A sad goodbye to the NutriCentre

The NutriCentre is sadly closing its doors after 25 years serving the natural health industry. The venture, owned by retail giant Tesco, has not been the first layer shed from the depleting Tesco’s empire. Coffee chains and garden centers’ have suffered the same fate since the 2014 accounting scandal. Shane Starling, writing in Nutraingredients partially blames “the EU’s strict health claim laws that have stripped claims from 1000s of products”! As a team, we are so sorry to see the swift demise of such a bastion of the UK industry. NutriCentre was very supportive of our work in the early days of ANH and our hearts go out to the staff around the country that are now having to look for pastures new.

Japanese HPV vaccine victims file lawsuit

In Japan, victims injured by the HPV vaccines Cervarix and Gardsil are to file a lawsuit against the state and drug manufacturers. The vaccines recommended by the government caused many teenage girls to suffer from debilitating side effects, including, “overall pain and disorders of perception, movement and memory” lawyer Masumi Minaguchi explained. The victims are to file the suit against the central government, Cervarix manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Gardasil manufacturer, Merck. Minaguchi said, “The victims wish to live a peaceful life and prevent further suffering by finding out the truth [surrounding the side effects of the HPV vaccines]”. We have covered this subject extensively, both on our news feed and in our Vaccine Choice campaign page.

Lawsuit filed against FDA over GM salmon approval

A “broad coalition of environmental, consumer, and commercial and recreational fishing organisations” have filed a lawsuit against the FDA over the approval of genetically modified (GM) salmon. Nearly 2 million people opposed the approval of the GM fish, which will not require labelling to inform consumers know what they are buying. To learn more on the concern surrounding GM, visit our ANH campaign page.

Statins cause muscle damage

After many years of health authorities ignoring the muscle damage caused by statins, a new study by the Cleveland Clinic USA has confirmed that large numbers of people do suffer muscle damage due to statin use, with a massive 61% increase in risk. Statin nation say, “72 million people are eligible for statins in the United States, 12-17 million people in the UK, and millions more in other countries. We already know that most of these people will not obtain any benefit from the statin - they are being exposed to significant adverse effects for no prospect of a health benefit.” This study adds to the mounting evidence of serious risk surrounding the long-term use of statins!

Parents in Uganda face prison over unvaccinated children

A new law announced in Uganda could result in parents of unvaccinated children facing six months in prison. The new law is designed to, “help the government reach its vaccination target”, Health Minister Sarah Aching Opendi told the BBC. During “sensitisation” campaigns parents hid their children in slums to avoid vaccination, mostly for religious reasons. The group, who do not wish to immunise their children are known as 666, have grown rapidly and are now found the length and breadth of the country. The Health Minister speaks of the group as though they were a disease, it seems as though the Ugandan president shares this view. This new law shows a blatant disregard for parents’ freedom of choice, preventing them from making an informed vaccination decision.

Animal welfare guidelines scrapped in UK

Conservative ministers have drawn up plans to scrap the guidance on animal welfare standards and instead wish to transfer these responsibilities to the farming industry themselves. The move to create industry-led regulation will start with a transfer of the code on chicken farming to the poultry industry. The British Poultry Council - who will be in charge of the new animal welfare guidance - includes a number of big meat processing corporations. ANH-Intl shares concerns that these changes to guidance will negatively impact both welfare standards and food quality.

Less exams and more wilderness training

Calls for less exams and more wilderness education in the UK come after the Government announced plans to introduce more national tests into the curriculum. Ben Fogle says, “instead of pumping time and money into exams, we should focus on wellbeing and encouraging our children to connect with the natural world”. He says, “our kids now face constant assessment - children have become tiny cogs in a box-ticking government machine. Education has lost its way”. Spending time outdoors is incredibly important, it can prevent and even cure depression. Most children spend less than half an hour outdoors a day, this is far less than prisoners who consider their guaranteed two hours the “highlight” of their day with one prisoner on record saying, “it keeps my mind right”!

Simple blood test to diagnose concussion?

The UK Telegraph have recently reported that researchers from Orlando Health in Florida USA have found a biomarker released by the brain following an injury, which could change the way head injuries are diagnosed. A simple blood test could replace the need for harmful radiation-exposing scans.