More Physical Activities and Sleep, With Limited Screen Time Leads to Higher Test Scores – Study

A new study from the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found that higher test scores for United States students aged 8 through 11 came down to three factors: a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity a day, nine to 11 hours of sleep a night, and no more than two hours a day of recreational screen time. Kids who did all of those things had test scores that were four percent higher. Of the 4520 students examined, only 216, or 5 percent, of them met that criteria.

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Take Advantage of Synergy

All three of these factors amplify each other, making this a compelling study.

Of the three elements identified, more children were getting enough sleep and watched less than two hours of screens a day. Only 18 percent of kids were getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Many adults are in the same boat, with the CDC reporting that only 23% of adults in the U.S. get enough exercise.

Getting enough exercise or physical movement can also affect sleep in profound ways. A study in the journal Sleep Medicine found that insomniacs got 85 more minutes of sleep a night after working out for four months. Sleep is especially important for young people. Another study recently found that high school students who got less than six hours of sleep a night were twice as likely to report drug use or poor decision-making skills.

One of the most commonly cited reasons for insufficient sleep? Screen time, especially before bed. Screens can delay bedtime. They also make it harder for kids to wind down and disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Excess screen time for children can lead to issues with cognitive functions, like language ability, memory, and task completion.

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In Combination

When you consider how intertwined all of these factors are, it makes sense that kids that get enough sleep, exercise, and avoid excess screens are scoring higher on tests. Our take? Check out their diet, too. While we’re all aware of the effect of too much sugar on kids and bedtime, getting the right nutrition goes way beyond that. This study examines the steps needed to set students up for success, and diet is absolutely the foundation.

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Flu Shot Estimated Only 20% Effective Again, and New Study Shows Effectiveness Diminishes Quickly

This fall’s flu vaccine is estimated to be 20 percent effective for the dominant circulating strain of influenza A, which is the same efficacy as shots given the past two years.

A new study of 6,610 human flu sequences predicts that this fall’s flu vaccine will likely have the same reduced efficacy against the dominant circulating strain of influenza A as the vaccine given in 2016 and 2017 due to viral mutations related to vaccine production in eggs.” – Science Daily

Rice University researchers predicted the efficacy using a method called pEpitope, which is a fast and inexpensive way of estimating the effectiveness of a flu vaccine. The latest pEpitope study indicates that the pEpitope method is more accurate than the standard ferret tests.

The vaccine has been changed for 2018-19, but unfortunately it still contains two critical mutations that arise from the egg-based vaccine production process. Our study found that these same mutations halved the efficacy of flu vaccines in the past two seasons, and we expect they will lower the efficacy of the next vaccine in a similar manner.” – John W. Cox, Rice University, Professor in Biochemical and Genetic Engineering

Another study shows flu vaccine effectiveness wanes over time. The risk of getting the flu climbs about 16% every 28 days after getting vaccinated.

That means many people could be less protected during the height of flu season if they get vaccinated at the beginning of September.” – Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

We’re wondering if they will start recommending multiple flu shots per flu season soon.

Trump Administration Lifted Ban On GMOs and Bee-killing Chemicals In Wildlife Refuges

Some of our protected wildlife refugees allow for limited agricultural activities if growing a certain crop in the area would improve the ecosystem. In 2014, under Obama, the National Wildlife Refuge System announced it would phase out GMO seeds and neonicotinoid pesticides (which are linked to declining bee populations) in protected wildlife refuges.

In August, Donald Trump ‘s administration reversed this policy for wildlife refuges. This will affect more than 50 wildlife refuges in the U.S. (out of a total of 560).

Reuters reports that Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Greg Sheehan claims:

“…the move was needed to ensure adequate forage for migratory birds, including ducks and geese – favored and hunted by sportsmen on many of the nation’s refuges. U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, whose department oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service, has made expansion of hunting on public lands a priority for his agency.”

Mr Sheehan also claims that GMO crops were necessary to “maximise production.”

Bees Benefit From Sunflower Pollen, Says New Study

It’s about time the bees get some good news! A new study finds that sunflower pollen can lower the rates of certain infections in two different kinds of bees, the bumblebee and the European honeybee. The pollen lowered the rates of Crithidia bombi (a particular pathogen) infection in bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) and also reduced another pathogen, Nosema ceranae, of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Bumblebees who consumed sunflower pollen also produced more eggs, larvae, and had a higher probability of pupating. Rebecca Irwin is a professor of applied ecology at NC State and one of the senior co-authors of the study.

We’ve tried other monofloral pollens, or pollens coming from one flower, but we seem to have hit the jackpot with sunflower pollen…None of the others we’ve studied have had this consistent positive effect on bumble bee health.”

Bad News for Bees

The bee crisis has been in headlines more than ever lately. Neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides acknowledged as particularly toxic to bees, damage bee’s immune systems, promote disorientation, disrupt gut microbes, and shorten their life cycles. Recent studies have also found that the problem may be more serious than previously thought. Bees can develop a preference for pesticides. These agricultural chemicals are also impairing bees’ ability to remember and learn things.

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Benefits of Sunflowers

While sunflower pollen won’t be able to address the harm bees suffer from pesticides, the flower can still provide protection from certain infection.

Sunflower seeds have a plethora of nutrients, especially vitamin E. That might hold the key to sunflower’s ability to help the bees fight off disease. Vitamin E is a great source of antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, contains zinc for the immune system, and have even been shown to fight infections in human infants. A vitamin E deficiency can lead to neurological issues like balance problems and lack of coordination. These neurological problems also sound like things bees experience when they’re repeatedly exposed to sunflower seeds. Could vitamin E, through sunflower seeds, do even more for the bees?

As They Go, So Do We

Bees are crucial to our food supply. Thirty-five percent of the world’s crops depend on pollinators like bees. The bees needed for that are disappearing at a rapid rate. A survey of beekeepers found that 33 percent of their bees died in 2016 and 2017. Our food system depends on them. The discovery of sunflower pollen as a potential support for bees is a step in repairing the massive damage inflicted on these insects.

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More doctors say men should think twice about prostate cancer screening

Reuters reports that an international panel of experts has concluded, “Most men shouldn’t get routine prostate cancer screening because the potential benefits are small and there are clear harms.”

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the test used screen for prostate cancer. Experts researched studies with a total of more than 700,000 men and found that if screening reduces prostate cancer deaths at all, it’s negligible. The data indicates that PSA screening risks outweigh the benefits but despite that, the report states that those with a family history of prostate cancer likely still benefit from screening.

Although the results of this study suggest screening is not worthwhile, several guidelines advocate offering screening in some cases.” – Prostate cancer screening with PSA test

Reuters quotes co-author Dr. Philipp Dahm of the University of Minnesota as saying

Most, but not all, well-informed men that fully understand the trade-offs would choose not to undergo screening.”

Only those men who place more value in even a small reduction of prostate cancer mortality – these may be men at higher risk because of a family history or because of African descent, or those simply very concerned about ruling out a cancer diagnosis – may opt for screening. Shared decision-making is needed to help them arrive at a decision consistent with their own values and preferences.”

Chances are, everyone has cancer. Most men with prostate cancer have low-risk tumors that haven’t spread outside the prostate. Cancer screening for prostrates has gotten so good that men are being discovered with extremely low-risk cancers and then being aggressively treated for it with risks that far outweigh the cancer itself.

For the last few years, the media has gone back and forth on whether or not regular prostate screening benefits outweigh the risks. Our position is don’t drink, don’t smoke, keep your gut healthy, and stay away from doctors unless it’s an emergency.

California Passes Ban on Animal-Tested Cosmetics

In a unanimous vote, the California State Assembly passed Senate Bill No. 1249, and last Friday Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law. The law bans cosmetic products that have been tested on animals or products that include ingredients that have been tested on animals. Thirty-seven other countries have already banned animal testing on cosmetics.

The law will go into effect on January 1st, 2020, and will apply to all cosmetics currently sold in California as well.

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The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act was written by Democratic state Senator Cathleen Galgiani. The law stipulates that it is illegal for manufacturers to “import for profit, sell or offer for sale” any cosmetics tested on animals. Huffington Post reports that violations will be punished with a fine of $5,000, followed by an additional $1,000 fine for every day that the violation continues. The law does allow for exceptions in the event that animal testing is required by federal law and there are no viable alternatives. Companies can have testing done for products and ingredients if the product is to be sold in foreign markets where their law requires such testing, and then the company can also sell those same products in California. For example, China requires all imported cosmetic products to be animal tested before sale. The bill states:

Notwithstanding any other law, it is unlawful for a manufacturer to import for profit, sell, or offer for sale in this state, any cosmetic, if the cosmetic was developed or manufactured using an animal test that was conducted or contracted by the manufacturer, or any supplier of the manufacturer, on or after January 1, 2020.”

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The scientific conclusions is that toxicological tests have advanced enough so that animal testing is no longer relevant. The program manager for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States, Vicki Katrinak, told the Huffington Post,

We’re hopeful this law will encourage the federal government to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act,” program manager for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States Vicki Katrinak told the Huffington Post.

Rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs are frequently used for cosmetic testing. The process is generally torturous and the animals are often killed after testing.

PETA lists popular cosmetic brands that still perform animal testing. Check out their list of Cosmetic products that test on animals and the brands that don’t.

Antidepressant Use Connected To Antibiotic-Resistance Superbugs

The more fluoxetine an E.coli microbe is exposed to, the more likely that bacteria is to develop multidrug resistance, says a new study from the University of Queensland in Australia. What is fluoxetine, and why is this a big deal?

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and the active ingredient in some of the world’s most prescribed anti-depressants like Prozac and Sarafem. E.coli bacteria were exposed to fluoxetine for 30 days in different concentrations. The bacteria were then exposed to antibiotics like chloramphenicol, amoxicillin, and tetracycline. The microbes exposed to the fluoxetine showed an increased resistance to antibiotics that was 50 million-fold higher than the experiment control. The more the bacteria were exposed to the SSRI, the more quickly the drug resistance developed. Jianhua Guo is one of the authors of the study.

Fluoxetine is a very persistent and well-documented drug in the wider environment, where strong environmental levels can induce multi-drug resistance…This discovery provides strong evidence that fluoxetine directly causes multi-antibiotic resistance via genetic mutation.”

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Ubiquitous Fluoxetine

Fluoxetine is an incredibly popular drug. Healthcare practitioners issued more than 28 million prescriptions for it in 2018. It’s almost always among the top 30 medications prescribed worldwide. It’s everywhere, and the link between the antidepressant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria could have serious consequences.

This study is a lab-based study, and it’s fair to wonder how the drug and the bacteria interact in a real-world scenario. Scientists don’t know. When a drug this popular has the potential to hasten the evolution of multidrug-resistant bacteria though, we need more studies.

In People

Most antidepressants are taken for longer than a year. But even a short period on fluoxetine can give harmful bacteria the time they need to develop resistance. Prozac takes longer to exit the body than other SSRI medications like Paxil or Zoloft. While those examples 99 percent out of the body after 5 and 6 days respectively, Prozac takes nearly a month. These medications “fix” problems by disrupting the endocrine system. A disruption like that allows infections to flourish in the body.

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Not to Be Depressing…

We’re not ready for the level of antibiotic-resistant bacteria developing in our society. We know that antibiotics fed to food animals are a major source of those developments. Yet U.S. farmers are still using antibiotics regarded as “crucial to human health.” The authors of this study found that triclosan, an ingredient in antibacterial soaps, causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Now antidepressants have been linked to multidrug resistance.

We aren’t taking confirmed causes of this health seriously, and we are constantly finding new potential causes we hadn’t even considered. It’s a recipe for disaster.