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Published on Leave a comment on Areas of High Pesticide Use and Cancer Rates

People assume that if a pesticide is allowed to be used, than it must be safe. Wrong! Pesticides are registered with the government precisely because they are dangerous.

We are not exposed to just one pesticide at a time, but mixtures of pesticides - for example, in the foods we eat, our yards, our homes, our water, and even our air (from drift). The big question is: What (if anything) are these pesticide mixtures doing to us?

A recent study conducted in Peru set out to answer the question regarding exposure to pesticide mixtures. They compared heavily agricultural areas (lots of pesticides applied) and non-agricultural areas throughout the country. 31 pesticides were looked at, and yet none of these are considered cancer-causing (according to the World Health Organization).

They researchers found up to 150% higher incidence of cancers in the regions with higher environmental pesticide exposure. There were cancer "hot-spots" in the country, and different cancers depending on the pesticide mixtures people are predominantly exposed to.

By the way, finding increased cancers in both adults and children in heavy pesticide use areas (generally agricultural areas), is also found in other studies. The people exposed to the most are farmworkers, their families, and anyone living near farms. But also anyone with pets (e.g., flea treatments), and anyone having pesticide treatments in their homes or in their yards. People also ingest pesticides/pesticide residues from the foods they eat.

From Science Daily: Pesticide exposure linked to 150% higher cancer risk in major study

A major new study published in Nature Health has found a strong connection between environmental exposure to agricultural pesticides and an increased risk of cancer. By combining environmental monitoring, national cancer registry data, and biological research, scientists from the IRD, Institut Pasteur, University of Toulouse, and the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (INEN) in Peru provide new insight into how pesticide exposure may contribute to the development of certain cancers. ...continue reading "Areas of High Pesticide Use and Cancer Rates"

Published on Leave a comment on Study Finds That A Common Infant Procedure is Unnecessary
Breastfeeding
Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Anton Nosik

For a while now mothers having trouble breastfeeding their infants have been blaming it on the infants having "tongue-tie"(upper lip frenulum). This then results in the infant having to go through a procedure of cutting the upper lip frenulum (located in the mouth).

A new study found that the procedure is usually unnecessary, and that the breastfeeding troubles instead seem to stem from the mother's inexperience with breastfeeding.

The researchers studied 264 mother-infant pairs and found no association between the anatomical characteristics of the upper lip frenulum and breastfeeding problems. What was more important was whether the mother had prior breastfeeding experience. Also, the researchers found that true tongue-tie is rare.

Other studies also find that true tongue-tie is rare. Decades ago the problem of tongue-tie was almost unheard of, yet nowadays it seems to be commonly blamed for any and all breastfeeding difficulties. Instead, the researchers suggest that first-time mothers attempting to breast feed their infants should be given support until breast-feeding goes smoothly.

Hopefully there soon will be a reduction in the number of these unnecessary procedures done.

From Medical Xpress: A common newborn procedure faces new scrutiny as evidence undercuts one widely blamed cause of breastfeeding trouble

A joint study by the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital suggests that a newborn's upper lip frenulum is unlikely to be a major cause of breastfeeding difficulties. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, followed 264 mother–infant pairs at Oulu University Hospital between 2023 and 2024. Researchers assessed the anatomy and mobility of the upper lip frenulum in healthy, full-term infants and compared the findings with mothers' reported breastfeeding experiences. ...continue reading "Study Finds That A Common Infant Procedure is Unnecessary"

Published on Leave a comment on The Supplement Glucosamine May Accelerate Dementia

The popular supplement glucosamine has been taken for decades for joint health. However, new research suggests that regular use of the  supplement can increase the risk for developing dementia, specifically increasing the progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

Not only did it accelerate the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease, but it also worsened survival.

Uh oh. It seems that so many supplements start out looking good, but turn out to have a dark side.

From Medical Xpress: A popular joint pain supplement may accelerate dementia

New research has found an association between taking glucosamine, a popular over-the-counter supplement used for joint pain, and a higher likelihood of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The finding by University of Florida neuroscientists is based on a large retrospective analysis of patients' records as well as supporting data from advanced imaging technology used to scan human brain specimens and Alzheimer's disease mouse models. ...continue reading "The Supplement Glucosamine May Accelerate Dementia"

Published on Leave a comment on Cancer Vaccine For Melanoma Looks Very Promising
Melanoma skin cancer Credit: Wikipedia

The skin cancer melanoma is an incredibly deadly cancer if not caught in the early stages. This is why researchers have been studying various types of immunotherapy as a treatment for melanoma - but with inconsistent results (works for some, but not all).

Exciting new research was recently published that found that personalized vaccine plus the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) could be very successful as a melanoma treatment. Using Keytruda alone is current melanoma treatment, but adding the vaccine to Keytruda significantly improved the results.

The researchers found that a personalized vaccine called intismeran, when combined with Keytruda, cut the risk of recurrence and death from melanoma by 49% five years after the original melanoma tumors were removed. The comparison group was patients receiving just Keytruda alone. Key finding: "After five years of follow-up, 68.8% of patients who took the combination therapy remained cancer free while 49.1% of the patients in the pembrolizumab-alone group had no signs of cancer."

The combination treatment also cut the risk of the original cancer metastasizing to distant parts of the body by 59% (this was at the 5 year follow-up). Overall survival for the combination group at the 5 year follow-up was 92.2%, while for Keytruda alone it was 71.3%. Again, a significant difference

Even though this combination treatment was tested on a small group of patients (107 patients), this is a fabulous result! More expanded testing is underway. Stay tuned!

From Medical Xpress: Cancer vaccine sustains 49% melanoma reduction after 5 years

The combination of a vaccine and a drug, which both harness the immune system to attack cancer cells, has proven successful in cutting the risk of skin cancer recurrence and death by 49%, a new study shows. This reduction was calculated five years after patients had their tumors surgically removed and remains unchanged. ...continue reading "Cancer Vaccine For Melanoma Looks Very Promising"

Published on Leave a comment on Farting Is Perfectly Normal
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The topic of farts is rarely discussed in adult conversations. This is because passing gas or farting can be embarrassing to the person farting, especially when occurring in a public setting. One wonders: Is farting (flatulence) normal? How many farts per day is normal?

Research shows that releasing intestinal gas through the rectum (farting) is part of normal and healthy digestion. On the other hand, "excessive farting" could be a sign of some sort of intestinal problem. Two recent studies examined "normal farting" and came up with different results. An Australian study found that overall people reported 5 farts per day using a "Chart your fart" app, but a Maryland study had participants wear special "smart" underwear that measured any passing of gas and came up with 32 farts per day!

From Medscape: Flatus Status: How Many Farts a Day Is Normal?

Researchers Emily Brindal and Danielle Baird developed the “Chart Your Fart” app as a citizen-science initiative.

The app allows people to log their emissions in real time, and to (optionally) rate them in terms of stench, loudness, duration, and — critically — detectability. Which is obviously necessary to determine whether he who smelt it actually dealt it. ...continue reading "Farting Is Perfectly Normal"

Published on Leave a comment on Research Finds Vitamin D3 to Be Beneficial, But Not Vitamin D2

Vitamin D supplements are available in both D2 and D3 form. Research has long supported that it's vitamin D3 that has health benefits, and that vitamin D2 doesn't do anything. Well... a recent study found that vitamin D2 actually has a negative effect - that it lowers how much vitamin D3 the body absorbs.

Ingesting vitamin D2 supplements results in lower levels of vitamin D3 in the blood - measured as  serum vitamin 25(OH)D3 concentrations.  Note that Vitamin D3 is the form of vitamin D synthesized in human and animals skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight. Thus, vitamin D3 is the form of vitamin D that our body naturally produces from sunlight and then use.

All the more reason to avoid vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), and instead only take vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Read the ingredients list on the bottle!

From Science Daily: Scientists warn popular vitamin D supplement may have a “previously unknown” downside

Taking vitamin D2 might lower the body's levels of the more efficient form of vitamin D, vitamin D3, according to new research from the University of Surrey, John Innes Centre and Quadram Institute Bioscience. Many people take vitamin D supplements to support their bone and immune health and meet the UK government recommendation of 10 micrograms (µg) each day, especially during the winter months. ...continue reading "Research Finds Vitamin D3 to Be Beneficial, But Not Vitamin D2"

Published on Leave a comment on New Technique Being Developed For Vision Correction
Human eye Credit: Wikipedia

Scientists are now working on a treatment for vision problems that would avoid the need for lasers or surgery (e.g., LASIK). This would be an amazing development.

The new technique called electromechanical reshaping (EMR) is still experimental, but very promising. Instead of carving away tissue, which is done in LASIK, the new method temporarily softens the cornea so it can be gently molded into a new shape.

But studies need to be done in animals (only rabbit eyeballs tested so far), and only then can it be tested in humans. Stay tuned...

From Science Daily: Forget LASIK: Safer, cheaper vision correction without lasers or surgery

Millions of Americans live with blurry vision, nearsightedness, or more severe sight problems. While glasses and contact lenses help many people, millions have turned to corrective procedures such as LASIK to sharpen their eyesight. But scientists are now exploring a very different approach that could someday reshape the eye without lasers, cutting, or invasive surgery. ...continue reading "New Technique Being Developed For Vision Correction"

Published on Leave a comment on High Dose Vitamin C As Part of Cancer Treatment?
Vitamin C pills Credit: Wikipedia

Researchers are studying high dose vitamin C as part of treatment for several cancers, including pancreatic cancer. These high doses of vitamin C (pharmacologic ascorbate) are not taken orally (by mouth), but in IVs (taken intravenously). It is always given alongside chemotherapy.

The intravenous vitamin C doses are 150 to 190 times larger than ordinary vitamin C tablets that are taken orally. This is because orally taken vitamin C cannot reach the blood levels needed to produce a pharmacologic effect.

Some of the results are amazing. For example, persons with pancreatic cancer it doubled survival compared to chemotherapy alone (from 8 months to 16 months) , and those receiving vitamin C used alongside standard chemotherapy had fewer side effects than when using chemotherapy alone. It is still unclear for which cancers the vitamin C treatment works and for which it doesn't.

The only problem is that pharma companies may not be interested because it can not be patented, and can't be developed as a new drug that they can make big profits off of. It's plain old vitamin C - but not as a nutritional supplement, but used as a medical drug (pharmacologic ascorbate).

Click on the link for the full story and dosing details. Excerpts from Medscape: Vitamin C’s Potential Use in Cancer Is Getting a Second Look

When Garry Buettner, PhD, who has been studying the chemistry and biochemistry of vitamin C for at least four decades, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), he applied his research to his own life — reviewing the data and designing a protocol for his treatment. ...continue reading "High Dose Vitamin C As Part of Cancer Treatment?"

Published on Leave a comment on Good News For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Cancer cells forming a lump in pancreas Credit: Wikipedia

The pancreatic cancer treatment field is on fire. This is very good news because pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer that is typically diagnosed at late stages, and with a low survival rate (5 year survival rate of 15%).

There are a number of different treatments now undergoing clinical trials - from several vaccines, immunotherapy, the drug daraxonrasib that doubles life expectancy in those with pancreatic cancer, to other interesting treatments such as high dose vitamin C (given via IV).

The most exciting are pancreatic vaccines that are now undergoing clinical trials. They are meant to be used after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis - the goal is to prevent a recurrence of the cancer and to kill any remaining pancreatic cancer cells. They involve a person's own immune system attacking or suppressing the pancreatic cancer. Amazing research and progress is being made.
Some articles about some of the promising treatments:

The National Cancer Center's write-up: Are New Immune-Based Treatments for Kidney and Pancreatic Cancer On the Horizon?

Another type of vaccine (a mRNA vaccine) being developed in NYC, at Columbia's Pancreatic Center: Vaccine for Pancreatic Cancer Enters Phase II of Clinical Trial: Here’s What to Know

Medscape (reputable medical site) is also writing about the promising pancreatic vaccines:  Vaccine for Pancreatic Cancer and CRC Sparks Early Hope. An easier to read summary of that same study: New Vaccine May Help Stop Deadly Pancreatic Cancers From Coming Back

High-dose vitamin C (in ascorbate form, given in an IV) alongside chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer doubled survival rate and made the regular chemo drugs more tolerable for the cancer patient. From Medscape: Vitamin C’s Potential Use in Cancer Is Getting a Second Look

The drug daraxonrasib, which is awaiting FDA approval, probably this year. From NY Times: How an ‘Impossible’ Idea Led to a Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough