News for Now Update: Week ending July 23, 2022

A Fossil-free Solution for Replacing Plastics?
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have demonstrated that carbon atoms, instead of fossil materials, can be converted into new plastics. They are also developing a method to thermochemically release and recapture the carbon directly from mixed waste. While traditional plastic recycling supplies only a small portion of materials needed for new plastics, this method could efficiently replace much more. Read more at Science Daily.

Endangered Salmon Given New Hope
Since 1942, the Shasta Dam has blocked Chinook salmon from reaching California’s McCloud River. With help from state and federal wildlife officials, 20,000 eggs from Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery have been reintroduced. Members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, led by chief and spiritual leader Caleen Sisk, welcomed the eggs with ceremony including songs, blessings, and prayers for their future. Read more at the LA Times..

Lifestyle Prevents Stroke Better Than Surgery
A Monash University study, published in Frontiers in Neurology and based on four decades of data, provides a stark recommendation: they showed that surgery and stents do little to improve stroke risk, while lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, and quitting smoking had a significant impact (along with medication). They hope this information will help empower patients to take charge of their own health. Read more at Medical Xpress.

WHO: Sugar-Free Doesn’t Mean Healthy
The World Health Organization has issued a caution against using non-nutritive sweeteners to combat obesity and other chronic health issues. They contend that these sweeteners are more often used in attempt to reduce the impact of unhealthy foods, rather than encouraging healthy eating habits. As we have long known, emphasizing a nutrient-rich diet is the most effective strategy to promote health and wellbeing. Read more at Food Navigator USA.

Soil and Livestock Work Together, by William A. Albrecht, MS, PhD
In this 1947 article, William A. Albrecht, MS, PhD, takes a deep dive into the environmental factors influencing soil fertility, which in turn affect the availability and the quality of protein we have access to. By shedding light on the processes plants must enact to synthesize proteins and carbohydrates – and what they require from the soil in order to do so – Albrecht conveys the inextricable importance of soil health to our diets. Read more in our Pioneer Archives Post.

Symposium for Metabolic Health 2022, August 25-28, San Diego
Meet and learn with global change-makers committed to improving metabolic health & education worldwide. Enjoy 20+ cutting edge-presentations from diverse researchers & clinicians on the leading edge of healthcare, including topics such as exercise, therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, diabetes, weight loss, heart health, mental & women’s health, food addiction, lipids, public nutrition policy, medical standards of care & much more. Register now at Low Carb USA.