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Researchers have found that molecules in vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower help to maintain a healthy barrier in the lung and ease infection. The AHR—aryl hydrocarbon receptor—is a protein found at barrier sites like the gut and the lung. Natural molecules in cruciferous vegetables—for example, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage—are dietary 'ligands' for AHR, which means, once eaten, they activate AHR. This research now shows that AHR is highly active in endothelial cells lining blood vessels in the lung. The researchers conducted a series of experiments in mice to show how AHR impacts lung barriers. When mice were infected with...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

Satan held a press conference today responding to the big loss of Roe v. Wade. He's doing his best to keep his chin up.Youtube video at link

President Joe Biden was treated to his favorite treat for Thanksgiving dessert on Thursday — ice cream. The White House released details of the president’s Thanksgiving dinner, including thyme roasted turkey, roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, kale, button mushrooms, and cranberry relish.

The day you have dreaded is finally here! It's time to send your progressive kids into that COVID-infected world of white supremacy known as public school. Will a bully misgender them? Will they meet enough sexual partners? It can be a scary time, but it's slightly less scary if you're prepared. Here's what you should have on your shopping list: -Extra kleenex in case there are no conservative students nearby to drink their tears: Conservatives are usually walking around with special tumblers for catching delicious liberal tears, but your child should be prepared-- just in case they aren't around. -Ziplock...

*Kale is celebrated as a superfood and has been a trendy must-have for a number of years *But there is a new contender: broccolini, a Chinese broccoli hybrid, is all the rage Is broccolini the new kale? Produce and ingredients are not immune to the whims of fashion. Foods also go in and out of style, changing every few years. If you think vegetables are evergreens – pun intended – you’d be wrong. For a time, kale was the must-eat food that was on every shopping list. It was no longer solely for vegan yogis and detoxing tai tais –...

Kale, that popular green of the health conscious, has joined the ignoble list of 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues, according to the Environmental Working Group. The last time kale was on the list was in 2009 when it was ranked eighth. Strawberries and spinach took the top two spots again this year, respectively, followed by kale. Since 2004, the group -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental organization -- has annually ranked pesticide contamination in popular fruits and vegetables for its Shopper's Guide, noting those with the highest and lowest concentration of pesticides after being washed or peeled....

link only: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-28/justice-ginsburg-planning-to-skip-trump-s-speech-to-congress

One of the most interesting food writers I’ve encountered, and an American Treasure, is John Thorne, who for many years produced a snail-mail newsletter called ‘Simple Cooking’. The newsletter doesn’t seem to be produced anymore, but fortunately we have the many books that he and his wife Matt Lewis have published. These are just delightful books to read, even if you aren’t going to cook any of the recipes in them: https://www.amazon.com/John-Thorne/e/B000AQ1J0Y/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1"I remember that one of Thorne’s newsletters contained a recipe for ‘Puffed Wild Rice’, which was suggested as a snack, a topping for salad, or even an addition to...

<p>Sensing an opportunity to show that they can be just as angry about their classic dishes as Italians, Louisianians experienced a collective meltdown after a recipe video for “healthy” gumbo went viral. Posted by a Disney internet account, the offending video was perhaps meant to corrupt innocent youth as it attributed the recipe to Princess Tiana of the popular New Orleans–set The Princess and the Frog — giving it a veneer of legitimacy.</p>

President Obama used the 2012 World Series-winning San Francisco Giants as his backdrop late Monday to call on baseball fans to eat vegan at games and for stadiums to offer kale, eggplant and strawberries. ...., calling it something "close to first lady Michelle Obama's heart — encouraging healthy eating." But Obama isn't demanding an all-vegan diet at the park. "Even Michelle would say it's okay to have a hotdog once in awhile, though. I don't want everybody to get carried away and think they have to have kale every time they go to the ballpark."

NEW YORK, July 1 (UPI) -- Kyra Sedgwick's husband Kevin Bacon announced via WhoSay the U.S. actress sliced off the top of one of her fingers while chopping kale in the kitchen. Bacon posted photos of the 47-year-old former "Closer" star with bloody gauze on her hand before she saw a doctor, then a giant bandage on her finger after she was treated for the injury, People.com reported. "Kale isn't always healthy ... if you chop the end of your finger off," Bacon wrote in his online message during the weekend. "My baby is fine. All good. Still can't find...

Let's say you're preparing dinner and you realize with dismay that you don't have any certified organic Tuscan kale. What to do? Here's how Michelle Obama handled this very predicament Thursday afternoon: The Secret Service and the D.C. police brought in three dozen vehicles and shut down H Street, Vermont Avenue, two lanes of I Street and an entrance to the McPherson Square Metro station. They swept the area, in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with bomb-sniffing dogs and installed magnetometers in the middle of the street, put up barricades to keep pedestrians out, and took positions with...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research provides further evidence that substances in kale, spinach and other green vegetables help protect aging eyes from cataracts. In an experiment, investigators found that human eye cells treated with antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin showed less damage after being exposed to ultraviolet rays, the sunlight ingredient considered a major contributor to cataracts. Cataracts occur when proteins in the eye's lens begin to clump together, forming a milky cloud that obscures vision. Currently, around 20 million Americans have cataracts, and research suggests that the more sunlight you are exposed to in life, the greater...