To meat or not to meat... that is the question!

I don’t know about everyone else, but I feel like the people around me are either hard core vegetarian, or hard core meat eaters. I for one have done them both. I tried for a solid 9 months to not eat meat. My Achilles heel you ask? SUBWAY! I just cant stay away from those foot long spicy italians!! (Don't take that dirty!) So I wanted to talk about the pros and cons of the meat diet and the vegetarian diets.

You probably already know that a vegetarian diet consists plant based foods like vegies, fruits, legumes, seeds, blah blah blah. You get it! However, in my reading I found that there are all different kinds of vegetarian diets, and by talking to vegetarians I found there are all different kinds of reasons to pursue them. A vegetarian doesn't eat meat, game, poultry, fish, shell fish, or crustaceans. An ovo-vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy. A lacto-vegetarian eats dairy but no eggs. Of course there is also a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Im sure you can guess what they eat. A vegan omits all animal based products, dairy, eggs, and honey. Yes, even honey from the bees! There are also a bunch of other specialized vegetarian diets like fruitarians. Google it, I'm not kidding. I even found that some alcohols are off limit because of their use of gelatin in the clarifying process. I know what you carnivores are thinking, "How can veggie eaters possibly get all of nutrients they need if they don't eat meat?" In fact vegetarians can get eat a complete balanced diet without animal products. They consume high amounts of fiber, folic acid, magnesium, and vitamins C and E. Some vegetarians can have low levels of calcium and vitamin B, but with a sufficient amount of collard greens, leafy greens, tempeh, and tofu, this should not ever be a problem. Yes friends, they even get a sufficient amount of protein. Although their levels are slightly lower than carnivores, it is more than enough to sustain an active human body. There are a variety of other benefits to the diet other than the physical aspect. Here are 22 benefits to going vegie right now! It is animal friendly, and discourages the beef industry that produces copious amounts of methane gas.

On the flip side of the “animal friendly” diet, there is another lifestyle out there called the Paleolithic Diet, or The Caveman Diet. This diet seeks to be similar to our preagricultural counterparts. Our ancestors didn’t have the modern convinces of cultivated plants and domesticated animals, so they hunted and gathered. Foods that are copesetic with this diet include anything that can be hunted/fished and gathered. Eggs, insects, fruits, seeds, nuts, vegies, mushrooms, herbs and spices, sea food, fish, and wild game meats (and grass feed beef). People following this diet are encouraged to drink a lot of water, natural fruit juices, and teas. Fermented and alcoholic beverages are prohibited, as well as adding salts, sugars, dairy, beans, and grains. (Since I love a good cookie, salty foods, and wine I’m out!) In this diet you can cook your foods unlike raw food diets. The foods you eat on this diet are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Since these foods are low in carbs, it may be an effective weight loss strategy for obese people, and help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes. The Caveman Diet has low omega-3:omega-6 fatty acid ratio, and is absent of any artificial trans fats. So this may aid in the reduction of cardiovascular disease. On the flip side this diet is high in cholesterol because of all the meats. The vitamin and mineral content of the diet is also really high in contrast to the “Neolithic diet”, also known as the standard diet of today.

Part of the argument is that Neolithic foods like grains, beans, and potatoes contain anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients are enzyme blockers that bind up digestion, and mess with stomach enzymes and small intestine enzymes, which adds up to a lot more work on your organs. These anti-nutrients also contain lectin. A natural protein that can trick the cell into doing things it normally couldn't do. Lectins can do all kinds of bad things like change the physiology of cell membranes. Which, if I learned anything in A&P, can start a whole world of troubles for the body. However, there is the argument that diets like this can shorten the life span.

There are pros and cons to each diet. Not to mention I found a world of arguments out there for each one, and I encourage you all read more, and choose for yourself. For me.. I think I will stick to eating whatever I please. Life is to short to deprive my pallet of all the wonderful flavors out there because of a diet!

Please leave your comments and let me know where you stand on the matter!

Read about vegetarian diets from The Vegetarian Resource Group
OR
Read about Paleolithic Diets!

Common forage plant found to control gastrointestinal parasites in ruminants

While rummaging through Fresh Patents this weekend, I found patent request that caught my eye. A group of researchers are patenting a feeding mechanism they have discovered: the plant Lespedeza cuneata (also referred to as sericea lespedeza, Chinese bush clover, silky bush clover, and Himalayan bush clover) can control the presence of harmful, sometimes deadly, gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants when included in the diet of these ruminants. More specifically, the plant has a detrimental effect on the fecundity of these worms.

In the southern USA, there is a high demand for goat meat and milk, however, the growth of the industry has been rather lagging and unable to keep up with the demand. This lagging is due to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), more specifically, Haemonchus contortus. This nematode will feed on blood in the stomach, therefore giving off a a red coloration. The adult worms have a lancet in their mouths, in which they utilize to open blood vessels for feeding purposes.


H. contortus females are extremely fertile and can lay up to 5,000 eggs a day. The eggs will pass through the feces, larvae will molt on the grass, and the ruminants will digest these nematodes who will then start attacking their intestinal tracts. The effects include anemia, weakness, and in a great deal of cases: death.

Chinese bush clover is known for its high concentration of tannins (protein). However, cattle and other ruminants are less likely to forage on this plant due to that fact. The high tannins produce a taste that the grazers do no particularly care for. Common dewormers and anthelminics are used in attempt to reduce the effects of the GINs, but the worms have readily developed resistance against the drugs.

The Chinese bush clover can be introduced into the diet of the animals in several ways: hay, pellets, directly with feed, and as an additive among many others. Through extensive research and feeding trials (shown in the patent request) the researchers have discovered that the plants does not kill the worms, but instead greatly reduces their fecundity, which will in turn reduce the number of worms consumed via grazing.

Take a look at the patent request on Fresh Patents for a more detailed description of what these researchers are trying to do. In my opinion, this method of GIN control is extremely advantageous. The method is simple to do, cost-effective, and most importantly: all natural. Considering that these ruminants are to be used in the food industry, as consumers we want the least amount of synthetic drugs in them as possible. And these researchers have come up with a solution.

Happy Belated Birthday Darwin!

I know I'm a few days late posting on Darwin Day, Happy belated birthday Chuck! I had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to post in honor of one of the most important figures in science -- in my book he IS the most important. As most of us science geeks know, Darwin Day is celebrated on Darwin's birthday, February 12th. Throughout my research and attempts to gain more knowledge about this amazing man, I came across some pretty interesting topics, and I found a few ways for us to appropriately honor his memory, intelligence, and contributions to our society.

The International Darwin Day Foundation is urging people in the scientific community to sign a petition they have generated in hopes of officially honoring Darwin:

"Our petition asks President Obama to issue a proclamation on Darwin Day that honors Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection and that calls on all Americans to preserve scientific discovery as a bedrock of our society. It also asks Americans to commemorate the day with appropriate events and activities."

The website makes a very valid point -- if we don't get the message out about evolution and it's importance in our society, specifically schools, we will be at a great disadvantage. It's imperative for children to be presented with ALL ideas and theories in all subjects, not just science. They'll be grossly unprepared once they hit the real world, and not to mention - have completely one sided opinions.

I personally believe that this petition is an extremely good idea, and that The International Darwin Day Foundation is on the right track in helping the science community get onto the map, and with more integrity and credibility. So, if you agree with me -- go ahead and sign the petition and spread the word! Let's honor Darwin and give him the credibility he deserves!

As many of you may have heard, there is a movie chronicling Charles Darwin's life, Creation. There has been a great deal of negative buzz about the movie here in the states. Unfortunately, the movie had a difficult time picking up an American distributor because people were concerned that it would be too controversial for conservative America -- but it's okay watch anti-American views, terrorism, rape, murder, and crime? But to my relief, the movie finally found a U.S. distributor! To my dismay though, it hasn't been released anywhere here in Ohio. But, when I get my hands on a copy of it, I say we have a large Darwin viewing party. Who's in?!

Here's a sneak peak...



Watch a funny clip of the Rachel Maddow show HERE.

Check out the Facebook page for the movie.

Check out Charles Darwin's great great grandson's interview on NPR.

Get yourself some Darwin gear HERE.

And in closing, I'll leave you with my favorite Darwin quote.

" It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

HAPPY V-DAY!!!

In light of V-Day I think I will talk about VD (venereal disease) or Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs). What with all the "love" going around, I want to make sure all our readers are ONLY sharing the love, and not the love bugs!

I'm sure everyone knows that Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread through sexual contact, either genital, oral-genital, or anal-genital. Most disease causing organisms cannot live very long outside a warm, moist environment. So naturally moving from host to host via reproductive organs during sexual contact seems like the perfect mode of transportation. Some travel through bodily fluids, and others, like pubic lice (crabs) take advantage of you "bumping uglies" to hop from one person to another.

I want to give you a little run down of some common STD's and their effects. Behind door number one is Gonorrhea! It is cause by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Besides the obvious genital to genital transmission, it can be transmitted to the mouth and throat through oral sex, or mouth and eyes through hand contact. So don't think just because you're not doing the horizontal tango you are safe from STDs. Symptoms include for men pus from the penis, for women vaginal discharge, and for both painful urination. You may be asymptomatic, but you can still have complications, including sterility, SO GET CHECKED! It can be treated with antibiotics, and have no complications if caught early. However, in recent years antibiotic-resistant strains have emerged.

Behind door number two is Syphilis cause by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. This one is a little more feisty than Gonorrhea. Symptoms start with a chancre at the infection site. Then is leads to a non itchy rash, hair loss, and gray areas of infection on mucous membranes. Finally it starts it's widespread damage to the cardiovascular and nervous system, blindness, and skin ulcers. (I bet thats attractive when you're trying to pick up a valentine date at the bar!) This one can also be treated with antibiotics.

Hiding behind door number three is Chlamydia! This little darling is cause by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Although the rates of Gonorrhea and Syphilis have been going down in the U.S. Chlamydia is on the rise. It remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the nation. Symptoms include Discharge from penis, or vagina, burning during urination, and vaginal itching. Complications include pelvic inflammatory disease, urethral infections, sterility, and complications of pregnancy. More then 1.2 million cases were report to the CDC in 2008! (CDC.com)

There are plenty more like:
- AIDS (I'm sure everyone is familiar with this one)
- Hepatitis B
- Genital warts (Cause by HPV)
- Genital herpes
- Trichomoniasis
- Pubic lice


Not only are they embarrassing in a social situation, but some of these little "love bugs" can cause serious organ damage. So please please please be smart and safe, GET TESTED! No shame in being smart about your sex life, if you have one. I mean what would you rather get for Valentines day, flowers and candy, or a VD for V-Day? (I personally like expensive metals and shiny clear chunks of carbon!)

For information how to protect yourself check this out!

So to everyone out there, Happy Valentines Day, and remember... No glove.. No love!

Back In Action!!!!

Hello World! So my roommate Savannah and I have decided to resurrect Science Haggis as a side hobby. We will be blogging about whatever topics in science strike our fancy, or we encounter in our every day lives! We are two graduates of Ashland University, both with our degrees in Biology. We LOVE science, and we love to have fun! So hopefully we can make this a fun, interesting, and of course entertaining blog about science in our lives! I will be making our first real science post this weekend I promise! As for right now I just wanted to let everyone know that we are kicking off a new beginning, and encouraging people to keep (or start) following!

Thanks to some great people who encouraged us to kick our blog off: Mason Posner- Our wonderful professor from Ashland (Visit his blog A Fish Eye View, and Bora Zivkovic for shedding light on our blogs! (Visit his blog- A Blog Around The Clock) And a special thanks for my roommate and co-author Savannah for being my partner in crime.. Whether it be on here, or out in the world!

Stick around, its sure to be a wild ride!!!!

Ps: I will learn all the cool tricks like adding links to my posts so please be patient!!!!!!!!