Health
MAHA moms call for 'rigorous transparency' into health concerns
Mothers are increasingly speaking up today about the health and well-being of their families — and many are jumping aboard the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
Moms across the nation are now vocal about the artificial ingredients found in foods, about the importance of preventative steps for chronic illness and about other key health concerns. (See the video at the top of the article.)
Ginny Yurich, host of the parenting podcast “1000 Hours Outside,” drove from Pinckney, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to join fellow MAHA moms in rallying behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 29.
MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOVEMENT
“We have just noticed a precipitous decline in health among children, including allergies [and] sensory processing disorder,” Yurich, a mother of five, told Fox News Digital.
Ana-Maria Temple, a pediatrician in Charlotte, North Carolina, who specializes in holistic eczema treatments, told Fox News Digital that she supports MAHA’s efforts to educate parents on “how to raise healthy children in this unhealthy world.”
Moms from across the nation traveled to Washington, D.C. to show support for the confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary nominee. Pictured from left to right are: Hilda Labrada Gore, Ana-Maria Temple and Ginny Yurich. (Fox News Digital)
“All three of [my children] were super sick in 2007 [and] on many chronic medications,” Temple said.
“I was told that they’re just going to need to be on chronic medications forever, and that’s going to keep their diseases at bay.”
WOMAN WITH CANCER REVEALS THE DIET THAT SHE SAYS SAVED HER LIFE
Refusing to accept that answer, Temple altered her family’s diet and lifestyle, seeking a more natural alternative.
“All our kids came off medications. And because my children’s lives changed, my health [changed]. I also started preaching different stuff in the clinic to my patients,” the pediatrician added.
“The Make America Healthy Again movement is an answer to my prayers,” said one mother at RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill. (Getty Images)
Hilda Labrada Gore, a holistic healer in Washington, D.C., who hosts the “Wise Traditions” podcast, told Fox News Digital, “The Make America Healthy Again movement is an answer to my prayers.”
MARLA MAPLES ADVOCATES FOR HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES FOR AMERICANS AMID RFK JR. HEARINGS
“We need to help the next generation. We need to end chronic disease,” said the mother of four.
“We need to help the next generation. We need to end chronic disease.”
The MAHA movement is about Americans taking health back into their own hands, according to Gore.
“I believe this is what Kennedy is about. He’s like, ‘Let’s give people options … They can have pharmaceutical drugs or vaccines if they want them, but they can also choose other alternatives.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Gore added, “I love his whole philosophy of transparency when he comes into office as the head of HHS. He’s going to have rigorous transparency. That’s going to be a gift to all parents and the next generation.”
American parents and families “can have pharmaceutical drugs or vaccines if they want them, but they can also choose other alternatives,” said one MAHA-supporting mom. (iStock)
Zen Honeycutt, founding executive director of Moms Across America, told Fox News Digital that her organization’s mission is to “educate and empower mothers and others with actions and solutions to create healthy communities.”
North Carolina-based Honeycutt said the MAHA movement has gained a lot of momentum; people are now paying attention to what mothers are saying in the media and on social media as well.
TOP INFLUENCERS IN THE MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN MOVEMENT: SEE THE LIST
“Kennedy is going to make sure that there are actual safety protocols put into place before these ingredients are allowed in our food supply or at least labeled,” she said.
“He’s calling for transparency.”
“Kennedy is going to make sure that there are actual safety protocols put into place before these ingredients are allowed in our food supply or at least labeled. He’s calling for transparency,” said one MAHA mom. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis; iStock)
Whether Kennedy is confirmed or not, the MAHA movement is “unstoppable,” Honeycutt said.
“I feel very positive about the future for making America healthy again,” she added.
Denise Aguilar of San Joaquin County, California, a mom of three, told Fox News Digital that she is “looking forward to many different pieces of MAHA.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
She added, “As a mother of a child in public school, it’s very important we address what foods our children are being given and address the ingredients that other countries have banned, so we can take steps in healing our children from the chronic health conditions they face from many different factors.”
“[I am] most excited … to implement a gold standard of testing for vaccines and address the issues we face with our food and water,” said one of the moms (not pictured) who is supporting RFK Jr. (iStock)
Aguilar is co-founder of Freedom Angels, an organization that promotes parental rights for health, with a focus on vaccine mandates in schools.
“[I am] most excited to lift the 1986 Act to make vaccine manufacturers liable, to implement a gold standard of testing for vaccines, and to address the issues we face with our food and water,” she said.
“Moms started the medical freedom movement, they sustain it, and it will endure because of them.”
Dyan Hes, a New York-based pediatrician and Highline Modern Medicine’s medical director, told Fox News Digital, “People forget about the high childhood mortality before vaccines.”
“I understand that the COVID vaccine has made people skeptical of a vaccine mandate, but I can also say that in my 25 years of practice, I am confident that vaccines have protected my patients, as they have protected my own children,” she added.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Tara Thorton, a mother from Lake Tahoe, California, co-founded Freedom Angels with Aguilar.
“Moms started the medical freedom movement, they sustain it, and it will endure because of them,” Thornton told Fox News Digital.
“We are poisoning our kids and everyone else with toxins in our food, water, air and pharmaceuticals, and it’s critical that we get them out.”
Fox News Digital’s Sydney Borchers contributed reporting.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eating too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research suggests it could trick the immune system into prematurely aging the blood vessels.
A preclinical study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified a biological chain reaction that links a salty diet to cardiovascular decay.
Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.
HIGH SALT INTAKE LINKED TO FASTER MEMORY DECLINE IN ONE GROUP, STUDY FINDS
After just four weeks of high sodium intake, the small arteries responsible for regulating blood flow lost their ability to relax, according to a press release.
The team found that the cells lining these vessels had entered a state of cellular senescence, a form of premature cellular aging in which cells stop dividing and release a mix of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding tissue.
Excess salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but a new study goes deeper into its effects on the cardiovascular system. (iStock)
The researchers tried to replicate this damage by exposing blood vessel cells directly to salt in a laboratory dish, but the cells showed no harmful effects.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
This suggests that salt isn’t directly causing damage to the vascular lining but that the real culprit may be the body’s own defense mechanism, the researchers noted.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16, which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study. (iStock)
Once these cells age, they fail to produce nitric oxide, the essential gas that tells arteries to dilate and stay flexible.
To test whether this process could be reversed, the team turned to a class of experimental drugs known as senolytics.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Using a cancer medication called navitoclax, which selectively clears out aged and dysfunctional cells, the researchers were able to restore nearly normal blood vessel function in the salt-fed mice, the release stated.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ.
By removing the decaying cells created by the high-salt diet, the drug allowed the remaining healthy tissue to maintain its elasticity and respond correctly to blood flow demands.
Excess salt may trigger the immune system into stopping the cells from dividing, the study suggests. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations. The transition from mouse models to human treatment remains a significant hurdle, the team cautioned.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Senolytic drugs like navitoclax are still being studied for safety, and the team emphasized that previous trials have shown mixed results regarding their impact on artery plaque.
Additionally, the researchers have not yet confirmed whether the same IL-16 pathway is the primary driver of vascular aging in humans.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests.
The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, M.D., of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego. It has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Researchers looked at dietary, smoking and demographic data for 187 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer at age 50 or younger.
PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL DOUBLED WITH HIGH DOSE OF COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY FINDS
They found that among non-smokers, there was a link between healthier-than-average diets – rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and the chance of lung cancer development.
Young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult, the researchers found.
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests. (iStock)
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association.
“Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are more likely to be associated with a higher residue of pesticides than dairy, meat and many processed foods,” according to Nieva. He also noted that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides tend to have higher rates of lung cancer.
HIDDEN VIRUS INSIDE GUT BACTERIA LINKED TO DOUBLED COLORECTAL CANCER RISK, STUDY FINDS
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” Nieva told Fox News Digital.
The disease is becoming more common in non-smokers 50 and younger, especially women – despite the fact that smoking rates have been falling for decades, the researcher noted.
The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association. (iStock)
“These patients tend to have eaten much healthier diets before their diagnosis than the average American,” he went on. “We need to support research into understanding why Americans – and women in particular – who no longer smoke very much are still having lung cancer,” he said.
DEATHS FROM ONE TYPE OF CANCER ARE SURGING AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES
The study did have some limitations, Nieva acknowledged, primarily that it relied on survey data and was limited by the participants’ memories of their food intake.
“Also, the survey participants were self-selected, and this could have biased the findings,” he told Fox News Digital.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking.”
The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides, relying instead on average pesticide levels for certain types of food. Looking ahead, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.
Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” said Nieva. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention.”
“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but is by no means certain,” a doctor said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study is “interesting,” but that it “raises far more questions than it answers.”
“It is a small study (around 150) and observational, so no proof,” the doctor, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but it is by no means certain,” Siegel went on. “How much exposure is needed? How much of it gets into food and in which areas? This requires much further study.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Kayla Nichols, communications director for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study’s conclusion that more research should be done on the rise in lung cancer, particularly in individuals eating diets higher in produce and fiber.
“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“There is a bounty of existing research that already links pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancers,” Nichols, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. She called for more research on chronic, low-level exposures to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners including AstraZeneca and Genentech, among others.
Fox News Digital reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree.
A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023.
While death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed.
WIDESPREAD HABIT MAY RAISE COLORECTAL CANCER RISK MORE THAN YOU THINK
For young adults with a high school education or less, the mortality rate rose from 4.0 to 5.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree stayed flat, at approximately 2.7 per 100,000.
This does not mean that a degree offers some kind of biological protection, researchers cautioned.
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. (iStock)
The difference is likely driven by the conditions in which people live and work, which often correlate with education levels, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The study suggests that the higher death rates are likely driven by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and diet, which are “known to be elevated among children and young adults with lower [socioeconomic status].”
Because the study relied on death certificates, researchers couldn’t say exactly why college graduates had better outcomes.
Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes. (iStock)
Certificates typically list the cause of death, age, race and education level, but they do not include a person’s full medical history.
RED FLAGS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER THAT WARRANT SCREENINGS BEFORE 45 YEARS OF AGE
Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group, according to recent statistics.
While colorectal cancer death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed. (iStock)
Because the disease is highly treatable when caught early, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days, according to the American Cancer Society.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Other signs that warrant seeing a doctor include blood in the stool or a persistent feeling of needing to go to the bathroom but being unable to go.
The research was published in JAMA Oncology.
-
Culture11 minutes agoPoetry Challenge Day 3: W.H. Auden, The Poet and His Technique
-
Lifestyle17 minutes agoArmani Goes Back to the Archive
-
Education23 minutes agoVideo: Which Instant Coffee Is Best?
-
Technology29 minutes agoSpaceX cuts a deal to maybe buy Cursor for $60 billion
-
World35 minutes agoPope Leo urges Africans to stay and ‘serve your country’ instead of migrating as displacement climbs
-
Politics41 minutes agoDemocrats win Virginia redistricting fight, threatening Republican House majority
-
Health47 minutes agoCommon eating habit may trigger premature immune system aging, study finds
-
Sports53 minutes agoEli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan