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Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. and Deputy Commissioner Anna Abram on new 2019 efforts to improve the quality of compounded drugs

We’ve long recognized that compounded drugs can serve an important role for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug product. But compounded drugs are not approved by the FDA and, therefore, have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy. We’ve seen firsthand the harm they can cause patients when they’re not appropriately compounded.

Over the past year, we’ve taken significant new steps to modernize and clarify our policies related to the quality of compounding in an effort to ensure continued access to compounded drugs for patients who need them, while also protecting patients from the risks of contaminated or otherwise harmful products. We’ve worked to refine our existing practices, shape new policies and increase the frequency of our communications with industry, Congress, states and patients concerning our programs. We anticipate that 2019 will be an equally productive year for the FDA’s compounding program, with better quality continuing to be our top priority as part of our ongoing effort to reduce the risks of these unapproved products. We have an obligation to advance our efforts to improve the quality of compounded products for consumers by ensuring we have a strong and modern regulatory framework in place.

Toward these goals, we’re pleased to share our 2019 compounding priorities. The FDA will continue to work with stakeholders to improve the quality of compounded drugs for patients who need these products.

Maintaining Quality Manufacturing and Compliance

In 2019, we’ll utilize appropriated funds provided in FDA’s 2019 budget to lay the groundwork for the “Center of Excellence on Compounding for Outsourcing Facilities,” including trainings on current good manufacturing practice requirements for outsourcing facilities. The goal will be to bolster the quality of compounded drugs produced by outsourcing facilities. We’ll provide more updates and opportunities for public participation in this effort.

Also, we’ll continue our effort to help compounders to identify insanitary conditions in compounding facilities so they can implement appropriate corrective actions. We’ve highlighted some of the poor conditions that our investigators have found at some facilities. To help prevent these practices, we’ll work to finalize our guidance to promote activities that help compounders ensure their drugs are not prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions.

While some compounders work hard to meet quality standards including avoiding insanitary conditions, we recognize that there are still compounders that are not in compliance. To address these risks, a key component of our 2019 work will be continuing to perform our risk-based inspection and pursue other enforcement efforts to identify compounders who produce drugs under substandard conditions or use inappropriate practices that could lead to serious harm. In 2018, the FDA sent warning letters to 23 facilities for adulterated product violations. These include insanitary conditions. We also worked with compounders on 50 recalls of products from the marketplace that raised safety concerns. Since 2018, FDA has entered into four consent decrees of permanent injunction to address the risk of patient harm from exposure to unsafe compounded drugs.

In 2019, we’ll build on these and similar efforts, advance other new policies to strengthen our regulatory oversight and continue to help improve the quality of compounded drugs.

Regulating Compounding from Bulk Drug Substances

Compounders sometimes produce a compounded drug starting from a finished, FDA-approved drug. Other times, they produce drugs using bulk drug substances, also known as active pharmaceutical ingredients. For example, when a patient has an allergy to an ingredient in an FDA-approved drug, a state-licensed pharmacist or physician, or an outsourcing facility, might compound a drug product using a bulk drug substance that does not contain the allergen.

While some bulk drug substances can be used for compounding, other substances may not be suitable to be used for compounding. This may be a result of potential safety concerns raised by these products, or due to availability of a similar FDA-approved drug product that can be used to meet a patient’s medical need.

We’re developing lists of bulk drug substances that compounders can use to compound from. These are the 503A bulks list and 503B bulks list. The names of these lists refer to sections 503A and 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), and each list is used by different types of compounders. Section 503A applies to state-licensed pharmacies and physicians that have not registered with FDA as outsourcing facilities. They compound drugs only based on the receipt of a patient-specific prescription and may use bulk drug substances that are components of FDA-approved drugs, or drugs that have an applicable United States Pharmacopeia (USP) or National Formulary (NF) monograph. They may also use substances that FDA places on the 503A bulks list. Section 503B applies to outsourcing facilities, which are not subject to the patient-specific prescription requirement that applies to 503A compounders and may compound and distribute drugs for healthcare facilities to hold as office stock. To help protect patients—and the integrity of the drug approval process—section 503B of the FD&C Act limits the bulk drug substances that outsourcing facilities can use in compounding to substances that are used to compound drugs in shortage or that appear on a list developed by the FDA of bulk drug substances for which there is a clinical need.

Earlier this year, we issued a final rule establishing the criteria for evaluating substances nominated for inclusion on the 503A bulks list that state-licensed pharmacists and physicians can use to compound drugs and placing, for the first time, six bulk drug substances on the list.

We plan to build on these actions by issuing another proposed rule to further amend the list of bulk drug substances that 503A compounders can use to compound drugs. This proposed rule, to be issued in 2019, would be based on FDA’s evaluation of additional bulk drug substances nominated for the 503A bulks list, identifying any additional bulk drug substances FDA proposes to add to the list, and also identifying bulk drug substances that the FDA has considered and is proposing not to include on the list of substances from which 503A compounders may use to compound drugs. The agency will continue to consider additional substances nominated by the public for inclusion on this list and will address them in future rules.

We’ve also made a final decision regarding whether to include certain bulk drug substances on the 503B bulks list. The FDA will continue to update this list as it evaluates nominated bulk drug substances. Our recently issued final guidance describes FDA policies for developing the list of bulk drug substances under section 503B.. This year, we’ll continue to develop the bulks list for outsourcing facilities to limit compounding from bulk drug substances to circumstances where there’s a clinical need for such products.

We’ll also continue to support research efforts on bulk drug substances with the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and through the FDA's Centers of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. These efforts will help us advance the development of the bulks list. The two ongoing projects Clinical Use of Drugs Including Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding by Outsourcing Facilities and Bulk Drug Substances Used to Compound Drugs for Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will help inform the public, and our regulatory decision-making—specifically the agency’s decision about whether to include certain substances on the 503B bulks list. Our collaboration with NASEM will also continue to examine the clinical utility of treating patients with compounded bioidentical hormone therapy products and the available evidence of the safety and effectiveness of multi-ingredient compounded topical pain creams.

Finalizing our Memorandum of Understanding with the States

To secure our public health goals related to compounding, states play a critical role. We partner with them to address the potential risks associated with compounded drugs, while ensuring appropriate access. In 2019, we plan to finalize our memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the FDA and the states. Through the MOU, FDA will further collaborate with the states so that, working together, we can have the greatest public health impact while maximizing our resources. For example, if a compounder distributes drugs to multiple states, it can be difficult to gather information about possible adverse events associated with those drugs, connect them to the compounder and undertake coordinated action to address a potentially serious public health problem without some assistance from the states. These challenges were illustrated by the 2012 nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak. This tragic outbreak led to more than 750 cases of illness and the deaths of 64 individuals. The firm had used a compounded drug for injection that was supposed to be sterile but had become contaminated before distribution to patients and providers. Collaboration with the states has the potential to help prevent such serious and widespread outbreaks by helping to better identify adverse drug events and product quality issues across the country.

The MOU will address traditional compounders that distribute a certain percentage, known as inordinate amounts, of their compounded drugs across state lines. Last September, we issued a revised draft MOU for comment where states would agree to identify compounders that distribute more than 50 percent of their total prescription orders for compounded drugs interstate and report certain information to FDA about those compounders. Under the revised draft MOU, the states will also have greater flexibility on the mechanisms they can use to gather this information. We look forward to finalizing this agreement, taking into consideration stakeholder comments.

Compounding by Hospital and Health Systems

The agency recognizes that hospital and health system pharmacies are different than other pharmacies not owned by hospitals and from conventional manufacturers, and as such, have unique needs and challenges.

To that end, we plan to issue a revised draft guidance regarding hospital or health system compounding to provide further clarification on how the FDA intends to apply section 503A of the FD&C Act to drugs compounded at these facilities. Our revised policies will also provide guidance for hospital or health system pharmacies that might be considering registering as an outsourcing facility under section 503B.

Additional Compounding Priorities

Finally, we’ll continue to work closely with stakeholders on a number of other efforts that promote improving the quality of compounded drugs for patients who need them.

Among our efforts, we’ll hold a public meeting in May 2019 to discuss current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) for outsourcing facilities and gain public feedback to gauge the potential impact of proposed policies related to CGMP requirements on office stock access for health care providers. We’ll also hold additional listening sessions with stakeholders to better understand their views on key issues such as the substances included on the bulks lists and manufacturing requirements for outsourcing facilities as we develop policies that ensure appropriate access while protecting public health.

We look forward to continuing to advance a robust compounding policy framework in 2019 as part of our commitment to fulfilling our vital consumer protection role.

We recognize that there continues to be great interest in our work in this important program. We’re committed to providing detailed updates as we pursue additional actions on behalf of the American public.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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Source: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm635182.htm

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BLIS M18 Probiotic Granted GRAS ‘No Objection’ Status

Blis Technologies Limited and Stratum Nutrition, the exclusive North American distributor for the Blis Technologies’ ingredients, have received issuance of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ‘Letter of No Objection’ for the probiotic strain BLIS M18. This follows the BLIS K12 ‘Letter of No Objection’ in 2016.    Through the GRAS program, companies may submit their determination supported by research and expert review that a specific ingredient is Generally Recognized As Safe. The Letter of No Objection means that the FDA has reviewed the data and has no questions or objections regarding the submitted BLIS M18 GRAS notice. This milestone is further recognition of the robust safety data supporting the BLIS oral-cavity probiotics.   GRAS status adds a new level of credibility for BLIS M18 and has the potential to open up opportunities with larger consumer food and beverage companies in the U.S., but also is recognized as a relevant and credible safety assessment by other countries and multinational companies.    Chris Haynes, director of global sales for Stratum Nutrition commented, “This is great news and confirmation on an incredible ingredient. BLIS M18 is the type of ingredient that should be on the Continuing Education Unit agenda for every Dentist and Dental Hygienist practicing today. It’s that good.” Source: https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2019-05-14/blis-m18-probiotic-granted-gras-no-objection-status/

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Peaches & Cream-sicles

Makes 6 frozen pops

In addition to peaches, you can also make this recipe with ripe nectarines.

8 very ripe peaches 1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup almond milk

Peel and pit peaches (to quickly peel, drop in boiling water 30 seconds, remove with slotted spoon, and slip skins off). Combine peaches, sugar, and milks in blender, and purée until smooth.

Transfer mixture to popsicle molds and freeze 3-4 hours, or overnight.

per serving: 240 cal; 3g pro; 9g total fat (7g sat fat); 40g carb; 0mg chol; 30mg sod; 3g fiber; 36g sugars

View All Vegan BBQ Recipes

Thanks for watching!Visit Website

Source: https://www.betternutrition.com/recipes/peaches-cream-sicles

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Insights Static Quiz -228, 2019–Polity

Information

Welcome to Insights IAS Static Quiz. We have already outlined details of this New Initiative HERE.  

You have already completed the quiz before. Hence you can not start it again.

You must sign in or sign up to start the quiz.

You have to finish following quiz, to start this quiz:

1. Question

“Instrument of Instructions” contained in the Government of India Act 1935 was incorporated in the Constitution of India as

Correct

Solution: d)

The Directive Principles resemble the ‘Instrument of Instructions’ enumerated in the Government of India Act of 1935.

In the words of Dr B R Ambedkar, ‘the Directive Principles are like the instrument of instructions, which were issued to the Governor-General and to the Governors of the colonies of India by the British Government under the Government of India Act of 1935.

Incorrect

Solution: d)

The Directive Principles resemble the ‘Instrument of Instructions’ enumerated in the Government of India Act of 1935.

In the words of Dr B R Ambedkar, ‘the Directive Principles are like the instrument of instructions, which were issued to the Governor-General and to the Governors of the colonies of India by the British Government under the Government of India Act of 1935.

2. Question

The parliamentary form of government emphasises on the

Correct

Solution: d)

Option b) is valid in the Presidential system as in USA.

A Parliament may not be based on democratic elections or even adult franchise. It can be an entirely nominated body as it largely used to be in the colonial rule. So, a) and c) are incorrect.

In India, executive is a part of the legislature, and the legislature is led by the executive. So, c) is the correct option.

Incorrect

Solution: d)

Option b) is valid in the Presidential system as in USA.

A Parliament may not be based on democratic elections or even adult franchise. It can be an entirely nominated body as it largely used to be in the colonial rule. So, a) and c) are incorrect.

In India, executive is a part of the legislature, and the legislature is led by the executive. So, c) is the correct option.

3. Question

Under which of the following circumstances can the Parliament legislate on the subjects in the State list?

Rajya Sabha passes a resolution to that effect

When any state makes a request to the parliament

President‘s Rule

Financial emergency

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

Correct

Solution: b)

The Constitution empowers the Parliament to make laws on the subjects enumerated in the State List under the following five abnormal circumstances:

(a) when Rajya Sabha passes a resolution to that effect.

(b) when a proclamation of National Emergency is in operation.

(c) when two or more states make a joint request to the Parliament.

(d) when necessary to give effect to international agreements, treaties and conventions.

(e) when President’s Rule is in operation in the state.

Incorrect

Solution: b)

The Constitution empowers the Parliament to make laws on the subjects enumerated in the State List under the following five abnormal circumstances:

(a) when Rajya Sabha passes a resolution to that effect.

(b) when a proclamation of National Emergency is in operation.

(c) when two or more states make a joint request to the Parliament.

(d) when necessary to give effect to international agreements, treaties and conventions.

(e) when President’s Rule is in operation in the state.

4. Question

Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?

CABINET COMMITTEES

Niti Ayog

Inter–State Council

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

Zonal Council

Select the correct code:

a) 1, 2, 3, 4

b) 1, 2, 4, 5

c) 2, 3, 4, 5

d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Correct

Solution: b)

Inter State council is a constitutional body under Article 263 of the constitution. It was established by Presidential Order dated 28th May, 1990 on recommendation of Sarkaria Commission. The purpose of the Interstate council is to facilitate coordination between states and the centre.

Incorrect

Solution: b)

Inter State council is a constitutional body under Article 263 of the constitution. It was established by Presidential Order dated 28th May, 1990 on recommendation of Sarkaria Commission. The purpose of the Interstate council is to facilitate coordination between states and the centre.

5. Question

Which of the following bodies are envisaged by the Constitution as the bulwarks of the democratic system of Government in India.

Election Commission

Finance Commission

Union Public Service Commission

State Public Service Commission

Central Information Commission

Select the correct code:

a) 1, 2, 3

b) 1, 3, 4, 5

c) 1, 3, 4

d) 1, 2, 3, 5

Correct

Solution: c)

The Indian Constitution not only provides for the legislative, executive and judicial organs of the government (Central and state) but also establishes certain independent bodies. They are envisaged by the Constitution as the bulwarks of the democratic system of Government in India. These are:

(a) Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections to the Parliament, the state legislatures, the office of President of India and the office of Vice-president of India.

(b) Comptroller and Auditor-General of India to audit the accounts of the Central and state governments. He acts as the guardian of public purse and comments on the legality and propriety of government expenditure.

(c) Union Public Service Commission to conduct examinations for recruitment to all-India services and higher Central services and to advise the President on disciplinary matters.

(d) State Public Service Commission in every state to conduct examinations for recruitment to state services and to advice the governor on disciplinary matters.

Incorrect

Solution: c)

The Indian Constitution not only provides for the legislative, executive and judicial organs of the government (Central and state) but also establishes certain independent bodies. They are envisaged by the Constitution as the bulwarks of the democratic system of Government in India. These are:

(a) Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections to the Parliament, the state legislatures, the office of President of India and the office of Vice-president of India.

(b) Comptroller and Auditor-General of India to audit the accounts of the Central and state governments. He acts as the guardian of public purse and comments on the legality and propriety of government expenditure.

(c) Union Public Service Commission to conduct examinations for recruitment to all-India services and higher Central services and to advise the President on disciplinary matters.

(d) State Public Service Commission in every state to conduct examinations for recruitment to state services and to advice the governor on disciplinary matters.

Source: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/01/26/insights-static-quiz-228-2019-polity/

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COMPILATIONS: Insights Secure Synopsis MARCH 2019

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COMPILATIONS: Insights Secure Synopsis MARCH 2019

PDF

GS-I

GS-II

GS-III

GS-IV

Source: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/04/16/compilations-insights-secure-synopsis-march-2019/

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10 Ingredients You Should Look For In Your Daily Multivitamin - International Business Times

There are so many supplement products that claim to be good for you and to be the only one you need, but health experts say that there are some vitamins and minerals that should always be present.

When shopping for the right multivitamins, checking the label for the basics is the first order of business. The other extra supplementation, while not required, are more for added support and a healthy boost. Here are 10 ingredients that should never be absent from your multivitamins.

1. Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that is necessary for the development of strong teeth and bones. Women, in particular, tend to lose bone density earlier than men and should be consuming foods rich in calcium or taking supplements at an early age. The recommended daily dose is 1,000 mg for adults and most multivitamins do not offer this much. So you will also need to fill the gap with food such as salty fish, milk, yogurt, cheese, nuts and nut butters, beans, broccoli and kale.

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is also good for healthy bones, and aside from getting it from the morning sun, you can also get plenty from fish, eggs and mushrooms. Exposure to sunlight for 15 minutes a day should be enough. But if you’re always indoors and live in low-sunlight locations, you will need this in your vitamins. 

3. Zinc

Zinc tends to be at low levels when you’re under a lot of stress and also as you age. It is an important mineral for wound healing and also for immune support. The body does not store zinc and much of the American diet does not really contain foods that are rich in it. Your daily multivitamins should, thus, have this ingredient.

4. Iron

Iron is an essential multivitamin ingredient for better brain function, healthy blood cells and increased energy. Not everybody has the same iron requirement, however, but multivitamins typically contain about 18 mg of ferrous sulfate, ferric citrate, ferrous gluconate or ferric sulfate. More than this amount might may some people feel nauseous.

5. Vitamin B-12

The recommended amount of Vitamin B-12 is 3 mcg or less. Anything more that’s consumed will only be removed as excess when you urinate.

6. Folate

Also called folic acid, you should consume around 400 mcg of folate on a daily basis, 600 mcg for pregnant women. When checking the ingredients on your multivitamin, look for methyl folate. It’s best to be taken on an empty stomach.

There are ten ingredients that should never be absent from your multivitamins. Pictured: A selection of over the counter vitamin supplements Photo: Getty Images/Christopher Furlong

7. Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for energy production and bone health. It is also known to help ease sleep problems, reduce stress, calm the nervous system, balance blood sugar levels, and regulate muscle function. For supplements, the body needs at least 350 mg, and most multivitamins offer 300 to 320 mg.

8. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is good for boosting the blood vessels and enhancing iron absorption and anti-oxidant function. The daily recommended amount per day is 65 to 90 mg, with an upper limit of 2,000 mg. Going beyond the usual dose could cause nausea and diarrhea.

9. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is good for the teeth and skin, as well as healthy eyes and general growth and wellness. The recommended amount per day is between 700 to 900 mcg, while pregnant women should take 1,200 to 1,300 mcg daily.

10. Vitamin E

This vitamin provides protection against free radicals and is good for a healthy blood circulation. Health experts recommend that people take 15 mg of vitamin E per day. The American Heart Association also discourages the consumption of high-dose vitamin E supplements and says that it’s better to get it from natural food sources instead.  

Source: https://www.ibtimes.com/10-ingredients-you-should-look-your-daily-multivitamin-2772019

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Martin Bauer Group expands global botanicals empire with BI Nutraceuticals acquisition

“The investment in BI Nutraceuticals will build on Martin Bauer Group’s capabilities in the US including research and development, formulations and manufacturing,”​ Tara Kastury, marketing director at Martin Bauer Group, told NutraIngredients-USA.

She added that BI’s manufacturing capabilities on both US coasts which include milling, blending and extraction options, “will enhance the group’s ability in terms of product portfolio, flexibility and minimum order quantities, within the dietary supplement industry and beyond.” ​

The Martin Bauer Group was founded in the German province of Bavaria in 1930 when its eponymous founder started growing his own herbs to deliver to pharmacies, drugstores, hospitals, and health food shops.

It acquired several newly-privatized phytochemical companies in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Then, the company continued its worldwide expansion with subsidiaries launched in the US, China, Japan, Brazil, and Argentina, among others. Today, it remains a family business, supplying botanical ingredients worldwide to tea, beverage, and nutritional supplement manufacturers.

BI Nutraceuticals CEO: ‘A significant move forward’​

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. According to a press release, the two companies will continue to operate independently.

BI Nutraceuticals will continue to operate under its current name as part of Martin Bauer’s nature network group of companies.

According to the press release, BI Nutraceuticals president and CEO George Pontiakos said the acquisition represents a “significant move forward for us and our combined customer base.” ​

“BI Nutraceuticals will now have access to the global resources of the Martin Bauer Group in the areas of raw materials sourcing, processing technology, liquid extract production and research and development.”​

For the Martin Bauer Group, the acquisition is part of the company’s strategy to grow within the dietary supplement industry and to be much closer to clients in terms of formulation and manufacturing, Kastury said.

Growing consumer demand for plant-based products​

Additionally, the acquisition is Martin Bauer’s response to growing consumer demand.

“Consumer’s focus on ‘health’ and ‘better-for-me’ across all areas of life is driving increasing demand for functional ingredients across the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries,”​ Kastury added.

Adding to that is continued consumer demand for plant-based and botanical ingredients across food and beverage categories.

There is demand for transparency, which includes clean labels (an industry term for short ingredient lists) and responsible sourcing, Kastury said.

Source: https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2019/03/25/Global-botanicals-specialist-Martin-Bauer-Group-buys-BI-Nutraceuticals

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NIH Study Links Ultra-Processed Foods with Overeating & Weight Gain

People eating ultra-processed foods ate more calories and gained more weight than when they ate a minimally processed diet, according to results from a National Institutes of Health study. The difference occurred even though meals provided to the volunteers in both the ultra-processed and minimally processed diets had the same number of calories and macronutrients. The results were published in Cell Metabolism.   This small-scale study of 20 adult volunteers, conducted by researchers at the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), is the first randomized controlled trial examining the effects of ultra-processed foods as defined by the NOVA classification system. This system considers foods “ultra-processed” if they have ingredients predominantly found in industrial food manufacturing, such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, flavoring agents, and emulsifiers.   Previous observational studies looking at large groups of people had shown associations between diets high in processed foods and health problems. But, because none of the past studies randomly assigned people to eat specific foods and then measured the results, scientists could not say for sure whether the processed foods were a problem on their own, or whether people eating them had health problems for other reasons, such as a lack of access to fresh foods.   “Though we examined a small group, results from this tightly controlled experiment showed a clear and consistent difference between the two diets,” said Kevin D. Hall, PhD, an NIDDK senior investigator and the study’s lead author. “This is the first study to demonstrate causality—that ultra-processed foods cause people to eat too many calories and gain weight.”   For the study, researchers admitted 20 healthy adult volunteers, 10 male and 10 female, to the NIH Clinical Center for one continuous month and, in random order for two weeks on each diet, provided them with meals made up of ultra-processed foods or meals of minimally processed foods. For example, an ultra-processed breakfast might consist of a bagel with cream cheese and turkey bacon, while the unprocessed breakfast was oatmeal with bananas, walnuts, and skim milk.   The ultra-processed and unprocessed meals had the same amounts of calories, sugars, fiber, fat, and carbohydrates, and participants could eat as much or as little as they wanted.   “We need to figure out what specific aspect of the ultra-processed foods affected people’s eating behavior and led them to gain weight,” Hall said. “The next step is to design similar studies with a reformulated ultra-processed diet to see if the changes can make the diet effect on calorie intake and body weight disappear.”   For example, slight differences in protein levels between the ultra-processed and unprocessed diets in this study could potentially explain as much as half the difference in calorie intake.   “Over time, extra calories add up, and that extra weight can lead to serious health conditions,” said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. “Research like this is an important part of understanding the role of nutrition in health and may also help people identify foods that are both nutritious and accessible—helping people stay healthy for the long term.”   While the study reinforces the benefits of unprocessed foods, researchers note that ultra-processed foods can be difficult to restrict. “We have to be mindful that it takes more time and more money to prepare less-processed foods,” Hall said. “Just telling people to eat healthier may not be effective for some people without improved access to healthy foods.”   Support for the study primarily came from the NIDDK Division of Intramural Research.

Source: https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2019-05-16/nih-finds-ultra-processed-foods-correlated-to-overeating-weight-gain/

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Global Vitamins Market Analysis By Industry Value, Market Size, Top Companies And Growth Forecast To 2027 - Tech News Store

The Latest Research From Marketresearch.biz reveals the study of Vitamins Market Report. The Vitamins Market Report offer the complete scenario of the industry and evaluation of upcoming Trends for future market.It also give the analytic of ongoing growth factor, Trends, facts, future data base, statistic of Vitamins Market industry.The Vitamins Market has been sketched by overall information and analysis of Vitamins Market database from Vitamins Market Industry experts. The Vitamins Market Report also provide prospective growth factor and competitive landscape of coming year.

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The Vitamins Market  research report offers an thorough study of the main Vitamins Market industry important players along with the company profiles and Vitamins Market planning accepted by them. This will profitable for the buyer of the Vitamins Market report to gain a clear view of the significant Growth and accordingly project Vitamins Market strategies. A different section with Vitamins Market industry key players is served in the report, which includes a detailed analysis of Value, gross, revenue(Mn), product image, Vitamins Market specifications, and companies profiles.This allows our Vitamins Market user and readers to notice at the report deeply an economical overview and strategical objective of the competitive world.

Leading Players Of Vitamins Market Are:

The Vitamins Market report is divided into different regions, with revenue(Million), Vitamins Market sales and growth Rate(%) from forecast period 2018 to 2027. Geologically, regions covered by Vitamins Market reports (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa).

Vitamins Market Segmentation:

Segmentation on the basis of type:

Vitamin B Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin A Vitamin K Segmentation on the basis of application:

Healthcare products Food & beverages Feed Personal care Segmentation on the basis of source:

Synthetic Natural

Worldwide research for Vitamins Market Industry Report study the Below Topics:

01: Vitamins Market  Overview and segmentation of various sectors.

02: Vitamins Market Industry overview, Price (USD$) Forecast and Market size by Key application.

03: Vitamins Market  distribute Revenue (USD$) by country and region wise there Segments.

04: Vitamins Market industry research study.

05: Vitamins Market manufacturing Cost study.

06: Vitamins Market value Chain and Revenue study.

07: Industrial restraint, standardization, and comprehensive landscape.

08: Vitamins Market Marketing research, conclusion, Study on buying and sales process.

09: Vitamins Market report regulatory system and installation.

10: To know the overall perspective for Vitamins Market report.

For More Details, Ask Our Expert @ https://marketresearch.biz/report/vitamins-market/inquiry

The Vitamins Market report allot and explore a list of all business vendors, regions where the Vitamins Market has comprehensive expansion. Associates to their annual revenue and Vitamins Market sales, it portray various segments included in the market. This report serves Vitamins Market forecast 2018-2027, growth study, revenue, and sales.

Also, Vitamins Market report evaluate promising outcomes, cost study, boosting factors. The report predict Vitamins Market uncertainty, risks, opportunities, and driving elements. It study past/present market groundwork to foresee future Vitamins Market business plans and significance in brief. It provide detail list of dominant Vitamins Market players along with impending ones.

In conclusion, the Vitamins Market industry report reveal research discovery, end result, conclusions. Likewise, disclose various Vitamins Market data sources, traders/vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, sales channel, and accomplishment. In short, the overall Vitamins Market report is a remunerative document for people implicated in Vitamins Market.

Related

Source: https://technewsstore.com/global-vitamins-market-analysis-by-industry-value-market-size-top-companies-and-growth-forecast-to-2027/

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[forestcrack83-blog]

Balsamic Chicken Goat Cheese Wraps + Weekly Menu

The long weekend started strong and kind of died off by Sunday afternoon. Friday, I was calling it quits early for the day and took some PTO to join Mark, the kids, my in-laws, and my sister-in-law on an impromptu boat ride. We’re no longer owners of jet skiis and so instead, we’ve taken to renting boats for half days. It’s a lot of fun and far more enjoyable to offload the maintenance, storage, and upkeep of watercrafts.

It was a most enjoyable afternoon followed by a fun Saturday consisting of brunch, rooting on the Illini football team in their first win for the season, and Piper’s birthday celebrations. My Pinterest cake was a total fail, but everyone rooted me on to the final product which was fine and most certainly tasty.

On Sunday, we picked peaches…and apples. Apples and football…despite the steamy weather, fall is most definitely approaching quickly. Just before I started my blog post, I was Googling Halloween costumes – I think the girls are going to be Poppy and Lady Glitter Sparkles from the movie Trolls. Not gunna lie…this may be the year I actually get excited for Halloween! Just thinking about Piper dressed up as Lady Glitter Sparkles makes me smile!

As everyone headed for their respective homes in Illinois and Washington state, the rest of Sunday and all of Labor Day were quiet, quiet, quiet. Shea and I snuggled on the couch for all 3 ½ hours of Piper’s nap and when they were driving me batty, I sent them out to dance in the rain…which turned into some form of a bath as the wet clothes were peeled off and they kept the party going. Our poor neighbors…

Mark is traveling for work this week and it’s our first week with our new nanny, Jess. She will pick-up the kids from daycare and so I just freed up 30+ minutes every evening. I was going to set my alarm to get my workout in before work…but without complicated dinner plans, I’m going to sneak it in after work instead. I haven’t been out of bed before 8am the past 3 days…the thought of any alarm is depressing, much less one going off at a way-to-early hour.

Just like my weekly menu, this recipe is keeping it SIMPLE. Big flavor and perfect year-round but oh so summery, this quick and easy meal is a sure crowd pleaser. I tend to shy away from wraps because of the high calorie counts in most options, so consult your labels for a healthier option!

Balsamic Chicken Goat Cheese Wraps

Author: Nicole Morrissey

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  12 mins

Total time:  22 mins

Serves: 4 wraps

Ingredients

Chicken:

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup honey

2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp black pepper

20 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Wraps:

4 cups arugula, gently packed

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

¼ cup reserved balsamic glaze

4 large spinach tortillas

Instructions

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl until well-combined. Set aside ¼ cup; refrigerate. Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat chicken on all sides. Let sit for ten minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken to the skillet, cooking for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes before slicing into ¼-inch thick slices.

To each tortilla add ¼ of the arugula, topped with ¼ of the chicken, cranberries, goat cheese, and reserved balsamic glaze.

Tuck in the sides of the tortilla and roll like a burrito. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 prepared wrap Calories: 521 Fat: 15.8 Carbohydrates: 62.0 Sugar: 28.0 Sodium: 874 Fiber: 2.3 Protein: 34.5 Cholesterol: 86

3.5.3251

Weekly Menu: September 3rd – 6th

Monday: rotisserie chicken, steamed broccoli, thyme roasted potatoes

Tuesday: Beef tacos, guacamole, corn

Wednesday: leftover turkey meatballs and pasta with marinara

Thursday: veggie corn dogs w/ vegetable and/or salad

Be well,

Source: https://preventionrd.com/2018/09/balsamic-chicken-goat-cheese-wraps-weekly-menu/

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Interview: How Ritual's Katerina Schneider Brings Transparency To The Women's Multivitamin - PSFK

The founder of the cult direct-to-consumer brand tells PSFK how she builds credibility and trust with consumers by offering a product previously unavailable among women's supplements, focusing on quality and transparency of ingredients reflected in the clear pills themselves

The vitamin and supplement industry is notoriously opaque. Free of many of the regulations subject to the food and pharmaceutical industries, manufacturers have little legal responsibility to prove and report the efficacy of their products. Ritual founder Katerina Schneider decided to create a better, more transparent product for women, helping to usher the direct-to-consumer movement into a previously unsexy category limited to drug store shelves.

Ritual launched with just one product, a Women’s Essential multivitamin. With its design-led packaging, subscription model and accessible price point, the buzzy brand has become one of the most visible among new products catered to (largely millennial) women. In October, Ritual announced the release of a new Essential Prenatal formula, solving for another important stage in many women’s lives. PSFK spoke to Schneider about her goal to ultimately create products for women at all ages and life stages, developed in direct conversation with her dedicated consumers via social media.

PSFK: Could you speak about the broader trends that you’re seeing impacting retail today, and any trends that you’re leveraging in your work?

Katerina Schneider: There are a couple of interesting trends that are impacting retail. One is companies are able to build really high‑quality products by going direct to consumer, and really bypassing middlemen.

One of the interesting things that we’ve been able to do as a company is source the high‑quality ingredients from all over the world, and offer them up to women at a really accessible price, which I think is having an impact on retail at large. For us, it’s really great because our mission is to give women the best there is, and create products that are accessible.

Another trend that’s impacting retail currently is our company’s abilities to interact directly with customers on the fly. We’re really excited, because at Ritual, we have this direct relationship with our customers. We literally respond to every single Instagram post, every ad.

By leveraging our team of in‑house scientists, our team of customer experience executives, together we can thoughtfully and concisely answer a lot of our customers’ questions and build trust.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook have allowed us to build really loyal and almost cultish followings of women who are committed to doing better things for their bodies. That is definitely having an impact on retail as well.

Could you talk a little bit about how consumer perception of wellness has changed and why it’s become more important?

We all want to do what’s best for our bodies and want to take care of them. I know that when I was four months pregnant, I cared more than ever what I was putting in and on my body. I was a healthy person before that but took it to the extreme even more because it was my responsibility, not just for myself, but for the child that I was carrying.

At that time I really dove deep into wellness and got rid of products that I really couldn’t get behind in my house: deodorants, toothpaste, sunscreens, cleaning supplies. When I took a look at the vitamins that I had been taking every single day for my health, I was pretty shocked to find what’s inside.

That’s why I started Ritual. All women deserve to know what they’re putting into their bodies and why. That’s where this idea was born. When you think about what’s going on in wellness today, which is very a plethora of brands or a plethora of companies trying to get women’s attention.

It’s important to pause and understand what we actually need and what we’re missing from our diets and dive into the science and research, which is exactly what we did. We spent years just researching women’s diets to identify what nutrients were missing today not 50 years ago. That’s how the idea of Essential for Women was born.

We like to distance ourselves from [industry trends] and have created products that are really around health and foundational health, and less around unproven trendy ingredients. For us things like folate, for iron, for magnesium are really essential and important.

Could you talk a little bit about how you discovered which nutrients were essential and which ones were just unnecessary?

We define an essential nutrient as something that is absolutely critical to a woman’s life and to her health. We identified nine essential nutrients during her life that are really key and we looked at 12,000 studies, government data, everything that was available to us.

We identified the nutrients that were really essential: folate, K2, MK7, magnesium, vitamin D3, boron and iron. What was interesting in one of the things we found that it wasn’t even just the ingredients, but it was the ingredient forms that really mattered.

For instance, over a third of women have a gene variation where they can’t properly utilize synthetic folic acid, which is very common in most vitamins. We identified methylated folate that we source from Italy. It’s a fourth-generation folate that bypassed gene variations and got in readily.

It sounds like you’ve done a tremendous amount of research. You have all of the science backing your products. How are you communicating this to your consumers?

We’ve definitely done the research. I’m personally on a mission to redefine what it means to be a health company in this day and age. I really believe that it starts with evolving the conversation on transparency. With our products you can see where every ingredient comes from in the world and why it’s there.

Being an online direct brand, you can go on our site, go on the Ingredients tab and literary see where everything comes from and why it’s there. We even have interviews with every single manufacturer and supplier as well as some of the key studies that we reference when making our decisions. It’s not as if transparency was something we thought would be nice to market.

It was something that we really believed in because as we started digging through the forms of ingredients out there and the ones that we decided to put into our product, we got so excited that we couldn’t help ourselves. We wanted to share that information.

We wanted to share why we have D3 from wild harvested lichen, why we have omega‑3s coming from EPA and DHA, from algae, why we have a methylated folate from Italy and K2, MK7 from Norway. We are so obsessed with our ingredients that we’ve evolved the conversation on transparency into almost traceability and really created a first of its kind traceable product. We want that to be the norm. Not just for our industry, but for other industries as well.

We go above and beyond to make sure that women are informed because knowledge is obviously power. That’s something we’re really proud of.

Could you talk a little bit about how you’ve tried to reimagine the multivitamin and turn it into something positive?

When I started the company I was skeptical of vitamins as a whole, but I did my research. I hired some of the leading scientists in the industry. Our scientific team is lead by a Harvard‑trained physiologist as well as one of the leaders in the nutraceutical industries, who has over 30 years of industry experience and a PhD in biomedical sciences. We hired this really credible in‑house team to build a product that we could really get behind and identify that we really do need vitamins.

Let’s start from the ground up, starting with understanding if we need vitamins in the first place. It turns out we actually do. Most of us are lacking in the same nutrients, which was fundamentally shocking.

We don’t believe that women should be taking five, six, seven different pills to reach optimal health. We surveyed hundreds of women and identified that most women did not want to take more than two capsules a day.

We created this bead‑in‑oil encapsulation for Essential for Women, which has the dry ingredients separate from the oil ingredients. All the ingredients are layered on top of each other preventing interaction. Then there’s a delayed release capsule that has a no nausea design, bypassing the stomach and getting released in the small intestine for tolerability. It’s also beautiful. That actually happened to be a byproduct of doing the right thing.

We wanted to celebrate that and put it in clear bottles, so that when women who’ve been to their medicine cabinet they didn’t have a stock of different bottles hanging out there. They had one single vitamin that they were really excited to take. Then finally we wanted the aroma to be pleasant.

We wanted it to be something that you looked forward to. We sourced fresh peppermint oil for Essential for Women from Yakima, Washington and put it in an empty tab in the bottle. That’s something that really pleasantly delights our customers.

Then for the prenatal we used lemon oil. Women commonly crave citrus during pregnancy. We thought that would be an interesting thoughtful touch as well.

Your branding is so simple and almost gender-neutral even though this is a vitamin designed for women. Was that a deliberate choice or were you trying to attract a certain type of consumer? 

One of the things when we looked at design that was really important to us was simplicity in an industry where things are incredibly complex, and you have so many choices, and you have to sift through so much information. Design allows us to surface the most important things by showing people and not just telling them.

The big question is how do you show trust? We believe that great simple design can do that because it’s thoughtful. We put so much care, effort and thoughtfulness, almost obsession into design as the way that we do with research in our ingredients.

I believe that great branding has allowed us to build out trust with our customer. It is incredibly gender-neutral, but I’m not sure anymore what the opposite would be. As someone who appreciates great design, this is the design that speaks to me as a woman.

One of the interesting challenges we had as well was launching the prenatal and how do we speak to women visually that are thinking or trying to conceive? Women typically are served up advertising that is flowery and pink. Not that there is a problem with pink, but I prefer yellow. Women don’t often look empowered in a lot of the current advertising especially if it’s geared towards millennial women we expect something different. Other brands, other categories or brands are marketing to us in a different way.

With our prenatal campaign we really tried to show empowered women. We only showed a few women that were actually pregnant, because the campaign was around pre‑pregnancy.

Your product offering is tightly curated, with just the Essential for Women and now the new Essential Prenatal. Why did you decide to launch with just one essential multivitamin instead of offering a broader range?

When it comes to our product philosophy and when it comes to vitamins and supplements, we believe in what you need versus what you want. When it comes to vitamins as a whole, our vision is to have one single vitamin forever and ever that really just evolves as a woman’s life stages change. What she needs today can change if she’s thinking about getting pregnant. It can change after she’s given birth and can change after she’s gone through menopause.

The vision all along and since the beginning is one single ritual, which is one single vitamin that fits into her life as seamlessly as brushing her teeth. We want to elevate vitamin‑taking to that level.

Essential Prenatal is like Essential for Women’s sister in a way. Instead of nine essential nutrients, there are 12. One of the really exciting things about the Prenatal and the Prenatal campaign that we recently did was opening up the conversation around getting women ready for pregnancy versus before, most companies were advertising to women when they were already pregnant.

That’s a really huge shift because it turns out that a study referenced by the CDC as a national study, close to 45% of pregnancies are unplanned and yet the first 28 days of pregnancy are when the neural tube forms. It’s really critical that women have their nutritional status optimized when they’re thinking or trying to get pregnant. This campaign was a huge movement for us to not just educate women about Essential Prenatal but starting to get women to think about their nutrition beforehand.

You mentioned that you envisioned Ritual as this companion that consumers can have. Do you have any other future offerings planned?

We really see ourselves as not just a vitamin company but a habit company. That means that we want to change the way that a woman interacts with the products that she uses every day and the experiences around them. In the future, we’re rethinking a lot of things.

We’re really shifting behaviors and we’d hope to do that around other products as well. What’s important to us first is to finish what we started in the vitamin category, which is really putting a stake in the ground when it comes to women’s health, women’s health research, identifying her needs, what she really needs, and what her body needs at different life stages.

You mentioned before that you and your team reply to every single comment on social media, which is amazing. Could you talk a little bit more about how you’re trying to build community with your brand?

Answering comments and being conversational on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, has allowed us to form really a community online that is responsive and thoughtful.

One of the things that we’re really excited about is that we’re skeptics building a brand for other skeptics. We want our customers to be label‑readers, we want her to be a cross‑examiner and to question things. We want to do that together. One of the things that platforms like Instagram have allowed us to do is go a little deeper through content and storytelling both visual and conversational every single day.

Instagram stories have allowed us to do that as well as even content on our own site and developing our own content hub which we lead our customers from social platforms to content, to articles on our site to go deeper if they want.

You mentioned you’re talking with consumers when you’re developing your products. Could you talk a little bit about how you incorporate consumers’ feedback into your research and development process?

As far as the products go themselves and the vitamins and the nutrients, that is solely based on research and studies. Those are developed with our in‑house scientific team. As I mentioned before, our chief scientist is a Harvard‑trained physiologist. Our VP of R&D has PhD in biomedical sciences. Together, our scientific team has come through thousands of studies to identify women’s needs and what they need today based on the latest research.

As far as R&D goes, it’s very much an in‑house thing. We want to be an authority on that as much as we love customers’ feedback and direction. When it comes to the experience of taking the vitamins, when it comes to packaging, when it comes to collateral, when it comes to what they’d like to see more or less of as far as content, all of that, for us, is crowdsourced.

One of the most exciting examples for us has been our omega‑3 story. We were excited to be using omega‑3s from algae that had both EPA and DHA in Essential for Women. Algae is the food of fish. It has a pretty pungent smell overall, just like fish oil does. We did not want to budge on the quality or the type of omega‑3s we wanted to use.

We quickly surfaced that. Our community and our customers wanted an option to pleasantly take their vitamins. They’ve been frustrated in the past by omega‑3s not smelling great in that experience, but they knew they needed them. We created this Minty Tab by feedback from our customers. It became a huge product innovation for us. That was interesting.

Could you talk a little bit about how you’re using a DTC subscription strategy to make the experience more seamless for consumers?

We are leveraging direct‑to‑consumer in several ways to thoughtfully make a better experience for our customers. The first is price. When creating Essential for Women with our scientists and talking to our manufacturer, they were shocked that my goal was to try to get it to under $30 because they knew how expensive some of our ingredients were. Through the direct‑to‑consumer model and bypassing the middlemen, we’re able to offer a $200 product at a $30 price point.

If you were to go to Amazon and you were to cobble together our Essential for Women formulation, everything from our omega‑3s with EPA, DHA to our ferrous bisglycinate iron to our K2 MK7 coming from Norway—it’s a pure crystal—to our D3 from wild‑harvested lichen, it would cost you over $200. It would take you a lot of time.

We wanted to create a really accessible product at an accessible price point. Going direct is interesting because we’re able to have more predictive models in trying to understand our customer. If they’re going to stick around, we know that we can have a certain cost of goods that maybe other companies can’t that are in retail. Some of our customers, we feel like our life‑long customers. That’s good for us. It’s good for them. That’s one of the things that’s really exciting.

The second is going deeper in the customer journey. If you were to buy a multivitamin off the shelf, you might not really know what it’s for. You might think it’s to grow your hair or to make your skin nice, whatever that may be. That is not what we’re about as a company. Our whole thing is building a foundation. Some of the best benefits are the ones you can’t see. It’s things that impact your long‑term health like your organs, or your blood, or your brain.

Something we’re really excited about is going deeper on that foundational health journey. I think the third thing is that we all forget to take our vitamins sometimes. I know I do even though I’m the CEO of this company. Even if we have really good habits, and we’ve built them in for whatever reason, there’s days we forget.

We are committed to building the most seamless, incredible experience for women knowing that they have those days. We all do. Things like snooze, things like allowing women to pause their subscription, when they need to for whatever that may be, are things that we’ve built into the experience. We also allow women to cancel at any time. These days, I think you have to be competing with Amazon for a level of service and the seamlessness of service.

I’m really proud of what we’re building because it not only allows women the convenience of their vitamins coming to them when they need, it allows them the convenience of going deeper and the storytelling that we provide. It allows them to ingest that over time.

Ritual

Ritual is driving value by fostering transparency and quality while prioritizing its customers’ needs. For more examples of similar inspiring retailers, see PSFK’s  reports and newsletters.

Source: https://www.psfk.com/2018/12/interview-ritual-katerina-schneider-transparency-womens-multivitamin.html

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UNPA signs MOU with the Hemp Industries Association

‘The agreement recognizes that such cooperation between the dietary supplement and hemp industries will advance consumer confidence, industry standards and regulatory compliance,” ​explained UNPA in a release.

“UNPA has spent a great amount of time and energy evaluating appropriate relationships within the hemp and cannabis community,”​ said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president. “Organizationally, we wanted to better understand the fundamentals of the hemp industry, including farming, processing and extraction systems. UNPA fully supports the movement to hemp and its many uses. The health benefits and consumer interest in hemp extracts, CBD and the other cannabinoids have become an important part of our work.​

“This MOU with the Hemp Industries Association advances these interests as the dietary supplement and hemp industries become allies in the commercial sector, as well as within regulatory, farm and foreign policy areas. We hope to help the hemp industry in its efforts to be fully compliant with food and supplement regulations, and to share our expertise in good manufacturing practices and quality compliance. We think this sharing of resources and expertise will add value for both organizations and both industries.”​

According to UNPA, part of the agreement involved the two organizations cooperating on Food Safety Modernization Act, Good Manufacturing Practice Section 111, Preventive Controls Qualified Individual and Foreign Supplier Verification Programs training and education.

HIA is also supporting the promotion of UNPA’s upcoming educational training, Preventive Controls for Foods, Dietary Supplements and Botanically Derived Products and Ingredients​, which includes hemp and hemp-oil ingredients and products, being held June 26-28, in Denver.

“On behalf of the HIA and its leadership, I am thrilled that UNPA qualifies our association for this important partnership,”​ said Colleen Keahey Lanier, HIA executive director. “HIA members deserve to have the best information and training available to them. We look forward to sharing more information about the hemp industries, learning from UNPA and also advancing agreed-upon initiatives along the way.”​

Source: https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2019/06/05/UNPA-signs-MOU-with-the-Hemp-Industries-Association

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Petition: End the USDA’s Cruel Testing Where They Feed Dog and Cat Parts From Meat Markets to Kittens!

Animal testing is incredibly cruel, and mice aren’t the only ones who suffer. Primates, dogs, and cats are also used in lab testing and experiments. Recently, it’s come to light that the USDA is using kittens in an especially horrific experiment. Non-profit group White Coat Waste Project released a report called “USDA Kitten Cannibalism” in which they reveal the horrors occuring at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service’s Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.

The horrifying testing includes feeding the hearts, tongues, and brains of euthanized ‘meat market’ animals (dogs and cats) to lab-bred cats. The animal parts were purchased from China, Egypt, Brazil, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Colombia. As appalling as that sounds, it gets worse. The cats, even when healthy at the end of these experiments are still euthanized, and their parasite-infected remains are fed to lab mice.

The excuse for the experiments is research for toxoplasmosis, an illness which can occur when exposed to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. The reason cats are used is that they’re “the only animal in which T. gondii can complete its entire life cycle.” The USDA spent $22.5 million conducting this research and they haven’t even had any major breakthroughs in this area for 20 years, according to Jim Keen, a former USDA scientist against animal testing. Providing further proof that this research is unnecessary, the report states: “Dog and cat meat represents an abnormal diets for cats, dogs and mice so it is likely irrelevant to natural toxoplasmosis biology. Their scientific relevance and justification is questionable, at best, as is their relevance to American public health since we do not consume cats and dogs, and the practice is now outlawed in the U.S.”

The USDA was asked about the report by TIME magazine to which they only responded: “The Agricultural Research Service continues to assess our operations on how to better conduct toxoplasmosis research, while safeguarding the health of the American people. USDA remains committed to protecting the safety of the American food supply and maintains the strictest adherence to ethical standards and the best management practices.”

We do not need this kind of testing done and we don’t stand for this. Test tube samples of toxoplasma gondii is an effective method of studying and experimenting on the parasite, according to a review in Trends in Parasitology, which means that the use of animals is completely unjustified.

To speak up, sign this petition demanding that the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue put an end to the USDA’s horrible research.

For more Animal, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter!

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us!

Source: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/petition-end-the-usdas-cruel-testing-where-they-feed-dog-and-cat-parts-from-meat-markets-to-kittens/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[forestcrack83-blog]

Top 10 mejores licuadoras del 2019: potencia, el mejor precio y calidad

La licuadora ideal debe ser potente, resistente, veloz, segura, fácil de limpiar y muy silenciosa. Para comprar la mejor licuadora debes considerar precio, necesidades, presupuesto, calidad, fabricante, pros y contras.

Tras numerosas pruebas y experimentos con diversos modelos, la conclusión es que Vitamix puso en el mercado un modelo ideal de licuadora para este año 2019: la Vitamix 5200. Sin embargo, existen otros modelos excelentes que no te quedarán mal.

Abajo nuestra lista con las mejores licuadores del mercado:

La Vitamix 5200: ¡La Regia!

Descripción del producto:

Características

Vitamix 5200

FUERZA

2 caballos de Fuerza

CUCHILLAS

Acero inoxidable

GARANTÍA

7 años

Es realmente potente con 2 caballos de fuerza. No se traba ni se detiene al introducir tus comidas. Puedes meter alimentos de medianos a grandes, porque tiene un contenedor de 64 onzas.

El modelo Vitamix 5200 tiene un vaso ancho que facilita el deslizamiento de los alimentos y no los atrapa, disminuyendo tu intervención manual. La base del fondo, más redonda, proporciona mayor movimiento a los ingredientes. Sus cuchillas grandes y con posición inclinada en diferentes direcciones, optimizan su rendimiento.

Su velocidad se puede ajustar mientras mezclas, ofreciéndote diferentes texturas. Una Vitamix 5200 difumina hasta la semilla más pequeña, literalmente, la vuelve polvo.

Es un electrodoméstico imponente y no tan silencioso, pero muy rápido. Se tiene prevista para el hogar, pero es ambiciosa, ya que puede operar en un pequeño negocio con un considerable número de clientes. Actualmente está en el mercado en colores negro y blanco.

Es sencilla de guardar, muy fácil de limpiar y, como toda Vitamix, está hecha de plásticos libres de BPA, es decir, libres de toxicidad.

¿Qué funciones realiza una Vitamix 5200?

Puede realizar cualquier tarea: corta, pica, tritura, muele y mezcla. Es ideal para preparar:

Batidos verdes, cremas de frutos secos y salsas.

Picar hielos, verduras, quesos y chocolates.

Moler café, azúcar, cereales y legumbres.

A la medida para un gazpacho, un dip de lentejas, un mousse de chocolate, una sopa de remolacha y un jugo de melocotón.

Ninguna visita te tomará por sorpresa, por el contrario, te permitirá compartir entre familiares y amigos, gracias a su buen desempeño.

Si no escatimas en la calidad, simplicidad, elegancia y practicidad, esta licuadora te resultará ideal.

Una Vitamix 5200 te regala salud, tiempo para compartir y gran variedad de sabores y texturas para disfrutar.

¿Cuál es el precio?

Su precio oscila entre los 415 y los 430 dólares, dependiendo del color que escojas. Su garantía es de 7 años y es el modelo más popular de esta línea.

Ver precio en Amazon

Lee más acerca de Vitamix 5200 en Amazon

Vitamix 7500: una licuadora con garra

Descripción del producto:

Características

Vitamix 7500

FUERZA

2.2 caballos de Fuerza

CUCHILLAS

Acero inoxidable

GARANTÍA

7 años

Es una licuadora de alta potencia, con un motor de 2.2 caballos de fuerza, que se traducen en una máquina con la capacidad de procesar cualquier alimento. Tiene un gran contenedor de 64 onzas, trabaja con piezas medianas y grandes, además de cuchillas filosas de acero inoxidable que te hacen ganar el tiempo que desperdiciabas haciendo cortes previos.

Elaborada con plástico libre de toxicidad y con una tapa de goma de dos piezas, la cual facilita la incorporación de alimentos al tiempo que mezclas. Con una Vitamix 7500 no corres riesgo de salpicaduras ni sufres por el molesto trabajo de detenerla para agregar comida.

Es una licuadora recomendada para un ritmo constante, ideal si acostumbras consumir muchas sopas y batidos. Puede responder a las demandas de una casa familiar y las de un negocio con cierto nivel de clientes.

En cuanto a su apariencia, es muy similar a la Vitamix 5200, especialmente en su base que es más gruesa, y menos alargada en el vaso. Su presentación viene en tres colores: negro, blanco y rojo, que te permite adecuarla al diseño y estilo de tu cocina.

No es muy fácil de limpiar y tiene un revestimiento antiadherente que tienden a desgastarse con el uso frecuente.

¿Cuál es el precio de la Vitamix 7500?

Su costo está entre los 400 y 450 dólares y su garantía es de 7 años, una verdadera inversión.

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Vitamix S30 Personal: solo para ti

​

Descripción del producto:

Características

Vitamix S30

FUERZA

1 caballos de Fuerza

MOTOR

840 watts

CUCHILLAS

Acero inoxidable

Esta vez nos encontramos con una propuesta más personalizada, con un motor de 840 watts. Encaja maravillosamente contigo, si vives sin compañía y cuentas con poco espacio. ¿Por qué decimos que es solo para ti? porque su contenedor es de apenas 40 onzas y su taza portátil de de 20 onzas. Pero es capaz, multifuncional, fuerte y duradera.

El contenedor más grande tiene una tapa de goma y está elaborado con plástico resistente. El más pequeño lo puedes trasladar con facilidad y sujetar a otro elemento, ya que trae un asa en forma de “U” (un diseño ingenioso y fuerte a la vez).

Ofrece 10 velocidades con una función pulse, que permite crear diferentes tipos de texturas.

Como toda Vitamix, mezcla, bate, corta, pica, muele y cocina (preparaciones semicrudas)

Los vasos, tapas y cuchillas se pueden meter en el lavavajillas.

¿Lo malo? Para algunos la relación precio y tamaño no es la mejor. Su costo va desde 300 hasta 367 dólares, dependiente del color que elijas: negra o roja.

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Blendtec Designer 725: un torbellino de textura y sabor

Descripción del producto:

Características

Blendtec Designer 725

FUERZA

1 caballo de Fuerza

MOTOR

840 watts

CUCHILLAS

Acero inoxidable

Si la ves, te hechiza su diseño innovador. Es un tanto regordeta, pero distinguida y elegante. Es ideal para un amante de la cocina, que acostumbra a tratar con delicadeza a todos sus aliados. Cuando sientas su panel de mando sabrás el motivo, pues es táctil e iluminado. Si jamás te despegas de tu móvil o tablet, esta licuadora combina perfectamente con tu estilo de vida.

En su panel electrónico hay 6 programas. Es una licuadora inteligente que se detiene cuando el proceso que le solicitaste está listo. Dentro de su vaso cuadrado, los alimentos no dan vueltas, se asemejan a un remolino gracias a sus 3 caballos de fuerza y cuchillas forjadas en frío en una jarra de 64 onzas. ¡Imagina su velocidad!

Una Blendtec Designer 725 es muy fácil de usar y es segura, pues sus cuchillas de dobles aspas en acero inoxidable no están afiladas. ¿Otras bondades?:

Viene con un ciclo de limpieza.

Si el motor comienza a calentarse de más, inmediatamente el cerebro de la máquina la apaga.

Sus velocidades son autoajustables.

Con ella puedes preparar batidos, sopas, jugos, salsas y helados. También tritura y pulveriza.

Es una licuadora para estar saludable. Disponible en negro, blanco y rojo, con un precio entre los 400 y 455 dólares, y garantía de 7 años.

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¿Cuál licuadora es mejor Blendtec o Vitamix?

Olor 

No absorben olores

Licuado

Licuan en uno o dos minutos

Contenedor

Además del contenedor de 64 onzas, en el caso de la Vitamix puedes adquirir otros adicionales: uno de 32 onzas para comida sólida y líquida (como sopa) o granos secos, y otro de 48 onzas para alimentos húmedos, calientes o fríos.

​

Blendtec tiene otros dos contenedores, el Twister, muy bueno para ciertos platos como purés, salsas y alimentos para bebés; y el Wildside, con mayor capacidad y rendimiento. Imagínalo con sus 90 onzas.​

Vasos

Todos los vasos están diseñados para facilitar su lectura, ya que presentan la cantidad de su volumen en onzas y también en tazas.

Son más fáciles de leer los de la marca Blendtec, porque están marcados en color negro, y los más recientes contienen mililitros y centilitros. En el caso de los Vitamix son un poco más claros.

Usabilidad

Ambas marcas vienen con una pieza extraíble que te facilita añadir ingredientes cuando está en marcha, evitando que la detengas.

Energía

Otro dato de interés, es su consumo de energía. Expertos señalan que la Vitamix gasta menos que la Blendtec.

Sobrecalentamiento

La Vitamix se protege del sobrecalentamiento y la Blendtec además de la sobrecarga y los atascos de sus cuchillas.

Lee nuestra comparativa definitiva de Blentec contra Vitamix: ¿Cuál es Mejor?

Ninja Professional NJ600-Blender: óptima calidad a bajo costo

Descripción del producto:

Características

Ninja Professional NJ600 – Blender

ONZAS

72

MOTOR

1000 watts

CUCHILLAS

Acero inoxidable

La marca Ninja con su modelo NJ600 nos presenta una licuadora con un contenedor mayor a los descritos anteriormente. Son 12 onzas de más sabor, para un total de 72 onzas, acompañada de un motor profesional con 1000 watts o 1100 watts. Podríamos decirte que este equipo es fiel, potente y muy familiar.

Una de sus mejores cualidades es que es capaz de pulverizar el hielo y, en consecuencia, maneja muy bien grandes cantidades de frutas congeladas. Así que podrás disfrutar de tus deliciosos smoothies. Las verduras y hortalizas también las tritura con excelente calidad.

Con este modelo degustarás purés, sopas, batidos y jugos. Es una licuadora práctica que no ocupa mucho espacio. Es sobria, sofisticada y tiene un panel de mando táctil e iluminado. De su tapa se desprende un pico pronunciado que te facilita servir sus preparados.

Es fácil de limpiar. No enciende si el vaso o la tapa no están bien colocados, evitando salpicaduras y derrames. Tiene una particular disposición de tres palas en su interior, con una amplia separación que crea un espacio que facilita su limpieza y no causan daño manejándolas con precaución.

No obstante, debemos mencionar que el plástico del frasco se raya con facilidad y con el tiempo tiende a formarse una especie de capa nebulosa.

Por otro lado, los analistas han señalado que las cuchillas causan arañazos cuando no se manipulan correctamente.

Quizás al conocer su precio más bajo y accesible, pensarás que no es tan buena, pero no es así, es una licuadora profesional.

Su diseño está disponible en color negro y su precio varía entre los 75 y 107 dólares, dependiendo si eliges la de 1000 watts o la de 1110 watts.

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Descripción del producto:

21.000 RPM

Pone en marcha 900 watts de potencia para extraer todos los nutrientes de las frutas y verduras de manera óptima. Es fácil de usar y de limpiar, ya que no exige mucha fricción por su diseño aerodinámico.

Solo presionas hacia abajo y sentirás su energía y multifuncionalidad, a pesar de su tamaño, que es una ventaja porque es pequeña y no ocupa mucho espacio.

Es muy llamativa por lo compacta y segura con que se ajustan los contenedores a su base, evitando fugas o derrames. Sus tazas son portátiles y libres de toxicidad. Una de 18 y otra de 20 onzas, las cuales se ajustan a un portavasos sin dificultad.

Expertos apuntan que cuando su contenedor alcanza su máxima capacidad, se le dificulta el mezclado. Otros señalan que sus contenedores son bastantes limitados en volumen. Tiene una sola velocidad de 21.000 rpm que dificulta darle la consistencia final a los alimentos.

Muy a pesar de esto, es una licuadora ideal para quien guste de una vida saludable, cuente con poco espacio, le guste cargar sus bebidas y muera por los smoothies.

Hablando de precios: La encontrarás en unos 70 dólares.

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Licuadora KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond

Descripción del producto:

Características

KitchenAid 5-Speed ​​Diamond Blender

ONZAS

60

MOTOR

500 watts

VELOCIDAD

Hasta 5 velocidades

CUCHILLAS

Acero Inoxidable

Es una mezcladora modesta en muchos sentidos, tanto en el precio y diseño, como en operatividad. Ha sido calificada como una licuadora multitarea, porque puede revolver, picar, mezcla, hacer puré y licuar por medio de sus 5 velocidades. Además, tiene una opción preestablecida para aplastar hielo.

Es un poco alta, mide 16 pulgadas y media, la mueve un motor de 500 watts y trae consigo una jarra de 60 onzas con mango y tapa en plástico libre de BPA. Este modelo, al igual que la Vitamix 7500, cuenta con una doble tapa diseñada para que la interior pueda abrirse y por medio de ese orificio (más pequeño) ir agregando alimentos mientras mezcla, evitando las salpicaduras.

Sus cuchillas producen batidos con buena textura. Gracias a su diseño facilitan el corte y el triturado de hielo. Son resistentes y están elaboradas de acero inoxidable.

No es un motor tan potente como los anteriores, pero responde a las necesidades más básicas con total distinción. Anticipamos que si tu propósito es destacar en la elaboración de bebidas congeladas, no será tu mejor aliada.

Su diseño es más convencional, redondeado y reducido. Es una licuadora bonita porque conjuga lo tradicional con cierto aire de modernidad, como su tablero de control LED.

Es una licuadora que ha sido capaz de superar la prueba de la elaboración de la mezcla para las crepes, preparación de pesto, trituración de mantequilla de almendras, al igual que el queso y el hielo.

No es fácil de limpiar, debido a su fondo estrecho y lo afilado de sus cuchillas. No obstante, nada que no se pueda resolver, al dejarla remojar con agua con unas gotas de jabón líquido y, después de unos minutos, ponerla a mezclar.

Es bastante noble, accesible y tiene un año de garantía. ¿La quieres? ¡Hay 21 colores disponibles! Cuesta alrededor de 100 dólares.

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Magic Bullet Nutribullet Blender: el máximo de nutrientes

Descripción del producto:

Características

Magic Bullet Nutribullet Blender

MOTOR

600 watts

COLORES

Gris, Rojo o Azul

GARANTÍA

Sólo un año

Pasamos a una nueva opción. Es un mezclador pequeño en apariencia, aunque de muy buena potencia. Es fácil de manipular y transportar, capaz de ofrecer el máximo de nutrientes, gracias a su motor de 600 watts con acción ciclónica y las cuchillas de extracción patentadas.

Estamos frente a una licuadora compacta, acompañada de vasos intercambiables: la jarra, un vaso para que degustes tus creaciones y un recipiente para almacenar o trasladar.

Dentro de sus virtudes encontramos:

Pulveriza verduras y frutas.

Da una buena textura a tus bebidas y alimentos.

Tritura tallos y semillas.

Puedes consumir tus alimentos frescos y llevar una vida más saludable.

Puedes elaborar salsas, batidos, sopas y mezclas para las bases de diversas recetas.

Su diseño la hace fácil de limpiar y manipular.

Todos sus plásticos están libres de toxicidad.

Viene con jarras de diferentes dimensiones.

Hablando de sus contras, los expertos dicen que el mango de su tapa se calienta. La garantía es tan solo de un año. ¿Su precio? Pues depende del color, ya sea gris, rojo o azul, lo que la hace variar desde los 80 hasta los 100 dólares.

NutriBullet Pro 900: Para Quienes No Paran De Moverse

Descripción del producto:

Características

NutriBullet Pro 900

MOTOR

900 watts

COLOR

Cromado

PIEZAS

15

Sus principales características son un motor de 900 watts, con su concepto de tecnología ciclónica para extraer el mayor número de nutrientes en tus comidas. Con esta máquina puedes desintegrar semillas, tallos y las comidas más duras.

Es una licuadora que se desarma fácilmente, debido a que puedes desprender con ligereza sus piezas para ajustarlas a tus necesidades. Por eso, es altamente recomendada para quienes tienen un ritmo de vida muy acelerado.

Su tu familia es pequeña, vives solo o con tu pareja, esta máquina debe ser tuya, porque está diseñada para el trajinar diario y puedes preparar tu bebida, desenroscarla y llevarla contigo. Ahora bien, puedes elaborar sopas o purés perfectamente, pero no es su fuerte.

No tiene botones ni perillas para presionar o girar. Arranca al empujar hacia abajo el contenedor y se apaga una vez que lo liberas.

Es pequeña, discreta y compacta. Presume un diseño bastante moderno y encantador. Te gustará si te atraen lo diferente y funcional. Viene con unos contenedores portátiles: uno de 18 onzas, dos de 24 onzas y uno de 32 onzas, este último es ideal si preparas un batido para ti y otra persona. Cada contenedor viene con tapa abre fácil. También trae una hoja o cuchilla adicional.

No es tan sencilla de limpiar, debido a que no todas las piezas las puedes colocar en el lavavajillas. La base y sus cuchillas debes limpiarlas con un trapo humedecido. Por otro lado, las dimensiones del frasco no facilitan que le metas la mano, por lo que debes tener un pequeño cepillo. Otra manera de dejarla en perfecto estado, es llenando el frasco con agua tibia y algunas gotas de jabón líquido, la pones en marcha y así se van despegando las partículas, para luego enjuagarla y dejarla escurrir.

Otro punto negativo es que las tapas plásticas tienden a romperse con el calor, y debes parar el motor cada cierto tiempo para evitar que se sobrecaliente.

Pero que esto no te desaliente, si te gusta estar a la moda, andas en fitness, te motiva el estilo cromado de su diseño y tienes 108 dólares, entonces puede ser tuya. ¿No está mal, verdad? Además viene acompañada de 15 piezas.

Oster Beehive Classic Blender: La Más Popular

Descripción del producto:

Características

Oster Beehive Classic Blender

MOTOR

600 watts

CUCHILLA

Acero Inoxidable

VELOCIDAD

Hasta 2 velocidades

GARANTÍA

10 años

De vuelta a la cotidianidad, llegamos a un modelo presente en innumerables hogares. Es una licuadora promedio bastante potente de 600 watts que mezclan cualquier alimento, entre los que se incluyen frutas congeladas y hielo.

Tiene un interruptor de dos velocidades.

Jarra de cristal para 5 tazas, confeccionada para diferentes tipos de temperatura sin agrietarse.

Hoja para triturar el hielo en acero inoxidable.

Garantía de 10 años.

Fácil de manejar por lo liviano de sus piezas.

El vaso tiene un mango que facilita colocarlo en cualquier dirección sobre su base, que es fácil de limpiar, al igual que su tapa.

Su tapa viene con un pequeño tapón que se puede desprender para introducir alimentos mientras mezcla. Solo que asegúrate de taparlo bien o tendrás que limpiar las salpicaduras.

¡Vaya! Por 70 dólares no está mal.

¿En qué te debes fijar al elegir una licuadora?

La lista que te presentamos reúne una descripción de los principales aspectos a considerar:

Funcionalidad

Diseño

Usos

Accesorios

Garantía

Precio

Dónde comprarla

Estamos seguros de que puedes darle un aire de renovación y frescura a tu cocina.

Además de amazon, ¿dónde puedo adquirir estos productos?

Recuerda que todo dependerá de donde te encuentres. Puedes comprarlas por EBay (si estas en España), Conasi eshop, la tienda Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma y MercadoLibre, entre otros.

En el caso específico de las Vitamix puedes ingresar a su página web y solicitar la asistencia de un detallista Vitamix para que te guíe durante el proceso. Los precios tendrán variaciones, al igual que las formas de pago y envío.

Guías de licuadoras y extractores

Es hora de elegir y disfrutar

Estas diez opciones son todas competentes, aunque tengan algunas variaciones que las hagan más atractivas para ti. Lo importante es que se adapte a tus necesidades. Toma en cuenta siempre la calidad de la mezcla, porque es el punto que te permitirá degustar lo que preparas.

¿Te gustaron estas licuadoras?

¿Estás listo para elegir alguna?

Source: https://laguiadelasvitaminas.com/las-mejores-licuadoras/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[forestcrack83-blog]

New approach for controlling dengue fever and Zika virus

Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest animals, killing thousands of people and causing millions of illnesses each year. To be able to reproduce and become effective disease carriers, mosquitoes must first attain optimal body size and nutritional status.

A pair of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have succeeded in using CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful tool for altering DNA sequences and modifying gene function, to decrease mosquito body size, moving the research one step closer to eliminating mosquitoes that carry dengue fever and Zika virus.

The researchers succeeded in postponing mosquito development, shortening the animal's lifespan, retarding egg development, and diminishing fat accumulation.

Alexander Raikhel, a distinguished professor of entomology, and Lin Ling, a postdoctoral scholar working with Raikhel, used CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt the serotonin receptor Aa5HT2B in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the vectors of dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika virus.

"Aa5HT2B controls insulin-like peptides," Raikhel said. "We were able to uncover the different roles that these peptides play in controlling body size and metabolism, and disrupt the gene associated with this receptor."

The team accomplished this, Raikhel said, by uncovering a key molecular pathway determining mosquito body size and metabolism.

"Mosquitoes of small size with diminished fat resources mature later and live shorter lives than nonmodified mosquitoes," he said. "Thus, these genetically engineered mosquitoes have low reproductive capacity and ability to transmit disease pathogens. These features of CRISR-Cas9 mutant mosquitoes can be exploited for developing novel mosquito control approaches. Many challenges remain on the road, however, toward achieving this goal."

Study results appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Raikhel, the UC Presidential Chair and the Mir Mulla Endowed Chair in the Department of Entomology and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, explained that disease-transmitting female mosquitoes require a vertebrate blood meal to produce their eggs because egg development occurs only after a diet change from carbohydrate-rich nectar to protein-rich vertebrate blood.

Blood feeding, Raikhel added, boosts serotonin concentration and increases the level of the serotonin receptor Aa5HT2B in the "fat-body," the insect analog of vertebrate liver and adipose tissue. A target for hormones, the fat-body is the main nutrient sensor in insects. It links nutritional state, metabolism, and growth.

"Our study provides for the first time a link -- the serotonin receptor Aa5HT2B -- between blood feeding and the serotonin signaling that is specific to the fat-body," he said. "Aa5HT2B mediates serotonin action. Until now, the mechanisms of serotonin action specific to the fat-body were poorly understood. Understanding regulatory mechanisms that underlie determination of body size and metabolism is important for developing novel approaches to control mosquito populations and the diseases they carry."

One important question for further research is how CRISPR-Cas9 gene modification could be introduced into the wild mosquito population.

"This question is a topic of intense research in other laboratories," Raikhel said. "At UCR, we are continuing our efforts in identifying other key processes important for mosquito development that could be exploited for mosquito control."

The study was supported by a grant Raikhel received from the National Institutes of Health.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of California - Riverside. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181017211709.htm

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[forestcrack83-blog]

WENO–WOMBAT: Scalable Fifth-order Constrained-transport Magnetohydrodynamics for Astrophysical Applications

Owing to increases in computing power, high-order Eulerian schemes will likely become instrumental in simulations of turbulence and magnetic field amplification in astrophysical fluids in the next years. We present the implementation of a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme for constrained-transport magnetohydrodynamics in the code WOMBAT. We establish the correctness of our implementation with extensive number tests. We find that the fifth-order scheme performs as accurately as a common second-order scheme at half the resolution. We argue that for a given solution quality, the new scheme is more computationally efficient than lower order schemes in three dimensions. We also establish the performance characteristics of the solver in the WOMBAT framework. Our implementation fully vectorizes using flattened arrays in thread-local memory. It performs at about 0.6 million zones per second per node on Intel Broadwell. We present scaling tests of the code on up to 98,000 cores on the Cray XC40 machine "Hazel Hen," with a sustained performance of about 5% of peak at scale.

Source: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4365/ab09fb/meta

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[forestcrack83-blog]

Red Alert: So Poisonous a Single Teaspoon Can Kill

Winter brings with it a unique set of challenges for pets (much as it does for people), namely cold temperatures and severe weather conditions like snow and ice. Some pets, like Siberian huskies, are uniquely suited for winter, with double coats to keep them warm — but most are not.

In addition to the weather, the holidays and winter weather tools like antifreeze pose more hurdles for pets at this time of year. To keep your pets safe, here are the most important factors to keep in mind.

1. Let Your Pet Inside — Even pets who normally spend long periods outdoors, like outdoor cats or working dogs, should have access to a warm bed indoors when the weather turns cold. A good rule of thumb is that when you feel cold enough to go inside, your pet probably does too.

Many factors influence your pet's ability to tolerate the cold, including age, breed, diet and health status, but generally speaking large breed dogs do better in the cold than smaller breeds, and older pets are more vulnerable to cold temperatures than younger ones (with the exception of puppies and kittens).

Likewise, dogs with thin coats, like Greyhounds, will get cold faster than those with thick coats, like Samoyeds. Signs your pet needs to come in from the cold include:

Shivering

Holding up a paw

Anxiety

Searching for warmth

Whining

Weakness

Slowing down

Lack of mental alertness

2. Watch for Signs of Hypothermia — Depending on the factors mentioned above, your dog may start to feel uncomfortable outdoors when it's below 45 degrees F, however it's important to really start watching for signs of discomfort at 32 degrees F and below, particularly in dogs more vulnerable to the cold (older dogs, those with thin coats, puppies and those with chronic illness).

When temperatures dip below 20 degrees F, however, hypothermia becomes a real risk for all pets. Here are the signs to watch for:

Pale skin

Strong shivering

Lethargy

Weakness

Low heart rate

Difficulty breathing

Dr. Ilan Frank, sports medicine and rehabilitation resident at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, told Reader's Digest that it's especially important to keep a close eye on older dogs who may have cognitive dysfunction:1

"They might not really completely understand the situation, or might forget they're outside. Don't assume that they just like to lay out in the snow for a couple hours. If you have an older guy, you might need to initiate bringing him back inside."

3. Consider Winter Gear

In most cases, the best way to limit your pet's risk of injury from winter weather is to keep him primarily indoors. He'll still need exercise, however, and time for potty breaks, and some pets benefit from winter gear for this purpose. Dogs with thin coats, older dogs and small dogs, in particular, may feel more comfortable having an extra layer on when they go outdoors in winter.

Look for simple sweaters or coats (with no zippers, buttons or hoods) made from organic materials, and be sure they don't interfere with your dog's natural movements. Some dogs may even enjoy wearing a sweater indoors on cold days, but be sure he doesn't overheat.

4. Keep a Close Eye on Outdoor Cats — If you have an outdoor cat or feral cat that lives nearby, keep a watch out for frostbite, which often affects the ears, nose, paws and tail first, and hypothermia, which, like in dogs, may lead to shivering, lethargy or crying. Cats may crawl under the hood of a car, seeking warmth from the engine, so bang on the hood before starting any vehicles that are left outdoors. Also be aware that the cat's water will freeze if it becomes too cold, which is a life-threatening scenario.

5. Protect Your Dog on Longer Outings — If you have a dog who enjoys cold weather and is well-suited for it and are planning a longer hike, be sure to bring along water and even a healthy snack to give your dog energy. Specially designed boots for dogs can help keep your dog's paws safe from snow and ice if you know you'll be on rugged terrain, but remove them every so often to be sure there's no ice or rocks inside of them.

6. Store Antifreeze Safely — and Watch for Leaks

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a poison that can cause kidney failure and death in dogs and cats if as little as 1 teaspoon is consumed. While it's common sense to store bottles of antifreeze safely out of the reach of pets, most poisonings occur when the liquid leaks from car radiators and a dog licks it up off the ground.

Cats can also be poisoned if they walk through an antifreeze puddle and then lick it off their paws. Although some manufacturers have begun adding a bitter-tasting agent to antifreeze to discourage pets (and children) from ingesting the otherwise sweet-tasting poison, it's not a guarantee that your pet won't eat it.

Be sure to check your car radiator regularly and repair leaks right away, and don't let your pet roam unsupervised where he may have access to antifreeze.

7. Watch Out for Holiday Hazards — The holidays bring another set of hazards, including from what humans consider to be a treat: certain holiday leftovers. Alcohol, chocolate and macadamia nuts are examples of holiday staples that should not be given to pets. Holiday decorations like tinsel can also be risky, as they may cause gastrointestinal obstruction if they're ingested (tinsel is especially attractive to cats).

Another often-overlooked source of stress to pets is the guests who come to your home. Make sure your pet has a quiet, safe space to retreat to if unfamiliar guests make your pet nervous, and be sure pets are not able to bolt out of the house when guests come and go.

By taking some precautions to keep your pet safe in cold weather and amidst holiday gatherings, you can both enjoy the winter season together — and maybe even a brief bout of play in the snow!

Source: https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/12/22/keeping-pets-safe-this-winter.aspx