Inheritance – by Dr. Sharon Moalem

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We know genes make a big difference to a lot about us, but how much? And, the genes we have, we’re stuck with, right?

Dr. Sharon Moalem shines a bright light into some of the often-shadowier nooks and crannies of our genetics, covering such topics as:

  • How much can (and can’t) be predicted from our parents’ genes—even when it comes to genetic traits that both parents have, and Gregor Mendel himself would (incorrectly) think obvious
  • How even something so seemingly simple and clear as genetic sex, very definitely isn’t
  • How traumatic life events can cause epigenetic changes that will scar us for generations to come
  • How we can use our genetic information to look after our health much better
  • How our life choices can work with, or overcome, the hand we got dealt in terms of genes

The style of the book is conversational, down to how there’s a lot of “I” and “you” in here, and the casual style belies the heavy, sharp, up-to-date science contained within.

Bottom line: if you’d like insight into the weird and wonderful nuances of genetics as found in this real, messy, perfectly chaotic world, this book is an excellent choice.

Click here to check out Inheritance, and learn more about yours!

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    Battle autoimmune disease with a 4-step plan involving diet, stress management, gut health, and liver care—fortified by science, worksheets, and recipes to personalize your healing journey.

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  • Fix Your Upper Back With These Three Steps

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    When it comes to back pain, the lower back gets a lot of attention, but what about when it’s nearer the neck and shoulders?

    Reaching for better health

    In this short video, Liv describes and shows three exercises:

    Exercise 1: Thoracic Pullover (Dumbbell Pullover)

    Purpose: Improves overhead reach and shoulder mobility.
    Equipment: light weight, yoga block, or foam roller.
    Steps:

    1. Lie on the floor with the foam roller/block beneath the upper back.
    2. Hold the weight in both hands, arms extended upward.
    3. Inhale deeply and reach the weight toward the ceiling.
    4. Exhale and arc your spine over the block, moving the weight backward.
    5. Keep core tension to maintain a neutral lower back position.
    6. Perform 10 repetitions.

    Exercise 2: Rotational Mobility Stretch

    Purpose: enhances torso rotation, core strength, and hip mobility.
    Equipment: none (or a mat)
    Steps:

    1. Lie on your side with knees stacked at 90° and arms extended in front.
    2. Hold a weight in the top hand.
    3. Inhale and lift the top arm toward the ceiling, extending the shoulder blade.
    4. Exhale and twist your torso, allowing the arm to move toward the floor.
    5. Modify by extending the bottom leg for a deeper twist if needed.
    6. Perform 6 reps per side, switching legs and repeating on the other side.

    Exercise 3: Doorway/Pole Side Stretch

    Purpose: targets multiple areas for a deep, satisfying stretch.
    Equipment: door frame, pole, or wall.
    Steps:

    1. Stand at arm’s length from the wall or frame.
    2. Cross the outer leg (furthest from the wall) behind the inner leg.
    3. Place the closest hand on the wall and reach the other arm overhead.
    4. Grip the wall or frame with the top hand, pressing away with the bottom hand.
    5. Lean into a banana-shaped curve and rotate your chest upward for a deeper stretch.
    6. Hold for 20–30 seconds per side and repeat 2–3 times.

    For more on all of these, plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like:

    Easing Lower Back Pain

    Take care!

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  • Glutathione: More Than An Antioxidant

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Glutathione’s Benefits: The Usual And The Unique

    Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that does all the things we might reasonably expect an antioxidant to do, plus some beneficial quirks of its own.

    We do make glutathione in our bodies, but we can also get it from our diet, and of course, we can also supplement it.

    What foods is it in?

    It’s in a lot of foods, but some top examples include:

    • turmeric
    • avocado
    • asparagus
    • almonds
    • cruciferous vegetables
    • watermelon
    • garlic

    For a fuller list and discussion, see:

    Glutathione for Food and Health Applications with Emphasis on Extraction, Identification, and Quantification Methods: A Review

    What does it do?

    Let’s start with the obvious; as with most things that are antioxidant, it is also anti-inflammatory. Increasing or decreasing glutathione levels is associated with decreased or increased inflammation, respectively. For example:

    Glutathione S-transferase theta 1 protects against colitis through goblet cell differentiation via interleukin-22

    It being anti-inflammatory also means it can be beneficial in calming autoimmune disorders:

    Glutathione: a key player in autoimmunity

    And to complete the triad of “those three things that generally go together”, yes, this means it also has anticancer potential, but watch out!

    ❝Although in healthy cells [glutathione] is crucial for the removal and detoxification of carcinogens, elevated [glutathione] levels in tumor cells are associated with tumor progression and increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs❞

    ~ Dr. Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf et al.

    Read in full: Role of Glutathione in Cancer: From Mechanisms to Therapies

    So in other words, when it comes to cancer risk management, glutathione is a great preventative, but the opposite of a cure.

    What were those “beneficial quirks of its own”?

    They are mainly twofold, and the first is that it improves insulin sensitivity. There are many studies showing this, but here’s a recent one from earlier this year:

    The Role of Glutathione and Its Precursors in Type 2 Diabetes

    The other main “beneficial quirk of its own” is that it helps prevent and/or reverse non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as in this study from last year:

    Glutathione: Pharmacological aspects and implications for clinical use in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

    Because of glutathione’s presence in nuts, fruits, and vegetables, this makes it a great thing to work in tandem with a dietary approach to preventing/reversing NAFLD, by the way:

    How To Unfatty A Fatty Liver

    Anything else?

    It’s being investigated as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease symptoms, but the science is young for this one, so there is no definitive recommendation yet in this case. If you’re interested in that, though, do check out the current state of the science at:

    Potential use of glutathione as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease

    Is it safe?

    While there is no 100% blanket statement of safety that can ever be made about anything (even water can kill people, and oxygen ultimately kills everyone that something else doesn’t get first), glutathione has one of the safest general safety profiles possible, with the exception we noted earlier (if you have cancer, it is probably better to skip this one unless an oncologist or similar advises you otherwise).

    As ever, do speak with your doctor/pharmacist to be sure in any case, though!

    Want to try some?

    We don’t sell it, but here for your convenience is an example product on Amazon 😎

    Enjoy!

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  • What you need to know about H5N1 bird flu

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    On May 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a Michigan dairy worker tested positive for H5N1 bird flu. It was the fourth person to test positive for H5N1 in the United States, following another recent case in Michigan, an April case in Texas, and an initial case in Colorado in 2022

    H5N1 bird flu has been spreading among bird species in the U.S. since 2021, killing millions of wild birds and poultry. In late March 2024, H5N1 bird flu was found in cows for the first time, causing an outbreak in dairy cows across several states. 

    U.S. public health officials and researchers are particularly concerned about this outbreak because the virus has infected cows and other mammals and has spread from a cow to a human for the first time. 

    This bird flu strain has shown to not only make wild mammals, including marine mammals and bears, very sick but to also cause high rates of death among species, says Jane Sykes, professor of small animal medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. 

    “And now that it has been found in cattle, [it] raises particular concern for spread to all the animal species, including people,” adds Sykes.

    Even though the risk for human infection is low and there has never been human-to-human transmission of H5N1, there are several actions you can take to stay protected. Read on to learn more about H5N1 bird flu and the current outbreak. 

    What is H5N1? 

    H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that most commonly affects birds, causing them severe respiratory illness and death. 

    The H5N1 strain first emerged in China in the 1990s, and it has continued to spread around the world since then. In 1997, the virus spread from animals to humans in Hong Kong for the first time, infecting 18 people, six of whom died. 

    Since 2020, the H5N1 strain has caused “an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries,” according to the World Health Organization

    Even though bird flu is rare in humans, an H5N1 infection can cause mild to severe illness and can be fatal in some cases. It can cause eye infection, upper respiratory symptoms, and pneumonia. 

    What do we know about the 2024 human cases of H5N1 in the U.S.?

    The Michigan worker who tested positive for H5N1 in late May is a dairy worker who was exposed to infected livestock. They were the first to experience respiratory symptoms—including a cough without a fever—during the current outbreak. They were given an antiviral and the CDC says their symptoms are resolving.

    The Michigan farm worker who tested positive earlier in May only experienced eye-related symptoms and has already recovered. And the dairy worker who tested positive for the virus in Texas in April only experienced eye redness as well, was treated with an antiviral medication for the flu, and is recovering. 

    Is H5N1 bird flu in the milk we consume?

    The Food and Drug Administration has found traces of H5N1 bird flu virus in raw or unpasteurized milk. However, pasteurized milk is safe to drink. 

    Pasteurization, the process of heating milk to high temperatures to kill harmful bacteria (which the majority of commercially sold milk goes through), deactivates the virus. In 20 percent of pasteurized milk samples, the FDA found small, inactive (not live nor infectious) traces of the virus, but these fragments do not make pasteurized milk dangerous.

    In a recent Infectious Diseases Society of America briefing, Dr. Maximo Brito, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, said that it’s important for people to avoid “drinking unpasteurized or raw milk [because] there are other diseases, not only influenza, that could be transmitted by drinking unpasteurized milk.” 

    What can I do to prevent bird flu?

    While the risk of H5N1 infection in humans is low, people with exposure to infected animals (like farmworkers) are most at risk. But there are several actions you can take to stay protected. 

    One of the most important things, according to Sykes, is taking the usual precautions we’ve taken with COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, including frequent handwashing, especially before eating. 

    “Handwashing and mask-wearing [are important], just as we learned from the pandemic,” Sykes adds. “And it’s not wearing a mask at all times, but thinking about high-risk situations, like when you’re indoors in a crowded environment, where transmission of respiratory viruses is much more likely to occur.” 

    There are other steps you can take to prevent H5N1, according to the CDC:

    • Avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals, including wild birds and poultry.
    • Don’t touch surfaces that may have been contaminated with animal poop, saliva, or mucus. 
    • Cook poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria or virus, including H5N1. Generally, avoid eating undercooked food. 
    • Avoid consuming unpasteurized or raw milk or products like cheeses made with raw milk. 
    • Avoid eating uncooked or undercooked food.
    • Poultry and livestock farmers and workers and bird flock owners should wear masks and other personal protective equipment “when in direct or close physical contact with sick birds, livestock, or other animals; carcasses; feces; litter; raw milk; or surfaces and water that might be contaminated with animal excretions from potentially or confirmed infected birds, livestock, or other animals.” (The CDC has more recommendations for this population here.)

    Is there a vaccine for H5N1?

    The CDC said there are two candidate H5N1 vaccines ready to be made and distributed in case the virus starts to spread from person to person, and the country is now moving forward with plans to produce millions of vaccine doses.

    The FDA has approved several bird flu vaccines since 2007. The U.S. has flu vaccines in stockpile through the National Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Stockpile program, which allows for quick response as strains of the flu virus evolve.  

    Could this outbreak become a pandemic?

    Scientists and researchers are concerned about the possibility of H5N1 spreading among people and causing a pandemic. “Right now, the risk is low, but as time goes on, the potential for mutation to cause widespread human infection increases,” says Sykes. 

    “I think this virus jumping into cows has shown the urgency to keep tracking [H5N1] a lot more closely now,” Peter Halfmann, research associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Influenza Research Institute tells PGN. “We have our eyes on surveillance now. … We’re keeping a much closer eye, so it’s not going to take us by surprise.”

    This article first appeared on Public Good News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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  • Undo It! – by Dr. Dean Ornish & Anne Ornish
  • Ear Today, Gone Tomorrow

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

    As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

    So, no question/request too big or small

    ❝Have just had microsuction to remove wax from my ears. A not unpleasant experience but would appreciate your guidance on how best to discourage the buildup of wax in the first place.❞

    Well, certainly do not prod or poke it, and that includes with cotton buds (Q-Tips, for the Americans amongst us). That pushes more down than that it extracts, and creates a denser base of wax.

    There is no evidence that ear candles help, and they can cause harm.

    Further reading: Experts update best practices for diagnosis and treatment of earwax (cerumen impaction)

    Ear drops can help, and if you want a home-remedy edition, olive oil or almond oil can be used; these oils dissolve the wax quite quickly (in fancier words: they are cerumenolytic agents); washing with water (e.g. in the shower or bath) is then all that’s needed. However, to avoid infection, ensure you are using a high-purity oil, and get one to use just for that; don’t just grab a bottle from the kitchen.

    For your convenience, here is an example of medical grade almond oil (with dropper!) on Amazon

    ❝Every article had relevance to me. I ❤️ whole fruit, it’s my go to treat. I use ice packs to ease my arthritic knee pain, works well. I’ve read and loved Dr Gawande’s books. Great handful of almonds today❞

    While this wasn’t a question, and we don’t usually publish feedback here, I (your writer here, hi) misread that as “ice picks” in the first instance, an implement we’ve probably all wanted to use to relieve pain at some point, but certainly not recommendable! Anyway, the momentary confusion made me smile, so I thought I’d share the silly thought. Smiling is infectious, and all that… And it’s certainly good for the health!

    More seriously, glad you enjoyed!

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  • Apple vs Apricot – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing apple to apricot, we picked the apricot.

    Why?

    In terms of macros, there’s not too much between them; apples are higher in carbs and only a little higher in fiber, which disparity makes for a slightly higher glycemic index, but it’s not a big difference and they are both low GI foods.

    Micronutrients, however, set these two fruits apart:

    In the category of vitamins, apple is a tiny bit higher in choline, while apricots are higher in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, and K—in most cases, by quite large margins, too. All in all, a clear and easy win for apricots.

    When it comes to minerals, apples are not higher in any minerals, while apricots are higher in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. There’s simply no contest here.

    In short, if an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then an apricot will give the doctor a nice weekend break somewhere.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer

    Take care!

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  • Want the health benefits of strength training but not keen on the gym? Try ‘exercise snacking’

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    The science is clear: resistance training is crucial to ageing well. Lifting weights (or doing bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats or push-ups) can help you live independently for longer, make your bones stronger, reduce your risk of diseases such as diabetes, and may even improve your sleep and mental health.

    But not everyone loves the gym. Perhaps you feel you’re not a “gym person” and never will be, or you’re too old to start. Being a gym-goer can be expensive and time-consuming, and some people report feeling unwelcome or awkward at the gym.

    The good news is you don’t need the gym, or lots of free time, to get the health benefits resistance training can offer.

    You can try “exercise snacking” instead.

    Pressmaster/Shutterstock

    What is exercise snacking?

    Exercise snacking involves doing multiple shorter bouts (as little as 20 seconds) of exercise throughout the day – often with minimal or no equipment. It’s OK to have several hours of rest between.

    You could do simple bodyweight exercises such as:

    • chair sit-to-stand (squats)
    • lunges
    • box step-ups
    • calf raises
    • push-ups.

    Exercise snacking like this can help improve muscle mass, strength and physical function.

    It’s OK to hold onto a nearby object for balance, if you need. And doing these exercises regularly will also improve your balance. That, in turn, reduces your risk of falls and fractures.

    OK I have done all those, now what?

    Great! You can also try using resistance bands or dumbbells to do the previously mentioned five exercises as well as some of the following exercises:

    When using resistance bands, make sure you hold them tightly and that they’re securely attached to an immovable object.

    Exercise snacking works well when you pair it with an activity you do often throughout the day. Perhaps you could:

    • do a few extra squats every time you get up from a bed or chair
    • do some lunges during a TV ad break
    • chuck in a few half squats while you’re waiting for your kettle to boil
    • do a couple of elevated push-ups (where you support your body with your hands on a chair or a bench while doing the push-up) before tucking into lunch
    • sneak in a couple of calf raises while you’re brushing your teeth.
    A man does weighted lunges in his lounge room.
    Exercise snacking involves doing multiple shorter bouts (as little as 20 seconds) of exercise throughout the day. Cavan-Images/Shutterstock

    What does the evidence say about exercise snacking?

    One study had older adults without a history of resistance training do exercise snacks at home twice per day for four weeks.

    Each session involved five simple bodyweight exercises (chair sit-to-stand, seated knee extension, standing knee bends, marching on the spot, and standing calf raises). The participants did each exercise continuously for one minute, with a one-minute break between exercises.

    These short and simple exercise sessions, which lasted just nine minutes, were enough to improve a person’s ability to stand up from a chair by 31% after four weeks (compared to a control group who didn’t exercise). Leg power and thigh muscle size improved, too.

    Research involving one of us (Jackson Fyfe) has also shown older adults found “exercise snacking” feasible and enjoyable when done at home either once, twice, or three times per day for four weeks.

    Exercise snacking may be a more sustainable approach to improve muscle health in those who don’t want to – or can’t – lift heavier weights in a gym.

    A little can yield a lot

    We know from other research that the more you exercise, the more likely it is you will keep exercising in future.

    Very brief resistance training, albeit with heavier weights, may be more enjoyable than traditional approaches where people aim to do many, many sets.

    We also know brief-and-frequent exercise sessions can break up periods of sedentary behaviour (which usually means sitting too much). Too much sitting increases your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, whereas exercise snacking can help keep your blood sugar levels steady.

    Of course, longer-term studies are needed. But the evidence we do have suggests exercise snacking really helps.

    An older Asian man lifts weights at home.
    Just a few short exercise sessions can do you a world of good. eggeegg/Shutterstock

    Why does any of this matter?

    As you age, you lose strength and mass in the muscles you use to walk, or stand up. Everyday tasks can become a struggle.

    All this contributes to disability, hospitalisation, chronic disease, and reliance on community and residential aged care support.

    By preserving your muscle mass and strength, you can:

    • reduce joint pain
    • get on with activities you enjoy
    • live independently in your own home
    • delay or even eliminate the need for expensive health care or residential aged care.

    What if I walk a lot – is that enough?

    Walking may maintain some level of lower body muscle mass, but it won’t preserve your upper body muscles.

    If you find it difficult to get out of a chair, or can only walk short distances without getting out of breath, resistance training is the best way to regain some of the independence and function you’ve lost.

    It’s even more important for women, as muscle mass and strength are typically lower in older women than men. And if you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, which is more common in older women than men, resistance exercise snacking at home can improve your balance, strength, and bone mineral density. All of this reduces the risk of falls and fractures.

    You don’t need heavy weights or fancy equipment to benefit from resistance training.

    So, will you start exercise snacking today?

    Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University and Jackson Fyfe, Senior Lecturer, Strength and Conditioning Sciences, Deakin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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