diseases

Vegetarians Live Longer

The battle has long been waged, and will certainly continue in spite of this study. Are humans designed/evolved to eat everything and at risk of malnutrition as vegetarians? Or is vegetarianism the healthy and ethical choice? The most impressive data arises from a study of 1904 vegetarians over 21 years by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsche Krebsforschungszentrum). The study's shocking results: vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50%! Women vegetarians benefit from a 30% reduction in mortality. ...

Headlines revealing the discovery that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reduced the value of a statistical life by almost a million dollars abound. The news, as you might expect, generates some of the best humorous comments (quotes overleaf). But what does it all really mean? How does it affect your environmental quality? And how does it affect your finances, especially in a down economy?...

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Doctors at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of Johns Hopkins University are seeking volunteers for a study assessing the therapeutic value of the psychoactive substance, psilocybin, in sacred mushrooms (aka magic mushrooms). Volunteers with a current or past diagnosis of cancer are being sought. Our source notes: "Publicizing this trial has been very challenging so we are asking for your assistance to help us get the word out." We can imagine, given that "spaced out" and the "hemp effect" come immediately to mind upon su...

In a complete turnabout the Food and Drug Administration has issued a health warning over amalgam dental fillings after insisting for years that they were safe. A change in stance which is a major victory for activists who claim fillings can cause a range of problems, including heart conditions and Alzheimer's disease.

According to their website, the FDA now states that fillings contain mercury that "may have neuro-toxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses".
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In a taste of what would come if the U.S. were to take the lead in developing global alternative energy solutions, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has signed a multi-million dollar agreement to bring their expertise to an assessment of health risks in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) due to environmental factors.

And since the U.A.E. has gone from a small nomadic and seafaring economy to one that is highly industrialized in just the last 40 years as one of the fastest developing nations in the world the truth is that there is plenty of cause for concern. A fact leadership in that country fully recognizes, and is attempting to tackle before...

We’ve run a hive full of stories here (links below) about Honey Bees and how their decline can adversely impact agriculture. However Australia, due to its island-like border security has, to date, fortunately been spared the devastating industry losses experienced elsewhere. But the local industry is accutely aware this could change suddenly unless it remains vigilant.

The apiarists who managed the 673,000 registered hives in Australia, producing over 30,000 tonnes of honey annually, worth about $50 million AUD, have had keen eyes on a parliamentary committee who recently handed down their report on the bee industry.

The committee’s chair Dick Adams sai...