Pitting paranoia-inducing health news

[Dangerosa]

@Kimera757

Now they’re saying that no, coffee does not cause cancer. Hot drinks cause cancer. I’m not a fan of coffee, but that’s because I can’t stand the taste, not because I’m terrified of getting stomach cancer, or however that’s supposed to work.

The Mormons were right! This proves John Smith did get instructions from God. I’m converting.

[Randolph]

Eggs are still cool, though, again, right?

Right?

[Kimera757]

@Randolph

Eggs are still cool, though, again, right?

Right?

They’re packed with protein. And cholesterol. I guess it depends on the month. Some months they’re good, some not, according to the health lobby. (In other words, they’ll keep doing studies that don’t really prove anything.)

[Jackmannii]

@Kimera757

When you put on sunblock, it opens your pores, making you more vulnerable to poisons on the skin, such as … mosquito repellent.

This one flew by me the first time.

What evidence is there that sunscreen/sunblock “opens your pores”, much less making you vulnerable to “poisons”?

[WhyNot]

@Jackmannii

This one flew by me the first time.

What evidence is there that sunscreen/sunblock “opens your pores”, much less making you vulnerable to “poisons”?

It’s an old one. I don’t know if future research has contradicted it or not. It’s on my list of things I don’t have time to worry about. Healthy Beauty: Skin, Hair, Nails, Anti-Aging, and Cosmetic Surgery Tips

[digs]

@wolfpup

It’s not good for you but I rather suspect that those who are laid back and take life as it comes and eat a little junk food every once in a while and don’t obsess about it probably have a healthier and less stressful overall state of mind than stuck-up assholes who are obsessive about every single thing they eat. The less obsessed might even live longer, and they’ll quite likely live better…

I’ve copied this and have it large on my desktop. I bet this’ll result in a much happier life than people who obsess over minor things. Or worse, obsess and then say “Screw it” and eat a bunch of unhealthy stuff… and then complain about it (the first post just sounded like a really unpleasant way to look at the world, a recipe for unhappiness).

[wevets]

@Kimera757

There have been occasional stories of infected fruit, such as Guatemalan berries. Or this one: Cross-sectional survey of indicator and pathogenic bacteria on vegetables sold from Asian vendors at farmers' markets in northern California - PubMed although this one seems to counter it: Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review - PubMed

Could you elaborate?

Reading the abstract:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted during summer 2013 to determine the occurrence of Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms (FCs), E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella on raw vegetable commodities common to Asian cuisine from 21 vendors or farmers at six farmers’ markets in northern California. Based on 242 samples from six commodities (basil, yardlong beans, bitter squash, okra, squash stems and leaves, cilantro), 100% of samples had detectable FCs and 20% had detectable E. coli. The mean concentrations were 0.67 log CFU/g and 1.26 log CFU per bundle for E. coli and 4.00 log CFU/g and 6.26 log CFU per bundle for FCs. Vegetables irrigated with ground versus surface water contained lower concentrations of FCs, but this difference was not observed for E. coli. Yardlong beans, bitter squash, and okra had lower levels of FCs compared with basil, cilantro, and squash stems and leaves. Sixteen (6.6%) samples had detectable levels of Salmonella serovars (Newport, Enteritidis, Agona, and Worthington), with the majority of positives found in cilantro and squash stems and leaves. There was a twofold higher probability of Salmonella contamination in samples from growers or vendors who stated that they used organic farming practices compared with samples from those using conventional farming practices. Lastly, the concentrations of FC and E. coli bacteria were significantly associated with Salmonella contamination: for each additional 100 CFU/g or bundle, the probability of Salmonella contamination increased by ∼15 and ∼30%, respectively. None of the samples had detectable E. coli O157:H7.

It looks like you’ve zeroed in on the result of higher Salmonella in organically-farmed vegetables, but:

1. Generally bacteria will be found on the surface of vegetables, rather than infecting the vegetable itself, since strains of bacteria are very infrequently so broadly infectious that they can be pathogenic to such evolutionarily disparate groups as cilantro and primates.
2. Seems like it’s very likely a handling issue - and organic farming is generally about pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers (nobody’s spraying antibiotics on their fields of basil, even if it’s conventionally-farmed basil) rather than handling.