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‘Embarrassing’: US Absent as World Joins Together to Protect Biodiversity
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21-Year-Old Fully Vaccinated Student Dies of COVID, as Breakthrough Cases Continue to Climb
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Members of Congress Own Millions in Facebook Stock While Weighing New Tech Laws
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What Happens When Doctors Buck Government Narrative on COVID?
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New Filing Reveals Sinema Pads Campaign Coffers With More Pharma and Finance Funds
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Food Sovereignty: A Manifesto for the Future of Our Planet
Todays Videos:
1. The moral roots of liberals and conservatives – Jonathan Haidt
2. DR DHAND’s latest DEPLATFORMING + a new way to FOLLOW ME…
3. False Facts of COVID Hospitalizations, with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya | The Megyn Kelly Show
4. New Rule_ Don’t Segregate the Anthem _ Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Is a Meditation Habit a Secret to Bulletproof Immunity? Science Says
Carnegie Mellon University and UCLA, October 12, 2021
Usually we don’t think of our immune system as highly intelligent and flexible, but rather, a mechanical process that (we hope) will take care of business in the background with minimal issue. In the world of science, however, this orientation radically changed in the 80s when it was discovered that the immune system is actually a “floating brain” — where immune cells throughout the body respond to chemical messages. Incredibly, researchers found that every thought, mood, sensation and expectation we have is relayed to our immune cells through these messengers, thereby wielding incredible power over how efficient (or not) our body is able to fight disease.
Taking it a step further, scientists began to explore how this process is influenced by meditation. What they found is inspiring. Remarkably sensitive to both negative and positive thoughts, the immune system reflects where we are at any given time — emotionally, physically and mentally.
With this in mind, researchers examined how meditation can create a positive mental state, which, in turn, helps boost immunity. Publishing the results in the journal of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the team discovered that when older adults participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program, there was a significant decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, which resulted in a lowered risk for morbidity and mortality. Interestingly, previous behavioral treatments to reduce loneliness and subsequent health risks had limited success, unlike the meditation program.
Another study also demonstrated meditation has a favorable impact on immunity. When 48 biotech workers participated in weekly meditation training over the course of eight weeks, they had notably higher levels of antibodies compared to the control group who didn’t meditate, as well as increased levels of antibodies than when they started the trial.
Likewise, this groundbreaking study examined 20 randomized control trials to establish the effect mindfulness meditation has on the immune system. The authors found:
- Reduced markers of inflammation, high levels of which are often correlated with decreased immune functioning and disease.
- Increased number of CD-4 cells, which are the immune system’s helper cells that are involved in sending signals to other cells telling them to destroy infections.
- Increased telomerase activity; telomerase help promote the stability of chromosomes and prevent their deterioration (telomerase deterioration leads to cancer and premature aging).
And Richard Davidson, professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found participants who received mindfulness training for eight weeks showed greater levels of antibodies, compared to the control group who were injected with the flu vaccine.
Researchers have consistently established mindfulness meditation increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, the right anterior insula and right hippocampus, all of which control positive emotions and awareness. They’re also the areas of the brain that strongly influence the immune system. When these regions are stimulated, immunity is enhanced overall.
As Jennifer Wilkins writes in “Train Your Brain to Boost Your Immune System,” she believes there are additional factors involved in the positive effect of meditation in relation to heightened immunity.
- Decreased stress, increased emotional regulation: When we meditate, we encourage health-giving chemical messages from the brain, reduce our levels of stress (a proven health-killer), decrease rumination and increase our ability to handle difficult emotions.
- Activation of the second brain (the gut): Mindfulness can stimulate immunity via the gut microbiota, of which the latter plays a major role in a healthy immune response. When we are under chronic stress, our gut microbiota becomes less diverse. When this happens, one of our prime defenses against infectious disease is compromised and our central nervous system (CNS) can become stuck in a damaging hyper-vigilant loop, further compromising our immune system.
So what’s the best way to move forward to assure a hearty and healthy immune response?
The Chopra Center recommends the following:
- Keep up regular meditation morning and evening.
- Reduce and avoid stress, since the immune system is easily compromised when stress hormones surge.
- Seriously address low-level chronic stresses that may be present at home or work. You are not helping your immune status by putting up with constant “minor” stress.
- Get adequate sleep, which is directly connected to brain function and hormone levels.
- Wash your hands several times a day, and always after direct contact with someone else’s skin. Doctors who make sure to wash their hands after seeing every patient reduce hospital-borne infections by more than 50 percent.
Moreover, Ayurvedic wisdom is supportive for not only a health fortifying meditative practice, but also for ultimate balance of mind, body and spirit.
“The Ayurvedic approach is about aligning with the infinite organizing power of nature rather than struggling or trying to force things to go your way. This principle is embodied by the Law of Least Effort. When you observe nature, you will notice that grass doesn’t try to grow; it just grows. Birds don’t try to fly; they just fly. Flowers don’t try to blossom; they just blossom. Nature functions with effortless ease, frictionlessly and spontaneously. It is intuitive, holistic, non-linear, and nourishing. You will expend least effort when your actions are motivated by love, because nature is held together by the energy of love. When you chase after status, money, power, or accolades, you waste energy, but when your actions are motivated by love, your energy expands and accumulates. So take it easy and be guided by love.”
UTA microbiologist studies impact of fermented soybean products on digestive health
University of Texas, October 13, 2021
A mircobiologist at The University of Texas at Arlington is studying how fermented soybean products impact human digestive health.
Woo-Suk Chang, assistant professor of biology, received a one-year, $100,000 contract—with probable renewal up to three years—from the Microbial Institute for Fermentation Industry (MIFI) in South Korea. He will investigate the mechanism of MIFI’s cheonggukjang pill, a fermented soybean supplement proven to boost digestive health.
Cheonggukjang is a traditional Korean food made of fermented soybean paste that is often used to prepare stew. Fermented soybean products are popular cuisine in China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, offering health benefits that include antioxidant and anticancer effects, obesity prevention and improved insulin sensitivity.
Using microbiome analysis of stool samples, Chang will monitor how the cheonggukjang pill affects the digestive health of two human-subject groups: those with normal digestion and those who suffer from poor gut health, including irritable bowel syndrome or sensitivity to dairy.
“Cheonggukjang is a good source of protein and is packed with beneficial nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium and potassium,” Chang said. “Understanding how it interacts with the microorganisms inside the human digestion system could allow us to more effectively treat a number of illnesses.”
He hopes to provide evidence of the pill’s health benefits to cheonggukjang manufacturers and consumers and to isolate its most potent qualities to improve the product’s efficacy.
Clay Clark, professor and chair of the Department of Biology, said Chang’s research demonstrates the University’s commitment to exploring health innovations and improving the human condition.
“Dr. Chang, like many of UTA’s biology faculty, is dedicated to addressing problems that directly impact our community,” Clark said. “His research will improve scientific knowledge of bacterial differences between healthy and sick individuals and enhance the quality of life for those with digestive disorders.”
Doyeon Jeong, director of MIFI, said the institute is enthusiastic to begin an international collaboration with UTA. He expects to support Chang’s research into the functionality of the cheonggukjang pill for the next three years. As the largest institute for food-related microbiome resources in South Korea, MIFI offers more than 42,000 microbial resources to researchers worldwide.
Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute, October 12, 2021
Differences in the bacterial make up of breast tissue in those with breast cancer point to the existence of a “microbiome” within the breast as well as the prospect of probiotic use in the battle against this disease.
Health care of the future may include personalized diagnosis of an individual’s “microbiome” to determine what probiotics are needed to provide balance and prevent disease.
Findings from the US study reveal healthy breast tissue contains more of the bacterial species Methylobacteriumâ‹, a species known to produce phytohormones that exert an anti-cancer effect.
“To my knowledge, this is the first study to examine both breast tissue and distant sites of the body for bacterial differences in breast cancer,” said Dr Charis Eng co-senior author and chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute
“Our hope is to find a biomarker that would help us diagnose breast cancer quickly and easily. In our wildest dreams, we hope we can use microbiomics right before breast cancer forms and then prevent cancer with probiotics.”
While it may be some way off, the prospect of probiotic use in breast cancer is making some interesting headway.
Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic found in yogurt and kimchi, has shown anti-cancer properties as its ingestion has found its way to the mammary glandâ
The species are found in abundance in healthy breast tissues compared to cancerous tissues. Its presence in fermented milk products may also exert protective antioxidant effects‹
Study details
Published online in the journal Oncotarget, the study examined the tissues of 57 patients who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer or cosmetic breast surgery.
The team from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio also looked at patients’ oral rinse and urine to assess bacterial composition of these sites.
In addition to the Methylobacterium finding, cancer patients’ urine samples were found to have increased levels of gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Actinomyces
“If we can target specific pro-cancer bacteria, we may be able to make the environment less hospitable to cancer and enhance existing treatments,” said co-senior author Dr Stephen Grobymer, section head of surgical oncology at Cleveland Clinic.
“Larger studies are needed but this work is a solid first step in better understanding the significant role of bacterial imbalances in breast cancer.”
Probiotics and the Breast
For women undergoing breast surgery, the role of probiotics may provide some much-needed benefit in postsurgical infections.
According to an article ‹published last month, their use “would be of great interest and importance to examine the precise mechanisms and correlate the reported alterations of the microbiome with the infectious complications in the surgical and/or critically ill patient.”
Additionally, the microbiome’s role in breastfeeding is well established, with the interplay between gut and breast microbiota crucial breastfeeding and infant development.
A breastfeeding mother’s gut microbiome has a crucial role in her offspring’s immune development.
In addition, distinct sites in and around the breast such as breast skin tissue, swabs, and cheek swabs are known to have unique microbiome signatures.
These microbes reside within breast tissue irrespective of a history of infection or lactation.
Natural light may be key to improving mood and reducing insomnia
Monash University (Australia), October 13, 2021
A new study led by Monash University has revealed that getting enough natural sunlight each day can impact a person’s mood and sleep quality.
Monash University Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health Ph.D. student Angus Burns and Associate Professor Sean Cain led an international research team that has had their work published in the upcoming December issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.
The cross-sectional and longitudinal study of more than 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank program found that a lack of daytime light exposure was a risk factor for depressive symptoms, poor mood, and insomnia.
Mr. Burns said that most messaging around light and health is focused on avoiding light at night, as it disrupts our body clocks, but this study highlights the importance of getting enough daylight to ensure our bodies function optimally.
“In this study, we observed that the greater time spent in outdoor light during the day was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, lower odds of using antidepressant medication, better sleep and fewer symptoms of insomnia,” Mr. Burns said.
“These results may be explained by the impacts of light on the circadian system and the direct effects of light on mood centers in the brain.”
Associate Professor Cain said making minor adjustments to a person’s daily routine could help improve their mood, sleep, and energy levels.
“People now spend most waking hours in intermediate, artificial lighting conditions, due to reduced sunlight exposure and relatively bright night-time light exposure,” he said.
“In this study, we observed that greater time spent in outdoor light was associated with better mood outcomes, better quality sleep, and ease of wakening.
“Insufficient exposure to daytime light could be a key factor contributing to poor mood and sleep outcomes in depressive disorders. My general advice for everyone is simple: When the sun is out, get as much light as you can, but after it sets, keep it dark. Your body will thank you.”
Warning signs for dementia found in the blood
University Medical Center Göttingen (Germany), October 11, 2021
Researchers at the DZNE and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) have identified molecules in the blood that can indicate impending dementia. Their findings, which are presented in the scientific journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, are based on human studies and laboratory experiments. University hospitals across Germany were also involved in the investigations. The biomarker described by the team led by Prof. André Fischer is based on measuring levels of so-called microRNAs. The technique is not yet suitable for practical use; the scientists therefore aim to develop a simple blood test that can be applied in routine medical care to assess dementia risk. According to the study data, microRNAs could potentially also be targets for dementia therapy.
“When symptoms of dementia manifest, the brain has already been massively damaged. Presently, diagnosis happens far too late to even have a chance for effective treatment. If dementia is detected early, the odds of positively influencing the course of the disease increase,” says André Fischer, research group leader and spokesperson at the DZNE site in Göttingen and professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at UMG. “We need tests that ideally respond before the onset of dementia and reliably estimate the risk of later disease. In other words, tests that give an early warning. We are confident that our current study results pave the way for such tests.”
The biomarker that Fischer and his colleagues have found is based on measuring microRNAs in the blood. MicroRNAs are molecules with regulatory properties: They influence the production of proteins and thus a key process in the metabolism of every living organism. “There are many different microRNAs, and each of them can regulate entire networks of interdependent proteins and thus influence complex processes in the organism. So microRNAs have a broad impact. We wanted to find out whether there are specific microRNAs whose presence in the blood correlates with mental fitness,” Fischer says.
Through extensive studies in humans, mice and cell cultures, the researchers ultimately identified three microRNAs whose levels were associated with mental performance. For this, they analyzed data from both young, cognitively normal individuals and from elderly people with mild cognitive impairment. For the data from healthy individuals, the Göttingen scientists cooperated with Munich University Hospital. The data from MCI patients came from a DZNE study that has been running for years and involves university clinics throughout Germany.
Omens of dementia
In the end, the findings came together like pieces of a puzzle: In healthy individuals, levels of microRNAs correlated with mental fitness. The lower the blood level, the better the subjects performed in cognition tests. In mice, in turn, this score increased even before the rodents started to show mental decline—regardless of whether this was due to age or because they developed symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s dementia. Further evidence came from patients with MCI: Of those in whom the blood marker was highly elevated, about 90 percent developed Alzheimer’s disease within two years. “We therefore see an increased blood level of these three microRNAs as a harbinger of dementia,” Fischer says. “We estimate that in humans this biomarker indicates a development that is about two to five years in the future.”
In their studies on mice and cell cultures, the researchers also found that the three identified microRNAs influence inflammatory processes in the brain and “neuroplasticity,” which includes the ability of neurons to establish connections with each other. This suggests that the three microRNAs are more than warning signals.
“In our view, they are not only markers, but also have an active impact on pathological processes. This makes them potential targets for therapy,” Fischer says. “Indeed, we see in mice that learning ability improves when these microRNAs are blocked with drugs. We’ve observed this in mice with age-related mental deficits, as well as in mice with brain damage similar to that occurring in Alzheimer’s disease.”
The novel marker still requires further testing; moreover, the current measurement procedure is too complex for practical use: “In further studies, we aim to validate this biomarker clinically. In addition, we intend to develop a simple test procedure for point-of-care screening,” says Fischer. “Our goal is to have a low-cost test, similar to the rapid test for SARS-CoV-2, with the difference that for our purposes, you would need a drop of blood. Such a test could be used during routine checkups in doctors’ practices to detect an elevates risk of dementia early on. Individuals with suspicious results could then undergo more elaborate diagnostics.”
‘Ridiculously healthy’ elderly have the same gut microbiome as healthy 30-year-olds
Western Ontario University and Tianyi Health Science Institute (China), October 12, 2021
In one of the largest microbiota studies conducted in humans, researchers at Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute and Tianyi Health Science Institute in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China have shown a potential link between healthy aging and a healthy gut.
With the establishment of the China-Canada Institute, the researchers studied the gut bacteria in a cohort of more than 1,000 Chinese individuals in a variety of age-ranges from 3 to over 100 years-old who were self-selected to be extremely healthy with no known health issues and no family history of disease. The results showed a direct correlation between health and the microbes in the intestine.
“The aim is to bring novel microbiome diagnostic systems to populations, then use food and probiotics to try and improve biomarkers of health,” said Gregor Reid, professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. “It begs the question – if you can stay active and eat well, will you age better, or is healthy ageing predicated by the bacteria in your gut?”
The study, published in the journal mSphere, showed that the overall microbiota composition of the healthy elderly group was similar to that of people decades younger, and that the gut microbiota differed little between individuals from the ages of 30 to over 100.
“The main conclusion is that if you are ridiculously healthy and 90 years old, your gut microbiota is not that different from a healthy 30 year old in the same population,” said Greg Gloor, the principal investigator on the study and also a professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. Whether this is cause or effect is unknown, but the study authors point out that it is the diversity of the gut microbiota that remained the same through their study group.
“This demonstrates that maintaining diversity of your gut as you age is a biomarker of healthy aging, just like low-cholesterol is a biomarker of a healthy circulatory system,” Gloor said. The researchers suggest that resetting an elderly microbiota to that of a 30-year-old might help promote health.
“By studying healthy people, we hope to know what we are striving for when people get sick,” said Reid.
The study also found a distinct anomaly in the group aged 19 to 24 that has not been observed in large-scale analyses of other populations and they suspect may be unique to this healthy cohort in China. The distinct gut microbiota of this group was a surprising finding and requires further study.