According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, every day more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.1 In October 2017, the Manchester, New Hampshire, Fire Department reported it responds to more calls for drug overdoses than fires,2 and as of June 2017, opioids had become the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50.3 Despite a number of public warnings, and a national effort to reduce this lethal trend, overdoses admitted into emergency rooms increased 30% between July 2016 and September 2017 in 45 states.4 Provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)5 show the reported number of deaths in the 12-month period ending August 2018 was 67,360. The CDC had predicted 70,424 and believes the number was underreported due to incomplete data. Despite these facts, there is no evidence of reversal of this growing epidemic, and in October 2018 an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sanctioned the most powerful synthetic opioid painkiller to date, — Dsuvia (sufentanil),6,7,8,9 — 1,000 times stronger than morphine, 50 times more potent than heroin and 10 times stronger than the synthetic opioid fentanyl.10 The final approval of the drug was announced November 2, 2018, by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who said the drug would not be dispensed for "home use," and that it will carry a boxed warning about its risks, including death.11,12 The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, have a combined fortune estimated at $14 billion.13 The family received nearly $4 billion in profits over the past decade from Purdue, in large part due to sales of OxyContin, an opioid developed in the early 1990s.14 In an effort to reap greater financial rewards from a growing epidemic killing tens of thousands, Kathe Sackler devised Project Tango.15 Sackler Family Propose Project Tango to Increase ProfitsOnce the family had firmly established themselves in the sales of Oxycontin, they moved on to a new venture: addiction treatment. In early January 2019, a Massachusetts judge ruled to issue an unredacted account of a complaint filed with the state's attorney general's office naming Purdue and eight of the Sackler family members as defendants. According to these documents,16 in September 2014 Kathe Sackler developed a confidential project called Project Tango. This was a secret plan for Purdue Pharmaceuticals to expand their business into the treatment of opioid addiction. After publicly denying opioids were addictive for decades, she and her staff developed a program on the premise of believing "addictive opioids and opioid addiction" are "naturally linked," and determined Purdue should span "the pain and addiction spectrum" to become "an end-to-end pain provider."17 According to the court documents, the team reviewed findings and found profits had doubled between 2009 and 2014. This led Kathe Sackler and her staff to conclude the next business opportunity was opioid addiction treatment. They wrote:18
Company Documents Allegedly Acknowledge Opioids Are AddictiveThe Massachusetts lawsuit reads like a corporate crime drama. It goes on to allege that in February 2015, Project Tango was presented to the board of Purdue Pharmaceuticals as a plan for a joint venture controlled by the Sacklers to sell the addiction medication suboxone (Naloxone).19 The team mapped out how patients could first get addicted to opioids through prescription drugs or heroin, and then become consumers of the company's new drug. They noted even after patients were finished with a first round of suboxone, up to 60% would relapse and need it again. The following month the board shelved Project Tango. In December 2016, several in the Sackler family had a meeting with staff about a revised version of Project Tango, with the idea of purchasing a company treating opioid addiction with implantable drug pumps.20 They believed this would be a "strategic fit" since the business treated the "strategically adjacent indication of opioid dependence." In January 2018,21 Richard Sackler received his own patent for a drug to treat addiction. The patent was assigned to another arm of the Sackler pharmaceutical empire, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals. The application stated that opioids are addictive, and called people who became addicted "junkies." Today, Rhodes offers the addiction medication Buprenorphine as transdermal patches and sublingual pills, along with a variety of opioid drugs, including hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone and morphine.22 Meet the Sackler Family — Proud Pushers of the Opioid EpidemicIn 2007, Purdue Pharma paid $634.5 million in fines23 for fraudulently misbranding Oxycontin and suggesting it was less addictive and less abused than other painkillers. The company was charged with using misleading sales tactics, minimizing risks and promoting it for uses for which it was not appropriately studied. Today hundreds of lawsuits have been filed in an effort to attach the Sacklers' personal fortunes and expose their intimate knowledge and participation in the opioid epidemic. Representatives of eight Sackler family members named as defendants in both the New York and Massachusetts lawsuits made a joint statement to The New York Times24 in which they said the suits "ignore the fact that the Sackler family has long been committed to initiatives that prevent abuse and addiction," citing donations to an addiction research and treatment center in Oklahoma. However, their contribution was in fact a condition of a court-approved settlement in an opioid lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma attorney general.25 In 2011, the family increased pressure to raise sales numbers, yet in a statement they said they were acting responsibly about "business issues that were highly relevant to doctors and patients."26 According to the lawsuit in Massachusetts, Richard Sackler met with sales reps for several days in January 2011 to discuss how they would promote their newest opioid drug. He demanded to speak to the sales VP to discuss how sales reps could overcome physician resistance and continued to push for increased sales.27 By February, the staff had given the family a map showing dangerous prescribers in Massachusetts corresponding with reports of poisonings, burglaries and robberies.28 These prescribers were code named Region Zero.29 In March, staff told the Sacklers, Region Zero prescriptions accounted for 10% of their sales. Purdue Pharma Ignored the Warning SignsThe staff sent the family a report of tactics being used, focusing on this select core physician group, which the company calculated would be most susceptible to lobbying and persuasion. However, the sales reps repeatedly reported concerns that these physicians were writing inappropriate prescriptions. According to the Massachusetts lawsuit, Purdue continued to order the reps to promote opioids to these doctors, and dozens of their patients overdosed and died.30 Sales reps were ordered to visit specific prescribers and increase prescriptions between 43% and 62%.31 When this was not as successful as anticipated, two reps were placed on probation with a threat to be fired when the doctors they visited did not prescribe enough opioids. According to the lawsuit, to ensure his orders were being followed, Richard Sackler demanded to be sent into the field to shadow sales reps.32 Upon his return, he asserted the legally required warning about opioids wasn't needed since it "implies a danger of untoward reactions and hazards that simply aren't there."33 In a statement from the family reported in The New York Times,34 they assert Richard Sackler had not been out in the field with sales representative since well before the launch of OxyContin in 1996. The lawsuit also alleges that in 2017, doctors prescribing high doses of opioids and many pills per prescription were key "drivers" of Purdue's profits, and management was concerned the CDC's effort to save lives by reducing doses would force the company "to adjust down our revenue expectations."35 Sackler Family Attempts Illegal Strategies to Dodge LiabilityThe family's push for sales continued until it became clear they couldn't outrun the financial responsibility being imposed by the court. The New York attorney general filed an amended lawsuit against Purdue and eight individual Sackler family members as reported in The Wall Street Journal.36 The amendment argues Purdue's profits should be taken back from the owners since the company's current assets would not cover the rising number of lawsuits being filed against Purdue. The New York lawsuit alleges the family moved funds out of Purdue and an affiliated generic company, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, into a variety of other financial entities, which would not be available to litigants of any lawsuits. The lawsuit further claims the Sacklers regularly voted to pay themselves hundreds of millions of dollars each year, the same claim made by the Massachusetts lawsuit.37 The details of the payments in the New York lawsuit were heavily redacted as reported by The Wall Street Journal.38 However the details in the Massachusetts lawsuit were opened by a state judge earlier this year. The New York lawsuit alleges the transfers out of Purdue and Rhodes are fraudulent and the distributions "left Purdue with unreasonably small capital to pay off certain creditors in opioids litigation, including plaintiff New York State."39 The New York complaint is being brought under a fraudulent conveyance law,40,41 meant to protect creditors. The attorney general will need to prove the company was at or near insolvency when the transfers were made. New York will likely argue the existence of hundreds of lawsuits could be considered a debt, while Purdue could argue they expected to win the lawsuits and didn't consider it a liability.42 Another Company May Be Providing Fuel for the FireWhile all eyes are on the almost soap opera-style story of the Sackler family and the role they and their company, Purdue Pharmaceuticals, played in the opioid epidemic, it is important to note other pharmaceutical companies have also played a supporting role. Oklahoma is suing Johnson & Johnson for the part they played in the opioid epidemic. Currently facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its baby powder causes cancer, Johnson & Johnson is responsible for developing and creating some of the raw material serving as active ingredients in popular opioid products, including OxyContin, the lawsuit alleges.43 The Oklahoma attorney general has asked the state court to release millions of pages of confidential documents submitted during discovery. Before 2016, Johnson & Johnson boasted one of its opium poppies enabled the growth of oxycodone and said their morphine poppy was the most potent in the world, according to slides obtained by Axios.44 Oklahoma is also alleging Johnson & Johnson funded pro-opioid groups to market opioids to seniors as rarely addictive. Johnson & Johnson then filed papers urging the court to deny the attorney general's request to make public documents related to their opioid activities.45 The New York attorney general named four manufacturers and six distributors, including Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp. and Purdue in their lawsuit, citing deceptive marketing practices and unlawfully diverting drugs. The lawsuit claims these 10 companies were largely responsible for creating the epidemic ravaging New York. Attorney general Letitia James said in a statement:46
Opioids Are Deadly and Ineffective for Long-Term PainIn April 2016, the CDC published a paper noting opioids have not been proven safe or effective beyond six weeks of treatment.47 "In fact, several studies have shown opioid use for chronic pain may actually worsen pain and functioning, possibly by potentiating pain perception," the paper states. The researchers discussed how treatment with opioids in pain management has vacillated over the last 100 years. Efforts in the 1990s to improve pain management did not take into account the addictiveness of opioids and the lack of documented effectiveness in the treatment of chronic pain. Nonpharmacological methods with documented ability to ameliorate chronic pain — and which pose a substantially less risk to your health — may include exercise, weight loss, cognitive behavioral therapy and interventions to improve sleep.48 When opioids are considered, researchers recommend using a lowest possible effective dose over the shortest period of time. The researchers recommended clinicians exercise caution and monitor patients closely to prevent addiction. They believed initiation is a momentous decision and should only be undertaken when the patient understands the substantial risks involved, and concluded:49
Struggling With Opioid Addiction? Please Seek HelpRegardless of the brand of opioid, it's vitally important to realize they are extremely addictive drugs and not meant for long-term use for nonfatal conditions. Chemically, opioids are similar to heroin. If you wouldn't consider shooting up heroin for a toothache or backache, seriously reconsider taking an opioid to relieve this type of pain. The misconception that opioids are harmless pain relievers has killed hundreds of thousands and destroyed the lives of countless more. In many cases you'll be able to control pain without using medications. In my previous article, "Billionaire Opioid Executive Stands to Make Millions More on Patent for Addiction Treatment," I discuss several approaches — including nondrug remedies, dietary changes and bodywork interventions — that can be used separately or in combination to control pain, both acute and chronic. If you've been on an opioid for more than two months, or if you find yourself taking a higher dosage, or taking the drug more often, you may already be addicted. Resources where you may find help include the following. You can also learn more in "How to Wean Off Opioids."
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/17/big-pharma-project-tango-to-profit-from-opioid-addiction.aspx
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In the video above I answer more of your questions about my upcoming book, “KetoFast”. I am absolutely convinced that fasting is one of the most profoundly effective strategies there is to improve your metabolic health, which is why I'm so excited for the book's release on April 30. The Most Important Health Book You'll Ever ReadMy book, "KetoFast", offers you a step-by-step guide to lose weight and rejuvenate your health to help you prevent and even reverse disease.When you follow my plan, you’ll see inches melt away and disease markers improve. And you won’t have to endure the shortcomings of traditional fasting that I outlined earlier. I’ve taken the guesswork out of the process, so you’ll know exactly what to do and when. There are important details in "KetoFast" that I learned when developing this program that will make it really easy for you. Once you have read the book and understand the simple concepts presented, you can easily implement the strategies into your lifestyle and you will be amazed at what it can do to help you take control of your health. Overwhelming Response to the First KetoFast Question & Answer SessionFor those who may have missed my first “KetoFast” question and answer session in March, you can watch it in the video below. There were so many fantastic questions about “KetoFast” that I didn’t have time to answer all of them. That is what let me to do a second question and answer session that you see above. I hope to be able to do a third question and answer session as there are still a number of outstanding questions I wasn’t able to get to. Submit your questions now in the comments section below and I will do my best to answer as many as possible. BUT, before you click the button below please review both videos I already recorded as there is a strong likelihood that your question is already answered in one of the videos. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/17/ketofast-questions-answered.aspx A cluster of cancer cases among young children at Weston Elementary School in Ripon, California, has reignited the conversation about whether electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from cell towers might be a contributing factor.1 In 2016, at the age of 10, Kyle Prime was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Five months later, his classmate, Mason Ferrulli, was diagnosed with brain cancer. This year, two more children at the school have received cancer diagnoses. Three teachers have also been diagnosed with various forms of cancer since 2016, along with two preschool-age children that live near the school, and a former student, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 22.2,3 The parents of Prime and Ferrulli believe the Sprint cellphone tower located on campus might have played a role, even though tests reveal it's functioning normally and emitting radiation below the government standard.
Cellphone Radiation Safety Guidelines Are OutdatedIndeed, for those of you who are familiar with the health effects of EMFs and the way the government safety standards are set, such results are little proof of safety. As noted by Joel Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at UC Berkeley (an area that has taken a stricter stance on EMF awareness and safety), the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) "guidelines for cellphone radiation adopted in 1996 are outdated and were mostly based on work done by industry-paid scientists."6 Fortunately, while Sprint adamantly denies any possibility of harm to the community, the company has turned the tower off and says it will move the tower to another location. On the downside, any respite the area might get from this action is likely to be temporary, as the nationwide rollout of 5G draws near.7 5G Rollout Will Exponentially Increase EMF ExposuresWhether EMF can cause serious adverse effects is a question that is only going to grow stronger over time, especially in light of the 5G rollout. As noted in the The Modesto Bee:8
What's worse, the FCC revised its rules relating to the rollout of 5G technology in September 2018, limiting cities' rights to control the placement of 5G antennas. Los Angeles and other cities sued to overturn the FCC's new rules, but January 10, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit sided with the FCC.9 In an email to Governining.com, Brian Namey, a spokesperson for the National Association of Counties, said:10
What You Need to Know About 5GUnlike the 4G technology currently in use, which relies on 90-foot cell towers with about a dozen antenna ports on each, the 5G system uses "small cell" facilities or bases, each with about 100 antenna ports.11 These cell bases will be mounted to already existing infrastructure such as utility poles. Ultimately, many if not most homeowners can expect to end up with a 5G cell base mounted right outside or very near their home. Workplaces and educational institutions will also be saturated with MMWs. Once installed in your neighborhood, you won't have a choice to opt out of continuous 5G exposure, and research compiled by EMF coach and author Lloyd Burrell12 and others13,14 suggests the proliferation of 5G could turn into nothing short of a public health disaster. Seeing how many are already struggling with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, saturating cities and suburban areas with MMW radiation will undoubtedly worsen their plight, and add many new sufferers. 5G (5th Generation) technology relies primarily on the bandwidth of the millimeter wave (MMW), which is primarily between 30 gigahertz (GHz) and 300GHz.15 The MMW is known to penetrate 1 to 2 millimeters of human skin tissue16,17 and has been linked to a number of potential health problems, including:18,19,20,21,22
Doctors and Scientists Warn of 5G Hazards and Urge CautionWhile MMWs have not been widely used before, it's already been suggested that sweat ducts in human skin act as antennae when they come in contact with MMWs.35 In a 2016 letter to the FCC, Dr. Yael Stein of the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, who has studied 5G MMW technology and its interaction with the human body, writes:36
In 2015, 247 scientists engaged in the study of biological and health effects of nonionizing EMFs across the world signed an international appeal to the United Nations,37 calling for protection from nonionizing EMF exposure due to evidence of health effects even at low levels. Two years later, in 2017, more than 180 doctors and scientists from 35 countries signed a petition38 to enact a moratorium on the rollout of 5G due to the potential risks to wildlife and human health. 20 Facts About 5GIn this video, Paul Ben Ishai, Ph.D., a senior lecturer with the department of physics at Ariel University in Israel, reviews the potential risks to human health from sub-MM communication systems. The Environmental Health Trust has also published a list39 of 20 facts you need to know about 5G wireless. These include:
Learn More About the Health Risks of 5GYou can download a two-page fact sheet53 on 5G from the Environmental Health Trust. On their website, you can also access a long list of published scientific studies showing cause for concern.54 In "5G Wireless Telecommunications Expansion: Public Health and Environmental Implications," published in Environmental Research in August 2018, Dr. Cindy Russell, executive director of Physicians for Safe Technology,55 writes:56
Health Effects of EMF Exposure in GeneralEven without the addition of 5G, most people are already living in a proverbial sea of microwave radiation, and there's ample evidence suggesting this unnatural level of exposure is harming our health. For example, research has shown EMFs from cellphones, laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi, smart meters, baby monitors and other wireless devices:57
Remedial Strategies to Lower EMF ExposureBelow are several suggestions that will help reduce your EMF exposure. You can also find guidance and solutions for mitigating electric and magnetic fields at the end of "Healthy Wiring Practices,"85 a document created by building biologist Oram Miller, whom I've interviewed on this topic. In this document, he also discusses specific workarounds for various devices, including cellphones, MacBooks, Roku and Apple TV.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/16/cell-tower-emf-radiation.aspx In April 2019, London launched an ultralow emission zone in central London, which will charge motorists more than $16 a day to drive into the area, unless they meet certain strict emissions standards. The move is expected to cut emissions from motor vehicles by about 45 percent in central London.1 Seventy-two percent of London adults said they supported the measure to charge vehicles that pollute, as London mayor Sadiq Khan described air pollution in the city as a "public health emergency."2 In the U.K., air pollution causes about 40,000 deaths annually,3 echoing death rates from air pollution across the globe. Research published in The Lancet revealed that 9 million premature deaths were caused by pollution in 2015, which is 16 percent of deaths worldwide — "three times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence," the researchers wrote.4 Damage From Air Pollution Starts in the WombBreathing polluted air causes insidious damage that starts in the womb and adds up over your lifetime. In the U.S. alone, more than 3% of premature births haven been attributed to air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM 2.5).5 PM 2.5 refers to dust, dirt, soot, and smoke — particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It's the most studied type of air pollution. These particulates can enter your system and cause chronic inflammation, which in turn increases your risk of a number of health problems, from cancer to heart and lung disease. Costs attributed to the 3.32% of premature births linked to air pollution were estimated at $5.09 billion. As researchers noted, "Reducing rates of PTB [preterm birth] is important to prevent not only neonatal complications such as respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and intraventricular hemorrhage, but also adverse psychological, behavioral, and educational outcomes in later life, mostly related to cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental delay."6 Exposure to air pollution has also been linked to low birth weight babies, intrauterine growth retardation, stillbirth, congenital anomalies and problems with fetal brain growth.7 It's long been questioned how developing babies could be harmed by their mother's air pollution exposure, but research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress revealed that pollution particles may enter the placenta and possibly harm the developing baby in utero. The study was small, involving placentas from five London women, but revealed what researchers believe to be carbon particles in some placental macrophage cells. Study author Dr. Norrice Liu of Queen Mary University of London explained:8
Air Pollution Is Deadly to ChildrenAir pollution is responsible for respiratory diseases that kill 543,000 children aged 5 years and younger each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Breathing polluted air also causes asthma in 14% of children around the globe.9 "Polluted air is poisoning millions of children and ruining their lives," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "This is inexcusable. Every child should be able to breathe clean air so they can grow and fulfil their full potential."10 Sadly, WHO estimates that about 93% of the world's children (or 1.8 billion) live in areas that have such polluted air their health and development are at risk. Even in children living in one of London's low-emission zones, researchers found their lung capacity was reduced by about 5 percent when pollution rose above legal levels — and no improvements in lung capacity were seen even when small improvements in air quality occurred. "Interventions that deliver larger reductions in emissions might yield improvements in children's health," the researchers concluded.11 Researchers in London are now giving air-monitoring backpacks to 250 London schoolchildren, who will wear the bags for one week. The scientists are trying to determine where children are exposed to the most air pollution in order to make recommendations to curb their exposure and hopefully improve lifelong health. "Air pollution has been found to restrict lung growth in children. Low lung function in childhood can persist into adulthood and is often associated with other health problems including chronic obstructive lung disease in later life, said Ben Barratt of King's College London in a news release.12 How Corn Is Polluting the AirVehicle emissions are a commonly referred to culprit in air pollution, but corn, a major agricultural crop used for animal feed, ethanol biofuel and food, is another, often-overlooked source. Air pollution that results from growing corn is associated with 4,300 premature deaths per year in the U.S. alone, researchers wrote in Nature Sustainability — with associated damages estimated at $14 billion to $64 billion.13 Most of the pollution is due to emissions of ammonia from the heavy use of nitrogen fertilizer. "Ammonia from fertilizer application accounted for about 70 percent of attributable deaths," study author Jason Hill of the University of Minnesota told NPR. "Some of that nitrogen washes into waterways, and some of it gets released into the atmosphere as ammonia."14 As nitrogen fertilizers break down into their component parts, ammonia is released into the air. When the ammonia in the atmosphere reaches industrial areas, it combines with pollution from diesel and petroleum combustion, creating microparticles. Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) workers and neighboring residents alike report higher incidence of asthma, headaches, eye irritation and nausea. Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also revealed that markers of lung function were related to how far they lived from CAFOs.15 The closer they lived to the factory farms, and the greater the density of livestock, the more impairments in lung function were revealed. Lung function of neighboring residents declined in concert with increased levels of CAFO-caused ammonia air pollution, the study revealed.16 Corn is a double-edged sword, polluting the air not only on the farm but also at the CAFOs where it's used for animal feed. There are other trickle-down effects as well. "Growing corn in Minnesota results in emissions in Florida, where phosphate fertilizer is produced," Hill said.17 Agriculture Is the No. 1 Source of Air PollutionThe No. 1 cause of air pollution in much of the U.S., China, Russia and Europe is linked to farming and fertilizer — specifically to the nitrogen component of fertilizer used to supposedly enrich the soil and grow bigger crops. In fact, research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters demonstrated that in certain densely populated areas, emissions from farming far outweigh other sources of particulate matter air pollution.18 Researchers have long known soil microbes convert nitrogen-based fertilizers to nitrogen oxides and release them into the air. However, it was estimated that only 1 kilogram of gas was produced per 100 kilograms of fertilizer, or roughly 1 percent. Researchers thought the amount of gas would increase linearly, or stay at 1 percent of the amount of fertilizer used. However, further experimentation found the increase was exponential and not linear, as the original research didn't account for conversion when excess nitrogen fertilizer was applied to the fields. In California, agricultural lands may be responsible for as much as 51 percent of nitrogen oxides off-gassing across the state, especially in areas that use synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizers.19 CAFOs are also highly problematic, as they vent manure-laden air into the surrounding environment 24/7.20 In addition to ammonia, other toxic compounds commonly released by CAFOs include:21
Air Pollution Linked to Diabetes, Damage to Brain and HeartBreathing polluted air is detrimental to your health at all ages, including in adulthood. While lung function is known to decline gradually with age, there is evidence that air pollution accelerates this decline. Living in an area with higher levels of air pollution is also linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes in adults, as well as decreased cognitive function22 and sleep disturbances.23 "Evidence that exposure to air pollution affects brain structure was found by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, indicating that higher exposure to PM2.5 is associated with a reduction in total brain volume," according to a Royal College of Physicians report.24 As for the damage air pollution does to your heart, researchers explained:25
Ways to Combat Air Pollution's Drain on Your HealthIn an ideal world, we'd all live in an environment with fresh, clean air to breathe. Unfortunately, this is far more the exception than the rule. In your home, indoor air can be a major source of contaminants, so I recommend taking steps to keep your indoor air clean, including opening windows to let fresh air in and avoiding the use of known air pollutants like chemical cleaning products, air fresheners and scented candles. Purifying your home's air is also a wise step, as is leading a healthy lifestyle. What you eat can help combat air pollution's health effects, for instance, including anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, which may help protect your heart from air pollution.26 Other nutrients to eat plenty of, especially if you live in a polluted area, include vitamins C and E, which may be beneficial to children with asthma,27 and B vitamins, which in high doses have been show to completely offset damage caused by very fine particulate matter in air pollution.28 At a more foundational level, the researchers of the corn study suggested "strategic interventions" in corn production, "including changing the fertilizer type and application method, improving nitrogen use efficiency, switching to crops requiring less fertilizer, and geographically relocating production."29 On a personal level, be sure to choose organic, biodynamic grass fed foods as much as possible, and avoid those from industrial farms, which are making air pollution problems worse instead of better. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/16/what-air-pollution-does-to-your-body.aspx Impossible Foods, which made headlines for its meatless burgers that "bleed" like real meat, is set to become a household name, courtesy of a partnership with Burger King and their Whopper sandwich. The new Impossible Whopper bills itself as 100% Whopper, 0% Beef. Instead of a hamburger patty made with beef, the burger will feature an Impossible patty, which is made mostly of soy protein, potato protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil and heme, derived from genetically engineered yeast.1 While it's currently only available at 59 restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri, the plan is to expand it to Burger King's 7,200 stores if the initial roll out goes well.2 It's not the first time the meat substitute has been featured at a fast food restaurant. White Castle released an Impossible Slider in nearly 400 stores in 2018, and the company says you can find Impossible products in more than 5,000 restaurants in the U.S., Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, in locations ranging from fine dining establishments to food trucks and theme parks.3 However, the Burger King rollout could be the move that makes Impossible meat mainstream. With a flavor that's reportedly similar to beef, Burger King says it's not necessarily trying to cater to vegetarians or vegans but rather to meat eaters looking to cut back on beef.4 But while at first glance it may seem like fake beef is an ideal solution to many of the problems with conventional meat, ultimately creating fake food is not the answer. What Is an Impossible Burger?The Impossible Burger is a meat alternative that's unlike others on the market due to the addition of soy leghemoglobin, or heme. This, the company says, it what makes meat taste like meat, and, in plants, leghemoglobin is the protein that carries heme, an iron-containing molecule. Originally, Impossible Foods harvested leghemoglobin from the roots of soy plants, but deemed that method unsustainable. Instead, they turned to genetic engineering, which they use to create a yeast engineered with the gene for soy leghemoglobin. "This process allows us to make heme at scale with the lowest achievable environmental impact," according to the company.5 The full ingredients list of their "new" recipe, which was released in January 2019, is as follows:6
Impossible Burgers Are Highly ProcessedIn the U.S., consumers are increasingly seeking out wholesome, real, minimally processed food. The Impossible Burger is the opposite — a highly processed fake food (but one that's disguised as something good for you). Where in nature can you find ingredients like genetically engineered yeast, soy protein concentrate, modified food starch and soy protein isolate? The answer is nowhere, and therein lies a key part of the problem. Friends of the Earth (FOE), a grassroots environmental group, released a report that posed critical questions about the growing trend toward animal product alternatives. In it they pointed out the highly processed nature of these products:7
Concerns Raised Over Impossible Burger SafetyWhile the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ultimately declared that Impossible Foods' soy leghemoglobin is safe, they originally had questioned whether it could have adverse effects for people with allergies. In fact, documents obtain by FOE via the Freedom of Information Act showed that the FDA said it had not provided proof of safety for the GE soy leghemeglobin used in its products. Further, the use of GE yeast resulted in 46 unexpected GE proteins, and the FDA at the time warned Impossible Foods that the product would not meet generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status. Despite this, the company released its Impossible Burger for human consumption.8 And as with all GE organisms, there is the possibility of escape and contamination of wild species in the environment. This may particularly be true of prolific organisms like yeast, which are difficult to contain. "Because such organisms reproduce (and some can cross breed with related organisms or even, in the case of microbes, 'swap genes' with unrelated species through horizontal gene transfer) the escape of genetically engineered organisms could have negative ecological consequences," FOE noted. "These include genetic contamination of wild species and disruption of natural ecosystems."9 Is Lab-Grown Meat Any Better?While Impossible Foods uses genetically engineered proteins in its products, other meat replacements, such as those sold by Memphis Meats, are grown in a lab via mass culturing stem cells from animals, often in a solution containing bovine serum, hormones, growth factors and other food additives.10 PR campaigns have gone so far as to call lab-grown meat "clean meat," but research published in Environmental Science and Technology suggested it could actually require more intensive energy use compared to conventional meat.11 Unlike the Impossible burger, lab-grown meat is not currently being sold for human consumption — it's far too expensive, though prices are dropping. The first lab-grown burger cost more than $300,000 to make, whereas a pound of lab-grown meat now costs around $3,200. It's still too pricy, but it's possible it could reach competitive rates in the coming years.12 Agricultural giant Cargill Inc. and billionaires Richard Branson and Bill Gates are among those who have given millions to Memphis Meats. Other investors in Memphis Meats include General Electric CEO Jack Welch, venture capital firm DJF (which has also invested in Tesla, SpaceX and Skype) and billionaires Kimbal Musk (brother of tech billionaire Elon Musk) and Kyle Vogt (co-founder of a self-driving car startup). It seems the idea of putting patents on the food system is appealing to a number of billionaire investors, but does the idea of an elite few controlling the food system sound appealing to you? No one can patent a natural cow, chicken or duck, but with the advent of lab-grown meat and genetically engineered meat alternatives, the resulting beef, chicken and duck is very much patentable — and fully controlled by its makers. Impossible Foods Makes Questionable Sustainability ClaimsOne of the draws alternative meat companies use is promoting a sustainable image, but FOE states that many of these claims are questionable. "The Impossible Burger is marketed as 'sustainable,' … despite the lack of data on energy consumption, emissions or dependency on industrial feedstocks like genetically engineered corn used to feed the genetically engineered yeast that produce key ingredients," they noted, adding that these are "just a few of the confusing promotional claims being made."13 The environmental group believes that any claims of environmental sustainability should be backed up by a full life-cycle assessment, starting with the product's creation and ending with its disposal, that's made publically available. In 2018, Impossible Foods released a sustainability impact report that claimed their products used 75 percent less water and 95 percent less land, while generating 87 percent less greenhouse gases compared to conventional ground beef, however they currently can only produce enough product to meet 0.02 percent of the U.S. demand for ground beef.14 CAFO Meat Must Be ChangedIt's clear that alternatives are needed to the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) involved in producing most meat. CAFOs are known to destroy communities by polluting waterways, creating toxic air pollution and sickening area residents. CAFOs are directly contributing to the growing dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which is a serious and increasing threat to marine life, while pesticide usage and other industrialized farming methods may be killing off insects at an alarming rate. Current animal rearing practices are inhumane, environmentally destructive and contributing to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance and foodborne illness. All of these complex problems have a common thread, and that is that their solution lies in changing agricultural practices. But instead of focusing on the creation of highly processed fake meat products, the solution is to focus on changing agriculture from industrial to regenerative. Why Animals Are Necessary for Sustainable AgricultureA whopping 35 percent of cereal and soy harvested globally is fed to animals being raised on CAFOs.15 Because of the vast amounts of annual crops being grown for CAFO animal feed, conservation group WWF found that 60 percent of global biodiversity loss is due to meat-based diets straining resources.16 However, the solution isn't to remove animals from the system but rather to include them in accordance with the laws of nature. Rather than housing livestock separately from other animals and crops, livestock are integrated into a symbiotic, complementary system that mimics the way nature works. Allen Williams, Ph. D., a sixth-generation farmer and chief ranching officer for Joyce Farms, a well-known "grass fed guru," explained, "The way we do this at Joyce Farms is by mimicking the dense herds of grazing ruminants that used to roam across America, grazing and trampling plants into the soil. This trampling provides an armor of plant life for the soil and feeds the soil microbes."17 If you want to support truly natural, sustainable foods, support the farmers raising grass fed animals on biodynamic farms. On biodynamic farms:18
One of the key differences between organic and biodynamic farms is that the former may raise only one type of crop, or only crops or livestock. But biodynamic farming brings animals and plants together to form a living web of life, a self-sustaining ecosystem. To save the planet and support your health, skip the fake meat alternatives and opt for real food that's being raised the right way instead. When you shop for food, know your farmer or look for Demeter (biodynamic) and American Grassfed Association (AGA) certifications, which are both indicative of high-quality, sustainable and environmentally sound food. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/16/burger-king-adopts-fake-meat.aspx While the consumption of chicken as a source of protein has become popularized in recent decades, eggs have been unfairly vilified, in part because of misconceptions regarding their cholesterol content. For decades, the American public was told that eggs, as a source of cholesterol and saturated fats, promote heart disease. However, in recent years, studies have clearly shown that eggs — particularly egg yolks — are one of the healthiest foods you can eat, and even though egg yolks are relatively high in cholesterol, numerous studies have confirmed eggs have virtually nothing to do with raising your cholesterol, having only a minimal impact on plasma lipoprotein levels.1 As previously reported by NPR:2
In 2015, dietary cholesterol (and egg restriction) was finally eliminated from the U.S. dietary guidelines, and the controversy appeared to have settled. Now, a new study is again urging people to avoid eggs, linking egg consumption and dietary cholesterol to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. New Study, Old ArgumentsThe study3,4,5 in question, published in the journal JAMA on March 19, 2019, analyzed data from 29,615 American adults pooled from six prospective cohort studies with a median follow-up of 17.5 years, and claims to have found a dose-dependent relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. The researchers calculated two risk ratios: an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and an adjusted absolute risk difference (ARD). According to this study: • Each 300 milligrams (mg) of dietary cholesterol consumed per day (equating to approximately one and a half eggs) had a: ◦ HR of 17 percent and an ARD of 3.24 percent for CVD ◦ HR of 18 percent and an ARD of 4.43 percent for all-cause mortality • Even each additional half an egg consumed per day was associated with higher risk of incident CVD and all-cause mortality • Eating three to four eggs per week was associated with a: ◦ HR of 6 percent and an ARD of 1.11 percent for CVD ◦ HR of 8 percent and an ARD of 1.93 percent for all-cause mortality According to lead researcher Wenze Zhong, Ph.D.,6 a postdoctoral fellow at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in the Department of Preventive Medicine, the results suggest there’s no safe amount of egg consumption, and the team believes the results should be taken into consideration when the U.S. dietary guidelines are updated.
What’s Wrong With This Egg Study?A number of health and nutritional experts have already weighed in on the study, pointing out its multiple flaws. As noted by Runner’s World:8
Andrew Mente, Ph.D., principal investigator for the Epidemiology Program at the Population Health Research Institute, pointed out a clear contradiction in the data, telling Runner’s World:9
I interviewed Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of “Doctoring Data: How to Sort Out Medical Advice From Medical Nonsense,” right after the study was published and he echoed Mente’s concerns above. Below is a slice of my upcoming interview with him. Zoe Harcombe, who has a Ph.D., in public health nutrition, went a step further, listing no less than 10 different problems, including the following:10,11
Several Studies Have Confirmed Eggs Are Good for Your HeartIt’s also worth noting that several meta-analyses have refuted the claim that egg consumption raises your risk for CVD. Among them:
Eggs Are an Important Part of a Healthy DietInstead of focusing on the faulty science that made you worry unnecessarily about consuming too much cholesterol, there are numerous reasons to go ahead and enjoy them. They're loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals, including selenium, vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B7 (biotin) and B12, high-quality protein, iodine, vitamin D, zinc, omega-3 fats and more.15 Eggs are also an important source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants known to play a role in healthy vision and the prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration. Egg Yolks Are the Highest Source of Dietary CholineImportantly, eggs are one of the best sources of choline available. Choline was officially recognized as an essential nutrient by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1998. Egg yolks are the most concentrated source of choline in the American diet, providing 680 milligrams per 100 grams.16 Choline helps keep your cell membranes functioning properly, plays a role in nerve communications and prevents the buildup of homocysteine in your blood, which is good because elevated levels are linked to heart disease. Choline also helps reduce chronic inflammation. This vital nutrient is also prized because it enables your body to make the brain chemical acetylcholine, which is involved in storing memories. In pregnant women, choline helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida, while also playing a role in your baby’s brain development. According to a study17 published in the journal Nutrients, only 8 percent of U.S. adults are getting enough choline — including only 8.5 percent of pregnant women. Among egg consumers, however, more than 57 percent meet the adequate intake levels for choline. Based on the outcomes, the study authors concluded that “it is extremely difficult to achieve the adequate intake for choline without consuming eggs or taking a dietary supplement.”18 Some of the symptoms associated with low choline levels include lethargy, memory problems and persistent brain fog. Because your body can only synthesize small amounts of this nutrient, you must get it from your diet on a regular basis. Choline and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)The two major fates for choline are to be phosphorylated and used to make phospholipids, or to be oxidized and used as a donor of methyl-groups. An especially important choline metabolite in the liver is phosphatidylcholine, which is necessary for the packaging and export of triglycerides in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). It has only recently been appreciated that you need choline to help remove triglycerides from your liver. So if you have insulin resistance from a poor diet and high triglycerides it will be vital to make sure that you increase your choline intake or you will radically increase your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This is largely related to its role in phosphatidyl choline and transporting fats out of your liver.19 If you have normal triglycerides, choline augmentation is not as important for NAFLD but still plays a vital role in the other benefits described in the previous section. Also choline is an important part of the mitochondrial membrane and mitochondrial dysfunction is a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.20 Choline deficiency likely plays a major role in NAFLD because it disturbs mitochondrial bioenergetics21 and fatty acid oxidation.22 Not All Eggs Are Created EqualWhen it comes to eggs, quality is important. Most of the eggs you find at your local grocery store come from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which are known to be hotbeds for Salmonella infection.23 Eggs can become contaminated while they are being formed if the Salmonella bacteria exist inside a chicken’s ovaries. As noted in the report,24,25 “Food Safety and Cage Egg Production” by the Humane Society, published in 2011, “All 16 scientific studies published in the last five years comparing Salmonella contamination between caged and cage-free operations found that those confining hens in cages had higher rates of Salmonella, the leading cause of food poisoning-related death in the United States.” Today, we also have antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella to contend with, which makes potential contamination even more worrisome. While there’s no way to guarantee 100 percent safety at all times, the benefits of free-range poultry are becoming more well-recognized, and reduced disease risk is definitely part of that benefits package. Unfortunately, loopholes abound, allowing CAFO-raised chickens and eggs to masquerade as “free-range” and “organic.” It’s worth noting that “cage-free” still does not mean the chickens were raised under ideal conditions. They’re not raised in cages, but they may still not have access to the outdoors, and the organic label simply means the hens have been raised on organic feed. It is not an indication that they’ve been humanely or sustainably raised. So, there are still significant differences even between “cage-free” and “free-range” (or “pastured”) eggs. With so many loopholes and lack of transparency, it can be very confusing to sort through it all. The Cornucopia Institute addresses these issues in its egg report and organic egg brand scorecard, which ranks 136 egg producers according to 28 organic criteria. As noted by Mark A. Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute’s co-director and senior farm policy analyst, “The organic egg scorecard enables concerned consumers to select authentic brands delivering the very best quality eggs regardless of the hyperbole on the label.” Best Certifications to Look for When Buying Milk, Meat and ProduceOn a final side note, organic misdirection and outright fraud are also rampant in dairy and meat production, and dedicated organic leaders have struggled to come up with newer, stricter rules for true organics. At present, two of the absolute best certifications are the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification26 and the Demeter certification,27 which is biodynamic certification that goes far beyond mere organics. The AGA certification covers meat and dairy from animals raised on a diet of 100 percent forage. The animals are never confined to a feedlot; never treated with antibiotics or hormones; and are born and raised on American family farms. These two certifications presently offer the absolute best assurances that the food you buy has been sustainably produced, without toxic chemicals or inhumane treatments. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/15/health-benefits-of-eggs.aspx According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology,1 8.3% of children in the U.S. had asthma in 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics2 suggest approximately 1 in every 12 people have asthma, including adults. Boys have a slightly greater risk than girls.3 The cost of asthma in children aged 5 to 17 included 13.8 million days of school lost and a median cost of $983 per year. Children younger than 4 years were less likely to have asthma, but when they had an attack they were more likely to require emergency care. The economic burden of asthma, including medical cost, lost work and school days and mortality was $81.9 billion in 2013 — the latest year available for these statistics — for children and adults combined.4 The annual per person cost was $3,728. Your life depends on the air you breathe, and the quality affects your respiratory system and overall health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 92 percent of the world breathe polluted air.5 Nearly 7 million premature deaths are attributed to air pollution each year.6 A recent six-month study of children from Baltimore City has now found evidence linking diet and exposure to air pollution to asthma symptoms.7 Higher Omega-3 Fat Intake Associated With Fewer Asthma SymptomsIn this study, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine8 gathered data from 135 children, aged 5 to 12, diagnosed with asthma. Roughly one-third of the children had mild symptoms of asthma, one-third had moderate and one-third had severe symptoms. The researchers used the definition of asthma severity based on the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines,9 which defines severity based on symptoms, inhaler use and forced expiratory volume, or how well the lungs forces air out. The study10 gathered evidence through questionnaires, compiling data on diet, symptoms and inhaler use reported by the participants and the caregivers.11 Surveys were taken for one week at the time of enrollment, at 3 months and 6 months into the study. Participants also had blood samples drawn at those times to assess changes in inflammatory markers, and equipment was left in the home to measure air quality. The equipment measured particulate matter (PM) of 10 micrometers (PM10) and those measuring 2.5 micrometers and smaller (PM2.5). The children lived in Baltimore City, where previous research had demonstrated air quality often exceeded acceptable standards for outdoor air pollution set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).12 Measurements in the participants home found PM2.5 measured 26.8 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3). The EPA standard for outdoor air is 12 mcg/m3. The average concentration for PM10 was 39 mcg/m3. Additionally, dietary analysis revealed that each additional gram of omega-6 intake was associated with a 29% increased risk of moving into a more severe asthma category. Pollution Triggered Increased Inflammation With High Intake of Omega-6Every increment of 10 mcg/m3 of PM2.5 the children were exposed to also increased the risk of daytime asthma symptoms by 2%. Essentially, the researchers found higher levels of omega-6 in the diet were associated with an increased percentage of neutrophils being generated in response to pollution.13 Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell linked with inflammation. Dr. Emily Brigham, pulmonologist from Johns Hopkins University, was lead author of the study. She points out that while the role of omega-6 is complicated, some metabolic by-products, such as leukotrienes,14 are known to be responsible for the inflammatory response in children suffering from asthma.15 Conversely, children who had a higher intake of omega-3 had a lower response to indoor particulate matter and seemed to be more resilient. The typical American diet is much higher in omega-6 fats than omega-3, which was also true in every child participating in the Baltimore City study.16 This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting dietary intake has an influence on your body's response to air pollution. For example, a recent study published in the American Heart Association Journal Circulation, found:17
Another study18 found supplementation with antioxidants helped modulate the impact of air pollution exposure on small airways in children who already had a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe asthma. In yet another recent double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study19 involving adults, researchers assessed the effect of daily vitamin E supplementation for 14 days on the inflammatory features of asthma. Compared to placebo, vitamin E resulted in a greater reduction of asthma features. What Is Asthma?According to the Mayo Clinic, asthma is a condition during which your airways swell, narrow and produce extra mucus. This makes breathing difficult and often triggers coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Symptoms may vary from person to person, as well as frequency of the attack and severity of the symptoms.20 Many sufferers are able to identify triggers, or the environmental factors increasing the risk of experiencing a flare-up.21 Common triggers include environmental irritants such as chemical fumes, gases, dust or perfumes, and airborne substances such as pollen, mold and dried saliva shed by pets. Others may experience more symptoms when exercising in cold dry air. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that may affect all ages, but usually starts during childhood.22 In some cases, the symptoms are mild and will go away on their own or after minimal treatment. In other cases, during an attack or flare up, you may need additional treatment in an emergency care setting. Diagnosis is made on your medical history, physical examination and some test results, including measurements of how much air you breathe in and out and testing to measure how your airways react during exposure to physical activity or cold air. If your physician suspects your asthma is related to allergies, they may recommend allergy testing.23 A chest X-ray or EKG may be ordered if your physician suspects a foreign object or another health condition may be triggering symptoms. Although the condition is chronic and is manageable, it may also be serious and life-threatening during a severe attack.24 Indoor Air Pollution Related to Asthma Symptoms and MoreChildren are exposed to polluted air inside and out. According to WHO,25 98% of children in low- and middle-income countries under age 5 are exposed to PM2.5 pollution at levels higher than WHO air quality guidelines. Children are most vulnerable as their bodies are developing, placing them at risk from inflammation and other health damage from pollutants. They also have a longer life expectancy, giving more time for diseases to emerge. From an analysis of studies published in the last 10 years, and the input from dozens of experts, the WHO lists some of the top health risks pollution poses to children,26 including infant mortality, childhood obesity, impaired lung development and function, childhood cancers and adverse birth outcomes. In addition to short-term symptoms with exposure to indoor air pollution, including27 worsening asthma, headaches, dizziness and fatigue, chronic exposure may result in serious health conditions, including:28,29,30
Importance of Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats to Overall HealthOmega-3s are polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) your body is unable to manufacture, hence you must obtain them from your food. They are used in a wide variety of bodily functions, including proper cell division and function of cell receptors, muscle activity, cognition and heart health. Importantly, the marine-based omega-3 fats docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) — two long-chained PUFAs found in fatty fish and krill oil — are actually cellular components, which make them crucial for optimal functioning of cells and mitochondria. These are not available in plant based foods. DHA is particularly important for your brain, as about 90% of the fat in your brain is DHA,36 while EPA appears to be of particular importance for heart health.37 Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) once again highlights the importance of your omega-3 level to your heart health and overall well-being. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology,38 looked at the value of measuring blood levels of EPA and DHA to assess your risk for developing certain diseases. The data revealed a higher omega-3 index was associated with a lower risk for:
However, as demonstrated in the featured study, the balance of a standard American diet leans heavily toward omega-6 fat found in vegetable oils. Processed foods — everything from French fries to frozen meals and salad dressings to snack foods — are generally loaded with omega-6, due to the vegetable oils used to make them. Science supports the need for a correct balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats to be your healthiest. Most consume far too many omega-6 fats, which tend to trigger inflammation when consumed in excess. Ideally, you want to maintain a 4-to-1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fats or less, which is nearly impossible if you're regularly eating processed foods or restaurant fare. Protect Your Health With Cleaner AirSome of the most common pollutants and toxic particles found in your home may be released from building materials, cleaning products and your furniture. For instance, formaldehyde may be used in the production of wood products, mattresses, nail polish, and glue and adhesives. Phthalates, linked to significant health problems, are off-gassed from vinyl floors, food packaging, shower curtains and wall coverings. Flame retardant chemicals, such as PCBs, are found in foam cushions, carpeting, children's items and electronics. Regardless of where you live, you'll likely benefit from addressing indoor air quality. Not only will you reduce the risk of developing chronic health conditions, research shows improving air quality may also benefit your mental health by reducing psychological stress.39 Modern buildings are also more airtight, for energy efficiency purposes, and need to be properly ventilated to prevent or reduce the buildup of indoor air pollution.40 You'll find a list of cost-effective and simple strategies to help significantly reduce your health care costs in the long run in my previous article, "Reduce Indoor Air Pollution." Safely Increase Your Intake of Omega-3 FatAnimal-based omega-3s are your best source for this essential fat. There are three strategies to get more of it into your daily diet. However, each has advantages and disadvantages. • Fish -- Small, cold-water, fatty fish such as anchovies and sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 with a low risk of hazardous contamination. Wild Alaskan salmon is another good source low in mercury and other environmental toxins. Because much of the fish supply is heavily tainted with industrial toxins and pollutants, including heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and radioactive poisons, it is extremely important to be selective, choosing fish high in healthy fats and low in contaminants. • Fish oil -- While fish oil may appear to be a convenient and relatively inexpensive way to increase your intake of omega-3 fats on the surface, it typically delivers insufficient antioxidant support. It is also highly prone to oxidation, leading to the formation of harmful free radicals. • Krill oil -- Krill oil is my preferred choice as an omega-3 supplement as it contains the indispensable animal-based DHA and EPA omega-3s your body needs in a form less prone to oxidation. With the help of phospholipids, the nutrients in krill oil are carried directly to your cell membranes where they are more readily absorbed. Additionally, they may cross your blood-brain barrier to reach important brain structures. While you may be tempted to seek your omega-3 fats from the following sources, mainly because they are readily available and perhaps less costly than the sources mentioned above, I strongly advise you avoid:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/15/is-omega-3-good-for-asthma.aspx 1 Which of the following mimics the effects of bilirubin, which has been linked to improved weight control and a lower risk of diabetes?
2 Civil liberties protected under the U.S. Constitution include:
3 Three of the following are signs of possible opioid addiction; which one is not?
4 When intermittently fasting, the following is a crucial component:
5 The green pigment found in wheatgrass that is responsible for some of its health benefits, such as helping improve red blood cell function and fight pathogenic yeast, is:
6 Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) have been scientifically shown to:
7 The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) controls autophagy and plays an important role in aging and cancer. Which of the following activate mTOR — thereby speeding up the aging process and raising your risk of chronic disease — to the greatest degree?
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/15/week-74-health-quiz.aspx The fabled "fountain of youth" wasn't just an intriguing physical location sought after by ancient explorers, but a concept that has captured the imaginations of ordinary mortals since the dawn of time. Some have pursued every avenue they could think of to help them live longer. But like so many things in life, scientists found that a little healthy competition is all that's needed — cell competition, that is. Scientists in Japan recently discovered a protein called COL17A1 that encourages cell competition by driving out weak cells and revitalizing stronger cells toward replication and, in the process, maintaining tissue fitness. Aging and other stressors, such as excess ultraviolet radiation and damaging free radicals, take a toll on your skin, and so does steadily depleting COL17A1, as it replicates weaker cells, not stronger ones. The inevitable results: skin that is thinner, more prone to damage and takes longer to heal. The research involved the use of mice tails because of their similarity to human skin.1 Emi Nishimura, a professor at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University's stem cell biology department and leader of the featured study, noted that "Damaged or stressed stem cells can be selectively eliminated by intact stem cells every day in our skin." How COL17A1 'Rescues' Aging SkinWhen the researchers learned how important COL17A1 is in maintaining skin resilience, they set about investigating the possibility of stimulating it once it was depleted. They looked for compounds with the ability to "kick-start" the antiaging process and identified two chemical compounds: Both Y27632 and apocynin proved to produce positive results on skin cells, pointing to ways of "facilitating skin regeneration and reducing skin aging." The two compounds "significantly promoted" repair and regeneration even to deep-tissue skin wounds, and it was done two ways, according to the study, published in the journal Nature.2 As the study authors observed:
How Y27632 and Apocynin 'Kick-Start' AntiagingWhen two professors from the University of Colorado reviewed the Tokyo study, they reported that fruit flies had been the only subjects ever closely scrutinized in regard to cell competition. Ganna Bilousova and James DeGregori wrote that the research conducted by Nishimura and her colleagues could be considered "proof of principle" in regard to the ability of Y27632 and apocynin to fight aging. They also noted that the research "Provides evidence that healthy cells in mammals can also efficiently repopulate adult tissues, replacing unfit or damaged cells."4 While conceding that more studies would be required to nail down the mechanisms responsible for cell competition in other tissues, Nishimura told news agency AFP5 they also hoped to identify compounds capable of performing the same antiaging functions in other organs. She added, "We are working on other epithelial organs as well to find out (whether) similar competition may underlie long-term tissue maintenance as well as organ ageing."6 She also noted the study team's hope that the research would lead to the development of tablets, creams and other products that could halt the deterioration of and promote the repair of skin cells, and that they could "collaborate with pharmaceutical or cosmetic companies for the clinical use of the chemicals."7 According to a Mediators of Inflammation study published in 2008:
In explanation, neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cells that help your body respond to infection and heal damaged tissue.9 Macrophages "act as antimicrobial warriors" that "play critical roles in immune regulation and wound healing."10 Phagocytosis is described as a complex process for the ingestion and elimination of pathogens, and fundamental for tissue homeostasis.11 Apocynin: What It Is and What It DoesPerhaps a simpler way of characterizing apocynin is to explore where it's found. The 2008 inflammation study12 notes that it was first described in an investigation conducted in 1883 when the compound was isolated from the roots of Canadian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) and used to treat dropsy and heart problems. It was also found in the root of Picrorhiza kurroa, a plant with the faint odor of vanilla, native to India, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan and common in Ayurvedic treatments. In India and Sri Lanka, extracts were used "for the treatment of ailments of liver, heart, joints, and lungs."13 A 2014 study14 shows that the "small phenolic antioxidant" known as apocynin and extracted from the Jatropha multifida plant, also known as Guatemala rhubarb or coral plant, grown from Mexico to Central America to Brazil, was shown to have potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers also found apocynin to be one of five volatile vanilla flavor compounds in the vanilla bean, aka Vanilla planifolia.15 Another study suggested its cancer-fighting potential:
Besides its advantageous effects on fighting inflammation and free radical scavenging, apocynin has a history of successful treatment of a long list of ailments, including:
A 2014 study notes that "the perspectives for apocynin in chronic neurodegenerative disorders," suggests a "potentially beneficial role" in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease,24 Alzheimer's25 and Parkinson's disease.26 Although mouse models were the usual subjects in experimentation, the researchers are hopeful that apocynin will prove just as effective in human patients. Other Beneficial Functions of ApocyninArguably the most important aspect of apocynin is its role in fighting inflammation, and the above study notes that it's been demonstrated in a variety of cell and animal models. Apocynin also "inhibits the assembly of NADPH-oxidase that is responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production."27 The 2008 study explains NADPH-oxidase as the enzyme responsible for ROS production, so suppressing it is often the goal in disease prevention therapies. When antioxidants are in place or introduced, oxidative stress is diminished. Your body produces an "armory of antioxidants to defend itself," which nonetheless are sometimes insufficient to effectively defend against ROS. ROS damages your cells as well as your DNA, which is part of the reason your body begins showing signs of aging. To a large degree, how well your mitochondria work is determined by your diet, optimally a ketogenic diet (in which you replace carbs with moderate amounts of high-quality protein and high amounts of beneficial fat). However, the featured study notes that it's the excessive production of ROS that becomes damaging, and that's how it's been implicated in the progression of many diseases. It's also why apocynin is noted as a potential treatment for many of them. A Mediators of Inflammation review concluded that apocynin, besides its lack of known side effects, deserves further attention in the development of "safe and selective anti-inflammatory drugs which lack the often serious side effects of steroids."28 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/15/why-apocynin-regenerates-skin.aspx Diverticulitis and other forms of diverticular disease are often described as a Western disease, as Western low-fiber diets contribute to these diseases.1 This is not surprising, as the rates of diverticular illnesses are noticeably high in European and North American countries, as well as Australia, but low in Asian and African countries.2 But what exactly causes diverticulitis, and why is it such a prevalent condition today? It’s All in the Colon: How Diverticulosis BeginsTo know more about how diverticulitis forms, you must first become familiar with the colon — the area where this disorder occurs. The colon is the part of your large intestine responsible for eliminating waste from your body.3 As you age, the walls of the colon and the large intestines weaken. When too much pressure, such as from passing hard stools or straining during bowel movements, is placed on your colon, pouches called diverticula protrude from the intestinal walls. This is called diverticulosis.4 By age 50, at least 50% of people in industrialized countries are believed to have diverticulosis, while 70% are likely to have it when they reach 80 years old.5 Diverticulosis is usually harmless. The sacs can exist in your system without exhibiting any symptoms at all. Sometimes, only very mild symptoms are felt. However, when the diverticula become infected with bacteria from fecal matter, diverticulosis becomes diverticulitis — an entirely different medical condition.6 Diverticulitis Can Be a Painful Condition — and the Rates Are IncreasingDiverticulitis comes with discomfort and hallmark symptoms, including abdominal pain and tenderness, constipation, cramping, bloating and, in some cases, rectal bleeding — this occurs when a blood vessel near a diverticulum bursts. If not addressed or treated, diverticulitis can lead to complications.7,8 While still less common than diverticulosis, it cannot be denied that the incidence of diverticulitis is steadily rising. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that it has become more common in the U.S. from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, with rates increasing as much as 50%.9 What’s more, cases of young people getting diverticulosis and diverticulitis are also increasing. People as young as 20 years old are now reporting symptoms of diverticulitis.10 Since these patients are often obese, this confirms that there is a likely link between obesity and diverticulitis.11 There is also a link between diverticulitis and low-fiber intake.12,13 People in Western countries, where diverticular disease is more prominent, consume a diet that’s mostly composed of low-fiber foods and processed products. If this trend doesn’t stop, then cases of diverticulitis most likely will increase. In fact, a report published in Gastroenterology and reviewed in The New England Journal of Medicine says that the cost of gastrointestinal diseases in the U.S. has now grown to $136 billion a year, surpassing the costs of heart disease, trauma or mental health.14 Check Out These Pages for Helpful Information on DiverticulitisThe good news is there is a way for you to reduce your risk of diverticulitis, and all diverticular diseases in general. And, if you already have diverticulitis, there are ways to control the symptoms and reduce your risk of flare-ups. Read these articles and educate yourself on diverticulitis — its symptoms, risk factors, causes and recommended diet for people afflicted with this ailment. You can also get reliable prevention tips and methods on how you can control the flare-ups. Diverticulitis can be a painful and uncomfortable condition, but with the proper knowledge, you might be able to spare yourself from this illness. MORE ABOUT DIVERTICULITIS Next >from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/14/xdjm18-diverticulitis.aspx |
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