Vitamin D, covid and government fortification

Two new studies into vitamin D and covid have been published recently (here and here). The first is a preprint study undertaken as part of the CORONAVIT study. The study doesn't discuss whether the supplements provided were D3 or D2. The authors conclude that vitamin D supplementation does not reduce the risk of becoming sick with an acute respiratory infection or covid. However, the study does not report on reduction in serious illness, hospitalisation or death. The second study conducted in India in a small cohort concluded low levels of vitamin D were associated with an increased risk of becoming severely ill with covid. In the UK, the government has launched a Call for Evidence (CoE) to decide whether food fortification should take place in England, after reports that 1 in 6 adults have low levels of vitamin D. The CoE focuses on the benefits of vitamin D for musculoskeletal health ignoring its role in immune system health and resilience. Sadly, as with most such plans for food fortification, the focus will most likely be on adding vitamin D2, not D3, to ultra-processed high carb foods that most definitely don't support good musculoskeletal or immune system health.

GM regulation petition

Friends of the Earth Europe have launched a petition calling for organisms created using gene editing techniques, referred to as new genomic techniques, to continue to be strictly regulated and labelled in the EU. The call comes as Big Biotech companies continue to lobby and strong arm the EU to exclude so called new GMOs from existing regulations. The petition pushes for systems of local and sustainable farming where farmers and local communities take control of what is grown and how it's grown. For more information on GM foods, GMO Free Florida has published a series of systematic reviews into the safety of GM foods.

The cost of ultra-processed food

A new commentary, published in The BMJ, highlights the negative impact ultra-processed foods are having on human and planetary health. The authors particularly focus on the impact that farming practices associated with ultra-processed foods have on agrobiodiversity – the range of plants, animals and microorganisms used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture which is essential to the sustainability and resilience of food systems. It's essential that urgent attention is paid to the impact of industrialised food production systems on the environment and the prioritisation of the production of fresh, diverse, minimally processed and nutrient dense foods cultivated using regenerative and agroecological systems designed to protect the environment.

Public no longer satisfied with UK's NHS

Public satisfaction with the services provided by the NHS has dropped sharply in 2021 according a new survey. The British Social Attitudes Survey, undertaken by The Nuffied Trust found an 'unprecedented' drop of 17% in satisfaction with the NHS, the lowest its been since 1997. The main reasons cited for the drop was the time it takes to get an appointment with a GP, hospital waiting times, staff shortages and a lack of funding. The survey results underline the very real need for a system that moves away from the current model of disease management to one that focuses on health creation, regeneration and maintenance to reduce the burden of chronic disease not only on collapsing health systems, but the population at large.

WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

The Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed an agreement to establish a knowledge centre for traditional medicine, which will be called the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. The aim of the centre is to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through the use of modern science and technology to improve the health of people and the planet. The new centre will be housed at the Institute of Training and Research in Ayurveda in Gujarat. It's estimated some 80% of the world's population use some form of traditional medicine. The Indian government will contribute USD 250 million to the establishment and running of the centre. On the face of it this is great news for traditional medicine as long as it's not hijacked by Big Pharma and used as a way of filling its development pipelines and patenting natural remedies, thereby removing them from those most at need.

How much alcohol is too much?

According to media reports on a new study based on genetic data from the UK Biobank, any amount of alcohol consumption ostensibly increases an individual's risk of developing heart disease. The findings go against years of studies that show low to moderate drinking can be beneficial to health. However, the authors of the new study also state that low alcohol intake is associated with a minimal increase in risk, concluding that the well acknowledged cardioprotective affects of moderate alcohol intake are associated with healthier lifestyles overall in those who are able to effectively detoxify toxins such as alcohol.

Covid Corner

• BREAKING NEWS! The German Parliament has rejected the government's attempts to mandate covid jabs for those aged over the age of 60
• Documents released as part of April's Pfizer document data release have revealed the company had to unexpectedly recruit 600 additional full-time staff to handle significantly increased numbers of adverse reaction reports being received following covid injection. The Children's Health Defense reports on other revelations from the latest data dump
• The tennis world was rocked this week by revelations that 15 top flight tennis stars had to retire from matches due to ill health during the Miami Open resulting in low ranking players making it through to the women's final and men's semi-final
• The International Covid Summit has published a World Declaration for Freedom following its recent meetings in France. So far the Declaration has received just under 6,000 signatories in support of its demands to restore people's freedoms, rights and liberties
• Dr Anthony Fauci has co-authored a study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases which discussed the concept of herd immunity in relation to covid. The authors argue that because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is different to viruses such as polio and measles, which are considered to mutate less often, that it may not be possible to control covid by achieving herd immunity
• A recent small study published in The Journal of Pediatrics has found two thirds of young people diagnosed with post covid jab myopericarditis, included in the study, had persistent heart abnormalities months after their initial diagnosis raising fears for their long-term health
• The above study runs counter to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which claims there is a higher risk of developing cardiac issues following covid infection than that following covid jabs. Serious concerns have been raised about the way the data has been presented and the methodology used by the study authors
• A new website has been launched in New Zealand called Silent No More NZ to document the stories of those injured by covid jabs. The site has been founded by Anna Hodgkinson whose daughter has been injured
• Stanford University has effectively mandated a third covid jab for its students and faculty by stating students may not enrol into the Spring semester if they aren't 'fully' jabbed, although they do not explicitly state the jab is mandatory. Even though 2,500 people signed a petition against the booster shots, the University has ignored the science denying its mandate is coercive
• One of the key plant chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables, sulforaphane, has been found to inhibit replication of the virus in vitro according to a study published in Communications Biology. Even more reason to 'eat your greens'!
• A new article from Swiss Policy Research, comments on an intriguing study from a Brazilian researcher who proposes a new mechanism for the development of post-jab myocarditis. The article also discusses the above recent study from the CDC in more detail
• Gynaecology waiting lists in the UK have increased by up to 60% in the past two years. The increase is particularly noticeable in 2021. The increase in demand for such services mirrors reports from many women of gynae problems following covid jabs, although no connection is noted in the report
• Australian officials are planning to roll out covid jabs for all children from newborn upwards. Health Minister, Greg Hunt, is reported as saying additional liability monies will be included in the forthcoming budget to cover any claims for adverse reactions in this age group
• A new paper from John Iaonnidis published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation, discusses the criteria for determining how the end of the covid-19 pandemic should be declared
• Yet more scorn is being heaped on the use of ivermectin to combat covid following the publication of the TOGETHER Trial in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, major limitations and weaknesses in the way the trial was conducted have been identified. Although the trial authors state ivermectin is not an effective treatment, the data itself suggests ivermectin is an effective treatment when used at the correct dosage as an early intervention. Dr Tess Lawrie has more on the TOGETHER Trial in a substack article
• A recent preprint study argues that the current covid jab policies are "scientifically questionable, ethically problematic, and misguided. Such policies may lead to detrimental long-term impacts on uptake of future public health measures".

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