Food & Energy
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi “offer an affordable dietary intervention strategy” for better mental health
Fermented foods are rich in phytochemicals and microbial metabolites that include neurotransmitters and neuromodulators
These compounds stimulate pathways of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, including those of the immune system and neuroendocrine, enteric nervous and circulatory systems
Fermented foods may block dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system responsible for the management of stress, which has also been linked to multiple neuropsychiatric disorders
A meta-analysis of cohort studies found a significant association between consuming fermented dairy foods, including cheese and yogurt, and a decreased risk of depression
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Read MoreRegulators have refused to disclose key details about the tested samples.
One in five samples of milk from grocery store shelves tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced late April 25.
In a brief 237-word update, the FDA said that initial results from a national commercial milk sampling study “show about 1 in 5 of the retail samples tested are quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-positive for HPAI viral fragments, with a greater proportion of positive results coming from milk in areas with infected herds.”
The FDA has refused to disclose how many samples it tested and from which stores the samples came, and a Freedom of Information Act request for the information has not yet yielded results.
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Read MoreWhen does sugar work for the brain, and when does it work against it? What’s needed for the optimal use of sugar in the body?
Dr. Russell Blaylock knows what it takes to keep a brain in top condition. He was a neurosurgeon for 25 years, alongside which he had a nutritional practice. Sugar, he says, isn’t always nutritionally bad for the brain.
“And we found that people’s memory improves if you give them glucose,” he says.
“For instance, you can take Alzheimer’s patients and give them a drink with [glucose] and their memory gets better temporarily,” he adds.
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Read MoreCHICAGO, April 25 (Reuters) – Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. Colombia imports a small amount of beef from the U.S. annually, according to government data and market analysts.
In a notice, opens new tab this week on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service website, which was last updated on April 22, the agency said the ban includes beef products derived from cattle slaughtered in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.
Colombia imposed temporary restrictions on raw bovine meat products, the notice said. If exporters have a valid import permit, shipments may still be held at the port.
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Read MoreNEW YORK (AP) — New York City residents may soon see warning labels next to sugary foods and drinks in chain restaurants and coffee shops, under a law set to go into effect later this year.
The rule requires food businesses with 15 storefronts or more to post a warning icon — a black and white spoon loaded with sugar — next to menu items containing at least 50 grams of added sugar.
Businesses will also have to post the following written label to accompany the logo: “Warning: indicates that the added sugar content of this item is higher than the total daily recommended limit of added sugar for a 2,000 calorie diet (50g). Eating too many added sugars can contribute to type 2 diabetes and weight gain.”
The city’s health department posted its proposed rule language last week and set a public hearing for late May. City officials and Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, approved the law last year. The rule is scheduled to go into effect June 19 for prepackaged food items and Dec. 1 for other items.
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Read MoreCanada is struggling with declining economic prosperity. At the same time, governments across the country, and in particular the federal government have introduced significant new regulations. The trends are not unrelated. Regulations impose costs on business and serve as a deterrent to business investment in several major elements of Canada’s economy.
Canada’s regulatory load is substantial and growing: from 2009 a nadir in the count of regulations measured between 2006 to 2018 showed that the number of restrictive regulations in Canada grew from about 66,000 to 72,000 by 2018.
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Read MoreSTORY AT-A-GLANCE
Consuming MSG, even in seemingly innocuous dishes like crab cakes, can cause severe immediate symptoms such as headache, dry mouth, excessive thirst, muscle soreness mimicking arthritis, and discomfort and pain that can be mistaken for chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia or Lyme’s disease
MSG is glutamine — an essential amino acid beneficial for many bodily functions, including gut healing and immune response — with an added sodium molecule, which radically alters its impact on your body
Symptoms related to MSG consumption are sometimes treated with medications for unrelated conditions, such as diabetes and chronic pain, potentially leading to inappropriate treatments that could exacerbate the problem
A broad range of common food additives and ingredients, including hydrolyzed proteins, caseinates, and yeast extracts, are sources of free glutamate, which can overwhelm the body’s normal processing of glutamate
A diet focused on whole, natural foods prepared at home is the best way to avoid hidden MSG
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Read MoreJapanese automotive giant Honda is investing $15 billion into four new electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plants in Ontario, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and several Honda executives announced on April 25.
The federal government is expected to invest $2.5 billion in the deal through the EV Supply Chain investment tax credit and the proposed Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit. The government of Ontario will also invest $2.5 billion in the form of direct and indirect incentives.
Honda Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe said Honda would be building the EVs entirely in Canada from raw materials to finished vehicles, and will begin production in 2028. Once the assembly plant is fully operational, it will produce as many as 240,000 vehicles per year said a government statement.
Mr. Mibe confirmed Honda will be investing $15 billion in the project, which includes an electric vehicle battery plant, retooling of an existing plant in Alliston, Ontario, for assembly, as well as two key battery parts facilities located elsewhere in Ontario.
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Read MoreIn this episode of the HEAL with Kelly Podcast, I speak with renowned director, producer, and environmental activist Rebecca Tickell about her latest must-see documentary, Common Ground. This new film is the highly anticipated sequel to the revolutionary documentary, Kiss The Ground, which reached over 1 billion people globally and spurred the USDA to allocate $20 billion towards soil health. In Common Ground, Rebecca delves into the hidden truths behind our broken food system and the impact on people, profits, and the planet, shedding light on degenerative and toxic systems that have led to the demise of farmers from all backgrounds.
We discuss the crucial subject of regenerative agriculture, exploring its potential to shape a more sustainable and equitable future. Rebecca also sheds light on the diverse community of farmers embracing regenerative practices, underscoring the urgent need for and possibility of a sweeping change in agriculture and our food systems. Together we explore the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to regenerative agriculture, highlighting benefits like improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Tune in now to learn how regenerative agriculture can help us restore the health of the planet, the health of society, the health of our bodies, and how we can all join the movement!
Common Ground Website:
https://commongroundfilm.org/take-act…
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Read MoreOfficials are racing to conduct more testing to better understand the spread of the virus and its potential risk to humans.
With news Thursday night that a fifth of the U.S. milk supply contains fragments of bird flu virus, the Biden administration and dairy industry are racing to convince the public not to worry about the spread of the disease among the nation’s cattle.
Despite the assurances, the Food and Drug Administration’s announcement that 1 in 5 retail milk samples tested positive for viral fragments suggests that the virus may have spread beyond symptomatic dairy herds. The pathogen has now been found in at least 33 dairy herds across eight states since first being detected among Texas cattle in late March. Virologists say it could be much more widespread than that data suggests. To date, however, just one person has been confirmed to have contracted the virus — a dairy worker in Texas who developed a case of conjunctivitis, i.e. pink eye.
Federal officials and industry executives maintain the discovery of inactive fragments of the virus strain, known as H5N1, in milk sold to consumers is not, in and of itself, worrisome — rather, it’s evidence that the pasteurization process is working to neutralize the virus. But given that bird flu has never before spread to cattle, public health officials warn there are still many unknowns. And they and some farmers and lawmakers are now urging the government to rapidly expand its testing and research — and to make that data available ASAP.
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