Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is predicted to affect 930,000 people by the end of 2020 and 1.2 million by 2030.1 The disease triggers tremors, slowing movements, balance problems and rigidity. There is no known cause or cure and the first line of treatment usually involves drugs that don't slow the associated neurodegeneration.2 About 60,000 are diagnosed in the U.S. each year and to date there are more than 10 million with the disease worldwide.3 The Parkinson's Foundation Prevalence Project also finds men are more likely to be diagnosed than women and the number who develop PD rises with age, regardless of gender. Researchers have found that being around any number of toxins may increase the risk by 80% in some cases.4 Pesticides are an example; exposure can result in mitochondrial dysfunction that may be responsible for some of the damage. As noted in Environmental Health Perspectives:5
People with a genetic mutation in the synuclein gene, associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's, may be more susceptible to the damaging effects of pesticides. Misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins may cause nerve cell damage leading to dead brain matter called Lewy bodies.6 These are associated with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including problems with movement and speech. As you can imagine, PD affects the quality of life. Unfortunately, depression is common in patients with PD; this influences functional disability, cognitive deficits and other comorbid psychiatric disorders.7 Reducing the symptoms of PD not only may enhance the quality of life and levels of independence, but it may also alleviate symptoms of depression. Playing Ping Pong Improves Symptoms of Parkinson’sMany of us think of actor Michael J. Fox when we think about Parkinson’s disease. His foundation funds research aimed at improving the lives of people with the disease.8 The challenges of living with PD can sometimes feel overwhelming, but researchers from Fukuoka, Japan, have discovered that seniors can manage their symptoms more effectively when they play ping pong. The game is otherwise known as table tennis and can be challenging for anyone, but even more so for those who live with a movement disorder. However, those who took part in a study over six months experienced improvements in their symptoms.9 The researchers engaged 12 patients with an average age of 73 whose Parkinson's disease had been diagnosed within the past seven years. The results of the study10 are to be presented at the 2020 American Academy of Neurology 72nd annual meeting in Toronto.11 The participants were tested at the start of the study, after three months and again at the end for the number and severity of symptoms. Activities in the program, developed by experienced players, improved the participants’ speech, handwriting, walking and ability to get out of bed. In the beginning it took participants an average of more than two tries to get out of bed; by the end of the study the average participant could get out of bed on the first try. In a press release one researcher was quoted as saying:12
Balance issues are common in those with PD. One treatment option has been the use of vestibular rehabilitation therapy; ping pong is one suggested balance training sport.13 Head movements and visual stimulation are important to the rehabilitation process. The authors of one 2016 case study14 found that using a caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS)15 in an individual with Parkinson's disease helped with motor and non-motor symptoms. In another study involving 33 people who received CVS at home twice a day for eight weeks, scientists found greater reductions in motor and non-motor symptoms than those in the placebo group.16 The improvements lasted for five weeks after the last treatment. Ear stimulation appears to be an effective and safe form of treatment, which may also have been triggered in those playing ping pong. Proteins Travel From Your Gut to Your Brain and Back AgainUnfortunately, diagnosis usually happens after symptoms occur and brain cells have died. Researchers have been studying ways to detect the condition earlier, which may positively impact treatment and prevention. The known link between the gut microbiome and Parkinson's disease may be an important factor. An animal study17 from Johns Hopkins Medicine was built on observations made in 2003 showing an accumulation of alpha synuclein proteins were appearing in parts of the brain that control the gut. Interested in whether these proteins could travel along the vagal nerve, the researchers used an animal model over 10 months and demonstrated when the vagal nerve connection had been cut there was no cell death in the brain. It appeared that severing the vagal nerve could stop the advance of misfolded proteins and thus the development of Parkinson's disease. Levodopa is a drug often used to help reduce symptoms in those with Parkinson's disease as it acts as a precursor to dopamine. However, researchers have found it's not effective for everyone and may depend on the composition of your gut microbiome. Some microorganisms may metabolize the medication and therefore render it ineffective. Researchers have identified a specific enzyme produced in the microbiome that works to metabolize levodopa. By blocking one or both enzymes, the drug's effectiveness could be improved.18 In addition to the impact the microbiome has on drug effectiveness, it may also regulate movement disorders through changes to alpha-synuclein protein folding.19 The connection makes sense, as gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, may begin decades before the onset of symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. The communication between your gut and brain is bidirectional, and it appears the misfolded proteins triggering neuron cell death in the brain may travel in both directions. While it may contribute to symptoms in several ways, the aberrant alpha-synuclein cells are toxic to cellular homeostasis, triggering neuronal death and affecting synaptic function. Using an animal model, one group of researchers found there was an increasing expression of alpha-synuclein inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, which essentially produced Parkinson-type symptoms.20 Researchers were then able to identify the specific protein transmitted from the brain to the gut,21 demonstrating the bidirectional communication. Certain Foods May Help Prevent or Boost TreatmentAs described in this short video, compounds found in certain nightshade vegetables in the Solanaceae family, specifically bell peppers, may help inhibit the development of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers theorize it may be the nicotine that helps reduce your risk. Of course, the risks associated with smoking are not enough to justify taking up the habit to lower your potential risk of Parkinson’s. In one study22 researchers enrolled 490 newly diagnosed people with Parkinson's disease against another 644 people without the disease. At the end of the study they found eating vegetables in the Solanaceae family was inversely related to the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The study’s authors found no other food had a higher positive relationship, which suggested eating these vegetables two to four times per week may provide a protective effect. A second plant that may help battle the effects of Parkinson’s disease is the climbing legume, M. pruriens. In tropical areas of the world they are a well-known protein source but also used as medicine. The plant contains levodopa, the precursor to dopamine found in medications used to treat Parkinson's disease. Without sufficient amounts of dopamine, you may feel lethargic, unfocused and potentially depressed. Karen Kurtak, department head of longevity nutrition at Grossman Wellness Institute in Denver, says, "M. pruriens has an almost magical ability to improve motivation, well-being, energy and sex drive, along with decreasing the tendency to overeat."23 Evidence from clinical trials24 has demonstrated that the legume produces equivalent or better results than L-dopa medications, and without the side effects. However, Western medicine practitioners continue to use and promote the synthetic form to boost dopamine levels in your brain and reduce the effects of Parkinson's disease. Beyond Parkinson's treatment, Ayurvedic medicine practitioners use it as an aphrodisiac, and to reduce nervous disorders and infertility.25 If you have the disease and would like to investigate this, consult with your doctor or an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner before taking M. pruriens, especially if you are currently taking prescription medication, to ensure this remedy is right for you. Reduce Gut Permeability and Improve AutophagyIt may also be possible to prevent neurodegenerative diseases or reduce symptoms by naturally addressing your gut permeability and autophagy dysfunction. Improve the health of your gut microbiome through small lifestyle changes such as eliminating sugar, using a cyclical ketogenic diet and eating fiber-rich foods. For a more complete list, see my article, "Gut Microbiome May Be a Game-Changer for Cancer Prevention and Treatment." The combination of these strategies and improving autophagy through cycles of feast and famine may help reduce your risk and improve genetic repair and longevity. Fasting also has a beneficial impact on your brain and boosts brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).26 This protein may help protect brain cells from changes that are associated with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. If you are under the care of a physician or on medication, you need to work with your doctor to ensure safety since some medications need to be taken with food. Diabetics on medication also need to use caution and work with a health care professional to adjust medication dosage. Activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through proper diet and nutritional supplements also supports natural autophagy. You can learn more about this process in my previous article, “Autophagy Finally Considered for Disease Treatment.” from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/28/ping-pong-may-cut-signs-of-parkinsons.aspx
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A recently released survey from Mattress Firm revealed some disturbing facts about sleep patterns in America, as shown in this short video. This is important since the effects of sleep deprivation can range from mild to devastating. For instance, the Anchorage Daily News1 recounts the story of third mate Gregory Cousins, who had slept a mere six hours between 8 p.m. on March 22, 1989, until just after midnight on March 24, when he ran the supertanker Exxon Valdez aground. The accident devastated 23 species of wildlife and nearly 1,300 miles of coastline habitat. Many people may remember that the skipper of the ship was allegedly drunk (a jury later acquitted him of the charge), but what most don’t know is that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that sleep deprivation was an important factor in this accident. In fact, it not only was a known issue on the Valdez, but across the board in the shipping industry. As it turned out, several of the Valdez’s crew members were sleep-deprived, and the oil spill was an accident waiting to happen. The problem was a direct result of Exxon trying to save money by not providing enough crew to provide breaks for sleep. In its report the NTSB said:2
Unfortunately, sleep deprivation isn’t limited to sea vessel crews. According to the American Sleep Association,3 37.9% of people report inadvertently dropping off to sleep during the day at least once a month, and 4.7% have nodded off while driving. Most people cut their sleep hours short because they feel the need to "get things done" — not unlike the Valdez situation. However, like the Valdez, the evidence clearly shows that you are not productive when sleep-deprived. Average Sleep Hours Fall as More Report ExhaustionFor several years Mattress Firm has commissioned a survey on sleep habits and the number of hours people are sleeping each night. This year, results show Americans are sleeping less and less. They asked 3,000 adults about their sleep habits, how satisfied they were with their sleep and about the frequency of sleeping and naps. They compared those results to those from 2018.4 What they found was a sad commentary on the speed at which modern society has chosen to live. It seems that getting at least six hours has become more challenging with each passing year. In 2018 results from the survey showed the average person asked was sleeping six hours and 17 minutes each night, but by 2019 that had dropped to 5.5 hours.5 Experts currently recommend adults from 18 to 65 years sleep consistently from 7 to 9 hours each night.6 In other words, most people are sleeping at least one- and one-half hours less each night than the minimum that experts think is important for optimal health. While the number of hours you sleep is important, so is the quality. So, it’s even more disheartening to read that 25% of the respondents reported they also “consistently slept poorly in 2019.”7 Since the amount of quality sleep at night was on the decline, it makes sense the respondents reported they took more naps in 2019 than 2018. But, while more were taken, survey findings indicate there were many planned naps that didn’t get taken. The survey defined a “great night’s sleep” as “quickly falling asleep and staying that way until morning.'' There were about 120 nights fitting that criteria. Americans are so desperate for a good night of sleep they said they were willing to “pay $316.61 for just one night of perfect sleep.” This was $26.16 more than in 2018.8 Interestingly, the people who reported the best sleep were those who slept on their back or slept with a pet in their bed. While side sleeping was the more common position reported in the survey, these were the same respondents who had the most difficult time getting to sleep. The survey also asked about bedtime rituals that respondents used to help them fall asleep. The top rituals included reading, taking a bath, drinking warm milk, meditating and having sex.9 Have You Been Too Tired to Cook or Go Out?Sleep is an important foundation to your health and wellness and yet a significant number of people are having trouble accomplishing this seemingly simple task. A separate survey10 asked 2,000 British adults about their habits and found many reported being too tired to do everyday tasks. The results showed the top two activities that respondents avoided when they were tired were house cleaning and working out. Half of those asked ordered their dinner out and 25% of women said they went to bed with their makeup on because washing their face before bed required more energy than they felt they had. Of the 2,000 asked, 30% had canceled social plans and many reported avoiding grocery shopping, reading, driving and having sex because they were too tired. While Americans planned naps that weren’t taken,11 Brits were taking three naps a week and still reported feeling “as though they have ‘no energy at all’ four times” every week.12 In Britain, energy levels were at their highest mid-morning and their lowest midafternoon. As the authors of other studies have found13 more were the most tired on Mondays. Researchers have theorized a lack of sleep is one of the reasons there are more heart attacks on Mondays than other days of the week.14 In addition to these details, 25% of survey respondents thought their lethargy was related to long working hours, stress or depressing weather.15 They also found 20% had visited their doctor with complaints of sleepiness and more than 50% felt their exhaustion affected their mood. These results are discouraging since the effects of sleep deprivation are significant. Sleep Quality and Quantity Important to Health and SafetyBoth the quantity and quality of your sleep are important to your health and safety — indeed, the safety of others as well. Not getting enough sleep slows your reaction time and leaves you cognitively impaired. In 2013, drowsy driving caused 72,000 car accidents, killing 800 people and injuring 44,000.16 In one study17 from 2018 a researcher found that sleeping less than four hours in the previous 24 hours increased the odds of having a car accident by 15.1 times, compared to those who slept seven to nine hours in the previous 24. Statistically:18
The researcher explained:19
Despite these statistics, many say they push through their sleepiness to complete what needs to be done. One significant problem is when construction workers, medical professionals and pilots decide to “push through” — like the Valdez, it can have lethal consequences. Other research shows that sleeping less than six hours a night will also dramatically increase your risk of insulin resistance, which is at the core of many chronic diseases.20 And, the list of health problems related to poor sleep continues to grow. The results of one study21 linked poor sleep with excessive aging of your heart; less than seven hours a night was enough to trigger that. The lead researcher on the study from the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said:22
However, sleeping a healthy number of hours may not protect you if the quality of your sleep is poor. Sleep quality has a significant impact on your risk of high blood pressure and inflammation of your blood vessels, also associated with heart disease.23 The researchers found “Systolic blood pressure was associated directly with poor sleep quality … " They believed the findings demonstrated direct evidence neglecting sleep problems could increase your blood pressure and blood vessel inflammation even if you get adequate amounts of sleep. EMF Affects Heavy Metal Toxicity and Thus Sleep QualityOne factor affecting sleep quality is your exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and heavy metal toxicity associated with it. As Wendy Myers, functional diagnostic nutritionist, and I discuss in this short video, heavy metals are particularly detrimental to your mitochondrial function and when you have heavy metal toxicity you attract more EMF. It’s a vicious cycle that ultimately damages your health. It also increases your levels of fatigue. In this short clip we talked about the interaction between fatigue, mitochondrial dysfunction and heavy metal toxicity. In her research she discovered studies demonstrating how a variety of metals could affect the ability of the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the body. There are several heavy metals Myers finds are of particular concern, including aluminum, arsenic, tin and thallium. You can test for heavy metal toxicity using hair, urine or stool samples. Myers typically begins with a hair analysis as it’s easy, inexpensive and provides significant information. However, no one test is perfect, so I recommend doing all three. No one is exempt from heavy metal exposure as I found out when I tested positive for each of these metals in 2018. Cycles of Light and Dark Affect Sleep QualitySleep has been a great mystery. It was once thought to be a waste of time, but as researchers discover more about how the brain functions, it’s become apparent sleep is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep deprivation can affect people of all ages, and unfortunately the effects are cumulative.24 By maintaining a natural rhythm of exposure to daylight and darkness you affect the quality of your sleep. Light helps synchronize your biological master clock in your brain that helps wake you in the morning and improves your sleep at night.25 Going outside in the morning hours and at lunch can help provide you with the light needed to anchor a healthy circadian rhythm. However, just as important is the other end of the day. By using digital equipment after sunset, you stop the production of melatonin, important in getting quality sleep.26 In one study27 researchers found 99% of participants exposed to room light before bed produced melatonin later than expected. In addition, light exposure during your usual hours of sleep can also suppress production by 50%. You’ll experience the greatest benefit by dimming your lights after sunset, using incandescent light bulbs and wearing blue blocker sunglasses indoors that help block blue light most responsible for blocking melatonin production. While the list of health challenges associated with sleep loss is significant, you have options to help you improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. See “Top 33 Tips to Optimize Your Sleep Routine” for how to make a real difference in your overall health. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/26/average-sleeping-hours-dropping.aspx In an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, many schools, offices and social venues have shut down, and many governments have issued more or less strict “social distancing” recommendations.1 As a result, people around the world are faced with the prospect of having very limited human interactions for a period of time. While introverts may be silently celebrating, many others may struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness. On top of that, many are feeling worried and anxious about getting infected,2 or worry about the health of immune-compromised or elderly family members3 who are at greatest risk for serious infection and complications. In the video above, Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to use the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to relieve anxiety and other challenging emotions brought on by news and uncertainty about this pandemic and/or self-quarantining. The FAST TechniqueAnother easy alternative is the Neuro-Emotional Technique’s First Aid Stress Tool, or NET FAST, demonstrated in the video above. Firstaidstresstool.com also provides an excellent printable summary with visuals of the technique,4 which even a young child can do. Here is a summary of the FAST procedure:
Loneliness Epidemic Looms LargeEven without social distancing and self-quarantining requirements, a staggering number of people report feeling lonely. According to a 2018 Cigna insurance health survey5,6,7 of Americans aged 18 and over, 46% report sometimes or always feeling lonely, 47% say they do not have meaningful in-person social interactions or extended conversations on a daily basis and 43% report feeling isolated. Self-quarantining will likely worsen these sentiments and drive percentages up even higher. Remarkably, in Cigna’s survey, young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 were the loneliest. Even the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) acknowledges8 there’s an “epidemic” of loneliness in the U.S. and that it’s taking a mounting toll on public health. According to HRSA,9 a panel presentation by the National Institute for Health Care Management — a nonprofit research firm for the health insurance industry — revealed social isolation among seniors is costing the federal government $6.7 billion each year in added health care spending, as “poor social relationships” are associated with a 29% higher risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke. The aggressive social isolation approaches currently being advocated for COVID-19 will only worsen this scenario for seniors. Research by the AARP Foundation — an organization dedicated to empowering American seniors — presents a similar picture. In its 2018 survey,10 “Loneliness and Social Connections,” the AARP reports that 35% of adults over 45 struggle with loneliness. Financial and Social RecessionSeniors making less than $25,000 a year have an even greater loneliness ratio — 1 in 2 — according to the AARP.11 Considering stock markets are crashing all around us and store shelves are emptying of necessities, the financial and emotional disparities between the rich and the poor may widen even further. Working adults who are in financial dire straits may also end up promoting the spread of infectious disease. As noted by Josephine Tovey in an article for The Guardian:12
Amid a growing financial recession, Vox13 rightfully points out that the implementation of social distancing will also cause “what we might call a ‘social recession’: a collapse in social contact that is particularly hard on the populations most vulnerable to isolation and loneliness …” The true cost of “social recession” could be enormous, as lack of social contact and loneliness are drivers of ill health, both mentally and physically, and early death, both from disease and suicide. In “Work and the Loneliness Epidemic: Reducing Isolation at Work Is Good for Business,” Vivek Murthy writes:14,15
Easing Feelings of IsolationIf you’re currently self-isolating, what can you do to ease the pain? In her article, Tovey addresses the issue of loneliness brought on by the current outbreak, highlighting some emerging coping trends:16
What’s It Like Living in Isolation?In a BBC News article,18 Nuala McCann writes about her two-week long self-isolation two decades ago, noting that while not joyful, a couple of weeks did pass rather quickly. Ian Pannell, a senior foreign correspondent for ABC News also writes about what it’s like living in isolation.19 After spending two days on assignment in Daegu, South Korea, where coronavirus infection was rampant, he had to self-quarantine for 14 days. Pannell writes:20
Looking Out for Others — Every DayTime will tell whether people will learn a truly valuable lesson from the current bout of self-isolation. In the future, will you perhaps be more mindful to look out for people who are isolated? Will you call an aging parent or elderly grandparent more often? Will you check on a neighbor or co-worker who strikes you as lonely and a bit forlorn? Empathy often grows from personal experience and, globally, we’re now getting a taste of what it’s like for some people every day. While making full use of technology during this time is being stressed by most experts, for those who were already isolated to begin with, the recommendation to Facetime with family and friends won’t help much since they lack that social network. Many of the most vulnerable, such as the elderly and disabled, also lack the technical know-how. For these individuals in particular, the answer really lies in a compassionate reaching out by others, perhaps complete strangers — perhaps by you.
Robust Immune Function Is Your First Line of DefenseAgain, if you struggle with worry or anxiety, please check out Schiffman’s video and the FAST technique at the top of this article. If you’re worried about getting sick, remember that your immune system is your first line of defense. This is true for all infections. While proper handwashing, masks, hand sanitizers and social distancing will all help to limit the spread of the virus (and are ways to protect others as well as yourself), keeping your immune system strong needs to be at the top of your list of personal prevention methods. To boost and support healthy immune function, consider:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/26/coronavirus-isolation.aspx Alcohol is an accepted part of almost all societies. It is so engrained in socializing and entertainment, easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive that few think twice about taking a drink or two. Certainly, we know about alcoholism and recognize alcoholics, especially when they are on "skid row," but we don’t usually think of alcohol as a dangerous drug. But perhaps we should. Scientific reports reveal that alcohol may be among the most dangerous drugs, illegal or legal, that exist. In the U.S., approximately 88,000 people die a year from alcohol-related causes — including more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth1 — and in 2014, alcohol caused 9,967 driving fatalities in the U.S.2 Worldwide, 5.9% of deaths are attributable to alcohol.3 Why is alcohol not demonized the way tobacco is? There are at least two reasons, say public health experts. One is that the alcohol lobby has bought favorable media coverage through donations and partnerships with public health groups and even government agencies. The other reason is that illegal drugs usually receive the brunt of bad publicity even when the legal drug, alcohol, may do more damage. Alcohol Is More Harmful Than Many RealizeWhile most people are aware of drunk driving fatalities and the possible effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the liver, there are other serious consequences from drinking alcohol that are less well publicized. For example, alcohol is strongly linked to mouth cancers and cancers of the pharynx, larynx, esophagus, rectum, colon and breast. It is even linked to cancers of the pancreas and lung.4 The carcinogenic effect of alcohol "is unmistakably proportional to the daily/weekly dosage," according to research published in the Hungarian journal Magyar Onkologia.5 Alcohol, or ethanol as it is called in the medical profession, metabolizes into the known carcinogen acetaldehyde, which exerts negative actions:6
Further, alcohol can encourage colon cancer, according to a report in the journal Evidence Report/Technology Assessment:7
Alcohol Can Contribute to Breast CancerThe most common cancer in U.S. women is breast cancer and it is the second biggest cause of their cancer deaths. There is a strong correlation between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Alcohol:8
Because of the oxidative damage alcohol causes and its effects on the insulin-like growth factor-1 and genes, "Even modest daily alcohol intake will increase the risk of breast cancer," concludes the journal Magyar Onkologia.9 The heightened breast cancer risk likely comes from alcohol's increase of estrogen, suggests research in Evidence Report/Technology Assessment:10
Alcohol Is Often Linked to Violence"Rape culture" and rapes on U.S. campuses are increasingly reported but their link to alcohol consumption is not always included. Social researchers do not think that alcohol, in and of itself, makes people violent or rapists but rather that it boosts the behavior in those with violent tendencies.11 According to research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs:12
Children also experience violence as the result of alcohol consumption, a study published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect found:13
Alcohol is also correlated with depressive effects in its users and problems in their daily lives, such as trouble in interpersonal relationships including marriage.14 Alcoholic Beverage Makers Have Spun a Good ImageAs I mentioned before, alcohol has not been demonized like tobacco and street drugs. In fact, you do not have to look too far to see reports that alcohol is even healthful and that moderate drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. How has alcohol's positive image been created and maintained? Two years after launching its Global Smart Drinking Goals campaign in 2015,15 Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest beer brewer,16 debuted its Ab Inbev Foundation.17 "Built around the idea that partnerships can play an important role in reducing the harmful use of alcohol,” it "works through a collaborative model, with our staff, the City Pilot Steering Committees, and our partners," says the brewer.18 But, according to a commentary in the British journal The Lancet, the Ab Inbev Foundation is no different in intent and hypocrisy than Philip Morris International's Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.19 You could even add the hypocrisy of Juul Labs claiming to "transition the world’s billion adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage usage of our products" while hooking children on vaping.20 The Ab Inbev Foundation betrays unabashed conflicts of interest says the Lancet:21
For example, a member of the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Global Violence Prevention in 2011 was Amie Gianino who was identified as "Senior Global Director, Beer & Better World, Anheuser-Busch InBev."22 Why is the alcohol industry considered a valid government presenter on these topics? Anheuser-Busch InBev is not the only alcohol giant pretending to be concerned with global health while selling health-destroying products. The Carlsberg Foundation, one of the world's leading brewery groups,23 created UNLEASH for young people working on "solutions to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."24 It also works with government groups, says the Lancet commentary.25 More Deception From Alcohol Beverage ManufacturersHow have alcohol beverage makers been able to minimize the considerable cancer links to their products? According to Drug and Alcohol Review:26
At least one partnership between government and the alcohol industry was flagged as a conflict of interest. In 2018, Heineken, the world's second biggest brewer, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced a partnership to tackle infectious diseases in Africa. But, according to a Lancet editorial:27
Other public health groups such as the NCD (noncommunicable disease) Alliance concurred.28
The partnership was suspended in 2018, not due to public health concerns but, rather, amid allegations that Heineken’s use of female beer promoters was sexually exploitative and unhealthy.29 Other Alcohol Conflicts of Interest ExistPublic health organizations have seen the value in taxing tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverages because of the clear harm they do. Yet alcohol taxes and control strategies lag behind, says the Lancet. For example:30
Moreover, some research-based charities like the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust actually invest in alcohol beverage makers, says the Lancet commentary.31
We have long seen how junk food manufacturers like Coca-Cola have skewed research about the health effects of their products and tried to form partnerships that made them look health conscious. It is no surprise that alcoholic beverage makers would sink to the same dirty tricks. It’s important to take their messages with a grain of salt. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/25/why-we-minimize-risks-of-alcohol.aspx COVID-19, the novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019, is part of a family of viruses with a crown- or halo-like (corona) appearance.1 As explained on the Virginia Department of Health website, seven human coronaviruses have currently been identified:2 • Types 229E, NL63, OC43 and KHU1 are quite common and cause mild to moderate respiratory infections such as the common cold. • SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus), discovered in China in 2002, spread to 26 countries3 before disappearing in 2003. No SARS cases have been reported since 2004, anywhere in the world. As the name implies, SARS-CoV is associated with severe respiratory illness4 and had a mortality rate of approximately 10%.5 • MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus), discovered in 2012, originated in Saudi Arabia and spread to 27 countries before being contained. Like SARS, MERS causes more severe respiratory infections than the four common coronaviruses and has a mortality rate of about 35%.6 • COVID-19 (initially called 2019-nCoV) has, since December 2019, spread to 127 countries and regions.7 While causing milder symptoms than SARS, and having a far lower mortality rate than either SARS or MERS, its infection rate appears far more accelerated. There may be several reasons for this. According to preliminary findings, COVID-19 can remain airborne for three hours, and can survive on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days, thus facilitating its spread.8 Bioweapons expert Francis Boyle also believes COVID-19 has been weaponized with so-called “gain of function” properties that allow it to spread through the air up to 7 feet, which is greater than normal. COVID-19 appears to affect a disproportionate number of older people; the older you are, the greater your susceptibility.9 At present, the mortality rate for COVID-19 is estimated to be between 3% and 6%.10 Due to it being an enveloped virus (meaning its single-strand RNA is enveloped in a bubble of lipid or fatty molecules), COVID-19 (as all other coronaviruses) is highly susceptible to soap and disinfectants, which is good news. Some disinfectants are more effective than others, however, which is the focus of this article. While there are many chemical disinfectants, I’ll focus on those that are most readily available for home use. You can learn more about other disinfectants and sterilizing agents used in health care settings on the CDC’s Chemical Disinfectants for Infection Control webpage.11 Alcohol-Based DisinfectantsAlcohol-based disinfectants will contain either ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol at various levels of strength (50% or greater). While alcohol primarily kills bacteria, it also has potent fungicidal and viricidal activity at concentrations above 60%.12 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,13 the microbial action of alcohol is thought to be due to its ability to denature proteins. Straight ethyl alcohol is less bactericidal than alcohol mixed with water, as the presence of water allows proteins to be denatured more rapidly. When it comes to viruses, different alcohols are more or less effective depending on the type of virus in question.
If using an alcohol-based disinfectant to inactivate and protect against coronaviruses on surfaces around your home, make sure it contains between 60% and 80% alcohol. According to the World Health Organization:14
What’s more, while alcohol-based disinfectants are highly effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, they can be more or less effective against viruses, depending on the type of virus. They’re quite ineffective against nonenveloped (nonlipophilic) viruses, but tend to work better against enveloped viruses,15,16 which is what COVID-19 is. Keep in mind that for hand sanitation, soap and warm water is the most effective. Only use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if soap and water are unavailable. Chlorine BleachChlorine disinfectants such as household bleach, which typically contains 5.25% to 6.15% sodium hypochlorite, have broad antimicrobial activity and effectively kills bacteria, fungi and viruses, including influenza viruses.17,18 It has several major biological drawbacks, however. For example, bleach:19 • Can irritate your mucus membranes • Decomposes, forming deadly gasses, when exposed to heat or light • Can damage some household surfaces • Can be highly reactive if mixed with other chemicals. Never mix bleach with another product as deadly gasses can form, and make sure you have good ventilation in the area. Examples of common household cleaning agents that should never be mixed with bleach to avoid serious injury or death include: ◦ Bleach and vinegar — forms highly irritating chlorine gas ◦ Bleach and ammonia — forms toxic chloramine gas ◦ Bleach and rubbing alcohol — forms highly toxic chloroform gas • Decomposes over time, so buy recently produced stock and avoid overstocking Also make sure you dilute bleach with cold water, as hot water will inactivate it, rendering it ineffective for sterilization.20 Ideally, use mask and gloves when using bleach. You should also dilute it before using. “Infection Prevention and Control of Epidemic- and Pandemic-Prone Acute Respiratory Infections in Health Care” recommends diluting bleach containing 5% sodium hypochlorite to 0.05% before using.21 Hydrogen Peroxide and Accelerated Hydrogen PeroxideHydrogen peroxide has the ability to kill or inactivate bacteria, viruses, spores, yeast and fungi. A list of brand name sterilants and disinfectants cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that contain 1% to 7.5% hydrogen peroxide can be found on the FDA’s website.22 As explained by the CDC:23
Commercially available 3% hydrogen peroxide is stable and effective for disinfecting a wide variety of surfaces. Contrary to bleach, hydrogen peroxide is molecularly very similar to water — it just has an additional oxygen atom — so it doesn’t produce any dangerous compounds when breaking down. Its inherent safety (provided you don’t drink it) makes it an excellent choice for home sanitation. An even better alternative is accelerated hydrogen peroxide (AHP), sold under the brand name Rescue and some others. Compared to pharmaceutical grade 3% hydrogen peroxide, AHP works much faster, so you don’t need to wet the surface for as long. AHP can kill viruses in as little as 30 seconds.24 According to Solutions Designed for Health Care:25
According to Virox Technologies Inc. (a manufacturer of AHP), Health Canada named AHP the surface disinfectant of choice for health care facilities during the 2003 SARS outbreaks.26 Overall, AHP appears to be one of the best and safest broad-spectrum viricidals available. Malt Vinegar and Plain Soap Both WorkAnother common household staple that can be used to disinfect viruses is 10% malt vinegar (made from malted barley grain, which is also used to make beer; a second fermentation turns the ale into vinegar27). As noted in the 2010 article, “Effectiveness of Common Household Cleaning Agents in Reducing the Viability of Human Influenza A/H1N1,” published in PLOS ONE:28
White Vinegar Is Not a Good DisinfectantWhile 10% malt vinegar appears to be effective enough as a viral disinfectant, distilled white vinegar with an ascetic acid range of 4% to 8% is a rather poor choice, according to Talk CLEAN to Me, a blog by experts in chemical disinfection for infection prevention:29
How to Safely Use Vinegar With Hydrogen PeroxideIn short, white vinegar has a low speed of disinfection (you’d have to leave it on for at least 10 minutes), and kills only the most easily destroyed microbes. That said, you could boost the effectiveness of white vinegar by using it in combination with hydrogen peroxide. An important caveat here is that you must use them separately and not mixed together, as the chemical reaction will form a highly corrosive and unstable form of peracetic acid. A recipe by Susan Sumner, associate dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, is offered by Cleaning Business Today:30
Clean First, Disinfect AfterIf your aim is to disinfect and sterilize, keep in mind that you need to clean the surface first. Soap and water is likely one of the best alternatives here, as the soap will effectively inactivate viruses. Once the surface is clean of dirt and sticky grime, spray you chosen disinfectant on the surface and let it set for up to several minutes before wiping. The time required will depend on the disinfectant you use. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/25/best-surface-disinfectant.aspx The question of where and how to give birth is a relatively new one for women. Up until the early 20th century, fewer than 5% of women gave birth in a hospital. In the 1950s the birth of a baby, an event that had once been a family affair and attended by a midwife, became more medicalized.1 Pregnancy and birth were seen more as a sickness than a natural part of life. One mom described the birth of her first child in the 1960s as occurring without pain medication, with minimal interaction from medical staff and a forced two-week hospital stay.2 Dads began attending births in the 1970s and by the 1990s childbirth was swinging back toward being a natural part of life. More women are now offered choices that are respectful of their wishes, without repeating the horror stories of past generations. This is an important factor in the future health of mother, child and family as recognized by the World Health Organization.3 The outcome not only affects the mother but may also be important in the development of the mother’s and child's relationship and mom’s future childbearing experiences. Researchers have found that a woman's positive and negative perceptions of birth are related more to her ability to control the situation and have a choice in her options, than specific details. Low-Risk Home Birth as Safe as Hospital BirthEvidence doesn’t back the long-held belief that low-risk deliveries are better served in the hospital where medical intervention may be used to speed delivery. The safety debate surrounding home births is not a new one. Nearly 11 years ago data showed when a home birth was planned by a woman with a low-risk pregnancy and attended by a midwife, there were:4
In 2008 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published a statement in opposition to home births, writing that “Choosing to deliver a baby at home, however, is to place the process of giving birth over the goal of having a healthy baby.”5 Despite evidence to the contrary, their statement published nearly 10 years later did not change: In 2017 they recommended women be informed of the risks, specifically that there are a lower number of risks to the woman but a higher rate of perinatal deaths.6 In another study of 530,000 births in the Netherlands,7 researchers found no differences in the rate of death in mother or baby between those born at home or in a hospital. The study was sparked by the suggestion that the high rate of infant mortality may be due to the high number of home births. The review of medical records did not bear out the hypothesis. Professor Simone Buitendijk commented to the BBC:8
Safety Data Positive With Well-Educated MidwivesIt should be noted data were published long before the 2017 policy statement from ACOG mentioned above. In 2014, a review of 16,924 home births recorded between 2004 and 2009 were examined. Researchers noted the rise of home births by 41% from 2004 to 2010, writing there is a9 “need for accurate assessment of the safety of planned home birth.” The scientists found that of the participants who planned a home birth, 89.1% did in fact do so. Most of the transfers to the hospital during labor were for failure to progress. However, 93.6% went on to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery, and 86% of infants were breastfeeding exclusively by 6 weeks of age. The overwhelming majority — 87% — of 1,054 who attempted a vaginal delivery after cesarean section at home were successful. Researchers recently conducted an international meta-analysis to evaluate the safety of home and hospital births with the primary outcome measurement of any perinatal or neonatal death. They chose 14 studies including approximately 500,000 intended home births attended by a midwife.10 The information was pulled from outcomes from eight Western countries, including the U.S., in studies published since 1990.11 What they found fit many of the previous studies:12 "The risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital." Eileen Hutton from McMaster University, one of the researchers, commented:13
Conditions Best Addressed at the HospitalOf course, there are high risk pregnancies better served inside a hospital environment. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, factors that potentially create a high-risk pregnancy include existing health conditions and lifestyle choices. While this list is not all-inclusive, these are factors your midwife or doctor will consider as you discuss your birth plan. Some include:14
Comparing the Risks of Home and Hospital BirthsThe decision to give birth at home or in a hospital is a personal one. While ACOG claims the hospital is the safest place, research evidence shows low-risk pregnancies delivered at home or in a hospital with a qualified midwife have the same risks and outcome potential. Just as important are the risks for low-risk women who give birth inside a hospital setting. For instance, while a home birth rarely if ever includes the use of drugs or interventions to speed delivery, many women who are hospitalized may receive Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin. The drug is used to induce labor or start contractions and it may be used to intensify labor contractions to speed the process. However, the use of the medication must be balanced against outcomes, such as a higher rate of analgesia and cesarean section,15 both of which affect mother and baby. In any pregnancy, oxytocin may also increase the risk of fever in the woman, low pH values in the umbilical cord and a shorter first stage of labor.16 Data from the CDC show the rate of cesarean sections in 2018 were 31.9% of all births.17 However, this includes a number of cesarean sections considered medically unnecessary. The rate for Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex (NTSV) Cesarean Birth Rate is 25.9%.18 This means that of all the women who had a cesarean section, 25.9% were having their first baby, beyond 39 weeks gestation and carrying one child who presented normally, in the vertex position with the head down.19 Having had a first cesarean section nearly guarantees the following births will also be a cesarean section as the repeat rate is 86.7%.20 As explained by the American Pregnancy Association, cesarean section introduces multiple risks for mother and baby. For the mother, these include infection, hemorrhaging, injuries, lengthy stays in the hospital and emotional reactions as well as those related to medicine. Moms can also have adhesions, or scar tissue that causes a blockage in the stomach area. Babies can have a low birth weight, a low APGAR score, breathing difficulties and even injuries.21 Type of Birth Influences Future HealthAs you likely know, the gut microbiome is an intricate living foundation for your immune system that plays a role in your risk of chronic disease, weight management and how well your body absorbs nutrition. As you may imagine, during a vaginal birth a baby's microbiome is first “seeded” and developed. During the process a baby is passed the mother's microbiome, which is why it's so important for the woman to have a healthy gut before, during and after pregnancy. The makeup of the mother's gut will influence how the baby's microbiome grows. A cesarean section bypasses this important step, which may be compounded by bottle feeding, a lifetime of processed foods and an overuse of antibiotics. These factors all have led to a steep loss of biodiversity in the human gut making many vulnerable to disease. Skin-to-skin contact after birth and breastfeeding are two ways to pass along a healthy microbiome if you've had a cesarean section. For more information about how to more effectively help seed your baby's gut microbiome see "How the Method of Birth Can Influence Lifelong Health." from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/25/home-births.aspx Safety testing for vaccines typically leaves much to be desired to begin with, but when it comes to fast-tracked pandemic vaccines, safety testing is accelerated and becomes even more inadequate. It looks like that will be the case with plans underway to fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine to market. As reported by STAT News,1 researchers are foregoing some of the normally required safety testing in order to get a genetically engineered coronavirus vaccine out in record time. What’s more, at least one vaccine manufacturer is relying on an entirely novel technique to produce their coronavirus vaccine in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, while by-passing traditional animal testing before conducting human clinical trials. STAT News reports:2
Fear Surrounding Pandemics Makes for Good Testing GroundsEthical questions really should be in the forefront of everyone’s mind, considering pandemic hysteria can easily make people take risks they normally might never consider. Right now, the British company hVIVO,3 which conducts influenza research, is offering healthy volunteers £3,500 (approximately $4,500) in exchange for being infected with a mild coronavirus (strains 0C43 and 229E specifically), both of which cause milder symptoms than COVID-19 and have been in circulation for quite some time.4,5 Infected volunteers will receive antiviral medications and undergo testing in the hopes of finding something that will assist researchers in developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Moderna, however, is using a technology to develop a vaccine that has never been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Moderna is using synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct DNA to produce the same kind of proteins COVID-19 uses to gain access into our cells. As reported by STAT News, the idea is that “Once those … dummy virus particles are there … our bodies will learn to recognize and clobber the real thing.” Moderna is partnering with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and started recruiting healthy volunteers March 3, 2020.6 In all, 45 men and non-pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 55 will be paid $1,100 to receive two injections of the vaccine, 28 days apart. The side effects at three different dosages will be evaluated. These clinical trials are taking place before there’s any scientific evidence that the vaccine actually works as intended and doesn’t cause severe side effects in animals. Considering COVID-19 infection has a high survival rate, with 80% suffering asymptomatic or only mild illness,7 is it really wise to use this outbreak as a testing ground for experimental, untested vaccine manufacturing methods? Mice Don’t Respond to COVID-19 the Way Humans DoAccording to the NIAID, an animal trial using conventionally bred mice also began March 3, 2020, with supposedly promising results. The problem is, regular mice do not have the same susceptibility to the virus as humans,8 so testing on regular mice is unreliable and may cause a false sense of security if this type of animal is used to prove safety and effectiveness. During the SARS epidemic 15 years ago, mice engineered to be susceptible to that virus were developed, but once the SARS epidemic and related research died down, most of the colonies were destroyed. Researchers are now working on breeding new litters of these SARS susceptible mice, but that takes time, and Moderna isn’t waiting. Even so, the fact that phase 1 human trials are starting before animal testing has been completed does not mean there will be a vaccine available for the general public any time soon. STAT News points out it will likely be at least one year before a COVID-19 vaccine would be released for use by the public. Still, that’s a significantly shorter wait time than the 15 to 20 years it normally takes to bring an experimental vaccine to market.
Fast-Tracking Vaccines Is Risky BusinessFast-tracking vaccine development has considerable risks. It might be ineffective (which is typically the case for the seasonal influenza vaccine), or it might cause serious side effects (as was the case with the fast-tracked 2009-2010 H1N1 swine flu vaccine), or it just might worsen infection rather than prevent it. As reported by Reuters:10
Coming from a staunch pro-mandatory vaccination propagandist like Hotez, that’s really saying something. The possibility of vaccine-induced immune enhancement became evident during the development and testing of a SARS vaccine. As reported by Reuters, some vaccinated animals got sicker than unvaccinated animals when exposed to the virus. A more reliable way to determine whether this might be a risk for a COVID-19 vaccine is to use an appropriate animal model during the trials, before the vaccine is given to humans. Fast-Tracked Swine Flu Vaccine Caused Serious Harm to YouthsOne excellent example of what can go wrong when a vaccine is fast-tracked is that of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine released in Europe during the swine flu pandemic of 2009-2010. As reported by WebMD,11 in July 2009, the U.S. National Biodefense Safety Board unanimously decided to forego most safety and efficacy tests to get the vaccine out by September of that year. Europe also accelerated its approval process, allowing manufacturers to skip large-scale human trials12 — a decision that turned out to have tragic consequences13 for an untold number of children and teens across Europe. Over the next few years, the ASO3-adjuvanted swine flu vaccine Pandemrix (used in Europe but not in the U.S. during 2009-2010) was causally linked14 to childhood narcolepsy, which abruptly skyrocketed in several countries.15,16 Children and teens in Finland,17 the UK18 and Sweden19 were among the hardest hit. Further analyses discerned a rise in narcolepsy among adults who received the vaccine as well, although the link wasn’t as obvious as that in children and adolescents.20 A 2019 study21 reports finding a “novel association between Pandemrix-associated narcolepsy and the non-coding RNA gene GDNF-AS1” — a gene thought to regulate the production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor or GDNF, a protein that plays an important role in neuronal survival. They also confirmed a strong association between vaccine-induced narcolepsy and a certain haplotype, suggesting “variation in genes related to immunity and neuronal survival may interact to increase the susceptibility to Pandemrix-induced narcolepsy in certain individuals.” The fact that health authorities seem to have conveniently forgotten this travesty is shocking, considering it was only a decade ago. Do we really want to conduct the same kind of global mass experiment for a relatively mild disease again? If there were an outbreak of a disease where death was rapid and horrifying, and the lethality high, such as with a hemorrhagic fever virus like Ebola, where the mortality rate can be as high as 50 percent, many people would be willing to risk even lifelong side effects from a fast-tracked vaccine. But that’s not what we’re facing with COVID-19. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.”22 Nor was the H1N1 outbreak a “global killer.” Yet here we are, facing yet another (potentially mandatory?) fast-tracked vaccine for a disease that will likely have run its course by the time the vaccine comes out. Have we really learned nothing from the Pandemrix debacle? Flu Immunization May Increase Risk of Coronavirus InfectionA study23 in the January 10, 2020, issue of the Vaccine journal also offers food for thought. As noted in this study, “Influenza Vaccination and Respiratory Virus Interference Among Department of Defense Personnel During the 2017-2018 Influenza Season”:
Results were mixed. Interestingly enough, while seasonal influenza vaccination did not raise the risk of all respiratory infections, it was in fact “significantly associated with coronavirus and human metapneumovirus” (hMPV). Those who had received a seasonal flu shot were 36% more likely to contract coronavirus infection and 51% more likely to contract hMPV infection than unvaccinated individuals.24 Looking at the symptoms list for hMPV25 is telling, as the main symptoms include fever, sore throat and cough. The elderly and immunocompromised are at heightened risk for severe hMPV illness, the symptoms of which include difficulty breathing and pneumonia. All of these symptoms also apply for COVID-19. Recommended Infection Prevention StrategiesBased on the evidence, the odds of creating a safe-for-all vaccine without rigorous long-term studies are slim to none. Some people are bound to get hurt, which is why it doesn’t make sense to rush a vaccine unless the disease is severe and has a high death rate. Time will tell what the outcome here will be. At present, health authorities recommend using the following strategies to minimize the spread of infection:26
If you have symptoms of illness such as coughing or sneezing, be sure to wear a surgical mask to contain the spread whenever you’re around others. For additional details about the use of surgical or N95 respiratory masks, see “Will Wearing a Mask Protect You Against Coronavirus?” from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/24/coronavirus-vaccine-will-bypass-safety-testing.aspx Bananas are one of the world’s most popular fruits, with 114 million tons produced globally in 2017.1 While there are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas, most commercialized bananas sold in U.S. and European grocery stores are the Cavendish type. This variety accounts for about 47% of global banana production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Cavendish bananas are more resilient to the effects of global travel, making them popular for international trade. Further, they achieve high yields per hectare and are less prone to damage from storms due to their short stems. Cavendish plants are also valued for their ability to recover quickly from natural disasters.2 Taken together, Cavendish bananas may see like the perfect fruit, but there’s a downside to the lack of diversity that comes from widespread production of just one variety of banana: it’s incredibly prone to diseases and has even been said to be at risk of extinction.3 While genetic engineering has been touted as the only way to save the banana, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) has announced the development of a new, 100% organic, disease-resistant banana that’s non-GMO and coming to commercial markets in March 2020. New Non-GMO Banana Is Naturally Disease ResistantCIRAD launched an initiative to diversify bananas in order to impart natural disease resistance. The new variety, called Pointe d’Or, was developed through crossing in partnership with the banana industry in Guadeloupe and Martinique and the Tropical Technical Institute, and was selectively bred to be resistant to black Sigatoka, a leaf-spot disease caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis. The disease ravages banana leaves, reducing photosynthetic capability and yields.4 CIRAD explained in a press release:5
Pointe d’Or, which was previously called Number 925, is naturally resistant to black Sigatoka and was described by CIRAD as a “triumph of research, since past attempts to create new varieties of banana by different international teams have ended in failure.” The new banana variety is entering a commercial testing phase in metropolitan France and was introduced commercially in early March 2020 in the Ile-de-France region. “This is an opportunity for consumers to obtain a new organic product that meets their expectations in terms of health and environment,” CIRAD noted. Frédéric Salmon, a geneticist and plant breeder at CIRAD in Guadeloupe, added:6
There are now 35 hectares (86.5 acres) of Pointe d’Or bananas being grown in Guadeloupe and Martinique, and between 1,000 and 1,200 tons are expected to be produced in 2020. In addition to Pointe d’Or, the CIRAD partnership has also undertaken additional actions to combat black Sigatoka disease in bananas, including developing an agro-ecological cropping system that integrates prophylaxis and biological control methods.7 Panama Disease Triggering Race for GMO BananaWhile black Sigatoka is susceptible to fungicides, another fungal threat also exists for bananas. Panama disease, i.e., Fusarium wilt, is also ravaging bananas, prompting calls that only genetic engineering can save them. In August 2019, the Colombian government confirmed that a new outbreak of Panama disease caused by the strain Tropical Race 4, or TR4, had emerged.8 This is especially problematic considering that growers in this part of the globe are major contributors to the world's banana supply. This situation has created a race to genetically engineer a fruit to withstand the fungus, although this problem has been seen before. In fact, the Gros Michel was the first banana variety sold in the U.S., but it disappeared due to the TR1 fungus. The Cavendish was introduced next, in part because it was resistant to TR1, but it’s vulnerable to TR4. Researchers have not yet found any fungicide capable of killing the fungus and have determined it is able to live in the soil for up to 30 years. Using breeding methods to modify the Cavendish is not possible, as the variety is sterile and propagated only by cloning. Now, several teams are employing genetic alterations to save the banana crop, using the gene editing tool CRISPR, which comes with its own set of problems. However, with the introduction of Pointe d’Or, it’s now been shown that disease-resistant bananas can be created without the use of genetic engineering and even without the need for fungal treatments. Eric de Lucy, president of The Union of Banana Producer Groups of Guadeloupe and Martinique, said during a press conference, “What we are experiencing is a global revolution in the history of the banana. This banana is unique in the world. It is quite an adventure and I am personally emotional about the fact that we developed such an exceptional product.”9 The Pointe d’Or banana, by the way, is said to have a smoother flavor than the Cavendish, with a taste that stays longer in your mouth. And while it’s also said to be more fragile and prone to browning than the durable Cavendish, stores are already training their employees about careful handling and signs will educate consumers about the differences. “The Pointe d’Or is not the same banana. It doesn’t behave the same, it is not grown or packaged in the same way,” Tino Dambas, a Pointe d’Or producer based in Guadeloupe, told Fresh Plaza — and that’s precisely the point.10 Greater Diversity, Not GMOs, Will Save BananasIt’s important to reiterate that Pointe d’Or is organic and non-GMO, suggesting that the decadeslong rhetoric that only genetic engineering can save the banana from extinction is wrong.11 What’s more, as far back as 2003, when media reports were warning that bananas could be extinct within 10 years, FAO noted that greater genetic diversity in commercial bananas was necessary:12
At the time, FAO noted that small-scale farmers had maintained a broad genetic pool that could be used to improve future banana crops. In calling for the development of more diversity in banana crops, particularly for export bananas, they noted that while the development of resistant bananas would also be important, this did not necessarily mean the use of transgenics. Further, back in 2003, they called for the promotion of awareness of the “inevitable consequences of a narrow genetic base in crops and the need for a broader genetic base for commercial bananas.”13 If this advice had been heeded then, bananas would be in a much better place today. Promote Diversity — Try Something Besides CavendishIt’s possible that your only reference point of a banana is the Cavendish — a variety that’s known more for durability during travel than taste. In fact, the Cavendish is said to be mild and mushy, not necessarily tasty, which means you could be in for a treat when it comes to trying one of the many other banana varieties available. These include:14,15,16
As for nutrition, bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, with plenty of dietary fiber and potassium, manganese, vitamin C, biotin and copper. They’re quite high in sugar, however, which is why they should be eaten only in moderation or even unripe, when they contain higher amounts of digestive-resistant starch, which can benefit your gut health. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/24/non-gmo-banana.aspx Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are working with a biotech company to quickly start clinical trials of an experimental messenger RNA vaccine and fast track it to licensure.1 The FDA has not yet licensed messenger RNA vaccines that use part of the RNA of a virus to manipulate the body’s immune system into stimulating a potent immune response.2,3 It looks like the coronavirus vaccine will be the first genetically engineered messenger RNA vaccine to be fast tracked to licensure, just like Gardasil was the first genetically engineered virus-like particle vaccine to be fast tracked to licensure.4,5 There likely will be lots of questions about whether the fast-tracked coronavirus vaccine was studied long enough to adequately demonstrate safety, especially for people who have trouble resolving strong inflammatory responses in their bodies and may be at greater risk for vaccine reactions.6,7,8,9,10 However, there is no question about what will happen if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)11,12 recommends that all Americans get the newly licensed coronavirus vaccine. The government has a national vaccine plan. It is a plan designed to make sure you, your child and everyone in America gets every dose of every vaccine that government officials recommend now and in the future. 1986 to 1996: Establishing and Creating the PlanEstablished under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act during the Reagan Administration,13 the plan didn’t really get traction until Congress funded the Vaccines for Children program in 1993 under the Clinton administration14,15 and gave the Department of Health and Human Services authority to fund a network of state-based electronic vaccine tracking registries16 that can monitor the vaccination histories of children without the informed consent of their parents. In 1995, then Secretary of Health Donna Shalala used rule-making authority to authorize the Social Security Administration to disclose the Social Security number of every baby born in the country to state governments without parental consent.17 Federal officials explained that “public health program uses of the Social Security numbers would include, but are not limited to, establishing immunization registries” and that new routine use of Social Security numbers would help the government operate “a national network of coordinated statewide immunization registries.”18 By 1996, when Congress established a national Electronic Health Records (EHR) system under HIPPA,19 the stage had been set for a government-operated electronic surveillance system to monitor the personal medical records and vaccination status of all Americans.20,21,22,23 The justification for this big data grab by the government, which clearly violated the privacy of Americans, was to “protect the public by reducing disease.” Nationwide Electronic Health Records and Vaccine TrackingToday, the nationwide federally funded Electronic Health Records system captures the details of every visit you make to a doctor’s office, hospital, pharmacy, laboratory or other medical facility; every medical diagnosis you get; every drug you have been prescribed and every vaccine you accept or refuse. Your Electronic Health Record can be accessed not only by government health agencies like the Social Security Administration, Medicaid and federal and state health and law enforcement agencies,24,25 but also can be shared with authorized third parties such as doctors, health insurance companies, HMOs and other corporations, hospitals, labs, nursing homes and medical researchers.26,27,28 A new Health Information Exchange29,30,31 initiative funded by the government will make it even easier for computerized health and vaccine records databases to tag, track down and sanction Americans who do not go along with the National Vaccine Plan in the future.32,33,34,35,36,37,38 What Happened to the Duty to Prevent Adverse Reactions?Ironically, when Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to create the National Vaccine Program in the 1986 Act, federal health officials were told to put together a plan to “achieve optimal prevention of human infectious diseases through immunization and to achieve optimal prevention against adverse reactions to vaccines.”39 The plan was not supposed to focus solely on vaccine development and promotion but to equally focus on preventing vaccine reactions. Yet, in the very first 1994 National Vaccine Plan only four out of 25 “objectives” and only two out of 14 anticipated “outcomes” addressed preventing vaccine reactions.40 The 2010 version of the Plan41 also largely ignored the legal duty of HHS to conduct vaccine safety research to fill in long standing knowledge gaps and take steps to make vaccines and vaccine policies less likely to cause harm.42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52 Looking back, it appears Congress was not really committed to funding research and creating substantive initiatives to reduce vaccine risks, regardless of what was stated in the 1986 Act, or there would been congressional oversight and federal agencies would have been directed to follow the law rather than ignore it for more than 30 years.53 Government’s Vaccine Marketing Plan for Big PharmaInstead, government agencies have brazenly forged lucrative public private business partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry and the medical establishment to:
In fact, federal health officials accurately characterize the U.S. vaccination system in the 21st century as a business. A decade ago they admitted that “The 2010 National Vaccine Plan provides a vision for the U.S. vaccine and immunization enterprise for the next decade.”68 That’s because they know the National Vaccine Plan is really a Vaccine Marketing Plan for the pharmaceutical industry.69,70,71,72 So, if you are wondering why many states are trying to pass laws eliminating all vaccine exemptions and mandate every vaccine the pharmaceutical industry produces and the CDC recommends,73,74,75,76 you don’t have to look any further than the government’s well-financed National Vaccine Plan. Implementation of the Plan Accelerated in 2011Implementation of the Plan was accelerated in 2011 after the U.S. Supreme Court declared FDA licensed vaccines to be “unavoidably unsafe” for the purpose of removing almost all remaining liability from drug companies when vaccines hurt people.77,78 Since 2011, two powerful CDC-appointed vaccine advisory committees influenced by members associated with the pharmaceutical and medical trade industries — the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)79,80,81,82,83 and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC)84,85,86 — have been busy coming up with new ways to meet strategic goals of the National Vaccine Plan. When highly publicized cases of measles were reported in California’s Disneyland in 201587 and in New York in 2019,88,89 with military precision pursuit of the plan was kicked into even high gear.90,91 During the past five years, California, Vermont, New York, Maine and Hawaii have lost vaccine exemptions, even though tens of thousands of Americans rose up in protest.92 In 2019, the people managed to hold on to exemptions in Oregon, Arizona and New Jersey93 but this year, bills to force vaccine use are already threatening parental, civil and human rights in Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania and more.94 Five Main Types of Vaccine Laws Being Proposed in StatesThese are the five main types of laws being proposed in the states and your state may be one of them: 1. State laws that eliminate all personal belief vaccine exemptions allowing you to follow your conscience or religious beliefs and make it illegal for physicians to grant a medical exemption unless it strictly conforms to very narrow CDC-approved contraindications to vaccination. National vaccine coverage rates among school children are at 95% for core vaccines like polio, pertussis, measles and chickenpox, yet, government health officials are not satisfied.95 They have narrowed vaccine contraindications so that almost no medical history or health condition qualifies as a reason for a medical exemption.96 If you or your child have had previous vaccine reactions, are vaccine injured, have a brother or sister who was injured or died after vaccination, or are suffering with a brain or immune system disorder that the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) does not consider to be a contraindication to vaccination, states like California97,98 denying physicians the right to exercise professional judgment and give children a medical exemption to vaccination are threatening human rights.99 No wonder less than 1% of vaccine reactions are ever reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System100 and doctors feel free to discriminate against and deny medical care to anyone who is not vaccinated according to CDC schedules.101 Laws that eliminate medical, religious and conscience exemptions to vaccination and ban citizens from getting a school education — even a college education — violate civil and human rights and so do vaccine mandates by employers who fire or refuse to hire workers based on their vaccination status.102,103,104 The two professions being targeted first for workplace vaccine mandates are health care105,106,107 and child care workers,108,109 but they certainly will not be the last.110 2. State laws that turn unelected members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices into de facto lawmakers and automatically mandate all current and future federally recommended vaccines without any public discussion or vote by duly elected state legislators. Under the U.S. Constitution, state legislatures hold the majority of power to pass public health laws, so vaccine laws are state laws.111,112 If states hand that constitutional authority over to an unelected federal government committee, the people no longer can work through their elected state representatives to make sure laws do not force involuntary medical risk taking and punish citizens exercising civil and human rights.113 It is clear that Pharma and medical trade lobbyists partnering with government officials to implement the National Vaccine Plan are unhappy they have to spend so much time and money trying to strong arm state legislators into mandating every CDC recommended vaccine. At the same time, some politicians are not happy that a growing number of Americans are showing up in state Capitols to oppose oppressive vaccine mandates. Today, it costs a staggering $3,000 to give a child every one of the 69 doses of 16 vaccines on the federal government’s schedule.114 In addition to coronavirus vaccine, there are more than a dozen experimental vaccines being fast tracked to market for TB, influenza, HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, herpes simplex, strep A and B, E. coli, RSV, salmonella and malaria,115 with several hundred more being developed in a global vaccine market estimated to balloon to nearly $100 billion by 2026.116,117 State laws that automatically mandate all federally recommended vaccines are handing Big Pharma a big blank check and putting an unknown number of vaccine vulnerable children and adults at risk for serious health problems if they are forced to use every one of them.118,119,120,121,122 3. State laws that allow doctors to declare minor children mentally competent to consent to vaccination so children can be vaccinated without the knowledge of their parents. There is plenty of scientific evidence that children’s brains are not developed enough before or during teenage years to support rational benefit and risk decision-making, especially if they are subjected to pressure.123,124 Giving doctors the legal authority to, in effect, go behind parents’ backs and persuade a minor child to get liability-free vaccines violates the legal right of parents to consent to medical interventions performed on their children.125 It also puts vaccine vulnerable children at greater risk for suffering reactions.126 Parents know their child’s personal and family medical history best and if parents are left in the dark, not only are they blocked from preventing vaccine reactions but there is no way for them to monitor a child after vaccination for signs of reactions so they can immediately take their child for treatment.127 4. State laws requiring schools to publicly post vaccine coverage rates for the purpose of shaming schools that allow students with vaccine exemptions to receive a school education. Publicly posting school vaccination rates and numbers of students with exemptions creates a hostile community environment by targeting certain schools and families, whose children have vaccine exemptions, for discrimination and abuse.128,129,130 It is an illusion that some schools are safer based on vaccination rates. For example, even schools with 100% vaccination rates and zero exemptions have had outbreaks of pertussis131 and schools with very high vaccination rates have had outbreaks of measles and mumps.132,133 That is because vaccinated children and adults can get infected with and transmit infectious diseases but sometimes show few or no symptoms and are never diagnosed or reported.134,135,136,137,138,139,140 Children and teachers interact with many other vaccinated and unvaccinated people outside of the school setting. It is discriminatory to require public posting of the numbers of healthy students with vaccine exemptions, when schools are not required to publicly post the numbers of students who are infected with transmissible diseases like hepatitis B and C, HIV, streptococcal, mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, E. coli, Fifths disease, herpes simplex and more. 5. State laws that operate vaccine tracking registries and integrate them into Electronic Health Records systems without the consent of those being tracked. The National Vaccine Information Center has a two-decade public record of opposing the creation of national or state based electronic surveillance systems that automatically enroll children and adults without their informed consent to monitor their vaccination status and health histories.141 Not only have there been past security breaches with electronic databases dumping personally identifying information into the public domain,142 but there is legitimate concern that the government should not be conducting electronic surveillance on citizens while pursuing a National Vaccine Plan that encourages punitive societal sanctions, such as the inability to get a school education or a job, for individuals who refuse to go along with the Plan. Federal and State Police Powers to Compel Vaccine UseFor more information on the history and types of public health laws that allow the federal government and states to use police powers to compel vaccine use, go to NVIC’s website at NVIC.org. To learn more about vaccine legislation pending in your state and talking points you can use to educate your legislators, go to NVIC Advocacy.org and become a user of NVIC’s free online Advocacy Portal. You will be put into direct contact with your own state and federal representatives and sent emails when bills that threaten or expand your freedom to make voluntary vaccine choices are moving in your state so you can make your voice heard, including showing up at scheduled public hearings. Making Government Work for YouIn America, we are governed by laws that the representatives we elect make, so it is important to vet all candidates for positions on issues you care about before going to the polls. Already this year, there have been more than 50 good bills introduced in a number of states that defend voluntary vaccine choices. This is a time for positive action. It’s your health. Your family. Your choice. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/24/national-vaccine-plan.aspx In this interview, Mario Novo, doctor of physical therapy, discusses the many health benefits of blood flow restriction (BFR) training. It’s a phenomenally easy way to take control of your health, especially if you’re elderly. I don’t know of any intervention that will improve your health as dramatically. BFR training was developed by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato in Japan over 50 years ago. In Japan, BFR training is known as KAATSU, which translates into “additional pressure.” It’s a perfectly descriptive name, as the KAATSU device consists of inflatable bands that provide additional pressure on your limbs. Sato is now 73 years old and in fantastic shape for any age. He’s a really strong testament to the fact that it works. But it’s not just for strength building. Metabolically, BFR will radically improve your health and decrease your risk for sarcopenia and most other age-related diseases. BFR in Physical Therapy and Limb SalvageBFR didn’t arrive in the U.S. until 2010. In the years since, it’s become increasingly popular, not only among fitness experts but also among physical therapists such as Novo. Novo is also the owner of the Lifters Clinic,1 which specializes in strength and conditioning.
Owen’s experimentation with patients at CFI confirmed BFR training helped inhibit scar tissue formation and salvage more muscle. Aside from boosting strength, BFR also helped reduce pain associated with arthritis and nerve injuries. BFR for Post-Fracture RecoveryAround 2012 or 2013, BFR was adopted by the National Football League (NFL), where it was applied for post-anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, reconstruction and repair. A couple of years after that, BFR’s benefits for bone breaks also became more widely appreciated.
BFR Is Now a Standard Rehab ModalityIn 2018, the American Physical Therapy Association approved BFR as an indication for rehab, making it part of physical therapists’ scope of practice. So, it’s not an alternative medicine or an alternative modality. It’s indicated for knee pain, for example, including knee pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA). It’s also a tool used to address osteopenia, sarcopenia, high blood pressure and diabetes. It may also be useful in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-stroke. Unfortunately, it still does not have a reimbursable current procedural terminology (CPT) code (a medical code used for billing), but eventually, there will be. How BFR Affects Your PhysiologyThere are two primary types of muscle fibers: Type 1, the slow, endurance-type fibers; and Type 2, the fast-twitch fibers, which are primarily anaerobic and use glucose, not oxygen. Type 2 fibers are larger than Type 1 and tend to kick in when the oxygen supply runs out and the Type 1 fibers are exhausted. The activation of Type 2 fibers generates lactate as a metabolic byproduct. The lactate builds up because the BFR bands don’t allow the lactate to diffuse systemically. This buildup of lactate provides many of the metabolic benefits of BFR. With age, or when you’re injured, exercising intensely enough to maintain health can be a challenge. This is where BFR shines, as the light load required doesn’t overstrain you, while still providing benefits you’d normally only see with heavier exercise loads. Novo explains:
Benefits of Lactic AcidAs mentioned, BFR significantly increases lactic acid, which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once you release the bands, the lactate travels in your blood to your brain, where a monocarboxylate transporter shuttles it into your brain to use it for fuel.2,3 It also increases brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF),4 a brain growth factor that contributes to neuroplasticity and enhances cognitive performance.5,6 BFR also downregulates a hormone called myostatin, which is a negative regulator of muscle growth and mass.7,8,9 In other words, when your myostatin levels are high you cannot grow muscle. This is important because the elderly have levels twice as high as the young.10 In the past, lactate was traditionally viewed as a metabolic waste product, but today it is understood that lactate is an important molecule that is responsible for many metabolic processes and results in many structural adaptations. It is even referred to as a pseudo-hormone.11 The lactate that your Type 2 muscle fibers generate during BFR actually down-regulates the production of myostatin and helps improve skeletal muscle loss. Amazingly, BFR can decrease your myostatin levels by 45%,12,13 which has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis.14,15,16 Novo explains:
KAATSU Versus Other BFR DevicesOne of the greatest areas of controversy when it comes to BFR centers around the equipment used. KAATSU uses a special inflatable cuff device that can provide pulsed and continuous pressure. When KAATSU was initially introduced into the U.S. in 2010, the device had a price tag of $16,000. Most physical therapists could not afford it so they used surgical tourniquets that already had FDA approval for surgery to substitute for KAATSU. Novo uses these wider tourniquet-type bands or devices. KAATSU uses thinner inflatable elastic bands, so they stretch as you exercise. As a result, your blood flow, including your venous return, is not completely obstructed. The Delfi surgical tourniquet system Novo uses, which involves a static, nonelastic, wider band, is controversial in that it causes a near-complete obstruction of blood flow. KAATSU leaders are quite opposed to it for this reason. One major concern is that the wider bands may increase the risk of blood clots. Another is that it could potentially create a hypertensive crisis in susceptible individuals. The KAATSU bands, because they’re elastic, doesn’t seem to cause that. Novo addresses these objections, saying:
To be clear, it’s important to not use a regular tourniquet, such as what you’d find in an emergency room, for BFR. Applied hard enough, the lack of elasticity could make it very dangerous, potentially causing a blood clot or nerve damage. “Elastic BFR cuffs are safe to use. Tourniquets, austere tourniquets, that’s not at all to be used with this. Don’t apply it to yourself. Don’t apply it to anybody if you’re training them,” Novo warns. BFR for Cardiac RehabAnother magnificent benefit of BFR is its ability to promote the growth of new capillaries, thus improving your microcirculation, which is important for cardiovascular, heart and brain health. Your microcirculation tends to diminish with age, and BFR can go a long way toward maintaining healthy circulation. In Japan, BFR is actually used for cardiac rehab, and in the U.S., Novo says there are some cases in which it’s been used to rehab after a heart attack. Like your brain, your heart can also use lactate as a form of fuel during ischemia or reperfusion injury. Novo explains:
Sample Protocol for Strength BuildingWhile BFR is certainly ideal for the elderly, even competitive athletes stand to gain from it. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you need to use a weight that is 70% to 85% of your one rep max (1RM) if you want to build muscle and strength. With BFR, you’re using only 20% to 40% of your 1RM.
Now, if you’re elderly, it would be wise for you to revise this 80-20 rule to something like 60-40, where BFR makes up at least 40% of your fitness routine. The reason for this is because as you get older, your microcirculation diminishes. By the time you’re in your 80s, you’re bound to have a fairly significant decrease is your w. For the elderly, having BFR make up just 20% of your exercise is likely to be too little, as conventional strength training has not been shown to increase microcirculation. My BFR RecommendationsAfter careful review, it is clear to me that the KAATSU equipment is the best BFR equipment on the market, as it is the only one that allows you to do cycling or automatically cycling pressure on for 30 seconds and off for five seconds. You can review my comprehensive review on BFR from January 3, 2020. The equipment used to be $16,000 when first introduced in the U.S. and even last year when I purchased mine it was $2,300. However, the new Cycle 2.0, which is the one I use every day, is now only $899. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< More InformationNovo teaches formal courses on BFR around the country. At present, all live workshops are done through Novo’s company, The BFR Pros, which offers workshops for both performance and rehab. You can find more information about each class and register on theBFRpros.com.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/22/mario-novo-blood-flow-restriction.aspx |
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