US Daylight Savings Time To Become Permanent (But There’s A Catch)

…and other items from this week’s health news:

🎶 Please don’t take my sunshine away 🎶

Many people have long argued against moving the clocks back and forth twice per year.

Science backs this up! Changing the clock times might have served a purpose during the industrial revolution, but in today’s modern world, it just messes with our circadian rhythm for no discernible benefit.

A few days ago, the US House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act which would make daylight saving time (DST) permanent nationwide if approved by the Senate.

However, a wide array of sleep scientists have pointed out a little problem.

For example, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) supports ending seasonal clock changes, but recommends permanent standard time, not permanent daylight saving time.

The reason is that standard time better matches the body’s natural biological clock because it provides more morning sunlight, the strongest cue for regulating sleep and wakefulness, whereas permanent daylight saving time would produce darker mornings for much of the year, making it harder to wake up, particularly for children and teenagers, and making it harder to fall asleep at night, particularly for older people.

In all likelihood the logic for permanent DST was “well it’s sunnier in summer and that’s what we want more of”, but it doesn’t work that way. The seasons will remain the seasons, and the Earth’s axial tilt will not read the new legislation and will spin on just the same. The only difference is what we call the hours, and making 8am the new 7am does not support earlier starts, and making 11pm the new 10pm does not support ideal bedtimes.

Read in full: US House passes legislation to make daylight saving time permanent

Related: Why Not To Be A Night Owl After 40

Folks are calling it the MAHA blast

The MAHA health initiative set out with good intentions, but sadly saw a lot of public health funding cuts happen under DOGE, including cutting almost* all of the funding of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, also known as FoodNet, and having fired the people who check for pathogens in food, now there are pathogens in food.

^{*The network had previously surveilled pathogens that cause food poisoning infections, including Salmonella, Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)}. ^{Listeria, Campylobacter, Shigella, Vibrio and Cyclospora. Now only the first two (salmonella and STEC) are required to be checked for.}

Specifically, the food contamination issue that’s making waves at the moment is the explosive diarrhea (cyclosporiasis) caused by the the Cyclospora parasite that was taken off the surveillance list.

The epicenter of the outbreak appears to have been Taco Bell lettuce, but as you probably know if you live in the US, it’s spread well beyond that now, and all fresh produce is at risk.

Washing food does not significantly help. The Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts are what scientists call “very very small” (Cyclospora itself is already a single-celled organism, and its oocysts are about 7.5μm in diameter (that’s about 0.0002952755905 inches, for the non-metric preferrers). So even if you get 80% off and 20% remains, it’s more than enough to colonize your colon.

Cooking, at high temperatures, does help, albeit that has obvious limitations (one cannot reasonably heat-sterilize a green salad, for example).

Read in full: Cyclosporiasis: officials looking at Taco Bell lettuce supplier as potential source of outbreak

Related: How The FDA Can Let Potentially Dangerous Chemicals Into Your Food

WHO knows how to reduce dementia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated evidence-based guidelines to help countries reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia throughout life.

According to the large weight of evidence, up to 45% of dementia risk is linked to modifiable factors, including smoking, excessive alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution, high blood pressure, and a wide range of preventable chronic diseases (with type 2 diabetes being high on the list).

Speaking of lists:

• Cognitive health recommendations: adults with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment are encouraged to participate in cognitive training, mentally stimulating activities, and regular social engagement.
• Healthy lifestyle recommendations: maintain regular physical activity, avoid tobacco, limit alcohol consumption, follow a healthy diet, and reduce exposure to air pollution.
• Chronic disease mitigation recommendations: it is particularly recommended to control high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
• Hearing-specific recommendations: hearing aids should be offered when appropriate, as treating hearing loss can help reduce dementia risk.
• Recommendations conspicuous by their absence: in people without a relevant diagnosed deficiency, the WHO does not recommend vitamin B supplements, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, or multivitamin/mineral supplements solely to prevent cognitive decline or dementia, because evidence does not show meaningful benefits in that regard.

The general thrust is that although there is currently no cure for dementia, reducing risk factors can delay or prevent many cases, helping preserve independence, quality of life, and brain health:

Read in full: WHO updates guidelines to reduce risk of dementia worldwide

Related: The 3 Ways Cognitive Decline Can Go

Take care!