Case of the Cravings

Take a trip to the deli… or go for doughnuts with jelly!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Who’s calling the shots… your brain or your belly?! A BALANCED diet is critical for survival. So WHY do we sometimes crave a bacon cheeseburger or

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Plump Pandas

Ever seen a SKINNY panda? Didn’t think so! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Pandas can’t get enough bamboo! Their favorite part? The shoots, only available four months of the year. Otherwise they munch on bamboo leaves. Surprisingly pandas are CHUBBIEST when they eat the

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Smoked Out

Don’t set your scale on fire just yet! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Congratulations, you’ve kicked your smoking habit after years of trying! You’ve gained health benefits, but also…some weight?? Some former smokers have gained up to twenty pounds after quitting! What’s to blame? 

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Space Trace

Want to go to space like Jeff Bezos? It’ll cost an arm, a leg…and a liver? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Thank your hardworking liver! It breaks down our cocktails AND removes chemicals from the body! Of course, we evolved to live on Earth

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Sleigh Bells and Seaweed

Christmas came and went – and so did the cookies you left for Santa! But what do reindeer eat offseason? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Climate change in the far north freezes Rudolph’s favorite plants. It also melts sea-ice bridges, preventing reindeer from foraging

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Healthy Hearts

Beyond Burgers, Morning Star sausages, tofu bacon! Oh my!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Look at all the veggie selections on the menu! Doctors — and parents — say they’re good for our overall health. But how exactly? What does eating more vegetables and

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Sickly Sweet

Are sugar-free alternatives a SWEET idea for your gut? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your stomach as a mine. Deep down, the miners — your gut bacteria — work to break down food into nutrients you can use. Things go smoothly when

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Course-Correcting

Image of fast food from mcdonald's take out

Burgers again? You have GUT to be kidding me! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine you’re seven again. Mom’s in the drive through for fast food. Can’t wait for those fries and milkshakes!  By contrast, . . . “adulting” means avoiding such fatty, carby

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Toxic Toolbox

Image of rattlesnake.

As Woody says – “There’s a snake in my boot!”  This is Sandra sing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine you’re hiking and “sssss” – a rattlesnake! Eek! If you do get bit, the local doc MIGHT have an antidote, but will it work? Even closely-related species can

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Shrimply More

Cuttlefish

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish… This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Have some raisins? Eww, no. Avocado, cheese, or nummy tuna melt? Darnit! Are cuttlefish as picky as toddlers when choosing a snack? Tzu-Hsin Kuo and Chuan-Chin Chiao from National Tsing Hua

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