Stand By Me

________

Endotoxins In Genetically Engineered Corn

Genetically modified corn produces a toxin
that poisons rootworms, but it might be
losing that ability more rapidly than expected.
ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 2011

While I'm on the topic of endotoxins (this post, Dietary Fat And Diabetes, links endotoxins to chronic inflammation, and to fat in the diet), I have a comment about genetically engineered foods.

Corn has been genetically engineered to contain a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). That gene codes for a protein. That protein is an endotoxin. Housed in every cell of the genetically engineered Bt corn, it produces the pesticide/endotoxin which is toxic to insects that feed on the corn plant.

The effect of this endotoxin on humans who consume the Bt corn is not well understood because research is sparse. However, we know that the Bt sprays elicit an immune response:
Immune Responses In Farm Workers After Exposure To Bacillus Thuringiensis Pesticides, Environmental Health Perspectives, 1999

And we know that:

"Bt crops have far higher levels of endotoxin in the grain and leaves than do the foliar Bt sprays."
- Possible Human Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Bt Crops, Michael Hanson PhD of the Consumer Policy Institute/Consumers Union. Presented to the EPA Science Advisory Panel, October 2000

How much more?

"The Bt-toxin produced in the GM plants is more dangerous than in its natural spray form. The sprayed-on version biodegrades or washes off. Not so with Bt corn. Further, the toxin inside the plant is about 3,000-5,000 times more concentrated than the spray and it is designed to be more toxic than the natural version. In fact, the GM toxin has properties of known allergens and fails all three GM allergy tests recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others."
- Genetically Engineered Corn May Cause Allergies, Infertility, and Disease, JM Smith, 2009

________

Hagfish

Hagfish, also called slime eels:

"... can exude copious quantities of a slime or mucus of unusual composition. When captured and held, they secrete the microfibrous slime, which expands into a gelatinous and sticky goo when combined with water."

"They are the only living animals that have a skull but not a vertebral column."

"Hagfish can feed upon and often even enter and eviscerate the bodies of dead and dying/injured sea creatures much larger than themselves. They are known to devour their victims from the inside."

"Hagfish are usually not eaten owing to their repugnant looks, as well as their viscosity and unpleasant habits."

"However, a particular species is valued as food in the Korean Peninsula. The hagfish is kept alive and irritated by rattling its container with a stick, prompting it to produce slime in large quantities. This slime is used in a similar manner as egg whites in various forms of cookery in the region."

Attacking shark gagged by hagfish slime:


________

Dietary Fat And Diabetes

Here are 3 ways that fat in the diet could contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes:

1. Dietary fat may contribute to insulin resistance. From one review:

"Overall, most animal and cell studies seem to indicate that saturated and trans-unsaturated fatty acids significantly increase insulin resistance."
- Skeletal Muscle Lipid Deposition And Insulin Resistance: Effect Of Dietary Fatty Acids And Exercise, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007

2. Dietary fat contains some of the highest levels of Persistant Organic Pollutants of the foods we eat.

This study found that people with high levels of POPs were 38 times! more likely to have diabetes than those with low levels:
A Strong Dose-Response Relation Between Serum Concentrations Of Persistent Organic Pollutants [POPs] And Diabetes: Results From The National Health And Examination Survey 1999–2002, Diabetes Care, 2006

3. Dietary fat contributes to inflammation. One way it does so is by increasing absorption of endotoxins, to which we launch an inflammatory response. Chronic inflammation is linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, and other elements of the Metabolic Syndrome. Also, endotoxins by themselves (independent of inflammatory markers) have been linked to diabetes. (Endotoxins are bits of bacterial membrane that are absorbed along with the fat we eat. They're thought to derive, in part, from bacteria that live in the intestines.)

Here's just one recent study on the topic of endotoxins. This is a hot area right now:
High Fat Intake Leads to Acute Postprandial Exposure to Circulating Endotoxin in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects, Diabetes Care, Online December 2011

"Ingestion of a high-fat meal led to a significant rise in endotoxin levels in type 2 diabetic, IGT [impaired glucose tolerance], and obese subjects over the 4-h time period (P < 0.05). These findings also showed that, at 4 h after a meal, type 2 diabetic subjects had higher circulating endotoxin levels (125.4%↑) than NOC [nonobese control] subjects (P < 0.05).

These studies have highlighted that exposure to a high-fat meal elevates circulating endotoxin irrespective of metabolic state, as early as 1 h after a meal. However, this increase is substantial in IGT and type 2 diabetic subjects, suggesting that metabolic endotoxinemia is exacerbated after high-fat intake."

And a study that links dietary fat, specifically saturated fat, to inflammation:
Acute And Chronic Saturated Fatty Acid Treatment As A Key Instigator Of The TLR-mediated Inflammatory Response In Human Adipose Tissue, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, January 2012

"[Our] data highlights the potential risk of a continued high fat diet on inducing an inflammatory response, as it appears to be more pronounced than the glucose induced response. This would also appear to align with clinical studies that suggest hyperlipidaemia may impact more significantly over time than hyperglycaemia in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease.

This study implicates elevated SFAs [saturated fatty acids] as a key instigator of the inflammatory response."

Saturated fat seems to be the riskiest type. ________

Narcissism And Heart Disease

Toadstool admiring himself from artes at Frog Forum.

I stumbled upon this article yesterday:
Health Risk Higher for Guys Who Think They're 'All That'

And wondered how they measured narcissism. Here's the actual study:
Expensive Egos: Narcissistic Males Have Higher Cortisol, PLoS ONE, January 2012

Narcissism was assessed using the "Narcissistic Personality Inventory." They used a 40-point Narcissism Personality Inventory tool, which appears to be this:
Narcissistic Personality Quiz

I know, I know, not another quiz. But questionnaires have to be validated before they can be used in a study. That is, studies have to be conducted ahead of time to determine that the questionnaire really does indicate presence of the trait they are measuring, in this case narcissism (another phrase the authors used was "extreme self-focus.") So, this quiz isn't something you'd find in the back of Men's Health or Glamor Magazine. Well, maybe not.

Here was one such validation:
A Principal-Components Analysis Of The Narcissistic Personality Inventory And Further Evidence Of Its Construct Validity

Note this validation study accounted for both objective and subjective measures. So, your results on the quiz should presumably correlate well with both how you see yourself and how others see you.
________
The original study up top, by the way, found that men with higher scores in what they called "unhealthy" narcissism¹ had a higher activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which resulted in higher basal levels (basal, so all-the-time levels, as opposed to, say, a reaction to a stressful event) of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol increase the risk for heart disease. The cortisol effect was still strong after controlling for related variables such as mood, general stress, social support, and relationship status.

Narcissism was related to the stress hormone cortisol in men, but not in women.

Also:

"Males tend to score higher on narcissism, and males also have larger increases in cortisol concentrations after stressors."

This was interesting:

"Given societal definitions of masculinity that overlap with narcissism (i.e. they include arrogance and dominance), we hypothesize that these difficulties in maintaining an inflated sense of the self are at least in part related to the extent to which males endorse stereotypically male gender roles. Threats to male gender roles and masculinity are constant, and provide a source of stress that make these roles difficult to maintain. Narcissism is also stressful and difficult to maintain. In addition, both high masculinity and narcissism advocate for high independence and agency, and emphasize individualism over an acceptance of social support. Because high narcissists report experiencing a greater number of daily hassles compared to low narcissists, low social support is especially likely to be toxic."

They said there may be pressure upon men in this society from endorsement of "stereotypically male gender roles." So ... men are pressured to act manly?

They concluded:

"[O]ur findings highlight the possibility that for males, narcissism may have an especially negative physiological effect. Considering the rising narcissism among both men and women in American culture, there may be potential long-term public health consequences if these trends continue. Given research finding that chronic HPA activation is associated with cardiovascular problems, and other work finding that an increased use of first-person singular pronouns is also associated with poor cardiovascular health, future work might examine high narcissism in earlier life predicts poor health outcomes in later life. We also recommend that future research attempt to better understand why male narcissists have higher basal cortisol concentrations, and in doing so, help to pinpoint potential windows of intervention."

They say narcissism is rising among Americans.

And this ... "increased use of first-person singular pronouns is also associated with poor cardiovascular health." Future studies will have a lot more adjustments to make for confounders!
________¹ If you take the quiz, you'll find that your score was broken down into 7 categories: Authority, Self-Sufficiency, Superiority, Exhibitionism, Exploitativeness, Vanity, and Entitlement. An "unhealthy" narcissism score was created using the Entitlement and Exploitativeness values. "Healthy" narcissism scores were derived by summing the Leadership/Authority, Self-Sufficiency, Superiority, and Vanity values. While "unhealthy" narcissism was linked to high cortisol, "healthy" narcissism was not.

The Admirable Apple

Just saw this video on Dr. Gregor's site:



He sited this study:
Daily Apple Consumption Promotes Cardiovascular Health In Postmenopausal Women, FASEB, April 2011

Abstract:

"Animal findings suggest that apple and its components, e.g. apple pectin and polyphenols improve lipid metabolism and lower the production of proinflammatory molecules.

To our knowledge, the present study is the first that evaluated the cardioprotective effects of daily consumption of apple for one year in postmenopausal women.

Qualified women (160) were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary intervention groups: dried apple (75g/day) or comparative control dried fruit.

Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month to measure various parameters. Our findings indicate that the additional daily caloric intake of ~240 from dried apple not only do not increase body weight but rather lower it by 1.5 kg without altering habitual dietary intake.

In this study, apple consumption significantly reduced serum levels of TC and LDL by 14% and 23%, respectively. The daily apple consumption also profoundly improved atherogenic risk ratios in addition to lowering serum levels of lipid hydroperoxide (33%) and C-reactive protein (32%).

In conclusion, incorporation of apple into regular diet is encouraged because of its highly favorable effects in reducing the risk factors for cardiovascular disease."

So, eating 2.6 ounces of dried apple rings a day for a year:

• Lowered total cholesterol by 14%
• Lowered LDL cholesterol by 23%
• Lowered C-reactive protein by 32% (CRP is a marker for inflammation)
• Reduced weight by ~3.3 pounds

How about that. I wonder what the "control dried fruit" was. And I wonder if the reductions were compared to baseline or to the control group. Regardless, there's something admirable about apples. ________

Why Doesn't California Want To Label Genetically Engineered Fish?

A salmon genetically engineered to grow faster and an unmodified
salmon of the same age. - New York Times, 2010

A little bill in the California State Assembly, called the Consumer Right to Know Act AB88, that would require labeling of genetically engineered fish was voted down last week.

Consumers Union Dismayed by California State Assembly's Failure to Pass Historic Labeling on First Genetically Engineered Fish, Consumers Union, 19 January 2012

Isn't it odd that polls consistently show around 90% of Americans want labels on GE food, but the FDA and state legislatures consistently snuff this kind of regulation?

I guess it comes down to money. In fact, one place that did pass a law requiring mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food, specifically fish, was Alaska. And the vote was unanimous. Republicans, Democrats, everyone. Why?

"This bill helps highlight Alaska seafood as distinct from genetically modified seafood, doing away with any vagueness that may exist to the consumer when purchasing seafood without labeling, and reinforcing the natural message."

Alaska was protecting their seafood industry.

Not that Biotech didn't try to thwart it. In their testimony opposing the Alaska bill, they said:

"State-based labeling requirements that differ from previously established, stringently enforced federal guidelines, provide no value for consumers and only serve to disparage biotechnology foods."

Biotech's defense was, and is, that since FDA doesn't require labels, states shouldn't either. Why doesn't FDA require labels? Because the FDA, in their own words, "is not aware of any information showing that foods derived by these new methods differ from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way."

According to the sponsors of the Alaska bill (passed in 2005), legislation requiring labeling of genetically engineered fish already exists in the European Union, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

How can so many rich, developed countries see a difference between GE fish and conventional fish, but the US cannot? I think they do see a difference, a costly difference.
________

"Whatever You Do, Just Don't Smoke" - Yul Brynner

Throughout his life Brynner was often seen with a cigarette in his hand. In January 1985, nine months before his death, he gave an interview on Good Morning America, expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial.  A clip from that interview was made into a public service announcement by the American Cancer Society and released after his death. It includes the warning "Now that I'm gone, I tell you don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that."
- Wikipedia: Yul Brynner

Here's the clip. He died 9 months after this was recorded. Lung cancer must be an insidious disease; he doesn't look that unwell here. I didn't think Joe Paterno looked that unwell either, for an 84-year-old. (I don't think Paterno smoked.)


________

Chuck In Winter

This bird is by no means domesticated. It's very difficult to get a photo of him. Here's one from yesterday morning.  I was snapping from my living room through the glass of the door, and he knows it. He took off seconds later, his beak stuffed with almonds.

Related post: Chuck Molting
________

FDA Warned Diamond Foods About Making Disease Claims

This is not news. It happened 2 years ago. But it's news to me.

The FDA sent a warning letter to Diamond Foods telling them that the claims they were making for their walnuts place the walnuts into the category of "drug" because FDA defines "drug" as something intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

FDA gave examples of Diamond's claims:

"Studies indicate that the omega-3 fatty acids found in walnuts may help lower cholesterol; protect against heart disease, stroke and some cancers; ease arthritis and other inflammatory diseases; and even fight depression and other mental illnesses."

"[O]mega-3 fatty acids inhibit the tumor growth that is promoted by the acids found in other fats ... "

"[I]n treating major depression, for example, omega-3s seem to work by making it easier for brain cell receptors to process mood-related signals from neighboring neurons."

"The omega-3s found in fish oil are thought to be responsible for the significantly lower incidence of breast cancer in Japanese women as compared to women in the United States."

I think Diamond started promoting walnuts as drugs when they made disease claims. I mean, for Diamond to state or even imply that their shelled walnuts can inhibit tumor growth is powerful stuff.  Before the existence of the FDA, people sold lung tonics and cough cures and other dubious remedies with similar claims.

I just came from their site, www.diamondnuts.com.  It looks like they complied.

The Life Extension Foundation says this action by the FDA "resembles an out-of-control police state where tyranny reins over rationality." 

I guess there are two sides to every story.
________This might be an old package in the photo because it still has that "Omega-3" in the right-hand corner. Speaking of omega-3, walnuts have over 4 times more pro-inflammatory omega-6 than omega-3. And the omega-3 in walnuts is not the same type as is found in fish oil. So, that fish oil reference is stretching it. Also, both omega-3 and omega-6 are polyunsaturated fats which oxidize quickly, inside of the body and out, and so are not, in my opinion, a food to consume in copious amounts.

Thank you LB for the link.

Slow-Motion Flight

From: International Professional Jury Sings Praises Of High-Speed Animal Films Made By Amateurs, Wageningen University, Netherlands

These videos are something else.  Flight suddenly appears quite the effort.  Of the video below, Judge and Philosopher Bas Haring said:

"My favourite was the seemingly peaceable film showing a group of birds foraging. Thanks to the high-speed camera work, you also see the harsh reality of the ongoing struggle between these so-called sweet birds."

Watch how they use their beaks as weapons.


Filmed by Liset Karman and Cees Keyer.

I also like this one. It's a little dark. Watch how the tit suspends itself in mid-air, as if it's taking a rest and re-orienting before the next flap. All practically invisible at speeds humans live in.


Filmed by Remco Brand and Ansa Fiaz.
________

Paula Deen, After Being Told She Had Diabetes, "I Wasn't About To Change My Life!"

TV chef Paula Deen admitted on the TODAY show this morning that she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - 3 years ago!

"Hey ya’all. I’m here to share something with you. A while back I was told that I have Type 2 Diabetes. I wasn’t about to change my life, but I have made simple changes in my life, like cutting back on one of my favorite things -- sweet tea! And for a Southern girl, that’s a big deal. And I’m taking more walks with my husband Michael and I’m running after our grandchildren. And I love it all."
- Diabetes In A New Light, Novo Nordisk and Paula Deen

Here's the TODAY interview:



I was disappointed she didn't explicitly tie her diet to her diabetes. It was the teachable moment I had hoped for. When Roker primed her with, "That kind of food can lead to type 2 diabetes," Deen responded, "Certainly, Al, that is part of the puzzle. But there is many other things that can lead to diabetes. Certainly genetics..."

Roker asked her, "What do you say to people who say, "She delayed this because it would damage her reputation, her whole industry that's she's built basically on this kind of cooking."? Deen responded, "No, people are not going to quit eating. We quit eating, we're all outta here."

Deen teemed with the drug company Novo Nordisk to create a new site, which is essentially an advertisement for Novo Nordisk's diabetes injectable Victoza:
Diabetes In A New Light

Here is one of her first new "diabetes-friendly" recipes, Lady and Sons Lasagna

Ingredients:

1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 (10-ounce) package cremini or white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves (optional)
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
9 whole-wheat or reduced-carbohydrate lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (preferably Swiss or Comte)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cut into small bits

What do you think?


Related post: TV Chef Paula Deen Has Diabetes
________

TV Chef Paula Deen Has Diabetes

I'm moving this post to the top because I added the video from the Food Network of Paula Deen making her Lady's Brunch Burger. ________
TV Chef Famous For Southern-Fried Decadence To Reveal She Has Diabetes, The Daily

The thing about type 2 diabetes is that, from my experience working with clinicians, it exists and is easily detected as prediabetes for many years - at which stage it can be reversed. Once there is a full-blown diagnosis of diabetes, it is harder to turn around. The beta cells, from where insulin is secreted in the pancreas, may have lost considerable function by then.



Related post: Paula Deen, After Being Told She Had Diabetes, "I Wasn't About To Change My Life!"
________Thank you, shaun.

Boxed Wine

We've been experimenting with boxed wine. Here's our experience so far:

Pros:

• Less expensive than bottled wine.
• Easier to transport than bottled.
• Stays fresh after opening.  Bottled wine fares poorly here.
• Improved quality and variety in recent years.

Cons:

• Can't be aged.  (Check the sell-by date!)
• Difficult to completely empty the bag, the wine bladder inside the box.
• Takes up valuable real estate in the refrigerator.

These are a few we've tried in the last several months:

Brand	Price	Type	Rating
Black Box	$23.99	Merlot	4.5 Stars
Black Box	$23.99	Cabernet Sauvignon	4.5 Stars
Fish Eye	$19.99	Shiraz	4 Stars
Cardinal Zin	$16.99 (Reg. $19.99)	Zinfandel	4 Stars
Bota Box	$19.99	Zinfandel	3 Stars
Pinot Evil	$16.99	Pinot Noir	3 Stars
Monthaven	$18.99	Cabernet Sauvignon	3 Stars
Franzia (5 liter)	$14.99	Chianti	2 Stars

Comments:

• Ratings are from 1 to 5 stars and are purely subjective - within the class and type of wine.  Boxed wines are great for everyday drinking but they probably can't compete in critical taste comparisons.
• All boxes were 3 liters in size except the Franzia.  One 3-liter box is equivalent to 4, 750 ml bottles.
• They really do stay fresh in the refrigerator after opening, fresher than bottled (at least during the time they lasted in our house: 5 or 6 days).
• That Cardinal Zin Zinfandel we've had in the bottle (a.k.a. "Big House Zin").  The boxed variety is the same good drinkable wine, but the bottle costs $9.99 in Pennsylvania wine stores.  The 3-liter box saves $23 over the cost for 4 bottles.  And it stays fresher!

The top photo is of empty boxes I saved to take the photo. Of the three, the Fish Eye was the best.  You can see where the spout would stick out.

The bottom photo is how much is typically left in the bag when it stops dispensing.  We snip the corner and pour the rest out, about a glass-full.
________

"There Are, In Fact, No Data Comparing The Food Safety Profiles Of GM Versus Conventional Breeding"

In reply to the anonymous commenter in this post: Why We Should Be Testing Genetically Engineered Foods On Humans who presumed GMOs had undergone safety testing:

"There are, in fact, no data comparing the food safety profiles of GM versus conventional breeding, and the ubiquitous argument that since there is no evidence that GM products make people sick, they are safe is both illogical and false. There are, again, simply no data or even valid assays to support this contention.

Without proper epidemiological studies, most types of harm will not be detected, and no such studies have been conducted.

The necessity of labeling all GM products and particularly NEPs is therefore critical if there is any hope of monitoring adverse health consequences due to their consumption. For example, it would have been impossible to identify the source of the toxic tryptophan supplement if the product were not traceable through labeling."
- David Schubert, Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, in "The Problem with Nutritionally Enhanced Plants", Journal of Medicinal Food, 2008

Whose job is it to safety test GMOs?

"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."
- Quote by Phil Angell, Monsanto's Director of Corporate Communications, in "Playing God In The Garden," by Michael Pollan, New York Times Magazine, 25 October 1998.

But...

"Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety."
- FDA Federal Register, "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived From New Plant Varieties," 1992, a document, signed by David Kessler, which the FDA continued to reference, as recently as October 2008.

________

Why We Should Be Testing Genetically Engineered Foods On Humans

How did this article slip into a publication like The Atlantic?

The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods, Ari LeVaux, The Atlantic, 9 January 2012

The thrust of the article hinges on a recent study:

Exogenous plant MIR168a specifically targets mammalian LDLRAP1: evidence of cross-kingdom regulation by microRNA, Nature: Cell Research, September 2011

"Here, we report the surprising finding that exogenous plant miRNAs are present in the sera and tissues of various animals and that these exogenous plant miRNAs are primarily acquired orally, through food intake. ... These findings demonstrate that exogenous plant miRNAs in food can regulate the expression of target genes in mammals."

Of this study, LeVaux says:

"Chinese researchers have found small pieces of rice ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The Nanjing University-based team showed that this genetic material will bind to receptors in human liver cells and influence the uptake of cholesterol from the blood."

So, our food contains carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, other nutrients like fiber and water, and now, as I understand this, tiny messengers that can change how our cells operate. Check. That. Out.

What does this have to do with genetically engineered (GE) foods? Well, back to the Atlantic article:

"Monsanto's website states, "There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans."
...
"So long as the introduced protein is determined to be safe, food from GM crops determined to be substantially equivalent is not expected to pose any health risks," reads Monsanto's website."

So long as the introduced protein is determined to be safe ... But these little bits of RNA we're eating don't make proteins. Yet, they're very powerful. They can regulate how much cholesterol we take in from food, they can cause worms that eat cotton or corn (genetically engineered to contain microRNAs) to die. They "have been implicated as players in several human diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes."

Biotechnology companies such as Monsanto know this. But testing GE foods for the presence of, and effects of, these new substances is expensive and probably not good for the bottom line.

Mr. LeVaux says Monsanto's stance is arrogant. What say you? I say it's shrewd.

Related post: "There Are, In Fact, No Data Comparing The Food Safety Profiles Of GM Versus Conventional Breeding"

Related video:


________

Exercise Clubs, The Wooden Kind

I have been informed that the mini baseball bats in the video in the previous post were actually Indian Clubs:

"Indian clubs belong to a category of exercise (and juggling) equipment that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe, the British Commonwealth and the United States. They comprise bowling-pin shaped wooden "clubs" of varying sizes and weights, which are swung in certain patterns as part of an exercise program. They can range from a few pounds each, up to special clubs that can weigh as much as 50 pounds. They were used in carefully choreographed routines where the clubs were swung in unison by a group of exercisers, led by an instructor in the front, similar to modern aerobics classes.

Indian clubs derive their name from the much larger and heavier objects of similar shape traditionally used by martial artists and pehlwani wrestlers in India to train for strength. The practice of swinging such clubs to develop physical fitness was first recorded in ancient Egypt and the Middle East. It was introduced to England by British soldiers who were stationed in India during the 19th century.

They were exceptionally popular during the health craze of the late Victorian era, used by military cadets and well-heeled ladies alike, and even appeared as a gymnastic event in the 1904 and 1932 Olympics. Gymnasiums were built just to cater to club exercise groups. The popularity of the Indian Club waned in the 1920s and 1930s as organized sports became more popular."

An Indian pehlwan (wrestler) training with clubs circa 1973

How about that. I tried water bottles but I feared the caps would come loose. ________Thank you, BL!

94-Year-Old Gym Buff

Another in my series of motivational exercise posts. I need all the motivation I can get these days!
That thing he does with the mini baseball bats? I can't wait. What can I substitute?


________

Winter Blackbird Die-Off

Remember that weird bird die-off around this time last year? Where hundreds of starlings were found dead on the streets in South Dakota?

The USDA, whose job it is to protect and promote agriculture, including livestock farming, has admitted to poisoning the birds intentionally.

"They used a bait laced with the poison DRC-1339. The USDA says the birds ate the bait then flew back to Yankton and died."
- Hundreds Of Yankton, South Dakota Birds Poisoned By USDA

The intentional killing was not incidental.  In this case a farmer complained to the USDA that a flock of about 5,000 starlings were defecating in his cattle feed. Anyone can make a similar complaint, with similar outcome, if they can show wild animals causing harm.

The bird-cull program is known, in USDA parlance, as Bye Bye Blackbird:

"The USDA's role in the South Dakota bird deaths puts a focus on a little-known government bird-control program that began in the 1960s under the name of Bye Bye Blackbird, which eventually became part of the USDA and was housed in the late '60s at a NASA facility."
- Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Acknowledges A Hand In One Mass Bird Death, Christian Science Monitor, 20 January 2011

It isn't just Bye Bye Blackbird, but Bye Bye bats, bears, beavers, skunks, squirrels, pigs, and millions of other birds. Here's a government pdf file that lists the deaths, most of them intentional, of 4,120,291 animals in 2009, 1.3 million starlings alone:

USDA: Animals Taken by Wildlife Services - FY 2009

These aren't even all the deaths:

"While the USDA keeps tabs on the number of birds the program euthanizes, the total death toll isn't known because private contractors operating under the depredation order aren't required to keep count in the case of blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles, and starlings."
- Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Acknowledges A Hand In One Mass Bird Death, Christian Science Monitor, 20 January 2011

I knew the government killed animals that interfered with dairy businesses, cattle feedlots, chicken farms, and fields of grain. I didn't know it was this extensive.

Greg Butcher at the National Audubon Society says:

"Every winter, there's massive and purposeful kills of these blackbirds. ... These guys are professionals, and they don't want to advertise their work. They like to work fast, efficiently, and out of sight."

________Photo from the Christian Science Monitor, caption:  "A worker with US Environmental Services, a private contractor, picks up a dead bird in Beebe, Ark. on Jan. 1, 2010. The USDA said it killed hundreds of starlings in South Dakota this week."
Thanks to Melinda for the story.

Honor Thy Patient

The New Therapeutics: Ten Commandments (From the British Medical Journal) ¹

1. Thou shalt treat according to level of risk rather than level of risk factor.
2. Thou shalt exercise caution when adding drugs to existing polypharmacy.
3. Thou shalt consider benefits of drugs as proven only by hard endpoint studies.
4. Thou shalt not bow down to surrogate endpoints, for these are but graven images.
5. Thou shalt not worship Treatment Targets, for these are but the creations of Committees.
6. Thou shalt apply a pinch of salt to Relative Risk Reductions, regardless of P values, for the population of their provenance may bear little relationship to thy daily clientele.
7. Thou shalt honour the Numbers Needed to Treat, for therein rest the clues to patient-relevant information and to treatment costs.
8. Thou shalt not see detailmen, nor covet an Educational Symposium in a luxury setting.
9. Thou shalt share decisions on treatment options with the patient in the light of estimates of the individual’s likely risks and benefits.
10. Honour the elderly patient, for although this is where the greatest levels of risk reside, so do the greatest hazards of many treatments.

Many of these address drug therapy.  In today's medical climate that seems to be the therapy of choice.  Well, and surgery.  It's worth bringing up this study that Stephanius posted in comments:

Sociodemographic And Lifestyle Statistics Of Oldest Old People (>80 Years) Living In Ikaria Island: The Ikaria Study, Cardiology Research and Practice, February 2011

"The majority of the oldest old participants reported daily physical activities, healthy eating habits, avoidance of smoking, frequent socializing, mid-day naps and extremely low rates of depression.

Conclusion: Modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity, diet, smoking cessation and mid-day naps, might depict the “secrets” of the long-livers."

Modifying risk factors through lifestyle changes can be as effective, if not more effective, than drug therapy. It may not be as lucrative.

There is so much in this list that I like, not least of which the warning against medicating to a surrogate endpoint instead of a hard endpoint. That is, the warning against medicating to, say, reduce cholesterol or blood glucose (surrogate endpoints) instead of to reduce heart attacks or strokes or premature death (hard endpoints).

I really like that last commandment, although I wouldn't single out the elderly. I would apply it to all patients. Just "Honour thy patient."
________¹ From Gary Schwitzer at Health News Review, via British Medical Journal (BMJ) Blogger Richard Lehman, via Yudkin et al. at BMJ: "The Idolatry Of The Surrogate".

The sketch is by Rembrandt, a self-portrait, from RembrandtPainting.

"We Are Staring At A Massive Public Health Threat In The Rise Of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs"

On Wednesday, the FDA said that one class of antibiotic, the cephalosporins, should be limited in use in cattle, pigs, chickens, and turkeys:

FDA To Protect Important Class Of Antimicrobial Drugs For Treating Human Illness, FDA Press Release, 4 January 2012

Overuse of cephalosporins in farm animals has caused these drugs to become ineffective for treating infection in humans. Bacteria have become resistant to them.

Bacteria become resistant more easily in places where there are a lot of them packed together, like factory farms. The few bacteria that survive initial exposure to a drug, probably genetically, can transfer that resistance to their neighbors. Then, as Dan Klotz writes:

"Even if the same drug is later given at a proper dose, the bacteria has already acquired a resistance and will survive."
- Do we Really Need To Use Human Medicine On Farm Animals?, National Geographic, 6 January 2012

I read the FDA's press release and thought it was limp. Then I read:

"The F.D.A. initially proposed cephalosporin restrictions in 2008 but withdrew the rule before it could take effect because of opposition from veterinarians, farmers and drug companies. The rule announced Wednesday is less strict than that one, since it still allows veterinarians to use the drugs to treat sick animals in some ways the F.D.A. has not specifically approved."
...
"Representative Louise M. Slaughter, a Democrat from New York and a microbiologist, said the F.D.A. had been too slow and too timid. “We are staring at a massive public health threat in the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs,” she said. “We need to start acting with the swiftness and decisiveness this problem deserves.” "
- Citing Drug Resistance, U.S. Restricts More Antibiotics For Livestock, New York Times, 4 January 2012

Maybe it's not as bad as Ms. Slaughter claims:

"Dr. Gatz Riddell, executive vice president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, a veterinarian group, said the dangers of agricultural uses of antibiotics had been greatly exaggerated."

Limiting these drugs will harm factory farmers and drug companies. Seems you'll have to have an alternative at-the-ready before you ban them. But what's that alternative?
________

Omega-3s and Antioxidants Are An Important Combination

Melinda sent this great article about omega-3 fatty acids:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Antioxidants in Edible Wild Plants, Biological Research, 2004

The author, Artemis Simopoulos, is probably the most prolific and knowledgable researcher on the topic of omega-3s.

Some things worth iterating:

"Human beings evolved on a diet that was balanced in the omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and was high in antioxidants."

Our diet is no longer balanced. We eat about 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3, owing to our great intake of omega-6-rich soy and corn oil, both from processed foods and grain-fed livestock.

Our diet is not as high in antioxidants (such as vitamins E and C) as it once was, owing to a depletion of these compounds in modern, industrially-produced foods, and to our lower intake of fresh plants.



Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats. As such, they oxidize quickly. Even if they are fresh, they oxidize once they hit the chemical soup in the stomach. Oxidation is not good, as Simopoulos describes:

"Oxidative damage, as a result of normal metabolism or secondary to environmental pollutants, leads to free radical formation which has been considered to play a central role in cancer and atherosclerosis. Therefore, antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals, may be important in the prevention of these diseases."

As we've seen, and as she says, green leafy plants are an excellent source of omega-3s:

"In plants, leaf lipids usually contain large proportions of 18:3ω3, which is an important component of chloroplast membrane polar lipids."

"Mammals who feed on these plants [including us] convert 18:3ω3 to EPA and DHA, the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish."

Speaking about livestock:

"Wild animals and birds who feed on wild plants are very lean with a carcass fat content of only 3.9% and contain about five times more polyunsaturated fat per gram than is found in domestic livestock. Most importantly, 4% of the fat of wild animals contains EPA whereas domestic beef contains very small or undetectable amounts, since cattle are fed grains that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and poor in omega-3 fatty acids, whereas a deer that forages on ferns and mosses contains omega-3 fatty acids in its meat."

Simopoulos argues that getting our omega-3 from plants has an advantage:

"One advantage of the consumption of ALA over omega-3 fatty acids from fish is that the problem of insufficient vitamin E [and other antioxidants] intake does not exist with high intake of ALA from plant sources."

Also, our body can convert more of the plant-based omega-3 (ALA) to the longer chain EPA and DHA when we consume less omega-6.

Popeye knew.

What food has:

• 5 times more omega-3 than omega-6, providing half a gram omega-3
• 10 grams of protein, all the essential amino acids
• Only 12 grams of carbohydrate
• Over 150% of daily value for vitamin C and folate
• Over 2000% of daily value for vitamin K
• 7.5 grams of fiber
• More calcium than a cup of milk
• Almost 7 times more iron than a 3-ounce beef Filet Mignon

All for 78 calories?
________

The Bread Diet And The Starch Challenge

Dr. McDougall linked this study in his recent newsletter:

Effects Of A High Fiber Bread Diet On Weight Loss In College-Age Males, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1979

It was a small study: 16 overweight college-age men went on a weight-loss diet for 8 weeks. They were divided into 2 groups:

• Group 1: Ate 12 slices of white bread daily, 4 per meal.
• Group 2: Ate 12 slices of reduced-calorie, fiber-enriched bread daily, 4 per meal.

Both groups lost weight; the fiber group lost more.

The men were fed all meals in a cafeteria. They ate the same food (type, not quantity) at each meal. "No drastic changes were made in types of food" prior to and during the study. (I guess conducting the study at a University with a cafeteria makes that easy.) Food was weighed before consumption and after, if needed.

Caloric reduction was voluntary. The men were merely encouraged to eat "food low in calories."

• Group 1: Reduced calories from 3200 at start of study to 2350.
• Group 2: Reduced calories from 3200 at start of study to 1975.

After 8 weeks:

• Group 1: Weight loss average of 6.26 kg (13.8 lb)
• Group 2: Weight loss average of 8.77 kg (19.3 lb)

• Group 1: Cholesterol dropped from 231 to 155 mg/dl
• Group 2: Cholesterol dropped from 224 to 172 mg/dl

• Group 1: Fasting glucose, no change (87.1 before, 86.6 after)
• Group 2: Fasting glucose, no change (85.7 before, 85.3 after)

There was no group that didn't eat the bread, so it's hard to determine what effect the bread had on weight loss. Could a group of men similarly counseled and fed, but without bread, also lose weight? Or did "the feeling of fullness created by eating bread and intensified with bread containing cellulose help the dieter control food intake?"

What you can tell from this study is that swapping regular white bread for a reduced-calorie high-fiber version may lead to more weight loss. You can also say that eating bread does not prevent weight loss.

There are a number of physicians and diet-book authors who claim that eating a lot of carbohydrates, especially grains, and of grains, especially wheat, and of wheat, especially processed wheat (flour), will cause weight gain - ipso facto.  Here we have 8 men who lost 20 pounds in 8 weeks - by cutting back on calories and by adding 12 slices of bread a day!

Dr. McDougall, whose belief in the benefits of a starch diet is steadfast, offered this challenge:

Add an extra 600 to 900 calories of starchy foods each day, such as:

3 to 4 cups of steamed rice
3 to 4 cups of boiled corn
3 to 4 mashed potatoes
3 to 4 baked sweet potatoes
2 to 4 cups of cooked beans, peas, or lentils
3 to 4 cups of boiled spaghetti noodles
6 to 12 slices of fresh bread

"Buy a loaf of whole wheat bread (with no added fat, milk, or eggs in the ingredients) every day and eat it all."

"Tired of bread, then buy rice."

"With undeniable proof from a couple of months of additional rice and potatoes, you should eventually make starches 75 to 85 percent of your diet, with the remainder coming from fruits and vegetables—and one day soon, forgo all the meat, dairy, and vegetable oils. Your adjustment will be quicker and easier than you ever imagined, you will enjoy your foods, and you will be thrilled with the results."

I'll say this ... his diet is a lot like the diets of traditional Okinawans who consumed 85% of their calories from carbohydrates, 70% from sweet potatoes alone, and who are known for their long life and good health into old age.
________ Photo: Mine from back when I made bread.