Yum! Candy that fights cavities

Children everywhere may have scored a major coup this week in the eternal battle with parents over the consumption of candy, after new evidence found sweets made with the sugar substitute xylitol could actually reduce the risk of cavities.

But the findings are already creating some worry among leaders of Canada’s dental industry who are concerned candy companies could overstate the limited advantages of the sugar substitute to boost their products.

Although xylitol has been found to reduce the bacteria that cause cavities and tooth decay, some experts fear the evidence could dilute messages children receive about the critical importance of brushing, flossing and a proper diet.

globeandmail.com: Yum! Candy that fights cavities.

Let them eat bugs

Green.view | Let them eat bugs | Economist.com

A new, abundant and environmentally friendly source of protein is creating some buzz

The world is getting hungrier. After years of falling food prices, eating is suddenly getting expensive. With price-tags now rising some 75%, the World Bank estimates that the soaring cost of food will push 100m people into poverty. What with rising fertiliser prices, increasing concerns about deforestation and unreliable rains brought on by climate change, how will we find new sources of nourishment?

Scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico have an answer: entomophagy, or dining on insects. They claim the practice is common in some 113 countries. Better yet, bugs provide more nutrients than beef or fish, gram for gram.

Yum!

College Drinking and Heart Problems

College Drinking and Heart Problems – Fit Nation – TIME

In many ways, I was a pretty typical pre-med student. I studied hard with hopes of becoming a doctor, and on the weekends I drank socially with good friends. As I got older and passed through medical school and residency, my thirst for alcohol waned considerably. As it turns out, that may have been a good thing for many reasons. I didn’t know it at that time, but drinking heavily, even as far back as college, could have increased my risk of heart disease.

New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) reveals that college students who drink excessively can double their levels of something known as C-reactive protein (CRP), a biological marker for inflammation that has been associated with a higher chance of cardiovascular problems. The study asked 25 college students to complete surveys assessing CRP risk factors such as smoking, medication use and alcohol use. In case you’re curious (I was), heavy drinking was defined for the purpose of the study as three or more alcoholic drinks at least three days a week or at least five drinks two days of the week. Compared with those of moderate drinkers (two to five drinks at a time, one or two days a week), the CRP levels of heavy drinkers were more than double, placing them in the zone associated with a moderate risk of heart disease.

Papa John’s surpasses $1 billion in online pizza sales

Papa John’s surpasses $1 billion in online pizza sales – Yahoo! News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sometimes during peak hours, the phones are silent in Andy Freitas’ pizza restaurants, yet the cooks are busy keeping pace with hungry customers.

That’s because orders are rolling in through the Internet.

“It’s pretty amazing not to hear a phone ring on a busy night,” said Freitas, an operating partner with the largest Papa John’s franchisee in the Washington, D.C., market.

In the past seven years, Louisville-based Papa John’s International Inc. has made a lot of dough from online ordering — more than $1 billion to be exact.

That’s pretty impressive (and a whole lot of pizza).