Latest news with #Hobson
Scientific American
23-05-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
Building an LLM for Dolphin Chatter
A large language model for dolphin vocalization could let us better understand these beloved marine mammals By , Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American 's Science Quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman. There are a few animals that pretty much everyone likes: fluffy pandas, cute kittens and regal tigers. Dolphins would probably make the list for most folks; they're intelligent, playful and have that permanent smile on their face. Watching them darting around in the water kind of makes you wonder: 'What are those guys thinking?' It's a question many scientists have asked. But could we actually find out? And what if we could talk back? On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Freelance ocean writer Melissa Hobson has been looking into a new project that's making a splash—sorry!—in the media: what's being billed as the first large language model, or LLM, for dolphin vocalizations. Could this new tech make direct communication with dolphins a reality? Here's Melissa to share what she's learned. [CLIP: Splash and underwater sounds.] Melissa Hobson: When you dip your head under the waves at the beach, the water muffles the noise around you and everything goes quiet for a moment. People often assume that means the ocean is silent, but that's really not true. Underwater habitats are actually full of noise. In fact, some marine animals rely heavily on sound for communication—like dolphins. [CLIP: A dolphin vocalizations.] If you've ever been in the water with dolphins or watched them on TV, you'll notice that they're always chattering, chirping, clicking and squeaking. While these intelligent mammals also use visual, tactile and chemical cues, they often communicate with each other using vocalizations. Thea Taylor: They have a really, really broad variety of acoustic communication. Hobson: That's Thea Taylor, a marine biologist and managing director of the Sussex Dolphin Project, a dolphin research organization based on England's south coast. She's not involved in the dolphin LLM project, but she's really interested in how AI models such as this one could boost our understanding of dolphin communication. When it comes to vocalizations, dolphins generally make three different types of sounds. Whistles for communication and identification. [CLIP: A dolphin whistles.] Hobson: Clicks to help them navigate. [CLIP: A dolphin makes a clicking noise.] Hobson: And burst pulses, which are rapid sequences of clicks. These tend to be heard during fights and other close-up social behaviors. [CLIP: Dolphins make a series of burst noises.] Hobson: Scientists around the world have spent decades trying to find out how dolphins use sound to communicate and whether the different sounds the mammals make have particular meanings. For example, we know each dolphin has a signature whistle that is essentially its name. But what else can they say? Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist at England's Girton College at the University of Cambridge. He's an expert in animal communication, particularly among predatory species like dolphins and wolves. Arik's not involved in the dolphin LLM work. Arik Kershenbaum: Well, we don't really know everything about how dolphins communicate, and the most important thing that we don't know is: we don't know how much they have to say. They're not all that clear, really, in terms of the cooperation between individuals, just how much of that is mediated through communication. Hobson: Over the years researchers from around the world have collected vast amounts of data on dolphin vocalizations. Going through these recordings manually looking for patterns takes time. Taylor: AI can, A, process data a lot faster than we can. It also has the benefit of not having a human perspective. We almost have an opportunity with AI to kind of let it have a little bit of free reign and look at patterns and indicators that we may not be seeing and we may not be picking up, so I think that's what I'm particularly excited about. Hobson: That's what a team of researchers is hoping to do with an AI project called DolphinGemma, a large language model for dolphin vocalizations created by Google in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology and the nonprofit Wild Dolphin Project. I caught up with Thad Starner, a professor at Georgia Tech and research scientist at Google DeepMind, and Denise Herzing, founder of the Wild Dolphin Project, to find out how the LLM works. The Wild Dolphin Project has spent 40 years studying Atlantic spotted dolphins. This includes recording acoustic data that was used to train DolphinGemma. Then teams at Georgia Tech and Google asked the LLM to generate dolphinlike sound sequences. What it created surprised them all. The AI model generated a type of sound that Thad and his team had been unable to reproduce synthetically using conventional computer programs. Could the ability to create this unique dolphin sound get us a step closer to communicating with these animals? Thad Starner: We've been having a very hard time reproducing particular types of vocalizations we call VCM3s, and it's the way the dolphins prefer to respond to us when we are trying to do our two-way communication work. Hobson: VCM Type 3, or VCM3s, are a variation on the burst pulses we mentioned earlier. Denise Herzing: Traditionally, in experimental studies in captivity, dolphins, for whatever reason, mimicked whistles they were given using a tonal whistle, like [imitates dolphin whistle], right, you would hear it. What we're seeing and what Thad was describing is the way the spotted dolphins that we work with seem to want to mimic, and it's using a click, or two clicks, and it's basically taking out energy from certain frequency bands. [CLIP: A dolphin vocalizes.] Starner: And so when I first saw the results from the first version of DolphinGemma, half of it was, you know, the—mimicking ocean noise. But then the second half of it was actually doing the types of whistles we expect to see from the dolphins, and to my surprise the VCM3s showed up. And I said, 'Oh, my word, the stuff that's the hardest stuff for us to do—we finally have a way to actually create those VCM3s.' Hobson: Another way they will be using the AI is to see how the LLM completes sequences of dolphin sounds. It's a bit like when you're typing into the Google search bar and autocomplete starts finishing your sentence, predicting what you were going to ask. Starner: Once we have DolphinGemma trained up on everything, we can fine-tune on a particular type of vocalization and say, 'Okay, when you hear this what do you predict next?' We can ask it to do it many, many different times and see if it predicts a particular vocalization back, and then we can go back and look at Denise's 40 years of data and say, 'Hey, is this consistent?' Right? It helps us get a magnifying glass to see what we should be paying attention to. Hobson: If the AI keeps spitting back the same answers consistently, it might reveal a pattern. And if the researchers found a pattern, they could then check the Wild Dolphin Project's underwater video footage to see how the dolphins were acting when they made a specific sound. This could add important context to the vocalization. Herzing: 'Okay, what were they doing when we saw Sequence A in these 20 sequences? Were they always fighting? Were they always disciplining their calf?' I mean, we know they have certain types of sounds that are correlated with certain types of behaviors, but what we don't have is the repeated structure that would suggest some languagelike structures in their acoustics. Hobson: The team also wants to see what the animals do when researchers play dolphinlike sounds that have been created by computer programs to refer to items such as seagrass or a toy. To do this the team plans to use a technology called CHAT that was developed by Thad's team. It stands for cetacean hearing augmented telemetry. The equipment, worn while free diving with the dolphins, has the ability to recognize audio and play sounds. Luckily for Denise, who has to wear it, the technology has become much smaller and less cumbersome over the years and is now all incorporated into one unit. It used to be made up of two parts: a chest plate and an arm panel. Starner: And when Denise would actually slide into the water there's a good chance that she could knock herself out. Herzing: [Laughs] I never knocked myself out. Getting in and out was the challenge. You needed a little crane lift, right? 'Drop her in!' Starner: 'Cause the thing was so big and heavy until you got into the water, and it was hard to make something that you could put on quickly. And so we've iterated over the years with a system that was on the chest and on the arm, and now we have this small thing that's just on the chest, and the big change here is that we discovered that the Pixel phones are good enough on the AI now that they can do all the processing in real time much better than the specialty machines we were making five years ago. And so we've gone down from something that was, I don't know, four or five different computers in one box to basically a smartphone, and it's really, really changed what we can do, and, and I'm no longer afraid every time that Denise slides into the water [laughs]. Hobson: The researchers use the CHAT system to essentially label different items. Two free divers get into the water with dolphins nearby. If the researchers can see they won't be disturbing the dolphins' natural behaviors, they use their CHAT device to play a made-up dolphinlike sound while holding or passing a specific object. The hope is that the dolphins might learn which sounds refer to different items and mimic those specific noises to ask for the corresponding objects. Herzing: You wanna show the dolphins how the system works, not just expect them to just figure it out quickly and absorb it, right? So another human and I, another researcher, we are asking each other for toys using our little synthetic whistles. We exchange toys, we play with them while the dolphins are around watching, and if the dolphins wanna get in the game, they can mimic the whistle for that toy, and we'll give it to 'em. [00:08:53] Hobson: For example, this is the sound researchers use for a scarf. The dolphins like to play with scarves. [CLIP: Scarf vocalization sound.] Hobson: And Denise has a specific whistle she uses to identify herself. [CLIP: Denise's scarf vocalization sound.] Hobson: But could the team be unintentionally training the dolphins, like when you teach a dog to sit? Here's what Thea had to say. Taylor: I think my hesitation is whether that's the animal actually understanding language or whether it's more like: 'I make this sound in relation to this thing, I get a reward.' This is where we have to be careful that we don't kind of bring in the human bias and the 'oh, it understands this' kind of excitement—which I get, I totally get. People want to feel like we can communicate with dolphins because, I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to talk to a dolphin? But I think we do have to be careful and look at it from a very kind of unbiased and scientific point of view when we're looking at the concept of language and what animals understand. Hobson: This is where we need to pause and get our dictionary out. Because if we're trying to discover whether dolphins have language, we need to be clear on exactly what language is. Kershenbaum: Well, there's no one really good definition of language, but I think that one of the things that really has to be present if we're going to give it that very distinguished name of 'language' is that these different communicative symbols, or sounds or words or whatever you want to call them, need to be able to be combined in different ways so that there's really—you could almost say almost anything, you know; if you can combine different sounds or different words into different sentences, then you have at your disposal an infinite range of concepts that you can convey. And it's that ability to—really to be unlimited in what you can say that seems to be what's the important part of what language is. Hobson: So if we understand language as the ability to convey an infinite number of things, rather than just assigning different noises to different objects, can we say that dolphins have language? At the moment Arik thinks the answer is probably no. Kershenbaum: So they clearly have the cognitive ability to identify objects and distinguish between different objects by different sounds. That's not quite the same, or it's not even close to being the same, as having language. And we know that, that it's possible to teach dolphins to understand human language. If I had to guess, I would say that I think dolphins probably don't have a language in the sense that we have a language, and the reason for that is quite simple: language is a very complicated and expensive thing to have—it's something that uses up an awful lot of our brain—and it only evolves if it provides some evolutionary benefit. And it's not at all clear what evolutionary benefit dolphins would have from language. Hobson: To Arik this research project is not about translating the sounds the animals make but seeing if they appear to recognize complex AI sequences as having meaning. Kershenbaum: So there's that wonderful example in the movie Star Trek [IV]: The Voyage Home where the crew of the Enterprise are trying to communicate with humpback whales. And Kirk asks Spock, you know, 'Can we reply to these animals?' And he says, 'We could simulate the sounds but not the language. We would be responding in gibberish.' Now there's a couple of reasons why they would be responding in gibberish. One is that when you listen to a few humpback whales you cannot possibly have enough information to build a really detailed map of what that communication looks like. When you train large language models on human language you are using the entirety of the Internet—billions upon billions of utterances are being analyzed. None of us investigating animal communication have a dataset anywhere near the size of a human dataset, and so it's extremely difficult to have enough information to reverse engineer and understand meaning just from looking at sequences. Hobson: There's another problem. When we translate one human language to another we know the meanings of both languages. But that's not true for dolphin communication. Kershenbaum: When we're working with animals we actually don't know what a particular sequence means. We can identify, perhaps, that sequences have meaning, but it's very, very difficult to understand what that meaning is without being able to ask the animal themselves, which, of course, requires language in the first place. So it's a very circular problem that we face in decoding animal communication. Hobson: Denise says this project isn't exactly about trying to talk to dolphins—at least not yet. The possibility of having a true conversation with these animals is a long way off. But researchers are optimistic that AI could open new doors in their quest to decode dolphins' whistles. Ultimately, they hope to find potential meanings within the sequences. So could DolphinGemma help us figure out if dolphins and other animals have language? Thad hopes so. Starner: With language comes culture, and I'm hoping that if we start doing this two-way work, the dolphins will reveal to us new things we'd never expected before. I mean, we know that they dive deep in some of these areas and see stuff that humans have never seen. We know they have lots of interactions with other marine life that we have no idea about. Hobson: But even if it's unlikely we'll be having a chat with Flipper anytime soon, scientists are interested to see where this might lead. Humans often see language as the thing that sets us apart from animals. Might people have more empathy for cetaceans—that's whales, dolphins and porpoises—if we discovered they use language? Taylor: As someone who's particularly interested, obviously, in cetacean communication, I think this could be [a] really vital step forward for being able to understand it, even in kind of the more basic senses. If we can start to get more of a picture into the world of cetaceans, the more we understand about them, the more we can protect them, the more we can understand what's important. So yeah, I'm excited to see what this can do for the future of cetacean conservation. Feltman: That's all for this week's Friday Fascination. We're taking Monday off for Memorial Day, but we'll be back on Wednesday. In the meantime, we'd be so grateful if you could take a minute to fill out our ongoing listener survey. We're looking to find out more about our listeners so we can continue to make Science Quickly the best podcast it can be. If you submit your answers this month, you'll be eligible to win some sweet SciAm swag. Go to to fill it out now. Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was reported and co-hosted by Melissa Hobson and edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why you should eat more potatoes – and the healthiest ways to cook them
Boiled, mashed, fried or baked, potatoes have long been a beloved part of the British diet. From fish and chips to bangers and mash or perfectly crisped with a Sunday roast, they're the classic comfort food. Ever since the 1500s, when they were first brought to Europe from South America, potatoes have been a favourite filling staple. But the once undisputed king of carbs is losing its place on British plates, edged out by rice and noodles. Vilified by the protein-loving, anti-carb brigade, blamed for everything from weight gain to blood-sugar spikes; it's no wonder the potato has lost its crown. But the humble spud has does not deserve this bad rap. 'I often tell clients to consider swapping some of the rice or pasta that they eat each week for potatoes,' says Sophie Trotman, a nutritionist. 'Potatoes contain a lot of micronutrients, as well as a good amount of fibre and resistant starch, both of which are crucial to gut health and may help prevent bowel cancer.' Here is why potatoes can be a health superhero – if eaten in the right way. The health benefits The drawbacks How much potato should I eat? The healthiest way to eat potatoes Healthiest types of potatoes Recipes Potatoes have many health benefits, including: High in vitamins and minerals High in fibre and resistant starch Packed with antioxidants Can boost skin health and the immune system Good for gut health Low in calories Super satiating Potatoes contain a huge array of micronutrients: they are packed with large amounts of vitamins C and B6, potassium, folate and magnesium, along with some iron and phosphorus. A medium-sized russet potato contains around 17mg of phosphorous (which is good for bone and muscle health), nearly half the daily intake recommended by the NHS, and more potassium (which helps regulate fluids and blood pressure) than a banana. Both make potatoes excellent for the health of your skin and immune system. 'The vitamin B6 in potatoes plays an important role in supporting the nervous system,' says Rob Hobson, a nutritionist and the author of Unprocess Your Family Life. 'The potassium they contain contributes to blood pressure regulation and normal muscle function.' Magnesium, meanwhile, is important for healthy sleep. Despite all of this, 'potatoes themselves are relatively low in calories – it's often what we do to them that makes the difference,' notes Hobson. Around 100g of plain potato contains around 80 calories, a meagre amount compared with the same serving of cooked white pasta, which can come in at up to 200 calories. Then there are the antioxidants that come with potatoes. The root vegetable is rich in flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, all of which can be protective against cancer, diabetes and heart disease. 'Purple or orange-fleshed potatoes are higher in antioxidants because their colour indicates a higher level of polyphenols,' Hobson explains. 'But even white potatoes contain a good amount, which is one of the reasons they're such a nutritious food.' The main reason nutritionists rave about the health benefits of potatoes, however, is their fibre content. 'A medium potato contains around 2g of insoluble fibre, which means that they are great for keeping you regular and also for balancing your blood sugar,' says Trotman. White potatoes are a complex carbohydrate, meaning that they take more energy to digest and stay in your system for longer. This puts them 'more on par with brown rice or pasta health-wise than with white pasta, rice or bread, which are refined carbohydrates,' Trotman adds. Potatoes that have been cooked and then cooled also contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that can't be digested well by the small intestine, so instead ferments in the large intestine, 'acting as a prebiotic,' Trotman says. This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids that contribute to various health benefits, such as reduced inflammation and lower blood sugar. Another score for potatoes: they are the most filling and satisfying food on the planet. Boiled potatoes top the satiety index, created in the 1990s by Australian researcher Dr Susanna Holt, which ranks different foods for their ability to quell hunger relative to their calorie content. 'Potatoes are naturally filling thanks to their water content, resistant starch, fibre, and overall bulk,' explains Hobson. By Holt's ranking, potatoes are twice as filling as wholemeal bread and three times as filling as white bread. 'You don't need to eat a huge amount to feel satisfied, which makes them a helpful food if you're looking to manage your weight,' Hobson says. Low in protein Contain solanine, which can cause nausea High glycaemic index Being such a dense source of carbohydrates, potatoes lack both fat and protein. 'This is why I wouldn't recommend that people eat potatoes for three meals a day every day,' says Trotman. That said, 'usually people don't eat potatoes on their own. I'd just advise pairing them with a lean protein like fish or chicken.' Further to this, potatoes are high on the glycemic index, a ranking of carbohydrate-based foods for their propensity to spike blood sugar, followed by blood sugar dips 'that can make people crave sugary or starchy foods more quickly,' Trotman explains. Foods that have a high glycemic index should be eaten carefully by people with prediabetes or diabetes for this reason. 'Getting through a lot of potatoes in one sitting can be a problem for your blood sugar and can potentially contribute to excess calorie consumption,' she adds. 'They're an excellent food to have as a regular part of your diet – you just need to be careful to eat them in moderation and be aware of the right portion sizes for your meals.' 'Potatoes belong to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and aubergines,' Hobson explains. 'This means they contain solanine – a natural compound that can cause issues like nausea or abdominal pain for some people in large amounts. You'll mostly find it in sprouting or green potatoes, so just cut away any green or soft bits and sprouts before cooking.' Potatoes are no more fattening than any other food, in and of themselves. 'Carbohydrates contain fewer calories per gram than fat — but it depends how you prepare them,' says Hobson. 'Adding butter, cheese, or cream to potatoes increases their calorie content significantly. Fat also makes food more palatable, which can lead to overeating.' This goes a long way in explaining why chips, especially the triple-cooked sort, coming in at up to 250 calories per 100g, can quickly become fattening. 'It's very easy to get through a lot of chips in a sitting,' says Trotman. 'I think that this explains why potatoes have a reputation for causing weight gain.' Boiled potatoes may top the satiety rankings, but fried, roasted, baked or mashed potatoes are less filling, as they lose some of their water content as they are cooked. According to the NHS, starchy carbs like potatoes should make up around a third of your daily food intake. The official daily guideline intake of carbs for women is 230g per day, while men should aim for 300g per day, around a third of the daily calorie requirement for both sexes respectively. 'I wouldn't recommend that you get all of your carbohydrates from potatoes. As with anything, variety is important to a healthy diet and eating a wide range of carb sources helps you eat different types of meals,' says Trotman. That said, if you were to eat potatoes alone to meet your carb needs, you could eat around nine medium boiled potatoes every day if you were a woman, or twelve if you were a man. Nutritional values are per 100g 86 calories, 0.1g fat The potato that takes the crown as healthiest is unsurprising: 'boiled is best,' say both Hobson and Trotman, 'but obviously not if they're covered in butter,' Hobson points out. A tablespoon of butter adds around 100 calories. If you must add fats, both Hobson and Trotman recommend olive oil. It is slightly more calorific per tablespoon, 'but better for your heart, and contains lots of polyphenols,' Trotman says. 'It can be helpful to add other flavourings like salt, black pepper, garlic or thyme, or milk instead of butter in the case of mash, so that you aren't tempted to load up with fat,' adds Trotman. They are maximally satiating and easy to cook. 'I often add vegetables to potatoes; it's a simple way to tick off more nutrients in one go,' Hobson says. 93 calories, 0.1g fat A plain baked potato contains slightly more calories per-gram, as it loses water during the baking process (and therefore some of its satiety too). But we all know that a baked potato is really a vessel for toppings, and that's where calories and fat can creep in. Fortunately 'there are lots of healthy options,' says Trotman. 'I like a tuna mayo, with lots of sweetcorn and Greek yogurt instead of full-fat mayonnaise.' 120 calories, 6g fat They may be the nation's favourite, but a roast potato can quickly become super calorific. According to some recipes, where your handful of potatoes are to be brushed with minimal olive oil, they can be kept relatively low-calorie – but this is not what most of us look for in our roasties. A 100g serving of roast potatoes cooked in beef dripping or goose fat can come in at 160 calories, and that's if you can restrain yourself to the three or so chunks recommended. Whatever you do, don't buy bags of frozen roast potatoes. Shop-bought frozen roasties 'usually contain a lot of UPFs, which make them worse for your health,' says Trotman. Hobson suggests that you 'boil them first, then rough them up to get that crispy texture. Drizzle with a little oil before roasting.' 187 calories, 9.4g fat Like baked potatoes, mashed potato loses its water content but also its fibre, if stripped of its skin. The pulpy texture of mash also makes it easier for your body to break down, and therefore it becomes less filling. 'Mash can still be healthy,' says Hobson, 'but be mindful of what you're mixing in. A splash of semi-skimmed milk gives creaminess with far fewer calories than cream.' Around 100ml of single cream introduces nearly 200 calories to your potatoes. The same measure of semi-skimmed milk, on the other hand, comes with around 50 calories. It might be unconventional, but if you must add fat, then you're better off making it olive oil rather than butter, Hobson adds. 'If you're adding fat, olive oil is a better option than butter,' he recommends. 'And keep the skin on — that's where most of the fibre and nutrients are.' 202 calories, 7.1g fat They may be less calorific than mash, but chips are usually worse for your health. Shop-bought chips vary widely in calorie content, but some of the most popular name brands come in at around 200 calories per 100g serving, 'with a lot of less healthy oils that are bad for your heart,' Trotman says – such as rapeseed and sunflower oil – along with preservatives and stabilisers, which come with the same health risks as shop-bought roast potatoes. 'They're also not usually made of whole potato, another sign of unnecessary processing that strips them of fibre,' Trotman adds. 'If you're making chips at home, leave the skin on. It's an easy win for fibre and nutrients,' says Hobson. A 100g serving of homemade chips cooked in a drizzle of olive oil would come in at about the same calorie content as healthier homemade roast potatoes. Chip shop chips meanwhile, fried multiple times in oils that have been left to go rancid and served with copious amounts of salt, are likely worst of all for your heart and waistline alike. Sweet potato has a reputation as a health food. But white potatoes are almost as good, says Trotman. 'What you get with sweet potatoes is more antioxidants and vitamins, as you can see from their colour,' she explains. Sweet potatoes also contain slightly more fibre, at 2.1g versus 1.6g per 100g, respectively. The idea that sweet potatoes 'have half the calories' is myth, however – 'and if you load them up with salt, they are going to become unhealthy quickly too'. 'When it comes to white potato varieties – Charlotte, Russet, Maris Piper, Yukon Gold, King Edward – they're all fairly similar nutritionally,' says Hobson. 'Yukon Gold might be better for mash thanks to its creamy texture, which might mean you need less added fat.' Trotman notes that Russet potatoes have a slightly higher glycaemic index score compared with other varieties, while Charlotte potatoes are lower on the scale, 'but nutritionally they're very similar,' she agrees. By Sophie Trotman 'No,' says Hobson. 'The skin holds most of the fibre and many nutrients. Just wash them well and leave the skin on, even for mash.' 'Yes, just cut out the green and soft parts and any sprouts,' says Trotman. 'They contain solanine, but as long as you don't eat a lot of them, they're safe,' Trotman says. 'Keep them in a cool, dark place, but not in the fridge. And don't store them near onions, as that can speed up spoilage,' Hobson advises. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The healthiest (and most delicious) way to eat chicken – and what to avoid
Forget your showstopper dish from a fine dining restaurant menu – my desert island meal would be classic roast chicken. Crispy skin, juicy herb-scented meat (a thigh for me please) and lemony pan juices spooned over; nothing comes close, in my book. It's not just outrageously good to eat, but to me, it tastes like home. And thankfully we haven't followed in the footsteps of some of our friends from the United States who like to douse theirs in chlorine. Chances are, chicken holds a similar place in your affections. For many of us it is steeped in nostalgia; memories of Sunday family roasts or chicken sandwiches on picnics can bring happiness with every bite. It's little wonder, then, that we eat more of it than any other meat. Last year, each of us got through more than 35kg, according to the British Poultry Council. That's the equivalent of 400 chicken dinners a year, per person. And it's not only a culinary favourite, but also offers a big boost to our health. With growing concerns about red meat, and the boom in high-protein diets promising everything from muscle maintenance to longevity, it's easy to see how chicken has claimed a healthy pride of place on the British table. So which bits are better than others and what is the healthiest, as well as the most delicious way, to eat it? White versus brown meat – which cuts are healthiest? Chicken breast Per 100g serving (roasted, skinless): Fat = 3.6g; Protein = 31g; Calories = 165 Chicken breast is the nation's favourite cut by far (so much so that we have to import it to satisfy demand, while less-loved thighs and drumsticks are exported). It's also long been considered the healthiest option. 'White meat, like breast, is lower in fat and calories while the darker meat like thighs and drumsticks contains slightly more fat but also higher amounts of iron and zinc,' says Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Family Life. Skinless roasted chicken breast contains around 3.6g of fat per 100g, is high in protein (31g per 100g) and a solid source of vitamins B3 and B6, which help the body convert food into energy, support brain and nerve function. It's also rich in selenium, which supports thyroid function and the immune system. 'It ticks a lot of boxes, especially for active people or anyone trying to build or maintain muscle,' Hobson says. Per 100g serving (roasted, skinless): Fat = 10g; Protein = 31g; Calories 205 Brown meat from the legs and thighs is higher in fat (almost 10g per 100g) including almost three times as much saturated fat, and more cholesterol. But brown meat also contains slightly more zinc and iron. In fact, a 2023 review in the Frontiers journal found chicken leg meat may contain nearly twice as much haem iron – the type that's most readily absorbed – than breast meat. 'But in terms of nutrients, there really isn't that much difference,' says Jessica Andersson, a nutritional therapist and nutritional chef. Zinc supports immunity, bone health and thyroid function while iron helps supports energy production and immune function. Roast chicken skin Per 100g serving : Fat = 40g; Protein = 20g; Calories = 454 Crispy chicken skin is completely delicious, and the good news is it might not be the dietary villain it's often made out to be. It is, undeniably, high in fat – about 40g per 100g – which bumps up the calorie count of your Sunday roast. But around 65 per cent of that is unsaturated fat, the kind considered beneficial when eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet. 'If you're on a low-fat diet, I would generally recommend removing the skin,' says Andersson. 'But for someone who's healthy and has a generally good diet overall, eating chicken skin really isn't an issue, although eating a lot of it every day wouldn't be recommended.' Bone broth Per 100g serving: Fat = 0.5g; Protein = 2.6g; Calories = 18 What about bone broth? Is this intense version of chicken stock just a wellness wheeze or can it really support our health? Andersson is a fan of the proper homemade stuff, when the chicken carcass and bones are simmered low and slow for six to eight hours, so the collagen has time to break down into gelatin. Gelatin is rich in amino acids (the building blocks of protein) such as glycine and proline, which may support joint, skin and gut health. It's gentle on the digestive system, too, and can help maintain the gut lining, especially during illness or recovery. 'You also get protein, B vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium,' Andersson says. It's especially nourishing for people with a poor appetite, a result of illness for example, and an excellent way to get maximum value and goodness from one bird. Is organic chicken better for you? Organic chickens can be eye-wateringly expensive compared to intensively farmed birds, but Andersson believes they have a nutritional edge. 'The problem with intensively farmed chickens is that often they are given antibiotics and kept in very crowded, stressful environments, which can directly affect the quality of their nutrient profile,' she says. If your budget allows, she recommends choosing an organic bird – Soil Association certification is widely regarded as the highest welfare standard. 'With a properly certified organic chicken you can be sure that no antibiotics or hormones have been used, and that it's been kept in a higher welfare environment, so it's going to be better for you,' she says. Studies, including a review in the British Journal of Nutrition, show that organic chickens can contain more healthy omega-3 and polyunsaturated fats, probably because their diets are richer in grass and forage. If you can't stretch to organic, free-range is the next best option. The meat on organic and free-range birds tends to be leaner because they grow more slowly and live more active lives, which partly explains why they take less time to cook than intensively reared chickens. As well as less fat they also contain less water, and the meat tends to be denser and less artificially plumped, so heat penetrates more efficiently. If free-range isn't an option, choose chicken with the RSPCA Assured label, which ensures higher welfare standards than the Red Tractor scheme. Some retailers also offer their own higher-welfare indoor options. Terms like British, Fresh or Corn-Fed on supermarket labels offer no guarantee that the chickens were raised to higher welfare standards. What exactly is chlorinated chicken? Chlorine-washed chicken is banned in the UK and EU but is still common in the US. The practice involves washing chicken in a diluted chlorine solution to kill bacteria, but the chemicals aren't the problem. According to the National Farmers Union, the practice can mask the fact the birds may have been raised in lower-welfare, less hygienic environments. Healthiest cooking methods The way chicken is cooked can either support its health credentials or undermine them completely. But healthy cooking doesn't have to mean bland or dry. Poaching ' Poaching is one of the healthiest ways to cook chicken because it doesn't require any added fat,' explains Hobson. 'The trick is to build flavour into the cooking liquid, so use stock or add aromatics to the water like garlic, onion, ginger, lemongrass, bay leaves, peppercorns and fresh herbs.' Andersson often spikes chicken poaching liquid with simple flavourings like soy sauce and fresh ginger. Breast meat can easily dry out, even when poached, so soaking it overnight in the liquid before poaching helps keep it juicy. 'More of the flavours permeate the chicken and makes it very moist,' she says. She often shreds poached chicken, tosses it with a dressing or sauce, and adds it to salads and lettuce cups. She makes her favourite sauce simply by blending herbs, citrus and natural yogurt. 'Big bunches of mint, coriander, yogurt and lemon juice work beautifully, particularly in the summer,' she says. Yogurt also delivers an extra protein boost and supports gut health. Save the poaching liquor, she urges – it's full of nutrients – to use in soups and sauces. 'Many of the health benefits in the chicken are in the poaching liquid as well,' she says. Roasting Many of us assume roasting isn't the ideal way to cook chicken, health wise, but thankfully this isn't the case. 'Roasting is a healthy way to cook chicken, especially if you're not drowning it in oil or cooking at very high temperatures that blackens or chars the skin,' says Hobson. 'It locks in flavour without the need for too much added fat, which is ideal if you're watching your energy intake or trying to cook a little lighter.' In fact, there's enough fat in and under the skin of a chicken to make it unnecessary to add any oil at all before roasting – you'll still get wonderful crisp skin without it. Andersson is a fan of pot roasting. 'All the juices are released into the bottom of the pot, and you get a very tender bird,' she says. She rubs the chicken inside and out with lemon juice and spices, puts it into a pot with 200ml of water and roasts it with the lid on for 90 minutes at 160C. She then roasts it for a further 30 minutes with the lid off to crisp the skin. Skim the fat off the liquid left in the pot and you have an intensely flavoured sauce. Air frying and pan frying Air fryers offer the golden crunch of fried chicken with little to no added oil. 'It's quick and convenient, so great for people trying to prep meals midweek without turning to processed options,' says Hobson. Chicken thighs, drumsticks and homemade goujons all work well in an air fryer. Deep-fried chicken is best kept as an occasional treat, both experts agree. It's high in unhealthy fats and calories due to the oil it absorbs during cooking, which can contribute to weight gain and heart disease. Often, it's coated in salty, starchy batters and cooked at high temperatures, potentially forming harmful compounds and reducing its overall nutritional value. To minimise the health risks, coat the chicken in flour rather than fat-absorbing batter. And use olive oil (not virgin or extra virgin) or sunflower oil for deep frying to minimise the risk, as both have high smoke points. Never re-use the oil. Pan-frying, however, can still be part of a healthy meal. 'A well-drained piece of pan-fried chicken cooked in a small amount of oil has its place,' says Hobson. Grilling and barbecuing Grilling and barbecuing are other ways cook chicken with minimal oil, and they deliver delicious smoky flavours, too. But high heat can carry risks. 'When meat is cooked at very high temperatures, particularly on the barbecue, compounds called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can form,' says Hobson. 'These have been linked to health risks when consumed in large amounts over time.' Hobson stresses he's not suggesting you shun barbecues altogether, but it's wise to avoid excessive charring. 'Marinate your chicken, cook it over a lower flame and don't burn it to a crisp,' he notes. Marinating Marinating the chicken overnight before cooking delivers tender flesh with loads of extra flavour, which is especially important for mild-tasting and lean breasts, which tend to dry out. 'Even 30 minutes of marinating helps,' Hobson says. For some, a yogurt or lemon coating may make the chicken easier to digest, as it may help to break down the protein. Andersson's go-to marinade base for a whole bird or chicken pieces before grilling, barbecuing or roasting is plain yogurt. 'It's a natural tenderiser,' she explains. 'One of my favourites is to mix it with turmeric, ginger, garlic, cumin and lemon juice.' For something spicier, she'll use a marinade of soy sauce, mirin, star anise, ginger and chilli. Or for a Mexican vibe smoked paprika, cumin, lime juice, oregano and olive oil. Hobson loves yogurt as a marinade base, too, and adds spice blends like ras el hanout, jerk seasoning or za'atar to create something extra tasty. 'You can also rub chicken with a paste made from tomato purée, smoked paprika, cumin and a splash of olive oil before baking or air frying,' he recommends. 'Marinating is a great option for boosting flavour without adding lots of fat or salt.' What to serve it with The nutritional value of a chicken meal depends as much on the sides as on the cooking method. According to Hobson, many people who consume lots of chicken to boost their protein intake often forget about fibre, a nutrient most of us need to eat more of. 'Ultimately, the cooking method you choose matters,' he says, but it's also about what you're pairing it with, so serve your chicken alongside plenty of veg, wholegrains or plant-based ingredients.' [ suggested recipe or this one ]
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 cheap, ultra-processed foods that can form part of a healthy diet
We all know that eating too many sugary sweets, ready meals and fizzy drinks isn't good for our health. But a new study has shed light on just how serious the impact of eating high amounts of ultra-processed foods could be, linking them to as many as 18,000 premature deaths a year. The research, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, analysed dietary and mortality data from eight countries, including Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the UK and the USA. The study authors found that early death attributable to UPFs significantly increased in countries like the UK, where ultra-processed foods make up a large proportion of the average person's diet. In England, it's estimated that these foods, which are typically manufactured to contain lots of additives and sweeteners, account for a whopping 53.4% of our daily diet. Unsurprisingly, concerns about the health impacts of UPFs have made media headlines in recent months, causing many people to attempt to cut them from their diet entirely. But nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of 'Unprocess Your Family Life', argues that this all-or-nothing approach overlooks a very important factor: not all UPFs are made equal. In fact, he thinks some can actually be very good for us. "The current 'NOVA' system for categorising ultra-processed foods is very broad and lumps vastly different foods together," he notes. "For example, we've ended up with wholemeal bread, which often contains one extra additive, falling within the same category as high-sugar confectionary and drinks. "As a general rule of thumb, wholemeal breads don't behave like 'classic' nutrient-poor UPFs because they are packed with essential nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals – things we all need to stay healthy,' he notes. 'So blanket labelling foods can quickly turn a nuanced issue into a black-and-white debate, and then people feel judged for the food choices they're making." Keen to learn more? Here, Hobson shares five so-called ultra-processed foods that he believes can form part of a healthy daily diet… Creamy and rich, middle-eastern hummus is typically made from blending chickpeas, garlic, tahini and olive oil into a tasty dip. However, store bought options can technically be classed as ultra-processed, as they often contain preservatives like potassium sorbate or citric acid to extend their shelf life. "Eating store bought hummus isn't going to be causing you any ill health," Hobson assures. "In fact, the high chickpea content is a rich source of fibre, healthy fats, iron, magnesium and plant protein. "Often, hummus is one of the only healthy snacks that parents can get their kids to eat, and if you're serving it with a wholemeal pitta bread or raw vegetables, it's going to significantly boost your children's daily fibre intake, which we know often falls short in the UK," he clarifies. Delicious spread on toast or spooned over a jacket potato, many people class eating a can of baked beans as a 'lazy' treat meal. But Hobson argues that this store cupboard staple has lot of good stuff going for it. "While baked beans do contain modified starch, there are also nearly 10 grams of fibre in just half a can – that's a third of your daily intake," he points out. Adults are generally recommended to get around 30g of dietary fibre each day, to support digestion, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of bowel cancer. However, the latest figures suggest that the average fibre intake for adults sits at just 18g, 60% of what it should be. "There's a long-running fear that baked beans contain a lot of sugar, but if you look at most supermarket cans, they tend to fall into the green zone on the traffic light system, with less than a teaspoon per serving," says Hobson. "A can also counts towards one of your five a day, and when you team them with wholemeal bread and scrambled egg, baked beans can form the base of a really cheap, nutritious meal." Breakfast cereals have got a bit of a bad rep in recent years, thanks to the overwhelming amount of sugar-laden varieties marketed towards children. But Hobson reckons the humble Weetabix remains one of the healthiest breakfast foods going, particularly if you team it with fresh fruits, seeds and a dollop of nut butter. "Not only is Weetabix full of dietary fibre, but it's also fortified with vitamins and minerals," he notes. "As nearly 50% of teenage girls don't get enough iron in their diet, a daily bowl of Weetabix can be really helpful for making sure picky eaters and children with bland food preferences get their nutrients." Many types of mass-produced, sliced breads are considered ultra-processed because they contain ingredients like emulsifiers and preservatives to keep them fresh in the supermarket. But rather than cutting toast out entirely, Hobson says we need to take a nuanced view on our bread consumption. "Despite being a UPF, wholemeal bread is actually very good for us," says Hobson. "It contains lots of fibre and B vitamins, which are important for proper functioning of the nervous system. "While bread does contain some emulsifiers and preservatives, like mono diglycerides, the quantity consumed is typically small – especially if you're having just a few slices in a lunchtime sandwich," he explains. "So the nutritional benefits, particularly the high fibre content, tend to outweigh the minimal processing." If you're concerned about extra additives, Hobson says: "You can always check the back of the pack in the bread aisle to see which loaf has the least amount." After a long day at the office, many of us struggle to summon the energy to pull out a chopping board and whip up a fresh pasta sauce. But if you often rely on jarred sauces for a convenient dinner option, Hobson assures that you don't need to panic about the long-term impact on your health. "Like baked beans, jarred tomato sauces can contain one of your five-a-day, and if you're a busy parent or you've got back-to-back meetings, often quick, grab-and-go options are all that's available," he says. "People often worry that jarred sauces contain lots of sugar, but much of that sugar content naturally comes from tomatoes themselves, rather than refined varieties. And while they might contain stabilisers to maintain shelf life and consistency, often these are in such small amounts that you don't need to unnecessarily stress about it." When it comes to navigating UPFs, Hobson's advice is reassuringly simple: "You have to use your common sense, and consider how much money, time and space in your kitchen you have to store and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables for every meal. "We're all busy people, we can only do the best we can, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts now and again." Read more on UPFs: The five worst ultra-processed foods you need to avoid (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read) Rates of addiction to ultra processed foods 'about the same' as tobacco and cocaine (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read) Ultra-processed foods account for nearly half of calories eaten by UK toddlers, study finds (Euro News, 3-min read)
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC subway assaults surge — and critics warn it'll get worse with congestion pricing: ‘Forcing more New Yorkers underground'
Assaults are surging this year in the subway system — and critics fear it's getting worse with overcrowding caused by congestion pricing. Felony assaults are up 9% so far this year, going from 168 to 183 over the same period last year, according to the NYPD data. And they're up a staggering 55% over 2019, the data show. Of the felony assaults, 54 or about 30%, were against police officers, according to the NYPD. Misdemeanor assaults have fallen 2% so far this year from 466 to 456, but are up 3% from six years ago. 'This should not be a Hobson's choice, but that is what Gov. Hochul has made it,' Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The Post, referring to the governor's support for the wildly controversial $9 congestion tax in Manhattan. 'People either need to cough up thousands of dollars a year or risk their safety.' Those fears turned to reality Friday morning when a 38-year-old man was stabbed to death after he got into a dispute with a rider who stepped on his foot on a downtown No. 5 train at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station in Manhattan, police sources said. Commuters — especially those who traded in their car keys for MetroCards — were alarmed by the assault spike. 'I think it's gonna keep getting worse with more people down here,' said G.J. Emajli Kraku, a plumber who travels to the city from Bellmore, LI. 'I used to drive into the city every day, but it was going to cost 120 bucks to take the car in.' Hochul said on the state's website last month that subway and bus ridership was up 6% and 9%, respectively, since the toll was enacted Jan. 5. City Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens) called the subway the 'city's de facto mental institution and homeless shelter, except without the doctors, beds, or security. 'Forcing more New Yorkers underground with this ridiculous congestion pricing scheme is going to put more people into contact with the dangerously unwell,' the councilwoman said. 'That's a recipe for disaster.' City officials have been trying to stem the rising fears. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has ramped up the number of cops underground and ordered them to even patrol trains. The NYPD has also been drilling down on quality of life crimes — laying on benches, farebeating and other violations. And Mayor Eric Adams kicked off the Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) to aid the homeless by sending cops with outreach workers into the subways. News of an increased police presence was a welcomed sight to nurse Annemarie Lawson, 64, who travels by subway from Chelsea to Mount Eden in the Bronx. 'I have noticed that they're putting police on the subways, and that's really helpful because I come down here at 5 a.m. and it's really desolate, so I ride with them when they're down there,' she said. But Lawson still has 'an overall feeling of insecurity.' 'People carry knives all the time, it's really hard to stop them, and that's really scary,' she said. Subway rider LaShawn Russell said he's forced to keep his head on a swivel. The 34-year-old treks to NYC from Rahlway, NJ, most weekdays where he works in home health care. 'I see crazy s–t in the subway every time I take it,' Russell said. Alisha, 18, commutes from Uniondale, LI, to John Jay College every weekday, where she is studying international criminal justice. She said the rising crime makes her 'really uncomfortable.' 'It's started to become more and more often, and I think we're just getting used to it, but that's not right – we shouldn't be getting used to having threats on the subway all the time,' she said. 'Too many people are getting hurt.' The MTA referred questions to the NYPD, which pointed out that overall subway crime was down in the first quarter of this year to the second lowest level in 27 years, with major crime dropping by 18% from 568 to 465.
