Today’s Big Story

Health Nut

Brazil nuts have been found to reduce inflammation, improve gut health and ward off cancer

It’s an underrated nut. When you think of nuts, you imagine almonds and walnuts, maybe cashews and hazelnuts. Peanuts, of course—even though peanuts aren’t nuts, they’re actually legumes. But, I digress. One nut that you likely don’t think of is the Brazil nut.

The nut really is native to South America, growing in such places as Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and, of course, Brazil. It’s the seed of one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest—reaching heights of up to 165 feet. Perhaps that’s why it’s so powerful. A recent clinical trial suggests that consuming eight grams of Brazil nuts daily may reduce inflammation and improve intestinal permeability in people who are overweight. Researchers believe this is because Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium, a mineral essential for antioxidant defense, immune function and thyroid hormone metabolism.

Selenium also increases levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), an enzyme that helps decrease inflammation and oxidative stress. According to the Health journal, chronic (long-term) inflammation may increase your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Reducing inflammation might protect against these illnesses.

The nuts are actually packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals—this is largely due to the complex soil of the Amazon River—so it's not surprising they are growing in popularity. They contain a good amount of magnesium, which regulates melatonin to promote a peaceful night’s sleep and support bone health; as well as powerful antioxidants such as ellagic acid, which is beneficial for brain cells and keeping neurodegenerative diseases at bay. And a British study found that the nuts could also stop the spread of triple negative breast cancer.

EatingWell also points out that the nuts are a good source of zinc. Zinc is a mineral that is crucial for helping your immune system function at its best, and research suggests that it helps alert neutrophils and natural killer cells—our bodies' first lines of defense—to diseases. Not to mention, that they provide a dose of healthy fat, too. With more than a third of their fat content coming from polyunsaturated fatty acids, this type of fat helps support your heart health by lowering LDL cholesterol levels (often called “bad” cholesterol) and decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Where Are the College Freshmen?

Nationwide, college enrollment is up slightly, but freshman numbers drop

Freshman enrollment dropped more than five percent from last year at American colleges and universities, the largest decline since 2020 when Covid-19 and distance learning upended higher education, according to preliminary data released early on Wednesday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, a nonprofit education group. Yet the overall number of undergraduates is up for the second year in a row.

According to the Washington Post, the preliminary data is the first significant look at enrollment trends following a year in which higher education suffered the defeat of affirmative action and a disastrous rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Many industry experts feared those developments would have a chilling effect on enrollment, and the significant drop in freshmen might prove them right. But analysts said it’s difficult to assign a definitive reason for the decline.

Still, some trends in the data may reflect the challenges students have faced in securing financial aid. The declines in freshman enrollment were most significant at four-year colleges that serve larger percentages of low-income students. At four-year colleges where high shares of the undergraduate population receive Pell Grants, freshman enrollment was off by more than 10%. Forbes reports that freshman enrollment declined for all races and ethnicities. White freshman enrollment dropped 11.4%; Black students decreased by 6.1%; and multiracial first-time students was down by 6.6%. Smaller declines were seen for Hispanic and Asian freshmen (-1.4% and -2.8%, respectively).

‘De-Extinction’ Company Is Back at It

Scientists say they've made a breakthrough in efforts to bring back the extinct Tasmanian tiger

Colossal Biosciences, a company mainly known for intending to genetically engineer proxies for several iconic extinct species, just announced that it has made major steps towards the de-extinction of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger. The cat-like carnivorous marsupial was declared extinct in 1936—after decades of hunting and habitat loss.

In a statement, Colossal reported that its reconstructed thylacine genome is about 99.9% complete, with 45 remaining gaps they aim to close through further sequencing in the coming months. The company stated it was able to isolate long strands of RNA from a 110-year-old thylacine specimen preserved in ethanol. According to Gizmodo, Colossal declared in 2022 that it would attempt to “de-extinct” the thylacine; since no living thylacines exist, de-extinction actually refers to the creation of proxy species for the original animals. Proxy species are, for all intents and purposes, replacements; they will never be 100% thylacine, or mammoth, or dodo, but will be engineered to look the same and function in the same environmental niche. That’s right: Another part of Colossal’s plan is to “re-introduce” these proxy species to their habitats, or the closest modern thing to them.

While critics of de-extinction warn of unsuccessful environmental management actions and the potential for risks to outweigh the benefits, the scientists at Colossal Biosciences pursue de-extinction with the idea of trying to restore a function that an animal played while it was thriving. The ultimate goal for these de-extinction efforts, according to Colossal’s website, is to “enrich biodiversity, replenish vital ecological roles and bolster ecosystem resilience.”

Cuffing Season Is Back

But how real is this?

As the temps start to drop, it’s official: “Cuffing season”, in which many singletons seek a mate for winter, is here. You know it might not be a long-term thing. “Cuffing” is a metaphor for wanting to be attached to someone for a period of time. Dating apps such as Bumble and Hinge have reported that October and November often sees a surge in new profiles and messaging activity.

The Conversation says there’s something of an evolutionary explanation for the phenomenon. Psychologist Martin Graf says it may’ve been necessary for survival. “The winter months are cold and dark, and it would have been adaptive for our ancestors to seek out the company of others to keep them warm and safe, over a period when they could perish from exposure, or be more vulnerable to attack from predators.” The company of others would have provided warmth, and possibly someone to help protect them.

Of course, in our modern world, finding someone you want to cuddle with usually starts by curating your selfies and tapping around on your phone. Mashable has some thoughts on which dating apps are best for this cuffing season, along with two dozen prompts that most frequently lead to conversation. Of course, during an election year, politics has a way of souring conversations. One dating expert, however, told ABC News that’s it’s possible to navigate around, as long as differing political views aren’t an automatic dealbreaker.

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