Is there a link between religion and happiness?

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
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Study finds Christians tweet more cheerfully than atheists

(London Daily Mail) Christians use more positive words and engage in less analytical tweeting than atheists, according to new university research.

Computer analysis of nearly two million tweets has found that Christians use fewer negative words and are more likely to talk about their social relationships than atheists on Twitter.

The research was carried out by University of Illinois graduate student Ryan Ritter, alongside fellow graduate student Ivan Hernandez and psychology professor Jesse Preston.

The findings are reported in the journal of Social Psychological & Personality Science.
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Oldest man in recorded history Jiroemon Kimura dies in Japan aged 116

The oldest known person in the world has died in Japan, aged 116.


Jiroemon Kimura, born on 19 April 1897, had been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person and the oldest man ever.

Officials in Kyotango, Japan, said he died in a local hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia.
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New Deadly SARS-Like Virus Spreads in Hospitals: Experts

A coronavirus that may cause SARS. (transwikie...
A coronavirus that may cause SARS. (transwikied from en.wikipedia.org) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The new respiratory virus responsible for an ongoing outbreak in the Middle East poses a serious risk to hospitals because it is easily transmitted in health care facilities, according to a new study.
 
A team of infectious-disease experts traveled to Saudi Arabia to investigate the spread of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in four Saudi hospitals in May. They concluded that the new virus was even more deadly than the related SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus that caused an outbreak in Toronto hospitals in 2003.
 
Not only is MERS-CoV easily transmitted from patient to patient, but also from hospital to hospital when sick patients are transferred, according to the study, which was published online June 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
 
"Our investigation showed some surprising similarities between MERS and SARS. Both are very deadly viruses and easily transferred between people, and even between health care facilities," team member Dr. Trish Perl, senior hospital epidemiologist for Johns Hopkins Medicine and a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a Johns Hopkins news release.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/SARS-like-virus-MERS-CoV-hospital-transmission-Middle-East-outbreak/2013/06/20/id/510915#ixzz2WlQslU7o
Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now
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Pneumonia Shot Dangers: What You Need to Know

Vaccine (journal)
Vaccine (journal) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"It can be more serious than you think," says a brochure handed out at doctors' offices across the United States. "And you may be at risk." The brochure is for Prevar 13, a vaccine designed to protect against 13 strains of pneumococcal pneumonia. People as young as 50 are at risk, it continues as it urges immunization for adults 50 years and older, and for children six weeks to five years of age. But even the brochure that advocates vaccination admits, "There have been no controlled trials in adults demonstrating a decrease in pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive disease after vaccination with Prevnar 13."
Wait ... doctors are urging tens of millions of people to have this vaccine, yet there are no trials proving that it is effective? "Yes," says Dr. David Brownstein, author of the newsletter Dr. Brownstein's Natural Way to Health. "We don't have any proof that this vaccine works," he tells Newsmax Health. "In fact, there's hardly any information on this vaccine at all.
"I think it is shameful that this vaccine is recommended for prevention of pneumonia when there are no controlled studies showing it is effective," he says.  "This is another example of a poorly studied vaccine — just like there are no controlled studies on the flu vaccine, either."

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/pneumococcal-pneumonia-DrDavid-Brownstein-vaccines-Prevnar-13/2013/06/19/id/510814#ixzz2WlPTL9JW
Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now
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Scientists scratch surface of itching's origins

itch
itch (Photo credit: brontosaurus)
(CBSNEWS) — Feeling itchy? Scientists may have discovered the mechanism of how our body initiates an itch.

A study using mice conducted at the National Institutes of Health showed that a molecule called natriuretic polypeptide b (Nppb) may be the culprit behind that pesky itch. This specific molecule sets off a chain reaction, leading to what our brain perceives as an itch, or what is medically known as pruritus.

“Our work shows that itch, once thought to be a low-level form of pain, is a distinct sensation that is uniquely hardwired into the nervous system with the biochemical equivalent of its own dedicated land line to the brain,” senior author Mark Hoon, a scientist at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the NIH, said in a press release.

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Learning to Render Fat


Gaye Levy
Activist Post

Old habits die slowly. For years we have been told that animal fat is bad and to be honest, I personally subscribe to a diet plan that is primarily plant based. That said, there is a place in my diet and my kitchen for organic meat and meat products, including the fat that is typically discarded after the fact.

For the longest time, something I absolutely tossed out was cooking grease. Healthcare experts, government and public health agencies and even the editors of popular cooking magazines all jumped on the fat is bad bandwagon. Low fat was good, no fat was better and animal fat? Forget it.

The result of all this blather was an epidemic of obesity and heart disease as well as a bunch of inexplicable diseases. Now understand this: I am not a medical professional and by no means am I suggesting a diet heavy on animal fat. But, as with everything else in life, a bit of fat used in moderation may not be so bad and most certainly can add a dimension of flavor and satiety to your food.

New Study Provides Evidence That GMO Foods May Be Harmful

Stop genetically modified organism(s) - GMO. R...
Stop genetically modified organism(s) - GMO. Read comments! (Photo credit: artist in doing nothing)
Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified grain showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a new study by a team of Australian scientists and U.S. researchers.


The study adds to an intensifying public debate over the impact of genetically modified crops, also known as GMO.

The study was published in the June issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Organic Systems by researchers from Australia who worked with two veterinarians and a farmer in Iowa to study the U.S. pigs.

Lead researcher Judy Carman is an epidemiologist and biochemist and director of the Institute of Health and Environmental Research in Adelaide, Australia.

The study was conducted over 22.7 weeks using 168 newly weaned pigs in a commercial U.S. piggery.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/gmo-foods-pigs-study/2013/06/11/id/509365#ixzz2W04jzeBg
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Turmeric Produces 'Remarkable' Recovery in Alzheimer's Patients


"...they came to recognize their family within 1 year treatment."

Sayer Ji
Activist Post

Turmeric has been used in India for over 5,000 years, which is likely why still today both rural and urban populations have some of the lowest prevalence rates of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the world. A recent study on patients with AD found that less than a gram of turmeric daily, taken for three months, resulted in 'remarkable improvements.'

Alzheimer's Disease: A Disturbingly Common Modern Rite of Passage

A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), sadly, has become a rite of passage in so-called developed countries. AD is considered the most common form of dementia, which is defined as a serious loss of cognitive function in previously unimpaired persons, beyond what is expected from normal aging.

A 2006 study estimated that 26 million people throughout the world suffer from this condition, and that by 2050, the prevalence will quadruple, by which time 1 in 85 persons worldwide will be afflicted with the disease.[1]

Given the global extent of the problem, interest in safe and effective preventive and therapeutic interventions within the conventional medical and alternative professions alike are growing.

Beyond Viagra: Choosing the Right ED Drug

viagra is a commercial produced medicine conta...
viagra is a commercial produced medicine containing Sildenafil citrate, which is used to treat male erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Since Viagra was approved by the FDA in 1998, the “little blue pill” has become a household name and part of our culture. But these days there are a host of lesser-known erectile dysfunction drugs on the market, including Cialis, Levitra, Staxyn and Stendra. Dr. David Samadi, vice chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, makes sense of all the choices and offers advice on deciding what’s right for you.

While commercials advertise the possible side effect of erections that last longer than four hours, Dr. Samadi says he has never seen that condition and men should not fear it.
 
“What I want people to know is that there are a lot of good treatments out there,” he says. “Talk to your urologist and individualize the care, and we’ll see what’s the best for you. You should enjoy a great quality of life and sex is a big part of this.”

SPECIAL:The Real Cause of Prostate Issues. See the Photo.  

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/Viagra-ED-drugs-erectile-dysfunction-DrDavid-Samadi/2013/06/07/id/508709#ixzz2Vkp3r9vV
Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now

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President Obama's 23 Executive Actions; Federal Spy Doctors, Forced Medication & Involuntary Commitment

On Wednesday, President Obama announced the creation of 23 'executive actions' pertaining to 'gun violence reduction', in response to the Sandy Hook school shooting.  He even brought children on stage with him, high-fived, and hugged the kids before signing the actions, which to some, resembled tyrants in the past who used children as props in their propaganda campaigns.




There was talk in the media of a possible federal ban on certain types of assault rifles, and/or ammunition, however none of the twenty-three executive actions call for a physical ban of anything.  There are orders dealing with background checks, information evaluation, new federal programs, and even five orders dealing with 'health care', in relation to gun violence.

Surely these orders will make it slightly more difficult for some Americans, in the future, to obtain firearm protection, but, in my opinion, the main purpose of these executive orders is to further the federal governments involvement into your life through the health care system.

Of the twenty three executive orders, the one that seems the most disturbing to me is number sixteen, which states, "Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes."  There was already concern that the Affordable Care Act intruded on doctor/patient confidentiality, and this new executive order furthers those concerns. Essentially, the federal government will spy on you through your medical doctor.  Last month, I reported on a federal program to also turn your local religious leaders (priests, pastors, reverends, etc.), into spies for the federal government.


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