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People who eat sweets more likely to volunteer, help those i
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Does having a sweet tooth make a person more agreeable and friendly? New research suggests there could be a link between taste preferences and disposition.
Scientists in the United States found that a liking for sweeter foods is an indication that a person is more agreeable and helpful, but not extroverted or neurotic.
"It is striking that helpful and friendly people are considered 'sweet' because taste would seem to have little in common with personality or behavior,," said Brian Meiers, a professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.
"Our taste studies controlled for positive mood so the effects we found are not due to the happy or rewarding feeling one may have after eating a sweet food."
Taste is a recognizable sense that can be used in describing personality traits. With this in mind, the researchers wanted to see if having a preference for sweets was an embodiment metaphor,, a connection between thoughts and our body's behavior.
In one of five studies involving more than 500 people researchers from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania,, St. Xavier University in Chicago and North Dakota State University showed that people who ate a piece of chocolate rather than a non-sweet food were more likely to volunteer and help another person in need.
In another study they found that people also associate having a sweet tooth with a pleasant disposition. The participants were shown photos of people with neutral facial expressions,, but with comments under the pictures that would say, for example, that they liked eating chocolate.
"People rated those associated with sweet food higher in agreeableness," Meiers said.
The research, which is published in the Journal of Personality Social Psychology, focused on sweetness and agreeability. The scientists said they could not comment on the other tastes such as bitterness or spiciness.
The study is part of a increase in recent years in social psychology research in conceptual and embodiment metaphors.
"There has been a push to find out how these traits are self-predicting of what we do with our daily life," said Sarah Moeller,, a psychology professor at St. Xavier University. "We are showing that with these personality traits that you show subtle aspect of self."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney)
Diabetes study from Sanford-Burnham finds pancreas can ̵
Just as the tongue has taste receptors that can distinguish sweet from sour,, scientists have found that the pancreas also has taste receptors. Researchers at Sanford –Burnham Medical Research Institute in Lake Nona have found that the pancreas uses taste receptors to sense fructose,, a kind of sugar that comes from fruit.
Before this study, scientists knew that fructose went to the liver where it’s converted to glucose, which triggers the pancreas to make insulin. But the new data revealed that fructose also stimulates pancreatic beta cells directly.
“We know a lot about how glucose interacts with the pancreas, but we didn’t think the pancreas had much to do with fructose,” said Bjorn Tyrberg, adjunct assistant professor in the Diabetes and Research Center at Sanford-Burnham, and senior author of the study, published online Friday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Keeping blood sugar, and?insulin levels, controlled is important to?diabetics and those who want to avoid developing the disease. Though Tyrberg stopped short of saying people should eat less fruit, which contains healthy fiber and vitamins, he reiterated the importance of watching out for dietary sugars, including high fructose corn syrup, which is in sweetened beverages and many processed and packaged foods.
If we look back at what our ancestors ate, fruit was not the problem,, and it still isn’t,” he said. “The problem is the combination of fruit layered on top of all the other sugars, hidden and? otherwise,, in our diet today.”
The finding moves science one step forward in understanding diabetes,, and toward developing a drug that may treat it. “These taste receptors are part of a group of proteins that are very favorable to drug development,” said Tyrberg. “We may be able to develop a drug that takes advantage of the impact fructose has on these receptors, and help us find ways to turn them off or on.”
Identifying the taste receptors will also give researchers a new way to study impaired insulin function in those who have diabetes.
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How trans fats affect heart health - chicagotribune.com
Trans fats keep food fresh longer while they're on grocery store shelves. However,, the partially-hydrogenated oils can also lead to heart disease because of the increase in low-density lipoprotein LDL-cholesterol and decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Here are tips to control trans fat intake. ()
President Obama to publicly launch reelection campaign next
-- President Obama will publicly kick off his bid for a second term next week, his campaign announced Wednesday evening.
The president, along with First Lady , will travel to Columbus, Ohio, and Richmond, Va., on May 5, events that represent a long-awaited shift from official to purely political travel.
At the events, campaign officials say the president "will speak about how far we've come, and lay out the very real stakes in this election: whether we choose to keep moving our country forward,, or go back to the failed policies that crashed our economy and left the middle class struggling to catch up."
In an election in which as many as a dozen states will be considered potential battlegrounds, both Ohio and Virginia are expected to be among the most fiercely contested.
Obama's political activity to date has otherwise been limited to closed fundraising events,, many in Washington, New York and Southern California. Vice President has until now had a more public campaign presence,, delivering a series of "framing speeches" on issues such as the auto industry rescue, retirement security,, manufacturing and tax reform.
Biden is to deliver another campaign speech Thursday in New York on national security.
The announcement comes on the same day the Republican National Committee formally declared the party's presumptive nominee and began to fully integrate their respective campaign operations.
have been increasingly critical of the president for, in their view, campaigning on the taxpayer dime with events the has termed official business.
On Wednesday afternoon, RNC Chairman filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office seeking an investigation for what the party calls a "blatant campaigning and misuse of taxpayer dollars," following a three-state, two-day swing by the president to pressure Republicans to extend lower student loan interest rates.
They alleged that since taking office, the president has held "dozens of events that benefited OFA on the taxpayer dime," and linked the issue with a spending controversy at the General Services Administration.
The White House dismissed the complaint.
"When there is political travel,, we follow all rules and regulations that all other administrations have followed," spokesman Eric Schultz said.
michael.memoli@latimes
The president, along with First Lady , will travel to Columbus, Ohio, and Richmond, Va., on May 5, events that represent a long-awaited shift from official to purely political travel.
At the events, campaign officials say the president "will speak about how far we've come, and lay out the very real stakes in this election: whether we choose to keep moving our country forward,, or go back to the failed policies that crashed our economy and left the middle class struggling to catch up."
In an election in which as many as a dozen states will be considered potential battlegrounds, both Ohio and Virginia are expected to be among the most fiercely contested.
Obama's political activity to date has otherwise been limited to closed fundraising events,, many in Washington, New York and Southern California. Vice President has until now had a more public campaign presence,, delivering a series of "framing speeches" on issues such as the auto industry rescue, retirement security,, manufacturing and tax reform.
Biden is to deliver another campaign speech Thursday in New York on national security.
The announcement comes on the same day the Republican National Committee formally declared the party's presumptive nominee and began to fully integrate their respective campaign operations.
have been increasingly critical of the president for, in their view, campaigning on the taxpayer dime with events the has termed official business.
On Wednesday afternoon, RNC Chairman filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office seeking an investigation for what the party calls a "blatant campaigning and misuse of taxpayer dollars," following a three-state, two-day swing by the president to pressure Republicans to extend lower student loan interest rates.
They alleged that since taking office, the president has held "dozens of events that benefited OFA on the taxpayer dime," and linked the issue with a spending controversy at the General Services Administration.
The White House dismissed the complaint.
"When there is political travel,, we follow all rules and regulations that all other administrations have followed," spokesman Eric Schultz said.
michael.memoli@latimes
Giroux emerges as Flyers eliminate Penguins, 5-1 - chicagotr
PHILADELPHIA -- Claude Giroux showed why he's one of the NHL's fastest rising superstars.,
Giroux had a goal and two assists,, Ilya Bryzgalov made 30 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-1 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Scott Hartnell,, Erik Gustafsson, Danny Briere and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers, who advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals against a yet-to-be determined opponent.
Giroux finished third in the league in scoring with 93 points during the regular season. He took his game to an even higher level in a fight-filled, high-scoring series that featured 56 goals. Giroux had six goals and eight assists for 14 points, setting a franchise record for the most in a playoff series.
"Giroux is a very special player," Bryzgalov said. "He can hit. He can dish. He can score. Not many players like that in the world."
Giroux gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the game. First,, Giroux leveled Crosby with a hard check before scoring off a giveaway on the same shift. He ripped a slap shot from just outside the left circle past Marc-Andre Fleury.
"Usually we don't get off to a good start," Giroux said. "I was just trying to spark the team up and I was able to get that hit on him and get the first goal."
According to teammate Max Talbot, Giroux predicted his start.
"Claude called it before the start of the game. He said,, 'I'm gonna have a great first shift,' " Talbot said. "I didn't know what it meant. He was physical and scored the first goal. That's what leaders do and definitely Claude set the tone for us."
Evgeni Malkin had the lone goal for Pittsburgh, which forced the series to six games after losing the first three. Despite finishing one point behind the conference-leading New York Rangers in the regular season, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins lost in the opening round for the second consecutive season.
"We worked hard to get back in the series until today," Crosby said. "When you put yourself down 3-0, it's pretty tough. We felt like we can get it back to Pittsburgh. That first couple (losses) at home, that hurt us."
Hartnell's power-play goal later in the first put Philadelphia up 2-0. Fleury stopped Giroux's one-timer, but Hartnell poked in the rebound during a scramble in front of the net. It was Philadelphia's 12th power-play goal of the series, which set a team record for most in a series.
Gustafsson's first career playoff goal made it 3-0 early in the second. He skated into the Penguins' zone and fired a shot from just inside the blue line that sailed by Fleury.
Malkin cut the lead to 3-1 a few minutes later with an unassisted power-play goal. Fleury stoned Sean Couturier on a short-handed opportunity at the opposite end, setting up Pittsburgh's rush. Malkin avoided three defenders with a slap shot that beat Bryzgalov.
But the Flyers answered 34 seconds later. Briere's shot deflected off Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and under Fleury to make it 4-1.
Schenn's empty-net goal was the lone tally in the third period.
"He was the best player on the ice, but I don't think we were surprised by that," Orpik said of Giroux. "Maybe two years ago, we'd be surprised."
Notes: The Flyers' previous record for points in a series was 12 by Briere in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and by Bill Barber in the 1980 Conference semifinal vs. Minnesota. . . . The Flyers became the first team in the series Sunday to score first and win. . . . The Flyers improved to 10-0 when leading a series 3-0 and 18-0 when leading 2-0. . . . The Penguins were the 15th team in NHL history out of 170 to lose the first three games of a series and then extend the series as far as a sixth game. . . . Crosby had three goals and five assists in the series. He was held scoreless in the last two games.
Giroux had a goal and two assists,, Ilya Bryzgalov made 30 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-1 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Scott Hartnell,, Erik Gustafsson, Danny Briere and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers, who advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals against a yet-to-be determined opponent.
Giroux finished third in the league in scoring with 93 points during the regular season. He took his game to an even higher level in a fight-filled, high-scoring series that featured 56 goals. Giroux had six goals and eight assists for 14 points, setting a franchise record for the most in a playoff series.
"Giroux is a very special player," Bryzgalov said. "He can hit. He can dish. He can score. Not many players like that in the world."
Giroux gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the game. First,, Giroux leveled Crosby with a hard check before scoring off a giveaway on the same shift. He ripped a slap shot from just outside the left circle past Marc-Andre Fleury.
"Usually we don't get off to a good start," Giroux said. "I was just trying to spark the team up and I was able to get that hit on him and get the first goal."
According to teammate Max Talbot, Giroux predicted his start.
"Claude called it before the start of the game. He said,, 'I'm gonna have a great first shift,' " Talbot said. "I didn't know what it meant. He was physical and scored the first goal. That's what leaders do and definitely Claude set the tone for us."
Evgeni Malkin had the lone goal for Pittsburgh, which forced the series to six games after losing the first three. Despite finishing one point behind the conference-leading New York Rangers in the regular season, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins lost in the opening round for the second consecutive season.
"We worked hard to get back in the series until today," Crosby said. "When you put yourself down 3-0, it's pretty tough. We felt like we can get it back to Pittsburgh. That first couple (losses) at home, that hurt us."
Hartnell's power-play goal later in the first put Philadelphia up 2-0. Fleury stopped Giroux's one-timer, but Hartnell poked in the rebound during a scramble in front of the net. It was Philadelphia's 12th power-play goal of the series, which set a team record for most in a series.
Gustafsson's first career playoff goal made it 3-0 early in the second. He skated into the Penguins' zone and fired a shot from just inside the blue line that sailed by Fleury.
Malkin cut the lead to 3-1 a few minutes later with an unassisted power-play goal. Fleury stoned Sean Couturier on a short-handed opportunity at the opposite end, setting up Pittsburgh's rush. Malkin avoided three defenders with a slap shot that beat Bryzgalov.
But the Flyers answered 34 seconds later. Briere's shot deflected off Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and under Fleury to make it 4-1.
Schenn's empty-net goal was the lone tally in the third period.
"He was the best player on the ice, but I don't think we were surprised by that," Orpik said of Giroux. "Maybe two years ago, we'd be surprised."
Notes: The Flyers' previous record for points in a series was 12 by Briere in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals and by Bill Barber in the 1980 Conference semifinal vs. Minnesota. . . . The Flyers became the first team in the series Sunday to score first and win. . . . The Flyers improved to 10-0 when leading a series 3-0 and 18-0 when leading 2-0. . . . The Penguins were the 15th team in NHL history out of 170 to lose the first three games of a series and then extend the series as far as a sixth game. . . . Crosby had three goals and five assists in the series. He was held scoreless in the last two games.
