There is growing evidence to show that meditation can make you healthier and happier. For example, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is sometimes used to treat depression, and brain imaging technology suggests meditation actually changes your brain in a number of beneficial ways. MRI scans have shown that long-term meditation can alter the structure of your cerebral cortex, the outer layer of your brain. Additionally, brain regions associated with attention and sensory processing have been shown to be thicker in those who meditate. Previous studies have linked meditation to benefits such as improved attention, memory, processing speed, creativity and more. Recent research also suggests that meditation helps counteract age-related loss of brain volume. In short, meditation can be viewed as a form of brain exercise that strengthens it and keeps it "younger" longer. Other studies reveal the benefits of meditation are not limited to your brain; it also has anti-inflammatory effects and affects gene expression — all of which can boost overall physical health and longevity. Long-Term Meditation Tied to Reduced Loss of Brain VolumeOne of the most recent studies1,2 in this field looked at 50 long-term meditators and 50 control subjects between the ages of 24 and 77. Among the controls, advancing age correlated with a loss of brain volume, as expected. Those who meditated, however, were found to suffer less age-related brain atrophy. As reported by GMA News:3
How Meditation Increases ProductivityMeditation expert Emily Fletcher4 gives lectures and interviews on the differences between two popular styles of meditation, and how they affect your brain. She also discusses the similarities between meditation and caffeine. Both have the effect of energizing you and boosting your productivity, but meditation accomplishes this without the adverse effects associated with caffeine. As explained by Fletcher, caffeine is similar to the chemical adenosine triphosphate (ATP), produced by your brain throughout the day. Adenosine makes you sleepy, and caffeine effectively blocks the adenosine receptors in your brain, thereby disallowing your brain from recognizing how tired it is. While this may not be harmful in and of itself in the short-term, caffeine also stimulates more neural activity in your brain, which triggers your adrenal glands to release the stress chemical adrenaline. Eventually (whether you're drinking lots of coffee or not), remaining in a chronic state of "fight or flight" that adrenaline engenders can lead to any number of stress-related disorders. Meditation, on the other hand, energizes you and makes you more productive without triggering an adrenaline rush. According to Fletcher, meditation provides your body with rest that is two to five times deeper than sleep. Meditating for 20 minutes also equates to taking a 1.5-hour nap, but you won't have that "sleep hangover" afterward. Instead, you'll feel awake and refreshed and, as she says, "more conscious." Meditation de-excites your nervous system rather than exciting it further. This makes it more orderly, thereby making it easier for your system to release pent-up stress. It also makes you more productive. She notes that many are now starting to recognize meditation as a powerful productivity tool. Contrary to popular belief, taking the time to meditate can actually help you gain more time than you put into it, through boosted productivity. In a previous interview,5 Fletcher stated:
Benefits of Meditation Beyond Brain HealthStress is a well-recognized culprit that can promote ill health across the board, and the ability of meditation to quell stress is an important health benefit. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University recently published a study claiming they've found the biological mechanism by which mindfulness affects physical health. In a nutshell, meditation impacts your biology and physical health via "stress reduction pathways" in your brain. As explained in a press release:6
Such effects may explain why meditation can help to relieve stress-related diseases such as:
Other research, such as that at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine,7 has sought to quantify the benefits of the relaxation response by assessing gene expression before and after meditation, and have compared effects of short- and long-term meditation routines. Among their findings, they discovered that meditation has anti-inflammatory effects. In one study,8,9 participants who participated in both short and longer-term meditation, saw increases in antioxidant production, telomerase activity and oxidative stress. The researchers noted that benefits appear to be dose-related, with changes even after one session. Two Styles of MeditationAccording to Fletcher, there are two common styles of meditation: 1. Mindfulness, a directed-attention, waking state practice in which you keep bringing your attention back to the now. It's a practice of single-tasking, originally developed for monks, who remain focused on the present moment in all activities. Besides improving your focus and boosting your mental cognition, mindfulness training has also been found to reduce levels of stress-induced inflammation,10 which could benefit people suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and asthma. It also helps relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. 2. Self-induced transcendence is a nondirected style of meditation, in which you access a fourth state of consciousness that is different from waking, sleeping and dreaming. Transcendence-style meditation, which is what Fletcher teaches, strengthens your corpus callosum, the bridge between your two brain hemispheres. Your left brain is in charge of the past and the future, language, math and critical thought, while your right brain is in charge of "right now," intuition, inspiration, connectedness, creativity and problem solving. By strengthening the connection between your right and left hemispheres, you gain access to more creative problem solving, and increase your productivity without adding stress. Helpful ToolsFletcher discusses the value of using a fitness tracker that tracks your sleep, noting that meditation can significantly improve the quality of your sleep. A fitness tracker can help you gauge your progress. I'm a major fan of this type of technology, as it can be very difficult to change a behavior unless you're able to track it your progress. When I first started using a fitness tracker, I was striving to get eight hours of sleep, but my Jawbone UP typically recorded me at 7.5 to 7.75. I have since increased my sleep time, not just time in bed, but total sleep time to over eight hours per night. According to Fletcher, meditation may actually boost the quality of your sleep to the point that you don't need to sleep as long, as you can become more fully rested in a shorter amount of time when you're not waking up in the middle of the night. Slowing your breathing through meditation and/or using the Buteyko breathing technique also increases your partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2), which has enormous psychological benefits. Biofeedback devices such as the emWave211 can also help personalize your interventions and improve progress toward toning your parasympathetic nervous system. I find that using this breathing technique with the Muse device I describe below really helps me to meditate more effectively. My Experience With MeditationI have tried to meditate unsuccessfully off and on for over 25 years. I suspect that many of you have had similar experiences. The biggest challenge is to know if you are doing it correctly. You can watch all the videos you want but, ultimately, you're left to navigate the course to relaxed brain waves unguided. That is where Muse (a subscription guided meditation) plays such an important role, as it provides you real-time feedback on how well you are doing. If you wanted access to this technology a few years ago, you would have needed a literal closet full of equipment costing over $10 thousand. But now for a tiny fraction of that cost, along with your smartphone or tablet, you can get a personal tutor to guide you on how to meditate. The audio feedback consists of waves and wind. Your goal is to calm your mind so there is the least amount of sound. You will know you are successful when you start to hear birds. It took me several sessions to hear the birds but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy. A great 12-minute session will allow you to collect over 100 birds. I made a game out of it and sought to get 10,000 birds, which I did after about six months of use. You can start out slow and put your toes in the water by meditating for three minutes once or twice a day. If you have more time and are motivated, you can even do 20-minute sessions, but for most people, 12-minute sessions once or twice a day is enough. I picked up my Muse last summer and it took me a few months to get the hang of it, but that was largely because I did not have anyone telling me how to do it. Once I got into the groove, I was really surprised to receive an email from the founder of Muse, asking me questions about my use. He had no idea I run a health website, but merely contacted me because I was in the top 100 users in the world. I later learned after talking to him that I was in the top 10 users based on my amount of time spent in a deep meditative state. My interest in increasing my sleep to eight hours per night occurred shortly after I got my Muse, and they merged very nicely. Now, I find that if I wake up early and can't go back to sleep, I will meditate for up to an hour as it provides many of the same benefits of sleep. If you are unable to fall back to sleep, this is a great option. Also, I find my best meditation time is in the morning, right after I awaken, as I can get into the deepest states of relaxation at that time. Applying the Buteyko breathing also really helps to calm the mind and get into deep states of relaxation. Stress Less, Accomplish MoreEmily Fletcher of @zivameditation, is my friend and meditation teacher. She's written a book, "Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance," and I believe this is the thing that will finally get you to stick to meditation. In these pages, she's put her 12 years of experience training over 20,000 high performers, with the goal of teaching you a type of meditation designed for people with busy minds and busy lives. The book is USA Today best seller and made it to No. 7 out of all books on Amazon. It's changed a lot of lives and, perhaps, it will change yours. Get it >> bit.ly/slamthebook. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/20/benefits-meditation.aspx
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Monsanto, DuPont and BASF sell an herbicide responsible for damage to millions of acres across the U.S. As described in this short video, the damage is substantial and many insurance companies are balking at paying compensation for farmers’ losses. There are 221 different pesticides found in your produce, according to a report1 generated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The report released in September 2018 was based on data gathered in 2017. Samples were taken from five states across America and only 37.5% of the vegetables and a mere 14.2% of the fruits were free of pesticide residues. Glyphosate and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) residues were also detected in some of the samples. Concerns over glyphosate's toxicity have been mounting since the International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) 20152 determination that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. Since the introduction of genetically modified plants, the problems with pesticide-resistant weeds has grown. Worldwide, at least 48 different weeds3 are resistant to glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto's broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup. In response, agrichemical companies are producing even more toxic pesticides. In November 2016, Monsanto announced4 it had secured approval from the FDA to use specially formulated dicamba, VaporGrip, on growing crops; in the past it had only been used before planting. The claim was that using VaporGrip Technology “gives you extended application flexibility before, at and after planting.”5 Dicamba Drift Destroying Crops As EPA Looks OnIt took only one growing season to prove the claim that VaporGrip didn’t drift wasn’t true. In July 2017 a complaint advisory from the EPA was published in which they wrote:6
The immediate response approved by the EPA was a change to the label so that consumers were instructed to use the product differently than when it was first released.7 But changing how it was applied didn’t stop the numerous complaints in the coming crop seasons. Every summer since the release of the new dicamba formulation, the phones have been ringing. NPR reports8 the Office of the Indiana State Chemist has been overwhelmed by the complaints from farmers and homeowners reporting damage to crops and gardens. With each test of the damaged plants, the scientists found the same culprit: It was dicamba. The herbicide is designed to be used on dicamba-tolerant seed and the new delivery system is intended to stop the potential for drift. But, as you likely guessed, the delivery system for this dangerous toxin failed. For farmers who plant dicamba-tolerant GMO seed, the herbicide kills weeds that are resistant to glyphosate without hurting their crops. For those who don’t use dicamba-tolerant seed, it’s described as a plague.9 One farmer reported the drift affected 80 acres of his farm, which cut the harvest in those fields by one-third. Illinois growers lodged about six times as many complaints in 2019 as they did prior to the widespread adoption of dicamba. Despite the rising number of problems suffered by farmers and homeowners, the EPA extended approval just before the 2019 season. The decision apparently rested on the hope more education and restrictions on the application process would stop the problem. Sinister Practices May Force Farmers to Buy Bayer SeedThe issue has gotten so heated that farmers see their neighbors as threats and one dispute ended in death. Millions of acres of crops were damaged when the herbicide traveled beyond their application sites. You probably could have predicted a sprayed application would land in another field, but the EPA and FDA could not. On hot summer days the technology falls short. Instead of sticking to the area, the chemical quickly evaporates and drifts into nearby fields and gardens.10 Could this be the ultimate plan — releasing an herbicide that requires you to purchase their seed in order to successfully harvest your crop? It seems Monsanto is playing the long game. The challenge of stopping herbicide from drifting with the wind has created a problem for inspectors: It’s difficult to figure out where it originated. The additional workload means they don’t have time for routine inspections. Leo Reed, an Indiana official, calls this “dicamba fatigue.”11 Another telltale sign of fatigue and overworked has been the marked exodus of Missouri’s pesticide inspectors. There were eight, but seven resigned over the course of one-and-a-half years. According to meeting minutes, contributing factors were overload and burnout. Peach Farmer Stands Up to Agribusiness; Outs Marketing PloyMonsanto claims the crop damage is the result of poor application, weather and other pesticides. But in a lawsuit Bill Bader of Bader Farms in Missouri accused Monsanto (now Bayer, since Bayer bought them out) of creating the circumstances for the drift damage. Bader’s family-owned business is close to shutting down, even though at one time it was the largest of all peach farms in the state. In response, Monsanto/Bayer claimed the problems on the Bader Farm were the result of such things as user errors and weather, and not dicamba. Odessa Hines, spokesperson for BASF, also named in the lawsuit, said the company’s12 “ … products meet all regulatory standards, including rigorous safety and environmental testing. We look forward to defending our product in this case.” Despite their confidence, on the first day of the trial Internal documents showed the companies knew about the herbicide’s potential to cause damage to surrounding crops. They also prepared for complaints that might have come in before the crop system had even been released.13 During opening arguments, Bader’s attorney said the farm's financial situation was “entirely foreseen and foreseeable” based on documentation from Monsanto and BASF. According to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting:14
Bader asked for $20.9 million in damages and punitive damages from Monsanto and BASF, which originally developed dicamba in the 1950s. Bader’s attorney said,15 “The experiment, we will show, has been a failure.” After hearing three weeks of testimony, the jury awarded Bader $15 million in damages on February 14, 2020,16 and the next day added another $250 million in punitive damages to the award. As reported by Investigate Midwest:
Dicamba Kills More Than CropsThe environmental and financial consequences of using dicamba continue to rise. In 2017, Reuters17 reported Monsanto was giving cash to farmers to offset the cost of using dicamba. The incentive was designed to entice farmers, who were facing the additional costs of more training, to use the herbicide. This was only one decision that dealt a major blow to the environment. Dicamba also impacts bees and other pollinators with a cascading effect on vegetation and crops. Paradoxically, NPR reports that one farmer decided the solution was not to stop using dicamba but, rather, for ALL farmers to begin using it. Once all farmers are planting dicamba-tolerant seed, he said, it will lower crop damage.18 However, as NPR noted:
Spraying more herbicides and pesticides damages the same insect species that crops need to propagate. This possibly could have been picked up in testing before the release of the new VaporGrip technology, but Monsanto had expressly forbade independent tests. This was an out-of-the-ordinary decision because, commonly, when a new pesticide is developed, a company commissions tests and shares the chemical with universities. Regulators and researchers then assess the safety and effectiveness of the chemical. In tests before the release of XtendiMax with VaporGrip, Monsanto forbade university researchers to test for vaporization and drift potential. Reuters reported Monsanto defended the decision saying it was unnecessary as it was19 "less volatile than a previous dicamba formula that researchers found could be used safely." As if damage to the environment, the food supply chain and financial manipulation were not enough, consider the impact herbicides have on antibiotic resistance, “one of the biggest public health challenges of our time.”20 Research evidence21 shows the application of dicamba and glyphosate — even below recommended levels — triggers antibiotic resistance up to 100,000 times faster when bacteria are exposed in the environment. In a news release from the University of Canterbury, one of the researchers commented:22
Reduce Your Exposure to PesticidesYou cannot solely depend on others to protect your health. Instead, if falls to each of us to practice preventive strategies to reduce the toxins that assault our bodies. Here are some ideas for reducing your exposure to pesticides and other toxins and start on the right path:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/19/dicamba-drift-destroying-crops.aspx For years, I've warned that aluminum is a serious neurotoxic hazard involved in rising rates of autism and Alzheimer's disease (AD). I've also warned that vaccines are a significant source of such exposure, and may be one of the worst, since by injecting it, the aluminum bypasses your body's natural filtering and detoxification systems. My comments above were one of the reasons the self-appointed global arbiter of fake news, NewsGuard, refused to give us "green" status as a site that follows "basic standards of accuracy and accountability." In other words, our reporting of aluminum hazards was deemed "fake news." Not only were my earlier reports based on published science, but now we have yet another study,1 published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, strongly linking aluminum exposure to AD. As reported by SciTech Daily:2
The Association Between Aluminum and Amyloid-BetaTo gain a better understanding of the link between aluminum exposure and beta-amyloid generation, the researchers examined the brain tissue of donors diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's disease who also had a specific gene mutation known to increase levels of amyloid-beta, leading to early onset and more aggressive disease. Aluminum levels were compared to controls with no neurological disease diagnosis. They found striking differences between these two groups. Donors with the genetic mutation had universally high aluminum content. While all samples had some level of aluminum, 42% of the samples from those with familial Alzheimer's had "pathologically significant" aluminum levels, and the aluminum was primarily co-located with amyloid beta plaques. As reported by SciTech Daily:3
Aluminum Adjuvants Have Never Been Tested for SafetyExley's conclusion deserves repeating: "No aluminum, no AD." Without aluminum, Alzheimer's doesn't develop. That's not fake news. This research provides conclusive evidence for concern, which means it would be foolish in the extreme to pretend that injecting infants and young children with aluminum-containing vaccines is harmless. As revealed in my 2015 interview with Dr. Lucija Tomljenovic, featured in "How Vaccine Adjuvants Affect Your Brain," when aluminum was first approved for use in vaccines, some 95 years ago, it was approved based on its efficacy. It was never actually tested for safety. Even the total allowable limit was based on efficacy data, not safety data. They simply assumed it was safe. As noted by Tomljenovic in that interview:
Industry Propaganda and Political InterferenceThe propaganda responsible for hiding the dangers of aluminum was addressed in a 2014 review article5 in the journal Frontiers of Neurology. In it, Exley (who also co-authored the featured Journal of Alzheimer's Disease study above) wrote:6
Exley points out that one of the most significant factors driving complacency about aluminum exposure is the aluminum industry's insistence that, since it's everywhere and found in virtually everybody,7 it must be harmless if not essential — we just haven't figured out how it benefits us yet. However, no beneficial role of aluminum has ever been elucidated, and its presence is in no way evidence of benefit. Why Aluminum Toxicity Flies Under the RadarExley also notes that aluminum is rarely acutely toxic, which adds to the complacency problem. Problems only arise once a certain threshold is reached, and even then, its role in disease is rarely if ever investigated. Yet another factor that helps hide the influence of aluminum in disease is the fact that it acts on many different pathways and acts as a substitute for essential minerals, so aluminum toxicity doesn't have one specific hallmark.
Importantly, aluminum has the ability to cross the blood-brain-barrier, so any aluminum in the blood can be transported into the brain. "Indeed, aluminum is known to increase the leakiness of epithelial and endothelial barriers and in doing so could concomitantly increase the passage of aluminum from the blood to the brain," Exley writes.9 Biological Effects of AluminumExley also points out aluminum can damage your brain function by:
A 2010 paper10 also pointed out that aluminum salts "can increase levels of glial activation, inflammatory cytokines and amyloid precursor protein within the brain," and that "Both normal brain aging and to a greater extent, Alzheimer's disease are associated with elevated basal levels of markers for inflammation." Similarly, a 2018 paper11 in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences cites research showing aluminum affects:
When it comes to altering gene expression, aluminum has been shown to do this via many different routes and mechanisms, including by:12
Importantly, as noted in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, aluminum has been shown to "cause mitochondrial dysfunction and depletion of adenine-triphosphate (ATP),"13 which sets the stage for virtually any chronic disease, not just neurodegenerative diseases. Vaccine Schedule Overexposes Infants to AluminumIn December 2019, The Highwire reported14 the findings of a study15 published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, which found the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's childhood vaccine schedule — when adjusted for bodyweight — exposes children to a level of aluminum that is 15.9 times higher than the recommended "safe" level. The researchers point out that previous efforts to assess the aluminum burden created by vaccines were based on "whole-body clearance rates estimated from a study involving a single human subject." What's more, they used an aluminum citrate solution that is not used in vaccines, which may affect the excretion rate. Importantly, infants also have immature renal function, which will inhibit their ability to filter and excrete toxins in the first place. Other studies16 have used orally ingested aluminum to assess and defend safety limits for aluminum in vaccines. This is clearly an unwise comparison, as only 0.1% of orally ingested aluminum is absorbed and made bioavailable from the gastrointestinal tract.17,18 In the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology study,19 the researchers used several different models in an effort to estimate the expected acute and long-term whole-body accumulation of aluminum in children following one of the three possible vaccine schedules:
The CDC's standard schedule resulted in the greatest expected aluminum burden in all model assumptions, while Thomas' schedule resulted in the lowest. According to the authors:22
CDC Vaccine Schedule Exceeds Aluminum Limit for AdultsAs noted in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology study,23 the "safety" limit for aluminum is not weight dependent. The maximum safe limit is based on an adult, and the same limit is transposed to infants weighing a fraction of that. Importantly, this study found that when multiple aluminum-containing vaccines are given together, as per the CDC schedule, the total aluminum dose ends up exceeding even the assumed safety limit for an adult.
Aluminum Is a Proven NeurotoxinThe health hazards of aluminum are also addressed in a 2017 scientific review25 published in the German journal, Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, which also reviews the threshold values associated with various types of exposure. "Aluminum's neurotoxic effects in humans and its embryotoxic effects in animal models have been proven," the paper states, adding that while the acute toxicity of ingested aluminum is low, long-term exposure and buildup is associated with neurotoxic effects, resulting in disorientation, memory impairment and dementia. As noted in this paper:26
Aluminum as a risk factor for neurological disorders is also detailed in a 2018 paper27 in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. Here, the authors again note that "it is widely accepted that [aluminum] is a recognized neurotoxin, which could cause neurodegeneration." They also point out that aluminum "affects more than 200 important biological reactions and causes negative effects on [the] central nervous system." Aluminum Detected in Organs a Year After VaccinationA 2013 study28 shed important light on the vaccine adjuvant alum, a "nanocrystalline compound" that has been shown to spontaneously form "micron/submicron-sized agglomerates." According to this paper:
Clearly, Alzheimer's and autism are not caused by a single factor. Your diet and lifestyle play significant roles, as do other toxic exposures. Still, aluminum appears to be a significant concern that cannot be overlooked, especially where vaccines are concerned. Can we really justify loading infants up with aluminum at doses that are toxic even to an adult? To learn more about the factors that raise your risk for Alzheimer's and recommended prevention strategies, see "How Excess Iron Raises Your Risk for Alzheimer's," "Trans Fats Linked to Increased Risk for Alzheimer's," and "Lifestyle Factors Linked to Alzheimer's." from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/19/aluminum-and-brain-damage.aspx As explained by the Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies, “neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world.”1 If you were to visit a conventional farm, you’d likely see evidence of their use in the form of brightly colored red corn seeds and blue soybean seeds, which are color-coded to denote treatment with neonicotinoids. The majority of such seeds come pretreated with the chemicals to ward off insect pests, but in so doing they’re harming pollinators like bees at alarming rates. To get an idea of just how widespread their usage is, a report published in Agricultural & Environmental Letters noted that in the U.S. neonicotinoids were used on “79% to 100% of corn acres” by 2011, but despite this, application of the pesticide still doubled between 2011 and 2014.2 “Because the increased use on corn cannot be explained by expanding treated acres, it must correspond to increasing per-seed application rates. Notably, this increase has come as concerns about nontarget effects and resistance have mounted,” the researchers noted.3 This statement is noteworthy, especially as it’s been revealed that “a sophisticated information war” kept neonicotinoids on the market despite scientists expressing grave concerns.4 An exposé by The Intercept, which obtained lobbying documents and emails, revealed an extensive playbook used by the pesticide industry to downplay the pesticides’ harms by influencing beekeepers, regulators and academia. Meanwhile, bees and other pollinators are still in decline and the pesticide industry has gotten richer:
US Embraces Neonicotinoids as Other Countries Ban ThemEntomologists Dennis vanEngelsdorp, now a chief apiary inspector in Pennsylvania, and Jeffrey Pettis, a former USDA government scientist, were among the first to suggest a link between neonicotinoids and bee deaths. They exposed bees to very small, sublethal doses of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, then exposed them to the gut parasite Nosema. The findings were clear that exposure to the pesticide, even at very low levels, increased the bees’ susceptibility to the parasite. The researchers explained, “We clearly demonstrate an increase in pathogen growth within individual bees reared in colonies exposed to one of the most widely-used pesticides worldwide, imidacloprid, at below levels considered harmful to bees.”5 One of the observed effects in bees is a weakening of the bee's immune system.6 Forager bees may bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive, where it's consumed by all of the bees. About six months later, their immune systems fail, and they end up contracting secondary infections from parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria. The chemicals have also been shown to trigger immunosuppression in the queen bee, possibly leading to an impaired ability to resist diseases.7 The European Union temporarily banned the use of neonicotinoids in 2013, and banned neonicotinoids for outdoor use for good in 2018 due to environmental concerns, specifically the chemicals’ impact on the bee population.8 The chemicals are still widely used in the U.S., however, and this is largely due to concerted efforts by the pesticide industry. The Intercept reported:9
Entomologist Exposing Neonicotinoids’ Risks Changed His TuneInitially, vanEngelsdorp made numerous media appearances suggesting that pesticides were among the likely culprits in bee deaths, but then did an about-face, in which he started to downplay their role or brush them off as a risk entirely. “In the following years, vanEngelsdorp used his voice to dismiss concerns with neonics in the media. His shift in rhetoric coincided with a push by the pesticide industry, in response to rising calls for pesticide restrictions to stem bee losses, began a push to rebrand itself as bee-friendly,” according to The Intercept.10 He joined Monsanto’s Honey Bee Advisory Council around that time, and received at least $700,000 in funding from Project Apis m., a Bayer-funded foundation, for his nonprofit, the Bee Informed Project. In 2013, vanEngelsdorp also went on to edit a study used by Syngenta to claim no link between neonicotinoids and poor bee health.11 A group of entomologists later called out the study, saying it had “a number of major deficiencies regarding the study design, the protocol and the evaluation of results,”12 as did a group of scientists at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, who wrote:13
The Intercept revealed a number of other questionable actions by vanEngelsdorp over the years, including:14
Industry Tries to Use Varroa Mites as a ScapegoatVarroa mites are indeed dangerous to bees, feeding off their fat and blood and potentially transmitting a virus called deformed wing virus.15 The mites can be deadly and have been implicated in colony collapses, but there’s also a connection between the mites and neonicotinoids. Bees rid themselves of Varroa mites by regular grooming, but research suggests exposure to neonicotinoids at low doses leads to drops in self-grooming behavior in bees, leaving them more susceptible to disease from the mites.16 It’s also possible that bees become more susceptible to the mites due to neonicotinoids’ adverse effects on immunity. According to The Intercept:17
This is yet another area of controversy surrounding vanEngelsdorp, who gave a presentation in 2016 at a summit for corporate representatives and researchers involved in the bee crisis. His presentation suggested Varro mites, not pesticides, were to blame for colony losses. “I was shocked,” Luke Goembel, an official with the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association, told The Intercept, “because the journals are full of research that describes many avenues by which pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, almost certainly lead to hive losses.”18 Former Government Scientist Demoted After Speaking the TruthPettis, the former USDA scientist who worked with vanEngelsdorp, is now president at Apimondia, a beekeeper conference. He also experienced industry pressure to speak only about Varroa mites. His career was suddenly derailed after he presented testimony about neonicotinoids before the House Agriculture Committee in 2014, and didn’t stick to “the script.” As reported by The Washington Post in 2016:19
USDA Whistleblower Rebuked for Neonicotinoid ResearchUSDA whistleblower Jonathan Lundgren, Ph.D., is another scientist who faced retaliation when he started talking about his research, which showed neonicotinoids cause decline in bee and Monarch butterfly populations.20 After publicly discussing his findings, Lundgren claimed that he faced suspensions at work and an investigation of misconduct that he believes was industry motivated. “I guess I started asking the wrong questions, pursuing risk assessments of neonicotinoids on a lot of different field crop seeds used throughout the U.S. and how they were affecting nontarget species like pollinators,” Lundgren told The Intercept.21 Lundgren went on to run Blue Dasher Farm in South Dakota, which is looking for natural pest control methods and crop rotation for agriculture. He believes most research is now industry influenced, noting, “Universities have become dependent on extramural funds, entire programs are bankrolled by these pesticide companies, chemical companies.”22 Neonicotinoids Persist in the EnvironmentResearchers screened oilseed crops in the EU for neonicotinoids during the five-year moratorium. They found neonicotinoids in all the years it was banned in bee-attractive crops, with residue levels depending on soil type and increasing with rainfall. They concluded that this poses a “considerable risk for nectar foraging bees” and supports “the recent extension of the moratorium to a permanent ban in all outdoor crops.”23 There are other concerns as well, like the fact that planting neonicotinoid seeds kills off insects that prey on slugs — prominent corn and soybean pests — thereby reducing crop yields.24 An investigation by the U.S. EPA even found that treating soybean seeds with neonicotinoids provides no significant financial or agricultural benefits for farmers.25 As research has demonstrated, regenerative farming improves biodiversity of the soil, does not harm the environment and increases farmers' net profits. You can get involved by actively seeking out and supporting organic, regenerative farmers, who have decided that avoiding chemical-treated seeds and excessive chemical spraying is essential to nurturing soil health, protecting the environment and growing nutritious food. You can also consider converting part of your own yard into an edible, bee-friendly landscape using organic and regenerative methods. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/18/emails-reveal-pesticide-conspiracy.aspx Google is undoubtedly one of the largest, most powerful businesses in the world. The company achieved this by focusing on more than one market — such as search and advertising — to make their product appear indispensable. In 2017 the company1 garnered 90% of the search market based on the user data they control. Years of planning, researching and data mining went into the development of this company, now worth three-quarters of a trillion dollars, according to CBS News. Nothing was by accident. The search engine was originally conceived of and built by two Stanford University students working in their college dorm.2 A Sun-Microsystems co-founder was the first angel investor, whose 1998 check helped the pair raise $1 million, including an investment from Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. In 22 short years the company went from having a general understanding of your needs to knowing and nearly predicting your next thought. In fact, as much as a decade ago,3 Eric Schmidt, Google CEO from 2001 to 2015, said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum:4
The technology behind Google’s ability that Schmidt talked about in 2010 has only continued to grow, aided by scientists at DeepMind.5 This artificial intelligence startup was acquired by Google in 20146 and has the knowledge and power to sort through data and detect patterns. Patterns + Data = Persuasion, Conditioning and ManipulationEach decision in this massive machine-learning company is made with the goal of growth, acquisition and power. Behavioral persuasion comes in many forms, but Google has perfected the art of understanding your focus and serving ideas that meet their needs. Under the guise of providing more accurate search results, they track multiple data points, including your search history.7 Jeffrey Pfeffer from Stanford University's graduate school of business talked about power and influence at a NextGen CMO Academy, saying that the idea that “ … you’re going to resolve everything just on the basis of data is a myth — everybody has different data and a different perspective about that data."8 However, as Amy Bucher, Ph.D., writes, persuasion may not be required to change your behavior:9
Google has become an expert at understanding what you care about and then drawing a connection through your search results that persuades you to make decisions in which they may have a financial interest. Be Wary of Heartstring Tugs in AdvertisementsGoogle leveraged its understanding of Americans’ preferences and proclivities by specific, targeted advertising during this year’s Super Bowl. Just like horses and puppies make for great Budweiser commercials but have nothing to do with beer, the stories and imagery embedded in Google Super Bowl commercials were designed to pull at your heartstrings as they sell you on their corporate brand. Take Alzheimer’s disease, for instance. The problem is real. You may know someone whose family member struggles with this, or you may fear this gut-wrenching disease that steals your memories might strike you. Wouldn’t it be helpful to be reminded of your past and the things you hold inherently true — those things that make you, well, you? One short and wildly expensive ad that played during the Super Bowl promises you that Google can do just that. Sports Illustrated reported that the cost of ads during the Super Bowl jumped from $1.2 million (adjusted for inflation) in 1985 to an astounding $5.6 million for 30 seconds in January 2020.10 You can bet no company, no matter how deep their pockets, is spending $186,666 per second on an ad without a return on their investment. The return Google is counting on is your loyalty and their subsequent ability to use surveillance data to build responses to your searches and influence your opinion. I wrote about Google’s behind-the-scenes control in, “Google — A Dictator Unlike Anything the World Has Ever Known.” The article includes an interview I did with Robert Epstein, a Harvard-educated psychologist, who exposed how the manipulation is being done, the techniques that haven’t been available before AI development and how those techniques don’t leave a paper trail. Two Ads Designed to Entice You to Hand Over Your Private DataAlong another heartstring-tugging line, Facebook released its first-ever Super Bowl ad,11 a 60-second blitz that zeroed in on the “rock” hard strength and power of muscles, people and fun (think: comedian Chris Rock), all rolled up into the various ways you can utilize Facebook groups. On MSN, Business Insider speculated12 that Facebook spent more than $10 million on this ad, based on the fact that a 30-second commercial cost around $5.6 million. And for what? In a feel-good last image, even “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone is there to “rock” you into wanting to join a Facebook group. So, what does Facebook — which charges you nothing to join — get back once you climb onboard and join lots of groups? The answer is: They get YOU — you and all the data on yourself, your work, your friends and your family that you willingly share when you join groups and post your photos and written comments, on their site. Using that data, Facebook even has the ability to access your computer or smartphone's microphone without your knowledge. And with all that information they can design ads targeted specifically at you, in real time. No wonder Facebook is willing to spend more than $10 million to lure you in! Not to be undone, Amazon’s Super Bowl ad starring Ellen DeGeneres quickly became the bowl’s most-watched on YouTube.13 For a full minute-and-a-half, Amazon extolled its voice-activated Alexa, which you can use for everything from ordering products sold on Amazon to using it to run your “smart” home. And what did Amazon get in return? As revealed by The Washington Post,14 “When Alexa runs your home, Amazon tracks you in more ways than you want.” As the Post found out, the spying includes more than just what movie you ordered last week: From snippets of “spaghetti-timer requests” to sensitive family conversations and more, Alexa keeps records on everything it hears. Put plainly, Alexa is a bugging device you invite to spy on you. 5G Isn’t a Hero to Your HealthAnother short, $11.2 million Super Bowl ad also tapped into those things you hold dear, drawing a connection between 5G and the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect you and me. Although the video portrays 5G as being helpful to first responders, it actually is a threat to public health, surpassing the level of low frequency microwave radiation that 4G emits. The “G” stands for generation of mobile network technology. 5G is the fifth generation, and LTE is part of the fourth generation.15 The mobile networks are promising that 5G offers greater speed than its predecessors. The improved speed and reduced latency offered by 5G are quite alluring: CNN reports that while 4G made apps for Lyft and Uber possible, with 5G a rideshare may not require a human driver.16 But, is this worth the health problems that come with it? Unfortunately, you may not get to choose.17 The current 4G network relies on large masts placed several miles apart, but 5G masts will be on streetlights and the sides of buildings very close to one another. Persistent proximity to electromagnetic fields (EMF) like those found from your cell phones, Wi-Fi and 4G towers can trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and nuclear DNA damage. As I talk about in "A Film About the Impending 5G Apocalypse" the exposure has been linked to chronic disease, depression, Alzheimer's and infertility. In the article you’ll also find an explanation of how the damage happens at the cellular level. It’s not pretty. Unfortunately, you may not even know of the damage being done until it's too late. And, since exposure is so ubiquitous it is difficult to link exposure to your health. Is It Real or Is It Google?Just after Trump became president the media began carrying stories of "fake news." Google whistleblower Zach Vorhies began collecting documents that were so explosive he knew Google would remove them when word got out. In his private investigation into what was real and what was fake, he discovered other disturbing projects. One of these was a program Google calls Machine Learning Fairness. Vorhies explained the program is a relatively new, small part of artificial intelligence (AI) designed to simulate the brain, which could be used to play a programmed game of chess. Vorhies found it can also classify content and then rank it. AI decides, based on input from Google, if the content is "fair" or "not fair." Fair content rises to the top of the search results, while not fair sinks out of sight. Ultimately, this results in a twisted view of your world. As I recount in "Why the World Needs a Google Detox," in mid-2019 Vorhies resigned from Google and was attacked through the legal system in an attempt to destroy him financially. In response, he went completely public with his documented information. As you consider how Google manipulates data and helps you draw conclusions based on their knowledge of your beliefs, it’s much easier to see how their multimillion-dollar Super Bowl advertisement is subtly altering your perception of their intentions. Google Instills Brand Loyalty Raising the Next GenerationChanging long-term behavior is much easier when you start with children; this is why Google’s influence over them has long been a concern. In mid-2014 a journalist from the International Business Times wrote an article titled, “How Google Took Over the American Classroom and Is Creating a Gmail Generation,” in which he wrote:18
In the past five years the number of students using Google Chromebooks has grown, as has the database of information Google has mined from them. For comparison, in 2012 Chromebooks accounted for less than 1% of shipments to the educational market but by 2017 this number had risen to 60%.19 In May of 2017 The New York Times succinctly described the long-term plan:20
Take Steps to Protect Your PrivacyThe bottom line is, you need to ask yourself what is it you want. Knowledge? Digital speed? Or privacy? Just remember, if you give up your privacy in the interest of convenience, Google, Facebook, Amazon and mobile networks will learn and then draw a line connecting what you want to what they have to offer. They have spent decades learning how to discern your movements, track them and use the data for their own good. You’ll find what they are raking in, how they’re using it and simple steps you can use to protect your privacy in “Google — One of the Largest Monopolies in the World.” Also, consider how you might protect your health from EMF exposure generated through your phones, Wi-Fi, clocks and microwave ovens. In “A Practical Guide to EMF Mitigation” I discuss what it is, how it harms your health and some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/18/super-bowl-big-tech-dominates-commercials.aspx In 2017, Wendy Mesley with Canada's CBC News conducted an investigation into a little-known fact about cellphones. Inside the manual is a warning, one that could drastically change the use of cellphones as you know it — if only it were taken seriously. In short, the warning states to keep the phone a certain distance away from your body — usually 5 to 15 millimeters (mm), or two-tenths to six-tenths of an inch — to limit exposure to radiofrequency (RF) exposure to under the federal safety limit. In the video Mesley asks random cellphone users to try to find the warning hidden in their phone, and none are successful. She pulls it up on her iPhone, reading:
If you carry your phone in your pocket or your bra, or hold it against your ear when you talk, you're violating this warning with unknown health consequences. Berkeley's 'Right to Know' OrdinancePerhaps the only place in the U.S. where the hidden cellphone warning is not so hidden is Berkeley, California, which Mesley visits. In 2015, the Berkeley City Council passed the ordinance, which requires retailers to either post or provide flyers with a safety message warning consumers that those who carry cellphones next to their bodies could be exceeding the U.S. Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) safe exposure guidelines. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) sued the city of Berkeley, calling on former Big Tobacco attorneys to stop the ordinance, but it was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2019.1 Ellie Marks, executive director of the California Brain Tumor Association, told The Daily Californian:2
Marks also noted that the warning being posted in Berkeley is the same one the FCC already asks cellphone companies to provide to its customers, but this certainly makes it appear as though the manufacturers have hidden the warning on purpose so consumers cannot easily find it. Testing Highlights Outdated One-Size-Fits-All ModelIn the film, Mesley brings three newly purchased cellphones to RF Exposure Lab in San Marcos, California, one of several labs across the U.S. that conducts specific absorption rate (SAR) testing for cellphones. SAR is a measure of how much RF energy your body will absorb from the device when held at a specific distance from your body. One concerning aspect of the test is revealed right off the bat: The simulated head is based off Army measurements of an average-sized human head, and as Mesley states, it appears quite large. The anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) used to measure SAR is modeled after attributes of the heads of the top 10% of military recruits in 1989 — in other words, a 6-foot, 2-inch-tall, 220-pound male, which is larger than most of the U.S. population. The head certainly doesn't represent the exposure levels that would be received by a child with a much smaller head, and greater susceptibility to radiation harms, suggesting the testing is outdated. According to Om P. Gandhi, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah:
Mesley then visits Devra Davis, Ph.D., founder and president of the Environmental Health Trust, who has warned for years not only about the risks of cellphones in general but, in particular, about the risks to pregnant women and their unborn children, noting that prenatal animal studies have shown exposure to radiation from cell phones:
Children's brains contain more liquid than adults', which impacts the amount of radiation absorbed, with children absorbing far more. Among teens who use cell phones from a young age, the risk of brain cancer is about four to five times higher than that of teens who didn't use cellphones.4 Cellphone Study Finds Tumors, DNA DamageDavis mentions two government-funded studies conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), an interagency research program currently under the umbrella of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.5 The $25-million research found male rats were more likely to develop tumors in their heart known as malignant schwannomas.6 In making their conclusions, NTP uses the labels "clear evidence," "some evidence," "equivocal evidence" and "no evidence." They found "clear evidence" that exposure to cellphone radiation led to heart tumors in the male rates, along with "some evidence" that it caused brain and adrenal gland tumors in the rats.7 The studies also found evidence of DNA damage and damage to heart tissue in exposed male and female rats, but not mice, as well as prostate, liver and pancreatic tumors in both rats and mice.8 In October 2019, NTP published a follow-up evaluating DNA damage in three regions of the brain, the liver and blood cells of rats and mice that were removed at an earlier time point from the two-year ongoing study.9 DNA damage is concerning because, if not repaired, it can lead to tumors. The study found exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) used by cellphones was associated with an increase in DNA damage, with significant increases in DNA damage found in the:
What Happens When Phones Are Tested Against the Body?Mesley then asks to have the phones tested the way people actually use them: very close, if not immediately next to, their body. The tests start out further away, with exposures 5 mm to 15 mm from the body — the way cellphone manufacturers conduct their tests. Under these conditions, RF exposure comes in within the safety limit. Next, the test is done with no gap, a test rarely done by manufacturers since it's not required. RF exposure went up significantly, by three to four times, exceeding the safety limit in all cases. According to Mesley, 7 out of 10 people say they carry their cellphone in their pocket or against their body, which means they're being exposed to radiation levels above safety limits. While Health Canada said their safety limits include a wide safety margin, Davis says the system is out of date and doesn't gauge risks according to the way cellphones are actually used. More than 200 studies have been submitted to Health Canada showing harm from RF radiation at levels below the safety limit for which cellphones are tested, Mesley says, but Health Canada claims many of these studies simply aren't good enough for them to change their recommendations. Further, independent SAR testing paid for by the Chicago Tribune revealed several popular cellphones emit far higher levels of RF radiation than legally permitted. For instance, at a distance of 5 mm from your body (the distance used by Apple), the iPhone 7 was found to emit anywhere between 2.5 and 3.46 W/kg, which is 1.6 to 2.2 times the legal limit.10 At a distance of 2 mm from the body — which mimics carrying your phone in your pocket — the results ranged from 3.5 W/kg on the low end to 4.69 W/kg on the high end, which are 2.2 to 2.9 times above the legal limit. The three Samsung Galaxy smartphones tested, Galaxy S9, S8 and J3, were all within the legal limit at 10 to 15 mm from the body (the distance used by Samsung), but RF radiation levels skyrocketed at 2 mm from the body, raising serious questions about the safety of keeping a phone in your pocket. At the very least, if you use a cellphone, do not carry it in your pocket, bra or on your body, and don't allow children to use cellphones except in an emergency. Unfortunately, the planned implementation of 5G is bound to further magnify the health risks associated with cellphones and other wireless devices. Tips for Safer Cellphone UseTo protect yourself and your family from cellphone radiation and other sources of harmful electromagnetic fields, consider taking the following precautions:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/18/hazards-in-your-cellphone.aspx Iodine is a key component to health; since your body can’t produce it, you must get it from your diet. Deficiency affects your thyroid gland. Your thyroid hormones support proper bone and brain development in utero and during infancy. This means that getting enough iodine is critically important for babies as well as women who are pregnant or nursing. If you have a severe iodine deficiency, your thyroid gland may become enlarged; this is a condition you may have heard about, called a goiter. There are two molecules that sound similar — iodine and iodide — but they are different. Iodine is naturally occurring, while iodide is an iodine molecule bonded with another element.1 At the drugstore what you're usually buying is an iodide solution for topical applications or use as a supplement. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iodine ranges from 110 micrograms (mcg) for babies from birth to 6 months of age and up to 150 mcg for men and women over 19 years. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have an RDA of 220 mcg and 290 mcg, respectively.2 Iodine Is an Effective Antiviral and AntisepticIt’s been known for some time that iodine can kill viruses. The most recent severe influenza pandemic was caused by the H1N1 virus in 1918. The CDC estimates 500 million people, or one-third of the population of the world at that time, were infected.3 Globally, there were 50 million deaths that doctors recognized were from the infection. In the years following the outbreak, scientists searched for more information about viruses and agents that may be used to kill them.4 This is when iodine was discovered as an effective method for infection control. In his review of iodine history, Dr. David Derry, writes:5
The study he references was published in the Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science in September 1945.6 Not long afterward, in the 1950s, povidone iodine made its debut as an7 “effective broad-spectrum antiseptic and disinfectant.” For more than 50 years povidone iodine has been used in hospitals under the brand name Betadine.8 It’s also sold for home use. Derry writes that the current means of dealing with a virus could be augmented by using iodine. Building on past research from Burnet and Stone, he suggests:9
The mechanism of action may help explain how iodine is so effective at killing bacteria. Medical and health lecturer and doctor of oriental and pastoral medicine Mark Sircus writes that iodine can kill up to 90%10 of skin bacteria in 90 seconds. He explains what else it does:11
Iodine Useful in Reducing Post-Surgical InfectionsOver the years, doctors have found using a topical antiseptic could limit the need for antibiotics and therefore reduce the potential for developing antibiotic resistance. Researchers have found povidone iodine can effectively accomplish that task without slowing wound healing.12 When applied to a wound it effectively kills gram-negative and -positive organisms. Some have also found it speeds healing in acute and chronic wounds. Iodine has specific characteristics that make it effective in wound healing, including a lack of bacterial resistance and how effective it is against biofilms. But potential uses for iodine don’t stop there. Ophthalmologists have been applying it in preparation for eye surgery.13 Research into expanding its use began in the early 2000s after an anecdotal report was published connecting a brief eye wash with iodine and fast healing of viral conjunctivitis. Researchers began testing the topical application of a combination of steroid and iodine to treat adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis, a type of viral conjunctivitis.14 After seven days in the study, animals treated with the iodine-steroid combination had a lower number of toxic symptoms and they shed less of the virus, which lowers the chance of spreading it to others. You may know the condition as pink eye. Viruses are the root cause of 80% of pink eye cases and the adenovirus causes 65% to 90% of those infections.15 One complication of pink eye is the introduction of corneal subepithelial infiltrates that may cause pain and sensitivity to light. The leaders of another laboratory study used bacteria cultured from corneal ulcers.16 In the lab they found that exposure to lower concentrations of povidone iodine (0.25%) could kill bacteria within 30 seconds. Yet, exposing Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus to concentrations of 5% and 10% were less effective, taking longer to kill the bacteria. An Imbalance May Increase Risk for Chronic IllnessYou also need iodine internally. Globally, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) affect 2 billion people, but only 50 million may present with clinical symptoms.17 Children are among the most vulnerable, as well as pregnant and lactating women. The National Institutes of Health explains that iodine deficiency affects the production of thyroid hormone. Without enough iodine, children can experience poor development of their brain and nervous system. Even a mild deficiency may cause slight challenges with neurological development. At the same time, too much can trigger an enlarged thyroid gland, thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid cancer along with some of the same symptoms as a deficiency.18 In areas of the world where people get a higher amount of iodine in their food, such as in Japan and Eastern China, the prevalence of thyroid enlargement increases.19 Excess iodine can also induce hyperthyroidism, whereas too little can cause hypothyroidism. The World Health Organization finds that20 “Iodine deficiency is the main cause of brain damage in children.” However, deficiency can also affect the neurological system of adults. People who have an iodine deficiency may suffer a 15-point reduction in their IQ, which can affect their productivity and ability to keep a job. Thyroid Conditions Are a Serious Public Health ConcernAn imbalance of iodine affects your thyroid function, which in turn affects many other systems in your body. For instance, when your thyroid is not fully functional it can lead to heart disease.21 If you suffer from hypothyroidism, it can slow your heart rate, make your arteries less elastic and raise your blood pressure. Hyperthyroidism is less common and can cause your heart to beat faster and trigger an abnormal heart rhythm. The most common is atrial fibrillation, during which the upper chambers of the heart move in a disorganized fashion. Before you experience effects on your heart, you'll likely notice other symptoms of hypothyroidism. You might be tempted to chalk them up to getting older but see your physician to be sure. Signs of hypothyroidism include:22
I always recommend that you get as many nutrients as possible from your food, and iodine is no exception. Some foods that are naturally iodine-rich include23 sea vegetables, prunes, raw milk and raw dairy products, eggs and Himalayan pink sea salt. In addition to your thyroid gland, there are other tissues that are affected by iodine. Discover how low iodine may affect other bodily systems and the chemicals in your environment that can block absorption in "How Iodine Deficiency Increases Your Risk for Chronic Illnesses." Cleaning With Iodine May Stop the Spread of VirusesThere are several ways to use iodine at home that may help slow or stop the spread of viruses. Consider looking for natural products to clean and sterilize door handles, phones and your hands. These can be especially helpful during cold and flu season. Look for a povidone iodine throat gargle solution to help slow the spread of viruses24 and bacteria.25 By reducing your upper respiratory viral load, it may reduce the length of your cold and cough. If you're out camping, iodine tablets are one of the safer ways to sterilize your water. This is best used for only a short-term temporary basis since the additional iodine can affect your thyroid function.26 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/17/iodine-weapon-against-viral-infections.aspx In decades past, a daily low-dose aspirin regimen was frequently recommended as a primary prevention strategy against heart disease. However, the evidence in support of it was rather weak, and kept getting weaker as time went on. I stopped recommending daily "baby aspirin" use for the prevention of heart disease over two decades ago, due to the growing evidence of harmful side effects. The primary justification for a daily aspirin regimen has been that it inhibits prostaglandin production,1 thereby decreasing your blood's ability to form dangerous clots. However, in more recent years, most public health authorities have reversed their stance on the practice of using aspirin for primary prevention. 'Baby' Aspirin No Longer Recommended as Primary PreventionThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed its position on daily low-dose aspirin as primary prevention for heart disease in 2014,2 citing clearly established side effects — including dangerous brain and stomach bleeding — and a lack of clear benefit for patients who have never had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular disease. In 2019, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology updated their clinical guidelines on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease,3 spelling out many of the controversial findings on prophylactic aspirin use. Importantly, studies have found that prophylactic aspirin use in adults over the age of 70 is potentially harmful, primarily due to the increased risk of bleeding in this age group. As noted in one 2009 paper,4 long-term low-dose aspirin therapy nearly doubles your risk for gastrointestinal bleeding. Older people are, of course, more likely to be at high risk for heart disease, and thus more likely to be put on aspirin therapy. In younger adults, the risks are less clear-cut. As noted in the AHA guideline, in adults younger than 40, "there is insufficient evidence to judge the risk-benefit ratio of routine aspirin for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease."5 That said, the conventional recommendation to avoid a daily aspirin regimen only applies to primary prevention of heart disease in those with no history of heart problems, or those with low or moderate risk for heart disease. As reported by the AHA:6
Is Aspirin Regimen Safe for Heart Disease Patients?While daily low-dose aspirin continues to be recommended for patients who already have heart disease, there's evidence suggesting it may not be an ideal solution for them either. For example, the WASH (warfarin/aspirin study in heart failure) study7 published in 2004 — which assessed the risks and benefits of aspirin and the blood thinner warfarin in heart failure patients — found those who received aspirin treatment (300 mg/day) actually had the worst cardiac outcomes, including worsening heart failure. According to the authors, there was "no evidence that aspirin is effective or safe in patients with heart failure." Similarly, a 2010 study8 found older heart disease patients who had a prior history of aspirin use had more comorbidities and a higher risk of recurrent heart attack than those who had not been on aspirin therapy. Aspirin has also not been proven safe or effective for diabetics, who are at increased risk for heart disease and therefore likely to be put on an aspirin regimen. For example, a 2009 meta-analysis9 of six studies found no clear evidence that aspirin is effective in preventing cardiovascular events in people with diabetes, although men may derive some benefit. Another 2009 study10 that examined the effects of aspirin therapy in diabetic patients found it "significantly increased mortality in diabetic patients without cardiovascular disease from 17% at age 50 years to 29% at age 85 years." On the other hand, it did lower mortality in elderly diabetic patients who also had cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis11 published in 2010 also concluded aspirin did not reduce the heart attack risk in diabetic individuals. Why Phlebotomy May Be a Better Option Than Aspirin TherapyWhile the benefits of low-dose aspirin may outweigh the risks for some people, I believe you may be able to achieve similar cardiovascular protection by doing therapeutic phlebotomies. There's evidence to suggest that the bleeding caused by aspirin may in fact be part of why it lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke, as bleeding will lower your iron level. Aspirin's ability to lower inflammation may be another factor at play. As shown in a 2001 study,12 people taking seven aspirins per week had 25% lower mean serum ferritin than nonusers. The effect was most marked in diseased subjects, compared to healthy ones. As explained by the authors:
Most people, physicians included, fail to appreciate that — aside from blood loss, including menstruation — the body has no significant way to excrete excess iron. There are very minor amounts lost through normal bodily processes, but not enough to move the needle on overall iron levels. Between supplementation, fortification and the iron that occurs naturally in foods, it's very easy to end up with excessive levels. In fact, most adult men and postmenopausal women are at risk for excess iron and need regular blood testing for ferritin. Excessive iron causes significant oxidative stress, catalyzing the formation of excessive free radicals that damage your cellular and mitochondrial membranes, proteins and DNA. It is a potent contributor to increased risks of cancers, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases. You can learn more about the ins and outs of excess iron in "Why Managing Your Iron Level Is Crucial to Your Health." While dangerous, iron overload is easy and inexpensive to treat. All you really need to do is monitor your serum ferritin and/or gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels, avoid iron supplements, and be sure to donate blood on a regular basis. By doing this, you can avoid serious health problems, and donating blood is a far safer way to lower your iron stores than taking aspirin and losing blood via internal bleeding. Aspirin Linked to Lower Risk of DeathInterestingly, a 2019 study13 found prophylactic aspirin use may lower the risk of all-cause cancer, gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and colorectal cancer mortality among older adults. The study included 146,152 individuals with a mean age of 66.3 years who participated in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. The median follow-up time was 12.5 years. Those taking aspirin at least three times a week had a:
Having a higher body mass index (BMI between 25 and 29.9) lowered these percentages by 1%, with the exception of colorectal cancer. In this group, colorectal cancer death decreased by 34%. No observable benefit of aspirin use was found in underweight individuals (BMI below 20), which led the researchers to hypothesize that "the efficacy of aspirin as a cancer preventive agent may be associated with BMI,"14 although this theory needs to be confirmed in future studies. The authors also warn that prophylactic aspirin therapy for cancer prevention would need to be weighed against the increased risk of bleeding. Other Health Risks Associated With Long-Term Aspirin UseOverall, there's a lot of evidence against long-term daily aspirin therapy. The risk of internal bleeding is one significant concern, which is further magnified if you're taking antidepressants or blood thinning medications such as Plavix. Using aspirin in combination with SSRI antidepressants has been shown to increase your risk of abnormal bleeding by 42%, compared to those taking aspirin alone,15 and taking aspirin (325 mg/day) with Plavix has been shown to nearly double your risk of major hemorrhage and significantly increase your risk of death, while not affecting your risk of recurrent stroke to any significant degree.16 Aside from damaging your gastrointestinal tract,17,18 routine aspirin use has also been linked to an increased risk for cataracts,19 neovascular (wet) macular degeneration,20 tinnitus21 and hearing loss in men.22 Nattokinase Reduces Clot Formation Without Side EffectsAside from donating blood to lower your iron level (provided it's elevated), nattokinase is another far safer alternative to a daily aspirin regimen. Nattokinase, produced by the bacteria Bacillus subtilis during the fermentation of soybeans to produce natto,23 is a strong thrombolytic,24 comparable to aspirin without the serious side effects. It's been shown to break down blood clots and reduce the risk of serious clotting25 by dissolving excess fibrin in your blood vessels,26 improving circulation and decreasing blood viscosity. These effects can also help reduce high blood pressure.27 As noted in a 2018 paper,28 nattokinase appears to be a promising alternative in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and has been linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality. Lumbrokinase Is Even Better Than NattokinaseYet another alternative is lumbrokinase, a complex fibrinolytic enzyme extracted from earthworms. Like nattokinase, lumbrokinase boosts circulatory health by reducing blood viscosity, reducing blood clotting factor activity and degrading fibrin, which is a key factor in clot formation.29,30 Some researchers have suggested lumbrokinase could be used "as secondary prevention after acute thrombosis," such as heart attacks and stroke.31 A 2008 study32 that explored "the mechanisms involved in the anti-ischemic action of lumbrokinase (LK) in the brain," found it protected against cerebral ischemia via several mechanisms and pathways. As explained by the authors:
A 2009 pilot study33 that used lumbrokinase in patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina found it improved angina symptoms in 40% of patients and lowered the summed stress score by 29% (the summed stress score is a risk indicator for a cardiac event over the next 12 months34). According to the authors, "Oral lumbrokinase improves regional myocardial perfusion in patients with stable angina." from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/17/daily-aspirin.aspx What is the second most popular adaptogen next to panax ginseng? Many readers know it is rhodiola rosea, an herb that helps to ease fatigue, increase endurance and improve mood, in addition to other benefits. A perennial flowering plant, rhodiola rosea grows in the U.S., Europe, Asia and even the Arctic and is also known as golden root or roseroot. The active compounds in rhodiola — rosavin, rosaridin, rosarin, rosin, salidroside and tyrosol — have been associated with many of its benefits. For example, rosavin is believed to exert antidepressant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative actions.1 Rosavin also created improvements in pulmonary fibrosis in mice, decreasing inflammatory cells infiltration and proinflammatory cytokines expression and downregulating oxidative chemicals. Salidroside, another rhodiola ingredient, reduced hepatic steatosis in Type 2 diabetic mice, which holds implications for the treatment of high-fat, diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.2 Now, another ingredient in rhodiola, an ester called ferulic acid, is being studied and showing new benefits for its positive actions.3 New Ferulic Acid Benefits Are Being ExploredFerulic acid (FA), a phenolic phytochemical in rhodiola, is also found in rice, wheat, oats, pineapple, artichoke, peanut, nuts and even the seeds of coffee.4 While ferulic acid has been used in skin preparations, many other uses are being explored. It may, for example, have value in treating cancer, diabetes, pulmonary, heart and liver conditions, mental acuity and oxidative stress, according to research in Biotechnology Reports.5
In an article in the journal Natural Product Research, ferulic acid was found to relieve oxidative stress in rat heart cells. The researchers also explored ferulic acid's ability to protect against oxygen-glucose deprivation.6 Ferulic Acid Shows Brain BenefitsSome of the most exciting brain and memory actions associated with ferulic acid obtained from rhodiola were published in Science Advances.7 Researchers found that ferulic acid ester dramatically improves recall in fruit flies, bees and mice.8 According to Harvard magazine:9
Hanna Zwaka, who participated in the research, summarized the results:10
More About the Research in Science AdvancesThere were other surprising and encouraging results in the Science Advances study about the effect of "FAE-20" (short for ferulic acid eicosyl ester) in fruit fly (drosophila) larva and mice. The researchers write:11
Ferulic Acid Skin BenefitsFerulic acid is often added to skin products because of its ability to fight free radicals, which are thought to contribute to age spots and wrinkles.12 But some research indicates it may also be photoprotective, helping to prevent harm from excessive sun exposure, which is also associated with age spots and wrinkles. This effect occurs whether ferulic acid is used alone or with topical vitamins C and E. Research in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology says:13
The effectiveness of ferulic acid in photoprotection is good news, say the Journal of Investigative Dermatology researchers, because:
Topical application of ferulic acid not only offered photoprotection, it had other benefits, write the researchers.15
Other Ferulic Acid BenefitsOther studies have confirmed the health benefits of ferulic acid. Research in International Immunopharmacology finds value in ferulic acid in treating depression:16
Research in the journal Medical Science Monitor suggests ferulic acid has anti-cancer properties:17
The rhodiola rosea plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine in Russia and Scandinavian countries and is becoming more popular in the U.S. The new benefits associated with ferulic acid, contained in the rhodiola plant, will likely increase its usage. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/17/ferulic-acid-from-rhodiola-great-for-skin-and-brain.aspx 1 Which of the following dietary nutrients has been shown to play important roles in both vision and brain health, helping to preventing age-related macular degeneration and neurodegenerative diseases?
2 Which of the following organizations lobbies for mandatory vaccinations, and is heavily funded by the CDC?
3 How many cameras are predicted to be watching public movements across the globe by the end of 2021?
4 Which of the following dietary components have been shown to increase your risk of dementia?
5 Your heart rate variability is a measurement that represents:
6 What is the worst kind of plastic pollution?
7 Which of the following plants makes for an inexpensive yet highly nutritious animal feed when it's fermented?
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/02/17/week-117-health-quiz.aspx |
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