Health Information
Flint’s Deadly Water
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan — one of the poorest cities in the U.S. — began in April 2014, when the state took over city management and decided to switch the city’s water supply from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water to water from the Flint River, a notoriously polluted waterway. The state’s takeover of Flint’s city management was due to the city being near bankruptcy. For this reason, the influence of city council officials over decisions relating to Flint’s water sourcing was limited. As...
read moreTea With or Without Plastic?
Tea is important to people of many cultures around the world and it has been recognized for centuries as having dramatic and positive impacts on health. It is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, second only to water. There are several easy-to-grow herbs and plants that may be used to make tea at home, but most consumers choose a tea bag to brew their morning or afternoon beverage. Chances are you’ve never given the tea bag a second thought. But some bags are made with a variety of plastics; researchers have found these leach...
read moreLack of Sleep and Chronic Disease Are a Risky Combo
While sleep is still a largely neglected area of health, research shows that without proper sleep — both in terms of time and quality — every aspect of your health will be adversely impacted. Many important things happen during sleep, and only during sleep. For example, sleep is required for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis in and the removal of toxic waste from your brain, as well as the maintenance of biological homeostasis in your body. Without proper sleep, you leave yourself wide-open to chronic illness of all kinds, including...
read moreHealth Benefits of Living Near the Ocean
Many people dream of living near the ocean, and perhaps there’s an intrinsic reason why. Coastal living may be good for mental health, according to a study by researchers from the University of Exeter, England.1 The research builds on prior studies linking natural environments to mental health and well-being, and suggests that you may be able to boost your mood and more by choosing to live near the sea. In the U.S., counties directly on a shoreline make up less than 10% of total land area (with the exception of Alaska), yet 39% of the...
read moreIs a Colonoscopy Worth the Risk?
Knowing your potential risk for developing cancer can help you weigh the risks against the benefits of different tests for your situation. According to the American Cancer Society,1 more than 15.5 million people in the U.S. have a history of cancer. At least 1.7 million new cases will be diagnosed in 2019, which does not include a diagnosis of carcinoma in situ (noninvasive cancer). The society estimates 606,880 people will die in 2019, which is 1,660 deaths every day. The four most common types include lung, breast, prostate and colorectal...
read moreVitamin C Lowers Mortality in Severe Sepsis
One of the leading causes of death in American hospitals is something many are still unfamiliar with: septicemia (sepsis or septic shock). Also known as blood poisoning among lay people, sepsis1 is a last-ditch effort by your immune system to fight an infection in your body, which can lead to multiple organ failure and death unless promptly treated. As explained by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences:2 “The body releases immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. Those chemicals trigger widespread inflammation,...
read moreWashing Machines Spreading Deadly Superbugs
An early version of the washing machine was introduced in the 1850s and has since evolved from manual labor gear devices to high tech machines that assistance dogs are able to load and start. Clothes used to be washed by pounding them on rocks or washing away dirt in streams and rivers. The metal washboard was invented in 1833 and by the mid-1800s a patent for the first washer was submitted.1 Interestingly, the machine invented in France was called the ventilator. After the washing machine, electric dryers began appearing in the U.S. just...
read moreWould You Trade the World’s Most Nutritious Food for Gold?
During a six-week period every summer, fishermen head out to Bristol Bay, Alaska, to catch their share of wild sockeye salmon. An estimated 38 million of the fish return to the bay each year, supporting a brief economy that creates 14,000 jobs and $1.5 billion in revenue.1 In a report prepared for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, it’s noted that the area is the world’s most valuable wild salmon fishery, supplying nearly half the global supply of wild sockeye salmon.2 Even as other Alaskan fisheries have suffered — due...
read moreGMO Avocados in Development
Avocados not only are one of the world’s healthiest fruits, they’re also among the most economically important, representing a $13 billion market in 2017.1 Avocados have been enjoyed since ancient times, but their DNA has been largely foreign — until now. A group of U.S. and Mexican scientists have sequenced the genomes of Mexican and well-known Hass avocados. Their study, published in PNAS,2 reveals “ancient evolutionary relationships” that give clues to the fruit’s origins but also opens the floodgates to future genetic modification of this...
read moreChildren Taken From Parents Who Refuse Vitamin K Shot
Since 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that all newborns receive a vitamin K1 injection to prevent uncontrolled bleeding caused by vitamin K deficiency.1,2 Vitamin K1 is required for proper blood clotting, and newborns tend to have low levels due to the fact that vitamin K doesn’t cross the placenta very well. Deficiency can result in sudden internal bleeding — typically in the brain or intestines. This is referred to as “vitamin K deficiency bleeding” or VKDB, and can be life-threatening....
read moreWeekly Health Quiz: Dementia and Cholesterol
1 Recent research suggests many nutrient deficiencies around the world could be effectively addressed and resolved by: Providing free supplements via global aid organizations Fairer fish trade, allowing more fish to be consumed by locals Recent research suggests many nutrient deficiencies could be resolved by eating more seafood, and retaining more of the local fish catches for the local population rather than exporting them. Learn more. Fortifying more foods with lacking nutrients More frequent sun exposure 2 Which of the following is a...
read moreAstragalus Protects Your Mitochondria
Mitochondria are the power generators of your cells. These small structures, located within each cell, transfer electrons from fat and sugars to oxygen and generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the energy “currency” of your body.1 Mitochondria have two ATP-producing membranes that allow the storage of energy as ATP like batteries and are literally where we get our vim and vigor. The well-being of your whole mitochondria system can determine whether or not you develop many chronic diseases, including cancer. As I have...
read moreHealth Benefits of MSM — A Powerful Sulfur Donor
Sulfur is a somewhat “forgotten” nutrient you don’t hear mentioned very often, but it’s very important for optimal body function and health. You get most of your sulfur from certain proteins in your diet, specifically the amino acids methionine, cysteine, cystine, homocysteine, homocystine and taurine.1 Of these, the two most important sources are methionine and cysteine. Methionine is an essential amino acid, which means it cannot be synthesized by your body and must be supplied through your diet. Cysteine is...
read moreVitamin A Can Save Your Skin
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer found in the U.S., and the most common of those are basal and squamous cell cancers.1 Although death from these types is uncommon,2,3 the consequences of treatment may be disfiguring. Despite recommendations for people to stay out of the sun and use sunscreen, current estimates4 are that the lifetime risk for skin cancer is 20% for Americans. Approximately 9,500 skin cancers are diagnosed every day. But, sensible sun exposure, while taking care to avoid getting burned, is one of the best ways to...
read moreCancer and the New Biology of Water
Dr. Thomas Cowan is a practicing physician, founding board member and vice president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. I’ve previously interviewed Cowan on a number of different topics, including the link between vaccines and autoimmune disease, the use of low-dose naltrexone for autoimmune disease and novel treatments for heart disease. Here, we discuss his latest book, “Cancer and the New Biology of Water.” “I wrote a series of three books. The first one on the heart, the second one on vaccines and autoimmunity and...
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