Dear Science: Isn’t being lactose tolerant after a certain age great supporting evidence of recent evolution in human beings?
To start, I became lactose intolerant many years ago and it was a very difficult transition as I live in a society where dairy products are primarily all the popular foods that I like to eat. Like ice cream. Imagine being at a birthday party faced with delicious looking ice cream cake while young with no magical lactase pills.
As I got older, I found out that a great deal of the world population is lactose intolerant after a certain age. I learned that most cultures that have very low dairy consumption are predominately lactose intolerant while those that, even recently, consume more dairy products become lactose tolerant.
The science of this is that there is a mutation on chromosome 2 gene which eliminates the shutdown in lactase production after the suckling years. While I found this out years ago to help me accept my inferior ability to handle that spicy milk, I always wondered about actual statistics regarding people by region. I found this on Wikipedia to be of interest.
An anecdote here involves my Native American friend mocking me for becoming lactose intolerant only for him to become lactose intolerant after several months of joking about my condition.
After a little thought, isn't lactose tolerance a simple explanation for people regarding recent evolutionary proof in human beings? Why is it that this is never brought up in debates or arguments with those that choose to fail to grasp the idea or ignore evolution? Is this not a stopper in support for evolution during those ridiculous debates?
The Swine Flu Unleashed
Another year, another global mutant flu scare. Except this one carries avian, pig, and human viruses. How the hell does that occur naturally? I suspect an advanced biological terror weapon. Or worse, the pharmaceutical companies releasing a new thought-to-be controllable virus into the wild to help push sales.
More cases of swine flu reported; WHO warns of 'health emergency'
"A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern."
Maybe it's to urge people to receive the flu shot as soon as possible. To scare them into buying into the hyped up pandemic. Sure, the flu shot will help, just like growth hormone therapy has been proven to help a child develop fully after puberty while spending thousands of dollars over many years. Note to readers: It doesn't.
US declares public health emergency for swine flu
"As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas."
The Swine Flu outbreak does not seem natural. Perhaps it was either released on purpose by a certain terrorist group for biological warfare or accidentally released from a laboratory after many years of attempting to create a new type of deadly strain of flu. Maybe, as stated before, it was released by government agencies to increase the sales of flu shots annually.
We may never know the truth, but everyone should at least be prepared if there is an outbreak near home. Just remember: those cheap 3M breathing masks do very little in regards to protection. Chances are no one will breathe it in, but from the contact of the hands on surfaces. It is then transferred to the host as they scratch their eye, put their finger in their ear, or for many different reasons, put a finger in their mouth.
There are many ways people receive the virus, but it's nothing to really worry about right now. This virus alone will not wipe out humanity. It's best to just try to stay as clean if possible, but don't overdo the hand washing and sanitizing, and be aware of birds, pigs, and other human beings that might look infected. Pray at the sight of bird holding a tissue riding on top of a sneezing pig.
Boosting the immune system is the best defense when possible. Working out, changing up the diet, and consuming vitamins are good lifestyle changes if anyone is truly worried. Speaking of the immune system and vitamins, why do people still buy Airborne? It's absolutely worthless. Many people do not know about the class action settlement, but here's a wonderful link to the enormous settlement.
"The makers of Airborne—a multivitamin and herbal supplement whose labels and ads falsely claimed that the product cures and prevents colds—will refund money to consumers who bought the product, as part of a $23.3 million class action settlement agreement."
Though, Swine Flu has made an appearance before. Fort Dix in the year 1976.
It's good reading material and we should always know our history.
President Gerald Ford was urged by panicky public health officials to vaccinate everyone in the country. A quarter of the country was vaccinated by the time the program was put down. We lived through that outbreak as well as many others. The Spanish Flu was over 90 years ago, we've come a long way in regards to treatment, medicine, detection, and quarantine.
Though, this swine virus wasn't quite as worrisome as other outbreaks in the past. Why was there such a mad rush to have everyone in the country vaccinated? Could it be that flu shots are a falsely advertised product that do not help people, especially the elderly, 65 or older, protect themselves from influenza.
It's true, the flu shot does little for the elderly. Research released several years ago showed that even though immunization has increased by a huge percentage, the amount of annual deaths has not dropped enough to give credibility to the supposed life saving inoculation.
The CDC does tout statistics involving flu related deaths, but are they real? Out of those thousands of people, many of them had complications due to other related illnesses and pre-existing conditions such as pneumonia, heart problems, pregnancy, and alcoholism, cancer, and dozens of other factors combined to decrease the chances of surviving.
It is a very small percentage of people that actually die from the flu alone annually. This does not justify a shot prone to heavy side effects to everyone in the country at the start of flu season.
When was the last time anyone remembers a relative coming down with a case of SARS or West Nile? It's mass hysteria and the media fuels it by confirming locations where the disease has been detected. I do not care that they are actually informing the public of such information, but it's not right when it's only one man in a hospital bed waiting for the results.
One day, there might be a plague that will cause the near extinction of man. It's inevitable. It may come from the doing of a lab or from a unnatural mutation after great exchanges between species that allows the virus to adapt to become a cross-species infection.
Also, here is a map using Google Maps that shows suspected and confirmed areas of the man-bird-pig virus.
Also, for a last mention, apparently the GOP fought to strip $900 million for pandemic preparation from the emergency stimulus bill. Way to go Republican party. A disease that sweeps the nation couldn't possible cripple an already crippled economy any further. Way to play politics instead of responding to what might be in the best interest of the country.
GOP Know-Nothings Fought Pandemic Preparedness
"When House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who has long championed investment in pandemic preparation, included roughly $900 million for that purpose in this year's emergency stimulus bill, he was ridiculed by conservative operatives and congressional Republicans."
Here's to another wonderful summer plagued by, well, yet another plague.
Socialized Health Care Fails
This may be old news for most, but this was reported by the media last year at some point. Simply put, the architect of the Canadian healthcare system admitted that the system has failed. This may be a big stretch for many to believe, especially for Democrats wishing to adopt a universal healthcare system. The reasons behind a government controlled medical industry that is fully supported by taxpayers might not be the best choice. After all, if forty years later the man responsible for what we consider a great health care system knowingly admits to the failure to a system he developed from coast-to-coast cannot work, especially for a country that is in a financial crisis.
I am not telling everyone that our current health care system is better or should be touted as the "winner", but that both health care systems have failed in many different ways. In Canada, reportedly, exceedingly long waits for ER treatment are becoming more and more publicized. Many Americans may gawk in awe at the Canadian system, but we do not see what really goes on when we take a trip once every ten years for an already scheduled surgery that costs a fraction of what it would be in the United States. An example is that the majority of provinces are relying on American health care to provide radiation therapy as the wait time can be as long as three months in most Canadian provinces.
Waiting can be dreadful, especially for needed MRI and CT scans. While having a glorified health care system, Canada has as many MRI machines per million population as Mexico. With a shortage of these machines and limited windows for a patient to receive a scanning resulted in scandal. As many other industries, there is always an after hours business. A man may wait three to six months for a scanning, or in some provinces, well over a year. This is because the government in Canada defines that a patients scan is non-urgent, not a physician. Though, it is extremely expensive to run these machines, so an MRI center rents after hour use of their machines to veterinarians. The outrage is simple to understand. While one may need the necessary scan for the cancer growing in their body before surgery, the patient's dog could receive a scan weeks before their human master.
Many doctors in Canada are eliminating dozens of patients a year because they can no longer handle the demand. An infinite free health care system creates an unfairness that I don't think Americans will quite understand. While a Socialized health care system murdered incentives for doctors and an unwillingness to take in more patients than they can handle, people are forced to try elsewhere. Imagine having to drive great distances, or cross into the US, for proper treatment. A simple check-up might not be as difficult to secure, but repeated screenings and regular visits to a doctor can be too sporadic over a year compared to a US citizen covered with private insurance.
Destroying supply and demand is the worst fear of an economist. If the demand is too great, such as it is and would be with free health care, then the supply will be overwhelmed. If the doctor has no reason to work after hours or take on multiple new patients a month, the demand will not lessen, but it will find other suppliers. An overworked doctor is dangerous, especially when exhausted during surgery. Misdiagnosis and mistakes will happen as a result of the forced insomnia. The stress would be astronomical that very few could relate, but if the good doctor wishes for less work and more money, where could he or she possibly go? The United States of America.
I do not mean that a private health care system is superior, but there is money in the system. A lot of money. Anyone with a family of five insuring their kids and spouse out of pocket will know when they see the bill. It's an expensive way to receive coverage, but at least the resources and medical technological are superior. While we may not have the best track record given the piles of money each citizen gives away to private institutions for health care, our access is certainly not as limited. Many will argue that the role of a private sector giving consumers flexibility in their choice is great, but on the other hand, I did just refer to potential cancer patients as consumers.
If Canada chooses to give more power to the private sector, this might work for a while as a mix of both health care systems could exist temporarily, but one of the biggest faults for American rates falls on the shoulders of corrupt courtrooms allowing money hungry con artists to sue frivolously. Malpractice suits may not be glamorized often, but everyone will become ill when they read what the majority of these filings are based upon. Ignorant patients forgetting to refill their medication claiming the doctor never told them to do so and other scapegoating are common.
This almost solely relies on the busted judicial system in our country and perhaps the best fix for our own health care system is to axe a ridiculous suit before they worm into a court room. For an added incentive to American doctors, the legal system should hold the plaintiff accountable for the time wasted, money spent, and frustration gained for everyone. In the end, the age old adage that one person can ruin a good thing for the many stands triumphantly. In this case, it is the fear of losing a license or practice that has created paranoid doctors.
Drink at Least 8 Glasses of Water a Day – Really?
"It has become accepted wisdom: "Drink at least eight glasses of water a day!" Not necessarily, says DMS physician Heinz Valtin, MD. The universal advice that has made guzzling water a national pastime is more urban myth than medical dogma and appears to lack scientific proof, he found."
Mom Gets Trachea Grown From Own Stem Cells
This is quite a breakthrough for the fight for stem cell research. Surgeons in Spain have carried out the world's first tissue-engineered whole organ transplant - using a windpipe made with the patient's own stem cells. A woman was given a trachea that was developed using her very own stem cells. This trachea is rejection proof. It developed its own blood supply a month after the operation.
To those that are against stem cell research for blind religious convictions: the next time you need a 100% chance of not failing life saving transplant, try praying in a church instead of seeing a qualified physician. We'll see if your god delivers.
Doctor May Have Cured AIDS
An American man who suffered from AIDS for more than a decade appears to have been cured of the disease 20 months after receiving a targeted bone marrow transplant normally used to fight leukemia.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WireStory?id=6239536&page=1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081112/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_aids_treatment
http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/international/story/492070.html
