FDA Keeps Americans In The Dark On Health Benefits Of Walnuts
January 27, 2012
Activist Post
By Rady Ananda
Americans are being kept in the dark about a natural cure for prostate cancer and osteoporosis by none other than the US Food and Drug Administration.
More scientific evidence confirms that walnuts have some amazing properties: not only did they reduce tumor size in mice, but they also lowered LDL, the “bad” kind of cholesterol that leads to heart disease, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition last week.
“If additional research determines that walnuts have the same effect in men as they do in mice, adhering to a diet that excludes walnuts to lower fat would mean that prostate cancer patients could miss out on the beneficial effects of walnuts,” said lead researcher Paul Davis.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. One in six men will be diagnosed with it, but only one in 36 will die from the disease because most tumors do not spread beyond the local site, according to the National Cancer Institute.
“These characteristics of prostate cancer make adding walnuts to a diet attractive as part of prostate cancer prevention,” Davis added.
Walnuts have also been shown to reduce bone loss, a serious issue especially for post-menopausal women. But food packages cannot contain such information per the FDA.
Heart disease is a growing problem for the elderly. Because walnuts have a high level of linoleic and linolenic acid, they reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing LDL-cholesterol and increasing HDL-cholesterol, research has shown several times, even as far back as 1993.
Adding further support to the benefits of a whole food diet, the 2012 study also led researchers to conclude, “The walnut diet’s beneficial effects probably represent the effects of whole walnuts’ multiple constituents and not via a specific fatty acid or tocopherols.”
The California Walnut Board funded the research, and is also funding a follow-up mouse study (co-funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research), to validate the findings and explore possible reasons for the beneficial effects of walnuts.
Click here for the full report from the Activist Post.
Bill Gates, Monsanto Investor, Believes GMOs Are Necessary
January 27, 2012
Activist Post
By Anthony Gucciardi
Bill Gates, the heavy Monsanto investor who purchased 500,000 shares of the biotech giant in 2010, has been touting Monsanto’s genetically modified creations as a tool that is necessary to prevent starvation in poor nations. The same poor nations where thousands of farmers routinely commit suicide after being completely bankrupt by Monsanto’s overpriced and ineffective GM seeds.
The same company that we recently exposed to be running ‘slave-like’ working conditions, forcing poor workers to operate the corn fields for 14 hours per day while withholding pay.
According to Gates, this is the company whose GMO crops are going to save the world from starvation. Of course, along with ‘saving the world from starvation’, GMO crops also bring along a large number of unwanted health and environmental effects.
A prominent review of 19 studies examining the safety of these crops found that consumption of GMO corn or soybeans can lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice – particularly in the liver and kidneys.
What’s more is that Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide, Roundup, has been completely devastating farmlands for years through the creation of resistant superweeds. Experts estimate Roundup usage to result in the destruction of over at least 120 million hectares of farmland thanks to these superweeds.
Click here for the full report from the Activist Post.
Raw Milk Vending Machines Growing In Popularity Across Europe
January 27, 2012
Natural News
By Ethan A. Huff
“Apparently people are still drinking raw milk and nobody is getting sick!” –KTRN
While American health authorities continue to peddle unfounded superstition about the so-called dangers of raw milk, which has spawned authoritarian policies that prevent millions of Americans from freely accessing it, unpasteurized dairy is all the rage throughout Europe. And one Polish manufacturer of raw milk vending machines explained to The Bovine in a recent interview that the installation of such machines is rapidly spreading both in Poland and across Europe.
They are something you will not find in the US — at least not yet — but that are set to expand from 150 machines to 1,000 or more in the coming years, just in the country of Poland, according to Konrad Pszowski, owner of MILKMAT SC, a popular manufacturer of high-quality raw milk vending machines. Such machines are a great way for local farmers to distribute fresh milk to customers in large cities or other areas far away from dairies.
“I think that in European countries there is big knowledge about raw milk,” Pszowski is quoted as saying to The Bovine. “People know what products they can make out of this milk. They know how to produce house cheese, sour milk, butter … In my opinion interest in it will grow all over the world. Especially that we are more aware of [...] what we eat.”
Be sure to read Pszowski’s full interview with The Bovine here:
http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/raw-milk-in-poland-interview-with-a-polish-raw-milk-vending-machine-maker/
No matter how they choose to use it, Europeans are free to decide for themselves whether or not to consume raw milk and raw milk dairy products, and raw milk vending machines just make it easier and more convenient for them to do so. And because the milk is routinely inspected for quality and proper sanitation, it is safe for human consumption
Click here for the full report.
7 Health Benefits Of Meditation
January 27, 2012
Food Matters
by Anastasia Stephens, SMH
It’s a piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us.
Now the hard science has caught up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ”disease-fighting genes” were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation.
In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call ”the relaxation effect”, a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects. ”We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group,” Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research, says. The good news for the control group with the less-healthy genes is that the research didn’t stop there.
The experiment, which showed just how responsive genes are to behaviour, mood and environment, revealed that genes can switch on, just as easily as they switch off. ”Harvard researchers asked the control group to start practising relaxation methods every day,” says Jake Toby, hypnotherapist at London’s BodyMind Medicine Centre, who teaches clients how to induce the relaxation effect. ”After two months, their bodies began to change: the genes that help fight inflammation, kill diseased cells and protect the body from cancer all began to switch on.”
More encouraging still, the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice: the more people practised relaxation methods such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger immunity, healthier hormone levels and lower blood pressure. Benson believes the research is pivotal because it shows how a person’s state of mind affects the body on a physical and genetic level. It might also explain why relaxation induced by meditation or repetitive mantras is considered to be a powerful remedy in traditions such as Ayurveda in India or Tibetan medicine.
Click here for the full report.
Foods To Help You Fight Stress
January 27, 2012
Food Matters
By Louise Atkinson, DailyMail
“Food is medicine!” –KTRN
The Christmas holidays may have been full of cheer, but there’s no doubt that the effort and expense involved can leave our stress levels sky high. We all react to it in different ways, but there is mounting evidence that one of the most insidious side-effects of chronic stress is an infuriating inability to lose weight.
And the way your body deals with stress could provide the clues that can help you become calmer and slimmer, explains nutritional therapist and TV diet expert Charlotte Watts, who has written a ground-breaking book on the issue. Perhaps you are someone who collapses in a tearful heap. Or maybe you fret over endless lists, while others go down with every passing cough and cold.
Not only does feeling stressed and tired cause us to look for an instant energy fix (often found in high-calorie or high carbohydrate foods) but it also makes any excess weight we are carrying harder to lose. Excess stress hormones in the body encourage fat storage, especially that hard-to-shift type around the middle. Most diets are doomed to fail if you are stressed. But eating and lifestyle changes can tackle how you react to stress, according to the new book The De-stress Diet.
Take the quiz below to pinpoint your stress type. If you answer yes to three or more questions in any section, that could be your problem. Just follow the expert advice for a slimmer, calmer, healthier 2012. Extracted from The De-stress Diet by Charlotte Watts and Anna Magee, published by Hay House.
Click here for the full report.
Toxic Chemical Formaldehyde Found In Common Personal Care Products
January 27, 2012
Natural News
By Danna Norak
“As much as you try, it’s nearly impossible to not consume some type of toxin and here is a perfect example how we are all bombarded with garbage every day.” –KTRN
Formaldehyde is one of the most toxic chemicals that can invade the human body. It is a known carcinogen and tissue irritant. Yet the chemical is still allowed in “safe” concentrations in certain products we touch, put on our skin or hair, and inhale every day.
Formaldehyde is used for a variety of industrial purposes, but most of us know it as the funky smelling liquid that preserved the dissection subjects in biology class. Long term preservation is just one of its functions. It serves as a disinfectant, embalming agent, chemical preservative, and solvent.
Formaldehyde in the air we breathe
Breathing formaldehyde is likely our biggest risk of exposure to this toxic chemical. That new car smell that everyone seems to love is largely due to the formaldehyde content in the materials that comprise the interior of the vehicle.
Formaldehyde is also used heavily in the construction industry. Unless you are purchasing or building a “green” home you likely are being exposed to formaldehyde fumes years after a home is first built. This is due to the heavy industrial use of the chemical in treating wood used in foundations, plywood, particle board, and other common materials that make up a home and its furnishings.
Cigarette smoke gives off fumes of the chemical also. Formaldehyde is often a by-product of the chemicals and tobaccos used in cigarette making when burned. Exhaust fumes from cars also contain the chemical. New carpet, paint, certain types of glue used in home building and other adhesives, putties and structural materials contain the chemical as well. The fumes are at their worst for the first five years and tend to lessen in concentration over time.
Formaldehyde, as well as a host of other chemicals, give new homes the smell of “newness”. Anyone particularly sensitive to chemicals may experience headaches, itchy or swollen eyes, nasal and throat irritation and other discomforts until the fumes dissipate with time. It has also been linked to pulmonary dysfunction and asthma.
Many of the hair treatments on the market today contain the chemical. Hair stylists who often work with permanent hair straightening or curling treatments are heavily exposed to varying levels of formaldehyde fumes. Stylists have reported symptoms such as bloody noses, difficulty breathing, throat and eye irritation and headaches when working in close contact with the chemical.
Click here for the full report.
Working Long Hours Doubles Depression Odds
January 26, 2012
By Matt McMillen
Health.com
Working long hours appears to substantially increase a person’s risk of becoming depressed, regardless of how stressful the actual work is, a new study suggests.
The study, which followed 2,123 British civil servants for six years, found that workers who put in an average of at least 11 hours per day at the office had roughly two and a half times higher odds of developing depression than their colleagues who clocked out after seven or eight hours.
The link between long workdays and depression persisted even after the researchers took into account factors such as job strain, the level of support in the workplace, alcohol use, smoking, and chronic physical diseases.
Although the findings are “consistent with previous studies, the degree of increased risk was surprising,” says Bryan Bruno, M.D., chair of the psychiatry department at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, who was not involved in the research. “The biggest condition that I work with is depression, and it is often related to work stressors.”
Girl Collapses after 15 year McNugget Diet
26th January 2012
Julian Gavaghan
MailOnline
A teenage girl who has eaten almost nothing else apart from chicken nuggets for 15 years has been warned by doctors that the junk food is killing her.
Stacey Irvine, 17, has been hooked on the treats since her mother bought her some at a McDonald’s restaurant when she was two.
Shocked doctors learned of her habit when the factory worker, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, collapsed and was taken to hospital after struggling to breathe.
Miss Irvine, who has never eaten fruit or vegetables, had swollen veins in her tongue and was found to have anaemia.
Medics gave her a series of injections and started her on an urgent course of vitamins.
But, despite being warned that she could die if she sticks to her nugget addiction, she still can’t resist the fast food.
Favourite restaurant: Miss Irvine outside her local McDonald’s in Birmingham
Miss Irvine, who prefers McDonald’s treats but also enjoys KFC’s, told The Sun: ‘I am starting to realise this is really bad for me.’
One of her favourite pastimes is sharing 20 nuggets and a portion of fries with her boyfriend.
Yet, despite a diet that regularly means she eats at least a third more than the 56g of fat recommended by experts, she manages to keep relatively trim.
Can Tablets Give You A Pain In The Neck?
January 25, 2012
AFP
Users of tablet computers should place their device on the table and tilt its screen, rather than have it flat on their lap, to avoid potentially painful hunching of the neck, a study suggested Wednesday.
“Tablet users may be at high risk to develop neck discomfort based on current behaviours and tablet designs,” it warned.
A team led by environmental health researcher Jack Dennerlein of the Harvard School of Public Health asked seven men and eight women who were experienced tablet users to carry out tasks on an iPad2 and a Motorola Xoom.
Using a motion-analysis system, the team filmed the 15 volunteers as they worked on the tablet in four common configurations.
In the first position the tablet was not placed in its proprietary case but held on the lap in one hand while the other was used to touch the screen.
In the second the tablet was placed on the lap, but stayed in its case. The user worked with both hands on the screen.
In the third, the tablet was set up in its case on a table, with its screen set at a lower angle, and the user worked with both hands.
The last configuration, dubbed “table-movie,” entailed placing the tablet on the table in its case, tilted at a higher angle. The user did not work on the screen and instead watched movies or other programming on it.
The experiments showed the angle of the head and neck varied hugely across the four configurations and between the iPad and the Xoom.
Chemicals Found in Microwave Popcorn Bags May Interfere With Vaccine Protection
January 25, 2012
By Ryan Jaslow
CBS News
Can microwave popcorn mess with childhood vaccinations? The two may seem completely unrelated, but a new study suggests chemicals that are widely used for making popcorn bags and lots of other products may counter the immune system benefits from vaccines in kids.
The chemicals in question are called perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). The compounds are found in household items such as food packaging, stain repellents, and non-stick coating in pots and pans. The compounds don’t break down easily and are often found in the environment and wildlife. Previous studies in mice found that high PFC concentrations could be toxic for a mouse’s bloodstream and immune system.
How about in humans? To find out, Harvard researchers investigated whether high PFC levels would interfere with children’s antibody responses to diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. The researchers chose 656 children who lived in the Faroe Islands (located between Iceland and Scotland) to gauge the impact of PFCs, because previous research suggests people who eat lots of marine foods have higher exposure to PFCs.
