Recently in Health Category

[Above: FDA, FBI & LAPD agents raid Rawesome private food club in Venice, CA.]

The people of Venice, CA slept soundly last night after authorities broke up a major criminal cartel that had been operating in their midst. Raw milk and cheese lord, James "Rawesome" Stewart, and his accomplices, Sharon Ann Palmer and Eugenie Bloch of Healthy Family Farms LCC, were arrested yesterday following a raid on premises in the predominantly metro-hippy, hipster-hippy, genuinely hippy, and wannabe hippy beach district.

The multi-agency action -- a collaboration between the FDA, the FBI and the LAPD -- is part of a major government crackdown on healthy food. Agents had successfully scored illicit cheese and dairy products on several occasions during a year-long undercover sting operation centered around Rawesome, a members-only organic produce speakeasy operated by Stewart out of a location at 665 Rose Ave. After consuming the goods they obtained, the reduction in allergy and asthma symptoms in the operatives involved provided probable cause for the warrant required for Wednesday's armed raid.

[Above: No Mango Left Behind]

The search warrant, which was issued by the appropriately name Ms. LeCavalier, called for a thorough search of all rooms, attics, and basements of the single story property, plus the surrounding grounds, garages, vehicles, storage areas, trash containers, freezers, refrigerators, and outbuildings. A Girl Scout who was just selling cookies in the wrong place at the wrong time was also asked to turn out her pockets, but only string and a compass was found.

The document also called for samples to be taken, and that the remainder of the controlled substances be seized and destroyed according to State of California "health" codes. Highly trained law enforcement agents therefore dilligently poured the exceedingly fresh milk down drains, and loaded organic produce and whole food onto a truck for off-site destruction as several members of the local homeless community looked on. However, Mrs Tovey, a sprightly pensioner from nearby Marina del Rey, escaped with several mangoes in her hemp handbag before all the fresh food could be removed from the site. She is wanted for questioning in relation to this matter.

Computers, receipts, phone records, a 2007 crumpled Baywatch calendar, and other documents were also seized, as were membership records and documents pertaining to The Right To Choose Healthy Food campaign. Authorities will be contacting members of the raw milk prohibition-busting club over the next few weeks to not-so-gently remind them that The Right To Choose Healthy Food doesn't exist, and that the First Amendment right to make and distribute pamphlets about it is going the way of habeas corpus.

Talking of which...

Los Angeles prosecutors allege Stewart is guilty of conspiracy to supply fresh food, and is being held on $123,000 bail, with no possibility of using bonds. Furthermore, given Stewart's Mr. Big status in the raw food underworld, authorities have taken the unusual step of requesting proof of the legitimacy of any funds posted to ensure proceeds from a secret stash of contraband unpasteurized Camembert are not used to spring the kingpin. Palmer has been charged with 9 counts of producing fresh food, and her part-time associate, Bloch, is charged with three counts of conspiracy to do so.

[Above: Eugenie Bloch's husband, Thomas admits his wife if guilty of selling organic poultry and eggs.]

During the search of the Rawesome premises, authorities were hoping to find evidence that the illegal substances had been smuggled across state lines so they could pursue additional felony charges. However Westsiders know how hard it is to smuggle themselves East of the 405 at the best of times, so unfortunately for law enforcement officials the chances that the easily spoilable raw materials made it to La Brea, never mind the Arizona border are slim to none.

The three arrests had nothing to do with a massive recall of turkey produced by food giant Cargill, but since it happened in the same week The Los Angeles Times thought they'd mention it in their coverage of the raid just so they had a legitimate reason to use the word salmonella, since there was disappointingly no evidence that any goods produced or distributed by Stewart and Palmer had caused illness or were tainted by the pathogen (unlike that of the Minnesota-based food giant, whose dodgy meat is responsible for at least one death, and numerous cases of serious illness).

The manufacture and sale of unpasteurized dairy products is technically legal in California, however, thankfully a whole host of virtually unobtainable licenses and permits are required, which by and large puts a stop to the disgustingly healthy practice of consuming the stuff. But Stewart contends that since he wasn't operating a public retail establishment, his members-only club wasn't covered by the small print, which law enforcement officials are too understaffed and busy to read anyways. It's therefore good to see that rather than taking the time to define the grey areas of the law, government officials are cutting to the chase and taking a firm stance on worryingly healthful consumables, which have the potential to seriously dent the much-maligned healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

"Praise the lord that in these economically challenged times, the government is allocating significant resources to this issue," said a Republican who asked not to be named before rushing off to check the value of his Big Ag and Pharma stocks.

***

The Consumer Wellness Center is collecting donations for a legal defense fund for James Stewart.

For more information on our government's war on raw milk watch Farmageddon, and read our interview with the film's maker, raw food and small farm advocate Kristin Canty.

**UPDATE**

At his arraignment at the Los Angeles County Courthouse on Thursday August 4, James Stewart's bail was reduced to $30,000. He was released on Friday on condition that he no longer engage in the sale of unpasteurized milk and cheese. (He's not even allowed to give away raw dairy and eggs, and Rawesome is subject to warrantless searches at any time.) Victoria Bloch was released without bail. Worryingly, both Stewart and Bloch were only allowed to leave police custody on condition that they sign a waiver agreeing to give up their First Amendment rights and refrain from talking to anyone about the case. (They can't email, Facebook or Tweet about it, never mind talk to the press!) Sharon Ann Palmer is expected to be arraigned on Monday, August 8 in Ventura County. The delay is apparently due to transportation issues. Rawesome is currently closed, and, Healthfreedoms.org reports that the case "is now going to be handled by an 'environmental crimes' prosecutor from the FDA." Meanwhile, despite being responsible for 76 salmonella-related illnesses and one death, the owners of the company responsible, Cargill, continue to enjoy their life and liberty.

Government agencies involved in the year-long action again Rawesome include the FDA, the California Franchise Tax Board, the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch and the department's Division of Measurement Standards, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, the Ventura County Department of Public Health, the LAPD, and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. In related news, having maxed out our nation's spending limit, America's credit rating has been downgraded, and when it comes to the issues surrounding raw dairy, Democrats and Republicans are uniting in favor of less government intervention.

There will be a series of special screenings of Farmageddon at the Electric Lodge cinema on Saturday, August 20 (see details). Proceeds will go to the Rawesome Community Fund.

"This is really a civil rights issue."
- Kristin Canty

America devotes an inordinate amount of resources to its wars on controlled substances; namely its wars on drugs - and raw milk. Yep, you read that right. The prohibition of alcohol may have ended in the US in 1933 with the passage of the Twenty-First Amendment, but it's still alive and kicking when it comes to unpasteurized milk.

The retail sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal in the vast majority of states, and though some states do permit direct farm sales and/or herd shares, federal laws prohibit the sale and transport of raw milk across state lines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers unpasteurized milk or cream -- and any uncooked products made from it, such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream -- to be categorically unsafe. Their official line is that "raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to you and your family."

However, by their own figures, a mere "800 people in the United States have gotten sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk since 1998." When you compare those numbers to the statistics on alcohol and cigarettes - which can be bought legally in all 50 states - the government's position on the sale of raw milk appears to be inconsistent to say the very least. And the discrimination against raw dairy is even more profound when the health benefits are taken into consideration. But while the fight to decriminalize other controlled substances grabs headlines and galvanizes support, few are even aware of the prohibition against real milk. Kristin Canty, a small farm advocate from Massachusetts, hopes to change that with her compelling new documentary, Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms.

Canty didn't set out to make a film, merely to heal her son, who suffered from asthma and severe allergies. When traditional medicine failed to help, she embarked on a voyage of discovery that led her to raw milk. While fighting to heal her sick child, she also had to fight the seemingly unreasonable and intransigent attitude our government has towards healthy-minded boutique farmers who produce this hard to come by commodity in the face of much adversity. Frustrated and angered by reports of raids, and shocked at the increasing ferocity of the persecution of those who were doing nothing more than producing fresh food, Canty was compelled to expose the truth. For her, it wasn't just about the disparity in treatment between big agriculture (whose factory methods have actually been responsible for the majority of serious food scares in recent years) and the mom & pop organic and sustainable operations, but an issue of a mother's right to choose healthy food.

Read my exclusive interview with Kristin Canty on SuicideGirls.com.

A new study has linked the consumption of energy drinks to risky and aggressive "toxic jock" behavior amongst young adults. Kathleen Miller, the principle investigator at the University of Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions, published a report on the link between energy drinks, athletics and risky behavior, which appeared in the March issue of The Journal of American College Health. She found that those who regularly consumed energy drinks were more likely to indulge in substance abuse, violence, and unprotected sex.

Miller doesn't necessarily blame the hazardous habits on the energy drinks, which often contain high quantities of caffeine, taurine and other stimulants, but says they may serve as a predicator for such behavior. "It appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined toward taking risks," Miller said.

Two of the energy drink brand leaders are Red Bull and Rockstar, which both market heavily to young people at extreme sports and music events. A 250 ml serving of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine and 1000 mg of taurine, alongside assorted sugars and sweetners, a carbohydrate compound, and some B group vitamins. Rockstar contains similar quantities of caffeine and taurine mixed with what the manufacturers describe as a "the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle."

Though the drinks themselves contain levels of caffeine that are comparable to those found in a cup of coffee, they can be drunk much faster since they are served cold and therefore provide a more concentrated caffeine hit. The combination of caffeine and tourine, an amino-like acid which was originally isolated from ox bile but is now synthetically produced, is also thought to make the drinks more potent. The subjects of one study, conducted by James Kalus of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, exhibited an 11% increase in resting heart rate after consuming just two cans of energy drink per day for a week. Such potentially detrimental effects, have kept this class of beverages off the shelves in countries such as Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.

When combined with alcohol, energy drinks have been found to serve up an even riskier cocktail. A study conducted by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina found that "college students who drink alcohol mixed with so-called "energy" drinks are at dramatically higher risk for injury and other alcohol-related consequences, compared to students who drink alcohol without energy drinks." Lead researcher, Mary Claire O'Brien, notes when under the influence of super-charged cocktails, "you're every bit as drunk, you're just an awake drunk."

But the stimulants in the drinks, and their effects when mixed with alcohol, aren't the only things encouraging risky behavior. On Red Bull's website, the manufacturers claims the drink improves performance, increases concentration and reaction speed, increases endurance, and stimulates metabolism. Meanwhile the makers of Rockstar, invite fans of their drink to "party like a Rockstar," the phrase being the brand's tag line alongside the words, "Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger." Could it be young people are falling victim to a false sense of invincibility induced by juiced-up sugared water, and some highly seductive marketing?

Scientists from the University of Florence in Italy report that listening to classical, Celtic or Indian music for just 30 minutes a day for a month can significantly reduce blood pressure. The researchers presented their findings last week at the American Society of Hypertension's 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans.

"Listening to music is soothing and has often been associated with controlling patient-reported pain or anxiety and acutely reducing blood pressure," noted Dr. Pietro A. Modesti. "But for the first time, today's results clearly illustrate the impact daily music listening has on ambulatory blood pressure."

"We are excited about the positive implications for both patients and physicians, who can now confidently explore music listening as a safe, effective, non-pharmacological treatment option or a complement to therapy," Modesti added.

The study involved a small group of 48 patients between the ages of 45 and 70 who were taking medication for mild hypertension. 28 of the patients were given a CD of down-tempo, "rhythmically homogenous" music, and were asked to listen to it for 30 minutes once a day for a month while practicing controlled breathing exercises. The 20 remaining participants made no lifestyle changes, and served as a control group. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring after the first and fourth weeks revealed a marked reduction in blood pressure among the patients who'd been asked to listen to music.

Similar previous studies have closely related blood pressure to music tempo, noting corresponding blood pressure increases when subjects were exposed to more aggressive, up-tempo music, indicating that the speed and genre of music is key to music's heart-calming potential.

"Sadly, despite the global focus on prevention, it predicted that 56 billion people worldwide will be hypertensive by 2025," said Modesti. "In light of these devastating statistics, it is reassuring to consider that something as simple, easy and enjoyable as daily music listening combined with slow abdominal breathing, may help people naturally lower their blood pressure."

Could it be that a little of what you fancy really does you good? I can't help noticing the connection between two recent health stories in the news: one about the positive effects of chocolate, the other about the health benefits of being bootylicious.

The first report talks about how a little fat on your booty actually may be good for you. A study undertaken by the Harvard Medical School and published in the Cell Metabolism medical journal (catchy title) found that there are good and bad types of fat. And while abdominal visceral fat, which wraps itself around organs, raised the risk of poor health, subcutaneous fat, which is found under the skin particularly around the buttocks, appeared to boost metabolism and help regulate the body's insulin levels, and may protect against type 2 diabetes. (By the looks of recent paparazzi photos, at least that's one thing Mischa Barton won't have to worry about).

This study follows hot on the heels of research conducted by a team from the University of East Anglia in England which found that eating chocolate can reduce health risks in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. The scientists involved in this study are now testing the theory that the flavonoid compounds found in chocolate may provide protection against cardiovascular disease (it should be noted that the chocolate researchers used was especially formulated with raised evels of flavonoids).

Of course, as Mischa Barton can tell you, every square of chocolate a girl eats goes straight to her behind, so we're happy to hear there's an upside to your jeans being a little tight around the rear end (though muffin-top is not a good sign, since that's the wrong kind of fat). I guess next time a woman asks that leading question 'does my bum look big in this?' the correct response may be a resounding, heart-healthy, diabetes aware, 'yes.'

Today (May 7) is the seventh annual Great American Grump Out, during which no grumping, frowning, grousing, or complaining is allowed. If being happy for the hell of it for a full 24 hours sounds like too much to bear, consider this: according to Harvard's Men's Health Watch, "optimists enjoy better health than pessimists."

Analyzing data from a series of studies, researchers found that:

• Optimistic coronary bypass patients were only half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization.
  
• Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension.
  
• People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures.
  
• In one study, the most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic.
  

Concerned about which came first, the chicken or the egg, or in this case optimism or good health, researchers adjusted their results to take into account pre-existing conditions, but still found that an optimistic outlook had significant positive health benefits.

So give a glass half-full outlook a try, at least for the rest of the day. You might find you like it!

Researchers have found yet another good reason to stop smoking and reduce pollution. They've discovered that airborne toxins may be a contributing factor for the onset of male pattern baldness.

Scientists from the University of London studied hair follicles from balding men and found that the process of hair growth was impaired by oxidative stress.

"We think any pollutant that can get into the bloodstream or into the skin and into the hair follicle could cause some stress to it and impair the ability of the hair to make a fiber," says Mike Philpott, one of the researchers involved in the study.

"There are a whole host of carcinogens and toxins in the environment that could trigger this. It suggests that if you stop smoking or live in an area with less air pollution, you may be less predisposed to hair loss."

The team are now planning further tests to discover which compounds are most likely to interfere with the hair growth process.

Our favorite camellia sinensis-pusher Dr. Tea explains how the three magic compounds found in tea (caffeine, L-theanin and EGCG) work together to promote health, beauty and weight loss (click HERE to view video).

Further Reading:

• Just Don't Call That Store Bought Wizened Foliage Tea
  A gourmet tea guide.
  
  
  
• Tea Mine
  The best tea cups and infusers.
  
  
  
• Drink Your Way To A Better Life With The Ultimate Tea Diet
  How tea can help you attain and maintain your ideal weight.
  
  
  
• Dr. Tea's Top Five Tips To Help You Drink Your Way To A Healthier Life
  How to drink tea at night and still get to sleep.
  
  
  
• Just Say No To Milk And Two Sugars
  How the things you add to your tea may counteract its health benefits.
  
  
  
• Get Blissed Out On Caffeine - And Perhaps Prevent Cellulite And Cancer Too
  The hidden power of caffeine.

Check out this video post from our favorite camellia sinensis-pusher Dr. Tea, on the pros and cons of common tea additives such as milk and sugar. Personally we think that if you have to add something to make it taste better, you're not drinking the right tea. But for those who can’t drink a cup of the the brown stuff without a little milk and sugar, this is well worth a view.

Dr. Tea reveals that adding dairy to your tea may interfere with its antioxidant properties, and suggests using soy or almond milk instead. And those that need a spoonful of sugar to make their tea go down should steer clear of the addictive white powder, and its various artificial substitutes. A healthier option is agave syrup. The honey-like substance, which is derived naturally from the succulent agave plant, sweetens without the deadly sugar high (and subsequent low).

Click HERE for more Top Tips from Dr. Tea.

Dr. Neal Barnard MD is to vegetarianism what Al Gore is to environmentalism. His lectures on the benefits of a plant based diet are smart, entertaining, down to earth, and offer hope rather than peddling despondency.

The son of a cattle rancher, Barnard trained is psychiatry, but has spent much of his life focusing on the impact of diet on human health. He had a job at McDonald's while at high school, but, while working as an assistant at a morgue during a year out before medical school, experienced first hand exactly what a modern Western diet does to the insides of those laid out on the morticians slab. He now serves as PETA's medical adviser, and is a committed, and evangelical, vegetarian. But don't let that put you off. Whether you're a carnivore or a herbivore, we can all benefit (and indeed have) from the good doctor's wit and wisdom.

As the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (an organization which Bernard founded in 1985), he took the government to task for their fudged dietary guidelines.

"Of the 11 members on the committee, six of them had ties to the dairy industry, meat industry or egg industry," says Bernard. After he prevailed in court, the government issued radically revised guidelines in January 2005 (though as we mentioned in our previous story, these guidelines still massively underestimate the servings of fruit and veg needed for a healthy diet).

Barnard believes that much of the illness we experience today is a result of what we eat, and that much of what we eat is addictive, and pushed on us by food corporations whose major concern is the size of their own bottom lines, rather than the size of our bottoms.

In his book, Breaking The Food Seduction, Barnard writes about the opiate effects of foods, and gives advice on how to kick our bad food habits. He reveals that sugar works like heroin, and dairy like morphine, so it's not surprising that the food industry has us right where they want us, craving our next chocolate fix.

For those in need of a dietary intervention, he suggests that you familiarize yourself with the four new food groups (grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit) and give them a three-week trial period (which will give your body, and your taste buds, enough time to adapt). For those ready to cut the beef and go cold turkey, he offers these seven basic tips:

• 1. Start with a healthy breakfast (you'll snack less the rest of the day).
  
• 2. Use foods (such as beans and pasta) to hold blood sugar steady.
  
• 3. Dieters: Use the rule of ten for minimum calorie intake.
  (For example, if your ideal body weight is 150 Ibs, your minimum intake should be no less than 1,500 calories per day.)
  
• 4. Break craving cycles.
  (Resisting the bad stuff today, will make it easier tomorrow, and the day after that.)
  
• 5. Have regular exercise and rest.
  (It's easier to make the correct food choices if you're well rested.)
  
• 6. Use social support. Don't do it alone.
  (Go to the Betty Ford Cheese Clinic with a friend.)
  
• 7. Take advantage of other motivators.
  (Bernard tells young males that they'll be less likely to be impotent when they're old if they eat well today, and reminds animal lovers of the million animals per hour that die so Americans can have the privilege of eating badly).