Tale of Two Tribes

Once more, Happy Friday!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means Christmas is also right around the corner.  For family, please do NOT NOT NOT buy any gifts for me or Donna.  We have everything we need or want, plus a whole bunch of extra dreck that between now and next year we will have to move, sell, or give away.  I plan on sending out Christmas cards this year, full of warm, heart-felt wishes for a wonderful holiday season, but will NOT be sending out gifts except to the nieces and nephews :)

 Here’s the weeks health news recap:

• Although you might not guess it from watching the news, the fertility rate for many countries are falling to less than half of what they need to maintain their population size.  On a global scale, in 1950 women had an average of 4.7 children each.  By 2017, that rate was only 2.4 children.
• Cool story about how horses, mules, dogs, pigeons and a baboon played roles in helping the Allies during World War I.
• Related story about how the VA is sacrificing dogs by using them for medical experiments that may one day benefit veterans.  The VA claims that at least for some experiments they are removing part of the dogs’ brains before killing them.  Somehow that isn’t comforting.
• Fish oil reduces the risk of heart attack by 28%, and vitamin D reduces the risk of death by cancer by 25% (not the risk of getting cancer in the first place).  Hey, this actually makes me want to stop off at the grocery and stock up.

• Two tribes live close to each other in South America.  One tribe lives in near total isolation from Western influences – especially Western food.  The other tribe eats some Western processed foods and salt.  Guess which tribe is healthier?  The take-away is that high blood pressure may NOT be a normal outcome from aging, but instead may be purely the product of our piss-poor diets.
• The military, and especially the Army, has been criticized for the last decade for having a rate of suicide higher than the rest of America.  The CDC is now reporting that the overall U.S. suicide rate has increased 34% since 2000.  They list the most dangerous occupations, should you want to know what NOT to do for a living.

  Hope everyone has a wonderful week...please leave me some turkey!