Science Weekly - 12th Nov 2021

Just over a handful of papers listed this week, but the topics are pretty intriguing, from developments in plant-based food and micro-nutrient consumption through proof of exercise helping with anxiety to geeky engineers who can turn ordinary clothing into biosensors.

Here are the highlights:

• Fat-secreted molecule lowers response to common cancer treatment
• Anxiety effectively treated with exercise
• Plant-based gummy candy helps vegans and vegetarians get their vitamins
• Plant-based alternative food consumption may have doubled in UK over ten years suggests first analysis of its kind
• Supportive strategies help 'picky eaters' deal with food aversions
• Engineers develop process that turns ordinary clothing into biosensors

Fat-secreted molecule lowers response to common cancer treatment

Leptin, a molecule produced by fat cells, appears to cancel out the effects of the estrogen-blocking therapy tamoxifen, a drug commonly used to treat and prevent breast cancers, suggests a new study.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Anxiety effectively treated with exercise

Both moderate and strenuous exercise alleviate symptoms of anxiety, even when the disorder is chronic, a new study shows.

Source: University of Gothenburg

Plant-based gummy candy helps vegans and vegetarians get their vitamins

Worldwide, millions of people follow vegan and vegetarian diets for religious, ethical, environmental or economic reasons. While these diets have purported health benefits, they can also lack essential nutrients, such as vitamins B12 and D3, if not well-planned or supplemented correctly. Now, researchers have packed a strawberry-flavored gummy with these vitamins, formulating it without any animal products so vegans and vegetarians can reach their recommended daily allowances (RDA).

Source: American Chemical Society

Plant-based alternative food consumption may have doubled in UK over ten years suggests first analysis of its kind

The proportion of UK people reporting eating and drinking plant-based alternative foods such as plant-based milk, vegan sausages and vegetable burgers nearly doubled between 2008 -- 2011 and 2017 -- 2019, according to a new study.

Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Supportive strategies help 'picky eaters' deal with food aversions

In a large national survey, adults who struggled with picky eating habits as children overwhelmingly said they benefitted more from positive and encouraging strategies their parents used than forceful or coercive approaches.

Source: Duke University Medical Center

Engineers develop process that turns ordinary clothing into biosensors

Chemical engineers have developed a process that turns clothing fabric into biosensors which measure a muscle's electrical activity as it is worn. This could become a much better solution in measuring muscle activity for physical rehabilitation or for other medical applications.

Source: University of Utah