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SC teen dies after drinking large diet soda, latte, energy drink, coroner says

Davis Allen Cripe died after collapsing at school

Updated: 8:29 AM EDT May 16, 2017

Caffeine caused the death of a 16-year-old student, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

Watts held a news conference Monday to discuss the results of an investigation into the death of Davis Allen Cripe, who died April 26 at Palmetto Health Parkridge Hospital after collapsing in a classroom.

Watts said Cripe drank a large diet Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonald's and an energy drink in the two-hour period before he collapsed.

"We lost Davis from a totally legal substance," Watts said. He said he determined Cripe died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event.

"It was so much caffeine at the time of his death, that it caused his arrhythmia," he said.

"These drinks can be very dangerous," Watts said. "I'm telling my friends and family, Don't drink them."

Cripe's father said he was a good son who would never touch alcohol or drugs and he hopes the teen's death will save other lives by showing the dangers of excessive caffeine.

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SC teen dies after drinking large diet soda, latte, energy drink, coroner says - WYFF Greenville

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rantnrave:// Sports is unique in how it lets you measure time. Fans age in years and in eras. For Yankees fans of a certain age, Sunday night was likely a reference point of their own mortality. Derek Jeter had his No. 2 retired in Monument Park. If you grew up a Yankees fan in the '90s, the moment might have aged you in dog years. Sports, at its best, can be a connective tissue -- between parts of your life, between generations, between family and friends. There are many reasons to be cynical about sports but sometimes its sentimentality can soothe you, too. ... Imagine how much better Jeter's career could have been if he had listened to the assistant to the traveling secretary. ... This fall, Beth Mowins will become the second woman to call an NFL regular-season game. About time. ... I don't know what it says about #THERESISTANCE that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is one of the most powerful voices standing against President Trump. His outspokenness isn't just another example of politics slipping into sports. Everything is political. We know that now. Popovich stands tall because he is eloquent with his criticism. He is also the head coach of USA Basketball. Pop is one of the few (only?) front-line U.S. Olympic officials to dissent against Trump. For the next three years, and heading into the 2020 Olympics, the man leading the most prominent U.S. national team will be at odds with the president. Has that happened before? Will it turn into a flashpoint?. ... What's it like to cover LeBron James? ... Worried about a "finite" amount of energy during the day? Exercise, then eat. ... I wonder how Gatorade feels about NBA stars taking their bottles off the table during postgame news conferences. Will the NBA send out a memo to support a crucial sponsor? And is there a reason for this or just coincidence? ... As the line blurs between fantasy sports and sports gambling, a startup is trying to inch its way into the space with a real-time gambling app.

The star is set to begin her first WNBA season in Washington after following one of the impulses that nearly drove her from the sport. Adam Kilgore | The Washington Post

Minnesota could have used the No. 57 pick in the 2011 NBA draft to select the future Boston Celtics star. Instead, they took Tanguy Ngombo, producing one of the weirdest stories in draft history. Sam Vecenie | Vice Sports

This article has no references to deflating footballs. Wil Fulton | Thrillist

A deep dive into the past three years of Mike Brown's life, which included a basketball sabbatical that completely altered his outlook. Anthony Slater | Mercury News

Former UCLA star Lonzo Ball's signature basketball shoes sold about 500 pairs in the first week they were available. Nathan Fenno | Los Angeles Times

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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An MVP's love of the game, Tom Brady's diet and Mike Brown's return - ESPN

A low glycemic index diet might halt or prevent dry macular degeneration, according to a study conducted in mouse models. This form of macular degeneration is by far the most common kind.

Moreover, switching the diet from high- to low-glycemic, even late in the lifespan of the mice, stopped disease progression, the study found. This means that if humans respond the same way, changing to a low-glycemic index diet could reduce the incidence of dry AMD.

The GI appears to be an attractive dietary intervention target, because simple replacement of small amounts of high-index foods (such as white bread) with lower-index foods (such as whole grain bread) can significantly reduce glycemic peaks without requiring a change in overall dietary patterns, the study stated.

Moreover, the study said its findings in mice correlated with human observational studies that find consuming lower GI diets is associated with delayed progression of early-stage AMD.

The study, appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will be available when placed online at j.mp/maculard. Allen Taylor was the senior author; Sheldon Rowan the first author. Both are of Tufts University in Boston.

Located on the opposite side of the lens, the macula includes the region of sharpest vision, the fovea. Dry AMD is a breakdown or thinning of retinal pigment epithelial cells, which support the light-sensitive cells. Those with the disease progressively lose central vision, preserving sight on the periphery.

While mice dont have a macula, when fed a Western-style diet they do exhibit age-related features characteristic of dry AMD, the study stated. This type of diet includes easily absorbed sugars that raise blood sugar levels, prompting a release of insulin. It has been linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, among other conditions.

The low glycemic diet was the same in composition and calories as the high glycemic one, except that they differed in the ratio of amylose to amylopectin in the starch they consumed. More amylose content raises the glycemic index of the starch.

To find out what was going on inside the mice, the researchers examined their metabolism and gut microbes.

These studies revealed changes in the gut microbiota that altered the production of metabolites that protected against AMD, including serotonin, the study stated. Changing the diet to a low-glycemic-index diet, even late in life, arrested the development of AMD, offering dietary interventions for AMD.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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Dry macular degeneration stopped with low glycemic index diet in mouse study - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Image via Victoria Beckham/Instagram

Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga, and hoards of people swear by their gluten-free diets even though dont have celiac disease or have anyclinical gluten-sensitivity. They report enjoying more energy, clearer skin, and weight loss, which admittedly makes the zero-gluten diet incredibly tempting (I mean, havent we all wanted one of these three things at some point)? But now, the trend is losing steam and science is calling out the gluten spurners.

People who are sensitive to gluten may feel better, but a larger portion will derive no significant benefit from the practice. Theyll simply waste their money, because these products are expensive, Daniel A. Leffler, MD, director of clinical research at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told Harvard Health Publications.

Thats because most people who self-diagnose themselves as gluten-sensitive are simply wrong. In fact, a 2014 study found that just one in four people who follow a gluten-free diet are actually clinically sensitive to gluten.

For those with celiac disease, gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, activates an immune response that harms the small intestine lining, which then causes obstruction of nutrient absorption along with symptoms like nausea, hives, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. In serious cases, it can even lead to infertility and nerve damage. If youre gluten-sensitive, then you may suffer through similar symptoms (but luckily, skip out on the intestinal damage).

Experts believe many of us demonize gluten because we experience similar symptoms caused by other reasonsnot the protein itself. Sure, some people are sensitive to the actual gluten protein, but could other people be reacting to glyphosate, the pesticide (and antibiotic) that all wheat is sprayed with? Or could the sensitivity be caused by a microbial imbalance in the gut? Or are people reacting to the FODMAPS in foods? said Frank Lipman, MD, integrative medicine doctor and instructor at Mindbodygreen.com.

If youre not confirmed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you should consider getting tested before eliminating gluten altogether, as theres new evidence that gluten-free diets come with their own risks. For instance, a recent study found that diets higher in gluten were linked to a lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Researchers believe its because low-gluten subjects ate less cereal fiber (a food known to help curb the disease).

Fortified cereals and breads are also a significant source of B vitamins, which many would miss out on by going gluten-free. Sure, there are gluten-free alternatives, but they typically dont comprise the same level of vitamins and other nutrients. Going gluten-free may also deprive you of fiber, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy digestive system. The average American diet is deficient in fiber, continued Dr. Leffler. Take away whole wheat and the problem gets worse.

Of course, theres no one-size-fits-all diet that works perfectly for everyone were all physiologically, chemically, and genetically unique. If you choose not to have gluten in your life, make sure you compensate for any nutritional deficiencies. Or you can start soaking, fermenting, or sprouting your grains (yep, the new bread-y trend). Whatever you do, make choices for the sake of your own healthand dont abandon something just because its Posh.

Related on Organic Authority

Does Going Gluten-Free Increase Your Risk for Arsenic Toxicity?Gluten Intolerance: Hype or Real Health Concern?Gluten-Free Doesnt Mean Healthy, Study Debunks Gluten Myths

Sarah Ban is a beauty, health and wellness journalist, editor and copywriter who works with the world's best indie brands and publications. Her work has been published in NYLON magazine, The Kitchn and Living Healthy and she has worked with some extraordinary brands such as Odacit Skincare, CO Bigelow Apothecaries, Kopari Beauty and Seaweed Bath Co. When she's not writing or reading, you can find Sarah eating brunch alfresco in her green and gorgeous hometown of LA.

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Just Because Celebs Don't Eat Gluten Doesn't Mean You Shouldn't Either, Says Science - Organic Authority

President Donald Trump speaks while hosting students from North Carolina in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

On Monday, Politicos Shane Goldmacher published a piece detailing the ways President Trump gets his news. Beyond skimming the papers and watching cable himself, Trump appears to be informed largely by whatever his aides slip to him. For example, Goldmacher writes that outgoing deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland recently printed out two Time magazine covers for him:

Trump quickly got lathered up about the medias hypocrisy. But there was a problem. The 1970s cover was fake, part of an Internet hoax thats circulated for years. Staff chased down the truth and intervened before Trump tweeted or talked publicly about it.

Other fake news that has been brought to Trumps attention includes the work of Chuck Johnson, a pseudo-journalist with a large fan base on the alt-right. Goldmacher writes that an article from Johnsons GotNews.com accusing deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh of leaking information was printed out for Trump, who then began asking around about her. Walsh no longer works at the White House.

But one of the most troubling accounts in Goldmachers piece isnt about fake news at all. He writes that Trump was recently very impressed by an op-ed published in the paper of record:

Trump summoned staff to talk about it. His message: Make this the tax plan, according to one White House official present.

The op-ed came out on a Wednesday. By Friday, Trump was telling the Associated Press, I shouldnt tell you this, but were going to be announcing, probably on Wednesday, tax reform, startling his own aides who had not yet prepared such a plan. Sure enough, the next Wednesday Trumps economic team was rolling out a tax plan that echoed the op-ed.

A certain class of wealthy and underinformed people will take anything published on the Times op-ed page that jibes with their priors at face value. Its not surprising that Forbes, Kudlow, Laffer, and Moorethe One Direction of Reaganomicswormed their way into Trumps brain like this. They were, after all, his advisers. But the episode and the piece overall suggest its plausible the president will wave around a printout of a Bret Stephens column the next time someone in the White House dares to revive the prospect of a carbon taxand it wont be snatched out of his hands because well, its the Times, isnt it? That kind of polished dogma-peddling likely stands out as substantive in a media diet that evidently includes chain-email quality hoaxes, the babble of the Fox and Friends crew, and the latest reporting from the denizens of Kekistan.

Goldmachers piece makes it additionally clear that the president isnt building an actual body of knowledge. Trump, he writes, doesn't like briefing books and may read the news clippings compiled by communications staff infrequently if at allunless, of course, they include stories that make him feel better:

There is universal agreement among Trump advisers on this: The best way to focus the presidents attention on any story is to tell him about it personally, even if it is in one of the papers hes already thumbed through. But officials say its a high-risk, high-reward proposition because Trumps frustrations at bad stories can easily boomerang against those delivering him the news.

Feeding Trump the news, then, is like one of the most desperate stages of trying to feed a kid vegetablesbroccoli and an effort-neutralizing treat. Only this kid can fire you and nuke North Korea. And like a kid, Trump requires constant management. When Trump bellows about this or that story, his aides often scramble in a game of cat-and-mouse to figure out who alerted the president to the piece in the first place given that he rarely browses the Internet on his own, Goldmacher writes. Some in the White House describe getting angry calls from the president and then hustling over to Trumps personal secretary, Madeleine Westerhout, to ferret who exactly had just paid a visit to the Oval Office and possibly set Trump off.

Chief of staff Reince Priebus and staff secretary Rob Porter have reportedly put in place procedures to manage the content Trump receives. But, Goldmacher writes, Trump advisers are unwilling to give up the chance to directly bend the presidents ear and hand him supporting documents because they have seen how he can be swayed. So have we.

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Let's Take a Look at Trump's Wildly Unhealthy Media Diet - Slate Magazine (blog)

Im the father of a child who has been vegan since birth. If recent news stories are to be believed that should have you recoiling in horror, but you need not shes thriving, along with millions of other vegan children around the world.

Thats because a plant-based vegan contains everything we need nutritionally and, in my experience, gives children the very best start in life, for their physical health and emotional wellbeing.

Last week it was reported that trendy vegan diets can cause irreversible damage to a childs nervous system and even death. Death by veganism? The idea would be funny if it wasnt so damaging.

Put simply, this sort of talk is straight-up scaremongering, flying in the face of an extensive body of independent scientific research. It also contrasts with the position of the British Dietetic Association, which has long supported vegan diets for children.

These stories serve as little more than a distraction from the real issue of the health risks of eating animal products. Eating processed meat, for example, causes cancer thats recognised by sensible, independent organisations across the world. The World Health Organisation has classified it as carcinogenicin the same category as tobacco. So rather than attack veganism and the people who commit themselves to that diet, lets focus our attention on the foods that are genuinely killing us, like sausages and bacon.

Trailer: Simon Amstell's pro-vegan comedy, Carnage

These stories arguably also perpetuate one of the biggest public health crises in the UK: childhood obesity. Of all dietary groups, thelowest rates of obesity on average are found in vegans.

With nearly a third of children aged two to 15 overweight or obese, and younger generations becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese for longer, shouldnt we be promoting plant-based eating that has been shown to tackle obesity instead of scaring people off it?

We ought to be encouraging children to eat more fruits and vegetables, and less meat and dairy. It just makes scientific sense.

Of course, any way of eating can be unhealthy if it isnt well-balanced. Regardless of the type of diet we follow, we all need to think carefully about the food were eating. But to suggest that plant-based food is somehow inherently deficient and potentially life-threatening is just plain wrong.

The vegan diet is not in any way restrictive. There are now vegan alternatives to pretty much everything and with a bit of knowledge, getting enough protein, iron, zinc, calcium and other essential nutrients into your children is straightforward. My best tip as a parent of a fussy child: hide healthy wholefoods in a smoothie!

While Vitamin B12 is important, breastfeeding mothers and children can easily get what they need in a supplement or non-meat-based food enriched with the vitamin.

Theresa May asked veganism question on campaign trail

Not only can children thrive physically on a plant-based diet, by not harming animals they learn compassion and respect for others from the beginning. This way we raise a generation that sees others as equals, all deserving of the same rights irrespective of our differences.

It also teaches children to be gentle to the earth. Climate change is the biggest issue of our generation, yet it continues to be ignored. Eating animal products is the leading cause of climate change. The answer is on our plates, and its our duty to explain this to our children.

Our decision to raise our daughter as vegan was made not only with her best interests in mind, but also those of other living beings and the planet. Veganism is the future, so lets embrace it.

Jimmy Pierson is the UK Director of ProVeg, a new international food awareness organisation which launches this year in four different countries with the mission to reduce global animal consumption by 50 per cent by the year 2040

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I'm sick of hearing lies about vegan diets I'm raising my child vegan because I have her best interests at heart - The Independent

Originally from California, Aaron Rodgers has embraced everything that comes with being a Wisconsinite since he joined the Packers. One thing that didnt translate well, however, was the diets of people in Wisconsin.

Rodgers removed dairy products from his diet over a year ago. Now we know its because, like bad news, his body didnt take it well.

I wanted to really ingrain myself in the culture and the people, he told ESPNs Jason Wilde. And I apologize about having an allergy to dairy products that gives me some irritable bowels. But other than that, I mean, Ive embraced just about everything else Wisconsin especially when it comes to sports, but also the people and the interactions with our fans.

When you hear irritable bowels, most of us automatically assume poop. However, the Mayo Clinic suggests that it could be several things:

Rodgers seems to have a good life. Hes one of the best players in the NFL. Hes got a Super Bowl title, is a two-time MVP, and is adored by an entire state.

But man, having to worry about any of the above because of a dairy allergy stinks (no pun intended).

Rodgers is one of the most crafty quarterbacks of all time, but he cant enjoy a slice of pizza or some ice cream without worrying about the ramifications. Im not sure if Id be willing to give up the privilege of being able to enjoy a delicious slice of pizza for that.

Hopefully Rodgers is able to find some substitutes that are easier on him, but at least its helping him stay in shape.

Continued here:
Aaron Rodgers removed dairy products from his diet because of his 'irritable bowels' - SB Nation

Kate Upton knows her fianc Justin Verlander is the perfect partner for her, and she wont be doing any pre-wedding dieting as she prepares to walk down the aisle, she recently revealed to People.

In terms of her look on her wedding day, she said, Justin is so supportive and I dont think that he would honestly have a strong opinion in that way. Hes a lover, not a judger.

Upton is confident in her body and wont be trying to make any drastic changes before her big day.

I never get on a scale because you cant judge yourself for how much you weigh, she told People. What really matters is how good I feel.

She spoke to People after attending the recent Pronovias bridal fashion show in Barcelona, revealing she was in the early stages of wedding planning.

This is the first time Im actually looking at dresses, she said. This is the perfect place to start because theyre so known for wedding dresses. Its an iconic place so I can figure out where Im going to go on my special day.

Upton, 24, revealed her engagement to the Detroit Tigers pitcher in May of 2016.

She revealed at the 2016 Met Gala that he proposed to her just before baseball season and she was "excited to finally be able to share it with the world."

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Kate Upton reveals she won't diet before her wedding: 'I never get on a scale ' - Fox News

Some vegan and raw food bloggers believe that menstruation is unclean and a curseand that we'd be better off without periods at all.

"If it's so unhealthy for me to go through a period of not having my period, then why did I feel so amazing?" In a YouTube video called "How I lost my period on a RAW VEGAN Diet," vlogger Freelee the Banana Girl tells her 700,000 followers about something occasionally experienced by women who've made a big change to their eating habits: the disappearance of her period.

She says that within a month of starting a "100 percent raw vegan diet," her periods stopped and only returned after nine months, but much more lightly. But instead of being a little worried, as we might expect, she was stoked.

"I still believe that, largely, menstruation is toxicity leaving the body," she explains in her controversial video, which saw heavy criticism from some viewers and eating disorder charity Beat. "So a lot of people are having these heavy, heavy periods and painful periods because they have a toxic body or have a toxic diet."

Instead, Freelee believes a light periodor "mega light," in her wordsis a healthy one, and that uncomfortable periods are "not natural," and down to a fatty or "toxic" diet.

"At the end of the day if you're having a heavy period, if you're having a painful period, then get on a 100 percent high carb raw vegan diet as soon as you can." Her video has attracted over 395,000 views since it was uploaded.

Watch: The History of Birth Control

Missing your period oncelet alone for nine monthsis rarely considered a good thing by doctors unless you're looking to get pregnant. Stress, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, and sudden weight loss are among the assortment of cited reasons that a woman might stop experiencing what's usually considered a normal reproductive process.

But a handful of vegan, raw, and clean eating bloggers claim that using your diet to achieve a sporadic and light periodor one that's completely nonexistentis healthier and more natural.

"Many girls who lose their period often worry and try numerous things to get it back," writes Miliany on her blog, RawVeganLiving."It's often advised that to get your period back, you should stop exercising and eat more calories and incorporate more plant-based fats in your diet.

"What if I told you that everything you were taught about menstrual cycles was a complete LIE?!"

Read more: The Strange History of the Extremely Low-Carb Diet Fad

Through Freelee and Miliany espouse different theories, they both come to the same conclusion: that modern society has sold women the idea that menstruation is healthy and that periods are better lighter or halted altogether by adopting raw and vegan diets.

I reached out to Miliany, who told me that she believes "a non-menstruating body indicates the body is clean."

"If a woman or young girl decided she wanted to stop menstruating or lighten up her heavy periods, then I would recommend a raw foods diet to help them with that," she says. "The industry has done a great job of brainwashing too many women into thinking that if they do not get their periods on a monthly basis, that something is wrong with their body and hormones."

However, Dr Jackie Maybin, a clinical lecturer in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Edinburgh, warns against changing your diet in an attempt to alter your menstrual cycle.

"It's difficult to recommend a strict vegan diet without investigating hormone levels and endometrial health in these women," she says of bloggers like Freelee and Milliany. "It's likely that the complete absence of periodsamenorrheaindicates that ovulation is not occurring and could have a significant negative impact on reproductive health."

In comments reported by the Daily Mail, eating disorder charity Beat said of Freelee's video: "Although taken out of the new diagnostic criteria for anorexia as it excludes men, amenorrhea has in the past been used to diagnose anorexia nervosa. Being at a low weight and restricting intake for a significant lengths of time can have other serious side effectslow blood pressure, osteoporosis, organ failure, infertility, restricted growth among others."

Freelee the Banana Girl in her video about losing her period on a raw vegan diet. Screenshot via YouTube

For other bloggers, there is an almost quasi-religious connection between periods and clean eating, the diet turned lifestyle that can sometimes tip over into a form of disordered eating known as orthorexia.

A raw food blog titled RawforLife exemplifies this attitude, asking: "If we were all living natural [sic], in a 'Garden of Eden', without pads, tampons, tissues (or even clothes?), would we all be running around dripping blood all over the place for a few days a month?"

Despite being posted eight years ago, a post called "Periodsthey may be normal but are they healthy?" continues to be one of the site's most shared and commented on pieces today.

"The main aim of this article has been to challenge the prevailing view of periods as 'healthy,'" a raw food blogger called Debbie writes. She claims that menstruation could be a symptom of living a non-raw vegan lifestyle: "Perhaps periodsthe pain, the blood flow, PMT were rightly named a 'curse'a curse on us for falling short of living how we are meant to live physically and psychologically."

This idea comes up regularly among these bloggers: that women hundreds of years agoand animalshad or have lighter periods thanks to a plant-based diet.

Maybin, however, says that these claims have little basis in medical fact. "It's true that women previously had fewer periods; approximately 40 in their lifetime, versus about 400 for modern women in developed countries," she says. "However, I think this is unlikely to be due to a vegan or plant-based diet, but because these women were either pregnant or lactating for most of their lives."

Freelee and Debbie did not respond to comment (Freelee started a new ASMR-themed YouTube channel in April). But when asked directly by followers, they both refute the claim they're encouraging women to stop their periodsthough regardless of their intentions, their influence is clear.

While Debbie's comment section is packed with breastfeeding mothers and those on the cusp of the menopause deliberating these ideas, Freelee's is dominated by young peoplesome teenagers as young as 13thanking her for inspiring them to change their diet.

"The medical industry certainly doesn't tell us the truth," writes one under the "How I lost my period on a RAW VEGAN Diet" video. "Trust your fellow humans, not outdated tradition, disease and corporations who spread lies."

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But Maybin warns that a very restrictive diet or excessive exercise can also lead to a condition called hypothalamic hypogonadism. "In menstruating women, the brain sends signals to the ovaries to produce hormones to regulate the endometrium. This results in ovulation and, if pregnancy does not occur, menstruation.

"In hypothalamic hypogonadism, the body assumes a state of stress and shuts off the signal from the brain to the ovaries. This reverts the body to a pre-pubescent like state, where pregnancy is not possible as the ovaries temporarily shut down and menstruation does not occur.

"If this state is maintained long term, women can have problems due to low estrogen levels, e.g. risk of loss of bone mineral density and osteoporosis."

While she says that not enough research has been done to know exactly what effects diet can have on menstruation, it makes sense that a "healthy balanced diet"i.e. one that does not excessively restrict certain food groupsis good for all women and their periods.

Despite the risks, these blogs remain popular, including a new video uploaded by Freelee in September: "If you've got heavy periods, that's not normal," she says in the clip, which has been viewed almost 250,000 times. "That is not as healthy as you can be."

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The Vegan Diet Bloggers Who Think Periods Are 'Not Natural' - Broadly

Giant panda Tia Shan at National Zoo in Washington (Photo Credit: By Fernando Revilla (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons)

Tim Caro, Professor of Wildlife Biology at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has made it his mission to understand the evolution of coloration in mammals. The researcher spent twenty years investigating why zebras sport black and white stripes (to ward off flies) and even wrote a book, Zebra Stripes, about his epic discovery. Now, Caro has solved the age-old mystery of why giant pandas also sport the dual coloration.

According to the researcher, Understanding why the giant panda has such striking coloration has been a long-standing problem in biology that has been difficult to tackle because virtually no other mammal has this appearance, making analogies difficult,

Over the years, there have been numerous theories to explain the animals signature black and white color. Some experts hypothesized that it was to scare predators. Others believed that the white fur provided the mammal with much-needed camouflage in the snow, while the dark patches enabled it to retain heat. There was also the theory that the markings on the pandas head kept it hidden from predators, while the dark circles around its eyes helped reduce the suns glare.

To solve the mystery once and for all, the UC Davis team who worked in collaboration with scientists at California State University, Long Beach, compared the coloring of different parts of the giant pandas body to those of 200 carnivore species, including 39 bear subspecies. This was no easy task given that the scientists had to carefully examine thousands of images and seek out the different areas of fur that were similar to those of the giant panda. Once they found a match, they looked further into the evolutionary pattern of the carnivore to ascertain if it could explain the reason the panda was sporting a similar color.

The team, who published their findings in the journal Behavioral Ecology, on February 28, discovered that different parts of the giant pandas coloring serve different purposes. As had been previously believed, the mammals white face, neck, belly, and rump, allow it to blend in with the snow during winter. Its black arms and legs are not to retain heat, but to help stay hidden in the shade during summer. This is particularly important for panda cubs that often perch themselves on tree tops to avoid being seen by predators, like jackals and snow leopards, who share the same mountainous habitat in China. The dark ears help scare off predators, while the black eye patches most likely enable giant pandas to recognize each other and, possibly, show aggression towards competitors.

According to the study, the giant pandas striking dual coloring may have to do with its poor diet, that comprises primarily of bamboo, which has little nutrition and very few calories. Since the mammals are unable to build up enough fat reserves to allow them to hibernate during the winter, they have no choice but to wander year-round in search of food.

The scientists speculate that instead of developing a summer and winter coat similar to those of small carnivores like the arctic fox, it (giant panda) has evolved a compromise white and black pelage [fur].

They maintain that the giant panda is not the only animal that has adopted this evolutionary strategy. Some larger species of wolverines (Gulo gol) that also traverse across several habitats often sport a similar black and white coloring.

Resources: livescience.com, forbes.com,academic.oup.com

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The Giant Panda's Striking Coloration May Stem From Its Poor Diet - DOGOnews

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