September 26, 2018: Wellness News You Need To Know

Glyphosate—the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup—has long been thought of as nontoxic to animals, including bees, but a new study just proved that isn’t exactly true. Researchers who exposed honey bees to glyphosate found that the bees lost some good bacteria in their guts, making them more likely to die from harmful bacteria. (Science Daily). 

New research published in the journal Pediatrics based on more than 2500 mother infant pairs suggests that breastfeeding from the boob is better than pumping for the baby's weight. While scientists aren't exactly sure why, they speculate that feeding from the breast transfers certain enzymes that may help with digestion. Also, feeding directly from the breast teaches the baby how to feed and stop intuitively, versus taking breastmilk from a bottle where the parent attempts to get the baby to take a certain amount. Of course, this research is splitting hairs: breastfeeding your baby is better than formula no matter how you do it! (Health Day)

According to the WHO, alcohol is responsible for more than 5 percent of all deaths worldwide (around 3 million a year). About a third of these deaths occurred because of alcohol-related injuries including traffic events and suicides, and they disproportionately effected poor communities. “Governments need to do more to meet the global targets and to reduce the burden of alcohol on societies; this is clear, and this action is either absent or not sufficient in most of the countries of the world,” said a WHO alcohol-control expert. (The Guardian)

Global warming continues to put our coral reefs are in grave danger of coral bleaching and a group called Reef Ecologic is now experimenting with a new way to nurse them back to health in the GBR, where 93 percent of the reef is now damaged. It's passing electricity through them using steel frames in order to stimulate growth. Desperate times call for desperate measures. (IFL Science)

All three of FoodStirs' three oat bar mixes have been certified by The Detox Market as Glyphosate Residue-Free, the first nationally distributed products in the US to do so. " “Our Glyphosate Residue-Free products raise the standard of what is acceptable in products so people can feel safe and good about what they’re eating," said Sarah Michelle Gellar, one of the founders of the line. (Sustainable Food News)

According to a Stanford University study of nearly half a million people, the genes that code for height may also cause valves in veins to break down. The findings could potentially lead to improvements in treatments for varicose veins, such as targeting the genes that cause the condition. Right now, treatment mainly involves surgery. (Daily Mail)