ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2010) — A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.

The second experiment -- the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals -- monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet.

"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes." In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.

High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars -- it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose -- but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.

This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

"Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic," Avena said.

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet -- the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda -- and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.

The research was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Editor's Note: In response to the above-mentioned study, The Corn Refiners Association issued a statement titled "Gross Errors in Princeton Animal Study on Obesity and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Research in Humans Discredits Princeton Study" (http://www.corn.org/princeton-hfcs-study-errors.html). This link is provided for information only -- no editorial endorsement is implied.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Princeton University. Original article written by Hilary Parker.

Journal Reference:

1. Miriam E. Bocarsly, Elyse S. Powell, Nicole M. Avena, Bartley G. Hoebel. High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristic of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.02.012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Hmm. Maybe we should get rid of the High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

Haha

"Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.

You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

" We're no longer a Christian nation" - " America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world, " America is mean-spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.

And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes"

Admit it, Obama is nothing more than a fuck up.

How to Improve Your Eyesight Naturally with an Eye Wash Cup

In this article I’m going to share with what I feel is an amazing way to improve your eyesight naturally with an eye wash cup and a dash of cayenne pepper. It may just offer you a chance at better eyesight without the need for glasses.

This simple little centuries-old trick has been known to improve all types of eye problems, the procedure is amazingly simple and just makes sense.

Let me explain.

One day in early 2009 I went to the kitchen and grabbed my bottle of super resveratrol to read the ingredients.

To my astonishment the tiny words on the label were blurry and as much as I tried, I could not focus on them.

I had noticed recently that it took a little more effort to focus on smaller print but this time I was concerned after all this year I would turn 43, a time in one's life when we should expect steady deterioration of our bodies, right? Fortunately, I don't buy into this popular myth.

Having experienced a lifetime of perfect vision I never really thought about my eyes which goes without saying sometimes we don’t appreciate the gifts we have, until they’re gone.

Because I take a proactive approach to health I immediately dove into researching eye problems and their remedies.

It’s scary when you start researching an ailment because you discover just how many things can go wrong with the human body, conditions with names I couldn’t even begin to pronounce.

Not surprisingly, none of the mainstream medical sites offered any information of much value to someone like me searching for a way to improve my blurred vision aside from recommending a visit to the local optometrist which I wasn’t quite ready to do just yet.

Then in the midst of one of my searches the words “eye bath” on a site that sold antique "eye cups" caught my eye which ultimately led to my discovering a cure for my blurry vision.

Yes I said cure.

I had blurry vision and eye bathing completely restored my sight and while it may or may not help you, here is what I discovered.

Imagine for a moment what your eyes are potentially subjected to on any given day:

• Pollen
• Dust
• Pet dander
• Car exhaust and pollutants of all kinds
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Microscopic particulates of all kinds

Unless you cry all the time and your tears flow often, how do expect that all of these pollutants are removed from your eyes?

The simple answer is that they are not.

We practice good oral hygiene every day brushing and flossing our teeth so why not practice good eye hygiene?

Come to find out that is exactly what people used to do before the invention of antibiotics and eye drops which unfortunately cannot and do not achieve the same outcome when it comes to keeping eyes healthy.

While eye baths and eyecups can be traced all the way back to the Jin Dynasty in China, from what I’ve learned the West discovered eye bathing as far back as the 16^th century.

In the early twentieth century Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia made and sold "eye bath kits" that contained eyewash solution and a glass eye wash cup.

Eye bathing was very popular because it worked.

So popular in fact that fortunately there is an abundant supply of antique eye wash cups available for sale online left over from an area when prevention was preferred over treatment.

What would happen if you bathed your eyes daily in a natural solution that provided nutrients, cleaned, soothed, cooled and increased circulation to them?

Your eyes would become healthier, naturally.

Eye bathing is just what it sounds like. You bathe your eyes in a nourishing, cleansing solution that helps remove contaminants and increase the circulation to your eyes.

This can be done by placing your face into a bowel of solution and opening your eyes just like you do when swimming in a river or a lake.

The face-in-bowel method uses a lot of solution so a more practical way is to put the solution into a tiny cup that is shaped to fit tightly into your eye socket so that it makes a tight seal.

Lean your head back allowing the solution to cover your eye and then you open it looking up, down and then side to side.

I do this anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute at a time and then switch eyes.

There are many different solutions you can use for eye bathing the one I chose is made by Dr. Schulze and contains cayenne pepper which helps stimulate circulation.  After just a few days eye bathing my sight returned to normal.

If you decide to try eye bathing buy one of the old antique glass eye cups instead of the new plastic kind simply because they are easy to clean and there is no issue with the possibility of chemicals leaching from the plastic.

Just like teeth, hair and skin it just makes sense that your eyes will respond positively when given daily attention.

Here is a quote from respected eye surgeon William Bates (1860-1931) who was alive during the time eye bathing was popular.

“These eye baths should have the effect of strengthening and stimulating the eyes in a wholesome, hygienic manner, without irritation. Cases of weak and dull eyes are especially helped by them, and they are helpful in practically every case of eye disease and defect, where they are not distinctly contra-indicated” - William H. Bates, M. D.

As with all things in life there are no guarantees that this will work for you like it did for me but eye bathing is something you should consider bringing into your experience if healthy eyesight is important to you.

Eye bathing solution is free or cheap and an antique cobalt blue eye wash cup can be purchased for less than $15 on eBay as you can see below.

Please do your own research before attempting any new procedure.

Orange Milk Swirl Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Periwinkle Old Fashioned Style Ribbed Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Periwinkle Satin Old Fashioned Style Ribbed Eyebath    US $12.50

Purple Passion Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Purple Passion Satin Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Sunkist Delight Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Sunkist Delight OldFashioned Style Ribbed Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Sunkist Delight Satin Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Sunkist Delight Satin OldFashioned Ribbed Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Teal Carnival Old Fashioned Style Eyebath Glass    US $12.50

Stephen Benton Holographic Self Portrait Rare offer    US $10,000.00

Vintage 1937 Glass EYE WASH Bath CUP w Eye on Sides    US $24.99

Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass EYE WASH Bath CUP    US $24.99

Vintage Light Green Glass EYE WASH Bath CUP    US $24.99

VINTAGE COBALT GLASS EYE CUP OPTICAL EYE WASH CUP    US $29.99

Vintage Rare Cobalt Blue Eye Cup Washer    US $15.99

Vintage Cobalt Eye Cup 5 Wyeth embossed both sides    US $9.99

Blue Opalescent Glass Eye Wash Cup Eyewash Optical    US $9.95

Delicate Aqua Carnival Glass Eye Wash Cup Optical    US $11.95

BEAUTIFUL GLASS GREEN VASELINE BULL EYE WASH CUP BATH    US $7.95

Delicate Jade Glass Eye Wash Cup Eyewash Optical    US $11.95

Kahunka

I dunno... Maybe it's a good idea to try?

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Get three free MP3's from Amazon. Just go here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=dm_tw_3forfree?ie=UTF8&docId=100045... and follow the directions.

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Fucking kick ass article! Very long, but worth the read.

Pretty sweet. Turn big images into even bigger pixelated images. You can adjust the final size and what not. It takes a lot of the hassle out of it, and is a great way to waste a little ink, have a little fun, and have a pretty cool poster when you are done. Check the site's gallery for some ideas!

By Laura Northrup, 9:00 AM on Sun Nov 15 2009, 3,884 views

As part of an attempt to make up a budget shortfall, New York State is holding a huge fundraiser. No, not a bake sale: starting in April 2010, the state is forcing all car and tractor-trailer owners in the state to buy new license plates when they renew their registrations. And not just any license plates. Ugly license plates.

Drivers will need to pay $25 for their new plates, and an additional $20 if they want to keep their current plate numbers. Since everyone has an extra $25 lying around these days.

The new plates, featuring a bold new gold hue and a highly reflective surface, will make the roads safer and "reflect New York's force and its resilience," according to the state's commissioner of motor vehicles.

They will also generate $260 million in revenue and create more than 100 jobs - at the maximum security prison where inmates make the plates for up to 42 cents an hour.

Yes, I own a car in New York and just had new plates issued last year.

In Need of Cash, State Requiring Drivers to Buy New $25 Plates [NY Times] (Thanks, Crystal!)

Really, New York DMV? Who the fuck designed that ugly ass piece of shit license plate? It looks like fresh diarrhea with blueberry topping.

A bacon sammich is a remedy... Can you guess what it helps with before clicking?

The most badass sandcastle EVER.