Health & WellnessS


Christmas Tree

Cannabis: A cure for antibiotic resistance

Makia Freeman
Waking Times
Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:15 UTC
cannabis flower
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become an out-of-control problem in our world, as doctors and leading health officials know too well. For over 100 years, Western Rockefeller Medicine and Big Pharma have been conjoined twins attached at the hip; you cannot have one without the other. Western medicine has fully embraced the drugs, radiation and surgery model, and ever since the invention of drugs like penicillin and methicillin, it has been throwing synthetic chemicals at its patients to "cure" them.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and meanwhile, life itself has found a way to counterbalance the effect of antibiotics overuse in the form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some such as MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), MDR TB (Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis) and CRE (Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae) are especially virulent superbugs against which Western Medicine has no defense. The reason for this situation, of course, is that antibiotics are like the proverbial sledgehammer or cannonball to the mosquito, and by wiping out the human body's entire bacterial presence in a certain area, you are wiping out the beneficial bacteria which keep the harmful ones in check. Our body literally depends upon this bacterial balance as the foundation immunity and health.

Comment: Antibiotic resistance is epidemic. Don't count on Big Pharma stepping aside for natural remedies.

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Alarm Clock

Setting a legal precedent: Stephan family sentenced to prison for using 'natural remedies'

Matt Agorist
Freethoughtproject
Sun, 26 Jun 2016 15:37 UTC
Stephan family
© globalnews.ca
Should the parents of a child who sought out a homeopathic treatment instead of traditional medicine for their son's illness be punished if that treatment fails? An Alberta court says, 'yes.'

Judge Rodney Jerke sentenced David Stephan to prison this week and his wife Collet Stephan to three months of house arrest. The couple was found 'guilty' earlier this year of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son, Ezekiel, who contracted meningitis in 2012.

Comment: Read the 'whole story' about the Stephan Family and their ongoing battle for personal parental rights when it comes to the health and wellness of their children! Also listen to The Health & Wellness Show: Connecting the don'ts, and what you can actually do to hear more about the Ezekiel Stephan case.

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Cow

It's settled! Butter is not associated with cardiovascular disease, study finds


ScienceDaily
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 22:00 UTC
Butter
© sommai / FotoliaIs butter back?
Butter consumption was only weakly associated with total mortality, not associated with cardiovascular disease, and slightly inversely associated (protective) with diabetes, according to a new epidemiological study which analyzed the association of butter consumption with chronic disease and all-cause mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in PLOS ONE, was led by Tufts scientists including Laura Pimpin, Ph.D., former postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts in Boston, and senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., dean of the School.

Comment: Considering that Vegetable oil is toxic, it may be a good idea to steer clear of soybean, canola and flaxseed oils. Why not opt for the healthier saturated fats like butter, tallow and lard?

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Beaker

Dangerous chemicals everywhere -"Risk assessment" is an illusion

Dr. Jonathan Latham
whowhatwhy.org
Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:33 UTC
Plastic water bottle
© Brave Heart / FickrWhat’s in the plastic of your water bottle?
Though the chemical industry gets wide praise for eliminating the hazardous chemical BPA from our water bottles and other daily use products, the replacement material may turn out to be even worse.

Before we consider the new danger, let's look at the old one.

BPA (bisphenol-A) — is a chemical found in plastic bottles, in the lining of food cans, in bottle tops, and in water supply lines. It can seep into whatever it contains.

BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastic, said to be "a lightweight, high-performance plastic that possesses a unique balance of toughness, optical clarity, high heat resistance, and excellent electrical resistance."
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Health

Toxic Alzheimer's protein in the brain removed by marijuana compound - THC


Science Alert
Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:01 UTC
Alzheimers Research
© cannabis.net
An active compound in marijuana called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been found to promote the removal of toxic clumps of amyloid beta protein in the brain, which are thought to kickstart the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The finding supports the results of previous studies that found evidence of the protective effects of cannabinoids, including THC, on patients with neurodegenerative disease.

"Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells," says one of the team, David Schubert from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.

Comment: Study suggests low doses of marijuana may slow progression of Alzheimer's

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Cheesecake

Childhood binge eating: Families, feeding, and feelings

University of Illinois
Eurekalert!
Tue, 28 Jun 2016 10:36 UTC
binge eating
© unknown
Binge eating is the most prevalent type of eating disorder across races, ethnic groups, ages, and genders. Surprisingly, binge eating has even been reported in children as young as 5 years old.

In order to put childhood binge eating into context, a new systematic review from the University of Illinois identifies two potential risk factors for binge eating in children under the age of 12. With family being the most proximal and influential setting affecting behaviors and attitudes in children, the study reports that parental non-involvement or emotional unresponsiveness and weight-related teasing in the family are behaviors consistently associated with childhood binge eating.

Jaclyn Saltzman, a doctoral researcher in human development and family studies, and a scholar in the Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program, explains that childhood binge eating can lead to many weight and eating behavior problems as the child grows and in to adulthood. "Intervening early to address binge eating may not only help prevent an eating disorder from emerging but also prevent lifetime habits of unhealthy weight-related behaviors," she says.

Comment: Further reading:

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Attention

E-cigarettes might lead to oral disease, study suggests

Honor Whiteman
Medical News Today
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:38 UTC
e-cigarette
© unknownE-cigarette use might raise the risk of oral disease, say researchers.
Electronic cigarettes are perceived by many as an effective smoking cessation aid, and numerous studies suggest they are significantly less harmful to health than conventional cigarettes. A new study, however, claims the devices are not without risk - they could raise the risk of oral disease.

Published in the journal PLOS One, the study reveals that the vapor of e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) contains toxic compounds and nanoparticles that destroy the outer later of skin cells in the mouth.

The researchers - led by Dr. Shen Hu, an associate professor of oral biology at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) - came to their conclusion by analyzing the effects of e-cigarette vapor on cell cultures in laboratory tests.

Comment: The worrying exponential increase in e-cigarette use is only made worse by the understanding that those who have taken to vaping are doing so under the illusion that it is completely without risk. The comment, "It's just water vapour", given the emerging research on the dangers of e-cig use sends shivers down the spine.

For an in-depth, scientific discussion on the benefits of smoking and the potential dangers of e-cigs, listen to our Health and Wellness show on The Truth About Tobacco and the Benefits of Nicotine.

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Health

Multiple sclerosis linked with altered gut bacteria, study finds


ScienceDaily
Mon, 27 Jun 2016 11:59 UTC
Multiple Sclerosis
© Zerbor / FotoliaScientists say that MS patients have a distinct microbiome from their healthy peers.
If asked to list problems that bad gut bacteria can cause, most would likely name digestive issues: constipation, excessive gas, or diarrhea.

Researchers are now saying bad gut bacteria -- or an insufficient amount of good bacteria -- may have a direct link to multiple sclerosis as well.

"Every human carries trillions of bacteria in their gut (gut microbiome) and recent advances in research indicate that these tiny passengers play an important role in our overall health maintenance," says Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, assistant professor of pathology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

If asked to list problems that bad gut bacteria can cause, most would likely name digestive issues: constipation, excessive gas, or diarrhea.

Researchers are now saying bad gut bacteria -- or an insufficient amount of good bacteria -- may have a direct link to multiple sclerosis as well.

Comment: It is now fairly well established among researchers in the field that bacterial integrity of the gut plays a vitally important role in maintaining a healthy, well-functioning immune system. Despite there being an abundance of supporting scientific data, conventional medicine still fails to acknowledge the link between gut health and immunity. The result is that the overwhelming majority of people are given detrimental dietary advice which inadvertently leads to disease. See also:

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Alarm Clock

Why syphilis has come roaring back

Olga Khazan & Russell Berman
The Atlantic
Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:57 UTC
syphilis
The 18th-century ailment was on the brink of elimination before budget cuts helped resurrect it.

In recent months, newspapers around the country have published stories that sound like they could have been written 100 years ago. Indiana's syphilis cases skyrocketed by 70 percent in a single year. Texas' Lubbock county was under a "syphilis alert." Various counties face shortages of the medication used to treat syphilitic pregnant women.

But the headlines are very much modern—and urgent. Syphilis is back, public-health experts say.

For many years, syphilis was considered a practically ancient ailment—a "Great Pox" that, like tuberculosis or polio, Americans just don't get anymore. There were just 6,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis in 2000, and the CDC briefly thought the disease's total elimination was within reach.

Comment: Syphilis returns: Why are rates of the once-rare disease now climbing again?

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Red Flag

Unprecedented and horrific: Deaths from heroin use & overdose have tripled in the U.S.


RT
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:15 UTC
heroin death
© sobernation.com
Heroin use in the US tripled from 2007 to 2014, according to a new report from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA's findings also show deaths involving the opioid tripling in recent years, while deaths due to synthetics were also on the rise.

There is a greatly expanding public health crisis, due to the use and abuse of heroin and other opioid drugs, a DEA report released Tuesday finds. In addition to the tripling of heroin use from 2007 to 2014, deaths involving heroin increased at about the same rate from 2010 to 2014, from 3,036 to 10,574.

"We tend to overuse words such as 'unprecedented' and 'horrific,' but the death and destruction connected to heroin and opioids is indeed unprecedented and horrific," said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg in a statement. "The problem is enormous and growing, and all of our citizens need to wake up to these facts."

Comment: Center for Disease Control: 'Alarming' new record of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.
"The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose (poisoning) deaths," the CDC's report reads.

"Since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137 percent, including a 200 percent increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (opioid pain relievers and heroin)."

More people die from drug overdoses, CDC says, than in road accidents. Just under 33,000 people died in traffic accidents last year.

Last week a team at Stanford University reported that primary care physicians, not pain specialists, are by far the biggest prescribers of opioid drugs. They said sales of prescription opioids rose by 300 percent since 1999.


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