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Script of the Show October 31-2015

Plants bite back- The surprising, all-natural anti-nutrients and toxins in plant foods

Liposome encapsulation of curcumin- physico-chemical characterizations and effects on MCF7 cancer cell proliferation.

 Grape seed proanthocyanidins extract inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth

Self-assembling material that grows, changes shape could lead to artificial arteries

Molecular nanoribbons as electronic highways

Lyme disease testing-- Canadians may receive false-positives from some US labs

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Plants bite back- The surprising, all-natural anti-nutrients and toxins in plant foods

Weston Price
Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:20 UTC

 

The carnivorous piranha plant shows that plants can bite back.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That's Michael Pollan's response to the question of what we should eat, and few people doubt that answer today. Whether it's Whole Foods Market's recent decision to downplay animal products or vegan actresses touting "kind diets,"it sometimes seems as though every educated man, woman and child in the United States believes that plant-based diets hold the key to personal and planetary health.[F1] 

God puts anti-nutritional factors and toxins in grains, nuts, seeds and beans for a variety of reasons. Phytates, for example, block seeds from sprouting prematurely. Protease inhibitors, saponins, lectins and phytoestrogens harm insects, animals and other predators that would otherwise eat too many of them. If evolutionary theories are correct, wounded plants produce extra inhibitors and other anti-nutrients to save the plant species. The idea is to cause predators - including plant-eating humans - to experience slowed growth and diminished reproductive ability.[F2] ^1-4 Although it might sound like a "rotten idea," squirrels are smart to bury nuts in the ground, then dig them up and eat them weeks and months later. Similarly, people in traditional cultures all over the world process their grains, nuts, seeds and beans by a process akin to pre-digestion before cooking and eating them. –

 

The Perils of Protease Inhibitors

Protease inhibitors inhibit some of the key enzymes that help us digest protein. The best known of these protease enzymes is trypsin. Most of the USDA studies performed over the years have looked at trypsin inhibitors in soybeans, but these anti-nutrients are also found in other beans, grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables of the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant) and various fruits and vegetables.

Traditionally[F3] , few of these foods caused health problems because they were rarely eaten every day and because cooking deactivates most of the protease inhibitors. But given the growing tendency to fill up on plant foods, and the fashionability[F4]  of al dente cooking and "live food" (raw) vegan diets, more and more people are eating foods with their protease inhibitor content intact. Proponents of plant-based diets generally believe their diets provide plenty of protein, but this premise fails to take into account the fact that protein swallowed is not the same as protein digested when protease inhibitors are in the picture. Without high-quality, usable protein, growth, repair, immunity, hormone formation and all metabolic processes will suffer.

The protease inhibitors in soybeans are not only more numerous than those found in other beans and foods, but more resistant to neutralization by cooking and processing.⁵[F5]  Only the old-fashioned fermentation techniques used to make miso, tempeh and natto come close to deactivating all of them. With all other cooking processes, some trypsin inhibitors remain. The levels of active protease inhibitors remaining in modern soy products vary widely from batch to batch, and investigators have found startlingly high levels in some soy formulas and soy protein concentrates.^6-12

Given the fact that heat deactivates the protease inhibitors in soy, and enough heat could dispatch all of them, the obvious solution would seem to be to cook the soybeans to death. Unfortunately, extra heating damages the structure of the essential amino acids methionine and lysine and in extreme cases damages the total protein so much that it is hard to digest, assimilate and utilize by the body[F6] . When modern food manufacturers use alkaline solutions to speed things up, the essential amino acid lysine can be turned into the toxic lysinoalanine.^13-15 Even if food manufacturers made it a priority to cook soybeans just right, some protease inhibitors would be undercooked and others overcooked. Despite scores of USDA studies, no practical method of solving this problem has ever been devised.[F7]  To this day, the only way to solve the protease inhibitor problem is old-fashioned fermentation.

Many people dismiss the protease inhibitor conundrum, saying that a few of them here and there don't pose a problem. That is undoubtedly true for people eating a richly varied omnivorous diet. But for soy formula-fed infants, vegetarians and others who eat soy every day, the numbers add up. Even the small quantities used as extenders in meat products, canned tuna, bakery goods and other ordinary supermarket and health food store products and fast foods can adversely affect people whose digestive capacities are already compromised by low hydrochloric acid levels, pancreatic insufficiency, bowel diseases, gluten intolerance and other health challenges. Worse, the average American may be eating soy protein along with soy or corn oils, a deadly combination that has led to pancreatic cell proliferation and cancer in laboratory rats.¹⁶ Both these oils have been shown to initiate or fuel cancers, and because of a synergistic effect, the danger appears to be greatest when the combined intake is high. Soy protein, soy oil and corn oil are all familiar ingredients in processed supermarket foods as well as vegetarian "health foods." [F8] 

The organ in greatest danger is the pancreas. When protease inhibitors keep the pancreas from producing enough trypsin and proteases, the body compensates by increasing the number of pancreatic cells (hyperplasia) and their size (hypertrophy). If this happens here and there, the pancreas rises to the challenge and then recovers. However, when the pancreas is stressed day after day, pancreatitis and even cancer become distinct possibilities.^17-19 In the 1970s and 1980s, researchers studying protease-inhibitor damage to the pancreas noted that pancreatic cancer had moved up to fifth place as a cause of cancer death among humans, and wondered whether there might be a soybean-protease inhibitors connection.^20-22 Recently pancreatic cancer moved up to fourth place as a cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the United States,²³ a fact underscored to the American public by the deaths of actor Patrick Swayze of Dirty Dancing fame and Randy Pausch of Carnegie-Mellon University, who became a hero in the eyes of millions because of his moving Last Lecture. The fact that this ongoing rise in pancreatic cancer has occurred along with a rise in human consumption of soybeans does not prove cause and effect. Indeed, numerous dietary and environmental factors undoubtedly play their parts. However, the concurrent increase in pancreatic cancer cases alongside pertinent animal studies is suggestive - and sobering.

Phytate Follies- Ties that Bind

Phytates found in beans, grains and other seeds are anti-nutrients that block proper absorption of iron, zinc, calcium and other minerals. They are a leading cause of poor growth, anemia, immune system incompetence and other health woes in Third World countries where plant-based diets are the norm, and are increasingly a problem in First World countries where plant-based and vegan diets are widely considered chic and healthy.
[F9] 
In the plant kingdom, phytates serve two primary functions: they prevent premature germination and they store the phosphorous that plants need to grow.^24-25 Phytates are valuable to humans because they allow us to store seeds safely over the winter, but a potential problem when we want to eat those seeds, grains and beans. The way phytates deactivate the life force is by binding tightly with minerals. In order for seeds to leave their dormant phase and begin to sprout and grow, they are planted in warm, moist, slightly acidic soil each spring.^26,27 To eat grains, nuts, beans and other seeds, we are wise to do much the same by preparing them in a warm, moist and slightly acidic medium[F10] .

Advocates for plant-based diets often point out the high mineral content of their foods, but rarely take into account how phytate content might affect their assimilation of these minerals. Zinc is particularly affected[F11] .²⁸ A component of more than three hundred enzymes, zinc affects every function in the body. Growth, immunity, wound healing, mental health, intelligence, digestion, blood sugar regulation , thyroid function, weight, sex hormones and skin are all adversely affected by zinc deficiency.

Iron loss through phytate blockage can lead to "iron-poor blood" and iron deficiency anemia, resulting in fatigue, lethargy, weakened immunity and learning disabilities. Iron deficiencies also affect the thyroid gland by reducing the output of thyroid hormone, which in turn leads to lower body temperature, lethargy and weight gain.²⁹

Calcium absorption, also adversely affected by phytates, is worsened when these foods are processed using alkaline chemicals. Claims that plant-based diets contain plenty of the calcium we need for bone building and other functions are seriously undercut when one considers the phytate content and modern processing methods.³⁰ In products naturally low in calcium such as soy milk, manufacturers like to boast about added calcium while remaining mum about phytates. Finally, phytate-induced mineral deficiencies facilitate displacement of needed minerals by toxic metals, for examples, iron by lead and zinc by cadmium.^31,32
[F12] 
So what about the phosphorous that is essential for growth and bones? There's plenty of it in beans, grains and other seeds, but 50 to 75 percent of it's tied up in the phytates and not readily bioavailable.³³ Inefficient phosphorus utilization in humans and animals results in stunted growth as well as other nutritional consequences. That's why farmers raising animals on corn and soybean-based diets give them phosphate supplements to ensure proper growth. That solves part of the growth problem but not the environmental consequences. Undigested phytates excreted in manure can create serious waste disposal problems and result in contaminated surface water, lakes and streams.^34,35

[F13] Lectins: Glutins for Punishment

Lectins are proteins with a "sweet tooth." Mother Nature created them to help bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen into the roots of plants. That helps plants grow, and when the plants die makes them useful as fertilizers. Soybeans, for example, are high in lectins and have traditionally served as "green manure[F14] ."39

Found most heavily in beans, grains and other foods, lectins "bite" into carbohydrates, particularly sugars, and can cause "leaky gut," immune system reactions and blood clotting. Because they agglutinate blood - glue it up - lectins are also known as hemagglutins, hemagglutinins and phytohemagglutins.
[F15] 
Lectins really shouldn't be a problem in human nutrition. The enzymes present in fermented foods can take care of most lectins. So can heat processing and cooking. But those lectins that do not succumb are unlikely to be perturbed by normal digestive processes. Unlike ordinary food proteins, lectins are not easily broken down by enzymes in the gut. At least 60 percent remain biologically active and immunologically intact, a combination that can represent a time bomb in the digestive tract.^40,41 Lectins bind to the villi and crypt cells of the small intestine, where they can contribute to cell death, shortened villi, a diminished capacity for digestion and absorption, cell proliferation in the crypt cells, interference with hormone and growth factor signaling and unfavorable population shifts among the microbial flora.

Lectin damage is not confined to the gut. As the body attempts to maintain the integrity of the small intestinal lining at all costs, proteins that would ordinarily be used for normal growth and repair elsewhere may be appropriated instead for emergency repairs in the intestinal tract.^45,46 Furthermore, lectins consumed with the diet may travel through the damaged "leaky gut" into general circulation, provoking allergic reactions and immune system disruption. Research to date suggests that lectins of both plant and microbial origin provoke allergic rections in the gut, usually of the delayed hypersensitivity type IgG.^47-49

Lectins can also affect the gut by causing shifts in the gut flora, including overgrowth by E. coli, streptoccocus and lactobacillus bacteria[F16] .^50,51 Although most of the studies were done with a toxic lectin from kidney beans known as PHA, other lectins act similarly, though less strongly.52

Lectins gain strength in the company of other anti-nutrients such as protease inhibitors and saponins. Researchers at USDA and elsewhere who've tested lectins have found that the damage tends to be mild. Tested together, the damage is not simply additive but synergistic.⁵³
[F17] 
The biggest problem with lectins comes when people eat an insufficiently varied diet. In one study, rats put on rotation diets showed significantly less damage from lectins than rats fed soy proteins continuously.⁵⁴ Because the rats did nearly as well with the rotation diet as they did on a steady diet of high quality, low-lectin feed, the take away message is for us to eat a richly varied diet and to reduce repeated exposure to all lectin rich legumes, especially soybeans and kidney beans.

Infants fed soy formula and vegans who eat a lot of soy-based meat and dairy replacements do not experience sufficient variety in their diets and are especially vulnerable. In the average adult with "leaky gut" and other GI tract problems, lectin-rich foods are likely to be one factor among many, with cumulative damage coming from food allergies and intolerances, antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAID drugs, heavy metal contamination, alcoholism and other factors.⁵⁵
[F18] 
Lectins are three to four times more likely to move into the bloodstream through the "leaky gut" than other food proteins,⁵⁶ a fact that shows why maintaining the integrity of the gut lining is crucial to keeping undigested and partially digested food proteins, lectins and environmental toxins out of the bloodstream.

Soyatoxin- New Threat From Soy

In soybeans, a toxic protein called "soyatoxin" causes clotting, just like lectins do. In mice, large doses have proved lethal, having caused breathing difficulties, convulsions and partial paralysis prior to death. Ilka Vasconcelos, PhD, lead scientist of the team that discovered soyatoxin, concluded her report by stating that it seemed "important to gather more information concerning its nutritional value, and to develop ways to counteract any detrimental effects."^57,58 As yet no one has funded these important studies, although it is not too far fetched to assume that a toxic agent that acts so much like botulism might be formulated into a profitable "all natural" soy-based injectable to compete with the wrinkle-removing paralytic Botox!

Saponins-Soap in our mouth

Saponins are bitter, biologically active components that foam up like soap suds in water. They are named after the soapwort plant (Saponaria), the root of which was used traditionally as a soap. Foods containing saponins include soybeans, chick peas and other beans, forage crops such as alfalfa, as well as other plants. Saponins contribute largely to the foam that rises to the top of the pot when you cook beans; this foam, which can taste quite bitter, should be carefully skimmed off.

Ingestion of saponins has been linked to poor growth and bloating in foraging animals, although it takes massive doses to create such problems.⁵⁹

The greater risk in humans would be to the mucosa of the intestines. This occurs because saponins bind with cholesterol, causing injuries that result in "leaky gut."^60-62 This effect is probably weak, but allergens, lectins, gluten gliadin and other components wreak similar havoc, suggesting a cumulative risk. Not surprisingly, the cholesterol-binding effect may lead to the eventual marketing of saponins as all-natural cholesterol lowerers. Scientists have even considered their use in feed for the production of cholesterol-free dairy products,⁶³ though feeding alfalfa saponins to chickens has not resulted in low-cholesterol eggs!⁶⁴

Saponins may also soon be promoted as "bile binders" for cancer prevention and reversal. The idea is that saponins bind with bile, and that bile acids poison the cells and so promote tumors. Reducing the absorption of bile through the cell membrane could make precancerous epithelial occell proliferation in the colon less likely. The theory is that cancer cell membranes contain more cholesterol than normal cell membranes and saponins could bind more easily to them, thus triggering their destruction.⁶⁵ The problem is destruction occurs in normal cells as well, albeit at lower levels. If that sounds like a reasonable trade off, consider the fact that "leaky gut" with its attendant malabsorption, dysbiosis and other problems increases cancer risk.

Saponins also break down red blood cells in a process known as hemolysis. This action is also weak, but the human body's ability to resist this type of damage decreases with age along with an age-related decline in the quality of red cell membranes.⁶⁶ Another potential problem is the fact that saponins inhibit important enzymes such as succinate dehydrogenase,⁶⁷ a key player in the citric acid cycle of the body, which must function properly if we are to properly absorb nutrients, heal and grow. Digestive enzymes disturbed by saponins include trypsin and chymotrypsin, which are also adversely affected by protease inhibitors.⁶⁸ Finally, saponins may be goitrogenic and spur enlargement of the thyroid.⁶⁹ Saponins shouldn't take all the rap for thyroid disease, but given the fact that they tend to be found in plant foods that also contain isoflavones, coumestans, lignans, gossypol glycosides and other known goitrogens, we can't rule them out as a contributor to thyroid disease. [F19] 

On a more positive note, saponins in spinach and oats may increase and accelerate the body's ability to absorb calcium and silicon.⁷⁰ Boiling, steaming, sautéing and otherwise cooking foods won't have much effect on saponins, as it takes alcohol extraction to remove them. When the soybean is separated into oil and protein, the saponins stick with the protein, making them an unavoidable component in every soy product except soy oil and lecithin. Soy protein isolates contain the highest levels of saponins of any soy product[F20] .^71,72

The good news is old-fashioned [F21] fermented soy products have a much reduced saponin content [F22] as well as lower levels of protease inhibitors, phytates and other anti-nutrients. Aspergillus oryzae used in the fermentation of miso and soy sauce produces an enzyme known as soybean saponin hydrolase, which is capable of hydrolyzing soybean saponins. While it is true that saponins are metabolized by bacterial enzymes, this does not occur in the human body until they have scrubbed their way around the many twisting loops of the small intestine to arrive in the large intestine.⁷³

How else might saponins be useful? In addition to marketing them as cholesterol reducers, bile binders and cancer preventers, Big Pharm has singled out saponins for their ability to increase the body's levels of immune response and proposes adding saponins to vaccines!⁷⁴ Finally, there may be big profits in using saponins as a component of spermicides. Seems hemolysis damages the mucosa of the vagina,⁷⁵ providing an inhospitable environment for sperm, not to mention women feeling pain and unlikely to be hospitable to sex anyway. [F23] 

Oxalates- Casting Stones

Oxalates are indigestible compounds in foods that prevent the proper absorption of calcium.. The foods highest in Contrary to popular belief, oxalates are not significantly neutralized by cooking oxalates are soyprotein, spinach and rhubarb.⁷⁷ Years ago, these rarely posed a problem because soy protein isolate had yet to be invented, and few people other than Popeye ate much spinach. Fewer still ever ate rhubarb. But as William Shaw, PhD points out (see page 40) many health conscious people now eat a gigantic spinach salad every day, thinking it's the ticket to good health. Instead, it can be a ticket to kidney stones, vulvodynia and other oxalate-related health problems.

Other oxalate-containing foods likely to be eaten to excess are peanuts and chocolate. Given that these popular and addictive foods can represent whole food groups to vegans, caution is warranted. Although studies on rice, wheat, rye and soy indicate that phytates cause more calcium binding than oxalates, such foods are high in both anti-nutrients. Increased calcium excretion and increased oxalic acid excretion ride tandem and have been linked to osteoporosis. Finally, health practitioners treating autism have found that oxalate-containing foods must be eliminated from the diet, as well as products containing gluten, casein and soy, before any real progress can be made in treating this tragic condition.⁷⁹ [F24] 

Salicylates

"When in doubt, eat fruits and veggies." Might seem like good advice except for the fact that fruits and vegetables are not only high in carbs but also contain all-natural phytochemicals known as salicylates. As with other plant foods that bite back, salicylates evolved to fight predators. And organic fruits and vegetables seem to have more of them.⁸⁰ These are not-too-distant chemical cousins of the salicylates found in hundreds of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and prescription drugs used to relieve minor aches and pains, reduce fever and inflammation, thin the blood, dry up diarrhea and treat skin conditions such as acne, warts and psoriasis. The most famous OTC members of the salicylate family are aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), Ben Gay (methyl salicylate), Pepto Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) and Doan's (magnesium salicylate).^81,82 Salicylates are also increasingly found in alternative medicines and Chinese herbs, particularly topical oils.⁸³

Many people today are so salicylate intolerant that they experience adverse reactions not only to drugs but also to salicylate-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Reactions are caused when arachidonic acid is tripped into the inflammatory chemicals called leukotrienes, causing dilated blood vessels, constricted bronchial passages and mucus production.⁸⁴ In addition to experiencing allergy-like symptoms, people sensitive to salicylates may suffer from asthma, hives, nasal polyps, chronic swelling and a wide variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, including irritable bowel. Salicylates are also linked to a long list of physical and mental symptoms, including - just for starters - acne, bedwetting, restless leg syndrome, tinnitus, tics, styes, hyperactivity, headaches, anxiety, hallucinations, weepiness, blurred vision, fidgiting, bad breath, body odor, and even constant hunger!⁸⁵ Obviously, there are many other risk factors for these complaints, but 2-4 percent of outpatients attending allergy clinics, 2 percent of those with Crohn's disease, 7 percent of those with ulcerative colitis, and 15-20 percent of those who attend ear, nose and throat clinics are salicylate intolerant.^86,87 [F25] 

Although individuals prone to inflammatory responses are typically advised to cut out meat and other foods rich in arachidonic acid, the surprising culprit for some health conscious individuals might be fruits and vegetables. Researchers in Scotland who tested vegetarians versus non-vegetarians found much higher levels of salicylates in the vegetarians' urine, though considerably less than subjects taking aspirin.^88,89 Most people can handle average amounts of salicylate in food, products and medications without adverse health effects. People with salicylate intolerance, however, are unable to handle more than a certain amount of salicylates at a time. The amount varies from person to person. Salicylates also have a cumulative effect in the body and build up over time[F26] . Thus some people may feel great when they first start a raw vegan diet with lots of juicing, only to later develop salicylate intolerance. [F27] 

The levels of salicylates found in food can vary greatly, with raw foods and dried foods containing higher levels than the same cooked foods. But cooked foods concentrate salicylates in products such as sauces, purées and syrups. People who are salicylate sensitive may find it helpful to peel fruits thickly (so as to cut off areas just under the skin) and to throw away the outer leaves of vegetables. It is also crucial to eat only fruits and vegetables that have been allowed to ripen.

Fruits high in salicylates include all dried fruits and most berries, including the blueberries we're all told to eat because they are a "superfood." Cherries, oranges, pineapples, plums, grapes, peaches, nectarines, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapefruit and most varieties of apples pose problems for salicylate sufferers[F28] . Indeed the only fruits low in salicylates are, lime, pear, golden delicious apples and papayas. Vegetables high in salicylates include cooked tomatoes, chili peppers, water chestnut, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, eggplant, spinach, sweet potato and zucchini. Moderate levels are found in asparagus, beets, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. Sadly very high levels of salicylates are found in coconut oil, a fact that might explain why some people seem to be allergic to this otherwise healthy oil. Olive, sesame and walnut oils are also high in salicylates. The good news is that there are negligible amounts in butter. For an extensive Food Guide, visit salicylatesensitivity.com.

An elimination diet accompanied by a food diary is the best way to determine whether salicylates are causing any health problems. To do this, avoid any medications containing salicylates and limit the diet to foods that either do not contain salicylate or are very low in salicylates for a month to six weeks. Once the body has cleared any stored salicylate, symptoms will abate if, in fact, you are salicylate intolerant. Although strict avoidance is generally recommended, researchers have shown that fish oil can reduce salicylate sensitivity;⁹⁰ cod liver oil with its needed vitamins A and D should work even better[F29] . { avoid this today due to the BS in the fish oils they are not traditional any longer but are more fashionable and have a lot of toxicity to them and the oxidize in the body causing more inflammation then less}

Phytochemical Warfare

In conclusion, the plant world has marshalled a formidable army of anti-nutrients and toxins, programmed to kill predators - including human plant eaters - through phytochemical warfare. These can contribute to malnutrition, digestive distress, thyroid disorders, immune system breakdown, infertility, autism, ADD, ADHD, allergies and even heart disease and cancer[F30] .

Proponents of plant-based diets claim that the evidence against protease inhibitors, phytates, saponins and other plant toxins is exaggerated, inconclusive and irrelevant to humans because so much of it has been done in animals. While the evidence against any single anti-nutrient might not be conclusive, it is important to remember that anti-nutrients and toxins rarely appear singly but in combination. Foods that contain protease inhibitors, for example, tend to contain lectins and saponins. Foods rich in salicylates might also be nightshades. It is evident that with phytochemical damage is not just additive but synergistic. And the evidence is substantial and relevant to all mammals, including the human mammal.

Adding to the potential damage, five additional categories of antinutrients and non-nutrients pose risks. Gluten has wreaked so much havoc on guts and brains that "gluten free" is a buzz word in the health world and a booming new industry[F31] . Goitrogens block the synthesis and utilization of thyroid hormones, leading to an epidemic of thyroid dysfunction. Oligosaccharides are the pesky gas-producing sugars that give beans their reputation as "musical fruits." Fiber, an indigestible and non-nutritive element, which although "everyone knows" is somehow good for us, can wreak havoc on digestive capability, gut health, immunity and brain function. Phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) include isoflavones, coumestans and lignans; they are found in quantity in such popular "health foods" as soybeans, alfalfa and clover sprouts, and flaxseeds. Although not the same as true mammalian hormones, they are close enough to fool the body and cause significant endocrine disruption.

Nutraceuticals

As might be expected, all the anti-nutrients and toxins discussed in this article are being dusted off by the food industry[F32] , turned into supplements, added to foods as "nutraceuticals" and promoted as curers of all that ails us. Phytoestrogens are promoted as all-natural HRT (hormone replacement therapy). The potent Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor from soybeans supposedly cures cancer. Phytates chelate heavy metals and excess iron. Saponins are all-natural cholesterol lowerers. The lectins of the future may prevent or cure disease by being sent into the body to grab onto and eat specific sugars that coat body cells, microbes and proteins.⁹¹ Call them Hannibal Lectins! The fact that such pharmaceutical uses - carefully dosed and monitored - could usher in a brave new world, in no way makes them desirable or safe taken SAFELY in our daily food.

Finally, when it comes to plant-based diet items, don't trust the process! At least not when it's fake meats and other ersatz products crafted from soy, peas, hemp, wheat gluten and other plant proteins. These triple threat products contain the full complement of all-natural anti-nutrients; carcinogens and toxins that are byproducts of industrial food processing; and dubious and often dangerous additives designed to improve taste, smell, look and "mouth feel.[F33] "⁹² A future article will tackle the "Dirty Little Secrets of the Food Processing Industry." For now, it's enough to know that there's trouble in Eden and plants bite back!

Since they do, it's a good idea to treat them with respect. Fruits and vegetables add interest, color and taste to our diet, but don't overconsume. Instead, vary your choice, prepare them properly and consume them in the context of a diet rich in the protective factors that come from meat, eggs, seafood, raw dairy products and the fats from grass-fed animals. When it comes to plant foods use your head and avoid those that will be a detriment in the long haul especially if you are consuming in a “fashionable manner” rather then in a manner of mix and balance

 

 

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 [F1]Has been the biggest deception based on emotional advertising without any real bases in truth~ and in fact the trade off has caused more damage to farming and the earth in general with the added nanotech and  genotoxicty of the soil and seeds that are being planted today

 [F2]And with the added chemistry and nanoadjuvants in the plants to transfer the glyphosates or atrazines or a myriad other chemicals into the very core of the genetics this makes this even more toxic and destructive to the digestive system and internal organs

 [F3]This is a key word that everyone overlooks in the guruland of nutrition ~ traditionally meaning that some time in the past these foods would not be problematic~ but in the current times they are so due to either nano or genetic or or some kind of alteration through radiation or processing the foods

 [F4]No word better explains what is going on in the current health food industry~ fashionable ~ even when describing supplements or other high profile foods( super foods) a lot of this is more fashionable then substance

 [F5]So much for the fermentation process for a few days~ even earlier accounts report a 2 year process to reduce this ~ which stands to reason with the genetic make up of soy it has one of the highest myotoxic foods you can eat with the addition of genetics and nanoadjuvants there is no way to remove the inhibitors or poison or the estrogens this plant produces nor the goitregnic effects ~ the myth of soy was designed to be fashionable and with the high consumption of this leads to a total break down of the body by overloading the system with the anti nutrients and other toxins and removing from the body what should be there to sustain a viable immune system and organ support

 [F6]In other words the most useless toxic food one can eat with hardly any benefit and hardly any use other then to make someone profitable

 [F7]In other words there is no real way to negate the toxicity of soy~ it is essentially a poison and really should not be used

 [F8]Called synergy one is effective the other is effective combined become lethal in the regard of these 2 materials~ booth are genetically altered and both use glphosates as well ~ and both are using some form of nano ~ neither should be consumed

 [F9]Back to being fashionable

 [F10]Thern you can sprout them

 [F11]This mineral alone produces enzymes and regulates over 150 functions in the body-which without you cannot produse SOD which protects the body and supports the gluthatione levels in the body in the mitochondria and in the organs- A component of more than three hundred enzymes, zinc affects every function in the body. Growth, immunity, wound healing, mental health, intelligence, digestion, blood sugar regulation , thyroid function, weight, sex hormones and skin

 [F12]Phytate increase metal toxicity and depletes mineral uptake -

 [F13]Which again can contain glyphosates that the animals would excrete out and again reloading the soil with this mix and would be more concentrated

 [F14]Shit for the fields or fertilizer

 [F15]Because they agglutinate blood - glue it up - lectins are also known as hemagglutins, hemagglutinins and phytohemagglutins.

 [F16]Another reason why so many cannot get over the yeast build up in the body ~ with these material being in the food supply mixed with other foods this would get into the diet  without anyone being aware and then slowly sabotaging the body

 [F17]And no one today is just eating a basic diet anything that is bought packaged in some way or mixed will have this synergy in the disruption of the food and chemistry going on internally

 [F18]Nano adjuvants in the crops and chemtrail fall out as well would impact this as well

 [F19]Again this would be the result in the synergy as well for this to have  this effect ~ when your talking soy and the lentils and beans it would appear the chemistry in these foods are by design to strip out and remove from the body the capacity for the system to function at it’s optimal~ saponins are also used as a binding agents in the system to remove waste and metals on there own they would have benefit but together with other mycotoxins this may in fact assist the synergy of the damage to the body

 [F20]This is another reason to avoid soybean products

 [F21]This is a 2 year process with lime the current methods do not have the same effect and in most cases the fermentationused today increases the lethality of Soy

 [F22]Key word here is reduced not removed meaning that is you consumed this regularly you would still accumulate these compnenents but at a slower rate still inflicting damage to the body

 [F23]Another means of  sabotaging sexual relations between the genders M/F

 [F24]The real cause of a lot of the autism other then vaccines is the glyphosates and nano in the foods the mother eats which as well depeletes the child and causes specific anti nutrient intake of key nutrients for brain development like iodine and zinc and boron and b3 which are all crucial for brain maturation and function

 [F25]Again this would be a direct result of overloading the system~ in a use as need situation if there was not this overload you would actually see benefits in regard to cancer prevention as well as analgesic formulas which if was used for this would not see anything implicating in regard to health

 [F26]An aspirin a day will cause a side effect and the medical system knows this as well and this will induce some other health issue and then a return visitto the medical fascility and for further drugging

 [F27]And other health issues from the goitregenic effect to the mineral depleting to even mental dysfunctionality

 [F28]Another reason as well maybe to nanoparticle exposure on the fruits skins and the  penetration~ with the salicylic acids this can assist in the transporting of these particles into the system right into the brain

 [F29]And in todays market these are loaded with cadmium and lead and arsenic which does nothing but oxidize the system more ~ would use instead a vitamin E source non fish or soy to assist in the excreting of this~ possibly wheat germ oil as well

 [F30]Add to this the genetics and the nano and you impact these even more

 [F31]Which is excessivle deceptive due to the fact that removing the protein which traditionally never caused issues ~ is now removed makes this a Genetically Engineered Grain causing again secondary side effects ~ with the grains in the current day none of them are safe to eat or offer any real benefit like they once did ~ nor are a lot of them the same germ or seed we ate 50 years ago through modification of the seed itself or the soil with the further added nano/biotech

 [F32]Health Food industry especially and with this to sell what is usually left over by product or waste from the mainstream food producers~ the health food industry in the last 40 years has been basically consuming waste by product and been told it is healthy

 [F33]Again back to being fashionable and not really doable

 

 

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Liposome encapsulation of curcumin- physico-chemical characterizations and effects on MCF7 cancer cell proliferation.

Int J Pharm. 2014 Jan 30;461(1-2):519-28

Authors: Hasan M, Belhaj N, Benachour H, Barberi-Heyob M, Kahn CJ, Jabbari E, Linder M, Arab-Tehrany E

Abstract
The role of curcumin (diferuloylmethane), for cancer treatment has been an area of growing interest. However, due to its low absorption, the poor bioavailability of curcumin limits its clinical use. In this study, we reported an approach of encapsulation a curcumin by nanoliposome to achieve an improved bioavailability of a poorly absorbed hydrophobic compound. We demonstrated that liposomal preparations to deliver curcumin increase its bioavailability. Liposomes composed of salmon's lecithin also improved curcumin bioavailability compared to those constituted of rapeseed and soya lecithins[F1] . A real-time label-free cell analysis system based on real-time cell impedance monitoring was used to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity of liposomal preparations. --PMID: 24355620 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Recipe –take 1 table spoon of tumeric 1 tsp of pepper and rosemary 1 table ( you can vary this either way increase or decrease ) and add sunflower lecithin powder to this  50 grams or 3 tablespoons and 1 tsp ( again increase or decrease as you see fit) mix together and then when done mixing add water about half the amount then mix well til there is a solidifying of the fat and then if needed due to leakage or not enough powder add more to the mix til you get a consistency--- You can do this as well with just straight tumeric powder or extract and add pepper to it since it activates the tumeric and if wish ad cq10 to this as well or other things you may think of

Then when done store in glass in a fridge and use daily again 1-5 tsp a day deciding if it is maintenance or therapeutic issues you may be dealing with will determine usage

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 [F1]So  the  soy and  canola are  not as good and poorer in the delivery

 

 

 

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Grape seed proanthocyanidins extract inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth                                                                                                                                     through down-regulation of miR-27a expression.

Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2015 Jan;40(1):46-52

Authors: Ma J, Fang B, Zeng F, Pang H, Ma C, Xia J

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the eff ect of grape seed proanthocyanidins extract (GSPE) on the growth of pancreatic cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS: The pancreatic cancer AsPC-1 cells were cultured in vitro. The effects of GSPE on cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were analyzed by MTT, Annexin V-FITC/PI and Transwell migration assay, respectively. The expression of miR-27a and FOXO1 in AsPC-1 cells was determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The miR-27a inhibitors were applied to verify the role of miR-27a in mediation of GSPE effects.
RESULTS: GSPE inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect was significant when the dosage of GSPE was more than 50 μg/mL (P<0.05 vs control). GSPE also could induce apoptosis and inhibit cell migration. MiR-27a expression was notably down-regulated when the dosage of GSPE was 75 μg/mL (P<0.01 vs control). Compared with the control group, cell proliferation inhibition was significantly increased in the miR-27a inhibitor group, the GSPE group and the miR-27a inhibitor plus GSPE group (P<0.01), while cell migration was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the GSPE or the miR-27a inhibitor group, the growth and migration inhibitory effects in the miR-27a inhibitor plus GSPE group were more obviously (P<0.01). Both GSPE and miR-27a inhibitor alone could up-regulate FOXO1 expression. But these effects were more apparent when they are applied in combination.
CONCLUSION: GSPE inhibites AsPC-1 cells' growth and migration partly through down-regulation of miR-27a expression.--PMID: 25652374 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Recipe either extract or add to a liposome formula to increase the effect and impact—you may want to add other things with this like black seed and or juniper berry and bitter melon or karalla powder

 

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Self-assembling material that grows, changes shape could lead to artificial arteries

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have developed a way of assembling organic molecules into complex tubular tissue-like structures without the use of moulds or techniques like 3D printing.--The study, which will appear in the journal Nature Chemistry, describes how peptides and proteins can be used to create materials that exhibit dynamic behaviors found in biological tissues like growth, morphogenesis, and healing[F1] .--The method uses solutions of peptide and protein molecules that, upon touching each other, self-assemble to form a dynamic tissue at the point at which they meet. As the material assembles itself it can be easily guided to grow into complex shapes.[F2] -This discovery could lead to the engineering of tissues like veins, arteries, or even the blood-brain barrier, which would allow scientists to study diseases such as Alzheimer's with a high level of similarity to the real tissue, which is currently impossible. The technique could also contribute to the creation of better implants, complex tissues, or more effective drug screening methods[F3] .-Alvaro Mata, Director of the Institute of Bioengineering at QMUL and lead author of the paper, said: "What is most exciting about this discovery is the possibility for us to use peptides and proteins as building-blocks of materials with the capacity to controllably grow or change shape, solely by self-assembly[F4] .--Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Queen Mary, University of London. --Journal Reference-Karla E. Inostroza-Brito, Estelle Collin, Orit Siton-Mendelson, Katherine H. Smith, Amàlia Monge-Marcet, Daniela S. Ferreira, Raúl Pérez Rodríguez, Matilde Alonso, José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello, Rui L. Reis, Francesc Sagués, Lorenzo Botto, Ronit Bitton, Helena S. Azevedo, Alvaro Mata. Co-assembly, spatiotemporal control and morphogenesis of a hybrid protein–peptide system. Nature Chemistry, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2349 --Queen Mary, University of London. "Self-assembling material that grows, changes shape could lead to artificial arteries." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 September 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150928122552.htm>.

 

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 [F1]MORPHOGENESIS A TERMINOLOGY  one should understand the full implications of this effect

 [F2]Or a complex mimetic of bugs –pathogens or anything that is programmed  to do~ nanotech can replicate the same type of assembling prcesses especially when adding any XNA –proteins –peptides or any other types of sugars and fats

 [F3]Almost sounds like a building block for life rather human or otherwise~ you can now have a construct made of nano bio integration

 [F4]This an interesting situation here all can be done by self assembly and this leads to another perspective can this evolve!!!

 

 

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Molecular nanoribbons as electronic highways

October 1, 2015 in Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

 

Physicists at Umeå University have, together with researchers at UC Berkeley, USA, developed a method to synthesise a unique and novel type of material which resembles a graphene nanoribbon but in molecular form. This material could be important for the further development of organic solar cells. The results have been published in the scientific journal ACS Nano. --The nanoribbons are comprised of molecules with the chemical formula [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester. For short it is denoted PCBM, and in practice it is a fullerene molecule (a football-shaped carbon molecule) with an attached side arm to increase its solubility. PCBM molecules are commonly used in organic solar cells since they have a very good ability to transport free electrons that are "generated" by solar light.--The researchers at Umeå University and UC Berkeley have now developed a method to arrange such molecules into thin, crystalline nanoribbons that are only four nanometres wide. The nanoribbons are grown in a solution process with quite high efficiency and all nanoribbons have a unique morphology with edges in a zigzag.---"It is a very intriguing material and the method is quite simple. The material resembles the more commonly known graphene nanoribbons, but in our material each carbon atom is 'replaced' by a molecule," says Thomas Wågberg, associate professor at the Department of Physics, who has led the study.

The findings are interesting for several reasons; it is the first time that structures with so small dimensions have been produced with this type of molecule, and the dimensions of the nanoribbons suggest that they should be ideal as "electronic highways" in organic solar cells. An organic solar cell usually consists of two types of material, one that conducts the electrons and one that conducts the "holes" that are left behind when the electron gets an energy boost from the incoming solar light (you can see the transport of "hole" as an empty space in traffic moving backwards in a traffic queue moving forwards).

An electron conductor in organic solar cells should ideally form long pathways to the electrode but concurrently be thinner than 10-15 nanometres (approximately 10,000 times thinner than a normal hair). The newly developed PCBM nanoribbons fulfil all these requirements.

"Together with professor Ludvig Edman's group at the Department of Physics at Umeå University, we are now investigating this material further as a potential component in organic solar cells in the hope of making such devices more efficient," says Thomas Wågberg.

Our study is of course also interesting for fundamental reasons since it opens up possibilities to investigate important physical properties of molecular materials with nanoscale dimensions.

About nanoribbons:

Carbon nanostructures exist in many different forms. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms, which can be "ripped" into nanoribbons under certain circumstances. Due to the decrease in dimensions along one direction, the graphene nanoribbons display many unique properties. Fullerenes on the other hand are football-shaped molecules also built up from carbon atoms, while PCBM are fullerene-like molecules with several interesting properties and an attached side arm to increase their solubility. In the current study the researchers have been able to construct nanoribbons comprising PCBM molecules instead of carbon atoms, so that the structure strongly resembles a graphene nanoribbon in molecular form.

More information: "Fabrication of One-Dimensional Zigzag [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Nanoribbons from Two-Dimensional Nanosheets" ACS Nano, Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b04972

Provided by Umea University

"Molecular nanoribbons as electronic highways" October 1, 2015 http://phys.org/news/2015-10-molecular-nanoribbons-electronic-highways.html

  

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Lyme disease testing-- Canadians may receive false-positives from some US labs

Lyme disease is becoming increasingly common in Canada, and Canadians with Lyme disease symptoms may seek diagnoses from laboratories in the United States, although many of the results will be false-positives, according to a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).--"Patients with chronic subjective symptoms without a diagnosis can be vulnerable and desperate for an answer as to the cause of their illness," writes Dr. Dan Gregson, divisions of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, with coauthors. "Giving them a false diagnosis based on flawed testing is misleading."[F1] --Canadians with nonspecific symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue and mental fog may turn to commercial US laboratories because they suspect they may have Lyme disease. Many of these laboratories use only a single test that relies on nonevidence-based interpretation, such as the Western blot test. A positive test result that relies solely on Western blot testing is most likely a false-positive.--Recent research has found false-positive results in people without Lyme disease at 3 of 4 commercial US laboratories (ranging from 2.5% to 25%), with a rate of more than 50% of false positives at one lab.--Tests at the National Microbiology Laboratory of Canada, which uses guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are as sensitive as those used in speciality US laboratories.--"Patients and physicians should be cautious in choosing a referral laboratory in the US when seeking 'second opinion' serology after receiving a negative test result in Canada," write the authors. "Laboratories that use the standard CDC two-tier testing algorithms should be preferred over those that report results based on unproven, unvalidated, in-house criteria."--Patients who are experiencing Lyme disease-like symptoms should receive a complete evaluation to determine the cause of their symptoms.--Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Canadian Medical Association Journal. --Journal Reference-Nisha Andany, Savannah Cardew, and Paul E. Bunce. A 35-year-old man with a positive Lyme test result from a private laboratory. CMAJ, August 2015 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.141413 --Canadian Medical Association Journal. "Lyme disease testing: Canadians may receive false-positives from some US labs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 August 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150831135838.htm>.

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 [F1]Been saying this as well that the bulk of te people being tested for lymes are being misdiagnosed

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Show of then Month October 10 2015

New artificial cells mimic nature's tiny reactors

Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down

Insitute of Science In Society -- No to Climate Smart Agriculture

Sixteen countries have requested to opt out of GM cultivation in Europe

Genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression

Dynamic Cellular Disruption – a novel process that breaks up plant matter without using chemicals, enzymes or blades

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New artificial cells mimic nature's tiny reactors

Artificial cells that mimic their natural counterparts help scientists learn the secrets of complex processes, such as how plant cells turn sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into fuel. Today's artificial cells often become unstable when materials transit the membrane. Scientists have developed a new artificial cell where lipid vesicles (small pools of fatty molecules) self-assemble around treated water droplets. The result is an artificial cell or microscopic bioreactor.

The Impact

This new type of cell-like bioreactor [F1] could offer substantial advantages for carrying out complex synthesis processes that mimic natural processes. It could also offer benefits in conducting massively parallel chemical reactions.

Summary

Scientists discovered a new process for spontaneously forming "artificial cells" that can function as bioreactors through the self-assembly of polymer-rich water droplets within lipid-rich water droplets[F2] . In essence, the artificial bioreactor is composed of a shell membrane through which reactants and products can selectively pass through, and an interior environment where the reactions occur[F3] . Lipid-, polymer-, and gel-based processes for preparing bioreactors modelled after biological cells have been previously developed; maintaining stable reaction-relevant internal environments while simultaneously allowing reactants and products to easily pass through have remained a key challenge. --Now, researchers at the Pennsylvania State University have developed a new type of water-in-water composite emulsion, based on self-assembly of microscale aqueous droplets surrounded by nanoscale lipid capsules in a continuous aqueous phase. These lipid-stabilized water-in-water assemblies provide an exciting alternative to traditional giant lipid vesicles, or liposomes, as artificial cell mimics.[F4]  In comparison to traditional giant liposomes, which encapsulate a similar aqueous volume within a single continuous lipid membrane, the structures introduced here offer

(1) facile encapsulation of proteins in the interior phase as well as polymer agents for controlling the progress of the desired reaction,

(2) excellent uniformity in droplet size and contents, and

(3) much greater access into and out of the interior volume.

The researchers found that negatively charged lipid capsules, each on the order of 100 nanometers in diameter, self-assemble at the aqueous interface of polymer-rich droplets that are tens of microns in diameter[F5] . The repulsion between the lipid capsules due their negative charges forced them to maintain their assembled structure, essentially gluing them together and stabilizing the overall bioreactor composite[F6] . A particularly exciting capability of these composite assemblies is the preferential partitioning of DNA within the interior compartment based on the length of the DNA, which bodes well for designing and preparing micro-reactors in which combinations of reactants can be selectively introduced and maintained at desired levels. In addition, ribozyme-induced cleavage of RNA encapsulated within the interior is as another example of the bioreactor's unique capability[F7] .--Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Department of Energy, Office of Science. -Journal Reference-Daniel C. Dewey, Christopher A. Strulson, David N. Cacace, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Christine D. Keating. Bioreactor droplets from liposome-stabilized all-aqueous emulsions. Nature Communications, 2014; 5: 4670 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5670 --Department of Energy, Office of Science. "New artificial cells mimic nature's tiny reactors." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151006124005.htm>.

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Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down

Consumers are increasingly buying food from mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, and convenience stores, but are selecting foods with poor nutritional profiles, according to new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.---What foods are Americans really buying, where are they buying them, and how nutritious are these purchases? A new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has determined that consumers are increasingly making packaged food purchases (PFPs) at warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, and convenience stores. These outlets offer a selection of foods that have poor nutrient profiles, with higher calories and more sugar, sodium, and saturated fat compared to grocery stores. This represents a potential U.S. public health concern. Their results are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.--"Previous studies on the relationship between the food environment and its association to diet have paid insufficient attention to the types of stores where people shop for food, what they actually purchase, and the nutrient profile of those purchases," explained lead investigator Barry M. Popkin, PhD, of the Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the Carolina Population Center, both at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The present study demonstrated that the energy, total sugar, sodium, and saturated fat densities of household PFPs from mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, and convenience stores were higher compared with grocery stores."---Food and beverage groups such as savory snacks, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks and juices, fresh plain milk, and regular soft drinks were top sources of calorie purchases by U.S. households across all types of stores, including grocery stores. These food and beverage groups are major sources of added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.--This study utilized Nielsen Homescan, a unique method for recording the store source and all packaged foods and beverages purchased from every shopping occasion over the course of one or more years, from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Households recorded all PFPs by using a barcode scanner, avoiding bias from dietary self-reported assessment methods. Nutrient data were directly linked to purchases. PFPs accounted for 78% of store-based food expenditures.-The data were drawn from the U.S. Homescan Consumer Panel dataset from 2000 to 2012 and covered over 670,000 household-year observations. The survey sampled 52 metropolitan and 24 non-metropolitan areas and was weighted to be nationally representative.--All purchases were linked with Nutrition Facts Panels to determine the nutritional content of household PFPs. The authors calculated four measures:

(1) caloric and nutrient densities (total sugar, saturated fat, and sodium) by store type;

(2) grams of PFPs per household per day by store type;

(3) percentage of store type proportion of calories and volume by food and beverage group; and

(4) per household per day absolute number of calories and volume by food and beverage group by store type.

Stores were classified into seven mutually exclusive categories:

1. Warehouse Clubs (e.g., Costco, Sam's)

2. Mass Merchandisers-supercenters (e.g., Walmart, Super-Target)

3. Grocery Chains (e.g., Kroger, Safeway)

4. Non-Chain Grocery

5. Convenience-Drug-Dollar (e.g., Seven Eleven, CVS, Dollar General)

6. Ethnic-Specialty

7. Others (e.g., department stores, book stores, excluded from the analysis)

Popkin and co-investigators noted that both small and large stores stock large quantities of low-nutrient foods. Although much has been written about "food deserts," where only smaller stores that sell less nutritious foods are available, unhealthy foods and beverages are ubiquitous and Americans are purchasing them everywhere.--Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier. Journal Reference-Dalia Stern, Shu Wen Ng, Barry M. Popkin. The Nutrient Content of U.S. Household Food Purchases by Store Type. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2015; DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.025 --Elsevier. "Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151005151509.htm>.

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Insitute of Science In Society -- No to Climate Smart Agriculture

 

'Climate Smart Agriculture' is agribusiness' latest attempt to promote industrial farming and undermine agro-ecological approaches generally recognized as the real solution to food production under climate change

Agribusiness corporations that promote synthetic fertilisers, industrial meat production and large-scale industrial agriculture are calling themselves “Climate Smart”. The Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture was launched a year ago; Its membership of 21 nations includes only ten developing countries, three farmers´ organisations, and a large private sector (with numerous corporations), 60 % of which linked to the fertilizer industry. Monsanto, Walmart and McDonalds have launched their own “climate-smart agriculture[F8] ”. --CSA claims to include all models of agriculture. However it lacks any social or environmental safeguards and fails to prioritize farmers’ voices, knowledge and rights as the key to facing and mitigating climate challenges. Most of all, CSA actually threatens to undermine agro-ecological approaches generally recognized as the real solution to food production under climate change.

There is huge opposition from all sectors of civil society all over the world. An open letter addressed to decision makers objecting to CSA has been signed by 55 international organisations and 300 national organizations (including the Institute of Science in Society). The full text is reproduced below. Please forward widely to your policy-makers.

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Civil society says NO to “Climate Smart Agriculture” and urges decision-makers to support agroecology

We, the undersigned, belong to civil society organizations including social movements, peasants/farmers organizations and faith-based organizations from around the world. We are working to tackle the impacts of climate change that are already disrupting farming and food systems and threatening the food and nutrition security of millions of individuals. As we move towards COP21 in Paris, we welcome a growing recognition of the urgent need to adapt food systems to a changing climate, and the key role of agroecology within a food and seed sovereignty framework in achieving this, while contributing to mitigation through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, despite these promising signals, we share deep concerns about the growing influence and agenda of so-called “Climate-Smart Agriculture” (CSA) and the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA). Climate change is the biggest and the most urgent threat our societies face. We need a radical transformation of our food systems away from an industrial model and its false solutions, and toward food sovereignty, local food systems, and integral agrarian reform in order to achieve the full realization of the human right to adequate food and nutrition. We therefore urge decision-makers at country and UN levels to reject the dangerous rhetoric of Climate-Smart Agriculture.

Climate Smart Agriculture must not be confused with agroecology

Climate Smart Agriculture must not be confused with agroecology [1]. Agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture, based on principles of ecology as well as food and nutrition security, food sovereignty and food justice which seek to enhance agricultural systems by using and recycling natural resources instead of relying on externally-purchased inputs. It encourages local/national food production by small food producers and family farmers, and is based on techniques that are not delivered from the top-down, but developed from farmers’ traditional knowledge and practices as well as from farmer innovations. This approach is based on farmers’ participation and makes creation a powerful ally in ensuring food and nutrition security, building healthy soils and conserving water. It increases farmers’ incomes and resilience in the face of climate change, while improving biodiversity and crop diversity. It is therefore crucial for all efforts to realize the human right to adequate food and nutrition. Governments must recognise that industrial approaches that degrade soil health and water retention, pollute water systems, poison creation and create dependency on external inputs, impoverish biodiversity and ecosystems are not only harmful and unnecessary, but also deeply misguided for a planet facing hunger, ecological crises and climate change.

“Climate-Smart Agriculture” may sound promising, but it is a politically-motivated term. The approach does not involve any criteria to define what can or cannot be called “Climate Smart”. Agribusiness corporations that promote synthetic fertilisers, industrial meat production and large-scale industrial agriculture – all of which are widely recognised as contributing to climate change and undermining the resilience of farming systems – can and do call themselves “Climate Smart”. CSA claims to include all models of agriculture. However it lacks any social or environmental safeguards and fails to prioritize farmers’ voices, knowledge and rights as key to facing and mitigating our climate challenges. It therefore actually threatens to undermine agroecological approaches as defined by practitioners [2], while endangering the future development and upscaling of such approaches.

GACSA: opening doors for greenwashing

The Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture was launched one year ago and is now putting a lot of energy into its outreach campaign, while its Action Groups have started working on their own objectives. As of 20^th July, its membership of 21 nations comprised of only ten developing countries and three farmers´ organisations - in contrast with a wide corporate membership. While some organisations from civil society and rural social movements rejected the GACSA from the beginning, others have made repeated efforts to engage with it [3],[4] to reduce the threat of green-washing and false solutions. In spite of these efforts, the concerns expressed were largely ignored, as recently recognised in a paper issued by the Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales (IDDRI)[5]. Instead, some of agriculture’s least environmentally sensitive actors were welcomed into the alliance: 60% of the private sector membership of the alliance is related to the fertilizer industry [6]. In addition, transnational corporations that have questionable social and environmental impacts, such as Monsanto, Walmart and McDonalds have launched their own “climate-smart agriculture” programs [7].

Climate Smart Agriculture: a concept that has no place as a climate strategy

As the UN picks up the pace for action on climate towards COP21 and beyond, we call on countries to recognise that the Climate-Smart Agriculture path can take us in the wrong direction, falling short of ensuring food and nutrition security, and undermining the radical transformation of current food and agricultural systems that the world urgently needs. Without definitions, criteria, standards, safeguards or exclusions, “Climate Smart Agriculture” is a meaningless and dangerous concept that has no place as a climate strategy. Moreover, the GACSA is not accountable to any UN structure involved in food security, climate or agriculture.

With new instruments for international climate finance being put in place to spend many billions of dollars, there is a real risk that wealthier countries – in their aim to meet their financial commitments [8] – may end up funding projects and programmes that direct resources towards false solutions in countries where they have vested interests. Thus:

• As the Green Climate Fund programme of work gets underway, we welcome the importance given to adaptation. Agriculture will be a principal component of this programme. However, we urge the GCF Board not to accredit any programme of work or institution that is based on Climate Smart Agriculture. Instead, we strongly encourage them to support community-based solutions emerging from frontline communities, such as agroecology.
• An “Agenda of Solutions” [9] is being created for COP21 which aims to demonstrate the commitment of non-state actors to reaching a new and ambitious legal agreement in 2015, and which could be included or referred to in the outcome document of COP 21 along with the negotiated agreement. We urge governments not to endorse Climate Smart Agriculture as a solution to climate change, nor to label any other initiative that would be part of the “agenda of solutions” as part of the concept.

Agroecology as the mainstream pillar of agricultural policy frameworks worldwide

We face a critical moment. Real solutions to climate change must be agreed upon and urgently adopted. We urge decision-makers to stand against green-washed false solutions rebranded as CSA, and to have the courage to recognise and promote the decisive role of agroecology in ensuring food and nutrition security, the full realization of the human right to adequate food and nutrition, and food sovereignty in the face of climate change, resource scarcity, and growing demand challenges. The international and regional processes that emanated from the FAOs Symposium on Agroecology in September 2014 as well as the upcoming Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts report on “Sustainable agricultural development” and the recent Nyéléni Declaration of the International Forum for Agroecology, present a unique opportunity for agroecology to be endorsed as the mainstream pillar of agricultural policy frameworks worldwide. Moreover, communities, civil society organizations, organised social movements, peasants and faith-based organizations are developing, strengthening, and supporting alternatives at local and national level have proven to be successful in the global fight against climate change. We call on decision makers to acknowledge this broad range of tangible and concrete actions, to listen, support and accompany them, while not succumbing to global top-down initiatives that rely on models from the past.

We therefore call upon decision makers to endorse the application of agroecology internationally within the UN processes relating to climate change and agriculture, as well as at national level.

Signatories

International organisations (55)

• ACT Alliance EU

• ActionAid International

• AFRICA-EUROPE FAITH AND JUSTICE NETWORK (AEFJN)

• African Women Economic Policy Network

• Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)

• ALAI - Agencia Latinoamericana de Información

• ARENA

• Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

• Asia Pacific Farmers Forum

• Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)

• Asia-Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty (APNFS)

• Climate Action Network - South Asia (CAN-SA)

• CIDSE (International Alliance of Catholic Development Agencies)

• Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias

• COPAGEN (Coalition pour la Protection du Patrimoine Génétique Africain)

• Corporate Europe Observatory

• Dachverband Kulturpflanzen- und Nutztiervielfalt

• Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF)

• ECOROPA (European Network on Ecological Reflection and Action)

• ENDA Tiers Monde

• ETC Group

• Fair World Project

• FIAN International

• Focus on the Global South

• Friends of the Earth Europe

• Friends of the Earth International

• GRAIN

• Greenpeace

• Groundswell International

• ICCA Consortium (Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas)

• IFOAM EU Group

• IFOAM – organics international

• International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements (FIMARC)

• International Network Urgenci (international network for Community-Supported Agriculture)

• JVE (Jeunes Volontaires Pour l’Environnement) International

• LDC Watch

• Migrant Forum in Asia

• Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association (Pelum)

• People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)

• Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo (PIDHDD Regional)

• RegionalCivil SocietyNetworkforFoodSecurity and Nutrition from Portuguese-Speaking Countries (REDSAN – CPLP)

• RIPESS Intercontinental

• Servicio Internacional Cristiano de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de América Latina – SICSAL

• SEAFISH for Justice

• Slow Food

• Sociedad Científica Latinoamericana de Agroecología (SOCLA)

• Solidarity Economy Europe

• South Asian Alliance for Povery Eradication

• South Asian Network for Social & Agricultural Development (SANSAD)

• South Asia Peasants Coalition

• Third World Network

• Towards Organic Asia (TOA)

• Urgenci Europe

• Via Campesina

• World Rainforest Movement

 

National Organisations (300):

A

African Centre for Biodiversity South Africa and Tanzania

A Cultivar que se acaba el mundo, Argentina

Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF), France

Action Contre la Faim (ACF), France

Asociacion de Desarrollo Tzuul Taq’a, Guatemala

ABONG (Associação Brasileira de ONGs), Brazil

All Nepal Peasants Federation, Nepal

Action Communautaire des Femmes Autochtones du Congo, DR Congo

Acción por la Biodiversidad, Argentina

Association pour le Développement Durable – Médenin, Tunisia

Association des Femmes Peules Autochtones du Tchad (AFPAT), Tchad

Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comercializadoras de Prodcutores del Campo (ANEC-México)

APEDDUB (Association pour la Protection de l'Environnement et le Développement Durable de Bizerte), Tunisia

Ação Franciscana de Ecologia e Solidariedad – AFES, Brazil

Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology, Germany

Active Society Nepal (ASN), Nepal

Aas welfare Society, Pakistan

Asociación Vida Sana, Spain

Alliance Sud, Switzerland

Asociación Nacional de Fomento a la Agricultura Ecologica -ANAFAE, Honduras

Alianza Hondureña de Cambio Climático – AHCC, Honduras

Acción Educativa Santa Fe, Argentina

Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica ALER, Ecuador

AMADE PELCODE, Mali

Actions Communautaires pour le Développement Intégral (ACDI), République du Congo (Brazzaville)

ALVF Extreme Nord, Cameroon

Alternatives Durables pour le Développement, Cameroon

Association Congolaise pour le Développement Agricole ACDA, DR Congo

ANAND SEEDS, Colombia

ACTUAR - Association for Cooperation and Development, Portugal

Adivasi Mulvasi Astitva Raksha manch, India

AKSI, Indonesia

All Nepal Womens Association

ATTAC France

Continue reading here http://www.i-sis.org.uk/No_to_CSA.php

Or read other recent reports on the ISIS science website here http://www.i-sis.org.uk/index.php

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Sixteen countries have requested to opt out of GM cultivation in Europe

 

 – but while the Commission says the opt-out clause is necessary for such a complex issue, campaigners are calling it ‘Kafkaesque’ and one scientist warns Europe is walking 'an ethical tightrope'. Last minute applications to opt out of GM cultivation in Europe are being filed as the 3 October deadline approaches. On Wednesday, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Germany filed for applications, followed by requests from Italy and Denmark, making a total of 16 countries so far – but the Commission has said this could rise, and the final figure will be confirmed on Monday morning.The opt out clause has revealed regional splits in attitudes to GMO across Europe, with Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the French-speaking part of Belgium requesting to opt out but England and the Flemish region of Belgium staying in. So only Latvia and Germany have had their applications approved. The growing number of countries requesting to opt out has been welcomed by environmental campaigners. Friends of the Earth Europe campaigner, Mute Schimpf said:“There has never been a clearer signal that GM-crops, and the companies that make them, are not wanted in Europe. The technology is not only risky, it’s redundant. People, and the governments that represent them, are rejecting them outright.”Meanwhile Commission spokesperson for health and food safety, Enrico Brivio, said the number of opt-out requests confirmed that the Directive provided a necessary legal framework to a complex issue.“It allows member states to listen to the concerns of many European citizens and have the final say on whether or not GMOs can be cultivated on their territory, in order to better take into account their national context,” he said, adding that the a high and level of safety would be guaranteed throughout the union thanks to strong risk assessment process.A ‘Kafkaesque’ situation? Applications are approved by the Commission, but the biotech companies involved – Monsanto, Syngenta and Pioneer – can review and oppose the ban, a process that has drawn criticism.Schimpf said: “It’s Kafkaesque that the companies who profit from GM-crops should be given jurisdiction over democratically-agreed decisions to ban GM-crops. Corporate profits should not be put before people, and the interests of Europe's food and farming sectors. The democratic decision of countries to ban GM-crops must be respected by the biotech industry.”A Commission spokesperson did not comment when asked if, or under which circumstances, a request to withdraw could be refused. But even if a company opposes a request to opt out, member states can invoke ‘substantial grounds’ for enforcing a ban, such as environment or agricultural reasons.‘An ethical tightrope’ But the opt-out clause has come under fire from some due to the resulting patchwork of GMO and conventional crops that it would create. Earlier this year, Germany’s Bavarian environment minister Ulrike Scharf said: “The flight of pollen does not stop at state borders.[F9] ”Huw D. Jones, professor in plant biology and crop science at Rothamsted Research said:“The opt-out clause is a classic compromise that attracts criticism from all sides of the argument. However with appropriate coexistence measures it could work, even on farms that straddle country borders with different attitudes to GMO cultivation.”He said such measures would need to include appropriate separation distances, management practices and reasonable – but not zero – thresholds for the presence of GMOs in conventional produce.Jones also pulled up Europe for its inconsistent attitude regarding GM imports: “The EU member states are walking an ethical tightrope by importing ever more GM soy and maize while being unwilling to approve the same traits for cultivation in their own soil.”Ignoring science and losing freedom[F10] ? A spokesperson for Europabio, the European Association for Bioindustries, said the opt-out clause was a stop sign for agriculatural innovation.“European farmers, many of whom may have been interested in using GM technology in certain regions, would officially lose their freedom to choose that technology and the benefits it offers.”“Each year the EU imports over 33 million tonnes of genetically modified soya beans, totaling more than 60 kg for each of its 500 million citizens per year[F11] . This would tend to indicate that GM [crops] have had and continue to have an important place in European agriculture.”Meanwhile biotech giant, Monsanto, has accepted Greece and Latvia’s requests but accused them of ignoring science ************************************************************************** The 16 countries to have filed requests so far are Latvia, Greece, Croatia, France, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium (for the region of Wallonia), UK (for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark and Germany which has requested a ban except for research purposes.Once the requests have been transmitted to the companies, they have one month to react. After the 3 October deadline, members states still have the possibility to adopt national opt out measures, according to the

 

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Genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression

Genetic polymorphisms[F12]  associated with cancer progression lead to variations in gene expression and may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer. Researchers at the Hiroshima University and Saitama Medical University found that in patients with lung cancer, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may regulate gene and protein expression and be associated with poor prognosis. To establish this genetic polymorphism as a useful clinical prognostic marker and to further clarify its molecular mechanism, large-scale clinicopathological studies of lung cancer and/or other types of cancer are required for additional insights.--Hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2 alpha or EPAS1) is important for cancer progression, and its overexpression is considered a putative biomarker for poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. However, molecular mechanisms underlying EPAS1 overexpression are not fully understood. Recently, several SNPs of EPAS1 have been reported to be associated with the development of various diseases including cancer.--Dr. Keiji Tanimoto of the Hiroshima University and his collaborators focused on SNPs within EPAS1. They examined the roles of these SNPs in regulation of EPAS1 gene expression and the association of these SNPs with prognosis of lung cancer patients by bioinformatics analyses.--"Several SNPs of EPAS1 have been shown to correlate with various diseases, but their mechanism has scarcely been known," said Dr. Tanimoto. He continued, "the SNP within the EPAS1 intron 1 region may affect EPAS1 gene and protein expression, and having the A (adenine) allele of EPAS1 rather than the G (guanine[F13] ) allele is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients."--The association of the SNP within the EPAS1 region with overall survival for patients with lung cancer was assessed. The median survival time of patients with at least one A allele was significantly shorter than that of patients with the G allele (28.0 months vs. 52.5 months).--Moreover, cancer cells with the A allele of EPAS1 showed higher EPAS1 gene and protein expression in in vitro experiments. It was suggested that the A allele of EPAS1 plays an important role in lung cancer progression by regulating EPAS1 gene and protein expression.--"Besides lung cancer, other cancers such as colorectal and head and neck cancers were also reported to have poor prognosis associated with the over-expression of EPAS1. On confirmation of our observation by large-scale studies in the future, genotyping for the EPAS1 SNP may become a clinically useful tool in personalized health examinations and cancer therapy." Dr. Tanimoto explained.--Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Hiroshima University. --Journal Reference-Andika C. Putra, Hidetaka Eguchi, Kian Leong Lee, Yuko Yamane, Ewita Gustine, Takeshi Isobe, Masahiko Nishiyama, Keiko Hiyama, Lorenz Poellinger, Keiji Tanimoto. The A Allele at rs13419896 of EPAS1 Is Associated with Enhanced Expression and Poor Prognosis for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. PLOS ONE, 2015; 10 (8): e0134496 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134496 ---Hiroshima University. "Genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151005080658.htm>.

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Dynamic Cellular Disruption – a novel process that breaks up plant matter without using chemicals, enzymes or blades

 

 Could enable manufacturers to create new, more nutritious foods and beverages, or produce existing products more cost-effectively, according to inventor Green Cell Technologies (GCT). Tim Avila, president of Systems Bioscience Inc - a California-based consultancy that has been working with GCT (based in South Africa) – told FoodNavigator-USA that DCD was “like a large scale Vitamix without the blades that uses pressure and other physical forces that breakup the cellulose network that holds plant cells together. You could also think of it as a vortex, a bit like a Dyson vacuum cleaner.”Using the whole plant…This, he says, has two benefits. First, DCD breaks down plant matter – including insoluble fiber - into very small, micronized particles, so instead of pressing fruits and vegetables to extract the juice and being left with a ton of pulpy fibrous material, you could use the entire fruit, nut or vegetable (skin, pips and all), making for a better yield, no waste, and a ‘greener’ end product that retains the fiber and other nutrients in the whole plant,[F14]  he adds.Applications range from nut and seed butters, vegetable sauces, gazpachos, babyfood, smoothies, and juices with far more fiber than regular juice (you can add water at the start of the process in order to create different consistencies in the end product, although if the raw material already has a high water content this is not necessary, he says).Similarly, DCD enables you to create chili sauce more quickly and cheaply by avoiding the need to ferment the chilies in brine or add vinegar to halt the fermentation process, he explains.“Instead of leaving chilies to steep in brine to draw out the flavor, and then discarding the skins and seeds before using them in a sauce, you can push the whole chili (skin, seeds, stalks and all) through the disruptor at the same time as a brine solution, producing a raw chili sauce ready for consumption without the waste.“The cells structures in the chilies are instantly opened, releasing the active compounds which are taken up into the brine solution, immediately infusing flavor[F15] .” Bioavailability boost Second, the DCD process effectively liberates phytonutrients and makes them more bioavailable without denaturing them by using heat, chemicals or harsh mechanical processes, he says.Cellulose is being disintegrated to micron size;[F16]  the phytochemicals are liberated so they can be more easily presented to the human gut and more accurately measured by chemical analysis yielding higher numbers on a certificate of analysis. Lower costs, more smooth and creamy products with whole food capture, plus clean labels But how costly is it, and what level of interest has there been from the food and beverage industry? The DCD machines are “less than one million dollars with a likely ROI (return on investment) time of 18 months if you have a reasonable volume,” he says.But this is highly dependent on volume and cost of goods flowing through machine. As for GCT’s progress, it has now moved from the RD to the commercialization phase and is engaged in multiple trials in South Africa, and“having a lot of conversations” in the US and Europe, he adds. Most of the companies GCT is talking to are midsize - mostly juice and purée companies and a few seed and nut butter companies. The excitement is around lower costs and more smooth and creamy products with whole food capture, plus super clean, clear labels as you can use less or no emulsifiers or stabilizers

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Script of the Show October 31-2015

Magnesium during labor may reduce risk of fever in mothers and complications in babies

Horny Goat Weed-Bone Builder and T supporter

DNA could act as an antenna in electromagnetic communications

DNA is a fractal antenna in electromagnetic fields

EMF and DNA, Fractal Antenna

Kiwi Fruit Extract

Carbon nanotubes found in children’s lungs for the first time

Shaking up the foundations of epigenetics

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Magnesium during labor may reduce risk of fever in mothers and complications in babies

Women who received magnesium sulfate [F1] during labor were less likely to develop maternal fever, a condition that can lead to a variety of complications in newborns including difficulty breathing, seizures, cerebral palsy and a condition known as "floppy baby syndrome," characterized by inadequate muscle tone, according to a retrospective study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY^® 2015 annual meeting in San Diego.--Elizabeth Lange, M.D., lead author of the study and obstetrical anesthesiology attending physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues studied data from live births at Northwestern Memorial Hospital between 2007 and 2014. Nearly 63,000 deliveries met the study criteria.--According to the data, 6,163 laboring mothers developed maternal fever (9.8 percent), defined as a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or above. These women tended to be first-time mothers, full term, were not preeclamptic (characterized by high blood pressure), had received an epidural or spinal anesthesia and required cesarean delivery. Among those who developed fevers, 2,190 received intravenous magnesium during their labor for the prevention or management of other pregnancy-related conditions.--Maternal fever was found to be lower in women who received magnesium than those who did not (4.3 percent vs. 9.9 percent).--Dr. Lange's study is the first-of-its-kind to focus on the association between magnesium sulfate and maternal fever. Previous animal studies have demonstrated the ability of magnesium sulfate to suppress certain signaling molecules in the immune system called interleukin-6, which are thought to modulate maternal temperature.--"The most important finding in this study is that magnesium appears to have a protective effect on maternal fever during labor," said Dr. Lange. "By reducing the incidence of maternal fever, magnesium sulfate therapy may also reduce the incidence of complications in newborns."--The study noted that there is a known association between epidural and spinal anesthesia and fever. Dr. Lange said that further studies should be done to determine how best to use magnesium sulfate to prevent fever, looking at factors such as how long magnesium should be administered.Story Source-The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). "Magnesium during labor may reduce risk of fever in mothers and complications in babies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 October 2015. -www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151025010719.htm>

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Horny Goat Weed-Bone Builder and T supporter

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Why
2 Stars Atherosclerosis 5 grams three times per day	Horny goat weed has historically been used in people with symptoms caused by hardening of the arteries. Preliminary research has suggested that it may improve markers of artery health in seniors.

 

2 Stars Erectile Dysfunction 5 grams three times per day	Horny goat weed has long been used in traditional Asian medicine for people with sexual difficulties. It has been shown in at least one study to increase libido.

 

2 Stars Hay Fever 5 grams (1 tsp) simmered in 250 ml (1 pint) of water for 10 to 15 minutes, three times daily	Horny goat weed has been shown to relieve hay fever symptoms.

 

Traditional Use (May Not Be Supported by Scientific Studies)

Horny goat weed has played a vital, multifaceted role in traditional Asian medicine for at least 1,000 years. It is considered a yang tonic, particularly for the "energetic organ" known as the kidney (which corresponds to some extent to the Western concept of the kidney). Enhancing kidney energy in this setting correlates to improving sexual function and fertility.¹ Animal studies conducted in China have investigated the use of this herb within the traditional conception of a yang tonic and found effective for that purpose.² It is also considered helpful for combating what is known as wind-damp-cold blocking circulation of the body’s dynamic life energy, or qi, which in Western terms is similar to hardening of the arteries and related complications. It is particularly used to help people recover from strokes.

In most cases, herbs in traditional Asian medicine are not used singly, but rather as a component of multiherb formulations. One animal study in China found that a combination of horny goat weed and three other herbs was effective at reducing osteoporosis resulting from the use of cortisone-like drugs, but none of the four herbs used alone was effective.³ This finding supports the traditional notion that horny goat weed may be particularly beneficial when used in combination with other herbs.

Botanical names:

Epimedium brevicornum, Epimedium grandiflorum, Epimedium koreanum, Epimedium pubescens, Epimedium sagittatum

How It Works

Horny goat weed contains a number of flavonoids, some of which show estrogen-inhibiting properties in the test tube.⁸ These hormonal actions may be part of the reason horny goat weed has been used traditionally to treat sexual disorders, and why it has shown efficacy in clinical trials in patients with kidney failure for improving sex drive[F2] .⁹ Other flavonoids in horny goat weed, such as icariin, appear to stimulate the cells that build bone (osteoblasts)[F3] .¹⁰ Rats given flavonoid extracts of horny goat weed are protected against osteoporosis.[F4] ¹¹ A number of flavonoids showed effects on the immune system that are both stimulating and suppressing depending on the circumstances in the test tube.¹² Preliminary human trials in people with kidney disease undergoing dialysis confirm that horny goat weed can improve the function of various portions of the immune system.¹³ Icariin protects liver cells in the test tube.¹⁴

A water extract of horny goat weed has been shown to inhibit growth of new blood vessels, a property potentially useful in stopping the growth of cancerous tumors.¹⁵ Extracts of the herb were moderately effective at inhibiting growth of cancer cells in the test tube, though icariin by itself was not.¹⁶ Icariin was effective at causing some cancer cells to become more normal in the test tube.¹⁷[F5] 

Lignans have also been found in various species of horny goat weed. Some lignans have been shown in one animal study to stimulate nerve growth.¹⁸

A combination of horny goat weed with three other herbs has been shown to inhibit inflammation in several animal studies.¹⁹ This might in part explain the observed utility in early studies on the use of horny goat weed–containing formulas in people with hay fever.²⁰ The immune effects of the flavonoids might also be relevant here.

A water extract of the whole herb of horny goat weed was shown to strongly inhibit a herpes simplex virus in the test tube.²¹ Water extracts of horny goat weed have also been shown to reduce blood pressure in several animal species and to reduce cholesterol levels.²² These extracts have been reported to be helpful in combination with several other herbs in people with what is described in Chinese medicine as kidney yang deficiency, presenting as what would be called in the West hardening of the arteries to the brain leading to dementia.²³ This formula was more effective than one not containing horny goat weed. The effectiveness was correlated with antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects seen in the people taking the horny goat weed–containing formula.

How to Use It

Traditionally 5 grams (1 tsp) of horny goat weed was taken three times per day, usually after being simmered (decocted) in 250 ml (1 pint) of water for 10 to 15 minutes.²⁴ A similar amount can be taken in the form of granules, which are freeze-dried grains made from decocted herb, or powdered herb in capsules.

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DNA could act as an antenna in electromagnetic communications

Posted April 26, 2011 - 16:08 by Lydia Leavitt

A theoretical physicist has presented research that shows bacteria might transmit electromagnetic signals to produce species-specific wavelengths. -According to research presented by Northeastern University physicist Allan Widom, based on existing knowledge of DNA and electrons, bacteria can indeed communicate.

image: http://img.omidoo.com/sites/default/files/stock/article_images/science/bacteria_sounds2.jpg

t

 

"For a long time, there have been signals in water. Something is happening around a kilohertz," explained Widom, lead author of a paper posted Apr. 15 on the preprint website arXiv. -"You have to look for natural energy levels in the system that would give you a kilohertz frequency. With the lengths of DNA and the mass of the electron, you get the right frequency range for these signals." The idea of bacterial radio transmissions was first presented by French virologist Luc Montagnier in 2009. He explained how inductor coils wrapped around flasks of bacteria-enriched water hooked up to an amplifier, sent out signals in the 1 kilohertz range.-Montagnier was met with criticism, especially after he went more in depth to describe signals causing loose pieces of DNA to assemble into bacteria-like structures. He also speculated on "nanostructures" in water, which he linked to neurodegenerative diseases.--Although not all of Montagnier’s claims were supported by the scientific community, the original assumptions of bacteria-enriched water is considered sound by Widom. For him, the next question is how bacteria produces electromagnetic waves around 1 kilohertz.

Widom, among other physicists, calculate that as electrons flow through loops of DNA in E. coli and M. pirum as tested by Montagnier, they generated similar wavelengths to what was originally recorded.--"Different species have different lengths of DNA" in their chromosomes, he said. "These lengths probably determine frequency."--Wired added, "Widom noted that electromagnetic radio transmissions were not in principle so different from electron transmission between bacteria connected by nanowires. Such bacteria have been described in recent years; their nanowire-enabled transmissions allow networked microbes to communicate."--"This could be a wireless version," said Widom. "Bacteria that set up nanowires are, on an evolutionary scale, fairly old. It’s occurred to me that more modern bacteria may use wireless."--Widom hopes to figure out whether cells in higher life forms might use electromagnetic signaling, for example in coordinating DNA code with protein-making cellular machinery. 
Read more at http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/55560-dna-could-act-as-an-antenna-in-electromagnetic-communications#jWOw8wv9Zzv58hdY.99

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DNA is a fractal antenna in electromagnetic fields.

Blank M¹, Goodman R.

Author information

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To review the responses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in different frequency ranges, and characterise the properties of DNA as an antenna.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We examined published reports of increased stress protein levels and DNA strand breaks due to EMF interactions, both of which are indicative of DNA damage. We also considered antenna properties such as electronic conduction within DNA and its compact structure in the nucleus.

RESULTS:

EMF interactions with DNA are similar over a range of non-ionising frequencies, i.e., extremely low frequency (ELF) and radio frequency (RF) ranges. There are similar effects in the ionising range, but the reactions are more complex.

CONCLUSIONS:

The wide frequency range of interaction with EMF is the functional characteristic of a fractal antenna, and DNA appears to possess the two structural characteristics of fractal antennas, electronic conduction and self symmetry. These properties contribute to greater reactivity of DNA with EMF in the environment, and the DNA damage could account for increases in cancer epidemiology, as well as variations in the rate of chemical evolution in early geologic history.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21457072

 

 http://www.oscillatorium.com/id22.html --- to see a blow up of this and to access click on link

EMF and DNA, Fractal Antenna

 

 

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Kiwi Fruit Extract

Inhibitory effects of kiwifruit extract on human platelet aggregation and plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme activity.

Platelets. 2014;25(8):567-75

Authors: Dizdarevic LL, Biswas D, Uddin MD, Jørgenesen A, Falch E, Bastani NE, Duttaroy AK

Abstract
Previous human studies suggest that supplementation with kiwifruits lowers several cardiovascular risk factors such as platelet hyperactivity, blood pressure and plasma lipids. The cardiovascular health benefit of fruit and vegetables is usually attributed to the complex mixture of phytochemicals therein; however, kiwifruit's cardioprotective factors are not well studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of kiwifruit extract on human blood platelet aggregation and plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. A sugar-free, heat-stable aqueous extract with molecular mass less than 1000 Da was prepared from kiwifruits. Typically, 100 g kiwifruits produced 66.3 ± 5.8 mg (1.2 ± 0.1 mg CE) of sugar-free kiwifruit extract (KFE). KFE inhibited both human platelet aggregation and plasma ACE activity in a dose-dependent manner. KFE inhibited platelet aggregation in response to ADP, collagen and arachidonic acid, and inhibitory action was mediated in part by reducing TxA2 synthesis. The IC50 for ADP-induced platelet aggregation was 1.6 ± 0.2 mg/ml (29.0 ± 3.0 μg CE/ml), whereas IC50 for serum ACE was 0.6 ± 0.1 mg/ml (11.0 ± 1.2 μg CE/ml). Consuming 500 mg of KFE (9.0 mg CE) in 10 g margarine inhibited ex vivo platelet aggregation by 12.7%, 2 h after consumption by healthy volunteers (n = 9). All these data indicate that kiwifruit contains very potent antiplatelet and anti-ACE components. Consuming kiwifruits might be beneficial as both preventive and therapeutic regime in cardiovascular disease.

PMID: 24219176 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Carbon nanotubes found in children’s lungs for the first time

Carbon nanotubes have turned up in the lungs of children living in Paris – the first time they have been detected in humans. Incredibly strong, light and conductive, nanotubes have shown great potential in areas such as computing, clothing and healthcare technology. Nevertheless, there has been some concern over their use after mouse studies showed that injected nanotubes can cause immune reactions similar to those produced by asbestos.--To investigate, Fathi Moussa and colleagues at the University of Paris-Saclay, France, studied fluid from the airways of 64 asthmatic children, and discovered carbon nanotubes in all of the samples. Five other children studied also had them in their macrophages – immune cells that clear unwanted particles – taken from the lungs.---The level at which the nanotubes are present is unclear, as is their source, although the team found similar structures in dust and vehicle exhaust collected in Paris.--The study wasn’t set up to look for a link between the presence of nanotubes in the lung and the children’s illness, but people with asthma might be particularly vulnerable as the ability of their macrophages to remove debris is impaired, Moussa says. Even if the nanotubes aren’t directly toxic, they have large surfaces that other molecules can stick to, potentially helping pollutants to get deep into the lung and cross cell membranes, he adds.

Caution-

James Bonner at North Carolina State University in Raleigh says the detection of nanotubes should be treated with caution, as other studies of air pollution over the years have failed to find them. [F6] “In my opinion, there is a great deal of uncertainty as to what these structures really are, especially the material in the lung cells from patients,” he says.-

For more on the potential pollution risk from carbon nanotubes, see this on how their toxic effects may be similar to asbestos.

And for more background on carbon nanotubes see this story on how they were discovered.

Still want more? Computers built from nanotubes could spark a revolution. While nanotube yarn will be woven into smart clothing and nanotube-coated silk could sense your heartbeat.

Journal reference: EBioMedicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.10.012

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Shaking up the foundations of epigenetics

Researchers at the University of Basel have succeeded in building protein gates for artificial nano-vesicles that become transparent only under specific conditions. The gate responds to certain pH values, triggering a reaction and releasing active agents at the desired location. This is demonstrated in a study published in the journal Nano Letters.-Tiny nanovesicles can protect active agents until they arrive in specific environments, such as at the target site in the body. In order to trigger a chemical reaction and release the contents at that location, the outer casing of the synthetically produced vesicles must become permeable at the correct point in time. Working under Prof. Cornelia Palivan, researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute have now developed a membrane gate that opens on demand. This means that the enzymes inside a nanocapsule become active under exactly the right conditions and act on the diseased tissue directly.

Reacting to changes in pH

The gate is made up of the chemically modified membrane protein OmpF, which responds to certain pH values. At neutral pH in the human body, the membrane is impermeable -- but if it encounters a region with acidic pH, the protein gate opens and substances from the surrounding area can enter the nanocapsule.[F7]  In the resulting enzymatic reaction, the capsule's contents act on the incoming substrate and the product of this reaction is released[F8] . This method could be applied, for example, to inflamed or cancerous tissue, which often exhibits a slightly acidic pH value.---Until now, permeability in nanovesicles has been achieved using natural proteins that operate as pores in the protective membrane, allowing both the substrate to enter and the product of the enzymatic reaction to escape. However, fields[F9]  such as medicine or controlled catalysis call for more precise distribution in order to achieve the greatest possible efficiency of the active agent. In collaboration with Prof. Wolfgang Meier's team, the chemists working under Prof. Palivan were able for the first time to integrate a modified membrane protein into an artificially produced nanocapsule, which opened only if it encountered corresponding pH values[F10] . The experiments performed at the university are part of the National Center of Competence in Research Molecular Systems Engineering (NCCR MSE), and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI).--Story Source--The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Universität Basel. --Journal Reference-Tomaz Einfalt, Roland Goers, Ionel Adrian Dinu, Adrian Najer, Mariana Spulber, Ozana Onaca-Fischer, Cornelia G. Palivan. Stimuli-triggered activity of nanoreactors by biomimetic engineering polymer membranes. Nano Letters, 2015; 151002052657007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03386 -Universität Basel. "Controllable protein gates deliver on-demand permeability in artificial nanovesicles." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151009083300.htm>.

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 [F1]Epsom Salt

 [F2]The testosterone mimetic properties of icariin.

Zhang ZB¹, Yang QT.

Author information

Abstract

AIM:

To evaluate the testosterone mimetic properties of icariin.

METHODS:

Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 15 months were randomly divided into four groups with 12 rats each: the control group (C), the model group (M), the icariin group (ICA) and the testosterone group (T). The reproductive system was damaged by cyclophosphamide (intraperitoneal injection, 20 mg/kg x day) for 5 consecutive days for groups M, ICA and T, at the sixth day, ICA (gastric gavage, 200 mg/kg x day) for the ICA group and sterandryl (subcutaneous injection, 5 mg/rat . day) for the T group for 7 consecutive days, respectively. The levels of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), serum bone Gla-protein (BGP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in serum (StrACP) were determined. The histological changes of the testis and the penis were observed by microscope with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP-X nick end labeling (TUNEL), respectively.

RESULTS:

(1) Icariin improved the condition of reproductive organs and increased the circulating levels of testosterone. (2) Icariin treatment also improved the steady-state serum BGP and might have promoted bone formation. At the same time, it decreased the serum levels of StrACP and might have reduced the bone resorption. (3) Icarrin suppressed the extent of apoptosis of penile cavernosal smooth muscle cells.

CONCLUSION:

Icariin has testosterone mimetic properties and has therapeutic potential in the management of hypoandrogenism.

 

 [F3]Icariin: does it have an osteoinductive potential for bone tissue engineering?

Zhang X¹, Liu T, Huang Y, Wismeijer D, Liu Y.

Author information

Abstract Traditional Chinese medicines have been recommended for bone regeneration and repair for thousands of years. Currently, the Herba Epimedii and its multi-component formulation are the attractive native herbs for the treatment of osteoporosis. Icariin, a typical flavonol glycoside, is considered to be the main active ingredient of the Herba Epimedii from which icariin has been successfully extracted. Most interestingly, it has been reported that icariin can be delivered locally by biomaterials and that it has an osteoinductive potential for bone tissue engineering. This review focuses on the performance of icariin in bone tissue engineering and on blending the information from icariin with the current knowledge relevant to molecular mechanisms and signal pathways. The osteoinductive potential of icariin could be attributed to its multiple functions in the musculoskeletal system which is involved in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways in anti-osteoporosis, osteogenesis, anti-osteoclastogenesis, chondrogenesis, angiogenesis, and anti-inflammation. The osteoinductive potential and the low price of icariin make it a very attractive candidate as a substitute of osteoinductive protein-bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), or as a promoter for enhancing the therapeutic effects of BMPs. However, the effectiveness of the local delivery of icariin needs to be investigated further.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

 

 [F4]Icariin: a potential osteoinductive compound for bone tissue engineering.

Zhao J¹, Ohba S, Komiyama Y, Shinkai M, Chung UI, Nagamune T.

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Abstract

To effectively treat bone diseases using bone regenerative medicine, there is an urgent need to develop safe and cheap drugs that can potently induce bone formation. Here, we demonstrate the osteogenic effects of icariin, the main active compound of Epimedium pubescens. Icariin induced osteogenic differentiation of preosteoblastic cells. The combination of icariin and a helioxanthin-derived small compound synergistically induced osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells to a similar extent to bone morphogenetic protein-2. Icariin enhanced the osteogenic induction activity of bone morphogenetic protein-2 in a fibroblastic cell line. Mineralization was enhanced by treatment with a combination of icariin and calcium-enriched medium. The in vivo anabolic effect of icariin was confirmed in a mouse calvarial defect model. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6N mice were transplanted with icariin-calcium phosphate cement (CPC) tablets or CPC tablets only (n = 5 for each), and bone regeneration was evaluated after 4 and 6 weeks. Significant new bone formation was observed in the icariin-CPC group at 4 weeks, and the new bone thickness had increased by 6 weeks. Obvious blood vessel formation was observed in the icariin-induced new bone. Treatment of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 1 and senescence-accelerated mouse prone 6 models further demonstrated that icariin was able to enhance bone formation in vivo. Therefore, icariin is a strong candidate for an osteogenic compound for use in bone tissue engineering.

 

 [F5]Anti Mutation

 [F6]Or conviennatly Bury the findings ~ as a result a lot of auto immune responses would be directly tied to this because of the integration and accumulation throughout on a cellular and DNA level~ and if this had been released in the past almost every corporation or company involved in the manufacturing and industrial area would have been severely held in litigation and would have been forced to clean up the environment and make reparations to the people who they would have found infected with this-

 [F7]We are talking now digestive system and tissues and with the nano materials in the cells this to would produce an acidic environment

 [F8]Designer release mechanism

 [F9]Fields ~ this could as well apply to military use or even vaccines where a payload can be delivered and release pathogens and the results with this could be instantaneous

 [F10]Clay and Iron~ Biology + Nanotech~ integrating protein with a synthetic~ implies the cross over of physio with techno

 

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