Watch ferocious Utahraptors hunt in the forest
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Are you sleepy all the time? The 10 surprising foods that could be making it worse – and it's bad news for cheese lovers
CONSTANTLY sleepy throughout the day? What you eat may have something to do with it, scientists say. Researchers from Mass General Brigham linked key metabolites - molecules found in the blood that influenced by diet and hormones - to daytime drowsiness. 1 One of these was tyramine, a molecule found in fermented and overripe foods, like cheddar cheese and Parmesan, salami, pickles, soy sauce, tofu and some types of beer. It's not the first time cheese has been linked to poor sleep - researchers from the University of Montreal recently found that dairy could bring on bad dreams. The new study, led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, looked into factors behing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) - a condition causing people to nap repeatedly during the day. They identified seven metabolites which they said were linked to EDS. The findings - published in Lancet eBioMedicine - suggest that excessive sleepiness is caused by internal body processes, such as hormone levels, as well as external factors such as diet. Lead author Tariq Faquih, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said: 'Our study suggests diet and genetics may play an important role in EDS. 'As we learn what's happening biologically, we are beginning to understand how and why EDS occurs, the early signs that someone might have it, and what we can do to help patients.' Researchers collected data on 877 metabolites, using blood samples from 6,000 participants. The team also used data from a questionnaire that assessed how often people dozed off during the day. They identified seven metabolites associated with EDS, as well as an additional three metabolites that varied by sex. I spent three days at a sleep retreat - these are the top 7 things I learnt Tyramine was associated with increased daytime sleepiness, especially in men. Meanwhile, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, were associated with lower risk of EDS. According to Benenden Health, "tyramine causes the adrenal gland to release the 'fight or flight' hormone, which increases alertness for a number of hours". Foods high in tyramine include: Aged cheeses like cheddar, feta, blue, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Camembert, brie, Edam and Gruyere Alcohol such as draft or artisan beer or wine Cured meat and processed meat, such as salami, sausage, bacon, mortadella and pepperoni Yeast-extract spreads, such as Marmite and Vegemite Fermented sauces such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, miso, Worcestershire sauce and teriyaki sauce Pickled or salt-dried foods like fish Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tofu Dried or overripe fruits, such as raisins and overripe bananas or avocados Foods that have not been properly stored or are past their 'best-before' date Coffee Researchers said their results suggest dietary changes or medications may help treat EDS. But they noted that their study had some limitations, including difficulty in interpreting exact values of metabolites and using a sleep questionnaire instead of bringing participants into a sleep lab for tests. The team suggested conducting a clinical trial to see if dietary changes or supplements can help reduce daytime sleepiness. They also identified some unknown metabolites that they plan to explore further. 'Conducting a clinical trial would be a big next step and could help us understand if omega-3s and omega-6s obtained from diet could help lower risk of EDS,' Dr Faquih said. 5 other sleeping hacks The NHS says we should all aim for seven to nine hours a night — but even the best sleepers struggle sometimes. For most of us, a proper night's kip feels like the ultimate prize. So how do you actually get it? Here are some well-known hacks which might be worth a try: 1. The military hack Used by soldiers to fall asleep in just 2 minutes, this technique involves relaxing your entire body step-by-step, starting with your face, then your shoulders, arms, and down to your legs. Clear your mind and take slow, deep breaths. It is meant to work, even if you're lying in a noisy room. 2. The melatonin boost Melatonin is the hormone your body makes to signal bedtime. You can help it along by dimming lights an hour before sleep and avoiding screens. In the UK, melatonin supplements aren't sold over the counter—you need a prescription to get them. 3. Cool down to nod off Your body needs to drop its core temperature to fall asleep easily. Which can be a bit of an issue in the summer. Keep your bedroom cool, around 18C is perfect, and use breathable bedding. Cooler temps help you drift off faster and get deeper sleep. 4. Cut caffeine after midday That afternoon cuppa might keep you wired when you should be winding down. At least eight hours should pass between your last hit of caffeine and bedtime. Try switching to decaf or herbal teas after lunch to avoid a late-night buzz. 5. Breathe and relax Try slow, deep breathing or a quick meditation before bed. It calms your mind and body, making it easier to switch off and drift off.
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
New moon discovered orbiting ice giant Uranus
A new tiny moon has been identified orbiting the planet Uranus, according to NASA. The satellite, spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope, does not have a name yet and has been designated S/2025 U1. First spotted on 2 February by the space-bound telescope, it measures roughly six miles (10km) in diameter and joins 28 other known moons orbiting the icy giant. Maryame El Moutamid, from the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado and lead investigator on the project to study the rings and moons of Uranus, believes its tiny size is likely to be the reason why it has been invisible to telescopes until now. "It's a small moon but a significant discovery, which is something that even NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft didn't see during its flyby nearly 40 years ago," she said. "No other planet has as many small inner moons as Uranus," said Matthew Tiscareno of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, a member of the research team. Mr Tiscareno said the "complex inter-relationships" between Uranus' moons and its faint rings suggest the planet's evolutionary history may have been a chaotic one. The newfound satellite is about 35,000 miles (56,000km) from the centre of the planet, with a near-circular orbit, according to researchers. All of Uranus' moons are named after characters from the works ofShakespeare and Alexander Pope. NASA said the new moon will be named after approval by the International Astronomical Union, which oversees the official naming process for astronomical objects. In 1986, the Voyager 2 probe became the first human-made object to fly past Uranus, giving humanity its first close-up views of the distant planet. The historic encounter yielded more than 7,000 photographs of Uranus and helped scientists discover two new rings and 11 new moons around the planet. The new addition could hint at more tiny moons waiting to be found.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Just when you thought things couldn't get weirder - a rare black moon is rising this weekend
Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder, a rare black moon is set to rise this weekend. It's expected in the early hours of Saturday morning, at around 2:06 a.m. EDT, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. But you don't need to wake up at 2 a.m. to try to catch it. The black moon — which was named fairly recently and is not an official astronomical term — is different than many of the well-known moons of the year, such as the pink, harvest, or blood moons. Unlike the other celestial spectacles, you can't see this one. That's because the black moon is a special kind of new moon. One of the moon's eight phases, a new moon occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, making it invisible from Earth. The black moon marks this invisible phase, with the illuminated side facing the sun and the dark side facing Earth. There are two kinds of black moons: seasonal and monthly. This is a seasonal black moon, which happens once every 33 months or so. Whereas, the monthly black moon refers to when two new moons rise during a single month, with the second considered to be the black moon. In February, the black moon is even less frequent than the seasonal black moon, occurring when there is either no new moon or no full moon. That happens only every 19 years, according to Time and Date. To make matters even more of a headache, the term 'black moon' has also been used to describe the third new moon in a season of four new moons, according to Earthsky. But, that's also often known as a blue moon. So, it may be truthful to use the phrase 'once in a black moon' now. The phrase 'once in a blue moon' dates back to 1528, according to MIT. A blue moon is also the second full moon in a calendar month. So, what's so special about the black moon if you can't even see it and it shares its dates with a blue moon? First, the absence of the moon's light will make stargazing even more dazzling. Often, light from the moon can be strong enough to block out incoming meteor showers. With new moons, the moon has even more of an effect on tides because the sun and Earth are in alignment. The moon's gravitation pull is the primary force that drives ocean tides. The next seasonal black moon is expected on August 20, 2028, and the next monthly black moon will happen on August 31, 2027. If you really want to see something similar to the black moon, try to catch a solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse is slated for August 12, 2026, but you'll need to buy plane tickets to Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, or Russia to see it.
