The effects of virtual "contact"

Conversing in-person results in strong and complex neural signaling, but this is dramatically reduced when meetings take place virtually, with unknown consequences for the human psyche

A Yale team used neuroimaging technologies to study interactions between two people in real time, face-to-face as well as conversations on the video conferencing platform Zoom

Significant differences were found in brain activity, with the strength of neural signaling reduced on Zoom compared to in-person 

Those speaking face-to-face had increased gaze time and increased pupil diameters, which suggests increased arousal in the brain

The participants’ brains also had coordinated neural activity in-person, likely due to reciprocal exchanges of social cues that the pair experienced during their face-to-face chat
 

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The benefits of green tea

Green tea, which comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, contains a wealth of beneficial polyphenols, including the catechins epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and epicatechin

EGCG may be helpful for the prevention of arteriosclerosis, cerebral thrombus, heart attack and stroke — in part due to its ability to relax your arteries and improve blood flow

Green tea, consumed either in the form of a beverage or extract for two weeks or more, significantly lowers systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure 

A meta-analysis involving 25 randomized controlled trials also concluded that long-term tea intake — defined as 12 weeks or more — significantly improved blood pressure

Drinking about 0.5 to 2.5 cups of green tea daily for at least one year reduced the risk of developing high blood pressure by 46%, while those consuming more than 2.5 cups reduced their risk by 65%

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PFAS chemicals cause cancer

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) may promote cancer metastasis, according to a study by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health

Researchers immersed 2 types of colorectal cancer cells in a PFAS solution for up to 7 days; metabolic changes signaling cancer metastasis were observed, along with increased cell motility

Not only was the cells’ migration ability boosted, but they had a tendency to spread and penetrate membranes 

PFAS may lead to altered gene expression and epigenetic changes that in turn cause inflammation, endocrine disruption and changes in metabolism and cell signaling that promote carcinogenesis

Other research shows exposure to PFAS may worsen the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer
 

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10 health boosters

While I do not recommend relying on supplements for your daily nutrition, depending on your state of health, there may be instances where you need one or more supplements to address a nutritional deficiency or ailment

Ten of the most popular nutritional supplements include ashwagandha, berberine, B vitamins, including B12, collagen, creatine, omega-3, magnesium, vitamin D and NAD+ precursors such as niacinamide 

Some nutritional deficiencies are so widespread, thanks to soil depletion and reliance on processed foods, that just about everyone can benefit from supplementation. This is the case for magnesium and B vitamins in particular
 

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Tips against fainting

The vagus nerve’s connection to your heart may be involved in triggering people to faint

Your heart sends signals to your brain via the vagus nerve, and a disruption in these signals may be responsible for fainting

Autonomic dysfunction is common in patients with long COVID, including symptoms like dizziness and fainting, and it’s possible COVID-19 may influence signals passing through the vagus nerve

A disruption in blood flow of even a few seconds is all it takes to cause fainting or loss of consciousness

If you start to feel dizzy, lightheaded and clammy, and your vision gets blurry or filled with spots, sit or lie down immediately; this will reduce your chances of getting hurt by falling, and the horizontal position helps get blood flowing to your head
 

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New issues with Covid shots !

According to research published in December 2023, the mRNA COVID shots suffer high rates of ribosomal “frameshifting, ” which causes your cells to produce off-target proteins that can trigger unintended immune reactions

According to the authors, off-target cellular immune responses occur in 25% to 30% of people who have received the COVID shot

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration are refusing to release the RNA stability data they supposedly relied on when approving a change to Pfizer’s shot that allowed it to be transported and stored at temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius instead of -70 C 

The FDA also authorized Pfizer to swap the phosphate-buffered saline buffer used in the adult formulations, to a tromethamine (Tris) buffer in the children’s version. FDA did not require any kind of testing to be conducted, and no data have been released in support of its decision to allow the swap

According to research published in 2023, the nanolipid in Comirnaty, made by Pfizer/BioNTech, is toxic to cells and triggers proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species that can disrupt the mitochondrial membrane causing it to release its content, cause RNA mistranslation, DNA mutations, destruction of the nuclear membrane and more. Frequent repetitions of COVID boosters and/or using mRNA in other vaccines poses a grave public health risk, the scientist warns
 

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Polyphenols good for cancer & heart

Polyphenols are natural plant chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties that help combat inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, osteoporosis, insulin resistance and more

Polyphenols help protect your heart health by enhancing bioactivity of flavonoids in the lining of your blood vessels; reducing clumping of platelets in your blood; scavenging free radicals and lowering inflammation

Animal research found purple potatoes lowered proinflammatory interleukin-6 — a protein known to promote colon cancer — nearly sixfold compared to the control diet in pigs

A drawback of potatoes is they’re high in starch. By cooling cooked potatoes in the refrigerator, a significant portion of the starch will transform into gut-healthy digestive resistant starch

Other research shows polyphenols help inhibit proliferation of colon cancer cells and induce cancer cell apoptosis (programmed cell death) through oxidant-mediated mechanisms
 

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