Is cooking with beef fat REALLY healthier than seed oils? That's what wellness gurus claim - now DR EMILY LEEMING delivers her surprising verdict
What's more divisive than politics? Try talking about which type of fat you should cook with.
The conventional wisdom tells us butter, lard and beef tallow (dripping) – produced from rendering beef fat – are high in 'bad' saturated fats that raise cholesterol and heart disease risk; while seed oils, such as rapeseed and sunflower, contain healthier fats that can reduce cholesterol and protect the heart.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I invented the 'Death Clock'... and was horrified when it confirmed my worst fears about my own health
Brent Franson wasn't afraid of dying. He was afraid of dying from Alzheimer's disease. He remembers seeing sufferers on TV growing up, with their listless expressions and inability to walk. It left him certain he did not want to develop the devastating condition. His worst fear was revealed when he used the Death Clock - an artificial intelligence that predicts - down to the minute - when and how a person will die. Franson invented the app, which analyzes a person's body metrics and lifestyle, and input his own information. The 43-year-old was shocked when the Death Clock projected his demise at 76 years old. Among possible causes of his death: Alzheimer's. It made sense, Franson thought. In his 20s, he had become addicted to anti depressants and sedatives, which left him unable to sleep properly for a decade - a risk factor for neurological decline - and he had a gene that predisposed him to dementia. Franson was also working late, eating large late-night dinners and balancing his role as husband and father-of-three. Determined to change his fate, however, Franson made major lifestyle changes - becoming what he called a 'sleep athlete.' He fine-tuned his schedule to make time for rest and exercise and to create a better work-life balance. One year later, he ran his information through the Death Clock again and it revised its estimate — adding an extra nine years to his life expectancy. The most likely cause of death? Alzheimer's was still a possibility, but so were cardiovascular diseases and cancer. 'Something does have to kill you eventually,' Franson told He added: 'My biggest fear in life, it's not death. It's Alzheimer's. Just the thought of having to live with Alzheimer's — so this was really a wake-up call for me.' As the aging population of the US continues to grow, so will the rates of dementia. Currently, an estimated 6.8million Americans have Alzheimer's disease - the most common form of dementia - the vast majority of whom are over 65 years old. By 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million. A lack of sleep - especially a lack of deep sleep - has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's in numerous studies. Experts say it stops the body from clearing out waste products from the brain — raising the risk of dangerous amyloid beta protein clumps forming that raise someone's risk of the disease. More than one in three adults — 50 to 70million people — regularly do not meet the CDC's recommendation of at least seven hours of sleep every night. One study has suggested sleeping six or fewer hours per night before age 70 is linked to a 30 percent increased risk of dementia compared to people getting seven hours or more. It can also drive other unhealthy behaviors, like exercising less or eating more sugary treats, which can also raise risk. To boost his sleep, and slash his risk of Alzheimer's, Franson began by banning all mobile phones from the bedroom. He set a consistent bedtime of 9.30pm, and made sure to have his last meal at 5.30pm every night. Scientists say a consistent bedtime helps the body's circadian rhythm while eating too close to bedtime means the body is still digesting, disrupting sleep. Some suggest it can take three to four hours for a meal to transit into the intestines. He also lowered the bedroom temperature to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). Experts recommend sleeping at temperatures between 60 and 67 degrees to reduce the body's internal temperature and ensure a restful night's sleep. He had two sets of blackout blinds installed in his bedroom, as well. One that descends horizontally from the ceiling, and another that moves vertically across the window, to block out all light while he sleeps. Another lifestyle change was cutting out alcohol. Alcohol has also been linked to sleep disruption, reducing the amount of time spent in REM sleep — a stage for memory consolidation — disrupting the sleep cycle. The Alzheimer's Society says drinking alcohol also reduces the volume of the brain's white matter, which helps the brain transmit signals between different regions. This can lead to issues with the way the brain functions. Alcohol can also shrink the parts of the brain involved in memory. Franson also makes sure to exercise during the day, saying he alternates between weight lifting, cardio exercises and yoga. A July 2022 study published in the journal Neurology analyzed the health information of 501,400 people from a British health database over 11 years. Researchers found people who engaged in consistent vigorous activity — sports or working out — had a 35 percent reduced risk of developing dementia. Even people who reported completing household chores saw a benefit and had a 21 percent lower risk of dementia. A separate October 2022 meta-analysis of 38 international studies found people who engaged in activities like regularly walking, running, dancing, playing sports or swimming had a 17 percent reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to those who did not. And while there is plenty of fancy and expensive health tech, Franson said sleep, diet and exercise are more than 90 percent of the puzzle of longevity. He added that nine percent was cancer screenings and about one percent was 'all this crazy stuff that people like to talk about.' Franson added: 'The discussion in the longevity space is often focused on the wrong thing. 'People devote a lot of time talking about things like Ashwaganda or full-body scans when, compared to sleep, diet and exercise, these are going to make only tiny incremental differences.'
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Teen, 19, dies after viral TikTok ‘dusting' challenge went wrong leaving family ‘utterly devastated'
A TEEN, 19, has died after taking part in the viral TikTok "dusting" challenge that went wrong, leaving her family "utterly devastated". Renna O'Rourke, from Arizona, tragically passed on Sunday after being in an intensive care unit for a week. 4 4 4 Dusting involves young people inhaling aerosols like spray deodorant, paint thinner or keyboard cleaners. Renna went into cardiac arrest before later being declared brain dead after using a cleaning product to take part in the deadly challenge. The teen's heartbroken dad Aaron O'Rouke described how his daughter dreamed of fame. He told AZFamily:"She always said, 'I'm gonna be famous, Dad. Just you watch. I'm gonna be famous', and unfortunately this is not under the most optimal of circumstances." Aaron and his wife Dana shared their daughter's tragic story to raise awareness of the social media challenge. Dana said: "There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. "They can afford it, they can get it, and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test." The mom explained how Renna and her boyfriend used an app delivery service to have the cleaning agent delivered to their door. She told 12news:"[Renna] and her boyfriend had Door Dashed product to my house and I didn't know. It's keyboard cleaner. I didn't know what they were doing with it. "We want to make sure that we use our tragedy so that no other parent has to experience looking at their child on life support and a ventilator and not breathing on her own all because she huffed out of a can." Pheobe Bishop cops arrest 34-year-old flatmate who was last to see missing Aussie teen on explosive journey to airport Dr. Randy Weisman, from the HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, explained how inhaling aerosols can make users feel drunk or euphoric for a few minutes. But such use can result in liver failure, heart failure and lung disease among other irreversible issues - or death. He told AZFamily: "This is extremely concerning. "When they inhale these chemicals in the gas it will actually replace the oxygen within their lungs and within the rest of their body." Renna's parents said that the only light to come from her passing is that her organs have gone on to save at least six other people. Mom Dana said: "Through that we're finding strength and purpose. "She will be unbelievably missed, leaving the most aching hole in our lives, but if her life is to mean anything, we are going to do what we can to prevent somebody else's child from being where ours is right now. "She will be unbelievably missed, leaving the most aching hole in our lives, but if her life is to mean anything, we are going to do what we can to prevent somebody else's child from being where ours is right now." A post on the GoFundMe set up for Renna read: "On Sunday, June 1st at 1:30pm, our wonderful daughter, after 4 days in the ICU, was pronounced brain dead. "She was the light in every room she walked into, and the pain that her family and friends feel is simply immeasurable. "We want to use the proceeds of this fundraiser to cover the extensive medical bills, burial costs, therapy costs, and to spread awareness about the dangers of Huffing/Dusting, the practice of inhaling keyboard cleaner or similar."
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster responds after receiving devastating health department grade
The general manager of the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster claims a bad health inspection was politically motivated. An inspector from the Somerset County Department of Health gave the private New Jersey club a 32 out of 100 health score on May 6 — the lowest in the county, which includes about 115 retail food establishments. This inspection yielded a C rating, citing 18 violations, including the improper separation of raw meats from ready-to-eat foods, and identified contamination risks. The on-site inspector deemed the club's operations conditionally satisfactory and classified the food establishment as a Risk Level 4 facility. '[The person in charge] fails to demonstrate knowledge of food safety,' the inspector noted in the report, which can be publicly viewed online. In response, the club's general manager, David Schutzenhofer, told The Hill in a statement on Thursday, 'Never before have we witnessed such visceral hostility from the health department. This is clearly nothing more than a politically motivated attack.' 'We operate one of the most immaculate golf facilities in the country, and we take immense pride in our standards of cleanliness, safety, and hospitality,' he said. The Independent has contacted representatives for the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and the Somerset County Department of Health for comment. Forbes was the first to report on the less-than-glowing inspection in an article published on Wednesday. About three hours after the article's release, an inspector conducted a reinspection at Trump's Bedminster club, despite NJ rules requiring surprise visits, Forbes reports. The club received a B grade with a score of 86, the lowest possible for that rating, and was cited for six violations, including two critical ones. Issues included improperly chilled milk and creamers, weak sanitizer levels, and mops stored in buckets instead of being air-dried. Michael McCarty, Somerset County's deputy health director, said that reinspections are routine and typically occur within two to four weeks of the initial visit, according to USA Today. The president owns the Bedminster golf club through a business network and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which allows him to earn income, as he did during his first term. He spent over 100 days there during his office tenure. New Jersey law requires all food establishments, including private golf clubs, to undergo annual inspections. Amid his feud with Elon Musk, Trump has decamped to Bedminster for the weekend.
