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Matcha is having a moment. What are the health benefits of this green tea drink?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Matcha has experienced a surge in popularity in recent months, leading to reports of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/sydney-eating-out/global-matcha-shortage-hits-australia-as-skyrocketing-popularity-rivals-coffee-20241101-p5kn6v.html">global shortages</a> and price increases. If you haven’t been caught up in the craze, matcha is a powdered version of green tea. On a cafe menu you might see a hot or iced matcha latte, or even a matcha-flavoured cake or pastry. A quick google brings up <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/tea/matcha-tea/matcha-recipes">countless recipes</a> incorporating matcha, both sweet and savoury. Retailers and cafe owners <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/sydney-eating-out/global-matcha-shortage-hits-australia-as-skyrocketing-popularity-rivals-coffee-20241101-p5kn6v.html">have suggested</a> the main reasons for matcha’s popularity include its “instagrammable” looks and its purported health benefits. But what are the health benefits of matcha? Here’s what the evidence says. <h2>First, what is matcha?</h2> <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/1/85">Matcha</a> is a finely ground powder of green tea leaves, which come from the plant Camellia sinensis. This is the same plant used to make green and black tea. However, the <a href="https://naokimatcha.com/blogs/articles/how-matcha-is-made-in-japan">production process</a> differentiates matcha from green and black tea. For matcha, the tea plant is grown in shade. Once the leaves are harvested, they’re steamed and dried and the stems are removed. Then the leaves are carefully ground at controlled temperatures to form the powder. The <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6571865/">production process</a> for green tea is simpler. The leaves are picked from the unshaded plants, heated and then dried. We then steep the dried leaves in hot water to get tea (whereas with matcha the whole leaf is consumed). With black tea, after the leaves are picked they’re exposed to air, which leads to oxidation. This makes the leaves black and gives the tea a different flavour. <h2>A source of phytonutrients</h2> Phytonutrients are <a href="https://theconversation.com/phytonutrients-can-boost-your-health-here-are-4-and-where-to-find-them-including-in-your-next-cup-of-coffee-132100">chemical compounds found in plants</a> which have a range of benefits for human health. Matcha contains several. Chlorophyll gives plants such as Camellia sinensis their green colour. There’s some evidence chlorophyll may have <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/7/1533">health benefits</a> – including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects – due to its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals, which are unstable molecules that harm our cells. Theanine has been shown to <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/91/1/32">improve sleep</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5?crsi=662497574&cicada_org_src=healthwebmagazine.com&cicada_org_mdm=direct">reduce stress and anxiety</a>. The only <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/theanine">other known</a> dietary source of theanine is mushrooms. Caffeine is a phytonutrient we know well. Aside from increasing alertness, caffeine has also demonstrated <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2022.2074362?casa_token=ADALIs6M3iAAAAAA%3AXpY35se0zLddAEIbZAaeCcDaNWm94s2WJaDHfXDRvVZgYq_xTxsCFuvtrtNXMXAL9uNIvLlYzO30aA#abstract">antioxidant effects</a> and some protection against a range of chronic and neurodegenerative diseases. However, too much caffeine can have negative side effects. Interestingly, shading the plants while growing appears to <a href="https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/jsfa.9112?casa_token=KxVD9i9p4BsAAAAA:OwGTauXFHAndyJkam8WuXrmGQ2k1kaSRu5pOqJOrhSyRSeWkDwdrI23qaD5WVH1HGqZLFdsjP9ZTvolw">change the nutritional composition</a> of the leaf and may lead to higher levels of these phytonutrients in matcha compared to green tea. Another compound worth mentioning is called catechins, of which there are several different types. Matcha powder similarly has <a href="https://theconversation.com/matcha-tea-what-the-current-evidence-says-about-its-health-benefits-202782">more catechins</a> than green tea. They are strong antioxidants, which <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41702-020-0057-8">have been shown</a> to have protective effects against bacteria, viruses, allergies, inflammation and cancer. Catechins <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/catechin#:%7E:text=Catechin%20is%20naturally%20present%20in,containing%20many%20catechins%20%5B130%2C131%5D.">are also found</a> in apples, blueberries and strawberries. <h2>What are the actual health benefits?</h2> So we know matcha contains a variety of phytonutrients, but does this translate to noticeable health benefits? A review published in 2023 identified only <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927122002180">five experimental studies</a> that have given matcha to people. These studies gave participants about 2–4g of matcha per day (equivalent to 1–2 teaspoons of matcha powder), compared to a placebo, as either a capsule, in tea or in foods. Matcha decreased stress and anxiety, and improved memory and cognitive function. There was no effect on mood. A <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0309287">more recent study</a> showed 2g of matcha in older people aged 60 to 85 improved sleep quality. However, in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/17/2907">younger people</a> aged 27 to 64 in another study, matcha had little effect on sleep. A <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-022-00998-9">study in people with obesity</a> found no difference in the weight loss observed between the matcha group and the control group. This study did not randomise participants, and people knew which group they had been placed in. It could be hypothesised that given you consume all of the leaf, and given levels of some phytonutrients may be higher due to the growing conditions, matcha may have more nutritional benefits than green tea. But to my knowledge there has been no direct comparison of health outcomes from green tea compared to matcha. <h2>There’s lots of evidence for green tea</h2> While to date a limited number of studies have looked at matcha, and none compared matcha and green tea, there’s quite a bit of research on the health benefits of drinking green tea. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944711317300867?casa_token=dpbAEQQ7Is4AAAAA:U6aggqZM_G0KJ8hkhx0TGSvQywr4utlgKzwUnUj9x5t9eWd-FKENjbTvUv6s4TBTaPYrob-qQkk">systematic review of 21 studies</a> on green tea has shown similar benefits to matcha for improvements in memory, plus evidence for mood improvement. There’s also evidence green tea provides other health benefits. Systematic reviews have shown green tea leads to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.6697?casa_token=1eAbmeGillYAAAAA%3ABNGBB6EuRFXIDWHgsa7E798wfC0MQK2r3yOmAlFzR2sxyD9Xt837VoCel0l6Tsh3RRO19t-YUm1GqO7Y">weight loss in people with obesity</a>, lower levels of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12937-020-00557-5">certain types of cholesterol</a>, and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2020/02070/Effect_of_green_tea_supplementation_on_blood.36.aspx/1000">reduced blood pressure</a>. Green tea may also <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-00710-7">lower the risk of certain types of cancer</a>. So, if you can’t get your hands on matcha at the moment, drinking green tea may be a good way to get your caffeine hit. Although the evidence on green tea provides us with some hints about the health benefits of matcha, we can’t be certain they would be the same. Nonetheless, if your local coffee shop has a good supply of matcha, there’s nothing to suggest you shouldn’t keep enjoying matcha drinks. However, it may be best to leave the matcha croissant or cronut for special occasions. When matcha is added to foods with high levels of added sugar, salt and saturated fat, any health benefits that could be attributed to the matcha may be negated.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/242775/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/matcha-is-having-a-moment-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-this-green-tea-drink-242775">original article</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

The science of the ideal salad dressing

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kilah-599082">Nathan Kilah</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Summer means salads. And salads are even more delicious with a good dressing. Most salad dressings are temporarily stable mixtures of oil and water known as emulsions. But how do salad dressing emulsions form? And how can we enhance our emulsions for better salads and more? <h2>Oil and water don’t mix</h2> It’s accepted wisdom that oil and water don’t mix. The water and oil molecules have distinct chemical properties that don’t interact well together. You may have seen this if you’ve attempted to make a salad dressing by shaking together oil and vinegar (which is mostly water), which gives a temporary suspension that quickly separates. There is a large energy cost to breaking apart and mixing the water and oil layers. The secret to blending them together is to add an extra ingredient known as a “surfactant” or emulsifier. The name surfactant is derived from “surface active”. It highlights that these molecules work at the surface or interface to bridge the interactions between the oil and water. This is similar to how <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-and-is-it-safe-to-use-125129">detergents</a> are able to remove grease from your dishes. Many vinaigrette recipes call for emulsifiers without specifically mentioning their crucial emulsifying role. Key examples are mustard and garlic, which contain “mucilage” – a mix of carbohydrates – that can act as emulsifiers. So if your vinegar/oil salad dressings are separating, make sure you’re adding enough of these ingredients (which also contain <a href="https://theconversation.com/hate-vegetables-you-might-have-super-taster-genes-74428">wonderful flavour chemicals</a>). Commercial salad dressings also contain naturally sourced emulsifying carbohydrates. These will often be listed on the ingredients as generic “vegetable gum” or similar, and you may need to <a href="https://theconversation.com/busting-the-myth-that-all-food-additives-are-bad-a-quick-guide-for-label-readers-82883">read the label</a> and delve a little deeper into the <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/additiveoverview/Documents/Food%20Additive%20Code%20Numbers%20%28July%202014%29.pdf">food additive number</a> to find out the source. Researchers have raised questions about <a href="https://theconversation.com/food-additives-and-chronic-disease-risk-what-role-do-emulsifiers-play-38492">synthetic emulsifiers used in processed food</a>, as studies in mice suggest they have health risks. It’s too early to say exactly what this means for humans. <h2>Shake it ‘til you make it</h2> Mixing is key to dispersing oil in water. While shaking a jar is convenient, a whisk or food processor will give a more complete emulsion. The white (or opaque) colour of many emulsions is due to the formation of microdroplets that scatter light. These mechanical mixing methods are even more essential for the formation of so-called “permanent emulsions” such as mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil in water, but egg yolk is the key emulsifier. Egg yolks contain long molecules called <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-642-36605-5_28">phospholipids</a> that are able to interact with both the oil layer and the water. Mayonnaise is an impressively stable emulsion, which is why is can be sold in a shelf-stable form. But it isn’t infinitely stable; heating the mayonnaise emulsion will cause it to split. Perhaps you’ve hurriedly prepared a potato salad and added a mayonnaise-based dressing before the potatoes have cooled down? Or toasted a sandwich spread with mayonnaise? (Incidentally, adding mayonnaise to the outside of a toasted sandwich is an excellent path to some <a href="https://theconversation.com/kitchen-science-from-sizzling-brisket-to-fresh-baked-bread-the-chemical-reaction-that-makes-our-favourite-foods-taste-so-good-58577">delicious and crispy chemical reactions</a>.) The heat destabilises the emulsion and the separate oil and water phases will reform. Depending on the mixture, split emulsions may be recovered by adding more emulsifier and re-whisking or re-mixing. Hollandaise sauce is a notoriously difficult emulsion to prepare. The traditional hollandaise method involves whisking egg yolk, water, and lemon juice over a low heat, then slowly adding melted butter with further whisking. Not only can the emulsion split, but you can also overcook the added emulsifying egg yolk. The key to a successful hollandaise emulsion is separating the butter into fine, dispersed droplets, giving a thick and opaque mixture, but without cooking the eggs. Adding the butter too quickly or without sufficient mixing can give a split sauce. Using an <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-2-minute-hollandaise-recipe">immersion blender</a> can help, as can controlling the temperature of the melted butter. You might get a more consistently emulsified sauce with far less strain on your wrists. <h2>You’ve got me feeling emulsions</h2> Emulsions are used in many more places than salads and sauces. Most medicated creams, cosmetics and lotions are emulsions of oils and water, which is why they look white. Gardeners might be familiar with a mixture known as “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/horticultural-oils/9428876">white oil</a>” – a mixture of vegetable oil and detergent. This brew, when diluted in water, is an inexpensive, effective, yet mild insecticide. Commercial versions often contain other pesticides, so make sure you read the label. Modern <a href="https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/acrylicemulsion.html">acrylic paints use emulsions</a> for both their manufacturing and application. The emulsions suspend the paint polymers in a water base. The water from the paint evaporates, leaving a film of paint polymers that can’t be re-dispersed into water. This clever chemical trick has saved huge quantities of oil-derived solvents from being used, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-solvents-can-affect-brain-health-even-at-low-levels-of-exposure-98081">inhaled</a>, and emitted into the environment from traditional oil-based paints. Modern vaccines use <a href="https://theconversation.com/adjuvants-the-unsung-heroes-of-vaccines-156548">emulsions to increase the immune systems response</a>. Other common emulsions are inks, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-ice-cream-work-a-chemist-explains-why-you-cant-just-freeze-cream-and-expect-results-205038">ice cream</a>, margarine and hair products, to name just a few. So next time you’re making a salad, check your emulsions. Opposites don’t attract, but mixing them with the right chemistry can give a delicious result.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216159/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kilah-599082">Nathan Kilah</a>, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-the-ideal-salad-dressing-216159">original article</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

How do we save ageing Australians from the heat? Greening our cities is a good start

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claudia-baldwin-248780">Claudia Baldwin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-byrne-6066">Jason Byrne</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-matthews-234160">Tony Matthews</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Heatwaves have killed more Australians than <a href="https://ama.com.au/ausmed/heatwave-health-warning">road accidents</a>, fires, floods and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901114000999">all other natural disasters combined</a>. Although <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">recent research</a> shows extreme cold is a worry in some parts of Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/2018-19-was-australias-hottest-summer-on-record-with-a-warm-autumn-likely-too-112616">our hottest summer on record</a> points to more heat-related deaths to come. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stubborn-high-pressure-system-behind-australias-record-heatwaves-110442">record heatwaves</a> have highlighted the damaging effects of heat stress. Understandably, it’s becoming a major <a href="https://ama.com.au/ausmed/heatwaves-nation%E2%80%99s-deadliest-natural-disaster-0">public health challenge</a>. The risk of extreme heat events and the adverse impacts on older people has been extensively <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/64/9/753.short">discussed in research</a>. Remarkably, very little attention has been paid to the role of urban greenery in reducing heat stress for seniors. Older people are particularly at risk of heat stress. Pre-existing medical conditions and limited mobility increase their vulnerability. <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/content/182/10/1053.short">Deaths of older people increase</a> during extreme heat events. The physical features of urban areas shape the capacity of older adults to engage in many activities when it’s hot. These include vegetation volume and coverage, <a href="https://theconversation.com/building-cool-cities-for-a-hot-future-57489">thermal design</a>, and the extent of shading in public areas and walkways. Increasing urban greenery may offer a way to improve older people’s comfort and social experience. <h2>Ageing adds urgency to greening</h2> It is expected <a href="http://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/ageing/">20% of the global population</a> will be older than 60 by 2050. The figure for Australia <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyTopic/2CA2134677EF9D03CA257C2E0017283B?OpenDocument">is even higher</a>, at 23%. This means that by 2050 around one in four Australians will be more vulnerable to extreme heat. <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> Climate change may make the problem worse by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379708006867">fuelling even more extreme heat</a> events. Planning our urban centres to meet the needs of a <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/demographics-of-older-australians">rapidly ageing population</a> is a matter of urgency. Urban greening to reduce their vulnerability to heat stress should be central to this agenda. It can also improve people’s quality of life, reduce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829208001172">social isolation and loneliness</a>, and ease the burden on health systems. An important task is matching the design of communities with the needs of an ageing population. Where older adults live and the quality of their local areas strongly influence their lived experiences. Yet <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0885412217704649">recent research</a> found the experiences of seniors were often not accounted for in research on neighbourhood design. <h2>What about aged care?</h2> People face choices about where they live as they age. The common choices are to “<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australians-to-have-the-choice-of-growing-old-at-home-here-is-what-needs-to-change-91488">age in place</a>” or to move into aged care. Ageing in place includes living in one’s own home or <a href="https://theconversation.com/co-housing-works-well-for-older-people-once-they-get-past-the-image-problem-79907">co-habiting with relatives or friends</a>. Around 90% of Australian seniors <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/housing-decisions-older-australians/housing-decisions-older-australians.pdf">choose this option</a>, with the remainder opting for aged-care facilities. If one in ten Australian seniors live in aged-care facilities, it is clear these should be designed to minimise heat stress. This isn’t just good for residents; it may also benefit operators by lowering health-care and electricity costs. While these facilities are purpose-built for older people, many in Australia were built well over a decade ago, when heat stress was not such a large concern. Many more facilities are being built now and will be into the future. Yet it is uncertain whether they are being actively designed to reduce the impacts of heat. <h2>What has our research found?</h2> We recently conducted a focus group to investigate this issue. Participants were senior managers from four large corporate providers of aged care in Australia. We investigated if and how providers try to minimise heat stress through design. We also sought to understand the rationales used to support these design approaches. Several participants reported on refurbishments that they expect will have cooling effects. Cited design approaches included green roofs and walls, as well as sensory gardens. Other expected benefits included reducing anxiety and improving the mental health of residents. The fact that single design interventions could produce multiple benefits improved the potential for corporate buy-in. Participants expected that increasing green space and green cover would give their facilities a competitive advantage by attracting more clients and providing a better working environment for staff. Participants also reported on challenges of including greening in their projects. For example, the benefits of trees were weighed against concerns about roots disrupting footpaths and becoming trip hazards. Species selection was another concern, with fears that inappropriate plants could die and undermine support for greening programs. Our research suggests that more can be done to make cities hospitable for older people, especially during extreme heat. Urban greening is a start. Encouraging aged-care providers to adopt green infrastructure will have benefits. But we should also consider reforms to planning systems and urban design to better protect older people who choose to age in place.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112613/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claudia-baldwin-248780">Claudia Baldwin</a>, Associate Professor, Urban Design and Town Planning, Sustainability Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-byrne-6066">Jason Byrne</a>, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-matthews-234160">Tony Matthews</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-save-ageing-australians-from-the-heat-greening-our-cities-is-a-good-start-112613">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

"Green cordial" water in Sydney harbour baffles residents

A bay in Sydney Harbour has turned neon green, with authorities currently investigating the cause. Locals were baffled when they saw the bay along Hipwood Street in Kirribilli, near Milsons Park, turn bright green at about 3pm on Wednesday, with many calling the incident "unusual". Firefighters said they were "alerted to a large spill of fluorescent green material flowing into the harbour". One local described the water as "green cordial" and said it resembled "radioactive stuff you see in superhero movies". NSW Fire and Rescue then conducted several tests and said the water is not toxic and is currently not harming the environment. The Fire and Rescue team are now trying to flush out the green substance, and said that the incoming rain should help turn the water colour back to normal. Another resident told 9News that they had seen green water in a stormwater drain at Anderson Park, along Clark Road, on Tuesday, before the green colour spread to the bay on Wednesday. Later in the afternoon, a North Sydney Council spokeswoman confirmed that were no major pollutants in the green water: “At this stage our engineers believe the substance is likely to be fluorescein, which is used as a dye for plumbing works. Fluorescein is a non-toxic substance and breaks down with UV light. The green colour is a feature that makes it easy to trace.” Green water was also spotted in Neutral Bay on Wednesday according to another local. Image: Nine

Travel Trouble

“Hypocrite”: Hughesy's on-air clash with Greens leader

Dave “Hughesy” Hughes had a fiery debate with Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt about veganism on-air on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick. Before Bandt appeared on the show, a clip played of Hughesy, who is a vegan, calling for the leader to "quit the party" after learning the Greens leader wasn't a vegan. He questioned how Bandt could advocate for climate action without adopting a plant-based lifestyle, and the Greens leader was brought onto the show to explain his stance. “So you are not a vegan?” Hughesy asked the politician. “I’m not….” replied Bandt. “I applaud those who are, I applaud those who have made the shift. I’ve been thinking about it …” Hughesy then loudly interjected “ … URGH, THINKING ABOUT IT?” The Greens leader replied: “I don’t have a good drop-dead reason, but I’ve been thinking about it, and I can probably give you three justifications for it. "Firstly, we’ve made big changes at home and basically only eat meat for special occasions, the rest of the time we’re vegan or vegetarian at home.” “…. THERE’S ONE WAY, ADAM, THERE’S ONE WAY …” the presenter yelled in response. Hughesy's co-star Fev then tried to make light of the situation and asked him: “What are you doing Dave?" "Adam is doing the version of Leonardo DiCaprio and his private jet flying around the world while banging on about climate change, but you flew to Brisbane on the weekend,” he continued suggesting that Hughesy too was being a hypocrite by getting on a flight recently. “But I don’t bang on about it,” exclaimed Hughesy. “Adam is the leader of the Greens … it’s hypocritical! C’mon, you can do it, Adam, you can become a vegan! Be the change you want to see in the world, buddy!” Hughesy adopted the vegan lifestyle for his own health, but he has previously revealed that it comes with its challenges and his family were also not that enthusiastic about the change. Image: news.com.au/ Fifi, Fev & Nick

Food & Wine

Susan Sarandon's daughter claps back at wedding dress critics

Susan Sarandon's daughter has spoken out against body-shaming trolls who were criticising her wedding dress. Eva Amurri, who like her mum is also an actress, became the subject of online criticism after she shared photos from her wedding day online. Writing on her blog Happily Eva After the 39-year-old admitted that the comments left her in tears, "in a way that brought me right back to Middle School". "Here were people I didn't even know and who didn't know me, spending time and energy typing something that they hoped would bring me one thing and one thing only: Shame," she recalled the moment she came across the "hundreds of cruel comments". "It wasn't what they were saying per se, I've had much more horrible things directed at me on the internet, but it was the yucky feeling of knowing that there are people out there (and lots of them!) whose immediate reaction upon witnessing my little family's joy was to try to hurt us." She continued to explain that she was shocked that her wedding photos had gone viral due to something beyond her control. "I was so taken aback by the fact that it was already viral... and for two reasons completely out of my control: My Breasts," she wrote. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C82pK8juxqM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C82pK8juxqM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by People Magazine (@people)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I've always been naturally very large-chested, and my breast size fluctuates with my weight (as real breasts often do)," she wrote, adding that she is a mother of three and she had breastfed all of her children. "Are my breasts the same perkiness they were at 20 years old before they sustained human life three times over? Definitely not. Do I care? Some days more than others. But my body isn't something I'm ashamed of." She then said that she chose the dress because she wanted to feel "sexy and elegant" on her special day. "I had purposefully gone into my wedding dress shopping wanting to show my figure and really celebrate myself as a woman - body parts included," she shared. "It had never occurred to me that people I don't even know would find my body so offensive, and especially that they would care so much about what I would choose to wear on my own wedding day." She then criticised the online trolls for their "embarrassing" behaviour and how unfortunate it was that women still experience this kind of criticism. "You don't need anybody's permission to make the choices you make for yourself," she wrote. "And when people feel something about those choices? Well, that's none of your business." Images: Instagram

Body

“Don’t marry him”: Bride-to-be shares wild altercation with her future in-laws over her wedding dress

A woman has been told to “run” from her fiancé after sharing a wild conversation she had with her future in-laws about her wedding dress. The bride-to-be shared that ever since she was a child, she wanted to wear her mother’s wedding dress on her own big day. However, the woman was then confronted by her soon-to-be in-laws, with drama ensuing over her wedding dress. Taking to Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole?” page, the woman explained, "My mother's wedding dress has been passed down for generations and I remember being a little girl dreaming of walking down the aisle in it." Despite her wishes to wear the family heirloom on her big day, she said things went south at a dinner at her sister-in-law’s (SIL) house when she "tapped her spoon against the glass and said that she had to make a toast." "She then said she would be right back before going into another room and returning with a large plastic bag," the bride continues. "Everyone seemed to be excited but I just felt confused." As she "awkwardly smiled", her SIL opened the bag to reveal her wedding dress from her wedding two years earlier as her in-laws began clapping, as her future sister-in-law announced she wanted the bride to wear her dress at her upcoming nuptials. "I tried to smile but I guess I didn't do a good job of hiding my disappointment and everyone began asking me what was wrong," the bride-to-be continues, adding that she tried to explain that she wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress. At this point, her SIL began to cry and her in-laws began berating her, causing the bride to burst into tears and run outside. "My fiancé didn't even come after me and after crying my eyes out on the steps for what felt like hours, he finally came outside and yelled at me to get into the car," she says. Confused, she got into the car only for her fiancé to berate her for making "such a big scene" leaving him feeling "embarrassed in front of his family." "He sounds so mad and he even said he couldn't believe he chose to marry such a 'bitchy c--t' (his exact words)." The woman tried to explain how important it was to her to wear her mother's dress and that she had already promised her mother she would be wearing it on her big day. "I felt like my fiancé's family planned this and put me on the spot thinking I wouldn't stand up for myself and just agree to wear SIL's dress," she continues. "I don't think I did anything wrong but a part of me thinks I should have just gone along with it and then told SIL in private that I wouldn't be wearing the dress." Hundreds of people were quick to comment on her post, suggesting that she “run” not only from her in-laws, but from her partner as well. "Ma'am you need to leave that whole family behind including your fiancé," one said. "You just had a peek into your future if you carry on with this relationship." "Don't you dare marry that man!!!" another said. "The problem doesn't exist as the wedding shouldn't be happening anymore," another added. One Redditor suggested she "be thankful that he is showing you who he really is before you marry him." "You have just had a glimpse of what your future is going to look like if you go through with your wedding." Image credits: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Most sustainable travel destinations

If you’re wanting to be more environmentally friendly while travelling, there are some must visit destinations to add to your travel bucket list. To help you find the greenest countries to make you feel good about your next holiday, a new study by <a href="https://www.arka.com/">AKRA</a> has listed more than 50 cities to create a ranking of the world's top sustainable destinations in 2024. Each city was judged based on three main criteria: the percentage of green spaces, bike friendliness, and tram network coverage. Additional criteria such as the country's Sustainability Score, Percentage of Renewable Energy Use, Electric Vehicle Usage, and CO2 Emissions per Capita, was also taken into account. While the list was largely dominated by European destinations, one Australian country also cracked the top ten list. Check out the list below. 10. Copenhagen, Denmark 9. Oslo, Norway 8. Helsinki, Finland 7. Prague, Czech Republic 6. Seoul, South Korea 5. Bern, Switzerland 4. Utrecht, The Netherlands 3. Melbourne, Australia 2. Warsaw, Poland 1. Berlin, Germany Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Bride slammed for “absolutely ridiculous” dress code rules

A bride-to-be has gone viral for all the wrong reasons after her exhaustive list of wedding day dress code rules has divided the internet. A wedding guest took to a wedding shaming facebook group to share the list of attire rules she received alongside her invitation to the nuptials, sparking a heated debate over the “absolutely ridiculous” dress code. The specific dress code nitpicks at colour, fabric, length, print, and even the “vibe” clothes give off. The invite read: “Dress code: Formal (non-black tie) wear. Suits (preferably dark blue or dark grey, no tuxedos), ties, and dress shoes for men. No need to get creative!” “Linen is better suited for our welcome party; please wear a traditional fabric for the wedding.” “For women, tea-length dresses are great. Knee-length also works, but make sure it is not too casual (no summer floral dresses, for example) and floor-length is fine but make sure it is not an evening gala gown.” “Avoid any outrageous necklines, cut-outs, or sparkles. The idea is to be formal and glam, but not like you are on the way to a black-tie gala. Solid jewel tones generally work better than florals. No black please!” “Most importantly, please make sure to cover your shoulders and back with a cardigan or light scarf!” The huge list sparked a debate online, with some people claiming the bride is “controlling” and “entitled”, while others defended the bride and groom. “When in the hell did we start telling guests what to wear?” one person commented, “This is utterly ridiculous and if I received this invitation, it would go directly into the bin.” Another person wrote, “What is 'traditional fabric'? Am I supposed to show up in undyed wool? If we're being pedantic here, linen is pretty much the most traditional fabric in terms of historic use.” “They should just pick a uniform for the guests,” another said, while one wrote, “I honestly don't know if this type of dress or outfit exists?” Some claimed they would go against the dress code on purpose, as one person wrote, “I'd show up in an above-the-knee black floral number with cold shoulder cut outs and a sparkling neckline. For fun, it would be made out of linen.” However, a few people were quick to defend the bride and groom. “They could be getting married in a church, mosque, or synagogue - where this is a requirement. I would rather an invite tell me this than show up and not have known. Telling people gives people the opportunity to RSVP no if it's an issue,” one wrote. “To me this isn't exactly unreasonable,” another said. “It's not some huge list of dos and don'ts or very specific colours that must be adhered to or avoided. It helps guests who have no idea what to wear.” Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Beauty & Style

Queen Mary’s wedding dressmaker reveals process behind iconic gown

The Danish designer and dressmaker who designed Queen Mary’s wedding gown has recalled the “rather terrifying” process of making the iconic dress. Birgit Hallstein created the custom gown for the Aussie-born royal for her to marry Prince Frederik in 2004, as the designer recalled having to adhere to an unusual royal tradition when creating the dress. Hallstein said that she put the finishing touches on the dress on the wedding day: a decision that was mentioned to her by Mary's new mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe. Hallstein admits the old tradition, which involves doing the final loops and stitches the morning of the wedding, also helped her process in the long run. "[It] was a thing I did because it's a tradition in some families, but honestly I don't remember if Queen Margrethe would have mentioned such a thing," Hallstein told <a href="https://style.nine.com.au/latest/queen-mary-of-denmark-20th-wedding-anniversary-wedding-dressmaker-birgit-hallstein-interview/9f0c57eb-2d7b-44fd-ae0b-487d1b3592a5">9Honey</a>. "Maybe, because she knows a lot of those things... I am sure we talked about it, but anyway it was practical to gather the dress on the day because it's big." The process for Hallstein began in November 2003, as she admitted it was the most important garment she had ever worked on. "It was rather terrifying," she admitted with a laugh. "It's a bit like an exam, just a really big one, because if you fail everyone will see." Hallstein worked in a dedicated space at Amalienborg Palace to deliver the gown as well as the outfits worn by the bridesmaids, page boys and flower girls. "The sewing took hundreds of hours, starting in January 2004 and ending right before the wedding," she recalled. There was also the added pressure of adhering to royal traditions and protocols around the use of the antique veil and the lace attachment to the petticoat, which was from Queen Margrethe's private collection. "There are rules to follow, [you're] not allowed to cut in it and only skilled repairs [are allowed]," Hallstein said. "I had to hide around two or three metres of the antique lace in between layers of organza inside the dress to make sure it was not damaged by high heels, chairs, cars and carriages during the day." In a social media post to mark 20 years since the world got their first look at the classic gown, the dressmaker explained to fans that "the wedding gown consists of three parts". “There's a big tulle petticoat, edged with almost 60 yards of Chantilly lace, on this a big light blue silk bow were placed, to make sure the first born would be a son," she said. Image credits: Hounsfield-Klein-Zabulon/ABACA/Shutterstock Editorial

Beauty & Style

Mother of the groom slammed for unacceptable wedding outfit

A mother of the groom has been slammed online for wearing a white dress to her son’s wedding: committing a major wedding faux pas. The family photo, which has gone viral, shows the mother wearing “a dress even whiter than the bride’s”, complete with a sheet cape train, a cream hat and corsage. The mum's behaviour was criticised by thousands in a wedding-shaming Facebook group, while others defended the woman, saying she may have had permission for the look beforehand. “Really makes you wonder what in god's name happened with all these mothers-in-law to make them act like their son's wedding is her own wedding,” one person commented. Many claimed the older woman's dress was a clear attempt to upstage the bride, with many saying her outfit was simply unacceptable. “Makes me vomit when I see mothers like this,” a woman said. A second person added, “The cape, the gown, the fascinator... oh, my god. It would have been over the top, but fine if in any other colour. I hope to be as patient as this bride one day.” “I cannot imagine doing this to any woman who decides to marry my son. Like, hon, I of all people know how difficult he can be to live with, may the old gods and the new bless you for your sacrifice,” another joked. “I'm 99 percent sure this wasn't bride-approved as it's white and the bride's dress is ever so slightly off-white. And the bride looks perfect!” a fourth added. A few even claimed someone should have “accidentally” spilled a glass of red wine on the mother's dress. “No way she should have made it to the pictures without someone spilling [wine]. That poor girl,” a woman said. Image credits: Facebook

Beauty & Style

Channel 10 presenter exposes on-air dress shaming

Channel 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs has exposed a “humiliating” email she received from a viewer who commented on an outfit she wore on-air Tuesday. The Australian journalist, who hosts 10 News First, wore a v-neck blouse and patterned blazer when she was reporting that day, when the unsolicited "feedback" came through. Jacobs shared a screenshot of the email that was sent to the Ten News group on Instagram. “Inappropriate dress sense for reading the news. Cleavage is for the nightclub,” the email read. Addressing the email, Jacobs began: “Yes, we still receive emails like this. Yes, it went to the entire newsroom." “Yes, I was on air at the time. Yes, it is intended to shame and humiliate me," the 48-year-old added. “No, what I’m wearing is not inappropriate but your email sure is.” Followers took to the comments to back Jacobs, with fellow journalists sharing their own experience of receiving sexist criticism. Retired swimmer Giaan Rooney wrote: “Yep. The number of emails the newsroom used to get attacking everything about my appearance when I was presenting the weather was incredible.” The Guardian journalist Amy Remeikis recalled how “not that long ago” a woman felt that she had to “hide” her nine-year-old son from the TV when she was on-air. “Because he wanted to know why that woman (me) had ‘sex face’ and what my boobs were,” Remeikis wrote. “Had never seen breasts apparently, but could use the phrase ‘sex face’.” ABC Radio host Yumi Stynes joked, “How dare you cleavage?” before complimenting Jacobs for her radiant look, while Dessert Masters judge Melissa Leong wrote, “File under ‘When you really hate yourself, so you decide to email random strangers to tell them.’” Comedian Janelle Koenig slammed the ‘feedback’ as “absolute insanity.” This comes after thousands attended <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/it-s-up-to-men-anthony-albanese-joins-violence-against-women-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rallies</a> in late April calling on the government to take action against the recent spate of acts of violence against women. Image: Instagram

Eating leafy greens could be better for oral health than using mouthwash

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mia-cousins-burleigh-1201153">Mia Cousins Burleigh</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-west-of-scotland-1385">University of the West of Scotland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/siobhan-paula-moran-1506183">Siobhan Paula Moran</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-west-of-scotland-1385">University of the West of Scotland</a> Over half the adult population in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26052472">UK and US</a> have gum disease. Typical treatments include <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61912-4">mouthwash</a> and in severe cases, <a href="https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/vetn.2017.8.10.542">antibiotics</a>. These treatments have side effects, such as dry mouth, the development of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30967854/">antimicrobial resistance</a> and increased <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61912-4">blood pressure</a>. But research has indicated that a molecule called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">nitrate</a>, which is found in leafy green vegetables, has fewer side effects and offers greater benefits for oral health. And it could be used as a natural alternative for treating oral disease. Inadequate brushing and flossing leads to the build up of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">dental plaque</a>, a sticky layer of bacteria, on the surface of teeth and gums. Plaque causes tooth decay and gum disease. Sugary and acidic foods, dry mouth, and smoking can also contribute to bad breath, tooth decay, and gum infections. The two main types of gum disease are gingivitis and periodontitis. <a href="https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/etm.2019.8381">Gingivitis</a> causes redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums. <a href="https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/etm.2019.8381">Periodontitis</a> is a more advanced form of gum disease, causing damage to the soft tissues and bones supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can therefore, lead to tooth loss and, when bacteria from the mouth enter the bloodstream, can also contribute to the development of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/bdjteam2015163">systemic disorders</a> such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. <h2>Leafy greens may be the secret</h2> Leafy greens and root vegetables are bursting with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666149723000312">vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants</a> – and it’s no secret that a diet consisting of these vegetables is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, boosting the immune system, and preventing <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2048004016661435">heart disease, cancer and diabetes.</a> The multiple health benefits of leafy greens are partly because spinach, lettuce and beetroots are brimming with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">nitrate</a>, which can be reduced to nitric oxide by nitrate-reducing bacteria inside the mouth. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7zrRlMGeBes?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Popeye knew a thing or two about the health benefits of eating leafy greens. Boomerang Official, 2017.</figcaption></figure> Nitric oxide is known to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295222004191">lower blood pressure</a> and improve <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243755#:%7E:text=Nitrate%2Drich%20beetroot%20juice%20offsets,healthy%20male%20runners%20%7C%20PLOS%20ONE">exercise performance</a>. However, in the mouth, it helps to prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria and reduces <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243755#:%7E:text=Nitrate%2Drich%20beetroot%20juice%20offsets,healthy%20male%20runners%20%7C%20PLOS%20ONE">oral acidity</a>, both of which can cause gum disease and tooth decay. As part of our research on nitrate and oral health, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243755#:%7E:text=Nitrate%2Drich%20beetroot%20juice%20offsets,healthy%20male%20runners%20%7C%20PLOS%20ONE">we studied competitive athletes</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9839431/">Athletes are prone to gum disease</a> due to high intake of carbohydrates – which can cause inflammation of the gum tissues – stress, and dry mouth from breathing hard during training. Our study showed that beetroot juice (containing approximately 12 <a href="https://www.nursingtimes.net/students/an-easy-guide-to-mmols-09-02-2012/">millimole</a> of nitrate) protected their teeth from acidic sports drinks and carbohydrate gels during exercise – suggesting that nitrate could be used as a prebiotic by athletes to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Nitrate offers a lot of promise as an oral health <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">prebiotic</a>. Good oral hygiene and a nitrate rich diet could be the key to a healthier body, a vibrant smile and disease-free gums. This is good news for those most at risk of oral health deterioration such as <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/Periodontitis-and-Pregnancy.aspx">pregnant women</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8771712/">the elderly</a>. In the UK, antiseptic mouthwashes containing <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61912-4">chlorhexidine</a> are commonly used to treat dental plaque and gum disease. Unfortunately, these mouthwashes are a blunderbuss approach to oral health, as they indiscriminately remove both good and bad bacteria and increase oral acidity, which can cause disease. Worryingly, early research also indicates that chlorhexidine may contribute to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30967854/">antimicrobial resistance</a>. Resistance occurs when bacteria and fungi survive the effects of one or more <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768623/">antimicrobial drugs</a> due to repeated exposure to these treatments. Antimicrobial resistance is a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext">global health concern</a>, predicted to cause 10 million deaths yearly by the year 2050. In contrast, dietary nitrate is more targeted. Nitrate eliminates disease-associated bacteria, reduces oral acidity and creates a balanced <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2944498/">oral microbiome</a>. The oral microbiome refers to all the microorganisms in the mouth. Nitrate offers exciting potential as an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">oral health prebiotic</a>, which can be used to prevent disease onset or limit disease progression. <h2>How many leafy greens for pearly whites?</h2> So how much should we consume daily? As a rule of thumb, a generous helping of spinach, kale or beetroot at mealtimes contains about 6-10 mmol of nitrate and offers immediate health benefits. Work we have done with our collaborators has shown that treating <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69931-x">plaque samples</a> from periodontal disease patients with 6.5 mmol of nitrate increased healthy bacteria levels and reduced acidity. For example, consuming <a href="https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/JPER.20-0778">lettuce juice</a> for two weeks reduced gum inflammation and increased healthy bacteria levels in patients with gum disease. Growing evidence suggests that nitrate is a cornerstone of oral health. Crunching on a portion of vegetables at mealtimes can help to prevent or treat oral disease and keeps the mouth fresh and healthy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221181/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mia-cousins-burleigh-1201153">Mia Cousins Burleigh</a>, Lecturer, School of Health and Life Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-west-of-scotland-1385">University of the West of Scotland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/siobhan-paula-moran-1506183">Siobhan Paula Moran</a>, PhD candidate, School of Health and Life Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-west-of-scotland-1385">University of the West of Scotland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-leafy-greens-could-be-better-for-oral-health-than-using-mouthwash-221181">original article</a>.

Body

Aussie grandma and former Greens candidate jailed in Japan claims she was scammed

Donna Nelson, a 57-year-old Perth grandmother, has found herself entangled in a nightmarish situation in a Japanese prison, accused of a crime she vehemently denies. Nelson, an Aboriginal health advocate and former Greens candidate, has been incarcerated for nearly a year without a trial date set, facing allegations of attempting to smuggle two kilograms of meth into Japan. However, her plight is not as straightforward as it may seem, and her family and legal team are tirelessly fighting to clear her name. The ordeal began on January 4, when Nelson was arrested at Narita Airport in Tokyo. Authorities claimed to have discovered drugs concealed within a false compartment in her luggage. According to the prosecution, a customs officer suspected her of acting suspiciously. But the narrative has taken a complex turn as Nelson's defence team unveiled a shocking revelation: she alleges she was deceived and manipulated by a Nigerian scammer who had groomed her for two years. Since her arrest, Nelson has been confined to Chibu prison, located an hour outside Tokyo. Her living conditions are appalling; she spends 23 hours a day isolated in her cell, showers are allowed only every three days, and communication with other inmates and visitors is strictly prohibited. This form of treatment is a reflection of Japan's infamous "hostage justice" strategy, aimed at coercing confessions from detainees. The only individuals granted access to Nelson are her lawyers, Australian embassy representatives, and a pastor. Legal representatives have identified a significant issue with translation throughout the case, and it could very well hinge on an inaccurate translation by the customs officer at the time of her arrest. Rie Nishida from Shinjuku International Law Firm, one of Nelson's lawyers, explained, "The main evidence from the prosecution is mainly a customs officer who said she acted suspiciously. There's a lot of mistranslation that's also the difficulty in this case." This mistranslation issue is not trivial; it extends to the messages exchanged between Nelson and the man she believed she had a romantic connection with, who ultimately turned out to be a scammer. Matthew Owens, another member of the legal team and a translator for the case, noted, "Some of them were completely wrongly translated, so we had to re-translate those messages and submit them back to the prosecutor." Nelson remains steadfast in her conviction that she is innocent of the accusations against her. Her lawyer, Owens, relayed her message, saying, "Donna wants to say that she is going to be able to prove her innocence, she's 100 per cent confident of that, and she wants everyone in Australia and the world to know she is innocent." If found guilty, Nelson could face a harrowing 20-year sentence in a Japanese prison, a terrifying prospect for both her and her family. Her five daughters and grandchildren are distraught, but they are not giving up the fight to prove her innocence. They believe they have evidence to substantiate the claim that she was scammed and unjustly accused. Image: Australian Greens

Legal

Kids dressing up as older people is harmless fun, right? No, it’s ageist, whatever Bluey says

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-mitchell-1143692">Lisa Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> A child once approached me, hunched over, carrying a vacuum cleaner like a walking stick. In a wobbly voice, he asked: "Do you want to play grannies?" The idea came from the children’s TV show Bluey, which <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABCKidsCommunity/videos/bluey-grannies/468144817266668/">has</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABCKidsCommunity/videos/new-bluey-episodes-the-grannies-are-back-abc-kids/371436135028190/">episodes</a>, <a href="https://www.bluey.tv/products/grannies-book/">a book</a>, <a href="https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/bluey-september-1-2023-digital">magazine</a> editions and an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBlueyTV/videos/grannies-filter-bluey/5728362390510269/">image filter</a> about dressing up as “grannies”. Children are also dressing up as 100-year-olds to mark their first “100 days of school”, an idea <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/old-people-s-home-for-five-year-olds-prep-students-don-senior-citizen-attire-20230801-p5dszb.html">gaining popularity</a> <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/cardigans-wigs-and-canes-why-kindy-students-are-dressing-up-as-100-year-olds-20230720-p5dpu8.html">in Australia</a>. Is this all just harmless fun? <h2>How stereotypes take hold</h2> When I look at the older people in my life, or the patients I see as a geriatrician, I cannot imagine how to suck out the individual to formulate a “look”. But Google “older person dress-ups” and you will find <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/dress-up-like-youre-100-years-old-100thdayofschool--15199717464361356/">Pinterests</a> and <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Up-Like-an-Old-Person#:%7E:text=Dress%20in%20comfortable%2C%20loose%2Dfitting,older%20people%20may%20wear%20include%3A&text=Oversized%20sweatshirts">Wikihow pages</a> doing just that. Waistcoats, walking sticks, glasses and hunched backs are the key. If you’re a “granny”, don’t forget a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBlueyTV/videos/games-you-can-play-at-home-grannies-bluey/645964056227345/">shawl and tinned beans</a>. You can buy “old lady” <a href="https://www.spotlightstores.com/party/costumes-and-accessories/costume-accessories/wigs-hair-accessories/wigs/spartys-kids-old-lady-wig-with-curlers/80578132?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6emZHoNxO72pUa80Wc8ihYYiq3AohZ_w72jmuWBBDlficdCMy_rsK8aAj47EALw_wcB">wigs</a> or an “old man” <a href="https://www.bigw.com.au/product/facial-hair-set-old-man-3-pieces/p/305026">moustache and bushy eyebrows</a>. This depiction of how older people look and behave is a stereotype. And if dressing up as an older person is an example, such stereotypes are all around us. <h2>What’s the harm?</h2> There is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hypa.12170">some debate</a> about whether stereotyping is intrinsically wrong, and if it is, why. But there is plenty of research about the harms of age stereotypes or ageism. That’s harm to current older people and harm to future older people. The World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">defines ageism</a> as: "the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or ourselves based on age." Ageism <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">contributes to</a> social isolation, reduced health and life expectancy and costs economies <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/60/1/174/5166947">billions of dollars</a> globally. When it comes to health, the impact of negative stereotypes and beliefs about ageing may be even <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/60/1/174/5166947">more harmful</a> than the discrimination itself. In laboratory studies, older people perform <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4360754/">worse</a> than expected on tasks such as memory or thinking after being shown negative stereotypes about ageing. This may be due to a “<a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/stereotype-threat.html">stereotype threat</a>”. This is when a person’s performance is impaired because they are worried about confirming a negative stereotype about the group they belong to. In other words, they perform less well because they’re worried about acting “old”. Another theory is “stereotype embodiment”. This is where people absorb negative stereotypes throughout their life and come to believe decline is an inevitable consequence of ageing. This leads to biological, psychological and physiological changes that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2927354/">create</a> a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have seen this in my clinic with people who do well, until they realise they’re an older person – a birthday, a fall, a revelation when they look in the mirror. Then, they stop going out, stop exercising, stop seeing their friends. Evidence for “stereotype embodiment” comes from studies that show people with more negative views about ageing are more likely to have higher levels of stress hormones (such as cortisol and C-reactive protein) and are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7182003/">less likely</a> to engage in health behaviours, such as exercising and eating healthy foods. Younger adults with negative views about ageing are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2666386/">more likely</a> to have a heart attack up to about 40 years later. People with the most negative attitudes towards ageing have a lower life expectancy by as much as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12150226/">7.5 years</a>. Children are particularly susceptible to absorbing stereotypes, a process <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-09385-010">that starts</a> in early childhood. <h2>Ageism is all around us</h2> <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">One in two people</a> have ageist views, so tackling ageism is complicated given it is socially acceptable and normalised. Think of all the birthday cards and jokes about ageing or phrases like “geezer” and “old duck”. Assuming a person (including yourself) is “too old” for something. Older people say it is harder to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-06/senior-job-seekers-struggle-to-get-a-foot-in-the-door/102563144">find work</a> and they face discrimination in <a href="https://www.hcnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ageism-in-Health-Care_final.pdf">health care</a>. <h2>How can we reduce ageism?</h2> We can reduce ageism through laws, policies and education. But we can also reduce it via <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/ageism#tab=tab_1">intergenerational contact</a>, where older people and younger people come together. This helps break down the segregation that allows stereotypes to fester. Think of the TV series <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-4-year-olds">Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds</a> or the follow-up <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-teenagers">Old People’s Home for Teenagers</a>. More simply, children can hang out with their older relatives, neighbours and friends. We can also challenge a negative view of ageing. What if we allowed kids to imagine their lives as grandparents and 100-year-olds as freely as they view their current selves? What would be the harm in that?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212607/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-mitchell-1143692">Lisa Mitchell</a>, Geriatrician working in clinical practice. PhD Candidate at The University of Melbourne studying ethics and ageism in health care. Affiliate lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-dressing-up-as-older-people-is-harmless-fun-right-no-its-ageist-whatever-bluey-says-212607">original article</a>.

Retirement Life

Why does my hair turn green from the swimming pool?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/magdalena-wajrak-1432339">Magdalena Wajrak</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> If you are a blonde like me and enjoy laps in a swimming pool, you may have noticed your hair acquires a green tint after frequent swims in chlorinated water. This happens to both bleached and natural blondes. In fact, the green tinge happens to everyone, but it’s less visible on dark hair and those whose hair isn’t damaged by chemical treatments such as bleaching. But what exactly causes this green discoloration, and what can we do about it? Most of us blame the chlorine in the pool water. However, although chlorine does play a part, it is not the main culprit. <h2>Which chemicals in the pool turn the hair green?</h2> The element to blame for the green staining of hair is copper. The main source of copper is copper sulfate (CuSO₄), a compound added to swimming pools to prevent the growth of algae. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988320301803?via%3Dihub">Contact with algae</a> can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues, and ingesting water with algae can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems. Only a small amount (around 0.5mg per litre or 0.5 parts per million) of copper sulfate is needed to prevent algal growth. However, copper can also enter swimming pools through the corrosion of water pipes, so concentrations may be higher in some pools. Copper sulfate crystals are greenish-blue in colour. So, when hair comes into contact with copper ions – a positively charged variant of a copper atom with extra electrons – those ions get absorbed by the hair and cause the greenish hue. Scientists were fascinated by the green “pool hair” phenomenon as far back as the 1970s, so we actually have research data on copper being the cause. One very <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/538197">interesting study in 1978</a> performed experiments by immersing hair samples into water containing different concentrations of copper ions, chlorine and various pH values (neutral and basic). Their results showed hair exposed to free copper ions does turn green. Furthermore, when hair is oxidised (meaning electrons are removed from the hair proteins) by chlorine, it actually damages the hair, enhancing the absorption of copper ions. Hair submerged in water with chlorine but without copper ions did not turn green. Meanwhile, hair exposed to water with only copper ions and no chlorine still formed a green colour. Hence, chlorine by itself does not play a role in causing the green hue we see in “pool hair”, but it does exacerbate it. <h2>So, how does copper get into the hair?</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0943-7_24">Other research teams</a> have conducted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/ch9682437">more extensive studies</a>, using sophisticated instruments, such as scanning electron microscopy, to examine how exactly copper ions attach to the hair. Our hair is predominantly composed of protein called keratin. Keratin is classified as a “structural fibrous protein”, meaning it has an elongated, sheet-like structure. The keratin structure is composed of various <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/University_of_Kentucky/UK%3A_CHE_103_-_Chemistry_for_Allied_Health_(Soult)/Chapters/Chapter_4%3A_Structure_and_Function/4.4%3A_Functional_Groups">chemical groups</a> (types of atom groupings with similar properties), such as carboxyl groups, amino groups and disulfide groups. Copper ions have the ability to form bonds with these groups, forming a copper-keratin complex. This complex remains in the hair, causing it to appear green. Interestingly, the most recent study <a href="https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/142466">conducted in 2020</a>, showed copper ions mainly bind to the disulfide groups. This study also found other metal ions such as zinc, lead, chromium and mercury also bind to hair in the same way. This is very useful in <a href="https://theconversation.com/forensic-breakthrough-study-suggests-humans-can-be-identified-by-the-proteins-in-their-hair-65051">forensic analysis</a>, for example, because forensic scientists can analyse hair samples to determine if a person has been exposed to a particular metal. Light-coloured hair already has the most visible green discoloration, but research has shown that damaged hair, caused by bleaching, straightening, or exposure to sun, is the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19586601/">most susceptible</a> to the binding of copper ions. This is because in damaged hair the disulfide groups have “broken bonds” (the link that holds the elements within these groups together is broken), making it easier for the copper ions to bind to the hair. <h2>Can I prevent the green colour or get rid of it?</h2> To prevent your hair from turning green in a swimming pool, you have two basic options. The first is a physical barrier – just wear a swim cap. The second option is chemical – you can pre-treat your hair with an alkaline shampoo. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584918310050">Studies have shown</a> under alkaline pH conditions, the copper ions won’t attach to the hair. To treat your hair before going to the pool, you can either use a shampoo with a pH higher than 7, or you can even try mixing some baking soda into your regular shampoo. But what can you do if your hair has already turned greenish? Well, you can try washing your hair with a shampoo designed to achieve this, typically marketed as a “chlorine removal” shampoo. These products contain a chemical called EDTA – it can bind to metal ions (such as copper) and thus will remove copper from the hair. You may have heard tomato sauce or ketchup is a good way to get the green out of your pool hair – potentially because the red pigments are supposed to “cancel out” the green ones. However, I’m not aware of any scientific evidence this would work. Correction: This article has been amended to clarify that alkaline shampoos have a pH higher than 7, not lower.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211736/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/magdalena-wajrak-1432339">Magdalena Wajrak</a>, Senior lecturer, Chemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-my-hair-turn-green-from-the-swimming-pool-211736">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

Princess Diana's dresses fetch an eye-watering sum at auction

Three dresses worn by Princess Diana have sold for $2.5 million (AUD) at an auction in Beverly Hills, California. The gowns were sold in a Legends: Hollywood And Royalty sale, by Julien's Auctions and featured over 1,400 items to celebrate 100 years of Warner Bros. All three dresses sold for six-figures, with one selling for almost triple it's estimated price. Martin Nolan, the executive director, said the record-breaking sale of Diana's dresses "exceeded all expectations". Princess Diana's black and jade gown was the most expensive item, selling for $895,580. The dress was made by Catherine Walker - her personal designer for over 16 years - which she wore to a gala event in Toronto, Canada, in October 1991. The second most expensive dress sold was a red silk dress made by Bruce Oldfield, which she wore to the premiere of Hot Shots at the Odeon Leicester Square the following month. The Oldfield dress fetched a stunning $895,547 - which was almost triple it's estimated $312,000 price tag. The final dress was a custom-made black velvet and ivory gown Diana wore to a private function, which was also designed by Walker, and fetched $796,070. The original price of the velvet and ivory gown was estimated to be around $93,000 - $125,000. The three dresses have not been seen in public for over 30 years, according to the auction house. They were originally bought by American businesswoman Ellen Petho, who bought five of Princess Diana's dresses for $234,000 at an auction in New York. Petho, who passed away in January aged 82, ended up only keeping three of the dresses, which her husband has now sold to help raise money for a scholarship fund for mature art and design students in memory of his wife. Petho's daughter Karrie, told the Mail: "Our mother read the inscription inside [the auction catalogue] about Prince William telling his mother that the dresses should not sit in her closet, that they should be out in the world and doing good. I think that's what inspired her." Image: Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images

Beauty & Style

My Royal Melbourne Seniors Classic Adventure: A day on the greens (and in the bunkers!)

G'day to all past, present, and emerging golf enthusiasts! If you're a senior golfer like me, hunting for inspiration, adventure, and authentic golf yarns — this is for you. Picture this: a crisp August morning, and sixty-two senior golfers gathered on Royal Melbourne's West Course for the Vic Seniors Classic 2023. Here's the story of how it all went down... Before anything else, I mustered the guts to jump in. Ever heard of "imposter syndrome"? Trust me, I was its best mate. But the requirements were clear: age 55+ (I'm a proud 65-year-old), GA Handicap under 24.5 (18.5), and a $225 entry fee. Wait, $225? Given that Royal Melbourne's green fees dance around $1000, caddy fee included, it was a no-brainer. Fueled by the temptation of playing a top-notch course for a quarter of the fee, I submitted my application without hesitation. Before I knew it, my name adorned the list of players. As the day approached, I was geared up to tackle the Royal Melbourne challenge. The 8 am shotgun start meant groups teed off from various holes. I found myself at the 11th tee, flanked by two fierce competitors: Peter (Daily Handicap 1) and Damian (12). Yours truly? A modest 20. Standing over the ball, knees a tad wobbly, I swung that driver. The ball sailed gracefully, landing centre fairway, while their shots had taken a wilder route into the rough. The lesson? 'How near,' not 'how far'. Now, let's talk about those Royal Melbourne greens. Rumour had it, they were "super fast". Super fast? Imagine sliding a ball across your kitchen's polished tiles — yep, that rapid. Around the course, bunkers became my stern mentors — big, deep, and oh-so unforgiving. Post 18 holes, scorecards were in, followed by the triumphant crowning of winners over lunch. Rodney Ware (75 gross) and Kevin Naismith (81 gross) led in men's gross, while Wayne Moon (72 net) and Craig Lonsdale (73 net) dominated the net division. Melinda Crawford (16, scratch stableford) and Louise Yuen (29 handicap points) shone in the women's. Kudos to winners, fellow players, Royal Melbourne and Golf Australia for the unforgettable day. By the way, can you see yourself on those hallowed Royal Melbourne greens? If your inner golfer nods, I'm your cheerleader. Consider joining me for the 2024 Royal Melbourne Seniors Classic. And as I wrap up, let me leave you with the timeless words of the legendary Peter Thomson: "Golf is a game of how near, not how far". Until next time, keep those swings buttery, putts steadfast, and steer clear of those tricky bunkers. PS: My result? T43rd (net) among the 48 male players. Next time I'll be swinging even better. About the Writer: Mike Searles is a Melbourne retiree who's living the golfing dream. Image credits: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

Why we should embrace the joy of dressing ‘outside of the lines’ like Gen Z

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-wright-1416088">Steven Wright</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gwyneth-moore-1416089">Gwyneth Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a> Have you seen that <a href="https://www.voguescandinavia.com/articles/this-is-how-to-style-the-new-cargo-pant-according-to-these-danish-influencers">cargo pants are back</a>? Young people are once again swishing down hallways and they might even be wearing <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/crocs-lyst-hottest-product">Crocs</a> on their feet, because these are cool now too. For many this could be seen as dressing “badly” but Y2K (2000s fashion) is all the rage at the moment. Fashion has long been one of the most creative playgrounds to express yourself and also define your personal identity and status. Gen Z take this very seriously. However, they are no mere followers of fashion but are adventurously carving out their own trends and styles – joyfully playing with the way they dress and express themselves through their clothes. Gen Z are rejecting everything from outdated gender tropes <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/why-gen-z-yellow-will-never-be-millennial-pink/">to curated colour schemes</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/22697168/body-positivity-image-millennials-gen-z-weight">the idea of the “perfect” body</a>. For several hundred years, it was the fashion industry who controlled what was on trend. It was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/42978704">in bed with</a> the media, style icons, designers and the tycoons of the industry. This relationship has enabled trends to be predicted and for aesthetic movements to be planned and consumers to be catered for. The masses watched and waited to be told what was new and “hot”. This relationship is now being short-circuited by a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17569370.2022.2149837">generation of digital natives</a> who live in a world where the distinction between the digital and the physical is blended. Gen Z will not be dictated to, they are not anxiously waiting to be told they are on trend, on social media they are making heir own trends by breaking rules, embracing creativity and finding joy in dressing bravely. <h2>The democratisation of fashion</h2> Each generation has changed fashion. The baby boomers brought us flower power in the 1960s and 1970s using free love in contrast to their parents’ <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036343?searchText=free+love+counter+culture+fashion&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfree%2Blove%2Bcounter%2Bculture%2Bfashion&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-6744_basic_search%2Ftest-1&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1b4986acdbd4197e33c408f8641061a6">clearly defined social and gender roles</a>. Boomers’ younger siblings brought us “punk” in the 1970s and 1980s, a subculture dedicated to using the symbols of the state against itself and deliberately playing with the obscene and vulgar. This was amid a global political climate of conservatism and repression. Then <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/742606?searchText=baby+boomer+fashion+flower+power&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dbaby%2Bboomer%2Bfashion%2Bflower%2Bpower&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-6744_basic_search%2Ftest-1&refreqid=fastly-default%3Af122f7705806e1673dfa550b2fc44c16">again in the 1990s</a> we saw grunge, Gen X’s response to a futureless world post-cold war. Well, Gen X have had children and those kids have decided that they find joy in dressing outside of the lines (so to speak), you can be anything, you can be everything and you can be nothing. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9GUkkenYvlY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Gen Z (and even millenials) have witnessed the ever-increasing democratisation of fashion through social media sharing and the global reach of online platforms. They have seen thousands of tiny subcultures formed online where they undergo a near constant cycle of evolution, explosion and reformation. Take the early <a href="https://www.instyle.com/fashion/clothing/emo-style">2000s “emo” trend</a>. Once a big subculture, it was thrust to the corners of the internet where everyone thought it would languish and die. However, emo is experiencing a revival with people wearing all black, corsets becoming cool again and heavy eye makeup being sported by the likes of Gen Z darlings <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/mariasherm2/willow-smith-bullied-my-chemical-romance-paramore-emo">Willow Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/juice-wrld-olivia-rodrigo-kid-laroi-emo-music/621069/">Olivia Rodrigo</a>. But Gen Z are not sticking to one style. Fashion has become a pick and mix of trends and ideas where an individual can use the ingredients to create and recreate identity as often as they desire. There is joy in dressing, not fear. There are no rules. <h2>No rules</h2> As new fashion consumers gleefully reinvent notions of good taste and beauty, the traditional trickle-down effect for trends has been replaced by a bubbling up from new sources defining what’s new and what’s next. From Instagrammers to icons, vloggers and TikTokkers, the <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JFMM-12-2020-0275/full/html">sources for trends are broad and varied</a>. <iframe style="border: none;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/7127790531932949766" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Young people are creating <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14614448221146174">their own place in a new world</a>. A world where crocs are high fashion and what “goes” is in the eye of the beholder. Boxers as a headdress or leggings as scarf? sure. Why not even wear a <a href="https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/jw-anderson-ss23-womens-runway-collection/">keyboard</a> as a top? <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@saracampz/video/7127790531932949766">Maximalism</a> is being taken to new extremes as clothes are layered over more clothes and no colour, object or pattern is out of bounds. These are the COVID kids, a generation that came of age during a global calamity where the only form of communication was digital and two-dimensional. The loudest and boldest and most insane outfit is the one that will get you most attention on screen. For kids used to consuming media through TikToks rather than glossy editorials, <a href="https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijbtm/article/view/20001">only the most dramatic, fun and playful will do</a>. Fashion has taken itself way too seriously for way too long. A cleansing fire of young, creative people is exactly what is needed right now. We should all take a page out their book and find joy in dressing in whatever we want.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199940/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-wright-1416088">Steven Wright</a>, Head of Subject - Fashion Marketing and Photography, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gwyneth-moore-1416089">Gwyneth Moore</a>, Course coordinator - BA (Hons) Fashion Business & Marketing & BA (Hons) Fashion Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-wales-1586">University of South Wales</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-embrace-the-joy-of-dressing-outside-of-the-lines-like-gen-z-199940">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

"We did it!" Mystery behind Fifi Box's wedding dress unveiled

Fifi Box has been spotted in a wedding dress and veil while holding a bouquet in Las Vegas, leaving many to believe she has tied the knot. While on a work trip, the radio host and her co-host Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody went to see Adele perform at her resident show in Vegas. In order to get Adele’s attention, Fifi dressed in wedding attire and made a sign, despite having no intention of getting married. Explaining the stunt on their radio show on Monday morning, Fifi explained, “We went to Adele last night, Fev and I did have to try and get her attention. So that was the mission, can Adele speak to us.” “We know that halfway through the show she walks through the crowd and chats to people, and what we had noticed in a lot of news stories was that it’s people who had signs or had just gotten married.” Last week, the radio team had put a call out to their listeners to ask for suggestions on how they should get Adele’s attention at the show, with one person suggesting they dress up and act as newlyweds. “So I wore the wedding dress and the veil, I had a bouquet and we had a sign that said ‘I walked down the aisle to your song today’.” Fifi then played a clip of the show in which you can hear Adele target the faux newlyweds and say “Congratulations!” while performing one of her hit songs. “We went to great lengths, but I'm going to point this out,” Fifi said. “Our mission was to get Adele to speak to us, and she looked me in the eye and said ‘congratulations’. We did it! Pretty cool to get a call out from Adele.” Image credits: Instagram

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