Researchers make astonishing discovery after examining bird droppings found on lettuce crops: 'We wanted to find out the true risk'
Researchers at the University of California, Davis found that small bird droppings aren't much of a food safety risk for crops, pushing back against long-held fears that wildlife near farms could spread harmful pathogens such as E. coli, as reported on Phys.org. This is good news for farmers and anyone who loves leafy greens, showing that not all bird poop means trouble for your food.
Since a major E. coli outbreak shook the leafy greens industry in 2006, growers have been under pressure to eliminate natural habitats near farms to keep wildlife away from crops. But the research, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, suggests that not all bird droppings are created equal — and size matters more than species.
"We wanted to find out the true risk of wild birds to food safety," said the study's lead author, Austin Spence.
"If it's the size of a quarter, don't harvest near that. If it's a tiny white speck, it's very low risk and probably fine," Spence added. The study found that pathogens are much more likely to survive in the larger droppings of big birds such as turkeys, while tiny droppings from smaller birds such as sparrows and bluebirds dry out quickly and don't provide a hospitable environment for bacteria.
This finding is a big deal for farmers, who often lose crops because of overly cautious food safety rules. Knowing that small bird droppings carry minimal risk means growers can cut down on unnecessary waste and feel more confident keeping wildlife-friendly practices on their farms. Researchers even estimate that farmers could harvest up to 10% more of their fields by skipping no-harvest zones around low-risk droppings.
At the same time, farmers are finding easy, eco-friendly ways to protect their crops without relying on harsh chemicals. They can bring in helpful bugs to keep pests in check instead of using pesticides. They can also place orange peels to keep pests out of their gardens. Research from the University of California suggests that integrating more natural pest control methods can improve crop yields while reducing the environmental impact of farming.
What's most encouraging is that farmers can prioritize food safety without giving up conservation efforts.
"There have been no studies to date that suggest habitat removal improves food safety," said Daniel Karp, a professor at UC Davis.
Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home?
Yes — often
Yes — but only sometimes
Only when it's bad outside
No — I never do
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that conservation efforts on private lands not only support healthy ecosystems but also lead to more productive, sustainable farms.
The findings show that protecting crops and supporting wildlife can work together. Even bird droppings can shift how we think about balancing food safety with sustainable farming. Sometimes, doing less is all it takes to get better results for our food and the environment.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Fox News
Common sweetener could hold untapped potential to fight aggressive cancer, study finds
A household sweetener could hold the potential to create an anti-cancer treatment. New research from Hiroshima University in Japan revealed that stevia leaf extract could help fight pancreatic cancer cells. The leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) are used to make stevia extract, a naturally sweet substance commonly used as a sugar substitute. The study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, investigated the anti-cancer properties of stevia leaf extract when it is fermented with a certain strain of bacteria. In laboratory research, the fermented extract exhibited "significantly enhanced antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity" against pancreatic cancer cells, the researchers revealed. This led them to believe that this substance could serve as a "promising candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment." Paul E. Oberstein, M.D., medical oncologist and assistant director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, shared his thoughts in an interview with Fox News Digital. "This is an interesting study because it evaluated something derived from a natural plant (stevia) and showed that it may have utility in stopping cancer cells from growing in the laboratory," he said. "As the authors point out, the actual stevia plant does not seem to have any benefit for stopping cancer, so they had to use a chemical process to change the plant and make it stronger with a fermentation process." "This is the process of how we discover new treatments – some of which turn out to be absolute game-changers." Oberstein recommended approaching this with caution, as it is unknown whether altering the plant will lead to side effects or toxicity. The study was not performed on humans, so there is "still a lot that's unknown about whether this will help patients," the oncologist added. As stevia extract alone does not have an impact on cancer cells, Oberstein said these findings most likely will not lead to any immediate changes in treatment plans. "The study suggests that if the stevia can be changed in the lab, it may have an impact, so hopefully they will further test this and determine whether this effect happens when tested in people and if it doesn't cause new side effects," he added. "I hope the researchers keep testing this in various formats and in people." Dr. Kristen Arnold, a surgical oncologist and pancreatic cancer specialist at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, reacted to these study findings in a separate interview with Fox News Digital. "Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive malignancy," she said. "And we know that even with the most aggressive of therapies, unfortunately, our outcomes are not good." "As a pancreatic cancer community, we spend a lot of time and there's a lot of ongoing effort into trying to find better modalities to treat this disease." Although more research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings, Arnold said she is encouraged by the study. "I think the data's very early to know if it's ultimately going to be a game-changer, but it's very exciting to know that we're finding some positive pre-clinical data," she said. "This is the process of how we discover new treatments – some of which turn out to be absolute game-changers and make dramatic changes in the lives of our patients." "Not all of it pans out, but it's a process of discovery," Arnold added. For those with pancreatic cancer, Arnold recommends seeking out appropriate clinical trial opportunities as new science develops. "The clinical trials are ultimately what determine how we treat patients on a day-to-day basis," she added. Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
Medical Cannabis Provides Effective Relief From Migraine, Study Suggests
The use of vaporized medical cannabis provided more effective relief for migraine symptoms than a placebo, according to the findings of a recent study. Researchers with the University of California San Diego presented the study's findings at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society last month, according to a report from Medscape Medical News. Nathaniel M. Schuster, a pain and headache neurologist and the lead investigator on the research, said the study's findings are significant. 'This is the first placebo-controlled study in this space. It's the first real — to me — compelling evidence for the antimigraine effects of cannabis in humans,' he said. The study of 92 migraine patients compared the use of vaporized cannabis flower containing either THC or both THC and CBD to a placebo. The research found that subjects who used cannabis were more likely to report pain relief after two hours than those who took a placebo. The data showed that after two hours, 68.9% of migraine patients who used THC cannabis and 67.2% who used marijuana with a combination of THC and CBD reported pain relief, compared to 46.6% of those who took a placebo. Just over half (52.6%) of those who used cannabis with only CBD reported relief, although the researchers did not find the difference compared to placebo to be statistically significant, Marijuana Moment reported. Cannabis Was An Effective Treatment For Sensitivity To Light And Sound Schuster said that the researchers initially had concerns that the effect cannabis had on some of migraine sufferers' most bothersome symptoms, such as sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia), might be caused primarily by nausea relief instead of a broader response to migraine symptoms. 'That's certainly not what we found. What we found is that it does have effects on the photophobia and phonophobia, and that's an important finding,' he said. Amaal J. Starling, MD, associate professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, told Medscape Medical News, that the efficacy and safety of cannabis as a treatment for migraine are not well understood. 'Even though THC/CBD use for the treatment of migraine is a popular topic for patients, there is a paucity of robust clinical trials on this topic. However, people are using cannabis to treat migraine and migraine symptoms, like nausea,' she said. Cannabis And Migraine Previous research has also shown that cannabis may be an effective treatment for migraine. A study published in 2020 showed that cannabis was a more effective treatment for migraine than standard pharmaceutical treatments. Separate research published in 2021 showed that data from a clinically validated survey showed that 86% of respondents reported a decrease in headache impact after using a CBD formulation for a 30-day trial period. Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said the new study is consistent with the reported use of cannabis among migraine patients. 'Nearly one-third of migraine sufferers have tried cannabis for symptom management, and patients consistently report that it significantly reduces their pain severity and migraine frequency,' Armentano said in a statement from cannabis policy reform advocacy group. 'These data further affirm patients' testimonials.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Scientists Find 2 Existing Drugs Can Reverse Alzheimer's Brain Damage in Mice
In efforts to beat Alzheimer's disease, researchers are looking at existing drugs that could tackle the condition, and a new study identifies two promising candidates that are currently used to treat cancer. Already approved by regulators in the US – meaning potential clinical trials for Alzheimer's could start sooner – the drugs are letrozole (usually used to treat breast cancer) and irinotecan (usually used to treat colon and lung cancer). Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Gladstone Institutes started by looking at how Alzheimer's altered gene expression in the brain. They then consulted a medical database called the Connectivity Map to look for drugs that reversed these gene expression changes, and cross-referenced records of patients who had taken these drugs as part of cancer treatments and their likelihood of developing Alzheimer's. Intriguingly, the drugs seemed to have reduced their risk. Related: "Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain, which has made it tough to study and treat, but our computational tools opened up the possibility of tackling the complexity directly," says computational biologist Marina Sirota, from UCSF. "We're excited that our computational approach led us to a potential combination therapy for Alzheimer's based on existing FDA-approved medications." Having picked out letrozole and irinotecan as the best candidates, the researchers tested them in mouse models of Alzheimer's. When used in tandem, the drugs were shown to reverse some of the brain changes brought on by the disease. The harmful clumps of tau protein that build up in brains affected by Alzheimer's were reduced significantly, and the mice showed improvements in learning and memory tasks – two brain capabilities often impaired by Alzheimer's. By combining the two drugs together, the researchers were able to target different types of brain cells affected by the disease. Letorozole seemed to counter Alzheimer's in neurons, while irinotecan worked in glia. "Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health," says neuroscientist Yadong Huang, from UCSF and Gladstone. "This makes it very challenging for drug development – which traditionally produces one drug for a single gene or protein that drives disease." It's a promising start, but there's more work to be done: obviously the drugs have only been directly tested in mice so far, and these medications also come with side effects attached. They need to be reconsidered if the drugs are going to be repurposed for a different disease than what they were originally approved for. One of the next steps should be clinical trials for people with Alzheimer's disease. According to the researchers, this approach could lead to more personalized and effective treatments, based on how gene expression has been altered in each case. It's estimated that more than 55 million people have Alzheimer's today, and as the world's population ages, that's expected to more than double in the next 25 years. Finding ways to prevent the disease and even reverse symptoms would have a huge impact on global health. "If completely independent data sources, such as single-cell expression data and clinical records, guide us to the same pathways and the same drugs, and then resolve Alzheimer's in a genetic model, then maybe we're on to something," says Sirota. "We're hopeful this can be swiftly translated into a real solution for millions of patients with Alzheimer's." The research has been published in Cell. Related News Psilocybin Extends Life of Human Cells by 50% in Wild New Study Celebrity Undergoes Controversial Procedure to Clean Blood of Microplastics COVID Can Cause Alzheimer's-Like Plaques in Eyes And Brain Solve the daily Crossword
