The science of deliciousness

September 4, 2022
by RJ Hamster

YOUR WEEKLY CHECKUP

This week: There’s more to yum than you might think; traditional foods that can lead to long lives; COVID-19’s toll on undocumented immigrants; 12 wild plants in your favorite teas and moisturizers that carry risks.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN FINKE

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ FROM THE ARCHIVES‌ ‌ ‌

The science of taste is more complex than you might think

The modern food environment is a tremendous source of pleasure, far richer than the one our ancestors evolved in, and the preferences we inherited from them——along with a food industry that’s increasingly adept at selling us what we like—often lead us to adopt unhealthy habits. But out preoccupation with food has also led to a boom in research on taste. It has turned out to be a very complicated sense—more complicated than vision.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

SUPERTASTERS: Could a distaste for broccoli indicate greater resistance to COVID-19? +

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID MCLAIN

These traditional diets can lead to long lives

Meals developed over generations based on whole grains, greens, nuts, and beans offer the promise of eluding disease and staying healthy.

WHAT TO EAT

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK THIESSEN

Watch what you eat—and when you eat it

From salmon burgers for breakfast to spinach for a headache, these doctors say eating the right foods at the right times is the key to health.

WHAT TO KNOW

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHER GREGORY-RIVERA

COVID-19 took a unique toll on undocumented immigrants

Nearly 70 percent of undocumented immigrant workers in the U.S. hold jobs that were deemed essential during the pandemic—and they were 50 percent more likely to get COVID-19 than U.S.-born workers. For many, that’s meant surviving a public health emergency while working low-paying jobs (often on the frontlines) that don’t offer benefits.

FRUSTRATION: For millions of vulnerable people, COVID-19 is far from over +

UNEQUAL IMPACT: Hard hit by COVID-19, Black Americans are recovering slowly +

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

NG STAFF

FDA, CDC sign off on new Omicron-specific boosters

These are the first modified COVID-19 shots approved since the vaccines first became available for use in December 2020.

TRACKING COVID IN THE U.S.

What to know about the new booster shots (New York Times)

COVID, monkeypox, polio: Summer of viruses reflects travel, warming trends (Washington Post)

Chengdu locks down 21.2 million people as Chinese cities battle COVID-19 (CNBC)

The pandemic is coming for your pocketbook (The Atlantic)

MORE HEALTH NEWS

PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE

The dark side of your everyday foods and cosmetics

The chocolate you eat, the moisturizer you use, the tea you drink—these everyday products contain ingredients from wild plants. The way those plants—many of them threatened—are harvested may be damaging the environment and exploiting workers.

THE 12 PLANTS

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: This bug in your food shouldn’t turn your stomach +

CONSUMPTION: Palm oil is destroying rainforests. But try going a day without it. +

Why polio is making a comeback

Dogs’ risk of dementia increases by half every year

U.S. life expectancy falls again in ‘historic’ setback (New York Times)

The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier (NPR)

Here’s how extreme heat is hurting pregnant women

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RJ Hamster

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The science of deliciousness

The science of deliciousness

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