ISS Food Shortage Cause Revealed

Dan East writes "As previously reported on Slashdot, the two-man crew of the ISS had to ration food intake because the food supply had run mysteriously low. At a recent press release the reason for the shortage was revealed: the previous ISS crew consumed food meant for the other crew. "They had permission to do that but did not record how much they had eaten"."

Candy?

[exhilaration]

Hmmmm... you know what would suck, getting a cavity or a painful toothache while in orbit.

Interesting what was left

[ewanrg]

What I find interesting was that the previous crew hadn't snacked in the traditional sense - but had actually eaten more "good" food and left the snacks behind.

Which brings up the question of whether you get more cravings for calcium and protein as the body reacts to the effects of zero-g, or if it just says something about the preferences of the previous crew?

FWIW,
Ewan

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Yes I have a blog [blogspot.com] - deal with it :-)

Re:Didn't think NASA got so lax

[mabu]

I think it's naive to assume you can't be both anal-retentive and economical.

NASA's problem is that the organization has been orphaned by administrations that have no love for science, and it has therefore morphed into a political/business entity that is no longer capable of even accomplishing what it did in the 60s.

Re:New fad diet

[drinkypoo]

You don't get diabetes from eating lots of sweet stuff. Obesity is a risk factor though.

I wouldn't be so sure. Some research indicates that making heavy demands on your pancreas can "burn it out." When you eat carbs (any carbs) your pancreas produces insulin to manage the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose. The more "pure" the carbohydrate the more easily processed it is, which means it happens more rapidly -- meaning, in turn, that your pancreas gas to work harder to produce more insulin.

The problem of youth diabetes was basically unheard of in this country until the USDA published the "food pyramid" on the advice of the NIH and we started consuming more carbohydrates and less protein. Correlation does not in itself imply causation but there's just too much evidence for it to be coincidence. The kids who are contracting diabetes aren't all obese either though conspicuous consumption of candy or even white bread will make you fat a lot quicker than eating lots of meat...

Re:New fad diet

[oliverthered]

Fat is better for you than short chain carbs too.
1: It doesn't require insuline to turn it into fat.
2: It's digested slower, so not so much of it gets stored as fat.
3: Because fats are absorbed slower you don't get the craving you do with carbs, so fat is less adictive.
4: Carbohydrates produce a transitionaly type of cholesterol that causes the formation of HDL? cholesterol.

I looked all this up about 5 years ago because I have heart problems in my family, sweets are worse for you than a block of lard, and this is why the Atkins diet works.

Re:its in your head

[ackthpt]

Double-blind studies can find no correlation between MSG consumption and physical reactions. But I doubt you'll believe it. One such study:

All well and good for their population, but I do get migraines from food with MSG in it and it's a distinctive type of feeling I get from nothing else. I've nicknamed it 'the velvet hammer' because it initiates as a warmish sensation, like a warm soft hat pulled over my head, followed within minutes by an extremely painful and debilitating headache, which may last for more than 24 hours.

I have, what is regarded as an allergic reaction, which was not always so. I used to be able to eat foods, such as ramen noodles with no ill effect, but about 6 years ago I developed the migraines and made the connection. I've also developed allergic reactions to dairy and peanuts.