Category Archives: Uncategorized

Some Not-So-Good News About Coffee

coffee

Recently, all the news about coffee has been great.  Not just great – fanstastic!   It has so many health benefits, that many now consider it to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet.

Due to hits high antioxidant content, and the fact that most people drink more coffee than they eat fruits and vegetables, it is considered the richest source of antioxidants in the average North American diet.  It also contains other beneficial nutrients, like Vitamins B2, B3, B5, manganese, magnesium and potassium.

It boosts brain function, including memory, mood, reaction time, and general cognitive ability.  It boosts your metabolic rate and increases fat burning to help you lose weight.  Due to the release of epinephrine in the bloodstream with the intake of caffeine, it also increases your energy level, which can help with your daily workout.

In other studies, coffee has been shown to have marvelous preventative effects against a score of chronic health conditions, like type II diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cirrhosis, liver and colorectal cancer, heart disease, stroke, and depression.  Considering all the conditions coffee drinking seems to prevent, I suppose it’s not surprising that coffee has also been shown to extend your life and reduce your risk of death overall.

Amidst all that good news, it was inevitable that something negative would come along soon enough.   But if you really like coffee, you can relax.  It’s not that bad.

It seems that excessive caffeine intake among pregnant women can cause childhood obesity.  The stimulating  effect of caffeine crosses through the placenta easily and can alter how the infant’s brain develops.  Previous studies have found that high caffeine intake increases the risk of miscarriage and can cause restricted fetal development.   This new study shows that excess caffeine intake (more than 200 mg daily) also causes rapid infant growth during the first year of life, and can increase the risk for obesity both as a child, and later as an adult.

In light of this new information, researchers are suggesting that pregnant women reduce their daily intake of caffeine from all sources, including soft drinks or energy drinks, so that they are consuming less than 200 mg of caffeine.  Ideally, they would avoid caffeine entirely.

There is other bad news for those who prefer their coffee black.   I’m sorry to have to say it, but….chances are higher that you’re a psychopath.   In a new study performed by Sagioglou and Greitemeyer at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, it was found that people who prefer black coffee often have psychopathic or sadistic tendencies, compared with people who prefer coffee with cream and sugar.

After asking study participants to report on their taste preferences, each was then subjected to several personality tests, checking for  Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and everyday sadism.  It was found that those who prefer bitter flavours also showed an increased tendency towards antisocial personality traits, and a negative correlation towards agreeableness.   The more people liked bitter tasting foods, such as black coffee, the darker their personality was.

Previous studies have also shown that bitter-tasting foods or drinks cause people to have harsher moral judgements and express hostility towards others.    It seems that physical disgust (induced after eating or drinking something bitter) also elicits feelings of moral disgust.  So, be careful what you eat!  The more bitter foods you eat, the more bitter you will be too.

I think it’s important to note here that not everyone who likes bitter foods, or drinks black coffee, will be judgemental or sadistic.  But it’s interesting to know that a correlation is there.

 

 

 

E. Coli in Vegetables

lettuce

Let’s talk about salads.   We love to eat them, particularly in the spring and summer months because they’re so cool and crunchy and fresh.  We also know that we need to eat more vegetables in general because of their high nutrient content.   What better way to “beef” up our vegetable intake than by eating a great big salad every day?

Well, there are a couple of problems with that.  Firstly, and most seriously, there is the increasing frequency of E coli outbreaks in fresh produce.  If you go back a couple of decades, most people were more worried about E coli outbreaks in their meat and poultry products.   Back then, improperly cooked hamburger or chicken were the most common culprits – so much so that a vegetarian diet began to seem, not only the healthier choice, but the safer one as well.

Jumping back to current times, however, and the situation has changed considerably.  According to a 2015 estimate from the CDC, produce is now the most common cause of food-borne illnesses, comprising 42% of all cases, while meat and poultry are the culprits only 22% of the time.   Vegetable row crops, such as lettuce, broccoli, celery, asparagus are most commonly implicated.  A fifth of all outbreaks are caused by lettuce alone.

Which brings us to the most recent E coli outbreak – one that some are calling the worst since 2006, at least when it comes to leafy greens.   It has sickened 98 people and hospitalized 46, including 10 who developed kidney failure.   You may have heard of it.  The suspected cause was a crop of romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona.  Ironically, our newfound preference for fresh, pre-made salads, made with every intention of improving our health, is instead increasing our risk of severe illness and death.

Pathogens in chopped and pre-packaged lettuce are thought to be rinsed off with the use of a special chlorine wash, but studies show that these rinses are only partly effective at removing bacterial contamination.  The reality is that vegetables are grown in dirt, irrigated with water that may be contaminated with cow manure, and then handled by many other people and machinery all along its way to your grocery store.  Bacterial contamination can occur anywhere along this path.  The only sure way to kill pathogens is to use heat, and we prefer to eat our lettuce raw.

This brings us to the second problem with eating salads on a regular basis:  much of the nutrient content of vegetables is lost when they are eaten raw.   Many nutritionists and natural health practitioners will insist that vegetables are best eaten raw because of their high enzyme content, which assists with their digestion and assimilation.   Since cooking will kill off these naturally occurring enzymes,  it is thought best to avoid the heat and eat them raw.

However, while cooking does remove some beneficial enzymes, it also breaks down the cellulose matrix (plant fibre) so that nutrients are more available to your body.  You can see this when vegetables are lightly steamed.  The colour of the vegetables becomes brighter, richer.  This is a sign that the vitamins and minerals in the vegetables have been released, and are now more available to your body.   In Chinese medicine, there is a saying:  “It’s not what you eat, it’s what you assimilate”.  If your body cannot easily extract the nutrients from raw vegetables, then there is no benefit in eating them.

According to Chinese medicine, raw vegetables are also thought to be very cooling, and weakening to your digestive system.  This makes sense.  If your digestive organs have to expend a lot of energy in order to extract the nutrients from raw vegetables, there is a high gross output for little net gain.  When vegetables are steamed or lightly cooked first, part of the digestive process has already been accomplished for them.  The nutrients in the vegetables are now more readily available to your body, resulting in a lower gross output and a higher net gain.

Bottom line:  your digestive organs are less stressed when eating cooked vegetables when compared with raw, and yet still receive a greater reward of nutrients for this reduced effort.   It all translates into stronger, sturdier organs that will retain their vitality well into your years.    And since raw vegetables are now more dangerous to consume because of potential bacterial contamination, this is all the more reason to steam your salad before you eat it.

 

 

 

How to Feed Your Brain

brain

You walk into your bedroom with great purpose, intending to bring something back downstairs with you. Yet when you arrive there, you’ve completely forgotten what it was. You bump into someone in the street, and you -know- you’ve met them before, but at this very moment, you just can’t place them. You were supposed to pick something up for your spouse on the way home from work, but you completely forgot, and so when you arrive home empty-handed, you are greeted with considerable frustration and disappointment.

Naturally, you’re concerned. Is this normal, or are you having an early encounter with that perennial bogeyman of old age – dementia?

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia is expected to triple over the next 30 years, growing from 50 million to 152 million by the year 2050. The numbers are staggering, the personal implications are frightening. We’d all prefer not to be counted among that group.

According to Lisa Mosconi, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in Neurology at NYU, and Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, there’s plenty we can do to prevent that. The onset of dementia used to be considered largely genetic, and also a virtually unavoidable part of old age, but Mosconi says her research proves this isn’t true.

Less than 1% of the population will develop dementia as a result of genes. For the rest of us, the health and resilience of our brain depends on our lifestyle, and that is well within our control. In her new book, Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power, Mosconi provides a very helpful list of the most important diet and lifestyle changes we can make to ensure our brain stays as young and healthy as possible.

First and foremost, drink water, plenty of water! The brain is 80% water, so even a very mild dehydration can cause neurological issues, such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches, mood swings. If you use an MRI to look at the brains of people who don’t drink enough water, they are clearly aging faster, with thinner tissues, and reduced volume. Aloe water is better than plain water because it also contains over 200 active compounds that increase hydration.

Secondly, eat fish. Any kind of fish. According to Mosconi, people who eat a portion of fish twice a week have a 40-70% lowered risk of developing dementia as they age, compared with people who eat no fish at all. It’s likely the polyunsaturated fats in fish that are most helpful for brain functioning, as the brain really craves them. However, fish are also a good source of choline, which is required in the manufacture of important neurotransmitters. As soon as you eat polyunsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, or seeds, they are sent directly to your brain to ensure it gets its share. Your body gets the leftovers.

Thirdly, berries. Berries are packed with anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory components, and other nutrients that help to keep your brain sharp as you age. Importantly, they are also an excellent source of fibre-rich glucose. And glucose your brain’s only source of energy. This doesn’t mean you should start loading up on cakes or cookies for their sugar content. Your brain specifically wants glucose, and the processed sugar in these kinds of pastries requires conversion to glucose within your own body, which causes it a lot of stress. Most of these sugars will just end up packed in your abdomen as fat. The best sources of natural, brain-ready glucose are beetroot, kiwi fruit, whole grains, sweet potatoes, onions and spring onions, and, of course, berries.

Fourthly, exercise regularly. Studies have shown that when you exercise, nutrients and oxygen can get into your brain better, providing it with the nutrients it needs to function optimally. Exercise also stimulates the release of chemicals that are mentally and emotionally beneficial, and help to keep you free from depression. The most beneficial emotion for your brain is love, so try to surround yourself with people who make you feel loved and appreciated.

Finally, sleep well. Just like the rest of your body, your brain gets rid of waste while you sleep. When you regularly have poor sleep, toxins can accumulate in your brain and creating neuron-damaging inflammation. This inflammation can also accumulate from a Western diet high in processed foods, fried foods, and fast foods, so these should be avoided too. As much as possible, try to eat fresh, minimally processed foods. Foods are particularly nutritious when they’re eaten whole, and contain more vastly more nutrients than you would get from a supplement. They’re also cheaper. So, please try to avoid relying on pills or powders to get the nutrients you need.

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The cells in our brain are particularly hungry, requiring more than 20% of our energy haul. Additionally, we keep them for life. Unlike cells in the rest of our body which are continually replaced, brain cells are built to last our entire lifespan. This means that our brain needs extra care and nourishment to protect it from the onslaught of living. Luckily, scientists like Lisa Mosconi are here to help. Through their continued research, they have provided us with the tools we need to keep our brains functioning as optimally as possible. Now, we just have to follow it.

 

Ditch the Protein Powder. Eat Whole Foods

proteinpowder

We all seek purity in the food we eat and the water we drink, not just for ourselves, but also for our children.  Particularly for our children.  It’s sad that in the modern world this goal has become so hard to meet.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about micro-particles of plastic that have been found in most commercially sold bottles of  water.  Now, a new study has found “concerning” levels of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, mercury, as well as toxins like bisphenol A, in most top-selling protein powders.  Powders that we thought were helping us to become stronger and healthier.

The study was commissioned by a Denver, Colorado-based nonprofit company called Clean Label Project.  They took 134 of the most popular protein powders, as rated by Amazon and Nielsen, and then had them tested.  Virtually all contained detectable levels of at least one heavy metal. 70% of them had detectable levels of lead, while 74% had detectable levels of cadmium.  55% also tested positive for BPA.  One protein powder had 25 times more than the regulatory limit of BPA in just one serving.

If you think that organic, or plant-based protein powders would fare better, you’d be wrong.  Organic and plant-based protein powders made from soy and hemp were even more contaminated than animal-based powders and contained, on average, twice as much lead.  “Plants are especially prone to absorbing heavy metals from soil”, says Sean Callan, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and director of operations at Ellipse Analytics, the lab that tested the protein products.  Animals also have their own detoxification systems which filter out some contaminants, which is why animal-based protein powders, made from whey or egg, tend to be cleaner.

The study helpfully provided a list of the five cleanest protein powders, as well as the five who tested the worst.  The top five cleanest brands were:  Pure Protein, Performix Pro, BodyFortress, BioChem, and Puori.  The five most contaminated were:  Garden of Life, Nature’s Best, Quest 360Cut, and Vega.

With this newest report of rampant heavy metal contamination in a large and popular market niche (consumers spent $12.4 billion on protein powders and supplements in 2016), you might be inclined to shrug your shoulders and overlook it, thinking that everything is polluted now.  Maybe it’s just not possible to find “clean” foods or drinks anymore.  However, some protein powders tested quite clean when compared to others, which shows that it is possible for these companies to do better.  A lot of it is just complacency and lack of oversight.

We should also remember that heavy metals, although ubiquitous because of excessive fertilizer use and manufacturing run-off, are not benign.  High concentrations have been linked to cancer, brain damage and reproductive issues.  Cadmium, an active component of battery acid, is particularly toxic because it can accumulate in the kidneys and cause kidney damage, as can excessive protein consumption itself, particularly among those whose kidneys are already weak.

Which leads us to a possible solution:  why use protein powders and protein shakes in the first place?  Most of us can get plenty of protein through a regular, balanced diet.  A 5 oz. container of Greek yogurt has about 17 grams of protein, and 3.5 ounces of chicken has 31 grams.  Both easily match the 15-25 grams you would get from a serving of protein powder, but are more natural, and also less contaminated with heavy metals.   Since your body can only break down a certain amount of protein per hour, it doesn’t make sense to load up with a big serving all at once.

The bottom line:  protein powders and shakes may be tasty and convenient, but most people don’t need them.  Now that we’re aware of their contamination with heavy metals and BPA, we should try to avoid them and get protein from natural, whole food sources instead.

 

 

 

 

 

Kitsungi and the Art of Failure

kitsungi

“Kitsungi” is a form of Japanese art that I’ve always found fascinating.   Really, it’s more a method of repair than a formal art as it requires a broken ceramic object, such as a bowl or plate, that is then mended with a special laquer dusted with gold.   What makes this art form so special, is that there is absolutely no attempt made to camouflage the broken places.  In fact, they are deliberately emphasized.

This practice of accentuating damage and imperfection is related to the Japanese philosophy of “wabi-sabi”, which encourages us to see beauty in brokenness.   A similar sentiment is definitely operating at the newly opened Museum of Failure in Sweden, with a traveling exhibit currently in Los Angeles.   The idea behind this odd museum came from Dr. Samuel West, a Swedish psychologist  who noticed, and became sickened, by the modern habit of promoting success, while ignoring the importance of failure.

To his mind, it showed a lack of understanding of how crucial failure is for the creative process.  Successful innovators, like Steve Jobs, would never have achieved the wild success for which they eventually became known, if they hadn’t persevered through plenty of early failures.  Dr. West hopes that the Museum of Failure will make people comfortable with the idea of failure, and no longer fear it.   The fact is, if you want to create anything, you will fail, and fail often.  This doesn’t mean you can’t eventually succeed.

Within the Museum of Failure are nearly 100  items, many well-known, all of which went wrong in one way or another.   Select items include:  Google glasses, Sony’s Betamax VCR, New Coke, the “Bic for Her” pen,  and a Blockbuster video rental case.

Says Dr. West:  “It’s liberating to see these brand-name mega-corporations — who are perfect and never do anything wrong — and see them [expletive] up.  You think, when I try new things it’s okay for me to fail.  It’s okay, it’s inevitable. There’s something beautiful about that.”  The Museum of Failure even has a “confession wall” where you can write your own failure on a Post-It note and share it with the world.

This spring, as the trees start to bud, and the grass begins to grow once again, maybe it’s time to revisit an old dream – one that may have failed before, but with new knowledge and effort, may yet be brought to life.   Take inspiration from the art of kitsungi, or from the many items in the Museum of Failure, and see the beauty in any attempt, even if it’s botched or bungled.  As Leonard Cohen once sang, in a 1992 song  called Anthem:

“Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack, a crack, in everything.
That’s how the light gets in”.

So, give it a shot.  Let us see your imperfections, unique and precious as they are.  We also won’t miss that special glow you have, that shines through all the broken places from within.

 

 

 

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere

plastic

By now, I think everyone has heard of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch“, a much-publicized area in the Pacific ocean where water currents, wind, and other ocean features have naturally converged, allowing various debris to accumulate.  While the name immediately conjures a vast swathe of garbage, mostly in the form of bobbing plastic bottles, that’s not exactly true.   Most of the plastic there has already been broken down into tiny particles closer in size to confetti than yogurt cups.  But this shouldn’t diminish our concern about the ubiquity of plastic in our environment, and what this means about the health of our oceans, and for the sea creatures that live there.

Now, it seems we have even more to worry about.  According to a new investigation performed by scientists at the State University of New York in Fredonia, and commissioned by Orb Media, tiny micro-particles of plastic have been found in our own water supply.   Our bottled water, to be exact.  In this investigation, 250 different different bottles of water were analyzed from nine different countries.  A whopping 93% had microscopic pieces of plastic floating within them, despite claiming to follow rigorous standards for purity.

On average, 325 particles were found in each litre of bottled water being sold, although some brands contained as many as 10,000 per litre.  For the most part, all the particles were larger than the width of a human hair.   Because all brands of bottled water were contaminated, the investigators didn’t feel able to recommend, or warn people away, from any particular company.

You may now be thinking it’s time to switch back to tap water, but a previous study found that it also contained these same micro particles of plastic, although in roughly half the number.  How about water in glass bottles?  Well, the investigators also tested one batch of water from glass bottles for comparison,  and guess what?  That water contained micro-plastics too.

This information is sobering, and appears to mean a couple of things:  1)  our water filtration systems are in bad need of modernization.  Somehow, we need to advance the science of purification so that microscopic pieces of plastic can be removed from our water before we consume it.  And more importantly, 2)  we really need to stop using so much plastic!   Scientists are now estimating that within three decades, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.

In response to this revelatory news, the World Health Organization has announced that it will review the potential health impacts of plastic in drinking water, but this is cold comfort.  We already know that some of the chemicals in plastics, namely BPAs and pthalates, have estrogenic activity, and may also increase the risk of asthma, ADHD, low IQ, autism, male infertility, obesity and cancer.  Particularly frightening is the knowledge that there are other chemicals in plastics whose health effects we do not yet know.

Some researchers have attempted to allay concerns by stating that most of these microscopic plastic particles probably pass right through our systems without having any negative effect.  But this is hardly reassuring considering that they also admit they don’t know enough to be sure.  Microparticles of plastic are so small it’s very possible that they are absorbed into our liver, kidneys, and bloodstream.

So, what do we do with this information?  Considering the ubiquity of plastic in our modern environment, it’s hard to make a recommendation that would make much difference for the safety of ourselves and the people we love.  Individually, you can stop buying bottled water, and use tap water in refillable water containers instead.  Tap water may still contain micro-particles of plastic, but at least it has a lower amount – and it’s free.  As for the rest of the food we eat, we don’t have much of a choice since the majority of products on grocery store shelves are wrapped in plastic of one form or another.

Right now, I’m trying to have faith in human ingenuity, and in science and technology, hoping that they’ll discover some way around this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into.   We’ve found life-saving solutions to plenty of problems in the past, from the discovery of antibiotics, to the development of vaccines, and refrigeration.  Let’s hope we can find a solution to this problem too.

 

 

 

 

The Trouble With Rice

rice

Rice has had it rough lately.  Long considered the most easily digested grain, it is often the first solid food given to infants.  It is free of gluten and rarely causes allergic reactions.  It’s a staple food for more than half the world’s population, particularly in Asian countries like China, Japan, and India.

But in recent years, rice has been getting a lot of bad press.  First, there was the revelation that rice can be contaminated with surprisingly high amounts of arsenic.  A category one carcinogen, arsenic is known to cause cancer in humans.  It occurs naturally in soil, but has become increasingly present in our environment because of industrial pollution and fertilizer runoff, which contaminates water supplies.  Unfortunately, rice accumulates more arsenic than most foods, and as a result, is the single, largest food source of arsenic.

But you can select varieties of rice that are less likely to contain arsenic, such as basmati rice, jasmine rice, or sushi rice.  Even more important, you can choose to purchase rice only from areas with less arsenic pollution, such as California, India and Pakistan.  White basmati rice from these areas has, on average, half the arsenic present in other types of rice.  According to Consumer Reports, the highest levels of arsenic were found in rice from Arkansas, Louisiana or Texas.

Unfortunately, the more nutritious brown rice, which still retains the hull of the bran and is high in B vitamins, potassium, magnesium and fibre, is even more likely to suffer from arsenic contamination (80% more arsenic, on average than white rice), but if you choose brown basmati rice from California, India or Pakistan, it has about a third less arsenic than other brown rices.   In the case of arsenic contamination, there is no point in choosing organically grown rice, as it accumulates arsenic just as easily as conventionally-grown rice.

You can also considerably reduce your exposure to arsenic by rinsing and then soaking your rice overnight before you cook it.  Also, instead of using just enough cooking water to be absorbed by the grains, you should use a higher ratio of water to rice.  For example, by using six cups of water for each cup of rice, you can remove an additional 30% of the rice’s arsenic content. Just drain the excess water before eating.  More of rice’s nutrients are lost when cooking this way, but you also lose more of the arsenic.

Aside from these arsenic concerns, a second blow against rice has come from Singapore, a country whose population typically eats 5-6 cups of rice daily.   In response to rising rates of diabetes in Singapore and throughout Asia, Singapore has begun a campaign to reduce white rice consumption among its people.   The heart of the campaign is based on a recent meta-analysis from the Harvard School Of Public Health, and published in the British Medical Journal, showing that for each bowl of rice eaten daily, the risk of diabetes rises by 11%.  Even more sobering is the news that one bowl of white rice contains twice the carbohydrate content of one can of soft drink, and raises blood sugar just as quickly.

Many Asians consider their diet to be better than that of the Western world, as it is mostly devoid of the soda pop and processed junk foods so readily consumed here.   However, as Asians are genetically more susceptible to diabetes, and as they are increasingly adopting a more Western, sedentary lifestyle, the rate of diabetes is beginning to rise there too.  Hence, the warnings about white rice.  Singaporeans are being advised to reduce their white rice intake, or substitute some brown rice for the white rice, to lower their glycemic load.  And to further spur his countrymen into action, Dr. Stanley Liew, a diabetes expert at Raffles Hospital in Singpore, has warned that in terms of sugar content, white rice is just as bad as sodas, pastries, and other junk foods.

Does that mean we, in the West, should also be avoiding white rice?  Not necessarily.  Westerners typically consume a fraction of the rice that Asians do, and most experts here are more concerned about our consumption of soft drinks, and our rising obesity rates when it comes to diabetes risk.   Even in Asia, experts note that rice consumption hasn’t been increasing, and so should not be considered the true culprit in this new diabetes epidemic.  If diabetes is becoming a health issue in Asian countries, it’s more due to a general decrease in physical activity and an overall increase in food intake that’s taking place as Asians become more affluent.

So, where does that leave us, when it comes to eating rice?  Well, in spite of the higher arsenic content of brown rice, it is still a better choice than white rice, health-wise.   If you choose long grain, jasmine or basmati brown rice from California, India or Pakistan, and then rinse and soak it before cooking in plenty of water, you can avoid most of the difficulties with arsenic exposure.   And since long grain brown rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice, it’s better for your blood sugar too.

Just be sure your diet is well diversified, and you eat plenty of different foods.  Rice should not be eaten with every single meal, and should be substituted with other, healthy, whole grains from time to time.  Most dietary issues result from eating one type of food over and over again.  To ensure you are getting a wide variety of nutrients, you should make sure you are eating a wide variety of foods.  After all, as its always been said, “variety is the spice of life”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Your Older Sibling is Smarter Than You

siblings

Why are sibling studies so fascinating?  I suppose it’s because they provide us with another window through which to view ourselves, and we are all narcissists at heart.  They also have the added advantage of being guilt-free.  After all, we had no control over when we were born, and what place we took in our families.  As a result, we can look at these studies and evaluate the course of our lives without shame.

This new sibling study will have later-born children feeling short-shrifted, once again.  According to a study published in the Journal of Human Resources, which examined data from the US Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, first-born children score higher marks on IQ tests, and perform better on reading and picture vocabulary tests, by the time they are just one year of age.

The IQ scores of first born children were not dramatically higher than later borns, but researchers say the difference is big enough to allow entrance into better schools, with better opportunities.  These higher IQ and reading scores could explain why first-born children usually enjoy higher wages and better education than their younger siblings.  After all, it can’t be coincidence that first born children are over-represented as CEOs, astronauts, Rhodes scholars, and university professors, can it?

Because this new study also evaluated the behaviour of the mothers, not just the children, it attempted to confirm why first borns have such an advantage.  In this case, the researchers found that mothers took ‘higher risks’ with each succeeding pregnancy, and were less likely to stop smoking or drinking each time.  The mother’s behaviour after birth was also substantially different:  first borns were more likely to be breastfed, and were offered more mental stimulation from activities such as reading, craft-making, and the playing of musical instruments than children born later in the family.

This recent study was the largest sibling study ever performed, following 5,000 children over more than a decade, with evaluations done every two years from birth until 14 years of age.  Its findings would be hard to refute.  However, I found it interesting that a study published in 2007, which evaluated the IQ scores of 250,000 male, Norwegian military conscripts, came to a slightly different conclusion.

The subjects in this study were not evaluated as children.  Their IQ scores were merely noted as adults, at the time of enlistment.  However, in this study the effect of birth order on IQ scores disappeared if an elder sibling died.  In that case, the second-born took on the responsibilities of the older sibling, without having had the same attention as a child. Here, the researchers concluded that higher IQ scores could be better determined by a child’s social rank within the family, and not necessarily by birth order.

This begs the question of whether these higher IQ scores are truly set by the age of one.  It would seem that whenever children face higher expectations from parents, they struggle to fill the role.  This could raise IQ scores without any extra reading time or instrument playing as a young child.  It may be that it is merely parental expectations that cause children to become more ambitious, disciplined, responsible, and well-behaved, as first borns tend to be, and not necessarily the order of their birth.

While sibling studies such as these may feel guilt-free from the perspective of a child, they can generate plenty of soul-searching from parents.  If IQ scores and test results are that dependent, not just on parental attention, but also parental expectations, then we would all do well to make sure we hold our younger children to the same standards as we do our oldest, and read and play with them just as often.  It makes a hard job even harder, but it would ensure all of our children have the best chance of success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tapeworms and Raw Salmon

tapeworm

I have bad news for lovers of sushi and sashimi.  Early in 2017, North Pacific salmon was found to be infected with Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense, by the CDC.  Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense is the scientific name for a broad tapeworm previously known to infect only Asian Pacific salmon.

This parasite recently hit the spotlight in a major way.  In Fresno, California, a man found a 5 and a half foot long specimen in his stool.  For the previous few months, he had felt something moving around in his abdomen, but had assumed it was just gas.  After a strange and bloody bowel movement that frightened him, the long tapeworm came wriggling out.  He wound it around an empty toilet paper roll as evidence, and then brought himself to the hospital emergency room, where the amazed doctors prescribed him anti-parasite medication normally prescribed for pets.

How was this man infected?  Doctors suspect he ingested the tapeworm while eating raw salmon sashimi, which he admitted eating almost every day for lunch.   Although a five and a half foot long tapeworm may seem outrageously long, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say this parasite can grow up to 30 feet long in a human body.

Worried about your own raw fish consumption?  It helps to add some wasabi paste, or ginger slices to your slice of sushi before eating it.  There is a reason these condiments are provided with every sushi meal.  The spiciness of the wasabi, in particular, can help to kill any parasites present in raw fish before they can take hold in your body.

Additionally, if you plan to eat uncooked fish in your own home, freezing it for two days will also kill the parasite.  Of course, cooking will also kill off any parasitic infection.  If you have concerns that you may already be infected, herbs such as black walnut or wormwood have anti-parasitic properties, and can be taken daily in tincture form to help kill off any parasites in your body.  Check your local health food store for a good source.

Common symptoms of a parasite infection include abdominal pain, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, and a deficiency in B12.  But sometimes, there are no symptoms.  For those who are concerned, maybe it’s time to limit your consumption of raw fish – particularly salmon.  I myself I’ve never been very comfortable with it, and with this parasite now entering North American waters, I think it’s wise to be more cautious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Warnings About Household Cleaning Products

cleaning

A few weeks ago, I cited a study from the AARP that equated social isolation and feelings of loneliness with the negative health effects of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.  Now, researchers are sounding a similar warning against the regular use of household cleaning products.

In a study performed at Norway’s University of Bergen, 6,000 people were tracked over a period of two decades.  Those who had the most exposure to cleaning products had a marked decline in lung capacity, equivalent to what you might see in someone who smoked 20 cigarettes per day over that same time period.  Increased rates of asthma were also noted.

Researchers suspect that inhaling small particles of cleaning products on a regular basis might damage the mucus membranes lining lung airways, and thereby accelerate the decline in lung strength.  Although it is not yet certain which particular chemicals in household cleaning products might be contributing to this decline, bleach and ammonia are strong culprits.

To help protect your lungs from this damage, you can consider using baking soda when cleaning bathtubs and sinks, and a vinegar/water mixture when cleaning floors and windows.  Essential oils can also be mixed into the water/vinegar solution to make it smell prettier.   Citrus oils smell fresh, while lavender is relaxing.   You could even make your  life  simpler still by using plain water along with a microfibre cloth, since most household jobs don’t require strong chemicals.

Says Øistein Svanes, the lead author of the study, “When you think of inhaling small particles from cleaning agents that are meant for cleaning the floor and not your lungs, maybe [these results are] not so surprising”.