A disease known to rarely affect two species, makes a bizarre sudden jump to pet dogs. By Heather Callaghan Startling reports of a new deadly virus infecting dogs have arisen in the media in the past month. It’s said to be highly contagious for dogs…
by Heather Callaghan Drug poisoning is now the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. and has increased by more than 300 percent over the last three decades. Almost 90 percent of poisoning deaths can be attributed to illicit or licit drugs, with prescription…
By Heather Callaghan Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in most plastics, cans, and other types of food and drink packaging as well as money, receipts and newer kinds of dental resins. It is a known endocrine disruptor that hijacks normal hormone function –…
Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise show promise for learning, depression in teens, and more SAN DIEGO — New studies released today underscore the potential impact of healthy lifestyle choices in treating depression, the effects of aging, and learning. The research focused on the effects…
Scott C. Tips Sunset pinked the German sky as the Codex delegates sat at their conference-room tables, a long first day already behind them, still debating health standards that will affect billions worldwide. Naturally a day filled with such debates – especially over technical language…
By Heather Callaghan Have you been following the story of 10-year-old Sarah Hershberger? She is the fully recovered Amish girl who is willing to (physically) fight if forced back back onto experimental chemotherapy. The threat of court-ordered chemotherapy still looms over the family as sheriffs…
by Rady Ananda Tuesday’s vote on whether certain foods containing genetically modified ingredients should be labeled failed in early returns. However, the mail-in ballots have not yet been counted. Of nearly a million votes cast, only 445,730 reportedly voted for food labeling. Pundits are declaring…
By Marco Torres Geoengineering technologies are the stuff of Hollywood catastrophe flicks. It seems scientists want to play God with our climate and nothing will stop them. Researchers have recommended sending out a giant glass sunshade into space to reflect light; the eruption of artificial…
by Dr. Richard Foxx Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a notoriously difficult disease to treat, in part because the disease attacks nerve cells, destroying them. The end result is that a progressive paralysis sets in. People with MS have trouble with their vision and balance. Eventually,…
by Sayer Ji The humble spice turmeric, in doses available for pennies a day, has been found to reduce one of the most devastating side effects of radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. Each year, 60,000 patients are diagnosed with ‘head and neck cancer,’…
By Heather Callaghan A back-and-forth fight between the state and a 10-year-old girl with leukemia has been raging for awhile. Ohioan Amish girl, Sarah Hershberger, was brought into national view when it was learned that a legal battle ensued over whether her parents, Andy and…
By Jonathan Parker As the population in the US continues to age, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, assisted living and other care facilities are seeing a huge increase in residents. It’s never an easy decision to place a loved one in a group care setting, but…
by Stephanie Relfe 100,000 people in a town called Tecoma, in Victoria, Australia, are fighting a battle to keep McDonald’s away from their town, where McDonald’s wants one of its junkstores to be built near the school, naturally, because when you push food that addicts…
by Arjun Walia Cancer rates are increasing as we continue to surround ourselves with an extremely toxic environment. Everything from GMOs to pesticides and cosmetics, our world is full of cancer-causing agents that are now being exposed. People are beginning to wake up and take…
by Lisa Bloomquist A new kind of antibiotic has been developed by researchers at Oregon State University. The new antibiotics are called PPMOs, which stand for peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers. They are “a synthetic analog of DNA or RNA that has the ability to silence…
by Catherine J. Frompovich Genetic modification of plants—along with cloning of animals, remember Dolly the Sheep (1996)—has been going on without apparent second thoughts being given to the ramifications of what such technological advances do to the biosphere. Recently, concerned citizens have taken a second…
FDA must find regulatory balance for probiotics says Univ. of Md. law prof The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should consider the unique features of probiotics — bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms in the intestines — in regulating their use…
By Sayer Ji A deeply concerning ETC Group report reveals that the Brazilian Constitutional Commission is poised to vote on whether to an upend an 8-year old ban on the use of terminator technology (a.k.a. suicide seeds); a move which would clearly violate the international…
by Sayer Ji “Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.” ~ Albert Einstein Whereas the quote above could easily be dismissed as the ‘progress-denying’ sentiment of a disgruntled anti-GMO activist, the fact is that it came from a scientist…
New research has shown that the non-hallucinogenic components of cannabis could act as effective anti-cancer agents. The anti-cancer properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary hallucinogenic component of cannabis, has been recognised for many years, but research into similar cannabis-derived compounds, known as cannabinoids, has been…
