for such food with its reduced use of chemical additives, hormones, pesticides, and genetic modification.
Organic food companies...
The cost of carbon: Cyanide infused Cassava
Posted by Deepa in Agriculture, Environment, Featured Articles, Health on 07 29th, 2009 | No Comments
New Scientist Magazine recently published an article discussing the detrimental impacts of increased carbon dioxide emissions on the cassava plant. Cassava is known to be an important dietary component for over half a billion of the world’s impoverished population. It is especially popular in the drier...
A Rise in Ozone Levels Yields a Rise in Hunger
Posted by Amar in Agriculture, Environment, Featured Articles, Health on 07 28th, 2009 | No Comments
Many of us use the word “hungry” to describe how we are feeling at least once a day. To some, “hungry” is the sensation felt ten minutes before their lunch break. To others, “hungry” is waiting thirty minutes at an upscale restaurant for an exotic dish. However, to 1.02 billion people on...
Plants Can Be Modified to Fight Allergies
Part of why I love writing these articles is because it leads me to discover cutting edge, revolutionary research that will help solve global problems in the future. Research into genetically modified crops have followed a specific trend: improving yield, nutrient content and protecting crops from climatic,...
Nourishment via Herbicide?
Although many people may not realize it, almost every meal eaten by the average American contains a fair amount of corn. Home-cooked goodness and fast food alike, corn is a staple of the American diet. But where exactly is the corn if we can’t see it in our dinner of say, hamburgers and soda? Corn...
Plant-derived Therapy for Alzheimer’s?
Nearly 30 million people have developed Alzheimer’s disease worldwide, and millions more know the name of the incurable illness. Alzheimer’s disease is expected to affect four times as many people by the year 2050, a number as large as the population of Mexico.
In the United States, Alzheimer’s...
Marijuana Linked to Cancer
Posted by Pallavi in Featured Articles, Health, Marijuana Special Topic Week on 06 25th, 2009 | No Comments
Marijuana is one of the few illegal substances remaining that can still arguably be less harmful than other legal substances, like tobacco. Until now, little research had been conducted to prove that cannabis smoke could have detrimental effects on the health of those who inhaled it.
Research by Professor...
Parkinson’s and Pesticide
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by movement disorders, including tremors and bradykinesia, which are due to the insufficient production and action of dopamine in the brain. The cause of PD is not completely understood, though it is believed to be due to...
Antibiotic Resistance via Plant Fertilizer
The food chain can allow genes to be transferred from species to species across the planet. The consumption of many genes may not have any effect on us, but the consumption of say, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, could potentially be very harmful. We are often notified of any outbreaks that could...
Have You Been Eating Your Grapes?
As a kid I loved fruits and yogurt. Every day I would try to convince my parents to let me eat fruits instead of vegetables for dinner. Happy as they were for my healthy obsession, they still wanted me to eat my vegetables and grains so I could have “cleaner blood and a healthy heart”.
A study conducted...
Organic or Not?
Posted by Pallavi in Agriculture, Environment, Featured Articles, Health on 05 28th, 2009 | No Comments
A note to start: the following isn’t a plant research article, it’s more of an opinion piece on a topic I feel is quite crucial for us, as consumers, to understand.
Earlier in the year we read about how easy it is to get tricked by fake organic milk. Recently I’ve noticed a higher surge of organic...
Looking to Shed Some Pounds? Try White Tea!
With the ever-growing number of fast food restaurants and the countless advertisements for the newest trend in dieting, society receives constant reminders concerning its latest epidemic – obesity. Each year, more individuals are diagnosed with obesity-associated disorders, such as diabetes and heart...
Replacing Pain Killers with Potted Plants
Have you ever visited someone in the hospital recovering from surgery? Most hospital rooms seem to channel a similar trend – neutral colored walls, air conditioner powered to the max, and dim lighting; but while the hospital room itself may trigger a sense of lackluster, one item seems to stand...
Marijuana in the World of Medicine
Posted by Sarah in Featured Articles, Health, Marijuana Special Topic Week, Medicinal Plants, Research on 04 24th, 2009 | No Comments
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] The word “marijuana” has undoubtedly earned its fair share of criticisms...
The Science of Weed
Posted by Usman in Featured Articles, Health, Marijuana Special Topic Week, Medicinal Plants, Research on 04 22nd, 2009 | No Comments
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] Cannabis: a word that has undoubtedly struck a different emotional chord...
Criminalization of Marijuana and the Drug War
Posted by Pallavi in Agriculture, Featured Articles, Health, Marijuana Special Topic Week on 04 21st, 2009 | No Comments
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] Though most gardeners rarely think about it, in the U.S., growing the...
The Negative Neurological Effects of Marijuana
Posted by Amar in Featured Articles, Health, Marijuana Special Topic Week, Research on 04 20th, 2009 | 2 Comments
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!]
Many marijuana users believe that there are no significant negative...
Broccoli May Prevent Gastric Cancer
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that illustrates a parent-child relationship excellently. The epic struggle to teach one’s child what to eat and what not to eat is one that has spanned generations. We never learn the importance of our parents’ attempts until we grow up and realize the value of...
More Olives Please!
Over the past few years, my trips to the grocery store have evolved from pleasant outings into maddening chores. While browsing down the food aisles I constantly notice new and improved items scattered among the original product, thus turning my thirty-minute trip to the store into a two-hour hunt for...
Sick? Stressed? Get Some Basil!
Although your first reaction may be, “I’m not really in the mood for Italian food right now,” using basil as a relaxation technique has nothing to do with food, unless Mediterranean cuisine helps soothe your nerves. According to tradition, Sweet, or French, basil can actually be used in aromatherapy,...
Want Lower Blood Pressure? Try Some Peas!
From starring in the Broadway play, “The Princess and the Pea,” to helping Gregor Mendel develop his laws of inheritance, the pea has a rich history. According to the ancient Scandinavian, or the Norse, legend, peas were sent to earth by the god of thunder, Thor, to be eaten only on Thursday; but...
Were Grapes Not ‘Delicious’ Before?
A new muscadine grape cultivar named ‘Delicious’ (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) has been introduced by University of Florida researchers. Of course, this most likely means that this new grape is delectable, but the appetizing new species of grapes has other benefits for us all.
First of all, the grape...
So, What Does Science Have To Say About Going Organic?
Trends come and go through our society like ripples on a pond…or something like that. At one point or another we’ve all been seduced by a clever marketing scheme; for me, it’s electronics (what would I do without my iPhone?!). So is organic food just the next big trend or will it really help us...
Drink Organic Milk? Is It the Real Thing?
Once anything gains popularity in the eyes of consumers, whether it is brand name purses, clothes, computers, electronics or even food, fake copies begin circulating. We can easily come across a fake Burberry scarf, or get tricked by a Coach purse that looks exactly like the real thing. Well, with the...
Another Reason to Eat Your Broccoli
The phrase, “eat your broccoli” seems to be pounded into one’s brain since birth. Parents everywhere attempt numerous methods of coercion so that their children will develop a taste for this green vegetable early on. As a young child, I can recall sitting at the dinner table and staring at my...
Location of Black Raspberries Influences Antioxidant Levels
It’s no secret that blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and plums are rich in antioxidants. However, many people don’t know that the reason for the abundant antioxidants is mainly due to high levels of anthocyanins, chemicals that are responsible for the fruits’ vibrant colors,...
New video game “Flower”
In a complete departure from our normal plant science news stories, we decided to instead bring attention to a new video game (available only for Playstation 3, alas) called “Flower”. Described as “the video game version of a poem”, it left one reviewer feeling “relaxed,...
Easy on the Spice
Have you ever wondered why some cultures have extremely spicy foods while others have foods deplete of spices all together? It is often postulated that our ancient ancestors from regions of the world with intense heat and humidity tended to have very spicy foods while those living in more temperate climates...
Why Exactly Can’t I Eat Peanut Butter?
Your peanut butter might taste the same, but you might not feel the same after eating it. I remember when my dad called me after he heard about the peanut butter issues going on around the nation. He forbade me from eating peanuts and peanut butter, telling me my health is more important than my guilty...
Don’t forget to eat your vegetables! Or should you?
“Don’t forget to eat your vegetables, honey!” How many of us can say, without hesitation, that we have heard such a command from our mothers every day about half way through dinner? Either my mother is the most enthusiastic vegetable cheerleader on the planet, or this seems to be a common trait...
Green Tea May Not Be the Answer
As a student at one of the largest universities in the country, I cannot help but notice other people while walking to class or studying on a bench in the hall. Some students rush to class while scrolling through their favorite play list, while others choose to kill time between classes by text messaging...
Nourishing Soil with Coal Ash
Tons of coal fly ash are added to soils in the United States to nourish vegetables and increase crop yields. But wait, doesn’t that say “coal?” For many years, soil manufacturers have used coal fly ash in their soil and compost products. Coal fly ash, more specifically, is a powder recovered from...
Does a Plum a Day Keep Breast Cancer Away?
Blueberries seem to be the fashionable, healthy snack to eat. How many times have you watched a movie and the characters go out to pick some blueberries? More than likely, you’ve seen more of those movies than movies where the actors go around picking plums. However, though blueberries seem to have...
Pomegranate Paradise
Over Thanksgiving break, I was at my Aunt’s house in Southern Illinois and after stuffing myself with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, I still found the need to check out the fridge, and I am glad that I did.
Inside, I found what has now become a delicacy for me amongst the fruit population:...
Cultivating the Most Nutritional Grains
Recently I’ve noticed the word ‘wholegrain’ on most breads, cereals and crackers at the grocery store. Even white bread is now ‘wholegrain’ white bread. What started this trend? Why does that one word automatically make the same white bread seem more nutritionally appealing? It’s because...
Red, Green and Purple Tomatoes?
Do you remember when the Heinz Company first introduced purple ketchup? Advertisements flooded the airways and people made a mad dash to the grocery store to pick up a bottle of the vividly colored condiment, but when families sat down at the dinner table to dress their fries, hot dogs and hamburgers...
“Acai” of Relief
With research showing that the Brazilian Acai berry contains twice the antioxidants of a blueberry, health-nuts everywhere can start their spring-cleaning early and make room in the pantry for the newest craze in “super-foods.” Amherst College’s Acai Report in 2005 reveals that the Acai berry contains...
Roses Never Smelled So Sweet
Roses are red, violets are blue, arthritis is painful, so chunk the Vicoden? Recent studies have concluded that an active ingredient in rose hip can protect and possibly rebuild broken down joint tissue in patients who suffer from arthritis diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. ...
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