Sometimes it seems as though there’s a constant stream of new so-called “superfoods”‚ supposedly nutrient-dense nosh that comes with a bunch of health benefits. Thanks to a new study‚ the latest that’s been added to the pile is the sea buckthorn berry – but is this small‚ bright orange ball really capable of tackling diabetes and obesity as some headlines have claimed&;yacute;What are sea buckthorn berries&;yacute;Sea buckthorn berries come from – you guessed it – a plant called sea buckthorn‚ classified scientifically as Hippophae rhamnoides. It’s a large‚ spiny shrub that can be found in a number of locations owing to its hardiness to the elements‚ including mountainous and coastal regions. After flowering in the spring‚ the late summer months see female sea buckthorn plants covered in small‚ bright orange berries that also happen to be edible.But as for what they taste like‚ Catherine Cleary of the Irish Times gives a less-than-stellar review: &;quot;The good news is sea buckthorn berry is packed with Vitamin C. The bad news is it doesn't taste great.&;quot;Use in traditional medicineThough it’s only recently been dubbed as a superfood in the mainstream‚ it’s thought that sea buckthorn berries have been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. They are said to help with ailments ranging from a cough to digestive issues in Tibet and Mongolia; skin diseases and asthma in Russia and around the Indian region of the Himalayas; and even hypertension in some Central Asian countries.Is the hype worth it&;yacute;Given the wide range of traditional uses for sea buckthorn berries‚ scientists have taken an interest in analyzing the composition of the fruit and figuring out which‚ if any‚ of the components might confer the alleged illustrious array of health benefits.Whilst it’s true that‚ on the face of it‚ there are numerous studies exploring sea buckthorn berries and their relation to health‚ quantity doesn’t necessarily equal quality‚ nor does the presence of a particular compound associated with health benefits guarantee that the berries will provide the same effect.For example‚ a 2019 study probing sea buckthorn oil‚ made from the seeds and pulp of the berries‚ highlighted that the oil is a rich source of omega-7 fatty acids. These are thought to have a role in maintaining and reducing inflammation in the mucous membranes of the digestive tract‚ eyes‚ and genitalia. The study concluded‚ however‚ that there was limited evidence to support the oil’s apparent positive impact on health‚ and the authors note that &;quot;most of the results obtained in this review are from studies of isolated fatty acids instead of fatty acids extracted from sea buckthorn oil&;quot;.A more recent study has garnered a lot of attention for its exploration of the berries’ nutritional profile and their potential for tackling diabetes and obesity‚ leading tabloid outlet the New York Post to call sea buckthorn berries “the strange fruit that can be your weight loss gamechanger”. That’s a pretty strong statement‚ so what does the actual study say&;yacute;Co-authored by researchers Renan Danielski and Fereidoon Shahidi of the Memorial University of Newfoundland‚ the study first used a technique called (take a deep breath before saying this one) ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet–mass spectrometry–time of flight (UPLC-UV-MS-TOF) to determine the nutritional composition of the berries.They found that the berries were rich in phenolic acids‚ flavonoids‚ and tannins‚ which have been suggested as having health-beneficial antioxidant properties; antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals‚ unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells. As such‚ the authors investigated the antioxidant activity of a sea buckthorn berry extract and found that it protected supercoiled DNA samples (free radicals can damage DNA) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – the oxidized form of which has a role in the buildup of plaque in arteries – from oxidative damage. At a glance‚ this would suggest that berries have health-protective properties.The study also concluded that the berries have “antidiabetic and anti-obesity potential”‚ after finding that the extract was capable of inhibiting two enzymes that have a role in the conditions.Though the authors call these results “promising”‚ that’s all it is – as of yet unmet potential. It’s by no means a hard and fast conclusion that chowing down on a bunch of sea buckthorn berries is 100 percent guaranteed to cure humans of any ills.This is primarily because a) it’s just one study‚ and scientists generally require more than that to give a theory any weight‚ and b) the study was carried out in vitro – that is‚ in plates containing 96 tiny test tubes instead of an actual living body.As a result‚ though it could be inferred that the berries might have a role in treating diabetes and obesity‚ the true extent of that role can’t be known without further tests‚ both in vitro and in cells‚ animals‚ and‚ of course‚ humans. This is acknowledged by Danielski‚ who in a statement‚ called the study “a first step”.“Future research needs to focus on understanding the mechanisms behind those effects and further experimentation using animal models and humans‚” the study author explained. “If these effects are confirmed in vivo‚ we can envision the use of sea buckthorn polyphenols for therapeutic and pharmacological purposes‚ aiding in the prevention and treatment of diabetes‚ obesity‚ and many other conditions.”In other words‚ calling sea buckthorn berries a “weight loss gamechanger” is unfounded without more research‚ but if you still fancy downing a bunch of the berries‚ we won’t stop you (although please be careful if you’re going to forage them) – there’s just not enough evidence that it’s a “superfood”.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.  

Most of us will have been made aware from a young age that “am” and “pm” refer to the first half and the second half of the day‚ or morning and afternoon/evening – but what do those letters actually stand for&;yacute;Take a look at LatinSome people might think Latin is a dead language‚ but take a quick look around and its influence is everywhere‚ including in how we describe time. “am” stands for the Latin phrase ante meridiem‚ which translated to English means “before midday”. On the other hand (well‚ same hands if you’re looking at a 12-hour clock)‚ “pm” stands for post meridiem‚ meaning “after midday”.If you fancy whipping out a bit of pedantry the next time you hear someone say 12 am or 12 pm‚ this means that you can tell them that doing so isn’t technically correct – 12 pm can’t be after midday because it’s‚ well‚ midday. Royal Museums Greenwich recommends sticking to 12 noon or 12 midnight.All that being said‚ people might find you a bit annoying if you start pointing this out at every opportunity.To punctuate or not to punctuateAccording to the Chicago Manual of Style‚ there are a total of six ways to write abbreviate ante meridiem and post meridiem: all caps with periods‚ all caps without period‚ small caps with periods‚ small caps without periods‚ lowercase with periods‚ and lowercase without periods.For a long time‚ the use of capital letters with the inclusion of periods was the preferred option for many formal style guides‚ including Chicago. Though that might remain in some academic settings or publishing houses‚ for example‚ any which way you want to write it is generally considered acceptable nowadays – just be consistent with what you use.The less confusing wayIf there are concerns about accidentally turning up at the airport at 4 pm when your flight was actually at 4 am (a time worth missing a flight for‚ to be fair)‚ then you might just want to switch to using the 24-hour system.Though your pals might rinse you for pretending to be in the military‚ it can be a much less confusing approach. For example‚ instead of midnight being 12 am‚ it simply becomes 00:00‚ which makes a lot of sense considering it’s the start of the day. Where the territory becomes slightly more unfamiliar is after 1pm‚ which instead becomes 13:00‚ and so on until midnight‚ which actually still has its problem – should it be 00:00 or 24:00&;yacute; We’ll leave that one up to you to debate.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

22-year-old Frenchwoman Auriane Nathalie Laisne liked to dress in dark clothes and‚ according to others‚ “looked like a vampire or a corpse.” She was probably one of those who are called goths; fans of this subculture are obsessed with the theme of death‚ like to visit abandoned old houses and cemeteries at night‚ and they also like vampire style. Laisne also loved to “hunt ghosts” and had a boyfriend‚ 21-year-old Italian Teima Sohaib‚ from an Egyptian immigrant family‚ who shared her hobby. In the photo shown in the media‚ the murdered girl looks very young and looks more like a 14-year-old teenager. Journalists also point out that she was painfully thin. Recently‚ Laisne’s dead body was found in an abandoned church in Italy. One of the tourists accidentally went there and came across a decomposing corpse‚ which lay there for at least several days. The body was lying in the “fetal position” and it appears that she was deliberately placed as if she were sleeping. The condition of the body is described as “bloodless” and it is indicated that the girl was stabbed several times in the neck and stomach‚ and then also shot several times. Possibly posthumously. Moreover‚ the blood that flowed from the girl’s body onto the floor was then carefully “scraped off and removed” by someone. Due to these strange circumstances‚ there are suspicions that Laisne’s murder‚ especially given her hobbies‚ may have been ritualistic and that she may even have done it voluntarily. At the moment‚ the police have already detained Sohaib‚ who is considered a suspect in her murder‚ but there is no more information on the case yet. The post Woman dressed as vampire was found drained of blood in old church appeared first on Anomalien.com.

I can't get enough of modders flipping the script with big games. The upcoming Fallout London is essentially fan-made DLC‚ and there are so many Dark Souls conversions that they'll make your head spin. There are a handful of Elden Ring mods like this‚ with The Convergence being one of the biggest‚ but now a dedicated Dark Souls modder is reinventing FromSoftware's latest‚ and it sounds like a totally different game with real-time mechanics‚ roaming enemies‚ and more. It's essentially making The Lands Between into a living world‚ and it sounds incredible. Continue reading Ambitious Elden Ring mod to create living‚ breathing world to explore MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Elden Ring builds‚ Elden Ring bosses‚ The best Elden Ring classes

It's official. The Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime is a hit with critics and fans alike‚ with a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% audience score at the time of writing. Not too shabby for a videogame adaptation set in a violent post-apocalyptic world where former Vault dwellers must adapt to their new‚ irradiated surroundings. Some of those who binge-watched Fallout season 1 will likely already be fans of the RPG games. We certainly enjoyed it‚ as you can see in our Fallout show review. However‚ if you are as new to this explosive series as a Vault Dweller is to the surface‚ welcome! It's great to have you here. Our comprehensive Fallout guide will give you the lowdown on all the games so far‚ which one you should start with‚ and tips for exploring post-apocalyptic America. Continue reading The ultimate Fallout guide to getting started with the RPG series MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games‚ Best old games‚ Fallout 5 release date

A major Warhammer 40k Darktide update arriving soon will introduce the 40k equivalent to one of the most troublesome enemy types from developer Fatshark’s other beloved co-op game‚ Warhammer Vermintide 2. The Darktide Path of Redemption update is set to rework the game’s penance system‚ offering up a huge number of challenges and potential rewards to earn‚ and now developer Fatshark details a new core mechanic set to alter how you approach missions‚ along with a new in-universe character change tool. Continue reading Warhammer 40k Darktide is getting one of Vermintide 2’s scariest foes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best FPS games‚ Best Warhammer games‚ Best Warhammer 40k games

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Adam Smasher: once a pushover‚ now a formidable foe. After receiving a pretty major update in Cyberpunk 2077's 2.1 patch‚ Adam Smasher went from an easy boss fight to a damn intense one. But that hasn't stopped five separate players from defeating him over 100 times‚ according to CD Projekt Red.