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Friday 29 September 2017

Benefits in Eating Blueberries for Diabetes

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Blueberries are small fruits, but they contain a lot of power to help you do the big job of managing diabetes. The American Diabetes Association names blueberries as a "diabetes superfood" because blueberries are packed with nutrients, such as fiber and antioxidant vitamins, which provide several key benefits for dealing with diabetes.

Processing Glucose Efficiently

Blueberries may help your body process glucose for energy efficiently, both increasing its sensitivity to insulin and managing blood sugar, which can help you fight diabetes. A University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study presented April 19, 2009 at the Experimental Biology convention in New Orleans notes that laboratory rats that were fed blueberries crushed into a powder showed improved insulin sensitivity, even when eating a high-fat diet along with the blueberries. Since most people with type 2 diabetes struggle with insulin resistance, greater sensitivity to insulin can help manage the disease. The University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study also showed that laboratory rats that ate a powder made from crushed blueberries had lower blood sugar than they did prior to eating the blueberry powder, and researchers noted that their genes changed to allow their bodies to process glucose more efficiently than previously. If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, you may be able to lower your blood sugar by consuming plenty of high-fiber foods like blueberries, Joslin Diabetes Center notes.
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Losing Weight

Since blueberries are low in calories yet high in nutrients, they may help you lose weight, which may help you fight diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a 1-cup serving of blueberries contains just 83 calories and recommends replacing high-calorie snacks like chips with low-calorie fruits like blueberries as well as including blueberries in some of your meals. For example, you can mix blueberries with yogurt to enjoy a berry parfait for dessert. When laboratory rats in the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study were fed blueberry powder, their body weight and total fat mass decreased. Researchers noted that the rats' genes related to fat burning and storage were changed to help their bodies process fat more efficiently than before they ate blueberries, thereby reducing the rats' risk of diabetes.

Losing Belly Fat

Eating blueberries may help you lose belly fat, which is an important part of fighting diabetes, since excess abdominal fat increases your risk of diabetes. Fat cells in your belly produce hormones that can promote insulin resistance, which then can lead to diabetes. When the laboratory rats in the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study ate powder made from crushed blueberries as just 2 percent of their diets over 90 days, their amounts of abdominal fat decreased.
For further information log on website :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/350862-benefits-in-eating-blueberries-for-diabetes/

Comparing modern and presettlement forest dynamics of a subboreal wilderness: Does spruce budworm enhance fire risk?

Author
Sturtevant, Brian RMiranda, Brian R; Shinneman, Douglas J; Gustafson, Eric J; Wolter, Peter T.

Year Published

2012

Publication

Ecological Applications. 22: 1278-1296.

Abstract

Insect disturbance is often thought to increase fire risk through enhanced fuel loadings, particularly in coniferous forest ecosystems. Yet insect disturbances also affect successional pathways and landscape structure that interact with fire disturbances (and vice-versa) over longer time scales. We applied a landscape succession and disturbance model (LANDIS-II) to evaluate the relative strength of interactions between spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks and fire disturbances in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota (USA). Disturbance interactions were evaluated for two different scenarios: presettlement forests and fire regimes vs. contemporary forests and fire regimes. Forest composition under the contemporary scenario trended toward mixtures of deciduous species (primarily Betula papyrifera and Populus spp.) and shade-tolerant conifers (Picea mariana, Abies balsamea, Thuja occidentalis), with disturbances dominated by a combination of budworm defoliation and high-severity fires. The presettlement scenario retained comparatively more "big pines" (i.e., Pinus strobus, P. resinosa) and tamarack (L. laricina), and experienced less budworm disturbance and a comparatively less-severe fire regime. Spruce budworm disturbance decreased area burned and fire severity under both scenarios when averaged across the entire 300-year simulations. Contrary to past research, area burned and fire severity during outbreak decades were each similar to that observed in non-outbreak decades. Our analyses suggest budworm disturbances within forests of the BWCA have a comparatively weak effect on long-term forest composition due to a combination of characteristics. These include strict host specificity, fine-scaled patchiness created by defoliation damage, and advance regeneration of its primary host, balsam fir (A. balsamea) that allows its host to persist despite repeated disturbances. Understanding the nature of the three-way interaction between budworm, fire, and composition has important ramifications for both fire mitigation strategies and ecosystem restoration initiatives. W

Citation

Sturtevant, Brian R; Miranda, Brian R; Shinneman, Douglas J; Gustafson, Eric J; Wolter, Peter T. 2012. Comparing modern and presettlement forest dynamics of a subboreal wilderness: Does spruce budworm enhance fire risk? Ecological Applications. 22: 1278-1296.
For further details log on website
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/40930

Host range specificity of Scymnus camptodromus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

Author
Limbu, Samita; Cassidy, Katie; Keena, MelodyTobin, Patrick; Hoover, Kelli

Year Published

2015

Publication

Environmental Entomology. 45(1): 94-100.

Abstract

Scymnus (Neopulluscamptodromus Yu and Liu (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was brought to the United States from China as a potential biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Scymnus camptodromus phenology is closely synchronized with that of A. tsugae and has several characteristics of a promising biological control agent. As a prerequisite to field release, S. camptodromus was evaluated for potential nontarget impacts. In host range studies, the predator was given the choice of sympatric adelgid and nonadelgid prey items. Nontarget testing showed that S. camptodromus will feed to some degree on other adelgid species, but highly prefers A. tsugae. We also evaluated larval development of Scamptodromus on pine bark adelgid (Pineus strobi (Hartig)) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) and larch adelgid (Adelges laricis Vallot) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae); a small proportion of predator larvae was able to develop to adulthood on P. strobi or A. laricis alone. Scymnus camptodromus showed no interest in feeding on woolly alder aphid (Paraprociphilus tessellatus Fitch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) or woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann)) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and minimal interest in cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in choice and no-choice experiments. Scymnus camptodromus females did not oviposit on any host material other than A. tsugae-infested hemlock. Under the circumstances of the study, Scamptodromus appears to be a specific predator of A. tsugae, with minimal risk to nontarget species. Although the predator can develop on P. strobi, the likelihood that S. camptodromus would oviposit on pine hosts of this adelgid is small.

Citation

Limbu, Samita; Cassidy, Katie; Keena, Melody; Tobin, Patrick; Hoover, Kelli. 2016. Host range specificity of Scymnus camptodromus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology. 45(1): 94-100. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvv174.
For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/50374

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fasting for Runners

Author BY   ANDREA CESPEDES  Food is fuel, especially for serious runners who need a lot of energy. It may seem counterintuiti...