Omega-3's EPA/DHA are the most studied nutrients in history. 30,000 studies published as of December 2015.

So much for journalists claiming there is not enough science to recommend taking omega-3's from fish. Go on ignore the research. You are simply demonstrating natural selection. Darwin would be proud.
Have just returned from a conference on fish oil Omega-3s in the Canary Islands. Here are a few images from that meeting.

Omega-3's are not only the most studied nutrients. There are more randomized controlled studies on them than on many prescription medications. Take a look!

And the rate of positive findings, meaning benefit to study participants is consistently high. Around 80% of trials found benefit. The remainder found no effect. 80%. Not bad!

And there have been many many studies. 30,000 as of December 2015.

So how many studies did the naysayers in recent NYTimes and Frontline stories review?

Eighteen. Thats right, they selected Eighteen studies. From which they make the broad statement that there is not enough science. Wow. That is some bold assertion given the numbers.

I don't know about you but for me and my family...we're sticking with the fish oils. Because of the science.

My thanks to Adam Ismail at GOED for the images. Great presentation Adam! Check out the science of Omega-3s at Always Omega-3's and at the Fats of Life Newsletter.

Why are we not up in arms about the cost of health care in America?

About Time Magazine’s “Bitter Pill”

To read Bitter Pill, click here.

The story opens with an all too common tale of life in America. We have the right to pursue life liberty and happiness, but not at a price the rest of the world might enjoy, at least not when it comes to health care.

Take Sean Recchi.

Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 42. Total cost, in advance, for Sean’s treatment plan and initial doses of chemotherapy: $83,900. Charges for blood and lab tests amounted to more than $15,000; with Medicare, they would have cost a few hundred dollars.

Why are we not up in arms about the cost of health care in America? It approaches 20% of our GDP. We pay more than anyone, ANYONE else in the world pays. And we are not even covering everyone. Nor is the care top quality. In fact we are nowhere near the top as quality of care goes. Our ranking? Paying the most? 37th. We rank 37th in quality of care.

When we debate health care policy, we seem to jump right to the issue of who should pay the bills, blowing past what should be the first question: Why exactly are the bills so high?

What are the reasons, good or bad, that cancer means a half-million- or million-dollar tab? Why should a trip to the emergency room for chest pains that turn out to be indigestion bring a bill that can exceed the cost of a semester of college? What makes a single dose of even the most wonderful wonder drug cost thousands of dollars? Why does simple lab work done during a few days in a hospital cost more than a car?

Read this article, "Bitter Pill". I implore you. It is long, but it is important for all of us to understand that health care in America is extortion. Nothing more than government sanctioned extortion.

US Newborn Death Rate is 41st in the World

Do you think we lead the world in health status or health care? Think again.

Babies in the United States have a higher risk of dying during their first month of life than do babies born in 40 other countries, according to a new World Health Organization report. Shockingly enough, we are tied with Qatar for newborn infant mortality!

Some of the countries that outrank the United States in terms of newborn death risk are South Korea, Cuba, Malaysia, Lithuania, Poland and Israel, according to the study.

Premature infants are a leading reason for the US infant death rate. Go here for the whole story.

I would like to thank a fellow Twitter person Mark Crispin Miller for tweeting this story and bringing it to my attention. Mark has a fabulous website called "News From Underground" that I will be reading everyday from now on. The site is a daily e-news service run by Mr. Miller who is a Professor of Culture and Communication at NYU. It is based on his belief that academics, like reporters, have a civic obligation to help keep the people well-informed, so that American democracy might finally work.

You can follow Mark on Twitter. He is @mcrispinmiller

By the way, the omega 3 DHA is associated with longer gestation periods and improved neonate and maternal outcome. Duration of gestation increased significantly when docosahexaenoic acid intake was increased during the last trimester of pregnancy. Read the study below.

A Randomized Trial of Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Endocrine Society Announces New Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vitamin D

The Endocrine Society released new clinical practice guidelines calling for vitamin D concentrations of 30-60 ng/ml (75-150 nmol/L), closely approaching the recommendation of 40-60 ng/ml of the GrassrootsHealth' consortium of vitamin D experts.

"Our objective is to provide guidelines to clinicians for the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency with an emphasis on the care of patients who are at risk for deficiency. The recent Institute of Medicine's recommendation was not a medical model and was not intended to direct physicians on care of patients. It is up to professional associations to establish guidelines for care," according to Michael Holick, Ph.D., MD from Boston University Medical Center. Dr. Holick presented the Endocrine Society's new Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vitamin D at the 93rd annual meeting of the association in Boston, MA, June 4-7, 2011.
***Personal note: Dr Holick is an incredible presenter on vitamin D. Please take the time to watch the You-Tube version of his excellent lecture here.
40-75% of the world's population is vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency puts one at risk for osteomalacia, rickets, falls, tuberculosis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type-1 diabetes, high blood pressure, increased heart failure, myopathy, breast and other cancers. It is projected that the incidence of many of these diseases could be reduced by 20% to 50% or more, if the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were eradicated by increasing vitamin D intakes through increased UVB exposure, fortified foods or supplements.
It will take from 1000 to 2000 IU/day of vitamin D (cholecalciferol) to achieve the serum target of 30 ng/ml. *** Jolie says..I've seen many individuals who needed 4000-6000 ius daily to maintain the suggested levels of 40-60 ng/ml.


A more detailed summary of the Endocrine Practice Guidelines for Intake for Patients at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency: 
for 0-1 years, 400-1000 IU/day, Upper Limit of 2000 IU/day; 
for 1-18 years, 600-1000 IU/day, Upper Limit of 4000 IU/day; 
for 19-70 years, 1500-2000 IU/day, Upper Limit of 10,000 IU/day; 
for 70+ years, 1500-2000 IU/day, Upper Limit of 10,000 IU/day.


The Society recommends that everyone at risk be screened for vitamin D deficiency. Those especially at risk are infants and children (all ages), pregnant women, those who are over 65 and in community dwellings (without enough sunlight), darker skinned individuals and obese individuals.
At the same time as the Endocrine Society, two additional medical associations, the Ontario Society of Physicians for Complementary Medicine and the Section of Complementary and Integrative Medicine of the Ontario Medical Association in Canada joined the GrassrootsHealth Scientists' Call to D*action, calling for serum levels in the range of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L). According to Dr. Robert Banner, Chair of the Section, "We have to pay attention to the health of our patients. Our group will actively help patients get the testing and education they need for their health with vitamin D. It is vital to be proactive with people's health to prevent diseases that my happen 10 or more years down the road."
"Clinicians and their medical associations are creating clinical practice guidelines based on the documented science as well as their clinical experience and establishing recommended serum levels at least at 30-60 ng/ml (75-150 nmol/L) with recommended intakes from 1000-2000 IU/day based on age. It is recommended that everyone test their vitamin D serum level for a baseline measurement and adjust their intake to reach the desired serum level," said Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth.

Get cold sores? Treat them quickly!

Researchers Link Herpes to Alzheimer’s Disease; “Cold Sores” Connected to Cognitive Decline.

Researchers recommend people treat a cold sore as quickly as possible to minimize the amount of time the virus is actively traveling through a person’s nervous system. The faster a cold sore is treated, the faster the HSV1 returns to a dormant stage.

How prevalent is this virus? In developed countries such as the U.S., approximately 20 percent of children are infected with HSV1 prior to the age of five. By the second and third decades of life, as much as 60 percent of the population is infected, and late-in-life infection rate reaches 85 percent.

Here's the journal article:

Herpes Simplex Virus Dances with Amyloid Precursor Protein while Exiting the Cell.

Read it here.

Zovirax or acyclovir is an antiviral drug that slows the growth and spread of the herpes virus so that the body can fight off the infection. Zovirax contains an active antiviral ingredient called acyclovir. Acyclovir stops the herpes virus from spreading from one host cell to other normal cells. Acyclovir converts itself into a more active agent inside the infected cells of the body. Then, it blocks the action of an enzyme called DNA polymerase which copies the herpes virus’ genetic material from RNA to DNA. By blocking DNA polymerase, Zovirax prevents the multiplication and growth of the herpes virus. This allows the body to treat the existing outbreak and relieve the pain caused by cold sores.