Episode #2549
The Gary Null Show - 10-2-26
HEALTH NEWS Small Trial Links Daily Strawberries to Reduced Menstrual Pain Scientists Test an Unexpected Sleep Aid Made From Tree Roots 90% of store receipts contain harmful chemicals linked to cancer, autism and obesity New study highlights red meat sugar as independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes Study suggests skipping sweets during antibiotic treatment may help protect the gut microbiome Small Trial Links Daily Strawberries to Reduced Menstrual Pain University of Huelva (Spain), September 26 2026 (Natural News) Women who added about 1½ cups of fresh strawberries to their daily diet for one month reported less menstrual pain than a comparison group, according to a small randomized trial. The trial, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, enrolled 64 women ages 18 to 35 who regularly experienced period cramps, the study stated. The research team was interested in strawberries because they contain polyphenols, including anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Participants were randomly assigned to either continue their usual diet or add 250 grams of fresh strawberries each day for one month. After one month, women who ate strawberries daily reported significantly less menstrual pain than those in the comparison group, and the difference met the researchers' threshold for a meaningful improvement. Lower pain scores were still observed at the two-month follow-up, one month after participants stopped eating strawberries. Scientists Test an Unexpected Sleep Aid Made From Tree Roots Kyushu University (Japan), September 28, 2026 (SciTech Daily) Falling asleep can be compared to easing down a dimmer switch, with brain activity gradually shifting as sleep deepens. Researchers studying Hinoki, or Japanese cypress, are exploring whether its scent could help smooth that transition for women in middle age, when sleep problems are common. In a small study, Japanese women aged 35 to 60 used essential oil extracted from Hinoki roots at bedtime in their own homes. Compared with an unscented control, repeated use over two weeks was associated with fewer nighttime awakenings and feeling less sleepy and more recovered from fatigue in the morning. Brain-wave recordings also showed changes consistent with a smoother transition into deeper sleep. Each participant tried the Hinoki oil for two weeks and the unscented control for two weeks. On nights when they used the oil, the women put three drops in a paper cup, inhaled the scent for 10 seconds, and left the cup about 30 centimeters, or 12 inches, from their nose while sleeping. A wearable brain-wave headband and a smartwatch recorded their sleep. After seven days of using the oil, participants showed greater delta-wave activity around the time they fell asleep. Delta waves are slow brain waves associated with deep sleep, and the pattern was consistent with a smoother transition into deeper sleep. The improvements in morning sleepiness and recovery from fatigue were reported by day 13. 90% of store receipts contain harmful chemicals linked to cancer, autism and obesity Center for Environmental Health, September 30 2026 (The Conversation) Approximately 90% of store receipts contain toxic bisphenol chemicals, including BPA and BPS, which are endocrine disruptors linked to serious health conditions. Holding a single receipt for just 10 seconds can result in skin absorption of BPS above California's safety threshold. BPS may be 100 times more potent as an endocrine disruptor than BPA, contradicting the safety of "BPA-free" alternatives. Cashiers and retail workers face significantly higher occupational exposure, with blood tests showing elevated BPS levels after work shifts. Consumers can reduce exposure by declining printed receipts, opting for emailed receipts and avoiding hand sanitizer before handling thermal paper. Bisphenols are classified as endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with the body's hormone systems that control growth, reproduction and metabolism. Research shows BPA interrupts messaging through multiple hormones, most notably estrogen. Exposure has been linked to preterm birth, abnormal fetal brain development, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. New study highlights red meat sugar as independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (France), September 28 2026 (News-Medical) Preliminary results of an observational study reveal that a sugar called dietary N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), which is common in red meat, is independently associated with a 63% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in those with the highest versus lowest consumption, even after taking into account other T2D risk factors such as level of physical activity, overall diet, smoking status and other health conditions. The association was weaker but remained significant after also accounting for body mass index (BMI). Most mammals naturally produce a sugar known as Neu5Gc, but humans lost this ability due to an ancient genetic mutation in the CMAH gene. This carbohydrate is found in red meat (particularly beef and lamb), and to a lesser extent in dairy products. When people consume these foods, animal Neu5Gc is absorbed and metabolically incorporated into human tissues, where it acts as a foreign molecule, a so-called xeno-autoantigen. The immune system produces antibodies against it, and the resulting chronic immune activation (xenosialitis) has previously been linked to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The analysis covered all red meat, including beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, goat, and game meats. Processed meat products (such as bacon, sausages and cured meats) were recorded as a separate food group.. Dairy products were analysed separately. People in the highest quintile had a 63% higher risk, and those in the second-highest quintile a 41% higher risk, of developing T2D compared with those in the lowest quintile (men and women combined). In the highest quintile, men ate a median of 97 g of red meat per day (136 g including processed meat) and women 73 g (96 g), compared with 5 g (21 g) and 0 g (9 g) in the lowest quintile. Study suggests skipping sweets during antibiotic treatment may help protect the gut microbiome City of Hope, September 30 2026 (Eurekalert) A new study by researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the country and ranked among the nation’s leading cancer centers, suggests eating less sugar could protect the microbiome during antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics disrupt the diversity of our gut bacteria, or microbiomes, which play an essential role in supporting our immune systems and overall health. In the five-year study followed patients who were hospitalized for several weeks to receive intensive chemotherapy, sometimes with radiation, to wipe out their immune systems and then undergo a stem cell transplant. To prevent and treat infections, each patient took at least one antibiotic during their hospital stay, with 80% of them taking one or more of the broad-spectrum antibiotics that exert the strongest effect on the microbiome by targeting many types of bacteria. The research team tracked 9,419 meals eaten by 173 hospitalized patients and profiled the microbiome diversity in stool samples from 158 patients. No matter how the data was analyzed, patients who consumed more sweets while taking antibiotics were more likely to experience a loss of microbiome diversity as aggressive microbes crowded out other strains of bacteria. One organism stood out: Enterococcus. When it takes over the microbiome, patients undergoing transplant face a higher risk of bloodstream infections, graft-versus-host disease and other life-threatening complications. The combination of high-sugar foods and broad-spectrum antibiotics appeared to multiply injury to the microbiome, leading to a substantial 24% drop in bacterial diversity for every 100-gram increase in sweets (equivalent in sugar content to a large milkshake).
