According to new research from the Monell Center and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, certain common herbicides and lipid-lowering fibrate drugs act in humans to block T1R3, a nutrient-sensing taste receptor also present in intestine and pancreas.
Commonly used in agriculture and medicine, these chemical compounds were not previously known to act on the T1R3 receptor.
The T1R3 receptor is a critical component of both the sweet taste receptor and the umami (amino acid) taste receptor. First identified on the tongue, emerging evidence indicates that T1R3 and related taste receptors also are located on hormone-producing cells in the intestine and pancreas.
Health & Wellness
Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern - rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish - appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report of the University of Navarra, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
The lifetime prevalence of mental disorders has been found to be lower in Mediterranean than Northern European countries, according to background information in the article. One plausible explanation is that the diet commonly followed in the region may be protective against depression. Previous research has suggested that the monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil - used abundantly in the Mediterranean diet - may be associated with a lower risk of severe depressive symptoms.
The researchers studied 10,094 healthy Spanish participants who completed an initial questionnaire between 1999 and 2005. Participants reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire, and the researchers calculated their adherence to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components (high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish).
The lifetime prevalence of mental disorders has been found to be lower in Mediterranean than Northern European countries, according to background information in the article. One plausible explanation is that the diet commonly followed in the region may be protective against depression. Previous research has suggested that the monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil - used abundantly in the Mediterranean diet - may be associated with a lower risk of severe depressive symptoms.
The researchers studied 10,094 healthy Spanish participants who completed an initial questionnaire between 1999 and 2005. Participants reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire, and the researchers calculated their adherence to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components (high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish).
Children with functional abdominal pain who used audio recordings of guided imagery at home in addition to standard medical treatment were almost three times as likely to improve their pain problem, compared to children who received standard treatment alone.
And those benefits were maintained six months after treatment ended, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center researchers has found.
The study is published in the November 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics. The lead author is Miranda van Tilburg, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the UNC School of Medicine and a member of the UNC Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
"What is especially exciting about our study is that children can clearly reduce their abdominal pain a lot on their own with guidance from audio recordings, and they get much better results that way than from medical care alone," said van Tilburg. "Such self-administered treatment is, of course, very inexpensive and can be used in addition to other treatments, which potentially opens the door for easily enhancing treatment outcomes for a lot of children suffering from frequent stomach aches."
And those benefits were maintained six months after treatment ended, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center researchers has found.
The study is published in the November 2009 issue of the journal Pediatrics. The lead author is Miranda van Tilburg, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the UNC School of Medicine and a member of the UNC Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
"What is especially exciting about our study is that children can clearly reduce their abdominal pain a lot on their own with guidance from audio recordings, and they get much better results that way than from medical care alone," said van Tilburg. "Such self-administered treatment is, of course, very inexpensive and can be used in addition to other treatments, which potentially opens the door for easily enhancing treatment outcomes for a lot of children suffering from frequent stomach aches."
Buyer beware
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials are almost ready for their PR company to unleash a sophisticated, powerful H1N1 'swine flu' vaccine multimedia marketing campaign to dupe doctors and exploit society's most vulnerable through what social scientists call mind control that aims for behavior control.
In this case, the desired behavior is to accept a toxic spray or injection by obediently obeying the mind control marketing ploy, even against personal better judgment.
Richard Gale and Dr. Gary Null reported today that Peter Doshi first brought public attention to a CDC public relations influenza strategy known as the Seven Step Recipe.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials are almost ready for their PR company to unleash a sophisticated, powerful H1N1 'swine flu' vaccine multimedia marketing campaign to dupe doctors and exploit society's most vulnerable through what social scientists call mind control that aims for behavior control.
In this case, the desired behavior is to accept a toxic spray or injection by obediently obeying the mind control marketing ploy, even against personal better judgment.
Richard Gale and Dr. Gary Null reported today that Peter Doshi first brought public attention to a CDC public relations influenza strategy known as the Seven Step Recipe.
California public health officials are investigating medical errors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in which 206 patients were exposed to high doses of radiation during CT brain scans.
The report came as the FDA issued an alert to hospitals nationwide, warning them to review their safety procedures for CT scans. But the alert did not specifically name Cedars-Sinai.
"The magnitude of these overdoses and their impact on the affected patients were significant," the FDA said, warning that undetected overdoses put "patients at increased risk for long-term radiation effects."
The report came as the FDA issued an alert to hospitals nationwide, warning them to review their safety procedures for CT scans. But the alert did not specifically name Cedars-Sinai.
"The magnitude of these overdoses and their impact on the affected patients were significant," the FDA said, warning that undetected overdoses put "patients at increased risk for long-term radiation effects."
On November 3 at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, noted doctors Cedric Garland and Tracey O'Connor are running a seminar on how vitamin D can be used to prevent breast cancer -- as well as infectious diseases, type 1 diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer, and falls in the elderly.
Presenters will include some of the best known vitamin D researchers/practitioners, such as Robert P. Heaney, Reinhold Vieth, John White and Susan Whiting.
It is estimated that 25 to 50 percent of any healthcare budget could be saved with adequate vitamin D serum levels.
The conference will look at the current research and practice with vitamin D to enable everyone to take action today based on what's known to solve the deficiency epidemic, and to start the prevention of many diseases.
Sources: Grass Roots Health
Presenters will include some of the best known vitamin D researchers/practitioners, such as Robert P. Heaney, Reinhold Vieth, John White and Susan Whiting.
It is estimated that 25 to 50 percent of any healthcare budget could be saved with adequate vitamin D serum levels.
The conference will look at the current research and practice with vitamin D to enable everyone to take action today based on what's known to solve the deficiency epidemic, and to start the prevention of many diseases.
Sources: Grass Roots Health
A new genome-wide association study published October 11 in Nature Genetics begins to uncover the basis of genetic variations in eight blood measurements and the impact those variants can have on common human diseases. Blood measurements, including the number and volume of cells in the blood, are routinely used to diagnose a wide range of disorders, including anaemia, infection and blood cell cancers.
An international team of scientists measured haemoglobin concentration, the count and volume of red and white cells and the sticky cells that prevent bleeding - platelets, in over 14,000 individuals from the UK and Germany. They uncovered 22 regions of the human genome implicated in the development of these blood cells. Of the 22 regions, 15 had not previously been identified.
The study represents the first genome-wide association of blood measurements to be completed in cohorts with large sample sizes.
An international team of scientists measured haemoglobin concentration, the count and volume of red and white cells and the sticky cells that prevent bleeding - platelets, in over 14,000 individuals from the UK and Germany. They uncovered 22 regions of the human genome implicated in the development of these blood cells. Of the 22 regions, 15 had not previously been identified.
The study represents the first genome-wide association of blood measurements to be completed in cohorts with large sample sizes.
With all of the hype surrounding the H1N1 swine flu virus lately, everyone is very concerned with the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and rightly so. This is a very important question that we must all ask ourselves and find out what the truth is. As the debate rages on an even more important question has rarely been asked. Do vaccines even protect you from the viruses and illnesses that they claim to?
If you only get your news and information from mainstream news and educational sources, then the question about whether vaccines are effective is never even raised. This lack of discussion give the perception that they are so effective that only a crazy or ignorant person would even think otherwise. Of course that is the perception that they are trying to get across to you, but that is far from the truth.
In fact if you take a look at some of the historical facts on the effectiveness of vaccines you will begin to see that not only did they too often not protect people from the very diseases that they claimed to but they actually caused outbreaks of those same diseases they were hyped to prevent.
If you only get your news and information from mainstream news and educational sources, then the question about whether vaccines are effective is never even raised. This lack of discussion give the perception that they are so effective that only a crazy or ignorant person would even think otherwise. Of course that is the perception that they are trying to get across to you, but that is far from the truth.
In fact if you take a look at some of the historical facts on the effectiveness of vaccines you will begin to see that not only did they too often not protect people from the very diseases that they claimed to but they actually caused outbreaks of those same diseases they were hyped to prevent.
This week, the CSPI released a "risky foods" list aiming to reveal the top ten riskiest foods responsible for most food-borne illnesses. Number one on the list is "leafy greens." Does this mean people should stop eating leafy greens? Of course not: The list itself is flawed from the very start.
There's nothing inherently "risky" about leafy greens. There has never been a single food-borne illness caused by a leafy green. What causes food-borne illnesses are the bacteria that get onto the leafy greens. Putting the focus on the food item itself is not only scientifically inaccurate; it's also misleading to consumers.
The real question is how do foods get contaminated with e.coli? And that answer involves the growing and processing of those foods. Foods that are grown near factory animal farms are far more likely to be contaminated with e.coli than those grown in more natural settings. Foods grown using methods of biodynamic gardening are far more likely to be free from e.coli than those grown as monoculture crops.
There's nothing inherently "risky" about leafy greens. There has never been a single food-borne illness caused by a leafy green. What causes food-borne illnesses are the bacteria that get onto the leafy greens. Putting the focus on the food item itself is not only scientifically inaccurate; it's also misleading to consumers.
The real question is how do foods get contaminated with e.coli? And that answer involves the growing and processing of those foods. Foods that are grown near factory animal farms are far more likely to be contaminated with e.coli than those grown in more natural settings. Foods grown using methods of biodynamic gardening are far more likely to be free from e.coli than those grown as monoculture crops.
© Giancarli / NY Daily News
Brandon Marty, 13, gets his H1N1 vaccination in the form of a nasal spray at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY.
Brandon Marty, 13, gets his H1N1 vaccination in the form of a nasal spray at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY.
The Centers for Disease Control alluded to the problem in a small Sept. 4 report, but only in a passing mention.
That report, an analysis of the first H1N1-related deaths among U.S. children, revealed that 33% (12 of 36) were among Hispanics. All told, half of the H1N1 children's deaths between April and August were among African-Americans and Hispanics. That's considerably more than the percentage of both groups in the population.
Comment: Although the author's support for vaccination is questionable at best, he does make an important observation about the disproportionate spread of the disease. But are "disparities in health conditions" the cause, or are we seeing the result of something more sinister, such as an ethnic specific virus?