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Drugs damage the gut microbiome

According to a recent study it’s not just antibiotics that are damaging our gut microbiome. Published in Nature journal, the findings suggest over a quarter of the drugs tested (which included anti-diabetics, proton pump inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and atypical antipsychotics) damaged one species of gut flora at a minimum. Researchers tested 1,000 drugs against 40 bacterial strains. Twenty four percent of those tested inhibited the growth of at least one strain in vitro. They also found common resistance mechanisms in the bacteria as those found in antibiotic resistance. With ever increasing levels of concurrent drug prescribing and many people, particularly the elderly, victims of polypharmacy, this represents evidence that should not be ignored. Perhaps now, more than ever, it’s time to change the paradigm, promote self-care and drug free methods of managing our health - and the health of our microbiome - at the same time as allowing us to live longer, healthier lives.

Global eradication of transfats

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced new plans to eliminate the use of transfats in the global food supply by 2023. Industrially produced transfats, which occur when unsaturated fats are hydrogenated, have proven links to all-cause mortality, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Some countries have begun the process of eliminating or restricting transfats in food products, but they are still commonly and extensively used in emerging economies worldwide. Although being an admirable initiative this still does not address the problem of oxidised fats found in ultra-processed foods, nor does it encourage consumption of unprocessed whole foods as recommended in the ANH Food4Health guidelines to promote good health.

The power of food as medicine

At ANH-Intl our belief in the power of food as medicine is so great we created our Food4Health guidelines using the most cutting edge nutritional science and research. As rates of chronic disease spiral out of control, health agencies and medical personnel worldwide are now looking to diet and lifestyle practices to stop the rot as they seek alternatives to failing government advice sponsored by big corporatocracies. To meet this rising demand, the WHO have published a new report that directly recognises the importance of diet in disease prevention (namely the Mediterranean and Nordic diets). Success for low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet has been demonstrated recently by a clinical research nurse who, recognising the limitations of the UK government’s Eatwell Guidelines, used the Pioppi Diet (devised by cardiologist Aseem Malhotra) to restore her husband to health following a near-fatal heart attack. The benefits of an LCHF diet for glycaemic control in Type 1 diabetes has also been demonstrated in a new study co-authored by low-carb advocate Dr Sarah Hallberg. If that’s not sufficient invitation to ditch any lingering fear of fat, another study has shown the potential for virgin coconut oil to reduce inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease - something ANH-Intl has long promoted. When it’s clear that such a simple intervention can exert such a powerful effect, one should ask why governments and health systems like the NHS aren’t advocates of diet and lifestyle interventions. Watch out for more news on our ‘Blueprint for health system sustainability in the UK’ as we call for prevention and self-care to take centre stage to reduce -and even reverse - the current health crisis.

HPV vaccine confusion continues

As concerns continue to mount over the safety of the HPV vaccine, two new studies muddy the water further around this contentious vaccine.

The first, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, considers a possible link between the introduction of the HPV vaccine and an increase in cervical cancer rates, after The Centre for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Sweden noted an increase in incidence of invasive cervical cancer - particularly during 2014/2015.

However, in juxtaposition, the Cochrane Collaboration have released a review which underscores the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine in preventing pre-cancerous changes (a notable change in language from the cancer prevention message that has been used to date). The review focused on 26 randomised controlled studies comparing vaccine to placebo (vaccine adjuvant or other vaccine). These studies have previously been criticised for not comparing the vaccine to a true placebo, thus masking and obscuring the actual potential for the vaccine to cause serious adverse events.

Before you make a decision whether or not to allow your child to be given the HPV vaccine, take a look at our HPV vaccine campaign page so you can make a fully informed decision. If you haven’t already done so, please consider signing (and sharing) our petition calling on health authorities to stop claiming vaccines are ‘safe’ to safeguard informed choice and consent over vaccination.