The Gary Null Show – 08.01.22

Videos : Found on Youtube

1. BlackRock: The Most Evil Business In The World

2. This company owns the world (and it’s our fault) – BlackRock

Canadian Study Gives More Evidence Cancer Is A Lifestyle Disease Largely Caused By Food

Cancer Control Alberta, Alberta Health Services and University of Calgary, July 22, 2022

Shockingly, worldwide cancer rates are predicted to rise to 1-in-2 women and 1-in-3 men will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. It is so common already, in fact, that it getting cancer is more common than getting married or having a first baby.

In reality, one can significantly reduce the likelihood of getting cancer by making lifestyle changes. According to a recently published study out of Canada, the total proportion of cancer rates which can be attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors is quite high, nearing 41%.

Regarding the methods used in the study:

We estimated summary population attributable risk estimates for 24 risk factors (smoking [both passive and active], overweight and obesity, inadequate physical activity, diet [inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, inadequate fibre intake, excess red and processed meat consumption, salt consumption, inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake], alcohol, hormones [oral contraceptives and hormone therapy], infections [Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, human papillomavirus, Helicobacter pylori], air pollution, natural and artificial ultraviolet radiation, radon and water disinfection by-products) by combining population attributable risk estimates for each of the 24 factors that had been previously estimated. 

The list above essentially outlines the wide range of personal choices we know can increase the risk of cancer, mainly pointing out that food causes cancer. Along with exercise, and common avoidable environmental factors, cancer is somewhat preventable.

Overall, we estimated that 40.8% of incident cancer cases were attributable to exposure to the 24 factors included in the analysis (Table 2). Tobacco smoking was responsible for the greatest cancer burden, accounting for an estimated 15.7% of all incident cancer cases (2485 cases), followed by physical inactivity and excess body weight, which were responsible for an estimated 7.2% and 4.3% of incident cancer cases, respectively. All other exposures of interest were estimated to be responsible for less than 4.0% of incident cancer cases each.

Brain imaging reveals how mindfulness program boosts pain regulation

University of Wisconsin-Madison, July 28, 2022

Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds has isolated the changes in pain-related brain activity that follow mindfulness training—pointing a way toward more targeted and precise pain treatment.

The study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, identified pathways in the brain specific to pain regulation on which activity is altered by the center’s eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course.

These changes were not seen in participants who took a similar course without the mindfulness instruction—important new evidence that the brain changes are due to the mindfulness training itself, according to Joseph Wielgosz. The study is the first to demonstrate pain-related brain changes from a standardized mindfulness course that is widely offered in clinical settings.

Around one-third of Americans experience pain-related problems, but common treatments—like medications and invasive procedures—don’t work for everyone and, according to Wielgosz, have contributed to an epidemic of addiction to prescription and illicit drugs.

Popular with patients and promising in its clinical outcomes, mindfulness training courses like MBSR have taken a central place in the drive for a more effective approach to pain management.

By practicing nonjudgmental, “present-centered” awareness of mind and body, participants can learn to respond to pain with less distress and more psychological flexibility—which can ultimately lead to reductions in pain itself.

The study also looked at longer-term mindfulness training. Intriguingly, practice on intensive meditation retreats was associated with changes in the neural signature for influences that shape pain indirectly—for example, differences in attention, beliefs and expectations, factors that often increase the perceived levels of distress in non-meditators.

These findings help show the potential for mindfulness practice as a lifestyle behavior.

Optimistic Women More Likely to Live Past 90

Harvard University, July 23, 2022

Turns out that focusing on the good things really is the recipe for a longer life. A new study from Harvard University, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that higher levels of optimism were positively associated with longer lifespan, with the most optimistic women even living past 90 years old across a variety of racial and ethnic groups.

This study included over 150,000 postmenopausal women across a variety of diverse socio-economic and ethnic groups in the United States. These women, aged 50-79, enrolled in the study and were followed for a period of up to 26 years. The results of this study found that the 25% of subjects who were the most optimistic were more likely to have a 5.4% longer lifespan, and a 10% greater likelihood of living beyond 90 years of age compared to the 25% who were the least optimistic.

The authors noted that while social structure factors can affect optimism, there is still reason to look on the bright side of life, regardless of these factors, finding that being optimistic is scientifically significant for longer lifespan and overall longevity. According to Hayami Koga, a PhD candidate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this new research concluded that “There’s value to focusing on positive psychological factors, like optimism, as possible new ways of promoting longevity and healthy aging across diverse groups.”

The research from Harvard noted that women who were the most optimistic were 10% more likely to celebrate their 90th birthday than the least optimistic. Based on total demographics, however, the highest vs. lowest optimism quartile in the Women’s Health Initiative study is broken down as follows:

  • Overall – Associated with 5.4% longer lifespan
  • White women – 5.1% longer lifespan
  • Black women – 7.6% longer lifespan
  • Hispanic/Latina women – 5.4% longer lifespan
  • Asian women – 1.5% longer lifespan

This data shows that Black women have the highest longevity rates (at 7.6%) compared to other demographics specifically when optimism is brought into play.

Maintaining a positive outlook and optimism are undeniably large parts of the equation when it comes to living a long life, but there are other factors and lifestyle choices that come into play to ensure not only healthy lifespan, but healthy quality of life. These factors include:

  • A healthy diet —It has always been important to maintain a healthy diet to benefit overall health. While the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits and vegetables along with healthy fats and whole grains, is known for its health benefits, the Japanese diet is also a great option, with adherence to this diet being associated with a longer lifespan. 
  • Maintaining a healthy weight—Keeping the number on the scale in a healthy range with a combo of diet and exercise is a large aspect of staying healthy.
  • Nutrients—Targeted nutrients can also help support your longevity efforts. These nutrients include:
    • Nicotinamide riboside: A precursor of NAD+, and a form of vitamin B3 that can fight general fatigue, support cellular energy production, and even contribute to anti-aging.
    • Resveratrol: Skip the wine! Resveratrol has potent anti-aging properties, including fighting free radicals and mimicking calorie restricting diets that are key to longevity.
    • Curcumin: The golden spice is knowing for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and with that, its ability to benefit whole-body health. Working to keep your joints and your brain healthy, it’s a no brainer that this extract will keep you as young as you feel.
  • Managing stress—Keeping stress at bay is crucial to living a long and healthy life. There’s even evidence that managing stress can “un-gray” your hair! And who wouldn’t feel optimistic about that?

Is Vitamin E Good for PCOS?

Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, July 25, 2022

Can women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) get pregnant? The answer is: yes…but it can be more challenging than for women without this hormone imbalance condition. For reproductive-age women, the hallmark of PCOS is high androgen levels (the “male” hormone), which can lead to irregular periods and difficulty getting pregnant. But, as daycares full of babies conceived with a little “help” can attest, there are options.

A new study published in BMC Women’s Health suggests that vitamin E may be helpful for women with PCOS undergoing ovulation induction.

According to the study, women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing ovulation induction who received vitamin E had lower levels of oxidative stress and required lower doses of human menopausal gonadotropin.

In addition to potentially supporting fertility, vitamin E has many other health benefits for women with PCOS: it also helps maintain healthy levels of insulin, triglycerides and LDL.

In addition to the BMC Women’s Health publication, placebo-controlled studies have shown the benefits of vitamin E for women with PCOS, especially regarding their reproduction and fertility.

In the retrospective study from BMC Women’s Health, 321 women with PCOS underwent ovulation induction.

  1. 105 received 100 mg/d of vitamin E during the follicular phase
  2. 106 received 100 mg/d of vitamin E during the luteal phase
  3. 110 did not receive vitamin E

The results? Those who took vitamin E showed improved resistance to oxidative damage, healthy endometrium thickness, and decreased hMG dosage for healthy ovulation.

Total darkness at night is key to success of breast cancer therapy — Tulane study

Tulane University, July 25, 2022

Exposure to light at night, which shuts off nighttime production of the hormone melatonin, renders breast cancer completely resistant to tamoxifen, a widely used breast cancer drug, says a new study by Tulane University School of Medicine cancer researchers. The study, “Circadian and Melatonin Disruption by Exposure to Light at Night Drives Intrinsic Resistance to Tamoxifen Therapy in Breast Cancer,” published in the journal Cancer Research, is the first to show that melatonin is vital to the success of tamoxifen in treating breast cancer.

“In the first phase of the study, we kept animals in a daily light/dark cycle of 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of total darkness (melatonin is elevated during the dark phase) for several weeks,” says Hill. “In the second study, we exposed them to the same daily light/dark cycle; however, during the 12 hour dark phase, animals were exposed to extremely dim light at night (melatonin levels are suppressed), roughly equivalent to faint light coming under a door.”

Melatonin by itself delayed the formation of tumors and significantly slowed their growth but tamoxifen caused a dramatic regression of tumors in animals with either high nighttime levels of melatonin during complete darkness or those receiving melatonin supplementation during dim light at night exposure.

These findings have potentially enormous implications for women being treated with tamoxifen and also regularly exposed to light at night due to sleep problems, working night shifts or exposed to light from computer and TV screens.

“High melatonin levels at night put breast cancer cells to ‘sleep’ by turning off key growth mechanisms. These cells are vulnerable to tamoxifen. But when the lights are on and melatonin is suppressed, breast cancer cells ‘wake up’ and ignore tamoxifen,” Blask says.

A Cup of Cranberries a Day Keeps Dementia Away

University of East Anglia (UK), July 26, 2022

While aging is inevitable, cognitive decline doesn’t have to be. A recent study from the University of East Anglia found some “berry” good news about a way to help support and maintain brain function: cranberry intervention.

According to the study, having the equivalent of one cup of fresh cranberries a day can improve memory, neuronal functioning, and vascular health, enhancing blood flow to the brain. And as a sweet bonus, researchers found the red fruit also helps lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, which can build up in the arteries and result in a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s.

“Cranberries are rich in these micronutrients [flavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins] and have been recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,” the authors said.

The researchers from the University of East Anglia performed a placebo-controlled study of parallel groups of healthy 50 to 80-year-olds adults to assess the effects of freeze-dried cranberry powder on cognition, brain function and biomarkers for brain cell signaling.

The results revealed that taking cranberry extract for 12 weeks improved memory of everyday events (visual episodic memory) and enhanced blood circulation to certain parts of the brain (regional brain perfusion) compared to the placebo group. Better blood flow means essential nutrients such as oxygen and glucose reach areas of the brain associated with memory consolidation and retrieval.