A new study suggests that not all Americans are getting their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 10 percent of Americans, or 1 in 10, are adding enough fruits and veggies to their diets.

The official guidelines recommend 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and up to 3 cups of veggies per day. For example, one large banana or a grapefruit is the equivalent of one cup. One sweet potato or a dozen baby carrots accounts for one cup of vegetables.

CDC researchers found that just 9.3 percent of Americans eat enough veggies and 12.2 percent have enough fruit on their plates. The analysis also includes a comparison on a state-by-state basis. West Virginia has the lowest consumption of fruit (7.3 percent), with Washington D.C. eating the most fruits (12%). Alaska has the largest consumption of vegetables (12%), with West Virginia being at the low end.

Texas is eating relatively healthy with 12.1% when it comes to fruits, and 10.9% when it comes to veggies, and so are Florida and New York with 14% and 10.3%, 14% and 9.6% respectively.

Women Tend to Eat more Fruits and Veggies than Men

The study also revealed that Hispanics tend to have enough fruits (15.7%) and veggies (10.5%) in their diets while Whites eat the fewest fruits and blacks the fewest vegetables.

Americans aged 31 to 50 tend to consume enough fruit with 13.8% saying they eat enough fruit per day. When it comes to veggies, those in their fifties and older tend to consume the most vegetables (10.9%) Americans aged 18 to 30 tend to eat the fewest fruit and veggies, with 9.2% and 8.8 percent respectively.

The analysis also revealed that women tend to eat healthier than men by a large margin: 15.1% versus 9.2% when it comes to fruits, and 10.9%  versus 7.6% when it comes to veggies.

As a side note, the US Department of Agriculture found that Americans are consuming slightly more fruit and veggies than they did five decades ago.
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For more than 30 years, the debate on whether the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) was a mental disturbance has been a hot topic. Even those among the medical community have doubted the existence of the condition.

However, a new study from Georgetown University may lay to rest many of the debates. They discovered that those who suffer from this disease have changing molecules in their brains. What once was thought of as a psychological disorder is now known as a problem with the alternation of the brain’s chemistry.

One Study Changed Everything

CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a condition that causes widespread pain, mental and physical fatigue, as well as cognitive dysfunction. Many in the medical community could not believe this was a genuine illness. It was often a label given to people when they did not fit the diagnostic categories for other conditions. Critics often speculated that it was a condition that was psychological in nature.

However, the brain molecule miRNA and its changing levels have been discovered amongst CFS patients. This molecule is responsible for turning on and off production in the brain. The altering levels can cause exhaustion, among other symptoms.

The fact that nearly three million Americans suffer from this condition, and the hype regarding this matter, was the fuel for this study. While this study doesn’t end all the debates, it does lay the groundwork for a better understanding of the disorder. There are still many skeptics out there but more and more people are being diagnosed and suffering from CFS.

More Investigation Is Warranted

Up until about 2015, CFS was called the ‘yuppie flu.’ The fact that miRNA levels are altered in conditions like depression, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease cannot go unnoticed. The news will give hope to the millions of people suffering from CFS. For medical doctors, it warrants more study and perhaps a change of heart on the matter.

Something has caused so many people to fight overwhelming fatigue and to have sore throats and a general malaise most days of their life. It’s time the medical community find out the root cause.
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The State Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in Michigan ruled in favor of an extremely disruptive measure in September. According to the bill, all dispensaries that sell medical marijuana have to close their doors before December 15. Those stores that don’t abide are going to be forced to shut down. After this date, the agency will make applications available for business owners to obtain one out of five categories of licenses.

Authorities Decided to Reverse Their September Rule

However, such a state decision was met with overwhelming criticism. The department received hundreds of complaints from owners of a marijuana card. Most of them claimed that this measure would deny them access to their necessary medication for a too long period of time. There are at least 272,000 card holders in Michigan who rely on this new legal therapy to comfort a series of ailments such as cancer or epilepsy.

As a result, the state decided to address the issue raised by the local community. Therefore, authorities endorsed an emergency clause on Wednesday. According to this new rule, all currently operational medical marijuana stores that have gone through any approval process will be able to serve customers on. In the meantime, they are required to obtain the new state licenses.

The director of state’s Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, Andrew Brisbo, claimed that the complaints they received had played a major factor in this rule reversal.

“When we looked at the feedback, especially from people with the greatest difficulty of access, we wanted to ensure that those folks would have access to their medicine.”

The State Will Start Granting Licenses to Medical Marijuana Businesses at the Beginning of 2018

Those stores that will continue to serve local community are not going to benefit any advantage to secure a place in the new regulated market. Instead, they will have same opportunities to go through the licensing process like any other candidate.

The five categories of licenses include growers, testers, processors, secure transporters, and dispensaries. Entities can send their applications starting with December 15. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board will start granting licenses at the beginning of 2018.

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International cosmetic brand Sephora has just been served with a new lawsuit. Documents regarding this case claim that a woman fell victim to an unsealed lipstick tester. The result of this contact was oral herpes.

The New Lawsuit Claim that Sephora Should Display Warnings on Their Makeup Samples

Back in October 2015, the plaintiff entered a Sephora store located in Los Angeles, California. Drawn by their makeup products, the woman tested a lipstick by applying on her lips the makeup from a tester. After this visit, medical experts diagnosed her with oral herpes. The woman claims that she never displayed symptoms of such a viral disease before trying the Sephora lipstick.

The identity of the plaintiff remained undisclosed for her protection. Furthermore, the lawsuit documents reveal that the main allegations stem from the fact that the company failed to inform its clients thoroughly.

For instance, there was no label or sign to indicate that a lipstick tester is considered a health risk. By using the same brush that other clients must have employed, clients are exposing themselves to herpes or other skin diseases. The plaintiff stated that she is always paying attention to cosmetic side effects and would have never used the lipstick tester if she was fully aware of the risks.

The woman referenced to other makeup brands that came up with safe solutions. They are letting their clients sample their products through individual testers. Members of the staff are also trained to offer testimonies and guidance for a more efficient shopping session. This way, stores’ clientele is safe from contacting unwanted viruses.

The Plaintiff Considers the Sephora Lipstick Tester Inflicted Life-Time Emotional Trauma

Oral herpes is targeting mouth, lips or gums. Symptoms are usually small yet painful blisters at the surface of the skin. The virus can be spread through direct contact with the oral region of someone who is infected. However, it can also spread through objects that came in direct contact with the fever blisters.

Even though the blisters disappear after treatment, the virus remains in the system forever. Those infected can develop the sores for numerous times throughout their lives.

Therefore, the lawsuit doesn’t ask for a specific indemnification. Instead, the defendant is considered responsible for emotional trauma due to causing life-time suffering to the plaintiff.

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The most comprehensive study to date linked 9 million deaths each year to the effects of pollution. Be it in the air, soil, water, this invisible threat might end the human society as we know it.

Toxicity seems to have infiltrated everyone. It is there when people breath, when they drink water, when they work. The culprit for this widespread poison is pollution. Each year, one in six persons across Earth die because of it.

The Deadliest Pollution Subcategory Is Outdoor Air Quality

The Lancet Commission was in charge of this paper which is the most thorough research on this topic ever officially recorded. The team analyzed all the existing data there are about the topic of pollution. Most of the reports were found under the World Health Organization ownership, but there were other official sources consulted as well.

The resulted image is made of a compendium of conclusions all solid studies that were conducted to date reached. Scientists took not only the toll pollution took on health care into consideration but also the economic ramifications of this lurking invisible threat.

One of the main conclusions was that the pollution encompassed heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and any other widespread illnesses with the power to affect the global human population. The most lethal subcategory is outdoor air pollution. Vehicle and industrial sectors are the main agents that make this toxic condition even deadlier. Each year 4.5 million individuals develop health complications due to the low quality of the air they breathe and eventually lose their life.

The second biggest killer is water pollution mostly related to sewage. This negative health agent triggers parasitic infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and other diseases that cause 1.8 million deaths per year.

This Invisible Threat Costs Global Economy a Total of $4.5 Trillion a Year

Interestingly enough, the study tries to collapse one of the vile concepts that capitalism perpetuates. It is expensive to change all companies to become ecological.

Numerous people claimed that solving the pollution issue would only drag the economy down. Therefore, nations don’t afford to change their industry. However, the new study showed otherwise.

The research estimates that the global economy has to cover $4.5 trillion a year to cover the damages of pollution. This amount equals 6% of global GDP that is exhausted each year due to lack of proactive measures. Therefore, it would be more moneywise to solve pollution than to let things as they are.

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Health officials are recommending American citizens more than ever to take their flu shots. That’s because at least half of the U.S. population doesn’t vaccinate every year. The reasons vary from fear of needles to disbelief in science. Nonetheless, experts claim that even those persons who can last years without a case of influenza should make a doctor appointment for a vaccine. This is the only way to protect the herd immunity.

Influenza can be deadly to healthy people, yet it is seldom so. Therefore, this condition doesn’t seem significant enough to make a doctor appointment. However, it turns out that the vaccine is not imperative just to strengthen the immunity of one person but the immunity of an entire community.

The herd immunity can offer extra protection to those with high levels of vulnerability to disease. Think of it as an invisible shield over a group of people that keep the viral infection outside.

However, this protective layer will crumble if not enough community members get the shot. Therefore, the safety bubble will burst leaving people exposed to the infection.

Each Time a Person Gets the Flu Shot, The Herd Immunity Becomes Stronger

Taking the vaccine will not only protect the person in question from potential periods of exhaustion, runny nose, coughs, fever, and other symptoms. It will also shield others. The vaccine will act as an umbrella that can host anyone a vaccinated person gets in contact with. So, friends, colleagues, and family members will be safer this way.

Let’s portray the side effects of not getting the flu shot better. For this exercise, we have a healthy person that hasn’t got influenza in years. Therefore, she doesn’t believe a vaccine is required.

However, she starts using the public transport when the flu season begins. This is how she comes near another person whose allergies prevented him from taking the vaccine.

As a result, that stranger will have higher chances to get sick. People with weak immune systems will feel the same side effects. This is a good example of how the absence of a herd immunity can impact an entire community.

As a conclusion, the flu shot is not just for individuals. It is a prerequisite for a good health condition of an entire community.

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An intriguing new study is challenging the concept of a divorce. It turns out that this devastating life event might not be entirely linked to the history of the pair. One of the reasons why some people request separation can have a genetic nature. Therefore, some divorced couples risked reaching this point from the moment they were born.

Adoptees Were More at Risk to Replicate Their Biological Parents’ Divorce Than Those of Their Adoptive Family

So far, research showed that offspring of divorced parents are more inclined to repeat their family’s history than those kids from two-parent households. A new paper that appeared in Psychological Science took a more in-depth look into this issue.

The reason why kids from broken marriages have higher chances to experience a divorce themselves might have little to do with the way their parents nurtured them. Instead, this destiny might be encoded directly into their genes.

An international team of scientists from Sweden and the United States was behind this study. They investigated data from 20,000 Swedish cases of adults who were adopted as kids. Their findings point out that this pool of grownups was more inclined to replicate the divorces their biological parents went through than the history of their adoptive family.

Lead author Jessica Salvatore, Ph.D., believes these observations are of great significance. They actually go against popular beliefs that blame parents of exposing their offspring to the experience of a divorce. However, this new paper contradicts this scenario and blames this behavioral heritage on genetics.

On the other hand, Salvatore doesn’t match a child’s love life to the example their parents set for them as divorced couples. However, this is merely a risk factor.

“We all bring liabilities into our relationships, whether we come from a happy, harmonious home or a troubled and fractured home.”

The Study Indicates that Divorced Couples Are the Result of a Plethora of Genetic, Environmental Factors

The study contains a secondary sample with 80,000 participants. This time, the cases regarded grownups with a biological mother and a stepfather.

The findings indicate that the participants’ divorce rates were influenced by their biological fathers, even though they didn’t share a home together. On the other hand, the mother’s relationship with stepfather was considered as an even more powerful influence in children’s love life.

Therefore, the study concludes that a divorce is the result of a cocktail of agents. Some of them have even genetic materials. Therefore, this is an indication for professionals who work with struggling or divorced couples to better consider how they formulate their guidance.

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The American Civil Liberties Union has just filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration. The legal measure intends to force the federal agency to lift access limitations to the abortion pill. The organization together with a Hawaiian doctor believes that authorities are actually in violation of a Supreme Court ruling.

Dr. Chelius’s Remote Island Has No Local Abortion Providers

On Tuesday, ACLU opened a legal battle against FDA regarding access to Mifeprex. Such a measure received an explanation on ACLU’s website in a blog post. The organization claimed that it had joined the efforts of a Hawaiian doctor, Graham Chelius, to offer better health care to women.

Dr. Chelius is a successful pediatrician who took care of hundreds of births. However, he is appalled by the fact that there are no local solutions to women’s right to an abortion in Waimea, Hawaii. Whenever his patients consult him on this issue, Dr. Chelius has no other choice than to redirect them to a 150-miles away facility for professional help.

“There are no abortion providers on our island.”

The remote community in Kauai has to deal with numerous issues. The rates here are high in poverty, domestic violence, food shortage, and health experts. Dr. Chelius intends to improve his community starting with offering women control over their own bodies.

A 2016 Supreme Court Ruling Forced Authorities to Clear Any Obstacles in Women’s Access to the Abortion Pill

The main issue stems from the fact that the FDA doesn’t allow retail pharmacies to accept prescriptions for abortion pills. Only entities that are recognized by drug manufacturers such as clinics and medical offices have the approval to issue this medication. On the other hand, the federal agency applied milder regulations on other drugs that are viewed as less safe than Mifeprex such as Viagra or blood thinners.

Dr. Chelius claimed that his anti-abortion colleagues made it impossible to register his clinic with abortion pill manufacturers. Therefore, he intends to force FDA to endorse a 2016 Supreme Court decision.

The ruling known as ‘Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt’ ordered authorities to clear any hurdle that can impair women’s access to abortion. The goal of the new lawsuit against FDA is to allow local pharmacies to fill prescriptions for Mifeprex.

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All doctors recommend people to get annual check-ups. However, a thorough job requires a multitude of tests. The accomplishment of such a routine might get daunting. Therefore, scientists came up with the idea of smart tattoos. The ink incorporated in people’s bodies will be able to detect medical urgencies, and it will change color accordingly. Afterward, these individuals will know exactly what health exams to make an appointment for or what treatment to choose for their condition.

Smart Tattoos Notify People of a Certain Health Condition by Chainging Color

A team of scientists at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a new device to work for people called Dermal Abyss. The design constitutes of a special tattoo ink that can intercept signals from different biomarkers that start changing.

Once they detect something that is not within common grounds, these pigments begin changing their color. Such biological events can be a dehydration process of an athlete or blood sugar increases in a person with diabetes.

One of the authors of the study, Ali Yetisen, claimed that this idea was the result of a brainstorm. The same team of colleagues started wondering how the next generation of technologies might change healthcare industry. Instead of waiting for an answer on the news, they created a set of biosensors that humans can integrate into their skin.

“And so we came up with the idea that we could incorporate biosensors in the skin.”

The Monitoring Pigments Can Improve the Quality of Life of Those Patients with Chronic Conditions

So far, the group worked on inks that are sensitive to sodium and glucose concentration. When the glucose increases, the first type of pigments will turn from green to brown. As for higher levels of sodium that usually indicate dehydration, the smart tattoos will get a stronger shade of green color. However, this change could be tracked only under the influence of blue light.

The composition of the ink reacts to the chemistry of interstitial fluid. This solution can be considered to be similar to blood’s constituents. Scientists first used their biosensors on pig skin to record their transformation. They recorded the color or the intensity of their response to different biomarkers.

In the end, the ink can function as a monitoring tool for chronic conditions. At the same time, it can also help with short-term monitoring necessities. For those who don’t enjoy the idea of getting a permanent or temporary tattoo just for the sake of health care, the designs can be created with invisible ink. These pigments can become noticeable under a particular type of light.

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