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Author: Sima

Published on Leave a comment on Another Vitamin D Study With Disappointing Results

Recently, another well done study of vitamin D and cancer resulted in disappointing results. Vitamin D supplements showed no benefit in persons with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). It did not result in a difference in overall survival outcomes.

In the study, 455 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were assigned randomly to either high daily vitamin D3 or standard dose vitamin D3, in addition to receiving standard chemotherapy. The high dose vitamin D group received a loading dose of 8000 IU per day for 2 weeks, followed by a maintenance dose of 4000 IU per day until the end of the study. The standard dose vitamin D group received 400 IU per day.

However, there was no difference in "significant progression-free survival benefit". There also was no significant difference in how long people survived in the 2 groups (a median of 25.6 months in the high-dose group, and 27.0 months in the standard dose group).

The study results were disappointing because in laboratory studies vitamin D has anticancer properties. Critics of this study pointed out that vitamin D supplementation may have a role in cancer prevention - but at this point, that is unknown.

From Medscape: High-Dose Vitamin D Disappoints in Metastatic CRC: SOLARIS

The addition of high-dose vitamin D supplementation to standard chemotherapy plus bevacizumab did not result in a significant progression-free survival benefit in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) in the SOLARIS study. ...continue reading "Another Vitamin D Study With Disappointing Results"

Published on Leave a comment on Eating Organic Foods Lowers Pesticide Levels In the Body

We all have some pesticide residues in our body, and the levels vary. One way that people are exposed to pesticides is from the foods they eat, specifically non-organic foods. Pesticides that people are exposed to can be measured in the blood and urine. 

A recent review of 72 scientific studies found that people who eat an organic diet have lower pesticide levels in their urine. (Other pesticide exposures are from the environment around us, for example, garden and lawn pesticides.)

The study authors specifically looked at pesticide residues and metabolites of common pesticides such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, 2,4-D, and glyphosate. The most commonly mentioned pesticide residue was from pyrethroids, with 34% of studies finding it in urine. Keep in mind that only a limited number of pesticide residues were looked for. In reality, people are exposed to many more in life, including from non-organic foods that they eat.

Looking at the studies, the researchers found a massive reduction in pesticide residues when an organic diet is adopted. For example, phenol and phosphonate herbicide levels drop 41% to 100% in the studies, and pyrethroid metabolites dropped 16% to 100% [Note: each study had different drops in pesticide residues.]

And yes, you want lower levels of pesticide residues in your body for health reasons. For example, pyrethroids have been associated with numerous health harms, including cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive effects.

Bottom line: To lower pesticide levels in your body, eat as many organic foods as possible.

Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: Review of Pesticide Residues In Urine, Lower Concentrations With Organic Diet

 A literature review, published this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, explores levels of pesticide residues found in samples of human urine with environmental exposure and dietary intake and confirms prior findings about the benefits of an organic diet. Similar to past findings, lower concentrations of chemicals are detected in the urine of participants who report eating an organic diet. ...continue reading "Eating Organic Foods Lowers Pesticide Levels In the Body"

Published on Leave a comment on Pesticides Are Contributing To Bee Declines

For several years I've been reporting on the effects of pesticides on bees. Yes, it's all bad because pesticides kill bees. Commonly used pesticides such as pyrethroids that many view as "safe" kill bees. Pyrethroids are broad spectrum insect killers, which means they kill both beneficial bees and other pollinators, as well as potentially harmful insects (mosquitos).

A recent study confirmed that pesticides are a major reason that wild bee populations are significantly down in the US. The researchers found that bee species are about 43% down in areas of heavy pesticide use. They singled out pesticides (insecticides) such as neonicotinoids and pyrethroids as drivers of this bee species reduction. They pointed out that using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or organic methods would help reduce pesticide use and so help with bee species populations.

This means that businesses (e.g., Mosquito Joe) that apply long-lasting pyrethroids throughout suburban yards and hedges in the US are contributing directly to bee species reduction.

Other studies found that applying pesticides (no matter what kind) to lawns destroys bee populations and reduces the number of bee species. Think of lawns that are not treated with pesticides as having wildflowers, not weeds. These are bee habitats!

From Environmental Health News (EHN): Pesticides may be contributing to the disappearance of bees across the US

A recent study published in Nature Sustainability found that pesticide use may be a major factor in the decline of bee populations within the United States. ...continue reading "Pesticides Are Contributing To Bee Declines"

Published on Leave a comment on Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Don’t Get Alzheimer’s Disease

Something surprising: People with multiple sclerosis don't develop Alzheimer's disease - even if it runs in the family. New research suggests that multiple sclerosis may protect a person from Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers found that the more typical the multiple sclerosis development and symptoms in the person, the less likely they were to have amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain. Amyloid plaques in the brain are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Accumulation of plaques is generally viewed as the first step that leads to cognitive decline and ultimately Alzheimer's disease.

From Futurity: Multiple Sclerosis May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

People with multiple sclerosis are far less likely than those without the condition to have the molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research.

The discovery suggests a new avenue of research through which to seek Alzheimer’s treatments, says Matthew Brier, an assistant professor of neurology and of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the study’s first author. ...continue reading "Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Don’t Get Alzheimer’s Disease"

Published on Leave a comment on A Promising Antibiotic For Gum Disease

The bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum is prevalent in periodontal disease (gum disease), but also in some chronic diseases and cancers, such as colorectal cancer. The bacteria F. nucleatum is normally found in the mouth (oral) microbiome, and its numbers increase as periodontal disease inflammation increases.

It is thought that sometimes the bacteria leaves the mouth and travels to other parts of the body, where it can promote cancer and other diseases.

A recent study found that the antibiotic FP 100 (Hygromycin A) totally eliminates the F. nucleatum bacteria in the mouth, and without causing harm to the mouth microbiome or gut microbiome. This is because it is a narrow spectrum antibiotic - only targets the harmful bacteria, and not all (both good and harmful) bacteria. While the study was only done in mice, this is promising and welcome news.

Eliminating the harmful bacteria in the mouth would potentially prevent some chronic diseases and cancers. Now we need further studies to see if this finding holds up in humans.

From Medical Xpress: First narrow-spectrum antibiotic successfully eliminates  Fusobacterium nucleatum, a gum disease pathogen

In a study published in the Journal of Oral Microbiology, ADA Forsyth scientists found that FP 100 (Hygromycin A), a first-in-class, small molecule, narrow-spectrum antibiotic, successfully eradicates Fusobacterium nucleatum without harming the oral or gut microbiomes. ...continue reading "A Promising Antibiotic For Gum Disease"

Published on Leave a comment on Brain Disease Cluster In Canada

The province of New Brunswick in Canada is home to a mysterious cluster of brain diseases in some of its residents - even in young persons in their 20s and 30s. The numbers of persons stricken (currently 430) with neurodegenerative brain diseases and dying is growing, and at this time no one knows exactly why this is happening.

One possibility is pesticide exposure, especially the pesticide (herbicide) glyphosate. Glyphosate is heavily used in the province in the forest industry, which is also a main industry. The herbicide is heavily used in clear cuts and tree plantations.

Lab tests found incredibly high levels of the pesticide glyphosate in the persons with the neurological symptoms. But after these results were revealed, the provincial government basically shut all research down. A doctor who was instrumental in bringing attention to this mysterious brain disease cluster was muzzled. Uh oh... a political and industry cover up?

The NY Times did an in-depth investigation, and the article written by Greg Donohue makes for fascinating reading.  They All Got Mysterious Brain Diseases. They're Fighting to Learn Why.

The article pointed out that recent studies have shown that glyphosate crosses the blood-brain barrier, and that chronic exposure can lead to neurological inflammation that can trigger Alzheimer’s disease. There is a link between glyphosate and an increased risk for Parkinson's disease and other health problems, including cancer.

A further discussion of that investigation and the role of pesticides (glyphosate) in brain diseases. Good list of references for more information. Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: One Of World's Largest Dementia Clusters In Young People May Be Tied To High Blood Levels Of Glyphosate

A piercing investigative article in the August 14 New York Times by journalist Greg Donahue reveals the abandonment of a group of brain disease patients in an area of Canada with forestry management for paper products, agriculture, and large amounts of pesticide use, including glyphosate. ...continue reading "Brain Disease Cluster In Canada"

Published on Leave a comment on Slow Death For A Pollinator
Dying pollinator

There was a rare sighting of an insect pollinator in my yard recently. Unfortunately, it was dying. I suspect that pesticides were the cause of the slow death.

The ordinary person has no clue how damaging pesticide applications on their lawns and plants can be to insects living nearby. To pollinators (e.g., bees and wasps). To entire insect and bird ecosystems.

On the day I saw the dying insect pollinator, an immediate neighbor had not one, but two pesticide applications by two different services in one day! One service was for their lawn, and the second one was for mosquitos (using pyrethroid and cypermethrin insecticides) with a device that looks like a leaf blower. This device is held at waist-height (a high volume application).

Soon after that I found the dying, but still twitching, pollinator on the hood of my car (close to the property line). As I've discussed before, since the neighbor started mosquito pesticide applications 2 years ago, I rarely see a bee, wasp, or butterfly in my organic yard. At most, maybe one bee every 2 months? Before that, there were many daily.

The mosquito applications are done using cypermethrin and pyrethroid insecticides (which are synthetic pesticides, e.g., made by Fendona). Pyrethroids are known to be highly toxic to pollinators such as bees and wasps, and there is growing evidence of harms to humans (here, here).

Of course, when pesticides are applied, they drift and travel to non-target neighboring areas. It's sad. But totally legal.

Published on Leave a comment on Older Women Are More Vulnerable to High Summer Heat
Thermometer Credit: Wikipedia

It turns out that older women are more susceptible to high heat and humidity then older men. Older women feel it more! (In science speak: women are physiologically more vulnerable to high heat and humidity, that is, heat stress vulnerability)

Researchers found that middle-aged and older women were affected by heat at lower temperature and humidity combinations than middle-aged and older men. Women between the ages of 40 and 64 are as vulnerable as men 65 years and older. The researchers said that biological sex (male or female) and age appear to be the primary drivers of heat vulnerability among healthy people.

There were no differences in heat vulnerability between male and female younger adults. Also, fitness of individuals made very little difference in heat vulnerability.

Researchers tested the heat thresholds (combined heat and humidity) of 72 participants between the ages of 42 and 92 years in a specialized environmental chamber. Participants swallowed a special device which measured their core temperature throughout the experiment. NOTE: When core temperatures rise, people are more vulnerable to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death.

From Science Daily: Older women more vulnerable to heat than their male peers, researchers find

As global climate change causes extreme heat waves to become more common around the world, epidemiological studies have shown that heat kills more women than men. Now, a new study by researchers at Penn State has found that older women are physiologically more vulnerable to high heat and humidity than older men, and that women between the ages of 40 and 64 are as vulnerable as men 65 years of age or older. This is the first study to determine this disparity exists due to physiological differences rather than because women live longer than men -- leaving a larger population of older women than older men. ...continue reading "Older Women Are More Vulnerable to High Summer Heat"

Published on Leave a comment on Summer 2024 Was the Hottest On Record

Summer 2024 was the hottest summer on record, and this is following last summer (June through August) - which was the hottest summer globally up to that point. As you can see, the bar keeps rising.

Looking back years from now, we may view the summer of 2024 as "cool" compared to what's ahead....  Climate change, of course. The world is in uncharted territory now.

From Yale E360 (Yale School of the Environment): This Summer Was the Hottest on Record

The summer of 2024 set new records, European scientists have found. The world has never seen temperatures reach so high between June and August. ...continue reading "Summer 2024 Was the Hottest On Record"

Published on Leave a comment on Diet and Risk of Developing Dementia

One message keeps being supported by research: Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil. A reason is because this diet is anti-inflammatory. And it turns out that inflammation is at the root of many diseases, including heart disease. And dementia.

A recent study that followed more than 84,342 older adults (60 years or older at the start of the study) found that those who ate an anti-inflammatory diet had a 21% lower chance of developing dementia. They also had larger gray matter volume in the brain, and smaller white matter lesions or spots in the brain (white matter hyperintensity volume). All of the adults had cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, stroke) at the start of the study.

Other studies have already confirmed that eating an anti-inflammatory diet (e.g., Mediterranean diet) is linked to lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, lower dementia risk, better cognitive function, and better brain aging (as measured by MRI scans).

From Medical Xpress: Anti-inflammatory diet could lower your odds for dementia

Eating a healthy diet that dampens inflammation in the body could lower your odds for dementia, especially if you already have heart risk factors, a new Swedish study shows. ...continue reading "Diet and Risk of Developing Dementia"