Dark Chocolate Alert

From eNewsletter 1/18/2023

DID YOU KNOW that recently, researchers found that the class of anti-inflammatory drugs called NSAIDs makes knee arthritis worse? On the heels of this news comes another two studies presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America suggesting that steroid injections also makes knee arthritis worse. Both MRI scans and X-ray imaging showed that steroid injections significantly exacerbated the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections, an often-used alternative to steroid injections for knee osteoarthritis, did not exhibit adverse effects.

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Services Update

Ice Chips Alert If you consume the non-glycemic candy Ice Chips from us, this alert is only for those who are corn intolerant or blood type B. Please be advised that Ice Chips are no longer made with birch bark xylitol. They are made with corn-based xylitol. For this reason, we do not recommend consuming Ice Chips if you have a corn intolerances or are blood type B. Xylichew Gum, which is the other xylitol product we dispense, still uses birch bark xylitol, so is okay for corn intolerants and blood type B's.. Pet Wellness Start your pets off right this year with our dietary supplement line for dogs and cats! ThorneVet has an impeccable reputation among veterinarians. To order from our wellness shop, please visit here (for prices, enter the Guest Area password: discount2018). Carolyn Martinelli a.k.a. "Coach Care" is available to answer your questions about ThorneVet pet supplements at nutroconpet@gmail.com. Please leave detailed contact information as well as the name, age, sex, breed, and/or health issue(s) and med(s) of your pet so Carolyn can respond accordingly.

Steve Minsky MS, HWC As a Health and Wellness Counselor, he will analyze and offer solutions to optimize not only the food you eat, but every aspect of your lifestyle, whether for prevention or healing. More information on Steve's services.

Online Gift Cards Giving the gift of wellness has never been easier. Order your gift cards here. Text Us If It Is Convenient We accept text messages. Type (847) 498-3422 and text away!

US Postal Service Holiday Shipping Rate Increase The US Postal Service temporarily raised their shipping rates from October 2, 2022 -January 22, 2023. We will NOT be increasing your rates :) Infection Support

Prevention ur During Infection COVID-19 is endemic, meaning it is here to stay. Moreover, we are exposed to many other endemic viruses including influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus (stomach flu), adenovirus (common cold), monkeypox, and four other coronaviruses (common cold), among others. Support your immune system year-round with our Free Prevent and Fight Viruses 2.0 Protocol here.

Have a happy, healthy day! Steve and Bonnie Minsky

In Today's Issue...

• Well Connect Feature* Eye Exercises

• Public Health Update

• January 20% OFF Sale Items

• Case Report

• Chiro Corner NEW!

• Pure Genomics

• Blog Briefs NEW!

• Well Connect Member Benefits

*Paid Member Access Only

Public Health Update

Steve: My last public health update was late October. There have been some very important developments since then. My comments are in italics. Dark Chocolate While only a small sample size (28 brands), a disturbing analysis from Consumer Reports suggest certain brands of dark chocolate contain heavy metal content that is higher than desired. Only 5 of the 28 brands had what would be considered low levels. The analysis was based upon California's maximum allowable dose level, which is by far the most conservative in the world. Just as many other foods such as rice absorb heavy metals, cocoa beans can also absorb heavy metals depending upon where they were grown. If you are worried about these results, the safe brands were: Mast Organic 80% Dark Chocolate, Taza 70%, Ghirardelli 86%, Ghirardelli 72%, and Valrhona 85%. Folate Prescription folic acid may provide a safe and effective approach for decreasing suicidal ideation, new research in JAMA Psychiatry suggests. After adjusting for multiple factors, results from a large pharmaco-epidemiological study showed taking folic acid was associated with a 44% reduction in suicide events. This is immense. Just as important is knowing your genetic predisposition for absorbing folate, which could prevent countless episodes when supplementing with the proper folate source. Dementia Declining The prevalence of dementia in the United States is declining among people over age 65, falling dramatically from 2000 to 2016. Nationwide, the age-adjusted prevalence of dementia fell to 8.5% of people over age 65 in 2016, down by nearly one-third from 12.2% of people over age 65 in 2000, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study. The Rand Corporation researchers postulate that awareness and adherence to better preventive lifestyle habits are the most important reasons why these numbers are better. Sesame the Ninth Major Food Allergen Starting January 1st, sesame joined the list of major food allergens defined by law, according to the FDA. Sesame seeds joins milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans as the nine major food allergens. Sesame allergies affect people of all ages and can appear as coughing, itchy throat, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth rash, shortness of breath, wheezing and drops in blood pressure. Your Poop Is Now a Drug Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), that is, human poop, was recently approved by the FDA as a drug for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection in patients who have already completed a course of antibiotic treatment. FMT involves transferring fecal matter from a healthy donor into an infected patient to repair the gut microbiota. Aspirin A study from JAMA Internal Medicine concluded that the failure of low-dose aspirin to reduce the risk of fractures while increasing the risk of serious falls adds to evidence that it provides little favorable benefit in a healthy, older adult population. Excessive Sitting According to an immense study from British Journal of Sports Medicine, women with the highest level of sitting time was linked to a 104-percent higher risk of triple negative breast cancer. These findings were consistent across hormone-negative tumor types. The results didn’t change even when genetically factoring in other unrelated effects such as smoking and being overweight. We have a general rule: get up every hour! PMS Symptoms Premenstrual mood swings and anxiety are so common, experienced by more than 64% of women, that they represent a key public health issue globally, according to a new study in Archives of Women's Mental Health. The authors hope their conclusion will help women get better care by making healthcare providers more aware of how frequently these symptoms occur. The Several Year Rule With New Drugs There's a reason why we usually suggest waiting several years after a new drug enters the market. A study from JAMA Internal Medicine found that fulfillment of postmarket commitments and safety requirements for new drugs approved by the FDA between 2013-2016 were woefully inadequate.