June 15, 2007
Consumers who have purchased raw milk from Piney Ridge Farm in New Bethlehem any time after May 21 should discard it immediately due to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said today.
Story
June 5, 2007
Consumers who purchased raw milk from the Green Acres Jersey Farm in Lebanon County (Pennsylvania) any time after May 8 should discard it immediately due to Listeria monocytogenes bacteria contamination, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff said today.
See story1
Story 2
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Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Good News on Raw Milk
Derived from ScienceDaily
Key findings:
A recent study of 14,893 children aged between five and 13 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland found that drinking raw milk can protect children against asthma and hayfever.
The children were drawn from farm children, rural and suburban communities and Waldorf schools.
None of the farm products had any effect on eczema levels. "All the children drinking unpasteurized farm milk and eating other farm-related dairy products showed the same level of protection against asthma and allergies, regardless of whether they were living on a farm or not" says lead author Marco Waser, a doctor in natural sciences from the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Basel, Switzerland.
About half of the parents who told researchers that their child regularly drank farm milk said that they did not boil the milk before giving it to them. The protective results were the same, regardless of whether milk was boiled or not.
However, as drinking raw milk is not recommended, especially for young children, this may have encouraged parents to say they boiled milk when they didn't, indicating a higher level of raw milk consumption. "The results of this study indicate that all children drinking farm milk have a lower chance of developing asthma and hayfever" says Dr Waser.
Key findings:
- Raw Milk reduces the incidence of hayfever and asthma
- Evidence suggests that this protection is maintained after boiling the raw milk
- No evidence for decreased incidence of eczema with raw milk consuption
- Raw Milk still not recommended by researcher due to other health issues
A recent study of 14,893 children aged between five and 13 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland found that drinking raw milk can protect children against asthma and hayfever.
The children were drawn from farm children, rural and suburban communities and Waldorf schools.
None of the farm products had any effect on eczema levels. "All the children drinking unpasteurized farm milk and eating other farm-related dairy products showed the same level of protection against asthma and allergies, regardless of whether they were living on a farm or not" says lead author Marco Waser, a doctor in natural sciences from the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Basel, Switzerland.
About half of the parents who told researchers that their child regularly drank farm milk said that they did not boil the milk before giving it to them. The protective results were the same, regardless of whether milk was boiled or not.
However, as drinking raw milk is not recommended, especially for young children, this may have encouraged parents to say they boiled milk when they didn't, indicating a higher level of raw milk consumption. "The results of this study indicate that all children drinking farm milk have a lower chance of developing asthma and hayfever" says Dr Waser.
"However raw milk may contain pathogens such as salmonella or enterohaemorrhagic E coli and its consumption may have serious health risks.
"We need to develop a deeper understanding of why farm milk offers children this higher level or protection and investigate ways of making the product safer, while retaining these protective qualities. "At the moment we can only speculate about why farm milk protects children against asthma and allergies. Perhaps it is because farm milk has different levels or compositions of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes to milk sold in shops.
"It is interesting that there was no difference in the farm milk results regardless of whether it was boiled before consumption. As boiling is likely to have been over-reported, this could indicate that pasteurization is not as important as previously thought, as compounds other than microbes may offer a protective role.
"But despite our findings, we cannot recommend consumption of raw farm milk as a preventative measure against asthma and allergies."
Monday, May 7, 2007
Raw Milk Health Advisories
Raw Milk Health Advisories:
Having seen about eight health warnings in the past two months with respect to raw milk I thought it might be a good service to start keeping track of when and where such warnings are making it into the news. Started May 5, 2007.
May 10, 2007
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issues health warning about contaminated raw milk.
May 5, 2007
The Illinois Department of Public Health Friday issued a warning about contaminated raw milk.
Story 1, Story 2
May 2, 2007
Indiana State health officials warn citizens on recent illnesses from raw dairy products
From: Tribune-Star
Having seen about eight health warnings in the past two months with respect to raw milk I thought it might be a good service to start keeping track of when and where such warnings are making it into the news. Started May 5, 2007.
May 10, 2007
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issues health warning about contaminated raw milk.
Consumers who have purchased raw milk from Misty Meadow Farm in Bernville, Berks County, any time after April 16 should discard it immediately due to the risk of Listeria contaminationStory 1
May 5, 2007
The Illinois Department of Public Health Friday issued a warning about contaminated raw milk.
Story 1, Story 2
May 2, 2007
Indiana State health officials warn citizens on recent illnesses from raw dairy products
From: Tribune-Star
Two recent confirmed cases of listeriosis and campylobacteriosis were identified in pregnant women in Indiana, associated with the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. The likely sources of those infections are raw milk purchased at a farm and unpasteurized Mexican-style cheese (queso fresco) purchased from a door-to-door vendor, the release stated.See also
Friday, April 20, 2007
Health Points: April 14th to 20th
This week a couple of article that were published in Science look interesting:
A new study show that the genetic risk factors for Autism are greater than previously thought.
Strong Association of De Novo Copy Number Mutations with Autism
Science 20 April 2007:
Vol. 316. no. 5823, pp. 445 - 449
This of course does not mean that there are not epigenetic, environmental, or infectious factors involved in coming down with autism, just that genetics may indicate a higher susceptibility.
Another new study brings into question the belief that anti-depressants could lead to suicide in young people.
Study Questions Antidepressant Risks
Science 20 April 2007:
Vol. 316. no. 5823, p. 354
A new study show that the genetic risk factors for Autism are greater than previously thought.
Strong Association of De Novo Copy Number Mutations with Autism
Science 20 April 2007:
Vol. 316. no. 5823, pp. 445 - 449
This of course does not mean that there are not epigenetic, environmental, or infectious factors involved in coming down with autism, just that genetics may indicate a higher susceptibility.
Another new study brings into question the belief that anti-depressants could lead to suicide in young people.
Study Questions Antidepressant Risks
Science 20 April 2007:
Vol. 316. no. 5823, p. 354
An analysis of 27 clinical trials of antidepressants in youngsters has found a negligible risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, with the treated groups showing 0.7% greater risk than participants given a placebo. The study comes more than 2 years after regulatory agencies worldwide warned doctors to take great care in prescribing the drugs to children and teenagers because they might increase "suicidality." Since then, controversy has grown over whether the risks have been exaggerated.Seems that the BigPharma may have been given the short end of the stick in this controversy. I think that's a rare event, but maybe I'm wrong.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Low Sugar Coconut Ice Cream
So I'm not up on the relative health benefits of coconut milk[1*,2*]and coconut oil though there are those out there going gaga for it (and those out there who have other ideas) It seems that there might be an association between a certain constituent molecule in coconut oil, lauric acid [1,2*], and health benefits.
Despite those statements, coconut milk is very high in saturated fat so I would still not say that the following recipe is a healthy one. Maybe this will get some further research. But one thing I do know is that the modern diet contains far too much sugar.
Low Sugar Coconut Ice Cream
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Can (~14oz.) Coconut Milk
2 Table Spoons Honey
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
I know, I know. But I said low sugar, not low fat.
Empty can of coconut milk into bowl, whisk in honey until fully mixed (if granulated sugar, until fully dissolved). Add cream, mix. Add vanilla,mix. Put in ice cream maker. Takes about 25 minutes (about 10minutes less than usual) in our machine.
I'd recommend organic ingredients since there is an indication that they are higher in omega-3s and raw honey.
If you have not been doing the low sugar thing up to this point this is not necessarily the recipe to go cold turkey with. The original recipe that this is lightly based on called for 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. I'd recommend then that you start out with about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (or equivalent honey) and work your way down. Sugar is like salt in that the more you consume the higher the threshold you have for tasting it. Today, when I have a cookie or pastry not made with reduced sugar it is basically repellingly sweet.
And remember, moderation in everything (within moderation).
* The sites linked are to groups or individuals advocating a position. These sites can look and feel very much like scientific sites with scientific authority and backing. Yet science is based on the concept of inquiry and advocacy is generally the opposite of inquiry. This is not to say that the information provided is not true or unhelpful. One way to view this is that advocacy tries to paints things in black and white and it is my take home understanding that this particular issue has an a lot of gray in it. What are the shades of gray is what it is all about.
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Despite those statements, coconut milk is very high in saturated fat so I would still not say that the following recipe is a healthy one. Maybe this will get some further research. But one thing I do know is that the modern diet contains far too much sugar.
Low Sugar Coconut Ice Cream
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Can (~14oz.) Coconut Milk
2 Table Spoons Honey
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
I know, I know. But I said low sugar, not low fat.
Empty can of coconut milk into bowl, whisk in honey until fully mixed (if granulated sugar, until fully dissolved). Add cream, mix. Add vanilla,mix. Put in ice cream maker. Takes about 25 minutes (about 10minutes less than usual) in our machine.
I'd recommend organic ingredients since there is an indication that they are higher in omega-3s and raw honey.
If you have not been doing the low sugar thing up to this point this is not necessarily the recipe to go cold turkey with. The original recipe that this is lightly based on called for 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. I'd recommend then that you start out with about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (or equivalent honey) and work your way down. Sugar is like salt in that the more you consume the higher the threshold you have for tasting it. Today, when I have a cookie or pastry not made with reduced sugar it is basically repellingly sweet.
And remember, moderation in everything (within moderation).
* The sites linked are to groups or individuals advocating a position. These sites can look and feel very much like scientific sites with scientific authority and backing. Yet science is based on the concept of inquiry and advocacy is generally the opposite of inquiry. This is not to say that the information provided is not true or unhelpful. One way to view this is that advocacy tries to paints things in black and white and it is my take home understanding that this particular issue has an a lot of gray in it. What are the shades of gray is what it is all about.
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Sunday, April 8, 2007
Omega-3s: More on ALA:EPA:DHA
This is a reply to this comment left by Maikeru on the post Omega-3 Fats: The Right Ratio.
Hi Maikeru,
The ALA/DHA/EPA question is an important one for those interested in improving their omega-3 intake. ALA is found primarily in plants such as greens and some seeds while the other two are derived primarily from fish and land animals.
There is an interesting book on the subject called The Queen of Fats
by Susan Allport that is well written and engaging. There she describes a competitive reaction with an 18 carbon omega-6 fatty acid for the enzyme involved with carbon addition to make the 20 carbon chain acids. Thus what she is saying is with too high an intake of the omega-6 acids the body will favor the production of the omega-6 20 carbon acid over the conversion of ALA to EPA. This conflict between the two fatty acid families is not well known and thus not accounted for in studies of ALA conversion in the body.
While it might seem logical to just bypass the problem all together by only eating fish and meats there are of course some complications. Fish higher up in the food chain tend to concentrate the pollutants that humans have been adding to the oceans and lakes of the world (another socialized cost of "cheap" electricity. Coal contains a lot of mercury which winds up in the worlds waters and in fish.) In addition the worlds fish populations are in serious jeopardy of being over fished with some reporting fishery degradation in every spot on Earth and around 80% fishery collapse. Getting omega-3s from fish (the highest concentration) is not sustainable. There are a few companies that are going right to the source and gathering DHA from algae.
As for meats, though grass fed animals are higher in omega-3s than are grain fed animals they are not near the 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 that is thought to represent our evolutionary diet. Meats are also high in saturated fats which are still widely seen as unhealthful. Lastly, though the omega-3 content is likely playing some role in this, every study of health and diet points to the importance of green (or better yet, colorful) plants (fruits and vegetables) in the diet.
So considering the we could potentially get a lot of our omega-3s form the plants we eat if we 1) cut back on the amount of omega-6s and 2) increased our consumption of fruits and vegetables we should try to get most of our omega-3s that way but I would still supplement with pharmaceutical grade fish oils or something like that (particularly after a fat laden meal out) since our understanding is still rudimentary.
It should be mentioned again that anyone that wants to radically change their diet should consult their physician and their own body. High omega-3 diets are known to increase bleeding. There may be other complications that are not well known.
Technorati Tags: health, diet, omega-3, omega-3s, fat
Hi Maikeru,
The ALA/DHA/EPA question is an important one for those interested in improving their omega-3 intake. ALA is found primarily in plants such as greens and some seeds while the other two are derived primarily from fish and land animals.
There is an interesting book on the subject called The Queen of Fats
by Susan Allport that is well written and engaging. There she describes a competitive reaction with an 18 carbon omega-6 fatty acid for the enzyme involved with carbon addition to make the 20 carbon chain acids. Thus what she is saying is with too high an intake of the omega-6 acids the body will favor the production of the omega-6 20 carbon acid over the conversion of ALA to EPA. This conflict between the two fatty acid families is not well known and thus not accounted for in studies of ALA conversion in the body.While it might seem logical to just bypass the problem all together by only eating fish and meats there are of course some complications. Fish higher up in the food chain tend to concentrate the pollutants that humans have been adding to the oceans and lakes of the world (another socialized cost of "cheap" electricity. Coal contains a lot of mercury which winds up in the worlds waters and in fish.) In addition the worlds fish populations are in serious jeopardy of being over fished with some reporting fishery degradation in every spot on Earth and around 80% fishery collapse. Getting omega-3s from fish (the highest concentration) is not sustainable. There are a few companies that are going right to the source and gathering DHA from algae.
As for meats, though grass fed animals are higher in omega-3s than are grain fed animals they are not near the 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 that is thought to represent our evolutionary diet. Meats are also high in saturated fats which are still widely seen as unhealthful. Lastly, though the omega-3 content is likely playing some role in this, every study of health and diet points to the importance of green (or better yet, colorful) plants (fruits and vegetables) in the diet.
So considering the we could potentially get a lot of our omega-3s form the plants we eat if we 1) cut back on the amount of omega-6s and 2) increased our consumption of fruits and vegetables we should try to get most of our omega-3s that way but I would still supplement with pharmaceutical grade fish oils or something like that (particularly after a fat laden meal out) since our understanding is still rudimentary.
It should be mentioned again that anyone that wants to radically change their diet should consult their physician and their own body. High omega-3 diets are known to increase bleeding. There may be other complications that are not well known.
Technorati Tags: health, diet, omega-3, omega-3s, fat
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