Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reasons to veg.
When people become truly aware of the deplorable conditions these animals live in before they are slaughtered, as well as the cruel methods of slaughter employed in the name of efficiency, they often feel that it is impossible to honestly justify continued participation in such a system. Some of the other reasons for choosing to remove beef, pork, and chicken from one's diet are discussed below.
Health Benefits
Many of the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet are also obtainable with a pescetarian diet, as it is the absence of meat from commercially-produced livestock (with its high-fat content and chemical additives such as hormones and antibiotics), along with the consumption of nutrient-rich legumes and vegetables, that confers these benefits. Plant-based diets provide protection against numerous diseases, including the three biggest killers in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, and strokes. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have "lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; ...lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer" and are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese. A fair argument can be made that these benefits can also be realized by eating a pescetarian diet.
In addition to being a good source of protein, fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), which have been found to be helpful in the treatment and prevention of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis. Results from several studies have suggested that eating fish or taking fish oil supplements in certain amounts can lower triglycerides, slow the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques (hardening of the arteries), lower blood pressure slightly, as well as reduce the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known heart disease. Consumption of fish oil by pregnant women has also been found to be beneficial to the development of their infant's eyes and brains.
There are however, other health concerns associated with eating fish, resulting from environmental pollution, that must be weighed against the benefits of including fish in a plant-based (or any) diet. These serious concerns are discussed in the latter half of this article.
Environmental Benefits
Following a pescetarian diet can also contribute to a healthier planet. For one thing, raising farm animals for food is a very inefficient use of resources compared to the production of vegetables. Currently, more than 70 percent of the grains and cereals grown are fed to farmed animals, and almost all of those calories go into simply keeping the animals alive, not into making them grow. Only a small fraction of the calories consumed by farmed livestock are actually converted into the meat that people eat. Calorie for calorie, it is much more efficient to produce vegetables. In addition to food productivity, demand for meat from commercially-produced livestock has had a negative impact on many other environmental areas, including deforestation, water supply, water pollution, energy consumption, global warming, and biodiversity.
According to a 2006 report by the United Nations, the devastation caused by the meat industry is "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution and loss of biodiversity. Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale..."
Simply put, it makes no sense to waste so many of our precious resources to inefficiently produce a less-healthy food source, especially in our current crisis of increased food prices and disastrous food shortages around the world.
A Step on the Way to Vegetarianism
When I decided to switch to a pescetarian diet, one of my goals was to use it as a stepping stone towards giving up all meat, sort of a gateway stage to vegetarianism. Since I was just learning to cook and prepare dishes using mainly vegetables, I wanted to be sure I still had enough protein and other essential nutrients in my diet so that I would be successful in removing beef, chicken, and pork. Others may also find this a useful step in their journey to becoming vegetarian or vegan. In the words of a practicing vegan, discussing veganism, "It's like vegetarianism, it's a broad church. People often come to it in stages."
Problems with Fish Consumption
Including fish in your diet also comes with the risk of consuming the metals and industrial chemicals that can build up in these animals, especially those at the top of the aquatic food chain. One of the harmful toxins found in fish is mercury, which occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans where it is turned into methylmercury, which is the most harmful type of mercury. Mercury can affect the immune system, alter genetic and enzyme systems, and damage the nervous system, including coordination and the senses of touch, taste, and sight. Methylmercury is particularly damaging to developing embryos, which are five to ten times more sensitive than adults.
In addition to mercury, most fish also contain some levels of PCBs in their system. PCBs, or poly-carbonated biphenyls, are made up of synthetic and organic chemicals. PCBs are used in hundreds of different commercial and industrial applications, and they pollute our air, soil, and waterways.
PCBs are also particularly bad for your health. They have been associated with disorders of the immune system and neurological system. PCBs are especially harmful for pregnant women. They have been associated with a number of fetal development problems including:
* learning disorders
* slowed mental development
* reduced birth weight
* neurological defects
While children, pregnant women, and those who may become pregnant are at the most risk for suffering negative effects of these environmental toxins, studies have shown unhealthy levels in others as well, and the general population is advised to be careful about which and how much fish they eat. Many websites offer mercury calculators, which allow you to estimate how much mercury your current diet contains.
Fish that tend to be low in mercury and PCBs include:
* shrimp
* canned tuna (chunk light)
* salmon (wild or canned)
* catfish
Ethical Concerns
Another set of considerations includes the question of whether fish should be killed for our consumption and the concern for the ethical treatment of the animals themselves. With respect to the first question, vegetarians draw no distinction between fish and other animals such as mammals and birds. Others, including some pescetarians, believe it is ethical to kill and consume animals as long as respect and care is shown for the animal throughout its life and slaughter. While there is much debate about whether fish "feel" pain, it makes sense to apply the same ethical guidelines when considering the living conditions and methods of slaughter of these animals as you would for any other living creature. In general, consuming seafood that is wild caught avoids some of the issues associated with fish raised in farms in terms of living conditions, but this is an area that calls for more education and awareness.
Ultimately, it is incumbent upon individuals to gather sufficient evidence and think deeply about the effects their food choices have on their own health, the welfare of animals, and the health of the entire planet.
The insightful naturalist Henry David Thoreau had the following to say about the issue: "Whatever my own practice may be, I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals..."
There are numerous reputable sources of information available on the internet and in published materials about the health benefits and ethical issues involved in pescetarian and vegetarian diets. The specific references used for this article are listed below.
American Dietetic Association: ((http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ad...)
American Heart Association publication: Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular Disease: ((http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content...)
Ann Mangels, Virginia Messina, and Vesanto Melina, "Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian Diets," Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Jun. 2003, pp. 748-65.
Environmental Defense Fund website: (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521)
EPA fact sheets on PCBs:
((http://fn.cfs.purdue.edu/fish4health/He...)
((http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/pc...)
Henry David Thoreau, Walden, Everyman, 1910
Mayo Clinic Report: Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid: ((http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-o...)
Meat and the Environment: (http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp)
H. Steinfeld, P. Gerber, T. Wassenaar, V. Castel, M. Rosales, and C. de Haan, "Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options," Livestock, Environment and Development (2006).
Source of vegan quote: Daily Mail (London), August 18, 1992: (http://www.wordspy.com/words/pescetarian.asp)
USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2004 article: Global impact of meat consumption: ((http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m...)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Peranakan Food
Fish cakes in lemak sauce
Chap chye (veggie mix stew)
Squid stir fry
Fish head curry
Ayam buah keluak (chicken with black nuts)
Dessert - pulot hitam
Beef rendang
Salar fish stuffed with belachan chilli
Hee peow soup
Noh hiang
Burbur cha cha, sago and pulot hitam
Enhanced Gummy Bears Fight Cavities
Reduced Cavity-Causing Bacteria
July 24, 2008 -- Researchers have tested gummy bears made with a sugar substitute that wards off cavity-causing bacteria.
A study in Washington State gathered 154 first to fifth graders from two elementary schools. The students were given four gummy bears made with either xylitol or maltitol (types of sugars used in many types of sugarless chewing gum) three times a day during school hours.
All were checked for plaque and bacteria in their mouths at the start of the study and six weeks later.
After six weeks, there was a "significant" reduction in the main bacteria buildup associated with cavities for the children who snacked on the xylitol and maltitol candy.
Study lead author Kiet A. Ly with the University of Washington says in a news release that gummy bears may have the edge over gum.
"For xylitol to be successfully used in oral health promotion programs among primary school children, an effective means of delivering xylitol must be identified," Ly says. "Gummy bears would seem to be more ideal than chewing gum."
The gummy bears made with xylitol used in the study are not available on the U.S. market at this time. Study authors now urge a large clinical trial.
In background information published with the findings, study authors write that chewing gum made with these sugars are widely available in Europe, China, and Japan. Finland has a national campaign in place called "Smart Habits" for children, which uses xylitol products to reduce tooth decay.
The findings are published in the journal BMC Oral Health.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Many uses of raw honey!
The list of honey's beneficial functions is a long one. Honey increases calcium absorption; can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors; can help arthritic joints, when combined with apple cider vinegar; fights colds and respiratory infections of all kinds; can help to boost gastrointestinal ulcer healing; works as a natural and gentle laxative; aids constipation, allergies and obesity; provides an array of vitamins and minerals; and supplies instant energy without the insulin surge caused by white sugar. Many have found raw honey helpful for its positive effects against allergies and hay fever, and one or two teaspoons last thing at night can help with insomnia. As an antiseptic, honey is also a drawing agent for poisons from bites or stings or infected wounds, and has outperformed antibiotics in treatments for stomach ulcerations, gangrene, surgical wound infections, surgical incisions and the protection of skin grafts, corneas, blood vessels and bones during storage and shipment.
So writes Dr. Cass Igram, D.O. in The Survivor's Nutritional Pharmacy. In a fascinating modern development, scientists and doctors are beginning to rediscover the effectiveness of honey as a wound treatment. In recent years, honey has been used effectively in clinical settings for the treatment of fist-sized ulcers extending to the bone, as well as for first, second and third degree burns. Complete healing has been reported without the need for skin grafts and with no infection or muscle loss. It can be applied full strength to such conditions, covered with a sterile bandage, and changed daily. When the wounds are clean, honey acts as a healer. This also is the same procedure for infected wounds, ulcerations and impetigo. Garlic honey can also be applied directly to infected wounds, which will help clean up the area of infection.
Dr. Peter Molan, professor of biochemistry at Waikato University, New Zealand, has been at the forefront of honey research for 20 years. He heads the university's Honey Research Unit, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in the antimicrobial properties of honey. Clinical observations and experimental studies have established that honey has effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Astonishingly, it painlessly removes pus, scabs and dead tissue from wounds and stimulates new tissue growth. "Randomized trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulfadiazine, the antibacterial ointment most widely used on burns in hospitals," explains Dr. Molan.
Dr. Molan believes that if honey were used from the start in cases of septicemia, there would be far less tissue damage resulting. "The remarkable ability of honey to reduce inflammation and mop up free radicals should halt the progress of the skin damage like it does in burns, as well as protecting from infection setting in", says Dr. Molan. "At present, people are turning to honey when nothing else works. But there are very good grounds for using honey as a therapeutic agent of first choice."
Researchers believe that the therapeutic potential of honey is grossly underutilized. With increasing interest in the use of alternative therapies and as the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads, honey may finally receive its due recognition as a wound healer.
Indeed, it works: Raw honey makes a sterile, painless and effective wound dressing. Apply it directly to open cuts, abrasions and burns, and cover it with a piece of gauze. The results will occur quicker than with conventional alternatives, such as salves and creams.
Honey is also exceptionally effective for respiratory ailments. One Bulgarian study of almost 18,000 patients found that it improved chronic bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, chronic and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. It's an effective treatment for colds, flu, respiratory infections and a generally depressed immune system. Whereas sugar shuts down the immune system, a good quality honey will stimulate it into action.
Here are some more ways to utilize the healing power of honey:
BURNS - Apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and an antibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.
BED WETTING - A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.
INSOMNIA - A dessertspoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.
HYPERACTIVITY - Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the "spike."
NASAL CONGESTION - Place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!
FATIGUE - Dissolve a dessertspoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it's quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.
FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.
POOR DIGESTION - Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.
HAIR CONDITIONER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of olive oil, cover head with a warm tower for half an hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!
SORE THROATS - Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.
FOR STRESS - Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs and raising lows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.
ANEMIA - Honey is the best blood enricher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.
FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they'll stay fresher longer due to honey's natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.
BABY'S BOTTLE - Four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby's motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don't give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it's just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby's gums is also a mild sedative and anesthetic.
OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis – probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.
LONGEVITY - The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.
MIGRAINE - Use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.
CONJUNCTIVITIS - Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.
COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerin and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.
Raw honey may become granulated, as some does after a week and another maybe only after several years. If the granulations bother you, simply place the honey into a pan of hot water (not boiling) and let it stand until becoming liquid again.
Kelly Joyce Neff has an interdisciplinary degree in Celtic Studies which includes work in cultural anthropology, history, linguistics, language, and literature. She is a traditional midwife and herbalist, a reiki master, and an active craftsperson. She lives in San Francisco.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Multiple benefits of Vitamin D! (Natural News)
Vitamin D and Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a devastating systemic disorder that is characterized by proteinuria (protein in urine), high blood pressure, and edema. This disorder can cause grave health problems for the mother and fetus: pre-eclampsia can cause premature delivery and is the leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death around the globe (causing some 76,000 deaths per year). Pre-eclampsia is, no doubt, a problem that greatly affects mothers and infants. The cause still remains unknown; however, a study carried out by the University of Pittsburgh found that vitamin D deficiency early in gestation is associated with a five-fold increase risk of developing pre-eclampsia.
Vitamin D and Diabetes
Most people in Western societies are familiar with diabetes, particularly that of type II diabetes. Type II diabetes is highly publicized since most diabetes sufferers are afflicted with this particular form of the affliction. However, the smaller subset, those suffering with type I diabetes, have a small advantage over their counter parts. Recent research has demonstrated that those who receive high amounts of vitamin D during childhood have a lower risk of developing type I diabetes later on in life, the greater the amount of vitamin D, the greater the benefit.
Type I diabetes is different than type II in the fact that, it does not arise out of insulin resistance; rather, it comes about because the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed by one's own immune system, starting early in childhood. Though more commonly found amongst Europeans and North Americans, it can affect people from all walks of life.
Vitamin D and Cancer
Vitamin D has also been linked to better outcomes in cancer. In breast, colon and prostate cancer, the sun-shine vitamin has been shown to suppress cancer growth and the formation of blood vessels that feed cancer cells. Furthermore, in a breast cancer study, 24 percent in the breast cancer study had adequate levels of the vitamin at the time of diagnosis. Those who were deficient were more likely to have the cancer metastasize or recur ten years later. Moreover, 73 percent of the deficient were more likely to die.
A study in the International Journal of Cancer found that vitamin D protects cells from oxidative stress. This study used the most biologically active form of the vitamin, vitamin D3 along with nonmalignant human prostate epithelial cells. Metabolism of cells produces free radicals that can damage DNA and contribute to cancer formation and accelerated aging. Vitamin D links with a gene that increases its activity and produces an enzyme that combats free radical damage by clearing the cell of those DNA-damaging substances. This relieves cell stress and retains healthy cells.
Vitamin D and Brain Function
Because of the many vitamin D receptors in the brain, it has been discovered that vitamin D plays a very important role in maintaining and achieving a healthy mind. Though more research in this particular area of vitamin D functions is needed, it is worth mentioning since vitamin D has been indicated in children with brain dysfunction (its exact mechanisms are still unclear at present).
Though behavioral and cognitive difficulties and their association to low vitamin D levels is still a little sketchy, what is known is how low vitamin D levels affect depression in the elderly. Accompanied by an overactive parathyroid, low vitamin D levels have been implicated to increase depression in older adults, and in other mental disorders. This information is particularly important because, instead of treating patients with dangerous psychotropic medications that have hazardous side effects, depression could in the future be treated with a higher intake of vitamin D or more calcium and exposure to sunlight.
Supplementation
Now that many of the health benefits of vitamin D have been shown, it is time to describe where to find this vitamin and who needs it the most. The largest source of this vitamin is the sun. Contrary to popular belief, spending time in the sun daily is not deadly. Though there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, never spending any time in the sun is certainly not the better alternative. Lighter individuals need less time than darker individuals, about 15 minutes in the sun daily. For darker individuals, more time is need than 15 minutes (approximately 30 minutes).
Another source is through diet. Raw milk naturally contains vitamin D, but the largest dietary source
would have to be cod liver oil.
As for who needs vitamin D the most, everybody needs it! However, it has been recently shown that young children and infants tend to be deficient, even though they appear healthy otherwise. Currently, the new info on vitamin D and all its varying abilities has prompted many to deem the recommended daily allowance (RDA) to be far too low -- the highest amount suggested being 600 IU. The Vitamin D Council recommends at least 1,000 IU (or 25 ug/day).
To sum up all this info on supplementing this vitamin: if people get plenty of sunshine, raw milk, and cod liver oil, many would surely reap the benefits of this vitamin.
Overall, vitamin D has been for years underestimated in its abilities and its health benefits. The future only holds more data on how important this vitamin is; therefore, supplementation needs to be more emphasized.
Sources:
1. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
2. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
3. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
4. ((http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Vita...)
5. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
6. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
7. (http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/982088787.html)
8. (http://vitamindcouncil.org/treatment.shtml)
9. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)
About the author
Ella Andersen is a college student who intensely researchs topics on health and nutrition. In college, she is furthering her love of nutrition by pursuing a degree in clinical dietetics.She also runs her own blog: http://www.snhbw.blogspot.com
Friday, July 18, 2008
Omega 3 diet can help gain LESS weight
Researchers took mice that had been bred with a predisposition to obesity and fed them a high-fat diet (containing 30 percent of its calories from fat) for five months. Half of the animals had this diet supplemented with 8 percent fish oil.
The mice whose diet had been supplemented with fish oil showed greater activity of several genes related to the metabolism of fats, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a, cytochrome P450 4A10, and malic enzyme.
The supplemented mice also showed greater activity of enzymes related to metabolism. Activity of enzymes related to fatty acid beta-oxidation was 1.2 times higher in the supplemented mice, while the activity of enzymes related to omega-oxidation and malic was 1.6 and 1.7 times higher, respectively.
The results follow a study conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia at Adelaide in May, which found that overweight adults between the ages of 25 and 65 who exercised and received a fish oil supplement each day reduced their fat mass by approximately 1.5 kilograms. In addition, blood triacylglycerol levels decreased by 14 percent, and blood levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol increased by 10 percent.
In the Australian study, participants were given 260 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 60 mg or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) each day.
A third study, conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia in 2006, found that DHA appeared to decrease fat accumulation and positively influence the programmed death of fat cells.
A number of studies have previously linked omega-3 fatty acids to improved cognitive function and decreased risk of cancer and heart disease.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Seafood to avoid and to prefer! (Natural News)
* Sake (Salmon) - Salmo salar (Salmonidae)
While salmon is the most popular item at sushi restaurants, it is most likely farm raised salmon. Farm raised fish such as salmon and tilapia should be avoided as the fish are raised in crowded, often contaminated waters and fed an unnatural diet. Farm raised salmon is not pink but rather a grayish brown, so they are fed artificial colors to dye their own flesh. I'm sure they would just spray paint them if they could. The finer restaurants will serve wild salmon, however in 2008 the pacific northwest of the U.S. experienced a major shortage in salmon so there is a fishing ban and effectively a moratorium on consuming wild salmon. These are also threatened with the possibility that genetically modified salmon (brought to us by caring people who only want to feed African children) will escape. It has been estimated that just a few GM fish escaping would devastate the whole wild population. It's sad what has happened to the wild salmon which is one of the healthiest fish, loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids.
* Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna) - Thunnus maccoyii (Scombridae)
While healthy tuna is one of the best sources of quality protein and Omega-3, it is hard to come by. Tuna is one of the largest fish and thus is at the top of the food chain where it accumulates higher concentrations of mercury, a dangerous heavy metal. A study in Chicago in 2006 found that 1 in 7 tuna samples had dangerously high levels. Bluefin tuna, the most popular and expensive at sushi restaurants is an endangered species. Choose Abalone instead.
* Saba (Japanese Spanish Mackerel) - Scomberomorus niphonius (Scombridae)
Due to high mercury content, mackerel should be avoided. Mackerel spoils easily and is the only salt-cured form of sushi. Mackerel contains more oil which gives it a fishier smell and taste, and for this reason it is often used as bait for other fish . Oily fish will trap more PCBs and toxins in the flesh. This is unfortunate as mackerel in its normal form was high in Omega-3 and offered extremely beneficial oils. Unless you get fish with measurable low mercury content, avoid this one.
* Tai (Red Snapper) - Lutjanus campechanus (Lutjanidae)
Snapper contains lots of B Vitamins along with Selenium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Protein, Red Snapper is normally not farm raised and contains low levels of mercury, and it is high in Omega-3. However this otherwise healthy seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is being massively over-fished.
_______________________________________________________________
Seafood To Prefer
* Hamachi (Yellowtail) - Seriola lalandi (Carangidae)
Yellowtail covers a wide range of fish, but the key is to make certain it is not farm raised. Wild yellowtail is a good choice for a fish that is sustainably harvested and that contains low mercury. A premium species is from Hawaii and called Seriola rivoliana. This is one of the healthiest fish and is among the highest in Omega-3 content. It is free from PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and has no detectable mercury.
* Kani (Soft-shell Crab) - Callinectes sapidus (Portunidae)
Crab meat contains Protein, Selenium, Magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Folate. Soft-shell crabs are a great food to buy live, and since you should not purchase (or eat) dead crabs, I do not recommend eating them at any restaurant that does not purchase them alive. Crabs are normally low in mercury and high in nutrition. Though high in cholesterol, crab meat is also high in Omega-3, and low in fat.
* Ebi (Raw Sweet Shrimp) - Penaeus vannamei (Crangonidae)
Shrimp contains high levels of Protein, Omega-3, EPA and DHA. Smaller fish, like shrimp, tend to be low in mercury. If you've never tried raw shrimp you'll find it to be a completely unique experience from cooked shrimp. This expensive sushi item is often served alongside the fried shrimp carcass in tempura batter.
* Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe ) - Cheilopogon agoo (Exocoetidae)
Roe (fish eggs) contain Vitamin C and E. Roe is known to treat depression and bipolar disorder due to high levels of EPA, Omega-3 and DHA (brain foods). Flying fish and other types of roe are popular in Japanese cuisine and are extremely nutritious when uncontaminated. Fish eggs (Caviar) are whole organisms, offering complete nutrition.
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About the author
Neil McLaughlin is a computer scientist and inventor specializing in 3d graphics and simulation. He can be reached at naturalnews461 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Eat those mushrooms! (not smoke them..)
Here are some of the very best:
Agaricus Blazei Murrill Mushroom
A few decades ago, researchers noticed that in the mountain region of Ideate near Sao Paulo, Brazil, a regular part of the local inhabitants' diet was a mushroom known as "Cogmelo de Deus" or "Mushroom of God". The researchers also noted that the local inhabitants were extraordinarily healthy and had a very low incidence of disease, which they attributed to this magical mushroom.
The scientific name of the mushroom is Agaricus Blazei Murrill, more commonly called the ABM mushroom and sometimes referred to as Agaricus Brasiliennis. So potent is this mushroom that one well-known rain forest herbal manufacturer, uses it as the main ingredient in herbal supplements that have been credited with success against cancer and other diseases around the world. A link to the manufacturer is provided on the last page of this book.
In a study conducted by Dr. Shoji Shibata, a professor at Tokyo University, several other well known cancer-fighting and immune-boosting mushrooms were compared to the ABM, including Reishi and Shiitake. Dr. Shibata's results found that the other mushrooms were not as effective as the ABM mushroom, and so the ABM was ranked at the top of the list of potent mushrooms -- a spot befitting the "Mushroom of God"! Other Japanese and British studies have also shown the ABM mushroom to have the highest concentration of beta-glucan of any mushroom.
The ABM mushroom contains Beta-(1-3)-D-glucan, Beta-(1-4)-a-D-glucan & Beta-(1-6)-D-glucan. Known collectively as Beta-glucans, these long-chain polysaccharides are the most potent immuno-potentiating (immune enhancing) substances yet found. They also have very powerful anti-tumor properties. When human subjects are given AMB in their diet, a 3000% increase of NK cells, a type of anti-tumor white blood cell known as Natural Killer cells, is seen in the blood within 2-4 days.
In addition to beta glucans, agaricus also contains derivatives of ergosterol, a potent anti-tumor agent; double stranded RNA, an anti-viral agent; proteoglycans and protein bound polysaccharides of low molecular weight, which are immune enhancers; and, protein bound polysaccharides of high molecular weight, vitamins B1 and B2, proteins in the form of amino acids, niacin, iron, and calcium. There are many verified reports from around the world of this mushroom being used successfully in late stage cancers that had been determined hopeless and some clinics in Europe base their entire treatment protocols on agaricus blazei murrill mushroom extracts and other complimentary botanicals. In fact, in many published studies, the rate of cure for all types of cancer has been in the high ninety percentile range, even for stage 4 lung cancer, where many complete remissions are often seen in just a few weeks.
Coriolus Versicolor - the Asian "Turkey Tail" mushroom
Contains polysaccharides [PSK] and polysaccharopeptides [PSP]) -- effective for acute leukemia and stomach, esophagus, colorectal, lung cancer; PS is effective with many types of cancer (at least early and mid-stage cancer), including lung cancer and particularly stomach & colon cancer; NCI reportedly stated that PSK has been "contemplated for use against... mammary cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, such as those of the esophagus, stomach... colon; lung... brain tumors" and that PSP "has... anti-tumor activities, inhibiting Ehrlich ascites tumors, leukemia, and sarcoma... gastric tumor, lymph, and monocytic leukemia"; good to take during chemo & radiation -- including acute leukemia patients.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms lower cholesterol and improve immune system function, good for preventing high blood pressure and heart disease, for controlling cholesterol level, building resistance against viruses, and fighting diseases such as AIDS/HIV and cancers. Often available fresh, Shiitake mushrooms are very flavorful when used in cooking! If you cannot find them fresh, they are available as a supplement also.
Maitake Mushrooms
Are high in nutrients including Vitamins B-2, C, D, niacin, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and amino acids, contains the polysaccharide compound beta-1.6-glucan which naturally stimulates the immune system and lowers blood pressure. Beneficial for obesity and diabetic patients, the Maitake mushroom may be best known for its cancer fighting ability. Tests in mice prove that it blocks tumor formation and boosts the immune system. Available fresh or as supplement.
Reishi Mushrooms
The Reishi mushroom can increase the production of interleukin 1 and 2, resulting in inhibition of tumor growth. Studies show that Reishi can have a number of other positive effects on the body such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral (through its interferon production), lowers blood pressure. It also acts as a cardiotonic by lowering serum and increasing the production of interleukin 1 and 2, which results in inhibition of tumor cholesterol, expectorant, anti-tissue, liver protecting and detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, antibacterial, and anti-HIV activity. Available fresh or as supplement.
Cordyceps Oglossoides Mushroom
Cordyceps, like many other medicinal mushrooms, contains complex sugars (especially beta 1,3 glucan) and other nutrients (nucleosides, triterpenoids) which seem to strongly nourish and activate various components of the immune system, useful in treating cancer, chronic fatigue and other immune disorders. It also seems to have value in treating nephritis, may help the immune system recognize tumors that otherwise might escape immune surveillance, and has positive effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and an anti-aging effect.
Phellinus Linteus Mushroom
Made up primarily of polysacharrides, the Phellinus Linteus mushroom suppresses cancer growth, angiogenesis and invasive behavior of breast and other cancer cells through the inhibition of AKT signalling. It also stimulates the immune system and induces apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.
The world of natural health has an abundance of botanicals, vitamins, minerals and supplements to help fight illness and boost the immune system. As you can see, the so-called "medicinal mushrooms" are important parts of that world.
Live long, live healthy, live happy!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sugary drinks linked to Alzheimer's (using aluminium pans too!)
Researchers took mice that were genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms as adults, and added a 10 percent sugar water solution to the diet of half of them. After 25 weeks, the mice fed the sugar water had gained 17 percent more weight than the other mice. Unlike the other mice, they had also developed insulin resistance and had higher cholesterol.
The researchers then gave all the mice tests of mental function and examined the composition of their brains. The mice that had been given sugar water scored lower on tests of learning and memory retention. In addition, they were found to have more than twice the amyloid plaque deposits of the mice on the normal diet.
Beta-amyloids are sticky proteins that form plaque deposits in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers said they could not be sure if the signs of Alzheimer's were due to the sugar water per se, or simply to the obesity and diabetes, which are known to be risk factors for the disease. But the results "highlight the potential risk of sugary beverages," they said.
The amount of sugar water given to the mice would translate to approximately five cans of soda per day in a human. "Although since mice have a higher metabolism, it may actually take less sugar intake in humans," the researchers noted.
A study published in 2006 also supports a connection between obesity and Alzheimer's, finding that the more overweight a person was, the higher their blood levels of beta-amyloids.
More than 14 million people worldwide are believed to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, with a total of 24 million suffering from some form of dementia.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Black doctors being discriminated against
That's right: Whether you could become a practicing member of the AMA depended largely on your skin color!
Even after the discriminatory rules were rewritten, many AMA chapters maintained a discriminatory stance against black physicians that effectively barred their participation in the white-dominated, "rich man's" system of conventional medicine that still stands today.
Today, the AMA issues a website statement that apologized, "for its past history of racial inequality toward African-American physicians." While this is clearly a step in the right direction, it does nothing to reestablish the careers and livelihoods of all the black physicians who were denied placement in "white man's medicine" simply because of their skin color.
You see, there's a dirty little secret about conventional medicine that even the AMA won't admit: Modern medicine remains racist right now. Look at who's in charge of the AMA, the drug companies and the FDA? Can you say, "Rich white guys?"
Look at who gets the high-end health care services (white women and men) and who gets stuck with the low-budget, overcrowded hospitals, emergency rooms and medical clinics? (Black women and men.) As Dr. Nedra Joyner, president of the National Medical Association (NMA) said yesterday, "These persistent, race-based health disparities have led to a precipitous decline in the health of African-Americans when compared to their white counterparts and the population as a whole."
So why isn't anybody taking any serious action towards ending racial disparities in medicine right? The AMA may be able to apologize for its one-hundred-year participation in blatant discrimination against black physicians, but it has barely taken the first step towards ending racial disparities in medicine today.
The AMA has a whole lot more to apologize for
But there's a lot more than just racism going on in the history of conventional medicine. I ask: When will the AMA apologize to all the other people it has harmed throughout American history?• When will the AMA apologize for ongoing discrimination against black patients? Black men and women are suffering from extremely aggressive forms of prostate and breast cancers right now, and the AMA has still failed to educate black patients about the crucial role of sunlight and vitamin D in preventing such cancers. See http://www.naturalnews.com/rr-sunlight.html
• When will the AMA apologize for decades of attempts to destroy the competing practice of chiropractic medicine? What about the AMA's hundred-plus years of attacks on virtually every form of medicine it did not control or profit from?
• When will the AMA apologize to all the families of the victims of Big Tobacco companies for promoting cigarettes in its Journal of the American Medical Association, even long after evidence clearly linked cigarette smoking with cancer and heart disease? Read What the American Medical Association hopes you never learn about its true history at http://www.naturalnews.com/008845.html
• When will the AMA apologize to all the nutritional supplement companies whose vitamins have been discredited in JAMA using fraudulent science clearly designed to distort study results and discredit nutrients that compete with pharmaceuticals?
• When will the AMA apologize to Dr. Burzynski for its ravaging attacks on his antineoplastons cancer therapy which astonished conventional cancer researchers by reversing cancer in numerous patients? See http://www.burzynskiclinic.com
• When will the AMA apologize to Harry Hoxsey for attacking his character and attempting to outlaw his anti-cancer salves? Today, we know the ingredients in Hoxsey's salves are genuine anti-cancer medicines made by Mother Nature.
• When will the AMA apologize to all the people who have been killed by the dangerous pharmaceuticals that are regularly promoted in its journal? (JAMA looks more like a catalog of drug ads than a genuine science journal...)
• When will the AMA apologize to the homeopathic community for its vehement attacks against a system of medicine that conventional doctors make no attempt to even understand? Read How the American Medical Association Got Rich by Dana Ullman at http://www.naturalnews.com/023195.html
• When will the AMA apologize to the entire U.S. population for its utter failure to embrace the safer and far more effective natural therapies that make many pharmaceuticals truly obsolete? By refusing to recommend such natural therapies, the AMA has played a significant role in limiting the choice of health care consumers, forcing them to rely on highly profitable - yet highly dangerous - prescription drugs that just happen to enrich the corporations that provide most of the financial support for the AMA!
• When will the AMA apologize to all the tens of millions of Americans who have been killed by the very kind of drugs-and-surgery medicine pushed by the AMA, even when safer and far less expensive alternatives are readily available? The AMA has blood on its hands, and this goes way beyond racial discrimination. I believe the AMA's power-hungry policies on controlling medicine have resulted in actions that are best described as crimes against humanity.
And finally, in the most outrageous but true conclusion to all this, when will the AMA and conventional medicine ever learn that their drug-based medicine doesn't work, and that cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression, Alzheimer's and other degenerative conditions can be cured with raw foods, medicinal herbs, sunlight, and exercise without using a single pharmaceutical or scalpel?
AMA's president has pancreatic cancer
Here's the real highlight of all this: AMA president Dr. Ron Davis found out just two weeks ago that he has stage-4 pancreatic cancer. This is the PRESIDENT of the AMA, folks! Stage-4 pancreatic cancer? At only 52 years of age? I think that just tells you everything you need to know about the utter lack of credibility at the AMA in matters of health.Astonishingly, Dr. Davis is undergoing the very same toxic chemotherapy his association continues to recommend to patients, meaning he has about a 5% chance of survival. In public statements, he apparently considers that a good chance. I consider it to be complete idiocy, and as much as I would never wish for death or suffering of any human being, when this AMA president dies from chemotherapy, it will only be a karmic reflection of the very same suffering and death the AMA has unleashed upon countless millions.
In no way do I wish for Dr. Davis' death, but if he does not survive chemotherapy, I pray that the entire system of conventional medicine goes with him and we end the era of AMA influence on our world. It is a complete waste for a man of Dr. Davis' intellectual capacity to die at the age of 52, especially when there are known cures for his condition that do not require administering toxic poisons that more often kill the patient than the cancer.
If Dr. Davis does die, it will only be from a lack of education, not from a lack of available options. Of course, it is his own organization -- the AMA -- that has long sought to outlaw such options, and thus Dr. Davis no doubt will find it intellectually impossible to step outside the boundaries the AMA has so vigorously defined and seek natural therapies that could save his life.
Regardless of the outcome of Dr. Davis in particular, I believe it's time to look past useless chemicals, monopolistic market practices, toxic chemotherapy and Big Pharma corruption as we attempt to create a health care system that actually offers health, not disease management. If we hope to have any real solutions for national health care in our immediate future, we need to bury the AMA, prosecute the top officials at the FDA, and unleash a new era of nutrition, natural remedies and public education about how to prevent and reverse diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many others.
Because all these cures exist! I've revealed many of them right here on NaturalNews.com. The AMA, however, still insists there are no such cures. And thus even their own leaders die needlessly, suffering under a system of knowledge oppression and monopolistic market practices that is, in my view, directly responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people in the United States alone.
What's really clear in watching all this is that the AMA has no answers for health, no honesty for the public and it can't even keep its own leaders free from cancer. If it wasn't so damn tragic, it would be hilarious. But there's nothing funny about the scourge of bankruptcy, suffering and death that has followed in the wake of the AMA for well over a hundred years. I wish AMA president Dr. Ron Davis would seek out natural therapies and cure his pancreatic cancer, but apparently he's too "educated" for that. (I've watched many doctors die from their own ignorance and stubbornness. Dr. Davis will certainly not be the first...)
Remember, the AMA is the organization that future historians will one day see as leading the delusional era of toxic chemical medicine where doctors were nutritionally illiterate, drug companies practiced fraudulent science, and half the population was drugged up on medications that only destroyed their health. That the AMA has now seen fit to apologize to blacks for decades of discrimination barely scratches the surface of all the apologies this organization owes the world for its selfishness, greed, corruption and incessant disease mongering.
In the last hundred years, the AMA has proven itself to be a great disservice to humanity. We will all be better off when the organization is shut down and disbanded.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Chocolate and acne
It turns out that the notion 'diet has nothing to do with acne' is just about as scientific as the notion 'the world is flat'. In other words, it's pure dogma with no credible scientific backing.
Let's take a look at how and why this started.
The two flawed studies that started it all
In the fifties and sixties, dermatologists advised their patients about diet and its role in acne. Two studies conducted in the late sixties and early seventies changed that.
Later those two studies came under heavy fire. They were so flawed that they would earn a high school science student an F.
For example, one study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine looked into the link between chocolate and acne. First, the study was funded by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association. Second, the study compared two candy bars; both equally high in sugar, calories and trans fats, but the other had some chocolate in it. This is comparing sugar to sugar. The sugar and trans fats have much more of an effect on acne than the small quantity of chocolate in the other bar. No wonder the study concluded chocolate does not cause acne.
The other one was an equally flawed study about sugar and acne. The sample size was small, and it didn't consider the glycemic effect of processed carbohydrates. Again this study proved nothing.
Despite the flaws and scientific invalidity, the results of these two studies stuck. Since then medical students have been taught there's no scientific link between diet and acne.
In Western society, we hold doctors in high-esteem. We trust them to know and give us advice that is based on scientific evidence. After all, Western medicine goes all hoopla about science and how it's evidence based.
Doctors and patients are equally ignorant about nutrition
But when it comes to diet and nutrition this is almost never the case. Here's a quote from a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Patients may rely on physicians to provide them with nutrition information. And physicians should be more knowledgeable about nutrition than their patients, but these results suggest that this is not necessarily true."
K Lazarus, RL Weinsier, and JR Boker
Nutrition knowledge and practices of physicians in a family-practice residency program: the effect of an education program provided by a physician nutrition specialist
The study found you are not much better off getting nutritional guidance from a doctor than you are from the average McDonald's patron.
Until 2002 those two were the only published studies on diet and acne.
The acne diet dogma - just one among many
As you can see, the notion diet has nothing to do with acne is not based on science. It's a dogma.
Unfortunately the medical community is almost as dogmatic as the Catholic Church was in the middle ages.
"Dover tells the story of an early 1970s paper stating ultraviolet light doesn't improve acne, a belief that held for decades." "It turns out that the paper was wrong," he says. "This is an example of dogma getting in the way of progress in science and medicine. It happens all the time. Someone really important proves something and says this is the way it is, and everybody else stops thinking. It takes about 30 years, usually a generation, until someone says, 'Wait, this can't be true.'"
A Clear Connection? Most dermatologists tell their patients diet plays no role in acne. New research suggests that's wrong.
New studies link diet and acne
Luckily for acne victims the tide is turning. In recent years, a few well controlled studies have pointed towards a link between diet and acne.
One study found a correlation between dairy and acne. Another one looked into and found that foods high on the glycemic index increase acne. Finally one population-based study found acne is mainly a disease of the Western civilization. The study concluded the most likely explanation is a Western diet high in sugar, fat and processed foods.
Still, don't expect your dermatologist to start giving you dietary advice anytime soon. The official party line remains -- there is no link between diet and acne.
Dermatologists play it safe when they say food doesn't cause acne
"Dr. Jack Krushell, chief of dermatology at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, says the food hypothesis is intriguing but "I still kind of follow the party line, which is that food doesn't seem to be a cause of acne.""
A Clear Connection? Most dermatologists tell their patients diet plays no role in acne. New research suggests that's wrong.
For most dermatologists, who are swamped with patients and can't keep up with the latest journals, following the party line is a safe and easy solution. For better or worse the medical community is conservative and slow to change. Going against the grain can kill your career.
Health is a holistic system
To make things worse the medical community likes simple and linear solutions. Such as, bacteria cause acne; kill the bacteria and you can cure acne.
Unfortunately things work differently in nature.
Health, and by extension clear skin, is a holistic system. Meaning one part (such as diet or sleep) affects and is affected by every other part. In such a system, you cannot pull out one part and say "this is it. This is the cause".
In a weird way dermatologists are right in some regards. Diet is a big part of the equation that leads to acne (or clear skin), but it's not the only part. And to say diet causes acne is wrong.
Your skin is a part of your body. Anything that affects the health of your body also affects the health of your skin. Therefore to find the cause (or cure) for acne, you have to take a holistic perspective and look at your entire lifestyle.
So the next time a dermatologist tells you that you can eat whatever you want, or that acne cannot be cured, don't take it to the bank. Those two notions are not based on science. They are dogmas that the dermatologists have been taught at medical school.
Get a second opinion. Preferably from someone outside the traditional medical community.
Curing acne is simple
Acne can be cured with diet and lifestyle changes. Millions of people have done it. You can do it too.
There's nothing strange or mysterious about curing acne. It is as simple and straightforward as losing weight.
One of the first things you probably 'learned' about acne is that it cannot be cured. You bought into that belief and it has kept you from finding solutions that can really help.
Get rid of that belief and open your eyes. You'll see the road to clear skin is both simple and painfully obvious.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
re: D.C. Jarvis
One rationale for the vinegar and honey regimen is that a person's blood stream tends toward becoming alkaline through a modern diet of fats, starches and de-vitalized processed foods (here we go again, right?). Dr. Jarvis found that the acidity of cider vinegar, although weak, is enough to correct this excess alkalinity, and that a slightly acidic bloodstream prevents and fights infection. Since vinegar solution in a tea-kettle dissolves mineral build-up, Dr. Jarvis also suspected that calcium deposits in the joints might also be dissolved by a slightly acidic bloodstream. He experimentally proved both of these theories with patients of his, after first studying cows.
"Milk fever" in cows is usually treated with calcium injections by the veterinarian. A critically ill cow generally then makes an immediate recovery and is often on her feet again in minutes. Dr. Jarvis reasoned that vinegar must be dissolving calcium into the bloodstream, for when he gave cows with milk fever some vinegar, they too recovered immediately. This lent support to his premise that calcium deposits could be dissolved from the joints of the body in arthritic persons.
By observing cows out at pasture, Dr. Jarvis saw that they preferred eating the most acidic of the plants and grasses. He also noted that the modern diet of a high-producing dairy cow under intensive milking lacks these acidic greens and is high in alkaline-producing grains. At the same time, these heavy milkers are prone to mastitis, an infection of the udder. Dr. Jarvis felt that their alkaline diet facilitated infection, so he gave cows a few ounces of cider vinegar daily in their feed. The cows so treated failed to develop mastitis. This lends support to the belief that vinegar is anti-infective.
Honey added to the vinegar naturally makes the mixture more drinkable for people. Honey also contains subtle amounts of energies and minerals just beginning to be noticed, let alone fully understood. Curative powers of honey were known about in ancient civilizations, and naturopathic doctors recommend it still. It is what is not known about honey that is probably of greatest medicinal value.
As a sweetener, honey is more than just the sum of its sugars. Traditional nutritional authorities say that sugar is sugar, and that the source or state of it doesn't matter nutritionally. You may choose to believe that or not. I think that there is quite a significant difference in life-supporting qualities between processed white sugar and dark, raw honey. The darker, cloudier, and less filtered the honey, the better. Light, crystal-clear, pasteurized honey is lacking the trace factors that nature had the bees put into the comb.
Honey is by nature pure; why on earth anyone would pasteurize it is beyond me. Heat does in fact destroy valuable enzymes in the raw honey. In addition, bacteria can grow on the surface moisture left under the cap of processed honey as a result of heating and condensation. Raw honey actually contains natural antibiotics. So eat the honey the way the bees made it; the very best way is comb and all. (It's delicious and makes a great sandwich spread. Honey in the comb doesn't leak through your bread as much.)
Honey has a self-limiting effect on the appetite. A person who could eat a one-pound chocolate bar with ease might have great difficulty eating a quarter-cup of honey all at once. Try it on your kids next time they are pestering for candy: give them a teaspoon or two of honey. Dates and raisins work the same way. Who do you know that can eat a couple of handfuls of dates right down? Nature has put more into many foods than we fully realize.
Copyright 2004 and prior years Andrew W. Saul.
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