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Dangerous Duo

Neotame is the New Aspartame

NutraSweet, a formerly Monsanto-owned company, has developed a new version of Aspartame, called Neotame. It’s 3,000 times sweeter than table sugar and about 30 times sweeter than Aspartame. Not yet available directly to the public, Neotame is used to sweeten commercially processed foods, but is not required to be listed on package labels of non-certified organic foods. Neotame is more stable at higher temperatures than Aspartame, so it’s approved for use in a wider array of food products, including baked goods.

One of the byproducts created when our bodies break down these sweeteners is formaldehyde, which is extremely toxic even in tiny doses. In the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which contains more than 11 million medical citations, Neotame research fails to include any double-blind scientific studies on toxicity in humans or animals.

Nutrition expert Dr. Joseph Mercola notes that individuals experiencing side effects from Aspartame or Neotame can file a report with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at Tinyurl.com/FDASafetyReports.

Source: Mercola.com

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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