Illuminated Genius

BY CHRIS EDWARDS

John Gribbin’s book, Einstein’s Masterwork: 1915 and the General Theory of Relativity, shines new light not only on Relativity Theory but on Einstein’s intellectual processes. Einstein’s work fits well into a narrative of scientific history already established by Gribbin in his earlier works: Schrodinger’s Kittens and the Search for Reality and The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors. Interestingly, in this later work Gribbin stakes out a position of historical determinism, one which argues that individuals usually do not matter that much:

What is much more important than human genius is the development of technology, and it is no surprise that the start of the scientific revolution “coincides” with the development of the telescope and microscope. I can think of only one partial exception to this situation, and even there I would qualify the exception more than most historians of science do. Isaac Newton was clearly something of a special case… (p. xix).

Keep this observation in mind as we consider that Isaac Newton is the only thinker to whom Einstein can be compared in terms of historical significance, and Gribbin wrote that statement in 2002. His insights in Einstein’s Masterwork should be understood in light of what he wrote then. He is a believer in studying the historical conditions of a person’s time for putting the impact of the work into context. For example: “What made Newton and Einstein so special was that they didn’t have just one brilliant idea (like, say, Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection) but a whole variety of brilliant ideas, within a few months of one another” (p. 4). One should not read this as a physicist defending the preeminence of his subject against biology, but rather as an overall historical determinist making the case that if there ever were two people whose contributions can only be explained through individual genius then it would be Newton and Einstein and for the reasons stated.

As a young man in his very early twenties, Einstein enjoyed socializing over coffee in the Swiss city of Zurich. The notion of atoms as fundamental particles, Gribbin writes, had yet to be established. The desire to prove that atoms were composed of more than pure theory called Einstein out into the realm of philosophical science. “This was what appealed to Einstein; the idea that the power of the human mind and mathematics was alone enough to conjure up deep truths about the world” (p. 25.)

One wonders if perhaps Einstein’s social success in the café’s amounted to a phase. Newton, being the sort of man who stuck sewing needles under his eyeballs and liked (probably) fooling people into believing the fallen fruit feature at the center of his greatest insight, never married and never produced children. No one suffered from his detachments even if money cheats did later suffer from his work as a top bureaucrat at the royal mint. Einstein may have understood everything that Newton had scientifically, but Newton seemed to know something that Einstein did not: you do not get to take anyone with you when you go out there. […]

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Obama's Vanishing Legacy

A friend of mine sent this to me. It's worth the few minutes it takes to read it, but take more time to consider what is being said. 

Lifting Weights Can Help Alleviate Depression, a New Study Says

by Hobart Swan for Body Building.com

 

An international team of researchers found that resistance exercise works just as well as cardio to treat depression. If you, or someone you know, is feeling down, find a workout program and get your pump on.

There's no doubt depression can have a host of negative effects on health. Currently, more than 300 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease. As if being depressed isn’t bad enough, these individuals also are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and type 2 diabetes. They’re also more prone to disregard medical treatments, and they face greater risk of dying prematurely.

Vigorous aerobic exercise is considered an effective treatment for depression. In fact, Harvard Medical School notes that a rigorous exercise program is "about as effective as antidepressant medications or cognitive behavioral therapy," both of which are considered standard treatments for depression.

But what about weights? Recently, a team of researchers from Ireland, Sweden, and the United Sates investigated the connection between depression and strength training among people middle-aged and older. According to their recently published study, resistance training can have a significant impact, too.[1]

 

If You Have a Pulse, Strength Exercise Can Help with Depression: This study was a meta-analysis: A review of previous studies—in this case, 33 individual studies including nearly 2,000 participants. Some of the participants had been diagnosed with mental disorders, while others experienced depression because of illness, injury, obesity, anxiety, or old age. About half of the people (930) were placed into a control group that did not receive treatment. The rest (947) actively participated in a regular program of strength training.

 

In all the studies, strength training was associated with significant reductions in symptoms of depression. This was true regardless of the participant's age, sex, or health status; whether they trained for two weeks or a year; whether they worked out twice a week or every day; and whether their workout was high volume and intense or more moderate. When participants were supervised as they worked out, they experienced even greater relief from depression symptoms.

 

Match Your Workout to Your Training Level: Interestingly, participants in the 33 studies reviewed felt less depressed whether or not they ended up becoming more fit. The researchers did find that the more depressed participants were, the more benefit the training provided. They found that untrained participants received the most benefit from moderate intensity workouts, while trained participants received the most benefit from more vigorous workouts. An earlier study noted that strength training can help alleviate depression among people at high risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.[2]

 

Feel Less Depressed, and More! A good fitness program comprises an exercise plan that works for you, a healthy meal plan, and proper motivation. If you're just starting out, find a trainer to help you get started, or find a plan that provides good instruction and proper nutrition. Once you do strength training for a week or so, you might discover why many people find it so addicting. You feel great immediately afterward. You may sleep better, too. And you may soon notice that you have more energy than you did before.

 

References: 
   1). Gordon, B. R., McDowell, C. P., Hallgren, M., Meyer, J. D., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2018). Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis and Meta-regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry.

   2). Levinger, I., Selig, S., Goodman, C., Jerums, G., Stewart, A., & Hare, D. L. (2011). Resistance training improves depressive symptoms in individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 25(8), 2328-2333.

A guide about talking to children of any age about cancer

Here is an excellent publication to reference when talking to a child about cancer. It explains a number of things to guide you and make it easier to discuss the subject in a open and honest way to kids at any age. Every situation is different from the next, but kids have every right to know what is happening and how it may affect their lives and relationships. The main point is though, don't be afraid to tell your kids. They are smarter and more mindful than you think, and deserve to know the truth.

A guide for parents and family members about talking to children of any age

US Government Report: Physical Activity, Inactivity Matters for Cancer Risk

This article appears in the April 18, 2018 issue of AICR's Cancer Research Update.

A major new scientific report set to help shape US government guidelines has concluded there is strong evidence that physical activity lowers the risk of certain cancers for adults.

The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report also found, for the first time, that sedentary behavior links to increased risk of cancer.

AICR research shows that being physically active, along with staying a healthy weight and eating well, can prevent close to one third of the most common US cancer cases. Add in not smoking and avoiding sun damage and the estimate of US cancer cases that can be prevented grows to nearly half.

Anne McTiernan, AICR/WCRF Expert Panel Member was also a member of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee.  She says, “We found strong evidence that being physically active decreases risk for many cancers. While the greatest benefit was seen in people who are highly active, protection against cancer was seen at all levels of activity.”

With April recognized as National Cancer Control Month, the report reinforces how daily life choices play a pivotal role in lowering cancer risk and overall health. The findings take on added urgency with a recent survey reporting that over a quarter of Americans are inactive.

McTiernan advises, “You don’t need to become an athlete or spend a lot of money in order to gain the benefits of physical activity. All it takes is a pair of walking shoes and determination to fit physical activity into your life.”

New Research, Sedentary Time and Weight Gain: For the 2018 Scientific Report, a committee of experts conducted a systematic review of the scientific evidence on physical activity, fitness, and health. The report is a follow-up to a scientific report a decade earlier, which led to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The growing number of studies in physical activity and health led to the current committee able to identify several health benefits of physical activity not seen in previous reports. These include:

   1). Lowering excessive weight gain for adults. The 2008 Scientific Report found that activity is associated with modest weight loss and prevention of weight gain following weight loss. The new report adds to this evidence, also finding that activity lowers risk of weight gain and obesity.

That's important for overall health, as well as cancer risk. AICR research shows that staying a healthy weight is important for cancer prevention. Overweight and obesity is a cause of 11 cancers, including colon, postmenopausal breast, and endometrial.

   2). More sedentary time links to greater incidence of certain cancers, along with type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. The field of sedentary research is a fast emerging one, and in 2008 there was not enough research for that report to systematically assess its health effects.

The 2018 report found moderate evidence indicating that more time spent sitting and in other sedentary behavior linked to higher risk of endometrial, colon, and lung cancers. There was strong evidence that greater sedentary time links to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes shares many cancer risk factors and evidence links having this disease with increased risk of several cancers.

Activity Translates to Lower Cancer Risk: Evidence linking physical activity to lower cancer risk has also grown since the report a decade earlier. This 2018 Scientific Report, which included AICR/WCRF research, included hundreds of epidemiological studies with several million study participants.

The expert committee found strong evidence linking highest versus lowest physical activity levels to reduced risks of breast, colon, endometrial, and several other cancers. Risk reductions ranged from approximately 10 to 20 percent.

There are several possible ways in which physical activity may act to lower cancer risk and, as the report points out, this is a critical area of research. Regular activity can help regulate body levels of insulin and other hormones that increase cancer risk at high levels. Being active may also decrease chronic inflammation. AICR recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity daily for lower cancer risk.

Over 80 Million Americans Inactive: The new report, supporting AICR research, highlights the importance of both activity and avoiding inactivity to reduce risk of cancers as well as other chronic diseases. Yet a recent survey shows that over a quarter of Americans are currently inactive.

The 2018 Physical Activity Council Participation Report on sports and activities found that 28 percent of the US population – 82.4 million people – are inactive. Over half of the active Americans reported they were active only three times a week at the most.

This rate of inactivity has remained stable for more than five years, with the number of inactive people increasing due to a rising population. When segmented by ages, Americans of all age ranges have slightly decreased their inactivity levels, except for men and women ages 65 and older. Inactivity rates among Americans 65 plus have increased almost 2 percent, with over 40 percent inactive overall.

According to the non-active participants, the top ways to spur them into activity is to have someone there to join in the activity. “Having someone to take part with” and “Having a friend take me along” were the top answers given to get a non-active person involved.

The survey was conducted by the Physical Activity Council, an organization made up of eight industry organizations.

Surveys by other organization have also reported on a troubling level of activity in the United States. According to a State of Obesity report, for example, 80 percent of American adults do not meet the government's  physical activity recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle strengthening. Almost half are not active enough to achieve health benefits.

Read more about the current and upcoming guidelines from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

I Am Not a Racist, And So Are You

BY STEPHEN BECKNER

“The world is not dialectical—it is sworn to extremes, not to equilibrium, sworn to radical antagonism, not to reconciliation or synthesis.” —Jean Baudrillard

“Philosophy and the study of the actual world have the same relation to one another as masturbation and sexual love.” 
—Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

I have a confession to make. I can be a real idiot. Throughout the course of my life, and on an embarrassing variety of subjects, I have displayed the kind of rank ignorance that could tempt a gifted fifth grader to break out into a victory dance. My simple defense for this random cluelessness is that like most people, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. What I can’t so easily defend are those times in my life when I was willfully ignorant, when I went above and beyond in my determination not to understand something. I found myself thinking of those times while watching the YouTube videos of the uprising in miniature at Evergreen State College. In May of 2017, this normally quiet, liberal arts institution saw students barricade a building and hold hostage college president and jellyfish impersonator George Bridges, who negotiated settlement terms with his student captors with his hands behind his back to avoid micro-aggressive gestures. This was followed by anonymous death threats, campus closures, and a sharp uptick in the sightings of baseball bats, apparently the sensitivity training tool of choice for stylish social justice enforcers.

Oppression Disguised as Equity. The testimony of Bret Weinstein to the United States House of Representatives, May 22, 2018

It is trenchant irony that this latest manifestation of campus PC bullying gone wild began with what Evergreen bills as a way to “explore and celebrate the richness of our diversity.” Since the 1970s the campus has held a Day of Absence, in which faculty and students of color voluntarily absent themselves from the campus. The idea came from a play by Douglas Turner Ward, in which a town wakes up to find that all its African American citizens have disappeared.¹ Perhaps in response to the political ascendency of a certain Donald Trump, the organizers decided it was the right time to up the ante and make a bolder statement. This year’s Day of Absence would be inverted, and white students and faculty would be asked to leave campus.

This did not sit well with Bret Weinstein, a white biology professor who has endorsed the event for years. Weinstein instead emailed a letter of dissent to the entire faculty, carefully explaining why the new and improved Day of Absence offended his principles:

There is a huge difference between a group or coalition deciding to voluntarily absent themselves from a shared space to highlight their vital and under-appreciated roles…and a group or coalition encouraging another group to go away. The first is a forceful call to consciousness which is, of course, crippling to the logic of oppression. The second is a show of force, and an act of oppression in and of itself.

This might have ended here. Both Weinstein and the event’s organizers made valid arguments, and after all, participation in the Day of Absence is voluntary. But somehow the email made it into the hands of some non-faculty recipients, whereupon it began to worm its way through the student body. Eventually the worm transformed into a great shaming beast comprised of some 50 students, who showed up at Professor Weinstein’s classroom and demanded his resignation. His purported offense was racism, but as I see it, his true crime was having the temerity to step into the path of a narrative barreling through the campus like a runaway train.

I vividly remember the first time my narrative was eaten alive by a larger more voracious one. In 1999 I went to the Academy Awards ceremony to protest Elia Kazan’s Lifetime Achievement Oscar. By then, my Angry Young Man phase should have surrendered gracefully to middle age, but even though I admired many of Kazan’s films, I could not get past the fact that he had named names at the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) congressional hearings, and it felt wrong to celebrate a career that had thrived at the expense of others. In my mind the narrative I had constructed was like a precious and delicate Italian masterwork of moral chiaroscuro in which Kazan had crossed over into the shadows. But when Angry Young Me got to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion where the Academy Awards were being held and made my way through the crush of limos and Shakespeare In Lovefans, what I found had all the delicacy of an Ab-Ex scrawl—a couple of dozen others like me, outnumbered and out-enthused by a phalanx of, not Kazan supporters at all, but red-baiters and gone-to-pasture cold-warriors waving little plastic American flags like irksome pom-poms and shouting “pinkos!” and “commies!” through megaphones dialed to ten. Picture a school of principled but confused minnows swallowed en masse by an infuriated red, white and blue whale. […] 

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The Big Deal About Vitamin D

from the National Academy of Sports Medicine

Vitamin D, also known as the "sunshine vitamin," is widely known for its essential role in maintaining strong bones, yet there is so much more it does for our health. In this article, you’ll learn how vitamin D is connected to metabolism, what constitutes deficiency and its effect on overall health.

Vitamin D was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets. Circa 1920, Sir Edward Mellanby worked with dogs raised exclusively indoors. He devised a diet that allowed him to unequivocally establish that rickets was caused by a deficiency of a trace component present in the diet and that cod liver oil (an excellent source of vitamin D) was an effective antirachitic agent.

Along with vitamins A, E and K, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D actually refers to several different forms. Two forms that are important in humans include:
   1). Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)- derived from plants
   2). Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)- derived from animal products and made in the skin when exposed to sunlight.
In addition vitamin D has three analogs, each with different potencies:
   1). Cholecalciferol – 1x
   2). 25 hydroxycholecalciferol – 5x
   3). 1, 25 dihydroxycholecalciferol – 10x

Sources of Vitamin D: Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet light or obtained from the diet either from unfortified or fortified food sources or supplements. Unfortified sources include animal products such as cod liver oil, sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Fortified sources include milk and some brands of alternative milks (rice, soy, almond, etc.).

Some vitamin D researchers suggest that approximately 5–30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen usually leads to sufficient vitamin D synthesis (and that the moderate use of commercial tanning beds that emit 2%–6% UVB radiation is also effective).

Individuals with limited sun exposure need to include good sources of vitamin D in their diets or consider supplements to achieve recommended intake levels.

How ITs Metabolized:  As with many nutrients, vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestine. It is transported through the lymphatic system by chylomicrons and stored in the liver, bone, brain, and skin.

Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is inactive and must undergo two processes in the body for activation. The first occurs in the liver, where vitamin D is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], also known as calcidiol. The second takes place in the kidneys, where it forms the physiologically active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], also known as calcitriol.

Requirements: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D ranges from 400-800 IU, depending on age, pregnancy/lactation status, skin color, sun exposure, diseases affecting nutrient absorption, and health status. This RDA is considered a daily intake that is sufficient to maintain bone health and normal calcium metabolism in 97-98% of healthy people.

It is important to note that numerous studies support much higher intakes for the prevention and/or management of a number of diseases, some of which will be mentioned later. These intakes can be as high as 10,000 IU/d, or >10 times the current recommended intakes.

Measuring Vitamin D Status:  Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status. It reflects vitamin D produced in the skin and that obtained from food and/or supplements.

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Deficiency: There are two primary diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency:                                                           1). Rickets – a malformation of the bones seen in children.                                                                                       2). Osteomalacia – skeletal demineralization seen in adults

Functions and Health  Effects  of  Supplementation: A primary function of vitamin D includes calcium absorption in the gut for normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. In addition, vitamin D modulates cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and inflammation.

Vitamin D has been extensively reviewed for potential health relationships warranting supplementation. Some of these include resistance to chronic diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases), physiological parameters (such as immune response or levels of parathyroid hormone), and functional measures (such as skeletal health, physical performance and falls).

Mortality:  Low 25(OH) D levels have been associated with all-cause mortality and even more pronounced with cardiovascular mortality. It is still unclear whether vitamin D deficiency is a cause or a consequence of a poor health status, though vitamin D supplementation could perhaps be an approach to consider in reducing mortality and cardiovascular disease.

Bone Health: Vitamin D plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy mineralized skeleton. Sunlight causes the photoproduction of vitamin D3 in the skin. Once formed, vitamin D3 is metabolized sequentially in the liver and kidneys to 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The major biological function of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D is to keep the serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations within the normal range to maintain essential cellular functions and to promote mineralization of the skeleton. It is generally accepted that an increase in calcium intake to 1000-1500 mg/day, along with an adequate source of vitamin D of at least 400 IU/day, is important for maintaining good bone health.

Cancer: 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D [1, 25-(OH)2 D] exerts its effects via the vitamin D receptor that belongs to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily leading to gene regulation and a number of biological responses. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that 1, 25(OH)2 D can induce differentiation and inhibit proliferation of a wide variety of cell types. The anti-proliferative action makes 1, 25-(OH)2 D and its analogs a possible therapeutic tool to treat hyperproliferative disorders, such as certain forms of cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease:1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D (1, 25[OH]2 D) or calcitriol, has been implicated in many physiologic processes beyond calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, and likely plays a role in several chronic disease states, including cardiovascular disease.

Experimental data suggest that 1, 25(OH)2 D affects cardiac muscle directly, controls parathyroid hormone secretion, regulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and modulates the immune system.Treatment with vitamin D has been shown to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension and modify the cytokine profile in patients with heart failure.

Depression: Some cross-sectional clinical and epidemiological studies have found that low levels of vitamin D are significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. While cross-sectional studies cannot establish causality, vitamin D supplementation for depression in those who are deficient warrants further investigation.

Dementia and Cognition: A review of thirty-seven studies suggests that lower vitamin D concentrations are associated with lower cognitive function and a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Further studies are required to determine the significance and potential public health effect of this association.

Diabetes: Vitamin D appears to play a role in the prevention of type 1 diabetes in genetically predisposed individuals, as well as type 2 diabetes, by affecting insulin secretion and glucose tolerance.

 

Immune System: Recent studies have shown that the hormonal form of calcitriol can act as a regulator of immune cell differentiation and proliferation, specifically in T cells and activated macrophages. Vitamin D may have a similar role to that of other immune regulatory molecules such as cytokines, by modulating the inflammatory process.

 

Infectious  Disease: Vitamin D plays a role in the synthesis of antibacterial peptides (short chains of amino acids) and in autophagy (cell degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components). Several studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are associated with the susceptibility and the severity of acute infections and with an unfavorable outcome of some chronic infections including the HIV infection. Vitamin D supplementation improves response to treatment of some viral and bacterial infections.

 

Autoimmune Disease: Vitamin D is an important component in the interaction between the kidney, bone, parathyroid hormone, and the intestine, which maintains extracellular calcium levels within normal limits in order to maintain physiologic processes and skeletal integrity. Vitamin D is also associated with hypertension, muscular function, immunity, and one’s ability to deal with an infection, autoimmune disease (including multiple sclerosis), and cancer.

 

Vitamin D influences immunity via CD4 T cell differentiation as well as increasing the function of T suppressor cells. The active form of vitamin D produces and maintains self-immunologic tolerance. Some studies show that 1, 25(OH)2 D inhibits induction of disease such as thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, collagen-induced arthritis and Lyme disease.

 

Performance: Vitamin D status has been hypothesized to play a role in musculoskeletal function. In a study by Houston et al, 2007, vitamin D status was inversely associated with poor physical performance. Given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in older populations, additional studies examining the association between vitamin D status and physical function are warranted.

 

ADHD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and Impulsive Behavior: Brain serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan and is activated by vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Inadequate levels of vitamin D (∼70% of the population) and omega-3 fatty acids can result in suboptimal brain serotonin synthesis, leading to a number of cognitive and behavioral disorders.

 

Pain: Gloth et al, 1991, identified a pain syndrome associated with vitamin D depletion that is worsened by light, superficial pressure, as well as movement. This pain restricts mobility and function.

 

Faraj & Mutairi, 2003, evaluated 360 patients attending spinal and internal medicine clinics over a 6-year period who had experienced low back pain. They found that a vitamin D deficiency was a major contributor to chronic low back pain in areas where vitamin D deficiency is endemic.

 

Screening for vitamin D deficiency and treatment with supplements should be mandatory in this setting. Measurement of serum 25-OH cholecalciferol is sensitive and specific for detection of vitamin D deficiency and could be a useful assessment in patients with chronic low back pain.

 

Toxicity: Because vitamin D is fat soluble and can be stored in the body, excessive amounts can be toxic and cause a constellation of symptoms, including: Hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, kidney stones, hyperphosphatemia, polyuria, polydipsia, ectopic calcification of soft tissues, nausea & vomiting, anorexia, constipation, headache and hypertension.

 

Conclusion: It is generally accepted that vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem affecting a wide range of acute and chronic diseases. Individuals should try to achieve optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations from dietary sources, supplements, and sun exposure. The effect of vitamin D on epigenetics and gene regulation could potentially explain why vitamin D has been reported to have such wide-ranging health benefits throughout life. Increasing the vitamin D status of children and adults worldwide is an imperative strategy for improving musculoskeletal health and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes (both type 1 and type 2), neurocognitive disorders, and mortality.

No, Being Religious Will Not Save You from Suicide

BY JESSE BERING

Among the more obnoxious things I’ve read in the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s death is that if only he had been a man of faith, he wouldn’t have taken his own life. Consider the almost sneering commentary offered by Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, in a syndicated piece written less than a day after the rogue chef’s body was found hanging by the belt of his bathrobe in a Strasbourg hotel room. “If Anthony Bourdain had been a religious man, would he have killed himself? Probably not,” writes Donohue. “Bourdain was raised by his Catholic father and Jewish mother, though neither of them saw fit to raise him any religion … [Bourdain] said his views of religion were similar to those expressed by Christopher Hitchens, the British atheist. This is why the atheist organization, Freedom from Religion, was so proud of him.”

Not only is the tenor of Donohue’s sentiment completely tone-deaf and insensitive, his claim that Bourdain—or, for that matter, any other atheist suicide victim—could have been saved by religion is presumptuous and misleading. In his unabashed efforts to show why Catholicism is superior to other religions (he touts his book The Catholic Advantage while writing about Bourdain’s suicide), Donahue points out that regular churchgoers are less likely to kill themselves. He’s right. But it turns out it’s a little more complicated than Donahue would have us believe. The church buffering effect against suicide that he’s alluding to, in fact, has almost nothing to do with faith. Rather, the correlation comes from churchgoers being part of an active community, one with formal rituals encouraging social engagement and regulated moral support. It’s what’s known as the “network theory” of religion and suicide, first articulated by Émile Durkheim in the late 19th century. In his famous treatise Suicide (1897), Durkheim reported that, despite their matched religiosity, Protestants were more likely to take their own lives than Catholics, a puzzling observation given that suicide is proscribed in both forms of Christianity. But Protestants are permitted free inquiry, have fewer formal rituals, and are characterized by more permeable groups.

This general trend—that it is church attendance, not simply religion, that protects people against suicide—has been found in study after study ever since. So, when Donahue writes that “those who are regular churchgoers have a much lower rate of suicide than atheists like Bourdain,” he’s conflating (and I suspect deliberately so) religious behavior and theism.

When it comes to suicide, the existence or nonexistence of God, or belief therein, is far less consequential than the tumult of our social lives. […]

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How to keep your estrogen levels under control

Every adult male should be familiar with his estrogen levels. There are many things that depend on them, like his overall health, his appearance, his emotional well-being, his physical and mental capacity as well as his ability to produce offspring. It is safe to say that even his very life may depend on knowing precisely if his estrogen levels are too high or too low.

A tale of two hormones, testosterone, and estrogen…

Testosterone is what makes a man a man, and estrogen is what makes a woman a woman, however, estrogen is in many aspects just as important to a man’s health as testosterone. And, despite them being regarded as the polar opposites of human sexual development and behavior, on a molecular scale they are very similar.

If you try to merge both molecules into a 3D figure you would find them looking identical except that testosterone would have one extra carbon atom into its molecular structure. And it is precisely in this similarity that we find the reason why some men experience high estrogen levels. Considering that the testosterone molecule is so similar to estrogen, it is extremely easy for various aromatase enzymes to cut off the one extra carbon atom from the molecule and convert it into estrogen.

This is a good thing because as we already explained, you need a certain estrogen level. Not only does it have lots of positive effects on your health, it is also a part of an efficient feedback mechanism where overly high levels of estrogen send an alert signal to the testicles, via the pituitary gland, to reduce the production of testosterone for that particular day.

This way, the feedback mechanism keeps a perfect balance between estrogen and testosterone levels throughout the system. There are instances, however, where too much testosterone is converted into estrogen. This amount added to the small quantities of estrogen already produced in the testes, adrenal glands, brain, and fat has the potential to create a dangerous hormonal situation. The feedback mechanism is also to blame. Estrogen levels stay consistently high and keep sending the signal to reduce the production of testosterone.

There are also many other ways in which your estrogen levels can get too high and even though this is not often discussed, having low estrogen levels can sometimes be even a greater problem than having high levels. In any case, estrogen levels have to be in a certain normal range, neither too high, nor too low, but just right.

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Using Flaxseed Oil & Fish Oil To Relieve Dry Eye

By Gary Heiting, OD

About the Author: Gary Heiting, OD, is senior editor of AllAboutVision.com. Dr. Heiting has more than 25 years of experience as an eye care provider, health educator and consultant to the eyewear industry. His special interests include contact lenses, nutrition and preventive vision care.

Flaxseed oil and fish oil contain important dietary fatty acids that have multiple health benefits, including prevention or treatment of dry eyes.

 

Other benefits include a lower risk of heart disease and a reduction of chronic inflammation that can lead to a variety of serious diseases, including cancer and stroke. Chronic inflammation also has been indicated as an underlying cause of osteoarthritis and Alzheimer's disease.

 

Daily supplements of flaxseed oil or fish oil, when used alone or in tandem with lubricating eye drops, appear to reduce dry eye symptoms, including burning, stinging, redness and intermittent visual disturbances. For this reason, many eye doctors now are recommending flaxseed oil and fish oil supplements for their patients who suffer from dry eyes.
Research also suggests these same fatty acids may reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. So which is better — flaxseed oil or fish oil?

 

Flaxseed Oil For Dry Eyes: The nutritional value of flaxseed oil (and fish oil) comes from its omega-3 fatty acids that are needed for optimum health. Flaxseed oil contains high levels of an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). During digestion, ALA is converted into two different omega-3 fatty acids — called EPA and DHA — that are used throughout the body to protect cell membranes. 

 

Freshly ground flaxseeds are a good alternative to flaxseed oil for dry eye nutrients. Flaxseed oil supplements are available both in capsule and liquid forms. Although flaxseed oil capsules are more convenient, you may need to take a large number of capsules to achieve the daily dose your eye doctor recommends to treat dry eyes.

 

The nutritional value of flaxseed oil is easily destroyed by light, heat and oxygen. When purchasing liquid flaxseed oil, look for a cold-pressed variety and keep it refrigerated.

 

As an alternative to flaxseed oil, you can get the same omega-3s by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling the ground seeds over a salad, adding them to a smoothie or mixing them in fruit juice. If you choose this option, be sure to use the seeds immediately after grinding them to get the full omega-3 benefits.

 

Popular eye vitamins that contain flaxseed oil include: TheraTears Nutrition (Advanced Vision Research), Dry Eye Formula (EyeScience) and Tears Again Hydrate (Ocusoft).

 

Comparison Of Fish Oil With Flaxseed Oil Fish oils and fatty fish — such as salmon, tuna and sardines — are excellent food sources of omega-3 fats essential to brain and eye health. Fish fat contains the "long chain" omega-3s (EPA and DHA), which are the omega-3 fats the body needs for vital functions, including eyesight.

 

In contrast, the "short chain" ALA omega-3 fat found in plant foods such as flaxseeds must be converted to EPA and DHA in the body for beneficial eye effects. When you eat plant foods, your body converts only about 5 percent of dietary ALA into essential EPA and DHA.

 

Also, most Americans' diets are too high in omega-6 fatty acids — an imbalance that further reduces the amount of ALA from plant foods that gets converted to EPA and DHA. This imbalance also blunts the benefits of EPA and DHA omega-3s obtained directly from fish and fish oil. Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils (corn, soy, cottonseed, safflower and sunflower) used in most snacks and prepared foods — whether packaged, frozen, restaurant or take-out.

 

Researchers agree that most people need to reduce their consumption of these otherwise healthful omega-6 fats, which block omega-3 absorption and promote inflammation when eaten in excess.

 

Fish oils, like flaxseed oil, are available in capsule and liquid forms. Some contain lemon flavoring or are processed in other ways to reduce any "fishy" taste. Cod liver oil is another good source of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. A more enjoyable way to obtain fish oil benefits is by eating grilled cold-water fish at least three times a week. Good sources of EPA and DHA omega-3s are salmon, sablefish, tuna and halibut.

 

Popular eye supplements that contain fish oil or cod liver oil include: TheraTears Nutrition (Advanced Vision Research), BioTears (Biosyntryx) and HydroEye (ScienceBased Health).

 

So Which Is Better: Flaxseed Oil Or Fish Oil? Because fish oil contains natural EPA and DHA omega-3s (that don't have to be converted from ALA), many nutrition experts recommend fish oil over flaxseed oil.

 

But other factors are worth considering:
   1). If you are a vegetarian, ground flax seeds or flaxseed oil will likely be your preferred choice.
   2). Ground flax seeds are more economical than either fish oil or flaxseed oil supplements.
   3). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies omega-3 fatty acids from fish as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe). However, fish oil can cause stomach upset and/or diarrhea in some individuals, especially in high doses. Other possible side effects include increased burping, acid reflux, heartburn and abdominal bloating or pain. Risk of these side effects can be minimized if you take fish oils with meals and if you start with low doses.
   4). A fishy aftertaste is common with some fish oil supplements. This can be reduced by refrigerating the capsules or liquid, or by purchasing brands that promise no such problems.

 

Concerns about mercury poisoning from fish oils generally are unfounded. When present in waterways, methylmercury accumulates in fish meat more than in fish oil, and testing of fish oil supplements show they generally contain little or no mercury. Still, if this is a concern, using flaxseed oil as an alternative eliminates this issue.

 

Precautions: As with any nutritional supplement, it's a good idea to consult with your family physician or eye doctor before taking significant quantities of flaxseed oil or fish oil for dry eyes. This is particularly true if you take any prescription or non-prescription medicines, as adverse drug interactions can occur.

 

Be especially careful if you take blood thinners (even aspirin), as both flaxseed oil and fish oil can increase the risk of bleeding and reduce blood clotting when used along with these medications.

 

Long-term use of fish oil may cause a vitamin E deficiency in some individuals. Therefore, it's a good idea to look for fish oil supplements that also contain vitamin E, or take a multiple vitamin that contains this vitamin if you take fish oil. supplements for dry eyes.

References & Notes 
   Dietary fatty acids and the 10-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration. Archives of Ophthalmology. May 2009.
   Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid. Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). March 2008.
   Topical omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for treatment of dry eye. Archives of Ophthalmology. February 2008.
   The relationship of dietary lipid intake and age-related macular degeneration in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 through 1994. Archives of Ophthalmology. May 2007.
   Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on serum markers of cardiovascular disease risk: A systematic review. Atherosclerosis. November 2006.
   Improvement of dry eye symptoms with polyunsaturated fatty acids. French Journal of Ophthalmology. October 2006.
   Omega-3 fatty acid treatment in 174 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease: OmegAD Study. Archives of Neurology. October 2006.
   Dietary fat intake and early age-related lens opacities. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 2005.
   Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 1999.
   Flax. Alternative Field Crops Manual. Department of Agronomy, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI) and Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minn.). November 1989.

 

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