Category: Health

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Biology Class Tests the Fish in Their Sushi, with Unsettling Results

Fair warning: if you’re a seafood lover who regularly purchases fish from the store or goes out for sushi, proceed with caution. There are some scientific results below that are, at best, upsetting.

At worst? You might vomit in your mouth.

It all began when biology professor Dr. Jennifer McDonald was looking for a way to bring a little excitement to her senior molecular biology course. So she sent them to sushi restaurants and grocery stores and told them to bring samples of their fish back to the lab so they could extract the DNA and determine whether the DNA matched the label.

Image Credit: Twitter

They tested 13 samples and 9 had good enough DNA sequences to determine their species.

Of those 9? Only 2 were labeled correctly.

Yeah. And that’s not the worst part.

It’s been well documented over the past decade that fish mislabelling is prolific all over the global supply chain – it’s also illegal and results in fines (when detected). According to McDonald, about 50% of fish is believed to be labelled incorrectly (whether intentionally or not), with some species like red snapper and white tuna more likely to be mislabelled than others.

Not only is it unethical to sell people fish that is not the fish they’re expecting, it can also result in health issues (a common substitute for white tuna is escolar, which can cause gastrointestinal distress) and/or allergic reactions (shellfish is one of the more common – and more deadly – food allergies).

So Dr. McDonald wasn’t shocked at the findings.

At least, not until this happened.

Yeah.

Dr. McDonald doesn’t plan to stop eating fish or sushi, and she doesn’t think you should, either – just make sure to go to restaurants where you feel confident in their fish suppliers and ask questions when something doesn’t look, feel, or taste right.

Which might be easier said than done, although the fact that sushi is so delicious should help buck you up.

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So… Drinking Breast Milk is The Latest Trend in Bodybuilding

There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just spit it out: Moms are selling their extra breast milk to bodybuilders, who swear it helps their performance.

The idea is that breast milk is all-natural, unlike many powdered supplements and vitamins. It’s designed to help babies grow, so it’s packed full of calories and nutrients — aka exactly what bodybuilders are looking for.

Who knew bodybuilders and infants had so much in common?!

Many bodybuilders swear by the practice, and it does make some sense…in theory.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“I think the idea behind drinking breast milk for muscle growth is that it’s incredibly calorie and nutrient dense, and it has some additional healthy substances,” sports dietitian Brian St. Pierre told Men’s Health.

“Breast milk is designed to rapidly grow a human baby, so maybe people think a similar effect will happen to fully grown humans?”

If you’re a new mom with dollar signs in your eyes right now, hold your horses. There is no evidence that breast milk provides the same benefits for adults that it does for babies.

Photo Credit: iStock

Also, it’s not the smartest idea from a consumer’s perspective. It’s no simple matter to safely obtain enough high-quality breast milk for a grown man! There’s not really any way to verify where it came from, whether it’s free of disease, and whether it came from a human with a healthy diet. Plus it can be very expensive.

Also, there are like a million other cheaper, safer, calorie-rich drink alternatives.

“This stuff probably just isn’t special, and it’s not worth the hassle, risk, or money,” Brian said.

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School Replaces Detention with Meditation, and the Results Speak For Themselves

If you ever spent any time in detention as a kid, you probably thought, “what is the point of this?” I think it’s pretty universal that detention consisted of staring at a wall and not doing anything, except maybe homework. Not the best.

The people in charge at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, had a different idea. Instead of putting kids who misbehave to detention, they’re sent to what is called the Mindful Moment Room.

"The truth is best as it is. No one can alter it; neither can anyone improve it. Have faith in the truth and live it -Buddha

Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, February 4, 2019

The room is filled with plush pillows, lamps, and decorations. Kids are asked to calmly talk through what caused them to be sent there and then are encouraged to meditate and do breathing exercises to calm down.

The school partnered with a local nonprofit called the Holistic Life Foundation to create the Mindful Moment Room. For more than a decade, the Holistic Life Foundation has offered an after-school program where kids can practice mindfulness exercises and yoga.

"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction." -Rachel Carson

Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, February 11, 2019

The programs run by the Holistic Life Foundation also include mentoring, tutoring, and learning about the environment by visiting farms, cleaning up local parks, and building gardens.

Do you know we have a community garden at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School? This initiative teaches students more…

Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, March 25, 2019

The kids have responded well to the program – in fact, suspensions at the elementary school plummeted. When nearby high school implemented the same programs, they also saw suspension rates drop and attendance increase.

Take a look at this video about the program at Robert W. Coleman Elementary.

This is a great idea. Honestly, I wish the schools I went to as a kid did this…

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3D-Printed Casts Are the Future of Healthcare

Have you ever broken a bone before? If so, you’re undoubtedly familiar with how long and uncomfortable the recovery process is in that heavy, clunky cast.

But two entrepreneurs from Latvia might have changed the game in a great way. Sigvards Krongorns and Janis Olins launched their startup company Castprint to improve the comfort of modern casts. The company uses 3D printing to build personalized, lightweight casts out of plastic. They utilize a web-like composition that helps stabilize and support broken bones.

Posted by Castprint on Monday, June 18, 2018

The casts are designed to be comfortable (what a revelation that would be), and they can easily be taken on and off, which means people can start rehabilitation earlier if they need to instead of having to wait for a traditional plaster cast to be cut off.

Another plus: people can wear Castprint casts in the water, so swimming is still an option and showering doesn’t have to involve the hassle of taping a plastic bag around your arm or leg.

Posted by Castprint on Monday, July 16, 2018

The idea for the company came when co-founder Janis Olins broke his elbow and found his injury interfered with his regular job as an auditor. None of his suits would fit over his cast, and he couldn’t go meet clients in person. In 2016 (while still in his cast), Olins was growing interested in 3D printing technology, so he and his partner Krongorns began working with a designer to come up with a potential prototype for a 3D printable cast.

Say goodbye to the old fashioned and heavy plaster casts!

Posted by Castprint on Monday, October 30, 2017

Olins said, “We interviewed doctors, clinic management, nurses, insurance companies and regulator representatives in order to find out more about fracture treatment and the processes involved.”

CastPrint now has partnerships with 7 clinics in Latvia where personalized casts are made for each patient. Olins said that originally many doctors were skeptical of their product, but as time went on and they saw how successful the casts were, they’ve gotten on board.

UZMANĪBU Castprint atbalstītāji un sekotāji! Easm iekļauti @Arctic15 TOP30 inovatīvāko jaunuzņēmumu sarakstā. Lai…

Posted by Castprint on Thursday, May 3, 2018

Olins and Krongorns are looking to expand past Latvia, and their first international partners are in Finland.

Olins added, “We envision, and hope, that with our work we can bring healthcare services and 3D printing technology closer together. Because of the simplicity and ease of our service, there is more potential, and we can fundamentally change the way fracture injuries are treated in the world.”

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Apparently, Caffeine May Cause Headaches… And Also Help Cure Them

Before you reach for a cup of coffee to alleviate your headache, did you know caffeine could actually make it worse?

Yes, we all want fast relief, but here’s the thing: not all headaches are created equal. Most pain relievers do contain a small dose of caffeine, though, so…where does that leave us, exactly?

Photo Credit: Pexels, Nathan Crowley

Before we dive into how caffeine works, let’s talk about the causes of a headache. A headache is essentially a tightening of blood vessels, muscles, and nerves in the head and neck. This can be caused by stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, and more. Other reasons are generally secondary, such as a concussion or dehydration.

For the run of the mill headaches, caffeine can release this tension and lower inflammation – but when you ingest caffeine in excess (through medication or coffee), those same symptoms can resurface. Here’s the thing: caffeine affects everybody differently. So if even though a cup of coffee cures my headaches toot-sweet, it may make yours even worse.

A high caffeine intake constricts blood vessels, and when the vessels open back up a rebound effect can occur. Or on the flip side, muscles and nerves can over-tighten, leaving the headache worse. It all depends on the unique chemical reactions happening in your body.

Ouch.

So what can you do?

Caffeine is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each person has a unique chemical makeup and they should be aware of how caffeine interacts with their bodies. According to Kiran Rajneesh, who is the director of the neurological pain division at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, “Some people are more genetically predisposed to be sensitive to caffeine.”

There are other natural remedies for headaches, such as a cold compress, a nap, or quiet time in a dark room, that can help those with a caffeine sensitivity. You may also want to avoid nicotine, alcohol, and prolonged screen time.

What about those who can fight headaches with caffeinated beverages?

Photo Credit: Pexels, Breakingpic

Great question. First of all, good for you! But there are some caveats…

You should remain cautious of the type of drink you choose and the amount. For example, there’s caffeine in coffee, sodas, and energy drinks – but energy drinks have additional agents called neurostimulants that can wreak more havoc than good.

Rajneesh advises against energy drinks because “neurostimulants…can worsen your headaches.”

Coffee contains around 106 to 164 milligrams of caffeine per 5-ounce cup. Most sodas have less, capping out around 38 to 46 milligrams per 12-ounce can, but are higher in sugars and other chemicals. Coffee or tea seem to be the safest bets if you are trying to help a headache.

The best remedy depends on the person.

So what does all this mean? It means all people are different and what works for one person may not for another. If you track your headaches and find caffeine worsens them, try other forms of medication like ibuprofen or aspirin. If you experience chronic headaches, it’s best to consult with a physician. Don’t forget though – simple things like drinking more water and sticking to a better sleep schedule can alleviate tension headaches as well.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself. It may seem silly, but it is totally possible for headaches to be caused my lifestyle habits rather than medical issues – so a little self-care can go a long way!

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Scientists Just 3D-Printed an Actual Heart, So Welcome to the Future

What a time to be alive!

I remember the very idea of 3D-printing being a totally new and groundbreaking thing just a few years ago. Back then, simply printing out simple shapes using plastic was considered groundbreaking. Now, we’re already at the point where scientists have used a patient’s own cells and other biological materials to 3D print heart that will “completely match the immunological, cellular, biochemical, and anatomical properties of the patient.”

This is a big deal – until now, only simple tissues that lacked blood vessels have been 3D-printed.

The lead researchers issued a statement, and it’s easy to read their excitement between the lines.

“This heart is made from human cells and patient-specific biological materials. In our process these materials serve as the bioinks, substances made of sugars and proteins that can be used for 3D printing of complex tissue models. People have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels. Our results demonstrate the potential of our approach for engineering personalized tissue and organ replacement in the future.”

The heart was made from fatty abdominal tissues which were reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells – “master cells” with the potential to produce any tissue or cell in the entire body.

Then they made the extracellular matrix – collagen and glycoproteins – into the printing “ink”. Once it mixed with the master cells, the ensuing slurry first grew into either cardiac or endothelial cells, then into patient-specific, immune-compatible cardiac patches with blood vessels, and then, amazingly, into an entire bioengineered heart.

The heart is not ready for human transplantation, though. Not yet.

Creating a fully functional human heart would take longer and require more cells – a billion or so – and the printed heart would have to be trained to pump like a real human heart. The ones they made have the ability to contract but not to work together in a coordinated pumping motion.

With heart disease being the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, the research is extremely exciting. Heart transplants work, but donors are in very short supply – not to mention that if hearts could be made from a patient’s own tissues, rejection would, in theory, be less of or not at all an issue.

“The biocompatibility of engineered materials is crucial to eliminating the risk of implant rejection, which jeopardizes the success of such treatments. Ideally, the biomaterial should possess the same biochemical, mechanical and topographical properties of the patient’s own tissues. Here, we can report a simple approach to 3D-printed thick, vascularized and perfusable cardiac tissues that completely match the immunological, cellular, biochemical and anatomical properties of the patient.”

The next step is to teach them to pump, then the team hopes to transplant them into animals for more testing.

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A Surprising Number of Parents Are Googling “Is My Son Gay?”

Parents are Googling “is my son gay” 28x more often than “is my son a genius”, and more than twice as often as they’re Googling similar questions about their daughters.

In fact, people Google the same question about their husbands, uncles, fathers, and the other men in their lives way more than they ask about their daughter’s sexuality, according to multiple studies.

Sociologist Tristan Bridges, who studies gender identity, took a deep dive into the historical and social reasons these results may seem surprising, but actually aren’t. Really everyone raising and/or loving a member of the male sex should stop and evaluate their feelings when it comes to male sexuality – cause we’ve got a big ol’ double standard here.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Our society connects gender expression to sexual orientation, and when boys do things outside their gender “norm,” like crossdressing, playing with dolls, or befriending girls more often than boys, more often than not they do actually grow up to be gay or trans.

However, predicting homosexuality is not at all simple, and averages are almost never applicable on the individual level, which means that Googling “is my son gay” when he is young is not only useless but also potentially stigmatizing. Experts maintain that there is only one sign of homosexuality that parents should really be looking out for, and it’s when their child says, “I’m gay.”

Sociologists Monica Caudillo and Emma Mishel told Fatherly that they’d found the same gender gap during their 2016 research.

Image Credit: Pixabay

“We find that people ask Google whether their sons are gay about twice as commonly as whether their daughters are gay or lesbian. To really understand the patterns in Google search behavior we discovered, you need to understand the ways three interrelated theories of gender and sexual inequality overlap and work together.”

American culture values a strong link between masculinity and heterosexuality that is reinforced by boys calling other boys “gay” when they don’t act “manly” enough as a child. Therefore, masculine conformity is policed from a young age, while anything associated with females or femininity is simultaneously devalued.

Similarly, as a society we tend to question men’s heterosexuality more easily than women’s – females who have same-sex sexual encounters are free to maintain a heterosexual identity without trouble, while men who admit a single same-sex experience may be immediately labeled gay or bi-sexual, even if they don’t identify that way.

The data is pulled from anonymous Google searches, and the fact that researchers have no information on the searchers is both good and bad, scientifically. On the one hand, there’s no way to know if the people Googling are dads or moms, conservatives or liberals, etc. There’s no way to break down the results by demographic.

Image Credit: Pixabay

On the other, no one who’s data was studied knows they’re being studied, either, and there are advantages to that. According to Bridges,

“While people might, for instance, hesitate before checking “yes” on a survey asking whether they have ever questioned their children’s sexualities before, they might not have the same hesitancy in regards to asking Google questions.”

The sociologists all agree on one point, and it’s that the searches don’t necessarily mean parents are homophobic. They should, however, serve as a reminder that we all live in a society more unforgiving of boys who violate masculinity norms. Good parents have a duty to encourage boys as well as girls to be themselves.

Also, remember – Google doesn’t have answers, it only has information. What you choose to do with it is up to you.

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Study Finds Anxiety Makes People More Obsessively Clean

Are you struggling to keep your space clean? It turns out that maybe all you need to clean up your act is a light dose of anxiety.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut presented test participants with a shiny statuette and a list of seven questions to consider about the statue (such as “How old do you think the object is?”). Then, half the participants were told they’d have to present a short speech on the object to an art expert – thereby inducing anxiety.

All the participants were then given a few minutes to ponder the questions, plan their presentation (if they were in that test group), and polish the statuette. The experiment then ended, with the speech-giving group being told they didn’t have to speak after all.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The results were remarkably consistent across both groups. The “relaxed” group that never believed they had to give a speech tended to clean using pretty varied motions. Meanwhile, participants in the “anxiety” group (the speech-givers) all cleaned with repetitive motions, focusing on smaller areas and cleaning much more meticulously.

Remarkably, even participants who didn’t show any perceptible signs of stress still followed the same pattern of cleaning! The researchers behind this study hypothesize that people might engage in repetitive behaviors during stressful situations because it gives them a sense of control in a time of uncertainty.

So, you know. If you ever feel like your room needs cleaning, you could just stress yourself.

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When His Wife Refused to Vaccinate Their Child, This Desperate Dad Turned to the Internet for Advice

The list of things to go over with any potential spouse before tying the knot seems to be getting longer and longer these days. For some inexplicable reason, there’s a new one to add to the list: if you’re looking to procreate someday, you might want to find out what your potential spouse’s views are on vaccinating your future children.

According to the CDC, rates of vaccine refusals for non-medical reasons are on the rise, and we’re seeing outbreaks of previously all-but-eradicated diseases because of it.

The issue is more and more relevant, and, as this new dad found out, you’d better not assume the person you walked down the aisle with shares your views on the subject.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Title says it all. We’ve been married for 3 years now. She’s always been one for quirky, “against-the-grain” thinking and interests. However, it’s not just harmless things like believing there’s no gold in Ft.Knox, taking pictures of trash in “aesthetic poses”, or doodling interesting little paintings of naked women laying with trees, anymore… No, it was little things like that which made me fall in love with her. But now there’s this anti-vax bullshit.

She got sucked into one of those anti-vax Facebook indoctrination camps by one of her brain dead friends who takes pride in the fact she’s worked at a fucking Wawa for 10 years. She messaged my wife shortly after she posted pics of our newborn on Facebook.

I love my wife but she somehow manages to be the most stubborn individual on the planet while simultaneously being the most gullible and malleable. Shortly after birth (because this was pre-brainwashing) our child received her Vitamin K shot, and the Hep-B vaccine. However, now She’s refusing to give our child any of the other vaccines.

I know that in her mind, she’s coming from a place of love for our child but as you can imagine, this has caused a considerable amount of strain and we’ve had a number of arguments already. All her arguments/counter-arguments follow the same general outline.

“Oh well if you look this graph you’ll see that the numbers of cases for <X disease> have risen alongside the increased use of <Y vaccine>”

“I’m the mother here, this is a mothers instinct, I know I’m right, a mother knows best, etc etc etc…”

I’ve tried explaining to her the basic idea of “correlation doesn’t equal causation.” By showing her that as ice cream sales increase, so too do the murder rates. She followed that one up with “We aren’t talking about ice cream and murder, we’re talking about vaccines and debilitating diseases! They’re completely different!”

I’ve tried showing her the statistics detailing the infant mortality rates in lesser developed countries where vaccination isn’t as pertinent and that vaccines are effective. She follows that up with “Those statistics are created by think tanks funded by the government and “big-pharma”

She won’t budge and hasn’t budged for weeks now. Our arguments are devolving into the same tired routine over and over again and I’m worried that the only thing which will wake her up is our child being afflicted by some horrible disease like measles which could’ve been easily avoided.

I am in Florida. Is there anyway I can sneakily just bring my child to the doctor and have her vaccinated without my wife’s knowledge? What are my options here? Legally speaking, what kind of leeway do I have? I don’t want this to lead to divorce but I just feel quite lost at the moment.

He’s tried convincing his wife that vaccines are the way to go but she refuses to listen to logic and/or science, and he was looking for advice on whether he could get his child vaccinated on his own and, maybe, how to avoid getting a divorce in the process.

r/legaladvice had plenty to say on the first point – in sum, yes – and not much to say on the second.

Photo Credit: Reddit

I mean, he asked the legal advice subreddit for help – not r/relationships – and I think they handled it nicely.

And if he takes off the Band-aids after it’s all said and done, she’ll probably never know the difference, and the kid won’t become another unfortunate statistic.

What do you think?

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