The report, and an accompanying scorecard, Raising the Bar, Choosing Healthy Snack Bars versus Gimmicky Junk Food, details how snack bar quality varies widely among brands, even among the many brands that market themselves as “made with” organic ingredients (a label with lower federal standards than certified organic). The report exposes USDA National Organic Program regulations that provide industry-friendly loopholes for the use of conventional, hexane-extracted ingredients in the “made with” organic category.

“The highly profitable snack bar industry is rife with gimmicky substitutes, such as protein isolates, instead of whole food ingredients,” says the report’s lead author, Linley Dixon, PhD, chief scientist at Cornucopia.

“With the exception of certified organic bars, many products add protein isolates processed with the neurotoxin solvent hexane, a byproduct of the gasoline refinement industry,” added Dixon. “Hexane-extracted ingredients, like conventional soy protein isolate, are common in products that are labeled ‘made with’ organic ingredients. An intentional loophole in the USDA organic standards allows for the use of ingredients that are extracted using volatile solvents in ‘made with’ organic products (a process explicitly prohibited in products qualifying to display the USDA organic logo).”

The Raising the Bar report also explains how, in many other ways, consumers get a safer and higher quality product with USDA certified organic brands over conventional, mass-market brands that contain long ingredient lists that include questionable gums and synthetic preservatives, colors, or flavors.

“There is so much competition for market share in the snack bar industry that many brands marketing themselves as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ still cut corners for ingredient sourcing to achieve a lower price point,” stated Goldie Caughlan, former National Organic Standards Board member and nutrition educator at a Seattle-based food cooperative. “That’s why it’s important to make sure the product has the USDA Organic seal and not just the ‘made with’ organic ingredients label.”

Low levels of hexane have been detected in common snack bar ingredients, including protein isolates, which are extracted with the neurotoxic chemical. Protein isolates are highly modified ingredients used to inflate the protein content of snack bars, but they leave out the beneficial oils, fiber, and vitamins found in more expensive protein options such as nuts and seeds.

The highest rated bars on The Cornucopia Institute’s scorecard are USDA certified organic and use only organic fruits, nuts, and seeds without any added sugars, gums, flours, protein isolates, or preservatives. Published research has consistently illustrated that organically produced products have a lower level of agrichemical residues. There is also documentation that illustrates the nutritional superiority of organic food due to careful soil stewardship.

The scorecard "outs” some brands offering both high-rated and low-rated products, such as bestsellers Clif Bar and Lara Bar (the latter produced by General Mills). This makes it difficult for consumers to choose products based on namebrand alone because quality varies widely between products within the same prominent brands. Cornucopia’s scorecard decodes these options for consumers.

“The good news is that discriminating shoppers now have a new mobile-friendly web-based tool, released with the report, to help them weed through product labels and separate the best bars from greenwashed marketing hype,” stated Mark A. Kastel, Cornucopia’s Codirector and Senior Farm Policy Analyst. “With so many snack bar options on the shelves, we want to make it easier to purchase truly nutritious, high quality products from ethical brands.”

MORE:

The presence of the organic seal indicates that a minimum of 95% of the ingredients by weight are certified organic (all other ingredients are reviewed for safety and must not be available in organic form, such as baking powder).

In contrast, the “made with” organic ingredients label means the product has a minimum of 70% organic certified ingredients by weight, opening the door to ingredients added to either reduce the manufacturing cost of the product or to enhance protein or fiber content for marketing purposes.

Oftentimes, non-organic, hexane-extracted soy lecithin, soy protein concentrate, or soy protein isolate are used in the remaining 30% of non-organic ingredients using the “made with” label. These ingredients could contain GMO soybeans (i.e., Monsanto’s Roundup-Ready soybean varieties) that have been sprayed multiple times with the herbicide glyphosate. Conventional grains are frequently sprayed before harvest with glyphosate, serving as a desiccant to accelerate drydown. This is especially concerning since glyphosate recently has come under intense scrutiny as a possible carcinogen.

“When a company uses the ‘made with’ organic ingredients claim, it’s likely that they have chosen to use one or more relatively inexpensive organic ingredients, such as organic oats, tapioca/rice syrup, or flour,” said Cornucopia’s co-director Mark Kastel. “This enables them to legally use the word ‘organic’ on the front packaging, even though up to 30% of the contents are conventional.”

“Clif Bar, for example, claimed that their conventional protein isolates tested negative for hexane residues, but, when asked, they did not provide test results or release specifics on the sensitivity of the testing,” stated Dr. Dixon. “A negative test doesn’t mean there are no hexane residues if the type of test conducted had a high detection level. Detection limits for hexane should be 1 ppm, for example, not 10 ppm.”

New Data Shows Junk Food, Energy Drinks May Pose Unique Risks for Teens

Influences on Teen Brain Development the Focus of Special Teratology Society Journal Issue

RESTON, VIRGINIA—The popularity of energy drinks and junk food might have unique risks for teenagers who consume too much of them during the later stages of brain development. These are just two of the factors potentially affecting teen brain development examined in a new special issue of Birth Defects Research: The Teenage Brain, published by the Teratology Society with John Wiley & Sons.

The scientific journal issue released today (see the Overview, doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1181) includes “Taurine, Caffeine, and Energy Drinks: Reviewing the Risks to the Adolescent Brain (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1177),” a team at Northern Kentucky University, headed by lead author Christine Curran, PhD, and her co-author Cecile Marczinski, PhD. According to Dr. Curran, not only is the rise in energy drink consumption (often mixed with alcohol) among teens alarming, but so are animal studies showing its effects on brain development. “Our review indicates that we don’t know enough about the effects of high consumption of energy drinks and the ingredients found in them at this critical time in mammalian brain development,” she said. “Our recent findings in adolescent and young adult mice exposed to high taurine levels indicate there can be adverse effects on learning and memory and increased alcohol consumption in females.”

Another review (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1173) included in the special issue examines junk food, which is defined as “highly palatable and rewarding, but nutritionally poor.” According to lead author, Amy Reichelt, PhD, at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, junk food is not only found to be bad for waist lines, but also bad for the teen brain. “Because key neurotransmitter systems in the brain responsible for inhibition and reward signaling are still developing during the teen years, existing primarily on junk food could negatively affect decision making, increase reward-seeking behavior and influence poor eating habits throughout adulthood,” said Dr. Reichelt.

“One piece of good news is that exercise might be the answer to steer teens away from certain exposures,” explained Michiko Watanabe, PhD, co-editor of the special Birth Defects Research issue. According to two other reviews included in the issue, “Exercise, Cognition, and the Adolescent Brain (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1178)” and “The Neurobiology of Substance Use on the Adolescent Brain and Putative Therapeutic Effects of Exercise (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1182),” exercise intervention may prevent long-term effects of adverse exposures in teens, but the majority of teens aren’t exercising enough. “The long list of exercise benefits could motivate teens to get off the sofa,” Dr. Watanabe added.

Other topics covered in the issue include the promising possibility that brain imaging analyses might get us to the point of predicting psychopathology as shown in “Convergent Neurobiological Predictors of Emergent Psychopathology during Adolescence (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1176).”  Other reviews include “Alcohol Consumption during Adolescence: A link Between Mitochondrial Damage and Ethanol Brain Intoxication (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1172),” “Melatonin, Adolescence and the Brain: An Insight into the Period-Specific Influences of a Multifunctional Signaling Molecule (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1171),” and “Blood-Brain Barrier Development: Systems Modeling and Predictive Toxicology (DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1180).”

About the Teratology Society

The Teratology Society, an international professional group of scientists hailed as the premier source for cutting-edge research and authoritative information related to birth defects and developmentally mediated disorders, publishes Birth Defects Research with John Wiley & Sons. The Teratology Society is made up of more than 700 members worldwide specializing in a variety of disciplines related to birth defects research, including developmental biology and toxicology, reproduction and endocrinology, epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, nutritional biochemistry, and genetics as well as the clinical disciplines of prenatal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, neonatology, medical genetics, and teratogen risk counseling. Scientists interested in membership or attending the Teratology Society’s Annual Meeting in Clearwater, FL June 23 – 27, 2018 are encouraged to visit www.teratology.org.
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Excess Acidity Finally Meets Its Match!

Mineral-Rich Multiforce Powdered Supplement Treats Lactic Acid Build-Up Associated With Muscle Fatigue & Strenuous Exercise; Helps Prevent, Minimize Acid-Related Gout, Osteoarthritis & Uric Acid                                       

Proprietary Blend of 100% Natural, Gluten-Free Ingredients Offers Safe & Proven Complete Body Solution for Athletes & Active Consumers Seeking Healthier Balance Between Acid & Alkaline  

SARASOTA, FL., November 27, 2017 – Representing one of the greatest ironies in personal wellness today, millions of athletes and fitness devotees who watch every bite they eat are being challenged by the very same culprit affecting those who regularly consume processed foods, salty snacks and sugary desserts. Their shared enemy? Excess acidity.

Consider this: if you’re a serious athlete, “weekend warrior,” or an active consumer who values the life-affirming benefits of strenuous regular exercise, it’s likely you’ve experienced the muscle discomfort and fatigue often associated with lactic acid build-up. Conversely, if you follow the typical “Western diet” that’s low in fruits and vegetables and find it difficult to resist foods you know aren’t good for you, it’s likely you’ve experienced such excess acid-induced health issues as gout, uric acid, heartburn, joint pain, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis and many more.

Fortunately, however, whether you’re a fitness junkie, a junk food junkie or some combination of the two, help is here at last!

Introducing Multiforce (www.multiforcehealth.com), a globally-popular multi-mineral powdered supplement newly available in America that’s already helped millions around the world not only to treat but in many cases to prevent the development of excess acidity resulting from extreme workouts or poor diet. Featuring a breakthrough blend of 100% natural, gluten-free, vegetarian and clinically-proven essential natural minerals such as Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Calcium, Multiforce helps your body re-calibrate its pH balance between acid and alkaline so you can feel your best in the fastest and most comprehensive manner possible.

The Growing Need To Cut Excess Acidity Down To Size                

With more Americans than ever before embracing extreme sports and demanding workouts, and with the majority of us still favoring processed foods over nutritious fruits and vegetables, we’ve achieved perfect storm-level conditions for making excess acidity one of today’s most problematic health concerns. And when it comes to diet, it’s not just the obvious foods we need to be wary of: even seemingly healthier food staples as dairy products, animal protein and even low-sugar cereals are responsible for generating acid-forming chemicals in our body that over time can lead to muscle fatigue, slow down muscle recovery and cause many of the troubling health issues mentioned above.

Multiforce To The Rescue!                                                                                                                                                                 

Specifically formulated to treat the causes of various health issues associated with excess acidity and not just their symptoms, Multiforce makes use of the citrate form of minerals which are able to neutralize three acid molecules and are much more easily absorbed by the body. This is what makes Multiforce so effective. In addition, unlike traditional treatments for excess acidity on the market, Multiforce works systemically from head to toe as opposed to just zoning in on one select part of the body. What’s more, Multiforce doesn’t rely on digestion to be absorbed – thus ensuring consumers won’t face the stomach discomfort or nausea often associated with mineral supplements.

A natural alkaline powder that’s safe, proven and incredibly easy to use (just mix a teaspoon of powder with water), Multiforce is ideal for virtually anyone anxious to tackle the acid-based causes of muscle fatigue, gout, uric acid, joint pain, chronic fatigue and osteoarthritis (please find a clinical study showcasing Multiforce’s effectiveness in dealing with this condition at www.multiforcehealth.com/new-hope-for-osteoarthritis-sufferers).

Multiforce is offered in three flavors: Natural Lemon Flavor; Natural Mango Flavor; and Naturally Unflavored. All three are sold on thewww.multiforcehealth.com site for $29.99 (a free two-week supply is also available at www.multiforcehealth.com/free-sample.html), other online sites and in a growing range of retail stores in Florida (with other states to follow soon).

The Science Behind Multiforce                                                                                                                                                                                      

Body acids are neutralized through various buffering systems in the body, but for these systems to properly maintain the perfect pH balance, sufficient alkaline mineral compounds are required – the very same minerals (including Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium) typically found in fruits and vegetables.

In order to maintain this ideal balance, nutritionists suggest we eat seven to ten servings of fruits and vegetables as well as drink two liters of water daily. Since that represents a tall order for almost all of us, the solution is simple: let Multiforce’s alkalizing blend of multi-minerals supplement your body’s nutrients, replenish these life-balancing minerals and, over time, reduce the symptoms caused by over-acidity completely.

Check out these alarming facts to see just how prevalent exceed acidity really is:

• Coffee – far more acidic than tap water

• Sodas – contain corrosive acid  

• Animal Protein – can form uric acid

• Sugary Desserts & Salty Snacks – linked with increased obesity

A Commitment to Balanced Health                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Commenting on Multiforce’s longstanding mandate to help offset the conditions associated with excess acidity, Garth Woolley - CEO of Multiforce parent company SANP International LLC - said, “Anyone coping with muscle issues or with the numerous concerns stemming from excess acidity can rest assured we’ve gone to great lengths over many years to create the most potent and effective all-natural solution offered directly to consumers today. We’re heartened by the highly enthusiastic response Multiforce has already received from consumers and retailers in the U.S. and look forward to helping countless more people eliminate the corrosive effects of acid in their lives over the years ahead.”

For more information about Multiforce, visit www.multiforcehealth.com; to read a clinical study about the brand’s efficacy, visitwww.multiforcehealth.com/new-hope-for-osteoarthritis-sufferers.

Did 24 Coke-Funded Studies on Childhood Obesity Fail to Disclose Coke’s Influence?

How accurate were conflict of interest disclosures in at least 40 childhood obesity studies funded by The Coca-Cola Company? Not so accurate, according to a paper published in the Journal of Public Health Policy that analyzed studies from the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE), funded with a $6.4 million grant from Coca-Cola.

The ISCOLE study found that physical inactivity is a key predictor for childhood obesity.  Coca-Cola appears to have financed and promoted research tying childhood obesity to causes other than soda consumption.

For 24 of the ISCOLE studies, the COI disclosures report this, or a close variant: “ISCOLE is funded by The Coca-Cola Company. The study sponsor has no role in study design, data collection, analysis, conclusions or publications. The only sponsor requirement was that the study be global in nature.”

However, a Freedom of Information Act request by U.S. Right to Know, a food industry watchdog group, uncovered evidence suggesting that Coca-Cola influenced the studies’ design, raising questions about corporate influence and truthfulness in the Coke-funded papers.

“It appears that many of the ISCOLE scientists did not declare the full extent of Coca-Cola’s involvement in their childhood obesity studies,” said Gary Ruskin, co-director of U.S. Right to Know.  “This raises questions not only about these Coke-funded studies, but also more generally about the accuracy of conflict of interest disclosures in other scientific studies funded by corporations.”

“What these emails reveal is how complex conflicts of interest are and how poorly they are currently managed,” said David Stuckler, Professor at the Research Centre Dondena, at Bocconi University. “There is a danger that vested interests such as Coca-Cola pollute the scientific literature with research serving a hidden agenda.”

“In recent years, large corporations have been seeking to minimize concerns about conflicts of interest in the research they fund,” said Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  A recent example is the Brussels Declaration, which said “commercial conflicts of interests are fairly easy to deal with if they are properly declared”. “As our paper shows, the situation is actually much more complicated and there is a need for considerable caution,” McKee said.

Regarding the ISCOLE emails obtained by FOIA, the Journal of Public Health Policy paper reports:

The emails suggest that the researchers did consult and include Coca-Cola representatives in making strategic decisions about study design. In the early stages of planning the study, for example, the parties debated which and how many countries are to be included. [Coca-Cola Chief Science and Health Officer Rhona] Applebaum emailed [ISCOLE Co-Principal Investigator Peter] Katzmarzyk on 26 March 2012 saying: “Ok—so with Russia and Finland we are at 13? Or no Finland and at 12. Seriously–our CEO hates the #13”…. She continued, “Serious about this 13 business. We have no FL [floor?] 13 at Coke”. Applebaum asked Katzmarzyk: “What other country should we look at?”, to which he responded, “We should talk about Russia as well—do you have contacts there already?”

The Journal of Public Health Policy paper was authored by David Stuckler, Professor at the Research Centre Dondena, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; and Gary Ruskin, co-director of U.S. Right to Know, in Oakland, California.

U.S. Right to Know is a nonprofit organization that investigates the risks associated with the corporate food system, and the food industry’s practices and influence on public policy.  For more information, see usrtk.org.

Canadian Beverage Association Balance Calories Initiative Success

SOURCE Canadian Beverage Association

United States of America Has a $125 Billion US Dollars Spine Care Problem

The United States of America (USA), is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major territories and various possessions. The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwestern part of North America and the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 320 million people, the country is the world’s third or fourth-largest by total area and the third most populous. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.

What is little known, however, is that many Americans suffer from #backpain and #neckpain.

Americans are not aware that studies say that 1/138 America’s 17.5 trillion US dollars GDP is spent on spine related problems, costing $125 billion US dollars. Furthermore, the spine affects the physical, emotional and financial well being of each of America’s 321 million citizens. According to Dr. Matthew A. Davis at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, “basically each year the US bureau of labor statistics releases indices for the pricing of different services and goods (based on economic analyses, dollar value etc.)”  I used the index for medical services in 2005 (328.4) compared to 2016 (470.91). The difference therefore is the relative change in pricing due to inflation. To convert the 2005 dollars to 2016 equivalents you simply take $90 billion x (470.91/328.4) = $128.8 billion. These are the actual numbers by the published assessments, which does not include new technologies of which there are many.

A recent study by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and published in Lancet shows that in 1990 and in 2013, the world’s #1 source and burden of disability is low back pain, and the world’s #4 source and burden of disability is neck pain.

Americans are suffering. They want answers and strategies to stop this suffering. Every year more and more American citizens get permanently stuck with #backpain, and #neckpain

About Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj:

Kenneth K. Hansraj, M.D. is a 2016 and 2017 recipient of the New York Top Doc Award who is a spinal and orthopedic surgeon specializing in cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures, bloodless spine surgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, laminectomies and spinal fusions. He believes in whole body wellness, preventative care and that the spine is a principal indicator of general health impacted by “human software and hardware.”

Dr. Ken is the author of the internationally bestselling book, Keys to an Amazing Life: Secrets of the Cervical Spine, (January, 2013), which he was inspired to write based on this concept. Dr. Hansraj is also the author of Bloodless Spine Surgery: Pictures and Explanations. His goal with each of his books is to bring years of accumulated expert medical knowledge to the public at-large in an easy-to digest format and to help countless individuals with ongoing spinal and health issues.

Dr. Ken Hansraj is TV and media trained and has extensive experience with national outlets such as CNN, HLN, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, NPR and has been featured globally. Cision® estimates his current media impressions at 5.5 Billion.

Global problem solvers are in high demand. Just google Re-Imagine Education and check out the wealth of conferences and events focused on what learning matters to ensure individuals have the skills to think like entrepreneurs and collaborate with people from all backgrounds.

What lessons can researchers learn from the 15 year-old girls who outperformed boys in collaborative problem solving in every country around the world, according to the new study by the OECD? In C.M. Rubin’s interview with Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills at the OECD, he notes, “Girls show more positive attitudes towards relationships, meaning that they tend to be more interested in others’ opinions and want others to succeed.”

Schleicher also notes that "strong academic skills will not automatically also lead to strong social skills. Part of the answer lies in giving students more ownership over the time, place, path, pace, and interactions of their learning. Another part of the answer can lie in fostering more positive relationships at school and designing learning environments that benefit students’ collaborative problem-solving skills and their attitudes towards collaboration.”

Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. The first ever assessment of collaborative problem solving skills aims to help countries and economies see where their students stand in relation to their peers in other education systems. Students in 52 countries completed this test in addition to the main OECD PISA 2015 Survey on Science, Mathematics and Reading.

Read the full article here.

CMRubinWorld launched in 2010 to explore what kind of education would prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing globalized world. Its award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, is a celebrated trailblazer in the renaissance of the 21st century, and occupies a special place in the pulse of key issues facing every nation and the collective future of all children. It connects today’s top thought leaders with a diverse global audience of parents, students and educators. Its highly readable platform allows for discourse concerning our highest ideals and the sustainable solutions we must engineer to achieve them. C. M. Rubin has produced over 500 interviews and articles discussing an expansive array of topics under a singular vision: when it comes to the world of children, there is always more work to be done.

For more information on  CMRubinWorld
Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter
Contact Information:
David Wine
CMRubinWorld
David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com

Donate Aeroplan Miles to the Air Canada Foundation To Help Children across Canada Obtain Medical Care

SOURCE Air Canada Foundation

Last-minute gift ideas for everyone on your list

The busy woman on the go

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