Health & WellnessS


Cow

Best of the Web: The Paleo Diet and Politics

Andrew
Evolvify.
Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:47 UTC
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I hoped this day would never come. Alas, it was almost inevitable. Of the many #notpaleo concepts we face in the modern world, two of the biggest are politics and religion; the collision of the paleo ideas with 10K years of subsequent dogma has only just begun. State politics and codified law arose directly from the unintended problem of property rights inherent in the agricultural revolution. While shamanistic religion existed in the upper paleolithic, the theism of historical and modern religions (one in the same, really) is also firmly rooted in the agricultural revolution. In many ways, it's hard to separate politics and religion as civilizations formed around agriculture.

Target

The seeds of this article have been on my mind for a while, but its timing is a reaction to an article I saw yesterday in the Chicago Sun Times titled "Meaty fad diet goes back to Stone Age". Here we go... Back to the 3.4 million year "fad". The author added to the fad rhetoric by calling the paleo diet "silly". That sort of title is pretty common in the anti-paleo polemics that circulate in the blogosphere. However, this was from what I presumed to be a nominally significant traditional media outlet. It was clearly written by a non-journalist, which is fine I guess, but it struck me as particularly poorly researched. There were no online responses when I read it, so I fired off a hasty, but I think accurate, comment. At the time of this writing, it's the first of a few comments, but who knows what whims might change that.

Comment: For more information on the positive health benefits of a paleo diet see: Primal mind: A talk on nutrition and mental health by Nora Gedgaudas

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Cookie

Cancer Feeds on Fructose, America's Number One Source of Calories

Anthony Gucciardi
NaturalSociety
Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:51 UTC
doughnuts sugar cancer toxic
© Unknown
High-fructose corn syrup is the primary source of calories in the United States. In addition to containing mercury, a known carcinogen, cancer cells actually feed on high-fructose corn syrup after it is metabolized by the liver. A new study, published in the Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, examined the link between refined sugar and cancer. The results add further evidence to the reports of many health experts and scientific studies that have drawn the connection between excess sugar consumption and the development of cancer.

The researchers highlighted the numerous ways in which fructose directly contributes to cancer risk and other health problems, including:
  • DNA damage
  • Inflammation
  • Altered cellular metabolism
  • Increased production of free radicals
According to Lewis Cantley, director of the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are "driven by either mutations or environmental factors that work to enhance or mimic the effect of insulin on the incipient tumor cells."
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Radar

Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates

Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post
Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:18 UTC
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© Unknown
A new report published in the popular journal Nature has revealed that antibiotics are permanently destroying beneficial bacteria within the gut, a condition scientists link to mental illness. While it has been known for some time that antibiotics contribute to the development of drug-resistant superbugs and certain gut problems, the link between antibiotic use and mental illness through the permanent destruction of beneficial bacteria only further tops the pharmaceutical paradigm. In fact, the pharmaceutical paradigm set in place by drug makers is so vast that it actually offers drug-based 'solutions' to the very problems that drugs originally created!

After kids are given excessive amounts of antibiotics that lead to the destruction of their gut health and the subsequent onset of mental illness, they are then given deadly antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs to 'treat' the condition that originated from pharmaceutical drug use. It is a system that, whether purposeful or not, generates large profits for many prescription-happy doctors and drug manufacturers alike.
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Magnify

Drug-Resistant Staph Infections in Europe Could Mark Start of a New Epidemic

Robin Lloyd
Scientific American
Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:14 UTC
Staphylococcus aureus
© Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGel electrophoresis of Staphylococcus aureus
A relatively new type of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus could represent the world's next bacterial epidemic, an environmental health expert said here today at a conference for science writers.

The superbug, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain 398, or MRSA ST398, was first identified in an infant in the Netherlands in 1994 and traced back to her family's pigs. Now, researchers are starting to see more serious infections and some of the cases reveal no direct link to livestock, said Lance B. Price, director of the Center for Microbiomics and Human Health at The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), in Flagstaff.

"The rate of human [ST398] infections is going up in Denmark and the Netherlands," Price said. "We are just looking at the beginning of an epidemic." Price made his comments during a presentation at the 49th annual New Horizons in Science meeting, organized by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.
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Health

Ginger Might Ease Inflammation Linked to Colon Cancer

Randy Dotinga
USA Today
Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:24 UTC
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© precisionnutrition.com
A small, preliminary study finds that ginger root supplements seem to reduce inflammation in the intestines - a potential sign that the pills might reduce the risk of colon cancer.

However, more study needs to be done, and the researchers aren't yet recommending that people head to the supplements' aisle or start gobbling up more ginger at meal times.

"If you want to add ginger to part of a healthy diet, that's great. But you can't make any conclusions about definite health benefits" based on the study findings, said lead author Suzanna M. Zick, a naturopathic physician and research associate professor at University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor.

The study, funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, was published online Oct. 11 in Cancer Prevention Research.

Comment: For more information about the health benefits of ginger read the following articles:

Find Health and Healing Properties in Ginger

Is Ginger Better than Drugs?

The Cure-All Properties of Ginger

How Taking Ginger Can Help Ease Nausea After Chemotherapy

Ginger's Health Benefits: Fighting Pain, Inflammation and Arthritis:
Ginger Fights Inflammation Like Common NSAID's

In research done over the past 30 years, science has found support for the anti-inflammatory properties of ginger, according to a review published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. The authors note that one early study compared the medicinal potential of ginger to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's). Common examples of NSAID's include Advil, Motrin, Aleve and aspirin. It found that ginger, like the NSAID's, inhibits the enzymes cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2. (Cox 1 and 2).

Further discoveries revealed that an extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) inhibits several genes that contribute to inflammation.


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Sherlock

Pharma's Don't-Take-Vitamins Study Diametrically Opposed by Valid Study

Alan Goodwin
foodfreedom.wordpress.com
Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:17 UTC
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© foodfreedom.wordpress.com
Have you not asked yourself why vitamins (!) are suddenly an issue and who is behind it? As food is increasingly degraded, are you not aware how crucial supplementation for vital nutrients is? Are you aware that disease is an investment industry and this is in the service of it?

Huffington Post just published Women Who Take Vitamin Supplements May Have Increased Death Risk, at precisely the moment that the pharmaceutical industry is in health attack mode to limit access to nutritional supplements in the US. How coincidental!

The AMA, which is heavily funded by Pharma, put out a study purporting to show that vitamins are a threat to people's lives.
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Info

Kids Under 2 Should Play, Not Watch TV, Doctors Say

Rachael Rettner
Live Science
Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:15 UTC
Child on Floor
© Daniel Gale | ShutterstockPediatricians say kids under 2 would be better off playing than watching any television.

Boston - Children under age 2 should avoid watching TV as much as possible, according to a new policy statement from the nation's largest group of pediatricians, who suggest the tots should play instead.

The idea that TV programs are beneficial to the learning of children this young has not been proved, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. In addition, TV viewing may lead to sleep problems and a delayed use of speech in young kids, recent research suggests.

Even merely having the TV on in the background may be less than optimal for a child's development, the AAP says. Background television may distract from playtime activities that benefit children's learning. And it may distract parents, preventing them from speaking and interacting with their kids, the AAP says.
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Magic Wand

Omega-3 fatty acids shown to prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis


University of Bristol
Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:29 UTC
New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

According to the University of Bristol study, funded by Arthritis Research UK and published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, omega-3-rich diets fed to guinea pigs, which naturally develop osteoarthritis, reduced disease by 50 per cent compared to a standard diet.

The research is a major step forward in showing that omega-3 fatty acids, either sourced from fish oil or flax oil, may help to slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, or even prevent it occurring, confirming anecdotal reports and "old wives' tales" about the benefits of fish oil for joint health.

Lead researcher Dr John Tarlton, from the Matrix Biology Research group at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences, said classic early signs of the condition, such as the degradation of collagen in cartilage and the loss of molecules that give it shock-absorbing properties, were both reduced with omega-3.

"Furthermore, there was strong evidence that omega-3 influences the biochemistry of the disease, and therefore not only helps prevent disease, but also slows its progression, potentially controlling established osteoarthritis," he said.
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Health

Protect Your Bones with Herbs

Cindy Jones, Ph.D.
herbcompanion.com
Sat, 17 Apr 2004 17:14 UTC
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© 123rf.com
Recent study shows common herbs help decrease osteoporosis risk.

Increased consumption of herbs may be a useful approach to reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Researchers have found that common herbs, including sage, rosemary and thyme, can inhibit the breakdown of bone that contributes to osteoporosis.

Because these herbs are rich in essential oil components, the researchers also looked at essential oils and specific components of these essential oils to inhibit bone breakdown. We have known for some time that minerals found in plants, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, are important to bone health. Plants also contain vitamins K and C, as well as phytoestrogens, that may contribute to bone health. But substances other than these that are found in essential oils may be equally important.
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Bulb

4 Ways to Improve Mental Health and Clarity

Anthony Gucciardi
Natural Society
Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:42 UTC
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© Natural Society
Half of all United States citizens will be diagnosed with a mental illness within their lifetime, and chances are that their doctor will prescribe them a pharmaceutical to 'treat' the condition. Of course the antipsychotic or anti-depressant drugs that the doctor prescribes can ultimately lead to suicidal thoughts, type 2 diabetes, and an overall shortened lifespan. In addition, new research has shown that your mental health is actually influenced by your gut health.

The role of bacteria in your gut goes way beyond the stomach and intestines, majorly affecting the state of your brain. A disruption in natural gut bacteria can easily result in symptoms of mental illness, as research has shown using lab mice. Changes in the normal gut flora of the mice led to both behavioral and cognitive changes, making them less timid and more adventurous. Very similar to the symptoms of ADHD, where children start to misbehave seemingly-abruptly.

Comment: To learn more about The Secret to Brain Health: It All Begins in Your Gut! read the following articles:

Mind-Gut Connection: Why Intestinal Bacteria May Have Important Effects on Your Brain
'Knowing it in your gut' is real": The state of your immune system and your gut bacteria influences your personality
Mind-Altering Bugs
Brain, heart and gut minds
Heal Your Gut

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