Latest news with #Messer
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Health
- USA Today
Are cucumbers healthy? Experts explain.
Are cucumbers healthy? Experts explain. Show Caption Hide Caption How to add more Vitamin C to your diet and everyday routine Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that can do everything from strengthening cells to improving your hair health. Cucumbers have been cultivated and enjoyed for thousands of years and remain a staple in many cuisines around the world today. You'll find them used in everything from sandwiches, soups, wraps and charcuterie boards to Asian dishes and a wide variety of salads. 'People love that cucumbers are a refreshing snack on their own and are as versatile as they are satisfying,' says Jen Messer, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant at Jen Messer Nutrition. Here's why cucumbers' continued popularity is a good thing, plus why some groups of people may benefit from eating them in moderation. Are cucumbers fruits or vegetables? Botanically speaking, cucumbers are fruits because they develop from the flower of the cucumber plant and contain seeds. But in culinary contexts, 'cucumbers are most commonly treated as vegetables,' explains Alex Larson, a registered dietitian, endurance athlete nutritionist and founder of Alex Larson Nutrition. This is due to their savory flavor, typical grocery story categorization and the way they're most commonly used in snacks and meals. Cucumbers belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as the gourd family, which includes more than 750 species worldwide "such as pumpkins, melons, squash and zucchini," says Messer. There are several types of cucumbers, generally categorized as slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers or seedless (also known as burpless) cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are larger with thicker skins and are usually eaten fresh, often atop salads or as part of charcuterie boards. Pickling cucumbers are smaller with bumpy skins and a firmer texture, ideal for preserving in vinegar or brine. These are the types of cucumbers used to make pickles. Burpless cucumbers have thinner skins and fewer seeds, and are bred to be gentler on the digestive system. How long does it take to digest food? Plus, which foods are easy on the stomach Are cucumbers healthy? What are cucumbers good for? Regardless of which variety you enjoy, cucumbers offer several health benefits. A single medium cucumber, for instance, contains a host of nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin K, about 1.3 grams of protein and over 1 gram of dietary fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Their vitamin K content 'is important for blood clotting and bone health,' says Messer, while vitamin C 'boosts immune function and supports skin health.' A medium cucumber also provides nearly 400 milligrams of potassium, 'which helps improve blood pressure and supports muscle and nerve function,' she adds. Cucumbers are also 'rich in antioxidants that may offer anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties,' says Larson. Their high water content also "supports hydration and may promote gentle detoxification," she adds. Messer notes that cucumbers may also have antidiabetic properties by helping to regulate blood sugar and reduce lipid levels. Thanks to their fiber content, high water concentration and low calorie count (around 30 calories per cucumber), cucumbers can also support weight loss and improve digestive regularity, making them a proven natural remedy for constipation. Their benefits extend beyond internal health. 'Cucumber extracts are known for their soothing effects on the skin, helping reduce swelling, irritation and sunburn,' adds Messer. How to test your blood sugar levels – and why it's critical for some people. Can you eat cucumbers every day? While cucumbers are generally safe and healthy, they do have some potential drawbacks. 'Cucumbers contain cucurbitacins, which can be toxic in large quantities and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea and diarrhea,' explains Messer. This may be especially relevant for individuals with sensitive digestive systems or gastrointestinal conditions. Other groups of people that should exercise caution include those with allergies to other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, individuals with blood-clotting disorders or anyone with kidney issues. 'Cucumbers have antiplatelet properties, which may interact with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications and potentially increase the risk of bleeding,' Messer warns. As long as such considerations are kept in mind, though, Larson says cucumbers remain a healthy, hydrating addition to any diet by "offering a satisfying crunch with a side of health benefits."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
North Decatur High School graduates 63
North Decatur High School hosted its annual graduation ceremony Saturday morning in the school's gym, saying goodbye and good luck to 63 students who earned enough credits to qualify for their diplomas. The program began with the band playing Pomp and Circumstance followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. Principal Nicholas Messer then offered opening remarks, noting this year marks the 57th time NDHS has hosted a commencement ceremony. He then recognized members of the staff and school board, and shared some stats about the NDHS Class of 2025. Messer pointed out that 92% of the graduating class had taken at least one dual credit course, 40% earned an Academic Honors Diploma, 15% earned a Technical Honors Diploma, one senior earned an Associate's Degree, and 35% of the graduating class had already completed one year of college. 'All of these accolades add up to scholarships totaling $1,835,899,' he said. He also talked about successes associated with extracurricular activities including a boys basketball sectional championship, girls cross country and both boys and girls golf conference championships, and a state title win by the Academic Interdisciplinary team. After offering six points of advice, Messer asked the students what they planned to do to change or enhance the direction of their lives. 'Whatever those choices you make are, have a positive attitude, make memories, know your intellectual worth, learn things, and now your self worth,' Messer said. Class president Cooper Parmer then recognized his fellow classmates. That was followed by the presentation of the Salutatorian Award to Breanna McBride, who recounted some of her high school experiences and offered her peers a few words of advice. 'There is no doubt in my mind that we can all handle the challenges of what's ahead of us as we head out into the real world,' she said. 'Just remember to ... keep setting goals for yourself.' The presentation of the Valedictorian Award to Cooper Parmer was the next order of business. He likened life to participation in a sporting event and recapped several of the NDHS Class of 2025's accomplishments. He thanked teachers for their patience, guidance and eagerness to see their students learn. He also thanked his classmates for their friendship and shared experiences, and his parents and other family members for their love and support over the years. Parmer closed by saying, 'Through all the wins and losses, the pressure and the unknowns, one thing that has always kept me grounded is my faith in God. ... In times of doubt or stress, I found peace in knowing that God was in control. As we head into the next chapter of our lives, I hope we all remember that with God we are never alone. So, here's what I'll leave you with – you don't have to run the perfect offense. You don't have to score every time. But, you do have to play. With courage. With heart. With everything you've got. Because your clock is ticking, so make it count and make it matter.' In addition to Parmer (president), the NDHS Class of '25 officers were McBride (vice president), Allison Whitaker (secretary), Kayden Scudder (treasurer) and Marshall Snell (historian). The class song was Good Old Days by Macklemore, and the class motto was, 'Smarter, stronger, slightly sleep deprived.' Breanna Morris and Molly Martin were the senior class sponsors.
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
US helium reserve sale driving urgency to develop new supply
Selling the US helium stockpiles have negatively impacted on global supplies of the rare gas Diminishing supplies have led to a strengthening call to increase supply of helium ASX listed companies are at the forefront in exploring for and developing new supplies While Australia debates the merits of building a critical mineral strategic reserve to limit the impact of US tariffs, the hue and cry resulting from the recent sale of the US federal helium stockpile might provide a clue. In June 2024, the US Bureau of Land Management completed the sale of its Federal Helium System to Messer America – a subsidiary of privately-owned German industrial gas giant Messer – as required by Congress under the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. While widely seen as marking a win for privatisation, the move has seen more recent criticism with the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform claiming that Messer has ties to the Chinese Community Party. In a letter, the committee said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had also raised concern about the sale, citing national security and supply chain shortages while private stakeholders in the medical, scientific, and helium industries also warned the sale presented a 'significant risk of disruption to the helium supply chain'. Ironically for the Republican dominated committee, the sale of US government helium assets dates back to 1996 when Republicans were enthusiastic about cutting government spending and the feeling was that blimps – the most visible use of helium – had little to do with national security. This led to the passing of the Helium Privatization Act later that year and the sales of helium stockpiles started several years later. However, this sale, which used a price formula with no ties to the market, came just as demand for helium started increasing due to growing production of computer chips (semiconductors). This effectively resulted in the stockpiles being sold cheaply, allowing major industrial gas companies to make big margins off helium sales. Demand has only risen since as helium is used for a range of high-tech applications including manufacturing semiconductors, solar panels, optic fibres and cooling superconducting magnets in MRI scanning machines. Messer sale impact So just what impact does the sale of the Federal Helium System have? Blue Star Helium (ASX:BNL) non-executive director Gregg Peters told Stockhead the FHS' primary function was inventory. 'For the period it was the world's largest supplier, it served as a buffer, a flywheel of sorts masking supply disruption at other sources, and the causes,' he said. 'Being federally owned, it was generally accepted as a fair system of allocating product among organisations with needs. Most notably was its impact on market pricing, artificially suppressing it. 'The privatisation does not change its importance as one of the world's most strategic structures for long term storage. 'It does however limit the accessibility by other entities to those who negotiate commercial relationships with Messer. 'As the Reserve has been in a state of declining production output, the impact on global supply remains negative, more or less to specific organisations based on their relationship with Messer.' Peters adds the combination of less volume and fewer source location will consistently drive the pricing for helium up. ''Displacement' is the term for product that is not proximate to buyers, fewer source locations increase seller costs to move it to market. Less product on always increasing demand drives pricing up on the buyer side of the equation.' This has led to increased urgency from the US to increase helium supply, which Peters said was true each time the world fell into another inevitable cycle of product shortage. Delivering new helium Given the falling supply and strong demand, there are a growing number of companies – including those listed on the ASX – that have mobilised to find and develop new sources of the rare gas. Over in the US, Blue Star has been going great guns progressing its Galactica helium development drilling program with five wells completed to date. To date, two of the wells are projected to be capable of producing gas at stabilised rates rates of between 350,000 and 450,000 cubic feet of gas to optimise production. Helium concentrations have been in line with expectations, topping up at 3.3% in Jackson-29, which also boats the high rates of production. Most of the wells also had high levels of carbon dioxide, which is valuable in its own right in the food and beverage sector. The company has received approval for a Major Facilities Permit from the Board of County Commissioners in Las Animas County for the construction of the Pinon Canyon plant that will process helium and CO2 from its wells in the county, starting with those at the Galactica project. It also holds an option to acquire the discovery wells at the Great Plains Field. This field includes the Bubba State-3 well that has flowed gas at a sustained rate of 740,000cfd from the target Keyes formation. Gas analysis has confirmed the previously tested helium content of ~2.01%. 'We drilled the State 16 well mid 2024 which is capable of production and have just finished a five well campaign with all wells finding gas and being capable of completion for production,' managing director Trent Spry told Stockhead. 'We have decided to add one additional well to the current drilling campaign based on the new well data we have acquired which will be the sixth well in the farm-in agreement with Helium One Global.' Also operating in the US is HyTerra Limited (ASX:HYT), which while focused primarily on natural hydrogen, has recognised that its Nemaha project in Kansas is also prospective for helium. This belief has now being supported by its maiden well – Sue Duroche-3 – returning hydrogen concentrations up to 96.1% along with elevated helium within mud samples. While the exact helium concentrations are unknown, samples have been sent to independent laboratories for verification and quantification. The rig has moved to drill the Blythe 13-20 well. Looking further afield, Noble Helium (ASX:NHE) is currently reviewing its overall position before making a final decision on where and when to carry out drilling at its flagship North Rukwa project within Tanzania's Rukwa Basin. This includes the extensive body of geophysical and drilling data it has accrued since its maiden 2023 drill program of two wells that pointed to the presence of a prolific helium system. The Mbelele wells intersected multiple reservoir zones filled with helium-rich fluids interpreted as at or very close to fully saturated with air-corrected 2-3% helium in exsolved gas. NHS notes that subject to further geochemical analysis, fluids containing hydrogen (and helium) can be traced back to a unique suite of basement rocks in the centre of the North Rukwa Rift Basin which are known to produce hydrogen when exposed to hot fluid. Widespread helium and hydrogen-rich fluid migration has been noted up to 20km from these basement rocks along multiple pathways toward shallower sedimentary traps, where gas phase helium can naturally form. It also means the hydrogen serves to guide the company where to look for primary, gas-phase helium, allowing it to focus its next drilling campaign on areas with the greatest potential for gas phase primary helium.
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Yes, plums are good for you. But should you eat them every day?
Yes, plums are good for you. But should you eat them every day? Show Caption Hide Caption How to add more Vitamin C to your diet and everyday routine Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that can do everything from strengthening cells to improving your hair health. If you ask a group of friends what their favorite fruit is, chances are their responses will reflect the ones most frequently sold in grocery stores. According to the International Fresh Produce Association, the 20 most commonly purchased fruits in the U.S. include bananas, strawberries, apples, grapes, watermelon, cherries and oranges. Plums are another fruit that make the list — though they come in ninth place and are lumped in with other fruits that belong to the same plant family, namely peaches and nectarines. Here's why plums are as nutritionally beneficial as they are juicy and delicious — plus why you may want to go easy on how many you eat each day. What are plums? Plums are a kind of stone fruit that belong to the rose (Rosaceae) family. This plant family includes nearly 5,000 species including flowers, trees and shrubs, plus foods like raspberries, pears and almonds. Within this plant family, "plums are a favorite because they can be enjoyed in so many ways such as fresh, dried, in sauces, baked goods, juices and jams," says Jen Messer, a nutrition consultant and registered dietitian at Jen Messer Nutrition. "And plums come in countless varieties which can be fun to compare to one another." More than 300 plum varieties are sold in the U.S. alone, with Santa Rosa, Methley, Stanley and Burbank being among the most popular. Plums grow on plum trees and vary significantly in size, shape and color depending on where they are cultivated. Chinese and Japanese plum trees, for instance, produce plums with an oblong shape, while European plum trees produce round fruit. Plum trees grow well in a variety of climates, though China, Romania and Serbia remain the world's top producers of plums, followed by countries like Chile, Turkey, Argentina, Iran, Japan and France. The U.S. produces a lot of the fruit as well, with the vast majority of the country's plums growing in the fertile orchards of California. Are plums healthy? No matter where your favorite plum varieties are grown, they "have an impressive nutrient profile — especially for being a relatively small fruit," says Messer. Indeed, just two small plums (100 grams), contain protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, biotin, vitamin K, vitamin C and more than a gram of dietary fiber, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Their rich vitamin C content supports immune function and skin health and their vitamin K aids in blood clotting and bone health," says Alex Larson, a registered dietitian, endurance athlete nutritionist and founder of Alex Larson Nutrition. Larson also praises the potassium content in plums for helping regulate blood pressure; "and they contain polyphenol antioxidants — which support brain health and reduce inflammation," she adds. "Plums have also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol — which is the 'bad' kind of cholesterol you want lowered," says Leah Groppo, clinical dietitian with Stanford Health Care. This benefit was most evident in a 2021 study of prunes (dried plums), which demonstrated that consuming just one to two dried pieces of the fruit daily for six months not only decreases bad cholesterol but also increases beneficial HDL cholesterol levels "and reduces inflammatory biomarkers," says Messer. The fiber in plums — both soluble and insoluble — also "helps keep digestion on track, balances blood sugar levels and supports heart health," says Messer. "Maybe less recognized," she adds, plums can also benefit bone health in some groups of people. "Several studies indicate that prunes can help preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women — potentially lowering the risk of osteoporosis," she explains. Can you eat plums every day? Despite so many benefits, plums are probably best enjoyed in moderation. The high-fiber content in plums can lead to digestive issues like bloating, diarrhea and gas. However, that same fiber and natural sugar content such as sorbitol ("which has a laxative effect," notes Messer), is also why plums and prunes are often thought of as being helpful with constipation. It's worth noting though that if you eat too many, you may end up worsening the issue. "If you are increasing your prune or plum intake to aid with hard stools, make sure to drink more water as you do so," advises Groppo. And because plums belong to such a broad plant family, people who are allergic to peaches, cherries, apricots and some nuts may also be allergic to plums. And because plums contain vitamin K, they can help blood clot — which usually needs to be avoided by anyone taking blood thinners. As long as such issues are kept in mind, though, plums can be a highly beneficial fruit. "Plums are naturally sweet and nutrient-packed and are a delicious way to add variety, nutrition and color to a balanced diet," says Larson.
CBS News
24-03-2025
- CBS News
Livingston County Jail faces another lawsuit after ex-inmate claims inadequate medical treatment
The Livingston County Jail has been hit with another lawsuit . A former inmate who is a diabetic claims he lost his toes due to poor treatment at the facility in 2021. In the summer of 2021, Jon Messer was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for tinted windows, according to his attorney, Angelle Rothis. "[The driver and Messer] ended up pleading and begging to let them go to the hospital to treat my client's toes. The Milford police refused." Messer, who works as a laborer, had already lost some of his toes on both his feet due to diabetes. "Being a physical laborer, believe it or not, a couple toes makes a big difference," said Rothis. According to court documents, although Messer was not driving, his name was checked by officers, and they found a warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody, where Rothis says Messer received inadequate care, which led to Messer losing the rest of his toes. "It's awful, and it's intentional, and it violated his Eighth Amendment rights, his 14th Amendment right as a pretrial detainee, and his Fourth Amendment right of search and seizure," Rothis said. "There's no way he should have been searched as a passenger of the vehicle." Rothis says the case is in the early stages as all parties are filing a flurry of motions before a judge rules whether to go on to discovery and eventually trial. In response to the latest movement on this case, Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy said in a statement that municipalities are often the target of lawsuits and, "Attorneys looking to make a name for themselves." Murphy went on to say, "I look forward to putting this to a jury, and I am confident they will come to the conclusion that we did not do anything alleged in the complaint. Rothis said in this case justice looks like money — she hopes to get Messer's lost wages and money for his pain and suffering. But she noted it could take a while. She said cases like this can take upwards of five years. "We're doing our best to get him justice," she said.
