Rabu, 20 Mac 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Features


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The Malaysian Insider :: Features


US$3 tag sale find sells at Sotheby’s for US$2.23 million

Posted: 20 Mar 2013 10:40 AM PDT

March 21, 2013

NEW YORK, March 20 —A US$3 (RM9.60) tag sale buy has turned into a massive windfall for the lucky bargain hunter: the Chinese bowl sold for US$2.23 million at an auction at Sotheby's yesterday.

This handout photo obtained courtesy of Sotheby's shows a small Chinese pottery bowl that started as a US$3 tag sale only to turn into a massive windfall that sold for US$2.23 million during an auction at Sotheby's on March 19, 2013 in New York. — AFP picThe small pottery bowl, finely crafted with an ivory glaze, turned out to be a thousand year old "Ding" bowl, dating from the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.

The only other similar bowl from the period known to exist has been on display at the British Museum for more than 60 years.

After picking it up for a few dollars down the road in 2007, the buyer displayed it the living room.

More recently, they became curious about its value and brought it to experts for an appraisal.

Sotheby's had estimated the bowl would sell for between US$200,000 and US$300,000.

But four bidders battled over the rare find, and it ultimately sold to renowned London art dealer Giuseppe Eshenazi for US$2.225 million. — AFP/Relaxnews

A daily cup of Greek coffee could be key to longevity

Posted: 20 Mar 2013 10:28 AM PDT

March 21, 2013

ATHENS, March 20 — The elderly inhabitants of the Greek island Ikaria boast some of the highest rates of longevity in the world, and now scientists believe that the secret may lie not just in their heart-healthy Mediterranean diet but in their daily caffeine fix.

A new study found a link between the good cardiovascular health of the island's elders and the boiled Greek coffee they drink daily. — Pic courtesy of shutterstock.comIn a new study in the journal Vascular Medicine, researchers from the University of Athens Medical School found a link between the good cardiovascular health of the island's elders and the boiled Greek coffee they drink daily.

Only 0.1 per cent of Europeans live to be over 90, the researchers said, yet on Ikaria, the figure is 1 per cent, with the islanders tending to live out their long lives in good health.

From a sample of 673 Ikarians aged over 65 who lived on the island permanently, the researchers randomly selected 71 men and 71 women to take part in the study. Medical staff checked for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other ailments, and subjects answered detailed questionnaires about their medical health, lifestyle, and coffee habits. In addition, the researchers tested their endothelial functioning — the endothelium is a layer of cells that lines blood vessels, which is affected both by aging and by lifestyle habits, such as smoking.

Prior studies have suggested that moderate coffee consumption could not only reduce the risks of coronary heart disease but have a positive impact on several aspects of endothelial health, the researchers said.

The researchers investigated all types of coffee that the subjects imbibed — but interestingly more than 87 per cent of those in the study consumed boiled Greek coffee daily. Subjects who drank mainly boiled Greek coffee had better endothelial function than those who consumed other types of coffee. Even in those with high blood pressure, boiled Greek coffee consumption was linked with improved endothelial function.

"Boiled Greek type of coffee, which is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and contains only a moderate amount of caffeine, seems to gather benefits compared to other coffee beverages," says lead researcher Dr Gerasimos Siasos. — AFP/Relaxnews

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