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Study links taking Tylenol in pregnancy to two-fold higher risks of having children with ADHD and autism

Mary Kekatos
Daily Mail
Wed, 30 Oct 2019 15:53 UTC
pregnant and pills
© Getty Images
A new study from Johns Hopkins University claims women who use acetaminophen for pain relief during pregnancy may double the risk of their children having developmental disabilities.
New research claims to link the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy to an increased risk of your child having ADHD or autism.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health examined umbilical cord blood samples and found a higher risk of both disorders where the drug was present.

In fact, they say children exposed to the drug, also known by the brand name Tylenol, or paracetamol in Europe, in utero were twice as likely to have some type of developmental disorder - or a combination of the two - than to not have one.

Comment: While it's true the study doesn't establish a cause and effect relationship between acetaminophen and developmental disorders, any doctor who took the mantra "Do No Harm" seriously would find a safer pain reliever for their pregnant patients. If there's a chance there's a risk, that risk should be avoided. This isn't rocket science.

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Donut

Childhood obesity: Children living close to junk food outlets more likely to be overweight, says New York University study

Mihika Basu
Meaww
Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:56 UTC
childhood obesity fast food fries


Among New York City schoolchildren who live within a half-block of a fast food outlet, 20% are obese and 38% are overweight, shows analysis.

The closer a child lives to a fast-food restaurant or a corner store, the more likely the child will be obese or overweight. Just having fast-food outlets a block farther away, and potentially less convenient or accessible, can significantly lessen children's chances of being obese or overweight, according to the analysis by researchers at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine.

As measured in city blocks, closeness to fast and convenience food sellers can impact a student's chances of becoming obese, says the study, which concludes that for one million children attending New York City public schools, "their choice of what to eat depends on which food sources are close to where they live."

Comment: We're not that different from our hunter-gatherer ancestors - we take our available foods from our surrounding environment. If we've got highly rewarding junk food within easy reach, that's what we eat.

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Bacon

Warnings about processed meat fail the test of science

Adele Hite
Diet Doctor
Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:01 UTC
bacon on board


Another rigorous analysis of the science on processed meat shows evidence is weak and uncertain

A new re-analysis of the science concerning links between processed meat and chronic disease indicates that studies showing a relationship between the two are very low quality and suffer from, as the authors put it, "serious risk of bias and imprecision."

This conclusion is unsurprising, as it follows a recent set of analyses that rocked the nutrition world. That earlier set of studies, published in Annals of Internal Medicine earlier this month, concluded that guidelines warning us to consume less red and processed meat are based on evidence with very low certainty. The researchers who performed those analyses asserted there is no way to determine, for any given individual, what the risks or benefits of eating meat might be.

Comment: By best guesses, human beings have been eating red meat since our inception. The idea that it's been bad for us all along borders on the ludicrous, regardless of what poorly conducted studies show.

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Cow

Should I eat red meat? Confusing studies diminish trust in nutrition science

Scott Lear
Calgary Herald
Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:01 UTC
steaks
Another diet study, another controversy and the public is left wondering what to make of it. This time it's a series of studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine by an international group of researchers concluding people need not reduce their consumption of red and processed meat.

Over the past few years, study after study has indicated eating red and processed meat is bad for your health to the point where the World Health Organization lists red meat as a probable carcinogen and processed meat as a carcinogen.

This new study doesn't dispute the finding of a possible increased risk for heart disease, cancer and early death from eating meat. However, the panel of international nutritional scientists concluded the risk was so small and the studies of too poor quality to justify any recommendation.

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Bug

Tick-borne encephalitis found in UK for first time


The Guardian
Tue, 29 Oct 2019 09:46 UTC
A handful of infected ticks are believed to have been found in England
© edelmar/Getty Images
A handful of infected ticks are believed to have been found in England.
A disease that can harm the brain, and which is spread to humans through tick bites, has been identified in the UK for the first time.

Public Health England (PHE) confirmed the presence of the tick-borne encephalitis virus in Thetford Forest, Norfolk, and on the Hampshire-Dorset border.

PHE said it believed a "handful" of infected ticks had been found in both locations, with only one highly probable case of tick-borne encephalitis so far.

The health body said the risk was very low but it was investigating how common ticks with the virus might be.

The small parasitic arachnids are becoming more common in parts of the UK, mainly due to increasing deer numbers. As well as living on deer, ticks can be found on cats, dogs and urban foxes.

Ticks can also live in undergrowth, and latch on to humans when they walk through long grass.
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Cheeseburger

Dangerously anemic vegetarian eats burger, gets back to having meat and becomes a butcher

Hannah Sparks
The New York Post
Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:14 UTC
Tammi Jonas
That must have been some burger!

Tammi Jonas, a longtime vegetarian living in Victoria, Australia, had a surprising — but undeniable — craving for a hamburger while pregnant with her third child. Just one prime patty after many meat-free years.

Now, she's a professional butcher and a pig farmer.

The 49-year-old stopped eating meat when she was 19 — after reading Australian philosopher Peter Singer's book "Animal Liberation," published in 1975. She maintained her V-card successfully through two pregnancies, but while carrying her third child, she also became "dangerously anemic."

After the iron supplements failed, she pondered if protein would be the best way to get healthy for her and her baby.

"I was at work one day and just thought: 'A burger would fix this,'" Jonas told 10 Daily.

Over time, the reluctant meat-eater gradually worked her way back into an omnivorous lifestyle.
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Brain

Keeping your blood sugar in check could lower your Alzheimer's risk

Jon Hamilton
NPR
Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:07 UTC
PET scan sugar brain
© Science Source
A PET scan shows metabolism of sugar in the human brain.
Brain scientists are offering a new reason to control blood sugar levels: It might help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

"There's many reasons to get [blood sugar] under control," says David Holtzman, chairman of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. "But this is certainly one."

Holtzman moderated a panel Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago that featured new research exploring the links between Alzheimer's and diabetes.

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Shoe

Exercise lowers your odds of getting cancer


Mercola.com
Wed, 23 Oct 2019 00:01 UTC
exercise stretching
Exercise can work wonders for your health, including strengthening your muscles and bones and boosting your metabolism, mood and memory skills. Staying active may also help to lower your odds of developing cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Recent research shows that physical activity is associated with reduced risks for seven common types of cancer: colon, breast, kidney, endometrial, bladder, stomach and esophageal adenocarcinoma. They also found that exercise before and after a cancer diagnosis led to improved survival among people with breast, colorectal or prostate cancers.

In another study, a person's estimated age based on an exercise stress test was a better predictor of mortality, as compared to chronological age, while another study found adding exercise of any type reduced the risk of early death.

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Bullseye

The best exercises based on genetics for mental health


Nutrition Genome
Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:00 UTC
Hiking

Different strokes for different folks! Not all exercise is created equal - and not everyone responds the same way.
Have you ever wondered why you are attracted to certain types of exercise? Do you need a thrill through risk-taking activities? Competitive sports or races? A solo trek on a trail or in the weight room? Do you feel your best with endurance exercise like running, swimming and biking? When you get stressed, do you have a physical outlet? The best exercises for mental health actually have a genetic basis, with genetic testing helping you develop a custom workout routine.

Perhaps one aspect of this attraction is a proclivity to certain activities based on your natural ability. If you are good at something, you are more likely to be consistent with it and enjoy it. However, there is another aspect that is more physiologically unconscious. Our brain may be directing us through a "craving" for certain activities to balance our neurotransmitters.

For some people, there is an intuitive ability to find a healthy, physical, epigenetic outlet to balance their minds. Others may fall victim to abusing drugs and alcohol. The key is learning how your individual brain works so that if you are not applying these principals intuitively, you can learn how to incorporate the right type of exercise to balance your brain.

Comment: If you don't have the inclination or it's too expensive to go for genetic testing, simply look at the symptoms involved in each subgroup and intuitively follow what makes the most sense for you based on what you're experiencing. At the end of the day, awareness is the key and paying attention to how you respond to activities, environments and situations can help guide your decisions. See also:

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Beaker

Chemicals in consumer products linked to lower IQs in children

Paul Ratner
Big Think
Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:01 UTC
pregnancy chemical exposure
© Pixabay/Getty Images


Scientists find common chemicals can negatively impact pregnant women.

Researchers found that exposure to certain chemicals in consumer products during the first trimester of pregnancy is linked to lower IQ in children by age 7. Among the first of its kind, the study, carried out by scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Karlstad University, Sweden, linked mixtures of suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals to prenatal neurodevelopment.

The research analyzed data from SELMA, a study of Swedish mothers and children during the first trimester of pregnancy, measuring 26 chemicals in the blood and urine of 718 mothers. The chemicals included bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in plastic food and drink containers, as well as pesticides, phthalates, and others. Some of the 26 are established to affect the endocrine (hormone) activity while others are suspected to do so.

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