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Author: Sima

Published on Leave a comment on Wireless Radiation and DNA damage
Cell tower Credit: Wikipedia

We love our wireless stuff - cell phones, laptops, and so many other devices. Manufacturers making these devices say the wireless radiation exposure from these devices is safe, but is it? Independent researchers have been raising concerns for years over wireless radiation (RF radiofrequency electromagnetic field or RF-EMF) exposures, while industry researchers say it's completely safe. Which is it?

Australian researchers recently analyzed more than 500 scientific studies and found that "evidence reveals that RF-EMF exposures may be genotoxic (damaging to DNA) and could pose a cancer risk". They pointed out that:

"Genetic alteration [damage] is a well-established trigger for cancer development (10). Genotoxicity is the ability of a physical or chemical agent to induce genetic damage, which may result in genetic mutations (11), and represents a critical pathway to cancer."

They also found strong evidence of bias in research design and results, with the funding of each study most important in determining results. 74% of the studies (done by independent researchers) reported genetic damage in both humans and animals from wireless radiation exposure. On the other hand, industry research funded by industry tended to find that there are no problems to health ("null results").

Now needed: Time for manufacturers to focus on lowering wireless radiation from the devices, antennas that point away from the body, and more caution and research on 5G towers and radiation.

From Environmental Health News: Wireless radiation exposure linked to DNA damage

A recent review published in Frontiers in Public Health analyzing more than 500 studies found that a substantial body of scientific research has reported genetic damage from wireless radiation exposure in both humans and animals.

    • Over half of the studies showing DNA damage found impacts at wireless exposure levels below the safety limits of most countries.

...continue reading "Wireless Radiation and DNA damage"

Published on Leave a comment on The Pesticides We’re Exposed to Disrupt the Gut Microbiome

Millions of pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US: on farms, in buildings and homes, on lawns, in pet flea and tick products - basically everywhere. And so the pesticides eventually wind up in us - from the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe (when pesticides drift during applications or when used indoors), and the treated lawns and ground we walk on.

We are continuously exposed to low levels of multiple pesticides, but it is unknown what this does to us. Recently, a study examined the effect of multiple pesticide exposures on gut health and found that they killed off many beneficial (good) bacteria and had harmful alterations on gut bacteria metabolism. Uh-oh.

Bottom line: Many studies show that we can quickly (within 2 weeks) reduce the amount of pesticides (pesticide residues) in our bodies by eating as many organic foods as possible. Also, use nontoxic IPM (Integrated Pest Management) in the home, and reduce pesticide use in and out of the home (on lawns and gardens).

From Beyond Pesticides: Study Maps the Gut Microbiome and Adverse Impacts of Pesticide Residues

Researchers developed a novel tool* in a recent study published in Nature Communications this year that successfully creates a map of the “pesticide-gut microbiota-metabolite network,” identifying “significant alterations in gut bacteria metabolism.”

...continue reading "The Pesticides We’re Exposed to Disrupt the Gut Microbiome"

Published on Leave a comment on Morning Coffee or Tea Improves A Person’s Mood

Many of us absolutely desire and need a caffeine containing beverage such as coffee or tea in the morning, and find it difficult to function without it. So, findings from a recent study shouldn't surprise us: morning coffee or other caffeinated drink boosts a person's mood .

Also not surprising: the improved mood was strongest in the first 2 1/2 hours after awakening. They also confirmed that a person can have caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which go away after drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea.

Duh...of course. Every person that drinks coffee or tea in the morning knows this. But at least a study has now confirmed this.

From Medical Xpress: Morning coffee boosts mood significantly, study finds

People who regularly consume caffeine are usually in a better mood after a cup of coffee or another caffeinated drink—an effect that is much more pronounced in the morning than later in the day. This finding comes from a new study by researchers at Bielefeld University and the University of Warwick, published in the journal Scientific Reports. Participants reported feeling significantly happier and more enthusiastic on those mornings compared with other days at the same hour when they had not yet had coffee. ...continue reading "Morning Coffee or Tea Improves A Person’s Mood"

Published on Leave a comment on Effects of Stopping Weight Loss Drugs

Weight loss drugs (e.g., Ozempic) are very, very popular these days. But what happens when you stop taking the prescription drugs? A recent review of 11 global studies found that the drugs work well while being used, and led to significant weight loss. But within 2 months of stopping the medications, significant regaining of weight starts.

The researchers noted that the studies found that regaining of weight started by 8 weeks after the medications were stopped, and that weight gains tended to plateau about 20 weeks later, but continued as long as the studies lasted (even 1 year later). Yikes!

From Science Daily: What really happens to your body when you stop weight loss drugs like Ozempic

Patients prescribed drugs to help them lose weight may experience a rebound in weight gain after halting their prescription, finds a meta-analysis published in BMC Medicine. The study, which analyses data for patients receiving weight loss drugs across 11 randomised trials, suggests that while the amount of weight regain varies depending on the specific drug, there is a broad trend in associated weight regain after the course of medication concluded. ...continue reading "Effects of Stopping Weight Loss Drugs"

Published on Leave a comment on Lifestyle Changes That Benefit the Aging Brain

As people age, they frequently start wondering what they can do to prevent memory and thinking problems, and especially dementia. The good news is that several large studies found that there are a number of lifestyle changes that one can do to have a healthier (memory! thinking!) brain in later years. Even if you are already in your 60s and 70s.

The evidence points to diet (e.g., Mediterranean style diet, ), exercise, and socializing being all important for brain health. In fact, it can result in keeping brains several years "younger" than in those with unhealthy lifestyles. Also, studies find that challenging your brain by learning something new, such as learning a new language or musical instrument or online cognitive training, is beneficial for the brain.

Adopting a lifestyle that promotes brain health is so very important, because it is NORMAL that as we age, there are brain changes, including brain shrinkage (volume of the brain). Therefore you want to slow down or delay these age related changes as much as possible. Researchers feel that adopting these lifestyle changes are so effective that they should be medically prescribed.

Excerpts from NPR: Trying to keep your brain young? A big new study finds these lifestyle changes help

Scientists have unveiled the strongest evidence yet that a combination of diet, exercise and brain training can improve thinking and memory in older Americans.

A study of more than 2,100 sedentary people in their 60s and 70s found that those who spent two years on the intensive regimen not only improved their mental abilities but appeared to reduce the usual declines associated with aging. ...continue reading "Lifestyle Changes That Benefit the Aging Brain"

Published on Leave a comment on The Erasing Of Climate Science

Going forward, will we even know what is going on in the atmosphere regarding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases? Will there be any data collected and scientific evidence regarding climate change? As you may have heard, all climate change research and knowledge is being eliminated and erased. The words climate change and greenhouse gases  are not to be spoken or written according to the US government.

But even so, what is shocking to scientists is that 4 prestigious observatories operated by the US for decades, and which were instrumental in documenting the increase in greenhouse gases, are to be closed down by the US government. The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii has been measuring CO2 levels in the air for over 65 years!

And yup, it has been documenting the steady increase, year after year, of CO2. Due to burning of oil, gas, and coal. In 65 years CO2 levels have increased from 316 ppm to more than 430 parts per million. This is a huge increase!

An article in The Conversation explains why carbon dioxide is so important - how it's needed for a habitable Earth, but too much carbon dioxide is bad.

"The reason carbon dioxide is so important is that this molecule has special properties. Its ability to trap heat alongside other greenhouse gases means Earth isn’t a frozen rock. If there were no greenhouse gases, Earth would have an average temperature of -18°C, rather than the balmy 14°C under which human civilisation emerged.

The greenhouse effect is essential to life. But if there are too many gases, the planet becomes dangerously hot. That’s what’s happening now – a very sharp increase in gases exceptionally good at trapping heat even at low concentrations."

From NY Times: After 7 Decades of Measurements From a Peak in Hawaii, Trump’s Budget Would End Them

More than 11,100 feet above sea level, surrounded by nothing but black rocks, white clouds and blue sky, the Mauna Loa Observatory is in a Goldilocks spot for studying the atmosphere.

The air that swirls around the isolated outpost located on a Hawaiian volcano is a mix from all over the Northern Hemisphere. That makes it one of the best places to measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is indispensable to scientists around the world. ...continue reading "The Erasing Of Climate Science"

Published on Leave a comment on A Walk In the Woods Is Good For Us

After the recent incredibly hot and steamy week, it is nice to read something positive about nature. A recent review of studies found that taking a walk in a forest is good for us in a number of ways: reduces stress, improves our mood, and good for our physical health (e.g., lowers blood pressure, benefits immune system). It shouldn't be a surprise that walking in nature is soothing.

A recent presentation at the American Psychiatry Association (APA) annual meeting discussed a review of 15 studies looking at the health benefits of walking in a forest. While the length of time varied in each study, it was generally 2 walks per week, 2 hours at a time. The health benefits were so clear that the researchers said such walks are therapeutic and could be viewed as forest therapy.

While most of us call it a walk in nature or a walk in the woods, the Japanese refer to it as shinrin yoku, which translates as forest bathing. They have long-recognized the health benefits of shinrin yoku, and doctors prescribe forest bathing to stressed people to "recharge and recover". Some doctors in the US also recommend prescribing walks in nature (nature prescribed) - Park Rx America

From Medscape: Growing Evidence for the Healing Power of ‘Forest Therapy’

Spending time in a forest — an experience known as Shinrin-Yoku, or “forest bathing,” in Japan where the practice originated — can lift mood, reduce stress, and promote physical health, a new literature review suggested.

Most of the studies included in the review reported moderate to strong effect sizes, using validated measures such as the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and physiological indicators like blood pressure. ...continue reading "A Walk In the Woods Is Good For Us"

Published on Leave a comment on Dogs Pollute Water With Flea and Tick Treatments

Flea and tick treatments using the insecticides fipronil and imidacloprid are commonly used on pet dogs, whether as spot-on treatments or collars. However, many people have concerns over whether the pesticides come off the dog and get into the environment or even on the people interacting with the dog. And how about dogs that sleep in the same bed with their owners?

A recent study is adding to the growing body of evidence that says we are right to be concerned - that yes, insecticides used on dogs, whether spot-treatments or flea collars, do come off for days. In this latest study, scientists applied spot-on treatments of either fipronil and imidacloprid to 49 dogs.

After 5, 14, and 28 days the dogs were immersed in water for 5 minutes and the levels of the pesticides in the water were measured. Yikes! The pesticides were detected in 100% of all water samples. In fact, even at day 28 it was quite a bit  - exceeded safe levels. The researchers said that after being treated, that dogs should not go swimming in water for 4 weeks (far longer than the current 4 day pesticide guidelines).

The study results could explain why these 2 pesticides are contaminating water bodies (e.g., ponds). The researchers write:

"Recent reports reveal widespread fipronil and imidacloprid contamination of fresh waters in the UK despite restrictions on agricultural use, frequently occurring at concentrations that ecotoxicity studies have shown can harm aquatic life.13-15 ... New research has shown that ‘down-the-drain’ household transfer from treated pets, and subsequent entry via wastewater, is a major source of fipronil and imidacloprid freshwater pollution.17 High concentrations and strong positive correlations with dog swimming activity have also been demonstrated in dog swimming ponds, indicating that dog swimming is a further source of surface water pollution.18"

To get a sense of how toxic these 2 pesticides are: both insecticides are banned in the EU for agricultural use, and even have restrictions in agricultural use in the US. Yet, they are commonly used on our pets. Even when taken orally (pills), the dogs excrete the pesticides in their feces and urine, contaminating the environment. The researchers suggest only treating pets when needed with these pesticides, and not when there isn't a need (in other words, don't do "routine prevention" if there isn't a need).

From an article by Michael Le Page in New Scientist: Dogs pollute water with pesticides even weeks after flea treatment

If your dog will jump in the nearest river, pond or lake given half a chance, don’t use spot-on treatments for fleas and ticks, say researchers.

A study has shown that when dogs are immersed in water, their skin and fur can release levels of the active ingredients harmful to aquatic wildlife and the animals that eat them – including birds – for up to 28 days after treatment. ...continue reading "Dogs Pollute Water With Flea and Tick Treatments"

Published on Leave a comment on New Cookware That Falsely Advertises As Nontoxic

Some companies advertise so-called "nontoxic cookware" and "nontoxic nonstick cookware", with "new and improved" finishes, or coatings, or materials used. But are the ads truthful?

The Guardian published an investigation into the the matter. Uh-oh. They found evidence of toxic chemicals used (lead, mercury, titanium dioxide, etc.) by companies advertising their products as "nontoxic". Some of the cookware advertises itself as a nontoxic ceramic cookware, but it's actually "quasi-ceramic" and containing hidden ingredients (which the companies call proprietary ingredients).

Also, keep in mind that there are no actual regulations or legal definitions of what "nontoxic" or "ceramic" means. Some of the cookware contains lead, yet there are no federal limits for lead in ceramic cookware. The problems go on and on.

In other words, buyer beware. A safer alternative is to use traditional stainless steel, glass (e.g., Pyrex), and cast iron cookware

Excerpts from The Guardian: Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining 'ceramic' and 'nontoxic'

The cookware industry has entered a golden age, largely driven by the wild success of a new generation of “nontoxic” and “nonstick” designer ceramic pans backed by stars including Selena Gomez, Stanley Tucci and Oprah Winfrey.

But the pans are probably not “nontoxic” some independent testing and research suggests. Nor are they even “ceramic” – at least not in the way the public broadly thinks of ceramics. Now, regulators are investigating some of the pan sellers’ claims. ...continue reading "New Cookware That Falsely Advertises As Nontoxic"