Tag: nutrition

What drives differences in life expectancy between the U.S. and comparable countries?

The United States spends more on health care than any similarly large and wealthy country. However, in 2023, Americans had a life expectancy of 78.4 years, compared to an average of 82.5 among peer countries. This chart collection examines deaths in the U.S. and comparable countries through 2021, by age group and cause, to highlight factors that contribute to this life expectancy gap. The countries included in the comparison are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The U.S.’s premature death rate (408 deaths per 100,000 people under age 70) in 2021 was almost twice the average of these similarly large and wealthy countries (228 deaths).  About a third (32%) of the difference in premature death between the U.S. and similar countries is due to deaths from cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and chronic kidney diseases (which, combined, caused 105 deaths per 100,000 population under 70 in the U.S. in 2021). Additionally, in 2021, COVID-19 made up 24% of the difference in premature death rates between the U.S. and peer nations, killing 64 Americans out of every 100,000 under 70.

Another 12% of the difference between the U.S. and its peers’ premature death rates is due to substance use, which caused 29 deaths per 100,000 people under age 70 in the U.S. in 2021. For the purposes of this analysis, substance use deaths are defined as deaths occurring as a direct result of consumption of alcohol or illicit drugs, excluding any deaths from chronic diseases and organ damage caused by long-term use.

Deaths at younger ages bring down life expectancy more than deaths among older age groups. In the younger adult age group (15- to 49-year-olds), the difference in death rate between the U.S. and peer countries is largely driven by more deaths due to chronic diseases, COVID-19, and substance use. Among 15 to 49-year-olds, the U.S. death rate was 2.5 times that of comparable countries (192 vs. 76 per 100,000).

The charts below illustrate how among the under-70 population, the U.S. diabetes death rate is about 2.5 times that of comparable countries, the liver disease death rate is 1.6 times as high, and kidney disease death rate is 3.8 times as high. Additionally, the U.S. substance use death rate is four times that of comparable countries in the under-70 population, and the homicide death rate is nearly 8 times the average of peer nations.

click here for the rest and the charts

Full list of foods that have red dye 3 in them as FDA bans substance over cancer links

Scroll down to see the full list of affected products:

The FDA announced today it was banning the use of red 3 dye in foods in America, telling thousands of manufacturers to strip it from their products.

Food and drink makers have until January 2027 to reformulate their recipes or be forced out of the market.

The FDA agency said it was taking the action as a ‘matter of law’ because some studies have found that the dye caused cancer in lab rats. 

‘The FDA is taking action that will remove the authorization for the use of… Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs,’ said Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods. 

The dye has been used for decades to give candy, soda, and other foods and vibrant, cherry-red hue. It was banned from cosmetics by the FDA about three decades ago.  

There is no indication so far that food manufacturers will challenge the new rule, and they will have sufficient time to adjust their products to meet the new standards.

There is some concern that manufacturers may opt to use red 40, which, along with red 3, has been associated with various health concerns.

Here’s the list. I hope you aren’t eating any of them

Why Dolly Parton Doesn’t Have Breast Cancer

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbages contain many phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. In fact, in the late 90s, published studies indicated that there was a link between the consumption of cruciferous vegetables and lower risk for breast cancer.

(Article republished from GreenMedInfo.com)

More recently, the nutrients in broccoli sprouts and their protective effects against multiple types of cancer have seen renewed interest within the research community.

One of the key components of broccoli sprouts is a compound called sulforaphane. Broccoli sprouts that are specifically 5-6 days old contain over 100 X’s more sulforaphane than the mature plant.

In 2011, the September Oncology Report, found that sulforaphane suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and growth. In fact, the research committee found that Sulforaphane inhibited the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells, leading to cell death or apoptosis.

Another promising study in 2004 at the University of Buffalo, found that sulforaphane inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells and “indicated a potential use of this compound as a chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment.”  Can you picture the medical mainstream hooking up sulforaphane drips instead of the chemical concoction IV drips? Wishful thinking, almost comical and highly unlikely!