Latest news with #toxicity
Daily Mail
3 days 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.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Why popular herbal supplements might be toxic for your liver
A growing number of liver damage and toxicity cases are linked to commonly used herbal and dietary supplements, and there has been a significant increase in people with supplement-related liver failure requiring transplants. Studies indicate that up to 20% of liver toxicity cases are connected to supplements, potentially leading to impaired liver function, liver failure, and, in severe cases, death, with over 50,000 liver disease-related deaths occurring annually. Common supplements like turmeric, black cohosh, red yeast rice, Garcinia cambogia, and green tea extract have been identified as potentially harmful, especially in high doses, and may not be accurately labeled. Experts highlight that supplements are not subject to the same rigorous testing as prescription drugs, leading to potential risks, and that many patients do not inform their doctors about their supplement use, increasing the danger. Symptoms of liver damage from supplements include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and jaundice; with researchers advocating for increased awareness and caution in supplement use to prevent future deaths.
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
The Folly of Investigating Fluoride Toothpaste
Your editorial 'The Fluoride Toothpaste Conspiracy' (May 15) is on target. Allow me to go even further. The 2024 National Toxicology Program study that has helped fuel Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's investigation is highly flawed. It is based on its review of 19 reports, none of which were conducted in the U.S. Ten were from China, three from India and Mexico, two from Canada and one from Iran. IQ studies aren't perfect without reliable outcomes, and IQ studies in young children are less reliable and difficult to measure. Even so, the study's conclusion was that there was 'moderate confidence' that fluoride exposure in drinking water above 1.5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) leads to negative effects among children. No effect was noted in adults. The World Health Organization's guideline is 1.5 mg/L, and the U.S.'s is 0.7 mg/L. The results are thus of limited relevance in the U.S anyway.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UniXell Biotechnology announces the first patient dosed with UX-DA001, an investigational autologous iPSC based cell therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, in its Phase 1 study
SHANGHAI, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai UniXell Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (UniXell Biotech), a biotech company dedicated to innovative cell therapies, announced the successful first administration of its proprietary Parkinson's disease cell drug UX-DA001 in China in March 2025. The Phase I clinical trial aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of UX-DA001 in patients with Parkinson's disease. On March 1, 2025, Dr. Li Dianyou, Director of the Functional Neurosurgery Department at Ruijin Hospital, performed the surgical path planning and the subsequent stereotactic surgery for transplantation. The successful surgery marks the official initiation of China's first registration-directed clinical trial for an autologous iPSC-derived cell therapy for Parkinson's disease. The one-month postoperative follow-up revealed significant improvements in the patient's sleep quality and motor function, with no severe adverse events reported. The first recipient of UniXell's autologous stem cell-derived drug, UX-DA001, shared, "after receiving the stem cell treatment, I experienced a remarkable improvement in my sleep quality. I fall asleep quickly and notice gradual progress every day. Although recovery takes time, the 'day by day improvement' fills me with hope for the future." Dr. Liu Jun, Principal Investigator of the trial and Director of the Neurology Department at Ruijin Hospital, noted "current standard treatment for Parkinson's disease primarily relies on medications to alleviate symptoms. However, after prolonged oral drug treatment, patients often experience fluctuations in efficacy and disease progression continues. In contrast, cell therapy offers the prospect of 'one-time treatment with long-term benefits.'" About UX-DA001 and Phase 1 Trial UX-DA001 is an investigational autologous iPSC-derived neural progenitor cell drug. It is derived from the patient's own peripheral blood cells, which are firstly reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells and then differentiated into dopaminergic neurons in vitro. It is then transplanted into the patient's brain through a minimally invasive surgery. UX-DA001 leverages the patient's own cells, significantly reducing the risk of immune rejection. Patients do not require immunosuppressive drugs, thereby avoiding potential side effects such as increased infection and tumor risks, organ toxicity, and metabolic disorders, thus achieving a safer and more effective treatment that significantly improves the quality of life for patients. The UX-DA001 has received clinical trial approvals (Investigational New Drug, IND) from both the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2024 and February 2025, respectively, offering UX-DA001 a potential to have implications on patients with Parkinson's disease in not only China but also globally. The phase 1 study is conducted at Ruijin hospital in Shanghai, China, under the guidance of Dr. Liu Jun, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator (PI). The transplantation is performed by Dr. Li Dianyou, the director of the Functional Neurosurgery Department. This clinical study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of UX-DA001 cell transplantation. It also investigates whether the transplanted cells survive, integrate and improve motor function in subjects with Parkinson's disease. More information about this trial is available at (NCT#06778265). About UniXell Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Shanghai UniXell Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was established in 2021, specializing in the research and development of cell therapy drugs for neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. In addition to its autologous UX-DA001, UniXell`s IND application for UX-DA002, an allogenic cell therapy for Parkinson`s disease, has been recently accepted by NMPA. The company is equipped with a 4000 m2 R&D center and GMP facilities. It has developed four major innovative technology platforms based on reprogramming technology, stem cell differentiation technology, SISBAR lineage tracing technology, and high-precision gene editing. These platforms facilitate the development and production of neural cell drugs with higher purity and more stable efficacy, ensuring efficient and safe clinical treatment outcomes. As of the present, UniXell has successfully obtained several rounds of funding from esteemed investors, such as Hillhouse Capital, CDH Investments, Fosun Group, Sherpa Healthcare Partners, TF Capital, and Tianshi Capital, among others. This underscores the robust market confidence in its pioneering therapeutic solutions and its potential for growth. Contact: UniXell Biotechnology Co., View original content: SOURCE UniXell Biotechnology Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Starch-based bioplastic may be as toxic as petroleum-based plastic, study finds
Starch-based bioplastic that is said to be biodegradable and sustainable is potentially as toxic as petroleum-based plastic, and can cause similar health problems, new peer-reviewed research finds. Bioplastics have been heralded as the future of plastic because it breaks down quicker than petroleum-based plastic, and is often made from plant-based material such as corn starch, rice starch or sugar. The material is often used in fast fashion clothing, wet wipes, straws, cutlery and a range of other products. The new research found damage to organs, changes to the metabolism, gut microbe imbalances that can lead to cardiovascular disease, and changes to glucose levels, among other health issues. The authors say their study is the first to confirm 'adverse effects of long-term exposure' in mice. 'Biodegradable starch-based plastics may not be as safe and health-promoting as originally assumed,' Yongfeng Deng, a study co-author with something, said in a media statement. 'This is particularly concerning given their potential for accidental ingestion.' Plastic is a notoriously toxic material that can contain any of more than 16,000 chemicals, many of which are known to be hazardous to human health or the environment, or have no public toxicological profile. Common plasticizers, such as phthalates and bisphenol, are among the most toxic human-made substances, and linked to health issues from cancer to hormone disruption. While bioplastics have been pushed as a safer alternative, previous research has found they don't break down as fast as the industry has claimed. Meanwhile, there is a dearth of research on the material's toxicity. Still, its production has proliferated in recent years – nearly 2.5 metric tonnes were used last year, and that figure will more than double over the next five years, according to an industry trade group estimate. Like petroleum-based plastics, bioplastics shed and turn into micro-bioplastics – clothing, for example, can shed at high levels when washed, and that can end up in food and water. In the new study, researchers for three months fed several groups of mice food and water contaminated with 'environmentally relevant' levels of bioplastics, and a third with no bioplastics. They found many of the same health problems from exposure to the plant-based plastic as petroleum-based – the chemicals were found in the mice's tissue in their livers, ovaries and intestines, where they caused microlesions. Researchers also found abnormalities in the livers and ovaries, and at higher levels in the group fed more bioplastic. The material also affected genetic pathways and specific gut microbiota imbalances, which the researchers suggest could alter circadian rhythms. The authors note more research is needed, but the findings raise questions about the safety of bioplastics that are a part of everyday life. Some activists and researchers suggest taking steps to reduce exposure to plastic – in everyday things such as kitchenware or clothing – despite it being difficult to avoid in daily life.
