The Gary Null Show - 06.16.21

The Gary Null Show Notes – 06.16.21
VIDEOS
1. RIGHT NOW – Robert Malone, Steve Kirsch, and Bret Weinstein! 2:17:34-2:42:00
Dr. Robert Malone is the inventor of mRNA Vaccine technology.
Mr. Steve Kirsch is a serial entrepreneur who has been researching adverse reactions to
COVID vaccines.
Dr. Bret Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist.
2. Former Pfizer VP and Virologist, Dr. Michael Yeadon – Del Bigtree. 
Sorry, Liberals. But You Really Shouldn’t Love NATO. 
Fauci Is Under Fire On All Sides Now
Wuhan Lab Controversy Illustrates How Government Funding Throttles Scientific Integrity
Why Democracies in G7 & NATO Should Reject U.S. Leadership 
Britain is a Parasite on Other Countries
EU Parliament Overwhelmingly Votes to End Caged Animal Farming
Biden’s Climate Irresponsibility
Thousands of women and children flee Haiti gang violence, Unicef says
Climate change leads to unprecedented Rocky Mountain wildfires
U.S. College COVID Vaccine Mandates Don’t Consider Immunity or Pregnancy, and May Run Foul of the Law
 
Brown Seaweed as an Intervention for Diet-Induced Obesity 
University of New South Wales (Australia), May 21, 2021
Abstract:
The therapeutic potential of grown in Australian tropical waters was tested in a rat model of metabolic syndrome. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 12 rats and each group was fed a different diet for 16 weeks: corn starch diet (C); high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (H) containing fructose, sucrose, saturated andfats; and C or H diets with 5%mixed into the food from weeks 9 to 16 (CS and HS). Obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance, fatty liver and left ventricular fibrosis developed in H rats. In HS rats,decreased body weight (H, 547± 14; HS, 490 ± 16 g), fat mass (H, 248 ± 27; HS, 193 ± 19 g), abdominal fat deposition and liver fat vacuole size but did not reverse cardiovascular and liver effects. H rats showed marked changes in gut microbiota compared to C rats, whilesupplementation increased gut microbiota belonging to the family. This selective increase in gut microbiota likely complements the prebiotic actions of the alginates. Thus,may be a useful dietary additive to decrease abdominal and liver fat deposition.
New health benefits of red seaweeds unveiled
Institute for Genomic Biology at University of Illinois, June 15, 2021
Red seaweeds have been prevalent in the diets of Asian communities for thousands of years. In a new study, published in Marine Drugs, researchers have shown how these algae confer health benefits.
“In the past, people have wondered why the number of colon cancer patients in Japan is the lowest in the world,” said Yong-Su Jin (CABBI/BSD/MME), a professor of food microbiology. “Many assumed that it was due to some aspect of the Japanese diet or lifestyle. We wanted to ask whether their seaweed diet was connected to the lower frequency of colon cancer.”
Although several studies have shown that Asians who eat seaweed regularly have lower risk of colon, colorectal, and breast cancer, it was unclear which component was responsible for the anti-cancer effects.
In the study, the researchers broke down the structure of different types of red seaweed using enzymes and tested the sugars that were produced to see which one of them caused health benefits. Among the six different sugars produced, agarotriose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, or AHG, showed the most promise.
“After we produced these sugars, we tested their prebiotic activity using the bacteria Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis,” said Eun Ju Yun, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. B. infantis is a probiotic bacterium; it colonizes the gut of infants and provides health benefits. Among the seaweed-derived sugars, the bacteria could only consume agarotriose, indicating that it works as a prebiotic i.e., it improves the growth of probiotic bacteria.
“We also tested another strain, B. kashiwanohense, and found that it also consumed agarotriose,” Jin said. “These results show us that when we eat red seaweed, it gets broken down in the gut and releases these sugars which serve as food for the probiotic bacteria. It could help explain why Japanese populations are healthier compared to others.”
The researchers also tested the sugars to see if they had any anti-cancer activity. “We found that AHG specifically inhibits the growth of human colon cancer cells and does not affect the growth of normal cells,” Yun said. The anti-cancer activity of AHG is due to its ability to trigger apoptosis or cell death.
“There is a lot of information on how red seaweeds are degraded by microorganisms in the ocean and in the human body,” said Kyoung Heon Kim, a professor of biotechnology and the co-advisor on the paper. “Our work explains why red seaweeds are beneficial by providing the molecular mechanism. We will continue studying their function in animal models and hopefully we will be able to use them as a therapeutic agent in the future.”
 
 
 
Hiking Workouts Aren’t Just Good For Your Body – They’re Good For Your Mind Too
University of Hertfordshire (UK), June 11, 2021
Before COVID-19, the popularity of hiking was on a downward slope in both adultsand children. But its popularity has spiked during the pandemic, seeing many more people taking to trails than usual. Hiking is not only a great way to get outside in nature, it also has plenty of physical and mental health benefits for those who take part.
Hiking differs in many way from taking a regular stroll around your neighbourhood. Not only is the terrain on many hiking routes uneven or rocky, there’s also typically some change in elevation, such as going up or down hills. People also tend to wear different footwear – such as hiking boots – which can be heavier than what they’re used to wearing.
These differences in terrain and footwear mean hiking has a higher energy expenditure (more calories burned) than walking on flat ground does. This is due to the fact that we need to use more muscles to stabilise ourselves when walking on uneven terrain.
While brisk walking at a speed of around 5km/h uses up to four times as much energy as sitting down and resting, hiking through fields and hills uses over five times. This means you can achieve the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity without even needing to go for a run or head to the gym.
The benefits of getting enough exercise are clear. Not only will it improve your physical health, sleep and stress management, exercise also reduces your chances of developing certain chronic diseases, such as dementia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and certain cancers. In older adults, some research suggests hiking may be able to improve hypertension.
Hiking is also beneficial even for those with pre-existing health conditions. Research shows hiking leads to weight loss and improves cardiovascular health in pre-diabetic adults, likely reducing their risk of getting type 2 diabetes. It’s also been shown to improve other aspects of health, including muscle strength, balance and flexibility in older adults with obesity. Even those who suffer with balance issues or joint problems can hike – as trekking poles may be able to reduce the load on the legs.
The popular form of hiking called Nordic walking – where participants use trekking poles to help them along – is also shown to engage the upper body and increase the intensity of the walking. Research shows this form of hiking increases cardiovascular health, weight loss, and muscle strength in people without any pre-existing health conditions, as well as those with chronic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease.
A further health benefit of hiking is that it’s classed as “green exercise”. This refers to the added health benefit that doing physical activity in nature has on us. Research shows that not only can green exercise decrease blood pressure, it also benefits mental wellbeing by improving mood and reducing depression to a greater extent than exercising indoors c
 
This is why some research suggests healthcare professionals should recommend hiking to patients as a low-cost way of improving health where possible. In England, there’s even an initiative being piloted by the National Health Service to assess the health impacts of green prescribing – where patients are being prescribed outdoor activities – such as hiking or gardening – to improve their mental and physical health.
Get outdoors
Even if you’ve never hiked before, it’s easy to get started. There are plenty of apps you can download on your phone to help you navigate and find routes. These usually work with your GPS and are even easy to follow for those who have a poor sense of direction.
You can also try the 1,000 mile challenge if you want to start hiking. This encourages people to walk 1,000 miles in a year. This has helped many people – including my own parents – to be more active, especially during COVID-19.
 
If you have a young family (or simply want to make hiking more interesting), a more interactive way of getting out into nature is geocaching. This is where you following a GPS route to a location where someone has hidden a box or trinket of some kind. You can also record what you’ve found using an app. Geocaching is a worldwide phenomenon, so can be done almost anywhere in the world.
Hiking is a great way to get active and improve mental and physical wellbeing. And with many of us still likely to be vacationing locally this year, it can be a great way to get away from home and explore new sights.
Trial finds improvement in metabolic syndrome components, fatty liver, insulin resistance in garlic-intake participants
 
Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences (Iran) June 10, 2921
A randomized trial reported  in Phytotherapy Research found an association between intake of garlic and improvement in several components of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of factors that increase the risk of developing diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. The trial also revealed a reduction in insulin resistance and fatty liver—conditions that are common among metabolic syndrome patients.
Metabolic syndrome is defined as the presence of three of the following five disorders: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, elevated blood sugar and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. 
The trial included 90 men and women with metabolic syndrome who received tablets containing 1,600 milligrams garlic powder (which provided 6 milligrams per day of the garlic compound allicin) or a placebo daily for three months. Blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT, an enzyme that is elevated in liver disease and also is associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk), appetite (including hunger, fullness, desire to eat and ability to eat), height, weight, waist circumference, food intake and physical activity were evaluated upon enrollment and at six and twelve weeks.[1, 2] Serum insulin levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study. 
At the trial’s conclusion, participants who received garlic had levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol that were significantly higher than the beginning of the study as well as higher in comparison with the placebo group, whose levels declined. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride levels, waist circumference, insulin and insulin resistance, GGT and fatty liver index (calculated by a standard formula using other measured parameters) were all reduced in the garlic-intake group compared to the placebo. All parameters related to appetite were also improved compared to placebo.
“To the best of our knowledge, there is no clinical trial evaluating the effects of garlic consumption on insulin resistance, appetite, and fatty liver index (FLI) as an accurate predictor of hepatic steatosis among subjects with metabolic syndrome,” authors Abbas Ali Sangouni and colleagues announced. 
“Our study demonstrated a significant decrease in the mean intake of calories after 3-month garlic powder [intake],” they also noted. “There is no clinical trial evaluating the effect of garlic on appetite.”
The current findings reveal a benefit for garlic intake against metabolic syndrome components and related factors. Considering garlic’s low cost and wide availability, as well as its prebiotic action and cardiovascular benefits, adding garlic to a healthy diet and exercise regimen could be an easy and effective measure to help protect against metabolic syndrome and its associated disease risks.
Evaluation of the effect of curcumin on pneumonia: A systematic review of preclinical studies
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Iran), May 3, 2021
Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and causes a significant burden on the healthcare systems. Curcumin is a natural phytochemical with anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic characteristics. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of published studies on the effect of curcumin on preclinical models of pneumonia. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar from inception up to March 1, 2020 to recognize experimental or clinical trials assessing the effects of curcumin on pneumonia. We identified 17 primary citations that evaluated the effects of curcumin on pneumonia. Ten (58.8%) studies evaluated the effect of curcumin on mouse models of pneumonia, generated by intranasal inoculation of viruses or bacteria. Seven (41.2%) studies evaluated the inhibitory effects of curcumin on the pneumonia-inducing bacteria. Our results demonstrated that curcumin ameliorated the pneumonia-induced lung injury, mainly through a reduction of the activity and infiltration of neutrophils and the inhibition of inflammatory response in mouse models. Curcumin ameliorates the severity of pneumonia through a reduction in neutrophil infiltration and by amelioration of the exaggerated immune response in preclinical pneumonia models.
Healthy levels of vitamin D may boost breast cancer outcomes
 
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, June 10, 2021
Breast cancer patients who have adequate levels of vitamin D—the “sunshine vitamin”—at the time of their diagnosis have better long-term outcomes, a new study finds.
Combined with the results of prior research, the new findings suggest “an ongoing benefit for patients who maintain sufficient levels [of vitamin D] through and beyond breast cancer treatment,” said study lead author Song Yao. He’s a professor of oncology in the department of cancer prevention and control at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
The study also found that Black women had the lowest vitamin D levels, which might help explain their generally poorer outcomes after a breast cancer diagnosis, Yao’s group said. 
The findings were presented at the recent virtual annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
One oncologist unconnected to the research said the findings could offer women a simple new way to fight breast cancer.
Vitamin D “can be found in some foods and is made when sunlight strikes human skin,” explained Dr. Alice Police, a breast cancer researcher at Northwell Health’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health, in Westchester, N.Y. 
“This may be an opportunity for an important intervention in breast cancer outcomes for all women, but particularly in the Black population,” she said.
The study involved nearly 4,000 patients who had their vitamin D levels checked and were followed for a median of almost 10 years.
The patients were divided into three levels: vitamin D deficient (less than 20 nanograms per milliliter in blood tests); insufficient (20 to 29 ng/ml); or sufficient (30 or more ng/ml).
The study wasn’t designed to prove cause and effect. However, it found that—compared to women deficient in the nutrient—women with sufficient levels of vitamin D had 27% lower odds of dying of any cause during the 10 years of follow-up, and 22% lower odds for death from breast cancer specifically.
The team also found that the association between vitamin D levels and breast cancer outcomes was similar regardless of the tumor’s estrogen receptor (ER) status. The association appeared somewhat stronger among lower-weight patients and those diagnosed with more advanced breast cancers.
“Our findings from this large, observational cohort of breast cancer survivors with long follow-up provide the strongest evidence to date for maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients, particularly among Black women and patients with more advanced-stage disease,” Yao said in a Roswell Park news release.
Dr. Paul Baron is chief of breast surgery and director of the Breast Cancer Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He wasn’t involved in the new research, but called it “an important study, as it shows the significance of sufficient vitamin D levels towards improving long-term survival for breast cancer patients.”
For her part, Police said the findings highlight the importance for women of adequate vitamin D.
The difference in outcomes between Black and white breast cancer patients“narrowed with higher vitamin D levels at the time of diagnosis,” she noted. “This could be an important step in efforts to level the playing field for this disease: Let the sunshine in!”
Because these findings were presented at a medical meeting, they should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal
 
Researchers Say This One Tiny Life Adjustment Can Reduce Depression Risk
Harvard, MIT, and the University of Colorado, June 11, 2021
Research continues to pour in showing an increase in mental health problems from the COVID-19 pandemic (and government policies resulting from it). One medical study found that depression symptoms were three times higher than before the pandemic. A separate survey published by the Washington Post found one third of Americans now show symptoms of anxiety, depression, or both.
Fortunately, new research shows there’s an easy step we can all take to help prevent depression. Wake up an hour earlier.
That’s right, just one hour of sleep reduces a person’s risk of major depression by a whopping 23 percent.
The study, conducted by researchers from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Colorado Boulder, studied 840,000 individuals, and its findings are some of the strongest evidence that a person’s sleep schedule influences depression risk.
“We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood, but a question we often hear from clinicians is: How much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?” said Celine Vetter, assistant professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. “We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression.”
The discovery is especially important as the increase in remote-working schedules has led many to sleep in later, which could have important implications on their mental health.
It’s also important because it’s a cheap and readily accessible option for treatment.
 
Americans face many barriers to mental healthcare. First and foremost, it is expensive. An hour-long therapy session costs between $65 – $250 per session without insurance. And thanks to bad government policies meddling in the insurance market, many therapists do not accept insurance at all. Furthermore, a more severe mental health diagnosis can be even more costly. Patients with severe depression who receive medical care spend nearly $11,000 a year on average, according to a report by CNBC.
The expense, coupled with a shortage in providers and medical deserts throughout large parts of the US, lead many to forgo treatment altogether. According to the National Council on Behavioral Health, 56 percent of patients want to access a mental health provider but face barriers.
Those barriers were of course increased during COVID as facilities were shut down and non-COVID patients were denied care. The numbers have already begun trickling in showing lockdowns led to greater drug use, youth suicides, and increases in depression and anxiety.
When one is struggling with depression, it is especially hard to overcome external barriers to care. Making a phone call can feel like climbing a mountain, and if you are rejected it can be all but impossible to summon the energy to keep looking and asking for help. But this new research shows individuals have the ability to take charge of their own circumstances by making small, daily changes that can help them fight their disease.
Alice Walker, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple,famously said, “People give up their power by thinking they don’t have any.” People often forget that they have power within themselves to confront their problems and in turn, seek protection from other external, earthly things—namely the government or their leaders. But this cycle produces dependency, not empowerment, which is not the life we as individuals were intended for.
 
In The Law by Frederic Bastiat he says, “Life, faculties, production—in other words, individuality, liberty, property—this is man. And in spite of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts from God precede all human legislation, and are superior to it.”
When dealing with mental health issues—as full disclosure, I do—an important guiding principle is self-responsibility. Yes, you may face additional burdens that others do not in your daily life. But it is still your responsibility to confront them, work through them, and move forward. Ultimately, your mental health is your responsibility and no one can do that work for you.
This same principle can be applied more broadly to those without mental health issues too. Yes, there may be circumstances that are unjust or unpleasant, yes we may have barriers placed on our paths that are outside of our control (especially by the government). But we can control how we face (and hopefully overcome) those circumstances.
We can’t turn back the clocks on all that has happened over the past year and a half, but if we turn the alarm clock one hour back we just might be a step closer to regaining control of our health.

The Gary Null Show - 06.15.21

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, Dr. McCullough completed his medical degree as an Alpha Omega Alpha graduate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He went on to complete his internal medicine residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, cardiology fellowship including service as Chief Fellow at William Beaumont Hospital, and master’s degree in public health at the University of Michigan. Dr. McCullough is a consultant cardiologist and Vice Chief of Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX. He is a Principal Faculty in internal medicine for the Texas A & M University Health Sciences Center. Dr. McCullough is an internationally recognized authority on the role of chronic kidney disease as a cardiovascular risk state with > 1000 publications and > 500 citations in the National Library of Medicine. His works include the “Interface between Renal Disease and Cardiovascular Illness” in Braunwald’s Heart Disease Textbook. Dr. McCullough is a recipient of the Simon Dack Award from the American College of Cardiology and the International Vicenza Award in Critical Care Nephrology for his scholarship and research. Dr. McCullough is a founder and current president of the Cardiorenal Society of America, an organization dedicated to bringing cardiologists and nephrologists together to work on the emerging problem of cardiorenal syndromes. His works have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet and other top-tier journals worldwide. He is the co-editor of Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine, and associate editor of the American Journal of Cardiology and Cardiorenal Medicine. He serves on the editorial boards of multiple specialty journals. Dr. McCullough has made presentations on the advancement of medicine across the world and has been an invited lecturer at the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency, and the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel.
 

The Gary Null Show - 06.14.21

The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Corruption of Genuine Science
Richard Gale & Gary Null PhDProgressive Radio Network, June 10, 2021Medical science has made such tremendous progress that there is hardly a healthy human left. — Aldous Huxley
For half a century, the pharmaceutical industry has shown near zero tolerance towards criticism against its unequivocal failures and medical catastrophes. Permanent disabilities and deaths due to unsafe drugs, such as Merck’s anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx, Pizer’s Bextra, synthetic hormone replacement therapy, thalidomide, and the earlier cellular pertussis and the 1976 influenza vaccines, are regarded as the collateral damage of getting unsafe medical products on the market. During the past two decades a tightly-knit and collaborative relationship has evolved between the pharmaceutical industry, federal health agencies, Congress, Silicon Valley, and the new culture of billionaire philanthropists such as Bill Gates. Due to the large web of funders favoring corporate financial interests and CDC-sponsored educational programs, the mainstream media is now the successful advertiser for pharmaceutical ambitions. As a consequence, modern medicine’s dire risks to public health are undermined. The broader picture and the darker players operating behind the tragic legacy of medical iatrogenic failures remain largely hidden from the public. In recent years those physicians, researchers and health advocates who dissent from the pharmaceutical narrative often face a formidable blowback resulting in censorship and destroyed reputations.
Over forty years ago, sociologist and philosopher Ivan Illich prophetically observed a conspicuous unfolding of modern medicine becoming divorced from itself and the ethical basis for treating illnesses. He wrote, “the medical establishment has become a major threat to health.” Illich was among the first poignant critics of the corporatization of medicine to address the problems of “medicalization,” the process by which very human non-medical conditions are redefined as medical diseases and then diagnosed and pharmaceutically treated as such. This has been a result of hardened scientific materialism’s ascendency as the final judge over national healthcare. Increasingly researchers, more often than not funded by private drug companies and backed by an army of lobbyists, are discovering ways to reevaluate health conditions with only flimsy clinical evidence into the actual etiology of disease — even infectious pandemics. Psychiatric practice, which today relies almost exclusively on a drug-based model, is the greatest serial offender. Yet systemic corruption throughout our national healthcare has been a boon for drug makers who can then develop novel medications for illnesses that could otherwise be treated by less expensive and safer drugless therapies “Modern medicine is a negation of health,” Illich wrote in his acclaimed book Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health. “It isn’t organized to serve human health, but only itself, as an institution. It makes more people sick than it heals.” It is a system that today depends upon volumes of flawed medical clinical trials, financial incentives, institutional bureaucracy, revolving doors between government and private industry, rampant conflicts of interests, and an aggressive propaganda machine that has had enormous success in marginalizing and ridiculing critics both within and outside the medical complex. Our medical edifice has violated every defining principle of scientific inquiry that should place uncompromising value on objective, unbiased inquiry and open conversation and debate over conflicting views. To invoke the precautionary principle is a personal confession of heresy. Over the years, the steady rise in the number of class action and criminal lawsuits against pharmaceutical firms, Freedom of Information Act submissions, and false testimonies by federal health officials before Congressional subcommittees have confirmed Illich’s warnings.
For Illich the dangerous consequence is that conventional medicine has become depersonalized. Whereas in the past malpractice was treated as a serious ethical issue – and iatrogenic death, or fatalities due to medical error, is now the US’s third leading cause of mortality – it is simply perceived as a technical glitch that can be corrected by further technical solutions. As a result of persistent self-denial over conventional medicine’s inherent failures, the dominant medical paradigm that now governs the nation’s health has succeeded in barricading itself behind a monolithic propaganda machine and a compliant media with the ability to marginalize criticism and to hermetically seal itself from being called to legal account. Even worse, it has usurped the sovereignty we have over our bodies and transferred this power to a technocracy that deeply believes it is upholding the integrity of science. However it is a science solely molded in the image of medical bureaucrats and their powerful allies who have been christened as experts.
And all of these past medical failures, the estimated 90 percent of junk pharmaceutical clinical trials published in junk medical journals, institutionalized hubris, and the drug makers’ capture of our health agencies is being openly staged in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global theater.
When we are being lectured to recite the pandemic mantra in unison by Joe Biden, Governor Andrew Cuomo, the UK’s Boris Johnson, and one of the church of Scientism’s head priests Neil DeGrasse Tyson — “Follow the Science” – whose science is being referred to? Is it the 19th century mechanistic science, which continues to be the foundation for modern evolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychiatry and vaccinology? Is it the pseudo-science promulgated by the cult of Skepticism that pollutes hundreds of Wikipedia’s health entries? Is it corporate, pharmaceutical-based science; medical research and discovery motivated by astronomical commercial incentives to appease the hedonic financial appetites of shareholders? For Anthony Fauci, he has imagined himself as the incarnation of science. Replying to MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, Fauci made his self-proclamation, “what you’re seeing as attacks on me quite frankly are attacks on science.”
Or is it science that is meticulously vetted by a range of independent professionals who aspire to arrive at the truth of a medical problem or to find a medical solution? It is this latter group who are most inclined to impartially review the pros and cons of scientific papers, the clinical trials of a drug, vaccine, medical device and diagnostic tool; then, based upon the empirical evidence, a medical intervention’s value, efficacy and safety is properly determined. Sadly this latter group is rarely if ever invited to sit at the regulatory table or to advise national health policy. Rather, the pursuit of medical facts about disease and pandemics has ceased to be a evidence-based methodology of objective inquiry and has become a means to institute authority and control over a population. “You can’t really follow the science,” states the philosopher of science Matthew Crawford, “because science doesn’t lead anywhere. It can illuminate various courses of action; for example by quantifying the risks that attend each. It can help to specify the trade offs… but it can’t make the choices for us.” Modern medicine’s failure to recognize this has, in Crawford’s opinion, led to a “victimology joining hands with scientism.” That is, medicine as an ideology and not a science. The consequence is that those who question or challenge the dominant medical ideology are censored, cancelled and have their reputations destroyed
We must come to the conclusion that modern conventional medicine has lacked the enthusiasm to uncover scientific truths for many decades. The pandemic’s mantra, “follow the science,” has been waxed into a meaningless banality. It is an empty amoral platitude for bureaucrats and media pundits with MD and PHD decorating their names. Unlike the “hard sciences,” such as mathematics and physics, medical practice is “soft.” Medical certainty, as in the serious hard sciences, should have as its objective “value-neutral truth.” Medicine and medical discovery is equally an art form. It is supposed to be grounded upon scientific evidence in order to make reasonable decisions. The debate over whether the practice of medicine is an art or an empirically based science has raged for decades. Over two decades ago, the British Medical Journal published an article, “The Practice of Clinical Medicine as an Art and as a Science.” The authors spread out on the table the prime principle to govern medical research as a determining factor for publication.
“… scientific thinking should, must, be insulated from all kinds of psychological, sociological, economic, political, moral and ideological factors which tend to influence thought in life and society. Without those proscriptions, objective knowledge of truth will degenerate into prejudice and ideology.”
Unfortunately, none of the self-anointed captains now steering our global and governmental health agencies to confront the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the deeply worrisome escalation of Covid-19 vaccine injuries and deaths, has ever bothered to give this fundamental scientific axiom a moment’s worth of reflection. Reported Covid-19 vaccine injuries and deaths in the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System now dwarf those from all other vaccines during the past two decades combined. The “experts,” such as Anthony Fauci and the FDA’s new Commissioner Janet Woodcock – a 35-year careerist at one of our most discredited regulatory agencies, hold their high rank within the medical hierarchy because they were seduced to sacrifice “objective knowledge of truth” in return for prestige, power and wealth. They serve as the prejudiced and ideological protectors of authentic science’s antithesis: the pharmaceutical industrial complex
We do not need to stretch too deep into Western medicine’s history — back to the era of leeches, blood-letting and exorcizing neurological disorders — to find examples of medical consensus and treatments displaying humanity’s sheer stupidity. We have continued to inherit this madness up into the 21st century, and during the pandemic it blazes before our eyes.
Unfortunately, too many Americans and citizens in other nations are blindly willing to surrender their faith and trust to medical experts, the latest drug or vaccine on the market, and the federal regulators who are mandated to assure that these medications and vaccines have been scrupulously reviewed to evaluate their safety and efficacy profiles. We assume that medical interventions are evidence-based. We believe they are founded upon scientifically sound and reliable observation, data collection and analysis. Yet we only need to look at modern history to find many examples of Western medicine being categorically wrong.
In the 1940s and throughout the 1970s, millions of Americans smoked. In some households every adult smoked. Even physicians, who were viewed as the exemplars of health and knowledge, smoked regularly. Doctors would be featured on advisements endorsing different cigarette brands. After a smoker reached 40, being diabetic, overweight, or having a cardiovascular illness and emphysema was considered as normal aging. Medical leaders assured us that this could not possibly be associated with smoking. They were believed because they were of course the “experts.” To speak out against cigarettes as the culprit behind these preventable conditions was taboo. Consequently several generations of Americans suffered and died prematurely and needlessly because the science accepted by the nation’s health officials was unconditionally false.
California State University bioethicist and author of The Illusion of Evidence Based Medicine, Prof. Leemon McHenry views the epidemic of bad medical research as similar to dirty money laundering. After reviewing thousands of clinical trial documents, he observed the means by which pharmaceutical companies intentionally design flawed clinical trials favoring their drugs and vaccines, generate dubious data and then wash it through a corrupt methodology to make the product look clean at the other end. During an interview, Prof McHenry said it was like throwing darts at a door and then later drawing a target on the door so the darts appear to have hit a bull’s-eye. Drug makers have mastered these tricks and our regulatory officials are consistently fooled and left none the wiser.
For those who grew up in the Great and Baby Boom generations, stress reduction was virtually unknown. Exercise was perceived as unnecessary after high school and college. A plant-based or vegetarian diet was viewed as extreme. The different iterations of the American food pyramid, starting with the Food for Young Children guide in 1916 and leading up to the 1979 Daily Food Guide, suffered from a serious lack of knowledge and a misunderstanding about nutrition. There was little bimolecular understanding about the dangers of sugar and excessive salt. Processed foods, preservatives and chemical dyes were being completely ignored. The only dietary supplement that was widely recommended was iron and to a lesser degree Vitamin C. Today we can look back upon these national dietary standards as medieval; yet the horrendous lack of science that supported our unhealthy American lifestyle was part of a scheme to indoctrinate people. And private corporations profited exorbitantly by sustaining these illusions. In the 20th century alone, leading medical journals and government agencies would promote electroshock therapy, bariatric surgery, mercury amalgams and dental fluoride, diethylstilbestrol, synthetic hormone replacement, artificial sweeteners such as saccharine and Monsanto’s aspartame and vaccine ethylmercury. However, today researchers frequently publish research papers identifying the very serious health risks for these products, which earlier were supported by reams of fraudulent corporate-sponsored research to court regulators.
But despite all of the reliable scientific data, it has failed to rein in national health policies and the conduct of the CDC, NIAID and FDA to lessen the health risks Americans are exposed to daily.
It is now 15 months since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11th of last year. The mainstream media has followed in lockstep with the government’s public relations narrative. It has lied about the reliability of PCR testing as a gold standard; injuries and deaths from the J&J, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are either rejected or reframed as unfortunate anomalies. We may hear about the rare non-promising study against the use of inexpensive Covid-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin; but the many dozens of studies recommending these drugs are flatly ignored. Nor are our health officials telling us the truth about the adverse effects of prolonged mask-wearing, social isolation and quarantines, the vaccines’ safety profiles, the inflated numbers of Covid-19 cases and mortalities, and approving expensive novel drugs shown to be questionably effective.
While many criticize Big Pharma’s abuse of public relations firms to whitewash their noxious public image, in 2015, The Hill reported that the federal government spent over $4 billion on public relations services and over half of that went to the world’s largest firms. Last September, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the PR firm Fors Marsh Group $250 million to twist the handling of the pandemic in his favor. In 2012, Obama’s HHS gave $20 million to the Porter Novelli PR firm and $26 million to Ogilvy Public Relations for publicity damage control over controversies in his Affordable Care Act. Surely large PR firms have an enormous role within the cartel of governments’ health ministries, the World Health organization, the drug and vaccine industry, and billionaire donors who are now directing the pandemic.
Fortunately the faux scientific artifice upon which the authoritarians in power have defined the pandemic is crumbling. For the first time in medical history, tens of thousands of physicians and medical professionals are calling out our officials and the drug companies for vagrant acts of corruption and deception. Anthony Fauci’s control over the pandemic narrative is in jeopardy. The theory behind a natural origin of the virus is likely a sham; laboratory “gain of function” research to engineer pathogenic coronaviruses has been covered up with lies. We are discovering that health officials intentionally exaggerated SARS-CoV-2’s severity and sabotaged viable medical alternatives to curtail the progression of infection in a way that is scientifically sound, compassionate, and not jeopardized by pharmaceutical interests. ‘The deepest sin against the human mind,” Huxley warned, “is to believe things without evidence.” In the face of millions of unnecessary and preventable Covid-19 deaths due to the irresponsible authority handed to the Fauci-s, Gates-s, Tedros-s, and Matt Handcock-s of the world, a grave moral sin has been committed by allowing technocratic scientism to override medical evidence.

The Gary Null Show - 06.11.21

What does the FDA's recent meeting of the Vaccine and Related Biological Advisory Committee tell us about the government's handling of stopping the pandemic only by vaccination
 
Dr. Meryl Nass is an internal medicine physician in Maine and activist who specializes in treating patients with Gulf War syndrome, adverse reactions from the anthrax vaccine and vaccine safety and efficacy in general.  In the past she has testified on six separate occasions before Congress on behalf of veterans suffering from the causes of Gulf War syndrome. Meryl is also active in opposing vaccine mandates and critiquing the false claims and fear mongering about infectious disease epidemics and corruption within the medical industrial military complex.  She serves on the Board of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, a non profit organization run by Vera Sharav that advances medical ethics that uphold human rights and protect humans from wrongful medical interventions. Her work is cited in many professional articles and publications. She holds degrees from MIT and her medical degree from the Mississippi School of Medicine.  Dr Nass' website where she blogs is AnthraxVaccine.blogspot.com

The Gary Null Show - 06.10.21

 The Gary Null Show is here to inform you on the best news in health, healing, the environment. 

The Gary Null Show - 06.09.21

Plant-based and/or fish diets may help lessen severity of COVID-19 infection
 
Johns Hopkins University, June 8, 2021
Plant-based and/or fish (pescatarian) diets may help lower the odds of developing moderate to severe COVID-19 infection, suggest the findings of a six-country study, published in the online journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
They were associated with 73% and 59% lower odds, respectively, of severe disease, the findings indicate.
Several studies have suggested that dietmight have an important role in symptom severity and illness duration of COVID-19 infection. But, as yet, there's little evidence to confirm or refute this theory.
To explore this further, the researchers drew on the survey responses of 2884 frontline doctors and nurses with extensive exposure to SARS-CO-v2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection, working in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US.
The participants were all part of a global network of healthcare professionals registered with the Survey Healthcare Globus network for healthcare market research. The researchers used this network to identify clinicians at high risk of COVID-19 infection as a result of their jobs.
The online survey, which ran between July and September 2020, was designed to elicit detailed information about respondents' dietary patterns, based on a 47-item food frequency questionnaire, over the previous year, and the severity of any COVID-19 infections they had had, using objective criteria.
The survey also gathered information on personal background, medical history, medication use, and lifestyle.
The various diets were combined into plant-based (higher in vegetables, legumes, and nuts, and lower in poultry and red and processed meats); pescatarian/plant-based (as above, but with added fish/seafood); and low carb-high protein diets.
Some 568 respondents (cases) said they had had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection or no symptoms but a positive swab test for the infection; 2316 said they hadn't had any symptoms/tested positive (comparison group).
Among the 568 cases, 138 clinicians said they had had moderate to severe COVID-19 infection; the remaining 430 said they had had very mild to mild COVID-19 infection.
After factoring in several potentially influential variables, including age, ethnicity, medical specialty, and lifestyle (smoking, physical activity), respondents who said they ate plant-based diets' or plant-based/pescatarian diets had, respectively, 73% and 59% lower odds of moderate to severe COVID-19 infection, compared with those who didn't have these dietary patterns.
And compared with those who said they ate a plant-based diet, those who said they ate a low carb-high protein diet had nearly 4 times the odds of moderate to severe COVID-19 infection.
These associations held true when weight (BMI) and co-existing medical conditions were also factored in.
But no association was observed between any type of diet and the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection or length of the subsequent illness.
This is an observational study, and so can't establish cause, only correlation. It also relied on individual recall rather than on objective assessments, and the definition of certain dietary patterns may vary by country, point out the researchers.
Men outnumbered women in the study, so the findings may not be applicable to women, they add.
But plant-based diets are rich in nutrients, especially phytochemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids), vitamins and minerals, all of which are important for a healthy immune system, say the researchers.
And fish is an important source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have anti-inflammatory properties, they add.
"Our results suggest that a healthy diet rich in nutrient dense foods may be considered for protection against severe COVID-19," they conclude.
"The trends in this study are limited by study size (small numbers with a confirmed positive test) and design (self-reporting on diet and symptoms) so caution is needed in the interpretation of the findings," comments Deputy Chair of the NNEdPro Nutrition and COVID-19 Taskforce, Shane McAuliffe.
"However, a high quality diet is important for mounting an adequate immune response, which in turn can influence susceptibility to infection and its severity."
He adds:"This study highlights the need for better designed prospective studies on the association between diet, nutritional status and COVID-19 outcomes."
 
Greater magnesium intake associated with reduced hostility among young adults
Columbia University, June 4, 2021
 
According to news originating from New York City, New York, research stated, “Hostility is a complex personality trait associated with many cardiovascular risk factor phenotypes. Although magnesium intake has been related to mood and cardio-metabolic disease, its relation with hostility remains unclear.”
Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Columbia University, “We hypothesize that high total magnesium intake is associated with lower levels of hostility because of its putative antidepressant mechanisms. To test the hypothesis, we prospectively analyzed data in 4,716 young adults aged 18-30 years at baseline (1985-1986) from four U.S.cities over five years of follow-up using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Magnesium intake was estimated from a dietary history questionnaire plus supplements at baseline. Levels of hostility were assessed using the Cook-Medley scale at baseline and year 5 (1990-1991). Generalized estimating equations were applied to estimate the association of magnesium intake with hostility as repeated measures at the two time-points (baseline and year 5). General linear model was used to determine the association between magnesium intake and change in hostility over 5 years. After adjustment for socio-demographic and major lifestyle factors, a significant inverse association was observed between magnesium intake and hostility level over 5 years of follow-up. Beta coefficients (95% CI) across higher quintiles of magnesium intake were 0 (reference),-1.28 (-1.92,-0.65),-1.45 (-2.09,-0.81),-1.41 (-2.08,-0.75) and-2.16 (-2.85,-1.47), respectively (Plinear-trend < .01).”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The inverse association was inde-pendent of socio-demographic and major lifestyle factors, supplement use, and depression status at year 5. This prospective study provides evidence that in young adults, high magne-sium intake was inversely associated with hostility level independent of socio-demographic and major lifestyle factors.”
 
 
 
Study compares heart benefits of low-fat and plant-centered diets
New findings suggest that a plant-centered diet could help lower heart disease risk
University of Minnesota, June 7, 2021
There has been a long-standing debate as to whether a low-fat or a plant-centered diet is better at lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study that followed more than 4,700 people over 30 years, found that a plant-centered diet was associated with a lower long-term risk for cardiovascular disease. However, both diets were linked with lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels. 
"Since 1980, dietary guidelines in the United States and in Europe have recommended eating low amounts of saturated fat because of the high rates of heart disease in these regions," said research team leader David Jacobs, PhD, from the University of Minnesota. "This is not necessarily wrong, but our study shows that plant-centered diets can also lower bad cholesterol and may be even better at addressing heart disease risk."
The plant-centered diet emphasizes fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, low-fat dairy, and fish. It also limits high-fat red and processed meats, salty snacks, sweets, and sugar-sweetened soft drinks. The low-fat diet is based on the Keys Score, a good formulation of the "low saturated fat" message, driven by saturated fat, but also including polyunsaturated fat and dietary cholesterol.
Yuni Choi, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Jacobs' lab will present the research as part of NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE, a virtual conference hosted by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). 
"Our findings show that it is important to view diet quality from a holistic perspective," said Choi. "Targeting just single nutrients such as total or saturated fat doesn't take into account the fats that are also found in healthy plant-based foods such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts and dark chocolate -- foods that also have cardioprotective properties and complex nutrient profiles."
The new research is based on participants in the four U.S. clinics of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study (CARDIA), which enrolled 5115 Black and white men and women in 1985-1986. During more than 30 years of follow up, there were 280 cases of cardiovascular disease, 135 cases of coronary heart disease, and 92 cases of stroke among the study participants. 
To assess eating patterns, the researchers conducted three detailed diet history interviews over the follow-up period. These diet history questionnaires determined what participants ate and then asked them to list everything consumed in that category. For example, participants who reported eating meat in the past 30 days would be asked what meat items and how much they consumed. This was repeated for around 100 areas of the diet. Based on this information, the researchers calculated scores for all participants based on both the Keys Score of the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS), which captures the plant-centered diet. 
After accounting for various factors including socioeconomic status, educational level, energy intake, history of cardiovascular disease, smoking and body mass index, the researchers found that having a more plant-centered diet (higher APDQS Scores) and consuming less saturated fat (lower Keys Scores) were both associated with lower LDL levels. However, lower LDL levels did not necessarily correlate with lower future risk of stroke. Higher APDQS scores, but not lower Keys Scores, were strongly associated with a lower risk for coronary heart disease and stroke.
"Based on our study, we suggest that people incorporate more nutritionally-rich plant foods into their diets," said Choi. "One way to do this is to fill 70 percent of your grocery bag with foods that include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, coffee and tea."
The researchers are carrying out a variety of studies looking at how the APDQS diet score relates to various health outcomes. They are also interested in studying how different diets affect gut bacteria, which is known to influence many aspects of health and disease.
 
 
 
High caffeine consumption may be associated with increased risk of blinding eye disease
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, June 7, 2021
Consuming large amounts of daily caffeine may increase the risk of glaucoma more than three-fold for those with a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure according to an international, multi-center study. The research led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is the first to demonstrate a dietary - genetic interaction in glaucoma. The study results published in the June print issue of Ophthalmology may suggest patients with a strong family history of glaucoma should cut down on caffeine intake. 
The study is important because glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It looks at the impact of caffeine intake on glaucoma, and intraocular pressure (IOP) which is pressure inside the eye. Elevated IOP is an integral risk factor for glaucoma, although other factors do contribute to this condition. With glaucoma, patients typically experience few or no symptoms until the disease progresses and they have vision loss.
"We previously published work suggesting that high caffeine intake increased the risk of the high-tension open angle glaucoma among people with a family history of disease. In this study we show that an adverse relation between high caffeine intake and glaucoma was evident only among those with the highest genetic risk score for elevated eye pressure," says lead/corresponding author Louis R. Pasquale, MD, FARVO, Deputy Chair for Ophthalmology Research for the Mount Sinai Health System.
A team of researchers used the UK Biobank, a large-scale population-based biomedical database supported by various health and governmental agencies. They analyzed records of more than 120,000 participants between 2006 and 2010. Participants were between 39 and 73 years old and provided their health records along with DNA samples, collected to generate data. They answered repeated dietary questionnaires focusing on how many caffeinated beverages they drink daily, how much caffeine-containing food they eat, the specific types, and portion size. They also answered questions about their vision, including specifics on if they have glaucoma or a family history of glaucoma. Three years into the study later they had their IOP checked and eye measurements.
Researchers first looked at the relationship looked between caffeine intake, IOP and self-reported glaucoma by running multivariable analyses. Then they assessed if accounting for genetic data modified these relationships. They assigned each subject an IOP genetic risk score and performed interaction analyses. 
The investigators found high caffeine intake was not associated with increased risk for higher IOP or glaucoma overall; however, among participants with the strongest genetic predisposition to elevated IOP - in the top 25 percentile - greater caffeine consumption was associated with higher IOP and higher glaucoma prevalence. More specifically, those who consumed the highest amount of daily caffeine- more than 480 milligrams which is roughly four cups of coffee - had a 0.35 mmHg higher IOP. Additionally, those in the highest genetic risk score category who consumed more than 321 milligrams of daily caffeine - roughly three cups of coffee - had a 3.9-fold higher glaucoma prevalence when compared to those who drink no or minimal caffeine and in lowest genetic risk score group. 
"Glaucoma patients often ask if they can help to protect their sight through lifestyle changes, however this has been a relatively understudied area until now. This study suggested that those with the highest genetic risk for glaucoma may benefit from moderating their caffeine intake. It should be noted that the link between caffeine and glaucoma risk was only seen with a large amount of caffeine and in those with the highest genetic risk," says co-author Anthony Khawaja, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital. "The UK Biobank study is helping us to learn more than ever before about how our genes affect our glaucoma risk and the role that our behaviors and environment could play. We look forward to continuing to expand our knowledge in this area."
 
Red onions pack a cancer-fighting punch, study reveals
University of Guelph (Ontario), June 7, 2021
The next time you walk down the produce aisle of your grocery store, you may want to reach for red onions if you are looking to fight off cancer.
In the first study to examine how effective Ontario-grown onions are at killing cancer cells, U of G researchers have found that not all onions are created equal.
Engineering professor Suresh Neethirajan and PhD student Abdulmonem Murayyan tested five onion types grown in Ontario and discovered the Ruby Ring onion variety came out on top.
Onions as a superfood are still not well known. But they contain one of the highest concentrations of quercetin, a type of flavonoid, and Ontario onions boasts particularly high levels of the compound compared to some parts of the world.
The Guelph study revealed that the red onion not only has high levels of quercetin, but also high amounts of anthocyanin, which enriches the scavenging properties of quercetin molecules, said Murayyan, study's lead author.
"Anthocyanin is instrumental in providing colour to fruits and vegetables so it makes sense that the red onions, which are darkest in colour, would have the most cancer-fighting power."
Published recently in Food Research International, the study involved placing colon cancer cells in direct contact with quercetin extracted from the five different onion varieties.
"We found onions are excellent at killing cancer cells," said Murayyan. "Onions activate pathways that encourage cancer cells to undergo cell death. They promote an unfavourable environment for cancer cells and they disrupt communication between cancer cells, which inhibits growth."
The researchers have also recently determined onions are effective at killing breast cancer cells.
"The next step will be to test the vegetable's cancer-fighting powers in human trials," said Murayyan.
These findings follow a recent study by the researchers on new extraction technique that eliminates the use of chemicals, making the quercetin found in onions more suitable for consumption.
Other extraction methods use solvents that can leave a toxic residue which is then ingested in food, said Neethirajan.
"This new method that we tested to be effective only uses super-heated water in a pressurized container," he said. "Developing a chemical-free extraction method is important because it means we can use onion's cancer-fighting properties in nutraceuticals and in pill form."
While we can currently include this superfood in salads and on burgers as a preventative measure, the researchers expect onion extract will eventually be added to food products such as juice or baked goods and be sold in pill form as a type of natural cancer treatment.
 
 
Exercise likely to be best treatment for depression in coronary heart disease
 
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ireland), June 8, 2021
A study by RCSI indicates that exercise is probably the most effective short-term treatment for depression in people with coronary heart disease, when compared to antidepressants and psychotherapy or more complex care. 
The study, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in the June edition of Psychosomatic Medicine. 
This is the first systematic review to compare treatments for depression in those with coronary disease and the findings provides valuable clinical information to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for patients.
The researchers reviewed treatment trials which investigated antidepressants, psychotherapy, exercise, combined psychotherapy and antidepressants, and collaborative care (i.e. treatments devised by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians with input from the patient).
To measure effectiveness, the researchers looked at factors including patient adherence to the treatment (dropout rate) and change in depressive symptoms eight weeks after commencing treatment.
The strongest treatment effects were found to be exercise and combination treatments (antidepressants and psychotherapy). However, as the combination study results have a high risk of bias, the findings of the review suggest that exercise is probably the most effective treatment. Antidepressants had the most research support, while psychotherapy and collaborative care did not perform very well.
"Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease. Having both conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life for patients so it is vital that they access to the most effective treatments," commented Dr Frank Doyle, Senior Lecturer Division of Population Health Sciences, RCSI and the study's first author.
"Our study indicates that exercise is likely to be the best treatment for depression following coronary artery disease. Our findings further highlight the clinical importance of exercise as a treatment as we see that it improves not only depression, but also other important aspects of heart disease, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, in these patients." 
"We continue to see emerging evidence of the importance of lifestyle to treat disease - in comparison to other treatments - but further high-quality research is needed. People with coronary heart disease who have symptoms of depression should talk to their doctor about treatments that are most suitable for their personal needs, and clinicians can be confident of recommending exercise to their patients."
Dr Frank Doyle and the study's senior authors, Prof. Jan Sorensen (Health Outcomes Research Centre, RCSI) and Prof. Martin Dempster (School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast), conducted the study in collaboration with researchers in the USA, The Netherlands, the UK and Denmark.
This study was also the first of its kind to establish a new method to conduct systematic reviews known as a hybrid review, which is a combination of umbrella reviews and systematic reviews.
 
Study examines link between obesity, food container chemical substitutes
University of Iowa, June 9, 2021
A new study from the University of Iowa shows that a pair of common chemicals that manufacturers use to make plastic food containers, water bottles, and other consumer products do not contribute to obesity to the extent of the chemical it's replacing.
The chemicals -- bisphenol F and bisphenol S (known as BPF and BPS) -- are being used increasingly by food packaging manufacturers as substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA), which studies have found disrupts endocrine systems and causes numerous health problems. BPA is used in many kinds of packaging for snacks and drinks, canned foods, and water bottles. The chemical is absorbed into the body mainly through the food or water it contacts in the container.
But concern was raised several years ago when numerous studies found BPA increases the risk of various health issues, in particular obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. A consumer backlash erupted after the studies received media attention so manufacturers started reducing the use of BPA in some consumer products or even eliminating it in so-called "BPA-free" products by replacing it with such alternatives as BPF and BPS.
However, little is known on the potential impact of BPF and BPS exposure in humans. The new University of Iowa College of Public Health study is the first to determine the health impacts of BPF and BPS exposure on obesity in humans. Using data from a nationwide population-based study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the researchers confirm that BPA is associated with increased obesity in humans. But the study found no links between obesity and either BPF or BPS at the current exposure levels.
However, the researchers warn that fewer products currently use BPF and BPS--BPA still has more than half the global market share for the chemicals, and the average concentration of BPF and BPS is about one-fourth that of BPA in the US population. Whether BPF and BPS pose an increased risk of obesity at the same population exposure levels as BPA remains unknown. Future studies will be needed to confirm the results, as BPF and BPS are likely to replace BPA in more consumer products.

The Gary Null Show - 06.08.21

Growing evidence fruit may lower type 2 diabetes risk
Research has found eating at least two serves of fruit daily has been linked with 36% lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes
Edith Cowan University (Australia), June 2, 2021
Eating at least two serves of fruit daily has been linked with 36 percent lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes, a new Edith Cowan University (ECU) study has found. 
The study, published today in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, revealed that people who ate at least two serves of fruit per day had higher measures of insulin sensitivity than those who ate less than half a serve. 
Type 2 diabetes is a growing public health concern with an estimated 451 million people worldwide living with the condition. A further 374 million people are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study's lead author, Dr Nicola Bondonno from ECU's Institute for Nutrition Research, said the findings offer fresh evidence for the health benefits of fruit. 
"We found an association between fruit intake and markers of insulin sensitivity, suggesting that people who consumed more fruit had to produce less insulin to lower their blood glucose levels," said Dr Bondonno. 
"This is important because high levels of circulating insulin (hyperinsulinemia) can damage blood vessels and are related not only to diabetes, but also to high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.
"A healthy diet and lifestyle, which includes the consumption of whole fruits, is a great strategy to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes."
Fresh is best
The study examined data from 7,675 Australians participating in the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute's AusDiab Study and assessed fruit and fruit juice intake and the prevalence of diabetes after five years.
Dr Bondonno said they did not observe the same beneficial relationship for fruit juice. 
"Higher insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of diabetes was only observed for people who consumed whole fruit, not fruit juice," she said. 
"This is likely because juice tends to be much higher in sugar and lower in fibre." 
Dr Bondonno said that it's still unclear exactly how fruit contributes to insulin sensitivity, but it is likely to be multifaceted. 
"As well as being high in vitamins and minerals, fruits are a great source of phytochemicals which may increase insulin sensitivity, and fibre which helps regulate the release of sugar into the blood and also helps people feel fuller for longer," she said.
"Furthermore, most fruits typically have a low glycaemic index, which means the fruit's sugar is digested and absorbed into the body more slowly." 
The study builds on Dr Bondonno's research into the health benefits of fruit and vegetables, particularly those that contain a key nutrient known as flavonoids. The research is part of ECU's Institute of Nutrition Research.
 
 
Ginkgo biloba leaves have multicomponent and multitarget synergistic effects on treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co (China), June 1, 2021
According to news reporting out of Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, research stated, “Ginkgo biloba L. leaves (GBLs), as widely used plant extract sources, significantly improve cognitive, learning and memory function in patients with dementia. However, few studies have been conducted on the specific mechanism of Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs).”
Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., “In this study, network pharmacology was employed to elucidate potential mechanism of GBLs in the treatment of NDs. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) was used to obtain the chemical components in accordance with the screening principles of oral availability and drug-like property. Potential targets of GBLs were integrated with disease targets, and intersection targets were exactly the potential action targets of GBLs for treating NDs; these key targets were enriched and analyzed by the protein protein interaction (PPI) analysis and molecular docking verification. Key genes were ultimately used to find the biological pathway and explain the therapeutic mechanism by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Twenty-seven active components of GBLs may affect biological processes such as oxidative reactions and activate transcription factor activities. These components may also affect 120 metabolic pathways, such as the PI3K/AKT pathway, by regulating 147 targets, including AKT1, ALB, HSP90AA1, PTGS2, MMP9, EGFR and APP. By using the software iGEMDOCK, the main target proteins were found to bind well to the main active components of GBLs.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “GBLs have the characteristics of multi-component and multi-target synergistic effect on the treatment of NDs, which preliminarily predicted its possible molecular mechanism of action, and provided the basis for the follow-up study.”
This research has been peer-reviewed.
 
 
Diets that promote inflammation could increase breast cancer risk
Analysis of dietary patterns for over 350,000 women suggests eating more anti-inflammatory foods helps lower risk
Catalan Institute of Oncology and Biomedical Research Institute (Spain) June 7, 2021
 A new study of more than 350,000 women found that women with diets incorporating more foods that increase inflammation in the body had a 12% increase in their risk of breast cancer compared to women who consume more anti-inflammatory diets. The new findings are being presented at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE. 
The study authors found that moving from a more anti-inflammatory diet toward one that increases inflammation upped breast cancer risk in an almost linear manner. Foods that increase inflammation include red and processed meat; high-fat foods such as butter, margarines and frying fats; and sweets including sugar, honey and foods high in sugar. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, tea and coffee all have potentially anti-inflammatory properties.
"Most studies examining diet and breast cancer risk have focused on single nutrients or foods rather than the whole diet," said the study's first author Carlota Castro-Espin, a predoctoral fellow at the Catalan Institute of Oncology and Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain. "People consume food not nutrients, thus examining overall dietary patterns, rather than single components of diets can lead to more accurate conclusions when analysing associations with a health outcome such as breast cancer." 
The new results are based on data from the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, a prospective study that recruited more than 500,000 participants across 10 European countries starting in the mid-1990s. The study included more than 13,000 breast cancer diagnoses during approximately 15 years of follow-up. 
The typical diet for EPIC participants was measured for a year using food frequency or diet history questionnaires. The researchers used this information to calculate an inflammatory score for each study participant based on their intake of 27 foods. 
The researchers examined dietary patterns linked with inflammation because long-term, low grade inflammation has been linked with the development of breast cancer. The large number of women in the study allowed the researchers to take a more nuanced look at the relationship between dietary patterns and breast cancer risk. 
Their analysis showed that the increase in breast cancer risk due to pro-inflammatory diets appears to be more pronounced among premenopausal women. They also found that the association did not vary by breast cancer hormone receptor subtypes. 
"Our results add more evidence of the role that dietary patterns play in the prevention of breast cancer," said Castro-Espin. "With further confirmation, these findings could help inform dietary recommendations aimed at lowering cancer risk." 
As a next step, the researchers plan to evaluate the association of the inflammatory potential of diet and other dietary patterns with breast cancer survival using participants in the EPIC study. 
 
 
Emerging impact of quercetin in the treatment of prostate cancer
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Iran), June 3, 2021
 
According to news originating from Tehran, Iran, research stated, “Quercetin is a flavonoid agent detected in fruits and vegetables with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. This flavonoid can suppress cell cycle transition and induce apoptosis in neoplastic cells.”
Our news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences: “Therapeutic effects of quercetin have been assessed in diverse cancers including prostate cancer through the establishment of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, this agent might prevent the initiation of this type of cancer as it indirectly blocks the activity of promoters of two important genes in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer i.e. androgen receptor (AR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). Several in vitro investigations have identified the differential influence of quercetin on normal prostate cells versus neoplastic cells, emphasizing its specific cytotoxic effects on cancerous cells. The most appreciated route of quercetin effect on prostate cancer cells is the detachment of Bax from Bcl-xL and the stimulation of caspase families. Besides, quercetin might enhance the effects of other therapeutic options against prostate cancer. For instance, a combination of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and quercetin has been recommended as a novel modality for the treatment of prostate cancer.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These kinds of strategies might overcome resistance to apoptosis in cancer cells. In the current paper, we summarize the recent data about the preventive and therapeutic influences of quercetin in prostate cancer.”
 
 
Breast microbiome modified by diet, fish oil
Wake Forest School of Medicine, June 4 2021. 
 
Findings reported on June 3, 2021 in Cancer Research add evidence to the effects of diet on the breast’s microbiome, the community of microorganisms that exists in breast tissue. 
“We have recently demonstrated that dietary patterns modulate mammary microbiota populations,” wrote David R. Soto-Pantoja and colleagues. “An important and largely open question is whether the microbiome of the gut and mammary gland mediates the dietary effects on breast cancer.”
To help answer this question, the researchers fed a high fat or a control diet to mice that are susceptible to developing breast cancer. Animals that received the high fat diet had a greater number of tumors, more rapid tumor growth and larger tumor size than those that received the control diet. 
Next, mice that were given high fat diets received fecal transplants from mice that received control diets, and control diet-fed animals received transplants from high fat diet-fed animals. The team found that animals that received the control diet developed as many tumors as mice that received the high fat diet.  
In a double-blind trial, breast cancer patients were given fish oil supplements or a placebo for two to four weeks prior to surgical removal of their tumors. The researchers observed a change in the microbiota of tumor and normal breast tissue in participants who received fish oil, including an increase in Lactobacilli (which has been associated with reduce breast cancer tumor growth in animals) in normal tumor-adjacent breast tissue of participants who received fish oil for four weeks. 
"Obesity, typically associated with a high-fat diet consumption, is a well-known risk factor in postmenopausal breast cancer," commented coauthor Katherine L. Cook, PhD, of Wake Forest University. "This study provides additional evidence that diet plays a critical role in shaping the gut and breast microbiome."
 
 
Self-administered aroma foot massage may reduce symptoms of anxiety
 
Okayama University (Japan), June 8, 2021 
Researchers at Okayama University conduct the first community-based study on the effects of self-administered aromatherapy foot massage on stress and anxiety symptoms. The results suggest aromatherapy massages might provide an inexpensive, simple way of managing anxiety.
 
The continuing popularity of complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy and massage, has prompted scientists to investigate the effects of such therapies on the body in more detail. Complementary therapies are said to reduce the symptoms associated with stress and anxiety, and therefore may reduce the chances of severe illness, such as hypertension and heart disease. The precise effects on the body following such therapies is unclear, however.
 
Previous studies have focused on the effects of massage and aromatherapy treatments on blood pressure and mental state in hospitalized patients in Japan, but none have been conducted on individuals living in the community. Now, Eri Eguchi and co-workers at Okayama University, together with researchers across Japan, have conducted the first study into the effect of aromatherapy-based foot massage on blood pressure, anxiety and health-related quality of life in people living in the community.
 
57 participants took part in the study; 52 women and 5 men. Baseline blood pressure and heart rate values were taken at the start and end of the four-week trial period, as well as at a follow-up session 8 weeks later. Participants also completed questionnaires on anxiety status and health-related quality of life at each stage of the trial. The participants were divided into two groups, and one group were taught to perform a 45-minute aromatherapy-based foot massage on themselves three times a week for four weeks.
 
The results suggest that aroma foot massage decreased the participants' average blood pressure readings, and state of anxiety, and tended to increased mental health-related quality of life score. However the effect of massages was not significant with changes in other factors such as physical health-related quality of life scores and heart rate.
 
In their paper published in March 2016 in PLOS One, Eguchi's team are cautiously optimistic about the potential for self-administered massage to reduce anxiety in the population: "[although] it was difficult to differentiate the effects of the aromatherapy from the effects of the massage therapy... [the combination] may be an effective way to increase mental health and improve blood pressure."
 
 
Aromatherapy and massage
Aromatherapy has long been used to relieve stress and anxiety in populations across the globe. Different aroma essential oils are said to have different properties, and are used to induce relaxation and promote well-being. Trials have indicated that certain essential oils, when inhaled, can reduce blood pressure levels and alleviate depression by stimulating the olfactory system.
Massage (in its many forms) also has a long history in therapeutic medicine, and the practice of manipulating key pressure points in the body to induce relaxation has been shown to improve mental and physical health. However, detailed scientific studies of the effects of aromatherapy foot massage – an increasingly popular treatment in Japan – on blood pressure and perceived quality of life are limited.
 
Significance and further work
While the trial carried out by Eguchi and her team is limited in some respects, their results provide an initial starting point from which to extend studies into the benefits of aroma foot massage for the general population. Their findings that massage, or the aromatherapy, or a combination of both, reduce blood pressurereadings (at least in the short term) warrants further investigation.
Eguchi and her team acknowledge that their decision to advertise for participants may have encouraged more health-conscious and pro-active people to apply. They also received far more applications from women than men, although their age-range (from 27 to 72) was diverse. Further work is needed to determine the effect of aroma foot massage on specific age and sex categories, for example, before such interventions are encouraged in the wider population.
 
 
Proteomics reveals how exercise increases the efficiency of muscle energy production
University of Copenhagen (Denmark), May 27, 2021
Mitochondria are the cell's power plants and produce the majority of a cell's energy needs through an electrochemical process called electron transport chain coupled to another process known as oxidative phosphorylation. A number of different proteins in mitochondria facilitate these processes, but it's not fully understood how these proteins are arranged inside mitochondria and the factors that can influence their arrangement.
Now, scientists at the University of Copenhagen have used state-of-the-art proteomics technology to shine new light on how mitochondrial proteins gather into electron transport chain complexes, and further into so-called supercomplexes. The research, which is published in Cell Reports, also examined how this process is influenced by exercise training. 
"This study has allowed for a comprehensive quantification of electron transport chain proteins within supercomplexes and how they respond to exercise training. These data have implications for how exercise improves the efficiency of energy production in muscle," says Associate Professor Atul S. Deshmukh from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen. 
Traditional methods provide too little detail
It is already well established that exercise training stimulates mitochondrial mass and affects the formation of supercomplexes, which allows mitochondria in skeletal muscle to produce energy more efficiently. But questions remain about which complexes cluster into supercomplexes and how.
To better understand supercomplex formation, particularly in response to exercise, the team of scientists studied two groups of mice. One group was active, and given an exercise wheel for 25 days, and the second group was sedentary, and was not provided the exercise wheel. After 25 days, they measured the mitochondrial proteins in skeletal muscle from both groups to see how the supercomplexes had changed over time. 
When scientists typically analyze how supercomplexes form, they use antibodies to measure one or two proteins per electron transport chain complex. But as there can be up to 44 proteins in a complex, this method is both time consuming and provides limited information about what happens to the remainder of the proteins in each complex. 
As a result, there is a lack of detailed knowledge in the field.
Proteomics helps supercomplexes give up their secrets
To generate much more detailed data, the team applied a proteomic technology called mass spectrometry to measure the mitochondrial proteins. By applying proteomics instead of antibodies, the scientists were able to measure nearly all of the proteins in each complex. This provided unprecedented detail of mitochondrial supercomplexes in skeletal muscle and how exercise training influences their formation. Their approach demonstrated that not all of the proteins in each complex or a supercomplex respond to exercise in the same manner. 
"Mitochondrial protein content is known to increase with exercise, thus understanding how these proteins assemble into supercomplexes is crucial to decipher how they work. Our research represents a valuable and precious resource for the scientific community, especially for those studying how the mitochondrial proteins organize to be better at what they do best: produce energy under demand,", explains Postdoc Alba Gonzalez-Franquesa.
The interdisciplinary project was a collaboration between the Deshmukh, Treebak and Zierath Groups at CBMR, and the Mann Group at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research.

The Gary Null Show - 06.07.21

W.H.O WHISTLE BLOWER ASTRID STUCKELBERGER 
New study into green tea's potential to help tackle COVID-19
Swansea University, June 4, 2021
As India continues to be ravaged by the pandemic, a Swansea University academic is investigating how green tea could give rise to a drug capable of tackling Covid-19.
Dr Suresh Mohankumar carried out the research with colleagues in India during his time at JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Ooty prior to taking up his current role at Swansea University Medical School.
He said: "Nature's oldest pharmacy has always been a treasure of potential novel drugs and we questioned if any of these compounds could assist us in battling the Covid-19 pandemic? 
"We screened and sorted a library of natural compounds already know to be active against other coronaviruses using an artificial intelligence-aided computer programme. 
"Our findings suggested that one of the compounds in green tea could combat the coronavirus behind Covid-19."
The researchers' work has now been highlighted by online journal RSC Advances and has been included in its prestigious hot articles collection chosen by editors and reviewers.
Associate Professor Dr Mohankumar emphasised that the research was still in its early days and a long way from any kind of clinical application.
"The compound that our model predicts to be most active is gallocatechin, which is present in green tea and could be readily available, accessible, and affordable. There now needs to be further investigation to show if it can be proven clinically effective and safe for preventing or treating Covid-19. 
"This is still a preliminary step, but it could be a potential lead to tackling the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Mohankumar has worked in pharmacy education, research and administration around the world for more than 18 years and recently moved to Swansea to join its new MPharm programme.
Head of Pharmacy Professor Andrew Morris said: "This is fascinating research and demonstrates that natural products remain an important source of lead compounds in the fight against infectious diseases. I'm also really pleased to see this international research collaboration continuing now that Dr Mohankumar has joined the Pharmacy team."
Dr Mohankumar added he is now looking forward to seeing how the work can be developed: "There now needs to be appropriate pre-clinical and clinical studies and we would welcome potential collaborators and partners to help carry this work forward."
 
 
Turkish study finds high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in breast cancer patients
Ankara Numune Research Hospital (Turkey), June 1, 2021
 
According to news reporting from Ankara, Turkey, research stated, “We aimed to reveal vitamin D levels in women with breast cancer. 561 women with primary breast cancer were included in the study.”
The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, “The median age was 55.86 years (between 20 - 78 years). All of the patients were treated with curative intend. None of the patients had metastatic disease. The median 25(OH)D level was 11.92ng/ml and the mean 25(OH)D level was 13.91ng/ml. Deficiency was detected in 456 patients (81.28%) and insufficiency was detected in 61 patients (10.87 %).”
According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This study points out that vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients should be measured and be corrected whenever diagnosed.”
This research has been peer-reviewed.
 
 
 
 
Low levels of omega-3 associated with higher risk of psychosis, says study
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ireland), June 1, 2021
New research has found that adolescents with higher levels of an omega-3 fatty acid in their blood were less likely to develop psychotic disorder in early adulthood, suggesting that it may have a potential preventative effect of reducing the risk of psychosis.
The study, led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in Translational Psychiatry.
Over 3,800 individuals in Bristol's Children of the 90s health study were assessed for psychotic disorder, depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder at age 17 and at age 24.
During these assessments, blood samples were collected, and the researchers measured the levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which generally increase inflammation in the body, and omega-3 fatty acids, which generally reduce inflammation.
While there was little evidence that fatty acids were associated with mental disorders at age 17, the researchers found that 24-year-olds with psychotic disorder, depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder had higher levels of omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids compared to those without these disorders.
The researchers also found that 24-year-olds with psychotic disorder had lower levels of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid typically found in oily fish or dietary supplements, than 24-year-olds without psychotic disorder. In a group of over 2,700 individuals who were tracked over time, adolescents with higher levels of DHA at age 17 were 56% less likely to develop psychotic disorder seven years later at age 24. This suggests that DHA in adolescence may have a potential preventative effect of reducing the risk of psychosis in early adulthood.
These results remained consistent when accounting for other factors such as sex, body mass index, tobacco smoking and socio-economic status.
"The study needs to be replicated, but if the findings are consistent, these results would suggest that enhanced dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids among adolescents, such as through oily fish like mackerel, could prevent some people from developing psychosis in their early twenties," said Professor David Cotter, senior author of the study and professor molecular psychiatry at RCSI.
"The results could also raise questions about the relationship between the development of mental health disorders and omega-6 fatty acids, which are typically found in vegetable oils."
David Mongan, RCSI Ph.D. student and Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Fellow, analyzed the data with the supervision of Professor David Cotter and Professor Mary Cannon from the RCSI Department of Psychiatry. The ICAT program is supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Health Research Board, the Health Service Executive National Doctors Training and Planning and the Health and Social Care, Research and Development Division, Northern Ireland.
"We need to do more research to learn about the mechanisms behind this effect, but it could possibly be related to reducing inflammation or decreasing inappropriate pruning of brain connections during adolescence," said Dr. David Mongan, the study's first author, who is a psychiatry trainee and Ph.D. student at RCSI.
 
 
Foods that can help protect against sun damage
Blount Memorial Weight Management Center, May 31, 2021
 
As the summer season approaches and we all hopefully get a chance to spend more time outside, we mustn’t forget how critical it is that we take steps to protect our skin.
Whether you’re going on a beach trip or just doing outdoor chores, it’s important to remember to wear sunscreen and reapply it often. Just because you didn’t get sunburned last year or last week, that doesn’t mean you are immune to the sun’s harmful rays.
In fact, most experts recommend sunscreen use year-round, not just in the summer. The American Academy of Dermatologyrecommends using a waterproof sunscreen with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of at least 30, and that protects against UVA and UVB rays. But, did you know there also are certain foods that can help protect your skin from the sun’s rays, as well?
“A diet rich in certain foods actually can help protect your skin from harmful UV rays,” said Heather Pierce from the Blount Memorial Weight Management Center. “They, in no way, should serve as a replacement for traditional sunscreen, but they can act as additional ways to protect your skin this spring and summer. A few foods, in particular, are high in certain minerals and nutrients that support healthy skin and can give us a little extra protection from the sun,” she said.
First up, Pierce says, are tomatoes, which you may already be consuming on your burgers or salads at those backyard cookouts.
“Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a phytochemical that has been shown in research to help protect the skin against sunburns, particularly with concentrated sources such as tomato paste and carrot juice. And the good news is that they just happen to be in season. Watermelons also are good sources of lycopene, and, fortunately, they’re pretty popular this time of year, too.”
Pierce says you also should look to avocados and pomegranates for a little extra sun protection.
“When the sun is damaging our skin, it’s typically the result of oxidative stress and inflammation, so a lot of the foods we would eat for anti-inflammatory diet for a condition, such as heart disease, actually are protecting our skin, too.
“Avocados contain healthy oils that work to keep your skin protected, so throw a little avocado on your sandwiches this summer, and you can easily get that added bit of protection. Pomegranates, too, contain ellagic acid, which supports glutathione production that can fight skin damage caused by free radicals. Citrus fruits, of course, contain vitamin C, but the skins of citrus fruits also contain an essential oil called limonene that offers skin protection, too. You can easily add this to your diet by putting a little lemon or orange zest in your drinks or foods.”
Two more sun-protecting foods, Pierce says, are green tea and those all-important Omega 3 fats.
“Green tea is, of course, high in antioxidants, which can help guard against UV radiation,” Pierce said. “It also promotes DNA repair and has anti-inflammatory compounds that are helpful for repair, as well. Omega 3 fats always are important, particularly if you’re eating a heart healthy diet, but Omega 3 also has been shown to reduce the risk of a particular type of skin cancer by nearly 20%. With that in mind, look for ways to add Omega 3 sources such as salmon, chia seeds or flaxseed to your meals. If you can, try getting fish in your diet at least once per week,” she explained. “It’ll taste great and your skin will get a little sun protection boost, as well.”
 
 
Seaweed could potentially help fight food allergies
Mount Sinai Hospital, June 2, 2021
Seaweed has long been a staple food in many Asian countries and has recently caught on as a snack food in America as a healthful alternative to chips. The edible algae that fall in the category of seaweed are low-calorie and packed with nutrients. In addition, now scientists have found that a type of commercial red algae could help counteract food allergies. They report their findings in mice in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Food allergies are a major global health issue that can be life threatening in some cases. One study by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital estimates that the condition affects about 8 percent of children and 5 percent of adults worldwide. In people who are allergic, certain compounds in food trigger a cascade of immune system reactions that lead to symptoms such as hives, wheezing and dizziness -- and in the worst cases, anaphylactic shock. Previous research has suggested that certain seaweed varieties contain polysaccharides with anti-asthmatic and anti-allergy effects. But no one had investigated whether similar molecules in Gracilaria lemaneiformis, a commercial variety of red algae, might have similar properties. Guang-Ming Liu and colleagues wanted to find out.
The researchers isolated polysaccharides from G. lemaneiformis and fed them to a group of mice sensitive to tropomyosin, a protein that is a major shellfish allergen. Another group of mice, also sensitive to tropomyosin, did not get the polysaccharides. After both groups were given the allergen, allergy symptoms in the treated mice were reduced compared to the untreated animals. Further studying polysaccharides from G. lemaneiformis could help lead to a better understanding of food allergies and their prevention, the researchers say.
 
 
 
 Barley lowers not one but two types of 'bad cholesterol', review suggests
 
St Michael’s Hospital (Toronto), June 8, 2021 
Eating barley or foods containing barley significantly reduced levels of two types of "bad cholesterol" associated with cardiovascular risk, a St. Michael's Hospital research paper has found. Barley reduced both low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, and non-high-density lipoprotein, or non-HDL, by seven per cent.
 
The review also indicated that barley had similar cholesterol-lowering effects as oats, which is often the go-to grain for health benefits.
 
The research review, published in The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 14 studies on clinical trials conducted in seven countries, including Canada.
 
It is the first study to look at the effects of barley and barley products on both LDL and non-HDL cholesterol in addition to apolipoprotein B, or apoB, a lipoprotein that carries bad cholesterol through the blood. Measuring non-HDL and apoB provides a more accurate assessment for cardiovascular risk, as they account for the total 'bad cholesterol' found in the blood.
 
"The findings are most important for populations at high risk for cardiovascular disease, such as Type 2 diabetics, who have normal levels of LDL cholesterol, but elevated levels of non-HDL or apo B," said Dr. Vladimir Vuksan, research scientist and associate director of the Risk Factor Modification Centre of St. Michael's. "Barley has a lowering effect on the total bad cholesterol in these high-risk individuals, but can also benefit people without high cholesterol."
 
High cholesterol and diabetes are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke, historically treated with medications. However, Dr. Vuksan's research and work focuses on how dietary and lifestyle changes can reduce these risk factors.
 
"Barley's positive effect on lowering cholesterol is well-documented and has been included in the Canadian strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk," said Dr. Vuksan. "Health Canada, the FDA and several health authorities worldwide have already approved health claims that barley lowers LDL cholesterol, but this is the first review showing the effects on other harmful lipids."
 
Despite its benefits Dr. Vuksan said barley is not as well-established as some other health-recommended foods—such as oats. Barley consumption by humans has fallen by 35 per cent in the last 10 years. Canada is one of the top five world producers of barley—almost 10 megatonnes per year—but human consumption accounts for only two per cent of the crop yield, with livestock making up the other 98 per cent.
 
"After looking at the evidence, we can also say that barley is comparably effective as oats in reducing overall risk of cardiovascular disease" said Dr. Vuksan.
 
Barley is higher in fibre, has twice the protein and almost half the calories of oats, which are important considerations for those with weight or dietary concerns. Dr. Vuksan said barley can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. He recommends trying to incorporate barley into existing recipes, using it as a substitute for rice or even on its own—just like oatmeal.

The Gary Null Show - 06.04.21

Vitamin B6 deficiency enhances the noradrenergic system, leading to behavioral deficits
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, May 27, 2021
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder characterized by positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, negative symptoms such as apathy and lack of emotion, and cognitive impairment. We have reported that VB6 (pyridoxal) levels in peripheral blood of a subpopulation of patients with schizophrenia is significantly lower than that of healthy controls. More than 35% of patients with schizophrenia have low levels of VB6 (clinically defined as male: < 6 ng/ml, female: < 4 ng/ml). VB6 level is inversely proportional to severity score on the positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS), suggesting that VB6 deficiency might contribute to the development of schizophrenia symptoms. In fact, a recent review has shown the decreased VB6 in patients with schizophrenia as the most convincing evidence in peripheral biomarkers for major mental disorders. Additionally, we recently reported that high-dose VB6 (pyridoxamine) was effective in alleviating psychotic symptoms, particularly the PANSS negative and general subscales, in a subset of patients with schizophrenia. Although a link between lower VB6 level and schizophrenia is widely hypothesized, the mechanism behind this remains poorly understood.
VB6 is not synthesized de novo in humans, but is primarily obtained from foods. In the present study, to clarify the relationship between VB6 deficiency and schizophrenia, we generated VB6-deficient (VB6(-)) mice through feeding with a VB6-lacking diet as a mouse model for the subpopulation of schizophrenia patients with VB6 deficiency. After feeding for 4 weeks, plasma VB6 level in VB6(-) mice decreased to 3% of that in control mice. The VB6(-) mice showed social deficits and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the VB6(-) mice showed a marked increase in 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in the brain, suggesting enhanced NA metabolism in VB6(-) mice. We confirmed the increased NA release in the prefrontal cortex and the striatum of VB6(-) mice through in vivo microdialysis. These findings suggest that the activities of NAergic neuronal systems are enhanced in VB6(-) mice.
Furthermore, VB6 supplementation directly into the brain using an osmotic pump ameliorated the hyperactivation of the NAergic system and behavioral abnormalities. indicating that the enhanced NA turnover and the behavioral deficits shown in the VB6(-) mice are attributed to VB6 deficiency in the central nervous system. In addition, the ?2A adrenergic receptor agonist guanfacine also improved the hyperactivated NAergic system in the frontal cortex and behavioral disorders. These results show that the behavioral deficits in VB6(-) mice may be caused by an enhancement of NAergic signaling.
Schizophrenic patients with VB6 deficiency, who account for more than 35% of all patients, present with relatively severe clinical symptoms and treatment resistance. Our findings suggest that a new therapeutic strategy targeting the NAergic system might be effective for these patients. They will also provide evidence based on pathophysiology for a new therapeutic strategy called "VB6 treatment for schizophrenia," which we are currently conducting clinical research on.
 
 
Families with a child with ADHD can benefit from mindfulness training
Radboud University Medical Center (Netherlands), May 27, 2021
Children with ADHD are generally treated with medication and/or behavioral treatments. However, medication-alone is insufficient in a quarter to a third of the children. For that reason, the scientists investigated whether a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) would have a positive effect on children who did not respond sufficiently to other ADHD treatments. MBIs can elicit positive effects on psychological symptoms and behavior of children and parents. 
In the study, two groups of children between the ages of eight and sixteen were compared. One group received only regular care (CAU, care-as-usual), and the other group also received MYmind, the mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with at least one parent. They did this training for a period of eight weeks.
A striking result was that parents especially benefited from this training. There was an increase in mindful parenting, self-compassion and an improvement in mental health among the parents. These effects were still visible six months after the end of the training. In the children, there were some effects on ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and autistic traits, but effects were small. Yet, a subgroup appeared to benefit: One in three children reliably improved on self-control following MYmind, whereas only one in ten improved when following only regular care.
Professor of Environmental Sensitivity in Health and psychologist Corina Greven of Radboudumc, the Donders Institute and Karakter says that usual interventions for children with ADHD typically do not target mental health of parents, although they often struggle with parenting stress, anxiety or own ADHD symptoms. "While effects in children were small, we still found effects in the parents. Interviewing families , our team also discovered that many families reported important improvements in family relationships and insight in and acceptance of ADHD. We need to go broader than just looking at whether an intervention reduces symptoms, and include additional outcomes that families find important." The study was conducted in collaboration with the Radboud Center for Mindfulness.
 
 
Sweet cherry anthocyanins support liver health
Zhei-Jang University (China), June 1, 2021
Anthocyanins from sweet cherries may protect against diet-induced liver steatosis, or excessive amounts of fat in the liver’s tissue, says a new study with rats. 
The study , published in the journal Nutrition, built upon the abundant existing literature on the beneficial role anthocyanins have as an antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic component.
Specifically, the cyanidin-3-glucoside variant “[has] been reported to ameliorate hepatic steatosis and adipose inflammation,” the researchers wrote. The condition known as liver steatosis is a common non-alcoholic fatty liver disease usually treated with drugs, but according to the researchers, some drug used for treatment “are usually accompanied by some adverse effect.”
For 15 weeks, the researchers investigated the effects of sweet cherry anthocyanin supplementation have on alleviating high-fat diet-induced liver steatosis in rodents to explore the possibility of a none-drug treatment for the liver condition.
Preparing the mice and the sweet cherry anthocyanins
The sweet cherry anthocyanin was extracted and pulverized, with one mg of the anthocyanin measured to contain amounts of cyanidine-3-rutinoside and pelargonidin-3-rutinoside, among other things.
Thirty male rodents were used for the study. The animals were housed five per cage and randomly divided into three groups: 10 rodents fed a low-fat diet, 10 rodents fed a high-fat diet, and 10 rodents fed a high-fat diet supplemented with sweet cherry anthocyanins.
The supplementation was given in liquid form at 200 mg/kg orally at the same time daily for 15 weeks, and the body weights and food intakes were monitored weekly.
Observations
The mice were sacrificed at week 15 after a half-day fast. Blood samples were collected and livers collected, rinsed with cold saline, and then weighed.
An automatic biochemistry analyser was used to measure total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
They found that at week 15, mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with sweet cherry anthocyanins “displayed a significant reduction in body weight, liver weight, and liver index” compared to the mice that were only given a high-fat diet without supplementation.
They also found the serum levels for tricylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-fat diet mice to be substantially higher than those fed a low-fat diet, but the group supplemented with the anthocyanin resulted in a significant reduction in these serum parameters.”
According to the researchers, the results demonstrated how sweet cherry anthocyanins may be developed into a supplement to “protect from high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice,”leading to a suggested potential for the anthocyanin’s application in the “treatment of hepatic steatosis and other obesity related metabolic disorders.”
 
 
Healthy lifestyle linked to better cognition for oldest adults -- regardless of genetic risk
New study suggests importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle even after age 80
Duke University & Kunshan University (China), June 1, 2021
A new analysis of adults aged 80 years and older shows that a healthier lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment, and that this link does not depend on whether a person carries a particular form of the gene APOE. Xurui Jin of Duke Kunshan University in Jiangsu, China, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine.
The APOE gene comes in several different forms, and people with a form known as APOE ε4 have an increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Previous research has also linked cognitive function to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, exercise, and diet. However, it has been unclear whether the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are affected by APOE ε4, particularly for adults over 80 years of age.
To clarify the relationship between APOE ε4 and lifestyle, Jin and colleagues examined data from 6,160 adults aged 80 or older who had participated in a larger, ongoing study known as the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The researchers statistically analyzed the data to investigate links between APOE ε4, lifestyle, and cognition. They also accounted for sociodemographics and other factors that could impact cognition.
The analysis confirmed that participants with healthy lifestyles or intermediately healthy lifestyles were significantly less likely to have cognitive impairment than those with an unhealthy lifestyle, by 55 and 28 percent, respectively. In addition, participants with APOE ε4 were 17 percent more likely to have cognitive impairment than those with other forms of APOE.
A previous study suggested that in individuals at low and intermediate genetic risk, favorable lifestyle profiles are related to a lower risk of dementia compared to unfavorable profiles. But these protective associations were not found in those at high genetic risk. However, the investigation showed the link between lifestyle and cognitive impairment did not vary significantly based on APOE ε4 status which represented the genetic dementia risk. This suggests that maintaining a healthier lifestyle could be important for maintaining cognitive function in adults over 80 years of age, regardless of genetic risk. 
This cross-sectional study emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle on cognitive health. While further research will be needed to validate these findings among different population, this study could help inform efforts to boost cognitive function for the oldest of adults.
In the next step, the team will explore this association using the AD polygenetic risk score (AD-PRS) and explore the interactive relationship between AD-PRS and lifestyle on cognition with the longitudinal data.
 
 
Study shows BPA exposure below regulatory levels can impact brain development
University of Calgary (Canada) June 1, 2021
 
BPA disrupts development of the mouse brain sleep centre (outlined), image on right. The change can impact behaviour. The control image on the left ("CON") shows sleep centre without BPA. Credit: Kurrasch lab, published in Science Advances
Humans are exposed to a bath of chemicals every day. They are in the beds where we sleep, the cars that we drive and the kitchens we use to feed our families. With thousands of chemicals floating around in our environment, exposure to any number is practically unavoidable. Through the work of researchers like Dr. Deborah Kurrasch, Ph.D., the implications of many of these chemicals are being thoroughly explored.
"Manufacturers follow standards set by regulatory bodies, it's not up to the manufacturers to prove the chemicals in consumer products are safe," says Kurrasch, a researcher in the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) and Alberta Children's Research Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine. "Scientists play a critical role and do the meticulous work of determining where the risks lie."
Kurrasch's research over the past decade has focused on a chemical that is broadly recognizable: Bisphenol A, also known as BPA. This chemical is commonly found in plastics, canned food linings, and even thermal receipts. Studies from Kurrasch's lab contribute to the collective research that shows the harms of exposure to this industrial compound.
The latest study out of Kurrasch's lab, published in Science Advances, suggests that continued vigilance is needed. A postdoctoral researcher in her lab, Dr. Dinu Nesan, Ph.D., examined the impact of low levels of BPA exposure to pregnant mice and the brain development of their offspring.
"Our goal was to model BPA levels equivalent to what pregnant women and developing babies are typically exposed to," says Kurrasch. "We purposefully did not use a high dose. In fact, our doses were 11-times and nearly 25-times lower than those deemed safe by Health Canada and the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), respectively. Even at these low levels, we saw effects on prenatal brain development in the mice."
Using this BPA exposure model, Nesan found striking changes to the brain region responsible for driving circadian rhythms, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus. When prenatally exposed to these low levels of BPA, the suprachiasmatic nucleus failed to develop properly. This change can have implications for sleep, activity levels, and other behaviors.
"Previously we showed embryonic exposure to low-dose BPA can affect the timing of when neurons develop in zebrafish, but it was unclear whether a similar effect would be observed in a mammalian model with more similarities to humans," says Nesan, first author on the study. When neurons develop, they rely on proper signals to guide them. If neurons develop too early, the cues they experience are different, which can lead to developmental errors such as migrating to the wrong location, becoming the wrong type of neuron, or forming inappropriate connections. These errors can lead to altered behaviors later in life.
"Our study shows that in pregnant mice, prenatal exposure to BPA affects the timing of neuron development in the fetal brain, which has lasting effects on behaviors. Offspring that are exposed to BPA during gestation are awake longer and exhibit hyperactivity. The prenatal BPA exposure seems to change the brain's circadian cues, causing the animals to have elevated energy levels and spend less time resting," says Nesan.
The researchers are hopeful their findings will add continued pressure on regulatory bodies to keep revisiting their determinations around safe levels of BPA.
"We think there's an incredible abundance of data showing BPA exposure guidelines are not yet at the appropriate level, which includes even the EU (European Union) who is leading on this front, but their 'safe' levels are still twice the dose we used in our study" says Kurrasch, "We hope our research serves as a reminder that low dose BPA is still capable of causing changes that are measurable and significant."
Her message of how to interpret this research is simple:
Limit your exposure to BPA the best you can. 
Maintain smart practices with plastics in your kitchen, for example not heating them, and using glass or stainless steel when possible.
This research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Michael Antle, Ph.D., professor of psychology and member of the HBI.
 
Selenium plus CoQ10 intake associated with reductions in D-dimer and cardiovascular mortality
Linköping University (Sweden), June 2, 2021
Findings from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, published on April 17, 2021 in the journal Nutrients,revealed a reduction in D-dimer levels among older Swedish men and women who received selenium and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), as well as a lower risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in individuals having higher D-dimer levels at baseline. 
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant involved in the mitochondria’s production of energy. It has been estimated that the body’s production of CoQ10 at the age of 80 years is approximately half that of someone who is 20 years old. 
Selenium is a trace element necessary for normal function of human cells. Dietary intake of this mineral may be insufficient in areas of the world that have low soil selenium levels. Selenium also is necessary for the function of many antioxidant enzymes, including one which recycles CoQ10, and has anti-inflammatory activity.
D-dimer is a fragment of degraded fibrin and is commonly used to assess for the presence or degradation of potentially dangerous blood clots (venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism). It also reflects the activity of peripheral artery disease and has been shown to be associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammation even in the absence of thromboembolism.
The current investigation included 213 men and women aged 70 to 88 years who did not have conditions known to influence D-dimer concentrations (e.g., atrial fibrillation, malignancies). Participants received a placebo or 200 micrograms selenium plus 200 milligrams CoQ10 daily for four years. 
Blood samples collected from the subjects upon enrollment in the trial and at 48 months were analyzed for levels of D-dimer. Although D-dimer levels were not significantly different between groups at the beginning of the trial, it was noted to be significantly associated with age. At 48 months, a significantly lower level of D-dimer was found among those who received selenium and CoQ10 in comparison with the placebo, which was maintained after adjustment for co-variates that might influence D-dimer (such as C-reactive protein). 
When participants with D-dimer levels that were above the median of all participants at baseline were analyzed, an association was found between intake of selenium and CoQ10 and a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Among those whose D-dimer levels were higher than 0.21 mg/L at the beginning of the study, one person among 53 who received selenium and CoQ10 died during a median 4.9-year follow-up period compared to 8 of the 52 who received a placebo. Mortality from all causes was also lower in the selenium and CoQ10 group; however, the reduction failed to reach statistical significance.
This group also reported a larger study, which didn’t exclude individuals having conditions known to increase D-dimer, finding that in the older Swedish citizens the combination of selenium and CoQ10 significantly increased heart systolic function, lowered NT-proBNP (which is elevated during heart failure) and decreased risk of cardiovascular mortality, defined as death from myocardial infarctions, cerebrovascular lesions, cardiac arrythmias, heart failure or aortic aneurysms.1
“[Intake of] selenium and coenzyme Q10 in a group of elderly low in selenium and coenzyme Q10 prevented an increase in D-dimer and reduced the risk of cardiovascular mortality in comparison with the placebo group,” concluded first author Urban Alehagen and his colleagues. “The obtained results also illustrate important associations between inflammation, endothelial function and cardiovascular risk.”
 
 
Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Cognitive Function and Quantitative EEG in Alzheimer Patients
Seoul Medical Center  (Korea) June 1, 2021
Researchers detail new data in Neurodegenerative Diseases. According to news reporting originating in Seoul, South Korea  research stated, "Korean red ginseng (KRG) has a nootropic effect. This study assessed the efficacy of KRG on cognitive function and quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD)."
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Seoul Medical Center, "Fourteen patients with AD (mean age, 74.93 years; 11 women and 3 men) were recruited and treated with KRG (4.5 g per day) for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed by the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). EEG performed before and after treatment were analyzed with quantitative spectral analysis. The FAB score improved significantly after 12 weeks of treatment. In the relative power spectrum analysis performed according to responsiveness, alpha power increased significantly in the right temporal area of the responders. The increments of relative alpha power in the right temporal, parietal, and occipital areas were significantly higher in the responders than the nonresponders."
According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "This study indicates the efficacy of KRG on frontal lobe function in AD, related to increasing relative alpha power."

The Gary Null Show - 06.03.21

Amazon indigenous group's lifestyle may hold a key to slowing down aging
Tsimane people are unique for their healthy brains that age more slowly
 
University of Southern California, May 27, 2021
A team of international researchers has found that the Tsimane indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon experience less brain atrophy than their American and European peers. The decrease in their brain volumes with age is 70% slower than in Western populations. Accelerated brain volume loss can be a sign of dementia. 
The study was published May 26, 2021 in the Journal of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 
Although people in industrialized nations have access to modern medical care, they are more sedentary and eat a diet high in saturated fats. In contrast, the Tsimane have little or no access to health care but are extremely physically active and consume a high-fiber diet that includes vegetables, fish and lean meat. 
"The Tsimane have provided us with an amazing natural experiment on the potentially detrimental effects of modern lifestyles on our health," said study author Andrei Irimia, an assistant professor of gerontology, neuroscience and biomedical engineering at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. "These findings suggest that brain atrophy may be slowed substantially by the same lifestyle factors associated with very low risk of heart disease." 
The researchers enrolled 746 Tsimane adults, ages 40 to 94, in their study. To acquire brain scans, they provided transportation for the participants from their remote villages to Trinidad, Bolivia, the closest town with CT scanning equipment. That journey could last as long as two full days with travel by river and road. 
The team used the scans to calculate brain volumes and then examined their association with age for Tsimane. Next, they compared these results to those in three industrialized populations in the U.S. and Europe. 
The scientists found that the difference in brain volumes between middle age and old age is 70% smaller in Tsimane than in Western populations. This suggests that the Tsimane's brains likely experience far less brain atrophy than Westerners as they age; atrophy is correlated with risk of cognitive impairment, functional decline and dementia. 
The researchers note that the Tsimane have high levels of inflammation, which is typically associated with brain atrophy in Westerners. But their study suggests that high inflammation does not have a pronounced effect upon Tsimane brains. 
According to the study authors, the Tsimane's low cardiovascular risks may outweigh their infection-driven inflammatory risk, raising new questions about the causes of dementia. One possible reason is that, in Westerners, inflammation is associated with obesity and metabolic causes whereas, in the Tsimane, it is driven by respiratory, gastrointestinal, and parasitic infections. Infectious diseases are the most prominent cause of death among the Tsimane. 
"Our sedentary lifestyle and diet rich in sugars and fats may be accelerating the loss of brain tissue with age and making us more vulnerable to diseases such as Alzheimer's," said study author Hillard Kaplan, a professor of health economics and anthropology at Chapman University who has studied the Tsimane for nearly two decades. "The Tsimane can serve as a baseline for healthy brain aging." 
Healthier hearts and -- new research shows -- healthier brains 
The indigenous Tsimane people captured scientists' -- and the world's -- attention when an earlier study found them to have extraordinarily healthy hearts in older age. That prior study, published by the Lancet in 2017, showed that Tsimane have the lowest prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis of any population known to science and that they have few cardiovascular disease risk factors. The very low rate of heart disease among the roughly 16,000 Tsimane is very likely related to their pre-industrial subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, fishing, and farming. 
"This study demonstrates that the Tsimane stand out not only in terms of heart health, but brain health as well," Kaplan said. "The findings suggest ample opportunities for interventions to improve brain health, even in populations with high levels of inflammation."
 
Tai chi about equal to conventional exercise for reducing belly fat in middle aged and older adults
University of Hong Kong, May 31, 2021
A randomized controlled trial found that tai chi is about as effective as conventional exercise for reducing waist circumference in middle-aged and older adults with central obesity. Central obesity, or weight carried around the midsection, is a major manifestation of metabolic syndrome and a common health problem in this cohort. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 
Tai chi is a form of mind-body exercise often described as "meditation in motion." It is practiced in many Asian communities and is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries, with more than 2 million people practicing it in the United States. While it is known to be a suitable activity for older people including those who are not active, there previously has been little evidence on tai chi's health benefits. 
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong randomly assigned more than 500 adults over 50 with central obesity to a regimen of tai chi, conventional exercise, or no exercise over 3 months. Participants in the tai chi and exercise groups met for instructor-led workouts for 1 hour 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The tai chi program consisted of the Yang style of tai chi, the most common style adopted in the literature, and the conventional exercise program consisted of brisk walking and strength training activities. Waist circumference and other indicators of metabolic health were measured at baseline, 12 weeks, and 38 weeks. The researchers found that both the tai chi intervention and conventional exercise intervention group had reductions in waist circumference, relative to control. The reduction in waist circumference had a favorable impact on HDL cholesterol, or so-called good cholesterol, but did not translate into detectable differences in fasting glucose or blood pressure. 
According to the study authors, their findings are good news for middle-aged and older adults who have central obesity but may be averse to conventional exercise due to preference or limited mobility.
 
Prenatal exposure to paracetamol associated with ADHD and autism symptoms in childhood
Study of more than 70,000 European children bolsters the findings of previous research
Barcelona Institute for Global Health (Spain), May 31, 2021
An epidemiological study of more than 70,000 children in six European cohorts has linked symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mothers' use of paracetamol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy. The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation. 
In total, the researchers analysed 73,881 children for whom data were available on prenatal or postnatal exposure to paracetamol, at least one symptom of ASC or ADHD, and main covariates. Depending on the cohort, 14% to 56% of the mothers reported taking paracetamol while pregnant. 
The study found that children exposed to paracetamol before birth were 19% more likely to develop ASC symptoms and 21% more likely to develop ADHD symptoms than children who were not exposed. 
"Our findings are consistent with previous research," explained ISGlobal researcher Sílvia Alemany, lead author of the study. "We also found that prenatal exposure to paracetamol affects boys and girls in a similar way, as we observed practically no differences." 
"Our results address some of the weaknesses of previous meta-analyses," commented Jordi Sunyer, researcher at ISGlobal and last author of the study. "Considering all the evidence on the use of paracetamol and neurological development, we agree with previous recommendations indicating that while paracetamol should not be suppressed in pregnant women or children, it should be used only when necessary." 
At some point during pregnancy, an estimated 46%-56% of pregnant women in developed countries use paracetamol, which is considered the safest analgesic/antipyretic for pregnant women and children. However, mounting evidence has linked prenatal paracetamol exposure to poorer cognitive performance, more behavioural problems, and ASC and ADHD symptoms.
Those previous studies have been criticised for their heterogeneity. In the new study, therefore, "an effort was made to harmonise the assessment of ADHD and ASC symptoms and the definition of paracetamol exposure," explained Alemany. "The sample is large," she added, "and it includes cohorts from multiple European countries: the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Spain. We also used the same criteria for all of the cohorts, thereby reducing the heterogeneity of criteria that has hampered previous studies." 
The study also analysed postnatal exposure to paracetamol and found no association between paracetamol use during childhood and ASC symptoms. Nevertheless, the research team concluded that further studies are needed, given the heterogeneity of postnatal paracetamol exposure among the various cohorts, which ranged from 6% to 92.8%.
The six cohorts included the study were as follows:
 
1. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)
2. Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) 
3. Gene and Environment: Prospective Study on Infancy in Italy (GASPII) 
4. Generation R Study
5. INMA (including four subcohorts)
6. Mother-Child Cohort in Crete (RHEA)
 
 
Waking just one hour earlier cuts depression risk by double digits
University of Colorado, May 28, 2021
Waking up just one hour earlier could reduce a person's risk of major depression by 23%, suggests a sweeping new genetic study published May 26 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
The study of 840,000 people, by researchers at University of Colorado Boulder and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, represents some of the strongest evidence yet that chronotype--a person's propensity to sleep at a certain time --influences depression risk. 
It's also among the first studies to quantify just how much, or little, change is required to influence mental health. 
As people emerge, post-pandemic, from working and attending school remotely-- a trend that has led many to shift to a later sleep schedule--the findings could have important implications. 
"We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood, but a question we often hear from clinicians is: How much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?" said senior author Celine Vetter, assistant professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. "We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression."
Previous observational studies have shown that night owls are as much as twice as likely to suffer from depression as early risers, regardless of how long they sleep. But because mood disorders themselves can disrupt sleep patterns, researchers have had a hard time deciphering what causes what.
Other studies have had small sample sizes, relied on questionnaires from a single time point, or didn't account for environmental factors which can influence both sleep timing and mood, potentially confounding results. 
In 2018, Vetter published a large, long term study of 32,000 nurses showing that "early risers" were up to 27% less likely to develop depression over the course of four years, but that begged the question: What does it mean to be an early riser?
To get a clearer sense of whether shifting sleep time earlier is truly protective, and how much shift is required, lead author Iyas Daghlas, M.D., turned to data from the DNA testing company 23 and Me and the biomedical database UK Biobank. Daghlas then used a method called "Mendelian randomization" that leverages genetic associations to help decipher cause and effect. 
"Our genetics are set at birth so some of the biases that affect other kinds of epidemiological research tend not to affect genetic studies," said Daghlas, who graduated in May from Harvard Medical School. 
More than 340 common genetic variants, including variants in the so-called "clock gene" PER2, are known to influence a person's chronotype, and genetics collectively explains 12-42% of our sleep timing preference. 
The researchers assessed deidentified genetic data on these variants from up to 850,000 individuals, including data from 85,000 who had worn wearable sleep trackers for 7 days and 250,000 who had filled out sleep-preference questionnaires. This gave them a more granular picture, down to the hour, of how variants in genes influence when we sleep and wake up. 
In the largest of these samples, about a third of surveyed subjects self-identified as morning larks, 9% were night owls and the rest were in the middle. Overall, the average sleep mid-point was 3 a.m., meaning they went to bed at 11 p.m. and got up at 6 a.m.
With this information in hand, the researchers turned to a different sample which included genetic information along with anonymized medical and prescription records and surveys about diagnoses of major depressive disorder. 
Using novel statistical techniques, they asked: Do those with genetic variants which predispose them to be early risers also have lower risk of depression?
The answer is a firm yes. 
Each one-hour earlier sleep midpoint (halfway between bedtime and wake time) corresponded with a 23% lower risk of major depressive disorder.
This suggests that if someone who normally goes to bed at 1 a.m. goes to bed at midnight instead and sleeps the same duration, they could cut their risk by 23%; if they go to bed at 11 p.m., they could cut it by about 40%.
It's unclear from the study whether those who are already early risers could benefit from getting up even earlier. But for those in the intermediate range or evening range, shifting to an earlier bedtime would likely be helpful.
What could explain this effect?
Some research suggests that getting greater light exposure during the day, which early-risers tend to get, results in a cascade of hormonal impacts that can influence mood.
Others note that having a biological clock, or circadian rhythm, that trends differently than most peoples' can in itself be depressing.
"We live in a society that is designed for morning people, and evening people often feel as if they are in a constant state of misalignment with that societal clock," said Daghlas.
He stresses that a large randomized clinical trial is necessary to determine definitively whether going to bed early can reduce depression. "But this study definitely shifts the weight of evidence toward supporting a causal effect of sleep timing on depression." 
For those wanting to shift themselves to an earlier sleep schedule, Vetter offers this advice:
"Keep your days bright and your nights dark," she says. "Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening."
 
 
Olive oil nutrient may help prevent brain cancer
University of Edinburgh, June 2, 2021
A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain, a study shows.
Research into oleic acid – the primary ingredient in olive oil – has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells.
The oily substance – one of a group of nutrients known as fatty acids – stimulates the production of a cell molecule whose function is to prevent cancer-causing proteins from forming.
The study team says it is too soon to say whether dietary consumption of olive oil may help prevent brain cancer.
Their findings, however, point towards possible therapies based on the oil to prevent brain cancer from occurring.
Scientists from the University analysed the effect of oleic acid on a cell molecule, known as miR-7, which is active in the brain and is known to suppress the formation of tumours.
They found that oleic acid prevents a cell protein, known as MSI2, from stopping production of miR-7.
In this way, the olive oil component supports the production of miR-7, which helps prevent tumours from forming.
Researchers made their discoveries in tests on human cell extracts and in living cells in the lab.
The study, published in the Journal of Molecular Biology, was funded by the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
"While we cannot yet say that olive oil in the diet helps prevent brain cancer, our findings do suggest that oleic acid can support the production of tumour-suppressing molecules in cells grown in the lab. Further studies could help determine the role that olive oil might have in brain health," says Dr Gracjan Michlewski.
 
Study: Boosting selenium intake can help reduce osteoporosis risk
Central South University (China), May 29, 2021
Researchers from China have found that increased selenium intake may reduce a person’s risk for osteoporosis. In their report, experts from Central South University in Changsha recruited over 6,200 participants and measured the bone mineral density in the middle phalanges of the second to fourth fingers of their non-dominant hand. The team then assessed the participants’ dietary patterns, particularly their selenium intake, through a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire which the subjects answered twice within three weeks.
After analyzing the participants’ bone mineral density using a compact radiographic absorptiometry system, the team discovered that 9.6 percent of the subjects have osteoporosis. The majority of the cases were reported among women, with 19.7 percent having been diagnosed with the disease. Among men, only 2.3 percent were diagnosed with osteoporosis.
The researchers also compared the dietary data of those diagnosed with osteoporosis to those who were not. They found that there are significant differences between the participants in terms of age, gender, smoking and drinking habits, BMI, blood pressure levels, physical activity levels, nutrient supplementation, dietary calcium intake, dietary fiber intake and dietary energy intake. The factors above were measured as they are considered to be vital for the development and prevention of osteoporosis.
But most of all, the team observed a significant difference between the subjects with osteoporosis and those who don’t have the disease in terms of dietary selenium intake. The researchers found that those who have osteoporosis also have lower levels of dietary selenium consumption.
A person can increase his selenium intake by eating Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, beef, turkey, chicken, fortified cereals, whole-wheat bread, beans, lentils and eggs. The recommended dietary allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms per day for adult men and women above 19 years old. For pregnant and lactating women, the recommended intake is between 60 to 70 micrograms per day.
However, in the study, which involved Chinese citizens, the participants’ selenium intake averaged only 43.5 micrograms per day. This is comparable to the average daily selenium intake of Europeans, which is 40 micrograms per day. The low selenium intake of both populations could be due to the low-selenium content of the soil in both areas.
Selenium and thyroid hormones
Selenium primarily functions in the body as an essential component of selenoproteins, composed of various enzymes and proteins that help protect the cells from damage and infections. Selenoproteins are also needed in producing DNA and in the metabolism of thyroid hormones. The thyroid glands have the highest concentration of selenium in the body.
In connection to thyroid hormones, the researchers postulated that low selenium levels might have increased the level of thyroid hormones in the blood, which may have caused an accelerated bone loss and osteoporosis in the subjects with low dietary selenium intake. Thyroid problems have indirect correlations with osteoporosis and are considered as secondary causes. This means that elevated thyroid hormone levels don’t directly cause osteoporosis, but they can influence how the body maintains a healthy mineral bone density.
In addition, hyperthyroidism, a thyroid disorder characterized by too much production of a thyroid hormone thyroxine, is considered as having a close link to the development of osteoporosis. This is because elevated levels of thyroxine accelerate the process of bone degradation, which is conducted by the osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are the cells that dissolvethe bones, initiating new bone production, which is conducted by another cell — the osteoblasts. Excessive thyroxine levels make the osteoclasts work faster than the osteoblasts, causing the bones to be fragile or brittle.
However, the researchers in the study did not confirm a causal relationship between dietary selenium intake and osteoporosis, but future studies are underway to provide support to their findings.
 
Juvenile selenium deficiency impairs cognition and energy homeostasis 
University of Hawaii, May 26, 2021
According to news originating from Honolulu, Hawaii, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient of critical importance to mammalian life.”
The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from University of Hawaii: “Its biological effects are primarily mediated via co-translational incorporation into selenoproteins, as the unique amino acid, selenocysteine. These proteins play fundamental roles in redox signaling and includes the glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases. Environmental distribution of Se varies considerably worldwide, with concomitant effects on Se status in humans and animals. Dietary Se intake within a narrow range optimizes the activity of Se-dependent antioxidant enzymes, whereas both Se-deficiency and Se-excess can adversely impact health. Se-deficiency affects a significant proportion of the world’s population, with hypothyroidism, cardiomyopathy, reduced immunity, and impaired cognition being common symptoms. Although relatively less prevalent, Se-excess can also have detrimental consequences and has been implicated in promoting both metabolic and neurodegenerative disease in humans.”
According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Herein, we sought to comprehensively assess the developmental effects of both Se-deficiency and Se-excess on a battery of neurobehavioral and metabolic tests in mice. Se-deficiency elicited deficits in cognition, altered sensorimotor gating, and increased adiposity, while Se-excess was surprisingly beneficial.”