A new study compared the carbon emissions of nuclear power versus renewable energy and finds that renewables resulted in a more serious reduction of national carbon emissions. Scientists analyzed data from 123 countries from the years of 1999 to 2014. Not only did nuclear power not show a significant reduction in carbon emissions, it even showed increases in carbon emissions in some developing countries.

The evidence clearly points to nuclear being the least effective of the two broad carbon emissions abatement strategies, and coupled with its tendency not to co-exist well with its renewable alternative, this raises serious doubts about the wisdom of prioritising investment in nuclear over renewable energy…”

Benjamin Sovacool, a professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex

Nuclear power has been sold as a solid, more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, and there have been advances in nuclear technology since 2014, the last year that this study was examined. In addition to that, many of the nuclear plants analyzed were older and needed more energy to be maintained. Even with those caveats, it’s clear that nuclear power won’t benefit the environment the way a strategy consisting of renewable energies like wind and solar would.

Human beings like to chew on things. Multiple ancient societies had chewing gum in some form, from the Mayans with chicle to the Ancient Greeks with Mastic resin. The modern candy aisle has significant shelf space dedicated to chewing gum. However, the sweet and minty treats familiar to people today bear little resemblance to the gum of old, and ingredients in this modern chewing gum should give you pause.

Conventional gums have sweeteners like corn syrup, sugar alcohols (such as xylitol), aspartame, and other ingredients like glycerine (to maintain moistness) and natural and/or artificial flavorings. Many of these ingredients have been shown to have negative effects on human health.

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Most of these ingredients are problematic, but at least they are clearly listed on labels, unlike gum base which is listed as a single ingredient even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes 46 different chemicals as gum base. Gum base provides the structure for the gum and makes up the largest percentage of the gum, although the actual amount of gum base varies based on what kind of gum it is. Bubble gum consists of 15–20% gum base. Chewing gum consists of 20–25% gum base, and sugar-free chewing gum contains 25–30% gum base.

What it is in the gum base specifically is considered a trade secret, but typical ingredients include;

• natural coagulated or concentrated latices of vegetable origin (resins like chicle, beeswax, and natural rubbers like latex)
• synthetic coagulated or concentrated latices (paraffins; petroleum wax; and polymers like butadiene-styrene, vinyl acetate, and polyethylene)
• softeners and plasticizers (lecithins; hydrogenated vegetable oils; lanolin, glycerol, methyl, and pentaerythritol esters; sodium and potassium stearates)
• terpene resins
• antioxidants (usually BHT)

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Gum base also includes fillers like calcium carbonate or talc. Another chewing gum ingredient to watch out for is polyvinyl acetate, a plastic substance which causes tumors in rats, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Many consider chewing gum a harmless pastime but imagine the harmful effects of each of these ingredients. Now add them all together…not pleasant. Yet another reason to never swallow your gum.

Many people use cannabis for pain management, but a new study finds that people who used cannabis before surgery needed more anesthesia during surgery and experienced increased recovery pain.

There is some evidence that cannabis may be beneficial for chronic and nerve pain. However, early research suggests that this is not the case for acute pain such as for surgery of a broken leg…This study shows that it is important for patients to tell their physician anesthesiologist if they have used cannabis products prior to surgery to ensure they receive the best anesthesia and pain control possible, including the use of non-opioid alternatives…”

Dr. Ian Holmen, lead author and anesthesiology resident at the University of Colorado Hospital

Presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the study examined the painkiller needs of people who had used cannabis in some form and those who had not after surgery for a broken leg. People who reported cannabis use were given 58% more opioids per day in the hospital and reported greater levels of pain on a scale of 1 to 10. During the surgery, cannabis users needed 12.4 more milliliters of anesthesia during surgery.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released updated safety guidelines for coronavirus vaccine makers that would make it impossible for a vaccine to be ready by election day. The FDA now says that vaccine manufacturers need to follow vaccine trial participants for two months to monitor side effects before seeking emergency approval.

Data from Phase 3 studies should include a median follow-up duration of at least two months after completion of the full vaccination regimen to help provide adequate information to assess a vaccine’s benefit-risk profile, including: adverse events; cases of severe COVID-19 disease among study subjects; and cases of COVID-19 occurring during the timeframe when adaptive (rather than innate) and memory immune responses to the vaccine would be responsible for a protective effect.

Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19

President Trump has continued to insist that a vaccine will be ready before elections on November 3rd, and the administration had tried to block the FDA from formally publishing these safety guidelines. The FDA has been communicating these guidelines to the public and vaccine manufacturers informally.

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Seven former FDA commissioners released an op-ed in the Washington Post that criticized President Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 vaccine process.

But a safe and effective vaccine will not be enough; people will also have to choose to take it. This depends on widespread confidence that the vaccine approval was based on sound science and not politics. If the White House takes the unprecedented step of trying to tip the scales on how safety and benefits will be judged, the impact on public trust will render an effective vaccine much less so.”

7 former FDA commissioners: The Trump administration is undermining the credibility of the FDA

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Two of the commissioners responsible for this statement, Scott Gottlieb and Mark McClellan, are on the boards of two of the companies with a coronavirus vaccine in development, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson respectively.

Scientists have discovered that tiny air pollution particles associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have been identified in the brain stems of young people.

It is terrifying because, even in the infants, there is neuropathology in the brain stem…We can’t prove causality so far, but how could you expect these nanoparticles containing those metal species to sit inert and harmless inside critical cells of the brain? That’s the smoking gun – it seriously looks as if those nanoparticles are firing the bullets that are causing the observed neurodegenerative damage.”

Professor Barbara Maher, Lancaster University, UK

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While researchers have not yet confirmed if these particles cause neurodegenerative disease, but it’s highly likely that air pollution does play a part in those conditions. The consequences for future generations will be huge, as over 90% of the population lives with unsafe air. These nanoparticles were found in the brainstems of 186 people between the ages of 11 months to 27 who died suddenly in Mexico City. Air pollution is a serious issue in Mexico, with 8% of the population dying from pollution-related conditions.

Who knew experiecing yearly colds could be a good thing?

A new study published in the microbiology journal mBio found that memory B cells immune cells that fight common colds also react to the coronavirus. These memory B cells are responsible for secondary immune responses and can survive in the body for decades. This could give people whose memory B cells are frequently exposed to seasonal colds an advantage in dealing with coronavirus.

Related: COVID Second Wave Is Happening All Over Europe, Except in Sweden

When we looked at blood samples from people who were recovering from COVID-19, it looked like many of them had a pre-existing pool of memory B cells that could recognize SARS-CoV-2 and rapidly produce antibodies that could attack it…”

Dr. Mark Sangster, lead author and research professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center

The study had a small sample size, comparing the blood samples of 26 people recovering from mild to moderate COVID-19 to 21 blood samples from healthy donors collected six to ten years ago. One of the components of a key protein in coronaviruses, the Spike protein, remains the same across all coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold.

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The United States’ response to the coronavirus has mentioned little about the immune system or immune response, choosing instead to focus on external strategies like masks. The CDC page on how to protect yourself and others mentions absolutely nothing about diet or lifestyle changes that could benefit your immune response. In the eyes of the United States government, the only keeping you from contracting coronavirus is your mask – which is patently false and an incredibly limited way of looking at health. You can boost your immune system and improve your body’s natural response to COVID-19 and other viruses. Check out this article.

New research published inJAMA Network Open examined the RAND American Life survey from May and June of 2020 and found that the frequency of alcohol consumption increased from an average of 5.48 drinking days a month to 6.22 days.

We’ve had anecdotal information about people buying and consuming more alcohol, but this is some of the first survey-based information that shows how much alcohol consumption has increased during the pandemic…”

Michael Pollard, lead author of the study and a sociologist at RAND

Related: COVID Second Wave Is Happening All Over Europe, Except in Sweden

Alcohol sales increased dramatically at the beginning of COVID shutdowns in the United States. By the end of April 2020, Nielsen reported that online alcohol sales had increased by 477% from 2019. It’s easy to joke about COVID driving people to drink, but there are real health consequences of increasing alcohol consumption. Women who reported an increase in alcohol consumption also reported a 39% increase in risky behavior and damaged relationships while drunk. The study notes,

These data provide evidence of changes in alcohol use and associated consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to a range of negative physical health associations, excessive alcohol use may lead to or worsen existing mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, which may themselves be increasing during COVID-19.”

Changes in Adult Alcohol Use and Consequences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US

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