Because of the nondescript nature of the mush and nuggets in cans and
bags, pet owners must extend a lot of trust to manufacturers. But the
balm of blind trust and faith never turns out to be a solution for
anything. For example, consider the following approved ingredients from
the official AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials)
regulatory publications:
dehydrated garbage (you read that right)
polyethylene roughage (plastic)
hydrolyzed poultry feathers
hydrolyzed hair
hydrolyzed leather meal
some 36 chemical preservatives
peanut skins and hulls
corn cob fractions
ground corn cob
ground clam shells
poultry, cow and pig feces and litter
hundreds of chemicals
a host of antibiotic and chemotherapeutic pharmaceuticals
a variety of synthetic flavorings
adjuvants
sequestrates
stabilizers
anticaking agents
MORE
Learning God's Healthy way to a better Life!
Is organic food really worth the extra cost?
Courtesy of the USDA
Only growers that have been certified by an independent certifying body may carry the USDA organic seal, shown here. Growers must refrain from using chemicals for at least three years and supply thorough documentation of their organic practices.
Chart by Lisa Watson. Data from
“New evidence confirms the nutritional superiority of plant-based
organic foods,” by Charles Benbrook, et. al. The Organic Center, March
2008. CLICK ON CHART TO ENLARGE!
Studies show that organic fruits and vegetables are more likely to have higher levels of nutrients than their conventionally grown counterparts.
Sales of organic products have skyrocketed in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. People associate organic food with better health, local growers, lower pesticide levels, humane treatment of animals and sounder environmental practices.
But the National Organic Program, which regulates the process of growing organic food, is actually a marketing program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The government stops short of making any scientific claims that organic food is safer or more nutritious than conventional foods. So with the price of food continuing to increase in recent months, shoppers are wondering if organics are really worth the extra cost.
Experts confirm that organic fruits and vegetables probably are better for the environment, and they’re often a good way of ensuring you get fresh fruit. But although a recent meta-study on organic nutrition levels showed a higher level of some vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, experts are divided on whether that translates to better health.
What makes it organic? MORE
Nitrites and cancer
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Research from China suggests that even low levels of nitrites in drinking water can cause cancer. Why is the West ignoring the evidence? asks Oliver Tickell
The possibility of a link between nitrite in drinking water and cancer was first noted in 1970. To this day the view of the western ‘scientific establishment’ remains that the effects of nitrite – and the related substance nitrate – are well understood and there’s not much for us to worry about, though it is a good idea to eat less bacon and other preserved meats.
But Chinese scientists are reaching a very different view: that nitrite in drinking water is closely linked with cancer incidence and mortality. Indeed, nitrite pollution may be responsible for up to half of all cancer deaths in developed countries – even when nitrite and nitrate levels are within legal limits.
MoreHow to protect yourself from drug errors
Asking questions, playing advocate can help reduce risks
MSNBC
More than 1.5 million Americans are injured every year by mistakes involving their medications. Patients can help protect themselves and their loved ones by following these steps:
- Make sure that all of your doctors know about everything you are taking. More
Closing arguments to begin in Ala. drug price suit
MONTGOMERY, Ala. Lawyers will begin closing
arguments in the trial of the state of Alabama's lawsuit against two
prescription drug companies, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline.
The lawyers for Alabama are
seeking $400 million from the drug companies. The state's attorneys argued the
companies committed fraud by causing the state's Medicaid program to
pay too much for prescription drugs from 1991 to 2005.
Attorneys for the drug companies say that they did not commit fraud.
The trial is the second on more than 70 lawsuits filed by the state against pharmaceutical companies.
Obesity surgery requires no knife - UPDATED
Brigham and Women's Hospital, in a first-of-its kind medical trial, has performed a weight-loss procedure that does not require any cutting, offering the possibility of a safer, less traumatic operation to help address the nation's obesity epidemic.More..
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Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery May Protect Against Infection And Cancer
ScienceDaily (June 17, 2008) — Another health benefit of bariatric weight-loss surgery may be a heightened immune defense against cancer and infections, a new study suggests.
"Obesity is related to a higher rate of infections and some types of cancer," said a study coauthor, Alfredo Halpern, PhD, of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. "Nevertheless, there are only a few published studies evaluating the immune function in severely obese patients and the effect of surgery-induced weight loss on these parameters."
Halpern and his co-workers therefore studied the effect of weight loss on immune function in 28 morbidly obese patients who had traditional "stomach-stapling" (Roux-en-Y) gastric bypass surgery. The 20 women and eight men lost an average of 78.5 pounds 6 months after gastric bypass. This operation permanently reduces the size of the stomach and bypasses part of the intestines, thus restricting food intake and food absorption.
Before and 6 months after the surgery, the researchers evaluated patients' blood samples for natural killer (NK) cells, which play a critical role in controlling infections and cancer. Specifically, they measured the number of NK cells and the cells' capacity to kill infected cells or tumor cells. They also looked at the production of certain cytokines, proteins that are essential to the immune response.
Although the number of NK cells did not increase with surgically induced weight loss, their activity changed, Halpern said. Before surgery, NK cells mounted a weak immune defense, but after surgery their activity increased by nearly 79 percent, representing an improvement in the effective immune response and, possibly, in the ability to fight cancer and infections.
The response of cytokines involved in NK cell activity also changed after weight loss, possibly affording higher protection against infection and cancer, the researchers found. Cytokines analyzed were interferon-gamma and interleukins 2, 12 and 18.
Prior studies have shown that bariatric surgery has many health benefits, including resolution of type 2 diabetes, improved blood pressure and lower risk of premature death. This study shows another possible benefit of the weight loss stemming from bariatric surgery.
"It may help protectagainst infections and cancer by improving the activity of certain immune cells," Halpern said.
He said the impaired NK cell function evident in extremely obese people may even explain their propensity to develop infections and cancer.
Cancers that research has linked to obesity include colon, breast, endometrial, kidney and esophageal cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) funded this study.
Adapted from materials provided by The Endocrine Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Implanted Device Offers Option To Gastric Surgery
Rochester, MN (AHN) - A new implantable medical device called VBLOCTM vagal blocking therapy is the latest answer to gastric bypass surgery and other weight loss measures.
Developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic researchers, the device helped patients lose an average of nearly 15 percent of their excess weight.
The device was put on in a six-month, open-label trial involving three medical centers in Australia, Mexico, and Norway. It was tested on 31 obese participants who were not put on any restricted diets or given counselling that typically accompanies gastric banding or bypass.
According to findings published in the current issue of the journal Surgery, a quarter of the participants lost more than 25 percent of their excess weight, and three patients lost more than 30 percent.
The plus point of the therapy is that it is reversible and a less extreme alternative to existing bariatric surgeries, a press release said.
VBLOC therapy uses high-frequency electricity to block the nerve impulses between the brain and the stomach and pancreas. Lead wires are implanted in the abdomen with electrodes attached to the vagal nerves and the neuroregulator, a pacemaker-sized device, is implanted just under the skin.
Unlike gastric bypass, the VBLOC delivery system can be removed and it also does not damage or permanently affect the vagal nerves or digestive system.
Athletes use Viagra for a competitive edge, experts say
LONDON — Athletes looking for a performance boost are increasingly turning to a little blue pill more usually taken for its off-the-field benefits: Viagra.
Some sports authorities say the drug is now finding a following among athletes. It isn't clear how many might be taking it in hopes of improving athletic performance, but stashes of the drug have reportedly been found among some professional athletes.
The World Anti-Doping Agency is currently studying Viagra's effects in athletes, but hasn't yet banned it. Experts are divided over whether it actually offers athletes an edge.
"It's possible," said Anthony Butch, director of the Olympic Analytical laboratory at the University of California Los Angeles, a WADA-accredited facility. More
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Athletes' dirty little secret: Viagra
Viagra's other benefitsA new study points to the possibility that erectile dysfunction drugs could help improve cognition in Alzheimer's patients. As Helen Palmer reports, the application could help revive flagging sales of ED drugs.source: http://marketplace.publicradio.org
Viagra Yields Benefits To Mother And Fetus In Hypertensive Pregnancy
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