Weekends on the Web: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5, 2020 – KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

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Weekends on the Web: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5, 2020

Alton Audubon Eagle Ice FestivalDate: Saturday, January 4Venue: Audubon Center at Riverlands, West Alton, MO, and the Alton Visitor Center parking lot, Alton, ILTime: 10:00am-2:00pm Admission: FreeKick off the eagle watching season! At the The Audubon Center at Riverlands enjoy fun learning activities about eagles and nature, complete the Eagle Loop Trail, view eagles and Trumpeter Swans with the center's viewing scopes, and take a shuttle ride ($5 per person) to look for eagles, and warm up and roast s'mores by the fire pits. Then, head across the river to the Alton Visitor Center where you can see a live American Bald Eagle up close, let the kids enjoy cold weather games, and watch ice sculptors work.https://www.facebook.com/events/2450571115184804/?active_tab=abouthttps://riverlands.audubon.org/visit

1770 Twelfth Afternoon BallDate: Saturday, January 4 Venue: Old Courthouse, Downtown St. LouisTime: Noon-4:00pm Admission: FreeCelebrate the end of the holiday season as St. Louisans did in 1770. The Twelfth Afternoon Ball recognizes the completion of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the beginning of a new social season that culminates with Mardi Gras. This years ball highlights music, food and dancing from 1770. Kings Cake will be served, and the king and queen of Mardi Gras will be crowned.https://www.gatewayarch.com/event/a-1770-twelfth-afternoon-ball/

Lets Go Fishing ShowDate: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5 Venue: Gateway Center, Collinsville, ILSaturday: 9:00am-7:00pm, Sunday: 10:00am-4:00pm Admission: $7 adults, Ages 6-15 $3.50At the Let's Go Fishing Show you will find a wide variety of fishing tackle, rods and reels, fishing boats, trolling motors, depth finders, and other fishing relatedproducts and services. Representatives fromresorts and destinations will be there to help you plan a fishing trip.https://www.gatewaycenter.com/fishing-show/home

Disney on Ice: Celebrate MemoriesDate: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5 Venue: Enterprise Center, Downtown St. LouisSaturday: 11a,3p,7p; Sunday: 11a, 3pmTickets start at $15.00Your favorite Disney stories come to life on ice. Sail along with Moana on her high-seas adventure and dance with Woody, Buzz and all the Toy Story friends. Feel inspired when love wins inFrozenand dreams come true for the Disney Princesses.http://www.enterprisecenter.com/events/detail/disney-on-ice

Winterfest Ice RinkDate: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5 Venue: Kiener Plaza, Downtown St. LouisSaturday and Sunday: Noon 8:00pmAdmission: FREE - Skate rentals are available: $12 Adults, $7 Children ages 3-15Grab your ice skates and enjoy this outdoor rink in the heart of Kiener Plaza. Skate, sip hot chocolate, or explore the playground.https://www.archpark.org/events/Winterfest

The Loading Dock Ice RinkDate: Saturday, January 4-5 Venue: The Loading Dock, Grafton, ILBoth days: Noon 10pmAll Day Skate Pass: $10.50, Skate Rental: $5.00This is inside where they usually have the flea market set up.https://www.graftonloadingdock.com/ice-rink

History Made: St. Louis Blues ExhibitVenue: Missouri History MuseumExhibit on the Blues run to the Stanley Cup is open through January 26https://mohistory.org/exhibits/history-made/

Ground Control: A Journey Through Chess and SpaceVenue: World Chess Hall of FameSpace-themed chess sets and significant chess events from the year 1969, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Highlights of this exhibition includeStar Wars,Star Trek, and other pop-culture-themed chess sets as well as a signed chessboard that was flown on the final mission of the Endeavor Space Shuttle.https://worldchesshof.org/exhibit/ground-control-journey-through-chess-and-space

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Weekends on the Web: Saturday & Sunday, January 4-5, 2020 - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

Does China Really Need Aircraft Carriers? – The National Interest Online

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No. And Yes. Should the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) consummate its maritime strategic aims, aircraft carriers might well be superfluous for defense of the Western Pacific and China seas. But thats a feature in Chinese fleet design, not a bug. Carrier task forces unneeded for local defense are available to carry the Chinese flag into faraway demesnes, projecting influence far beyond East Asia. Resources sluiced into building flattops have not gone to waste.

A division of labor between elements of the PLA Navy has come into view. Beijing entertains the interim goal of sea denial in Pacific waters and skies rippling as far from mainland coastlines as possible. That would keep opponents from making effective use of vital waterways. Ultimately PLA overseers hope to command the China seas and a protective belt of the Pacific, wresting complete, permanent control from the U.S. Navy and allied fleets such as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force or Taiwan Navy.

If everything breaks their way, they may not even need a fleet of hulking warships for Pacific denial or command.

In sea-power evangelist Alfred Thayer Mahans languageall the rage among strategic thinkers in Communist Chinathe PLA Navy, in concert with supporting shore-based arms of maritime might, will sweep the enemys flag from seaways Chinas leadership aspires to dominate. At most it will permit a hostile navy to appear as a fugitive, accomplishing little of note. Such overbearing power confers control of the great common that is the briny maingranting wielders of that power the prerogative to close nautical thoroughfares to hostile military or merchant shipping.

Says Mahan, naval commanders seize maritime command by amassing superior firepower at places on the map at times when its needed to cow or defeat an antagonist. A fleet must be configured to take the sea, and to fight, with reasonable chances of success, the largest force likely to be brought against it. Were he among the quick today, when precision-guided ordnance can strike hundreds of miles out to sea, the historian would doubtless amend his broad formula for sizing fleets to accommodate the missile age.

The struggle for nautical mastery is no longer a matter purely for battle lines blasting away at each other on the high seas. Land power can be sea power.

Back to PLA Navy aircraft carriers. Even modest carriers such as Chinas are valuable for displaying maritime might as part of peacetime deterrenceespecially vis--vis outgunned opponents such as Vietnam or the Philippines. And in wartime, adding their modest air wings to the combat mix helps PLA commanders multiply the axes along which foes have to guard against attackand thus bolsters prospects for Chinese victory at sea. Carrier task forces improve the likelihood that Chinas navy can venture seaward with decent chances of success against the mightiest force its likely to encounterpresumably the U.S. Pacific Fleet and its Asian allies. Mahan would approve.

Heres the thing, though: unlike the days of Mahan, the firepower mix no longer need favor capital ships like carriers or destroyers. There are other founts of battle power. Diminutive craft such as diesel-electric submarines or patrol craft flitting around the oceans surface can loft anti-ship missiles at an enemy fleet as easily as can a carrier-borne warplane or major surface combatant (albeit in lesser numbers per platform). Indeed, combining swarms of small, light, inexpensive missile-armed craft with shore-based air and missile power is central to the PLAs anti-access/area-denial strategy, a.k.a. A2/AD.

The more plentiful Chinas A2/AD assets, the more firepower they can bring to bear at decisive places and times; the more firepower they deliver, the greater the PLAs chances of success; the greater the PLAs chances of success, the more comfortable PLA commanders will be subtracting the surface battle fleetincluding the carrier aviation componentfrom the panoply and sending the main fleet elsewhere. No point sending out pricey assets to do a job when cheap assets will do.

Doesnt that reduce Chinas prized surface navy to a wasting asset? Only if Beijing isnt venturesome with its extraregional diplomacy and strategy. That doesnt appear to be the case judging from its meteoric progress toward establishing a serious presence in important theaterschiefly the Indian Ocean region and the Persian Gulf, an inlet in the Indian Ocean crucial to Chinas energy security and thus economic well-being. The more of the surface navy Chinese leaders can spare from A2/AD duty close to home, the more vibrant an expeditionary fleet they can dispatch to remote recesses of the Indian Oceansuch as Djibouti, home to Chinas first overseas military outpost, or Gwadar, the Chinese-bankrolled seaport in western Pakistan that flanks the approaches to the Gulf.

Some of the PLAs A2/AD weaponry can reach into the Indian Ocean from Chinese soil, helping Beijing set the agenda there. Still, the PLA Navy will bear a bigger share of the burden in South Asia than in maritime East Asia. Why the disparity? The Australian sea-power scholar Ken Booth breaks down navies functions into three basic categories: diplomatic, police, and military duty. An anti-ship ballistic missile fired from China is optimal for Pacific A2/AD. It has something to contribute in the Indian Ocean but is a suboptimal implement for transacting diplomacy, scouring the sea for lawbreakers, or facing down competitors such as the Indian Navy on Indias home ground. Carrier air power, then, retains its value for expeditionary missionsespecially those that unfold beyond the A2/AD safety blanket and out of reach of PLA land airfields.

Flattops, in other words, could prove useful in the extreme for extraregional errands. A century ago Mahans friend and sea-power confidant Theodore Roosevelt espied the proper relationship between coastal defense and an oceangoing battle fleet. In 1908 the president sketched a division of labor at the Battleship Conference at the Naval War College. Shore gunnery, maintained TR, should operate in tandem with small torpedo craft to ward off seaborne assault. Artillerymen and torpedomen would safeguard U.S. harborsfreeing the U.S. Navy battle fleet to prowl the open sea, prosecuting such missions as Washington deemed worthwhile. A well-conceived strategy, that is, would make the battle fleet a footloose fleetthe long arm of American foreign policy away from American seacoasts.

They say politics makes strange bedfellows. So does maritime strategy. Teddy Roosevelt, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and Chinas President Xi Jinping are among the strangest. And yet they all grasped the interdependent logic of naval and land operations and strategy, and they all held capital ships in high regard as the chief repository of bluewater sea power. Does China need aircraft carriers? You can bet all three oddfellows would say: No at home; but Yes far away.

James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and coauthor of Red Star over the Pacific. The views voiced here are his alone.

Image: Reuters.

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Does China Really Need Aircraft Carriers? - The National Interest Online

Northern Sea Route: From Speculations to Reality by 2035 – High North News

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The plan covers 11 topics for development along the NSR

Altogether, the plan consists of 84 measures, each of them having a responsible Ministry or other body assigned and strict deadlines.

Lets look at how the plan promises to make NSR competitive.

The port of Pevek will be reconstructed by 2020 and the reconstruction of the seaport of Sabetta will be completed by 2021. After completion of the work, Sabetta port will be able to accept cargo throughout the year.

Search and Rescue (SAR) covers a total of 19 individual measures. By the end of 2020, the full analysis of legal framework related to people SAR, response systems in case of oil spill will be completed. Construction of rescue coordination centers is expected to be co-financed by extracting companies in the Arctic.

According to the document, the Arctic extracting companies shall be involved in preparing proposals for rescue coordinating center constructions in Pevek and Sabetta ports by 2020 and in Dixon and Tiksi by 2022. Furthermore, by the end of 2020, an evaluation of the need to create a state company responsible for the deepening of the seabed along the NSR will be available. Altogether, 11 new SAR vessels serving various purposes are expected to be constructed and in operation by 2024.

Along with increased emphasis on SAR, there is attention to navigational and hydrographic support, which includes modernizing three existing vessels and having 13 new navigational and hydrographic vessels built by 2022-2023. Icebreaking capabilities will be strengthened by introducing five new class icebreakers from 2022-2024 and additional three super powerful Lider class icebreakers scheduled to be ready by 2027, 2030 and 2032.

To attract international shipping, a series of measures have been proposed. The ports of Murmansk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky have the potential to become logistical hubs for servicing international transit cargo, and the viability of the proposal will be ready by 2020. The creation of a Russian containership operator using ice-class vessels can become an answer to the current uncertainty. Finally, an evaluation of possible state subsidies to support the international competitiveness of NSR will be available by 2021. Creation of digital systems for logistics along the NSR further promises to boost competitiveness.

Plans to expand the NSR network include linking it to existing and new railroad networks and construction of new airports.

Currently, the lack of reliable communications on the NSR is of high concern. The plan covers creating stable and continuous satellite communication for users of NSR by launching four geostationary satellites by 2024. The launch of six space modules by 2024 will secure a high-speed automatic identification system (AIS) on the NSR.

The density of meteorological stations is expected to increase to provide more precise weather forecasting, moreover, and by 2025 the hydrometeorological data would be available via GEO satellites. Safety is addressed by measures to improve the forecasting of ice conditions. Moreover, year-round shipping along NSR would require the creation of a unifying single operational control center, which is expected to be launched by 2021.

Port infrastructure development will require electricity generating capacity, the evaluation plan will include LNG-based solutions. The need for more skilled people and their training, including medical staff is considered in the plan. National shipbuilding stimulating measures include amongst others construction of containerships for the NSR. As for ecological measures, the plan states that there will be mandatory application of the best available technologies aimed at pollution reduction in the seas.

So far, the budget of the Russian Federation for 2020-2022 has funds of RUB2.9 bn (EUR 42 mill.) allocated to support navigational and hydrographic works on the Northern Sea Route. The whole budget for the full plan realization will only appear in the future. What is already clear, is that the plan is ambitious and capital-intensive since it tries to address many problems linked to NSR.

The document is read as a response to all accumulated criticism and uncertainty related to the NSR, especially in the areas of SAR, navigational safety, communications, ecology and prediction of weather and ice conditions.

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Northern Sea Route: From Speculations to Reality by 2035 - High North News

The Ultimate Guide to Tor Browser (with Important Tips) 2019

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If youre curious about Tor browser, then you already know how important your privacy and anonymity online can be. And yes, Tor browser is a great tool that can help keep you safe. But theres a lot of confusion about its pros and cons, and especially, about how it relates to VPNs.

This guide will answer those questions and more.Were going to explain how this powerful tool works and what to consider when deciding if its right for you.

Tor browser is similar to a normal web browser in many ways. Its no more difficult to use than Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. The difference is that Tor browser connects you to the internet through the Tor network.

Tor is free, open-source software that helps you stay anonymous online. When you browse the internet using Tor browser, your traffic is randomly directed through a network of servers before you reach your final destination, in order to protect your location and identity.

The name Tor is short for The Onion Router. This refers to the way that Tor protects your data by wrapping it in multiple layers of encryption like an onion.

Tor browser and VPNs are both tools for protecting your privacy online. Theyare not the same thing, however.They are two very different technologies that protect you in different ways.

When you use a VPN, all of your data is secured with end-to-end encryption. Its then directed through a safe channel to a remote server that connects you to the website you are trying to visit.

Tor browser protects your privacy in a different way, which we explain below.

The important thing is that Tor browser is not a VPN, but you can use the two tools together to maximize your security and privacy.

Despite the browsers complex system behind the scenes, it is actually very easy to use. You simply download and install Tor browser, then connect to the internet just like you would with any other browser.

Tor usesa unique system that was developed by the US Navy to protect government intelligence communications.

Your data is bundled into layers of encrypted packets before it enters the Tor network. It is then routedthrough a series of volunteer-operated servers called nodes or relays.

Each time your data passes through one of these relays, a layer of encryption is removed to reveal the location of the next relay. When you reach the final relay on your path, known as the exit node, the last layer of encryption is removed and your data is sent to its final destination.

Each relay only decrypts enough data to know the location of the previous and next relays. Since each path is randomly generated and none of the relays keep records, its nearly impossible for your activity to be traced back to you through Tors complex network.

Tor browser is very effective at hiding your location and preventing your traffic from being tracked. Its almost impossible for your online activity to be traced through Tors network back to you.

However, Tor browser is not entirely secure. The system has a few weaknesses. Since each server in the Tor network is volunteer-operated, you never know whos behind the relays your data travels through.

Generally, this isnt an issue because each relay can only access the location of the previous and next relaysexcept for the exit node.

The exit node removes the final layer of encryption on your data. It cant access your original location or IP address, but it is possible for an exit node to spy on your activity if you visit an unsecured HTTP website.

Torbrowser is also vulnerable to the same attacks that other browsers are. Its a good idea to turn off the browsers plugins and scripts if you are trying to stay anonymous, because these can be exploited to reveal information like your IP address.

The biggest drawback to using Tor browser is speed. Because your data has to travel through multiple relays before reaching your final destination, browsing can be very slow.

Tor browser is not the best choice for streaming and downloading, and its creatorsstrongly discourage torrenting as well. Not only is torrenting painfully slow, but your torrent traffic will not be protected and can expose your IP address.

If youre looking for a way to stream or torrent, a VPN is much better protection.

Another disadvantage of using Torbrowser is that it can draw attention to you. Your ISP cant see what youre doing, but it can see that youre connected to Tor. This by itself can be enough to raise suspicion about what youre doing.

Even if youre only using Tor browserto legally browse the internet, the fact that you are connected to Tor can potentially turn you into a target for government surveillance. US government agencies like the NSA and FBI are very invested in trying to find ways to track Tor users activity.

Tor browser is an effective tool, but it doesnt offer the same level of security and safety that a VPN does. Luckily, you dont have to choose between the two. You can use Tor browser and a VPN together to combine their powers and maximize your privacy.

There are two main ways to combine Tor browser and a VPN. Were going to walk you through both methods and explain the pros and cons of each.

With this method, you connect to your VPN first and then access the Tor network. There are a few advantages to this method, starting with the fact that its very easy. Yousimply connect to your VPN and then open Tor browser.

In most cases, this configuration provides more than enough security and privacy to protect you.

Some VPNs make it even easier by offering a built-in Tor service. One great example is NordVPNs Onion over VPN service, which allows you to connect to Tor without Tor browser.

Instead, NordVPN can route your traffic through one of its secure VPN servers and then directly to the Tor network. The NordVPN service can protect all of the traffic on your device, not just your browser activity.

Another benefit of Tor over VPN is that all of your data is securely encrypted by your VPN before entering the Tor network. This means that Tors volunteer-operated servers cannot access your real IP address.

Since VPNs hide your activity from your ISP, connecting to a VPN before accessing Tor also prevents your ISP from detecting your use of Tor.

Tor over VPN also gives you a measure of privacy from your VPN provider, since they are unable to see what you are doing within the Tor network. On the other hand, if your VPN provider keeps logs of your activity, Tor over VPN doesnt hide your real IP address or the fact that youre using Tor.

The other downside of this method is that it doesnt protect you from malicious exit nodes, since your traffic is unencrypted by the time it reaches your final destination.

With this method, you connect to the Tor network first and then go through your VPN. This method is more complicated than Tor over VPN because in most cases,you have to manually configure your VPN to work with Tor in this way.

The biggest benefit of VPN over Tor is that you areprotected from the Tor exit nodes. Your traffic doesnt go directly from an exit node to your final destination, but rather is routed from the exit node to a secure VPN server.

Thats why this configuration is ideal for communicating sensitive information.

The downside is that your ISPand therefore government agencies as wellwill be able to see that you are using Tor, although your activity will be hidden.

This method also keeps your true IP address hidden from your VPN provider.But witha transparent, no-logs VPN, you shouldnt have to.

Despite its flaws, Tor browser is a powerful, effective tool for protecting your privacy online. Combining Tors anonymity with a VPNs security and safety gives you the best of both worlds.

We strongly recommend that you use a VPN, if you are planning on giving Tor browser a try.

Its also good to keep in mind that a VPN by itself can provide excellent security and anonymity, without the significant speed decrease that you will notice with Tor browser.

If youre looking for a trustworthy, reliable VPN to protect your online privacy, check out our list of the best VPN deals and coupon codes.

Tor vs. VPN

Best Verified No-Log VPNs

5 Best VPNs for Tor Browser

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The Ultimate Guide to Tor Browser (with Important Tips) 2019

Sunday Digest: Bitcoin Price And A New Decade – Bitcoinist

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2020 arrived with a bang this week, although the 100,000 revelers who paid for a ticket to the firework display in London complained that they didnt see it because of the smoke from the fireworks. Experts blamed a lack of wind, something that is sorely needed on the other side of the globe where too much wind is hampering efforts to control the unprecedented Australian bushfires. AS$20 million has been raised in just 48 hours to support our friends down under, and you can even donate bitcoin to the cause.

Bitcoin seemed to be ending 2019 on a bit of a lull, started to get the January blues, and then picked up again just in time for the weekend.

At $7400 early in the week, analysts suggested that the rangebound BTC price needed to break through $7800 to signal a new bullish trend.

Price trickled down to $7.2k, but as the year drew to a close, it was hard not to see 95% overall gains in 2019 as a positive.

Network fundamentals were also looking great, with hash rate still high, record UTXO growth, and $673 billion of on-chain transactions in 2019.

Then a delayed hangover kicked in and bitcoin price dropped through $7k and as low as $6850 on some exchanges; its lowest for two weeks.

Thankfully the dip was short-lived, and a big bounce on Friday saw us move back into the comfortable $7500 range.

It hasnt been a great week for Ethereum, news-wise. First, it was reported that the Shitcoin Wallet browser extension for Chrome injected malicious code to steal Binance, MyEtherWallet, and other data.

Then the Parity client announced that users should implement an urgent update to counter a potential attack on nodes running its software.

Only 80% of clients were reportedly ready for the Muir Glacier hard fork which was implemented on January 2nd. Following which ETH followed BTC down the swanny, lurching towards a price of $125.

Block times were reduced by 25% after the fork, meaning a faster network, but also an increased inflation rate.

Thankfully, the price of Ether bounced back up to finish the week roughly where it started at around $136. Which all in all, seems a pretty good result.

South Korean traders got a late Christmas present this week, as the Ministry of Finance announced that crypto trading gains are not recognized as taxable events under current legislation. However, some thought that this announcement foreshadowed new legislation on its way to close this loophole.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) puts itself forward as a potential advisor to nations considering a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Authorities in Sichuan, China, are reportedly pressuring bitcoin miners to scale back operations to prioritize domestic use, due to reduced hydro-electric power production during the dry season.

Europol announced that it cannot trace Monero payments when combined with the use of the Tor browser. Good news for privacy-concerned users, but potentially bad news for regulated exchanges who still support the token.

Friday was the second annual Proof-of-Keys daywhen Bitcoiners are encouraged to assert their financial sovereignty and move coins out of exchanges and into a private wallet.

The date was chosen as it marks the eleventh anniversary of Bitcoins Genesis Block.

With the number of illiquid exchanges, hacks, dead CEOs, exit scams, and generally dishonest people out there this year, it never hurts to take precautions.

Remember, Not your keys, not your coins. Oh, and Happy New Year!

What are your bitcoin plans for the new year, and the decade? Let us know in the comments below!

Image via Shutterstock

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Sunday Digest: Bitcoin Price And A New Decade - Bitcoinist

Taking Supplements During Breast Cancer Treatment Increases Risk Of Death And Relapse, What Does This Mean For Patients? – Forbes

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A new study found that people with breast cancer who take supplements have a poorer survival rate ... [+] and a larger chance of relapse than those who don't.

Last month a study of over 1,000 people with breast cancer found some worrying evidence that certain nutritional supplements could reduce the chance of survival from the disease and increase the chance that the cancer would recur after treatment. The main findings were:

The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and led by scientists at the SWOG cancer research institute.

Patients using any antioxidant before and during chemotherapy had an increased risk of their breast cancer returning and, to a lesser degree, had an increased risk of death. Vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acid use was also associated with poorer outcomes, said Christine B. Ambrosone, PhD, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and leader of the study.

People with cancer are often bombarded with information, especially at their time of diagnosis and this is not always from their medical team. So what does a patient think about this new work?

Getting diagnosed with breast cancer was a huge shock not just for me but everyone who knew me, saidLiz O'Riordan, a Consultant Breast Surgeon from the U.K. with recurrent breast cancer. When I started chemotherapy I was told to tell my oncologist about any supplements or vitamins I took or wanted to take because they can interfere with the chemotherapy drugs and stop it working, she added.

This advice is widely repeated on many reputable cancer websites. The American Cancer Society states that So far, no dietary supplements (including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products) have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of breast cancer progressing or coming back, along with the advice to patients to speak to a member of their healthcare team if a patient is considering taking supplements.

I was never going to take anything that might reduce my chances of survival. However Im sure some cancer patients are desperate for the promise of a cure and will ignore this advice whilst they take every supplement recommended to them, said ORiordan.

Vitamin supplements, particularly multivitamins have had a rough couple of years with several studies questioning whether they have any positive effects on health at all. This analysis of almost half a million people by Johns Hopkins researchers entitled Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements, found that multivitamin use did not decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease or help with cognitive decline. Experts recommend that the best way to ensure an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

So if many popular nutritional supplements are of questionable benefit for healthy people and increasingly not often recommended by healthcare professionals, where are people with cancer getting the message that they should take these?

As I struggled through chemotherapy, I was bombarded with advice; some of it helpful, some of it potentially dangerous. I remember being trolled by strangers who were adamant that I should take iodine supplements and turmeric capsules or have multivitamin drips, said ORiordan.

Advice to take various weird and wonderful supplements is all over the internet and although many of the authors of these blogs, websites and social media groups may mean well, the new study now provides evidence that they may be causing harm to patients who follow this advice.

Its great to finally see some evidence that supplements can do more harm than good during chemotherapy, help doctors persuade patients to stop taking them during treatment and more importantly, help patients explain to well-wishers why their recommended tablets and potions could be dangerous, said ORiordan.

However, it must be noted that although the study was well-constructed, there were issues with low numbers of patients taking individual supplements and many people are calling for more work to solidify the findings of the work.

These results are interesting but as the study authors point out themselves, the number of women taking any individual supplement in this study is small, and therefore the true magnitude of risk isnt something we can say with certainty, said Dr. Kevin Cheung, a physician-scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

The study also found that there was no evidence that some supplements such as multivitamins or vitamin D were harmful and many people are calling for more research to figure out exactly which supplements are harmful and more to the point, why.

This study should inspire future laboratory work to get at why and when supplements are associated with worse outcomes. A more nuanced understanding could reveal which supplements fuel the growth and metastasis of cancer cells and should be avoided, said Cheung.

Of course many people have a clinical need for supplementation, such as people who have anemia or severe vitamin B12 deficiency. The issue appears to be with people choosing to take supplements with no indication that they need them.

At many institutions including ours, for those with more questions, we recommend consulting our integrative medicine service who can provide guidance on what supplements are safe or not safe to take with treatment, said Cheung.

I'd recommend [to people diagnosed with cancer] that they try to get their vitamins and minerals - including antioxidants - from food. With a healthy and balanced diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs, even while undergoing chemo, said Ambrosone.

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Taking Supplements During Breast Cancer Treatment Increases Risk Of Death And Relapse, What Does This Mean For Patients? - Forbes

Probiotics in Food, Beverages, Dietary Supplements and Animal Feed – PRNewswire

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NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Report Scope: The scope of this report is broad and covers global markets for probiotics, which are used globally in various applications, food and beverages, dietary supplements and animal feed.The market is broken down by genus, application, end use and region.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05835682/?utm_source=PRN

Revenue forecasts from 2019 to 2024 are presented for each genus, application, end use and regional market.

The report also includes a discussion on the major players in each regional market for probiotics.It explains the main market drivers of the global probiotics market, current trends within the industry and the regional dynamics of the probiotics market.

It also includes a special focus on the growing adoption of probiotics in the cosmetics industry. The report concludes with detailed profiles of major vendors in the probiotics industry, globally.

Report Includes: - 99 data tables - A descriptive study of the global market for probiotics with a quantitative and qualitative approach - Analyses of global market trends with data from 2018, estimates for 2019, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2024 - Information pertaining to underlying technologies driving the industry's growth along with key factors such as current trends, regulatory updates, and other macroeconomic factors that can influence the market - Emphasis on importance of scientific research, product innovation, consumer awareness and preferences, and government regulatory requirements - Vendor landscape of the market leading companies offering probiotic-enhanced products designed for humans and animals in the food and beverage, dietary supplement, and animal feed industries - Patents evaluation and new developments regarding various categories and sub-categories of probiotics - Detailed profiles of leading manufacturers and suppliers of probiotic foods, including Chr. Hansen Inc., Danone Inc., Nestle Inc., Probi AB Inc., Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. and Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.

Summary Probiotics are termed friendly bacteria because these products are consumed to balance gut flora. Demand for probiotics has increased over the years due to growing awareness of the benefits of healthy bacteria for both humans and animals, and increasing demand for functional foods and dietary supplements, worldwide.

Probiotics are often consumed in the form of food and beverages to ensure bacterial balance in the body.They are also consumed via dietary supplements for the prevention of diarrhea, constipation and other infections, which is the main reason for the increased use in some regions.

In addition, probiotics are used in animal feed to boost overall health and productivity of animals.Probiotics are used in feed for poultry, cattle, swine and pets.

The growing use of probiotics in animal feed is driven by the growing focus on improving the quality of animal bi-products, worldwide.

Reasons for Doing This Study The global probiotics market is expected to reach over $69.0 billion by 2024, up from just over $45.0 billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% between 2019 and 2024. The dietary supplements application segment of the global probiotics market is estimated to witness significant growth in the coming years. The market demand is primarily driven by growing awareness of health and fitness across the world and the increasing prominence of microencapsulation in the pharmaceutical sector.

A comprehensive study of the various species and applications of probiotics is critical to understand the crucial role of probiotics for health in humans and animals.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05835682/?utm_source=PRN

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Doctors Believe Health Supplement Led to 23-Year-Olds Acute Liver Failure – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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Doctors believe a health food supplement caused acute liver failure in an otherwise healthy 23-year-old Amarillo woman.

Emily Goss is starting the new year, with a new routine. She checks her vitals to make sure her body isn't rejecting the new liver doctors implanted Christmas Day in an effort to save her life.

"I have my life because someone gave me their liver and I'm just so thankful," Goss said.

Get connected to a healthier life.

The 23-year-old credit analyst said she's been healthy all her life, but started taking a women's herbal supplement designed to help support hormonal balance, weight management, complexion and fertility.

For months, she took four pills every day until after Thanksgiving, when she noticed symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue and the white of her eyes turning yellow.

"I don't know how to explain. I just knew I wasn't completely there," Goss said.

In fewer than three weeks, she was in acute liver failure. She was rushed from her home in Amarillo to Methodist Hospital in Dallas and moved to the top of the liver transplant list.

"Every time we have a case of acute liver failure, it's always an interesting case. It's also a medical emergency," said Medical Director of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Services Dr. Jeffrey Weinstein, M.D.

He said while acute liver failure is rare, about 30% to 40% of cases are linked to herbal or dietary supplements.

According to the National Institutes of Health, liver injury from medications, herbals, or dietary supplements has emerged as an increasingly important health problem in the United States.

Health supplements, in general, are not regulated by the FDA. Weinstein warned that they can cause harm.

"Many of these are advertised as natural, healthy," he said. "I view them all as drugs and I view them all as chemicals, so there should be good caution into how you use them and why you use them."

On Christmas Day, Goss received a new liver. A biopsy of her old liver may shed light on exactly which ingredient in the supplement made her sick, but according to research, more than 1,000 medications and herbal products have been linked to liver injuries. Doctors ruled out all other possibilities and believe the supplement led to her liver illness.

"I just couldn't believe that a supplement could cause something so life threatening," Goss said.

The NIDDKs Liver Disease Research Branch developed an online resource called LiverTox for information on drug induced liver injury resulting from prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as from complementary and alternative medicines such as herbals and dietary supplements.

UPDATE: Emily Goss tells NBC 5 she used a supplement called Balance by Alani Nu.

In an emailed statement to NBC 5, the maker of the supplement states:

"We certainly wish the best for Ms. Goss. That said, it would be premature for us to respond to a suggestion that her illness was caused by a specific dietary supplement. Such a suggestion is highly speculative. During our nearly 2 years of operation, we have had no previous similar suggestions involving our customers. Safety of our customers is by far our number one priority. All of our products are manufactured inside a GMP-certified facility. And we partner with a licensed pharmacist in the customization of our supplements. While we take this inquiry very seriously and hope to learn more about the true cause of Ms. Gosss condition, we stand by the safety of our products."

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Doctors Believe Health Supplement Led to 23-Year-Olds Acute Liver Failure - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

United States Pharmacopeia Celebrates 200 Years of Building Trust in Medicines, Supplements and Foods – PRNewswire

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ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Two hundred years ago, medicines in the United States could often be deadlier than the cures they were meant to provide. That began to change in 1820 with the creation of theUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP). January marks the 200th anniversaryof USP, now a global leader in building trust in medicines, supplements and foods through public quality standards that help assure quality and safety.

USP was founded when 11 physicians took action to protect patients from poor-quality medicines. Convening in the Old Senate Chamber in the United States Capitol, they published a national, uniform set of guidelines for medicine quality called the U.S. Pharmacopeia. Since then, the U.S. Pharmacopeiaandthe National Formulary (USPNF)has become an essential compendium on drug quality. Today, USP Reference Standards and monographs are legally recognized in the U.S. and relied on in more than 140 countries.

"Billions of people live longer and healthier lives thanks to medicines they can trust," saidRonald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, USP. "Our public quality standards build patient, practitioner, and industry confidence by setting clear quality expectations and increasing patient access to vital therapies. Governments in the U.S. and around the world rely on the thousands of USP standards to make sure quality medicines are available to their populations, and that poor-quality and counterfeit drugs do not enter the market."

USP standards are in a continuous process of review and revision based on new evidence and technologies, emerging public health concerns and public requests for revision. Input from expert volunteers is crucial for maintaining these high standards and preserving public trust.

For its first nearly 130 years, the USPNF was developed entirely by volunteers scientist and other experts who contributed their knowledge and time. Now, more than 800 independent scientific experts and 1,200 staff around the world support USP's important mission. USP is currently welcoming applicationsfrom committed scientists and other health and science professionals passionate about improving public health as a part of its Champions of Trust Initiative.

As a part of its anniversary, USP has also launched Trust TV on its new 200th anniversary hub, which invites leaders in science and health to consider trust's role in helping people live longer and healthier. Practicing physician, researcher, author and Trust TV host Dhruv Khullar talks with guests about some of today's most pressing topics, starting with the challenges of misinformation in healthcare with Adam Berinsky, director of the MIT Political Experiments Research Lab.

USP Convention Convenes in May to Set High-Level Direction

A pivotal moment of the 200thanniversary will be the 2020 Meeting of the USP Convention taking place May 36 in Washington, D.C.

The USP Convention, which convenes every five years, is a unique and powerful network of more than 460 Member Organizations from across the healthcare continuum and around the world, uniting to advance access to quality medicines. In addition to helping shape USP's impact through governance responsibilities such as electing USP's Board of Trustees and Council of Experts, adopting high-level guiding resolutions and amending the USP bylaws, Convention Delegates will participate in dynamic programming at the meeting.

USP Convention Member Organization leaders shared the following:

Exploring Trust in Future Medical Breakthroughs and Worldwide Impact

In addition to celebrating USP's past and present work, throughout 2020, USP will continue to look at the future of medicine.

"We're working to help ensure that today's remarkable innovations can be tomorrow's trusted therapies, just as we have done for 200 years," noted Piervincenzi.

To explore the medical breakthroughs that will shape people's health between now and 2040, and what it will take to build trust in these innovations, USP has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Collective Intelligence and over 100 global leaders in health and science. Through MIT's unique online platform, the Trust CoLab, thought leaders collaborated to develop scenarios on how trust in medicine and healthcare will evolve. USP will release the project's findings on Feb. 25 and discuss the results at TEDMED 2020 in early March.

USP will also launch an innovative Trust eXperience, available at TEDMED 2020 and online at http://www.usp.org/200 this spring. This self-guided digital visualization experience enables users for the first time to explore the relationships between USP public quality standards and the medicines used to treat humanity's deadliest diseases, ultimately illustrating how quality medicines help people live longer and healthier. Users can also learn what happens without quality standards, investigate the history of standards in the U.S. and meet some of the experts from USP's global health science network.

Anniversary excitement will peak in late fall 2020 with the reopening of the USP Museum in USP's Rockville, Maryland, headquarters.Open to the public, it will offer visitors opportunities to learn about the people, partners and accomplishments of USP.USP will also publish a commemorative anniversary book in late 2020.

USP's anniversary observances will take place throughout the year. For additional information and updates, visit http://www.usp.org/200.

About theUSPNFTheUnited States PharmacopeiaNational Formulary (USPNF)includes more than 5,000 monographs for finished drug products (both chemical and biologic), as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients. Specifically, theUSPNFincludes more than 1,500 API monographs covering 50 therapeutic classes including oncology, cardiovascular, endocrine, infectious disease and mental health drugs. The first printing of the U.S. Pharmacopeia was in 1820. Since then, 43 editions have been published. The latest printed edition was published in 2019. USPNFis now available to subscribers online.

About USPUSP is an independent scientific organization whose mission is to improve public health through public standards and related programs that help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods. Through our standards, advocacy and capability building, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and food in the United States and for billions of people worldwide. USP has offices in the United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, including five state-of-the-art laboratories, full-scale training facilities in Ghana and India, online and in-person training courses, and partnerships with national quality control laboratories around the world.For more information, visit http://www.usp.org.

Media Contact: Anne Belladb@usp.orgOffice: +1-301-998-6785Mobile: +1-240-701-3242

SOURCE U.S. Pharmacopeia

http://www.usp.org

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Nutrition studies: 5 dietary habits for better mental health – Fast Company

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Go Mediterranean.A Mediterranean dietvegetables, olive oildependably provides some protection against depression, anxiety, and elderly cognitive decline. If you cant swing Mediterranean, aim for a diet full of fresh fruits, veggies, and grains, which is also associated with higher reported happiness and lower rates of depression. Scientists have no idea why: Most diet research is observational, so the findings are associations and not causations.

If you have a mood disorder such as anxiety and depression, eat carefully. Poor diets are associated with worsening mood disorders.The brain is dependent on nutrients, including lipids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, as are gut hormones, neurotransmitters, and microbesso, yes, evidence indicates that bathing your brain and gut in bad food, or too little food, can rock your troubled mood and stress levels into the abyss.

No, superfoods are not a thing. Avocado or pomegranate or acai will not boost your mood. For now, you can ignore touts of specific superfoods altogether, because theres little science supporting them. Common beliefs about the health effects of certain foods are not supported by solid evidence, write the researchers.

Except for B12. All youve heard about the wonders of vitamin B12 is true: Low B12 causes fatigue, lethargy, depression, and poor memory, and is associated with mania and psychosis. Other supplements, such as vitamin D, show inconclusive evidence. The key detail to understand is that many claims are based around deficiencyof a nutrientand most Americans arent truly deficient in these nutrients.

No, you cant treat your ADHD or spectrum disorder with food.Though promising small studies on elimination diets and supplements exist for a variety of disorders, essentially none are long-term, randomized and controlled research. (Placebo groups dont work so well when participants can see exactly what theyre eating.) Many studies are also based on personal reports of mood and behavior, not biomarkers, making them difficult to replicate or draw conclusions from.

The take-home message: Stay tuned. Nutritional psychiatrists have been creating large cohorts for long-term diet studies, which will eventually lead to experimental trials using food as a treatment; eventually, there will probably be clinical trials. Until then, ignore the hype.

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ADM Expands Solutions Capabilities with Addition of Cutting-Edge Botanical Provider Yerbalatina – Business Wire

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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ADM (NYSE: ADM) announced today that it has acquired Yerbalatina Phytoactives, a pioneering natural plant-based extracts and ingredients manufacturer.

ADM is a global leader in nutrition, and we are proud to be at the cutting edge of many of todays trends, including those toward fortified foods, beverages and supplements that enhance health and come from natural sources. Today, were adding to our ability to meet those important needs for our customers, said Vikram Luthar, president of ADMs Health & Wellness business. Yerbalatinas wide array of natural botanical extracts including organic-certified ingredients combined with their R&D capabilities and market expertise, are exciting additions to our pantry as we continue to build our leadership position in science-based microbiome solutions for human and animal health.

Based in Brazil, Yerbalatina uses proprietary cool-drying technology to transform fruits, vegetables and other plants such as acerola, acai, guarana and green coffee into a wide variety of extracts and ingredients for customers in the food, beverage and health industries. Its range of more than 100 botanical products and solutions includes functional nutrition and health ingredients; organic food colorings; organic powdered fruits; organic vegetable milks; and organic nutritional extracts.

More and more consumers are turning to foods and supplements to help enhance health and wellness, and we are continuing to build a leadership position in that important market segment, said Vince Macciocchi, president of ADMs Nutrition business. The global retail market for foods, beverages and supplements that support health & wellness is estimated at $750 billion, and growing. From prebiotics and probiotics to enzymes, botanical extracts, and nutritional oils, the breadth and depth of our expertise and our portfolio ensure that our customers have everything they need to lead in this space. The addition of Yerbalatina represents yet another tool in our portfolio as we continue to unlock the power of nature to enrich the quality of life.

This acquisition expands ADMs already significant business in Brazil. The company operates an extensive human and animal nutrition business, including an alternative protein production complex in Campo Grande; beverage extracts, bases and compounds production in Manaus and Uberlndia; and 13 animal nutrition facilities. In addition, ADM processes oilseeds at eight locations across Brazil, producing meal and renewable biodiesel, as well as a significant portfolio of consumer oils under the Concordia, Corcovado, ABC and Vitaliv brands. ADM has more than 6,000 employees in Brazil.

Timeline of Recent ADM Health & Wellness Growth Investments

2017

Acquisition of Biopolis, a leading European innovator in probiotics and other health-promoting microbial technologies.

Collaboration with Mayo Clinic to investigate microbial solutions to improve health and wellness.

2018

Acquisition of Protexin, an innovative leader in natural healthcare and probiotic supplements for human, pet and production-animal use

Joint development agreement with Vland Biotech to develop and commercialize animal health enzymes

New enzyme lab in Davis, California.

2020

Acquisition of Yerbalatina Phytoactives

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the above statements constitute forward-looking statements. ADMs filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, ADM assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

About ADM Nutrition

ADM is a world-leading nutrition company with the widest range of specialty ingredients, blends, systems and experience. We move customers from concept to launch faster with sustainable, differentiated products that address their evolving needs. ADM helps our customers create consumer-preferred nutritional solutions through our on-trend and customizable portfolio of natural flavors and colors; an unmatched range of plant-based proteins; industry-leading, science-backed bioactives; as well as specialty ingredients such as hydrocolloids, lecithin, Omega-3 solutions, probiotics, polyols, texturants, soluble fibers and much more. Our talented team also provides consumer insights and intelligence; sensory expertise; culinary creativity; and full product-development services.

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. Were a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the worlds premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at http://www.adm.com.

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ADM Expands Solutions Capabilities with Addition of Cutting-Edge Botanical Provider Yerbalatina - Business Wire

Hemp in good hands for food and beverage companies – Food Dive

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Finally, food and beverage manufacturers can use hemp with certainty.

With over 20 years of experience in developing functional ingredients, Applied Food Sciences is now bringing condence to beverage manufacturers looking to include hemp into their formulations. By securing a GRAS determination for their proprietary broad-spectrum hemp extracts, AFS.Hemp is now the rst ingredient of its kind to be recognized as safe for food and beverage applications within the U.S.

The ingredient supplier identies its suite of hemp extracts as "broad-spectrum," which means they contain 0.0% THC but still possess the CBD and other phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and avonoids all found in the original plant. Additionally, Applied Food Sciences produces its ingredients using European hemp varietals sourced from veried EU seed banks. All of AFS.Hemp ingredients are also available as USDA Certied Organic.

'GRAS' is an acronym for Generally Recognized As Safe, and it is a requirement by the FDA. Any ingredient that is intentionally added to food and beverages must be recognized, amongqualied experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use.

"It is clear that the regulatory pathway for the legal use of CBD and hemp extracts in food and beverages will include the establishment of such ingredients as approved food additives or GRAS," explains Justin Prochnow, Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Greenberg Traurig is a law rm that is deeply experienced in advising and defending clients in the food and beverage industry. Prochnow notes, "AFS has a long history of supplying quality ingredients with self determined GRAS that set AFS apart from other ingredient suppliers."

All manufacturers of hemp products should be aware that in October of 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its interim nal rules on the regulation of hemp production. The ruling puts pressure on much of the current U.S. hemp supply that is derived from hemp-marijuana hybrid strains that often contain higher amounts of THC than what is permitted.

The most signicant impact on hemp farming is the newly dened sampling procedures, which require law enforcement agencies to collect samples of hemp 15 days prior to harvest. The samples will then be tested by a lab registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Should any material have a concentration of THC higher than 0.3%, the new rules stipulate that the entire harvest will have to be destroyed.

Supply chain consistency is at a premium during a time when the demand for CBD is so high. The solution, according to Applied Food Sciences, is sourcing from Europe. The EU has veried seed banks that help guarantee consistent and reliable strains of hemp grown with less than 0.3% THC. AFS has partnered with farms that have experience in growing true industrial hemp for decades as opposed to only a few years. Because of this, AFS can put manufacturers' minds at ease with their AFS.Hemp ingredients.

Applied Food Sciences (AFS) has been in the food and nutrition ingredient industry for over 20 years. AFS understands what it takes to safely add an ingredient in food and beverages as well as nutritional supplements.

Applied Food Sciences manufactures AFS.Hemp in a FSMA-certied production facility which adds legitimacy to manufacturing ingredients for food and beverages. Having an NSF certication assures suppliers, retailers, regulators, and consumers that an independent organization has reviewed the product's manufacturing process and determined that the product complies with specic standards for safety, quality, and sustainability. Finally, AFS completes an analytical validation process for every batch of AFS.Hemp assuring that the levels of THC, CBD, phytocannabinoids, heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial content are accurate in the nished product.

AFS.Hemp comes in three unique delivery systems, all standardized to CBD content. While the cost per serving of active CBD is the same across all three products, each ingredient has advantages for any desired formulation.

Contact AFS To qualify and receive samples of AFS.Hemp ingredients, please visit appliedfoods.com/hemp or call 1-800-345-9666.

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Hemp in good hands for food and beverage companies - Food Dive

Six supplements to aid in muscle recovery and boost energy – Backcountry

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When it comes to determining their liquid diet for a day in the skintrack, tourers have historically broken nutritional choices into two categories: pre-ski coffee and post-ski beer. And while the a.m. caffeine kick and aprs libations will always have a place in skiing and riding culture, there are other offerings that can help you fuel for and recover from a long day in the mountains that involve neither the jitters nor a hangover.

Cure claims their hydration mix is as effective as an IV drip, and while it might be hard to corroborate this assertion, its far easier to bring along Cures single-serving four-inch-long packets than an IV bag. Sweaty days can be dehydrating, not just because of water loss, but also because of electrolyte depletion, and Cure aims to help the process of fluid retention with a balance of sodium and glucose that comes from organic coconut water powder, Himalayan sea salt and lemon juice powder. Three flavorslemon, mixed berry and ginger turmericoffer tasty options and are also highly quaffable when mixed with hot water. $20 (pack of 14), curehydration.com

What you eat and drink before you hit the skintrack can be just as important as your nutrition during and after a long day in the mountains. Enter Salt Lake City, Utah-based Gnarly Nutritions Pre Workout supplement, designed to help with stamina during a tour and muscle recovery afterward. This energy-packed mix includes caffeine and ginseng (also available in a caffeine-free version) to give your step some extra pep, while the beta-alanine, an amino acid, aims to stave off muscle fatigue for when the sun starts to wane. A dose of citrulline malate, another amino acid, is also included to help with muscle recovery over winters long haul. The strawberry lemonade flavor is outstanding. $38 (14 oz. tub), gognarly.com

It can be hard to remember to hydrate during winter, especially if cold temperatures and unwieldy mittens make mining through a pack for a water bottle inconvenient. So when you do stop, its important to have a drink that can make an impact. Quick energy and a boost in hydration is Skratch Labs goal with their Sport Hydration Mix, which incorporates sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium to enhance water absorption, plus cane sugar combined with natural sugars from real fruits to keep energy levels at their peak. Flavors include a host of not-too-sweet fruit optionslemon/lime, orange, strawberry, passion fruit and fruit punchand a matcha and lemon flavor that offers a 16 mg/serving jolt of caffeine. $20 (1 lb. bag), skratchlabs.com

Not just for flapjacks and French toast, maple sugar, one of just three ingredients in Vermont-based UnTappeds Ginger Mapleaid, provides a shot of energy during long workouts without the additives or fake sugar frequently included in energy drinks. In addition to including calcium, manganese, riboflavin, zinc and potassium that help the body maintain energy and recover quickly, maple sugar also has a low glycemic index, meaning it wont spike glucose levels, providing more sustained energy than other sugars do. This mixs real ginger adds extra zip and can aid in digestion when trail food gets the upper hand, and a dash of sea salt balances the sugar and helps replace electrolytes. Ginger Mapleaid makes an excellent hot drink, too. $25 (1 lb. bag), untapped.cc

Sleep might seem like down time, but just because your legs arent moving doesnt mean your bodys not working. With Ascents Micellar Casein, the wee hours run double duty for muscle rejuvenation. Micellar casein, a dairy protein, is slow digesting, meaning it releases proteins over a longer time than the average whey protein thats commonly taken directly after a workout. So while youre dozing, Ascents casien aims to repair and strengthen tired legs over a five- to six-hour period. Its thicker than whey, so Ascent suggests using more liquid for shakes or making a bedtime pudding snack with almond milk or even a dollop of peanut butter, so dessert can be yummy and a part of recovery. Flavors include chocolate, vanilla andour choicechocolate peanut butter. $40 (2 lb. bag), ascentprotein.com

For those who are diary-free or just keen on plant-based supplements, Gnarly Nutritions Vegan Plant Protein is designed to take the place of whey when consumed post-workout to help with muscle repair and recovery. A higher carbohydrate count than traditional milk-based proteins is intended to help enhance recovery after longer endurance-style missions, while pea proteina complete protein containing all essential amino acids (BCAAs)helps repair muscle fibers. When mixed with water, this vegan treat boasts a smooth texturelighter and less dense than a whey shakeand comes in chocolate and vanilla so you can treat yourselfand your legsto some tasty healing action before diving into traditional aprs drinks. $60 (1.8 lb. container), gognarly.com

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Celtic Wind: Leading the way in the hemp industry for a sustainable future – Health Europa

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At Celtic Wind we created the tagline working towards a sustainable future as we truly believe that we are creating a sustainable business to lead the way in the hemp industry.

The industrial hemp plant has many uses and Celtic Wind plans to capitalise on all of them, creating no waste of any of the plant parts creating health food supplements, natural fibres for industries and wood core for building and bedding products.

We use no chemicals in any of these processes and if we have any waste it is returned to the field from which the crop came from to replenish the nutrients and complete a fully natural crop cycle.

The companys founders have been working with hemp since 2009 and registered the business in 2012 with a view to bringing the hemp industry to Ireland and be a globally traded business.

Creating jobs and making a difference to the economy and the environment, the 2019 crop of 500 acres will capture during its growth cycle over 1650 tons of carbon from the atmosphere this season. This is equivalent to the carbon produced in over 220 American households every year.

We understand the plant and how it performs in different conditions and reintroducing old natural farming techniques in order to produce a unique range of natural products. We have also created our own supply chain which we call seed to shelf meaning we are in full control of all of our own raw materials and manage everything from putting the seed into the ground all the way through to the finished bottle on the shelf giving our customers total confidence in Celtic Wind.

By introducing old farming techniques like meadow planting, this allows Celtic Wind to grow a natural crop without the use of agrichemicals, leaving a boundary around the field to ensure that wildlife can come back to protect the crop, encouraging white butterflies, ladybirds and bees which all play a role in maintaining a healthy crop by controlling disease and infestations naturally.

This is an industry that can no longer be overlooked with all the benefits it brings. It creates jobs, it protects the environment and gives us clean natural raw materials to work with. As this is all produced locally it would cut down the impact on transportation of goods and mining for resources, thereby reducing our global carbon footprint overall.

If we would take the decision to switch 40% of the worlds agricultural crop to hemp over the next five years this would have a positive fundamental impact to local economies and environments, therefore contributing to the global community.

However industrial hemp is known to be one of the toughest agricultural crops in the world to deal with, standing over 12 feet tall with natural fibres that can be as strong as steel and can cause real problems for modern machinery. To harvest and process this crop correctly you need a lot of heavy-duty machinery and infrastructure and this is still certainly lacking in the UK and Ireland. This is one area that has really held the whole industry back; support for infrastructure and clearer regulations is required as most countries tend to make their own legislative changes on industrial hemp.

Legislative guidelines require that owing to hemps relationship to the cannabis plant, industrial hemp must be below 0.2% THC when tested in the field. However, regulations state that not one milligram of THC or any other controlled substance may be found in the finished product. We are heavily regulated in this industry by government bodies such as the HPRA, FSAI, HSE and the Department of Agriculture and of course Celtic Wind products comply with all EU and US legislation.

Celtic Wind have had to create their own infrastructure, as there are limitations on harvesting hemp seed. We only have eight hours from when we start to harvest before the seed would spoil and turn rancid which means Celtic Wind only harvest approximately 100 km from the facility to ensure we can protect and stabilise the crop within this time limit harvest to storage within eight hours.

This also allows for full traceability; if you pick up a Celtic Wind product and read the batch number on the side of the bottle it will tell you the day that crop was sown, the date it was harvested and every station in the processing facility that it passed through on its way to the shelf.

Celtic Wind carries out all its processing and operations in Ireland and Northern Ireland where it employs a team of 18 and the company has also started employing personnel in the UK and the US.

At Celtic Wind even though we work with an ancient crop we embrace modern technology in order to help us make the most out of hemp. We use drone technology to take readings from the crop to inform and indicate yield, detect disease and provide solutions for this.

We are pushing the boundaries in agri-science and biotechnologies with our crop monitoring system especially for hemp and new product development areas. All of this combined gives Celtic Wind the ability to produce a wide range of products for different industries. We have just extended our ingestible range with three new capsule products called Synergy, added a pet care range and coming soon is the Natural Skincare range, again 100% Irish, fully natural and traceable. Further applications of the raw materials will include eco-friendly building materials such as natural fibre insulation and structure-forming wood core products for the sustainable building industry.

Hemp really is an amazing plant and has an amazing future in this country. Its fully sustainable. Has the ability to provide food, clothing and shelter. Its the way forward for business and industry alike and we at Celtic Wind aim to be leading this change here in Ireland, and beyond.

Paul McCourtCEO & FounderCeltic Wind Crops+ 353 1 678 0804 paul@celticwindcrops.eu celticwindcrops.com

This article will appear in the first issue ofMedical Cannabis Networkwhich will be out in January.Clickhereto subscribe.

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Celtic Wind: Leading the way in the hemp industry for a sustainable future - Health Europa

Protein Supplement Market Growth and Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis Forecast To 2027 | Abbott Laboratories, AMCO Proteins, CytoSport,…

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The report on Protein Supplement Market will help Major Players and the new entrants to understand scrutinize the market in detail. This information will encourage the Major Players to decide their business strategy and achieve proposed business aims.

Protein is a macronutrient essential for the human body to build muscle, repair tissue, and make enzymes and hormones. It is one of the building blocks of bone, muscle, and skin. Protein is found in foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, tofu, and legumes but is also available in a variety of formulated supplements drinks, bars, and powders. For some, protein supplements can be helpful as part of their overall nutrition plan. Protein is essential for muscle growth. Thus athletes and gym enthusiasts consume protein supplements.

Factors such as hectic lifestyle, an increasing population of working women, and the rising adoption of western food are anticipated to boost the overall protein supplements market growth. Over the past, there has been a rise in the number of health-conscious customers around the globe. A healthy lifestyle is becoming a normal way of life that majorly has concerns over obesity, food sensitivity, and people affected by diseases continue to rise which further propels the growth of the market. The demand for protein supplements from the young population is increasing mainly in athletes as they provide various benefits such as lowering cholesterol, building of muscles, increasing strength, fighting cancer, improving immunity, and lowering blood pressure. Other factors that drive the global protein powder market are the increasing standard of living of the middle-class population and the rise in the disposable income. However, fake claims and negative publicity of protein supplements are likely to hamper the expansion of the protein supplement market during the forecasted period.

Top Companies Covered in this Report:1. Abbott Laboratories, 2. AMCO Proteins, 3. CytoSport, Inc., 4. Glanbia plc, 5. Iovate Health Sciences International Inc., 6. MusclePharm Corporation, 7. Natures Bounty Co., 8. NOW Foods, 9. Quest Nutrition, LLC, 10. Transparent Labs

Get sample copy of Protein Supplement Market at: https://www.premiummarketinsights.com/sample/TIP00010838

The Global Protein Supplement Market Analysis to 2027 is a specialized and in-depth study of the healthcare IT industry with a special focus on the global market trend analysis. The report aims to provide an overview of Protein Supplement market with detailed market segmentation by service type, age group, and geography. The global Protein Supplement market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading Protein Supplement market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.

The global protein supplement market is segmented on the basis of type, product, source, distribution channel, and application. On the basis of type, the protein supplement market is segmented into whey protein, casein protein, soy proteins, pea protein, and others. By product, the protein supplement market is bifurcated into protein powder, protein bars, ready to drink (RTD), and others. On the basis of source the market is divided into animal based proteins, and plant based protein. By distribution channel, the protein supplement market is divided into supermarket/hypermarket, nutrition store, chemist/drugstore, online, and others. The protein supplement market on the basis of the application is classified into sports nutrition and functional foods.

The report analyzes factors affecting Protein Supplement market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South & Central America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the Protein Supplement market in these regions.

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Fundamentals of Table of Content:

1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.5 Market by Application1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered

2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Protein Supplement Market Size2.2 Protein Supplement Growth Trends by Regions2.3 Industry Trends

3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Protein Supplement Market Size by Manufacturers3.2 Protein Supplement Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Protein Supplement Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Protein Supplement Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

4 Breakdown Data by Product4.1 Global Protein Supplement Sales by Product4.2 Global Protein Supplement Revenue by Product4.3 Protein Supplement Price by Product

5 Breakdown Data by End User5.1 Overview5.2 Global Protein Supplement Breakdown Data by End User

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5 Drivers Of The Correlated Growth Of Cannabis, Herbal Medicine – Yahoo Finance

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In the past 20 years, cannabis went from an illegal substance to a $1-billionindustry with virtually unlimited growth potential.

Legal cannabis sales reached $10.3 billion in 2018, according to New Frontier Data, a cannabis research firm.

When cannabis was taking its first baby steps, herbal medicine was already a consolidated industry.

In 1996, when California became the first U.S. state to register legal cannabis sales, the market for herbal medicine in the U.S. was already worth $4 billion.

Although herbal medicine didnt experience the exponential growth of cannabis, it has been growing steadily for the past 25 years and is gaining momentum.

A market report from the American Botanical Council states that the U.S. market for herbal medicine has more than doubled since 1996, peaking at $8.842 billion in 2018.

Natural Products, Herbal Medicine And Cannabis

The field of herbal medicine is crossed by many sectors and disciplines, so nomenclatures change according to the source. Botanical products, natural products, herbal medicines and dietary supplements are used interchangeably in some cases, but can have different contextual meanings.

In the simplest of terms, a natural product is a small molecule that is produced by a biological source, according toa book on natural drug discovery by Juergen Krause and Gailene Tobin.

"Natural products are considered those formulated without artificial ingredientsthat are minimally processed, according to the Natural Product Association, and include natural and organic foods, dietary supplements, pet foods, health and beauty products [and]'green'cleaning supplies.

Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D, the Natural Product Association's CEO and president, told Benzinga that herbal medicine products comprise 25-30% of the market for natural products.

Stefan Gafner, Ph.D, the chief science officer atthe American Botanical Council, said definitions for these terms are always a bone of contention. We asked how he would define herbal medicine.

I see it as a way of people treating themselves with botanicals. So basically, its taking care of your health needs with botanicals.

A product can be considered herbal medicine when it includes any part of a plant, like leaves, stems, flowers, roots or seeds.

These products can be sold raw or as extracts, in which the plant is macerated with water, alcoholor other solvents in order to extract their active chemicals.

If a botanical product undergoes synthetic isolation, it ceases to be herb, though it can still qualify as a natural product.

By these definitions, cannabis products can be described as natural products, herbal medicine or both.

Flower buds, tinctures and some forms of whole plant extracts fall into the herbal medicine category. Isolated CBD products do not, yet they can be considered natural products, since theyre plant-derived.

FDA Regulation On Herbal Medicine, Cannabis

Although industry professionals have come up with their own definitions, they dont necessarily coincide with FDA regulations. Herbs were first regulated by the FDA with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), and included in the category of dietary supplements, along with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymesand others.

The main difference between a drug and a dietary supplement is that dietary supplements cannot claim to treat, diagnose, cureor alleviate the effects of diseases.

Drugs can make these claims, and need to demonstrate safety and efficacy to obtain premarket FDA approval. Dietary products do not need FDA approval to be sold.

Cannabis products are, in simplest terms, botanical products.

"Botanical products, depending on the circumstances, may be regulated as drugs, cosmetics, dietary supplementsor foods," according to FDA guidance.

Under FDA definitions, CBD products could theoretically fit in the dietary supplements category. Yet products containing CBD and THC cannot be marketed as dietary supplements under FDA regulations because of the drug exclusion clause in the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.

Herbal Medicine In The Western World

Herbal medicine was synonymous with medicine until the development of modern pharmacology.

Story continues

In 1890, 59% of U.S. pharmaceutical products were herbal products. Many traditional, indigenous and folkloric herbal treatments were replaced by synthesized drugs in the western world by the beginning of the 20th century.

This type of medicine has prevailed in many other parts of the world.

There are places around the globe where herbal medicine is the primary source of health care, in part because people do not have access to any other treatment, in part because of their cultural background, saidthe American Botanical Council's Gartner.

According to a 2008 report on herbal medicine use in Nigeria, the average cost of developing a new pharmaceutical drug exceeds $800 million.

A 2016 study puts this price at between $2 to $3 billion. This is partly the reason why herbal medicine continues to thrive in developing nationswhere economic limitations make it extraordinarily difficultto access or develop pharmaceutical-grade products.

Eighty percent of African populations use some form of traditional herbal medicine, according to the World Health Organization. Herbal medicine is also one of the main components of traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the medical tradition of the Indian subcontinent.

In the past decade, the use of herbal medicine has been rising in rich and developed countries as well.

What Are The Common Drivers OfHerbal Medicine, Cannabis Growth?

Although cannabis and herbal medicines are regulated by the FDA,both industries share many traits that juxtapose from a consumer perspective.

Cannabis can be considered a type of herbal medicine by many standards, and many cannabis products are certainly marketed that way.

Not only is the growth of both industries rooted in similar causes, but its the intersection of the two that has caused them to mutually influence consumer demand.

The Natural Product Association's Fabricant agrees with this interpretation.

I think it goes both ways. On one side, people go well, look, [cannabis] is just another herbal product, and we use herbal products very safely, very routinely in this country. And then the other way, by virtue of [legalization], people go well, OK, I'm using CBD, but I also want to try this botanical now because I'm using CBD. I think there's an intersection of the two.

Although cannabis might be a juggernaut on its own, as Fabricant said, it is a natural product, and part of its success is motivated by audiences considering it a natural alternative to other forms of medicine and intoxication.

Natural Products Are Perceived As Healthier

This change in consumer perception is grounded in the idea that products coming from natural sources are healthier than those made in laboratories.

This idea does not have the full backing of rigorous science, but is part of a broader vision of leaning towardsustainability and the rejection ofchemical products.

Look, people drive Priuses, right? People want to get off of petroleum dependence. There are drivers in that regard, that I think are significant, Fabricant said.

A Disbelief In Conventional Drugs

The use of herbs for medicinal purposes has been documented by many cultures and civilizations for over 5,000 years, with minimal adverse effects.

As a general rule, plants that have caused sustained harms to individuals have already been removed from practice.

The American Botanical Council'sGafner said Western populations have become disillusioned with the results offered by conventional Western medicine and the pharmaceutical industry.

People may not have had the benefits that they expected, or they may have had adverse events, or they may be afraid of adverse events.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science states that adverse or side effects from synthetic drugs are behind about 8% of hospital admissions in the United States and cause approximately 100,000 deaths each year.

Although synthesized products can offer consistency and more double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed testing, a natural or herbal alternative is perceived by many consumers today as healthier.

Whole Plant Medicine Is Gaining Momentum

Fabricant highlighted the CBD industrys dichotomy between whole plant extracts and CBD isolate.

This division is merely the expression of the pharmaceutical drugs vs. herbal medicine conundrumwithin the cannabis industry, he said.

'Self Care Is Here To Stay'

Many people are taking some of the practices traditionally associated with institutionalized health care into their own hands, Fabricant said.

People take pride and pleasure in gathering information and applying it to their own health.

While medicine was seen in the past as a way to cure the sick, many products today are used to maintain or improve health in already healthy populations, he said.

I think we're seeing the concept of self-care is really here to stay. People want control of their health care. They don't want to feel like the only way they can put something in their body is by getting a prescription from their doctor, Fabricant said.

Dealing With Stress

Finally, one of the largest sales increases seen in this sector comes from adaptogens, which are substances used to reduce stress.

In Gafner's view, overworked lifestyles are making us look for natural ways of coping with the rising stresses of everyday life.

Fabricant also believes that cultural, socio-economic and self-imposed pressures toward productivity are causing individuals to seek out new alternatives to maintain health in an increasingly unhealthy environment.

Scientific Evidence and Consistency: A Shared Challenge

Both the cannabis and herbal medicine industries currently face the difficult task of obtaining scientific consensus behind their efficacy in medical treatment.

Some plants, like gingko or echinacea, are backed by dozens of studies proving theirefficacy, Gafner said.

As opposed to synthesized drugs, which provide stable parameters of measurement, herbal remedies can show a lot of variations.

If you look at echinacea, there's three different species that are used. Sometimes people use the root, sometimes people use the flowering top. Sometimes they use a press [extract], sometimes they use an alcohol extract. So then comparing the data becomes very difficult.

The problem of chemical inconsistency also exists in supply chain and retail, where herbal products and cannabis have a harder time proving their compositions than synthesized drugs, as chemical compositions of plants can vary depending on environmental reasons and genetic alterations.

Today, consumers are exploring the market in search of healthier ways of achieving and maintaining health.

Cannabis and herbal medicine might still be far behind Big Pharma in terms of scientific evidence. But this isnt stopping consumers from expressing their voice: a desire for new, natural and sustainable approaches to health care.

Featured image from Unsplash and Pixabay.

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5 Drivers Of The Correlated Growth Of Cannabis, Herbal Medicine - Yahoo Finance

Oversight needed for safety of nutritional supplements Experts – Ghana Business News

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While the vast majority of over-the-counter nutritional and herbal supplements are safe unless they are consumed in large quantities not all of them deliver on their promised benefits.

Researchers say that the $40 billion per year dietary supplement industry, which covers tens of thousands of products, exists on the offer of some health benefit.

While many deliver, there is little beyond anecdotal evidence for their efficacy, experts say.

When it comes to their health, everybody is looking for a silver bullet, Martin J. Ronis, a professor of pharmacology at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, told UPI. And that silver bullet doesnt really exist.

Supplements covers a broad range of products from vitamins like multi-vitamin, vitamin C and D tablets to herbal products like ginseng, touted for its energy-boosting benefits, and St. Johns Wart, billed as a natural anti-depressant. Theres also products like melatonin, which is used as a sleep aid, and fish oil, which has been linked with improved heart health.

A wide array of herbal products with roots in Asian and Native American cultures, and supplements advertised on TV and sold online, also promises to help with weight loss and boost energy. And an increasing number of CBD-based products that have surging in use, particularly as states relax laws cannabis laws.

Currently, all of these products fall under the auspices of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, or DSHEA, which some experts believe provides inadequate oversight, both in terms of ingredients and safety and effectiveness.

The law effectively exempts many supplements from review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and some accuse the federal agency of being lax in exercising the enforcement power it does have.

Unfortunately, there are several weaknesses in the (DSHEA) that prevent consumers from being able to trust that a product sold as an over-the-counter supplement is safe, Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at Harvards Cambridge Health Alliance and co-author of a recently published commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine, told UPI.

And this problem is amplified by the FDA not enforcing the law the agency permits products they know to be adulterated to remain on store shelves. Furthermore, the few times that FDA does try to remove adulterated products, their enforcement is inadequate and adulterated supplements continue to be widely available.

Not all supplements are bad, unsafe or ineffective.

Cohen said he routinely recommends vitamins and minerals for specific conditions, such as iron supplements for those who are anemic.

But Ronis noted that, with few exceptions, vitamin and mineral supplementation is rarely necessary in places like the United States because most people here get sufficient amounts of them in their diet, assuming they have healthy, well-balanced eating habits.

Though many of these vitamins and minerals are found in the foods we eat, consuming more of them may not be a good thing, Ronis said. He cited the extreme example of an August 2017 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which found that high doses of vitamin B6 and/or B12 actually increased the risk for lung cancer in men overall and even more in men who smoked.

Another example, said Peter Cogan, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Regis University in Denver, is prescription cannabidiol.

Though not technically a dietary supplement according to federal definitions, yet treated like one by the states and possessed of all the attributes of any other herbal supplement, take a look at the side effects reported for prescription cannabidiol and compare them to those acknowledged by any vendor of CBD oil, Cogan said.

Cogan notes that CBD was marketed heavily before clinical trial results were known publicly, and the industry has continued to expand while acknowledging potential side effects including sleep issues and increased risk for infection.

What would we find if we subjected all dietary supplements to such assessments? Cogan asked.

Some supplement manufacturers have taken the step to bolster the credibility of their products by applying for, and receiving, USP certification of their composition.

USP, a non-profit that develops standards for drugs and other compounds, essentially certifies that these products contain the ingredients, and in the exact amounts, as noted on their labeling.

Ronis said that this step is better than nothing, but that it doesnt provide the same assurances that large clinical trials testing the safety and effectiveness of these products in large populations of patients would.

If a supplement is certified by a top-notch program it simply confirms that what is listed on the label is actually what is in the bottle, said Cohen, who added that he hopes Congress will address shortcomings in DSHEA when it returns from holiday recess. No certification program, that I am aware of, provides consumers with assurance that the product works as advertised or that the product is safe.

So what should people looking into nutritional or herbal supplement do, particularly given that some of these products may provide health benefits?

Talk to your doctor before taking anything, Ronis said. Better yet, talk to a nutritionist who has expertise in supplements.

Source: GNA

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Oversight needed for safety of nutritional supplements Experts - Ghana Business News

Number of Blockchain Companies in Israel Grew by Over 30% in 2019 – Cointelegraph

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In Israel, the number of blockchain and crypto-related companies increased by 32% in 2019, according to a report from the Israeli Bitcoin Association published on Dec. 30.

The report revealed that there were 150 active companies in the field in 2019, while at the end of 2018, the number was 113. Out of the 113 companies, only 63 continue to operate today, with the information about the rest of them unavailable. The Association suggested this is because those companies did not survive the past year.

Although the report did not provide data on the number of employees serving for the reported companies, it said that the staff size decreased significantly in 2019 as compared with 2018 and 2017. The data indicated that most of the companies had no more than ten employees.

The report further revealed that the majority of the companies were startups, operating within three years, wherein 30% of currently active companies were established in 2017 and 30% in 2018.

In terms of financing sources, 44% of crypto- and blockchain-related firms operating in Israel were self-funded in 2019, while 42% raised funds from investors. At the same time, 7% of the companies reportedly rely on independent income to finance operations.

Israel is known as a blockchain-friendly hub, ranking 49th out of 190 on the ease of doing business index, according to the Doing Business 2019 report compiled by the World Bank. However, its overall score belies certain areas of difficulty for businesses like paying taxes, with Israels rank being 90th out of 190. Another trouble spot is enforcing contracts, for which Israel again ranks 90th.

Last August, news broke that the Capital Market, Insurance and Saving Authority, a division of Israels Ministry of Finance (MoF), was looking to accelerate the process of procuring licenses for blockchain and fintech companies in the country. The authority was hoping to foster local competition by licensing more fintech companies.

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Number of Blockchain Companies in Israel Grew by Over 30% in 2019 - Cointelegraph

Industrial Internet Consortium teams up with blockchain-focused security group – Network World

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The Industrial Internet Consortium and the Trusted IoT Alliance announced today that they would merge memberships, in an effort to drive more collaborative approaches to industrial IoT and help create more market-ready products.

The Trusted IoT Alliance will now operate under the aegis of the IIC, a long-standing umbrella group for vendors operating in the IIoT market. The idea is to help create more standardized approaches to common use cases in IIoT, enabling companies to get solutions to market more quickly.

This consolidation will strengthen the ability of the IIC to provide guidance and advance best practices on the uses of distributed-ledger technology across industries, and boost the commercialization of these products and services, said 451 Research senior blockchain and DLT analyst Csilla Zsigri in a statement.

Gartner vice president and analyst Al Velosa said that its possible the move to team up with TIoTA was driven in part by a new urgency to reach potential customers. Where other players in the IoT marketplace, like the major cloud vendors, have raked in billions of dollars in revenue, the IIoT vendors themselves havent been as quick to hit their sales targets. This approach is them trying to explore new vectors for revenue that they havent before, Velosa said in an interview.

The IIC, whose founding members include Cisco, IBM, Intel, AT&T and GE, features 19 different working groups, covering everything from IIoT technology itself to security to marketing to strategy. Adding TIoTAs blockchain focus to the mix could help answer questions about security, which are centrally important to the continued success of enterprise and industrial IoT products.

Indeed, research from Gartner released late last year shows that IoT users are already gravitating toward blockchain and other distributed-ledger technologies. Fully three-quarters of IoT technology adopters in the U.S. have either brought that type of technology into their stack already or are planning to do so by the end of 2020. While almost two-thirds of respondents to the survey cited security and trust as the biggest drivers of their embrace of blockchain, almost as many noted that the technology had allowed them to increase business efficiency and lower costs.

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Industrial Internet Consortium teams up with blockchain-focused security group - Network World

Number of Israeli Blockchain and Crypto-focused Startups Increased by 32% Last Year: Report – Crowdfund Insider

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The number of Israel-based blockchain and crypto-focused startups increased by 32% last year, a December 30 report from the Israeli Bitcoin Association confirmed.

The report noted that there were 150 active blockchain firms in the country in 2019. Toward the end of 2018, there were only 113 crypto-related companies operating in Israel. Out of these 113 companies, only 63 are operating today.

Information about the blockchain firms that have shut down is not available. The Israeli Bitcoin Association said this might be because these firms were not able to survive the past year.

While the report doesnt include any details about the number of employees that may have worked at the reported firms, it mentioned that the staff size dropped significantly last year, especially when compared to 2018 and 2017. The data suggested that the majority of Israeli blockchain firms had only around (average) ten employees on their payroll.

The report noted that most of the crypto-related firms were startups, which had recently established their operations. Approximately 30% of currently active blockchain firms were founded in 2017 and about 30% in 2018.

Around 44% of crypto and blockchain-focused companies established last year in Israel claim theyre self-funded. About 42% say they secured capital from investors. Approximately 7% of the firms reportedly depend on independent income to fund their business operations.

Israel has become fairly well-known as a crypto and blockchain-friendly jurisdiction. The country is ranked 49th out of 190 on the ease of doing business index, the Doing Business 2019 report from the World Bank confirms. But the nations overall score also takes into consideration several challenges for business owners such as complications with paying taxes, with Israel ranked 90th out of 190. Enforcing contracts has also been a challenge for Israeli businesses. The country ranks 90th out of 190 in this area.

In August 2019, reports surfaced that the Capital Market, Insurance and Saving Authority, a division of the countrys Ministry of Finance, was planning to speed up the process of issuing licenses for blockchain and Fintech firms in Israel. The government agency was trying to encourage more local competition by providing operational licenses to more Fintech companies.

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Number of Israeli Blockchain and Crypto-focused Startups Increased by 32% Last Year: Report - Crowdfund Insider