It's almost time for deer babies (fawns) to be born. Once again I'm seeing adult female deer just resting and hanging out in the yard.
Where will the newborn deer hide this year?
Healthy Babies Have Thousands of Viruses In The Gut
It turns out that the baby gut microbiome is loaded with all sorts of viruses, and most of the species were unknown till now. All the viruses living in the gut is the virome. Analyzing baby poop is a way to find out what viruses live in the gut (intestines) of babies.
A team of scientists did an in-depth analysis of the poop (from diapers) of healthy one year old Danish children and found more than 10,000 new virus species! The overwhelming majority of the viruses are phages, which are viruses that attack and inhabit bacteria. There were many more viruses than bacteria in the baby poop.
Most of the phages are harmless, but some others are not so harmless, and this results in immune responses from the human host. In other words, all of this is normal and part of "training" the immune system in early childhood. The researchers named the newly discovered viruses after children participating in the study (e.g., Amandaviridae, Andyviridae).
By the way, it is normal for multitudes of viruses, bacteria, and fungi to live in the gut of humans throughout life - it's the gut microbiome.
Excerpts from Washington Post: Scientists identify thousands of unknown viruses in babies’ diapers
Research involving Danish babies’ dirty diapers has provided a plethora of information on previously unknown viruses — and the best view yet of the makeup of the infant gut microbiome. ...continue reading "Healthy Babies Have Thousands of Viruses In The Gut"
Plant-Based Copies of Meat and Dairy Are Not the Same Nutritionally As Real Milk and Meat
Not all foods are equal. Especially dairy milk vs alternative "milks", such as almond or oat milks. Or plant-based "meat" vs animal meat. A recent study analyzed popular plant-based "milk" and "meat" products and found that they are not nutritionally equivalent to real milk and meat.
They contain different nutrients, amount of protein, calories, etc. The researchers concluded that eating only or mainly the plant-based substitutes can result in dietary deficiencies - that is, of nutrients found in meat and dairy.
Meat and dairy products are good sources of vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, long-chain omega fatty acid, and choline. All of these are necessary for good health. Eating cheese (a dairy product) such as Jarlsberg cheese is great for bone health because of the microbes (Proprionebacterium freudenreichii) living in the cheese and which produce vitamin K and DHNA (both necessary for bone health).
Instead of eating fake substitutes (many of which are highly processed, with lots of additives), why not focus on eating more real plant-based foods? This means eating more whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes (beans), fruits, vegetables, and then just reduce the amount of meat and dairy eaten.
From Medical Xpress: Switching meat and milk for plant-based copies misses vital nutrients
Mitigating climate change is a key challenge of our time. One way many people try to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is to eat less animal-source food—like meat and dairy—and instead eat more plant-based food. ...continue reading "Plant-Based Copies of Meat and Dairy Are Not the Same Nutritionally As Real Milk and Meat"
Cranberries Reduce the Risk of Developing Urinary Tract Infections
Women have long been drinking cranberry juice for prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs), but medical studies have had variable results (some say cranberry juice and products help, while some others say they don't). A recent review of studies found that YES, cranberry juice and cranberry products help with prevention of UTIs.
The review was published in Cochrane Reviews, which is viewed as a gold standard in medical evidence. Fifty studies were reviewed, with the data supporting the use of cranberries (in juice, tablets, or capsules) in reducing the risk of developing UTIs.
Why do cranberries work? Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), which inhibit E. coli from adhering (attaching) to the urothelial cells lining the bladder.
Another good treatment and preventative for the majority of UTI, is D-mannose (capsules or powder). D-mannose is effective for urinary tract infections caused by E. coli bacteria (up to 90% of UTIs), even infections that keep recurring (30 to 50% of infections). A study first found D-mannose effective in 2015, and since then there have been several studies finding D-mannose results to be "favorable".
From Medical Xpress: A myth no more: Cranberry products can prevent urinary tract infections for women
Drinking cranberry juice has long been a mythical prevention strategy for women who develop a urinary tract infection—and new medical evidence shows consuming cranberry products is an effective way to prevent a UTI before it gets started. ...continue reading "Cranberries Reduce the Risk of Developing Urinary Tract Infections"
Some Harmful Food Additives Could Finally Be Banned
Finally... two states (California and New York) are seeking to ban 5 chemicals frequently added to food that are known to cause health problems (cancer, neurological problems, hormone disruptors). They have no reason to be in food (and yes, safer alternatives exist). The five chemicals of concern are: red dye 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, bromated vegetable oil, and propylparaben.
These additives are most commonly found in candy, baked goods, and soda. They are already banned in Europe. Once again the FDA is not protecting consumers, while Europe is way ahead of the US in protecting consumers. Of course the chemical industry is pushing back ($$ before consumer health!).
The bills are AB-418 Food product safety (California) and Bill S6055A - Prohibits certain food additives and food color additives (New York). If approved, both would go into effect in 2025.
Bottom line: Read ingredient lists on labels and avoid these 5 ingredients, plus as many other additives, preservatives, colors, artificial or natural flavors (all laboratory concoctions) as you can. Avoid ultra-processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup as much as possible. Best are ingredients that we all have in our kitchens.
Excerpts from NY Times: Two States Have Proposed Bans on Common Food Additives Linked to Health Concerns
Newly proposed bills in California and New York are putting food additives — the chemicals manufacturers add to food to act as preservatives or to enhance color, texture or taste — under the microscope. ...continue reading "Some Harmful Food Additives Could Finally Be Banned"
The Microbiome of the Male Urethra
By now no one should be surprised that the male urethra has a microbiome - the community of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi) that live there. After all, we have millions of microbes living all over and in us.
There is the core microbiome generally found in all adult male urethras and then also microbes that vary from person to person. The urethra is the tube through which both urine and semen leave the male body.
A recent study found that having sex with a woman (vaginal sex) influences what lives in the male urethral microbiome. The researchers found that some of the men had microbes in the male urethra that are normally found in the female reproductive tract, specifically women with vaginal dysbiosis (yeast infections). This means the women transmitted the microbes to the men during sex. These microbes are not part of the male core urethral microbiome.
Interestingly, even if the men have microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis in the microbiome of the urethra, the men (unlike the women) didn't have any symptoms of an infection.
From Futurity: Vaginal infections can be sexually transmitted to men
New research finds that the bacteria that causes a common vaginal infection can also have a major presence in men and can be sexually transmitted. ...continue reading "The Microbiome of the Male Urethra"
Autism Spectrum Disorder Rates Hit New High
The CDC reports that autism (autism spectrum disorder) rates are still increasing in the US, from 1 in 150 twenty years ago to 1 in 36 children in 2020. That's huge!
It's not just better screening and diagnosis. Rates are increasing so rapidly that researchers agree that there are environmental factors going on. But what are they?
The researchers of the report point out known factors (e.g., age of parents, multiple gestation birth, prematurity, genetics), but what is not discussed are all the chemical toxins in our environment that people are exposed to both prenatally and after birth (postnatally). Studies find that pregnant women are exposed to more harmful industrial chemicals nowadays than ever before.
For example, lead, heavy metals, and pesticides. People use pesticides in the home, on home exteriors, in their gardens and lawns, on pets, on crops, they're in foods we eat, in water we drink, even in rainfall (!). Millions of pounds are used each year in the US. Many of them have neurological effects.
This means that babies and young children are also exposed to more pesticides than ever before. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been warning about the dangers of pesticide exposure in children for years.
Excerpts from Futurity (site for research news from universities): United States autism rates hit new high
More children have been diagnosed with autism than at any time since monitoring began more than two decades ago, according to new federal studies. About 4% of 8-year-old boys and 1% of 8-year-old girls, in the United States have autism, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ...continue reading "Autism Spectrum Disorder Rates Hit New High"
Reduce the Risk of Food Allergies By Having Pet Dogs or Cats
A number of studies in the past decade found that exposure to furry pets (e.g., cats, dogs) in the first year of a child's life is important for preventing later allergies (animal, food, pollen). A recent large study from Japan found that exposure to pet cats and dogs during pregnancy (developing fetus) and the first year of life confirms that furry pet exposure is important in reducing the risk of food allergies until at least 3 years of age.
While pet dogs kept inside had a protective effect, pet dogs kept outside did not. Also, the type of pet was important. Indoor pet dog exposure reduced the number of children with egg, milk, and nut allergies, while cat exposure was associated with fewer egg, wheat, and soybean allergies. However, these beneficial results did not apply to pet hamsters, birds, and turtles.
Why is this happening? It's thought that early in life exposure to furry pets (dander, microbes) helps train the developing immune system. Their gut microbes also have differences. By the way, other studies found that exposing a child in the first year of life to potential problem foods (e.g., peanut butter, eggs) reduces the incidence of that specific food allergy.
From Science Daily: Living with pet cats or dogs is associated with fewer food allergies in young children, study finds
In an analysis of over 65,000 infants from Japan, children exposed to pet cats or indoor dogs during fetal development or early infancy tended to have fewer food allergies compared to other children, according to a study published March 29, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Hisao Okabe from the Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environment and Children's Study, Japan, and colleagues. ...continue reading "Reduce the Risk of Food Allergies By Having Pet Dogs or Cats"
European Governments Protect Residents By Allowing Fewer Pesticides On Golf Courses Than in the US
Once again Europe is better at protecting people than the US (Surprise, surprise! Not...) This time a study compared pesticide use on golf courses in different regions of the US and 3 European countries (UK, Denmark, Norway). It found that the number of pesticide products and pesticide use is significantly higher in the US than in Europe - the risk to people from pesticides is 15 times higher in the US than the European countries.
This is because Europe is actively trying to reduce the amount of pesticides used, while the US is not. The European Union has banned a number of the most dangerous pesticides, while the US has not. Fewer pesticides (20 or fewer) are allowed to be used on golf courses in the 3 European countries, while many more (200 to 250) are allowed in the US.
Important: Pesticides drift onto neighboring properties when applied, they contaminate water and soil, people breathe them in, get them on their skin (and so absorb them). They have harmful effects to our health and environment, even at low doses.
Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: Pesticide Dangers at Golf Courses Much Higher in the U.S. than Europe, Study Finds
Pesticide use on golf courses in the United States poses significantly more risk to human health than those in Europe, according to a study published this month in Science of the Total Environment. The findings highlight yet another area of land management where the U.S. is dangerously behind the European Union, as these countries are set to ban pesticides in parks, playgrounds, and playing fields, and have established a 50% reduction goal for agriculture by 2030.
Meanwhile U.S. agencies continue to perpetuate widespread toxic pesticide use, with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack even working to counter the EU’s reduction goals through a separate, “market-oriented” initiative alongside pesticide industry-friendly countries like UAE and Brazil. ...continue reading "European Governments Protect Residents By Allowing Fewer Pesticides On Golf Courses Than in the US"
Personal Care Products and Breast Cancer Risk
For years there has been much concern over chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors (hormone disruptors) in the personal products that we use on a daily basis. One big concern is whether these chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates, are causing breast cancer (as well as other harmful health effects). Because whatever you use on your skin, will get into you.
A recent study looking at these harmful chemicals found that women switching to paraben and phthalate free cosmetic products had a quick effect (within 28 days) on lowering their levels in the body (blood, urine, breast tissue cells). Which then resulted in lowering breast cancer markers to a "normal" expression. Wowza!
What you can do: Check the ingredients in the lotions you use. Are there parabens and phthalates in it? Spend your money on safe lotions and other personal products. Go to EWG (ewg.org) or mamavation.com for lists of safe products. Also: Ways to lower your exposure to harmful chemicals
For example, the commonly used lotion Lubriderm to this day has several types of parabens (e.g., methylparaben) in it. No, no, no... Why are they still in the lotion? Note that our government is not protecting us from these harmful chemicals. (Instead Big Business and big money is more important.)
From Environmental Health News:
Switching to phthalate and paraben-free personal care products could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, according to new research. ...continue reading "Personal Care Products and Breast Cancer Risk"