Vitamin D seems to be the new cure-all for many health problems today. The reality is many of us are low on vitamin D, and with people just now figuring that out, it seems to be fixing many problems.

Low vitamin D levels have been shown to contribute to many diseases including but not limited to cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and most recently, severe covid-19.

Related: Natural Coronavirus Prevention

Despite the correlation some have found between vitamin D levels and disease, other studies have found no health benefits to taking a vitamin D supplement.

A new study may explain the reason for this. Scientists at the University of California have found a link between gut health and vitamin D.

When measuring how much active vitamin D older males had in their blood, the UC San Diego researchers found that its levels correlated with the diversity of the community of bacteria living in their gut, or gut microbiome.

Gut bacteria and vitamin D: What is the link?

The results, published in Nature Communications, show that the body’s ability to convert inactive vitamin D into active vitamin D may make all the difference. Having healthy gut bacteria that are able to metabolize vitamin D is more important than having high levels of vitamin D.

Fatal freshwater skin disease in bottlenose dolphins is now said to be caused by the increase in devastating storms. A team from the Marine Mammal center worked with Australian researchers to conduct their findings. The results were published in Scientific Reports.

Image credit: Bottlenose dolphin

Freshwater Skin disease first appeared in bottlenose dolphins 15 years ago, after Hurricane Katrina. Where outbreaks of the disease occur, an extreme drop in the saltiness of the water is the common factor. Severe storms like hurricanes and cyclones can dump excessive amounts of freshwater into saltwater areas.

With a record hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico this year and more intense storm systems worldwide due to climate change, we can absolutely expect to see more of these devastating outbreaks killing dolphins.”

Fatal skin disease in dolphins linked to climate crisis

Additionally, all four of the known freshwater dolphin species are at risk of extinction largely due to the climate crisis.

At OLM we believe the health of the environment is largely intertwined with our individual health. Consuming organically and consciously can make a big difference in your carbon footprint. Along with your organic lifestyle, the biggest thing you can do to help is compost your food waste.

Mexico has put out a decree stating its plans to phase out glyphosate over the next four years. Glyphosate will not be used in any government-sponsored programs throughout the transition period. Mexico will also revoke existing and future permits for the cultivation of GMO corn as well as the use of GMO corn for human consumption. The use of GMO corn in human consumption is to be phased out no later than January 31st, 2024.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the herbicide Round-up. It’s commonly known to cause numerous types of cancer, along with other health problems. Round-up has also caused detrimental damage to the environment.

Mexico’s Organic Producers’ Society has welcomed the proposal but has proposed a special label to certify certain products that are free of glyphosate.

“We do not use glyphosate on our crops, but we have been the victims of external contamination by this substance anyway. This has caused economic losses for organic producers, mainly of coffee and honey.”

Homero Blas Bustamante, president of the organic society.

This decree comes after the Secretariat of Environment and natural resources said that glyphosate-based herbicides would be phased out to protect the environment and human health.

Mexico has begun preparing government campaigns with the purpose of informing the public of the dangers involved in glyphosate and other herbicides.

A new study has linked antibiotics in children under two, to illnesses and conditions later in life. Children under the age of two who received one dose of antibiotics were more likely to develop asthma, eczema, hay fever, food allergies, celiac disease, ADD, ADHD, and obesity, or general weight problems. Multiple doses of antibiotics were linked to multiple conditions. Conditions differed depending on the child’s age, gender, type of medication, dose, and number of doses.

“When antibiotics were first developed and deployed, the overwhelming consideration was control of pathogens. We now realize that their widespread application has considerable collateral effect on the microbiome, which may be of special importance in developing children,”

Antibiotic use in babies linked to allergies, asthma and other conditions, study finds

The study, published in Mayo Clinic proceedings, analyzed data from more than 14,500 children. Data showed that 70% of the children in the study received at least one antibiotic. Between one and two antibiotics prescriptions was linked to a higher risk of asthma and celiac disease in girls. Three to four antibiotic doses were linked to higher cases of asthma, atopic dermatitis, and excess weight gain in females, and obesity in boys. Babies who received five or more prescriptions were more likely to develop asthma, allergic rhinitis, obesity, and ADHD.

Antibiotics wipe out all your gut bacteria, both good and bad. Antibiotics at an early age can wipe out critical gut bacteria that you never get back. Read this article to learn how to detoxify from antibiotics.

Many members of the Paris Climate Agreement have made pledges to reach zero emissions by the year 2060 in order to be on track to limit warming to 2.1 degrees C by 2100. Japan, South Korea, and China are all among countries promising to reach zero emissions by 2060.

Image Credit: Dan Riedlhuber | Reuters

The U.S is not currently part of the Paris Climate agreement but president-elect Joe Biden has plans to rejoin. Additionally, the Biden administration has rolled out plans for the promise of being net-zero by 2050.

Unfortunately, many countries are already behind schedule for their emissions promises. Many countries have plans to increase fossil fuel production by two percent annually.

That being said, a new study by Princeton University presents many different paths for the U.S to get to net emissions by 2050. The U.S has serious work to do before it reaches its 2050 zero-emissions goal.

One such path requires an investment in solar and wind manufacturing, which offers long-term domestic employment opportunities without incurring too many additional technology costs. The caveat? Manufacturing capacity for turbines and photovoltaics would have to increase drastically by 2050 — up to 45 times for wind and 120 times for solar.

Yes, the U.S. can go carbon neutral by 2050, says new Princeton study

The health of our environment and our own health are very intertwined. Sustainable, organic, whole foods do good for our environment whereas overly processed junk food leaves behind a significant carbon footprint, in most cases. One of the best things you can do for the environment is to take care of yourself in a sustainable way.

In the UK, A nine-year-old girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, died in 2013 from an asthma attack that resulted in respiratory failure. It was later discovered by Stephen Holgate that the levels of pollution near her home were illegal.

PHOTOGRAPH: KEVIN SCHAFER/GETTY IMAGES

Air pollution has officially been labeled as a cause of death with the coroner ruling that it “made a material contribution” to her death.

“Ella died of asthma contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution. The whole of Ella’s life was lived in close proximity to highly polluting roads. I have no difficulty in concluding that her personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide and PM was very high.”

Barlow – Air pollution listed as an official cause of death in the UK for the first time

The World Health Organization has estimated that nearly 7 million people are killed by air pollution each year. Children who live in poorer areas are more susceptible to asthma.

The U.K has announced that it would end the sale of gas and diesel cars 10 years earlier than planned, by the year 2030. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, plans to have the country reach zero emissions by 2035.

An Alaskan health worker had a serious allergic reaction from the new coronavirus vaccine. She is now stable, public health authorities said on Wednesday.

The Alaskan patient did not have a history of allergic reactions, Lindy Jones, the director of the emergency department in the capital Juneau where the patient was treated, told reporters at a virtual briefing.

Reuters

Related: Natural Coronavirus Prevention

The adverse reaction happened within minutes of receiving the Pfizer shot on Tuesday. The symptoms in the middle-aged patient resolved after being administered with allergy treatment epinephrine, Jones said. This reaction was similar to two cases reported last week in Britain.

Two British people with severe allergies apparently had allergic reactions to Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, raising questions about whether it is safe for people with preexisting allergies.

USA Today

Britain’s medical regulator stated that people with a history of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions to medicine or food, should not get this COVID-19 vaccine.

But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says most Americans with allergies should be safe to receive the vaccine. Allergic reactions were not a significant problem in the U.S. trial where more than 20,000 people got two doses of the vaccine, but the U.S. trials did not test on subjects who have had severe allergic reactions in the past, according to Moncef Slaoui, co-head of Operation Warp Speed which is the government program tasked with developing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

Pfizer stays the vaccine comes with a clear warning that appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be readily available in case of anaphylaxis, and that they would update the labeling language for the vaccine if needed.

Note to Social Media Fact Checkers:

Vaccines do not ever cause damage. Vaccines are perfectly safe. You do not need to detox from vaccinations. We’ve been getting throttled, chocked, blocked, and banned from social media sites regarding our vaccine information, so we want to be clear that we are not saying that vaccines can cause any damage! We’re just reporting what Reuters is reporting.