Health & WellnessS


Health

First-ever case of ringworm as an STD reported, doctors warn it's highly contagious

ring worm
Symptoms of ringworm typically appear within four to 14 days after exposure and include an itchy rash that is circular in appearance, as well as redness, flakiness, peeling or cracking of the skin
Doctors are sounding the alarm over the spread of a highly contagious rare fungal infection that spreads through sex — after treating a man who developed a rash on his penis, thighs and buttocks.

The New York patient is the first documented case of the fungus being passed through sexual contact.

The infection, which is a rare type of ringworm, has been described by the New York University experts as a 'potential public health threat'.

Ringworm — sometimes referred to as 'jock itch' when it affects the groin — is a common mold-like parasite that lives on the body and is spread via contact with an infected person.

Comment: Outbreaks and unusual diseases of various kinds appear to be on the rise since the roll out of the immunocompromising covid jabs, and, with living standards plummeting across the planet, it seems likely that the situation will worsen:


Caduceus

Children with total deafness regain hearing with 'groundbreaking' gene therapy: 'Like a miracle'

doctor child
© Eye & Ent Hospital of Fudan University/AFP via Getty ImagesA clinical trial is helping some children regain hearing after having total deafness.
Five children who were born completely deaf have had some reversal of hearing loss after receiving a "groundbreaking" gene therapy.

The clinical trial, which was co-led by Mass Eye and Ear in Boston and the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, was the first in the world to apply gene therapy to children in both ears, according to the researchers.

The research has just been published in Nature Medicine on June 5.

In addition to regaining their hearing, the children participating in the trial — who ranged in age from 1 to 11 years old — were also able to identify the origins and locations of sounds, even in noisy environments, researchers said.

Comment: It's pretty remarkable how a single protein can play such a significant role in the ability to receive information through sound. This makes you wonder about the capabilities of other proteins as antennas for information.


Syringe

Bill Gates invests millions in 'climate vaccines' to reduce methane emissions from cows

gates vaccine
Bill Gates has long been a proponent of vaccines in general and more recently, mRNA vaccine technology.

Now, he may have his sights set on developing a vaccine to combat climate change by targeting the methane emissions of livestock.

ArkeaBio, a Boston-based ag-biotech startup, recently raised $26.5 million in a Series A financing round to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions" via the development of a "methane vaccine," the company announced in a May 8 press release.

Star

'A catastrophe': Greenpeace blocks planting of 'lifesaving' Golden Rice

golden rice
© Erik de Castro/ReutersA scientists compares vitamin-A enriched Golden Rice and ordinary rice in Manila, the Philippines.
Scientists have warned that a court decision to block the growing of the genetically modified (GM) crop Golden Rice in the Philippines could have catastrophic consequences. Tens of thousands of children could die in the wake of the ruling, they argue.

The Philippines had become the first country - in 2021 - to approve the commercial cultivation of Golden Rice, which was developed to combat vitamin A deficiency, a major cause of disability and death among children in many parts of the world.

But campaigns by Greenpeace and local farmers last month persuaded the country's court of appeal to overturn that approval and to revoke this. The groups had argued that Golden Rice had not been shown to be safe and the claim was backed by the court, a decision that was hailed as "a monumental win" by Greenpeace.

Comment: From the article GMO Golden Rice in Asia: Problem, reaction, solution:
In reality Golden Rice will do nothing of the sort. The promotion of Golden Rice is not unlike any given commercial endeavor. IRRI's website links to articles like, "A senseless fight," which asks, "how could anyone in good conscience seek to thwart technology that has even a remote chance of tackling the problem of vitamin A blindness?" The appeal to emotions and sickly children diverts from the real threat Golden Rice poses to the very people it claims to be helping.

[...]

Proponents of Golden Rice suggest rice farmers replace their profitable crops with genetically modified rice that will treat only one of many vitamin and mineral deficiencies they may or may not potentially suffer from, deficiencies that could be easily solved through other methods. Clearly illogical in terms of "helping" the malnourished, Golden Rice must serve another purpose.

The author of IRRI's featured article, "A senseless fight," suggests that "Golden Rice is being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which is a not-for-profit institute, and the seeds will be distributed to farmers who can resow them as they wish. In these cases, the argument [against Golden Rice] switches to "Golden Rice is a Trojan horse". In other words, by sneaking below the barriers of suspicion, it will open the floodgates to GMO technology and from then on to a slippery slope and the takeover of the world's seed supply."

The author, in their attempt to defend Golden Rice, reveals the true agenda behind the otherwise useless crop. Governments, international organizations and the private sector (i.e. Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer) will flood Asia with Golden Rice, where it will intermingle and contaminate rice species that have been in use for centuries and form the foundation of Asia's historical and modern agricultural industry. The livelihoods of some 470 million people who depend on rice farming in Asia (not to mention those that import and consume Asian rice beyond Asia's borders) would be jeopardized by the proliferation of Golden Rice disseminated under the dubious guise of humanitarian concerns.

The marketing machine behind Golden Rice doesn't ever seem to address this critical fact. That Golden Rice seeds will be kept and sown each year by prospective cultivators only increases the dangers of cross-contamination with other, economically and culturally valuable species. It is in all regards a flagrant attempt to infiltrate, corrupt and overtake rice production at its very geographical and socioeconomic heart. It is akin to a plague openly being designed, tested and prepared to be unleashed on a population. The spread of Golden Rice too is a plague that will compound exponentially the challenges already facing millions of farmers across Asia.

When all it takes to solve vitamin A deficiency is what WHO claims is "supplementation" that costs "a couple of cents a dose," and the growing of gardens that solve not only vitamin A deficiencies Golden Rice claims to target, but a whole host of other deficiencies Golden Rice most certainly does not address, the fact that Golden Rice is not what it is promoted to be is obvious. It is, as IRRI coined it, a "Trojan horse," that will not only fail to stop malnutrition, but will expand the very destitution, poverty, and helplessness that causes malnutrition in the first place.



Biohazard

A growing number of sports bras, shirts and leggings brands found with high levels of toxic chemical, watchdog warns

running
© fotostorm/iStockphoto/Getty Images
An increasing number of sports bra and athletic wear brands have been found with high levels of BPA in them, a chemical compound that's used to make certain types of plastic and can lead to harmful health effects such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and obesity, a watchdog group said on Wednesday.

After warning customers in October about BPA in athletic clothes, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) said it sent legal notices to eight more brands whose leggings, shorts, sports bras, and athletic shirts after testing showed the clothing could expose wearers to up to 40 times the safe limit of BPA, based on standards set in California, which has some of the most protective health laws around chemicals in the United States.

Under California law — specifically Proposition 65, enacted in 1986 — the maximum allowable dose level for BPA via skin exposure is 3 micrograms per day.

Bug

UK tourists warned as blood-sucking 'monster ticks' invade European holiday resorts

Hyalomma lusitanicum tick infest europe
© Rui Andrade/NatureDataHyalomma lusitanicum ticks are four times larger than their counterparts
The parasites are reportedly four times larger than regular ticks and carry deadly diseases.

Brits are urged to stay vigilant as a plague of "monster ticks" have been invading holiday spots across Europe. The blood-sucking creatures are reportedly four times larger than regular ticks and can carry dangerous diseases.

The large ticks, known as Hyalomma lusitanicum, originate from tropical climates including Africa and southeast Asia. But now it is feared they are making their way across Europe, carried by wild animals including rabbits.

Studies have shown Hyalomma to be particularly rife across Spain, the Balearic Islands and southern Italy. One investigation from 2022 revealed that the ticks were found in almost every part of Barcelona.

However, this spring, they were discovered to have spread out over eight areas of the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Biohazard

55% of sperm samples contained high levels of glyphosate Weedkiller

roundup sperm
© Children's Health Defense
More than 55% of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic contained high levels of glyphosate, the world's most common weedkiller, raising further questions about the chemical's impact on reproductive health and overall safety, a new study found.

The new research also found evidence of impacts on DNA and a correlation between glyphosate levels and oxidative stress on seminal plasma, suggesting significant impacts on fertility and reproductive health.

Taken together, our results suggest a negative impact of glyphosate on human reproductive health and possibly on progeny," the authors wrote.

Comment: What with glyphosate and other environmental toxins in sperm and the accumulation of microplastics and the spike protein in the testes, no wonder fertility is declining!

Researchers who authored the journal article in Translational Andrology and Urology titled 'Impact of environmental toxin exposure on male fertility potential' came to this conclusion:
Two things are clear — we are continuously exposed to environmental toxins in our daily lives and male fertility is declining. Though there is some evidence to suggest a link between these environmental exposures and male fertility, irrefutable evidence linking these everyday toxins to the known male fertility decline is elusive. This is not due to a lack of evidence of these agents to cause reproductive harm but is attributable to the complex longitudinal studies required to establish causality and the ethical concerns of conducting prospective clinical trials involving human exposures. Additionally, while these toxins may result in impairments in semen parameters, it remains to be determined if these changes translate into diminished pregnancy and live birth rates.

Until more is known about how our environment affects male fertility, exposure to these compounds should be minimized and avoidance practiced where feasible. The reproductive health of future generations will likely hinge on several factors, including the empowerment of governmental organizations to establish concentration limits, abolish the use of some substances and increasingly regulate the use of agents with potential reproductive harm. This requires a proactive and precautionary approach as opposed to a reactionary one, waiting until the harm is manifest, which is the current regulatory paradigm.
If only the government put people before profit.


Health

Aspirin may prevent colorectal cancer by revving up immunity

aspirin
© Talulla/Shutterstock
For years, scientists have said that aspirin has the potential to protect people from the deadly grip of colorectal cancer. But only now are they unlocking just how this common pain reliever may pull off such a feat.

Researchers have discovered that aspirin's cancer-fighting prowess hinges on rallying the body's immunity to combat malignant cells.

Aspirin Heightens Immune Surveillance of Tumors

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that affects either the large intestine or the rectum. Globally, it is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Colorectal cancer accounts for roughly one in 10 of all cancer cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2020, there were nearly 2 million new cases of colorectal cancer — frequently detected late, limiting treatment possibilities — worldwide, and it caused more than 930,000 deaths, according to WHO.

Comment: See also:


Grapes

Exploring the Benefits of Sea Buckthorn

sea buckthorn
© N/A
Are you familiar with Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)? This shrub is just as interesting for its decorative uses as for the fruits it produces. It's found throughout Europe and Asia and was introduced into Canada in the early 2000s. The leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits are used as medicine. Let's embark on a journey to unravel the myriad benefits of this remarkable shrub.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SEA BUCKTHORN

Sea Buckthorn is found in multiple forms in Asia and Europe. The bright orange berries are packed with vitamins and nutrients. They are notably richer in vitamin C than oranges and their vitamin E content exceeds that of wheat and soy. They are powerful antioxidants. More and more chefs are using sea buckthorn berries to flavor their dishes. They are cooked in syrup, sauce, jam or sorbet. Their tangy and slightly sweet taste can be surprising if you eat sea buckthorn fruits naturally.

Sea Buckthorn is also very rich in carotenoids and therefore has an impact on skin aging. It is therefore used in the composition of creams and other body products.

Bacon

Pharmacist and research scientist recommends low-carb, high-fat diet for anxiety and depression

ketogenic diet
About 15 years ago, one of the runners in our training group announced that he was going on a carbohydrate free diet. I thought he was mad. Initially, I thought he was just giving up sugar, but when questioned he said he was also giving up rice, potatoes, pasta, bread - basically all carbohydrate. This simply didn't make any sense; it was crazy. Where was he going to get his energy from? How would he be able to run?

Skip forward about seven years, and I started to hear a lot more about low-carb, high-fat diets. It seemed that quite a lot of athletes were adopting this, particularly those in the ultra-running community. Perhaps it wasn't so crazy after all. After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that there may well be benefits, not just for weight loss (which I wasn't interested in) but for improving the immune system and, better still, helping my running. I was keen both to boost my immune system, as repeated coughs and colds had jeopardised training over the years, and keen to avoid hitting the wall in marathons. So, with this in mind, I stuck to a low-carb, high-fat diet for about a year, just to see how things went and how easy or difficult it was. This happened to coincide with a period of plantar fasciitis, which meant I wasn't able to run much, perhaps a good thing as it was quite difficult to stick to the diet even without the complication of competitive training. What I did find was that I was not troubled by coughs or colds for most of that year, and when I did catch a bug at the start of my summer holiday, I recovered much more quickly than normal and was able to do some light running by the end of the week.

Comment: Though Dr. Cooper is upfront about the difficulties adopting a keto way of eating in the toxic food environment we live in, the benefits are well worth the trouble. Make sure to research thoroughly.