Credit: M. Silgailis
A Barred Owl. They are usually resting in dense woods during the day, so I was lucky to see this large owl.
Some cultures view sighting an owl as a good omen. Hopefully!
Credit: M. Silgailis
Credit: M. Silgailis
Exposures to Pesticides and Childhood Cancer Risk
The US is awash in pesticides - whether used on farms, in homes, on lawns, right-of-ways, on flea collars, etc., etc. They are used for specific reasons (e.g., to kill specific pests or weeds), but they also cause harms. People have more exposure to pesticides than they realize, and this results in health harms, especially to children and during pregnancy.
For example, people are exposed when there is drifting of pesticides to non-target areas when applied, or there is contamination of drinking water, or from the pesticide residues in the foods we eat, touching dogs wearing flea collars, or when children play on treated lawns.
A large study found that exposure to multiple pesticides results in an increased risk of childhood cancers - brain cancer by 36%, leukemia rates by 23%, and overall pediatric cancer rates by 30%. The study was done in Nebraska, the state with the second highest cancer rates. Many scientists, and also researchers of the study, believe this is from extensive use of multiple pesticides on crops.
Unfortunately, the government only looks at exposure to one chemical at a time - not the mixtures we are exposed to on a daily basis. Also, the most toxic pesticides (dicamba, paraquat, glyphosate) are more regulated or banned in Europe, but not in the US. (Remember: $$$ first in the US).
Simple steps you can do to lower your pesticide exposure: 1) Eat as many organic foods as possible. Pesticide levels in the body will rapidly go down. 2) Use non-toxic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or organic methods for pest problems. 3) Don't use pesticides on the grounds where you live. View lawns as having wildflowers (bee habitats!) and not weeds. 4) Take your shoes off at the door (so you don't track in pesticides). 5) Use some sort of water filter for drinking water if you suspect that there are pesticides in your water.
From The Guardian: Exposure to combination of pesticides increases childhood cancer risk – study
Exposure to multiple pesticides significantly increases the risk of childhood cancers compared with exposures to just one pesticide, first-of-its-kind research finds, raising new fears that children are more at risk to the substances’ harmful effects than previously thought. ...continue reading "Exposures to Pesticides and Childhood Cancer Risk"
Silver Supplements Build Up In the Body
The use of silver instead of antibiotics is incredibly popular as an alternative medical treatment for various ailments. It can be taken by mouth and swallowed (colloidal silver supplements) or applied to skin wounds. However, when colloidal silver is ingested, it stays in the body and builds up over time - in the skin, the organs, fingernails.
It's not clear how much colloidal silver you can ingest before it's harmful. But in large amounts it can result in a blue-gray tint of the skin, eyes, organs, nails, and gums - this condition is called argyria. Unfortunately, even if a person stops taking silver, the blue-gray tint remains. There have been a number of cases reported in the medical literature of argyria, for example a man who ingested it daily for one year ("to ward off infections").
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that colloidal silver isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition and has taken action against a number of companies for making misleading claims about colloidal silver products.
The following article describes one such case in an elderly man in Hong Kong. Excerpts from Ars Technica: Man turns irreversibly gray from an unidentified silver exposure
When an 84-year-old man in Hong Kong was admitted to a hospital for a condition related to an enlarged prostate, doctors noticed something else about him—he was oddly gray, according to a case report in the New England Journal of Medicine. ...continue reading "Silver Supplements Build Up In the Body"
Spring Is Almost Here
Two woodpeckers, same tree, moved up and down in unison.
Spring is almost here!
Dairy Foods Benefit Our Gut Microbes
It's good to eat and drink dairy foods! Consuming dairy foods is beneficial for the gut microbiome, but each dairy food - whether milk, cheese, or yogurt - appears to have different effects on the composition of the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi).
A recent small study found that consuming higher amounts of dairy foods is beneficial for the gut microbiome, and resulted in a greater variety of bacterial species (this is considered good for health). There was more abundance of the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium, a bacteria associated with digestive health and immune support.
Consumption of milk was especially beneficial in boosting a variety of beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium) known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Higher amounts of total dairy foods consumed was associated with lower levels of Bacteroides, which are linked to inflammatory conditions and colorectal cancer.
Excerpts from news-medical.net: Milk boosts gut-friendly bacteria while cheese alters microbiome balance, study reveals
In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers in the United States explored the influence of dairy consumption on colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota. By investigating specific bacterial composition changes linked to dairy intake, they highlighted its implications for individual and public health. ...continue reading "Dairy Foods Benefit Our Gut Microbes"
Study Finds Common Pesticide Has Effect On Pregnancies and Babies
The US uses massive amounts of the pesticide glyphosate (commonly known as Roundup) on farms, the sides of roads, and even by homeowners on their properties. More than 127,000 tons of this weed-killer (herbicide) is used just on US farm fields! But studies, including this recent study, find that glyphosate is also linked to health harms, including lower weights and earlier birth of babies.
The recent research found that increased glyphosate applications on farm fields in the last two decades (especially due to genetically modified crops and preharvest use) has especially impacted pregnancies and babies born in rural areas of the United States. That is, pregnant women in farm areas are the most impacted by glyphosate - it's not just used on the fields nearby (they get exposed from pesticide drift), but also in the non-organic foods that they eat. Lower birthweights are generally considered a predictor of health problems (and higher health care costs).
Evidence for health harms from glyphosate are increasing each year, such as an increased risk of cancer (e.g., non-Hodgkin lymphoma), premature births, endocrine disruption, and even disruptions of the gut microbiome (it kills beneficial microbes in the gut, including such important keystone bacteria as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.) The percentage of people with glyphosate detected in their urine, and the amount (concentration) has been rising over time. It can now be detected in almost all of us, including children.
By the way, the US allows much higher levels of glyphosate residue on foods than countries in other parts of the world, including Europe. But in Brazil it's even worse with levels much higher than in the US, and with higher rates of childhood cancer and infant mortality.
Organic food production does not allow the use of glyphosate. To lower glyphosate levels in your body - increase the amount of organic foods that you eat.
Excerpts from Science: Common weed killer may be harming infants
Babies in rural counties of the United States that use a common weed killer are born slightly earlier and underweight, a large study finds. These changes, although small on average, could result in learning disabilities and an increased risk of infection, researchers reported last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, resulting in more than $1 billion in health care costs nationwide each year. ...continue reading "Study Finds Common Pesticide Has Effect On Pregnancies and Babies"
Health Benefits From Regularly Eating Eggs
Remember when for years eating eggs was viewed as unhealthy? And people were told to only eat egg whites? Well, well... how views have changed. Another recent study of 8756 older adults found that frequently eating eggs has health benefits - it is associated with a lower incidence of heart-disease related death and death from any cause.
How much lower? The study found a 29% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease death in relatively healthy older (70+ years) adults who ate eggs 1 to 6 times per week, when compared to adults who didn't eat eggs or ate them infrequently. The 1 to 6 times per week egg eaters also had a 17% lower rate of death from any cause, when compared to those who ate eggs infrequently or not at all.
Eggs are a great food. They are a good source of protein and essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, choline (very important for the brain!), selenium, fat-soluble vitamins (E, D, A, and K), and numerous other minerals and trace elements. A large egg is about 72 calories and 6 grams of protein.
Other studies have similar findings, as well as a lower risk of diabetes and a lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke in those consuming eggs frequently.
From Medical Xpress: Regularly eating eggs supports a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, finds study
Regular consumption of eggs is associated with a 29% lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death in relatively healthy older adults, new research from a Monash University-led team has found. ...continue reading "Health Benefits From Regularly Eating Eggs"
Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers
Some foods are considered good for the gut microbiome. Yogurt, which is loaded with beneficial bacteria, is one of them. A recent study found that eating yogurt two or more times a week for long periods of time (years!) is associated with a lower risk for several types of colorectal cancer.
However, it must be noted that the study found that eating yogurt, whether frequently or not, did NOT have an association with overall colorectal cancer incidence. It was just with colon cancer that had Bifidobacterium-positive tumors (31% of colon cancers in this study). Persons eating 2 or more yogurts per week had a 20% lower incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive tumors.
Yogurt contains Bifidobacterium bacteria, a bacteria that is considered tumor-suppressive. By the way, all fermented dairy products (e.g., kefir, buttermilk, cheese) have long been viewed as beneficial to health, and they all contain a variety of microbes, including Lactobacillus species.
From Science Daily: Long-term yogurt consumption tied to decreased incidence of certain types of colorectal cancer
Yogurt, which contains live strains of bacteria, is thought to protect against many types of diseases, with some reports indicating it could reduce risk of colorectal cancer. ...continue reading "Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers"
Some Exercise After A Concussion In Athletes May Help Recovery
Over the years the treatment of sports-related concussions has really changed. It used to be that the person was told to rest in a darkened room for several days, but lately research has been suggesting the opposite.
A recent study found that after receiving a sports-related concussion, it is beneficial to engage in one 20 minute aerobic exercise 5 to 14 days after the injury (concussion). The aerobic exercise was only at 80% heart rate threshold (the threshold associated with symptoms worsening and/or exhaustion. In other words, it was an aerobic exercise that wasn't too vigorous, and only for 20 minutes. In the study they cycled on recumbent bikes.
In the small study (16 participants between 8-24 years, all varsity athletes), the exercise didn't make symptoms worse. In fact, it helped with their thinking (executive functioning of the brain) and improved concussion symptoms in the early stages of recovery. This may be due to increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain from moving about.
From Medical Xpress: Concussed athletes' brains benefit from just 20 minutes of exercise
In a new study, Western researchers have shown just one 20-minute session of moderate intensity aerobic exercise can improve an athlete's executive function and concussion symptoms in the early stages of recovery.
Executive function is essential for everyday tasks, from remembering a grocery list to making strategic decisions in sports. When a basketball player closely guarded by an opponent holds back from shooting, opting to pass the ball to a teammate instead, they're tapping into the brain's inhibitory control—an important aspect of executive function. But a sports-related concussion can disrupt executive function, impacting on-field performance.
...continue reading "Some Exercise After A Concussion In Athletes May Help Recovery"
Study Found Losing Weight Reversed Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a huge problem in the US. Studies have long suggested that losing weight can help a person reduce or even stop having to use diabetes medication, and even reverse the diabetes. A recent study also found that type 2 diabetes in overweight individuals can be reversed by losing weight.
The good news is that the weight loss doesn't have to be huge - it can be as little as 8% of body weight (e.g., 16 lbs in a 200 pound person). Losing 8% of their body weight improved glycemic control because there was an improvement in their insulin responsiveness. By the way, all the participants in the study had a "sedentary lifestyle" and none exercised.
From Medical Xpress: Can type 2 diabetes be reversed? Experts say 'yes'
More than 36 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, a condition primarily attributed to the body's cells not responding to insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels. Due to the concomitant increase in the prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes is rising across the U.S. and around the world.
Insulin resistance drives type 2 diabetes, Shulman explains. "If you reverse insulin resistance, you reverse type 2 diabetes," he said. In a landmark study, Shulman and Kitt Petersen, MD, professor of medicine (endocrinology), showed that modest weight reduction—even as little as 10%—does just that. The study is published in the journal Diabetes. ...continue reading "Study Found Losing Weight Reversed Type 2 Diabetes"