Health & WellnessS


Attention

Op-ed: Yes, food is grown in sewage waste and that's a big problem

Darlene Schanfald
Environmental Health News
Mon, 23 Dec 2019 00:00 UTC
Food is grown in sewage waste
The EPA and states must insist municipalities investigate alternative methods for reuse of sewage wastes.

You may not realize it but some foods you eat may have been grown in soil containing toxic sewage wastes. Labeling is not required.

In 2019, about 60 percent of sewage sludge from 16,000 wastewater processing facilities in more than 160 U.S. cities has been spread on our soils - farmland and gardens, as well as schoolyards and lawns.

The U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) allows this use of sewage waste, claiming it has beneficial use because it contains properties similar to fertilizer — certain heavy metals, phosphorus and nitrates — that could enhance soil conditions.
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Microscope 1

Microbe that got man drunk could help explain common liver disease

Jon Cohen
Science
Thu, 19 Sep 2019 11:25 UTC
Klebsiella pneumoniae
© Ami Images/Science SourceSome strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the gut can turn starchy and sugary foods into alcohol.
A man in China who, after eating high-carbohydrate or sugary meals, became so intoxicated that he blacked out, has led researchers to discover strains of bacteria in the human gut that could be an important driver of the world's most common liver disease.

That condition, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide, and nearly one in three Americans. The excess fat in liver cells that is characteristic of the disease usually does not cause any symptoms, but in about 25% of people with NAFLD, the accumulation progresses and sometimes causes life-threatening cirrhosis or liver cancer. Scientists found that that the Chinese man's odd malady stems from gut bacteria that synthesize alcohol from his meals. Researchers say the finding could lead to better ways of predicting who will develop severe forms of NAFLD and may even suggest ways to thwart its progression.

Comment: See also:

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Microscope 1

Bacterial link in celiac disease


Medical Xpress
Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:01 UTC
bacterial proteins mimic gluten proteins
© Artist in residence Erica Tandori, from the Rossjohn laboratory at Monash UniversityArtwork depicting the way bacterial proteins mimic gluten proteins, causing an immune response to celiac disease.
Bacterial exposure has been identified as a potential environmental risk factor in developing coeliac disease, a hereditary autoimmune-like condition that affects about one in 70 Australians.

It is estimated that half of all Australians are born with one of two genes that cause coeliac disease, and approximately one in 40 are likely to develop the condition.

People with coeliac disease must follow a lifelong gluten-free diet, as even small amounts of gluten can cause health problems.

Comment: It's certainly a possibility that there could be a bacterial component to the initiation of celiac disease. Many sufferers report coming down with condition after suffering a bout of food poisoning or illness of some kind. If a bacterial infection is responsible, this may lead the way to treatment for the condition.

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Cheeseburger

The very unappetizing truth about McDonald's hamburgers

Dr. Joseph Mercola
Mercola.com
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 00:01 UTC
mcdonalds
On January 2, KUTV ran a story about a Utah man who is the proud owner of a 20-year-old McDonald's hamburger. They posted in a video in which David Whipple — said burger owner — shows off the Big Mac to the world. In the video, he takes the burger out of a tin for the first time since he bought it on July 7, 1999. In what should not be a surprising find, the burger looked almost the same as the day it was purchased, and it emitted a smell similar to that of cardboard.

If this is the first time you're seeing a years-old McDonalds hamburger, you may be a little out of the loop. Disturbing reports over the years show that Big Mac's and other hamburgers that hail from the golden arches do not decompose or rot for weeks, months and even years after they've been cooked.

Part of the embalmed-like feature of the meat patty could be because of its high-sodium content. Salt is a natural preservative that has been used throughout history. But you have to admit that when something does not decompose, or even show signs of decomposing after days, months or years, it seems suspicious. After all, the hallmark of live food is that it wilts and decomposes — something that, apparently, does not occur in these burgers.

Comment: See also:

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Cow

Why the world needs livestock whether or not consumers choose to eat red meat

Steve Polski
Linked in
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 00:01 UTC
Montana Ranch cows
Montana Ranch
What this article is about: 1. Why the world needs livestock. 2. What is Holistic Management. 3. How grazing animals are perhaps more important to climate change than eliminating fossil fuels.

What this article is not about: Debate over consumer preferences on animal protein versus lab or cell-based protein. Nor is it about, vegan versus carnivore. I support free markets and consumer preferences and we all should have the option to buy food of our choice.

Our planet is experiencing climate change and increasing population at an accelerated rate. That statement is not an opinion, it's just science and math. As such, we need to leverage science to do with precision and safety what nature has been doing recklessly since the beginning of mankind. We also need to embrace capitalism as our planet's greatest problem-solving mechanism to accelerate increasing investment in agriculture. Investment needs to be thoughtful and focused on addressing known and quantifiable poorly or unmet market needs with detailed value propositions. A value proposition simply means what a product or service does better than the next best alternative. For example, Walmart's is "Everyday Low Prices" and Whole Foods's is "America's Healthiest Grocery Store". A value proposition needs to deliver either a risk mitigation, cost reduction or an increase in profitable revenue to grow sales or attract investment.

Comment: The short-sighted climate vegans simply have no concept of the damage that would be done were all pastured animal farming eliminated. Their solution would bring on a climate catastrophe the likes of which the world has never seen. Yet they promote a cowless future as the solution to a non-problem and call for its immediate implementation. There's nothing more dangerous than an ideologue dictating policy.

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Donut

Why we eat too much: the new science of appetite (and what it tells us about losing weight)

Boudicca Fox-Leonard
The Telegraph
Sun, 05 Jan 2020 07:00 UTC
donuts
© E+/RouzesThese treats are bad for you... but so is starving yourself.


Obesity is on the rise, and our approach to weight loss isn't working. Dr Andrew Jenkinson explains why it's time for a rethink

Dr Andrew Jenkinson was once as prejudiced as most people are about obesity. He thought those who tipped the scales at 20st but carried on eating regardless, often bingeing on calorific foods, were irresponsible and lacked will power. Indeed when a patient once walked into his bariatric clinic carrying a plastic bag full of sausage rolls, crisps and snacks, he told the man to take some responsibility for himself and go on a diet, he tells me a little sheepishly.

Today he thinks differently. His understanding of the science of hunger and weight means he appreciates being obese isn't the lifestyle choice he once thought it was.

Comment: Most of the advice given in this article, and presumably in Dr Jenkinson's book, is reasonable. But the doctor seems to pull back at the point that most would start to see real benefit - entering ketosis. It's a moderate approach, which may serve some people just fine. But one has to wonder if being a proponent bariatric surgery, a drastic and highly invasive 'solution' to the obesity problem, has tainted his perspective in some ways.

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Bullseye

The truth about 'Game Changers' documentary

Charlie Spedding
Stop Feeding Us Lies
Sun, 08 Dec 2019 00:01 UTC
game changers movie poster
In recent weeks, I have been asked many times if I have seen 'Game Changers' and what I thought about it. Apparently, this film is regarded as convincing by many people. I watched it so that I can give my honest appraisal.

Having spent several years researching the science of our dietary needs and our evolution, I can state categorically that it is impossible for a vegan diet to be superior to an omnivore diet or, indeed, an entirely carnivorous diet. I can make this statement because we are not herbivores. This is the only indisputable fact that anyone needs to remember when wondering if veganism is for them. If you are a member of the human race, veganism cannot be your optimum diet: it is lacking in too many essential nutrients.

My book is called Stop Feeding Us Lies for a very good reason. We are constantly bombarded with myths, misinformation, fake news and downright lies. You just have to watch a political debate to know that. 'Game Changers' is just another big lie. It is part of a large and well-coordinated attack on our traditional foods by vested interests. Those vested interests are food manufacturing companies that stand to make a fortune if they persuade enough people to stop eating the animal foods our ancestors have been eating for a million years and switch to fake foods made in their laboratories.

Comment: See also:

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Cow

Propaganda push: Channel 4's less meaty deal with plant-based firm


Acre
Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:01 UTC
channel 4
Channel 4 has secured a seven-figure equity deal with a Yorkshire-based company that sells meat-free products.

The Meatless Farm Co, a plant-based company based in Leeds, struck the deal through the broadcaster's Commercial Growth Fund, an initiative that was set up in 2015.

The fund offers high growth potential companies not currently advertising on television, the opportunity to build their business through advertising on Channel 4 marketing platforms - by exchanging equity stakes or striking revenue share arrangements.

Comment: See also:

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Rose

Bee population recovering due to regenerative farming, producers say

Nathaniel Dove
Global News
Thu, 15 Aug 2019 06:14 UTC
Honey bee
Paul Kernaleguen says regenerative agriculture has brought bees back to his farm.

"With the flowering species [of plants] we have now, you definitely see more," he said.

He's referring to the mixture of plants in his fields, near Birch Hills, Sask. Along with his partner, Erin Dancey, he now grows flowers like red clover, phacelia and sunflowers, along with barley, oats and peas they grow to feed their dairy cattle.

Dancey and Kernaleguen manage their fields with regenerative agriculture. They said the practice has brought greater profits, efficiency and a higher bee population.
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Wine n Glass

So why aren't we talking about it? Alcohol is killing more people than the opioid epidemic

Alanna Ketler
Collective Evolution
Fri, 13 Dec 2019 00:00 UTC
beer
In recent years, we have been hearing a lot about the opioid epidemic that is sweeping the nation. The Center for Disease Control reported that over 47,000 people died in the United States alone from an opiate overdose in 2017, that is almost 5 times the amount of deaths caused by opiates in 1999. This is important, and yes it is good this is getting the attention that it deserves. However, in the same year, an estimated 88,000 people died from alcohol related causes — Did anyone hear about that?

Alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, the first is tobacco and the second is poor diet and minimal physical activity. Given this, why aren't we talking about it? And why don't we see warning labels on alcoholic beverages? Why are we promoting such a harmful substance? We certainly don't see huge billboards with people in bikinis popping oxycontin or injecting heroin, because we are well aware that these substances are addictive and can cause harm, so again, why are we openly promoting alcohol? Especially to young people?

Is It Because It's Legal?

Is it possible that alcohol related deaths do not garner as much of a cause for concern because it is legal, easily available and socially acceptable? Most likely. Alcohol sales reached $253.8 billion in the US in 2018 — this might also have something to do with it.
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