Eric Topol has written an article titled Our Preoccupation With Protein Intake. In this article he talks about why increased protein intake became popular, what the research has to say, and safety concerns associated with the high protein diet. It’s an interesting and thoughtful short read.
Dr. Bruce Bugbee makes some interesting points about organic gardening (not against the principals of it but in the difficulty of application and finding the right balance). This is not a call to abandon organic agriculture but rather, we must always be sensitive to what we’re doing and if there are better ways to do it.
Two studies that came out this year have linked air pollution to dementia. We have listed these studies in the link to the forum below. Given the increase in forest fires and general prevalence of air pollution, this is a concerning finding. Air pollution effects us in a plethora of negative ways, and estimates, which may turn out to be underestimates, suggest it kills 7 million people per year. According to the WHO, 99% of the earth’s population breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits. This issue does not seem to be getting the attention it deserves.
Cannabis has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. But the cannabis of today is different from the cannabis of thousands of years ago. Selective breeding over centuries, and especially in the last 50 years, resulted in growers prioritizing psychoactive strength.
Like any medicine, the right type and quantity needs to be selected, it must be used with the correct frequency, and some people should not use it all on account of contraindications.
More concerning health effects are coming up that appear to be linked to this high potency and frequent recreational use. This doesn’t detract from any medical benefits the plant has, but it does make it clear that misuse comes with consequences.
E.g., see the recent papers listed at Science Daily. The ones making the news more recently were about the increased chance of a heart attack.
Wendell Berry sums up our current health predicament perfectly…
“People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.”
— Sam Knowlton (@samdknowlton) September 2, 2022
Today we share a recipe from the herbalist Todd Caldecott that makes a delicious, earthy syrup that helps build the blood. Visit the blog post on the Food as Medicine website that contains this recipe. I’ve made this several times and have never been disappointed. I would eat it even just for the taste.
Althaea Herbals offers a free, 90-minute course titled Medicinal Mushrooms for Cancer Care.
And in this podcast episode you can hear Travis Cartwright of Althaea Herbals speak about related subjects: