Category Archives: Health

We need good news: Police officers save choking babies

Posted on April 21, 2021 by | 4 comments

Police officers respond to many different types of calls. Probably the most rewarding for them is being able to save a child’s life.

Grab a tissue…

If you have a need for this, go here to learn about infant/pediatric CPR.

DCG

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Why highly-processed foods are bad for us

Posted on April 18, 2021 by | 8 comments

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines processed food as any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging or other procedures that alter the food from its natural state. This may include the addition of other ingredients to the food, such as preservatives, flavors, nutrients and other food additives or substances approved for use in food products, such as salt, sugars and fats.

According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, processed foods range on a scale of minimally processed to mostly processed:

  1. Minimally processed foods — such as bagged spinach, cut vegetables and roasted nuts — are often simply pre-prepped for convenience.
  2. Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness include canned tomatoes, frozen fruit and vegetables and canned tuna.
  3. Foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture (sweeteners, spices, oils, colors and preservatives) include jarred pasta sauce, salad dressing, yogurt and cake mixes.
  4. Ready-to-eat foods — such as crackers, chips and deli meat — are more heavily processed.
  5. The most heavily processed foods often are frozen or pre-made meals, including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners.

The Mayo Clinic counsels that whereas minimally-processed foods (#1 and #2 in the above list) like low-fat milk, whole-grain/wheat breads, pre-cut vegetables and fresh-cut greens have a place in healthful diets, heavily-processed foods (#4 and #5) should be avoided when possible. 

Here are the reasons why we should avoid consuming heavily-processed foods (the healthy employee):

  1. They contain little to no vitamins, minerals or fiber (“empty calories”), which are vital for health and wellbeing. The lack of fiber in ultra-processed foods lead to digestive disturbances such as bloating and constipation.
  2. They contain high quantities of salt, fat and sugar, all of which has a negative impact on your health.
  3. They are also high in additives and sweeteners, some of which make those foods addictive. One study showed that artificial sweeteners changed the brain pathways the regulated appetite, causing individuals to consume more calories and gain weight.
  4. They increase risk of:
    • Heart disease
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • Obesity
    • 18% higher risk of mortality

Here is another reason to shun heavily processed foods.

Medical News Today reports, April 2, 2021, that some common chemicals may harm our immune system, causing it to malfunction. This is known as immunotoxicityTrusted Source. These harmful effects may be temporary or permanent.

Possible immunotoxic effects include:

  • hypersensitivity
  • chronic inflammation
  • immunosuppression, or an impairment of the body’s ability to fight off infections
  • immunostimulation, which can cause tissue damage through immune responses
  • autoimmunity

In particular, if an immunotoxic substance causes the body to produce fewer antibodies, it can have an effect on the fight against active infections and the protection against future ones.

The FDA currently require immunotoxicity testing for food additives. However, most food additives received approval decades ago, and the FDA do not mandate updated testing on previously approved additives. The immunotoxicity of many food additives and food contact substances is largely unknown.

Below are two widely-used preservatives in heavily-processed foods which are harmful to our immune system:

  1. TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) is a common preservative that manufacturers use to prolong their products’ shelf lives, present in almost 1,250 processed foods, including Cheez-It crackers, Pop-Tarts, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. But TBHQ is found that have immunotoxic effects in animal studies.
  2. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are chemicals that coat packaging or food processing equipment which may leach from some bags, boxes and food wrappers into food. PFAS-based materials are also common in non-stick coatings on cookware, gaskets in food processing equipment, and repeat-use plastics. Testing conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that TBHQ may have immune suppressive effects. The researchers analyzed a total of 63 direct food additives present on more than 10 product labels sold in the U.S. in 2018–2020. They also specifically assessed nine identified PFAS that migrate from food packaging to food. The findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the EWG, said: “Food manufacturers have no incentive to change their formulas. Too often, the FDA [allow] the food and chemical industry to determine which ingredients are safe for consumption. Our research shows how important it is that the FDA take a second look at these ingredients and test all food chemicals for safety.”

~E

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Alarming increase of STDs among senior Americans

Posted on April 17, 2021 by | 7 comments

The eight common STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) or STIs (sexually transmitted infections), otherwise called venereal diseases, are chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and trichomoniasis. Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and HPV. Together, they  accounted for 98% of all STIs and 93% of all new STIs in 2018.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on any given day in 2018, 20% of the U.S. population – approximately one in five or 68 million people – had an STD. The cost to the American healthcare system was nearly $16 billion in healthcare costs, but the total cost far exceeded the medical cost because there are also other associated costs in lost productivity, other non-medical costs, and STD prevention.

According to the CDC’s annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report, 2018 saw increases in STDs, including:

  • An increase in syphilis by 14% (35,000 cases), the highest number reported since 1991, including increases in the number of primary and secondary syphilis cases – the most infectious stages of syphilis. In total, there were more than 115,000 syphilis cases documented,  the highest number reported since 1991.
  • Gonorrhea increased 5% to more than 580,000 cases – also the highest number reported since 1991.
  • Chlamydia increased 3% to more than 1.7 million cases – the most ever reported to CDC.

Dr. Oz and Michael Roizen, M.D., reported in December 2018 that a National Poll on Healthy Aging of more than 1,000 people ages 65 to 80 found that nearly three-quarters said they had a romantic partner, and 54% of them were sexually active.

But many of the sexually-active seniors are not practicing safe sex. STDs are at an all-time high among the elderly:

  • From 2007 to 2012, syphilis increased by 52% and chlamydia increased by 32%.
  • According to AARP, every year since then has seen about a 20% jump in the incidence of STDs. 

The CDC reports that while young Americans, aged 15-24, accounted for half of new cases of STDs, cases of several common STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) reached historic highs among older Americans, aged 55 and older:

  • Washington D.C., New York, and Maryland saw the highest instance of STDs among populations 55 and older with an average STD rate per 100,000 at 881.8, 236.2, and 172.7 respectively.
  • While Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota had the lowest instance of STDs among people aged 55 and older at 20, 17.8, and 14.9 per 100,000 respectively, they actually saw the highest percentage increases in STD contraction between 2008 and 2017 with Montana having a 275.1% increase (the highest among any state), Wyoming have a 239.7% increase (the second highest), and North Dakota having a 224.6% increase (5th highest).

Why the rising incidence of STDs among seniors:

  • Older people who have gone through menopause and andropause decrease using preventative measures such as condoms because pregnancy is no longer an issue.
  • For whatever reason, older people tend to under estimate their risk of contracting STDs.

This is a serious problem not only because of STDs’ health and financial costs, seniors with STDs are also at increased risk of more deadly illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, and HIV.

Indeed, the CDC report says that although the prevalence of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS) had remained roughly steady in the U.S. over the past several years, as many as 17% of the nearly 39,000 people newly diagnosed with HIV were 50 or older.

Since older people, for whatever reason, are less likely to test for HIV, this increases their risk of having a late-stage HIV infection, which means they could have already experienced major damage to their immune systems.

Instead of age conferring wisdom, older Americans are getting more stupid.

~E

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Too much iron in your blood a risk factor of early death

Posted on April 11, 2021 by | 2 comments

Iron is an essential mineral in our bodies because (source1; source2):

  • Without a sufficient amount of iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that makes it possible to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
  • Iron is used by the body to help regulate cell growth and cell differentiation.
  • Iron also helps keep your hair, skin and nails healthy.
  • Iron is also found in myoglobin, a protein that helps carry oxygen to the muscles and in some enzymes that help in biochemical reactions.

Free iron is toxic to cells. Hence, humans and other vertebrates have an elaborate set of protective mechanisms to bind iron in various tissue compartments.

In vertebrates, iron is stored in an intracellular protein as ferritin — usually found within cells, although it is also present in smaller quantities in (blood) plasma. Plasma ferritin is an indirect marker of the total amount of iron stored in your body.

The normal range of ferritin is 22 to 291 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter).

An iron deficiency can reduce oxygen delivery to the cells, leaving a person fatigued and with a compromised immune system.

Anemia is a health condition that develops when your blood has a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin makes up two-thirds of the body’s iron levels.

Symptoms of anemia include:

  • Fatigue or tiredness
  • Dizziness
  •  Shortness of breath
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Headaches
  • Rapid heart beat

Iron supplements are over the counter, but it can be very unhealthy and dangerous to take too much iron because the body cannot easily get rid of iron and will start depositing the excess iron in the heart, pancreas and liver. This can cause liver cancer, cirrhosis, diabetes and cardiac arrhythmias. The only way to shed excess iron in your body is by donating blood. (NYT)

In fact, a massive study published in 2020 found a link between blood iron (ferritin) levels and lifespan. 

David Nield reports for Science Alert that a study of genetic information from over 1 million people across three public databases found that having too much iron in the blood is linked to an increased risk of dying earlier. The study was published in July 2020, in the journal Nature Communications.

Paul Timmers, a data analyst from the University of Edinburgh in the UK, said: “We are very excited by these findings as they strongly suggest that high levels of iron in the blood reduces our healthy years of life, and keeping these levels in check could prevent age-related damage. We speculate that our findings on iron metabolism might also start to explain why very high levels of iron-rich red meat in the diet has been linked to age-related conditions such as heart disease,” Parkinson’s and liver disease.

While correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, the researchers used a statistical technique called Mendelian randomization to reduce bias and attempt to infer causation in the data.

We can add this latest study to the growing evidence that “iron overload” can have an influence on how long we’re likely to live, as well as how healthy we’re likely to be in our later years.

~E

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The cat who comforts the dying

Posted on April 2, 2021 by | 5 comments

The Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, believes in the therapeutic benefits of animal companionship and is home to a variety of animals, including a number of cats, parakeets, a floppy-eared bunny and several regular canine visitors.

But Oscar the cat is unique.

Oscar came to Steere House 11 years ago as a kitten. The staff decided to adopt him, and he immediately took on a very vital role for the nursing home. Oscar has the uncanny ability to sense when patients are dying and stays with them in their time of need. Oscar’s presence notifies the nurses that help is needed and enables the family members to prepare for the end.

Oscar made headlines in 2007 when he was featured in an article by David Dosa, M.D., in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the article, Dr. Dosa described how Oscar has demonstrated an ability to detect a patient’s impending death and how in doing so, he is able to provide a touch of comfort to the dying, elderly residents of Steere House’s Safe Haven Advanced Care unit and their families who are dealing with the latter stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of end-stage dementia.

I found these interesting comments by viewers of the video on YouTube:

“I’ve worked at a nursing home. We had a cat that curled up next to passing residents. Not every time, but often. It’s not uncommon.”

“Fascinating! Oscar is the split image of my cat Pip, they look exactly the same and both have shown an uncanny insight re the health and well-being of people to whom they are closely associated with. I live alone with my pet cat, Pip and at night she always sleeps at the foot of my bed. One evening last year after I had gone to bed, Pip came in and jumped up close to my head and immediately began to rummage her nose through my beard and under my chin, mainly on one side of my neck. This was very strange and unusual behaviour for my cat. I fell asleep soon after about 15 minutes of this treatment. In the morning Pip had gone out and I thought no more about what had happened but in the afternoon I I felt a little pain in my throat. This pain then continued daily and every time I was resting Pip would repeat what had happened that night. I began to sense that there was something seriously wrong with my throat and thought that Pip was trying to tell me this. Over the following weeks I saw 3 GPs and not one of them diagnosed my problem. Eventually I managed to get an appointment with a consultant at a hospital quite a long way from where I live and with a special instrument he was able to look far enough down my throat to see that I had a growth on my `voice-box` The biopsy showed that I had cancer. I underwent radiotherapy (6 sessions over 3 weeks) The cancer pain disappeared after 3 sessions and on the day that the pain went, Pip resumed sleeping at the foot of my bed I feel now that the cancer has gone, and Pip seems to think so.”

“Its true cats are amazing creatures. My elderly dad suffered a fall in the middle of the night on his way to the bathroom and hit his head and wasn’t able to get up. He was 98 years old. Our cat was outside at the time and he ran to my mom’s bedroom window and meowed until she woke up to let him in (around 3am) where she found my dad on the dining room floor in a pool of blood and called 911 to get him help. If it weren’t for our cat, my mom wouldn’t have found him until the morning.”

“I hope I have a cat lay next to me if I should have to live out my last days alone in a nursing home.”

See also “Peyo, the horse who comforts the sick and dying“.

~E

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RIP, Dave (1964-2020)

Posted on March 29, 2021 by | 10 comments

Today, March 29, would have been Dave’s 57th birthday.

Dave was a reader of Fellowship of the Minds from almost the founding of FOTM on December 23, 2009, and became a contributing writer soon after.

A civil engineer in mapping and land-surveying by profession, Dave was a staunch conservative-libertarian and had a great sense of humor.

Although his contributions to FOTM had greatly diminished in recent years because of ill health, this post of his, “Too Funny Not to Share,” on September 23, 2019, should give you an idea of both his conservativism and sense of humor:

Too Funny Not to Share

Posted on September 23, 2019 by  | 10 Comments | Edit

What happens when a climate change protester kook tries to take away a French cop’s weapon:

Watch this hypnotic GIF of a climate protester trying to take a cop’s rifle

Note: You have to click on the link at the top.

LOL – I bet you can’t stop watching it. 😁

– Dave

I downloaded the GIF, then uploaded it to FOTM to make it more readily viewable for our readers:

Last year, it dawned on me that I had not seen comments from Dave for quite some time — his last comment was in March 2020.

I first emailed him, but received no response.

Then I called him, and left a voice mail. (He lived alone.)

Days and weeks went by.

Still no response.

I began searching online for obituaries, but found none.

Finally, while rummaging through my saved emails one day, I happened on an email from Dave’s sister-in-law, Kristy, who had emailed me in December 2013 during one of Dave’s hospitalizations.

I emailed Kristy, inquiring about Dave, although by then I knew something was very wrong.

Kristy promptly wrote back with the sad news that Dave had passed on June 9, 2020 from liver failure. She wrote:

He was in terrible health and had stayed away from the hospital because he was afraid he’d get Covid. I believe he’d still be alive today if he had been able to get his routine care. He passed away on the couch and we had spoken with him just a day earlier. He knew he was loved and we miss him terribly.

There was no funeral service because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nor was there an obituary. So this is FOTM‘s obituary and tribute to Dave — faithful patriot, witty blogger, and a loyal friend, whom I very much miss.

Rest in peace, my friend.

~Eowyn

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This is what happens to newborn babies in a COVID-19 world

Posted on March 25, 2021 by | 6 comments

We already know that in the COVID-19 world, people died and are dying alone because family members are not allowed to visit their loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes.

But I had no idea that newborn babies are subjected to this utterly inhumane treatment, deprived of human touch (h/t Ian Miles Cheong):

~E

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Posted in COVID-19, Health

Peyo, the horse who comforts the sick and dying

Posted on March 20, 2021 by | 4 comments

The Guardian reports, March 12, 2021, that Peyo is a 15-year-old stallion who once competed at dressage events — a form of riding through a series of complex maneuvers performed in exhibition and competition.

Nowadays, by his choice, Peyo is a therapy horse who, with his trainer, Hassen Bouchakour, visits the palliative care center at Calais Hospital in northern France.

At the hospital, Peyo tells Hassen which room he wants to enter by stopping or raising his leg.

Peyo seems able to detect when humans have cancers and tumors, and has a sixth sense for those in the hospital who are in the most need.

Peyo often stays with sick people until the end, as in the case of a dying woman with whom Peyo stayed for nearly two hours.

Hassen said that since 2016, Peyo has comforted around 1,000 people until their last breath.

St. Bonaventure called animals “creatures without sin”.

And indeed, God’s non-human creatures are without the Original Sin — the concupiscence or inclination toward evil — which stains every human.

Truly, Peyo is a creature without sin — an angel in equine guise.

~E

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Arthritis and red meat

Posted on March 17, 2021 by | 5 comments

If you have arthritis or a joint disease, you may want to consider not eating red meat.

From 1MD:

The most common cause of joint pain in the United States is arthritis. There are many forms of this painful disease but the common factor is inflammation. Inflammation plays a valuable part of our immune defense because it rushes blood to an injury site. The white blood cells are therefore able to get to the destination quickly and protect us from infection.

However, our immune system sometimes triggers a response when there are no foreign invaders. With autoimmune diseases, our body starts to break down our own tissues as if they were infected. Joints are a very common area to become affected by these inflammatory attacks. The cartilage in the joints is eroded away and as the bones come into contact with each other, there is severe pain and discomfort.

Research and experience has pointed to foods playing an important role when it comes to the development of arthritis. When certain foods are avoided, people have reported improvements in their symptoms. It was discovered that vegetables are important in the reduction of inflammation. Not only do many possess anti-inflammatory properties but they also have the ability to destroy free radicals….

Foods that typically aggravate arthritis symptoms include dairy, fats, sugar, caffeine and meat. Studies found that by reducing consumption of these foods and increasing levels of omega-3 fatty acid intake, symptoms of joint pain were reduced.

Why is consumption of red meat bad for arthritis”

Iron is found to be a catalyst for the production of free radicals. Red meats supply an overload of iron and no vitamin C or E. These two vitamins are essential due to their ability to neutralize free radicals. A diet high in red meats that is not balanced by antioxidant-full vegetables is a guarantee to increase inflammation, worsening arthritis and joint pain.

It is important to understand that meat itself does not cause arthritis. Rather, it triggers or worsens the symptoms. Meat contains more purines than other foods, which are directly linked to increased uric acid levels.

The more purine that we take in, the higher the uric acid level production. As a byproduct, uric acid deposits in joints, which is known to trigger inflammation flare-ups. It is therefore recommended that those suffering from arthritis avoid a high-meat diet.

Additionally, fatty meats such as red or processed meats are high in saturated fats, which also increases inflammation. Because it is filling, it does not leave room for other foods in your diet. You may miss out on foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as cold-water fresh fish. A high-fat and high-calorie diet is also likely to cause weight gain, which adds additional pressure and strain to your joints….

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in meats and are notorious for enhancing inflammation in joints.

Why the food we eat affect our immune system:

Since 70% of our immune system cells reside in the gut, they come into direct contact with the food we eat. Meats with these attributes easily trigger an inflammatory response, which is why the amount you eat should be monitored.

What you should eat:

If you suffer from joint pain and arthritis there are a few foods that are pain-safe and should definitely be concluded on your diet. Even if you eat red meat fairly regularly, including these foods will help to keep your system balanced and can protect from excessive inflammation.

♦ Brown rice

♦ Cooked or dried fruits such as cherries, berries or pears. Stay clear of bananas, peaches and citrus fruits.

♦ Cooked green, yellow and orange vegetables

♦ Water. Drink plenty of water, regular or carbonated. Other beverages, especially caffeinated ones, can be triggers.

♦ Condiments are okay as long as they are eaten in moderation (this includes salt)

The bottom line:

Meat can provide much needed iron, protein, zinc, and B vitamins. As we age, we require more protein to protect against bone fragility, poor healing, and poor immune function. Because of this, you may not want to avoid meat altogether….

The best solution is to include non-fatty meats in your diet and to combine them with good portions of arthritis-friendly foods, such as whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables.

Take care of your joints and stick to lean cuts of pork and poultry or fish to deliver your protein and nutrients.

~E

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Coffee drinking associated with less pneumonia among elderly

Posted on March 13, 2021 by | 4 comments

Pneumonia is the leading cause of infection-related deaths in the United States, with potential for severe complications such as respiratory failure and sepsis. (CDC)

The mortality of rate is pneumonia is highest among the elderly (age 70 and over). In 2017, 261 out of 100,000 people died in this age group due to pneumonia. (Our World in Data)

From 2009 to 2014, a team of 13 Japanese scientists, led by Kyoko Kondo of Osaka City University Hospital, sought to find if there’s an association between coffee and green tea intake and pneumonia among the elderly.

The team undertook a matched case–control study of 65 years or older patients who were newly diagnosed with pneumonia by a physician at 24 hospitals in Japan. As a control, patients with the same sex and age who visited the same hospital around the same time for a disease other than pneumonia were selected.

A total of 199 cases and 374 controls were enrolled.

The study found a negative or inverse association between coffee drinking and pneumonia, i.e., the more coffee drinking, the less likelihood of pneumonia.

Compared to those who do not drink coffee, the odds ratio (OR) for pneumonia of those who drink less than one cup of coffee per day was 0.69, OR of those who drink one cup was 0.67, and OR of those who drink two or more cups was 0.50.

No association was found between pneumonia and green tea consumption.

The scientists conclude that their study “suggested” there is “a preventive association between coffee intake over 2 cups per day and pneumonia in the elderly“:

A large prospective cohort study in the United States showed an inverse association between coffee intake and total death, and there were inverse association between coffee intake and chronic respiratory diseases and pneumonia and influenza in deaths by cause3. Other cohort studies have also reported an inverse association between coffee intake and death from respiratory diseases (pneumonia, influenza, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and related symptoms)4,14. These findings suggest that coffee may have a preventive influence for chronic and acute respiratory diseases….

In addition to coffee drinking’s positive effects on respiratory functions, coffee also promotes anti-bacterial activity and intestinal flora:

Caffeine contained in coffee has arousal effect, inotropic effect, diuretic effect, and respiratory function improving effect, and theophylline of its metabolites, has bronchodilation, stimulation of respiratory center, and anti-inflammatory effect16. In addition, coffee components such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline have been reported to have antibacterial activity17,18,19,20,21,22.

There are also some research reports on the association between coffee and intestinal flora. Mills CE and colleagues have tested in vitro that chlorogenic acid, a type of polyphenol abundant in coffee beans23, improves the balance of the gut flora24. In addition, arabinogalactan contained in coffee beans has an effect of growing specific bifidobacteria25, and bifidobacteria grown in the large intestine have a function of activating immune cells26. Because the intestinal flora changes with aging, for example the number of bifidobacteria that work well for the body reduce significantly after the age of sixty27, these coffee components may have a beneficial effect on the gut flora. The role of these components in coffee may have played a role in reducing the risk of pneumonia in the elderly seen in this study.

To read the report of the study, see Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 5570 (2021)

Source: Nature.com

Also, a 2018 study by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health found that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of early death. In fact, drinking up to seven cups every day could cut death rates by 16%. (Independent)

~E

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