UChicago Medicine Study Finds Possible Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Contracting COVID-19(by N B C Chicago )
Winter/Flu season is coming up (Northern hemisphere)! Take heed...
pc: Getty
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and contracting the coronavirus.
Researchers looked at 489 UChicago Medicine patients and found those who had a deficiency in vitamin D that went untreated were nearly twice as likely to contract COVID-19 when compared to patients with normal levels of vitamin D.
“Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections,” said David Meltzer, MD, PhD, Chief of Hospital Medicine at UChicago Medicine and lead author of the study. “Our statistical analysis suggests this may be true for the COVID-19 infection.”
The patients that were involved in the study had their vitamin D levels measured within a year prior to getting a COVID-19 test.
According to the study, half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, and even higher rates of deficiency are found in Black and LatinX Americans as well as areas like Chicago where sunlight is limited year-round.
“Understanding whether treating Vitamin D deficiency changes COVID-19 risk could be of great importance locally, nationally and globally,” Meltzer said.
According to researchers, shelter-in-place orders to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may also decrease sun exposure, and in turn, potentially increase the need for vitamin D supplementation which should not exceed 4000 IU per day.
Dog health: Don't buy a bulldog until breed is reshaped, vets plead -- B B C
The bulldog has twice the health risks of other dogs, a study has found.
Urgent action is needed to reshape the breed and stop the UK joining the list of countries where the dog is banned, say Royal Veterinary College experts.
They want people to stop buying English bulldogs and two other popular breeds - the French bulldog and the pug - until breeding issues are addressed.
They're also calling on the public to stop "promoting" the dog on social media by posting and liking pictures.
The bulldog has soared in popularity over the past decade.
(pc: Getty ) Many bulldogs have a protruding lower jaw
The breed, also known as the English or British bulldog, earned comparisons with Winston Churchill for its jowly face, and was historically seen as a symbol of courage and endurance.
A fashion for ever more extreme features, such as a flat face, wrinkled skin and squat body, has made the breed prone to health complaints, raising welfare concerns.
With their large bulging eyes and flat face, the dogs are undeniably "cute", said Dr Dan O'Neill of the Royal Veterinary College, one of the authors of the study, but their extreme body shape after years of selective breeding has become their downfall.
(pc: BBC.com) Bulldogs are also more likely to develop heatstroke than other dogs
"For breeds such as English bulldogs where many dogs still have extreme conformations (a dog's structure and appearance) with poor innate health, the public have a huge role to play by demanding dogs with moderate and healthier conformations," he said.
"Until then, prospective owners should stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog."
The English bulldog was once a muscular and athletic breed, but over the years has become a popular pet, with a trend towards a short skull, protruding jaw, skin folds and a squat build.
The public has an important role to play in driving change by not posting pictures of the dogs on social media or liking posts, thereby "inadvertently advertising" them, Dr O'Neill said.
But he admitted the "phenomenal" popularity of the bulldog is understandable, given the psychological effect they have on us. With their large heads, big eyes and docile temperament, they remind us of babies, triggering our nurturing instincts.
"We interpret this as the dogs being cute, and this is totally understandable and, in fact, very hard to fight against as a human," he said.
"What we deem is cute from the outside, if you're living the life as that dog, is anything but cute. It is, in many cases, a lifetime of suffering."
The breeding of the bulldog is already banned in several countries, and, according to an expert working group of vets and welfare groups, including the Royal Veterinary College, the same could happen here if nothing is done.
Owners who already have one should look out for health issues such as eye problems, difficulty breathing and skin fold infections, and seek veterinary advice if concerned, they say.
Veterinary historian, Dr Alison Skipper, of King's College London, said many of the diseases linked to body shape had been known by breeders for more than a century. Responsible breeding, prioritising health, could "improve the welfare of this popular and iconic breed," she said.
And The Kennel Club said a ban risked driving the problem underground.
"We urgently want to see people choosing dogs not just because they like the way they look, which is often driven by celebrity and social media, and instead find breeders who use the health tools available and breed a non-exaggerated dog, where health comes first, as described in the breed standard," said spokesperson, Bill Lambert.
The study, published in the journal of Canine Medicine and Genetics, compared the health of thousands of English bulldogs kept as pets with that of other dog breeds. It found English bulldogs were twice as likely to have one or more disorders in a single year than other dogs.
The commonest health complaints were infections in skin folds (38 times more likely than in other dogs), an eye disorder known as cherry eye (26 times more likely), protrusion of the lower jaw (24 times more likely) and breathing problems (19 times more likely).
A recent study by the same team found pugs were also at high risk of health complaints.
MEDICATIONS YOU’RE TAKING MAY NOT ONLY AFFECT YOUR BODY BUT MAY ALSO BE RADICALLY ALTERING YOUR PERSONALITY TO THE POINT OF MENTAL ILLNESS -- by G. Grider
Medications been linked to road rage, pathological gambling, and complicated acts of fraud. Some make us less neurotic, and others may even shape our social relationships.
We would never tell you to stop taking medicine that a doctor has prescribed for you, but we are telling you that you need to take full advantage of the research power of the Internet and find out exactly what it is you are taking, and what serious mental side effects it could be causing you. As you will see today, there are untold thousands of people across the world who are taking prescription drugs for a physical ailment and are actually causing themselves to develop mental illness.
“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”Revelation 9:20,21 (KJB)
If you are a student of the Book, you might find it interesting to know that our word ‘pharmaceutical’ meaning medicine, where we derive the term ‘Big Pharma’ from, comes from the Greek word ‘pharmakeia‘. In the book of Revelation where it talks about sorcery and witchcraft, that same word ‘pharmakeia‘ is used. Pharmakeia means ‘the use of medicine, drugs or spells’. Pharmakeia shows up in Exodus 7:11, 7:22, 8:18, Isaiah 47:9, Galatians 5:20, Revelation 9:21 and 18:23. Just thought you might find that interesting. He who has ‘ears to hear’ and all that, you know.
We live in a period of time where Big Pharma is saving lives, yes, but also destroying the lives of countless others. In the early stages of my graphic design career, I worked for two of the largest Big Pharma companies in the world, and I heard some very interesting things in closed-door meetings. One meeting in particular where the CEO of the company was boiling mad because the new drug they had spent $400 million on killed all the test patients. Killed them dead. So what did the CEO of this massive Big Pharma company want his people to do? He wanted them to repackage it with a new name and find some kind of condition it could be attached to. That’s who you’re dealing with at these drugs companies, thought you’d find that interesting as well.
The medications that change who we are
FROM BBC FUTURE: It turns out many ordinary medications don’t just affect our bodies – they affect our brains. Why? And should there be warnings on packets? “Patient Five” was in his late 50s when a trip to the doctors changed his life. He had diabetes, and he had signed up for a study to see if taking a “statin” – a kind of cholesterol-lowering drug – might help. So far, so normal.
But soon after he began the treatment, his wife began to notice a sinister transformation. A previously reasonable man, he became explosively angry and – out of nowhere – developed a tendency for road rage. During one memorable episode, he warned his family to keep away, lest he put them in hospital.
Out of fear of what might happen, Patient Five stopped driving. Even as a passenger, his outbursts often forced his wife to abandon their journeys and turn back. Afterwards, she’d leave him alone to watch TV and calm down. She became increasingly fearful for her own safety.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”3 John 1:2 (KJB)
Then one day, Patient Five had an epiphany. “He was like, ‘Wow, it really seems that these problems started when I enrolled in this study’,” says Beatrice Golomb, who leads a research group at the University of California, San Diego. Alarmed, the couple turned to the study’s organizers. “They were very hostile. They said that the two couldn’t possibly be related, that he needed to keep taking the medication, and that he should stay in the study,” says Golomb.
RESEARCH INTO THESE EFFECTS COULDN’T COME AT A BETTER TIME. THE WORLD IS IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS OF OVER-MEDICATION, WITH THE US ALONE BUYING UP 49,000 TONNES OF PARACETAMOL EVERY YEAR – EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 298 PARACETAMOL TABLETS PER PERSON – AND THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CONSUMING $1,200 WORTH OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS OVER THE SAME PERIOD. AND AS THE GLOBAL POPULATION AGES, OUR DRUG-LUST IS SET TO SPIRAL EVEN FURTHER OUT OF CONTROL; IN THE UK, ONE IN 10 PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65 ALREADY TAKES EIGHT MEDICATIONS EVERY WEEK.
Research into these effects couldn’t come at a better time. The world is in the midst of a crisis of over-medication, with the US alone buying up 49,000 tonnes of paracetamol every year – equivalent to about 298 paracetamol tablets per person – and the average American consuming $1,200 worth of prescription medications over the same period. And as the global population ages, our drug-lust is set to spiral even further out of control; in the UK, one in 10 people over the age of 65 already takes eight medications every week.READ MORE
5 Prescription Medications That Destroy Your Health
You’re probably thinking that there is no way the pharmaceutical industry would sell harmful products. Unfortunately, you would be naïve if you thought that. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most powerful industries in the world. They have sole control over what drugs and medications are released and sold to the public.
It had rained overnight and was still drizzling at 7 am as we took our dogs on their usual walk.
That's when Son noticed a Samsung Galaxy S8 phone on the ground about a block away from home. In great condition. Wet. Almost out of power. Still operational in spite of being out in the rain. Better yet, UNLOCKED. It belonged to someone named Simon. He and family live in our subdivision.
We had seen Simon before while he also took his early morning walks. Tall, well-formed, early 20s (?) with a full head of dark hair He was an odd one: loudly jabbering unto his phone, running in fits and starts, chasing Geese, sitting on a swing at the community playground, yelling at no one in particular. He could also walk by sullenly, silently. Our phone conversation with his Grandma confirmed Simon's Autism, and yes, he loses a lot of things (no wonder the phone was unlocked). They had gone out last night with flashlights to try to find the Samsung. It used to have a tracker, but Simon did not like it. The Phone's replacement cost would have been $200, even with insurance. Her thanks were heartfelt.
Simon was again out on a walk when son dropped off the S8 phone at his home. Sigh. I can imagine this lost-phone instance re-occurring. What's worse, there is no certain answer to the question of what the future holds for Simon.
BTW, autism affects 4x more boys than girls. As far as I am aware, there is not one nor even two cures or answers. I hope "experts" continue to aim at finding the top 5 main causes. Suggestions: As a Mom, I can control what I ingest from day 1 of a pregnancy. Definitely no alcohol or illegal drugs. Lots of pure water, fresh veggies and fruits (organic, if possible). Stay away from all manner of sugar and pop. I would very definitely do an exhaustive research on the effects of the M M R vaccine - do lots of reading on this subject. Remember: Medical experts do not know it all. Do what is best for you, hubby and the rest of the family.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental disorders.These disorders are characterized by problems with communication and social interaction. People with ASD often demonstrate restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped interests or patterns of behavior. - healthline.com
Read the full, informative, helpful article 👉 H E R E 👈
Note: I had intestinal worms as a young child living in an Asian country. The grown-ups were quite aware of the problem because once in a while I was made to drink a concoction in a brown bottle to rid myself of them. They called it "Purga" -- appropriate for the work of purging within my intestines that it needed to do. It worked! I saw -- without fail -- with my own 2 eyes the disgusting, dead, pale worms I produced in my bm within a day or two, ewwwww 😖
I bet these kids are infested with intestinal worms 😕 pc: unknown
Get Fit in 5 Minutes a Day. (Yes, 5 Minutes.) byHARLEY PASTERNAK
Now that we’ve gone over healthy eating habits, it’s time to move onto something weightier—strength training.
Strength training, or resistance exercise as I prefer to call it, is when a muscle or muscle group works against a certain resistance (dumbbells, body weight, water etc…) for a short period of time. Think: push-ups, squats, bench press.
When done consistently, resistance exercise has the power to transform your body from the inside out. Besides developing stronger, more defined muscles, research shows that strength training can also help raise your metabolism—meaning your body burns more calories at rest—increase bone density (fewer fractures!), improve balance and coordination, and increase insulin sensitivity. But many people still don’t do it. Why? I uncovered five common reasons:
They don’t have time.
They don’t have or can’t afford a gym membership.
They don’t have the know-how to do a complex program.
They’re intimidated by the images they see in infomercials for workouts such as Insanity or P90X.
They have been injured or are afraid of getting injured.
To combat these concerns, I kept two questions in mind as I did fitness research for my book 5 Pounds: What are the most effective exercises necessary to achieve the greatest results and what is the least amount of exercise you need to do to maximize results?
After months of study, two surprising truths emerged:
Short, intensive workouts are more effective than longer, endurance-focused workouts.
Variety is as essential as intensity to getting results.
Take this study published BioMed Research International as an example. Researchers divided a group of young men into two groups: One performed one six-rep set of nine upper body exercises three times a week; the other group did three six-rep sets of the same exercises. At the end of eight weeks, all participants experienced similar increases in strength but the one-set group—who spent nearly 70 percent less time exercising—lost significantly more body fat than the three-set group.
Seventy percent less time exercising! Imagine what you could do with that time. Actually don’t. Start experiencing it. The fitness portion of My 5 plan was created with this “less is more” philosophy in mind.
Here’s how it works: Do one resistance exercise for about five minutes, seven days a week.
That’s it.
Focusing on just one exercise a day works because you’re still able to generate enough intensity to break down muscle fibers and have enough time afterward to let them recover, which is when the fibers rebuild stronger and denser than they were before.
Get started with this 5-minute workout. Over time, as you get stronger, you’ll want to increase the weight you use and the time you spend exercising—but don’t worry, it will always be manageable.
What makes someone outwardly and inwardly beautiful? POSTURE!! I just had to re-post this entry from someone I follow on IG. (Note: I do not always agree with Ms Crawford, but I find some of her posts worth the read).
Here’s my gorgeous friend @vickiarcher with her fabulous silver grey hair . She is one of the most intelligent, interesting , hard working, stylish, clever women I know. I’m always so invigorated after seeing her .. she’s so cool, so informed so ahead of what’s happening in the world. She has started many conversations on her super successful blog that resonates with women of my age ...#betternotyounger is her famous hashtag. Recently @vickiarcher has become a granny, a boutique hotelier in St Remy and done up her fabulous London flat. She juggles her many businesses and projects and now she has written what I call a inspirational Beauty eBook! “20 Best Kept Beauty Secrets”. I’ve read it twice because it’s not long and I loved it.I’ve also given it to my daughters. One chapter sent a shock of recognition and it was on “Posture”. This is something I’ve got to become more aware of ... I often slouch in chairs, I run around unconsciously not holding myself upright engaging my core mostly because it’s hard work, I’m lazy and I forget. A video someone took of me alerted me to my somewhat haphazard posture. After reading @jordonpeterson brilliant book “12 Rules for Life” the first chapter is “Stand up straight with your shoulders back” It’s clear Posture is a BIG DEAL. This chapter is about dominance, hierarchical structures and why bad posture indicates being defeated by life and all its terrible consequences and good posture sends an important message to the world and to yourself .. and all its wonderful consequences. It’s a hallmark of taking on responsibility and being resilient. In @vickiarcher eBook “20 Best Kept Beauty Secrets” she says that upright and confident posture is the beginning of beauty, that it shows and creates a positive state of mind ... she says it really is one of the simplest ways to feel and look more youthful. I couldn’t agree more. Her uplifting book is lovely reminder and a précis of everything that makes someone beautiful in body and spirit. I’m off to Aqua aerobics ( my version of Pilates ) with my stomach held tight, my core engaged, my back straight ..... I hope I’m still remembering this at 11 am ! Serena Crawford
And Officials Are Scared About What’s Next -- By Tristan Morehouse, AWM (Updated July 4, 2019)
Although health care companies continue to push the flu vaccines onto the American people, they have to get it right, or people are not going to keep using it. Now that the numbers are in, we see that this past year’s flu vaccine was another flop as it proved to be just 29 percent effective. That’s not enough for people to trust it or to turn to it as they gear up to prepare for the worst as reports that next year’s flu season is set to be even deadlier than it was this year.
The CDC reported last Thursday that the flu vaccine administered this past year was just 29 percent effective. Scientists blame the lack of usefulness to the unexpected second wave of H3N2, which is the same flu strain that is currently making Australia sick.
Because the Southern Hemisphere has winter first, their flu season often acts as a predictor to what it will be like in the United States and other countries abroad.
Now that the CDC is working tirelessly to protect the American public from getting the flu – which can kill – they are recommending that people get a flu vaccine that protects them from the H1N1 and H3N2 strains as well as influenza B.
The main reason that the flu vaccine was not effective was that the H3N2 strain popped up in the United States part way through the flu season. The vaccine that had been given out until that point did not protect against that.
Last year 80,000 people died from the flu in the United States. The CDC wants to do much better than that in this upcoming year. That’s why the United States’ government promised to endow the National Institute of Health (NIH) with $1 billion to develop a flu shot that could save lives.
Although the billion dollars was given to the organization in the hopes that they could develop a universal flu vaccine health officials are worried that such a feat might never be possible, let along in time to beat next year’s deadly flu season.
While last year’s flu shot worked well early in the season with an effectiveness of 47 percent. But when the second, stronger strain started to railroad people across America, the vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to just nine percent.
CDC’s Brendan Flannery admitted that the vaccine offered “no significant protection” against the H3N2 strain.
Every year scientists unite to determine which strains are going to be most prevalent. That’s why vaccines are built to protect people from three or four strains of the virus, the ones predicted to be the most deadly and widespread.
However, scientists cannot always predict the future, and as is the case in the 2018/2019 flu season, the H3N2 strain came out of nowhere.
Flu is particularly challenging for scientists to create a vaccine because the virus can change and adapt so quickly.
Nevertheless, flu shots are recommended for all Americans age six months or older. Although it is not perfect, last year’s vaccine saved an estimated 40,000 to 90,000 people from hospitalization.
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