Friday, October 15, 2010

Calcium and vitamin D linked to weight loss

Big Pharma's diet pills come with big risks and small results... but if you want to kick-start your own weight loss plan, there are a few things you can take that really do work.

And they're nutrients you need anyway.

Researchers have found that vitamin D and calcium, two nutrients that work so well together in everything from bone health to cancer prevention, can help you shed pounds.

And it doesn't take much of either.

In a new analysis, researchers examined data on 322 people with an average age of 52 and BMI of 31. While most of the patients were tracked for two years, 126 of them were followed for an extra six months to track their levels of vitamin D.

The researchers found that volunteers with an average daily intake of 580 milligrams of calcium along with vitamin D blood levels of 30.2 nanograms per millimeter lost nearly 12 pounds over two years, according to the study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Like I said, these aren't especially high levels of either nutrient--580 mg of calcium is barely half the U.S. government's "recommended daily intake," and those blood levels of vitamin D are below what many in the mainstream now recommend.

And while 12 pounds over two years isn't a stunning level of weight loss by any stretch, it's actually better than the results we've seen from studies on many of Big Pharma's diet drugs--with none of the dangerous side effects.

Most people can get the calcium they need from a good diet of natural foods, but a supplement isn't a bad idea if you think there's a chance you're not getting enough.

Vitamin D, on the other hand, is much trickier. Our bodies can make it from sunlight--but since so few of us get the sun exposure we need to stimulate D production, most people are actually badly deficient.

In fact, it's become the world's leading nutritional deficiency--so if you're not taking a D supplement now, you should... whether you need to lose weight or not.

Add these key nutrients to a healthy lifestyle low in sugar and other refined carbohydrates, and you won't believe how easily the pounds will come off.

No drugs necessary.


On a mission for your health,

Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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How 'B' can beat dementia

There may "B" an answer to Alzheimer's after all--and it might even be something you're taking right now.

Researchers have found that high levels of three common B vitamins can dramatically slash the brain shrinkage associated with dementia and related conditions.

Naturally, they're already hoping to sell this to you as a "drug," but you don't have to wait for Big Pharma's blessing--because the ingredients are sitting on the shelf at your local vitamin store right now, and I'll tell you all about them in a moment.

But first, let's take a look at this remarkable new study.

Researchers recruited 168 seniors who suffered from mild cognitive impairment and assigned them to either a placebo or TrioBe Plus--a patented blend of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

After two years, MRI scans revealed that those who had been taking the B vitamin blend had a much slower rate of brain shrinkage: .76 percent of volume per year, versus 1.08 percent in those who were given the placebo, or a difference of 30 percent.

What's more, patients with the highest blood levels of the inflammation marker homocysteine at the start of the study had a 53 percent reduction in the shrinkage rate, according to the study in PLoS One.

By the way, here's a humbling piece of trivia: All of our brains are shrinking. Even the healthiest ones lose about half a percent each year. Just a guess, but they may end up in the same place as keys, wallets and left socks.

Now, before you run off to try to slow your own shrinkage with some B vitamins, the researchers behind this study have a warning: Their blend, they say, is a high-dose "drug" and should only be given under the care of a doctor.

But that sounds a lot like patent-protecting greed to me, because one look at the TrioBe Plus ingredients label reveals that these high doses aren't so high after all: 800 micrograms of folate, 500 micrograms of B12 and 20 milligrams of B6.

They're high levels in that they exceed the U.S. government's lowball recommended daily intakes... but not so high that they can't be found without a prescription. In fact, you can pick them up at almost any supermarket or health food story in those exact amounts.

Since your own needs could vary depending on your age and condition, talk to a naturopathic physician about the best ways to add some B to your regimen now--but don't be afraid to do it.

And don't be afraid to start today--before your brain shrinks even more than it already has.

Those aren't the only ordinary vitamins that can beat Big Pharma meds... keep reading for the latest news on safe and inexpensive supplements that can help you lose weight! 
 

Kremlin fury over 'worm salad' tweet

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Dmitry Zelenin, governor of Tver region, tweeted that he found a worm in his salad
* Took place during a reception of Germany's president at the Kremlin
* Kremlin officials have promised to take action if the claims prove false


(CNN) -- A senior Russian official has been branded an "imbecile" after tweeting that he found a worm in his salad during a Kremlin banquet for visiting German President Christian Wulff.

Dmitry Zelenin, the governor of Tver region in central Russia, wrote: "The beef came with live worms. That's an original way to show that the lettuce leaf is fresh."

He also published a photograph of the offending invertebrate online.

Far from amused, Kremlin foreign policy advisor, Sergei Prikhodko, told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday that he regretted there was no rule on "firing governors for imbecility."

An official from the office of President Dmitry Medvedev told RIA Novosti that a preliminary study of the image showed "it represents neither the place [of the reception], nor the serving of the table layout during this protocol event in the Grand Kremlin Palace."

Ominously, he added that if the information in the message, which has since been deleted, proves incorrect "then the person who made this statement will be held accountable in line with the current law."

Kremlin officials said the kitchens would also be checked.



Source Article


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© 2008 Cable News Network

Most Important Windows Security Patch Ever

Source article
October 14, 2010 by shogan in The Pit Blog
For the past 7 years Microsoft has released security patches for their products on the second Tuesday of each month. Following tradition, Microsoft just issued its largest security patch ever on October 12th, Patch Tuesday. Let me say again that this is the largest patch ever from Microsoft. A total of 49 vulnerabilities are fixed with 16 patches and this far exceeds the previous record of 34.
One of the most notorious exploits, that was mostly fixed, was the Stuxnet virus. This is the virus that attacked the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran earlier this year. I think it was a mistake when we coined the word "virus" to describe these attacks. We forget that what we call a virus is a direct attack by an individual or group. It's almost as if we accept virus activity like we would accept having a cold. Make no mistake, this virus is not about a few stolen credit card numbers. There is a war going on. There are good guys and bad guys. The good guys are called "White Hat Hackers", the bad guys are called "Black Hat Hackers", and they are locked in mortal combat.

The introduction of the Stuxnet Virus changed the game. It amazed and horrified all the current experts. The attack on Bushehr was and still is, a big deal. The Stuxnet virus attacked a physical plant, and a nuclear plant at that. No longer a simple attack on software but a full blown attack on hard objects.
This absolutely marks the beginning of a new era. The beginning of digital strikes against physical targets. The results can be the same as if someone dropped a bomb on your city .

Stuxnet took months of preparation and a level of expertises that was previously unknown. A bag of new tactics that infected without internet connections, without the click of a button. The sophistication was staggering. There's little doubt that the attack was the work of a well trained group or nation and not the work of individuals.
Suddenly my monthly discussions with good friend and Apple user Bill R. seem rather unimportant. Now I realize that while protecting my computer is a must, it's not the whole issue. The real issue is much bigger and much more ominous. The real issue is about the safety of nations and families. I've never looked to see where or how many nuclear plants were in the US, but a quick Google search let me know that unless I move to Oregon or North Dakota, I've got every chance of glowing like a light bulb if someone decides to launch a similar attack in the US.

WHAT TO DO
1. Do your part and update immediately. Be sure to mark it on your calendar to updated every Patch Tuesday.
2. Purchase a good antivirus product. Find a product that doesn't waste resources and slow your system to the point that you disable it. Find one that updates automatically and offers real time protection. Remember you're only as safe as your most recent update. In fact, the most dangerous time is immediately after Patch Tuesday on Hacker Wednesday. The hackers take advantage of those who don't update right away.
3. Continue to be cautious when receiving and opening email.
4. Avoid visiting Social Networks and unprotected file sharing sites. There is no protection when you intentionally click the download button. It's up to you to decide whether the person on the other end is clear of infection.
5. Enjoy the protection that comes with Cloud Computing. It's going to be one of the biggest shifts in how computing is done. Eventually all of your applications and programs will be kept on a server and not your computer. It's the future and PC Pitstop is a part of it. All of our programs are in The Clouds. Get on board.

 

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If You Eat These Eggs, You are Being Ripped Off


Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 15 2010 | 89,407 views
organic eggsThe Cornucopia Institute has released a report that exposes widespread abuses in the production of organic eggs, primarily by large factory farms.
The study compares management practices employed by small organic egg farmers with those of large industrial operations that label eggs 'organic' that have been produced by chickens confined by the hundreds of thousands in industrial facilities.
According to Cornucopia News:
"After visiting over 15% of the certified egg farms in the United States, and surveying all name-brand and private-label industry marketers, it's obvious that a high percentage of the eggs on the market should be labeled 'produced with organic feed' rather than bearing the USDA-certified organic logo," said Mark A. Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute's codirector and senior farm policy analyst."
Eighty percent of all organic eggs are produced by a handful of operations. Most of these businesses own hundreds of thousands to millions of birds and market a percentage of their produce as 'specialty eggs,' one of which is organic. Most of the giant henhouses used by these factory farms provide no legitimate access to the outdoors, which is a requirement of federal organic regulations.
"Many of these operators are gaming the system by providing minute enclosed porches, with roofs and concrete or wood flooring, and calling these structures 'the outdoors,'" stated Charlotte Vallaeys, a farm policy analyst with Cornucopia and lead author of the report.
"Many of the porches represent just 3 to 5 percent of the square footage of the main building housing the birds. That means 95 percent or more of the birds have absolutely no access whatsoever."
Per Cornucopia News, family farm-scale organic egg farmers will challenge agribusiness lobbyists at the October 25 meeting of the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board).

Sources:

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods in the world, and at their very best if you eat them raw. But the quality of your eggs is paramount. Organic, free-range eggs are clearly your best bet, but as this Cornucopia report shows, there are loopholes in the organic regulations that allow less than truly organic producers to slip their eggs through.

Are Factory Farmed Organic Eggs Truly Organic?

Based on The Cornucopia Institute's research and inspection of organic egg producers across the US, the answer to that question seems to be a disappointing no.
Their report, Scrambled Eggs: Separating Factory Farm Egg Production from Authentic Organic Agriculture, contains a scorecard that rates nearly 70 different organic egg brands based on 22 organic criteria.
Sadly, there is no shortage of brands that miss the mark, despite their USDA Organic label.
One of the most glaring problems is the lack of true adherence to free-range standards. Health conscious organic consumers expect organic free-range eggs to be produced by hens that have ample access to the outdoors.
But as Cornucopia says, "a high percentage of the eggs on the market should be labeled 'produced with organic feed' rather than bearing the USDA-certified organic logo," because many of these birds never actually get to set foot outdoors.
Mass-producing organic egg farmers circumvent the free-range criteria by providing tiny enclosed porches with roofs and concrete or wood flooring – a far cry from what most organic consumers would associate with the word "free-range."
According to Cornucopia:
"Many of the porches represent just 3 to 5 percent of the square footage of the main building housing the birds. That means 95 percent or more of the birds have absolutely no access whatsoever."

The REAL Definition of Free-Range Eggs

Don't be fooled by the egg industry's double-speak definitions of what organic and free-range really is. True free-range eggs are from hens that walk about freely outdoors on a pasture where they can forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, and worms.
A hen that is let outside into a barren lot for a few minutes a day but is fed a diet of corn, soy and cottonseed meal, plus synthetic additives, is NOT an organic free-range hen, and will not produce the same quality eggs as its foraging counterpart.
Likewise, a hen that is fed an organic diet, but never gets to go outside is also NOT a true free-range hen, although it may currently slide through as an "organic" one…
A MAJOR part of a hen being truly organic is having free range access to outdoor pasture. It's not just about being fed organic grains. And this is a major point of contention within the egg industry.
The largest egg producers have been hard at work, vigorously lobbying against requirements for outdoor pasture.
Cornucopia writes:
"At previous meetings of the NOSB [National Organic Standards Board], United Egg Producers represented industrial-scale producers and publicly opposed proposals to strengthen regulations requiring outdoor access.
"We are strongly opposed to any requirement for hens to have access to the soil," said Kurt Kreher of Kreher's Sunrise Farms in Clarence, N.Y.
And Bart Slaugh, director of quality assurance at Eggland's Best, a marketer of both conventional and organic eggs based in Jeffersonville, Pa., noted that, "The push for continually expanding outdoor access … needs to stop." "
Family-scale organic egg farmers and other organic egg advocates will challenge industry lobbyists and push to close the regulatory loophole that allows organic egg farmers to circumvent the need to pasture their chickens at the next NOSB meeting being held on October 25 in Madison, WI.
The NOSB is currently struggling with proposed new regulations for poultry and other livestock, trying to establish standards for housing density, and clear up the "confusion" about what "outdoor access" really means.
Cornucopia writes:
"From the beginning our position was that the original organic regulatory language actually means something," said [Mark A.] Kastel [codirector for The Cornucopia Institute's and senior farm policy analyst].
"Just because it didn't prescribe exactly how to comply with the requirement for 'access to the outdoors for all organic livestock' or 'access to pasture for ruminants' doesn't mean farm operators could ignore the requirement."
…"As in organic dairying, we discovered similar flagrant violations of the law in the organic egg business," lamented Kastel. "Some of the largest operators even have a note from their veterinarian, or some state official, saying 'we recommend that you not let your birds outside to protect their health.' And some accommodating, corporate-friendly organic certifiers have signed-off on this," Kastel said."
A note from the veterinarian prescribing the hens to be kept indoors for their own well-being?
Seriously?!

Family-Scale Organic Egg Producers Get Top Scores

The good news here is that you can still depend on your small, local farmer to produce some of the best food on earth.
The report concludes that the vast majority of family-scale producers do comply with, or exceed, organic regulations.
In fact, "[a]n important subset of organic farmers are even going far beyond the minimum requirements in the organic standards: not just providing access to the outdoors but rotating birds on high-quality pasture," Cornucopia reports.
The main problem is that they can't compete against cheaper mass-produced organic eggs. Because although factory farmed organic eggs typically do not fulfill the expectation of organic consumers, most consumers simply do not realize that they're being short-changed, because both eggs bear the identical organic label…
For more information, and to locate a high-rating organic egg producer in your area, please see The Cornucopia Institute's report, Scrambled Eggs: Separating Factory Farm Egg Production from Authentic Organic Agriculture.

Organic Eggs are Healthier, More Nutritious Eggs

Why should you care about whether or not your eggs are truly organic AND free-range?
Because organic, pasture raised hens are healthier, live longer, and produce eggs with superior flavor and nutritional content than their factory-raised counterparts. Organic eggs also tend to be more expensive, so why shouldn't you get everything you pay for? A hen that has been in a crowded pen simply will not produce as healthful an egg as a hen that has been pastured, even if she's fed an all organic diet…
Quite simply, the healthier the hen, the healthier her eggs, and outdoor access is a major part of optimal health for food producing animals.
An egg-testing project performed by Mother Earth News in 2007 found there were significant differences in nutrition between factory-farmed and organically raised eggs.
Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
  • 1/3 less cholesterol
  • 1/4 less saturated fat
  • 2/3 more vitamin A
  • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
  • 3 times more vitamin E
  • 7 times more beta carotene
These dramatically differing nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free-range pastured hens, vs. commercially farmed hens.
The fact that the USDA and other organizations (which are often funded or influenced by industry) refuse to acknowledge that there is a direct link between the diet of the bird and the nutritional value of their eggs, is a clear indicator that there are strong financial incentives at work – not nutritional science.

The Best and the Worst of Eggs

If at all possible, I would encourage you to avoid buying all store bought eggs unless you have no other choices. Exceptions would be small health food stores that carry locally farmed eggs.
Ideally it would be best to locate a local famer where the chickens are fed well and raised in humane conditions and allowed to eat insects. I have never seen store bought eggs that compares to the color of the yolk in these eggs. Typically they are deep orange, where most of the store bought eggs are light yellow.
In addition to being true pasture raised, these types of eggs are also less likely to have been treated with damaging chlorine baths.
If you have to purchase your eggs from a commercial grocery store, I would advise selecting a high-rated brand from The Cornucopia Institute's report, to ensure you're actually getting high-quality organic eggs.
But finding a local egg producer may not be as hard as you think. In my experience, this is one of the easiest foods to find from local farmers.
To locate a free-range pasture farm near you, try:
Another option is to raise your own. Mother Earth News has a great article on how to do it.
As for the worst eggs out there, omega-3 fortified eggs take top billing and should be avoided. Typically, the animals producing these eggs are fed poor-quality sources of omega-3 fats that are already oxidized. Also, omega-3 eggs do not last anywhere near as long as non-omega-3 eggs.

Organic, Pasture Raised Eggs Also Do Not Need Refrigeration and are FAR Less Likely to be Contaminated with Salmonella

It is actually wise to NOT refrigerate your eggs. If you have ever been to Europe or South America, you will know that the practice of non-refrigeration is common in those countries.
In the U.S., refrigeration of eggs became the cultural norm when mass production caused eggs to travel long distances and sit in storage for weeks to months before arriving at your superstore. The general lack of cleanliness of factory farms has increased the likelihood that your eggs have come into contact with pathogens, amplifying the need for disinfection and refrigeration.
But if your eggs are very fresh and organically-raised, you typically do not have to refrigerate them.
As for the risk of contracting salmonella, chickens raised in unsanitary factory farm conditions are far more likely to be contaminated, and lay contaminated eggs.
In fact, one study by the British government found that 23 percent of farms with caged hens tested positive for salmonella, compared to just over 4 percent in organic flocks and 6.5 percent in pasture raised flocks.

Related Links:

  Why You Don't Want to Buy Organic Eggs at the Grocery Store

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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Why genes are leftwing

The right loves genetic explanations for poverty or mental illness. But science fingers society
When the map of the human genome was presented to the world in 2001, psychiatrists had high hopes for it. Itemising all our genes would surely provide molecular evidence that the main cause of mental illness was genetic – something psychiatrists had long believed. Drug companies were wetting their lips at the prospect of massive profits from unique potions for every idiosyncrasy.
But a decade later, unnoticed by the media, the human genome project has not delivered what the psychiatrists hoped: we now know that genes play little part in why one sibling, social class or ethnic group is more likely to suffer mental health problems than another.

This result had been predicted by Craig Venter, one of the key researchers on the project. When the map was published, he said that because we only have about 25,000 genes psychological differences could not be much determined by them. "Our environments are critical," he concluded. And, after only a few years of extensive genome searching, even the most convinced geneticists began to publicly admit that there are no individual genes for the vast majority of mental health problems. In 2009 Professor Robert Plomin, a leading behavioural geneticist, wrote that the evidence had proved that "genetic effects are much smaller than previously considered: the largest effects account for only 1% of quantitative traits". However, he believed that all was not lost. Complex combinations of genes might hold the key. So far, this has not been shown, nor is it likely to be.
This February's editorial of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry was entitled "It's the environment, stupid!". The author, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, stated that "serious science is now more than ever focused on the power of the environment … all but the most dogged of genetic determinists have revised their view".
In Sonuga-Barke's own field, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he observed that "even the most comprehensive genome-wide scans available, with thousands of patients using hundreds of thousands of genetic markers … appear to account for a relatively small proportion of disorder expression". Genes hardly explained at all why some children have ADHD and not others.

That was illustrated recently in a heavily publicised study by Anita Thapar, of Cardiff University. Although she claimed to have proved that ADHD is a "genetic disease", if anything, she proved the opposite. Only 16% of the children with ADHD in her study had the pattern of genes that she claimed causes the illness. Taken at face value, her study proved that non-genetic factors cause it in 8 out of 10 children.
Another theory was that genes create vulnerabilities. For example, it was thought that people with a particular gene variant were more likely to become depressed if they were maltreated as children. This also now looks unlikely. An analysis of 14,250 people showed that those with the variant were not at greater risk of depression. Nor were they more likely to be depressed when the variant was combined with childhood maltreatment.
In developed nations, women and those on a low income are twice as likely to be depressed as men and the wealthy. When DNA is tested in large samples, neither women nor the poor are more likely to have the variant. Worldwide, depression is least common in south-east Asia. Yet a study of 29 nations found the variant to be commonest there – the degree to which a society is collectivist rather than individualistic partly explains depression rates, not genes.

Politics may be the reason why the media has so far failed to report the small role of genes. The political right believes that genes largely explain why the poor are poor, as well as twice as likely as the rich to be mentally ill. To them, the poor are genetic mud, sinking to the bottom of the genetic pool.

Writing in 2000, the political scientist Charles Murray made a rash prediction he may now regret. "The story of human nature, as revealed by genetics and neuroscience, will be conservative in its political [shape]." The American poor would turn out to have significantly different genes to the affluent: "This is not unimaginable. It is almost certainly true." Almost certainly false, more like.

Instead, the Human Genome Project is rapidly providing a scientific basis for the political left. Childhood maltreatment, economic inequality and excessive materialism seem the main determinants of mental illness. State-sponsored interventions, like reduced inequality, are the most likely solutions.

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Dollar fall sparks stability warnings

By David Oakley and Peter Garnham in London and Michael Mackenzie in New York

Published: October 14 2010 19:55 | Last updated: October 14 2010 19:55

The dollar tumbled against most major currencies on Thursday, prompting warnings that the weakness of the world’s reserve currency could destabilise the global economy and push other countries into retaliatory devaluations to underwrite their exports.

Increasing expectations the Federal Reserve will pump more money into the US economy next month under a policy known as quantitative easing sent the dollar to new lows against the Chinese renminbi, Swiss franc and Australian dollar. It dropped to a 15-year low against the yen and an eight-month low against the euro.

The dollar index, which tracks a basket of currencies, reached its lowest level this year.

A senior European policy-maker, who asked not to be named, said a further aggressive round of monetary easing by the US Federal Reserve would be “irresponsible” as it made US exports more competitive at the expense of its rivals.

Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist for BNY Mellon, said: “In narrow terms, the US is winning the currency wars as a weaker dollar will help its economy, but it could damage the other big economic blocs of China, Japan and Europe.”

The dollar’s fall was given fresh impetus after the Monetary Authority of Singapore surprised the market when it tightened policy by widening the trading band for its currency, allowing it to appreciate. The move by the Singapore authorities, responding to fears over inflation, helped push up other Asian currencies.

Russia’s finance minister Alexei Kudrin, in a meeting with European Union officials, blamed the US – and others – for global currency instability.

He said one reason for exchange rate turmoil “is the stimulating monetary policy of some developed countries, above all the United States, which are trying to solve their structural problems in this way”.

Commodities, which are mostly traded in dollars, were boosted by the US currency’s slide. Copper hit a two-year high of $8,490 per tonne at one point, while gold surged to a record of $1,387 per troy ounce.

The twice-yearly US Treasury currency report, to be published on Friday, could ramp up the debate, although it is likely to stop short of accusing China of manipulating its currency.

However, turbulence was contained in the currency markets, as equities are benefiting from expectations of more QE. Investors hope that the fresh flood of money will find its way into stocks.

The QE factor and the strong start to the US earnings season propelled the FTSE All World Index to highs last seen around the time of the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. This index has risen 20 per cent since the start of July.

Robert Parkes, equity strategist at HSBC, said: “The equity bull run, which started in March last year, will go on.”

US inflation expectations for the next 10 years also continued to climb, reaching 2.09 per cent, up from 1.90 per cent in the past week.

The dollar fell to Rmb6.6493 against the Chinese renminbi, dropped to SFr0.9461 against the Swiss franc and fell to $0.9993 against the Australian dollar, just shy of parity. The Canadian dollar reached parity with the US currency, last seen in April. The US dollar fell below Y81 against the Japanese yen and tumbled to $1.4121 against the euro. The dollar index dropped nearly 1 per cent at one point to 76.259, its lowest since December.

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