Martin Shkreli is the still-boyish-looking 34-year-old entrepreneur derisively known as “Pharma Bro.” His own attorney confessed to wanting to punch him in the face occasionally. Martin, before the sentence, choked up as he confessed to mistakes and admitted to the shareholders that he had defrauded them. At one stage, a clerk handed him a box of tissues.

CNBC reports that Shkreli asked for leniency before his sentence.

I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing: The only person to blame for me being here today is me,” he said. “There is no conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli.” – Martin Shkreli speaking in third person, like all the greats do

In August, the 34-year-old was detained on federal fraud charges, accused of deceiving investors regarding a set of hedge funds he worked. Shkreli also manipulated inventory stocks for his firm Retrophin, and utilized that money to pay back investors of the hedge funds.

Recommended: Cancer and Processed Food – A New Study Officially Finds a Link

U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto gave Martin a sentence of 7 years. Prosecutors wanted 15 and his defense argued for 18 months. He was also fined $75,000.

Back in August he was found guilty of lying to his investors in and cheating them out of millions. This case was not related to the 2015  incident where he was accused of price-gouging and went on TV with his famous smirk, but his arrest was seen as sweet justice by many.

Recommended: Opioids No Better than NSAIDs for Chronic Back or Arthritis Pain

The judge insisted that he did not take into account Shkreli’s online antics, or when he famously raised the price of the anti-parisitic drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 a pill.

This case is not about Mr. Shkreli’s self-cultivated public persona … nor his controversial statements about politics or culture.” – Judge Kiyo Matsumoto

But she did say that she doubted the sincerity of his remorse due to his conduct after the verdict. She cited when he bragged after the verdict that he would only be sentenced to time served. And she quoted him in correspondence having written, “F— the feds.”

He received credit for the roughly six months he has been in jail.

Acetaminophen, aspirin and other NSAID medications are better than opioids for dealing with chronic back, hip or knee pain, a U.S. study indicates. Opioids are no better than NSAIDs at reducing pain intensity involving daily activities such as walking, exercising, exercising, or enjoying life, researchers report in JAMA on March 6th.

We already knew opioids were more dangerous than other treatment options because they put people at risk for accidental death and addiction. This study shows that extra risk doesn’t come with any extra benefit.” – lead researcher Dr. Erin Krebs of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and the University of Minnesota.

Related: NSAIDs Study Shows Side Effects are Worse Than Original Ailments

U.S. deaths from opioids such as heroin and prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone have more than quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Nowadays, more than six in 10 drug overdose deaths are traced to opioid use.

Related: U.S. Life Expectancy To Decline, CDC Blames Pharmaceutical Companies

Amid this worsening opioid catastrophe, the CDC has urged doctors to use opioids just as a last resort. Instead, physicians should consult with patients about the capacity for exercise or physical treatment to help alleviate symptoms and prescribe other, less addictive medications for pain such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDS like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve).

But NSAIDs have their own dangers, like internal bleeding, kidney damage, and heart attacks to name a few. However, NSAIDS are not addictive.

Related: Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen – Why They All Are Unsafe

For the opioid study researchers randomly assigned 240 patients seeking pain therapy at VA primary care practices for either opioids or other drugs like acetaminophen or aspirin for one year. Participants were 58 years old on average. Back pain was their most frequent complaint, impacting 156 sufferers, or 65 per cent of the trial participants, and the remainder had knee or hip osteoarthritis pain. Individuals from the opioid group began their therapy with instant release oxycodone or the fast-acting opioid morphine, which is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. If the first medication was deemed ineffective patients would receive a long-acting morphine or oxycodone, and when those didn’t work physicians treated the pain with fentanyl patches.

From the non-opioid group, patients obtained acetaminophen and NSAIDs. If these options did not help enough physicians tried alternatives such as the nerve pain medication gabapentin (Neurontin) and topical painkillers such as lidocaine, followed with the neural pain medication pregabalin (Lyrica) and tramadol, an opiate painkiller.

Recommended: Running Without Knee Pain

Researchers asked participants to rate how much pain interfered with their own lives at the onset of the research, and 12 weeks later.

With this step, the two groups improved throughout the course of this calendar year, dependent on a 10-point scale with higher scores indicating worse handicap.

Together with opioids, scores dropped from a mean of 5.4 in the onset of the research to 3.4 annually after. Together with other medications, scores dropped from 5.5 to 3.3.

In the two groups, patients originally rated their pain intensity in 5.4, however, dozens dropped to only 4.0 with opioids and dropped to 3.5 on another medication.

One limitation of this study is that individuals understood which drugs they had been prescribed, which could influence how patients reported that their particular pain severity and everyday operation, the authors note.

Recommended Reading:

• How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials
• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Insecticide foggers, also called”bug bombs,” are still causing injuries in the U.S., despite the fact that manufacturers worderedderd to modify the products’ labels in order to make them safer. The study team notes in the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report noted that some types of incidents even increased.

The best precaution is not to have bugs inside your house in the first place, so depriving food, shelter and water from insects. If these steps don’t work and you want to use insect ships, it’s necessary that you read and follow the label directions.” – Walter Alarcon of the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety via email to Reuters.

Due to high injury rate the EPA required bug bombs to have improved instruction labels after 2012, with images emphasizing safety precautions such as leaving the home for at least two hours and ventilating the area well for an additional two hours. But the rate of illness related to bug bombs was not reduced. Some types of incidents even increased.

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

If you’re going to use foggers or bug bombs follow all instructions and keep them away from heat sources and evacuate the building. The EPA has put out a series of videos regarding fogger safety.

Obviously, we at OLM contend there are better ways to eliminate a bug problem other than through the use of toxic chemicals, though eliminating the problem in the first place by depriving them of food, water, and shelter is the right first step. Keeping the home as clean as possible, use essential oils like neem and lemongrass to wipe down, spray, and clean every surface insects may come in contact with.

Alarcon and colleagues used several health surveillance databases to see whether the relabeled products changed the statistics, characteristics, or severity of illnesses with bug bombs between 2007-2015. In particular, they looked at data from pesticides programs and poison control centers in Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Washington, California, Louisiana, New York, Oregon and Nebraska. Among 3,222 illnesses, common symptoms included coughing, vomiting, nausea, respiratory pain and abdominal pain. Five percent of cases happened in children less than five years of age, and 14% of injuries occurred in adults over age 60.

Exposure narratives in case reports indicated that most users didn’t read or follow label directions,” Alarcon said.

Individuals who did not leave their houses throughout the insect bomb installation were much more likely to report illeness. Others had problems following re-entry to their homes too early or by spraying themselves from simply pointing the nozzle in the wrong direction.

Foggers are obsolete residential pest management apparatus for many reasons. It isn’t too powerful for several insects, like bed bugs or cockroaches. It certainly introduces a fantastic concern for human exposure to pesticides following usage as residue is left on surfaces which individuals, particularly toddlers and young kids, develop into contact afterwards.

It is quite simple to abuse them adhere to the directions correctly. I have a tough time following the specific instructions.”- Dr. Alex Lu of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston (wasn’t involved in the study).

A limitation of this study is the poison control centers might not have info from those who had moderate cases and did not report their encounters. A few of the cases might also be considered”false positives” because the symptoms might not be brought on by foggers, the authors note. Moreover, the analysis only includes data from 10 nations and also for three years following the new EPA label conditions have been in force.

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

A study from Boston University’s School of Medicine discovered a link between consuming one or more sugary drinks a day and a decreased chance of getting pregnant. Fertility dropped in both women and men. Of the 4,000 women surveyed, those who consumed at least one sugary, soda-like drink daily experienced a 25 percent decrease in successful pregnancy attempts. The 1,000 men who were surveyed experienced 33 percent lower conception chances. The study also included sugary energy drinks. According to the lead author of the study, Elizabeth Hatch,

We found positive associations between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and lower fertility, which were consistent after controlling for many other factors, including obesity, caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking and overall diet quality. Couples planning a pregnancy might consider limiting their consumption of these beverages, especially because they are also related to other adverse health effects.”

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

A Usual Culprit

This is not the only time sugar has been linked to infertility. It’s notorious for disrupting hormones, making it difficult to maintain a healthy reproductive system. The most common cause of infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, is aggravated by sugar consumption. Sugar is also linked to early menstruation in women, another hormone disruption.

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

A Perfect Storm

Sugary soda and beverages are not the only product of modern life linked to decreasing fertility.  Pesticides, Ibuprofen, and endocrine-disrupting plastics like BPA have been linked to declining fertility rates in both men and women. Several governments from developed countries like Japan and Denmark have launched initiatives designed to increase birth rates, but one has to wonder if ad campaigns are enough to combat the aspects of modern life that will thwart those ambitions.

Sources:

• One or more soda a day could decrease chances of getting pregnant – Science Daily
• The infertility crisis is beyond doubt. Now scientists must find the cause – The Guardian
• How To Reverse The Number One Cause of Infertility – PCOS – Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Paraffin residue builds up on clothes and bedding from skin creams. Paraffin residue seeps mattresses as well. Paraffin acts as an accelerant when it comes into contact with fire.

Hundreds of thousands of people use them, we’re not sure how many fire deaths might have occurred but it could be into the hundreds.” – Chris Bell, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

An investigation by BBC 5 Live found that only seven out of 38 products that have paraffin contained fire warnings on their packaging in the UK. We did not find warnings on packages in the U.S. In England in March 2017 a BBC investigation discovered 37 deaths linked to skin creams with paraffin. Firefighter Chris Bell beleives the actual number of deaths linked to the creams is likely to be much higher.

“I seem to have set myself on fire”

BBC tells the story of Brian Bicat, 82, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, who died last September after setting himself on fire. The belief is that cigarette embers sparked paraffin residue on his clothing from the residual build-up of his skin cream, and set his clothes on fire.

Kirsten said her father’s wife Kathleen returned from a walk to find Brian conscious but seriously injured.

The flat was full of smoke and there was a pile of smouldering clothes on the floor outside the bathroom burning a hole in the carpet. My dad was sat on the bed with no clothes on, and covered in water and hair singed, looking sort of dazed and he said ‘I seem to have set myself on fire’.” – Kristen

Brian Bicat, 82, died last September from the severe burns.

Must Read: How To Heal Your Gut

It’s recommended that you wash clothes regularly and shower daily if using skin creams.

Recommended Reading:

• How To Make Natural Body Butters That Actually Moisturize Your Skin
• 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

A new study published by the National Academy of Sciences has identified testosterone as one of the reasons men have far fewer incidences of autoimmune disorders. Scientists from the department of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University looked at mast cells, immune cells that produce histamines in response to allergic reactions. In female mice, mast cells produced pro-inflammatory signaling molecules called cytokines. When exposed to testosterone though, the cytokines sent the opposite message, signaling the immune system to relax. Science has given estrogen the edge when it comes to surviving famine and disease, but this study suggests that testosterone might have more to offer than we previously knew.

Related: What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

Chronic Inflammation and Autoimmune Conditions

Women are three to nine times more likely than men to develop an autoimmune disorder like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, fibromyalgia, and others. This study supports the possibility that out of balance hormones may be more important than we are currently considering. Without the protection of testosterone, a woman’s immune system produced signals calling for inflammation, the reaction to harmful substances. While inflammation is not inherently a bad thing, a constantly triggered immune system and chronic inflammation can lead to serious autoimmune disorders.

Related: How to Cure Lyme Disease and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally

Consequences

Many women don’t develop an autoimmune disorder, and 20% of the diagnoses of those conditions are for men. It isn’t as simple as testosterone. But we mess with hormones far more than we understand them, and this study it clear that we still don’t fully understand our bodies holistically.

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

For example, women develop autoimmune disorders much earlier in life than men. From a hormonal standpoint, this echoes some aspects of conventional hormone management. Women are prescribed regular birth control at an early age, while many men address hormone-centric issues like erectile dysfunction with pharmaceuticals later in life. Do we know what we are doing to ourselves?

Sources:

• Testosterone may protect men from autoimmune diseases – Ars Technica
• Male-specific IL-33 expression regulates sex-dimorphic EAE susceptibility – PNAS
• Women are More Likely to Survive Famine and Disease Epidemics Because They are ‘Hardier’, Study Finds – Independent

Florida has introduced Senate Bill 1558, legislature that would make the HPV vaccine mandatory for public school children. The bill would mimic similar vaccine mandate laws in Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington D.C.

Florida’s HPV vaccine rates are lower than the rest of the country. Sen. José Javier Rodríguez (Dem) introduced this bill on January 4th. If it’s passed the bill is said to be titled “Women’s Cancer Prevention Act”. It would begin taking effect July 1st of 2018.

The good news is that only 1 in 5 parents believe the mandate to be a good idea, according to the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

From Dr. Mercola:

Review of HPV Vaccine Trials Conclude Effectiveness Is Still Unproven

Last year, a systematic review¹⁰ of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV vaccine by researchers at University of British Columbia showed that the vaccine’s effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or “cherry picking” data) but also unproven. In the summary of the clinical trial review, the authors state it quite clearly:

“We carried out a systematic review of HPV vaccine pre- and post-licensure trials to assess the evidence of their effectiveness and safety. We found that HPV vaccine clinical trials design, and data interpretation of both efficacy and safety outcomes, were largely inadequate. Additionally, we note evidence of selective reporting of results from clinical trials(i.e., exclusion of vaccine efficacy figures related to study subgroups in which efficacy might be lower or even negative from peer-reviewed publications).

Given this, the widespread optimism regarding HPV vaccines long-term benefits appears to rest on a number of unproven assumptions (or such which are at odds with factual evidence) and significant misinterpretation of available data.

For example, the claim that HPV vaccination will result in approximately 70% reduction of cervical cancers is made despite the fact that the clinical trials data have not demonstrated to date that the vaccines have actually prevented a single case of cervical cancer (let alone cervical cancer death), nor that the current overly optimistic surrogate marker-based extrapolations are justified.

Likewise, the notion that HPV vaccines have an impressive safety profile is only supported by highly flawed design of safety trials and is contrary to accumulating evidence from vaccine safety surveillance databases and case reports which continue to link HPV vaccination to serious adverse outcomes (including death and permanent disabilities).

Related Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Doctors Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Nurses Against Vaccines
• Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out Against Vaccines
• Statesmen Against Mandatory Vaccines
• Scientists Against Vaccines – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research