Is All Animal Flesh GOOD FOOD?

Herbert W. Armstrong
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Is All Animal Flesh GOOD FOOD?
by Herbert W. Armstrong


Were all animals made clean? What about the unclean animals shown to Peter in a vision? Here is a straightforward Bible answer, giving the New Testament teaching. This subject is important to your health and well-being!
AFTER THOUSANDS of years of human experience on earth, it seems there still is nothing people know less about than food. 

Observe a little baby. It seems to think that anything and everything its little chubby hands can get into its mouth is good to eat and everything baby gets his hands on goes straight to his mouth! How often must young parents take things away, and try to teach the lovely little bundle of humanity that everything one's hands can touch is not necessarily good for the digestion! 

We're Just Grown-up Babies!
Well, one might wonder if any of us has grown up! Most of us adults still seem to think that anything we can stuff in our mouths is good for food. About the only difference between us and the baby is that baby puts into his mouth whatever looks good, while we employ the sense of taste in deciding what goes into our mouths. 

Your stomach is your fuel tank. Your automobile's tank is its stomach. You wouldn't think of pouring just any old thing that will pour into the "stomach" of your car. You know that your car was not made to consume and "digest" fuel oil, water, milk, or kerosene. 

Yes, we are very careful what we "feed" our automobile--and totally careless and indifferent about what we feed ourselves and our children! 

What happens to the food you eat? In the stomach the digestive process takes place. And, once digested--if you have eaten fit and digestible food--a portion of the essential minerals and vitamins--the life-giving properties in the food--filter through the intestinal lining into the bloodstream to replenish and build up decaying cells, to provide energy, body warmth, good health.
Your body is wonderfully made! It is the most wonderful mechanism in the world. 

But, just as you must use the right kind of gasoline in the gas tank and the right kind of oils and greases in the other parts of your car or impair its performance, so you must put the right kind of food into the most delicate mechanism of all, your body. 

If you tried to oil a fine watch with axle grease you wouldn't expect the watch to keep good time. 

And when you put into your stomach all kinds of foul things which the Great Architect who designed your human mechanism never intended, you foul up your body and bring on sickness, disease, aches, pains, a dulled and clogged-up mind, inefficiency and inability--and you commit suicide on the installment plan by actually shortening your life! 

The God who designed, created, and made your body has revealed some essential basic knowledge about which meats will keep that body functioning in tip-top shape. Why does humanity refuse His instructions? 

You Are Eating Poison!
You don't eat every plant that grows out of the ground. Some things that grow are poison, not food.
But did you know there are many kinds of poisons? Potassium cyanide will kill you very quickly. Some poisons will result in death within a few hours or a few days. But very few seem to know there are other poisons people mistakenly eat as foods which result in premature death after continuous usage for, say, ten, or thirty, or fifty years. 

The only difference between these poisons we falsely call foods and potassium cyanide is the relative number of minutes, hours, or years it takes to accomplish its mission. 

Just as every plant that God caused to grow out of the ground was not designed for food, so it is with animal flesh. Some will say, "Well, if swine's flesh isn't supposed to be eaten as food, what did God create swine for?" You might as well ask, what did God create weeds and poison vines for? Everything may have been created for a purpose, but not everything for the purpose of eating. 

Now some believe that in the original creation--in the Garden of Eden God did not intend any animal flesh to be eaten. God's revelation on that point is vague, and many have argued it both ways. However, God has clearly revealed that certain animal meats may be eaten as food now, in this age, and Jesus who came to set us an example did eat flesh as well as vegetables and fruits, and so do I. 

What the Great Architect of Your Stomach Instructs
When the first written revelation of God came to man through Moses, God instructed man as to which kinds of animal flesh man ought or ought not to eat. You will find this list in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. 

This is a basic law--a revelation from God to man about which kinds of flesh will properly digest and assimilate in the human system, and which will not. It is not a part of God's great spiritual law, summed up in the Ten Commandments. Neither is it part of the ceremonial, ritualistic, or sacrificial laws later abolished at the crucifixion of Christ. 

God is the Author of all law, and there are countless laws in motion. There are laws of physics and chemistry. You know of the law of gravity. There is the great immutable spiritual law to regulate man's relationship to God and to fellow men--the law of love--the Ten Commandments. God gave His nation Israel civil statutes and judgments--national laws for the conduct of the national government. Israel was His Church, under the Old Covenant. And for the dispensation then present God gave Israel rituals and ceremonial laws for the conduct of religious services, laws relating to typical and temporary sacrifices, meat and drink offerings--temporary substitutes for Christ and the Holy Spirit. Those laws, of course, ended when the Reality came. 

And then, we must realize, there are physical laws working in our bodies, regulating our health. This meat question has to do with these laws. 

I know of men who make a hobby of bitterly accusing others of sin for eating pork, oysters, and clams. 

Let us get this straight and clear! 

We usually speak of sin in its spiritual aspect. That is the aspect in which it is considered in the New Testament. The Bible definition of it is this: "Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4). 

The penalty for violation of that spiritual law is death--not the first or physical death, but the second, of spiritual and eternal death in the "lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14). 

Now the eating of wrong food is not a transgression of this spiritual law, and is not a sin. To violate the physical laws of health often brings the penalty of disease, disability, pain, sickness, and sometimes the first death. It is not necessarily spiritual sin. 

That is what Jesus made plain, as recorded in Mark 7:14-23. Here Jesus was speaking of spiritual defilement, not physical health. Not that which enters into a man's mouth, but the evil that comes out of his heart, defiles the man spiritually. What defiles the man--and he is speaking of defiling the man, not injuring the body--is transgression of the Ten Commandments--evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, blasphemy (verses 21-22). These things have nothing to do with the physical laws of health. He was making a point concerning spiritual defilements, not physical health. 

Specifically, on the physical level, He was referring to a possible particle of dirt which might get on the food from dirty and unwashed hands--He was not here speaking of clean or unclean meats at all. 

No Change in Structure of Animal Flesh at Cross
The animals whose flesh properly digests and nourishes the human body were so made in the original creation. No change was ever made in the structure of men's bodies at the time of the flood, or at the time of Jesus' death, or any other time. Neither did God make some sudden change in the structure of animal flesh, so that what once was unfit for food will now digest properly and supply the body's needs. 

The unclean animals were unclean before the flood. 

Notice, before the flood, Noah took into the ark of the clean animals, to be eaten for food, by sevens; but of the unclean, of which he was not to eat during the flood, by two's--only enough to preserve their lives. The inference is inescapable that the additional clean animals were taken aboard to be eaten for food while Noah and his family were in the ark. 

Prior to the flood, clean animals were usually offered as sacrifices. Those who ate the sacrifices often partook of the animal flesh, but vegetables were the main constituent of diet. After the flood God gave Noah not merely the green herb--vegetables--as the major part of diet, but of every type of living creature--clean animals, clean fish, clean fowl (Genesis 9:3 and Leviticus 11). 

Genesis 9:3 does not say that every living, breathing creature is clean and fit to eat, but that "as the green herb have I given you all things." God did not give poisonous herbs as food. He gave man the healthful herbs. Man can determine which herbs are healthful, but man cannot by himself determine which flesh foods are harmful. That is why God had to determine for us in His Word which meats are clean. Since the flood every moving clean, healthful, nonpoisonous type of animal life is good for food--just as God gave us the healthful, nonpoisonous herbs. 

This does not give us permission to do as we please! 

Not Ceremonial Law
The instruction in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, then, is not some ritualistic regulation for the Mosaic period only. Why do so many people have the idea that God is some great unfair monster who imposes foolish hardships on His people? Whatever God instructs us is for our good, not some nonsensical restriction for one period to be changed around some different way for other people of a different period. 

Now for some specific instruction concerning mammals: "These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox [beef], the sheep [lamb], and the goat, the hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg [antelope], and the wild ox, and the chamois [mountain sheep]. And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you. And the swine [hogs], because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh (Deut. 14:4-8). 

Horsemeat is not fit for humans because horses not only do not have divided hoofs, but they also do not chew the cud. 

Similarly, swine flesh--pork, ham, bacon, sausage, rabbit meat, etc.--is simply not fit for human consumption. The same is true with oysters, lobsters, clams, crabs, shrimp, crawfish, dogs, snakes, rats, and skunks. 

The only seafood fit for food are fish having both fins and scales. Halibut has both and is clean. Catfish is a skin fish--unclean. 

It's all a matter of what we have become accustomed to doing. It seems strange and horrifying to hear that some Orientals eat mice as a delicacy. But many Orientals are horrified to hear that we eat nasty, slimy, filthy oysters! But some human grown-ups, like little babies, will eat anything they can get their hands on and stuff into their mouths. 

At so-called "quality" grocery stores in large towns and cities, specializing in rare delicacies, you can purchase "delicious" canned rattlesnake--if you care for it. 

So far as I am concerned, you may have my portion if you wish to try it. I do not care to eat it for the same reason I do not eat slugs, skunks, cats, or eels-- for the same reason I do not eat poison ivy or weeds. Yes, and for the same reason I do not put fuel oil mixed with sand in the gas tank of my car! 

The day will come when we will at last learn that eating greasy hog flesh and other unfit "foods" has been a prime cause of cancer and other deadly diseases. 

What About Peter's Vision?
But what about the sheet containing unclean animals which was shown to the Apostle Peter in a vision (Acts 10)? Did this vision change the entire composition of all unclean animals, or of the human apparatus, so that these unfit things suddenly became nourishing food? 

Not at all! 

The purpose of this vision was NOT to change God's food and health laws which have been inexorably in motion from the beginning, but to show Peter "that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). Why? Because the Jewish people had been taught to regard Gentiles like unclean animals--to have nothing to do with them. 

It is time you fully understood this vision. It may well affect your health, happiness and eternal life. Open your Bible to the tenth chapter of Acts. 

Notice that Cornelius was an Italian soldier--an uncircumcised Italian--a Gentile by race. To the strict Jews, he was to be regarded as an unclean man. But God looks on the heart. Cornelius gave "much alms" to the Jewish people (verse 2). God remembered his alms and revealed in a vision that he should send some of his servants to Joppa to contact Peter. 

In verse 9, we find Peter was a man of prayer. While praying on a housetop, Peter became very hungry. Just before noon Peter fell into a trance. In vision he saw heaven opened and a sheet was let down to the earth. This sheet contained "all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air" (verse 12). 

Notice this carefully, This sheet contained every type of animal imaginable, including wild animals--lions, tigers, hyenas, monkeys, skunks. And creeping things--snakes and lizards, vermin and spiders. And fowl like vultures and crows and eagles! 

Peter was shocked by the sight of all these creatures. Then, of all things, God commanded Peter to kill and eat of these creatures! What did Peter say? 

"Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). 

Peter had lived day and night with Jesus for over three years. He certainly understood from Jesus' teaching that there were some creatures which are simply not fit for human food. That is why when this vision came ten years after the rituals and ceremonies were abolished at the cross, Peter refused to eat. He knew that God's law of clean and unclean meats was still in full force and effect! 

Now notice what the voice from heaven told Peter when he refused to eat: "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (verse 15). It does not say that what God cleansed were these revolting unclean reptiles, fowl and wild animals. It does say that what God cleansed is not to be called common! But what did God cleanse?  

What God Really Cleansed
In this vision which Peter saw, the voice from heaven spoke three times, then the sheet was received up into heaven again. And what did Peter do? "Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean" (verse 17). He did not immediately assume like so many people that God suddenly changed His laws ten years after the crucifixion! 

Now notice what happened "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, 'Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I hay sent them'" (verses 19-20). 

The voice from heaven in the vision spoke unto Peter three times because three Gentile men--two servants and a soldier (verse 7)--were at that moment on their way see him. Peter went with them to see Cornelius. This is when Peter understood the vision! He confessed in verse 28 "...God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." 

"What God cleansed" were not those unclean animals, but those Gentile men, formerly regarded unclean by the Jewish people. 

Those unclean animals in Peter's vision were used to symbolize the Gentile races of men. The Jewish people had been forbidden to associate with them because of their abominable practices. But now the wall of spiritual separation had been broken down and salvation was extended to the Gentiles. Peter finally realized that this was the meaning of the vision and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (verses 34-35). 

Yes, to be accepted with God, we must fear Him and work righteousness. What is righteousness? "...All thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:172). And among those commandments are the laws which tell us which kinds of flesh are clean and which are unclean!
 
Would You Eat Skunks and Rats?
But suppose God had been trying tell Peter--and us--that he should eat all the things contained in the sheet that was let down in vision. Would you eat those "creeping things"--lizards, snakes, spiders? Would you eat skunks and hyenas? Of course you wouldn't! Why? Because you have your own law of what you think is clean and unclean! 

Common sense tells us that God did not intend for us to eat every creature. But we just aren't willing to let our Creator tell us which meats will give us lasting health and strength, and which ones are injurious to our bodies, and will eventually bring on more sickness and disease. It is time we let God tell us what is clean and what is unclean instead of using our faulty human reason! 

Some people, however, still want to argue with God. One text they will bring up is found in I Timothy 4:1-5. Read it carefully. 

Notice that these "doctrines of devils" include "commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving...." By whom? "Of them which believe and know the truth." What is truth? Christ said, "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17). Then the Bible itself reveals the truth concerning which meats are good for food. We should not refuse to eat any food which, according to truth, God created to be eaten with thanksgiving. But this does not mean that all meats are healthful and fit for the human body. 

Notice that the false doctrine is commanding to abstain from meats which are thankfully received by those who believe and know the truth--who know God's Word. But God's Word--the Holy Bible--tells us that there are some meats which are "unclean," and are not to be received with thanksgiving!
Now consider what verses 4 and 5 tell us: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. "What does it mean to be SANCTIFIED by the Word of God and prayer? 

"Sanctify" is a word meaning to make holy, or set apart for a right use or purpose--to set apart as fit for human food. 

Now which meats has God sanctified for human food? The only passages in all the Bible showing which meats God sanctified are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. 

Here you find that it is the "clean"--healthful--meats which are good for food. These are the only meats that can be received with thanksgiving and prayer! 

There is not a single scripture showing that God ever set apart as fit for food any unclean creatures--snails, oysters, clams, snakes, octopuses, eels, horses, rabbits, or swine! Yet people eat these creatures without realizing the harm they are doing to their bodies. 

Paul Instructs Vegetarians
Paul's letter to the saints at Rome is often quoted as supposed proof that any kind of flesh food is good to eat. But is this what Paul really taught? 

Turn to the beginning of the 14th chapter of Romans. Notice what the apostle is writing: "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye"--don't dispute with him and sit in judgment on him because of his weak understanding of the faith, Paul continues. "For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak, eateth herbs [vegetables only]" (Romans 14:1-2). 

Of whom is Paul writing? Of those who were vegetarians, as well as those who believed in eating both flesh foods and vegetables. 

Paul was confronted with the same problem that we encounter today in carrying the Gospel to the world. You would be surprised at the number of people who do not eat meat or even any animal products--milk, butter, cheese, eggs. Some have meatless days or days on which they will eat fish only. These are all people who, because they are weak in the faith, abstain from those clean meats which God originally sanctified or set apart in His Word for man's physical nourishment. 

The question confronting Paul was not that Christians at Rome contended that all unclean animals had now been cleansed by God--the common false assumption of today--but the real issue, according to verse two, was over the vegetarian belief held by some that no meats whatsoever should be eaten.
Paul was straightening out the brethren on this matter, telling them that none of those clean meats which had been created by God to be received with thanksgiving should be refused. He pointed out to them, however, that it would be wrong for the vegetarians to eat meat if they had doubts about it, thereby defiling their weak consciences. For he wrote, "...Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:22-23). 

We must follow what God has revealed to us to be right according to the Word of God. This does not mean that our consciences always tell us what is right--not at all. We have to continually study to learn what is right and wrong. But God thinks more highly of a vegetarian who might sincerely and conscientiously deny himself the clean meats, because he does not know the full truth, than He does a person who would do the right thing according to the letter, but who really believes in his heart that he is doing wrong. 

So "to him"--the vegetarian--"that esteemeth anything to be common, to "him"--the vegetarian--"it is common." That is, it seems so to him. But it is not common in fact, nor to us, for we know that all clean meats are good for food. That is why Paul wrote: "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing common of itself" (Rom. 14:14). 

Notice that in this verse Paul used, according to the margin of the King James Version, the Greek word for "common," not the Greek word for "unclean." Why? 

"Common" Does Not Mean "Unclean"
Many have carelessly assumed that Paul is writing about unclean meats in this 14th chapter of Romans. He is not! He is writing about the difference between vegetarians who regard that clean meats are common, and those who know that clean meats are of themselves not common.
In the Greek there are two different words used which are often carelessly translated "unclean" or "common." Notice that in Acts 10:14 both of these words are used. The Bible does not repeat itself foolishly. Therefore these two words mean entirely different things. 

The Greek word for "unclean" is akarthatos. It means "unclean and impure by nature." The Greek word for "common" is koinos, which means "polluted through external misuse." (See any of the Lexicons.) 

Paul used the Greek word for "common" throughout Romans 14:14. He did not use the Greek word for "unclean." In other words, Paul knew that no clean foods which God has sanctified are by nature polluted, but vegetarians who were weak in the faith--weak in understanding God's Word--thought meats should not be eaten. To such a vegetarian--"to him," not to others--that meat seemed to be polluted. His conscience defiled the meat for him; he would become upset if he were to eat meat. But that does not make the meat polluted in fact or for everybody else. 

Notice Paul's conclusion: "For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure"--that is, all things that God sanctified and gave us to eat are clean --but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth..." (verses 20 and 21). 

Paul is not recommending eating unclean meats! Quite the opposite. He is recommending not eating any meat at all in the presence of a vegetarian brother if he is offended! 

When Is "Clean" Meat "Common"?
The only circumstance in which clean meats are ever common or polluted is when the clean animals have died of themselves or when the blood has not been properly drained. That is why the apostles and elders who gathered at Jerusalem forbade the use of meat from strangled animals and meat with the blood in it (Acts 15:20). This is New Testament teaching for today! 

Such animal flesh was called "common" because it could be given to strangers or aliens in Old Testament times if those people wanted to eat it. They were the common and polluted people--the Gentiles--not the chosen and clean people, Israel (Deut. 14:21). 

In New Testament times, clean meat offered to idols was prohibited if it had been polluted by strangulation or if the blood were remaining in it. Otherwise the meat was permitted to be eaten if it did not offend anyone. 

Paul devoted the entire 8th and 10th chapters of I Corinthians to instructions on not raising the question of meats offered to idols. "But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake" (I Cor. 10:28). In other words, if clean meats offered to idols were not polluted, you could eat of them unless it offended someone. Under those circumstances the meat became common, not to you, but to the other person who raised the question about idols. Notice: 

"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other" (verse 29). 

That is why Paul said in Romans, "But to him that esteemeth any thing to be common [margin], to him it is common" (Rom. 14:14). 

Prophecy for the Future
What does the Bible say the people would be doing today? Notice: They that eat "swine's flesh"--that is what most people are doing today--"and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together"--in the wrath of God--"saith the Lord" (Isa. 66:17). 

This is the fate of those who lust after the foods which God forbids us to eat because those meats will harm us. This is the fate of those "whose God is their belly" (Phil. 3:19). 

Is it any wonder today, that with all our scientific knowledge, we have more doctor bills, more sickness than ever before in the history of the world? It is time we returned to God and began to obey His laws. He is our Creator. He made us. He knows what our bodies were made to utilize as good, healthful foods. He set the laws in motion regulating clean and unclean meats. It is time we began to obey them as Jesus and the apostles did! 

God forbids also the eating of animal fat, or blood (Lev. 3:17; 7:23-27). Butter, olive oil, and some vegetable oils and shortenings are acceptable, but animal fat should be cut off before eating meat. Cheaper hamburger is not good because it is mixed with much fat. Lard should never be used. These things will wreck any stomach in time. 

What About Fish and Fowl?
The Bible itself defines which sea life is good food: "Whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them shall ye eat (Lev. 11:9). In verse 10 it is further clarified: "And all that have no fins AND scales in the seas...they shall be an abomination unto you." 

"But which fish have both fins and scales?" is the question asked by many readers. 

First, let us name the commonly known unclean fish--these are scaleless fish--which are not fit for food: catfish, eels, paddlefish, sculpins, sticklebacks, sturgeons and swordfish. These fish do not have true scales. Together with these creatures are other forms of sea life unfit for human consumption: abalone, clams, crabs, lobsters, oysters, scallops, shrimp, whale. 

A more complete list of fish fit for human consumption is available on the next page. The most important clean fish--having both scales and fins are: albacore, anchovy, barracuda, bass, blackfish, bowfin, buffalo, carp, characin, cod, croaker, darter, flounder, gaby, grayling, haddock, halibut, herring, jack, mackerel, minnow, mooneye, mullet, needlefish, perch, pike, salmon, sardine, shad, silverside, smelt, snapper, sole, sucker, sunfish, surf fish, tarpon, trout, tuna, weakfish, whitefish. If any question arises, consult such books as Field Book of Fresh-Water Fishes by Ray Schrenkeisen which may be found in public libraries. 

Some people, who are not competent to judge fish, have thought certain of these clean fish were without scales, but this is not true. One point to remember is that many fish have very small or minute scales near the head and the tail fin. In either case, such fish are clean and fit for food. 

The second part of the question concerns fowl. Which birds are fit for human consumption? The answer is found in Leviticus 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:11-20. 

Each of these sections lists specific varieties of birds unfit for human consumption. No clean birds are listed. Only about two dozen unclean birds are listed out of thousands found the world over. These unclean birds illustrate the characteristics of all unclean birds. They fall into types each of which is unclean "after its kind." The question is, how do these unclean birds differ from those known to be clean or fit for human consumption? The characteristics of clean fowl are, of course, determined by the dove and the pigeon (Luke 2:24 and Lev. 1:14-17) which were anciently used for sacrifice.
By comparing the differences between these clean birds and those listed as unclean, we can arrive at the following six characteristics of clean birds: 1) they must not be birds of prey; 2) they catch food thrown to them in the air, but they bring it to the ground, where they divide it with their bills, if possible, before eating it; whereas unclean birds devour it in the air, or press it with one foot to the ground and tear it with their bills; 3) they must have an elongated middle front toe and a hind toe; 4) they must spread their toes so that three front toes are on one side of a perch and the hind toe on the other side; 5) they must have craws or crops; 6) they must have a gizzard with a double lining which can easily be separated. (Consult articles in Jewish Encyclopedia under "Poultry," and "Clean and Unclean Animals.") 

Clean birds have all these characteristics; unclean birds lack one or more of these characteristics. If a bird lacks any one of these characteristics, it is unclean. 

Besides the pigeon and dove, the following birds are clean: chicken, pheasant, quail, partridge, grouse, turkey, all song birds, ducks and geese. 

Unclean birds not listed specifically in the Bible are roadrunners, woodpeckers and the parrot family (which divide their toes so that two are on either side of a perch), aquatic and wading birds and gulls which have no crops or craws, no double lining of gizzards, and often no hind toe or no elongated middle front toe. 

It may not be spiritual sin to eat biblically unclean foods. Yet, if one deliberately does it out of lust of appetite, that breaks the tenth command and becomes sin. But in all events wrong food injures the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It defiles the BODY if not the man, and if we continue to defile our bodies God will destroy us (I Cor. 3:17).  

Mark 7 and Unclean Meats
The context is really the heart of the matter of what Jesus actually means by "purging all meats" (verse 19). 

We take no exception to the view that after food has passed through the digestive tract, it has been purged or made clean. But how? The whole context of Mark 7 shows that it is a question of ceremonial cleanliness--not any law in the Old Testament, but instead the ritual purity which certain Palestinian sects had proclaimed on their authority. 

The Greek word broma (if not taken to mean "filth" as some authorities suggest) means simply "that which is eaten" or "food," and includes all kinds of food (see Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich). To limit the words "purging all meats" to flesh foods is unjustified by the straightforward reading of the Greek. 

The context (verses 1-14, 20-23) deals, not with biological uncleanness, but with uncleanness supposedly incurred from the omission of ritual washing (verse 15). The kind of food the disciples ate (verses 2, 5), is not referred to, but only the manner in which they ate (verses 2, 5, 15). The context throughout shows Christ dealing with the problem of the "commandment of God" versus the "tradition of men." Another point: there is no commandment in the Old Testament that forbids eating food with dirty hands. The Pharisaical tradition is in question here, not any of God's Word.  



A General List of Biblically Clean Fish
  • Albacore -- (or Crevalle or Horse Mackerel or Jack)
  • Alewives -- (or Branch Herring or River Herring)
  • Anchovies
    Black Drum
  • Bluebacks -- (or Glut Herrings)
  • Bluebill Sunfish
  • Bluefish
  • Blue Runner -- (or Hardtail)
  • Bonitos
  • Boston Bluefish -- (or Pollock)
  • Bowfin
  • Buffalofish
  • Butterfish
  • Carp
  • Chubs [Bloater / Long jaw / Blackfin]
  • Cod
  • Common Sucker -- (or Fresh Water Mullet or White Sucker)
  • Crappies -- (or Black or White Crappies)
  • Crevalle -- (see Albacore)
  • Flounder [Dab / Gray Sole / Lemon Sole / Summer Flounder / Winter Flounder / Yellow Tail]
  • Fresh Water Mullet -- (see Common Sucker)
  • Frost Fish -- (or Ice Fish or Smelt) / Groupers [Black Grouper / Gag / Nassau / Grouper / Red or Yellowfish Grouper]
  • Grunts [White Grunts / Yellow Grunts]
  • Gulf Pike -- (or Robalo, Snook, or Sergeant)
  • Haddock
  • Hake
  • Halibut
  • Hardtail -- (see Blue Runner)
  • Herring [Branch Herring (see Alewives) / Glut Herring (see Bluebacks) / Lake Herring / River Herring (see Alewives) / Sea Herring]
  • Horse Mackerel -- (see Albacore) / Ice Fish -- (see Frost Fish)
  • Jack -- (see Albacore)
  • Kingfish
  • Long Nose Sucker -- (or Northern Sucker or Red Striped Sucker)
  • Mackerel
  • Menhaden
  • Mullet
  • Muskeilunge -- (or Jacks)
  • Northern Sucker -- (see Long Nose Sucker)
  • Pickerels -- (or Jacks)
  • Pig Fish
  • Pikes -- (or Jacks)
  • Pilchards -- (or Sardines)
  • Pollack -- (see Boston Bluefish)
  • Pompano
  • Porgy -- (also known as Scup)
  • Red Drum -- (also known as Redfish)
  • Red Horse Sucker -- (also known as Redfin)
  • Red Snapper
  • Red Striped Sucker -- (see Long Nose Sucker)
  • Redfin -- (see Red Horse Sucker) / Redfish
  • Robalo -- (see Gulf Pike)
  • Salmon -- (Chum, Coho, King, Pink and Red) 
  • Sardine -- (see Pilchards)
  • Scup -- (see Porgy)
  • Sea Bass
  • Sergeant Fish -- (see Gulf Pike)
  • Shad
  • Sheepshead
  • Silver Hake -- (or Whiting)
  • Silversides / Smelt -- (see Frost Fish)
  • Snook -- (see Gulf Pike)
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Striped Bass
  • Trouts [Gray Sea Trouts (or Weakfish) / Lake Trout / Sand Sea Trout (or White Sea Trout) / Spotted Sea Trout / Brook Trout / Rainbow Trout / Brown / Trout / Cutthroat]
  • Tunas [Albacore / Bluefin / Yellowfin / Skipjack]
  • Weakfish -- (see Sea Trout)
  • White Fish
  • White Sucker -- (see Common Sucker)
  • Whiting -- (see Silver Hake)
  • Yellow Perch

A General List of Biblically Unclean "Sea Foods"

Abalones / Bullheads / Catfish / Clams / Crabs / Crayfish / Eel / Lobster / Mussel / Oysters / Scallop / Shark / Shrimp / Squid / Sturgeon / Swordfish

OXYTOCIN IN WOMEN

The Bridge Between Touch and Sex
Paul H. Byerly

Touch is so vital to humans, and most of us don't get nearly enough of it. Babies deprived of touch don't develop normally because certain connections in the brain actually disappear. Orphans who receive very, very little touch often die as a result, and those who survive can experience permanent physical and mental retardation. Kids who don't get enough touch grow up to become aggressive and antisocial adults. Older adults who don't get enough touch also suffer, becoming senile sooner, and dying earlier. We're all affected by touch, and it's not "all in the mind"; rather it's the result of complex hormonal responses which actually change our bodies and brains.

Touch causes our bodies to produce a hormone called oxytocin. Not only does touch stimulate production of oxytocin, but oxytocin promotes a desire to touch and be touched: it's a feedback loop that can have wonderful results. Oxytocin makes us feel good about the person who causes the oxytocin to be released, and it causes a bonding between the two persons. Nursing a baby produces oxytocin in both mother and child, and this is a major part of what initially bonds the mother and her baby. Even thinking of someone we love can stimulate this hormone; when women in good marriages were asked to think about their husbands, the level of oxytocin in their blood rose quickly.

There's more. Oxytocin plays a significant role in our sexuality too. Higher levels of oxytocin result in greater sexual receptivity, and because oxytocin increases testosterone production (which is responsible for sex drive in both men and women) sex drive can also increase. Moreover, this hormone does not just create a sexual desire in women, coupled with estrogen it creates a desire to be penetrated (that is, it makes her want intercourse). Oxytocin increases the sensitivity of the penis and the nipples, improves erections, and makes both orgasm and ejaculation stronger; it may even increase sperm counts. And while oxytocin can move us towards sex, sex increases production of oxytocin: nipple stimulation, genital stimulation, and intercourse all raise the level of oxytocin in men and women. Orgasm causes levels to spike even higher, three to five times normal, creating the "afterglow" closeness that is experienced following lovemaking. The fact that sex increases oxytocin levels can be helpful for women who complain they "never feel like sex." Having sex, even when you don't have a drive to do so, will actually affect you in ways that will result in a greater sex drive. This also explains, at least in part, why many women find that the more sex they have, the more they want, and the less sex they have, the less they want.

More >>>>>>>>>

Sudden Infant Vaccine Death

Vaccine advocates – although propagandists would be a more accurate term – often correctly claim that there is no scientific evidence proving that vaccines have ever killed anyone or caused autism. Therefore, they claim vaccines can be considered the cause of nothing but a cure for cancer, an end to war and the elimination of all human disease except that caused by dirty, unvaccinated children who are homeschooled by religious bigots. To even consider the mere possibility of questioning the intrinsic and perfect goodness of vaccines, any vaccine given for any reason, is to be not only anti-science, but personally responsible for murdering anyone who died of a disease that would have been prevented by vaccination.

Lest you think I’m exaggerating, please note that there is a site called “The Jenny McCarthy Bodycount,” which claims that the blonde actress is responsible for 888 deaths since June 3, 2007, which makes her the second most lethal American after Chuck Norris.

MORE>>>>>>>

"Good" fat may be new weapon in obesity fight

Photo
By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new understanding of the origins of brown fat cells -- the "good" kind of fat that burns energy and keeps us warm -- may lead to new treatments for obesity, two research teams reported on Wednesday.


Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said they used a single molecular switch to turn immature muscle cells into brown fat cells in the lab, suggesting that brown fat may be more akin to muscle cells than conventional white fat cells.
Read More...

Seniors Dieting Without Exercising Lose Muscle

A group of sedentary and overweight older people placed on a four-month exercise program not only became more fit, but burned off more fat, compared to older sedentary people who were placed on a diet but did not exercise.
The new study also showed that when older people diet without exercising, they lose more lean muscle compared to those who exercise, said senior researcher Bret H. Goodpaster. When they combined weight loss with exercise, it nearly completely prevented the loss of lean muscle mass. The results are important because older people tend to lose muscle mass as they age and too much muscle loss may interfere with activities of daily living.
The study, “Separate and combined effects of exercise training and weight loss on exercise efficiency and substrate oxidation,” appears in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society. Francesca Amati, John J. Dube, Chris Shay and Goodpaster, all of the University of Pittsburgh, carried out the study. 

The researchers wanted to know the best way to get better (more efficient) at completing a defined exercise task. In particular, they wanted to know if greater fitness could be achieved through exercise training, weight loss (through dieting), or both. In addition, they wanted to know which fuel source the body would draw upon, carbohydrates or fats, under these different conditions. 

The 64 participants were 60-75 years of age and were either overweight or obese. All of the participants were sedentary at the outset of the study. The researchers divided the participants into three groups: 

• exercise only
• diet only
• exercise plus diet 

Those who exercised could either walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle, although most chose to walk. The dieters reduced their caloric intake to achieve a 10% weight loss by the end of the four-month study period. The final group combined both the daily exercise and the diet. 

The researchers measured how many calories the participants expended during a set work load on a stationary bicycle at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. They found that the: 

• Exercise group expended fewer calories (became more efficient) on the exercise task at the end of the study compared to the beginning.
• Exercise group drew more on fat stores as the source of their body’s fuel.
• Diet-only group did not gain efficiency in performing the exercise task, even though they weighed less at the end of the experiment.
• Diet-only group’s weight loss resulted from a loss of both muscle and fat.
• Exercise plus diet group was the most efficient at the exercise task at the end of the experiment. This shows an additive effect of both dieting and exercise, but most of that benefit was due to exercise.
• Exercise plus diet group, like the exercise-only group, drew more on fat stores as an energy source. 

“The take-home message is that, even among older people and during a fairly short period of time, exercise produces metabolic changes that require the expenditure of fewer calories during physical activity,” Goodpaster said. Exercise also allowed older people to more preferentially burn fat, which may be healthier metabolically.”
copyright 2008 NEWSMAX.COM

Breakthrough breast cancer drug can extend life of sufferers who have one of disease's most deadly forms

A new ‘magic bullet’ drug to be unveiled today will offer hope for thousands of women suffering one  of the most deadly forms of breast cancer.
The medicine, aimed at an aggressive form of the disease, is expected to offer several months of quality ‘extra’ life and drastically cuts the debilitating side effects of traditional therapy.
It could be available in Britain within a year, provided it passes  regulatory checks. But experts  predict that a clamour for the drug, codenamed ‘T-DM1’, will put added financial pressure on the NHS.
Dr Eliot Sims of King George  Hospital, Ilford, in Essex, who was part of a trial of the drug, said: ‘Is the emergence of T-DM1 going to cause funding problems? You bet it will.’
Breakthrough: The medicine is expected to offer several months of quality ¿extra¿ life for breast cancer sufferers
Breakthrough: The medicine is expected to offer several months of quality ¿extra¿ life for breast cancer sufferers
The clinical consultant oncologist added: ‘It’s been the holy grail of oncology to find magic bullets – treatments which attack breast cancer without causing side effects. This is a huge breakthrough, and it is unusual to see such dramatic improvements.’
Pharmaceutical giant Roche is due to present the results of its latest major trial of the drug.
In earlier trials, patients found that remission time was on average five months longer when given the drug as ‘first-line’ treatment at an early stage of the incurable advanced HER2-positive form of the disease.
The latest study involved women suffering from HER2-positive who had already been treated with Herceptin, but whose cancer had spread elsewhere. In those cases remission was extended ‘significantly’.
There are also fewer side effects with the drug. Fewer than five per cent of the women given T-DM1 in the earlier study lost their hair, compared with 65 per cent in the control group using traditional chemotherapy.
Other side effects such as diarrhoea were also reduced. And half as many of the most serious side effects,  requiring hospitalisation, were reported among those given the drug.
T-DM1 teams up the Herceptin antibody with a powerful chemotherapy agent DM1. The two are fused in a way that is more effective.
hair on T-DM1 and it was found to ease diarrhoea
Side-effects: Fewer women lost their hair on T-DM1 and it was found to ease diarrhoea
DM1 chemotherapy was used in the Eighties but was withdrawn because it was too toxic for healthy cells.
But the new drug combination seeks out and attaches itself to cancerous cells, switching off the growth signals that encourage cancer to spread, while calling on the body’s immune system to attack and remove it.
The drug then penetrates the cell’s outer layer and delivers the chemotherapy directly inside the cell to destroy it from within.
Once the drug is licensed, it will be up to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to decide whether T-DM1 – the cost of which is not yet calculated – can be used on the NHS. But Dr Sims warned: ‘Herceptin costs £20,000 a year. The Government’s Cancer Drugs Fund is there to pay for drugs before NICE approve them, but this will put enormous pressure on it.’
Dr Caitlin Palframan, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, welcomed the new development. ‘For women, the side effects of chemotherapy can be severe,’ she said.
‘There’s no cure for metastatic [spreading] breast cancer, so we’re looking for things to delay progression or alleviate symptoms.’
Pippa Bannister, 42, who has HER2 and is now in remission, was happy to hear of the drug. The mother of three, from Great Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, said: ‘Anything that offers a more targeted approach than chemo, which kills everything dead, is to be welcomed.’
A NICE spokesman said last night: ‘We comment only on licensed drugs.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2153799/Breakthrough-breast-cancer-drug-extend-life-sufferers-diseases-deadly-forms.html#ixzz1wjjab04T

FIFTH victim has emergency surgery as flesh-eating bacteria strikes again

A South Carolina  grandmother has become the fifth victim of the flesh-eating bacteria that has sparked terror across Georgia.
Louise Thompson underwent emergency surgery to remove infected flesh from her leg and was in a coma for five days.
Until being diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis she had never even heard of the bacteria, which attacks soft tissue and muscle. 
Scroll down for video
Victim number five: Louise Thompson is recovering after being in a coma for five days and having surgery on her leg
Victim number five: Louise Thompson is recovering after being in a coma for five days and having surgery on her leg

Recovery: On Friday Thompson stood up for the first time in months. She said she hopes the next step will be getting home
Recovery: On Friday Thompson stood up for the first time in months. She said she hopes the next step will be getting home
Thompson had gone to a Simpsonville doctor reporting a pain in her leg that she said felt ‘like pins sticking in my skin’ but no visible signs of infection.
She ended up in hospital undergoing surgery to remove ‘a place the size of a regular football’, myfoxcarolina.com reported.

Inside the Beehive: Nature's Secret for Better Health

By Bee-Alive, Inc.

CBN.comNature is full of surprises. When the Psalmist declared, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Ps. 24:1a), he surely understood the awesome, complex beauty and mystery of God's creation. Nowhere is this more evident than inside the beehive -- where a complex system of orderliness and efficiency continues to produce some of the most beneficial natural products known to man: honey, pollen, propolis, and the "crown jewel" of bee products, Royal Jelly.
For centuries, people around the world have used natural products from the beehive for a variety of health and beauty benefits. Bee products are created in a natural environment. Bee products are remarkable in consisting of essential nutrients and important amino acids -- and none more so than Royal Jelly.

Royal Jelly: A Hidden Treasure, A Natural Wonder
Hidden deep inside the beehive, in one single cell, is a rare treasure: a natural food substance found only in minute amounts -- yet responsible for a magnificent transformation. It's not honey, pollen or propolis… it's Royal Jelly. This rare and precious food substance is a nutritional wonder produced by worker bees as the exclusive diet of the Queen Bee. While the life span of the average worker bee, feeding on honey and pollen, is roughly six weeks, the Queen Bee, feeding only on Royal Jelly, undergoes an amazing transformation that allows her to live up to six years. Without her exclusive diet of Royal Jelly, the life span of the Queen Bee would revert to that of the worker bees -- about six weeks. Nowhere else in nature is a food substance responsible for a creature's longevity.

Royal Jelly: What's in the Mix?
Chemical analysis of Royal Jelly began approximately 115 years ago. Over the years, science has examined the components in Royal Jelly to try to determine what mix of ingredients could make such a vital difference in a creature's life. They've found that Royal Jelly consists of intact protein molecules, peptides and free amino acids; carbohydrates, as monosaccharides and disaccharides; lipids including fatty acids, neutral fats and phospholipids; vitamins, minerals, and a variety of biochemical cofactors; nucleic acids; and a distinctive 'marker' compound: trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA), which is absolutely unique to Royal Jelly. Although many compounds found in Royal Jelly are in microgram quantities, they can still act as catalysts with co-enzymes or act synergistically as intended by God. It's believed that the action of these compounds combined as they are naturally in Royal Jelly is far greater than the sum of their actions taken separately.
But there's something else. Also in the mix is something that science has yet to comprehend or replicate. In fact, 4 percent of Royal Jelly components defy analysis. Because of this "mystery compound," Royal Jelly can never be recreated by man in a laboratory. It truly is a mysterious wonder and gift of nature.

Royal Jelly: Nature's Secret for Man
It's no secret that Royal Jelly is good for the bees… but many people don't realize that this precious food substance is also highly beneficial for man. Millions of people throughout the world supplement their diets with Royal Jelly, for energy, stamina and vitality.* Additionally, research suggests Royal Jelly may play a role in metabolic processes involved with the production of cellular energy in the form of ATP.*

Noted nutritionist Robert Crayhon says: "Royal Jelly is one of those truly rare gifts of nature, a nutritional wonder from the beehive that is unlike any substance we have ever known. It is neither a vitamin nor a drug… but a remarkable dietary food substance that helps nourish the body… keeping it energized and nutritionally strong."*

As science uncovers more and more of God's "secrets of nature" for the good of all mankind, people around the world are continuing to discover the health and beauty benefits of natural substances like those found in the beehive -- and especially nature's greatest wonder, Royal Jelly! Truly, "the earth is the Lord's… and everything in it!"
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. As with any natural product, individual results will vary.
For more information about Bee-Alive or Royal Jelly, please visit www.beealive.com.

Your Bottled Water May Not Come From a Spring

Published: Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 3:42 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 3:42 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG | If you buy a bottle of Zephyrhills Brand Natural Spring Water, it may not come from Zephyrhills.
It may not even be "natural spring water," it may be well water.
Better read the fine print.
People identify with their waters.
In the Tampa Bay area, it's Zephyrhills and the spring in Pasco County. Northeasterners love their Poland Springs water, the product of a retreating glacier in Maine some 20,000 years ago. In the mid Atlantic region, Deer Park of Oakland, Md., was king. It was from a boiling spring at a vacation resort and spa in the Appalachian Mountains of Maryland, a spa visited by four U.S. presidents.
Out west, it was Arrowhead from the San Bernardino mountains. The Midwest gave us Ice Mountain and Ozarka.
But over the years, Nestle Waters North America, the largest water-bottling corporation in the country, has bought them all.
The subsidiary of the Swiss company that brought us the Crunch bar and Quik chocolate milk says consumers look for a brand based on its quality. That's what the company delivers with water products.
"What you find, people are loyal to the taste and the brand," said Jim McClellan, a spokesman for Nestle Waters. "They associate a brand with a taste, not necessarily a location. Most people don't know where Deer Park is located."
THE NAME GAME
Taking advantage of the power of its brands, Nestle has remade the bottled water industry. In some cases, the source of the water no longer fits the name on the bottle.

The 'new AIDS of the Americas': Experts warn of deadly insect-borne disease that can cause victims' hearts to explode

A little-known life-threatening illness caused by blood sucking insects has been labelled the ‘new AIDS of the Americas’ by experts.
The parasitic illness called Chagas Disease has similarities to the early spread of HIV, according to a new study.
Similar to AIDS, Chagas is difficult to detect and it can take years for symptoms to emerge, according to experts writing in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
asdf
 The new AIDS? A parasitic illness called Chagas disease has been dubbed the 'new AIDS of the Americas' by experts. It is usually transmitted from the bite of blood-sucking insect species called Triatome bugs, which include 'Kissing bugs' (Triatomids)


An estimated 10 million people worldwide are infected with most sufferers in Bolivia, Mexico, Columbia and Central America, as well as approximately 30,000 people in the U.S., reported the New York Times.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2151815/Chagas-disease-New-AIDS-Americas-cause-victims-hearts-explode.html#ixzz1wNlmffb2

Sunscreen and Vitamin D Facts

More and more studies show that people don’t have enough vitamin D, which is produced when sunlight hits our skin. Does this mean we should stop using sunscreen? Should we decrease the SPF (sun protection factor)? Or should we continue using sunscreen and take vitamin D supplements?
The truth about vitamin D and sunscreen is complicated. I don’t believe the heated rhetoric of this debate, and I believe that moderation is the best approach. Humans have evolved to live outside and get sun. The problem is that our skin has evolved in several parallel pathways so that it can get more or less sun depending on the latitude it has adapted to live in. Darker skin has evolved for more sun exposure, while lighter skin has evolved for more northern latitudes. If a light-skinned person is put in a sunny environment, their skin won't have the protection it needs and will tend to get burned. Over the long term this exposure will manifest as skin cancers, precancers, and premature aging including wrinkles.
Very few light-skinned Americans are getting enough vitamin D. This can and should be measured on an annual basis, especially for those that live in a climate that does not expose them to much sun light. If you have a low vitamin D level, you can plan a strategy that supplements it with oral vitamin D, and this can be done with your physician. There are a few different forms of vitamin D, and the one that you should monitor is called 25 (OH) D. According to the National Institute of Health, a level of about 20 ng/ mL is appropriate for most people. Having a level higher than this can predispose to formation of kidney stones because vitamin D will increase calcium absorption. Less than this level can affect bones and other vital structures.

Read more: Sunscreen and Vitamin D Facts
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

11 Reasons Laughter Really May Be the Best Medicine of All

We’ve all heard the old saying that laughter is the best medicine, but new research is demonstrating that there may be some serious weight behind the adage. Numerous studies have shown that laughter can have a powerful effect on your well-being, happiness, and overall health and longevity, often in ways of which you aren’t even aware. Want to learn more? Read through our list of the health benefits of laughter to get a quick education on the matter. You may just find yourself wanting to watch a comedy, call up a funny friend, or even take a laughter yoga class after learning all the amazing benefits a good laugh can offer your overall health.

The 11

Home Cooking Increases Longevity, Cambridge Study Shows

For those of you who use your stove for shoe storage, nota bene: all that wasted time with an inactive kitchen could be shortening your lifespan. In fact, a new study found that people who cook up to five times a week were 47 percent more likely to still be alive after 10 years.

“It has become clear that cooking is a healthy behavior," said lead author Professor Mark Wahlqvist in a statement. "It deserves a place in life-long education, public health policy, urban planning and household economics."

The research team, made up of Taiwanese and Australian researchers, published their work in Public Health Nutrition, a Cambridge University journal after looking at a group of 1,888 men and women over age 65 who lived in Taiwan. At the start of the study, they interviewed each participant about several lifestyle factors, including cooking habits, household circumstances, shopping habits, diet, education, transportation and smoking.

During the initial survey, researchers found that 43 percent of participants never cooked, while 17 percent cooked one to two times per week, 9 percent cooked three to five times in a week and 31 percent cooked five or more times a week.

After 10 years............ More>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Royal Jelly Royally Problematic for Evolutionists

I’m sure you’ve all tasted honey.  I like to put honey on my rolls at dinner along with a little butter.  I also like to substitute honey for the jelly in a peanut butter sandwich.  But more than anything, I like to take a spoon full of honey and just eat it plain.
Did you know that honey is made from the pollen and nectar of flowers?  The worker bees fly about busily collecting all of the pollen and nectar they can and return it to the hive, where other bees convert it into the sweet sugary liquid we all love.
Did you also know that honey is the only food known to man that never goes bad?  When honey sits very long, the sugar in it starts to crystalize and it gets thick and hard to use.  Sadly, many people throw sugared honey away thinking it is no longer usable.  But if you heat the honey up by placing the container in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, the sugar crystals dissolve and your honey thins out like it was when you first got it.  If you remember this, you will never have to throw honey away ever again.

LINK:

Caffeine fix it: How a regular cup of coffee could help you live longer

Too much caffeine used to be considered a bad thing. Now researchers say drinking coffee could extend your life.
They found following a study of 400,000 aged between 50 and 71,  the more coffee you drink, the less likely you are to die from a number of different ailments.
These include heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infections, but not cancer.
Experts say moderate coffee consumption of 4-5 cups of coffee per day is safe and may be associated with certain health benefits
Experts say moderate coffee consumption of 4-5 cups of coffee per day is safe and may be associated with certain health benefits
The US research published in The New England Journal of Medicine adds to evidence that coffee drinkers appear to enjoy better health.
 
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Maryland, say they cannot establish whether coffee is the cause of a lowered risk of death, but they found a link.
The research followed a large number of people, 229,000 men and 173,000 women, taking part in a diet and health study between 1995 and 2008.
Researchers say drinking coffee could extend your life as you are less likely you are to die from a number of different ailments
Researchers say drinking coffee could extend your life as you are less likely you are to die from a number of different ailments
Participants were classified according to the amount of coffee they drank at the start of the study, into groups drinking up to six cups a day or more, and non-coffee drinkers.
There were 52,000 deaths during the period, with an ‘inverse association’ between coffee consumption and death.
Pugh
This means those drinking greater amounts of coffee had an ever reducing risk of dying.
About one third of coffee drinkers were consuming decaffeinated coffee and the findings held for this group.
Experts say for this reason it is unlikely it is the caffeine ingredient giving health benefits, but there are known direct biological effects from antioxidants and magnesium contained in coffee.
Dr Euan Paul, executive director of the British Coffee Association said ‘This important research adds to the overwhelming weight of evidence which demonstrates that moderate coffee consumption of 4-5 cups of coffee per day is safe and may be associated with certain health benefits.
‘Whilst more research is required to determine whether the inverse association seen in this study is causal, these results are particularly encouraging because they build on previous research which has also suggested an inverse association between coffee consumption and total and cause-specific mortality.
‘Pregnant women should continue to moderate their caffeine intake to 200mg per day in line with NHS guidelines.’

8 Healthy Foods

Final exams are here again and you’ve probably locked yourself in your room or a study cubby surrounded by books, notes, and junk food. There’s something very comforting (and convenient of course) about shoveling chips and candy into your mouth as you try to memorize historic dates, analyze poetry, and go over lectures you don’t remember ever attending. But putting a little bit of thought into what you eat can actually help your brain hold onto that information and keep you sane until your finals are over. Start with these eight foods and see if you don’t start feeling more alert, focused, and able to retain information.
  1. Carrot sticks

    High blood sugar is known to impair memory, meaning all those sweets you want to eat while you study could actually be holding you back. Even some salty foods, like pretzels, are high on the glycemic index, meaning they make your blood sugar rise quickly. Instead, reach for snacks with a low glycemic index like carrot sticks. You’ll be able to memorize things more easily and you’ll make your mother happy by eating your vegetables!
  2. Acai berries

     

    THE LIST

Hi-tech lithium batteries hidden in remote controls can burn holes in children's throats - and cases have quadrupled in a decade

  • Injuries caused by lithium-ion batteries have quadrupled in a decade
  • 66% of parents have never heard of dangers
  • Most common injuries come from swallowing batteries from remote controls
  • Symptoms start off similar to common cold
  • Can cause severe injuries or even death

Eating fish may reduce risk of Alzheimer's by lowering levels of protein linked to the disease

Eating fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
The oily compounds, which combat inflammation, appear to lower blood levels of a protein linked to Alzheimer's, scientists have found.
Researchers in the US studied 1,219 people over the age of 65 who were free of dementia.
Another reason to eat fish: Scientists have found that omega 3 contained in fish, such as sardines, lower a protein that is linked to Alzheimer's disease
Another reason to eat fish: Scientists have found that omega 3 contained in fish, such as sardines, lower a protein that is linked to Alzheimer's disease
Participants were asked questions about their diet, and had their blood tested for beta-amyloid.
The protein clumps together in the brains of people with Alzheimer's and is one of the key hallmarks of the disease.

FDA: Medical Test Radiation Dangerous for Kids

The government is taking steps to help ensure that children who need CT scans and other X-ray-based tests don't get an adult-sized dose of radiation.
Too much radiation from medical testing is a growing concern, especially for children, because it may increase the risk of cancer later in life.
Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration proposed guidelines urging manufacturers to design new scanners to be safer for the youngest, smallest patients — and put new advice on its website to teach parents what to ask about these increasingly common tests.
"We are trying to ensure that patients get the right dose at the right time, and the right exam," FDA physicist Thalia Mills told The Associated Press.

Read more: FDA: Medical Test Radiation Dangerous for Kids
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Some Sunscreens Might Actually Promote Skin Cancer

PhotoMillions of people slather on sun screen when they head for the beach or spend extended time outdoors in the summer, in hopes of reducing the risk of skin cancer. But could they actually be increasing the risk?
Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology believe it's possible.
Zinc oxide, a common ingredient in sunscreens, undergoes a chemical reaction that may release unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals seek to bond with other molecules, but in the process, they can damage cells or the DNA contained within those cells. This in turn could increase the risk of skin cancer.
Dr. Yinfa Ma, Curators’ Teaching Professor of chemistry at Missouri S&T, and his graduate student Qingbo Yangalso found that the longer zinc oxide is exposed to sunlight, the greater the potential damage to human cells.

MORE>>>>>>>>

Are Shoppers Getting Sick from Their Reusable Shopping Bags?


PhotoIt seems like shoppers can't keep up with the ever-changing warnings from studies and researchers. First, customers were told to immediately stop using plastic bags for environmental reasons and use reusable mesh bags. Some localities like Montgomery County, Maryland even charge customers for using plastic, paper, or any other old-school shopping receptacle.
The latest consumer warning, this one from an Oregon research group, suggests that reusable shopping bags can carry and pass along the dreadful and very painful stomach flu virus. It's not the first such warning. In April, a study found that only 15 percent of shoppers routinely wash their reusable shopping bags, thus creating a breeding zone for harmful bacteria.

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10 Powerful Life Lessons to Learn from the Placebo Effect

The relationship between our minds and our bodies is exceedingly complex, and often functions in ways that we simply haven’t yet found a way to understand or explain in purely scientific terms. For decades, studies on the placebo effect have shown that patients who believed they were getting a treatment responded in ways that were similar or the same to those who were actually getting a treatment, showcasing an unexpected level of power of the brain over the body.
While the placebo effect itself is a fascinating topic of study, there are a lot of very practical and perhaps even inspirational lessons that can be taken away from this phenomenon and applied to everyday life. Here are just a few that we think are especially powerful that offer insights into motivation, mindfulness, and even happiness that we can all stand to benefit from.
  1. Belief is often more powerful than reality.

    When researchers study the placebo effect, they often find that those who aren’t given a particular treatment improve in many of the same ways as those that are, simply because they believe that they are being treated, not because they’re getting any real medical help. While believing things, even very strongly, doesn’t always cause them to be true, it can have a marked impact on how we see and experience the world, often much more so than things that are regarded as fact. Belief can, in many ways, be a much more powerful force than reality, coloring our perceptions, pushing us forward, and changing what we feel is possible to accomplish.


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‘Human Body Parts Store’: Lab Growing Synthetic Parts for Transplant

Lab Growing First Synthetic Nose for Transplant
Synthetic windpipe that was transplanted into a patient last year. (Photo: UCL)


Last summer, the first synthetic organ– a windpipe — was grown in laboratory setting and transplanted into a patient. Now, the University College London’s (UCL) Department of Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine is taking on another “world first:” growth of a nose.
Warren Pole for the Daily Mail recently got a tour of the lab where he saw the nanotechnology-driven little shop of synthetic human body parts first hand. Led on the tour by Professor Alexander Seifalian, Pole describes seeing a transplant nose and ear growing in “red goo.”
Lab team member Adelola Oseni explains to Pole that while others have tried to tackle synthetic organs before, the material used doesn’t hold shape like those in the “human body parts store.“ Oseni said this nose should hold up because ”it’s an entire nose shape made out of polymer.”
Check out photos of the synthetic parts here.
Here’s more on the material and transplant technology:

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Dental filling of the future kills bacteria and regenerates tooth

The dreaded trip to the dentist to replace a worn-out filling could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a dental breakthrough.
Scientists have used nanotechnology to create the first cavity-filling composite that kills harmful bacteria and regenerates tooth structure lost to decay.

Rather than just limiting decay with conventional fillings, the new material controls harmful bacteria, which co-exist in the natural colony of microorganisms in the mouth.
The tooth hurts: Scientists expect their new type of dental filling to last far longer than the current standard
The tooth hurts: Scientists expect their new type of dental filling to last far longer than the current standard
It also works to remineralise the tooth, said study leader Professor Huakun Xu from Maryland University School of Dentistry.
He said: 'Tooth decay means that the mineral content in the tooth has been dissolved by the organic acids secreted by bacteria residing in biofilms or plaques on the tooth surface.
'These organisms convert carbohydrates to acids that decrease the minerals in the tooth structure.'

How red wine prolongs life: Scientists uncover how 'miracle ingredient' boosts body’s cell energy

Scientists claim to have discovered the secret of how an ingredient in red wine could be the key to a longer life.
The ‘miracle ingredient’ resveratrol credited with anti-ageing powers, and the ability to work against cancer, heart disease and obesity, really does boost the body’s supply of cell energy, claim researchers.
But it is only ‘switched on’ in the presence of a gene called SIRT1 that is the key to longevity and energy.
Previous studies have shown the plant compound resveratrol improves the health of mice fed a high-fat diet and increases their lifespan.
But there has been controversy about whether it really does hold back the march of time, with conflicting results from some studies.
Now US scientists say they have solved the mystery and brought closer the prospect of a drug that would give the equivalent health benefits of 8,000 bottles of red wine.
They found the ingredient boosts the activity of mitochondria, the cell’s energy supplier, which is essential for longevity and overall health.
Lead researcher Professor David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, Boston, said ‘The results were surprisingly clear.
‘Without the mitochondria-boosting gene SIRT1, resveratrol does not work.’ The latest study showed how resveratrol enhances the energy-generating activity of cells via a longevity gene called SIRT1.
But resveratrol only works when a gene called SIRT1 is present - but it's not known if all humans have it
But resveratrol only works when a gene called SIRT1 is present - but it's not known if all humans have it
Researchers are already looking at molecules that mimic the effect of resveratrol by targeting SIRT1. Such compounds could form the basis of future drugs that extend disease-free lifespan.
The effect of resveratrol on SIRT1 had been demonstrated in yeast, worms and flies before but never on higher animals.
The experiments involved a new strain of laboratory mouse whose SIRT1 gene can be successfully switched off.

Pesticides May Cause Lower Intelligence

When pregnant women are exposed to moderate levels of a common pesticide, their children may experience lasting changes in brain structure linked to lower intelligence, a US study said Monday.
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined New York City pregnant mothers who were tested for exposure to chlorpyrifos, or CPF, which is widely used for pest control in farms and public spaces. 

The women in the study, which included 369 subjects total, took part prior to 2001 when CPF was banned from household use in the United States, though the chemical continues to be used worldwide in agriculture.

Read more: Pesticides May Cause Lower Intelligence
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

Gene test that could predict breast cancer years before it strikes

A genetic test could help predict breast cancer many years before it develops, scientists claim.
Their study shows the risk can double in women whose genes have been changed by exposure to environmental factors such as hormones, radiation, alcohol, smoking and pollution.

The findings could lead to a blood test that will identify those most at risk of breast cancer and other forms of the disease, the researchers say.
Breakthrough? The findings of a new study suggest that women whose genes have been altered by environmental factors carry double the risk of developing breast cancer
Breakthrough? The findings of a new study suggest that women whose genes have been altered by environmental factors carry double the risk of developing breast cancer
In the study, blood samples were taken from 1,380 women of various ages who had not developed breast cancer.

The researchers investigated whether the alteration of a single gene by a process called methylation can predict whether women are at more risk of breast cancer.

Garlic is 100 times more powerful than two popular antibiotics

A garlic ingredient is 100 times more powerful than two popular antibiotics at fighting one of the leading causes of food poisoning, say scientists.
The compound, diallyl sulphide, is able to pierce a protective 'biofilm' employed by the food bug that makes it hard to destroy.
Tests showed diallyl sulphide was as effective as 100 times bigger doses of the antibiotics erythromycin and ciprofloxacin.
It was also able to work in a fraction of the time taken by the drugs.
The discovery is said to open the door to new treatments for raw and processed meats, and food preparation surfaces.
'This is the first step in developing or thinking about new intervention strategies,' said researcher Dr Michael Konkel, from Washington State University in the US, who has been investigating Campylobacter for 25 years.
'Campylobacter is simply the most common bacterial cause of food-borne illness in the United States and probably the world.'
Symptoms of Campylobacter infection include diarrhoea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever.
The bacteria also trigger nearly a third of cases of a rare paralysing disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Most Campylobacter infections stem from eating raw or undercooked poultry or foods that have been cross-contaminated via dirty surfaces and utensils.
The research is published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Campylobacter infection include diarrhoea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever
Campylobacter infection symptoms include diarrhoea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever
The scientists looked at diallyl sulphide's ability to kill Campylobacter bacteria when they join together to form a slimy biofilm.
This makes the bugs 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than free-floating bacterial cells.
The compound easily penetrated the protective film to kill the microbes by targeting a metabolic enzyme.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2137934/How-garlic-prevent-dicky-tummy-Ingredient-100-times-powerful-fighting-food-poisoning-antibiotics.html#ixzz1tePCUOUL

Why should we eat five a day and will an apple keep the doctor away? A food writer explores the science behind it..

Deciding what to eat is no longer a simple matter of instinct or appetite. Every choice we make about food is complicated.
Is meat good or bad for us? Why is five a day recommended for fruit and vegetables? And can diet really  cause cancer – or prevent it?
As a food writer, I am often asked these questions, and in an effort to answer them I have looked at the latest scientific research, hopefully exposing some of the myths and providing a practical guide to the things we eat.
An apple a day does keep the doctor away

ARE APPLES REALLY THAT GOOD FOR ME?

The phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ was originally a marketing slogan dreamt up by American apple growers at the start of the 20th Century. Their fruit had been made into cider, but after the drink was banned during Prohibition they tried to promote apples as being good to eat instead. So how true is that old adage?
Apples have taken a bashing lately for being full of sugar, which dentists warn causes tooth decay, but advising against them is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Apples are a good source of fibre. There are two types  – the first is insoluble, also referred to as roughage, which increases the bulk of stools, and in turn stimulates gut contractions and keeps the bowels moving regularly.
Cider vinegar is an important part of our diet
Cider vinegar is an important part of our diet
The second type, soluble fibre – which apples contain – dissolves in the stomach, forming a viscous gel. It helps food move along the gut too by adding bulk, but it also lowers cholesterol by binding to it in the gut. This gel slows down the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream, keeping energy levels steady.
The Department of Health recommends that adults consume 18g of fibre per day, and a medium apple provides about 3g – similar to a bowl of brown rice. Several studies into the cholesterol-lowering properties of apples recommend eating two a day to get a beneficial dose.
By hitting the daily recommended fibre intake, we may be lowering our risk of colorectal cancer. While diets containing more than 80g of meat per day have been linked to a higher incidence of these tumours, a fibre-rich diet seems to cancel out this effect. The peel, which contains insoluble fibre, has the highest concentration of disease-fighting flavonoids and polyphenols, although this research is based on concentrated extracts rather than the whole fruit.
As for vitamins, variety matters. A single old-fashioned Ribston Pippin has more Vitamin C than a whole pound of Golden Delicious.
You can drink some of the goodness in an apple as well as eating it. Juicing doesn’t alter the vitamin content dramatically, although you do lose a lot of the fibre. Cider vinegar has long been used as a folk-medicine tonic. Science has shown that it can lower blood-sugar levels and that it helps with weight loss, probably by suppressing appetite.
A 2009 Japanese study showed drinking a 500ml drink with a tablespoonful or half-tablespoon of cider vinegar led to greater weight loss, because people ate less, and lower blood cholesterol than drinking water. Mix a splash with honey and oil to make a healthy salad dressing.

WHAT IS THE BEST  BREAKFAST?

What is the best breakfast?
What is the best breakfast?
Packaged cereals shout about nutritional goodness. But a recent survey by the consumer organisation Which? showed 32 out of 50 types were shockingly high in sugar. This is the type of refined sugar dentists are right to be concerned about. And, it can be argued, these cereals won’t keep us full until lunch.
Sugary breakfast cereals have a high glycaemic index (GI) score – a measure of the effects of carbohydrates in food on blood-sugar levels. It estimates how much each gram of digestible carbohydrate in a food raises blood glucose following consumption, relative to consumption of glucose. GI scores are calculated in relation to glucose, which has the highest score of 100.
The higher a GI reading, the faster the food is digested and the quicker we are hungry again. Conversely, the lower the GI, the longer we feel full and the fewer calories we consume.
This is the reason why a low GI diet is associated with healthy weight, and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the University of Sydney’s International GI Group.
Cornflakes, which are some of the least sugary cereals, have a GI score of more than 80, which is similar to white bread. Low-GI breakfast foods include muesli (avoid added-sugar varieties) and porridge.
‘Go to work on an egg’ – another old marketing phrase – is good advice. Eggs contain protein which makes you feel fuller for longer. A poached egg on wholegrain toast is a great choice.
A full English fried breakfast contains protein and fat as well as carbohydrate – and will keep you full for a long time. However, the calories can be alarmingly high, so a regular fried breakfast will only make you put on weight. As for bread, sourdough has a higher acidity than others due to the addition of lactbacillus, which produces lactic acid, giving it a distinctive tangy taste. There is ongoing research into how this element aids absorption of nutrients such as calcium, zinc and iron better than standard bread.
A glass of freshly squeezed juice is a refreshing shot of vitamins. The British Dietetic Association recommends a small (150ml) glass. Best of all, have the fruit whole or eat some chopped up with live natural yogurt.

CAN I EAT TO AVOID HEART DISEASE AND CANCER?

No one food will kill or cure. But the good news is that a balanced, varied diet has room for fats and carbs – just choose the right kind in the right amounts. Fats help build our cells and are part of good health, but they are high in calories. Eating too many calories can lead to you becoming overweight, which raises risks of heart disease and cancer. Butter has been demonised in the past, but like other fats it delivers and contains fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D and E.
Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, pytochemicals and fibres and are low in calories
Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, pytochemicals and fibres and are low in calories
Wholegrains are another key food. ‘They provide fibre and micronutrients such as folic acid, magnesium and Vitamin E,’ says Professor Walter Willett of Harvard Medical School, where researchers have shown how a diet rich in grains is associated with lower rates of cancer and heart disease. Oatcakes, porridge, wholegrain couscous, brown rice and quinoa are good options.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends having no more than 500g of cooked red meat in a week due to the risk of colon cancer. A slice of roast beef is 45g, a thick piece of lamb 90g and a small steak is 100g.
Moderate wine-drinking is championed by Professor Roger Corder, at Barts and the London School of Medicine. In his book The Wine Diet, he recommends traditionally made red wines, which are high in polyphenols, especially one type, procyanadins. These seem to be particularly good for cardiovascular health by protecting against the damage to your blood vessels that causes disease. Such wines range from those from Madiran in south-west France (look for the Tannat grape) to the Douro in Portugal.
The word ‘superfood’ refers to those that are rich in phytochemicals, the micronutrients in food other than vitamins and minerals that protect your body against disease. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, cabbage and green tea are also rich in these compounds and are affordable.

HOW SHOULD I EAT MY FIVE A DAY?

Butter is also an important part of our diet
Butter is also an important part of our diet
Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fibre and they are low in calories. But only a third of adults eat their five a day, according to the Government. Five turns out to be a number created by the State Nutritionist for California in 1998. She looked at the average figure of what people ate and doubled it.
A 2011 study in the European Heart Journal showed that people who ate eight a day were 22 per cent less at risk of dying of heart disease than those who ate three a day.
It’s good to eat vegetables in abundance because they are very high in micronutrients and have less sugar than fruit. Eat as many different kinds as possible and try to ‘eat a rainbow’, as the pigments are linked to different phytochemicals.
A number of micronutrients, including Vitamin C, are best consumed raw or steamed, rather than boiled, in order to not destroy the more fragile types and lose water-soluble vitamins in cooking water.
But fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K can be more useful when cooked in a little fat. The antioxidant lypocene in tomatoes is better absorbed this way.
What To Eat, by Hattie Ellis, is published by Portobello at £14.99.

Radiation From Needless Medical Tests Can Give You Cancer Read more: Radiation From Needless Medical Tests Can Give You Cancer Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

A new initiative designed to stop unnecessary medical testing will spare countless cardiac patients from being needlessly exposed to cancer-causing radiation, a top medical expert says.

Read more: Radiation From Needless Medical Tests Can Give You Cancer
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

New treatment for prostate cancer gives 'perfect results' for nine in ten men: research

A new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease from nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, a study has found, leading to new hope for tens of thousands of men. 

 

Licorice Root May Treat Diabetes

A new German study has found that licorice root may contain anti-diabetic properties.
In addition to having anti-inflammatory properties, substances called amorfrutins from the plant’s root were found to reduce blood sugar levels in mice.
Furthermore, the study, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week , found the substance helped prevent the mice from developing a fatty liver and improved insulin resistance, leading scientists to suggest that licorice root could be used in the treatment of complex metabolic disorders.
In their study, the amorfrutins worked by activating various genes that reduced the plasma concentration of certain fatty acids and glucose, researchers said. The reduced glucose level, in turn, prevented the development of insulin resistance.
But before you go tucking into a bag of black licorice candy, scientists point out that the concentration of amorfrutins is too low to be effective in sweets or tea.

Read more: Study: Licorice Root May Treat Diabetes
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

No proof bad gums cause heart trouble, experts say

By MyHealthNewsDaily

Preventing heart disease is not as easy as brushing your teeth.

While numerous studies have linked gum disease with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, there is no proof that bad gums actually cause heart disease or strokes, an American Heart Association committee said after reviewing 500 journal articles and studies.

Moreover, claims that dental treatment may prevent heart attack or stroke are unwarranted, the committee of doctors, dentists and infectious-disease researchers said in a statement.

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New treatment for prostate cancer gives 'perfect results' for nine in ten men: research

A new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease from nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, a study has found, leading to new hope for tens of thousands of men.

New treatment for prostate cancer gives 'perfect results' for nine in ten men: research
MRI showing prostate cancer in a 75 year old male. Photo: ALAMY

It is hoped the new treatment, which involves heating only the tumours with a highly focused ultrasound, will mean men can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies.

A study has found that focal HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound, provides the 'perfect' outcome of no major side effects and free of cancer 12 months after treatment, in nine out of ten cases.

Traditional surgery or radiotherapy can only provide the perfect outcome in half of cases currently.

Experts have said the results are 'very encouraging' and were a 'paradigm' shift in treatment of the disease.

It is hoped that large scale trials can now begin so the treatment could be offered routinely on the NHS within five years.

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This is How Your Brain Ages

This is How Your Brain Ages
Presented by: Term Life Insurance Resource

Why maintaining a healthy gut is crucial to preventing cancer


(NaturalNews) It is said that roughly 80 percent of human health and immunity originates in the gut, which includes, of course, the body's ability to ward off cancer. And a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has found that poor gut health is directly responsible for causing cancers, that would otherwise be blocked intestinally, to enter the body and proliferate.

Dr. Scott Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Thomas Jefferson University, and his colleagues discovered that guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C), an intestinal hormone receptor, plays a key role in suppressing tumor growth. This enzyme helps maintain a healthy intestinal wall, which effectively keeps cancer cells at bay by blocking them from entering the body.

But when GC-C is at suboptimal levels in the gut, the intestinal walls become more prone to protrusion, which causes inflammation of the intestinal lining and the eventual leakage of cancer cells and other harmful materials directly into the body. If left unchecked, this enzymatic abnormality ends up resulting in damaged DNA and the development of tumors in various places in the body, including in the liver, lungs, and lymph nodes.

Scar-free operation that removes your appendix through your MOUTH

Open wide — your appendix is about to be removed through your mouth.

It sounds unbelievable, but it’s just one of the ways doctors are using our natural orifices to avoid skin incisions and scarring in surgery.

More than 1,000 patients in Britain, Europe and the U.S. have undergone so-called natural orifice surgery, which many doctors see as the biggest advance since keyhole was pioneered.

Instead of cutting the skin, the new approach uses natural orifices — the mouth, urethra, vagina and rectum — as internal highways to access and remove or repair internal organs.

The first woman to have her appendix removed through her vagina, needed only paracetamol after the procedure and was back at work two days later

The first woman to have her appendix removed through her vagina, needed only paracetamol after the procedure and was back at work two days later

Already, it has been used to remove appendices, gallbladders, prostates and diseased kidneys.

New robotic cutting devices in development that snake their way through body cavities will increase the scope of the technique.

‘With further advancement in medical robotics we are likely to be able to do more and more complex surgery through natural orifices.

'There are many trials under way around the world,’ says Dr Mikael Sodergren, academic clinical lecturer in surgery and specialist registrar in general surgery at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The technique offers the multiple attractions of scarless surgery, reduced pain because of fewer and smaller incisions, and lower risk of infections.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2127421/Scar-free-operation-removes-appendix-MOUTH.html#ixzz1rgFI0NSI

10 Sobering Stats on College Drinking Deaths

by

April 9, 2012

It is easy for educators and parents to become overdramatic when warning young students about the dangers of alcohol. Flooded with extensive media coverage of seemingly every college drinking death, their genuine concern can become panic. The truth is, most college students who drink do not binge, and suicide may even be a higher cause of death among this demographic. Nevertheless, one alcohol-related student death is too many, especially since it’s so easily prevented. With that in mind, here are 10 sobering reminders why you should drink responsibly.

THE 10

Sleep apnea linked to depression

'They may not fully wake up, but they will not get the proper amount of rest'

(ABCNEWS.GO) — Gasping for air and stopping breathing while sleeping has been linked to depression, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The condition, known as sleep apnea, occurs when a person’s breathing is paused or interrupted while sleeping. The pauses, which can last a couple seconds to a minute, can cut off oxygen from the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms of the condition include snoring, daytime fatigue and restless sleep.

“When a person stops breathing like this, they are momentarily brought out of deeper levels of sleep,” said Anne G Wheaton, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the study. “They may not fully wake up, but they will not get the proper amount of rest.”

Hot pepper compound could help hearts

Scientists say latest evidence shows chili peppers have potential to protect against top cause of death in developed world.

Chili pepper By Thinkstock/Imagebank SAN DIEGO — The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists reported this week the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect against the number one cause of death in the developed world. The report was part of the 243rd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, being held in San Diego this week.

The study focused on capsaicin and its fiery-hot relatives, a piquant family of substances termed “capsaicinoids.” The component that gives cayennes, jalapenos, habaneros and other chili peppers their heat, capsaicin already has an established role in medicine in rub-on-the-skin creams to treat arthritis and certain forms of pain. Past research suggested that spicing food with chilies can lower blood pressure in people with that condition, reduce blood cholesterol and ease the tendency for dangerous blood clots to form.

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Made from Genetically Modified Bacteria Waste, Aspartame Risks Public Health


Andre Evans
Activist Post

Aspartame is one of the most used artificial sweeteners in the food supply today. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous.

Aspartame is used in thousands of products as a substitute to sugar, though consumers would actually be better off eating regular sugar.

Specifically, the toxic substance is often found in diet soft drinks and various candies. You should also be aware that aspartame is even present in a number of lesser-known conventional products as well.

Millions either knowingly or unknowingly consume aspartame on a daily basis. However, if the public was aware of the various dangers aspartame poses to individual health, they would stop — or would they? Aspartame is an addictive substance.

Most bedbug-infested cities



(BALTIMORE SUN) — Orkin announced its top 50 bed bug cities for the past year and several of them are popular spring break destinations. The following cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January to December 2011.