Czech Republic’s Frantisek Rajtoral found dead at home

The president of the Turkish side Gaziantepspor has confirmed reports that the Czech Republic international Frantisek Rajtoral killed himself at his home over the weekend, with the chief medical officer of international players’ union warning more needs to be done to combat mental illness among current professionals.

The 31-year-old, who played 14 times for his country and was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2012 quarter-finals, was found dead after Gaziantepspor alerted authorities to his absence on Sunday.

“Unfortunately I can confirm that the news of suicide is true,” Ibrahim Kizil told Turkish media outlet Sporx. “His team-mates were concerned after Rajtoral didn’t participate in today’s training session. He had good spirits, he didn’t seem to have any problem. I really don’t know why he did such a thing.”

The Czech Football Association expressed its “deepest condolences” to Rajtoral’s family, while his former club Viktoria Plzen released a statement paying tribute to their former player: “Rest in peace Rajt, we will all miss you so much, we will never forget you.”

According to a 2013 survey conducted by Vincent Gouttebarge, a former professional from France who is now chief medical officer for the international players’ union, FifPro, more than 10% of all deaths in professional football are attributed to suicide. That has led to several new initiatives designed to help combat the issue, including access to counsellors and the distribution of a handbook designed to explain the symptoms of common mental disorders.

“It’s always sad to hear that someone might have committed suicide. Every year we monitor deaths of current and retired players but of course it can be difficult to speculate on the cause of death,” Gouttebarge, who estimates they have distributed more than 10,000 of the guidebooks to 24 countries, told the Guardian.

“After a career, we are aware that retired players are likely to suffer from mental health problems because of the change from being an athlete to not being an athlete is not straightforward. If you are not well prepared for this second part of your life you are likely to experience some distress.”

Gouttebarge believes the death of the former Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke in 2009 was a major turning point in the fight against mental illness in football. FifPro is also trailing a new initiative after a study in the Netherlands called “After Career Consultation”, which concentrates on coping with five main areas post-retirement: the effect of the reduction of training, dealing with osteoarthritis (a common complaint among ex-players), developing a healthy lifestyle, mental health and education and career planning.

“In the last two years we have seen a huge change in the way this issue is seen,” he said. “We conducted several surveys to explore the extent of mental health problems and based on these findings we have tried to come up with some measures to help the players.

“Less than 1% of players are set up for life in financial terms by their careers, so the rest of them have to go out and find work. We are a union so money is always an issue but I think we are on the right track and I’m sure it will continue to get a better understanding as time goes on.”

In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.

Czech Republic’s Frantisek Rajtoral found dead at home

Bird flu found in flock of 6,000 turkeys in Lincolnshire

Bird flu has been confirmed in a flock of about 6,000 turkeys at a farm in Lincolnshire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. The H5N8 strain of avian flu – the same as that found in a flock of turkeys on a nearby farm on 16 December – was confirmed by the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Nigel Gibbens.

A number of birds at the farm in East Lindsey have died, and those remaining will be culled. The two cases are unlikely to be linked, but an investigation is under way, Defra said.

A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place around the affected farm to limit the risk of the disease spreading. It comes after H5N8 avian flu was found in flocks in Carmarthenshire, south west Wales, and Settle, North Yorkshire, earlier this month.

Bird flu found in flock of 6,000 turkeys in Lincolnshire

Bird flu found in North Yorkshire back yard

Bird flu has been found in a small flock in a back yard in North Yorkshire, the UK’s chief veterinary officer said, warning that people who kept chickens and ducks in their gardens needed to be vigilant.

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been put in place around the infected premises, near Settle, to limit the risk of the disease spreading. The remaining live birds in the small flock of chickens and ducks are being humanely culled, the department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

The same H5N8 strain of avian flu has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Lincolnshire and at a premises in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It has also been found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales.

The advice from Public Health England is that the risk to public health from the virus is very low. The Food Standards Agency has made clear that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.

The chief veterinary officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: “We have taken swift action to limit the risk of the disease spreading. Restrictions are now in place around the affected premises and a full investigation is under way to determine the source of the infection.

“This finding in a back yard flock shows how essential it is for all poultry owners, even those who just keep a few birds as pets, to do everything they can to keep them separate from wild birds and minimise the risk of them catching avian flu via the environment.

“This means keeping birds in a suitable building where possible, and taking precautions such as putting up netting, keeping food and water inside and disinfecting footwear and equipment after contact with birds.”

An avian influenza prevention zone that has been in place since 6 December will be extended until 28 February to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu, Gibbens said.

The zone requires keepers of poultry and other captive birds to continue to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate practical steps to keep them separate from wild birds.

It covers England and similar declarations have been made in Scotland and Wales. There is also a Britain-wide ban on poultry shows and gatherings.

Bird flu found in North Yorkshire back yard

Revealed: MRSA variant found in British pork at Asda and Sainsbury"s

Meat produced from British pigs has been shown to be infected with a livestock strain of MRSA, the Guardian can reveal, raising concerns that the UK is on the brink of another food scandal.

Tests on a sample of 97 UK-produced pork products from supermarkets show that three – sold at Asda and Sainsbury’s – were contaminated with the superbug strain which can cause serious health problems.

The Guardian, working with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), has also established that a loophole in import regulations is leaving an open door for MRSA CC398-infected live pigs from countries such as Denmark, where the disease is rife.

The findings have serious implications for human health. MRSA CC398 is a potentially deadly bacteria which can be resistant to even the strongest antibiotics. It is less harmful to humans than the MRSA bug that kills about 300 people in hospitals in England and Wales each year. But it causes unpleasant persistent infections and can seriously harm people with compromised immune systems, such as those already suffering other illness.

It is known to have been responsible for at least six deaths in Denmark, though that is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. People can contract the disease from infected meat, and from infected animals.

The superbug, like other foodborne germs, is killed by thorough cooking – but it can be passed on through lapses in hygiene. Workers on pig farms can also catch the disease from infected animals and pass it on to other people.

Without action to halt it, the spread of the bug could follow the pattern in Denmark, where MRSA CC398 became established over a decade, now afflicts about two-thirds of pig farms and is viewed as a major public health crisis, with 12,000 people believed to have contracted it. Currently, there is no screening programme for MRSA CC398 on British farms.

Prof Tim Lang, of the Centre for Food Policy at City University in London, said: “If we don’t have tight infection control and we don’t try to control the movement of live animals, infection can spread. The British are up in arms about the movement of people, but the EU also has a large movement of animals. We need biosecurity, we need to tighten up this livestock movement. You may get cheap meat, but in the long term it’s going to add to your public health problems.”

Prof Erik Millstone of Sussex University added that the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs from agriculture was “a huge threat to human health” and that there was a clear risk that MRSA CC398 could spread among British livestock herds and to people. He anticipated that the government would downplay this risk but warned: “While the [government] tries its customary tactics of blaming the victim, it won’t work.”

The tests were carried out by Dr Mark Holmes, director of studies in clinical veterinary medicine at Churchill College, Cambridge University, and commissioned by the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, founded by the Soil Association, Compassion in World Farming and Sustain. Two samples of minced pork from Asda and one from Sainsbury’s were found positive.

Last year, tests by the Guardian on 100 samples of pork in UK supermarkets, including a mix of imported and UK-bred meat, found nine contained the superbug. However, all but one of the infected products were of Danish origin, the other Irish. That investigation marked the first time MRSA CC398 had been publicly found in products in UK supermarkets.

Today’s follow-up tests are the first to name supermarkets whose UK-produced pork has been contaminated with the superbug. It is not possible to say whether these products originally came from imported pigs, or whether UK pig herds have been infected through imports. Either way, imports are likely to be the main agent spreading the disease, as the UK’s pork production has remained relatively free from MRSA CC398 until now, and the main method of spreading the disease is from animal-to-animal contact on farms.

At least one regular Danish supplier of imported pigs to the UK was found to be contaminated with the drug-resistant bacteria in 2014, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has established. The company –Breeding Centre Rønshauge A/S – refused to say how many pigs it had exported to the UK and whether they could have been contaminated. But official export figures show that the company supplied 41 pigs to the UK in July this year, 65 in 2013 and 16 in 2012.

But the UK government does not screen for the infection in imported animals, citing a low risk of serious illness. The main initial effect is a nasty skin infection that is disfiguring, unpleasant and highly infectious, but not fatal.

Emma Rose, from the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, said: “It is extremely worrying to find LA [livestock-associated]-MRSA in British-produced pork.”

“Scientists are now warning that the extensive MRSA reservoir in animals could ultimately lead to a pandemic spread in the human population. LA-MRSA is able to cause serious and potentially fatal infections in humans, and as the bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, it is extremely difficult to treat. What’s more, even more dangerous variations are emerging as the superbug evolves.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “Livestock-associated MRSA is not the same as MRSA strains that can cause healthcare-associated infections and if meat is handled and prepared properly the risk to people is low. Defra and the National Pig Association recommend that pigs imported to Britain are screened for LA-MRSA.

“The government is reviewing options for surveillance, which will be proportionate to the very low health risk posed by livestock-associated MRSA.”

Asda declined to comment on the test findings. Sainsbury’s told the Guardian that MRSA CC398 was “very uncommon” in British pork and that it worked with farmers “to ensure antibiotics are used responsibly and are taking advice from leading industry experts”.

The rise of the CC398 variant has been linked to the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming, where often cramped and dirty conditions allow disease to flourish and farmers become dependent on frequent doses of antibiotics.

The threat from imports of live animals has been overlooked, according to experts. When animals are imported, they have to undergo screening for a variety of other diseases, but screening for MRSA CC398 is purely voluntary. As a result, there is no way of knowing how many infected animals may have been brought to Britain.

Watch the Guardian’s investigation into how intensive pig farming is accelerating an antibiotic crisis.

There have been at least two confirmed cases of the disease found at UK pig farms, one of them in Northern Ireland and the other in eastern England. However, as no systematic tests are carried out on UK farms, it is impossible to know how many may harbour the bug.

Defra does not collate statistics on the number of farm animals imported, but figures from the Danish government show the UK imported more than 3,000 breeding pigs from the country in the past six years, including 916 in 2013, 598 the following year and 283 last year.

In the last three years, the UK food industry has been rocked with revelations from the Guardian of campylobacter in chicken, which can cause serious illness, stronger versions of salmonella with greater resistance, and of drug-resistant forms of E coli, recently found in one in four supermarket chickens, that thwart all but the strongest antibiotics. Most of the problems are thought to be down to the pressure towards factory farms producing the cheapest possible meat.

Revealed: MRSA variant found in British pork at Asda and Sainsbury"s

My eating disorder made me feel trapped in a box, but I found a way out

I found out my mum was dying four days before she passed away, and she wasn’t even the one who told me, it was my godfather. I had known she was unwell for some time, but her death still came as a shock. The last couple of days were very painful.

My issues with food started before her cancer diagnosis. At 12, I started to think I was fat. I have always been insecure about the way I look, so I went on a diet and it spiralled out of control. When I found out my mum was ill, everything got worse. I was eventually referred to children’s mental health services because I was so unwell. My life was so out of control that food, the one thing I thought I could control, became my obsession.

By the time my mum passed away, two years later, I was managing my eating disorder but not fully recovered. I was still very controlling about what I ate and worried about putting on weight. My family situation was getting more complicated: I had a difficult relationship with my dad and my grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s, so I ended up in foster care.

The next few years involved seeing various therapists and moving to different foster families. At 16, when I was sitting my GCSEs I reached my lowest point. As I was walking in to take one of my exams I felt exhausted, cold and tired. My anorexia was the worst it had ever been and I didn’t want to be alive anymore. My latest foster placement wasn’t working out. I felt lost and alone, walking around in a blur. Shortly after this, I was sectioned. Those around me were worried I might kill myself. I ended up being taken into hospital to be looked after.

Sometimes in life you just crack, you cannot really explain it. I cracked and thought, “I cannot do this anymore.” I didn’t know who I was or what I was doing and I was still struggling to come to terms with my mum’s death.

It feels strange to look back at this time because now – as a 20-year-old woman – I am well on the path to recovery. Today, I am happy, with an amazing foster mother and about to embark on a trip to India to learn yoga. I’ve turned my life around, although it hasn’t been easy.

My journey to recovery was not plain sailing. I spent a year in a hospital ward, and it got to the point where I was afraid to leave, because being in hospital changed me. The thought of having to stay overnight in a hospital now terrifies me, but there was a point where, for me, it was the norm.

It was while I was in hospital, aged 16, that I met the woman who changed my life: my foster mum. She gave me hope and made me feel loved. At first, I was cautious because of past relationships, but gradually she helped lift me out of my depression and offered me a new life with her.

I remember we had this really awkward tour around the unit when she first arrived and the nurses were like, “It’s so nice to meet you.” The moment I thought she might be the right person for me was when I was flicking through this Cath Kidston magazine and saw a bag I wanted. The next day she bought it for me and I was so surprised. I suddenly felt that someone had noticed me.

The turning point that finally got me out of hospital was when I wanted to go to a vegan Buddhist camp with her and her family. Me and my foster mum are both very stubborn and we were like, “Let’s do this.” I got discharged three days before the holiday and never went back. It was a lightbulb moment, and I didn’t want to fall further behind in school. After this, I joined college and started my new life in London.

My foster mum is so supportive. She used to sit with me all the time when I ate, even if I took an hour to get through a single yoghurt. She was patient and kind. She never seemed annoyed at me and took me on at difficult time in my life. She also gave me the best advice, telling me that everything passes and a lot of the time we feel bad but then that goes, life is about change and nothing lasts for ever.

She made me realise that people are scared of change because it feels wrong, but if recovery feels wrong then that’s exciting. It’s hard being ill but it’s also hard taking those first steps to recovery, although it’s so worth it.

Having an eating disorder is like being stuck in a box and you know others have left the box before, but you’re not sure how you are going to do it. You hate being in the box, but the outside world also seems scary, so you are sat there looking out through the keyhole thinking, “How do I get out?” I was feeling very suicidal, which was part of the reason why I didn’t eat. My depression led to my anorexia, which was never really about the food at all.

I believe everyone can get through an eating disorder. My experiences have taught me to be more comfortable about being vulnerable. Strength is accepting we are human and bad times and good times all pass. Life has its ups and downs but you must be brave enough to keep going. Real strength is admitting you are vulnerable, and, if you need help, please go and get it.

The Beat youthline can help young people experiencing an eating disorder: 0345 634 7650. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here

My eating disorder made me feel trapped in a box, but I found a way out

Toxic air pollution particles found in human brains

Toxic nanoparticles from air pollution have been discovered in human brains in “abundant” quantities, a newly published study reveals.

The detection of the particles, in brain tissue from 37 people, raises concerns because recent research has suggested links between these magnetite particles and Alzheimer’s disease, while air pollution has been shown to significantly increase the risk of the disease. However, the new work is still a long way from proving that the air pollution particles cause or exacerbate Alzheimer’s.

“This is a discovery finding, and now what should start is a whole new examination of this as a potentially very important environmental risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Prof Barbara Maher, at Lancaster University, who led the new research. “Now there is a reason to go on and do the epidemiology and the toxicity testing, because these particles are so prolific and people are exposed to them.”

Air pollution is a global health crisis that kills more people than malaria and HIV/Aids combined and it has long been linked to lung and heart disease and strokes. But research is uncovering new impacts on health, including degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, mental illness and reduced intelligence.

The new work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined brain tissue from 37 people in Manchester, in the UK, and Mexico, aged between three and 92.

It found abundant particles of magnetite, an iron oxide. “You are talking about millions of magnetite particles per gram of freeze-dried brain tissue – it is extraordinary,” said Maher.

“Magnetite in the brain is not something you want to have because it is particularly toxic there,” she said, explaining that the substance can create reactive oxygen species called free radicals. “Oxidative cell damage is one of the hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease, and this is why the presence of magnetite is so potentially significant, because it is so bioreactive.”

Abnormal accumulation of brain metals is a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease and a recent study showed that magnetite was directly associated with the damage seen in Alzheimer’s brains. Magnetite particles are known to form biologically in human brains, but these are small and crystal-shaped, unlike the larger, spherical particles that dominated the samples in the new study.

“Many of the magnetite particles we have found in the brain are very distinctive,” said Maher. “They are very rounded nanospheres, because they were formed as molten droplets of material from combustion sources, such as car exhausts, industrial processes and power stations, anywhere you are burning fuel.”

“They are abundant,” she said. “For every one of [the crystal shaped particles] we saw about 100 of the pollution particles. The thing about magnetite is it is everywhere.” An analysis of roadside air in Lancaster found 200m magnetite particles per cubic metre.

Furthermore, said Maher: “We also observed other metal-bearing particles in the brain, such as platinum, cobalt and nickel. Things like platinum are very unlikely to come from a source within the brain. It is a bit of an indicator of a [vehicle] catalytic converter source.”

Other scientists told the Guardian the new work provided strong evidence that most of the magnetite in the brain samples come from air pollution but that the link to Alzheimer’s disease remained speculative.

“This is a very intriguing finding and it raises a lot of important questions,” said Prof Jon Dobson, at the University of Florida and not part of the research team. But he said further investigation was needed: “One thing that puzzles me is that the [particle] concentrations are somewhat higher than those previously reported for the human brain. Further studies [are needed] to determine whether this due to regional variations within the brain, the fact that these samples are from subjects who lived in industrial areas, or whether it is possibly due to [lab] contamination.” The researchers said they had gone to great lengths to avoid contamination.

Air pollution was linked to a significant increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by a major study published in 2015, while other research showed brain damage related to Alzheimer’s disease in children and young adults exposed to air pollution. Air pollution has also been linked to dementia in older men and women.

“We have not demonstrated a causal link between these particles and Alzheimer’s disease but when you consider that magnetite has been found in higher concentrations in Alzheimer’s brains and you know that magnetite is pernicious in its effect on the brain, then having a direct [air pollution] source of magnetite right up your olfactory bulb and into your frontal cortex is not a great idea,” said Maher.

Prof David Allsop, an Alzheimer’s disease expert at Lancaster University and part of the research team, said: “There is no blood-brain barrier with nasal delivery. Once nanoparticles directly enter olfactory areas of the brain through the nose, they can spread to other areas of the brain, including hippocampus and cerebral cortex – regions affected in Alzheimer’s disease.” He said it was worth noting that an impaired sense of smell is an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Knowledge is power,” Maher said. “So if there’s at least a possibility that exposure to traffic pollution is having even worse health impacts than were previously known, then take the steps you can to reduce your dose as far as you can.”

“What this is pointing towards perhaps is there needs to be a major shift in policy and an attempt to reduce the particulate matter burden on human health.” Maher said. “The more you realise the impact this is having, the more urgent and important it is to reduce the concentrations in the atmosphere.”

Dr Clare Walton, research communications manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This study offers convincing evidence that magnetite from air pollution can get into the brain, but it doesn’t tell us what effect this has on brain health or conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Further work in this area is important, but until we have more information people should not be unduly worried. There are more practical ways to lower your chances of developing dementia such as regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.”

Toxic air pollution particles found in human brains

eleven Most Functional Spices That Remedy Cancer & Found In Every single Kitchen

Spices and herbs have lengthy been used for medicinal functions, such as fighting indigestion and other digestive problems. Research has located that the intense taste of spices is linked with large concentrations of antioxidants and other effective substances that have been established to cease cancer in its tracks.

Right here are eleven common kitchen spices that are amid the top normal cancer-fighting compounds accessible. Most of them are possibly already in your house and ready to use.

eleven Spices That Remedy Cancer &amp Found In Every Kitchen

Oregano

Oregano has incredibly substantial amounts of antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds. It is a powerful parasite fighter. 1 teaspoon of oregano has the exact same antioxidant electrical power (ORAC) of two cups of red grapes. It consists of the phytochemical Quercetin, which is known to slow cancer growth and also market apoptosis. And on best of that Oregano is a good source of Vitamin K and Iron.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne consists of capsaicin, known to be a effective antioxidant,” says Bontempo. “Some lab research have shown that capsaicin is toxic to cancer cells.” One particular study by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles College of Medicine, located capsaicin stifled the growth of prostate cancer cells, and even had the electrical power to destroy them off.

Turmeric

Its major antioxidant compound, referred to as curcumin, has been identified to destroy virtually every single variety of cancer cell that exists. Curcumin has been clinically shown to inhibit growth of numerous cancer cells which includes: Bone Cancer, Breast Cancer, Brain Tumors, Colon, Liver, Pancreatic, Stomach, Bladder, Kidney, Prostate, Leukemia, Ovarian, Melanoma, and much more!

Peppermint

Peppermint is a all-natural hybrid cross between water mint and spearmint. It has been utilized for thousands of years as a digestive aid to alleviate fuel, indigestion, cramps, and diarrhea. It may possibly also support with signs of irritable bowel syndrome and meals poisoning. Peppermint appears to calm the muscle groups of the abdomen and increase the movement of bile, enabling foods to pass by way of the stomach much more quickly. If your cancer or treatment is leading to an upset stomach, try out drinking a cup of peppermint tea.

Ginger

Another weapon in your kitchen’s cancer prevention arsenal, fresh ginger consists of gingerol although dried ginger kinds zingerone. “Gingerol and zingerone are believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and as a result could be protective towards cancer.

Saffron

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, frequently known as the saffron crocus. Saffron consists of more than 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds. It also has numerous nonvolatile lively components, several of which are carotenoids, like zeaxanthin, lycopene, and carotenes. These are the traits of a useful anti-tumor, anti-cancer therapeutic agent.

Cardamom

Cardamom oil has an effect on the enzymes connected with xenobiotic metabolic process and might as a result have benefits as a deterrent to cancer. Cardamom has also been demonstrated to decrease azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis by virtue of its anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic actions.

Clove

A number of bioactive parts are located in clove, including tannins, terpenoids, eugenol, and acetyleugenol.Its also remedy cancer, a few research performed in mice recommend its effectiveness, particularly in modifying cellular detoxification processes.

Cinnamon

Yep, even anything as frequent as everyday cinnamon can be used to minimize your chance of cancer. In several diverse scientific studies, cinnamon has been proven to decrease cancer threat. This might be due to its higher ranges of iron and calcium. Even as tiny as a single half-teaspoon of cinnamon each day may possibly be sufficient to take benefit of its anti-cancer properties.

Garlic

This humble spice boasts of medicinal qualities that aid decreasing cholesterol, increase metabolism and kill cancer cells. Very easily extra to vegetable dishes, fish preparations and salads, ginger enhances the flavour in cooking.

Thyme

Thyme is another culinary and medicinal herb. Thyme extract to activate promoters by means of the electrophile responsive component, therefore supplying potential clues about the mechanism by which thymol and carvacrol may influence enzyme expression and stop cancer.

Reference and sources:

caring.com

everydayhealth.com

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Look far more:

eleven Most Functional Spices That Remedy Cancer & Found In Every single Kitchen

Skeletons Of Jewish Victims Of Inquisition Found In Ancient Portuguese Trash Heap

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Bones from the flip of the 17th century discovered in a trash pit in Portugal may be the stays of Jewish men and women imprisoned during the Inquisition.

Skeletons Of Jewish Victims Of Inquisition Found In Ancient Portuguese Trash Heap

Survival Benefit Found Following Extended-Phrase Resynchronization Therapy

MADIT-CRT was an influential trial that showed a reduction in heart failure complications — but not mortality — when cardiac resynchronization treatment (CRT) was extra to an implantable defibrillator in individuals with mild heart failure who also had left bundle-branch block (LBBB). Individuals in the trial were followed for two.four years, raising queries about the long-term effects of CRT. Now, a 2nd seem at 854 sufferers who participated in a stick to-up examine, presented at the American College of Cardiology and published in the New England Journal of Medication, suggests that over the lengthy phrase, CRT may save lives in this population. MADIT-CRT was sponsored by Boston Scientific.

All round, there was a highly significant 41% reduction in death (P=.001) connected with CRT therapy in the massive subgroup of sufferers with LBBB. The mortality fee was distinct right after 1 yr and remained important all through follow-up. At 7 many years, the mortality charge was 29% in the management group versus 18% in the CRT group. There was an even larger variation in nonfatal heart failure events (P&lt0.001). The positive aspects have been remarkably constant across a broad assortment of subgroups.

However, the group of MADIT-CRT individuals who did not have LBBB showed no reduction in either mortality or heart failure events related with CRT. The authors wrote that this “lack of benefit of CRT in individuals with no left bundle-branch block was steady, regardless of the QRS duration or ECG morphologic findings with respect to proper bundle-branch block and an intraventricular conduction delay. As a result, at present, our information do not help early intervention with CRT in any subset of this population.”

In an accompanying editorial, Jeffrey Goldberger writes that the outcomes should serve “as a strong impetus to pursue CRT in patients with mild heart failure with decreased ejection fraction and left bundle-branch block.”

Arthur Moss, responding in CardioExchange to a query from John Ryan, mentioned the 2013 heart failure tips, which advocate CRT for non-LBBB individuals with a QRS duration of &gt150 msec, demands to be revised.

Survival Benefit Found Following Extended-Phrase Resynchronization Therapy

Young children are currently being "bombarded" by junk food ads, study has found

Campaigners want a ban on junk meals ads to be extended to the whole broadcast output shown ahead of the 9pm watershed. Photograph: Jean Michel Foujols/Corbis

Children are getting “bombarded” with as a lot of as eleven advertisements for junk meals during an hour’s viewing of family-orientated television shows this kind of as X-Factor, The Simpsons and Hollyoaks, study has located.

Campaigners are calling for the ban on the marketing of items higher in sugar, salt or unwanted fat – which at the moment only applies in the course of children’s programmes – to be extended to the whole broadcast output shown before the 9pm watershed. An alliance of organisations, Action on Junk Food Marketing, is urging ministers to near what it calls “a glaring loophole in junk meals advertising and marketing”.

The findings stem from an analysis of 784 adverts on well-liked ITV and Channel four displays throughout 20.75 hours of programming amongst October and December 2013 by Rosa Whalen and Emma Boyland of Liverpool University’s psychological sciences department. KFC, Lindt, Haribo, Coca-Cola and Cadbury, as well as the Aldi and Morrisons supermarket chains, have been amongst the manufacturers marketing their products.

“Parents will not assume their children to be bombarded with advertisements for unhealthy meals during primetime tv, but which is specifically what transpires,” explained Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Basis.

A government spokesman said the principles had been becoming kept below overview and it recognised the calls for improved restrictions on junk foods promoting.

Young children are currently being "bombarded" by junk food ads, study has found

Found At Final: The Most Incredible Dark Chocolate Ever

My quest to uncover the best of the best dark chocolate started out long, prolonged ago. Currently being vegan and adverse to GMOs I was challenging pressed to locate something I could consume and relish.

I considered my quest had been answered back in the early to mid 90’s when I travelled down under with a bunch of guys making a martial arts film.

On the Gold Coast, in Surfer’s Paradise, there was a shop known as, Chocolate to Die For. Contemplating my dream came correct I went in. The chocolate was dark and wealthy and the smell was overpowering. Right after tasting a piece I asked what the ingredients had been.

At 1st the reply was, “It’s a chocolate to die for mate”. After some persistence I was provided a sheet of paper with the substances. Every little thing looked great right up until I got to the lecithin. Same ol’ crap but in a diverse country.

What a horror it was not being ready to consume chocolate for about four years.

When I got back to Honolulu I fell into the dark chocolate candy-bar cycle. I hated that. I experimented with to consume one particular or two squares but my taste buds went crazy and I would wind up eating all of it at once. All I wished was natural dark chocolate with no GMO crap and individually wrapped minor chunks.

Before going additional, please enable me to tell you why I was hooked on only dark chocolate.

For openers I am a vegan and stay away from dairy merchandise. Up coming, dark chocolate contains flavanoids. Flavanoids offer you incredible wellness benefits, which contain cardio-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and cost-free-radical protection abilities. And that’s the tip of the iceberg.

Dark chocolate includes soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals like iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and selenium. It is an extraordinary source of antioxidants and polyphenols.

Think it or not, dark chocolate can improve blood flow and have an result on reducing blood strain to a small degree. With regard to the cardio-protective facet, dark chocolate’s antioxidants reduced the oxidized LDL and boost the HDL. LDL is the undesirable a single and HDL is the excellent a single.

Due to the fact of guarding towards the oxidation of LDL, dark chocolate triggers way much less cholesterol to accumulate in the arteries and lowers the danger of heart condition. In addition, the flavanols increase blood flow to the skin and can improve the density of the skin and its hydration.

So, one day I come across a dark chocolate that not only appears to great to be accurate but also has things in it that blew my mind. It was a absolutely natural dark chocolate that contained flower essences. Whaaat? Precisely!

So, I do a lot more research and I find that the flower essences include subtle energetic particles that operate along the acupuncture meridians to stability from within and are excellent for tension relief by dissolving the imbalances in the bodily method. To add far more extraordinary joy, all the chocolate is GMO-free, gluten free, 30 calories per piece, 2 grams of carbs per piece and totally soy free. This meant that I could ultimately be in management of how a lot I would consume at 1 time to satisfy my decadence.

So, I consider a stroll on the wild side and order some. It was like a dream come accurate. I have never ever in my lifestyle tasted any dark chocolate this amazing and I am previously on my 2nd batch and happier than a pig in doo-doo.

Want some? Please join me on my extraordinary stroll on the wild side by visiting Weiofchocolate.com.

Betcha cannot eat one particular!

Aloha!

About Hesh:

I have been undertaking a weekly radio display in Honolulu given that 1981 called “Health Talk”.

In 2007 I was “forced” to get a Masters degree in Nutrition since of all the physicians that would contact in asking for my credentials. They do not get in touch with in anymore.

Going to www.healthtalkhawaii.com enables you, amid other factors, to listen to the shows. I am an activist. In addition, I espouse an natural vegan diet for optimum wellness.

I am strongly opposed to GMOs, vaccines, processed food items, MSG, aspartame, fluoridation and almost everything else that the pimps (Huge pHarma, Monsanto and the huge food firms) and the hookers (the medical doctors, the government companies, the public well being officials, and the mainstream media) thrust upon us, the tricks.

After getting vaccinated with the DTP vaccine as a little one I produced asthma. Right after taking the natural sulfur crystals (they are harvested from the pine trees in Louisiana) in November of 2008 for 3 days my asthma reversed and has not come back in five years.

Twenty two instances, so far, of autism have been reversed, as has cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, joint ache, astigmatism, and gum illness.

There are numerous cases of improved sexual exercise, heavy metal and radiation elimination, parasite elimination, cost-free radicals elimination, quicker athletic recovery time, improved blood circulation, decreased inflammation, resistance to acquiring the flu, reduction of wrinkles, allergy reduction, lowered PMS and month-to-month time period ache, nausea, migraines, erectile dysfunction, ALS, and so considerably much more.

And it’s only attainable since of the oxygen the sulfur crystals release that floods the cells of the physique.

The sulfur, as proven by the University of Southampton in England, permits the body to make vitamin B12 and the vital amino acids. You can discover out far more about this extraordinary nutrient also on my web site – www.healthtalkhawaii.com -.

My guide, “A Sane Diet regime For An Insane World”, which has been published. and can be viewed at www.asanediet.com., will clarify just why what you consume, for the most part, is developed to keep you in a state of declining wellness.

I have recently discovered a item – Zeal – that contains 42 super-meals that do wonderful issues for the immune method, as effectively as fat loss applications and much more. To discover out a lot more about it go to large.zealforlife, or phone or e mail me.

HESH GOLDSTEIN, MSNUTRI
“Health Talk” Moderator, K-108 Radio
P.O. Box 240783
Honolulu, Hawaii 96824-0783
(808) 258-1177
www.healthtalkhawaii.com
www.asanediet.com
heshgoldstein@gmail.com

Found At Final: The Most Incredible Dark Chocolate Ever

Reduce Blood Pressure Found In Vegetarians

A new research gives the strongest proof yet that a vegetarian diet regime is strongly connected with reduced blood stress. Despite the fact that different wellness positive aspects of a vegetarian diet have often been proposed, a rigorous examination of the result on blood pressure has not been previously carried out.

In a paper published in JAMA Inner Medicine, Japanese researchers analyzed information from 7 clinical trials, like 311 participants, and 32 observational research, which includes 21,604 participants. In the clinical trials the vegetarian diet was connected with a 4.8 mm Hg drop in the systolic blood stress and a two.two mm Hg drop in the diastolic blood pressure. In the observational research, the reductions were 6.9 mm Hg and four.seven mm Hg.

The authors noted that the magnitude of the blood pressure-reducing result was about half the size of common antihypertensive medication and approximately equivalent to generally advisable lifestyle modifications this kind of as a minimal-salt diet regime or fat reduction. Based on preceding analysis the blood strain reductions would be expected to lead to a 7% reduction in overall mortality, a 9% reduction in coronary heart condition, and a 14% reduction in stroke.

The authors speculated about feasible explanations for the partnership among the vegetarian diet regime and blood pressure:

• Vegetarians are less probably to be obese and to have a reduced entire body mass index.


• Vegetarian diets are large in potassium.


• Some but not all scientific studies have found that vegetarian diet programs include significantly less sodium.


• Vegetarians could drink significantly less alcohol.

Reduce Blood Pressure Found In Vegetarians

Lower Blood Pressure Found In Vegetarians

A new review provides the strongest evidence nevertheless that a vegetarian diet plan is strongly associated with decrease blood stress. Although numerous health advantages of a vegetarian diet have frequently been proposed, a rigorous examination of the effect on blood pressure has not been previously performed.

In a paper published in JAMA Internal Medication, Japanese researchers analyzed information from seven clinical trials, like 311 participants, and 32 observational scientific studies, like 21,604 participants. In the clinical trials the vegetarian diet regime was related with a four.8 mm Hg drop in the systolic blood pressure and a 2.two mm Hg drop in the diastolic blood strain. In the observational studies, the reductions have been six.9 mm Hg and four.seven mm Hg.

The authors mentioned that the magnitude of the blood pressure-lowering impact was about half the dimension of normal antihypertensive medicines and roughly equivalent to commonly suggested life style modifications such as a minimal-salt diet regime or weight reduction. Based mostly on previous investigation the blood stress reductions would be expected to lead to a 7% reduction in total mortality, a 9% reduction in coronary heart ailment, and a 14% reduction in stroke.

The authors speculated about possible explanations for the relationship in between the vegetarian diet regime and blood stress:

• Vegetarians are significantly less probably to be obese and to have a decrease body mass index.


• Vegetarian diet plans are large in potassium.


• Some but not all studies have discovered that vegetarian diets incorporate less sodium.


• Vegetarians might drink less alcohol.

Lower Blood Pressure Found In Vegetarians

Lawsuit claims PCBs found in ten fish oil dietary supplements item labeling sought

SANTA CRUZ – Folks acquiring particular fish oil supplements to get the advantage of omega-3 fatty acids are ingesting chemical compounds banned in 1979, according to environmental advocates who filed a lawsuit Monday aimed at forcing companies to warn shoppers.

The lawsuit names five makers of dietary supplements located to have polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, drugstores CVS and Rite Support, which promote people goods, and Omega Protein Inc., of Houston, which touts itself as the world’s greatest producer of omega-three fish oil.

Lawyer David Roe filed the suit in San Francisco Superior Court contending Proposition 65, a law he aided compose, calls for consumers to be warned when goods incorporate toxic components above the restrict deemed risk-free by regulators.

Some of the tested supplements exceed California’s daily restrict for PCBs by a factor of 10 in terms of the cancer risk, Roe mentioned.

A restrict has not been set for the danger of birth defects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been studying that risk for 20 many years, explained co-plaintiff Benson Chiles, director of the Coastal Ocean Coalition in New Jersey.

“Our message to the public is: ‘Buyer beware,’” Chiles explained.

Manufacturers of the dietary supplements contest the benefits of the tests, saying their products are secure.

Two organizations whose merchandise have been examined issued swift responses.

Twinlab’s chief science officer, Greg Grochoski, said the two Twinlab Norwegian cod liver oils tested are distilled to minimize impurities this kind of as PCBs and meet government standards.

Stephen McCauley of public relations firm Porter Novelli responded for Pharmavite LLC, which can make Nature Manufactured fish oil supplements, saying its merchandise comply with all federal laws as well as “the stringent market standards” set by the Council for Accountable Nutrition, a trade group.

“PCBs are ubiquitous inside of the atmosphere, which implies that all fish – whether fish identified in oceans and rivers or fish oil dietary supplements – contain at least trace amounts of PCBs,” explained Erin Hlasney of the Council for Accountable Nutrition. “The attorneys are employing California’s Prop. 65 statute to bring interest to their situation by trying to frame this as a public wellness concern, when in actuality, fish oil has loved decades of secure use.”

Chris Manthey, a Surfrider volunteer in New Jersey and one particular of the plaintiffs, stated, “Many of them say their dietary supplements have been ‘treated’ to get rid of or decrease PCBs. Since they don’t say how a lot PCB contamination is still left, even buyers who choose ‘treated’ supplements can not know what PCB levels they’re swallowing.”

The exams, done by a California lab at a expense of $ one,000 per product, measured PCBs two ways, in accordance to the plaintiffs.

1 way determines every day publicity to PCBs by hunting at all 209 separate compounds in the PCB chemical household. The 2nd way seems at toxicity based on the 12 most toxic compounds in the PCB loved ones.

Some dietary supplements did far better on one particular check than the other. Now Meals cod liver oil and salmon oil were substantial in every day publicity to PCBs and reduce on the toxicity measure. Nature Made cod liver oil was substantial in terms of the toxicity measure and reduce in terms of daily publicity if taken as directed.

Roe stated far more pricey merchandise did not automatically get much better results.

The plaintiffs, which consist of the Mateel Environmental Justice Basis of Eureka, mentioned they chosen goods primarily based on a survey by the Environmental Defense Fund of fish oil purification practices at 75 businesses.

“We had been not cherry-selecting,” explained Manthey, noting the exposure degree for Now Meals shark liver oil was reduced.

Scott Daniel, marketing communications manager at Now Meals, stated the organization has been investigating the considerations raised by environmental advocates for months.

“The current testing approaches for PCBs are hugely variable and incomplete,” Daniel explained. “There are no universal specifications to test for the 209 various compounds that are included below the term PCB. Even so, we believe we are in compliance with the most widely followed market and regulatory requirements.”

Daniel suggested shoppers pick items produced from small fish with quick daily life spans, this kind of as anchovies and sardines.

Solgar and GNC, producers of other merchandise named in the lawsuit, did not reply instantly.

New Leaf Local community Market, a nearby natural health food chain, has been stocking 9 manufacturers of fish oil supplements at its Felton keep, but after vitamins manager Tracy Frankl heard about the lawsuit, she pulled Twinlab’s emulsified Norwegian cod liver oil off the shelf.

“We do not want to promote a item we really do not feel is safe,” said New Leaf co-proprietor Scott Roseman.

He explained New Leaf would talk to fish oil makers about their goods and their labeling.

3 nearby organizations make supplements with fish oil, but none was examined for this lawsuit.

“We come to feel consumers should have access to exact details about environmental contaminants and that comprehensive transparency about freshness and purity is quite, extremely essential,” said Tiffany Diehl, strategic undertaking manager at Nordic Naturals in Watsonville.

The organization has participated in third-celebration testing and posts results on its Internet site, she mentioned.

Marci Clow, senior merchandise investigation director at Rainbow Light in Santa Cruz, declined to comment and Threshold Enterprises of Scotts Valley did not instantly reply.

Soquel resident Madelaine Hairrell, who will take fish oil to reduce cholesterol, was surprised by the findings.

“It may possibly modify the way I take dietary supplements,” she stated. “I seem on the labels to see which is the most normal and unpolluted. I try out to get the best top quality I can afford.”

Experts have located that it is not expense successful for most fish oil firms to try out and clean their solution.  They recommend buying a fish oil alternative, such as PhytOriginal manufactured by Aqua Wellness Labs, which is live phytoplankton.  It contains all of the very same nutrients as fish oil but absorbs significantly easier.   They increase it utilizing purified ocean situations, 100% guaranteeing that your supplement only contains the ideal ingredients.  Fish oil could in no way be ready to be trusted again along with the Fukushima incident.  Physicians are suggesting staying away from all fish that might have been exposed to Pacific Ocean currents.

ten Merchandise Tested

Nature Created cod liver oil and odorless fish oil producer Pharmavite LLC in Northridge

Twinlab Norwegian cod liver oil and emulsified Norwegian cod liver oil manufactured in American Fork, Utah

Now Food items shark liver oil, double power cod liver oil and salmon oil produced in Bloomingdale, Ill.

Solgar 100 percent pure Norwegian shark liver oil complicated and Norwegian cod liver oil produced in Leonia, N.J.

GNC liquid Norwegian cod liver oil produced in Pittsburgh

Lab exams of these 10 fish oil dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids located they incorporate some of the 209 polychlorinated biphenyl compounds recognized to result in cancer and birth defects.

PCBs became subject to California’s Prop. 65 warning necessity in 1989 for cancer and in 1991 for birth defects. When extensively utilised in electrical transformers, PCBs have been banned by Congress in 1979, but the Excellent Lakes and the Hudson River stay contaminated despite cleanup efforts. The chemical, which was produced to last a extended time without breaking down, accumulates in the foods chain.

Jordan Markuson is the Founder of Aqua Health Labs. He has been a nutritionist, writer and conservationist for more than 10 many years. He is an activist supporting consumption of raw, renewable, and organic foods. Jordan believes that primarily based on all obtainable scientific evidence, once meals is processed it loses the bulk of the crucial nutrients. He is extremely interested in marine-primarily based phytoplankton as a fish oil substitute since of the pure omega-three EPA &amp DHA essential fatty acid it produces.

www.fishoilsafety.com

Lawsuit claims PCBs found in ten fish oil dietary supplements item labeling sought

Probably Fatal Complication Found In Heart Valve Put In Kids

Pediatric cardiac surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital are warning the health care neighborhood about a possibly fatal dilemma in children and young adults who received a bioprosthetic valve produced by Sorin. The surgeons initially grew to become concerned when a youthful asymptomatic patient died out of the blue after her valve underwent fast calcification, only 7 months right after a routine followup echocardiogram found no indications of blockage.

“Congenital aortic valve illnesses are one particular of the much more widespread heart defects that we see,” mentioned Pedro J. del Nido, the chair of cardiac surgery at BCH, in an interview. Simply because there are no tissue or mechanical valves that have been developed for children, surgeons choose each time attainable to repair the native valve in the hope that by the time it needs substitute the kids will be previous ample to acquire  an adult valve. Valve replacement is in no way perfect. Mechanical valves are highly sturdy but require lifelong anticoagulation. Bioprosthetic valves, which are manufactured from animal tissue, really do not require anticoagulation, but are much less durable and at some point require to be replaced. When a repaired valve deteriorates, or the kid is not a ideal candidate for repair, adult valves may be implanted. BCH performs about 60-80 aortic valve surgeries each 12 months, mentioned del Nido.

In recent years surgeons at BCH and elsewhere started out making use of the Sorin Mitroflow valve, which is made from bovine tissue, in the aortic position. (In children the valve has largely been used to replace the pulmonary valve. No extra problems have been associated with this usage.) Following the death final year of the patient, who received the Mitroflow in 2011, medical doctors at BCH began an intense surveillance of all 18 sufferers at their institution who had obtained the Mitroflow valve in the aortic place. They located 4 extra situations of speedy calcification. (Three patients had their valves replaced with a mechanical valve the other is currently being watched closely.)

“The fast failures that we’re reporting have only been reported with the Mitroflow,” mentioned del Nido. “We assume all bioprosthetic valves to fail ultimately. The distinction now is the velocity of the deterioration, in two to 3 many years alternatively of the six many years that we would count on.” Usually, he mentioned, individuals are followed on a yearly basis. “But the speed of deterioration is so speedy that you won’t catch this dilemma early on.” BCH is now recommending that kids with the Mitroflow valve be followed every 4 to 6 months so they can be caught ahead of a dilemma occurs.

The American Society of Echocardiography forwarded a letter to its members from del Nido and James Lock, the chair of the cardiology division at BCH. The BCH physicians have also notified the FDA and the producer of Mitroflow, the Sorin Group.

John Osborne, a cardiologist in Texas, first notified me about this information and supplied the following point of view:

This is a pediatric/young adult population with congenital and genetic types of valve condition that had aortic valve replacement with this distinct bioprothetic valve. Even though calcification and resultant prosthetic valve dysfunction– especially bioprosthetic valve stenosis– is a known complication of bioprosthetic valves, especially in the younger, the time program and hyperacute onset of this complication is what is so uncommon. This procedure of degeneration and resultant dysfunction of bioprosthetic valves is typically relatively slow occurring in excess of many years, or at most months, and is effortlessly identified by echocardiography so that the valve can be electively replaced prior to crucial failure. In addition, these sufferers typically have symptoms to set off an evaluation of the valve.

What the esteemed pediatric cardiothoracic and cardiology groups at Boston Children’s Hospital describe is a extremely uncommon predicament in which the valves appear to be doing work typically, then all of a sudden (more than weeks, apparently – the accompanying graph in the letter describes this properly ) the valves grow to be abruptly calcified and stenotic although the sufferers have NO symptoms to indicate prosthetic valve dysfunction. This situation has resulted in at least 1 death. I have by no means heard of a similar difficulty of hyperacute calcification and failure in bioprosthetic valves which can make this biologically intriguing and really concerning for the physicians and their sufferers with the Mitroflow valve in the aortic place.

Probably Fatal Complication Found In Heart Valve Put In Kids