MEDICAL SCIENCE



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ADDICTION DISEASE HEALTH RELATED ISSUES SCAMS
Alcohol Cancer Obesity Body Aging Alternative Medicine
Drugs Genetic Diseases Sleep Mind Aging Anti-Vaxxers
Marijuana Infectious Diseases Tanning Technology Food & Drink
Tobacco Other Diseases Vision Other Health Issues Vitamins


Alcohol


10/3/18

Another study demolishes the "moderate drinking is good for you" myth ...

it isn't


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9/21/18

According to the World Health Organization ...

Booze Killed 3 Million People in 2016


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7/19/18

Cirrhosis of the liver (due to alcohol abuse) is skyrocketing.

It began with The Great Recession


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11/19/17

Reduce alcohol consumption or face an increased ...

cancer risk


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7/7/17

Drinking while pregnant can not only affect your offspring ...

but their offspring as well


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4/27/17

Those who like to drink will probably ignore this study ...

but hopefully, not all of them


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4/20/17

What's the best way to fight alcohol abuse?

Show people these ads


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7/22/16

For those of you who like to drink
(I'm not talking about Dr. Pepper)

the news ...

is not good


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4/9/15

So many studies come out, urging me to take up drinking if I want to live longer.

That advice is now being re-evaluated


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4/2/15

Adolescent binge drinkers screw themselves up for life.

But hope may be on the way, that the damage can be undone


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11/14/12

A popular claim is that moderate drinkers live longer.

Effect of moderate drinking on the fetus

Maybe they do live longer ... but their kids are dumber.

Actually ... they don't live longer either


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Drugs


8/21/18

Poisonings from kratom, sold as a herbal supplement, are rising ...

But no one knows how much

And here is the quote that explains why people will continue to die:

"An estimated 3 - 5 million people use kratom ... It has become a billion-dollar business ...
The U.S.D.A. announced in 2016 it would reclassify kratom as a Schedule 1 drug, similar to heroin ...
a step other nations have taken. But industry groups lobbied to keep it on store shelves."


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7/24/14

Have low-back pain?
Think Tylenol is the answer?

Think again

There are millions of people who lead active lives, free of back pain.
They do not have magical back genes;
they have learned to use their backs properly.
Some humans are capable of remarkable feats of strength that involve the back.
But if you bend over to lift something heavy, and you fail to bend your legs,
you are likely to injure your back.

So stop blaming evolution ... for your mistakes.


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Marijuana


12/17/18

CBD (cannabidiol) in marijuana may worsen glaucoma ...

by raising eye pressure


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8/21/18

Schizophrenia and cannabis use were the disorders most correlated with ...

accelerated brain aging


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11/1/17

Marijuana farming hurts the environment

As if all the personal drawbacks weren't enough,
now we can add societal drawbacks to the habit.


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5/8/17

Here's a report out of Israel that shows promise
for actually being able to reverse dementia.

THC reverses cognitive decline in rats

This study seems to contradict previous work on the topic of cannabis.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see which side screwed up.
One thing is for sure ... they can't both be right.


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1/14/17

An in-depth report on the pros and cons of ...

marijuana use


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1/17

Cannabis: no evidence that it provides the benefits claimed by its proponents ...

and plenty of evidence that its adverse effects are real and serious

People will believe what they want to believe
and will disregard evidence to the contrary (confirmation bias).
Thankfully, for those of us who prefer truth and reality ...

there is science


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12/16/13

Marijuana linked to memory problems and schizophrenia

Reading the comments section following the article is entertaining,
as all the potheads came to the defense of their favorite drug ...
and attacked the study.

What is the A.M.A.'s position on marijuana?

Not good for those who like to smoke

And now for a word from the

American Psychological Association

Liberals and skeptics (usually the same people)
are among the biggest supporters of marijuana use.
These people are the same ones who ridicule religious and conservative people
for denying science when science doesn't go the way they want it to
as in the cases of evolution and global warming.

But when it comes to GMO's and marijuana,
Liberals and skeptics prove they are just as willing to deny science ...
when the results don't come out the way they had hoped.

Those people should have their "I'm a skeptic" hats confiscated


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Tobacco


11/8/18

How's the war against tobacco going?

Pretty good actually

It's obvious that the tobacco industry preys upon
the poorest and least educated among us.


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5/3/17

Think it's okay to smoke socially as long as you don't do it every day?

Think again


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4/28/17

Your smoking can affect your grandchildren ...

and not in a good way


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1/10/17

We know the cost tobacco extracts in human life.
So what is the cost to the planet in dollars?

If you guessed a "T"rillion dollars ...

you were right



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11/9/16

Actor Michael Douglas blamed his throat cancer,
not on his heavy drinking and smoking ...
but on oral sex.

So what are the facts?

While it can't be said for certain,
the odds weigh heavily in favor of the drinking and smoking


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5/16/14

How safe is water-pipe smoking?

Not as safe as advertised


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Cancer


4/11/19

One-third of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine

Quacks wait like vultures on a fence for desperate people to weaken.


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1/8/19

The US cancer death rate has been falling for at least 25 years.

Mainly attributed to lower smoking rates


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10/25/18

Why are taller people more susceptible to all types of cancer?

Simply because they have more cells

More cells = more chances for things to go wrong.


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3/3/18

Killing humans for profit. It's what Big Business does.

Why they don't make bacon non-carcinogenic

Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.
You are holding up the line to the slaughterhouse.


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2/11/18

Nanorobots seek out and destroy tumors ...

without side effects


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2/9/18

Promising cancer vaccine in rats. That means ...

we're next (6:56)


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8/2/17



Researchers have discovered that unaffected neighbor cells


helping to fight the cancer cells


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4/26/17

Medical researchers discover the key to cancer's success ... evolution.

How cancer works

"Cancer is a target with many bullseyes that shift position whenever struck."


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3/23/17

What is the primary cause of cancer?

Nearly two-thirds can be traced to DNA mutations

So quit getting older ... it's bad for your health


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1/9/17

The theory that any radiation is harmful has been debunked.

Medical imaging is safe for patients


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8/22/16

Melanoma has finally been figured out. Hang in there ...

help is on the way


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2/15/16



Killer T-cells armed with special cancer-fighting molecules ...


are finally turning the tide of battle


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9/21/15

Using viruses to deliver payloads to targeted cells to fight cancer ...

is getting closer and closer


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5/1/15

Researchers may have found a way to predict cancer

It almost sounds like cancer is the body's response
to telomeres that are aging too fast.
By stalling the destruction of telomeres for a few years,
it buys the victim time;
but eventually the cancer itself overtakes the victim.


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2/20/15

Scientists discover super antibody to target tumor cells.

Where did they find it?

In camels


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11/13/14

Mutations in the KRAS protein successfully targeted by RNA

resulting in huge reductions in tumor size and metastasis


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8/11/14



"Hey cancer cells ... yeah, I'm talkin' to you!"

"You're goin' down!"


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5/19/14

The measles virus has been engineered to fight bone marrow cancer ...

and it worked


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9/19/13

Colonoscopies reduce colorectal cancer mortality rates

(I hope you all appreciate the fact that I did not include a picture with this story)


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6/20/13

So you quit smoking (firsthand smoke);
and you stay away from smokers (secondhand smoke);
so now you're safe from nicotine, right?

Thirdhand smoke causes DNA damage

No matter where you go, or what you do on this planet;
there is always something out there ... that is out to get you.

Cheer up. If you are reading this then you were born human, which means ...
you already won the lottery.


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2/11/13

Combination drug therapy may fight both cancer and bacteria

Researchers create right-handed anti-microbial peptides


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1/14/13

One secret to tissue regeneration discovered

Tadpoles prevented from regrowing tails

Here is the article referenced above that features DNA discoverer James Watson
who adds another attack against the misuse of antioxidants

Antioxidants may be hindering the war on cancer


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Genetic Diseases


4/11/16

Multiple sclerosis coming into target range

Human tests to begin soon


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2/7/15

Science proves itself to be stranger than fiction once again: Baby girl is born (yay!) ...

pregnant with 2 fetuses (uh, say what?)


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1/30/12



Things can get pretty dangerous in the womb.

A boy ate his twin ... sort of

So if life begins at conception, why did God allow this murder?
In the Bible God does threaten to make family members eat each other
if they don't worship Him (Ezekiel 5:10).
But this kid didn't even get a chance for Christ's sake.

Come on God, a fetus?


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Infectious Diseases


7/26/18

Visceral leishmaniasis (spread by sandflies)
is one of the world's major neglected diseases.

We may soon have a cure

Just curious - is there anything out there ... that ISN'T out to get us?


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3/6/18

We've used chlorine bleach to fight germs for years ...

but our immune system has been using it far longer


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11/23/15

When Europeans invaded the New World
tens of millions of natives were slaughtered;
not so much by the Conquistadores, as by plagues.

So why didn't the Europeans get decimated by American germs?
(12:08)


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11/18/14

It turns out that our media hasn't been telling us everything about ebola, like ...

It stays in the semen 3 months after it has been cleared from the blood


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8/27/14

Brain-dead anti-vaxxers continue to be responsible
for thousands of American deaths each year.

Behind AIDS, HPV is the second most deadly sexually transmitted disease


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6/26/14

When your immune system jumps into action against an invader,
a sleeping virus (like herpes) just may take advantage of the commotion ...

and begin replicating again


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6/18/14

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are threatening humanity.

Science to the rescue


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1/2/14

Can you catch a cold ... from cold weather?
(2:45)



Centuries of observations by everyone on Earth
led us to the belief that colds were caused by cold
which is why we called them "colds."

Then we learned that colds were caused by viruses.
But many people, in their zeal to bang everyone over the head
with their newly-found knowledge,
claimed that colds were not affected by temperature,
which contradicted centuries of observations.

Now researchers have shown that the observations were correct,
and that, while it is true that colds are caused by viruses,
it is also true that temperature does play a role
in whether or not we succumb to the viruses (1:04)



A few years ago I discovered,
that when a viral infection first began to irritate my throat,
if I donned a surgical mask before bedtime,
I had a good chance of preventing the cold by morning.
The mask worked better than aspirin.

I surmised that it might have something to do with the fact,
that by slowing down my breathing,
that might be enabling my immune system to better defend against the virus
which was trying to speed up my heart rate, etc.
(similar to how hyperventilating people slow their respiratory rates
by breathing into a paper bag)

Well, it seemed plausible anyway.

But as the video showed,
science explains what the real mechanism is behind the mask's success ...

Rhinoviruses prefer cold noses


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2/27/13

Viruses hijack bacterial immune system before killing it

New weapon against cholera


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Other Diseases


7/6/15

Researchers now understand the world's #1 killer much better

Heart attacks and strokes caused by atherosclerosis


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11/7/14

Dopamine cells (from embryonic stem cells)

have been transplanted into the brain to fight Parkinson's

But ...

placebo worked just as well

Why does everything have to be so difficult?


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4/22/14



A compound called D-PDMP blocked the synthesis of the glycosphingolipid molecule ...

thereby preventing the development of heart disease in mice and rabbits


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4/25/13

Researchers link Parkinsons to heart disease

Defective mitochondria


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2/21/13

Explanation of how our skin fights off harmful bacteria

Special proteins


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7/12/12



Live vaccines combine into new viruses in chickens

Anti-vaxers will, of course, attempt to use this in their misinformation campaign.
In reality, a place they have never visited,
it only means that scientists have learned more about how viruses function.
Medical professionals will simply have to take recombination into consideration
when administering multiple vaccines.


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Obesity


12/20/18

The average American is leaving the "fat" category and beginning to enter ...

the "obese" category


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8/1/17

The Mediterranean Diet works great ...

but only if you are rich or well-educated

In other words: it isn't the diet.

UPDATE - 6/14/18

Study retracted with a new conclusion: correlation not causation


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6/21/17

Fasting v. Calorie Restriction (12:49)

I lack the expertise to summarize the conclusions in that video.
But with an obesity epidemic occurring in the U.S. and elsewhere
even the lesser of the two methods would be a step in the right direction.


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5/26/17

As any bodybuilder can tell you,
the ubiquitous BMI score (body mass index)
is not a very accurate way to judge obesity.
To learn about a better measurement for determining obesity,
click on this selfie that I took the other night ...




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9/21/16

Childhood Fitness:
America humiliated again

Thank God for Mexico

"USA" "USA" "USA"
"We're #47" "We're #47" "We're #47"


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8/26/16

Previous study that said being overweight didn't reduce life expectancy ...

has been contradicted by a more robust study

So get your fat ass back on that treadmill, and when you are done ...
get down on the floor and give me 20


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8/1/16

Be sure to read the article carefully


If you read it carefully, you should have noticed that,
buried in all the anti-red meat hoopla
was the fact that people who lived healthy lifestyles
(defined as exercising; not smoking, drinking, or overeating) ...

were unaffected


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3/2/15

Treadmill performance predicts mortality

Notice that scoring over 100 didn't make all that much difference,
compared to those who also scored positive, but less than 100 (1%).
But, dropping below and going negative made a HUGE difference.
So one conclusion is: you don't have to run marathons to be fit and healthy ...

Just get off your ass once in a while


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7/8/14

Which is the major culprit in the obesity epidemic ...

Lack of exercise ... or diet?


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6/17/14

All you couch potatoes out there ...

Atten - hut!


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10/10/13

When you lose weight ... where does the fat go?

The mathematics & chemistry of weight loss (21:25)


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6/19/13

AMA now classifies obesity as a disease

Since 1/3 of Americans are obese, 1/3 are 'only' fat, and 1/3 are healthy ... fat is the new normal.

But it gets worse

80% of Americans, not only believe in, but actually worship invisible ghosts,
making us the butt of jokes among advanced nations.

But it gets worse

Making fun of the fat, dumb kid isn't really such a good idea though.
America also happens to be the most powerful country on Earth,
and is constantly at war somewhere in the world.

Before it gets any worse

Those who benefit from keeping Americans fat, dumb, and aggressive,
accuse anyone who would change it as "America haters."
In a way they are right;
I hate what America has become: a fat, dumb, killing machine.
But what I hate more are the ones who have reduced America to what it has become ...

and some of us are trying to do something about it


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Sleep


4/25/19

Sleeping on your left side increases your heart rate, compared to ...

sleeping supine


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11/10/16

Another helpful hint about sleep ...

put your Smartphone away at bedtime

Surely you can think of something better to do at bedtime, right?


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9/26/14

How to improve your teenager's life ...

let them sleep


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7/24/14

Are you a "Night Owl" ... or a "Morning Person?"

They have different personality traits


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Tanning


5/1/17

Over-doing sun exposure can lead to many serious problems, but ...

you do need to get some sun


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3/5/17

Australia once again demonstrates that its leaders have about
10 times the common sense possessed by American leaders ...

They ban tanning beds

So, how do Americans respond?
Do they wise up and take the courageous steps necessary to save lives?
Or do they allow unrestrained Capitalism to continue to deal agony and death
to the weakest members of our society ... for profit?

We took option #2


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8/8/16

Be careful out there (4:32)




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4/6/16

While it is true that overexposure to the sun's rays can be harmful,
the importance of getting enough sunshine cannot be overstated.
In addition to providing needed vitamin D (to avoid Rickets),
it is also necessary to prevent the myopic future of ...

the human race


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1/7/15

The title sounds like Astrology nonsense,
but it is actually some pretty good science:

Solar activity at birth predicted infant survival and women's fertility


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Vision


12/30/15

The Nearsightedness Epidemic (8:58)

Conclusion: don't live your whole life indoors.


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Body Aging


11/6/18

Huge study concludes that heredity plays a smaller role in longevity than previously thought.

From 30% down into the single digits


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12/21/17

Life expectancy in the U.S. drops for the second year in a row.
That hasn't happened since 1963.
2017 is on track to be the third year in a row ...

That hasn't happened since WW1 (Spanish Flu)


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5/8/17

Since the Oligarchs returned to power in 1980
(after being deposed for almost 50 years)
the life expectancy gap in the U.S. has gotten a whole lot worse.

And those who suffer the most are those people trapped in the "Red States"

I know it's tempting to say those people deserve it
for being stupid enough to keep in power, the same people who are killing them.
But we must find a way to help these people, in spite of themselves.
They don't possess the rational thinking skills to protect themselves ... but we do.

Battle Stations!


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4/15/17



The last person born in the 19th century has died (age 117)

My favorite part of the story came at the very end:

"Her longtime doctor says Morano subsisted on
two raw eggs in the morning, an omelette for lunch, and chicken for dinner—
almost never consuming fruits or vegetables."

I wanted to send that article to these people, and ask them ...

How much longer would she have lived?

The only way I could eat 10 pieces of fruit a day, is if they were ...

grapes


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2/13/17

Scientists are learning how calorie restriction extends life ...

Ribosomes get time to make repairs and perform better


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12/8/16

Life expectancy in U.S. dropped in 2015
for the first time in almost a quarter century.
If Republicans take away health care from 30 million Americans,
as they have threatened, life expectancy will fall even more.
When Republicans blocked the Medicaid Expansion in their states
about 12,000 additional American deaths occurred every year in those states.
9/11 was nothing by comparison to Republican governance.
I guess you could look at the bright side, and be grateful to Republicans

for helping us in the fight against overpopulation


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7/11/16

"Pomegranate Juice extends lifespan"

This story had all the classic signs of pseudoscience.

But it may be for real

We'll find out after the human trials complete


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5/12/15



Yet another candidate for "The Fountain of Youth"

In the picture above: Images of cells in the brain's hippocampus
show that the growth factor TGF-beta1 (stained red)
is barely present in young tissue but ubiquitous in old tissue,
where it suppresses stem cell regeneration
and contributes to inflammation and aging.


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1/9/14

Advance in "aging" research

From what I can tell,
scientists are working wonders on increasing the life span ...

of flies

If I were self-centered, I might almost conclude
that scientists were waiting until my death ...
before moving on to human trials.


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9/25/12

Arnold Schwarzenegger



Scientists make old muscles young again.

I think "The Terminator" might be interested in this one


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12/28/09

Biologist Michael Rose extends the lifespan of fruit flies ... fourfold.

Watch all 3 parts (~10 minutes each)

Now, a new study on longevity offers an explanation of how delayed reproduction works.

Older dads produce longer-living offspring

Now, what did you learn?
If you said that the children of older dads live longer - hang your head
(don't feel bad, I had to hang my head too).

Steven Novella of the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe
pointed out that the headline was nothing more than journalistic sensationalism.
If you read the article carefully, it only said
that the greater telomere length, inherited by children with older fathers,
"may" give them a chance to live longer.
But other factors (mentioned at the very end of the article)
may nullify the advantage of the longer telomeres.

Just a thought: another way to verify this theory
would be for Rose to test his flies for telomere length.


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Mind Aging


5/30/15

Scientists obtain evidence that memories lost to Alzheimer's
are not necessarily "lost" ...

they are merely difficult to retrieve

In Podcast #339

that is exactly what I said (2:15)


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5/12/14

           A life leading nowhere       Somewhere to go ...
      the direction has been chosen





Those who find a purpose in life ... live longer

I would like to take a moment to thank all my enemies,
without whom, I would be standing at the end of that pier


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Technology


4/21/17

CRISPR used to restore vision in lab rats suffering from Retinitis Pigmentosa ...

by editing gene mutations


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3/7/17

Snakebite antidotes may soon be a thing of the past ...

after a huge breakthrough by chemists


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12/16/16

CRISPR explained (11:00)



Science ... beating the snot out of the gods for about 500 years now


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9/26/16



PHD student thinks "outside the box" and makes a stunning breakthrough ...

in the fight against anti-biotic-resistant superbugs


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12/4/15

Have you ever met a person who can barely feel pain?
How about a mouse?

Researchers discover key to eliminating chronic pain


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12/2/15

Natural gas may, or may not, be better for the environment than coal.

It all depends on how it's handled


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10/25/15

And this study comes from Massachusetts General Hospital
"a national leader in patient safety
[which] had already implemented approaches
to improve safety in the operating room ...."

Medication errors and adverse drug events occurred in nearly half of all surgeries

We've come an long, long way ... but we've still got an awfully long way to go.


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6/4/15

Your viral history can now be read from a single drop of your blood

I sent an email to one of the scientists, Jim Keeley, and asked him:

I have a question about the article:
What is the difference between these 2 sentences from the article?

"VirScan works by screening the blood for antibodies
against any of the 206 species of viruses known to infect humans."

"As a group, the bacteriophage displayed all of the protein sequences found
in the more than 1,000 known strains of human viruses."

What is the difference between strains of human viruses
and species of viruses known to infect humans?

Are there strains of human viruses that don't "infect" humans?
Or, are there multiple strains within a "species" of virus?

Thank you for your patience with my ignorance.

His reply affirmed my second guess:

"There can be multiple subtypes (strains) of viruses in a viral species.
So while there are 206 species, most of those species have multiple strains;
hence the '1,000 known' number."


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3/27/15

The end of humans using animals for their meat ...

would seem to finally be coming into view

Now for a reality check:
When their livelihood and profits were threatened ...
Remember how the tobacco companies responded in the 1980's?
Remember how the oil, coal, and power companies responded in the 2000's?
Remember all the stories about drug traffickers protecting their business?

There is no limit to the depths that people will stoop to ...

to keep the money rolling in


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3/13/15

The world's first successful penis transplant

No, I am not going to provide a picture with this story.


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12/16/14

This double-arm amputee is not someone ...

whom you would want to armwrestle (4:32)


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5/28/14

Cloaking devices and nano robots fighting disease inside the body:
it sounds like science fiction, doesn't it?

Well ... it isn't science fiction any longer


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4/16/13

Scientists make breakthrough in fight against world hunger.

Cellulose has been converted into starch


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Other Health News


4/27/15

What is the real #1 killer in the world today?

People unable to access life-saving surgeries

I don't see that one on the C.D.C.'s list of top causes of death.


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3/2/15

The World Health Organization advises people to be aware of activities ...

that may aggravate hearing loss


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11/27/14

Yes, it's that time again ...
time to check your gag reflex to make sure it is working properly.
(contains a 10-second video - can you watch the whole 10 seconds?)

Tapeworms


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8/13

Is sunlight the best disinfectant?

Only for water


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8/9/04

The #3 cause of death in the U.S. is not even listed at all
on the C.D.C.'s list of top killers.

I wonder why not?

You need to think very carefully before resorting to any surgery.
After you have weighed the risks and benefits with your doctor(s),
then you can make an informed decision ... and take your chances.

10/29/14

Classic Emails (1 page)

I recently emailed the C.D.C.
regarding their list of the top causes of death in the U.S.

C.D.C. Leading Causes of Death

Look what they left out

Deaths From Medical Accidents

They left out the #3 cause of death!

I can understand omitting a minor cause - but #3?
It's also suspicious that the cause they omitted,
just happens to be the one that reflects negatively on their profession.

I then had the following email exchange with the C.D.C.

My email exchange with the C.D.C.

The C.D.C. replied to my email by claiming I wasn't clear enough
(even though I supplied them with the link above).
When I pointed out that I could not have been any clearer,
and that many people besides myself, have to be wondering
why the C.D.C. is ignoring one of the major causes of death ...
they chose to stop further communications.

Spreading joy and making friends ... it's what I do.



About a year later - the fight resumes ...

Classic Emails (1 page)

I sent the following email to the editors at Medical News Today:



There is an error in Hannah Nichols' article

What are the top 10 leading causes of death in the US?

The #3 cause of death should be "In-Hospital Medical Errors"
with almost 200,000 per year (and that figure was from 10 years ago).

Here is the link to the article, containing supporting data
on deaths due to in-hospital medical errors

That link is from your own web site.

Last year I sent that link to the CDC,
asking them why they did not include "medical errors" on their list,
as it gives the impression that the medical profession is trying to hide something.

They responded that they did not understand me!
They said I needed to "elaborate further."

I replied that I could not have made it any clearer, and repeated the question:
Why did they refuse to include the #3 cause of death on their list?

The CDC then stopped communication.

The ball is in your court MNT.

You can either deal with this embarrassment or ignore it like the CDC ...
the choice is yours.

(I'm predicting they will hide under their rock just like the CDC did;
but this is one time ... I wish I were wrong)



Here's what I got the next day:

Take a look at this bullshit, "go-away kid - you bother me" email
that they sent back to me

I took enough of that evasive crap last year from the CDC. Now it's time to ...

Let the games begin!

By the way, I found recent data - and it only makes my case ... stronger.

Recent data



UPDATE (another year later)

Well, Well. Looky what happened here ...

2 years ago the C.D.C. ignored me.
Let's see if they ignore Scott Pelley of CBS news.

After that show aired, I sent the C.D.C. the following email ...

To: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(I included the link to the CBS Special here)

"So my question is ...
when are you going to add this in at #3
on your list of leading causes of death?

(it doesn't even appear in your top 50)

You wouldn't do it 2 years ago when I contacted you.
Is it safe to assume that you will do it now?

neo "

(I won't be holding my breath for a reply)

UPDATE - 5/3/16

More reinforcements arrive ... on my side

UPDATE 2/4/19

More reinforcements arrive, but ... NOT on my side

That last link was devastatingly powerful. I had been fooled just like many others.
This is where the ability to admit when you have been wrong, comes in handy.
Without that ability ... intellectual growth becomes nearly impossible.


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Alternative Medicine


9/25/17

Big Business continues its takeover of our educational system.
The University of California at Irvine has sold out its academic integrity.
How much did they get in exchange? How much was their integrity worth?

$200 million

Remember a few years back when the Koch Brothers were exposed
for doing the same thing at the economics department at Florida State University?
And then we learned that the Brothers have been very busy indeed,
taking control of collegiate economics departments all over America
by offering large donations in return for control over curriculum and personnel.

Well ... it's like that


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1/2/16

'Alternative Medicine' is a name coined by con artists
to add legitimacy to their fraudulent practices.
It is for the same reason that religious believers call their invisible ghosts ... gods.

The old name for Alternative Medicine was accurate enough ... quackery.


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9/4/15

How the cancer known as "Alternative Medicine" has metastasized in the U.S. (14:44)

How much would you give to be able to examine
Senator Harkins' offshore bank accounts?

Maybe this will give you an idea why candidates
will spend millions of dollars to win a job ...

that only pays thousands


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3/12/15

Finally ... a blunt, no-nonsense verdict on homeopathy

I guess the "blunt, no-nonsense" part must have given away the fact, that ...

this was outside the United States


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5/24/14

Is this the final nail in the coffin of the anti-fluoridation kooks?

Don't count on it. Kooks are like rubber duckies in a bathtub:
you can clobber them with a baseball bat as hard as you want,
but the little suckers will always float right back up to the surface.

Oh by the way,

here is an email exchange I had with some of the kooks (3 pages)


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12/11/13

Homeopaths in India go on hunger strike

On the plus side, if they all die of hunger,
maybe they'll reincarnate as herbs ...

and be ground up into homeopathic pills


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7/19/13

Science vs. Pseudoscience

And the winner remains ... Pseudoscience

Who was the main proponent behind the current multi-vitamin craze?

"Joseph Fortunato, chief executive of General Nutrition Centers said
"The thing to do with these reports is just ride them out.
We see no impact on our business."

UPDATE - 5/28/18

Multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C (the most common supplements)
showed no advantage or added risk in the prevention of
cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, or premature death.

They are simply taking you to the cleaners


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2010

Victims of alternative medicine are similar to the victims of Stockholm Syndrome:
in each case they bond with their abusers.
In Stockholm Syndrome, they hope to gain the trust of their abuser
and therefore, a better chance at survival.
In alternative medicine they bond because they want to regain hope for survival,
or a least an improvement in their condition,
by accepting what the frauds are offering them.

Stockholm Syndrome


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1987



In 1987 chiropractors (and other quacks)
won a big victory over the American Medical Association,
ushering in an era of legalized quackery.

Stripped of government protection, the public was now left to fend for itself.
While this sounds bad, it could be turned into a blessing in disguise
if it forces the masses to develop the rational thinking skills necessary
to defend themselves from frauds.

Wilk vs. American Medical Association - 1987


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Anti-Vaxxers


3/8/19

Tetanus nearly kills 6-year-old boy whose parents then refuse further treatment

These parents should be sterilized, have their children removed from their custody,
and never be allowed within 100' of any child ever again.

If they refuse to protect their child because of their ignorant arrogance ...
then the State should step in and protect him.
We do that in cases of sexual or physical abuse and neglect.
It needs to be done in cases of life or death.


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3/1/19

The anti-vax movement is being manipulated by Demagogues and Populists

These are the idiots responsible for many deaths and much suffering


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2/22/19

I had thought that,
dangerous anti-vax nonsense
stretched across both ends of the political spectrum.
But no longer ...

Apparently, in an attempt to increase their dwindling base
by appealing to the most gullible voters,
the Republicans have decided to own it.

Arizona Republicans push dangerous anti-vax bills

It's amazing how low an entire political party can sink.
But if treason didn't embarrass them ...

why would a bunch of dead kids?


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10/25/18

Last year (2017) only 37% of adults got their flu shot ...

resulting in one of the deadliest seasons since the 1970's

In my opinion, the children of anti-vax idiots
should be taken away from them and placed into protective custody.
And anti-vaxxers should never be allowed within 100' of any child ... ever again.


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7/18/18

Scientists zero in on the cause of autism ... and it ain't vaccines.

The mother's microbiome appears to be a major factor


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12/1/17

Anti-vaxxers can strike anywhere, even in the most advanced nations ...

like Japan

That story sounded like it came straight out of the U.S., didn't it?

It proves that idiocy knows no racial, gender, or national boundaries.

Battle Stations!


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8/3/17



People in some American states and foreign countries
are finally beginning to fight back against parents
who put their own children, and everyone else's, at risk ...

because they are too stupid and arrogant to get their kids vaccinated

If it were up to me, I would throw their asses in jail.


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10/20/16

In more advanced countries, like Australia,
they don't screw around with the Nut Jobs who threaten their children:

Australia won't tolerate nurses who push anti-vax nonsense

Australia stands up to anti-science morons
by refusing benefits to anti-vax parents ...

Vaccinate those little bundles of dribble and sputum ... or else

Australians show America what good government looks like;
taking action that will save many innocent lives.

Senate stomps on Anti-Vaxxers


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3/15/15

Classic Emails (9 pages)

My attack on anti-vaxxers
(and by mistake - one pro-vaxxer)

And just when we were all getting to know one another
and I thought I could almost feel real bonds being formed ...

they all went silent


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2/27/15

Jimmy Kimmel's attack on anti-vax loons
(with the help of some doctors) ...

is hysterical (4:57)




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2/19/15

The psychology behind the anti-vax movement

He put it a whole lot nicer than I would have.


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2/9/15

Liberal icon Bill Maher bitterly disappoints the skeptical community
with his anti-vax nonsense (12:30)

But Orac takes down both Maher and his panel ... point by point

Now THAT ... was a beautiful read.

And if you think Maher should be flogged a little more ...

this was pretty good too


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2/2/15

You are never going to believe this ...

Which state has the highest vaccination rate?

Remember this link?

Where shall I begin the list of cliches?
"Every dog has its day"
"Around every dark cloud there is a silver lining"
"There's a speck of light in the darkest night"

Okay, I made that last one up: but you get the point ...

Congratulations Mississippi!


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9/8/14

Jenny McCarthy's child didn't develop autism because of a vaccine -
that has been conclusively ruled out by scientific research.
The evidence indicates that, in most cases, autism is inherited.

However, parents do not have to be helpless bystanders.
They can have a dramatic impact on the severity of their child's autism.
But this requires a huge investment of time and love;
something that not all parents are willing, or able, to provide.

Helping kids with autism

McCarthy tried desperately to put the blame
for her son's condition on the medical profession.
Using false correlations, McCarthy could have just as well tried to blame anyone ...



But the evidence implicates, not the medical profession, but the parent's genetics;
and the study you just read heaps more blame, not on the medical field,
but on McCarthy herself, who could have done so much more,
but chose instead, to invest her time in a glamorous career.
So maybe the real motivation behind McCarthy's crusade is ... guilt?


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11/15/13



Chicken Pox Parties

My official statement:

Any parent who intentionally gets their child infected with chicken pox,
or any other communicable disease,
should have their children taken from them,
and those parents should be sent to Federal Prison.
After their release, they should be prohibited from ever raising children again.

(Unofficially ... you don't want to know what I really think should be done to them)


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6/1/13

How to go from hero to scum ... the story of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy spreading anti-vax propaganda

When I saw Kennedy's work in the movie "The Last Mountain"
I believed him to be a true American hero.
As an environmental lawyer he is quite well qualified in environmental issues.
But like so many others, Kennedy assumes that his expertise in one field
automatically makes him an expert in other fields.
By that, I mean that he overrules the scientific consensus
in a field in which he is not qualified.
That is the very definition of arrogance.
Now he spreads the pseudoscientific lies of the anti-vax movement.

There is no one sitting on Death Row, in any state,
who is responsible for more deaths than Jenny McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

And another hero has fallen
(No, I didn't mean Jenny McCarthy - I was thinking of Linus Pauling)


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2/15/13

Okay, I admit it.
This slam against anti-vaxxers is a blatant steal from the web site of

The Friendly Atheist

But Hemant's comment was just too funny, not to steal:

"Remember polio?
Cases of polio have decreased 99% since 1988.
It’s been eradicated in the U.S.
Do you think it’s because God was all of a sudden bored ...
with crippling young kids? "


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Food & Drink


1/15/19

What is the psychology behind GMO denial?

Dunning-Kruger ... on steroids


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1/14/19

GMO opponents think they're smarter than everyone else. In reality ...

they are dumber

At least I can understand why intelligent people sometimes develop arrogance.
I've yet to figure out how stupid dumbshits, like these fools, can become so arrogant.
I guess it's just a case of the Dunning-Kruger Effect ... on steroids.


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8/20/18

The vitamin D craze, just like the vitamin C craze ...

fails to produce the promised results

Since we never seem to learn,
it's a good thing there are only a limited number of vitamins.

UPDATE - 10/5/18

Meta-analysis concludes that Vitamin D supplements are "largely worthless"


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11/4/15

"Junk Food" is a scapegoat for obesity ...
according to many scientific studies like this one (1:51)



It's time to step away from the keyboard ... and the remote


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10/23/15

Alternative medicine supplementation continues its unblemished record of ...

failure


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7/10/15

GMO's ... explained (11:25)




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10/22/14

Dietary supplements are designed to relieve you of one thing,
and one thing only ...

that annoying wad of cash in your wallet


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10/15/14

If you consume "energy drinks" ...

you should probably read this


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9/25/14

More powerful scientific proof in support of the position that ...

GMO's are safe

UPDATE - 1/11/16

Should there be mandatory GMO labelling?

Spoiler Alert ... No


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7/24/14

Neil DeGrasse Tyson tells anti-GMO freaks to "chill out"



This brief article includes a list of the scientific organizations who agree with Tyson

Tyson's most important point:

"What most people don’t know, but they should,
is that practically every food you buy in a store
for consumption by humans is genetically modified food. "


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7/10/14

Antioxidants and cancer

Good rule of thumb:
When deciding on whether to take the advice of scientists or salesmen ...

Go with the scientists


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9/3/12

Huge meta analysis of health studies found no evidence that "organic" is better.

Pay More ... Get Basically The Same Benefits


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10/25/94

The Dietary Supplement Health And Education Act Of 1994

A great example of your government looking out for you
and not caving in to Big Business and all their money.

(at this point, sarcasm is about all I have left)


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Vitamins


11/10/18

A huge new study says that fish oil and vitamin D pills ...

are no guard against cancer or serious heart trouble

They just want your money.
Nothing new to see here folks ... move along.


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10/7/13

Should you take vitamin supplements?

With 2/3's of Americans classified as either fat or obese,
vitamin deficiencies are extremely rare.


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