In the age of media-induced panics over every possible issue, several patients have recently asked my thoughts on the recent Hantavirus outbreak onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. The quick punchline: I think it’s very unlikely that this will become a major pandemic ala COVID.
Here’s a brief FAQ I’ve prepared that breaks this down a bit more:
For context, the carnivore diet is an extreme version of the keto diet that shuns all plant-based foods. Followers of this diet eat only meat, fish, and maybe eggs and dairy, without any fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, or other plant-based matter. In effect, the carnivore diet is the precise opposite of a vegan diet.
Aspirin has been around for a very, very, long time. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used extracts of the willow bark tree – which contains salicylic acid, aspirin’s active ingredient – as a remedy for pain and fever. Then in the 1800s, chemists figured out how to manufacture a concentrated version of this substance and market it as the pain reliever we call aspirin. Right up through the 1950s, aspirin remained the most popular medication for pain, fever reduction, and inflammation. But with the advent of better medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin’s popularity began to wane. Thus the first act in aspirin’s long story came to a close.
Before I go any further, let me just define terms here. Resistant starch is starch that your body cannot absorb. It therefore passes through the digestive tract and out into fecal waste without significant entry into the body, but in so doing it provides food for intestinal microbes, and therefore has been demonstrated to support a healthier and more diverse microbiome. Some natural sources of resistant starch include whole grains, potatoes, beans, and unripened fruit. By contrast, non-resistant starch is starch that your body absorbs and quickly converts into sugar for energy. Common sources of non-resistant starch include breads and pasta.
My kids have school break this week, so the office will be running on a very light schedule while we take a “staycation”. I’m around and available for urgent needs, including popping in to see patients as needed, but I will not be booking any routine follow ups and will not be posting to the blog this week.
