It's an emerging question for the communities waging battle over methodological weaknesses in the dietary sciences, one highlighted by a recent, widely reported Mayo Clinic clinician-authoredpaperon the association between diet and prostate cancer.

The publication, a Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationstudy by the Mayo oncology and hematology fellow Dr. John Shin and four Mayo Clinic Scottsdale colleagues, reviewed 47 studies dating back 11 years. It rendered a timely, vegan-friendly conclusion that diets high in dairy products "may be associated" with increased prostate cancer risk, and diets high in plant-based foods "may be associated" with decreased prostate cancer risk. The study was reported in new outlets across the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

For those who heard the news and came away with new reasons to swear off animal foods, a valuable piece of context went missing, however. Shin, like thousands of other clinicians across the country, is Seventh-Day Adventist. Sermon-hosting sites offer links to the physician's religious lectures and he serves as a speaker in the Adventist Medical Evangelical Network (AMEN), an independent organization with the goal of "uniting the church to restore Christs ministry of healing to the world, hastening His return."

Why should a nutrition researcher's faith tradition matter? Because an Adventist ministry of healing includes the promotion of a plant-based diet. In response to a recent Forum News Service question asking if Adventism seeks to move the public towards a plant-based diet in keeping with religious beliefs about the foods that promote health, Shin responded in the affirmative.

"Yes," he replied, "because the original diet given to man in the garden of Eden as described in the Bible was a plant-based diet, Seventh-day Adventists believe that this is the ideal diet for maintaining and restoring health." Shin added that the purpose of the AMEN organization is to inspire Christian medical professionals "to incorporate whole person care into their practices," and he disputed that its mission is to bring about dietary change.

Like much of the research that now informs the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, the 47 studies the Shin paper analyzes to impugn dairy are of a methodologically weak form of science known as nutritional epidemiology, so-called case-control and cohort studies that contain no information about cause and effect. The studies were of varying size and quality, moreover, and their findings were all over the place. Most showed no effect, protective or harmful, for any foods in relation to prostate cancer.

Given these results, how did the Mayo group come to their dairy-cautioning, plant-promoting conclusions? By citing the plentiful number of studies with no finding, alongside the few studies showing plants were good and dairy was bad, all as part of the same trend. Shin says this step was justified because the vast majority of papers with findings, outnumbered though by null findings, showed plants to be protective and dairy harmful, a "pattern" favoring his vegan-friendly findings on foods and cancer.

Earlier this year, however, a team of Canadianresearchersconducting a more rigorous statistical method found dairy to be without effect as often as harmful in relation to prostate cancer. The diagnosed rates of prostate cancer within the US during the period studied, moreover, are widelyrecognizedto be inaccurate thanks to the overdiagnosis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screenings. When it comes to diet and prostate cancer, in other words, the room for investigator bias to affect an outcome is high.

Adventist dietary beliefs derive from the writings of Ellen White, its mid-19th century co-founder and spiritual prophet.

"She would go into trances and receive what she called visions from God," says Ronald L. Numbers, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and expert on the history of Adventism. Numbers says White began to describe visions on diet and health, leading her to become a vegetarian "distinguishing between clean and unclean meat according to the Levitical laws."

Among the hundreds of passages concerning diet which are attributed to White are several that look decidedly vegan or vegetarian. These include "meat eating deranges the system, beclouds the intellect, and blunts the moral sensibilities," and, "people everywhere should be taught how to cook without milk and eggs, so far as possible," and, "grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator." Numbers says Adventists have a diversity of views about the dietary positions of Ellen White.

But Adventist scholars have takencreditfor over 100 years of moving food practices away from animal foods and toward plants. White's contemporaries were early cereal pioneers in Battle Creek, Mich., and their products were instrumental in diverting Americans from bacon and eggs towards carbohydrate-laden breakfasts of today, changes believed to have contributed to the skyrocketing global burden of Type 2 diabetes and secondary illnesses of heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's and some forms of cancer.

Contemporary Adventism has figured in over300health outcome studies of its communities, often conducted with NIH funding and in partnership with researchers from Harvard School of Public Health. Though studies of church-going populations have characteristics that limit their usefulness, this sustained appeal within the medical literature to the benefits of Adventist so-called lifestyle medicine is cited widely, including by the so-called "Blue Zones" longevity initiative adopted in cities like Albert Lea, Minn.

In perhaps the most direct position of influence on the direction of dietary policies today, Joan Sabate, an acknowledged Adventist and professor at the SDA-affiliated Loma Linda University School of Public Health, currently sits on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of the USDA.

Shin says"Adventists focus on health because we believe that when the body is healthy, the mind is better able to comprehend spiritual truths, thus enhancing ones relationship with God." He adds that the teetoling, tobacco- and caffeine-avoiding faith also promotes exercise, adequate sleep and spending time with family. But while exercise, sleep, and family time is largely uncontested in medicine, a rigorous debate exits over the wisdom of the advice to avoid animal foods.

Should being Adventist while studying nutrition require a disclaimer?

"The real issue for me is that Seventh-Day Adventists began their religion as a health religion, so they are compromised in making broad decisions about society's health"

"The real issue for me is that Seventh-Day Adventists began their religion as a health religion, so they are compromised in making broad decisions about society's health," says Belinda Fettke, an Australian who blogs on the subject of Adventism and health. "We should be asking them how best to do a vegetarian or vegan diet, because they understand it. But they shouldn't be telling the world that animal fats and protein are dangerous, which is what they do ... I don't think I've ever come across a religion that's so involved in a health message, and I think that's a concern."

Shin counters that all researchers approach their work with a bias, it's just that his is visible.

"My Seventh-day Adventist faith provides me with the predisposition to believe that plant-based foods are healthful, and therefore I have an interest in conducting research to show whether or not this is true," he says. "In this sense, my ability to maintain my objectivity in conducting diet-related research would be no more compromised than any other dietary researcher, the only difference being that my predispositions can be more readily traced to my religion."

He says he believes requiring a disclosure "would imply that someone of that faith is somehow less qualified or trustworthy to conduct the research in question. It would be a form of discrimination."

When asked if a devout Adventist could make a dietary recommendation contrary to the faith, the historian Ronald Numbers is skeptical. "That would be difficult," he says.

"If you even found that eating pork contributed to health, you would be in a bad quandary ... I assume that the nutritional studies that show Adventists live longer, healthier lives are reasonably accurate. But then of course, studies of Mormonism show they live longer lives. And they're not vegetarian."

So, should Adventists be asked disclose their faith when conducting nutrition studies?

"That is an incredibly interesting question," he says.

More here:
Adventists believe the Bible favors vegetarianism. Shouldn't their dietary studies tell us that? - PostBulletin.com

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body cant control the amount of glucose in the blood. The body doesnt respond to insulin properly and may not produce enough. This causes a persons blood glucose level to become too high. If blood sugar stays too high and the condition is left untreated, a number of dangerous health complications could ensue, including kidney failure, nerve damage and heart disease. But father-of-two, Joe Paterson from Stockport managed to reverse his type 2 diabetes.

Joe had never been very health conscious and after losing both his parents he turned to food for comfort, and before he knew it, his weight had ballooned to almost 22 stone.

At Christmas in 2017, Joe received the devastating news that he had type 2 diabetes.

Joes mindset and motivation was at an all-time low and with his weight creeping up so did his fear for serious health risks due to his untreated condition.

READ MORE: Type 2 diabetes: Noticing this sign on your skin could mean youre at risk

I had always dodged the diabetic bullet, so to speak. That was before I was diagnosed with the condition. I still didnt do anything about my weight and my health was deteriorating; I was getting bigger," said Joe.

"On January 8 this year, thats when things started to change for me. I wanted to live longer and to see my girls grow up.

"It was eye-opening and having said it, I knew I had to do something. What really brought it home was the weigh-in.

"At 22st 12lbs, I was two pounds short of what my dad had been when he was at his heaviest, something which affected his health in later life. I didnt want history repeating itself.

DONT MISS

How Joe lost the weight and put his type 2 diabetes into remission

Joe embarked on the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.

The 1:1 Diet, originally known as the Cambridge Diet was launched in the UK in 1984 and has helped more than 30 million people worldwide lose weight and reduce their health risks.

The diet works as a meal replacement diet in which 415 to 1,500 calories consumed daily through a combination of meal replacement bars, smoothies, shakes and soups.

How low-calorie diets help with type 2 diabetes management?

Diabetes UK said on its website: Theres some evidence showing us that low-calorie diets can be used to treat or manage type 2 diabetes.

The diet is a short-term plan of meal replacements. This type diet isnt right for everyone.

You need to speak with your doctor before starting a low-calorie diet, so you can be sure that its safe and could work for you.

Joe lost a total of five stone and couldnt believe the positive effect the diet plan was having on not only his life, but his health too.

The biggest achievement was, of course, reversing my diabetes. It was such a relief, he divulged.

A pilot scheme was launched last year by the NHS where thousands of people with type 2 diabetes were prescribed a very low-calorie diet in the hope of reversing the condition.

NHS England has also announced its expanding a programme to prevent people developing type 2 diabetes.

Dr Shareen Forbes, reader in diabetes and endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh, said: "There are now a number of studies that demonstrate remission of type 2 diabetes with weight loss.

"Such interventions can have significant economic impacts given the levels of type 2 diabetes now in society.

Here is the original post:
Type 2 diabetes: Father of two puts diabetes into remission with this diet - what is it? - Express

Following a complete roster overhaul and an absurd amount of injuries, the 2019-20 Warriors hardly are recognizable compared to the past few years.

The only remaining players on the roster from a team that went to the NBA Finals last season are Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jacob Evans III and Damion Lee. Of the players that had moved on from the Warriors from last season, many of them have not seen any basketball action for various reasons.

That list includes Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingstonand DeMarcus Cousins. Let's check in on the former Warriors whoare currently playing basketball:

Cook moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers, as part of an improved bench to support the star-studded squad. So far in this young season, Cook has struggled to find consistency. After averaging 21 minutes per game in October, his playing time has fallen considerably to about 12 minutes in November.

Excluding two games where he combined to go 5-for-8from long distance, Cook has struggled to find his shooting stroke from deep, making only four of his 20 3-point shots in all the other games combined. As Warriors fans know, Cook can be streaky at times, so more likely than not, he will grow accustomed to his new team and end up contributing primarily with his normally efficient shot.

Zo was a late-cut for the Warriors once the team needed to find a roster spot for Marquese Chriss, and he quickly was scooped up on waivers by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The small forward started the season completely out of the rotation, but has since seen his role grow considerably.

A couple games ago, McKinnie played 30 minutesand scored 14 points while going 3-for-6 from deep. Last season with the Warriors, McKinnie started red-hot out the gate, and then injuries and inefficient shooting derailed his overall play asthe year went along.

He will try to improve on his consistency in a growing role with the Cavs.

Bell only has played six games so far this season as he has dealt with injuries throughout training camp and into the first weeks of the season. His minutes mostly have come in garbage time situations for the Timberwolves, but he has performed well in his limited playing time.

It will be hard for him to crack the rotation for a team that has a solid frontcourt, but Bell has the potential to be an electrifying bench piece if given the right set of circumstances.

Out of all the bench pieces that currently are playing, the Warriors mightmiss Jones the most to start the season. In five of the 13 games he has played, Jones has shown off his normal athletic, bouncy talents for the Hawks. He even has hit two of four shots from 3-point range this season.

In November, he is averaging nearly 20 minutes per gameand his playing time is rising. The Warriors also are happy with Omari Spellman, whom they acquired for Jones, and it seems like it has been a win-win trade for each team.

The former Warriors two-way player has played four games for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. The 6-foot-7 power forward out of Georgetown will try to earn his way back to the NBA, and will have to do so by being a small stretch-four that can hit shots from deep consistently.

After playing so well to start the season for the Warriors, Jerebko's game fell off considerably in the second half. After not receiving any NBA offers of his liking, Jerebko instead went overseas to Moscow and now plays for Khimki of the EuroLeague.

[RELATED:Barnes details 'We Believe' Dubs' party after upsetting Mavs]

Bogut returned to the NBA to help a depleted Warriors team compete in the playoffs last season after playing 28 games for the Sydney Kings in Australia. He returned back to his homeland to play for the Kings this season, and will have the option once their season is done to get picked up by an NBA team yet again.

With the Warriors in a rebuilding year, it is highly unlikely there will be a reunion this season.

Read more from the original source:
Paschall added one key item to diet to deal with NBA grind - NBCSports.com

Thomas Trutschel / Contributor/Facebook/Francesca EasdonGetty Images

When you write a sweet note and slip it in your childs lunchbox, you kind of assume youll get some warm fuzzy vibes back. Unfortunately, all one mom in Texas got was mom-shaming.

Francesca Easdon sent her 5-year-old son Kyler to daycare with a note inside his lunchbox that said, "Please tell [my son] that his mommy loves him so much and I'm thinking about him." Super cute, right? Well, she apparently didnt get the best answer back.

Instead of writing I did! He loved the note!!! or, you know, nothing at all, Easdon said she got a message back that said, "NO! Put him on a diet + GO AWAY!"

Easdon was understandably shocked and shared the note on Facebook, where it quickly went viral. In the caption, she detailed how Kyler has been an extremely picky eater, so shes been introducing new healthy options in his lunch and talked about the changes with his school. I am in absolute shock at what happened, she wrote. I sent this note in Kylers [sic] lunchbox, thinking that it would make him smile at lunch time, but instead, I received this in return from one of the teachers!

Easdon said she was absolutely livid and immediately reached out to the school. Easdon said she was told that the note was being investigated and handled, yet almost no remorse was shown. Easdon also noted that one teacher later confessed to writing the note and was fired.

Still, Easdon said, shes disgusted that I put my trust in these people to care for my child. As for Kyler, he's left his daycare and is headed to a new one. Easdon ended her post with this warning: Monitor your daycares closely. Noted.

The rest is here:
A Texas Mom Is 'Disgusted' After Finding A Note From A Daycare Employee That Said Her Son Should Be On A Diet - Delish.com

Over a billion people globally are too poor to eat a sustainable diet that would combat climate change.

This concerning revelation comes from a recent study that analyses the findings of the landmark EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, and Health which came out earlier this year. The Commissions ambitious report drew up the recommended climate-conscious diet for the planets 10 billion people by 2050 one higher in fruits and vegetables, and lower in animal products and carbon emissions.

But the researchers on the new study say that the influential analysis nevertheless failed to factor in one important consideration: affordability across the globe.

The new findings, led by Tufts University, reveal that the cheapest possible version of the EAT-Lancet diet would cost an average of US$2.84 per person, per day. In low-income countries, that would use up 90% of the mean household income. Thats compared to only 6.1% in richer countries. Even more extreme, for 1.58 billion people across the planet, that diet comes at a cost that actually exceeds their household earnings.

Several countries including Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Yemen are earmarked as places where the daily cost of the recommended diet actually surpasses the mean household income of their citizens.

But what was particularly striking was that this problem isnt confined to low-income countries alone: of the 1.58 billion who cant afford the diet, 80% actually occur in middle-income countries. The researchers emphasize that these figures are also conservative, because household income would simultaneously be devoted to several other costs, such as housing, education, and transport leaving behind even less to pay for food.

This recommended diet while relatively inexpensive in high-income countries is unaffordable in many other nations, because its made up of a high proportion of foods that are costly, compared to other products that are locally available.

Fruits and vegetables made up the largest share of the diet and also its cost accounting for almost a third of the expense followed by legumes and nuts. Then came animal products including meat, eggs, and dairy: these were still included in EAT-Lancets recommended climate-friendly diet, but in smaller portions relative to a regular meat- and dairy-heavy, wealthy-country diet.

But relative to the diets of poorer people, this recommended diet actually contains an increase in costly animal products. That partly explains why its ultimately so expensive for people in poorer nations.

To put this all into perspective, the researchers calculated that overall, the EAT-Lancet diet would cost an average 60% more than the cheapest nutritionally-adequate diets available worldwide.

To determine global affordability, the researchers combined datasets on global food prices and household income from 2011, incorporating 744 foods and 159 countries. That helped them draw up the most economical version of the EAT-Lancet diet, and then to compare its cost to the mean household income across their vast dataset thus revealing the huge chasm between rich and poor. For comparison, the researchers then measured this cost against alternative, cheaper diets that still met global essential nutrient requirements.

The findings underscore a deep conundrum: the inarguable importance of pushing for a sustainable diet at the global scale, but the huge challenge of making it accessible to everyone. So whats the solution? Its a big question that deserves a big, broad answer which the researchers deliver.

Getting more people on board with a greener diet would require large-scale increases in earnings in poorer countries, more favorable pricing of sustainable foods, and financial assistance for people on the lowest incomes, they explain.

Granted, none of that sounds easy or even necessarily feasible in the short-term. But understanding the true extent of dietary inequality across the globe is a first step towards making green-eating the subject of so much current attention something that we might one day realistically achieve, at scale.

See the rest here:
A global dietdesigned to protect the planetis too costly for 1.5 billion people - Anthropoce