SUBJ: Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary has died.
SUBtitle: Why is the American Diet so deadly? ultra-processed fare.
“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”― Thich Nhat Hanh
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SHORT NOTES:
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary has died. Link to the greatest song for me.
Why is the American Diet so deadly? ultra-processed fare.
95% of Americans don’t get enough fiber.
Artificial sweeteners shift the microbiome in ways that impair the body’s handling of sugar.
A colleague’s review showing that vaccinations are absolutely useful.
Moderate alcohol consumption is healthier for most people.
US Government consider new guidelines recommending reduction in consumption of red and processed meats.
A diet high in polyphenols is beneficial because of the anti-inflammatory effects.
A reader strongly objected to my concerns about mercury fillings, there is much evidence to say they are not hazardous.
Curcumin improves mitochondrial dynamics and myocardial cell bioenergy.
During aging, the efferocytosis of phagocytes is impaired.
the possibility of converting skin cells into heart cells.
repeated fasting improves its response to future fasting events.
Exercise for Belly Fat. Lie flat on your back, palms down, and lift your bent legs…
9 Simple Habits to Do Every Day to Slow Aging: 6–8 a.m. Wake up.
“cognitive impairment” among AI large language systems.
LONG NOTES:
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary has died. He was one of the greatest musicians and advocates in the world for peace and freedom and kindness. I got to sing a verse of Rolling Home, linked in my email signature and taught to all of my classes at Beloit College, as the most important things I learned in college. The song was taught to me freshman year by my dear friend, DP. Here is the link to The greatest song for me. Here is a link to a 30-minute PBS performance by Peter.
New Yorker, 1/13/25, pg 12-Why is the American Diet so deadly? “dozens of studies have linked ultra-processed fare to health problems such as high blood pressure and heart attacks, and also to some problems that one might not expect: cancer, anxiety, dementia, early death. One analysis found that women who ate the most ultra-processed food were fifty percent more likely to become depressed than those who ate the least; another found that men who consumed more had substantially higher rates of colon cancer…Walter Willett of Harvard…prefers to focus on combinations of foods that people eat over time, and advocates for plant-based whole foods and the Mediterranean diet.
One bacterium, B. theta, ordinarily helps us digest fibre. But if we don’t get enough fibre-and 95% of Americans don’t-it starts to feed on mucus instead. “Think of it as eating the lining of your gut,” Aki said,. “Not good from and inflammation standpoint.”” Some of the artificial sweeteners in zero-calorie sodas and “no-sugar-added” desserts, such as saccharin and sucralose, appear to shift the microbiome in ways that impair the body’s handling of sugar. The spread of the Western diet has coincided with striking declines in microbial diversity. Some of our gut bacteria has disappeared altogether. In November, a study reported that ultra-processed foods can cause flares of psoriasis.
I have a new page summarizing a colleague’s review showing that vaccinations are absolutely useful to reduce your risk for dementia.
Moderate alcohol consumption is healthier for most people. Despite headlines on drinking and cancer, a thorough review shows 1 or 2 drinks lower risk of death. “Conclusion 6-3: The committee concludes that compared with never consuming alcohol, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol is associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality in both females and males.”
Science 3 Jan:pg 9-US Government consider new guidelines recommending reduction in consumption of red and processed meats. Trump may reject that advice. Pg 37-A diet high in polyphenols (olive oil, coffee, herbs, and fruit) is beneficial because of the anti-inflammatory effects.
A reader strongly objected to my concerns about mercury fillings. He believes there is much evidence to say they are not hazardous. Perhaps I should have highlighted that the ones they replaced for me were old and likely to break, along with my tooth, as happened last year leading to that article. Here’s another somewhat anecdotal but opposite view of a dentist.
Curcumin simultaneously improves mitochondrial dynamics and myocardial cell bioenergy after sepsis via the SIRT1-DRP1/PGC-1α pathway
The multistep process by which phagocytes engulf these deceased cells without eliciting an inflammatory response is called efferocytosis. During aging, the efferocytosis of phagocytes is impaired, which is closely associated with the development of many age-related diseases. The large accumulation of senescent cells in the body prevents phagocytosis from removing dead cells, which promotes chronic tissue inflammation. Additionally, efferocytosis promotes tumor growth and metastasis by inhibiting inflammatory responses and antitumor immunity.
How cells define their identity. (TY TPS) Researchers from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and Edinburgh University, Scotland, uncovered how critical proteins, called transcription factors (TFs), define cellular identity. It raises the possibility of converting skin cells into heart cells, or insulin-producing cells to cure diabetes.
A study led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Dr. Ido Goldstein has discovered that repeated fasting (e.g. on alternate days) triggers a cellular memory mechanism in the liver, improving its response to future fasting events, offering new insights into metabolic regulation.
AARP: #1 Exercise for Belly Fat. A strong core can help improve balance, improve posture, relieve back pain and help prevent falls. Lie flat on your back, palms down, and lift your bent legs, knees towards your chest.
AARP: 9 Simple Habits to Do Every Day to Slow Aging: 6–8 a.m. Wake up. 7–9 a.m. Morning walk. 25 to 30 grams of protein in the morning Noon. Meditation. Lunch: A Mediterranean-style diet 3 p.m. Exercise. 4–6 p.m. Socialize. 6 p.m. Dinner. Eating during an eight- to 12-hour window of the day and fasting for the remaining 12 to 16 hours (including sleep time) has been shown to have numerous advantages 10–11 p.m. Bedtime.
From Kevin: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Dementia –A recent study in BMJ studied the issue of “cognitive impairment” among AI large language systems and came to the conclusion that it’s a real phenomenon.
