Health & Wellness
© Unknown
Genetically modified foods are endangering our health
A group of leading doctors has warned the public to avoid genetically modified food and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). A
revealing press release from this group of concerned physicians states, "The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) today released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that 'GM foods pose a serious health risk' and calling for a moratorium on GM foods."
The critical information here is largely taken with permission from an
excellent article written by respected health researcher Jeffrey Smith on this key topic so vital to our health.
Should you be consuming canola oil? The FDA seems to think so, allowing canola labels to claim it supports heart health and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Even Whole Foods Markets is on board with canola oil, and most foods on their hot bar are swimming in it. Proponents point out that canola is inexpensive, tastes good, and has the lowest saturated fat content of any common edible oil. Some health experts suggest a daily consumption of 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil. But evidence is mounting that canola oil actually promotes heart disease and is a hoax on the public rivaling the promotion of margarine. Leading experts on oils and fats see canola oil as a victory for a food processing industry that will not be happy until all traditional, real foods have been replaced by imitation foods.
No wonder Americans call television the "boob tube". Infants vocalise less and hear fewer words from nearby adults when the TV is on, a new study of recorder-toting infants suggests.
"There's no question that human voice and human words are what babies need," says Dimitri Christakis, a paediatrician at the University of Washington in Seattle, who led the study. "The data are not yet conclusive about the fact that television is harmful, but they continue to mount."
Christakis' team equipped 329 infants, aged between 2 and 48 months, with lightweight recorders that captured every noise they heard in a 24-hour period. A computer program - shown in a previous study to be 82 per cent accurate - then determined whether each sound came from the infant, an adult or the television.
The analysis showed that for every hour of television an infant is exposed to - they don't understand television programmes, Christakis says - he or she hears 770 fewer words from adults, on average, a 7 per cent reduction. Infants watching TV also utter fewer "googoos" and "gagas" and interact less with adults than children whose parents use the off switch more enthusiastically.
When genetically modified foods were first introduced, the biotech industry hailed tomatoes that were frost resistant and round-up ready crops. Now, there is a further development in biotech that has received little attention in the mainstream media. Serious environmental and health concerns still surround GM food safety, but new technologies are being developed to turn foods into vaccine delivery systems. While there may be positive angles to this technology, we must take into account the long term goals of the establishment, which is already invested in the research and development of edible vaccine technology.
Boosting levels of vitamin D could cut the incidence of breast cancer by a quarter, bowel cancer by a third and it should be offered to the population as part of a public health drive, scientists say.
The finding is based on a review of 2,750 research studies involving vitamin D, sometimes called "bottled sunshine", which show that taking daily supplements of the vitamin could do more for cancer prevention than a library full of lifestyle advice.
Amy Norton
ReutersMon, 16 Mar 2009 20:51 UTC
New York - Teenage boys who regularly eat fish may be doing their brains some good, a new study suggests.
Swedish researchers found that among nearly 5,000 15-year-old boys they surveyed, those who ate fish more than once per week tended to score higher on intelligence tests three years later.
The findings, published in the journal Acta Pediatrica, add to evidence that fish may indeed be brain food.
Michael Pollan is one of the nation's leading writers and thinkers in this country on the issue of food. He is author of several books about food, including
The Botany of Desire,
The Omnivore's Dilemma and his latest,
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. In light of what he calls the processed food industry's co-option of "sustainability" and its vast spending on marketing, Pollan advises to be wary of any food that's advertised. He is a contributing writer to the
New York Times Magazine and is a Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley.
UPIWed, 20 May 2009 18:11 UTC
Arta, Greece -- Excessive cola consumption can lead to muscle problems -- from mild weakness to profound paralysis -- researchers in Greece warn.
"We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralization and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes," Dr. Moses Elisaf of the University of Ioannina in Greece said in a statement.
"Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can also lead to hypokalaemia, in which the blood potassium levels fall, causing an adverse effect on vital muscle functions."
© PA
Researchers studied the diets of 25,639 people over 10 years
A glass of wine a day can cut the risk of developing gallstones by a third, a new study shows. Scientists previously knew that moderate levels of alcohol could protect against gallstones, but did not know how much was needed.
Gallstones occur when bile from the gallbladder, which is normally fluid, forms stones.
They can be extremely painful and treatment is often surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Around one in 10 people will develop gallstones, which can be caused by infections, family history or too much cholesterol.
A Colorado Springs school district is considering random drug tests of high school students in district extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs and musical groups.
Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 officials began considering random drug testing in January after Colorado Springs police said in December that they found a "significant" number of Cheyenne Mountain High School students were using heroin.
