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The Environmental Working Group singled out produce with the highest loads of pesticide residue, calling them the “Dirty Dozen” on its “2017 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.” The list includes strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, grapes, celery, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and potatoes. See the full list, which includes 50 fruits and vegetables. The “Clean Fifteen,” on the other hand, were: sweet corn, avocados, pineapples, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangos, eggplant, honeydew melon, kiwi, cantaloupe, cauliflower and grapefruit.
A single sample of strawberries had 20 different pesticides.
people who consumed organic over conventionally grown produce had fewer pesticides found in their urine samples. Organic farming sales hit record highs in 2015, up 11% from the previous year at $43.3 billion, and is now more profitable than traditional farming.
In the market watch article there is a lie
"There’s no scientific evidence that there are more health benefits to eating organic fruits and vegetables,
this is absolutely untrue and a wonderful example of mainstreet lying
What is true is that
"There is no scientific evidence that poison laden food can be consumed without long term health consequences."
The day will soon come when diseases such as cancer in humans will be shown to be linked to these poisons as is already the case for birds, fish and other animals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about a particularly nasty gastrointestinal illness. The alert concerns a parasitic protozoa from the Cryptosporidium family (also known as “crypto”). It can cause “profuse, watery diarrhea that can last up to two to three weeks” and can lead to life-threatening wasting and “malabsorption” in people whose immune system is compromised.
Cryptosporidium has emerged as the leading cause of recreational water–associated outbreaks, “particularly those associated with aquatic facilities.” That includes swimming pools, water parks, water playgrounds, hot tubs and spas. More than half of 24 states that voluntarily report such data said they detected cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in 2016 at water parks or swimming pools. Since 2004, the annual incidence of “cryptosporidiosiss” has increased threefold in the U.S.
Here’s the bad news for people who like to splash around in swimming pools, particularly in the summertime. Outbreaks are due in part to the parasite’s “extreme chlorine tolerance.” Free available chlorine reduces most infectious pathogens within minutes to CDC-recommended concentrations. However, Cryptosporidium can survive for days in such chlorinated water and remains a leading cause of waterborne disease among humans in the U.S., the CDC says.
Summer vacations can make you sick in other ways too, especially when taking a flight. Iced water is another culprit. As this Reddit user who identified as a flight attendant wrote in March: “Don’t get ice in your drink …The ice is put in a tray with a scoop and the trays don’t get cleaned very often. Every surface on the plane is touched by hundreds of people daily and not often disinfected. We don’t have the opportunity to wash our hands at all during the beverage service.”
Bacteria can spread fast on flights. Cryptosporidium aside, the equally sinister sounding Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lasted longest (168 hours) on material from a seat-back pocket while the bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7 (also known as E.coli, which can cause kidney problems) survived 96 hours on the material from the armrest of planes, according to research presented to the American Society for Microbiology in 2014.
Visiting New York this summer? Many people don’t often think about subway turnstiles and bus ticket machines that are arguably touched by even more people, according to Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. Commuters are 6 times more likely to develop an acute respiratory infection if they traveled recently by bus or tram, according to a 2011 study by the University of Nottingham in the U.K. and published in “BMC Journal of Infectious Diseases.”
MRSA is prevalent in hospitals, prisons, and nursing homes, where people with open wounds, invasive devices such as catheters, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of nosocomial infection (hospital-acquired infection). MRSA began as a hospital-acquired infection, but has developed limited endemic status and is now community-acquired as well as livestock-acquired. The terms HA-MRSA (healthcare-associated or hospital-acquired MRSA), CA-MRSA (community-associated MRSA) and LA-MRSA (livestock-associated) reflect this distinction.
Like all Staphylococcus aureus (usually S. aureus but abbreviated SA at times), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a gram-positive, spherical (coccus) bacterium that is about 1 micron in diameter. It does not form spores and it is non-motile. It forms grape-like clusters or chains.[2]:390
After 72 hours, MRSA can take hold in human tissues and eventually become resistant to treatment. The initial presentation of MRSA is small red bumps that resemble pimples, spider bites, or boils; they may be accompanied by fever and, occasionally, rashes. Within a few days, the bumps become larger and more painful; they eventually open into deep, pus-filled boils About 75 percent of CA-MRSA infections are localized to skin and soft tissue and usually can be treated effectively.[6]
Risk factors
Some of the populations at risk:
People with indwelling implants, prostheses, drains, and catheters[1][7]
People who are frequently in crowded places, especially with shared equipment and skin-to-skin contact[8]
People with weak immune systems (HIV/AIDS, lupus, or cancer sufferers; transplant recipients, severe asthmatics, etc.)
Diabetics[9][1]
Intravenous drug users[10][11]
Users of quinolone antibiotics[12][7]
The elderly[13][7]
School children sharing sports and other equipment.
College students living in dormitories[8]
People staying or working in a health care facility for an extended period of time[8][7]
People who spend time in coastal waters where MRSA is present, such as some beaches in Florida and the west coast of the United States[14][15]
People who spend time in confined spaces with other people, including occupants of homeless shelters, prison inmates, military recruits in basic training,[16][17]
Veterinarians, livestock handlers, and pet owners[18]
Those that ingest unpasteurized milk[19]
Those who are immunocompromised and also colonized[20]:249
Those with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[7]
Those who had thoracic surgery.[7]
As many as 22% of those infected with MRSA do not have any discernable risk factors.[3]:637
Hospitalized people
People who are hospitalized, including the elderly, are often immunocompromised and susceptibility to infection of all kinds, including MRSA; when the infection is by MRSA this is called healthcare-associated or hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA).[1][21][22][7]
Surgical as well as nonsurgical wounds can be infected with HA-MRSA.[1][21][7] Surgical site infections (SSI) occur on the skin surface but can spread to internal organs and blood to cause sepsis.[1] Transmission occurs between healthcare providers and patients. This is because some providers may inconsistently neglect to perform hand-washing between examinations.[12][23]
People in nursing homes are at at risk for all the reasons above, further complicated by the generally weaker immune systems of the elderly or other residents in need of such care.[13][24]
Children
MRSA is becoming a critical problem in pediatric settings;[35] recent studies found 4.6% of patients in U.S. health-care facilities, (presumably) including hospital nurseries,[36] were infected or colonized with MRSA.[37] Children (and adults, as well) who come in contact with day-care centers,[19] playgrounds, locker rooms, camps, dormitories, classrooms and other school settings, and gyms and workout facilities are at higher risk of getting MRSA. Parents should be especially cautious of children who participate in activities where sports equipment is shared, such as football helmets and uniforms.[38]
In the UK, the most common strains of MRSA are EMRSA15 and EMRSA16.[55] EMRSA16 has been found to be identical to the ST36:USA200 strain, which circulates in the United States, and to carry the SCCmec type II, enterotoxin A and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 genes.[56]
Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains emerged in late 1990 to 2000, infecting healthy people who had not been in contact with health care facilities.[58]
In the United States, most cases of CA-MRSA are caused by a CC8 strain designated ST8:USA300, which carries SCCmec type IV, Panton–Valentine leukocidin, PSM-alpha and enterotoxins Q and K,[56] and ST1:USA400.[60] The ST8:USA300 strain results in skin infections, necrotizing fasciitis and toxic shock syndrome, whereas the ST1:USA400 strain results in necrotizing pneumonia and pulmonary sepsis.[54]
Excluding medical facilities, current US guidance does not require workers with MRSA infections to be routinely excluded from the general workplace.[70]
Worldwide, an estimated 2 billion people carry some form of S. aureus; of these, up to 53 million (2.7% of carriers) are thought to carry MRSA.[78] In the United States, 95 million carry S. aureus in their noses; of these, 2.5 million (2.6% of carriers) carry MRSA.[79]
Care should be taken when trying to drain boils, as disruption of surrounding tissue can lead to larger infections, or even infection of the blood stream (often with fatal consequences).[81]
As shown in an animal study with diabetic mice, the topical application of a mixture of sugar (70%) and 3% povidone-iodine paste is an effective agent for the treatment of diabetic ulcers with MRSA infection.[82]
In the hospital setting toilet seats are a common vector for infection, and wiping seats clean before and/or after use can help to prevent the spread of MRSA. Door handles, faucets, light switches, etc. can be disinfected regularly with disinfectant wipes.[72] Spray disinfectants can be used on upholstery. Carpets can be washed with disinfectant, and hardwood floors can be scrubbed with diluted tea tree oil (e.g. Melaleuca). Laundry soap containing tea tree oil may be effective at decontaminating clothing and bedding, especially if hot water and heavy soil cycles are used, however tea tree oil may cause a rash which MRSA can re-colonize. Alcohol-based sanitizers can be placed near bedsides, near sitting areas, in vehicles etc. to encourage their use.
Some advocate regulations on the use of antibiotics in animal food to prevent the emergence of drug resistant strains of MRSA.[27] MRSA is established in animals.[19]
Treatment is urgent and delays can be fatal.[20]:328 The location and history related to the infection determines the treatment. The route of administration of an antibiotic varies. Antibiotics effective against MRSA can be given by IV, oral, or a combination of both and depends on the specific circumstances and patient characteristics.[6] The use of concurrent treatment with vancomycin other beta-lactam agents may have a synergistic effect.[3]:637
Several newly discovered strains of MRSA show antibiotic resistance even to vancomycin and teicoplanin. These new strains of the MRSA bacterium have been dubbed vancomycin intermediate-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA).[94] [95] Linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin, daptomycin, ceftaroline, and tigecycline are used to treat more severe infections that do not respond to glycopeptides such as vancomycin.[96] Current guidelines recommend daptomycin for VISA bloodstream infections and endocarditis.[6]
Skin and soft-tissue infections: In skin abscesses, the primary treatment recommended is removal of dead tissue, incision and drainage. More data is needed to determine the effectiveness of specific antibiotics therapy in SSIs.[6] Examples of soft tissue infections from MRSA include: ulcers, impetigo, abscesses, and surgical site infections.[87]
Children: In skin infections and in secondary infection sites topical mupirocin is used successfully. For bacteremia and endocarditis, vancomycin or daptomycin is considered. For children with MRSA infected bone or joints, treatment is individualized and long-term. Neonates can develop Neonatal pustulosis as a result of topical infection with MRSA.[6] Clindamycin is not approved for the treatment of MRSA infection it is still used in children for soft tissue infections.[6]
A 1,000-year-old eye salve recipe found in the medieval Bald's Leechbook at the British Library, one of the earliest known medical textbooks, was found to have activity against MRSA in vitro and in skin wounds in mice.[102]
Aqueous extracts of bay laurel can also be used as astringents and even as a reasonable salve for open wounds.[9]
In massage therapy, the essential oil of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism, while in aromatherapy, it is used to treat earaches and high blood pressure.[10] A traditional folk remedy for rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and stinging nettle is a poultice soaked in boiled bay leaves.[11]
The chemical compound lauroside B isolated from Laurus nobilis is an inhibitor of human melanoma (skin cancer) cell proliferation at high concentrations in-vitro.[12]
Food
The plant is the source of several popular herbs and one spice used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines.[4] Most commonly, the aromatic leaves are added whole to Italian pasta sauces.
Chemical constituents
The most abundant component found in laurel essential oil is 1,8-cineole, also called eucalyptol. The leaves contain about 1.3% essential oils (ol. lauri folii), consisting of 45% eucalyptol, 12% other terpenes, 8-12% terpinyl acetate, 3–4% sesquiterpenes, 3% methyleugenol, and other α- and β-pinenes, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol, and terpineol, contains lauric acid also.[7]
Both essential and fatty oils are present in the fruit. The fruit is pressed and water-extracted to obtain these products. The fruit contains up to 30% fatty oils and about 1% essential oils (terpenes, sesquiterpenes, alcohols, and ketones).
Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous leaves, in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. Its common names include bay laurel, sweet bay, bay (esp. United Kingdom),[1]:84 true laurel, Grecian laurel,[2] laurel tree or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture.
I'd like to talk a little bit here about my health and fitness regimen, hear what others think and maybe get some new ideas. I've always been in good shape and have considered myself fit, but by no means been a health nut. This year, though, I've gotten into the best shape of my life. I think it has to do with getting older. As you get older you realize time is moving faster, and what you lose to age you're not going to get back. You want to at least slow down the clock, if not turn it back.
It started with krav maga, which I began taking at the beginning of this year. Krav maga is a martial arts discipline developed in Israel. It is known for its brutal, simple, efficient style, which is just what I was looking for. It is not sport fighting. It is street fighting, basically. For the last couple years I'd been thinking about getting trained in an unarmed, combative self-defense technique. I carry a gun and am proficient in tactical firearms use, but a gun isn't always a solution to your problem, and laws prevent you from taking them many places. When I finally started doing research on unarmed self defense I settled on krav, and it was the right choice for me because I love it.
On a broader context, I have a sort of fascination with violence, particularly man's ability to inflict physical pain and suffering on another. Mass shooters, terrorists, serial killers, child molesters, common street thugs, and other predators in our society. Who are they, and why do they act this way? I'm not sure how many certifiable sociopaths there are walking around out there. Not many, probably, maybe 2 or 3%. But they are out there. And I want to do everything I can to not be a victim, and not let my wife and little girl be victims. As a male, I believe you have a duty to be willing to flip the switch, as it were, and inflict violence on someone who deserves it. The continued de-masculinization of our society discourages this type of behavior, but I'm a throwback that way, a holdout.
Anyway, krav maga has been great for me. I try to go three times a week, and it's a great workout. There is always at least one point during class where I just get utterly smoked and am gasping for air. It really conditions you. It also has opened up other areas for fitness and health improvement which I continue to work on, like diet, sleep and overall positive living. I'll talk more about these when I have more time.