Zebra And Cattle Make Good Lunch Partners, Researchers Say

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Cattle and zebra share a meal in a pasture in Kenya.

Ryan Lee Sensenig/Science Cattle and zebra share a meal in a pasture in Kenya.

Those of us who eat beef can thank cattle for turning grass into something tastier. But grass is not always easy to come by, especially in Africa. And without grass, where's the beef?

That's a big deal in Africa, where there's something of a range war going on — cattle versus just about any other grazers running wild: Oryx, buffalo, hartebeest, gazelle, and especially zebra. Conventional wisdom is that the wildlife eat the grass out from under the cattle. So some people shoot the wildlife, which is one reason wildlife numbers are crashing in much of the continent.

But some researchers who've spent the last 17 years watching cattle eat grass say, Don't squeeze the trigger so fast. (Yes, watching cattle eat grass takes dedication, especially when you have to weigh them in the field).

 

Ecologist Wilfred Odadi of the African Wildlife Foundation says he and his colleagues found that when cattle grazed shoulder to shoulder with zebra, the cattle actually gained more weight than when they dined alone. No doubt they also had more fun, zebras being somewhat more frolicsome than cows.

Here's why zebra make good dining companions: In the wet season, grass grows fast and soon gets tall and "rank." Basically, it gets fibrous and unappetizing to cows, says Truman Young, an ecologist at University of California at Davis. He's a grass guy; when he looks at a cow, he actually sees grass.

"What the zebra do is, they lop that (shoot) off," he says. "That encourages the regrowth of fresh shoots from the base, and those fresh shoots are just more edible. It's like having the choice of having bran muffins or blueberry muffins, I guess."

But, a note of caution. It only works this way in the wet season. In the dry season it's dog eat dog — and the zebras do eat the cattle's lunch.

Still, scientists say the research, which appears in the journal Science today, could help ranchers manage cattle and wildlife together, to their mutual benefit. And it might even work in the U.S.

Johan du Toit, an ecologist at Utah State University, is trying the same experiment with cattle and wildlife in the Utah plains – you know, where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play. His encouraging word: "It's worth a try."

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Tempest In A Lunch Box: Arsenic Traces In Apple Juice

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Fears over arsenic in apple juice are overblown, experts say.

iStockphoto.com Fears over arsenic in apple juice are overblown, experts say.

A lot of parents might be worried about what's in their kids' sippy cups if they caught a recent report by TV talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz about high levels of arsenic in popular brands of apple juice.

But the Food and Drug Administration and medical experts are attacking Oz's report, saying it's inaccurate and needlessly panics parents.

In fact, Dr. Richard Besser, former acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tackled Oz head-on this morning on Good Morning America. Besser, a med school classmate of Oz's, called the report "extremely irresponsible" and compared it to yelling fire in a crowded theater. (Hear their testy exchange here.)

 

Oz found arsenic levels as high as 36 parts per billion (ppb) in some Gerber brand apple juice, and some lower levels in other brands.

But the problem is that Oz's testing only looked at the total arsenic in the apple juice products. The assays didn't distinguish between organic arsenic, which is found in nature and passes through the body quickly, and inorganic arsenic, which can be toxic in large doses and over long periods of time.

"How can you tell people this is harmful without even doing those [separate] tests? No good scientist would ever do that kind of work," Besser fumed at Oz.

Meanwhile, the FDA conducted its own tests, and found significantly lower levels of total arsenic in the same juice. "Moreover, the vast majority of apple juice samples tested by the FDA over that past 20 years show that apple juice typically contains less than 10 ppb total arsenic," the FDA says in a letter to the show. (10 ppbs is the amount the Environmental Protection Agency says is OK in tap water.)

Oz said on GMA that he stands by the test results, and denied he was scaring parents. "I would not take apple juice out of my kids containers right now," Oz, the father of four, said. But it's "misleading to claim that all of the organic arsenic is safe," he said, and he hopes his report will "start a conversation."

So is there reason to worry about arsenic in apple juice?

While Dr. Oz is not the only one whose testing has turned up high levels of arsenic in apple juice, the FDA maintains that it's monitoring apple juice levels and that the drink is safe to consume.

The U.S. banned inorganic arsenic in pesticides in the late 1980s, although some remains in the soil, scientists say. But since most apple juice concentrate now comes from China, where pesticide standards are decidedly less stringent, people are worried about arsenic and other chemicals.

So why isn't there a "safe" level of arsenic in apple juice to protect consumers from long-term exposure?

The FDA says harmful inorganic arsenic is the form regulated in drinking water, whereas organic arsenic is the form mostly found in food, including apple juice.

That's not to say that the FDA takes arsenic lightly. It recently ordered a chicken drug containing arsenic off the market.

Consumer Reports has warned consumers about about high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals found in protein drinks.

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HEALTH MANAGEMEN. Storm in a lunch box: arsenic tracks in Apple juice

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Fears about arsenic in Apple Juice are exaggerated, and experts say.
iStockphoto.com fears about arsenic in Apple Juice are exaggerated, and experts say.
Be many parents might be worried about what in their children's sippy cups is if they have a recent report by TV talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz about high levels of arsenic in popular brands of Apple juice.
But the food and drug administration and medical experts access oz report say parents it is inaccurate and unnecessary panic.
In fact, Dr. Richard Besser, former Acting Director of the Centers for disease control and prevention, frontal solution potential oz this morning on good morning America. Better, a med school classmate of Oz, as the report "very irresponsible" and compared it to shouting fire in a crowded theater. (Listen their testy Exchange here.)
 
Oz found arsenic levels up to 36 parts per billion (ppb) in some Gerber brand Apple juice and some lower levels in other brands.
But the problem is that the entire arsenic in Apple Juice Products oz testing will only be considered. The samples do not distinguish between organic arsenic, which is found in nature, and goes through the body quickly, and inorganic arsenic, toxic, are periods in large doses and about long.
"How can you people say that this is harmful, without having to do this [own] tests?" Not a good scientist always this kind of work would do, "fumed better on oz."
In the meantime, the FDA led his own tests, and significantly lower total arsenic in juice. "Moreover, the vast majority of Apple Juice samples by the FDA over the past 20 years show that Apple Juice usually ppb overall contains less than 10 arsenic," the FDA says in a letter to the show. (the amount of environmental says protection agency is OK in tap water is 10 ppbs.)
Oz GMA said that he stands by the test results and denied that he scared parents was eingejagt. "I not Apple Juice now would take from my children container," said Oz, the father of four. But it "is misleading to claim that all organic arsenic is safe," he said, and he hopes his report "Starting a conversation."
So there is need to worry about arsenic in Apple juice?
Dr. oz has while not only their tests to high levels of arsenic in Apple Juice is, retains the FDA that it the monitor Apple Juice levels and that the drink safe to consume.
The United States inorganic arsenic in pesticides in the late 1980s banned, although some remains in the ground, say scientists. But since most now Apple juice concentrate from China, where the pesticide standards chosen are less strict, people are concerned about arsenic and other chemicals.
So why is no "safe" value of arsenic in Apple juice, consumer protection before the offer long term exposure there?
The FDA says that harmful inorganic arsenic form regulated in drinking water, organic arsenic form mainly in food, including Apple Juice is found.
This is not to say that the FDA needs easily arsenic. He ordered before recently a chicken medicine, the containing arsenic out of the market.
Consumer reports has warned consumers about arsenic and other heavy metals in protein drinks found.

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