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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Secret to cutting calories is hiding in your spice rack: Study spills the beans
Concerned about weight gain? According to a new study, the secret to naturally reducing your calorie intake might already be in your kitchen. Research led by Paige Cunningham at Penn State University found that adding hot peppers to your meals can naturally cut food intake by up to 18%. Also read | Love spicy Indian food? Endocrinologists reveal if having more chillies can help weight loss or slow it down Adding hot peppers to your food can help in reducing calorie intake.(Unsplash) The study suggests that spicy foods not only make meals more enjoyable but also help you eat less. This is thanks to capsaicin, the compound in hot peppers that creates a burning sensation on the tongue, encouraging people to feel satisfied and finish their meals sooner. The study authors selected 130 adults for the study and separated them into groups. Each group was given identical meals to consume with one key difference - some contained regular sweet paprika, while others used hot paprika that created a noticeable burning sensation. The researchers noticed that people who consumed the spicy version of the meal naturally started consuming less by taking smaller and slower bites of their food. They bodies, when confronted with the spice, naturally reacted and changed their consumption pattern, without any conscious efforts from their end. Also read | Is spicy food unhealthy? Dietitian says, not really A compound in hot peppers can slow down your food intake.(Unsplash) How spice can reduce your food intake When the body encounters capsaicin, it naturally slows down consumption speed, giving more time to process the mouthful. People having spicy food take small and less frequent bites, reducing their calorie intake. Eating slower helps in consuming fewer calories, thus fast tracking the weight loss journey. Spicy food helps in achieving this eating pattern without much conscious effort or behaviour modification. In the paper, the study authors noted, 'Properties of food can be strategically modified to influence oral processing behavior and slow eating, which in turn can reduce food and energy intake. Specifically, we show across different foods that increasing the oral burn of a meal by adding dried chili pepper not only influences oral processing, but that it also decreases consumption.' Also read | Is eating spicy food causing you mental health issues? Doctor explains how it affects your brain and gut health Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!. Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Ruins of Ancient Temple Belonged to Mysterious Pre-Inca Civilization
Before the rise of the Incas, a civilization known as Tiwakanu ruled the Andes, and archaeologists have uncovered a massive temple left behind by this enigmatic society. Named Palaspata by local Indigenous farmers, the ruined temple is perched on a Bolivian hilltop 215 km (about 134 miles) southeast of the center of the Tiwanaku archaeological site. The team behind the discovery, led by Jose Capriles from Penn State University, suspects the newly described temple was an important strategic site for the Tiwanaku people, as it's located at the nexus of three main trade routes that connected the society to important ecosystem resources. There's debate around what brought this civilization's downfall, but we know it was a complex culture built on cosmological religion, politics, and an agropastoral economy that emerged around 110 CE. Related: "Their society collapsed sometime around 1000 CE and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century," Capriles says. "Remnants of architectural monuments like pyramids, terraced temples, and monoliths [are mostly] distributed in sites around Lake Titicaca and, while we know Tiwanaku's control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had." With drone images and photogrammetry, the team built a detailed 3D rendering of the temple's structure and topography. "Because the features are very faint, we blended various satellite images together," Capriles says. What remains of the temple indicates a complex measuring 125 by 145 meters (410 by 475 feet), with 15 enclosed areas arranged around a central inner courtyard. This design is typical of Tiwanaku culture, which left behind many other temple ruins featuring sunken courts surrounded by rectangular rooms and stone-lined terrace platforms, mostly around the southern end of Lake Titicaca. "The modules range in size between 358 and 595 m2 [3,853–6,405 ft²] and could have contained additional rooms and divisions," Capriles and team report. "The main entrance of the temple faces west in alignment with the solar equinox. Currently, a local trail crosses the building, intersecting its western and northern walls." The temple is littered with fragments of its inhabitants' lives, including pieces of ceramic keru cups, flared bowls, jars, and incense burners. "[Objects] with Tiwanaku iconography are common, but some sherds of Yampara, Tupuraya, Mojocoya, and other decorative styles are also present and suggest interaction with the inter-Andean valleys," the team writes. They also found a few fragments of black-on-red Carangas pottery, pieces of camel bone, and some fragments of turquoise stone along with an Oliva peruviana seashell – evidence of connections to the Atacama Desert and the Pacific Ocean. Religion played an important role in the politics and economics of Tiwanaku society, and in the Andes, sites like this were often built not only for spiritual practice, but also as a means of expanding societies and exerting control over the surrounding resources. As one of the only terraced platform sites found beyond the lake basin, and one of the farthest from it, Palaspata would have connected Tiwanaku with the Central Altiplano and the inter-Andean valleys of Cochabamba. "Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating," says Capriles. "With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control." This research was published in Antiquity. Does Using Artificial Intelligence Ruin Your Actual Intelligence? Scientists Investigated Burial Vault Sealed For 400 Years Found at End of Long-Forgotten Staircase Confirmed: New Mexico Footprints Rewrite Timeline of Humans in America
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Scientists identify 4.16-billion-year-old rock in Canada, possibly Earth's earliest crust
Scientists have identified a 4.16-billion-year-old rock formation in northern Quebec, potentially the oldest known fragment of Earth's crust. This discovery pushes back the timeline of Earth's known crust into the Hadean eon, offering a glimpse into the planet's fiery beginnings. While some experts remain cautious about the dating technique, the find holds cultural significance for Inuit communities. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Hadean eon era Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Cultural relevance An isolated and wind-blasted stretch of Canada's Hudson Bay shoreline may hold the oldest surviving fragment of our planet's crust, a discovery scientists say could open a new chapter in Earth 's early have determined that a section of the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, a rocky formation in northern Quebec, is at least 4.16 billion years old. That pushes the timeline of Earth's known crust further back than ever before, into the mysterious Hadean eon, a time when Earth was a fiery, molten Acasta Gneiss Complex, located along a riverbank about 200 miles (300 kilometers) north of Yellowknife in northwestern Canada, is widely recognized as the oldest confirmed geological formation on Earth.'Rocks are books for geologists,' said Dr. Jonathan O'Neil, the University of Ottawa geologist behind the study. 'Right now, we're missing the book on the Hadean. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt would be at least one page of that book.'The findings, published in the journal Science, are the most robust evidence yet that remnants of Earth's earliest crust still survive. Previous estimates for the belt's age ranged widely, from 3.75 billion to 4.3 billion years, but this study employed a rare earth element technique to achieve greater the rocks don't contain the mineral zircon, the standard 'clock' for dating ancient rocks, O'Neil's team used samarium-neodymium dating, which relies on isotopes that only formed in the planet's earliest days. The results from two separate isotopic "clocks" both pointed to 4.16 billion perspective, that's just 400 million years after Earth itself formed when the surface was barely solid and life was still a possibility, not a certainty.'This is as close as we get to Earth's birth certificate,' said Dr. Jesse Reimink of Penn State University , who was not involved in the some experts remain cautious. Dr. Hugo Olierook of Curtin University in Australia said the technique has limitations and could be influenced by later geological changes. 'It only takes one altered mineral to reset the age,' he the science, the rocks have cultural weight. The land belongs to Inuit communities, who are calling for more protection after some samples were damaged or taken without consent.'We understand the rocks are important, but so is respect for our land,' said Tommy Palliser of the Pituvik Landholding the discovery may help answer some of the oldest questions humans have ever asked, about our planet's first days and perhaps even the origins of life itself.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists identify 4.16-billion-year-old rock in Canada, possibly Earth's earliest crust
An isolated and wind-blasted stretch of Canada's Hudson Bay shoreline may hold the oldest surviving fragment of our planet's crust, a discovery scientists say could open a new chapter in Earth 's early history. Hadean eon era Researchers have determined that a section of the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, a rocky formation in northern Quebec, is at least 4.16 billion years old. That pushes the timeline of Earth's known crust further back than ever before, into the mysterious Hadean eon, a time when Earth was a fiery, molten world. The Acasta Gneiss Complex, located along a riverbank about 200 miles (300 kilometers) north of Yellowknife in northwestern Canada, is widely recognized as the oldest confirmed geological formation on Earth. 'Rocks are books for geologists,' said Dr. Jonathan O'Neil, the University of Ottawa geologist behind the study. 'Right now, we're missing the book on the Hadean. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt would be at least one page of that book.' Live Events The findings, published in the journal Science , are the most robust evidence yet that remnants of Earth's earliest crust still survive. Previous estimates for the belt's age ranged widely, from 3.75 billion to 4.3 billion years, but this study employed a rare earth element technique to achieve greater precision. Because the rocks don't contain the mineral zircon, the standard 'clock' for dating ancient rocks, O'Neil's team used samarium-neodymium dating, which relies on isotopes that only formed in the planet's earliest days. The results from two separate isotopic "clocks" both pointed to 4.16 billion years. For perspective, that's just 400 million years after Earth itself formed when the surface was barely solid and life was still a possibility, not a certainty. 'This is as close as we get to Earth's birth certificate,' said Dr. Jesse Reimink of Penn State University , who was not involved in the study. However, some experts remain cautious. Dr. Hugo Olierook of Curtin University in Australia said the technique has limitations and could be influenced by later geological changes. 'It only takes one altered mineral to reset the age,' he warned. Cultural relevance Beyond the science, the rocks have cultural weight. The land belongs to Inuit communities, who are calling for more protection after some samples were damaged or taken without consent. 'We understand the rocks are important, but so is respect for our land,' said Tommy Palliser of the Pituvik Landholding Corporation. Still, the discovery may help answer some of the oldest questions humans have ever asked, about our planet's first days and perhaps even the origins of life itself.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient temple ruins discovered in Andes pull back curtain on lost society after 1,000 years
Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient South American temple they say has helped pull back the curtain on the workings of its enigmatic Andean civilization. Known as the Tiwanaku, the society lived in modern-day Bolivia near the southern shores of Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world – before their mysterious disappearance more than 1,000 years ago. People had first started to live in the region around 10,000 years ago, according to University of California at Berkeley archaeologist Dr. Nicola Sharratt. As many as 20,000 people came to reside in the area. Skilled stoneworkers, the Tiwanaku were widely considered to be a precursor of the Inca empire and one of the earliest examples of civilization in the Andes mountains. 'Their society collapsed sometime around 1,000 CE and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century,' José Capriles, an associate professor of anthropology at Penn State University, said in a statement. 'At its peak, it boasted a highly organized societal structure, leaving behind remnants of architectural monuments like pyramids, terraced temples and monoliths, most of which are distributed in sites around Lake Titicaca and, while we know Tiwanaku's control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had.' Capriles was the lead author of the international study detailing the findings published this week in the journal Antiquity. The temple is called 'Palaspata,' which was the native name for the area. Palaspata is located on a hill, approximately 130 miles to the south of the Tiwanaku's established historical site. The area was previously known to indigenous farmers, but had never been explored in depth by researchers. After noticing a strange plot of land with four sides, they turned to technology to learn more. They snapped and compiled satellite images of the site, and also took pictures using cameras aboard unmanned aerial vehicle flights. Then, they used the photos to construct a three-dimensional approximation of the Palaspata and its surrounding landscape. About the size of a city block, the complex includes 15 quadrangular enclosures arranged around a rectangular inner courtyard. Its composition, the authors said, suggested that it was used to perform rituals following the solar equinox: a bi-annual moment when the sun is positioned directly above the equator. But, it likely was not solely used for religious purposes. Much about the Tiwanaku civilization remains unknown, but Palaspata would have been in an advantageous trade spot, according to Capriles. Many people traded and built monuments throughout the mountains. This temple connected three main trade routes, including the highlands, a high-altitude plateau, and the Andean valleys of Cochabamba. 'Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating,' he explained. On the surface of the ruins of Palaspata, the scientists found fragments of 'keru' cups, which were used for drinking a traditional maize beer called 'chicha' during agricultural feasts and celebrations. The maize was cultivated in the Cochabamba valleys. The researchers had worked with the Bolivian Ministry of Cultures, Decolonization, and Depatriarchalization to export samples of the ruins, which were dated at the Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment Radiocarbon Dating Lab. The city is now working with state and national authorities to help properly protect and preserve the site. 'With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control,' Capriles said. 'There's still so much to discover that we don't know about, and that could be hiding in plain sight. It just requires opening your eyes to see what's out there.'
