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Category: healthy living

Published on Leave a comment on Last Year Was the Warmest Year Since Global Records Began in 1850

Well, well... this is not a surprise. 2024 was the hottest year since temperature records began in 1850. And the second hottest year on record was 2023.

Unfortunately, this also means that we exceeded the goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees C that was agreed to at the Paris Agreement in 2016. Remember that agreement? The goal was to keep temperature increases to no more than 1.5 degrees C over pre-industrial temperatures (as defined by the 1850 - 1900 average). But last year was 1.6 degrees C over pre-industrial levels.

It's been 48 years since the last time the world had a cooler year than average year. You can thank rising greenhouse emissions for the overall upward trend in heat.

Sooo....what will 2025 be like? Stay tuned.

Excerpts from Ars Technica: Everyone agrees: 2024 the hottest year since the thermometer was invented

Over the last 24 hours or so, the major organizations that keep track of global temperatures have released figures for 2024, and all of them agree: 2024 was the warmest year yet recorded, joining 2023 as an unusual outlier in terms of how rapidly things heated up. At least two of the organizations, the European Union's Copernicus and Berkeley Earth, place the year at about 1.6° C above pre-industrial temperatures, marking the first time that the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5° has been exceeded. ...continue reading "Last Year Was the Warmest Year Since Global Records Began in 1850"

Published on Leave a comment on Hospital Foods Can Be Very Unhealthy
Vanilla pudding

Well, well, well...it was a rocky holiday season. Lots of people got Covid, including myself. It hit everyone I know harder than expected, with symptoms much worse than with a flu virus.

Anyway, while visiting someone in a hospital I happened to be there when dinner was served. I was absolutely shocked that much of the hospital meal contained ultra-processed foods with absolutely garbage ingredients.  Artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup (e.g., ginger ale), etc.

This is what sick people are given? Food ingredients linked to gut inflammation and a number of health problems? Perhaps they're making sure they get lots of repeat business.

Vanilla pudding ingredients: Water, nonfat milk, sugar, modified corn starch, palm oil, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, disodium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, yellow 5, yellow 6. (This was dessert.)

The Lemon Tea ingredients: Water, citric acid, instant tea powder, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, caramel color, acesulfame-K, sucralose, natural flavors.

Published on Leave a comment on Bacteria In The Kidney Microbiome Can Prevent Or Promote Kidney Stones
Kidney stones Credit: Wikipedia

Finally, a study was done examining whether the kidneys have a microbiome (community of fungi, viruses, and bacteria). The answer is yes, the kidneys have a microbiome and the composition of the microbes plays a role in kidney health and whether a person develops kidney stones or not. This makes sense - all our other organs have microbiomes.

This multi-part study showed that the urinary tract is not sterile, and that low levels of bacteria are normal. Additionally, they found that the presence of the beneficial bacteria L. crispatus is found in the absence of kidney stones, while E.coli is associated with the development of kidney stones. (Interestingly, L. crispatus is also found in the healthy vagina and can treat bacterial vaginosis.) 

The researchers found that the L. crispatus somehow blocked E.coli's ability to form kidney stones.

Antibiotic use was associated with bacteria that promoted the development of kidney stones because antibiotics kill off Lactobacillus species and promote the growth of kidney stone forming species (e.g., E. coli). Other studies also find that bacteria such as E.coli (as well as Proteus and Klebsiella) are frequently associated with UTIs, kidney stone formation, and kidney infection (pyelonephritis). 

From Medical Xpress: First full characterization of kidney microbiome unlocks potential to prevent kidney stones

Cleveland Clinic researchers have found definitive proof of a kidney microbiome that influences renal health and kidney stone formation, demonstrating that the urinary tract is not sterile and low levels of bacteria are normal. ...continue reading "Bacteria In The Kidney Microbiome Can Prevent Or Promote Kidney Stones"

Published on Leave a comment on Some Food Ingredients Were Developed to Deal With Industrial Waste
Crisco can Credit: Wikipedia

Americans now consume all sorts of ultra-processed foods daily. In fact, they now are the majority of the daily diet of Americans. What many people don't really understand is that ultra-processed foods involve all sorts of laboratory derived chemicals and ingredients. In fact, some (Crisco, saccharine, etc.) were developed to deal with industrial waste!

A good short video (6 minutes) about this from The Guardian: How We Created Ultra-processed Food From Industrial Waste

In the UK and US, more than half the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods. For some people, especially those who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPFs is typical, and this has been linked to a myriad of harmful effects to health.

Neelam Tailor traces the surprising journey of ultra-processed foods from their origins in industrial waste to today's complex ingredient lists and the regulatory loopholes that paved the way.

Published on Leave a comment on Another Reason to Avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Soda Credit: Wikipedia

More worrisome news about high-fructose corn syrup. Researchers found that high fructose corn syrup actually speeds up and fuels the growth of cancer tumors in animals who already have cancer.

While this study was done in mice (with either breast cancer, melanoma, or cervical cancer), it is actually a scary finding because so many foods that Americans ingest daily contain high-fructose corn syrup. It is a sugar derived from corn starch and found in many foods: baked goods, soda, fast food, cereals, ice cream, etc. If you see it in an ingredient list, it means it is an ultra-processed food.

Bottom line: Read food ingredient lists and try to avoid eating foods with high-fructose corn syrup.

Excerpts from US Right To Know: High-fructose corn syrup fuels tumor growth in animals with cancer, a new study shows

High-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener commonly used in soda and ultra-processed foods, accelerates cancer tumor growth via the liver, according to research published last week [Dec. 4, 2024] in Nature.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sugar derived from corn starch. High fructose intake has been shown to contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity, both of which are associated with systemic inflammation and altered lipid metabolism (the way the body processes fats). It has also been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal cancer. ...continue reading "Another Reason to Avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup"

Published on Leave a comment on Mediterranean Style Diet Helps Gout Symptoms
Gout Credit: Wikipedia

Many people suffer from gout, with it being the leading cause of arthritis in men. Two recent studies looked at who gets gout (is it genetics or lifestyle?), and another study examined what kind of diet is best for treating symptoms.

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, and tenderness in one or more joints. These attacks, which can last a week or two, frequently start in the big toe or a lower limb.

The first study found that genetics, and not lifestyle, determines who gets gout. Lifestyle is frequently blamed (rich foods!, being overweight!). From Science Daily: Study busts myths about cause of gout

".. eating red meat, can trigger gout attacks, the fundamental cause is high urate levels, crystals in the joints, and an immune system primed to 'attack' the crystals -- genetics plays an important role in all of these processes."

Another study found that a Mediterranean style, whole foods, and plant-based diet improves gout symptoms, but a low-calorie or animal-based, and low-carbohydrate diet does not. The Mediterranean style diet also lowered serum uric acid (a cause of the symptoms).  It is thought that this is because animal meat and ultra-processed foods are pro-inflammatory, while plant-based foods are not.

Excerpts from Medscape: Plant-Based Diet Improves Uric Acid Levels, Gout Symptoms

A Mediterranean-inspired plant-based diet improved self-reported measures of gout as well as uric acid levels, a pilot study has found. ...continue reading "Mediterranean Style Diet Helps Gout Symptoms"

Published on Leave a comment on Health Benefits of Maple Syrup
Maple syrup Credit: Wikipedia

For those with a sweet tooth, maple syrup appears to be a healthier choice than sugar. A recent study found a number of health benefits in individuals who consumed some maple syrup daily in place of refined sugar.

Canadian researchers found that replacing just 2 tablespoons of refined sugars with 2  tablespoons of maple sugar daily for 8 weeks had significant beneficial health effects. Regular ingestion of maple syrup resulted in their bodies handling sugar after meals better (improved glycemic response), their blood pressure was significantly lower, their abdominal fat was reduced, an increase in beneficial gut species (bacteria linked with health), and a decrease in some gut bacterial species linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders.

In other words, there was a significant reduction in key cardiometabolic risk factors. By the way, similar results have been found in animal studies. This could be because maple syrup is a minimally processed sweetener rich in a number of beneficial nutrients and polyphenols. It's just boiled maple tree sap, with nothing added.

What made this study convincing was that persons were randomized to different groups (maple sugar or placebo), it was double-blind (no one knew what they were ingesting), and it it was a crossover study (meaning all participants were in both groups for 8 weeks with a gap in the middle). All participants were overweight adults with mild cardiometabolic alterations at the start of the study.

From SciTechDaily: Reducing Abdominal Fat: Researchers Uncover Surprising Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition reveals that replacing refined sugars with two tablespoons of maple syrup can significantly improve several cardiometabolic risk factors, such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and abdominal fat composition. This was the first placebo-controlled human clinical trial exploring the potential health benefits of maple syrup consumption. ...continue reading "Health Benefits of Maple Syrup"

Published on Leave a comment on Coffee Drinking Alters the Gut Microbiome
Cup of coffee Credit: Wikipedia

Drinking moderate amounts of coffee each day is associated with a number of health benefits. It turns out that the coffee is also feeding a particular strain of gut microbe - Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. 

Researchers found that more people who drink coffee daily have Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus in their gut microbiome (the community of microbes, bacteria, and viruses that live in the intestines) than people who don't drink coffee. Additionally, the more a person drinks coffee daily, the higher the levels of the bacteria.

Newborns and children rarely have this bacteria in their gut microbiome. The bacteria is mainly found in adults living in places with an urbanized Western-lifestyle. Further research showed that the coffee stimulates the growth of L. asaccharolyticus.

By the way, it appears to be a beneficial bacteria. And yes, many other studies find that what you eat (your daily diet) influences the composition of microbes living in the gut.

From Newsweek: What Coffee Does To Your Gut

Coffee drinking seems to alter which microorganisms live in our guts, with potentially far-reaching implications for health, a large study has found.
...continue reading "Coffee Drinking Alters the Gut Microbiome"

Published on Leave a comment on Eczema Associated With Air Pollution
Eczema Credit: Wikipedia

Eczema is on the rise globally. At the same time, industrialization has increased, which has resulted in increases in air pollution (industrial practices generate air pollution). A recent study found an association of air pollution and eczema - the more air pollution rises, the greater the incidence of eczema.

Researchers specifically looked at fine particulate matter of diameter ≤ 2.5μm (PM2.5) throughout the US. They found that individuals with eczema (12,695 persons) lived in areas with significantly higher PM2.5 concentrations than did persons without eczema (274,127 persons). And that the odds of having eczema increased as the fine particulate matter in the air increased.

The researchers point out that several other studies done in different parts of the globe had similar findings.

From Medical Xpress: Air pollution exposure may be associated with eczema, study finds

People living in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to have eczema, according to a new study published November 13, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Jeffrey Cohen of Yale School of Medicine, U.S. ...continue reading "Eczema Associated With Air Pollution"

Published on Leave a comment on Warehouses Increase Air Pollution In Nearby Communities
Warehouse loading dock Credit: Wikipedia

Something that makes sense, but developers will probably deny: The air in communities by large warehouses is more polluted than elsewhere, and this pollution can even be detected from satellites in space (satellite data)!

Researchers examined nitrogen dioxide levels around 149,075 warehouses in the U.S. They found that communities with warehouses were exposed to an average of 17.9% more nitrogen dioxide than other communities. Of course, other chemicals are also released from diesel truck engines, but the other chemicals were not looked at.

Of course, people living near these huge warehouses already know that the presence of warehouses have an impact on air quality and therefore health. Think of all the truck traffic that goes along with the warehouses. Some big health effects: increase in asthma, other respiratory diseases, and even premature death.

One big way air pollution around warehouses can be reduced is the use of electric vehicles and trucks (instead of polluting diesel engines), and to have monitoring of gases and chemicals released from the buildings. (Right now there is very little oversight).

Several sources for this story (including the original from Milken Institute School of Public Health) are below:

Yahoo News: Experts raise concerns over new findings from NASA-backed study on Earth's atmosphere: 'Our findings are ... significant'

People living in communities with warehouses can breathe in 17.9% more toxic nitrogen dioxide on average than those not near them, according to a recent study. ...continue reading "Warehouses Increase Air Pollution In Nearby Communities"