Health & WellnessS


Bulb

Brain fitness: News and information important for brain functioning

Brain-cerveau
© Inconnu
Here are a few odds and ends of reports on recent research into how our brains and minds work. There are also a few other brain-related items and brainpower tips.

Why Did Our Brains Get So Big?

Richard Wrangham, a Harvard University biological anthropologist, has hypothesized that cooking was the human innovation that lead to our large brains. Man's ancestor, Homo erectus, appeared about 1.6 to 1.9 million years ago had a brain that was 50% larger than its predecessor, Homo habilis. It also had a large drop in tooth size. Cooking, Wrangham says, can account for both of these.

Cooking makes many food more easily digested. Studies of the diet of modern chimpanzees suggests that the available nutrition from plants and raw meats would not be enough to support the larger brain (Our current brains use up to 20 of our total calorie intake). Others theorize that a move toward more use of soft animal products was enough to support the larger brain.

Source: Scientific American, January 2008 Issue

Book 2

Why the newest Psychiatric Diagnostic Bible will be a boon for big pharma

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© Shutterstock.com/Spectral-Design
The DSM-5 will likely lead patients down a road of over-diagnosis and over-medication.

After the American Psychiatric Association (APA) approved the latest version of its diagnostic bible, the DSM-5, psychiatrist Allen Frances, the former chair of the DSM-4 taskforce and currently professor emeritus at Duke, announced, "This is the saddest moment in my 45-year career of practicing, studying and teaching psychiatry" (A Tense Compromise on Defining Disorders).

The DSM-5 (the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) will be released by the APA in spring 2013. However, Frances states,
"My best advice to clinicians, to the press, and to the general public - be skeptical and don't follow DSM-5 blindly down a road likely to lead to massive over-diagnosis and harmful over-medication."

Magnify

Tooth decay bacteria evolved as diet changed

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© crossbrain66/iStockphotoNo laughing matter: bacteria that causes dental disease became more frequent with the introduction of farming, and even more so after the Industrial Revolution
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers living on a meat-dominated, grain-free diet had much healthier mouths that we have today, with almost no cavities and gum disease-associated bacteria, a genetic study of ancient dental plaque has revealed.

The international team of researchers, led by a group at the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide, publish their findings in today's Nature Genetics .

The researchers extracted DNA from dental plaque from 34 prehistoric northern European human skeletons, and traced the changes in the nature of oral bacteria from the last hunter-gatherers to Neolithic and medieval farmers and modern individuals.

"Dental plaque represents the only easily accessible source of preserved human bacteria," says lead author Dr Christina Adler, now associate lecturer in dentistry at the University of Sydney.

Eggs Fried

Saturated fat is not the culprit in heart disease

Can we jettison misguided and dangerous recommendations on fat and heart disease - please?

Australian research makes a splash

It's not often that the mainstream media notices an academic meta-analysis, or study of studies - particularly if it goes against the tide of prevailing dietary advice. But that's what happened with a recent Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

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Saturated fat: not so bad after all?

The BMJ paper was an update of a previous meta-analysis by the same investigators, looking at the consequences for cardiovascular health of replacing dietary saturated fats (i.e. butter) with polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acids (PUFAs). This time around, the group reassessed the results of the Sydney Diet Heart Study (SDHS), a randomized, controlled trial involving 458 patients that compared the rates of cardiovascular disease among subjects who increased the amount of omega-6 PUFAs - specifically, linoleic acid from safflower oil - in their diet with patients who continued their normal diet. As well as reanalyzing the results, the investigators incorporated them into their previous meta-analysis.

The SDHS results were clear: replacing dietary saturated fats with omega-6 PUFAs increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from coronary heart disease. Not only that, but, "An increase of 5% of food energy from [omega-6 PUFAs] predicted 35% and 29% higher risk of cardiovascular death and all cause mortality, respectively". Similarly, the updated meta-analysis found that increasing dietary omega-6 PUFAs in isolation was associated with increased mortality risk from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease overall. And Omega-6's are the main components of polyunsaturated fats in the Western diet - and they are found in vegetable oils and margarines - the very things we started to eat more of forty or so years ago when we were warned saturated fats would give us heart disease!

Comment: For more information on the benefits of a fat-fuel metabolism, visit our forum's discussions "Life Without Bread" and "Ketogenic Diet".


Cookies

Is gluten on the increase?

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I often hear people say that the reason that there more problems today with consumption of wheat products is because the gluten content has increased.

I always wondered where that argument came from. I am obviously no defender of wheat nor gluten, but I also don't like attention diverted by issues that have no basis in truth.

So this paper written by a USDA scientist entitled Can an Increase in Celiac Disease Be Attributed to an Increase in the Gluten Content of Wheat as a Consequence of Wheat Breeding? I believe helps settle the issue. After surveying analyses of various wheats of the 20th century, he concludes:

"I have not found clear evidence of an increase in the gluten content of wheat in the United States during the 20th century, and if there has indeed been an increase in celiac disease during the latter half of the century, wheat breeding for higher gluten content does not seem to be the basis."

Interestingly, analyses of emmer wheat (the 28-chromosome form of the Bible, for instance) demonstrates much higher gluten content than modern wheat.

The astounding list of problems we have with modern wheat is not due to an increase in gluten content. It is due to other changes, including:

Life Preserver

For a healthy heart, stick to butter

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I've written before about the dangers of omega-6 PUFAs in the diet, and how high intake of PUFAs in the Western diet may be a culprit in the significant increase in inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, autoimmune disease, and more. (1, 2) We've known for a while now that a correlation exists between a rising intake of n-6 and increased mortality from heart disease. (3)

You may have already changed your diet back to one containing high saturated fat from butter, meat, and coconut products, much to the dismay of your doctor and perhaps even your skeptical family members. The belief that omega-6 rich vegetable oils are the "heart healthy" choice is pervasive, despite limited and controversial evidence. It can be difficult to convince others that you're not asking for a heart attack by eating saturated fat.

Now, thanks to research published last week in BMJ, an old study is shedding new light on the omega-6 fatty acids and heart health controversy. The Sydney Diet Heart Study was a randomized controlled trial conducted from 1966 to 1973, comprising 458 men aged 30-59 years with a recent coronary event, such as a heart attack. Patients were randomized to either a control diet (e.g. no change) or an intervention diet, where they were instructed to increase their omega-6 PUFA intake to 15% of calories and to reduce saturated fat intake to less than 10% calories. Participants were provided with liquid safflower oil and a safflower oil based margarine to be used instead of animal fats. (They were also given safflower oil in capsules to take as a supplement. Yikes!)

Heart

A Scottish Terrier's miraculous recovery from bladder cancer

According to this article from the Scottish Terrier Club of America, if you have never lost a Scottish Terrier to bladder cancer - or, more properly, Transitional Cell Carcinoma - consider yourself extremely lucky. Research has suggested that Scottish Terriers are 20 times more likely to get bladder cancer than other breeds and it usually occurs in older dogs (average age 11 years). Such a diagnosis can be devastating to dogs and their owners alike. So you would be extremely pleased to meet Phoebe, a Scottish Terrier that got bladder cancer and survived it thanks to the love and care of their owners who did some alternative research and gave her vitamin C and a primal doggie diet. Let all pet owners and cancer patients know this story!

First, let us see the report from our good friend who brought to our attention this Doggie Miracle:
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Phoebe – Wonder Doggie who healed from cancer with lean meat, animal organs and vitamin C. Such a Cutie!
[M]y uncles' 12 year old dog (Scottish Terrier) Phoebe, had bladder cancer - Transitional Cell Carcinoma -, common in this race and mortal in almost all cases, and according to the analysis and the vet, it was an aggressive one.

The veterinary told them that in 6 months the dog was going to experience a remarkable health deterioration. He suggested an aggressive therapy with very strong medication and he wasn't even sure that it was going to help in any way, maybe just to give her more time (in pain for sure). Well, my uncles didn't want to subject her to a painful and hard therapy and medication so they decided to search for other options.

We were talking about it and the idea that the right nutrition could help to heal the body, and about the possible health damage caused by industrialized dog food loaded with carbs, chemicals and other stuff that it's not part of a dog's natural or proper diet. We discussed this idea [and a friend] suggested that changing her diet to lean meat may help her in someway.

When i came back to Mexico i researched a little bit under that idea, and there are some vets now promoting a proper diet for dogs to avoid some sickness - some race's specific -, and some for treatment. In some articles, they also suggested to give them animal organs as heart and liver - from cows, pigs or chickens - (funny that this organs are the first eaten by the alpha wolf in a pack), and also found some articles about the use of small doses of Vitamin C (depending on the dog's size) to treat cancer in dogs.

I shared the info with them, and since the end of September they decided to apply it with caution. So, in this case, all came down to getting rid of the industrialized dog food, a diet based on lean meat, heart and liver sometimes, and small daily doses of vitamin C. The result of the past week analysis: Phoebe has no trace whatsoever of this allegedly aggressive cancer, she even increased her weight a little bit, and she's more active than before.

The vets and the people of the analysis lab are very surprised by this results. According to them, she should be dead or almost there by this time. My uncle's are very very happy because they love that dog very much.

Einstein

Leading geneticist: Human intelligence is slowly declining

Intelligence
© Natural Society
Would you be surprised to hear that the human race is slowly becoming dumber, and dumber? Despite our advancements over the last tens or even hundreds of years, some 'experts' believe that humans are losing cognitive capabilities and becoming more emotionally unstable. One Stanford University researcher and geneticist, Dr. Gerald Crabtree, believes that our intellectual decline as a race has much to do with adverse genetic mutations. But there is more to it than that.

According to Crabtree, our cognitive and emotional capabilities are fueled and determined by the combined effort of thousands of genes. If a mutation occurred in any of of these genes, which is quite likely, then intelligence or emotional stability can be negatively impacted.
"I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues. Furthermore, I would guess that he or she would be among the most emotionally stable of our friends and colleagues," the geneticist began his article in the scientific journal Trends in Genetics.
Further, the geneticist explains that people with specific adverse genetic mutations are more likely than ever to survive and live amongst the 'strong.' Darwin's theory of 'survival of the fittest' is less applicable in today's society, therefore those with better genes will not necessarily dominate in society as they would have in the past.

While this hypothesis does have some merit: are genes really the primary reason for the overall cognitive decline of the human race? If humans really are lacking in intelligence more than before, it's important to recognize other possible causes. Let's take a look at how our food system plays a role in all of this.

It's sad, but true; our food system today is contributing to lower intelligence across the board.

Pills

Common chemicals linked to osteoarthritis

A new study has linked exposure to two common perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) with osteoarthritis. PFCs are used in more than 200 industrial processes and consumer products including certain stain- and water-resistant fabrics, grease-proof paper food containers, personal care products, and other items. Because of their persistence, PFCs have become ubiquitous contaminants of humans and wildlife. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to look at the associations between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and osteoarthritis, in a study population representative of the United States.

"We found that PFOA and PFOS exposures are associated with higher prevalence of osteoarthritis, particularly in women, a group that is disproportionately impacted by this chronic disease," said Sarah Uhl, who authored the study along with Yale Professor Michelle L. Bell and Tamarra James-Todd, an epidemiologist at the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The research was the focus of Uhl's Master's of Environmental Science Program at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

The authors analyzed data from six years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003-2008), which enabled them to account for factors such as age, income, and race/ethnicity. When the researchers looked at men and women separately, they found clear, strong associations for women, but not men. Women in the highest 25% of exposure to PFOA had about two times the odds of having osteoarthritis compared to those in the lowest 25% of exposure.

Coffee

Tea, fluoride, and wild alternatives

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Tea, including black, green, white, and oolong varieties, is prepared from the leaves of a shrub native to Asia called Camellia sinensis. It is a well-known hot beverage and is consumed in many households as a replacement for or in addition to the other common, hot beverage of the United States - coffee (made from the seeds of Coffea arabica). Tea is considered to be a beneficial drink and is known to contain antioxidants (e.g., epigallocatechin gallate). However, most are unaware that cultivated tea plants accumulate fluoride, a central nervous system toxin that accumulates in the body. We are told our entire lives that fluoride is beneficial for cavity prevention (through hardening of the enamel of our teeth). What we are never told is that fluoride is not used by our body in any natural physiological pathway and that there are health effects to its consumption, including dental and skeletal fluorosis, osteoarthritis, thyroid issues, endocrine disruption, immune system suppression, and several nervous system effects. And though it does harden the enamel of our teeth, it also makes them more brittle and susceptible to breakage. I do not expect a simple listing of the health issues to make you reconsider your family's use of fluoride; therefore, you may find the following numbers informative.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set standards for the amount of fluoride that can be present in drinking water because it is known to cause harm at high doses. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) was set at 4 parts per million (ppm). At that level, a person would consume 4 mg per liter of water each day (this assumes they consume only four cups of water each day). Studies show that people are actually consuming nearly 8 mg per day, which is twice the MCL set by the USEPA. Read carefully: this amount is higher than the amount provided when fluoride is used to treat hyperthyroidism (i.e., an over-functioning thyroid). Therefore, consuming fluoridated water at this level depresses thyroid function, which can create many issues, including memory problems, weight gain, depression, apathy, fatigue, constipation, skin problems, sexual dysfunction, loss of ability to concentrate, and more.

Here are some additional results of studies regarding fluoride's health effects: