More Children Are Getting Kidney Stones. Experts Think It’s Their Diet.
When Annabelle Pleskoff was 15, she woke up before school one morning with severe pain radiating from her right side.
After hours of persistent throbbing, she went to the emergency room, where doctors initially thought she had mild appendicitis and sent her home. Later, she received an unexpected diagnosis: kidney stones, typically an affliction of older adults.
Now 25, Pleskoff, a Seattle native who has endured more than 30 kidney stones, is part of a troubling trend in pediatric health. Kidney stone cases are rising among children, and some medical professionals implicate a familiar culprit: ultraprocessed foods. Other experts trace the increase to genetics, poor diet and insufficient water intake.
Junk Food and Drug Use Cut Into Life Expectancy Gains for States
After large drops during the pandemic, life expectancy in the U.S. should recover to 2019 levels this year nationally and in 26 states — but not as fast as it should compared with similar countries, according to a new study.
Bad habits such as junk food, smoking and illicit drug use are preventing longer lifespans even as technology brings major progress in diseases such as cancer and heart disease, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
By 2050, U.S. life expectancy is projected to increase from 79.1 years to 80.4 years for babies born in that year, a modest improvement that would drop the U.S. behind nearly all other high-income countries, according to the study.
Controversial Red Dye Found in Candy, Drinks and Snacks Could Soon Be Banned
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is on the cusp of deciding whether to ban a controversial bright cherry-red dye used in drinks and snacks but that has been linked to cancer in animals.
Food safety advocates for years have pressured the agency to ban the dye used in bubble gum, candy and fruit cocktails, contending it would be safer to use natural coloring derived from plants such as beets and red cabbage.
The FDA maintains the additive approved for permanent use more than 50 years ago is safe for humans to consume, but the regulatory agency’s decision nonetheless arrives at a pivotal time for the food industry.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the nation’s health department, along with social media influencers and lawmakers from both parties are increasingly scrutinizing the chemicals and ingredients found in food and drinks.
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US Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning-Labels on Alcohol
Outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Friday that alcohol consumption could lead to a risk of developing cancer, calling for an updated warning label on alcoholic drinks.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” he said in a statement.
Murthy called for the guidelines on alcohol consumption limits to be reassessed so that people can weigh the cancer risk when deciding whether or how much to drink, alongside current warnings on birth defects and impairments when operating machinery.
As Jack Philips reports for The Epoch Times, according to his office, alcohol is the “third leading preventable cause of cancer” in the U.S. after tobacco and obesity, while many Americans are not aware of the risk.
FDA Testing Aged Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese for Bird Flu
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin collecting samples of raw cow’s milk cheese from across the U.S. to test for the presence of bird flu, spurred on by the ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 in multiple states.
In the announcement published on Dec. 30, 2024, the FDA said the goal of testing will be two-fold: detecting the H5N1 virus and taking the necessary follow-up actions to protect consumers.
Raw, unpasteurized milk is a known vector of bird flu when derived from infected cow herds. It can also contain pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella and both Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria.
The agency will collect 300 samples of raw cow’s milk cheese from warehouses and distribution hubs, not retail locations, from across the country. It expects the collection period to last until March though it may be extended.
More Avian Flu Confirmed in US Dairy Cattle and Poultry Flocks as Arizona Reports Wastewater Detections
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed 12 more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy cattle, all from California, as more outbreaks were confirmed in poultry across four states.
The newly confirmed detections in California’s dairy cattle, where outbreaks have been under way since late August, push the state’s total to 697 and the national total to 912 across 16 states.
Most of California’s outbreaks in dairy cattle have affected herds in the Central Valley, but detections were recently confirmed in the southern part of the state, which led to the state’s governor declaring a state of emergency on Dec. 18, 2024, to free up more resources for battling the virus in dairy cows, poultry, and people exposed to sick animals or contaminated products.
Of the newly confirmed outbreaks in poultry, three of the four states had more detections on commercial farms, including a layer farm in Ohio’s Darke County that has about 1 million birds. The event marks the state’s second H5N1 detection this month.
Oyster Recall Sparks Fourth Warning by FDA Over Norovirus Fears
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an urgent recall for shellstock oysters harvested by Ruco’s Shellfish in Washington state’s Hammersley Inlet between Dec. 2 and Dec. 17, 2024, citing norovirus contamination.
The oysters were distributed in Washington and Oregon, with possible distribution to other states. The recall comes amid a national surge in norovirus cases.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children, older adults and those with compromised immune systems. It is also a leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., and oysters are a common source of outbreaks because of their filter-feeding nature, which can trap harmful pathogens.
The recall brings attention to ongoing food safety concerns and the importance of strict monitoring, particularly as norovirus cases rise across the country.
Are PFAS in Everything? What You Need To Know About ‘Forever Chemicals’
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” are a group of thousands of chemicals that are used for their non-stick and water-resistant properties. They are used in everyday items like non-stick frying pans, waterproof mascaras, stain-resistant clothing and the packaging for takeaway food items. PFAS can take thousands of years to break down in landfills and pose harm to human health. Reducing PFAS exposure is challenging but possible.
PFAS have been used in manufacturing and added to consumer products for decades. They are used across dozens of industries and in a huge range of consumer products because they are so effective at making items resistant to water, stains and grease. Your non-stick frying pan, for example, probably uses PFAS to make the “non-stick” coating.
PFAS can be found in non-stick cookware, fire retardants, stain and water repellents, some furniture, waterproof clothes, children’s textiles, pizza boxes and takeout containers, food packaging, carpets and textiles, rubbers and plastics, electronics and even dental floss.
PFAS are everywhere. While there is concern about these chemicals, the biggest risk and strongest predictor of having high levels of PFAS in your body appears to be living in proximity to contaminated water. Regular exposure to the galaxy of chemicals we encounter in our daily lives potentially poses health hazards, but about 90,000 human-made chemicals now exist, and we simply don’t know how daily exposure to them affects our health.
