Scientists are increasingly finding that depression and other psychological disorders can be as much diseases of the body as of the mind.
People with long-term psychological stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder tend to develop earlier and more serious forms of physical illnesses that usually hit people in older age, such as stroke, dementia, heart disease and diabetes. Recent research points to what might be happening on the cellular level that could account for this.
"As we learn more...we will begin to think less of depression as a 'mental illness' or even a 'brain disease,' but as a systemic illness," says Owen Wolkowitz, a psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who along with colleagues has conducted research in the field.
As the names implies, situational awareness is simply knowing what's going on around you. It sounds easy in principle, but in reality requires much practice. And while it is taught to soldiers, law enforcement officers, and yes, government-trained assassins, it's an important skill for civilians to learn as well. In a dangerous situation, being aware of a threat even seconds before everyone else can keep you and your loved ones safe.
But it's also a skill that can and should be developed for reasons outside of personal defense and safety. Situational awareness is really just another word for mindfulness, and developing mine has made me more cognizant of what's going on around me and more present in my daily activities, which in turn has helped me make better decisions in all aspects of my life.
But does this actually mean anything? Johnson & Johnson, another American multinational corporation which specializes in developing medical devices and selling pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods, has been ordered to pay $72 million US dollars to the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was linked to her decades-long use of the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower. Approximately 1,000 more cases have been filed in Missouri state court, and another 200 in New Jersey. In this specific case, jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence, and conspiracy. You can read more about that here.Colgate Total is the only toothpaste on the market that has undergone the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rigorous New Drug Application (NDA) review process for efficacy and safety, including periodic reviews of scientific literature and safety information. . . . There are more published, peer-reviewed clinical studies of Colgate Total than of any other toothpaste in the world. The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total toothpaste is supported by more than 90 scientific studies, involving 20,000 people, as well as by a broad set of safety evaluations. A recent five-year clinical study, published in 2012, also affirms the safety of Colgate Total toothpaste.
After all, pornography works in the most basic of ways on the brain: It is Pavlovian. An orgasm is one of the biggest reinforcers imaginable. If you associate orgasm with your wife, a kiss, a scent, a body, that is what, over time, will turn you on; if you open your focus to an endless stream of ever-more-transgressive images of cybersex slaves, that is what it will take to turn you on. The ubiquity of sexual images does not free eros but dilutes it.
Other cultures know this. I am not advocating a return to the days of hiding female sexuality, but I am noting that the power and charge of sex are maintained when there is some sacredness to it, when it is not on tap all the time.
Comment: Although this is a case-control study, it cannot prove cause and effect. Another major setback is that it was based on self-reported data which is not very reliable, particularly if people are trying to report on their carbohydrate intake over the course of their life. Studies have wrongly demonized meat consumption based on unreliable self-reports.
Also, vegetable oil could be the major co-founding factor in this study. Many high-glycemic index foods are cooked in vegetable oils. Research and basic science suggests that the combination of vegetable oil and evil carbohydrates is deadly.
Nevertheless, the correlation found in this study is remarkable with nearly a 50% increase in lung cancer!
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