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Dr Damien Downing, MB BS, MRSB, who practices ecological medicine, is president of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, former editor of the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and an editorial board member of Orthomolecular News Service. The author of five books, including Coherent Health, he lectures widely for the British Society of Environmental Medicine. Bruce Lipton, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Stem cell biologist, bestselling author of The Biology of Belief and recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award, he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows as well as a keynote presenter for national and international conferences. Dr Sarah Myhill has worked in the UK National Health Service and in private practice since 1981. Honorary Secretary…

Alzheimer's could be a different disease for men and women—and there's a simple thing all women can do to lower their risk. For women, the disease seems to be associated with a dramatic drop in omega-3 fatty acid intake, and so taking omega-3 supplements and eating plenty of fatty fish could be important ways to prevent it. The same isn't true for men, say researchers at King's College London, which suggests the disease has different characteristics in males and females. The researchers analyzed blood samples from 471 people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment and compared them to samples from 370 healthy people for signs of inflammation and brain damage. The women with Alzheimer's had dramatically higher saturated fat and lower unsaturated fat than healthy women did. This phenomenon…

Drugs giant AstraZeneca has been accused of funding Russia's war effort and its invasion of Ukraine. The company has maintained a presence in Russia since the invasion began in 2022 and is paying around $43 million a year in taxes, according to a report from the Kyiv School of Economics. Overall, large Western conglomerates are paying $20 billion corporation tax every year to President Putin's government. Companies like AstraZeneca are “choosing profit over principle,” the report says, and they continue to pay corporation tax and “provide goods, services and technology” that help sustain Russia's invasion. AstraZeneca has been increasing its operations in Russia, and sales and taxes it has paid to the Russian government have risen sharply in the past year. Alex Ralph et al., “AstraZeneca Among Firms Accused of…

For a longer life, set up your home close to an ocean. People living within 30 miles of an ocean can add a year to the average life expectancy of 79 years, whereas those in urban areas are more likely to live an average of 78 years, even if they are close to a large stretch of water. Researchers from Ohio State University analyzed data from over 66,000 different census tracts of the US. They compared longevity rates to proximity to water, whether it was a lake, river or ocean. Those who can afford an ocean-facing home are probably wealthier and enjoy healthier lifestyles, the researchers say, but it could also be something to do with better air quality and more stable temperatures near the ocean. It could be related…

If you have trouble handling stress, you could be dehydrated. People who aren't drinking enough water can suddenly experience a big increase in levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone. A stressful situation can often be the first sign of dehydration, say researchers from Liverpool John Moores University, causing cortisol levels to suddenly rise. When this occurs regularly over time, it increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression. People with dehydration are typically consuming less than 1.5 L of fluids, equivalent to 7 cups of tea, every day. The recommended daily intake is 2 L for women and 2.5 L for men. The researchers took two groups—those drinking the least and most fluids—through a series of stress tests, including a mock job interview and a mental arithmetic…

A woman's lifestyle plays a role in when menopause occurs. Defined as the date when a woman has gone a year since her last period, “the change” typically happens anytime between ages 48 and 52. But taking certain supplements, and especially omega-3-rich fish oil, can delay it. Researchers from the University of Leeds analyzed data on 3,566 women in the UK Women's Cohort Study. They found that women who were regularly supplementing with fish oils had a later menopause. B vitamins and antioxidants, such as selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, C and E, also helped to delay menopause. Conversely, women who were overweight, smoked or ate a lot of red meat tended to have an earlier menopause. Having a later menopause matters. Women who experience menopause before age 45 are…

Medicine has plenty of ways to treat knee arthritis, but none is as good as exercise. Non-drug approaches, which also include knee braces and hydrotherapy, are the most effective, say researchers from the First People's Hospital of Neijiang in China. They analyzed 139 clinical trials that had involved more than 10,000 people with knee arthritis to discover the most effective non-drug approaches, which included laser therapy, electrical stimulation, braces, insoles, kinesiology tape, water-based therapy, exercise and ultrasound. Knee braces came out on top across most categories, including reducing pain, improving function and relieving stiffness. Hydrotherapy, exercises or treatments performed in warm water, was particularly effective at easing pain, while general exercise was also consistently effective, improving both pain and physical function. High-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy showed some…

Warding off type 2 diabetes isn't just a matter of losing weight—it's about normalizing your blood sugar levels. People think that by losing weight, they reduce their chances of developing diabetes—but your risk falls by more than 70 percent just by focusing on blood sugar, or glucose, even if you don't lose a single pound. Most strategies for addressing prediabetes focus on weight loss and a healthy diet. But researchers from University Hospital of Tübingen in Germany say that these efforts can have only superficial effects if you're not understanding the biological factors that drive diabetes. They tracked the health of 1,100 people who were prediabetic—the phase when insulin isn't efficiently removing glucose from the blood and shuttling it into cells for use—and 234 of them lost no weight. Some…

Eating breakfast earlier promotes longevity, but a late breakfast can increase the chances of fatigue, depression and poor sleep, say researchers from Mass General Brigham. As people get older, their eating habits can change; they often eat breakfast and the final meal of the day later. But this shrinks the “eating window” and may not give the body enough time to properly digest meals before bed, which can disturb sleep, the researchers say. They analyzed data and blood samples from 2,945 community-dwelling UK adults aged 42–94, tracking them for more than 20 years. As the participants aged, their eating habits tended to change, and they ate breakfast later in the day. The researchers found those eating later were also likely to die before those who stuck to the eating hours…