The Gary Null Show - 10.29.21

Gary takes on the real issues that the mainstream media is afraid to tackle. Tune in to find out the latest about health news, healing, politics, and the economy.
 

The Gary Null Show - 10.28.21

Dear Prof Chomsky,
 
Please take a moment to read this letter and the accompanying attachments.
 
i was deeply concerned over the insensitive manner in which Jimmy Dore and other commentators took to criticize your stance on the Covid-19 vaccines. I have followed your work since my early days as a college student during the anti-war and civil rights protests in the 1960s, and later your writings. Your book Manufacturing Consent has been a guidebook over the years in my own syndicated national broadcasts and my criticisms of the mainstream media.  Later I used some of your material in the college courses I taught as an adjunct at Fairleigh Dickinson University. 
 
What I always highlighted was your deep scholarship, intellectual acumen, and historically being on the correct side of the most pressing issues of our time.
 
However, your recent comments are unfortunately inaccurate. Not only yours, but also many of those among us who espouse liberal values. Seemingly the entire liberal media, including Amy Goodman, have been in error and responsible for promulgating scientifically misleading information. Therefore I was perplexed that you would defend the very institutional structures, which have betrayed us repeatedly in history, that you have made a career to challenge.
 
My own background is in human nutritional health and science. I hold a doctorate and was a research fellow at the Institute of Applied Biology for over three decades. I have counseled tens of thousands of people and conducted over 50 clinical studies related to chronic illnesses and health.
 
When Anthony Fauci and other federal health officials began making very misleading statements about Covid-19, which independent reviews have found to be based on very shoddy scientific research and analysis, it drew my attention. I have attached several articles co-written with my producer, who is a former senior research analyst in the biotech and genomic industries, that provide alternative scenarios with scientific citations.  
 
It is widely accepted that the vaccinated are not protected from contracting the SARS-2 virus. This has been stated clearly by the vaccine makers and is clearly written in the manufacturers' product insert information. Over 100,000 physicians and medical researchers worldwide, including one of the inventors of mRNA vaccine technology Dr. Robert Malone, are formally challenging the official narrative about the efficacy and safety of these experimental vaccines. These are all doctors, who like myself, are pro-vaccine but are deeply concerned about these new experimental Covid vaccines because there is unsound clinical evidence to determine their safety, let alone whether they work or not. These doctors therefore are adhering to the precautionary principle, which has been upheld as a gold standard for questionable medical intervention before the pandemic. Medical professionals are risking their reputations to now warn that more children will die from these vaccines than from a SARS-2 infection. Physicians, scientists, highly educated parents who choose to avoid vaccination are now being labeld a threat to society and no better than a terrorist. In fact there is no evidence whatsoever that the virus is a matter of grave concern for children. The assumption being made by the federal agencies is that vaccinated children will protect the adults; however there is absolutely no proo whatsoever to substantiate this claim because there is still a great deal of controversy over whether an asymptomatic person with the virus can transmit it to others. 
 
If we look at Israel as an example of the most vaccinated nation in the world, which has started to administer a fourth booster shot, the hospitals are filling with Covid patients who are fully vaccinated. Recently in Europe, a suit has been filed by 1,000 attorneys and 10,000 medical professionals against the World Health Organization, the CDC and the World Economic Forum based upon the Nuremberg Code criteria. Another lawsuit is underway in the US against the CDC and Fauci's National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease for manipulating and massaging the data in the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) to reduce the evidence that the vaccines are causing enormous injuries and deaths. A federal whistleblower in the suit has estimated that the vaccines have caused approximately 40,000 American deaths already. If we consider the EU's EudraViligance adverse vaccine event monitoring system, which is far more robust and accurate than the CDC's VAERS based upon a Harvard review, then we are looking at over 27,000 deaths due the vaccines and over 2.5 million injuries. What is most worrisome is that over 90 percent of Covid-19 deaths were among the elderly with comorbidities. The CDC's own website states that only 6 percent of deaths was actually caused by the virus alone, the remainder with comorbidity complications; whereas we are observing more vaccination deaths in younger age groups than from the actual virus. Yet none of this is being reported by the mainstream media. It is a classic example of "manufacturing consent" to implement a narrative that is grossly compromised by commercial and perhaps political interests. 
 
So I would encourage you to please examine the literature and articles carefully and reflect upon the facts that are being intentionally ignored and denied by our health officials and by the media. If after reviewing the information you feel morally compelled to revise your earlier statements, many of us will be grateful
 
But no matter your decision, your legacy will remain as one of America's greatest political and social justice warriors. However, perhaps not on the matter of medical science and immunology.
 
I appreciate your consideration
 
Sincerely yours
 
Gary Null, PhD

The Gary Null Show - 10.27.21

Gary takes on the real issues that the mainstream media is afraid to tackle. Tune in to find out the latest about health news, healing, politics, and the economy and a commentary on "Isolate Unvaxxed From Society" says Noam Chomsky

The Gary Null Show - 10.26.21

The moral roots of liberals and conservatives - Jonathan Haidt
 
Jonathan Haidt joined New York University Stern School of Business in July 2011. He is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, based in the Business and Society Program.
Professor Haidt is a social psychologist whose research examines the intuitive foundations of morality. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. In that book Haidt offers an account of the origins of the human moral sense, and he shows how variations in moral intuitions can help explain the polarization and dysfunction of American politics. At Stern he is applying his research on moral psychology to rethink the way business ethics is studied and is integrated into the curriculum. His goal is to draw on the best behavioral science research to create organizations that function as ethical systems, with only minimal need for directly training people to behave ethically. He co-founded the research collaboration at EthicalSystems.org. His next book will be titled Three Stories About Capitalism: The Moral Psychology of Economic Life .
Before coming to Stern, Professor Haidt taught for 16 years at the University of Virginia. His first book was The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. His writings appear frequently in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and he has given four TED talks. He was named one of the top global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine and also by Prospect magazine.
Professor Haidt received a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Gary Null Show - 10.25.21

'Vaccination is not a silver bullet,' WHO chief scientist says
The Impending Mass Firing of America’s Unvaccinated
COP26: Document leak reveals nations lobbying to change key climate report
Biden bank regulator nominee reveals her plan to radically transform US economy
French Oil Company Total ‘Knew About Global Warming Impact in 1971’, Study Finds
New Whistleblower Sparks Calls to 'Crack Down on Facebook and All Big Tech Companies'
The Path to a Livable Future
‘It’s absolutely appalling’: Unvaccinated Canadians become social outcasts and the new persecuted minority
Future of college will involve fewer professors
UK Goes Full-On Big Brother, Employs Facial Recognition Technology to Expedite School Lunch Queues
COVID-19 and the Shadowy “Trusted News Initiative”
Expectations data indicate the US is entering recession about now 
Big Pharma Owns the World
In Major Shift, NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan
Highly vaccinated Singapore sets a worrying example
Todays Videos:
1. SENATOR NINO VITALE
 
2.  THIS LIVE MASK TEST SHOCKS VIEWERS (DEL BIGTREE)
 
3. UK doctor switches to 80% ULTRA-processed food diet for 30 days 
 
4. The moral roots of liberals and conservatives - Jonathan Haidt
 

The Gary Null Show - 10.22.21

"The war for our minds (con'd)."
The colonization of independent media. 
 
Patrick Lawrence
THE SCRUM 
Oct 21
 
 
 
21 OCTOBER—Watch and listen, O you with open eyes and ears. The national security state’s long, very long campaign to control our press and broadcasters has taken a new turn of late. If independent media are what keep alive hope for a vigorous, authentic Fourth Estate, as argued severally in this space, independent media are now subject to an insidious, profoundly anti-democratic effort to undermine them.
The Independent Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Frances Haugen, Maria Ressa: Let us consider this institution and these people. They are all frauds, if by fraudulent we mean they are not what and who they tell us they are and their claim to independence from power is bogus.
The Deep State—and at this point it is mere pretense to object to this term—long ago made it a priority to turn the mainstream press and broadcasters to its purposes—to make a free press unfree. This has gone on since the earliest Cold War decades and is well and responsibly documented. (Alas, if more Americans read the many excellent books and exposés on this topic, assertions such as the one just made would not arrive as in the slightest outré.)   
But several new realities are now very evident. Chief among them, the Deep State’s colonization of corporate media is now more or less complete. CNN, filling its airtime with spooks, generals, and a variety of official and formerly official liars, can be counted a total takeover. The New York Times is prima facie government-supervised, as it confesses in its pages from time to time. The Washington Post, owned by a man with multimillion-dollar CIA contracts, has turned itself into a comic book.
For reasons I will never entirely fathom, corporate media have not merely surrendered their legitimacy, such as it may have been: They have actively, enthusiastically abandoned what frayed claim they may have had to credibility. The national-security state incorporates mainstream media into its apparatus, and then people stop believing mainstream media: The thrill is gone, let’s say. 
In consequence of these two factors, independent media have begun to rise as … independent media. They accumulate audiences. A little at a time, they acquire the very habits of professionalism the mainstream press and broadcasters have let decay. Gradually, they assume the credibility the mainstream has lost. The media ecosystem—horrible phrase but there it is—begins to take on a new shape. 
Certain phenomena engendered by independent media prove popular. There are whistleblowers. People inside Deep State institutions start to leak, and they turn to independent media, most famously WikiLeaks, to get information out. While the Deep State’s clerks in mainstream media keep their heads down and their mouths shut as they cash their checks, independent media take principled stands in favor of free expression, and people admire these stands. They are, after all admirable.
Those populating the national-security state’s sprawling apparatus are not stupid. They can figure out the logical response to these developments as well as anyone else. The new imperative is now before us: It is to colonize independent media just as they had the mainstream in previous decades.
There are some hopelessly clumsy cases. I urge all colleagues to stop bothering with The Young Turks in any capacity. Those running it, creatures of those who generously fund it, are simply infra-dig. As Matt Taibbi pointed out over the weekend in a piece wonderfully headed, “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Deep State,” they’ve now got some clod named Ben Carollo proclaiming the CIA as an accountable force for good, savior of democracy—this in a video appearing under the rubric “Rebel HQ.”
As an East European émigré friend used to say, “Gimme break.”
Democracy Now! is a subtler instance of colonization. The once-admirable Amy Goodman drank the Russiagate Kool-Aid, which I counted the first indication of covert intervention of one or another kind. Then she caved to the orthodoxy on the chemical-weapons scam during the Syrian crisis, and lately—you have to watch to believe—Goodman has begun broadcasting CNN “investigative” reports with unalloyed approval.
The debate in this household is whether Ms. Goodman had a long lunch in Langley or her donors started threatening to delay their checks. I have no evidence of either but tend to the latter explanation.
The three recent phenomena suggested at the top of this piece are indications of the Deep State’s latest tactics in its assault on independent media and the culture that arises among them. It behooves us to understand this. 
Two weeks ago, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published “The Pandora Papers,” a “leak” of 12 million electronic documents revealing the tax-fiddling, money-hiding doings of 300–odd political figures around the world. “The Pandora Papers” followed publication of “The Panama Papers” in 2016 and “The Paradise Papers” a year later. There are many useful revelations in these various releases, but we ought not be fooled as to the nature of the project.
Where did the ICIJ get the documents in “The Pandora Papers,” and how?  Are they complete? Were names redacted out? They have been verified? Explaining provenance, authenticity, and so forth is essential to any investigative undertaking, but ICIJ has nothing to say on this point.
Why, of all the people “The Pandora Papers” exposes, is there not one American on its list? As Moon of Alabama notes in an analysis of this release, it amounts to a list of “people the U.S. doesn’t like.”
The ICIJ vigorously insists on its independence. But on close inspection this turns out not to be so by any serious understanding of the term. Among its donors are the Ford Foundation, whose longtime ties to the CIA are well-documented, and the Open Societies Foundation, the (in)famous George Soros operation dedicated to cultivating coups in nations that fall outside the fence posts of neoliberalism. 
The group was founded in 1997 as a project of the Center for Public Integrity, another institution dedicated to “inspiring change using investigative reporting,” as the center describes itself. Among its sponsors are Ford, once again, and the Democracy Fund, which was founded by Pierre Omidyar, bankroller of The Intercept (another compromised “independent” medium). Omidyar is, like Soros, a sponsor of subversion ops in other countries masquerading as “civil society” projects.
ICIJ’s other sponsors (and for that matter the Democracy Fund’s) are comprised of the sorts of foundations that support NPR, PBS, and other such media. Let us be crystal clear on this point. Anyone who assumes media institutions taking money from such sponsors are authentically independent does not understand philanthropy as a well-established, highly effective conduit through which orthodoxies are enforced and public discourse circumscribed. 
What are we looking at here? Not what we are supposed to think we are looking at, certainly. I will return to this question.
There is the case of Maria Ressa, which I considered briefly in a previous commentary. Ressa is the supposedly courageous, speak-truth-to-power co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize this year, a Filipina journalist who co-founded The Rappler, a web publication in Manila. The Nobel committee cited Ressa for her “fight for freedom of expression.” Who is Maria Ressa, then, and what is The Rappler?
I grow weary of writing this sentence: She and her publication are not what we are supposed to think they are.
Ressa and The Rappler, each insisting on independence just as the ICIJ does, are straight-out lying on this point. The Rappler recently received a grant of $180,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA front—this according to an NED financial report issued earlier this year. None other than Pierre Omidyar and a group called North Base Media own nonvoting shares in the publication. Among North Base’s partners is the Media Development Investment Fund, which was founded by George Soros to do what George Soros likes to do in other countries.
Does a picture begin to emerge? Read the names together and one will. You have to figure they all party together.
Nobel in hand, Maria Ressa has already declared that Julian Assange is not a journalist and that independent media need new regulations, as in censorship. Henry Kissinger got a Nobel as a peacemaker: Ressa gets one as a defender of free expression. It’s a fit.
This brings us to the case of Frances Haugen, the former Facebook exec who recently appeared before Congress waving lots of documents she seems to have secreted (supposedly) out of Facebook’s offices to argue for—what else at this point?—increased government regulation of social media, as in censorship. Frances Haugen, you see, is a courageous, speak-truth-to-power whistleblower. Never mind that her appearance on Capitol Hill was carefully choreographed by Democratic Party operatives whose party simply cannot wait to censor our First Amendment rights out of existence. 
It is hard to say who is more courageous, I find—the ICIJ, Maria Ressa, or Frances Haugen. Where would we be without them?
The culture of independent media as it has germinated and developed over the past decade or so gave us WikiLeaks, and its effectiveness cannot be overstated. It gave us all manner of gutsy journalists standing for the principles of a genuinely free press, and people listened. It gave us whistleblowers who are admired even as the Deep State condemns them.    
And now the national-security state gives us none other than a secret-disclosing crew of mainstream hacks, a faux-independent journalist elevated to the highest honors, and a whistleblower who was handed her whistle and taught how to toot it—three crowd-pleasers, three simulacra. These are three frauds. They are to independent journalism what McDonald’s is to food. 
There is only one defense against this assault on truth and integrity, but it is a very good one. It is awareness. CNN, Democracy Now!, the ICIJ, Maria Ressa, Frances Haugen—none of these and many other media and people are properly labeled. But the labels can be written with modest efforts. Awareness and scrutiny, watching and listening, will prove enough.

The Gary Null Show - 10.21.21

Dr. John Campbell is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing studies at the University of Cumbria. He has been a clinical nurse and a nurse tutor for over 30 years. In addition to writing books, he has also produced a range of videos and podcasts on various health and nursing related topics. As well as selling his materials in the Western countries, many are distributed at no cost, or low cost, to students in poorer countries
 
Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg | Full Interview | Planetlockdown. October 18, 2021. In this intimate sit down interview with Wolfgang Wodarg, we discuss the broad issue of corruption in the WHO, how we should understand the "pandemic," or lack there of and how we must stop this diabolical trend towards a fake medical dystopia that will take over all aspects of our lives. He is one of the most honest and thoughtful people we have ever met and has an amazing resume and has lived a rich life full of experiences that uniquely qualifies him to understand the depth and breadth of this complex situation we find ourselves in.

The Gary Null Show - 10.20.21

Eating leafy greens could help prevent macular degeneration
Westmead Institute for Medical Research (Australia), October 13, 2021 
 
A new study has shown that eating vegetable nitrates, found mainly in green leafy vegetables and beetroot, could help reduce your risk of developing early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Researchers at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research interviewed more than 2,000 Australian adults aged over 49 and followed them over a 15-year period.
The research showed that people who ate between 100 to 142 mgs of vegetable nitrates each day had a 35% lower risk of developing early AMD than people who ate less than 69mgs of vegetable nitrates each day.
Lead Researcher Associate Professor Bamini Gopinath from the Westmead Institute and the University of Sydney said the link between vegetable nitrates and macular degeneration could have important implications.
"This is the first time the effects of dietary nitrates on macular degeneration risk has been measured.
"Essentially we found that people who ate 100 to 142 mgs of vegetable nitrates every day had a reduced risk of developing early signs of macular degeneration compared with people who ate fewer nitrates.
"If our findings are confirmed, incorporating a range of foods rich in dietary nitrates - like green leafy vegetables and beetroot - could be a simple strategy to reduce the risk of early macular degeneration," Associate Professor Gopinath said.
Spinach has approximately 20mg of nitrate per 100g, while beetroot has nearly 15mg of nitrate per 100g.
The research did not show any additional benefits for people who exceeded 142mgs of dietary nitrate each day. It also did not show any significant connections between vegetable nitrates and late stage AMD, or between non-vegetable nitrates and AMD risk.
One in seven Australians over 50 have some signs of macular degeneration.
Age is the strongest known risk factor and the disease is more likely to occur after the age of 50.
There is currently no cure for the disease.
The research compiled data from the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a benchmark population-based study that started in 1992.
It is one of the world's largest epidemiology studies, measuring diet and lifestyle factors against health outcomes and a range of chronic diseases.
"Our research aims to understand why eye diseases occur, as well as the genetic and environmental conditions that may threaten vision," Associate Professor Gopinath concluded.
 
 
Research review shows intermittent fasting works for weight loss, health changes
University of Illinois Chicago, October 13, 2021
Intermittent fasting can produce clinically significant weight loss as well as improve metabolic health in individuals with obesity, according to a new study review led by University of Illinois Chicago researchers.
"We noted that intermittent fasting is not better than regular dieting; both produce the same amount of weight loss and similar changes in blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation," said Krista Varady, professor of nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and author of "Cardiometabolic Benefits of Intermittent Fasting." 
According to the analysis published in the Annual Review of Nutrition, all forms of fasting reviewed produced mild to moderate weight loss, 1 percent to 8 percent from baseline weight, which represents results that are similar to that of more traditional, calorie-restrictive diets. Intermittent fasting regimens may also benefit health by decreasing blood pressure and insulin resistance, and in some cases, cholesterol and triglyceride levels are also lowered. Other health benefits, such as improved appetite regulation and positive changes in the gut microbiome, have also been demonstrated. 
The review looked at over 25 research studies involving three types of intermittent fasting: 
Alternate day fasting, which typically involves a feast day alternated with a fast day where 500 calories are consumed in one meal. 
5:2 diet, a modified version of alternate day fasting that involves five feast days and two fast days per week. 
Time-restricted eating, which confines eating to a specified number of hours per day, usually four to 10 hours, with no calorie restrictions during the eating period. 
Various studies of time-restricted eating show participants with obesity losing an average of 3 percent of their body weight, regardless of the time of the eating window. 
Studies showed alternate day fasting resulted in weight loss of 3 percent to 8 percent of body weight over three to eight weeks, with results peaking at 12 weeks. Individuals on alternate day fasting typically do not overeat or binge on feast days, which results in mild to moderate weight loss, according to the review. 
Studies for the 5:2 diet showed similar results to alternate day fasting, which surprised the study's reviewers. The subjects who participate in the 5:2 diet fast much less frequently than alternate-day fasting participants do, but the weight loss results are similar. 
Weight loss with alternate day and 5:2 fasting are comparable to more traditional daily calorie-restrictive diets. And, both fasting diets showed individuals were able to maintain an average of 7 percent weight loss for a year. 
"You're fooling your body into eating a little bit less and that's why people are losing weight," Varady said. 
Varady added the review set out to debunk some myths regarding intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting does not negatively affect metabolism, nor does it cause disordered eating, according to the studies reviewed. 
"Fasting people are worried about feeling lethargic and not being able to concentrate. Even though you are not eating, it won't affect your energy," Varady said. "A lot of people experience a boost of energy on fasting days. Don't worry, you won't feel crappy. You may even feel better." 
The study review includes a summary of practical considerations for those who may want to try intermittent fasting. Among the considerations are: 
Adjustment time—Side effects such as headaches, dizziness and constipation subside after one to two weeks of fasting. Increased water intake can help alleviate headaches caused by dehydration during this time. 
Exercise—Moderate to high-intensity endurance or resistance training during food abstention can be done, and some study participants reported having more energy on fast days. However, studies recommend those following alternate day fasting eat their fasting day meal after exercise. 
Diet during fasting—There are no specific recommendations for food consumption during intermittent fasting, but eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help boost fiber intake and help relieve constipation that sometimes accompanies fasting. 
Alcohol and caffeine—For those using an alternate day or 5:2 fasting plan, alcohol is not recommended on fast days as the limited calories should be used on healthy foods that provide nutrition. 
There are several groups who should not intermittent fast, according to the studies. Those individuals include: 
Those who are pregnant or lactating. 
Children under 12. 
Those with a history of disordered eating. 
Those with a body mass index, or BMI, less than 18.5.
Shift workers. Studies have shown they may struggle with fasting regimens because of shifting work schedules. 
Those who need to take medication with food at regimented times. 
"People love intermittent fasting because it's easy. People need to find diets that they can stick to long term. It's definitely effective for weight loss and it's gained popularity because there are no special foods or apps necessary. You can also combine it with other diets, like Keto," Varady said. 
Varady has recently been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to study time-restricted eating for 12 months to see if it works long term.
 
Antioxidants to prevent Alzheimer's disease
A balanced intake of antioxidants could prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), October 13, 2021
Research conducted by the Ph.D student Mohamed Raâfet Ben Khedher and the postdoctoral researcher Mohamed Haddad of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has shown that an oxidation-antioxidant imbalance in the blood is an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, rather than a consequence. This breakthrough made by researchers under the supervision of the Professor Charles Ramassamy provides an avenue for preventive intervention: the antioxidants intake. 
The research team showed that oxidative markers, known to be involved in Alzheimer's disease, show an increase up to five years before the onset of the disease. The results of this study, published in the Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (DADM) journal, suggest that oxidation may be an early marker of this disease that affects more than 500,000 Canadians.
“Given that there is an increase in oxidative stress in people who develop the disease, we may regulate the antioxidant systems. For example, we could modulate the antioxidant systems, such as apolipoproteins J and D, which transport lipids and cholesterol in the blood and play an important role in brain function and Alzheimer's disease. Another avenue would be to increase the intake of antioxidants through nutrition”, says Professor Ramassamy. 
Accessible biomarkers
Unlike the current set of invasive and expensive tests used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, the oxidative markers discovered by Professor Ramassamy's research team can be detected by a blood test. These markers are found in plasma extracellular vesicles, which are pockets released by all cells in the body, including those in the brain.    
The research team focused specifically on the "sporadic" Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of the disease which results primarily from the presence of the APOE4 susceptibility gene. This same form of the disease had been studied by the team for other early markers.
“By identifying oxidative markers in the blood of individuals at risk five years before the onset of the disease, we could make recommendations to slow the onset of the disease and limit the risks”, scientists noted.
This breakthrough brings new hope to Alzheimer's research. Once the disease is symptomatic, it is difficult, if not impossible, to reverse it.    
 
 
Meditation training reduces long-term stress, according to hair analysis
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Germany), October 11, 2021
Mental training that promotes skills such as mindfulness, gratitude or compassion reduces the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in hair. This is what scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig and the Social Neuroscience Research Group of the Max Planck Society in Berlin have found out. The amount of cortisol in hair provides information about how much a person is burdened by persistent stress. Earlier positive training effects had been shown in acutely stressful situations or on individual days—or were based on study participants' self-reports.
According to a study by the Techniker Krankenkasse, 23 percent of people in Germany frequently suffer from stress. This condition not only puts a strain on the well-being of those affected, but it is also linked to a number of physiological diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and psychological disorders such as depression, one of the world's leading causes of disease burden (Global Burden of Disease Study, 2017).
Therefore, effective methods are being sought to reduce everyday stress in the long term. One promising option is mindfulness training, in which participants train their cognitive and social skills, including attention, gratitude and compassion, through various meditation and behavioral exercises. Various studies have already shown that even healthy people feel less stressed after a typical eight-week training program. Until now, however, it has been unclear how much the training actually contributes to reducing the constant burden of everyday stress. The problem with many previous studies on chronic stress is that the study participants were usually asked to self-assess their stress levels after the training. However, this self-reporting by means of questionnaires could have distorted the effects and made the results appear more positive than they actually were.
The reason for such a bias: The participants knew they were training their mindfulness, and a reduction in stress levels was a desired effect of this training. This awareness alone has an impact on subsequent information. "If you are asked whether you are stressed after a training session that is declared as stress-reducing, even addressing this question can distort the statements," explains Lara Puhlmann, doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and first author of the underlying publication, which has now appeared in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Factors such as social desirability and placebo effects played a role here. Unlike pharmacological studies, for example, in which the study participants do not know whether they have actually received the active substance or not, so-called blinded studies are not possible in mental training. "The participants know that they are ingesting the 'antidote,'" says Puhlmann. "In mindfulness research, we are therefore increasingly using more objective, i.e. physiological, methods to measure the stress-reducing effect more precisely."
The concentration of cortisol in hair is considered a suitable measure of exposure to prolonged stress. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when we are confronted with an overwhelming challenge, for example. In that particular situation, it helps put our body on alert and mobilize energy to overcome the challenge. The longer the stress lasts, the longer an increased concentration of cortisol circulates around our body—and the more it accumulates in our hair. On average, hair grows one centimeter per month. To measure the study participants' stress levels during the 9-month training, the researchers, in cooperation with the working group of Clemens Kirschbaum at the University of Dresden, analyzed the amount of cortisol every three months in the first three centimeters of hair, starting at the scalp.
The mental training itself was developed as part of a large-scale longitudinal study on the effects of mental training, the ReSource project, led by Tania Singer, scientific director of the Social Neuroscience Research Group. This 9-month mental training program consisted of three 3-month sessions, each designed to train a specific skill area using Western and Far Eastern mental exercises. The focus was either on the factors of attention and mindfulness, on socio-affective skills such as compassion and gratitude, or on so-called socio-cognitive skills, in particular the ability to take perspective on one's own and others' thoughts. Three groups of about 80 participants each completed the training modules in different order. The training lasted up to nine months, 30 minutes a day, six days a week.
Less stress, less cortisol
And it really showed: After six months of training, the amount of cortisol in the subjects' hair had decreased significantly, on average by 25 percent. In the first three months, slight effects were seen at first, which increased over the following three months. In the last third, the concentration remained at a low level. The researchers therefore assume that only sufficiently long training leads to the desired stress-reducing effects. The effect did not seem to depend on the content of the training. It is therefore possible that several of the mental approaches studied are similarly effective in improving the way people deal with chronic everyday stress.
In an earlier study from the ReSource project with the same sample, the researchers had investigated the effects of training on dealing with acute stressful situations. In this study, the participants were placed in a stressful job interview and had to solve difficult maths problems under observation. The results showed that people who had undergone socio-cognitive or socio-affective training released up to 51 percent less cortisol under stress than those who had not been trained. In this case, they did not measure the amount of cortisol in the subjects' hair, but instead acute cortisolsurges in their saliva. Overall, the researchers conclude that training can improve the handling of acute particularly stressful social situations as well as chronic everyday stress. "We assume that different training aspects are particularly helpful for these different forms of stress," says Veronika Engert, head of the research group "Social Stress and Family Health" at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
"There are many diseases worldwide, including depression, that are directly or indirectly related to long-term stress," explains Puhlmann. "We need to work on counteracting the effects of chronic stress in a preventive way. Our study uses physiological measurements to prove that meditation-based training interventions can alleviate general stress levels even in healthy individuals."
 
Study: Moderate carbohydrate intake is a cardiovascular benefit for women
Monash University (Australia), October 13, 2021
Women's heart health has been the focus of a recent study by Monash University, with researchers finding that proportional carbohydrate intake and not saturated fat was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease benefit in Australian women.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women. Poor diet is recognized as both an independent CVD risk factor and a contributor to other CVD risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and dyslipidaemia.
The research found that in middle-aged Australian women, increasing the percentage of carbohydrate intake was significantly associated with reduced odds of CVD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity.
Furthermore, a moderate carbohydrate intake between 41.0 percent—44.3 percent of total energy intake was associated with the lowest risk of CVD compared to women who consumed less than 37 percent energy as carbohydrates. No significant relationship was demonstrated between proportional carbohydrate intake and all-cause mortality.
In addition, increasing proportional saturated fat intake was not associated with cardiovascular disease or mortality in women; rather, increasing saturated fat intakecorrelated with lower odds of developing diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity.
The findings are now published in the British Medical Journal.
The results contradict much of the historical epidemiological research that supported a link between saturated fat and CVD. Instead, the results mirror contemporary meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies where saturated fat was found to have no significant relationship with total mortality or CVD.
While the cause of this inconsistency in the literature is unclear, it has been suggested that historical studies neglected to adjust for fiber, which is known to help prevent plaque from forming in the arteries.
"Controversy still exists surrounding the best diet to prevent CVD," said Sarah Zaman, a former Monash University professor who is now an associate professor at the University of Sydney.
"A low-fat diet has historically been the mainstay of primary prevention guidelines, but the major issue within our dietary guidelines is that many dietary trials have predominately involved male participants or lacked sex-specific analyses."
She adds: "Further research is needed to tailor our dietary guidelines according to sex."
The study's first author Sarah Gribbin, a Doctor of Medicine and BMedSc (Hons) student, says: "As an observational study, our findings only show association and not causation. Our research is purely hypothesis-generating. We are hoping that our findings will spark future research into sex-specific dietary research."
The Heart Foundation, which is one of the study's funders, welcomed the focus on women and CVD, which has historically been under-researched.
Heart Foundation manager, food and nutrition, Eithne Cahill, cautioned that "not all carbohydrates are created equal."
"We know that quality carbohydrate foods such as vegetables and whole grains—including whole grain bread, cereals, and pasta—are beneficial for heart health, whereas poor quality carbohydrates such as white bread, biscuits, cakes, and pastries can increase risk," she said.
"Similarly, different fats have different effects on heart health. That is why the Heart Foundation focuses on healthy eating patterns—that is, a combination of foods, chosen regularly over time—rather than a single nutrient or food. Include plenty of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and heart-healthy fat choices such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking and a variety of healthy proteins especially seafood, beans and lentils, eggs and dairy."
 
Anti-cancer effects found in natural compound derived from onions
 
Kumamoto University (Japan), October 18, 2021
 
Research from Kumamoto University, Japan has found that a natural compound isolated from onions, onionin A (ONA), has several anti-ovarian cancer properties. This discovery is a result of research on the effects of ONA on a preclinical model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) both in vivo and in vitro. This research comes from the same group that found ONA suppressed pro-tumor activation of host myeloid cells.
 
According to a 2014 review of cancer medicines from the World Health Organization, EOC is the most common type of ovarian cancer and has a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40%. It has a relatively low lifetime risk that is less than 1%, but that can increase up to 40% if there is a family history of the disease. A majority of patients (80%) experience a relapse after their initial treatment with chemotherapy, therefore a more effective line of treatment is needed.
 
Kumamoto University researchers found that ONA has several effects on EOC. The group's in vitro experiments showed that EOCs, which usually proliferate in the presence of pro-tumor M2 macrophages, showed inhibited growth after introduction of ONA. This was thought to be due to ONAs influence on STAT3, a transcription factor known to be involved in both M2 polarization and cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, the team found that ONA inhibited the pro-tumor functions of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), which are closely associated with the suppression of the anti-tumor immune response of host lymphocytes, by using preclinical sarcoma model. ONA was also found to enhance the effects of anti-cancer drugs by strengthening their anti-proliferation capabilities. Moreover, experiments on an ovarian cancer murine model that investigated the effects of orally administered ONA resulted in longer lifespans and inhibited ovarian cancer tumor development. This was considered to be a result of ONA's suppression of M2 polarized macrophages.
 
The research shows that ONA reduces the progression of malignant ovarian cancer tumors by interfering with the pro-tumor function of myeloid cells. ONA appears to activate anti-tumor immune responses by nullifying the immunosuppressive function of myeloid cells. ONA has the potential to enhance existing anti-cancer drugs while also having little to no cytotoxic effects on normal cells. Additionally, side effects in animals have not been seen. With a little more testing, an oral ONA supplement should greatly benefit cancer patients.
 
 
Risk of chronic diseases caused by exogenous chemical residues
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China), October 13, 2021
Chronic diseases are main killers affecting the health of human. The morbidities of major chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperuricemia and dyslipidemia are as high as 10% to 30%, showing a gradually upward trend as well.
More and more studies have shown that environmental pollution is a major health risk factor that cannot be ignored. However, the evidence for their relationship is equivocal and the underlying mechanisms is unclear.
Recently, a research group led by Prof. Xu Guowang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) discovered the risk of chronic diseases caused by exogenous chemical residues through metabolome-wide association study.
Their findings were published in Environment International on Oct. 8. Researchers from National Institute for Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology were also involved in this study.
The researchers discovered positive associations of serum perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) with hyperuricemia, and revealed the mechanism of the relationship between the exogenous chemical residues in the serum and the risk of chronic diseases at the metabolic level.
The researchers investigated the relationship between 106 exogenous chemical residues and five chronic diseases in 496 serum samples. They revealed the metabolic perturbations related to exogenous chemical residues and chronic diseases by the metabolome-wide association study combined with meeting-in-the-middle approach and mediation analysis, and investigated the further potential underlying mechanism at the metabolic level.
"PFASs were the risk factor for hyperuricemia," said Prof. Xu. Lipid species including glycerophospholipids and glycerides presented the strongest correlation with exposure and disease, which were not only positively related to PFASs exposure but also the risk factor for hyperuricemia. "We also found that key mediation metabolites mediated 25% to 68% of the exposure-disease risk relationship," Prof. Xu added.
This study provides in-depth etiological understanding for the occurrence and development of diseases, which may be helpful for the early detection of the disease and the identification of early warning markers.

The Gary Null Show - 10.19.21

Prof. Eli Schwartz, Director of the Center for Geographic Medicine at Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer Israel, first introduced the field of travel medicine to Israel .
His practice became the recognized center by the Ministry of Health of Israel for tropical and travel diseases. Dr Schwartz is currently serving as the president of the Israeli Society of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases and past president of the Asia-Pacific Travel Health Society. He is a full Professor (clinical) at the Sacker faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University.

The Gary Null Show - 10.18.21

Lifestyle Modification Improves Physical and Mental Health in Elderly Participants: Observational Study in a Controlled Environment
Gary Null1*, Ronald Klatz2, Robert Goldman2, Luanne Pennesi1, Richard Gale1, William Faloon3 and Scott Fogle3
1 Nutrition Institute Of America, New York, United States
2 American Academy Of Anti Aging Medicine, N Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL, United States
3 Life Extension Foundation, Ft Lauderdale, FL, United States
 
*Corresponding Author(s):
Gary NullNutrition Institute Of America, New York, United StatesTel:+1 6469265437,Email:gary@garynull.com