“Don’t tell me you’re following this trend now, too!”

That was the pediatrician’s reaction when Marco and his wife explained to her that they were raising their daughter on a vegan diet . Protein, vitamin B12, iodine, zinc, selenium — where are these vital nutrients supposed to come from? The doctor asked.

“You have to have your facts ready,” said Marco, who explained to the doctor he and his wife knew which plant-based foods contained which micro and macronutrients and how to make up for a lack of meat and dairy in their child’s diet.

In fact, numerous studies on adults have already shown that vegetarian and vegan diets do not necessarily lead to nutrient deficiencies. On the contrary, they can have tremendous health benefits. Even the more traditionally-minded German Nutrition Society (DGE) says a plant-based diet “is not only beneficial to human health, but it is also climate-friendly.”

An increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues and various cancers have all been linked to the overconsumption of sugar, saturated fat and meat.

Although an increasing amount of vegetables is being eaten in Germany, meat consumption remains high — almost 60 kilograms per person every year, according to the latest report from the German Nutrition Society (DGE).

The research institute also reports that one in seven children in Germany is overweight. Worldwide, 340 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2016 , according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, there are 38 million overweight children under the age of five. Around the world, the number of overweight people has almost tripled since 1975, especially in industrialized nations.

This means, for a large number of children in the world — a majority of whom are not vegan or vegetarian — a healthy diet is sorely lacking.

Vegan = healthy? Not necessarily

The fact is, no matter which diet someone subscribes to, if they don’t pay attention to what their nutritional needs are, their health will suffer.

Parents who feed their children a vegan diet and do not pay careful attention to what food they’re putting on the table will put their children’s health at risk, says doctor and nutritionist Martin Smollich in an article on his blog , entitled  “Vegan or healthy? That’s the wrong question!”.

At the same time, the overconsumption of fatty, sugary food, which has poor health outcomes for children and adults, is a much more common problem.

“The number of children showing severe health damage at a primary school age due to a hypercaloric diet and other forms of malnutrition is probably millions of times higher,” writes Smollich.

‘No significant differences’

Markus Keller is a nutritionist and one of the founders of the Research Institute for Plant-Based Nutrition (IFPE). Working with the DGE, Keller has conducted two studies to clarify whether children and adolescents fed vegetarian or vegan diets actually suffer from nutrient deficiencies, as is often claimed.

“Before we did our studies, there were exactly two research studies with explicitly vegan children,” said Keller. Children fed a vegetarian diet have been somewhat better studied, but overall, there is not a lot of research.

Keller studied two different age groups of children with 400 subjects in each. Small children from one to three years of age and children and adolescents between six and 18 years of age. In the groups, there were about one third that ate a vegan diet, one third raised on a vegetarian diet, and one third who ate meat as part of their diet.

“In both studies, there were no significant differences in age-appropriate development — meaning average height and weight,” said Keller. He did acknowledge, however, that this research only captures a small section of society and isn’t representative of all children who are fed these diets.

There are no long-term studies in existence yet, he said, although he and his team are planning follow-up studies.

Nevertheless, his team’s data provided some important insights, such as about vitamin B12. This vitamin helps keep body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA.

It can only be obtained through food and is found primarily in animal products — which can present a challenge for vegans.

Not for well-informed vegans, like Marco and his wife, though. To make up for not eating animal products, they drizzle a liquid B12 supplement on their daughter’s cereal.

“The vitamin B12 levels were particularly good in the vegan children and adolescents,” said Keller. The scientists were able to determine this on the basis of blood samples. For Keller, that indicated that people raising their children on a vegan diet are aware of the importance of supplementing B12.

Calcium, vitamin B2, iodine and vitamin D were all below recommended levels in all three dietary groups, he said. Children in the vegan group scored lower for calcium and vitamin B2. But their scores for vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium, fiber and even iron were higher than the vegetarian and mixed diet groups. The vegan group’s diet also included less sugar, less fast food and more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes than the others.

The meat-eating children were found to eat much more meat than is officially recommended for this age group.

“Overall, the vegan children had the best food pattern on average, mostly eating whole, plant-based foods” Keller summarized. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Research (BfR), vegans in general are more conscious about their diet and more likely to actively seek out information about necessary nutrients than non-vegans.

If going vegan, do it right

Germany’s Nutrition Society recently revised its recommendation for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and adolescents not to eat a vegan diet.

But if you do decide to cut out animal products for you and your children, Keller said, it’s really important to find a replacement for critical nutrients usually found in animal products, such as B12.

The biggest challenge about raising a vegan child, says Marco, is making sure he is up to date with nutrition research and recommendations. He and his wife are waiting on blood test results for their daughter to ensure she is getting enough of the vitamins and minerals she needs.

It is something nutritionist Markus Keller recommends getting done about once a year, no matter what diet the children are on.

This article has been translated from German.

The Earth’s valuable mangrove forests likely won’t survive expected sea-level rise by 2050 if humanity does not reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, a study has suggested.

Around the world, around 80 different species of mangrove trees have been identified, all of which grow in warm, shallow, coastal waters located in tropical and subtropical regions of the planet, such as the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Indian subcontinent.

Mangrove forests are rooted in salty sediments that are often submerged by water. However, the upper trunk, branches and leaves of mangrove trees usually lie above the waterline. Most of these forests get flooded at least twice a day as the coastal tides rise and fall.

Mangrove forests provide vital ecosystem services to humans, plants and animals all over the globe. For example, they help to stabilize the coastline, providing protection from storms, waves and tidal erosion. The complex roots systems of these forests also provide a habitat for fish and other animals.

Furthermore, they also store large amounts of carbon, with studies suggesting that these ecosystems can sequester four times more of the substance than rainforests.

However, coastal mangrove forests are threatened by rapid sea-level rise, with some scientists warning that they are at risk of gradually drowning.

Despite their ecological importance and the existential threats that they face, scientists know relatively little about how mangrove trees respond to rising waters due to a lack of long-term observational data.

In order to shed light on this issue, an international team of scientists led by Neil Saintilan from Macquarie University in Australia examined sediment core samples from 78 tropical and subtropical lies in order to work out how mangroves responded to past changes in the rate of sea-level rise, which went from more 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) per year nearly 10,000 years ago to almost stable around 4,000 years later.

Saintilan said he decided to investigate the issue after reading several studies suggesting that tidal wetlands could survive quite high rates of sea-level rise, such as more than 10 millimeters per year—around three times the current rate.

“While these were encouraging findings, I had my doubts because they were based on very short-term observations,” Saintilan told Newsweek . “We decided that a better approach might be to look at how mangroves across the world responded to rapid sea-level rise the last time this occurred—nearly 10,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial period.”

Using computer models, the researchers then used these findings to estimate the chances of mangrove forests surviving under different future sea-level rise projections, which are based on varying greenhouse gas emission scenarios.

The scientists found that when the rate of sea-level rise exceeded 6-7 millimeters per year—which is what climate models predict will occur by 2050 under current high-emissions scenarios—the mangrove trees would likely not be able to survive the rising waters, according to a study published in the journal Science .

“There was good news and bad news. The good news was that mangroves were clearly capable of surviving much higher rates of sea-level rise than we have around the world at present,” Saintilan said. “There were many examples where mangroves were able to keep pace with sea-level rise of 5 millimeters per year; the current rate is just over 3 millimeters per year.”

“However, there was little evidence that mangroves could keep pace with sea-level rise of over 7 millimeters per year, and this threshold was lower for mangroves on coral reef settings, which failed to keep pace with sea-level rise above 5 millimeters per year. If the rate of sea-level rise doubles, mangroves are in serious trouble,” he said.

“If we keep to the Paris Agreement and control emissions, it is not too late to save the world’s mangrove forests—because the lower emissions scenarios do not suggest sea-level rise to exceed 5 millimeters per year. However, under the mid- to high-emissions scenarios, we expect these thresholds to be exceeded.”

According to Saintilan, the evidence suggests that if the rate of sea-level rise doubles to about 6-7 millimeters per year, existing mangrove forests will slowly drown.

“This may take a few decades in some places, or more than a century in others, but it is inevitable. Mangroves at this point will seek to respond how they have responded in the geological past when sea-level rise exceeds these rates: they will try to move landward with the rising sea, forming fringes along the strandline,” Saintilan said.

“However, unlike in the past, there are now impediments to their landward movement in many parts of the world, due to the construction of coastal defenses. We call this the ‘coastal squeeze.'”

The loss of mangrove ecosystems could lead to an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. Furthermore, humans, plants and animals would no longer benefit from the important ecosystem services that they provide.

“We have the power to determine whether the world’s mangrove forests survive or fail. Like much else, it hinges on how well we control greenhouse gas emissions. The encouraging news is that a low emissions future is also a future with mangroves,” Saintilan said.

Scientists have discovered a tiny new species of fish the size of an Aspirin pill—and they named it after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fish, dubbed the “pandemic blenny,” was described in a study published in the journal Zootaxa by Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist Phil Hastings.

Blennies are a group of over 900 small reef fish species, which are found around the world. The name of the new blenny species was inspired by Hastings’ isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well the fish’s very small range that is restricted to the waters of Costa Rica’s Cocos Island.

The lands and waters of this volcanic island, which is located about 350 miles off Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, are protected as a natural reserve—one that is home to several species found nowhere else on Earth.

When Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s campus closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hastings took home several fish specimens from the Scripps collection—as well as others from the Smithsonian Institution, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and the University of Costa Rica—so he could study them in an attempt to identify new species.

This research led to the documentation of the pandemic blenny, which he gave the scientific name Coralliozetus clausus .

“One of the pleasurable tasks of describing a new species is selecting a unique name for it. I originally thought about naming the fish in reference to its small size,” Hastings said in a statement.

“But then, when considering its restricted distribution, I decided to give it the Latin specific name of clausus which means ‘enclosed’ or ‘having been shut off.’ As I stared at the four walls of my home office, I thought about my own and others’ isolation during the pandemic, so I gave it the common name of pandemic blenny.”

Hastings told Newsweek that we know very little about the new species because only 21 specimens have been collected—with the earliest dating back to 1993.

“The main distinction worth mentioning is its extremely small size—the largest one known is only 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) in length and males are sexually mature as small as 12.6 millimeters (0.5 inches.)

But despite our lack of knowledge, Hastings said the new species probably likes to occupy empty barnacle husks based on what we know about closely related species.

“Barnacles are common on shallow rocky shores where there is strong wave surge, a habitat that is difficult to observe and collect fishes in—especially on an oceanic island like Cocos where waves are large and frequent,” Hastings said. “This, together with its small size, likely is the reason it has been so rarely collected and to my knowledge never observed in the wild.”

In general, blennies tend to be extremely hard to detect and quantify because of the their small size, as well as the fact that they tend to dwell near the seafloor.

After an abandoned attempt Thursday morning, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its crewless Starship SN10 prototype at around 12.15pm.

The test rocket cruised to a high altitude flight from SpaceX’s Texas base, reaching almost 10km above the Earth during the round trip.

However third time wasn’t the charm as SN10 was the third SpaceX rocket launch to end with an explosion. The Starship SN10 has a similar visual design to the two previous prototypes.

This time the destruction was delayed, rather than a crash landing. The prototype appeared to be steadying itself as planned, before bursting into flames around eight minutes after arriving on the landing pad.

READ MORE: SpaceX crashes another Starship in high-altitude flight test ‘Mars, here we come’: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes on impact SpaceX Starship prototype explodes In Elon Musk’s universe, his star outshines even his satellites

SpaceX’s live video feed of the launch cut off before the explosion occurred. In a tweet, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated the successful landing but didn’t mention the subsequent explosion.

After the first attempt to launch Starship SN10 was abandoned at 10.14am Thursday, Musk explained: “Launch abort on slightly conservative high thrust limit. Increasing thrust limit & recycling propellant for another flight attempt today.”

Last week Musk claimed in a video that Starship will be ready for manned flights that would head beyond orbit by 2023. The video was published by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa who intends to fly himself and eight others on a weeklong trip to the Moon with the help of SpaceX .

Maezawa claims over 100,000 people have applied for the eight free seats on his flight.

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– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Argentina and Germany were both back at work on Thursday, secretly hatching their plans for Sunday’s World Cup final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

While their contrasting styles promise a classic battle between Europe and South America, they have left both teams with plenty to think about as they put the finishing touches to their preparations.

Lionel Messi and his Argentina team mates had a light workout after they returned to their base camp in Belo Horizonte after Wednesday’s dramatic penalty shootout win over the Netherlands.

Germany were also back on the training pitch at their secluded base camp in Santo Andre after taking Wednesday off following their 7-1 thrashing of host-nation Brazil on Tuesday.

Defender Mats Hummels was cleared to rejoin his team mates after undergoing treatment for a knee injury that prompted him to miss the second half of the semi.

With the team only having a gentle run-out, Germany’s assistant coach Hansi Flick said Hummels was free to do what he wanted.

“All the players will be able to train, whether it’s on an exercise bike or on the pitch – whichever they prefer,” Flick said. “It’s up to each individual to decide what they want to do in training.”

Germany’s biggest challenge remains how to contain Messi, who has been heavily marked throughout the tournament but still looms as the big danger.

The Germans sat down together to watch the second semi-final and were impressed at how the Dutch managed to neutralise Messi.

Flick said they had cooked up their own strategy to deal with Messi, but the details would remain a closely-guarded secret.

“We’ve also got a plan,” he told a news conference. “But we’re not going to reveal that here to you.”

Left back Benedikt Hoewedes said the Germans were also trying to keep a lid on the mounting expectations in their homeland after the mind-boggling win over Brazil.

It has been 24 years since Germany last won the World Cup, coincidentally against Argentina in 1990, but Hoewedes said the players were not taking anything for granted and maintaining a very focused approach.

“We know that we’re considered the favourites,” he said.

“The team is clever enough to avoid being led astray by that tag. We’re not going to let any external factors distract us.”

Preparations were also underway for the third-place playoff in Brasilia on Saturday with Brazil and the Netherlands in very different states of mind.

The hosts are under enormous pressure to gain a minor consolation win following the Germany debacle, while Dutch coach Louis van Gaal said he did not believe the playoff match should be played so his side may struggle for motivation.

Away from the pitch, Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, banned from all soccer activity for four months and nine competitive internationals for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World, lost his appeal.

FIFA rejected the appeal filed by the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), although it can still take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a FIFA spokeswoman said.

Police in Rio were searching for the chief executive of a Swiss hospitality company implicated by an investigation into the illegal resale of VIP World Cup tickets.

After a court ordered the arrest of the executive and the continued detention of 10 other suspects already held in the probe, police were unable to find Ray Whelan, of MATCH Services, a company contracted by tournament organisers to arrange ticketing and hospitality packages.

Whelan, who was briefly arrested earlier in the week and released pending a court order, was not present when police arrived at the luxurious beachside hotel where he had been staying in Rio.

Police told Globo, Brazil’s biggest television network, that Whelan, who has denied any wrongdoing, was filmed leaving through a back door on hotel security footage.

— Phuket Gazette Editors

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