FDA Has Removed Restrictions on Genetically Modified Salmon

Genetically modified fish will soon be sold in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration lifted the import restriction on AquaBounty’s genetically engineered salmon eggs on Friday, March 8th.

In late 2015 the FDA approved AquaBounty’s genetically modified salmon, but shortly thereafter Congress had the FDA block the GM salmon from entering the U.S. until labeling standards were issued. Last December the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. The GM salmon will be labeled as “Bioengineered.”

AquaAdvantage GM Salmon eggs will be imported to the company’s land-based facility in Indiana where the eggs will be raised into salmon and sold as food. The AquaAdvantage Salmon grows year-round and grows faster than farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The salmon will take more than a year reach the market if everything goes according to plan. Aquabounty chief Sylvia Wulf told the AP certification for an Indiana growing facility is expected in a few weeks. The facility will then receive the genetically modified salmon eggs and it will then take approximately 18 months for the salmon to reach their target weight.

Hospital Linens Are Testing Positive For Mold

A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examined freshly- laundered hospital linens, and found that more than 10 percent of sheets received by a fifth of hospitals studied tested positive for Mucorales, a fungus responsible for potentially serious infections. Cases of healthcare-associated mucormycosis, the infection associated with Mucorales, have been on the rise for the past decade. Previously, scientists have suggested that contaminated medical devices could be a reason for this, but researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have identified hospital linens as another cause of the infection. The study shows that forty-seven percent of frshly delivered healthcare linenes in the hospitals studied contained Mucorales upon arrival.

Cleaning Hospital Linens

Healthcare is a business, and cutting costs is one of the ways a business makes money. In the modern age, that has translated to outsourcing hospital laundry, as the hospital is no longer obligated to pay for the equipment, energy, and manpower needed to wash their linen. Much of the process is now automated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-sjZySkIEg

This automation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if there’s a way to push for more environmentally friendly laundry practices. Still, this study shows there is cause for concern regarding the outsourcing of washing linens.

Recommended: Everything You Need To Know About Fungal Infections

Why Hospitals Breed Pathogens

While the washing of the linens no longer happens in hospitals, it can’t be denied that healthcare facilities are excellent breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus that cause potentially dangerous infections. Hospitals are where people who are dealing with these infections go. It makes sense that those pathogens will be present.

Modern medicine, in particular antibiotics, compounds the issue though. Antibiotics are designed to destroy all of the bacteria in the gut. While this can eliminate the present infection, it also kills the beneficial bacteria that balance the microbiome. There are also pathogens that antibiotics don’t eliminate. Those pathogens grow stronger in the microbiome vacuum created by the antibiotics. In a hospital setting, you don’t even need to take antibiotic yourself to experience these effects. A study from 2016 found that patients were more likely to develop a C.diff (a notoriously hospital-friendly pathogen) infection if the previous occupant of their hospital room or bed was given antibiotics.

Risky Business

People in hospitals are constantly exposed to infection. A frequent source of exposure is improperly cleaned medical devices, but this study adds another culprit into the mix, the linens. We can all agree that we need to limit our exposure to certain microbes, but indiscriminately killing them all leaves us with no natural defenses. Are the number of fungal infections up because there is more dangerous fungus out there? Or is it because we are increasingly ill-equipped to deal with them?

Sources:

Tylenol Side Effects You Should Know About

You have probably heard that Acetaminophen may damage the liver. But a recent study showed that Acetaminophen may also damage the heart, the gastrointestinal bleeding, and the kidneys. The study also shows increased mortality for those who take Acetaminophen as well. As Acetaminophen use increases the risks increase as well.

There are also risks to using Acetaminophen while pregnant:

In a Norwiegan cohort, mothers were surveyed for acetaminophen exposure in weeks 17-30 of gestation, and 6 months postpartum. Children evaluated at 3 years were found to have dose-related effects from up to 28 days of cumulative acetaminophen exposure. These effects included motor, communication, and behavioral parameters.
Acetaminophen depletes the body’s primary antioxidant, glutathione, and interferes with the imperative function of fever to resolve infection and inflammation.
This study did not control for vaccination status, but there is empirical evidence that combining vaccines and acetaminophen may set vulnerable children up for a diagnosis of autism.

Another study linked prenatal acetaminophen use with an increased likelihood of ADHD.

Kelly Brogan, MD also reported in another article that after swallowing 1000 mg of Tylenol people showed less empathy.

Be sure to visit Kelly Brogan’s website and check out her YouTube channel as well.

FDA Admits That Flu Vaccine Vaccines for Pregnant Women Untested, Unlicensed

The CDC and other government agencies are recommending the FLULAVAL and Tdap vaccines for pregnant women. The manufacturers of FLULAVAL and Tdap vaccines have not had any clinical safety trials with pregnant mothers and the vaccines are not licensed for use with pregnant mothers, according to the Children’s Health Defense.

The manufacturers warn against against vaccinating pregnant mothers:

There are insufficient data on FLULAVAL QUADRIVALENT in pregnant women to inform.”

Package Insert for FluLaval Quadrivalent

There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Diphtheria/pertussis, acellular/tetanus is only recommended for use during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.”

Tdap Vaccine Information

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit was filed by Children’s Health Defense attorney, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on behalf of Informed Consent Action Network to obtain clinical trial data used by FDA to approve influenza vaccines for pregnant women.

The FDA’s response:

We have no records responsive to your requests.”

The FDA is admitting that these vaccines being recommended for pregnant women have not been licensed for such use by the FDA or tested for safety for pregnant mothers in clinical trials.

As a nation, we can no longer pretend our trusted agencies are protecting our children. It is time to hold federal agencies accountable.”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

How To Heal Your Gut

How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

From Children’s Health Defense:

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 11, 2019—In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the FDA has admitted, for the first time, that government agencies, including the CDC, are recommending vaccines for pregnant women that have neither been licensed for pregnant mothers by FDA nor tested for safety in clinical trials. The lawsuit, filed by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) attorney, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on behalf of Informed Consent Action Network(ICAN), a vaccine safety advocacy group, sought all clinical trial data used by FDA to approve influenza vaccines for pregnant women. The FDA’s terse reply: “We have no records responsive to your requests.”

The manufacturers of flu and Tdap vaccines warn against their use for pregnant mothers since their safety has never been established. Package inserts state that it is “not known” whether the vaccines “will harm an unborn baby” and there are “insufficient data” on use in pregnant women to inform vaccine-associated risks. FDA regulations strictly prohibit pharmaceutical companies from marketing products for “off-license” uses. Noncompliant companies are routinely prosecuted criminally and civilly, paying billions in lawsuits and settlements.

The CDC nevertheless has actively recommended influenza vaccination during any trimester of pregnancy since 2004 and has told pregnant women to get Tdap shots (for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) since 2011. The FDA is responsible for vaccine safety and licensing, but, in the just-released court documents, it admits that it has no safety data to back up the CDC’s “off-license” pregnancy recommendations. FDA’s website states that it has never formally approved any vaccines “specifically for use during pregnancy to protect the infant.”

Blanket recommendations for vaccination during pregnancy are a dangerous proposition due to vaccination’s ability to activate a maternal immune response that can damage the developing fetal brain—just as infections during pregnancy sometimes do. In 2008, neuroscientist Paul Patterson warned, “Even if it happens less than 1% of the time, vaccinating an entire population of pregnant women could affect thousands of children.”

Long-term safety studies have not been designed to detect vaccine-related fetal injuries, but a 2017 Kaiser study of over 45,000 women (published in JAMA Pediatrics) showed an elevated risk of birth defects and a 20% higher risk of autism in children whose mothers received a first-trimester flu shot. After the authors applied a statistical correction that lessened the significant association, renowned UCLA statistician Sander Greenland criticized the methodologically “inappropriate” decision, noting that pharmaceutical researchers use the technique when they don’t like a result and “want to see if they can get rid of it.”

Click here to read the rest of the article on Children’s Health Defense’s website.

Thanks to Health Impact News for bringing this story to our attention.

Glyphosate Discovered in Popular Beer and Wine

Glyphosate can be found in almost everything we eat, and a new study released by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group has confirmed that the herbicide is also in what we’re drinking. In a look at 20 popular beers and wines, the study confirmed that 19 of the 20 beverages reviewed contained glyphosate residue. The beverage that showed the highest levels of glyphosate was Sutter Home Merlot, with a concentration of 51.4 parts per billion (ppb). Bayer toxicologist William Reeves said via a spokesperson,

The reality is that regulatory authorities have strict rules when it comes to pesticide residues…The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets daily exposure limits at least 100 times below levels shown to have no negative effect in safety studies.”

CBS News

He goes on to say,

Assuming the greatest value reported, 51.4 ppb, is correct, a 125-pound adult would have to consume 308 gallons of wine per day, every day for life to reach the US Environmental Protection Agency’s glyphosate exposure limit for humans. To put 308 gallons into context, that would be more than a bottle of wine every minute, for life, without sleeping.”

An Incomplete Picture

At 51.4 ppb, the Sutter Home Merlot is well below what the EPA considers to be a safe level of glyphosate.

Related: Foods Most Likely to Contain Glyphosate

Wines

Sutter Home Merlot: 51.4 ppb
Beringer Founders Estates Moscato: 42.6 ppb
Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon: 36.3 ppb
Inkarri Malbec, Certified Organic: 5.3 ppb
Frey Organic Natural White: 4.8 ppb

Beers

Tsingtao Beer: 49.7 ppb
Coors Light: 31.1 ppb
Miller Lite: 29.8 ppb
Budweiser: 27.0 ppb
Corona Extra: 25.1 ppb
Heineken: 20.9 ppb
Guinness Draught: 20.3 ppb
Stella Artois: 18.7 ppb
Ace Perry Hard Cider: 14.5 ppb
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 11.8 ppb
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale: 11.2 ppb
Sam Adams New England IPA: 11.0 ppb
Stella Artois Cidre: 9.1 ppb
Samuel Smith’s Organic Lager: 5.7 ppb
Peak Beer Organic IPA: N/A

That doesn’t mean it’s safe, though.

Mr. Reeves, the toxicologist for Bayer, mentions that the EPA’s limits are at least 100 times below levels examined in safety studies. Yet that agency allows much higher concentrations of glyphosate than other safety regulators. The regulations set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) are much more severe. According to the EPA, a daily dose of 2 mg of glyphosate per kg of body weight should cause no ill effects. OEHHA’s safe daily level recommendations are 1,100 micrograms. OEHHA’s levels are nearly half of those put forth by the EPA.

Related: Microplastics In Tap Water and Beer Around the Great Lakes, and Everywhere Else

Causing Cancer

California has classified glyphosate as a carcinogen since 2017. The World Health Organization (WHO) was even earlier in linking the herbicide and cancer when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a statement labeling glyphosate “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The EPA has resisted that label for years. In fact, evidence in the recent verdict against Monsanto for 289 million dollars contained correspondence between the agro-giant and a high ranking EPA official promising to derail a glyphosate safety study.

The recent verdict against Monsanto (now Bayer) is only the first of more than 5000 lawsuits awaiting the company. Advertisements seeking participants for class-action lawsuits against Round-up are now commonplace on mainstream television. But it’s hard to believe we can come back from this without some serious change. Ninety-five percent of the drinks examined for this study had glyphosate residue. Glyphosate is showing in food, water, feminine hygiene products…the herbicide is everywhere.

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

What’s Your Damage?

Finding glyphosate in beer and wine has consequences beyond how much you’re drinking. Though the herbicide is often found in organic products studies have found that people who consume greater amounts of organic food are less likely to develop cancer. On the flip side, Napa County, the heart of California wine country and an area with unusually high pesticide use, boasts the highest rates of childhood cancer. Perhaps the amount of glyphosate measured in these beverages is well below the recommended limit for consumptions, but that ignores the enviromental and health impacts of applying the pesticide in the first place.

Sources:

Facebook Planning to Censor Anti-vaccination Posts

Facebook is being pressured to censor misleading or “fake” information.

Officials believe information discouraging people from getting vaccines may have contributed to the recent outbreaks of measles. Adam Schiff, U.S. Representative for California’s 28th congressional district, sent a letter to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai, asking the companies to address the problem.

Facebook curates content based on the user’s interests. Recommended posts are displayed on the Facebook wall, based on what the Facebook algorithm deems most likely to engage the reader.

Bloomberg reports that Facebook responded to Adam Schiff’s letter by saying the company is “exploring additional measures to best combat the problem.” The company says it is considering removing anti-vaccine information from the recommendations feed, which will severely limit the post reach, “while also ensuring that higher quality and more authoritative information is available.” The company also says it may stop recommending groups with questionable content.

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

YouTube is often criticized for pushing misinformation and has recently come under fire for promoting flat earth theories. Last month, Google’s YouTube algorithm adjusted how it recommends videos. The company says said it will stop recommending videos with “borderline content” that “misinforms users in harmful ways,” for example, videos that promote “a phony miracle cure for a serious illness.”

In related news, Pinterest blocked our website. When asked why this was their response:

Glyphosate May Increase Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma by 41%

Glyphosate raises the risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in heavily-exposed individuals by 41 percent, according to a study by former EPA advisors. This is part of a growing body of evidence against Monsanto’s Roundup, now owned by Bayer, that may influence the new wave of lawsuits against the company. The study was a meta-analysis published in Mutation Research that analyzed the results of six earlier studies on glyphosate.

All authors claim to have no financial conflicts of interest.

Glyphosate is the most widely used broad-spectrum systemic herbicide in the world. Recent evaluations of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) by various regional, national, and international agencies have engendered controversy. We investigated whether there was an association between high cumulative exposures to GBHs and increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in humans. We conducted a new meta-analysis that included the most recent update of the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort published in 2018 along with five case-control studies. Using the highest exposure groups when available in each study, we report the overall meta-relative risk (meta-RR) of NHL in GBH-exposed individuals was increased by 41% (meta-RR = 1.41, 95% CI, confidence interval: 1.13–1.75). For comparison, we also performed a secondary meta-analysis using high-exposure groups with the earlier AHS (2005), and we determined a meta-RR for NHL of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.11–1.91), which was higher than the meta-RRs reported previously. Multiple sensitivity tests conducted to assess the validity of our findings did not reveal meaningful differences from our primary estimated meta-RR.”

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

Lianne Sheppard is a former scientific adviser to the EPA on glyphosate. In 2016 an advisory panel was instructed to determine the safety of glyphosate. Sheppard and to more of the study’s authors served on that panel. After reviewing multiple studies indicating a high likelihood that the herbicide is carcinogenic, the panel declared glyphosate to be noncarcinogenic. Bayer uses the panel’s findings as proof that their product is safe, but Sheppard criticized the EPA for “not following their own rules.”

Together, all of the meta-analyses conducted to date, including our own, consistently report the same key finding: exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides are associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.”

Bayer AG is facing more than 9,000 lawsuits in the US brought by people suffering from cancer. Plaintiffs blame Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicides for their cancer. Dewayne Johnson was the first plaintiff to go to trial; he won a unanimous jury verdict against Monsanto in August. A judge reduced the verdict, and of course, Monsanto is appealing. The next trial is set for February 25th, and with many more to follow.