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Scientists have identified a less stringent and more manageable alternative to traditional intermittent fasting, offering new possibilities for extending lifespan and promoting healthy aging. This novel method, involving short-term isoleucine deprivation, has shown remarkable results in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). The research found that intermittent, short-term omission of only the essential amino acid isoleucine from the diet significantly increases stress resistance and extends lifespan in fruit flies. "Unlike conventional intermittent fasting, this approach does not require drastic reductions in overall food intake, making it a more practical and feasible strategy," said Tahila Fulton. Previous research has shown that moderate restriction...

Regional cider makers across the country are reinventing the comforting fall classic. As the director of innovation and quality for Denver's Stem Ciders, Patrick Combs prefers to think like a painter. And artists require the right medium. Every five days, the urban cidery sends a truck driver to southern Washington to retrieve freshly pressed culinary and dessert apples that will then be fermented with white wine yeast, creating what Combs calls a "blank canvas." He then fills his culinary palette with lemongrass, oolong tea, turmeric, and grapes, creating ciders evocative of rosé wine or a salted-cucumber snack. "One of our...

Apples originally evolved in the wild to entice ancient megafauna to disperse their seeds; more recently, humans began spreading the trees along the Silk Road with other familiar crops; dispersing the apple trees led to their domestication. Recent archaeological finds of ancient preserved apple seeds across Europe and West Asia combined with historical, paleontological, and recently published genetic data are presenting a fascinating new narrative for one of our most familiar fruits. In this study, Robert Spengler of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History traces the history of the apple from its wild origins, noting that...

When I was younger, a lot more energetic, and made many of the Christmas gifts I gave, I was finished with almost everything that could be done ahead for the holidays by the end of September or October. I’m not sure that will ever happen again, but I like to make some plans ahead and lately I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving. I never really like to make big changes for that holiday menu – people seem to want it to stay the same. But I think it’s good to introduce at least one new thing, each year. I usually make...

The lush rows of Bartlett pear trees appear boundless from where Pasqual Aragon stands. They make his small crew's fruit-picking mission seem impossibly daunting. "The truth is that there's a lot of work and not enough people," said Aragon, 26, as a dozen men beside him hoisted ladders and stuffed pears into heavy pouches strapped over their shoulders. California farmers warned for years of a future without enough skilled pickers and packers, of fruits and vegetables rotting in place. Critics accused them of crying wolf to win sympathy for relaxing labor and immigration rules. This year, however, the evidence seems...

Disfigured fruits and vegetables could be allowed in stores after most European Union members voted to loosen restrictions on produce, officials say. Misshapen bananas and cucumbers could be in stores by next year if reforms on produce rules are carried out, The Telegraph reported Thursday. The Telegraph said produce standards are so strict, many edible foods are discarded by farmers. European agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said she thinks some regulations should also be thrown out for onions, garlic, cauliflower and spinach. In this era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw (misshapen fruit and...