Health

US health officials warned last week that the Zika outbreak could have more of an effect on the United States and called for additional funding to combat the virus. In fact they now want $1.9 billion to fight the “war against Zika”. To back their case, after months of scientific study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that there was now enough evidence to clearly establish that the Zika virus causes microcephaly in the newborn offspring of infected mothers. Their report was published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Scientists at the University of Manchester in the UK have announced that cancer is a modern-day, man-made disease after studying mummies, fossils and classical literature.  According to the team of scientists, cancer is fuelled exclusively by the excesses of modern life, and tumors were rare up until very recently when pollution and poor diets became a health concern. Anonhq.com reports: In the study of Egyptian mummies, for example, the researchers found no signs of cancer in many of them—with the exception of one isolated case.

DMT (dimethyltryptamine), which is sometimes referred to as “the spirit molecule“, is known to users to cause extremely profound psychedelic experiences. Now, scientists Ede Frecska and Attila Szabo are proposing some fascinating new experiments with the chemical aimed at allowing the brain to survive for long periods without oxygen. According to Collective Evolution: “Our main tenet is that DMT is involved in the healing and regeneration of cells, it helps the body to survive extreme stress like clinical death,” Frecska wrote on the funding page.

Have you ever heard of weighted blankets aiding autistic people? Well, there is mounting evidence that they are also extremely beneficial for anxiety sufferers. The best part is you can make one at home! According to David Wolfe: A bed cover to ease anxiety and help you feel better? A weighted blanket has been proven to be beneficial for sleepers. Most of the talk about sleeping centers around what one sleeps on, not under. It turns out the two should be discussed in harmony. To fall asleep on and under the right conditions will make you a dreamy blanket sandwich.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a letter to the public on Thursday, informing them that they refuse to regulate a GMO vegetable, in a move which has caused many healthy food advocates concern. The letter says that the agency will not regulate a mushroom that has had its genes edited to prevent it from turning brown.