Labradores are Dying and It's Because Of Us

 

    Chocolate labs are more desirable than their black and yellow counterparts. The brown color is caused by the homozygous recessive genotype. This genotype is associated with shorter life spans and predisposition for health issues. Studies done have found that chocolate labs live on average a whole year less than their brown and black siblings. They also have increase of ear and skin infections on top of the typical join issues that labs typically have. Because these dogs are highly sought after, these genes are making the Labradors an unhealthy breed of dog. An article on AllThingsDog.com stated that because these dogs are continuously interbred for their color, they are showing increased risk of genetic health issues due to their limited gene pool. I think that breeding dogs for looks does dogs in general a disservice. Breeding health issues into them is cruel, especially because most dogs are not bred for a specific purpose. Most are just family dogs. I think that people should adopt dogs rather than shop to stop funding breeding like this.

https://www.allthingsdogs.com/chocolate-lab/#:~:text=Most%20purebred%20dogs%20have%20a%20risk%20of%20inheriting,such%20as%20osteoarthritis%20which%20has%20no%20known%20cure

https://listverse.com/2018/11/09/top-10-genetic-discoveries-seen-for-the-first-time/

Marijuana Traffickers: They're People Too

On September 25, it was reported by Myles Karp for the New York Times that cacao beans are in the midst of another fungal epidemic.  As a result of selective selection by humans, the fungus is able to kill a majority of the commercialized cacao strains.  Sometime around the 1940s, cacao markets were regulated to only contain a few strains of cacao.  Because of this, variation had declined greatly, causing the majority of cacao beans to be unable to adapt to new situations, such as a fungus.  This is also not the first time cacao beans had to face such an epidemic.  In the early 2000s, the world saw another cacao blight in which cacao production dropped 94%.  Not only is this bad for the chocolate market, along with the major chocolate companies, it is also detrimental to the cacao bean farmers.  Most farmers are fairly poor, and with a steep decline of cacao cultivation, their standard of living declines with it.
Marijuana traffickers is one possible origin of the current fungal epidemic.  While going in between countries, marijuana traffickers could have possibly grabbed some cacao beans from plants along the shore that were infected.  Because they were carrying these beans to their next destination, they unintentionally spread the fungus across the water to a new continent.  This, in turn, would start the spread of the fungus across the entire continent, waiting for more people or animals to spread the fungus farther until all continents are infected with the same fungal disease.
But worry not! Scientists are frantically working to make sure chocolate does not die with the millennials.  A popular company known as CATIE (The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) has set out to create new strains of cacao beans that is adaptable to the current environment, as well as future environments.  Even better, the new strains are being produced specifically for adaptability and flavor.  Flavor is so much a priority that any bean that tastes less than amazing is thrown out.  I think I can speak for all of us in this world when I say that they should definitely be the one holding the Nobel Prize at the end of this year.  For genetics? Maybe.  For peace? Maybe.  For the legacy of the human taste buds? Definitely.  If this doesn't give you a little more faith in humanity, try eating a fungus ridden cacao bean and reevaluate.  Overall, it is safe to say that this is the type of precaution we should take for every product that is used on a worldwide scale, including cotton, wheat, corn, even animals.  In a fight against natural selection and artificial selection, nature will always win.

Slimmer Body from Eating Chocolates!

It has already been studied that adults are lean from the consumption of chocolate. There is also evidence that the risk for cardiovascular disease could be decreased. Researchers from University of Granada are performing another study about chocolate, but this time it is to determine if teenagers stay slim from eating chocolate as well.


The researchers are using data from the HELENA study group to assist them in gathering results for this study. The various types of data includes diets, fitness, and various health measures. This data was collected from 1,458 teenagers who were between the ages 12 and 17 and from nine European countries. They completed a questionnaire asking them to remember what they had eaten in the past 48 hours. In addition to the data collected, they also had access to the individuals' body mass index, waist circumference, body fat, and activity levels. After the analysis of all the data it was found that teenagers get the same effect from chocolates as adults do; the teenagers that intake chocolates will stay slim. Other factors were disregarded in comparison of the body fat and chocolates.

Of course there has to be a precise reason behind this effect of chocolates. It has not been found out yet, but some observations have been made. Similar studies have shown that flavonoids could be the cause for keeping humans leans. Flavonoids also seem to prevent cardiovascular disease through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The risk of strokes are also lowered through lowering bad cholesterol by reducing its blood concentrations. Just a quick note: dark chocolate does not do this alone, but milk chocolate does, too. In fact, the flavonoids are part of chocolates so all types of chocolates have this effect (with other factors disregarded).