Latest news with #health
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientist claims you should only drink one glass of wine a YEAR
After a stressful day, sometimes all you want is to crack open a bottle of wine. But you'd better make it a generous pour – as a scientist claims it's only safe to drink one glass a year. The human body can only safely consume one 'large' glass of wine every 12 months because it is too 'toxic', according to Professor David Nutt, a leading drug researcher at Imperial College London. He says that if alcohol was invented today it would fail modern food safety standards because of how harmful it is to our bodies. Studies on the toxicology of alcohol - the adverse effects chemicals have on living organisms - reveal that the 'maximal recommended amount' per year is just one large glass of wine, according to the expert. Speaking on the BBC 's Instant Genius podcast, the 74-year-old said: 'I can accept that 40,000 years of alcohol use is precedence but if we invented it today we wouldn't have that precedence. 'So what would we do? Well, what we would do is you would put your alcohol through food safety testing and it would fail. 'It would fail because the maximal recommended amount of alcohol any individual should consume in a year, based on the toxicology, is a large glass of wine per year. 'So that tells you how relatively harmful alcohol is.' Professor Nutt, from Bristol, is an experienced neuropsychopharmacologist and former government chief drugs advisor. He argued that – apart from tobacco – alcohol is responsible for more deaths across the world than any other drug. However, he added: 'My approach to alcohol is not that it's all bad. If it was all bad, it would have disappeared. 'There are good aspects to it, and it would be nice if we could maximise the benefits and minimise the harms.' In recent decades some studies have found a link between the moderate consumption of red wine and improved heart health. But in 2018 a major global study, published in one of the world's leading medical journals, confirmed there is 'no safe level of alcohol consumption'. The research, published in The Lancet Public Health, said the risk of cancer and other diseases from drinking alcohol outweighs any potential protections. Commenting on the study at the time Professor David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, sounded a note of caution about the findings. 'Given the pleasure presumably associated with moderate drinking, claiming there is no 'safe' level does not seem an argument for abstention,' he said. 'There is no safe level of driving, but the government does not recommend that people avoid driving. 'Come to think of it, there is no safe level of living, but nobody would recommend abstention.' In the UK, men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week on a regular basis. This is the equivalent of around four large glasses of wine.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Joe Biden, 82, seen in public as he marks 10th anniversary of son Beau's tragic death amid cancer battle
Joe and Jill Biden attended mass in Wilmington, Del., on Friday to mark the 15th anniversary of the death of their son Beau. The former first couple were seen at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, the Catholic Church were Beau is buried. The public sighting comes as the former president battles prostate cancer and the former first lady is facing calls to testify about her role in an alleged coverup of Joe Biden 's health while he was in office. Beau Biden died of glioblastoma, a very aggressive type of brain cancer, in 2015. The Bidens go to church every year on the anniversary of his death and visit his grave. Earlier this month Joe Biden announced he's been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The cancer has metastasized and spread to his bones, a statement from his office revealed, adding that the family is deciding on treatment options. The news, along with new reporting about efforts by Biden's core team of advisors to shield him from scrutiny, has prompted a renewed focus on Biden's health while in office, as well as the role Biden loyalists played. The questions resulted from the publication of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book 'Original Sin,' which alleges a cover up of the then-president's condition. The book, however, also notes the Biden family wanted to keep Beau Biden's cancer diagnosis a secret and misled the media about his condition. 'Beau's cancer treatment also demonstrated the Biden's capacity for denial and the lengths they would go to to avoid transparency about health issues, even when the person in question is an elected official, in this case the sitting attorney general of Delaware,' the book says. Beau Biden was diagnosed in 2013 after collapsing during a family vacation. He later had surgery to remove a brain tumor. In September 2013,' Biden and Beau's team internally debated how much to disclose about Beau — the vice president's son and a state's top law enforcement officer — but ultimately said nothing,' the book said. 'In November, Beau told a local reporter he had been given a 'clean bill of health.' However, the book says Beau continued to receive treatment and even checked into hospitals under the name George Lincoln in order to shield his real identity. Joe Biden, who was then vice president, often traveled with his son to support him in his treatment but, according to Tapper and Thompson, ordered his aides to mislead the press and public about his location. Meanwhile, House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer has requested to interview four former Biden aides and former White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor about Joe Biden's health. And, on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Jill Biden should be included in that request. 'Jill Biden was certainly complicit in that cover up,' Leavitt told said. 'Frankly, the former first lady should certainly speak up about what she saw in regards to her husband and when she saw and what she knew,' Leavitt said. She continued to pile on Jill Biden: 'She was saying everything is fine. She's still lying to the American people. She still thinks the American public are so stupid ... And frankly, it's insulting and she needs to answer for it.'
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
This Cat Poop Parasite Can Decapitate Sperm—and It Might Be Fueling Infertility
Male fertility rates have been plummeting over the past half-century. An analysis from 1992 noted a steady decrease in sperm counts and quality since the 1940s. A more recent study found that male infertility rates increased nearly 80% from 1990 to 2019. The reasons driving this trend remain a mystery, but frequently cited culprits include obesity, poor diet, and environmental toxins. Infectious diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia are often overlooked factors that affect fertility in men. Accumulating evidence suggests that a common single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii may also be a contributor: An April 2025 study showed for the first time that 'human sperm lose their heads upon direct contact' with the parasite. I am a microbiologist, and my lab studies Toxoplasma. This new study bolsters emerging findings that underscore the importance of preventing this parasitic infection. The many ways you can get toxoplasmosis Infected cats defecate Toxoplasma eggs into the litter box, garden or other places in the environment where they can be picked up by humans or other animals. Water, shellfish and unwashed fruits and vegetables can also harbor infectious parasite eggs. In addition to eggs, tissue cysts present in the meat of warm-blooded animals can spread toxoplasmosis as well if they are not destroyed by cooking to proper temperature. While most hosts of the parasite can control the initial infection with few if any symptoms, Toxoplasma remains in the body for life as dormant cysts in brain, heart and muscle tissue. These cysts can reactivate and cause additional episodes of severe illness that damage critical organ systems. Between 30% and 50% of the world's population is permanently infected with Toxoplasma due to the many ways the parasite can spread. Toxoplasma can target male reproductive organs Upon infection, Toxoplasma spreads to virtually every organ and skeletal muscle. Evidence that Toxoplasma can also target human male reproductive organs first surfaced during the height of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, when some patients presented with the parasitic infection in their testes. While immunocompromised patients are most at risk for testicular toxoplasmosis, it can also occur in otherwise healthy individuals. Imaging studies of infected mice confirm that Toxoplasma parasites quickly travel to the testes in addition to the brain and eyes within days of infection. In 2017, my colleagues and I found that Toxoplasma can also form cysts in mouse prostates. Researchers have also observed these parasites in the ejaculate of many animals, including human semen, raising the possibility of sexual transmission. Knowing that Toxoplasma can reside in male reproductive organs has prompted analyses of fertility in infected men. A small 2021 study in Prague of 163 men infected with Toxoplasma found that over 86% had semen anomalies. A 2002 study in China found that infertile couples are more likely to have a Toxoplasma infection than fertile couples, 34.83% versus 12.11%. A 2005 study in China also found that sterile men are more likely to test positive for Toxoplasma than fertile men. Not all studies, however, produce a link between toxoplasmosis and sperm quality. Toxoplasma can directly damage human sperm Toxoplasmosis in animals mirrors infection in humans, which allows researchers to address questions that are not easy to examine in people. Testicular function and sperm production are sharply diminished in Toxoplasma-infected mice, rats and rams. Infected mice have significantly lower sperm counts and a higher proportion of abnormally shaped sperm. In that April 2025 study, researchers from Germany, Uruguay, and Chile observed that Toxoplasma can reach the testes and epididymis, the tube where sperm mature and are stored, two days after infection in mice. This finding prompted the team to test what happens when the parasite comes into direct contact with human sperm in a test tube. After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded. The number of decapitated sperm increased the longer they interacted with the parasites. Sperm cells that maintained their head were often twisted and misshapen. Some sperm cells had holes in their head, suggesting the parasites were trying to invade them as it would any other type of cell in the organs it infiltrates. In addition to direct contact, Toxoplasma may also damage sperm because the infection promotes chronic inflammation. Inflammatory conditions in the male reproductive tract are harmful to sperm production and function. The researchers speculate that the harmful effects Toxoplasma may have on sperm could be contributing to large global declines in male fertility over the past decades. Preventing toxoplasmosis The evidence that Toxoplasma can infiltrate male reproductive organs in animals is compelling, but whether this produces health issues in people remains unclear. Testicular toxoplasmosis shows that parasites can invade human testes, but symptomatic disease is very rare. Studies to date that show defects in the sperm of infected men are too small to draw firm conclusions at this time. Additionally, some reports suggest that rates of toxoplasmosis in high-income countries have not been increasing over the past few decades while male infertility was rising, so it's likely to only be one part of the puzzle. Regardless of this parasite's potential effect on fertility, it is wise to avoid Toxoplasma. An infection can cause miscarriage or birth defects if someone acquires it for the first time during pregnancy, and it can be life-threatening for immunocompromised people. Toxoplasma is also the leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States. Taking proper care of your cat, promptly cleaning the litter box and thoroughly washing your hands after can help reduce your exposure to Toxoplasma. You can also protect yourself from this parasite by washing fruits and vegetables, cooking meat to proper temperatures before consuming and avoiding raw shellfish, raw water and raw milk. Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Make America ChatGPT again: Experts say AI was used to create RFK Jr health report that cited false studies
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. 's 'Make America Healthy Again' report appears to have used garbled artificial intelligence to generate scientific citations, in addition to referencing studies that do not exist. Kennedy's MAHA report, released last week, decried America's food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. It cited hundreds of studies, but the outlet NOTUS found that some of those studies did not actually exist. Now experts have found evidence that scientific citations in the report were generated by AI, which experts slammed as 'sloppy' and 'shoddy,' The Washington Post reports. Experts told the newspaper that there are definitive signs that the references in the report were generated by the U.S. artificial intelligence company OpenAI. Some citations included 'oaicite' attached to URLs, a marker that the company's chatbot was used to generate the references. The use of AI in citations undermines the credibility of the report, George C. Benjamin of the American Public Health Association told the outlet. 'This is not an evidence-based report, and for all practical purposes, it should be junked at this point,' the executive director said. 'It cannot be used for any policymaking. It cannot even be used for any serious discussion, because you can't believe what's in it.' Analysis conducted by The Post found that at least 21 links in the original version of the report to scientific studies or articles were dead. On Thursday afternoon, the report was updated to remove mentions of 'oaicite' markers and it continued to be worked on overnight, according to the newspaper. The Department of Health and Human Services characterized it as 'minor citation and formatting errors' in a statement to outlet and said that they have since been corrected. 'The substance of the MAHA report remains the same — a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children,' department spokesperson Andrew Nixon said. 'Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also questioned about the bungled report at Thursday's briefing and maintained it was 'backed on good science.' 'I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.' Leavitt told reporters. 'But it does not negate the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government.' But experts told The Post that the report should be discarded. 'The idea that they would envelop themselves in the shroud of scientific excellence while producing a report that relies heavily on AI is just shockingly hypocritical,' said Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a former Food and Drug Administration official in the Obama administration.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
This is how Sally Gunnell went from Olympic gold to training for ‘life performance' and longevity
Training to win Olympic gold and exercising for good health well into later life are two very different prospects. Today, I'm speaking to Sally Gunnell; one of the only people on the planet to have extensive experience of both. The former world champion hurdler is five minutes early for our interview, showing signs that her Olympic discipline remains. But, she tells me, her current fitness regime is far less stringent than it was 30 years ago. Instead of chasing sweat and medals, her emphasis is now on something she calls 'life performance'. 'I'm focussed on having enough energy, having enough focus, being happy in myself, being mobile, staying strong, being there for my family and preventing illnesses and injuries,' the 58-year-old says. 'But I still want to go out and have a glass of wine, eat my easter eggs, go on holiday and enjoy myself.' This approach has struck a chord with many. Gunnell's recent Instagram videos regularly reach five- and six-figure audiences, containing everything from accessible mobility routines and mindset hacks to quick home workouts you can do while the kettle boils. The mission, through this and her coaching company Life's Hurdle, is to 'help as many women as possible build confidence in life through mindset, exercise and nutrition'. To find out how, I quizzed Gunnell on how her training has shifted over the years, the best thing she believes you can do for your health, and the 'all or nothing' mindset shift that has a transformative effect on her clients. What does a typical week of training look like? Gunnell's exercise goals are refreshingly relatable, and strength training is the key to achieving them. This means two or three weekly sessions of lifting weights, with each one lasting anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. 'Even though I had my muscles when I was competing, as you age they just go – it's quite scary really, so weight sessions are an important part of my week' Gunnell tells me. Age-related strength and muscle loss is called sarcopenia, and this can start as early as your 30s. Strength training, be that lifting weights or bodyweight exercises like press-ups and squats, is the best way to counter this. 'I like to do good compound lifts [those that recruit multiple muscles at once], so that might be the squat, bench press and Romanian deadlift,' Gunnell says. 'I don't focus on all arms or all legs in a workout either, I mix it up. It doesn't need to be too complicated, I just make sure I [hit every major muscle group] in each training session .' To provide a sufficient stimulus for building strength and muscle, exercises should feel challenging too. Gunnell likes to work to the rule of thumb that 'the last two reps should be quite a strain'. To complement her strength training efforts, she also goes on regular dog walks and does a dedicated stretching session once or twice per week. 'Mobility is something I'm very conscious of, probably because I pushed my body for quite a few years, so it's really important for me to keep mobility in my legs and hips,' she explains. Gunnell still goes for a run a couple of times per week too, although she says these outings look very different to her track sessions of old. 'I'll go for a run, but it's very slow and it's much more about how I'm feeling,' she says. 'I suppose the cardio side is built into me. I don't need to go and run the marathon again, I just enjoy getting outside, getting into nature and having some really good thinking time. And I do think it's the best thing for managing stress.' The mindset change that makes the biggest difference Gunnell says the fitness pitfall most people fall into is adopting an 'all or nothing mindset'. They will set out with the best intentions, exercising regularly and adopting a healthier diet, then pack it all in as soon as they make any sort of slip-up – an act she likens to finding a flat tyre on your car then needlessly slashing the other three. 'If you miss a workout or overeat on one day, don't say 'I'm going to start again on Monday', then throw the rest of the week away. Just go back to your normal [healthy] routine as soon as you can – progress isn't about perfection,' she says. 'I like to think about it in terms of red, amber and green days. Your green days are your good days where you exercise and eat well, but sometimes you might have a red day where you don't feel like doing anything. On those days, is there one thing you can do to make it an amber day?' This could mean reaching for a nutritious snack rather than a chocolate bar, going for a short walk or doing a five-minute bodyweight workout. Making these small improvements on a regular basis is likely to have a compounding positive effect, and they can also keep you from falling off the fitness wagon. 'There are all sorts of different journeys people go on, but roughly it takes Life's Hurdle members about three months to get to a good place where they're not giving themselves a hard time and always trying to get that perfect day,' says Gunnell. 'This mindset change is a slow thing we have to work on, but it's the key to long-term health and building it into your life.' The best thing you can do for your health Linked to Gunnell's traffic light philosophy; if you're looking for a straightforward way to turn a red day into an amber one, her foundational advice couldn't be more simple: 'Get up and get walking.' 'Too many people sit behind a desk at work, then they sit in front of the telly when they come home,' she says. 'So I would say the best thing you can do is get up, get mobile, get outside and just get walking. Stretch that over the day and break your day up instead of just sitting there for eight-plus hours. I think doing that can make a big difference to a lot of people.' Walking can also be your workout for the day, particularly if you're struggling for time, she adds. 'Sometimes, when I do cardio, I only have 20 minutes so I'll go and find a hill then walk up and down it, or run up and jog back. It doesn't take long, but it gets your heart rate up, and then in your head you've done something for the day. I feel so much better afterwards as well.' Navigating life's hurdles Life's Hurdle is Gunnell's online coaching company, which she runs with her son Luca. The pair founded it in March 2024, and it has since grown from strength to strength. 'Lots of members want to lose weight and tone up, of course, but it's also about helping people feel good in themselves; having that confidence, an effective mindset, and fitting fitness into their lives,' she says. 'What I love most about it is hearing from ladies who've been with us since the beginning. They now say [exercise] is no longer about weight loss for them, but the confidence it brings them in life, and the fact their friends and family are noticing how much happier they are. That's the bit that I love, and that's what exercise can do – it's powerful.' Members have access to a personalised exercise programme, as well as two live classes per week and a weekly live chat where they can pepper the coaches with questions. There is also education around lifestyle factors such as sleep and diet, as well as a community group chat. 'The community side is great,' Gunnell says. 'I think it's the accountability that people like. They like that we care and we're there to support them and navigate them through all sorts of things they're going through in their life. 'I think for a lot of people they're daunted by gyms, they're daunted by never having done any exercise or strength training before in their life, and we give them the confidence to get their weights set up in their lounge and join in.' When can I start? People tend to delay their exercise plans until a certain date, be that a Monday, the first day of the month or, in many cases, the start of a new year. But in Gunnell's eyes, there's no time like the present. 'There's never a right or wrong time to start exercising,' she says. 'People often delay it because they're going on holiday or they have a busy month, when actually you would do better getting started now.' Gunnell identifies this as one of the most common things standing between Life's Hurdle members and a regular exercise routine. She has also spotted another recurring theme among clients. 'As women, we always put ourselves last,' she explains. 'We always look after everybody else – I've had a lot of ladies tell me, 'I want to do something for me because I'm always the one running around after the kids or the husband or the parents'. They come to us and say, 'This is the first time I've ever done something for me'. I think that's true, and I think it's very powerful as well.' Perform the superset below between one (for beginners) and three (for a challenge) times, leaving 60 seconds of rest between sets Goblet squat x10-12 Floor press x10-12 Perform the superset below between one (for beginners) and three (for a challenge) times, leaving 60 seconds of rest between sets Single-arm row x10-12 (on each side) Glute bridge x10-12 This four-move workout promises to recruit and strengthen muscles in your legs, back, glutes, chest, shoulders, arms and core with just four moves. If you perform the maximum three rounds of each superset it should still take no more than 20 minutes. A superset simply means performing two exercises back to back with no rest in between. For this workout, you would perform 10-12 goblet squats, move straight into 10-12 floor presses, then rest for 60 seconds before repeating this sequence. Once you have done your chosen number of rounds, move on to the next superset (single-arm rows and glute bridges) and follow the same sequence. Gunnell also recommends adding a core-strengthening exercise of your choice at the end, such as a dead bug or bird dog. Benefits of this workout The key to Gunnell's strength training workouts, both for herself and for her members at Life's Hurdle, is accessibility. This is because the workout people do will always be more effective than the one they don't. 'There are all sorts of different tools you can use, whether that's a couple of dumbbells, resistance bands or a kettlebell,' she says. 'You don't always need to have weights – you can use bodyweight exercises as well. 'I don't think workouts have to be complicated either. It's important to do them right technically, but you don't need to get too fancy with it – do the basics and do them well.' She tries to hit every major muscle group in each session, strengthening not only the muscles but also the bones, tendons, ligaments and joints across her entire body. This will make everyday tasks feel easier, and leave your body more resilient to injury.
