News by Subject Biology

A recent study UTSA public policy professors Alexander Testa and Dylan Jackson assesses the link between food-related hardships and obesity. Using a national sample of adults across the United States, the researchers learned that individuals who are food insecure are at an increased risk of obesity. Study results also showed that the individuals who live in food deserts are at an elevated risk for obesity.

Some people consider pufferfish, also known as fugu, a delicacy because of its unique and exquisite flavor, which is perhaps seasoned by knowledge that consumption of the fish could be deadly. Now, researchers have identified the major compounds responsible for the taste of pufferfish, minus the thrill of living dangerously. They report their results in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

A new advanced line of rice, with higher yield, is ready for final field testing prior to release. On average, it has a protein content of 10.6 percent, a 53 percent increase from its original protein content. It also needs less heat, time, and usually less water to cook.

A new scientific paper has, for the first time, proposed an omega-3 DHA target blood level of 5 percent or higher for pregnant women who want to reduce their risk of preterm birth. Published in the December edition of Nutrients, authors Kristina Harris Jackson, Ph.D., R.D., and William S. Harris, Ph.D., discuss the ramifications of low DHA levels among pregnant women and why they need to strive for a DHA level of 5 percent or above.

Giving nursing mouse mothers a supplement called nicotinamide riboside (NR) promotes maternal weight loss, boosts milk production and quality, and leads to long-lasting physical, neurological, and behavioral benefits in the pups. The findings of the University of Iowa study were published Jan. 22 in Cell Reports.

Despite little or no evidence suggesting certain types of methods actually help people avoid catching or preventing a cold, more than half of parents have tried them with their kids, according to a new national poll.