Howard G. Smith, MD, AM
PENTA Medical Network
617-488-9699
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HealthNews RoundUp - 1st Week of February 2023
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REPORTS
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Coffee PLUS Milk Has Medicinal Effects
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Tk1xJO_vRd8
When milk is added to coffee, it may well put a damper on destructive inflammation that turbocharged immune cells create. Food science researchers at the University of Copenhagen are investigating this possibility as they study the synergy between the anti-inflammatory agents polyphenols and protein-containing foods.
Their experiments show that the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols are twice as powerful after the polyphenols are exposed to amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Polyphenols are found in many fruits, vegetables, and coffee beans while milk is a rich source of protein.
Since out-of-control immune inflammation is the basis of Covid’s chronic, destructive effects on human vital organs, drinking coffee with milk added may well help limit the long-term impact of CoVid.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814622023688?via=ihub
#inflammation #polyphenols #protein #coffee #milk #longCovid
inflammation, polyphenols, protein, coffee, milk, longCovid
One of Three College Students and Staff Get Long CoVid
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/vI_upzEONZQ
The long CoVid definition, continuing symptoms for more than a month after an acute case of CoVid, was the one used by George Washington University researchers as they assessed 982 university students and 356 staff.
Breaking down the numbers, 39% of students and 34% of staff developed long CoVid symptoms. Only 26% of those vaccinated and boosted were affected while 44% of those who only received 2 shots and 48% of those unvaccinated were stricken.
The mental issues reported by those with Long CoVid definitely impacted their academic performance including: difficulties conversing, making decisions, thinking, remembering, and driving; feelings of anxiety and depression. Their physical health was marred by: shortness of breath, insomnia, weakness, loss of smell and taste, and fatigue.
You don’t want CoVid. It often does not go away. Make certain to be completely vaccinated and boosted and use protective masking when necessary
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/29/3/22-1522-t3
#CoVid #longcovid #college #vaccination #boosting #cognition #strength
CoVid, longcovid, college, vaccination, boosting, cognition, strength
American Kids Are Poisoned by Toxic Play Makeup
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nJPnFO3MCsE
The next time you buy glitter, face paint, hair gel, nail polish, perfume, and lip gloss for your children, think poison. That’s the message from the Columbia School of Public Health. Researchers there surveyed 207 parents of 312 children 12 years or younger regarding their use of these products.
A full 70% of the children used these play cosmetics with greater use by older and female children. Though these products are regulated by FDA, the safety net is weak with no mandatory pre-market reviews except for color additives, few recalls, and inadequate reporting of adverse events.
These products contain multiple toxic ingredients including: the heavy metals lead, cadmium, and chromium, the endocrine disruptors phthalates, parabens, and PFCs or perfluorochemicals. These ingredients are all toxic and particularly so if absorbed or ingested into small bodies.
The sane advice to loving parents of small children and pre-teens. Don’t buy or allow your kids to use these poisons.
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/2114
#child #parenting #cosmetics #glitter #facepaint #lipgloss #nailpolish
#lead #phthalates #pfcs
child, parenting, cosmetics, glitter, facepaint, lipgloss, nailpolish
#lead, phthalates, pfcs
Vaping More Damaging To Lungs Than Tobacco Smoking
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/BNDUkyaGks8
Use of electronic cigarettes, compared with those containing tobacco, produces significantly more lung inflammation. This from a preliminary University of Pennsylvania study using PET imaging, that is positron emission tomography, with a novel radioactive tracer to quantitate pulmonary levels of the inflammatory enzyme nitric oxide synthetase. The investigators compared 3 groups: vapers, smokers, and never vaper/smokers.
The data showed that frequent vaper’s levels of inflammatory activity were significantly higher than that of frequent smokers. This enzymatic activity correlates with lung damage. Tobacco use surprisingly failed to bump up pulmonary inflammation.
Although other studies have shown that e-cigarettes contain far fewer toxic chemicals than tobacco, there are still plenty. The rapid rise of vaping has been associated with a surge of lung injuries and deaths. Much of the toxicity has been attributed to Vitamin E acetate, but there are other toxins in the THC and non-THC vapors.
https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2023/01/19/jnumed.122.264529
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html
#vaping #tobacco #smoking #pneumonitis #inflammation
vaping, tobacco, smoking, pneumonitis, inflammation
Smoking During Pregnancy Risks Sudden Infant Death
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/YzwQGQEejkg
Smoking before and during a pregnancy increases by 5 fold the risk that an infant will die suddenly over the months following birth. Rutgers University’s SIDS Center of New Jersey studied over one-half million white mother-child pairs and over 83,000 black mother-child pairs cataloging maternal smoking stats and the incidence of SIDS.
The data shows that smoking pre-pregnancy increases the SIDS risk about 2 fold for both groups. As smoking continued through the trimesters, the risk for white families rapidly escalated to a whopping 7 fold while the risk for black families gradually increased to about half that at 3.6 fold.
This is yet another good reason to stop smoking if you expect to become pregnant, and your partner should stop as well. Certainly both should ditch the habit once you have conceived. Do it for your baby as well as for yourselves.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41372-022-01516-0
#smoking #pregnancy #SIDS #rutgers #race
smoking, pregnancy, SIDS, rutgers, race
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FUTURE MED
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A Implantable Neural Chip Detects and Treats Seizures
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/nPICqxAiVnM
Teams of Swiss bioengineers have developed NeuralTree, a tiny ultralow power and energy efficient machine learning microprocessor that can be paired with a 256 channel high resolution sensing array. This implantable combo capably recognizes the electrical fingerprints that foreshadow a seizure and issues timely blocking signals to prevent that seizure. The chip promises not only better seizure management, but this AI technology has applications for management of many neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9905664
#neuraltree #lowpower #implantable #microprocessor #sensor #seizures #Parkinsons
neuraltree #lowpower #implantable #microprocessor #sensor #seizures, parkinsons
Novel CoVid Nasal Sprays
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/WkD2-OCxmnY
Three different nasal sprays, two by American university collaborators and the other by Canadian researchers, show promise new weapons against CoVid. One American entry developed by Northwestern, UWashington, and Washington University-St. Louis utilizes a computer-designed and optimized protein to coat the spikes of virtually any CoVid variant or sub variant and prevent its entry into human cells. Used in a mouse model, the nasal spray neutralized all CoVid variants better than our best available antibody treatments.
The other American entry, developed at Cornell with help from Canadian collaborators, targets the human enzyme TMPRSS2 that the virus uses to gain entry into human cells. Their identified compound, N0385, given to mice before of after CoVid exposure, substantially reduced viral proliferation and lethal toxicity.
The Canadian spray, Enovid, now manufactured and sold by an Israeli pharmaceutical company, utilizes the oxidizing agent nitric oxide to destroy the RNA of CoVid or, for that matter, any virus on or in the nasal linings. Nitric oxide, a gas, is produced by components in the liquid spray. Studies should that Enovid, used repeated over days, can reduce viral loads by 99.9%. It works in the test tube on both CoVid and influenza.
You can already buy Enovid on Amazon, but it’s much cheaper to order it directly from the Israeli pharmacy.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn1252
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(22)00046-4/fulltext
https://www.israelpharm.com/online-pharmacy/enovid/
#nasalsprays #CoVid #spikeprotein #TMPRSS2 #nitricoxide #RNA #enovid #influenza
nasalsprays, CoVid, spikeprotein, TMPRSS2, nitricoxide, RNA, enovid, influenza
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BUSINESS OF HEALTH
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Bottlebrush-shaped Nanoparticle Delivers Complex Cancer Chemotherapy
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/7P4GJ-yNLMc
As precision oncologic therapy advances, we are learning that many cancers respond only to a combination of chemotherapeutic agents. MIT, Harvard, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators in collaboration with the MIT spinoffs Ceptur Therapeutics and Window Therapeutics have developed unique nanoparticles shaped like bottle-brushes. These carrier molecules capably transport multiple chemotherapeutic agents to and into cancer cells. Studies are underway to use this unique transport mechanism to also carry mRNA and therapeutic antibodies.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-022-01310-1
#chemotherapy #cancer #nanomolecules #precisiononcology #mRNA #antibodies
chemotherapy, cancer, nanomolecules, precisiononcology, mRNA, antibodies
Bioprinted Skin For Cosmetics Testing Takes The Pressure off Bugs Bunny
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/2o9l4pQ95EQ
Use of 3D bioprinting can produce faux-human skin with remarkably similar anatomic features to the real thing. That’s a relief to rabbits who traditionally had their eyes and ears subjected to pre-marketing tests of cosmetics destined for human use.
A new Brazilian study compared the characteristics of bioprinted and manually-reconstructed skin. Evaluated were the anatomic features but most importantly the ability of the skins to mount an inflammatory response to test substances.
Although manually-reconstructed human skin has been around for nearly 40 years, the use of 3D printing provides the ability to standardize the product for more reproducible test results.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405886622000616?via=ihub
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/product-testing-cosmetics/animal-testing-cosmetics
#bioprinting #skin #animaltesting #cosmetics #rabbits
bioprinting, skin, animaltesting, cosmetics, rabbits
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CPSC Recalls
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FDA Recalls
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Many Hot Cocoa Pods Have Peanuts
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/WlRxs0mrSf0
The FDA and Two Rivers Coffee are recalling single serve hot cocoa pods sold in Two Rivers Coffee, Brooklyn Bean, and Pingo variety packs. These pods are contaminated with peanut allergen. Those with peanut allergies could develop serious and life-threatening allergic reactions. Affected are all pods manufactured before January 23, 2023. If you bought any of these packs, contact the place of purchase for replacements or refunds. For more information and to check if your specific product is recalled, contact Two Rivers Coffee at 1-800-418-0689 or vial email at support@tworiversco.com.
#cocoapods #varietypacks #TwoRiversCoffee #BrooklynBean #Pingo #peanuts #allergy #recall
cocoapods, varietypacks, TwoRiversCoffee, BrooklynBean, Pingo, peanuts, allergy #recall
Matsunaga Mini Shiruko Sand Biscuits Have Secret Soy
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/lzdFa4PCMoo
The FDA and Daiso California LLC announce the recall of Matsunaga Mini Shiruko Sand Biscuits. These pastries have undeclared soy ingredients and were sold in Daiso stores in California, Washington, Nevada, Texas, New York, and New Jersey. If you purchased these biscuits, return them to any Daiso store for a full refund. For additional information, contact Daiso at 1-833-888-1610.
#daiso #sandbiscuits #soy #allergy #recall
daiso, sandbiscuits, soy, allergy, recall
Rao’s Has Egg On Its Face Due To A Soup Mixup
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/2FTtt1cB6ng
The FDA and Sovos Brands Intermediate, Inc. are recalling Rao’s Made for Home Slow Simmered Soup, Chicken & Gnocchi. It turns out that the Chicken and Gnocchi cans actually contain Vegetable Minestrone soup which contains egg. Those with egg allergies could develop serious and life-threatening allergic reactions should they consume this soup. Only soup with Code Date 2320 MDV 046030Z009 has been recalled. The affected soup was sold in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin in retail stores between December 8th, 2022, and January 27th, 2023. If you bought this soup, return it to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information, call Sovos at 1-800-466-3623.
#raos #soup #chickengnocchi #vegetableminestrone #egg #allergy #recall
raos, soup, chickengnocchi, vegetableminestrone, egg, allergy, recall
Ube Baked Goods Have Hidden Wheat
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/rhxuKj6dwmQ
The FDA and Joy Joy’s Bakery are recalling Ube Spanish Bread, Ube Ensaymada, and Ube Rolls. These baked goods contain undeclared wheat. Those with wheat sensitivities, gluten allergies, or celiac disease could become seriously ill should they consume these baked goods. These products were sold at Joy Joy’s Bakery in Lakewood, Washington and Fubonn Supermarket in Oregon. If you bought any of these products, return them to the place of purchase or dispose of them. For more information, contact Joy Bakery at 1-253-507-525j9 or via email joybakeryllc@outlook.com.
#joyjoy #ube #bread #roll #esaymada #wheat #allergy #gluten #celiac #recall
joyjoy, ube, bread, roll, esaymada, wheat, allergy, gluten, celiac, recall
Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray Has Benzene
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/z8eAE8M0ZRM
The FDA and the Edgewell Personal Care Company have expanded the recall of the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 by adding an additional batch to those in the recall announced in July of 2022. This product contains the human carcinogen benzene in the propellent used to deliver the sunscreen. The 4 lot codes involved are: 20016AF, 20084BF, 21139AF, and 20301CF. Stop using this product and contact Edgewell at 1-888-686-3988 to obtain a full refund or if you require more information about the recall.
#bananaboat #sunscreen #benzene #cancer #recall
bananaboat, sunscreen, benzene, cancer, recall