Health IQ: Bird flu outbreak in the U.S. continues. How is Canada’s milk doing?

Canada’s milk supply in wake of bird flu spread

Canada’s milk supply remains safe from bird flu fragments, at least for now.

On May 23, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that 303 retail milk samples from across Canada were tested, all of which came back negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza or “HPAI” fragments. The agency found no evidence of the disease in dairy cattle.

“Commercially sold milk and milk products remain safe to consume,” the CFIA said.

The testing results come a day after United States health officials announced that a Michigan farmworker had been diagnosed with bird flu.

On May 22, Australia also reported its first human case of avian influenza in a child who authorities said had been infected in India but made a full recovery.

Read more about what Canada is doing to protect its borders amid the bird flu outbreak in the U.S.

Ultra-processed food linked to stroke, brain impairment

Ultra-processed foods such as soda, hot dogs and candy may be linked to a higher risk of stroke and cognitive decline, highlighting the potential dangers to brain health from consuming these items, a new study warned.

The U.S.-based research published May 22 in Neurology found that a 10 per cent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a nine per cent increased risk of incident stroke, including in people with no history of a stroke.

The study’s researchers also found that a greater intake of ultra-processed foods was tied to a 12 per cent higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Dr. W. Taylor Kimberly, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior study author, said that even making relatively modest changes in a person’s diet by swapping in ultra-processed food for healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes can make a big difference for their brain health.

“What you’re talking about is one or two meals a week. If you can exchange that from an ultra-processed meal to an unprocessed food or meal, that is associated with a measurable reduction in the risk of stroke or cognitive impairment,” he told Global News in an interview May 22.

“It’s not only what we eat that matters, but how the food is processed before we eat it,” Kimberly said.

Read more on the study and additional research highlighting the risks of ultra-processed foods.

— THE TOPIC —

Tobacco industry targets youth with ‘manipulative’ tactics: WHO

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stern warning about the global tobacco industry’s alarming use of “manipulative” tactics to aggressively target young people into smoking worldwide.

According to WHO’s latest report released on Thursday, an estimated 37 million children aged 13 to 15 years are currently using tobacco globally, perpetuating a cycle of addiction that often lasts a lifetime. The report, which was released ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, also showed that children are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than adults in many countries.

Among the range of tactics being used to attract young people to tobacco use are child-friendly flavours, colourful packaging featuring cartoon characters and e-cigarettes designed to resemble toys, the WHO reported.

This is a “disturbing trend,” Ruediger Krech, the WHO’s director of health promotion, said at a news conference on May 23.

“Every year, millions of young people fall victim to the tobacco industry’s manipulative tactics,” he said, adding that most lifetime users of tobacco or nicotine start before the age of 21.

Jorge Alday, director of STOP at Vital Strategies, a global tobacco industry watchdog, said the younger someone gets hooked to tobacco and nicotine, the more profitable that is for the sector.

“From the perspective of a tobacco company, a young, addicted customer means a lifetime of profit,” he told reporters. “The governments around the world have a lot more to do to protect the next generation.”