#dutch test hormones

[penpoise]

Tropic Hormones: Navigating the Endocrine Symphony

Tropic hormones, a fascinating ensemble in the orchestra of our endocrine system, play a pivotal role in maintaining the delicate balance of hormonal harmony within our bodies. From regulating the thyroid to influencing reproductive health, these unsung heroes are the conductors orchestrating a complex symphony within us. I. Introduction Definition of Tropic Hormones Tropic hormones are…

[dutchtest3]

Vitality Natural Wellness

Integrative Medicine practice specializing in BHRT, Low T Therapy, non-invasive aesthetics such as Botox and Dermal Fillers, emerging peptides and Vitamin Infusions.

[k0juki]

Pls PLS hcs of reader and joost being parents!! Thank youu

Dad!Joost Klein hc.

English is not my first language, so feel free to point out any mistakes or errors! More posts here.

A/n: Girl dad!Joost just make my brain go brbrbr

Wc: 700

---

• I imagine it like you guys were together long before you got pregnant.

• The whole pregnancy would be so stressful for both of you, but I think mostly for Joost.

• Like imagine him when you told him that special moment. (Short Imagine ahead)

---

You stood in the bathroom, holding that pregnancy test, where two straight lines shined. You were pregnant. Fuck.

"Y/n? Are you alright?" Joost asked from the other side of the door. Nervousness evident in his voice. What took you so long? Were you hurt? "Open the door."

"I-i'm" you took a deep breath, claiming yourself. "I'm alright Joost." You answered him and put down the positive test.

You looked at yourself in the mirror for the last time and opened the door, seeing Joost leaning against the frame of the door.

"Hey, are you alright?" What are you going to tell him? 'hey Joost, I'm pregnant and not scared as hell' no, definitely not this, but you have to tell him something.

You opened your mouth just to close it again. You didn't think of anything. You had to tell him. Now or never.

"I-I think I'm pregnant.." you said and waited for his response, for him to say something. But he was looking at you like, you just grew a second head.

"Y-you're...pregnant?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice. "W-we're having a baby?"

You just nodded your head. You couldn't think of any words right now and you felt tears in your eyes. Maybe because you didn't tried for a baby or maybe it was just hormones.

And then, Joost took you in his arms, a happy smile on his face and his laughter filled the space around you.

"You aren't mad?" You asked, feeling lost.

"Mad? Why should I be mad? This is amazing! We're having a baby!" He laughed and spinned you around.

---

• He definitely made you listen to his music while you were pregnant. Not that you minded.

• Later you discovered that you were having a little girl. Ashley, but you called her Ash.

• "A badass name for a badass girl, no?"

• Also there would be some sleepless nights, at first when Ash is a little baby and starts crying at night.

• He would be up the second he heard her soft sobbing.

• "Hey there..." Joost whispered as he took her in his arms. "It's alright baby, I'm right here."

• Sometimes he would take her to your and Joost bed, and let her sleep here, in his arms.

• And her first words would be daddy. Joost would be literally jumping around with Ash in his arms tearing up.

• You and Joost would be teaching her to talk both Dutch and English, and other language if your is not English. (Like me)

• Missing you and Ash as he is on tour, so you would be face calling every day and night before she goes to sleep.

• Telling her every story, about places he was in, and what people he met.

• As she grew older, let's just say about four, Joost would love to take Ash on outdoor adventures, teaching her about nature and the world around her.

• A small hiking trips with Ash on Joost's shoulders.

• And mostly teaching her about music. His music. (Not every song okay?) He would DEFINITELY teach her how to dance and sing with her too.

• Also Joost would be playing princess with her, simply because she told him to, and what kind of father would he be if he rejected her wish.

• "No daddy, Mr. Pinky likes his tea with lemon, not sugar." Mr. Pinky is her favorite pink unicorn.

• "Alright, alright, my apologies."

• Calling Ashley his little bug. (He just gave me this kind of vibe.)

• "Daddy I'm not a bug!" Ashley whined.

• And he would write some songs about her. For her, and how much he loves her.

• Maybe he will try to talk you into taking her on tour. "Come on love, it's just for two months."

• And let's just say you said no. End of the discussion…

---

Don't copy or translate my work! Also the picture is not mine! Credit goes to owner!

[reality-detective]

The Dutch test surpasses blood tests in assessing hormone levels due to its comprehensive approach, which tracks hormone fluctuations throughout the day via urine and saliva samples.

This method offers greater precision, accurately representing hormonal patterns over time, and is more convenient for women

Ladies... 🤔

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚘𝚕𝚖 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷

Pairing: Blackpool Combat Club x Fem!Reader

Warnings: +18, adult content, semi-erotic content, harsh language, dub-con, mild psychological torture, yandere vibes.

Tags: @theworldofotps , @writtingrose , @aerynscrichton , @daddyhausen , @melissahausen , @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin , @sophiewolfheart-blog , @sultryfandoms , @new-zealand-chic , @crowleysqueenofhell , @thealliasylum , @legit9thlunaticwarrior , @adamjf , @josiewrites , @seeingstarks , @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch , @whenimakeitshine1234 , @moxkindagirl , @sunshinevirus , @im-just-a-mississippi-girl , @ripleyswhore

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎

She had been placed inside a bedroom now. The secluded cabin in the woods was rustic, built of wood and with the classic decor of animal fur, leather armchairs, and red plaid fabric. It was cozy, even under the circumstances she was currently in. “It could be worse”, she thought, “I could still be tied up to a chair inside that basement”.

She caught herself staring at the deer’s head on top of the bed. Its black eyes called for her, it whispered something, perhaps it was a warning? A message? She couldn’t quite understand what it was saying, what it was trying to tell her. Its words we’re getting unclearer the more she stared at it. She tried to piece the message together, but something wasn’t quite right…

“It’s fake” A deep voice stated from behind her, making her squeal and rapidly turning around to see the perpetrator of her almost heart attack.

Blue eyes gleamed with amusement at her, much like the playful smirk he had cemented to his thin lips. The lollipop stick danced around his mouth as he continued:

“Bryan is vegan, so he didn’t want any real dead animals inside the cabin. He likes the visuals of the decor aspect of it, but ‘no real corpses’!” Moxley mocked Bryan’s way of speaking and the small joke earned a faint giggle from her. He considered that a win, one step closer to make her fully trust him.

“You got the coolest room. I’m jealous” Mox teased, pointing with his chin towards the deer head on the wall.

“Oh! The youngest man just shoved in here. I didn’t have much of a choice” She shrugged

“Yuta?” He asked and she nodded in return. “Well, would you like to check out the other rooms? You can choose the one you like the most”

“N-no!” She was quick to answer, too quick for her own liking. She needed to be subtle, play possum for now until she could figure a way out of here. “Thank you. I don’t want to upset anyone”.

Moxley frowned at her statement. She seemed distressed, back into her shell, suspicious. “Fucking Yuta and his stupid teenage-like hormones! He’s fucking ruining everything!” Mox thought to himself before he focused his attention back on her. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, a little bit”

Upon her statement, Mox cupped her face in his hand and began to rub her cheek back and forth with his thumb, “I’ll have someone bring you a snack or something, so you won’t starve until dinner”.

She saw it in his eyes, there was something inside the blue orbs that demonstrated some level of vulnerability, and that she could use in her favor.

“Thank you” She whispered, casually leaning into his touch, testing the waters to see how far she could take in this first round. “Mox? Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course, kitty cat” His thumb now moved to her lips, brushing the rough pad of his finger against her bottom lip.

“Could you please not send Yuta? I-” Her eyes darted down to her feet, a sign of uncertainty, fear. She needed to play the victim perfectly in order to have him buy it. “He scares me” Her eyes focused on the baby blue orbs again. “When I was in the basement, he kept doing and saying things that made me uncomfortable and I…I don’t want to be alone with him”.

Something shifted in Moxley’s eyes, a flash of rage sipped through before being replaced with calmness.

“I’ll send someone else, kitty cat. Don’t worry about him, ok?” Mox pulled her towards him, engulfing her in a tight hug. Her head was placed under his chin as he played with her hair, her eyes stopped at the deer on the wall and now she understood its message. If she wanted to get out of this place alive, she would have to turn the predators into the preys.

She had finished showering when she heard the bedroom door opening. Footsteps made their way toward the bed and then came to a halt, the old bed springs squeaked as the man’s weight settled on top of the mattress. Damn, she wished she would’ve brought her clothes inside the bathroom with her! Now she would have to step out of the en suite bathroom, and be eyed like a piece of meat by whoever was across the door.

She took a deep breath in, in order to control her gag reflex, and slightly opened the bathroom door, peeking her head out to see who was on the other side.

“I was wondering how much longer would you stay inside the bathroom after the shower went off” Claudio smirked, pointing over to the silver platter on top of the bed “I brought your snack, come eat before it gets cold”.

Every instinct she possessed screamed for her to stay inside that bathroom, but her rational side knew that would bring up suspicions. So swallowing her fear and uncertainty, she stepped out of the bathroom and made her path to the opposite side of the bed from where Claudio sat.

“Come here” He beckoned her closer with his finger

God, would she like to just tell him to fuck off! Licking her dried lips, she carefully approached him. Claudio’s hand caressed her exposed thigh, he allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of her smooth skin against his calloused palm before he slid his hand up underneath the towel.

Her eyes slightly widened in shock upon feeling his hand traveling up her hip. Claudio continued to explore her body, rough fingertips now gently drew circles on her waist, only stopping underneath her breast.

“I think we need to have a little chat, don’t you?”

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Leor Sapir

Published: Apr 4, 2024

Across the United States, thousands of parents have consented to having their children’s puberty stopped with a class of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. Known colloquially as “puberty blockers,” these drugs overstimulate the pituitary gland to the point of preventing it from sending signals to the ovaries or testes to start producing the hormones responsible for puberty.

Parents who have consented to these drugs for their children love their kids dearly, but they’ve consented under entirely false pretenses. The doctors who’ve advised them say that puberty blockers are known to improve mental health — that they are even life-saving — and that they are fully reversible and just give kids “time to think.” None of this is true.

Major American medical associations say that “gender-affirming care” for kids is “medically necessary” and “life-saving.” Health authorities Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the U.K. disagree. Last month, the National Health Service of England decommissioned puberty blockers as a treatment of adolescent gender dysphoria. “We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of [puberty blockers] to make the treatment routinely available at this time,” the NHSE explained.

Imagine if American doctors told parents the following truths. The mental health benefits of puberty blockers are highly uncertain, according to multiple systematic reviews of the evidence, the bedrock of evidence-based medicine. The World Health Organization says the evidence is “limited and variable.” There is no research into long-term harms, but some evidence suggests decreased IQ and brittle bones. Permanent sterility is guaranteed for minors who go through full hormonal “transition.” Sexual dysfunction appears to be extremely common as well. Over 93 percent of kids who take these drugs go on to cross-sex hormones, which lead to permanent physical changes including excruciating genital growth, vaginal atrophy and tearing and much higher risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

There is no credible evidence that puberty blockers function as suicide-prevention measures. Finland’s top gender clinician has called the suicide narrative “purposeful disinformation” and “dangerous.” For all these reasons, health authorities in a growing number of countries, including some of the most LGBT-friendly, are now prioritizing talk therapy.

How many parents would consent to puberty blockers under these circumstances? Very few, if any.

It is common for drugs to enter pediatric use after evidence of their success in adult medicine. The opposite happened in gender medicine. It was the failure of “sex reassignment” in adult men to achieve satisfactory cosmetic outcomes and improve life functioning that led a group of clinicians in the Netherlands to propose starting the “reassignment” process in childhood.

Their hypothesis was as technologically appealing as it was ethically dubious: since males could not reverse the effects of testosterone-fueled puberty to pass as women, it would be beneficial to these men to have their puberty bypassed altogether.

The Dutch recognized the dilemma but thought they found a way around it. Relying on their experience using puberty blockers to treat a condition known as central precocious puberty (CPP), they argued that blockers were fully reversible and thus part of the diagnostic process. If it turned out that the kid wasn’t “truly trans,” the drugs would be discontinued and puberty allowed to resume.

Their argument was dubious from the get-go. First, CPP has an objective diagnosis, based on a blood sample, whereas gender transition is based on the adolescent’s feelings and experiences, which are subject to change. In a political climate such as ours, in which mere exploration of the reasons for rejecting one’s body can be labeled “conversion therapy,” differential diagnosis becomes impossible.

As Dr. Jason Rafferty, author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ current policy statement on “gender-affirming care,” has put it, “the child’s sense of reality and feeling of who they are is the navigational beacon to sort of orient treatment around.” The AAP statement has been witheringly critiqued, and Rafferty and the AAP are now defendants in lawsuits by former patients.

Second, in CPP puberty suppression is by definition temporary; the goal is to delay puberty to its appropriate developmental window. In gender dysphoria, a “successful” prescription is where puberty is bypassed altogether. The assumption about reversibility, never tested and highly questionable form the start, proved to be the ethical foundation for the entire Dutch experiment, and it quickly crumbled. Over 93 percent of adolescents who are put on puberty blockers for gender issues continue down the medical pathway to cross-sex hormones. Some go on to surgeries.

Gender clinicians do not see this suspiciously high figure as a reason to rethink their approach. They see no possibility of iatrogenesis — a medical intervention that unintentionally induces harm, in this case by causing gender distress or confusion to persist artificially. On the contrary, they regard the high persistence rate as proof of their own remarkable diagnostic abilities.

More modest and scientifically-minded clinicians and researchers see things very differently. “Blocking puberty,” writes Sallie Baxendale, a professor of neuropsychology and author of an important new study on puberty blockers, “prevents the critical rewiring in the brain that underpins the ability make complex decisions. Puberty blockers may give children time to think but they simultaneously rob them of their developing capacity to do so.”

What is likely happening is that an ongoing youth mental health crisis whose origins predate and have little to do with gender is being misdiagnosed and mistreated with harmful and experimental drugs. Puberty blockers are the definition of a “quick fix” solution.

Researchers incorrectly refer to what the Dutch did as an experiment. In an experiment, falsifiable hypotheses are proposed, alternative interventions are tested, outcomes are monitored and competing explanations for observed results are thoughtfully ruled out.

The Dutch did nothing of the sort, according to a comprehensive scholarly examination of their study. Further, the only attempt to replicate that study, which was done in the U.K., failed. The researchers had to be forced to disclose their disappointing findings. Any scientific-minded person willing to put in the effort and read the literature will come to the same conclusion: Pediatric gender medicine is an industry built on fraud.

During the 2000s and 2010s, the Dutch pseudo-experiment with puberty blockers “escaped the lab” and became entangled in a fast-growing international social movement for transgender recognition. In the U.S., the drugs are being prescribed at numbers far exceeding anything the Dutch could possibly have imagined. Most adolescents referred to pediatric gender clinics are teen girls who have no history of dysphoria in childhood but who do have other mental health challenges that predate their distress with their bodies.

American medicine is no stranger to scandal — lobotomy, “recovered memory” and OxyContin are just a few examples. What makes pediatric gender transition unique is that it has been framed as a nonnegotiable civil right and defended by powerful civil rights groups, the Democratic Party and their ideological allies in the mainstream media.

A key reason for the divergence between U.S. and European medical authorities, as I’ve explained in a previous essay, is the latter’s greater willingness to follow principles of evidence-based medicine, including reliance on systematic reviews. Jack Turban, a prominent American gender clinician, revealed in a deposition that he seems not to know what a systematic review of evidence is.

Another reason is that in the U.S., doctors who practice child “transition” demand and often receive deference as the experts on the evidence for their practices; abroad, such clinicians are seen as having conflicts of interest. When the National Health Service of England appointed the highly respected Dr. Hilary Cass to lead its review of its youth gender service, it did so precisely because she was “a senior clinician with no prior involvement or fixed views in this area.” Sweden and Finland delegated the evaluation of evidence to experts with no personal involvement or stake in pediatric gender medicine.

Parents should never have been put in the position of having to decide whether to “allow” their kids to go through puberty. Those who would put the onus on parents are letting charlatans in the medical profession off the hook. Puberty is difficult for all teens, and it is not a disease. Puberty blockers offer teens in distress — especially girls with history of sexual abuse, autistic kids and gay kids — false hope by casting puberty as optional.

Puberty is a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood, responsible for the development of the body’s major organs and systems and not just its external sexual features. Puberty blockers rob children of their right to an open future.

[anamericangirl]

Hello, just discovered your blog and have gone through it I hope to not be an illiterate anon, apologies if i am, I'm very tired all the time. Your post appeared on my recommended and I'd like to respond.

If a doctor put a perfectly healthy person on chemotherapy because they walked into their office and said “I think I have cancer” that would be malpractice and the doctor would lose their license.

Let's check this. Quote from transcare https://transcare.ucsf.edu/transition-roadmap: "Requirements for a behavioral health evaluation and preparation in advance of chest and genital surgery, and the use of hormone therapy and presenting full time in one's chosen gender identity for 1 year before genital procedures, unless there is a medical or other reason that prevents meeting these requirements." What that means is kids do not just walk in at the first sight of dysphoria and ask. They've got to be committed to it for a year. What about dysphoria? How does one get diagnosed with it? Quote from mayo clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gender-dysphoria/symptoms-causes/syc-20475255#(sry if the link doesn't work) :

"Gender dysphoria might cause adolescents and adults to experience a marked difference between inner gender identity and assigned gender that lasts for at least six months."(bold mine) Six months. That's not just walking in and asking, that's again, a long time.

What if they regret it? There's an incredibly high regret rate. They're only kids, we know better than them. Well, those figures might have been exaggerated a little. Quote from transeqality "This study ( https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00254-1/fulltext ) found that 98% of youths prescribed puberty blockers went on to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy after turning 18." That means that 98 percent of kids knew they were trans and correct about it.

Quote from the same site "One Dutch study ( https://genderanalysis.net/2018/11/large-study-of-trans-people-in-the-netherlands-shows-growing-numbers-seeking-treatment-low-regret-rates/ ) of nearly 7,000 transgender people found that the rate of regret was less than 1% among those who received treatment as adults – and there were no cases of regret among those who received care before the age of 18."

To put that in perspective, 30 percent of people regret getting knee surgery https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/knee-replacement-surgery-regret.html

You claim to care about children? Check this out. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/ 45 percent of trans youth seriously considered suicide, and that number more than halved when they got support. Half.

Referral letters are required for a surgery. If a surgeon had a person who looked perfectly healthy come into their office and say "I have cancer, here's my proof of living in pain for 6 months, here's my proof of taking medicine, telling people I have cancer, my proof of going to support groups for my cancer, my cancer screenings, a signed letter from a specialist saying I have cancer, and one more for good measure." then the surgeon would get them surgery immediately because they do not specialise in cancer diagnosis. Yet this same thing happens for trans people all over the world where they're denied surgery by transphobic doctors.

Hi thanks for your thoughtful response. I have to disagree, though.

I have a couple of issues with your first point about surgeries and hormone therapy. First, one year is not that long to wait, especially if the person is a minor (and frankly this not should not even be an option for minors at all). If a perfectly healthy person walks into a doctor's office and says they have cancer and the doctor, instead of testing them for cancer, says "come back in a year and if you still feel that way we'll start chemotherapy" that's still malpractice.

Also, I would encourage you to listen to the testimonies of detransitioners because these "requirements" aren't always adhered to. One woman I was listening to who underwent transition as a minor said the first medical intervention she ever received was a double mastectomy.

And I wasn't just referring to surgeries and hormone replacement therapy with that post; I was also talking about puberty blockers. And if you consider Mayo Clinic a reliable source, this is what they list as the requirements for getting on puberty blockers.

In most cases, to begin using puberty blockers, an individual needs to:

Show a lasting pattern of gender nonconformity or gender dysphoria.

Have gender dysphoria that began or worsened at the start of puberty.

Address any psychological, medical or social problems that could interfere with the treatment.

Be able to understand the treatment and agree to have it. This is called informed consent.

This could all be accomplished in a single visit and just requires the doctor to ask a few questions.

"Gender dysphoria might cause adolescents and adults to experience a marked difference between inner gender identity and assigned gender that lasts for at least six months."(bold mine) Six months. That's not just walking in and asking, that's again, a long time.

No, six months is not a long time before diagnosing a severe mental illness where the next steps are essentially permanently altering your body.

And, mind you, this does not mean they have to be observed by a doctor for at least six months. It means it has to have been established that they have felt that way for at least six months. Meaning, a little boy can walk in and essentially the following exchange can take place:

Boy: I'm a girl

Doctor: How long have you felt that way?

Boy: About six months.

Doctor: Ok. I am diagnosing you with gender dysphoria.

Again, it can be diagnosed in a single visit. And btw, people can go through phases that last much longer than six months. That is nowhere near enough time to diagnose someone, especially a child, who is living in an environment where there gender confusion is being affirmed by the people around them, with gender dysphoria.

"What if they regret it? There's an incredibly high regret rate. They're only kids, we know better than them. Well, those figures might have been exaggerated a little. from transeqality "This study ( https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00254-1/fulltext ) found that 98% of youths prescribed puberty blockers went on to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy after turning 18." That means that 98 percent of kids knew they were trans and correct about it."

Ok so there's some important information being left out here and it's information that shows this study can't be really be a credible source of information for the rate of regret and it doesn't show that 98% of kids "knew they were trans and were correct about it."

First of all, the sample size of this study was only 720. Not that big. Most importantly, at the start of the treatment they were following the median age for boys was 14 and the median age for girls was 16. When they concluded the study the median age of boys was 20 and the median age of girls was 19 so this was only measured for about four or five years and can't be taken seriously as evidence of anything. Certainly not evidence that "98% of kids don't regret transitioning and know they are trans and are correct about it." That study is hardly long enough to show that children still consider themselves trans once they are adults.

This study, published in 2022, looked at a sample of about 1,000 individuals and found that the 4 year continuation rate of gender affirming hormone treatment is around 70%, which means the detransition rate is 30%. Not 1-2% like you suggest.

This study, while not a study on how many people detransition, looks at a number of people who have detransitioned (237, so not a lot) and reasons why they detransitioned. Here is a chart from the study showing that the main reason for detransitioning (70%) was realizing their gender dysphoria was related to other issues.

It's also worth noting that 45% of the people didn't feel "properly informed about the health implications of the accessed treatments and interventions before undergoing them."

This study also indicates that, at least for the detransitioners sampled, their detransitions happened approximately five years after they started their transition, which, interestingly, is right about the point of time the study you linked stops.

"Quote from the same site "One Dutch study ( https://genderanalysis.net/2018/11/large-study-of-trans-people-in-the-netherlands-shows-growing-numbers-seeking-treatment-low-regret-rates/ ) of nearly 7,000 transgender people found that the rate of regret was less than 1% among those who received treatment as adults – and there were no cases of regret among those who received care before the age of 18.""

This study was mostly following people who started transitioning when they were already adults and remember we're talking about kids here. And I don't know where you got the idea that "there were no cases of regret among those who received care before the age of 18" because I don't see that mentioned anywhere in the link you provided or the study itself. What I did see them mention was about 40% of the adolescents they evaluated started puberty blockers and then several stopped taking them without getting any further treatment.

"You claim to care about children? Check this out. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/ 45 percent of trans youth seriously considered suicide, and that number more than halved when they got support. Half."

I do care about children, but I don't trust the Trevor project. They are an activist organization and are only going to publish things that affirm their narrative, whether it's true or false. I suggest you look at data from both sides before taking the Trevor project at their word.

For example, I came across a paper that found an interesting phenomenon in the youth suicide rate.

In the past several years, the suicide rate among those ages 12 to 23 has become significantly higher in states that have a provision that allows minors to receive routine health care without parental consent than in states without such a provision. Before 2010, these two groups of states did not differ in their youth suicide rates. Starting in 2010, when puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones became widely available, elevated suicide rates in states where minors can more easily access those medical interventions became observable.

Rather than being protective against suicide, this pattern indicates that easier access by minors to cross-sex medical interventions without parental consent is associated with higher risk of suicide. 

This suggests that the Trevor project is not entirely accurate and the suicide rate among youth tragically rose after having access to "gender affirming care."

"Referral letters are required for a surgery. If a surgeon had a person who looked perfectly healthy come into their office and say "I have cancer, here's my proof of living in pain for 6 months, here's my proof of taking medicine, telling people I have cancer, my proof of going to support groups for my cancer, my cancer screenings, a signed letter from a specialist saying I have cancer, and one more for good measure." then the surgeon would get them surgery immediately because they do not specialise in cancer diagnosis. Yet this same thing happens for trans people all over the world where they're denied surgery by transphobic doctors."

So you mean the doctor has to have substantial evidence that someone has cancer before treating them? Like a screening? As opposed to simply confirming that they've felt that way for a long time?

And I'm sorry but using the phrase "transphobic doctors" takes credibility away from your entire message. This is why transphobic doesn't mean anything anymore. You just use it to refer to anyone who thinks gender dysphoria needs to be determined by more than someone simply saying they feel like the opposite sex and have for a long time. It's not "transphobic" for a doctor to determine a person doesn't need a sex change surgery. Doctors are there to observe and treat people's physical and mental health, not affirm their feelings. And it's incredibly petty and disingenuous to refer to a doctor who denies someone a surgery after they have supposedly gone through all the requirements you said had to be met that they are transphobic.

So let me ask you, if all those requirements for surgery aren't met and the person is denied the surgery how is the doctor transphobic? You assure me that all these strict requirements must be met before people surgically transition so it's not just happening to anyone who walks in but at the same time if anyone who wants the surgery doesn't qualify then the doctor is transphobic. You're not being consistent.

There are two sides to every story. Make sure you're not just looking at one.

[suzieb-fit]

Trying to stay positive during the worst ever flare up of this awful mucus problem. Several days straight, almost no relief. And it's a bad one. Seriously bad.

I need somewhere to go. Someone to see. But I've no idea where or who. I know about the DUTCH test, which checks your hormonal function, but it's wildly expensive. And I don't even know if that would help for this particular issue. I've already spent more than I can afford on the so-far worthless homeopath.

I've done it all. Followed all the advice and recommendations. Taken antihistamines, nasal sprays, had the camera doen my throat....twice.

Several longer fasts. A few at 72hrs.

Taken the medication offered. Cut out so many different dietary options. Trust me, in that regard there is nothing I have not tried.

Dairy, peanuts, nuts in general, caffeine, gluten, vinegar, oats. The list goes on.....and on.

Nothing. No benefit whatsoever.

I'm feeling completely helpless and hopeless.

Ugh. Sorry for the negative vibes. Just having a particularly awful day with it, after an already dreadful few days.

Obviously not doing so good with that "trying to stay positive" thing, lol.

But I have to keep on keeping on.

Five mile walk, good food and a decent fast.

Nobody could try harder than me to live a healthy life. But at moments like this, it all feels just a tad futile.

[intersex-awareness]

(via As an Intersex Child, I Was Told I Didn’t Exist)

Marleen has androgen insensitivity syndrome. She was born with the typical male XY chromosomes, but her insensitivity to male Androgen hormones meant that eventually, she physically grew into a woman. The condition is known as Swyer Syndrome. Outwardly female, the condition is often also marked by internal “streak gonads”, which given the high risk for malignancy should be surgically removed. 46XY Intersex is sometimes referred to as “male pseudo-hermaphroditism”. Marleen's younger years were defined by secrecy. Now, she's going (very) public. Marleen is a Dutch dancer and a playwright. She is also intersex. Intersex people have internal and external sex characteristics – like hormones,  genitals, ovaries and testes – which vary from the normative definition  of “man” or “woman”. Statistics vary, but it’s estimated that between one in 2,000 to 4,500 babies are born intersex.

Source: Vice Magazine

[coochiequeens]

A man in panties that said “SugarMoney” presented at an LGBTQ+ Art festival organized by three biological men.

A trans activist known for staging protests involving human urine was invited to perform at the Tate Museum on Sunday, where he gave a reading while dressed in women’s underwear. 

The event, part of Queer and Now, an LGBTQIA+ art festival, was organized by three trans-identified males; June Bellebono, Jamie Cottle, and Carly Yvoty Fernandez. The three read excerpts from their publication, oestrogeneration, a magazine describing itself as a “platform highlighting transfeminine voices in the UK.” Content on the publication’s website is overtly sexual and promotes the sex industry. 

The men who presented their publication read selected articles from the first issue, Tenacity, described as containing “essays covering orgasms, squatting and security culture,” which is self-lauded as “a dynamic display of the breadth of expressions our identities hold.”

“Mr. Menno,” a Dutch content creator who advocates for the rights of women and homosexuals, was in attendance at the event, and shared a number of disturbing photos and video clips to his Twitter.

In one video, Cottle can be seen reading an article aloud to an audience while wearing women’s lingerie. The crotch of the thong was emblazoned with the words “Sugar Money,” and Cottle’s testicle flesh appears to be faintly visible through the sides of the fabric.

Speaking with Reduxx, Menno explained that the presentation was intended for an audience aged 16 and older, but that no barriers had been put in place and events for children were actively occurring in other parts of the museum. 

“I didn’t see any children there at the time but the area was open, not closed off, no doors, anyone could come and go,” Menno said. “You could also go through this space to get to the room where the Museum of Transology had kid’s events.”

“[Cottle’s] whole outfit was geared to draw attention to his groin. It’s just so utterly bizarre to be face to face with guys who are clearly male calling themselves some kind of women. To me there’s something creepy about the name oestrogeneration, basing the identity of a whole generation of men around taking synthetic drugs to acquire female-typical hormone levels,” he said.

“I don’t know why I should somehow see them as my ‘siblings’ just because I’m gay. I want nothing to do with it. Yet this is ‘queer’ in the U.K. and I’m told this is my community,” Menno continued. “And at one point when the audience had gathered to listen to their talks he turned around to push the table back, showed his bum, giggled, and got some cheers from the audience.”

The most recent article featured on the oestrogenerationsite is called “Against All Odds, I Will Cum,” and is accompanied by an illustration of a childlike figure.

The author, a trans-identified man named Samantha Lacob, describes his masturbation habits after he began taking estrogen, and claims that he experiences “orgasm synesthesia.”

“Like most transfeminine people I was born with a penis… it was harder to achieve an erection and almost impossible to keep it, but also, not necessary. I got there in the end, a bit over 4 months after surgery and after a lot of wanking,” the article reads.

Featured on the cover of oestrogeneration is a trans-identifying male who has worked as a general practitioner for over 20 years. Dr. Kamilla Kamaruddin, originally from Malaysia, serves as a board member for Spectra, a non-profit organization which offers HIV testing, STI screening, gender identity workshops, and “social groups for young people.” 

Kamaruddin works for the National Health Service (NHS) and acts as the clinical lead for the East of England Gender Service, Cambridge. He campaigns to encourage the NHS to partner with transgender lobbying groups.

One article from oestrogeneration presented and written by Cottle, titled “A Strong Feeling of Desperation,” is written in the form of experimental prose and contains sexual language. 

“Walking here felt as it always does, my desires rendered in retinal surveillance; their lust, my lust, meeting, fleeting outside Oxford circus, in a primordial slime of the vitreous inside eyes… Gabriel’s angels brim with life, fakery, and lust; they are droplets of cum ossified into marrow and faux pearls sewn into satin.”

Cottle, a trans-identified male who uses the moniker “Biogal” on social media, is associated with a protest group that calls themselves Pissed Off Trannies, or POT. 

Twice in the past year, POT has staged demonstrations that involved dumping large quantities of human urine outside of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to protest laws that strengthen women’s protections. A recent Instagram post suggests they may be using water mixed with turmeric to supplement their urine.

Most recently, members of POT gathered outside of the EHRC on May 22 to leave 90 liters of their supposed waste around the perimeter of the building. 

The protest was in response to a recent statement by chief executive of the EHRC, Melanie Field, in which she affirmed the definition of “sex” in a show of support for protections for biological sex as a protected characteristic, as well as for plans to prevent trans-identified males from accessing women’s facilities on self-declaration.

“Pouring piss is an anarchist act of resistance that stakes an urgent and lingering claim on our basic human rights … If you take away our toilets we will make one on your doorstep,” POT stated in an Instagram post depicting the protest. 

After staging his first protest outside of the EHRC last year, Cottle boasted about his actions on Instagram, revealing his association with the group. As reported by Vice, during the demonstration, Cottle “pissed [himself] in [his] bejewelled gown, before pouring bottles of urine on [himself] and the pavement outside the building, all the while shouting: ‘The EHRC has blood on its hands and piss on its streets.'”

Other performances by Cottle, which he claims are demonstrations of trans activism, are similarly graphic.

In one performance from 2022, simply titled “FISH,”Cottle strips while slapping himself with a dead fish. In another from that same year, titled “Prayer for the Pearl Oyster,” Cottle is seen wearing women’s underwear, transparent platform heels, and a pearl necklace. He rips fabric, tosses about oysters, and screams while stomping on the shells. Cottle then begins writhing, strips naked, and removes a sex toy from his anus.

By Genevieve Gluck

Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.

He was dressed like this

When not only kids were in the museum but there were kids events in the next room. This sounds like some kind of exhibitionist fetish. If kids saw him he could claim that kids weren’t supposed to see him. It was the parents fault for not making sure their kids were in the right room. You can’t be mad at an LGBTQ+ artist during an LGBTQ+ event, right?

Weird that for years the ideology was don’t make a big deal out of a trans woman’s penis because it makes them feel very insecure to not be like real women. And now they are dressing in outfits to draw attention to the groin.

[trilledllamatri]

Definitions copied from this article: Way More Than Fight or Flight: The Six Trauma Responses and What They Mean | WTG (williamsburgtherapygroup.com)

The "Fight" Response The easiest trauma response to understand is the "fight" response. A threat or traumatic event becomes immediate, and almost out of instinct, a fight ensues. We should note here that "fight" doesn't necessarily mean throwing haymakers in a parking lot (though it can). A fight can be an argument or even a simple conversation. The only true marker of a fight is a series of attacks and defenses. For example, say someone launches a verbal assault on the way you dress. A fight response would be to turn the assault back on them, insulting their clothes to make yours seem better. That's a verbal fight. By contrast, of course, there are also certainly times when a physical fight is a necessary trauma response - for example, during a sexual assault or robbery. Both of these kinds of fights stem from the same "fight" response in your brain. The "fight" response comes from a squirt of hormones that essentially diverts all your cognitive and physiological processes to preparing for a physical fight. It comes from the primordial days, when that hormonal response could mean the difference between returning to your family and becoming a tiger's hors d'oeuvre. This same brain activity is also responsible for the "flight" response. The "Flight" Response The "flight" response is also the result of your brain sending all systems to go - just in the opposite direction. An obvious example is running away from a physical threat like an assailant on the street, but there is also emotional flight. Emotional flight can manifest as many different behaviors, including the silent treatment, failing to acknowledge the problem, or refusing to talk about what's bothering you. The "Freeze" Response The "freeze" response happens when your brain is so overwhelmed by stimulus that you experience a kind of paralysis. This may happen if the trauma you have just experienced was so sudden and so severe that the next course of action is not immediately obvious. In 2007, for example, an assailant entered a Dutch police station and began stabbing officers. One officer in question exhibited a freeze response, during which she continued to be harmed by the perpetrator. After a moment, however, she took action and neutralized the threat. Such a sudden and violent attack essentially short-circuited the officer's brain, leaving her briefly frozen. Scientists believe that the amygdala is responsible for the "freeze" response. In contrast to fighting and fleeing, freezing usually comes with bradycardia, or a decreased heart rate. The "Fawn" Response The "fawn" response is a psychological reaction to trauma wherein the victim attempts to appease the traumatic stimuli in order to get it to stop. An example of this is a woman offering to clean the house to appease her abusive partner. While this response can create a temporary and relatively (emphasis on relatively) safe environment, it can also feed into abusive and traumatic behavior and make the problem worse in the long run. The "Fine" Response The "fine" response refers to self-denial of trauma. It occurs when someone does not want to believe that they are traumatized, and that they can handle whatever threat or action has just befallen them. People exhibiting the "fine" response may cause more harm to themselves than they realize, as experiencing grief is an important part of the healing journey. The "Faint" Response The "faint" response is exactly what it sounds like - you faint as a response to a traumatic sight or event. Fainting after trauma is called vasovagal syncope. Essentially, the part of your brain responsible for regulating your heart rate gives up, and your heart rate plummets. That's why some people faint at the sight of blood.

[zappedbyzabka]

So same thing with what you just did on the Johnny going into heat when Daniel kicks him but the cobras weren’t able to pull Jimmy off and Johnny accidentally gets pregnant

Oh man, making Johnny a teen mom is just another way to torture him 😭 but…maybe not

The cobras are there for Johnny when he takes a pregnancy test, standing around in the school bathroom and waiting for Johnny’s reaction, and they all held him when he started crying because the test came back positive—panicked and unsure of how he’ll tell his mom and Sid that he’s pregnant.

Jimmy really steps up despite his similar panic, supporting Johnny and staying right by his side at every ultrasound and doctor’s appointment, holding his hand and assuring him that they’ll have a healthy baby, which is a hard task for Jimmy because Johnny has always had some strange belief that he wasn’t a good omega, like he’s faulty or something (which is exactly what Sid told him he was).

The cobras are constantly feeding Johnny and helping him with everything, calming him down when he gets emotional from all the pregnancy hormones, and just being the support system that he never had.

I’m choosing to think that their baby is Robby, and this time Robby grows up with Johnny and Jimmy as his loving and attentive parents, along with his three other adoptive dads who spoil him rotten. Johnny always has someone there to gladly help him with baby Robby, even Dutch, who adores Robby even though he’s never been good with kids; he calls Robby his little partner in crime and got him an itty bitty leather jacket, and Johnny took like a thousand polaroids of the two in their matching outfits.

Jimmy is so good with Robby, always knows how to calm him down and never raises his voice at him or Johnny, he’s always gentle and doting toward them.

And Johnny is the happiest he’s ever been in his life, with his healthy baby and new life. He did it; he made everything work.

[firstclassmassage]

Swedish Massages

Swedish Massage, renowned for its therapeutic benefits and relaxation, is a popular and widely practiced form of massage therapy. Originating in Sweden in the early 19th century, it has evolved into a foundational technique in modern massage therapy.

History and Origins:

Swedish massage was developed by Per Henrik Ling, a Swedish physiologist and fencing master. He combined elements of traditional Chinese, Greek, and Roman techniques with his knowledge of anatomy to create a systematic approach to massage. Ling's methods were further refined and popularized by Johan Georg Mezger, a Dutch practitioner, who introduced French terminology that is still used today to describe the basic strokes of Swedish massage.

Techniques and Approach:

Swedish massage is characterized by its use of five key strokes:

1. Effleurage: Long, gliding strokes that follow the direction of blood flow towards the heart. These strokes are typically used at the beginning and end of the massage to warm up and relax the muscles.

2.*Petrissage: Kneading movements that involve squeezing, rolling, or pressing the muscles to enhance deeper circulation and release tension.

3. Friction: Deep circular or transverse movements that create heat and help break down muscle adhesions.

4. Tapotement: Rhythmic tapping, tapping, or percussion movements that stimulate the muscles and invigorate the body

5. Vibration or Shaking: Fine, rapid shaking or rocking movements that loosen muscle tension and promote relaxation.

Benefits of Swedish Massage:

Swedish massage offers a variety of physical and mental health benefits:

- Relief from Muscle Tension: The gentle kneading and friction techniques help release muscle knots and tension.

- Improved Blood Circulation: Effleurage strokes promote better circulation, aiding in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells while removing waste products.

- Stress Reduction: The rhythmic movements and soothing touch of Swedish massage promote relaxation and reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

-Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion: Regular sessions can help increase joint mobility and flexibility.

- Mental Well-being: The relaxation induced by Swedish massage can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and promote overall mental clarity.

Who Can Benefit:

Swedish massage is suitable for most people, including those looking to relax, relieve minor muscle tension, or improve overall well-being. It can be adapted to meet individual needs and preferences, making it a versatile option for a wide range of clients.

Conclusion:

Whether you're seeking relaxation, relief from muscle tension, or simply a moment of tranquility, Swedish massage offers a holistic approach to wellness. Its gentle yet effective techniques have stood the test of time, making it a cornerstone of modern massage therapy practices worldwide.

[earaercircular]

How cultured meat went from hype to climate problem

Meat grown in labs has long been the hip pet child of investors. But insiders now admit how 'their plastic waste mountain grew faster than their meat'.

Is it 'cell-based meat', 'cultured meat', 'animal-free meat' or 'lab meat'? In Singapore, the first country in the world to allow the sale of artificial meat, scientists have already investigated which term convinces consumers best. Cultured meat is number one, 'cell-based meat' actually makes them drop out.

Yet that is the most precise description: lab meat is created by multiplying animal cells in heated tanks on a mixture of sugar, yeasts, growth hormones or other patented ingredients.

Ever since a Dutch researcher proposed the first artificial hamburger in 2013[1], investors have been captivated by laboratory meat. Theoretically, it could put an end to animal suffering on a large scale. At least $2.8 billion is said to be involved in the sector, mostly venture capital that hungry start-ups are competing for. Because lab meat remains extremely expensive, making it more of a promise of the future than a tangible product.

Yet after the hype, disillusionment grows. Especially now that some employees of the American Upside Foods[2] have come clean to technology magazine Wired. Upside Foods is one of the rare companies that doesn't mimic the structure of processed meat, but that of a fresh chicken fillet – which is more complex. According to employees, the company misled the public about the process. The large steel 'bioreactors' that Upside Foods[3] liked to show to journalists did not work well enough. “We often had to throw away the meat because the tanks became contaminated,” says a former employee who managed the process between November 2021 and the summer of 2022. “Then we had to burn the proceeds.”

Single-use plastic

And so Upside Foods had to switch gears: it started manually creating tiny layers of meat in small disposable plastic bottles. This is a problem in a sector that is faced with the task of scaling up production and making it cheaper. “We had lab technicians apply procine gelatine to the inside of bottles. They’d later fill the bottles with a small amount of chicken cells and add growth media—a rich broth of hormones, sugars, and other nutrients” says a source. After a week of simmering in the heat, layers of approximately 2 grams were removed from the bottles with a spatula and stuck together to form a fillet.

“You can imagine how much plastic waste we generated,” a concerned former employee told Wired. According to the news site, Upside’s current production method likely produces plastic waste more than 10 times faster than it makes meat. The final product cost “thousands of dollars in labour,” according to employees. For the time being, those fillets were only available in a very exclusive restaurant in California.

Upside Foods has more or less confirmed the findings. “We are in a development phase,” it sounds. “Not every research avenue, cultivator, or idea we explore will materialise exactly as we expected.”

Peace of Meat

The Government of Flanders can confirm this. In 2019, it provided approximately 702,000 euros in subsidies for the start-up of venture entrepreneur Dirk Standaert. His company, Peace of Meat, pledged to make cultured meat on an industrial scale. “The same juicy meat you love; a whole different story for the planet and the animals,” was the slogan[4]. At the end of 2020, Standaert sold Peace of Meat to an Israeli sector colleague for 15 million.

The ambition then was to become the European market leader. Problem: lab meat was and is not yet approved for human consumption anywhere in the European Union. Only the Netherlands has allowed the first experimental test rounds for a few days now. Moreover, the Israeli investor discovered that the volumes promised by Peace of Meat would not be achieved for years. The Israelis pulled the plug. In April, the Antwerp court declared Peace of Meat bankrupt[5], stating that the company's main activity was 'advertising and market research'. Last month it turned out that there is no buyer for the lab materials. None of those involved wished to respond to questions.

The Israeli investor is now trying to breed 'laboratory fish' with new backers from the Middle East. That would be a little easier, because 'artificial fish' grows at lower temperatures. [6] It also contains less of the difficult-to-reproduce fatty tissue.

Wishful thinking

“With rising interest rates and a war in Ukraine, the investment climate is no longer the same as five years ago,” Meatable, a Dutch producer of lab meat, told De Standaard.[7] Meatable just raised 30 million euros, half of which came from the Dutch government. Yet they also feel that promises alone are no longer enough. 'When we started in 2018, no one had anything concrete yet. Now you have to be able to show an effective product.” Meatable claims that it can grow pig cells into sausages in eight days, and is now moving to Singapore. “First we want to make it happen in that market, then in the US, and then hopefully in Europe. We need to build up experience before we can submit our file to the European food safety watchdog EFSA.”

Scientists now warn that lab meat cannot replace all 'real' meat. “Every scientific, truly independent study indicates that we cannot scale this up at a reasonable price,” Ricardo San Martin (Alt:Meat Lab, University of California[8]) told the BBC this summer. 'There is a lot of wishful thinking in the sector. If there is not more openness soon, I see the financial flows drying up.'

Higher CO₂ emissions

Because the positive climate impact of cultured meat is not as clear as the companies claim. “Because the growth media for lab meat must be purified to an almost pharmaceutical level, you use more energy,” says researcher Derrick Risner (University of California) in a new paper. "In the short term, emissions appear lower than those of a livestock herd, but depending on the energy sources, cultured meat can cause more emissions in the long term, which also accumulate and linger longer," researchers calculated in the scientific journal Frontiers of Sustainable Food Systems in 2019[9]. Some estimate that cultured meat can emit four to 25 times more CO₂ than 'normal' beef. The companies reject those results. But since they protect their exact production process because it is a 'trade secret', there is a lot of uncertainty.

The United Nations food organisation also recently asked for 'more data and transparency' in order to assess possible dangers to the food chain. Unless the laboratory process takes place in perfectly sterile conditions, cultured meat quickly becomes contaminated with bacteria. The waste from the bioreactors should therefore not simply end up in the environment. This hygiene obviously comes at an additional cost.

Finally, more and more activists find lab meat problematic, because it strengthens the agro-industry's hold on our diet. Companies such as Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, Nestlé, Maple Leaf Foods invest in cultured meat and plant-based burgers, but are known for unsustainable agricultural practices and monoculture. “Cultured meat only perpetuates that system of industrial, ultra-processed food production,” says the NGO Food and Water Watch[10]. 'Getting people to eat more lentils and beans also pushes back meat production, but there are no big corporate profits to be made there.' Navdanya International, an NGO that advocates a more ecological and less profit-driven agriculture, therefore called lab meat a 'false solution'. "A livestock fulfils more functions than just producing meat," microbiologist Eric Muraille (ULB) also agrees on The Conversation[11]. 'It is really not that obvious to weigh the impact of real meat and cultured meat against each other on the long run.'[12]

Source

Giselle Nath: Hoe kweekvlees van hype naar klimaatprobleem ging, in: De Standaard, 26-09-2023, https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20230925_97237764

[1] First hamburger made from lab-grown meat to be served at press conference. Dr Mark Post aims to prove that growing meat in labs could reduce the impact of livestock production on the environment. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/05/first-hamburger-lab-grown-meat-press-conference

[2] Upside Foods (formerly known as Memphis Meats) is a food technology company headquartered in Berkeley, California, aiming to grow sustainable cultured meat. The company was founded in 2015 by Uma Valeti (CEO), Nicholas Genovese (CSO), and Will Clem. Valeti was a cardiologist and a professor at the University of Minnesota. The company plans to produce various meat products using biotechnology to induce stem cells to differentiate into muscle tissue, and to manufacture the meat products in bioreactors.

[3] Upside is unique amongst cultivated meat companies in claiming it is able to execute this second process at scale. However, a former employee told WIRED that since opening its factory in November 2023, Upside has failed to use its 500 litre bioreactor to produce sheets of tissue. https://www.wired.com/story/upside-foods-lab-grown-chicken/

[4] https://www.peace-of-meat.com/

[5] Four years ago, the Belgian cultured meat company Peace of Meat had the ambition to become the European market leader in 'meat-free' products. It now appears that the start-up has gone under after the Israeli parent company turned off the money tap. The curator hopes to find a buyer for the labs and staff through an online auction. https://vilt.be/nl/nieuws/kweekvleespionier-peace-of-meat-failliet

[6] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/694670018445787136/creative-alternatives-to-plastic-from-fossil-raw?source=share

[7] We want to satisfy the world’s appetite for meat without harming people, animals or the planet. At Meatable, we love meat. We see it as an essential part of a balanced diet. What we don’t love is industrial farming. It's bad for the planet. https://meatable.com/

[8] The Alt: Meat Lab is a hub connecting students, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry leaders interested in creating the plant-based food of the future. First and foremost an academic resource, the Lab aims to research and educate. Led by Dr. Ricardo San Martin, the Lab works in conjunction with — but independent from — various partners on projects that put the Lab on the front lines of our changing culinary landscape. Although the Lab began its work replicating animal meat, the Lab is broadly interested in all types of animal products, including but not limited to eggs, dairy and seafood. The Alt:Meat Lab is housed at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology at UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering, and is comprised of the Lab and a project driven class offered to undergraduate and graduate students. https://altmeatlab.berkeley.edu/about/

[9] John Lynch, Raymond Pierrehumbert, Climate Impacts of Cultured Meat and Beef Cattle, in: Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 19 February 2019, Sec. Sustainable Food Processing, Volume 3 – 2019, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00005/full

[10] Cor van der Weele , Johannes Tramper, Cultured meat: every village its own factory? In:

Trends Biotechnol, . 2014 Jun;32(6):294-6. Rising global demand for meat will result in increased environmental pollution, energy consumption, and animal suffering. Cultured meat, produced in an animal-cell cultivation process, is a technically feasible alternative lacking these disadvantages, provided that an animal-component-free growth medium can be developed. Small-scale production looks particularly promising, not only technologically but also for societal acceptance. Economic feasibility, however, emerges as the real obstacle.

[11] https://theconversation.com/profiles/eric-muraille-489287

[12] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/682544916923121664/a-celtic-pig-in-order-to-assure-the-future?source=share

[quotesfrommyreading]

Don Catlin, the man who set up the United States' first performance-enhancing drug testing laboratory, the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in Los Angeles, had been studying the drug erythropoietin, called EPO, from the start. It appeared on the market in the United States in 1989 as a drug used for kidney patients and AIDS-related anemia, but athletes long before that had learned of its magic powers. EPO is a powerful hormone that boosts endurance by increasing red blood cell production. More red blood cells means more endurance. In the sport of road cycling, it turned out to be a miracle potion.

The drug comes in a vial less than an inch and a half tall. But it is filled with several doses. No longer would endurance athletes have to undergo the dangerous and logistically difficult process of receiving blood transfusions to boost their red blood cell count. Now enhancing one's endurance was as simple as pricking the skin with a needle. Athletes could receive what one unpublished Swedish study said was an average 8 percent boost in aerobic capacity. The study said the drug could cut 30 seconds from a 20-minute run. In cycling, using the drug could mean the difference between winning the Tour de France and not even qualifying for one's Tour team.

There was a frightening downside, though. EPO raised a rider's hematocrit level – the proportion of red blood cells in the blood and a measure of blood's thickness. A man's hematocrit is usually between 42 and 48 percent of his whole blood.

But with EPO, some cyclists were boosting their hematocrit into the 50s, or even higher. Bjarne Riis, the 1996 Tour champion, was even nicknamed “Mister 60 Percent” because EPO was rumored to have jacked up his hematocrit that high. The practice was inherently dangerous. If athletes overdosed on EPO, the drug would turn their blood to a viscous, sticky sludge that could cause a stroke or heart failure. Dehydration, which often occurs during long races, makes the blood even thicker. By the late 1980s, cyclists were buying the drug on the market. Then they started dropping dead.

In 1987, five Dutch cyclists died of heart problems. On August 17, 1998, Connie Meijer, a Dutch rider, passed out and died while competing in a criterium race. Diagnosis: heart attack. She was twenty-five. One day later, Bert Oosterbosch, another Dutch rider, died in his sleep, at thirty-two. Again, a heart attack.

Doctors and blood specialists said EPO abuse might have played a role in the deaths of at least eighteen professional European cyclists in the years from 1988 to 1992. Ten deaths were attributed to heart problems. The cycling magazine VeloNews declared that “an atomic bomb” had gone off in the sport. News of the deaths was picked up by mainstream media outlets. The New York Times carried a headline: “Stamina-Building Drug Linked to Athletes' Deaths.”

Catlin sounded an alarm within the International Olympic Committee. As a member of the IOC's medical commission, he pressed for an investigation. The athletes had taken a drug for which no test had yet been developed. Catlin believed the IOC should do something about it, and right away, because lives were at stake.

He went with an IOC team to Europe on a fact-finding mission. He found no one who would talk about EPO. Family members refused to cooperate. Riders said they'd never heard of it. Basically, they told Catlin to go away. Again and again, he told them, Don't be afraid to talk. We're trying to save the lives of other cyclists. Please help us.

In reply, he heard nothing. He believed that some people were protecting not only the memory of friends, family and teammates – they were also protecting the sport. Doping scandal followed doping scandal. Something had to be done.

Catlin made his pitch in 1988. But the code of silence that had served cycling for so long could not be broken. Seven years later, Lance Armstrong used EPO for the first time.

  —  Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong (Juliet Macur)

[prnlive]

Gary Null’s Show Notes 05 01 23

If you listen to Gary’s show, you know that he begins with the latest findings in natural approaches to health and nutrition. Starting this week, we will make some of those findings available each weekday to subscribers to the Gary Null Newsletter.

Brain decline comes later than thought? Scientists now say it starts in our thirties

Use of melatonin linked to decreased self-harm in young people

Vitamin C 10 Times More Effective Killing Cancer Stem Cells Than Pharmaceuticals

Monday Recipe

Brain decline comes later than thought? Scientists now say it starts in our thirties

University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands), March 22, 2023

Some people report a decline in their memory before any drop in cognition is large enough to show up on tests. This and other factors have prompted scientists to think brain decline starts really early. But new research from University Medical Center Utrecht shows the opposite. Instead of it happening after turning 25, it turns out that it does between the ages of 30 and 40.

The finding is welcome news for those who fear all those brain farts and forgetful moments are a sign they’re doomed to early onset of dementia.

“Our brain continues to develop a lot longer than we thought,” says clinical technologist Dorien van Blooijs from UMC Utrecht, in a university release.

The Dutch team discovered that our brain connections actually become faster with time. In 4-year-olds, connections move two meters per second while between 30 and 40, they move four meters per second. In other words, they doubled with age, and it’s only until sometime between 30 and 40 that things start to slow down.

The researchers also noted differences between brain regions. For example, the frontal lobe, the largest part of the brain important for thinking and task performance, takes a longer time to develop than an area responsible for movement. “We already knew this thanks to previous research, but now we have concrete data,” says Van Blooijs.

Scientists findings offer noteworthy information on the central nervous system and concrete numbers representing the speed of our brain connections. These are things scientists have been trying to map and understand for years. Now, field experts can look ahead to making more advanced and realistic computer models of the brain.

Use of melatonin linked to decreased self-harm in young people

Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)

Medical sleep treatment may reduce self-harm in young people with anxiety and depression, an observational study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests. The risk of self-harm increased in the months preceding melatonin prescription and decreased thereafter, especially in girls. The study is published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Melatonin is a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle and is the most commonly prescribed drug for sleep disturbances in children and adolescents in Sweden. Melatonin use has dramatically increased in recent years, and it is available over the counter in Sweden since 2020.

"Given the established link between sleep problems, depression, and self-harm, we wanted to explore whether medical sleep treatment is associated with a lower rate of intentional self-harm in young people," says Dr. Sarah Bergen, docent at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, who led the study.

The study identified over 25,500 children and teenagers between the ages of 6 and 18 who were prescribed melatonin in Sweden. Over 87 percent had at least one psychiatric disorder, mainly attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, depression, or autism spectrum disorder. Self-harm was about five times more common in girls than in boys.

The risk of self-harm increased shortly before melatonin was prescribed and decreased by about half in the months following the initiation of treatment. Risk reduction was particularly evident among adolescent girls with depression and/or anxiety disorders.

As it was an observational study, it cannot establish a causal relationship between melatonin and reduced self-harm rates. To check whether the use of other medications might have affected the findings, analyses were also carried out which excluded antidepressant users. The results were similar.

"This suggests that melatonin might be responsible for the reduced self-harm rates, but we cannot rule out that the use of other psychiatric medications or psychotherapy may have influenced the findings," says Dr. Marica Leone, first author of the study and former Ph.D. student in Sarah Bergen's research group.

Vitamin C 10 Times More Effective Killing Cancer Stem Cells Than Pharmaceuticals

University of Manchester (UK),  March 17, 2023 

A study by UK scientists openly claims that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is more potent than some pharma drugs at killing cancer stem cells – the pervasive cells that “seed” new cancer cells, feed fatal tumors and often evade treatment.

The study, published in Oncotarget, is the first evidence that supports that vitamin C be used to target and kill cancer stem cells (CSCs).

In order to find out which substances might target stem cells, researchers needed to find a way to disrupt cancer cell metabolism.

Focusing on energy-transfer, they measured the impact on cell lines in a laboratory of seven substances:

•    The clinically approved cancer drug, stiripentol

•    Three experimental pharmaceuticals: actinonin, FK866 and 2-DG.

•    Three natural substances: caffeic acid phenyl ester (CAPE), silibinin and ascorbic acid

While they found that natural antibiotic actinonin and the compound FK866 were the most potent, the natural products also inhibited cancer stem cell (CSC) formation, with vitamin C, outperforming 2-DG by tenfold in terms of potency.

Dr Michael P. Lisanti, Professor of Translational Medicine at the University of Salford, said: We have been looking at how to target cancer stem cells with a range of natural substances including silibinin (milk thistle) and CAPE, a honey-bee derivative, but by far the most exciting are the results with Vitamin C.

This is further evidence that Vitamin C and other non-toxic compounds may have a role to play in the fight against cancer.

Monday Recipe

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