Health & WellnessS


Nuke

Take a deep breath... air pollution may damage 'every organ in the body'

Damian Carrington
The Guardian
Fri, 17 May 2019 11:00 UTC
Air pollution over London
© Nick Ansell/PAAir pollution over London.
Air pollution may be damaging every organ and virtually every cell in the human body, according to a comprehensive new global review.

The research shows head-to-toe harm, from heart and lung disease to diabetes and dementia, and from liver problems and bladder cancer to brittle bones and damaged skin. Fertility, foetuses and children are also affected by toxic air, the review found.

The systemic damage is the result of pollutants causing inflammation that then floods through the body and ultra-fine particles being carried around the body by the bloodstream.

Air pollution is a "public health emergency", according to the World Health Organization, with more than 90% of the global population enduring toxic outdoor air. New analysis indicates 8.8m early deaths each year - double earlier estimates - making air pollution a bigger killer than tobacco smoking.


Comment: The numbers of 'deaths from tobacco' are dubious at best, if not outright lies:

Comment: See also:

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Biohazard

FDA recalls tattoo inks due to possible bacteria contamination

Karma Allen
ABC News
Fri, 17 May 2019 01:56 UTC
Tattoo ink
Food and Drug Administration officials recalled several types of tattoo ink this week over worries that they could be contaminated with dangerous bacteria.

The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning to tattoo artists, ink retailers and anyone "considering a new tattoo," saying the inks could cause serious infections or other injuries.

It said six inks manufactured by Scalp Aesthetics, Dynamic Color and Color Art could be contaminated with microorganisms that can be dangerous when injected into the skin.
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Health

More than 500 people in southern Pakistan test positive for HIV, local officials blame 'rogue doctor'

Adam Withnall
Independent, UK
Thu, 16 May 2019 16:04 UTC
HIV outbreak in Pakistan
© Independent
More than 500 people have tested positive for HIV in southern Pakistan in an outbreak that local officials have blamed on a rogue paediatrician.

Almost 14,000 individuals have now been screened in the district outside Larkana where the sudden spike in HIV incidence was first detected, said Dr Sikandar Memon, the regional coordinator of the Aids Control Programme.

Of those testing positive, 410 are children, Dr Memon told Pakistani newspaper Dawn. He said that another 29 patients tested positive in the most recent round of blood screening on Wednesday at the main hospital in Rato Dero, 25km outside Larkana, seen as the centre of the epidemic.

A doctor accused of infecting his patients through repeated use of a single, contaminated syringe remains in custody since the outbreak was first reported in late April. Dr Muzaffar Ghangharo, who officials said is himself living with HIV, has been charged but denies the allegations.

Authorities are also not ruling out the possibility that the outbreak is the result of gross, widespread negligence in a region which has a high prevalence of shady medical practices.
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Dollar

Coca-Cola had 'substantial say' on obesity research it sponsored at USC, report finds

Lucas Daprile
The State
Wed, 15 May 2019 11:26 UTC
coca-cola production plant
© ObserverCoca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated has named David Katz president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte-based company. He replaces Henry Flint, although J. Frank Harrison will remain chairman and CEO.
The Coca-Cola Company had a "significant say" in research it sponsored at the University of South Carolina, according to a new report in the Journal of Public Health Policy.

The agreements USC signed with Coca-Cola provided $1.2 million in obesity research funding in 2013 and 2014, but allowed the company to abruptly cancel research, provide comments before publication and keep research data, according to documents released by the report's authors.

"This quote-unquote science isn't science, it's public relations," said study co-author Gary Ruskin. "That's a problem with research ethics."

Comment: Coca-Cola has a long and sordid history of influencing studies, funding research to get the 'right' results, influencing public health policy and much more. All to deceive the public into believing their toxic beverages can be part of a healthy diet. They can't.

See also:

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Health

French health watchdog: LED lighting can damage eye's retina and disturb sleep

Amélie Baubeau
Yahoo News
Tue, 14 May 2019 00:00 UTC
LED Light eye damage
While less dangerous, even chronic exposure can "accelerate the ageing of retinal tissue, contributing to a decline in visual acuity and certain degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration," the agency concluded.
The "blue light" in LED lighting can damage the eye's retina and disturb natural sleep rhythms, France's government-run health watchdog said this week.

New findings confirm earlier concerns that "exposure to an intense and powerful [LED] light is 'photo-toxic' and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision," the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) warned in a statement.

The agency recommended in a 400-page report that the maximum limit for acute exposure be revised, even if such levels are rarely met in home or work environments.

The report distinguished between acute exposure of high-intensity LED light, and "chronic exposure" to lower intensity sources.

While less dangerous, even chronic exposure can "accelerate the ageing of retinal tissue, contributing to a decline in visual acuity and certain degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration," the agency concluded.

Comment: Blue Light: Is it making you sick?
Infrared and near-infrared light from the sun help repair and regenerate your cells and you don't get that from artificial light sources. Excess blue light creates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and this creates inflammation, even during the day. It also diminishes the function of your mitochondria and then your body has less energy to do the things it needs to do.

Exposure to blue light at night turns off your body's production of melatonin and this reduces the quality of sleep. And melatonin does more than help you sleep. It's also an antioxidant that protects your brain and increases mitochondrial function.

Lowered melatonin on a chronic basis leads to neurodegeneration and less energy output. This is why you can sleep for eight hours and wake up feeling tired and needing your Starbucks before you can really get going.
[...]

What can you do?
  • Look at the sun first thing in the morning and take breaks throughout the day to expose your eyes to natural sunlight. This re-syncs your eye clock.
  • Morning sun also creates dopamine, serotonin, and melatonin in your eye.
  • Install f.lux on your computer to reduce blue light emitted from your screen. The ScreenShader Chrome extension is another option.
  • Turn on Night Shift on your iPhone or install Twilight if you have an Android.
  • If working on a computer or under blue lights all day, strongly consider wearing blue- blocking glasses, such as BluTech or the equivalent. You can also purchase Uvex blue- blocking glasses at low cost, however, they are not considered to be stylish by all.
  • Ditch energy-efficient bulbs and opt for incandescent bulbs.
  • Use red bulbs at night.


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Cow

In India, vegetarianism is a tool of oppression

Sylvia Karpagam
GenderIT.org
Wed, 08 May 2019 00:01 UTC
Indian meal illustration
© Illustration by Dr. Sylvia KarpagamDrawing of various people cooking and serving food including meat and fish.
Social media occasionally erupts into a tizzy over food choices.


Comment: Understatement of the century.


While true blue vegans swear by almond milk, non-dairy ice-cream, scrambled tofu, flaxseed, maple syrup, fortified plant milk etc., 'pure' vegetarians get into a sublime trance over thayir saadham , molagu maanga , poosanika pachadi, kurkure mushroom, malai chaap rolls, tandoori paneer momos, achaari tikka* etc. Meanwhile, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are going ballistic over the extreme cruelty meted out on animals by the meat-eating, leather wearing, animal experimenting sections of society.

By a strange but not unnatural coincidence, caste and class sit closely aligned in each of these groups - with the 'pure' vegetarians lauding the vegan army, and also claiming to be PETA activists in their spare time. It's also this same group that occupies large tractlands on social media with little cognizance or sensitivity on how little the other groups are represented in these spaces.

Discussions on social media around nutrition and food choice get cluttered with multiple issues. The modus operandi seems to be to shout, abuse, play the victim card and/or share links of google search documents that validate one's own pet prejudices.

Comment: See also:

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Evil Rays

Children and EMFs: What you need to know

Valerie Burke, MSN
Greenmedinfo
Wed, 24 Apr 2019 10:00 UTC
cell phones children

Children are far more vulnerable to the damaging effects of electromagnetic fields than we are. Your child's brain absorbs two to three times as many EMFs as yours, and sources of exposure are everywhere. What can you do?

Is your child's favorite pastime screen time? Are you concerned about how much cumulative exposure your kids have to electromagnetic radiation at home and at school from computers, cell phones, tablets, electronic toys, cell towers, power lines and the like?

If not, you should be!

Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of EMF (electromagnetic frequencies or fields) for a number of reasons, and most are submerged in an electrosmog soup all day, every day. What are the risks?
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Dollar

Bayer to pay $2 billion to couple claiming Roundup caused their cancer

Tina Bellon
Reuters
Tue, 14 May 2019 10:13 UTC
Bayer
© AFP 2019 / JOHN MACDOUGALL
A California jury on Monday awarded more than $2 billion to a couple who claimed Bayer AG's glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused their cancer, in the largest U.S. jury verdict to date against the company in litigation over the chemical.

The large punitive damages award is likely to be reduced due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings that limit the ratio of punitive to compensatory damages to 9:1. The jury awarded a total of $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages.

It was the third consecutive U.S. jury verdict against the company in litigation over the chemical, which Bayer acquired as part of its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto last year. Both other jury verdicts also came in California, one in state court and one in federal court.

Comment: Also see:

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Life Preserver

Stem cell research: Immune cells in mother's milk have far-reaching health effects throughout life

Dr. Joseph Mercola
Mercola.com
Mon, 13 May 2019 00:00 UTC
breast-feeding
It's well-known that breastfed babies tend to be healthier than babies given a bottle filled with formula, especially in their first year of life, and the benefits are numerous. What's more, the longer a baby is breastfed, the more far-reaching the health effects are throughout their lives.

The developing field of stem cell biology is being used by scientists to differentiate the types of cells derived from breast milk. While there are innumerable studies on the advantages mothers offer their children when they choose to breastfeed, one discovery in the last decade concerns the millions of immune cells known as innate lymphoid cells, or ILCs. According to a JAMA Pediatrics study published in 2018:
"Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), a new class of lineage-negative lymphoid cells, are key to intestinal microbiome and the adaptive immunity of the infant. Innate lymphoid cells have been classically divided into 3 subgroups of ILC1s, ILC2s, and ILC3s, based on their cytokine secretion and transcription factor profiles."1
For the above research, scientists conducted extensive cell analysis on fresh milk from four lactating women and found that ILCs can influence not just babies' immune systems, but fight inflammation and improve tissue health.

ILCs may protect breastfeeding moms from getting an infection from their babies and possibly enable a change in the content of the breast milk to help the baby get over such an infection, as well. Further, scientists say some immune cells, such as leucocytes, which are white blood cells that fight infection, increase in breast milk in response to infections in babies.2

Comment: See also: And breastfeeding benefits mother's as well:

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SOTT Logo Radio

SOTT Focus: Objective:Health #14 - Booze You Lose - The Myth of Moderation


Sott.net
Mon, 13 May 2019 00:00 UTC
O:H header alcohol
The relationship between alcohol and humans has been around for millennia. Yet it seems we're still not entirely sure about our love-hate relationship. The news headlines don't help - one day a 'study' is saying moderate alcohol consumption will prevent any number of illnesses, the next another 'study' says even a drop will eventually kill you. And what the heck does 'moderate consumption' mean? How much is too much and how do we know if we're over-indulging?

Join us on this episode of Objective:Health as we discuss all things boozy; looking past the exaggerated alcohol industry sponsored claims, getting down to the reality of drinking and some interesting methods of treatment for alcoholism.

And stay tuned for Zoya's Pet Health Segment, as she shares some tips on car rides for anxious doggies!

For other health-related news and more, you can find us on:
♥Twitter: https://twitter.com/objecthealth
♥Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/objecthealth/


Running Time: 01:05:21

Download: MP3 - 59.6 MB

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