Breaking News! Lyn Thyer to be released from jail

Having been unjustly incarcerated in a French jail since August a French court has now ordered biochemist Lyn Thyer's release from jail. In a victory for justice she is due to leave jail on Sun 8th December 2019, unless the French authorities are successful in mounting an appeal. The legal action leading to her release has been funded by US-based The National Health Federation (NHF). This positive news brings renewed hope for David Noakes to resist the recent extradition order imposed by a UK judge.

CDB regulatory crack down

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to 15 companies for ‘illegally’ selling CBD products. In its statement it says it "cannot conclude that CBD is generally recognised as safe (GRAS) among qualified experts for its use in human or animal food" ignoring its long and safe history of use. This has triggered the filing of class action suits against two California based companies, Charlotte’s Web and Infinite Products Co alleging they're "illegally selling products containing cannabidiol". In the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed CBD’s classification as a Novel Food, whilst maintaining a ‘watch and wait’ policy over the market. A full statement on its position is expected in the coming weeks.

New study suggests evidence for sat fat reduction is exaggerated and biased

The evidence for advice to limit intake of saturated fat is not reliable and subject to bias. That’s the conclusion of a new analysis of the influential 2015 Cochrane meta-analysis authored by Hooper et al. There is a deathly silence in the media over the findings, which add to the ever-growing body of evidence that sat fat is not the baddy it was once thought to be despite the continued insistence of outdated government advice.

25yr olds could become new target for statin drugs

Those aged over 25 should have their cholesterol levels checked according to a new study. Researchers publishing in The Lancet have developed a new tool to assess individual lifetime risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium data from 19 countries across Europe, Australia and North America researchers found a link between higher levels of non-HDL cholesterol in those under the age of 45 and increased risks of developing cardiovascular disease. Rather than promoting true preventative interventions to reduce risk, unsurprisingly the results provide a perfect opportunity to widen the statin net.

EU Novel Food approval for Nicotinamide riboside

The precursor vitamin, nicotinamide riboside chloride, (NR) (a source for vitamin B3/nicotinamide), has been approved as a Novel Food in the EU following a positive scientific opinion. This will allow it to be used as a non-flushing source of niacin (vitamin B3) in food supplements. NR supports levels of NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) in the body which helps stimulate and support cellular energy and repair systems.

World AIDS Day

Sunday 1^st December was World Aids Day. We took the opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years of research noting with disappointment the lack of research into non-drug therapies and support systems. This is shown by the 72,121 papers in PubMed studying drug interventions against some 650 or so papers considering the role of diet in improving immune resilience.

UK doctors’ burnout crisis

A staggering one third of UK doctors are at risk of suffering from workplace 'burnout'. This is the headline news from a new study published in the BMJ  highlighting the immensity of the problem. As the NHS buckles under the burden of increasing chronic disease rates, the pressure and expectation levied on doctors and the medical profession is increasingly unrealistic. Without the adoption of a radically different approach to health that moves from disease management to health creation, the UK is facing an unprecedented healthcare crisis.

Parkinson’s linked to antibiotic use

A new study from Finnish researchers has found damage to the gut microbiome caused by certain types of antibiotics is directly linked to an elevated risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Essential to our health and wellbeing, improving the health of the gut microbiota can reduce the risk of developing a range of neurodegenerative diseases, amongst many other diseases.

Is your supermarket doing enough to reduce pesticides?

A new report from the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) ranks UK supermarkets against eight criteria related to the use of pesticides in their food chains. In all cases it's a case of ‘could do better’, although some are doing better than others. PAN commented that supermarkets aren’t being open about pesticides and aren’t doing enough to protect human health and the environment from the most hazardous ones. It’s up to us as responsible citizens to change our buying habits so that foods grown without use of harmful chemicals become the norm and are more easily affordable for those on a budget. It’s called voting with your wallet!