Poor diet linked to increased risk of death

As ANH-Intl calls for an urgent review of the UK Government’s Eatwell Guidelines the latest Global Burden of Disease study finds that 1 in 5 deaths globally are linked to poor diet. The study, which looks at data from more than 135 countries worldwide, and assesses 37 health related indicators, found an estimated 72.3% of all deaths in 2016 were from non-communicable diseases. Whilst people are living longer, they are living with higher disease burdens. We have created our Food4Health guidelines to prevent you from becoming one of the statistics and put you back in the driving seat of your health.

The EU and glyphosate

The debate on the safety of glyphosate continues as the EU considers its future use in Europe. Allegations have been made that chunks of Monsanto’s previous studies were copied and pasted into the renewal assessment report (RAR) provided as the basis of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) conclusion that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. EFSA has rejected the accusations saying there are no grounds to call the scientific assessment into question. In other news, Monsanto has refused an invitation to attend a public hearing (The Monsanto Papers and Glyphosate) at the European Parliament in October to discuss the credibility of science relating to glyphosate safety. Despite recent reports on the lengths Monsanto has gone to to influence the science around glyphosate safety, they say the European Parliament is not in a position to question the credibility of the science.

GMO controversies continue

Testbiotech has queried safety data on GM soybeans after they found problems with risk assessments submitted by Bayer and Dow AgroSciences. In field trials Bayer used approximately 1 kg of glyphosate per hectare whereas in normal use 4-8 kg per hectare are recommended. Data is also missing in regard to other herbicides to which soybeans are resistant. By not correctly testing herbicide use on the soybeans there is no reliable data on residues left after harvest meaning risks to public health cannot be reliably evaluated.

In Europe, the European Parliament continues to approve the import of genetically modified soybeans, despite the ban on growing GM crops and the ongoing discussion around the re-licensing of glyphosate in the EU. Following the prosecution in Italy of farmers for growing maize MON 810, the District Court in Udine asked the European Court if Member States can adopt emergency measures regarding genetically modified food and feed. The Court has ruled that unless it is evident that there is a serious risk to health or the environment Member States may not adopt emergency measures to prevent cultivation of GM crops.

Flu vaccine, pregnancy and miscarriage

Researchers publishing in the journal Vaccine have suggested a strong link between women who are given the flu vaccine when pregnant and an increased risk of miscarriage. They found a significant association with women receiving a flu shot in the previous flu ‘season’ and then again the following year during pregnancy. This isn’t the first time a link between the flu vaccine and miscarriage has been reported though. A study published in 2012 in the Journal of Human and Experimental Toxicology found a huge spike in miscarriages and stillbirths during the 2009/2010 Swine Flu ‘pandemic’. Rates of miscarriage and stillbirth rose from 6.8 cases per million in 2008/2009 to 77.8 cases per million in 2009/2010 when the H1N1 vaccine was added. The real figure may be higher though, as adverse events related to vaccines are known to be underreported. This is important to know as the H1N1 vaccine is now included as part of the regular flu vaccine. It used to be that vaccination during pregnancy was actively discouraged, whereas it is now being actively promoted. More and more it appears that profit is being prioritised over safety with health authorities continuing to promote the safety of vaccination in pregnancy. If you’re concerned please sign, and share, our petition to stop health authorities from claiming vaccines are ‘safe’.

Antibiotic use during childbirth

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the rise in antibiotic resistance as, “one of the greatest threats to global health”. Despite this the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK has called for all women who go into labour before 37 weeks to be given intravenous antibiotics to protect against Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection. Up until now women are only given antibiotics during labour if there is a clear risk of infection. Early exposure to antibiotics is associated with an increased risk of obesity at age 7 and the development of eczema and asthma. Given the rapid increase in these childhood health issues and the global problem with obesity, blanket antibiotic use during childbirth is questionable. Instead, pregnant women could be offered a test and only be treated where absolutely necessary with the onus being put on building and maintaining natural immunity to promote good health throughout any pregnancy, into childhood and beyond.