HealthNews

Bugbites in America used to be less of a big deal. Until this species moved in.

On an overcast Wednesday morning in Salt Lake City this summer, four bicyclists gathered in an industrial area not far from the city’s airport before fanning out across town. They were on a mission to kill. Almost anyone in America would have supported them.
The riders work for the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District, the first mosquito-control program in the nation to launch a bicycle brigade, according to Ary Faraji, the district’s executive director. One rider stopped to kneel alongside the road, another at the edge of a park, to spritz stormwater catch basins with larvicide, a chemical designed to kill mosquito larvae before they develop into adults and begin feasting on people. Each of the riders covers upward of 30 miles a day to treat every catch basin in the city’s urban and suburban areas, about 75,000 total, over the course of a month. Then, they start all over again.
Faraji is an entomologist who sometimes calls the insects he studies “skeeters” and who sent me a photo of his desk piled high with mosquito-related history books when I asked him for reading recommendations. He and his team take what’s known as an integrated mosquito management approach to protect Salt Lake City residents from the incessant itch that the pests bring. “Really, that means understanding the pest that you’re trying to control, understanding its biology and its ecology, and intervening with appropriate control measures that take into consideration larval control, adult control, disease surveillance, adult surveillance—it’s really a holistic approach,” he told me.
The Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District even has its own fish hatchery, where it rears the aptly named Western mosquitofish. The tiny fish have a voracious appetite and work wonders as natural mosquito-control agents in abandoned swimming pools, small residential ponds, and other confined aquatic habitats. Residents need only call the abatement district to get a special delivery of mosquito-eating fish for their backyard at no cost.
These might sound like extreme measures just to prevent a common nuisance. But it’s not only annoying pink welts that Faraji’s team is concerned about. The threat of mosquito-borne disease is increasing in the U.S. as invasive mosquito species expand their range across the country and their seasonal populations last longer and grow larger during global warming. Studies have also found that warmer temperatures push some species to bite more, develop into adults faster, and serve as better virus incubators.
Already, mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 1 million people and infect about 700 million worldwide each year. Cases in the U.S. comprise only the smallest fraction of those numbers, with annual deaths usually in the low hundreds and diagnosed cases in the thousands. (Cases are much more common in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories than they are in the 50 states and D.C.) But that could soon change as two particular mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, make their way deeper and deeper into the country.
These are the species to worry about—and they are increasingly around us. Since its arrival in the Americas centuries ago, Aedes aegypti has conquered the Southern states, swaths of the Midwest, and much of California, and has begun to advance up the East Coast. The insects were found for the first time in Oregon in 2024 and in Idaho in 2025, and they have now established themselves across parts of mountainous Colorado, where conditions have historically been far too harsh for them to survive. Aedes albopictus, a much more recent arrival, now has a range that stretches well into New England and the lower Great Lakes and has even been found to overwinter in the Midwest.
Aedes mosquitoes are vectors for some of the most serious and widespread mosquito-borne diseases. Four in particular cause the most human suffering worldwide: chikungunya, Zika, dengue, and yellow fever. Each of these viruses comes with a raft of symptoms ranging from unpleasant to, in some cases, fatal—fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, shock, organ failure. Zika can spread from a birthing parent to their child in the womb and cause congenital disabilities, which notoriously led to panic after an outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015. Of the four diseases, dengue is the most prevalent, with more than 3.9 billion people in over 132 countries at risk of contracting it, an estimated 96 million symptomatic cases annually, and about 40,000 deaths per year as a result.
As populations of Aedes mosquitoes grow and spread across the U.S., researchers expect we’ll see more mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. Warmer states where the mosquitoes are already prevalent are at the greatest risk. “Florida is on the front lines,” John-Paul Mutebi, director of Miami-Dade County’s Mosquito Control division, told me. The list of locations where mosquitoes are only a nuisance—and not a serious public health threat—is shrinking.
Preventing mosquito-borne diseases from taking root here will require more than just covering ourselves in bug spray (though that’s always a good idea too). To grasp what we’re facing, we should look to the past to understand how these insects have spread so far, why they are so at home in our cities—and what it will really take to stop them.
Some 400 years ago, a six-legged invader disembarked on the coast of Spanish Florida and began making its way across North America. Capable of flying only about the length of a football field, it relied on humans for transport—and sustenance. As the Aedes aegypti mosquito expanded its range across more of the Americas, it brought with it the delirium, jaundice, and aching joints of yellow fever. Researchers later used the archival record of yellow fever outbreaks, paired with genome analyses of modern mosquitoes, to piece together the insect’s travels. Though Aedes aegypti is native to the forests of Africa, it evolved long ago to live in human settlements.
“These mosquitoes really like living with us,” Douglas Norris, a vector biologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told me. That’s because they don’t have a large flight range and have evolved to breed in just about anything that holds water—from a bottle cap or the plant boxes on your patio to parts of the stormwater management infrastructure in our nation’s cities. And because Aedes aegypti feeds almost exclusively on humans, the insects are great at transmitting disease from one person to the next. In fact, in a crowded field of more than 3,500 mosquito species, Aedes aegypti has been the vector for almost all major epidemics of some of the world’s worst mosquito-borne diseases.
The subspecies of Aedes aegypti now established across large swaths of the U.S. began its evolutionary journey in sub-Saharan Africa. Ancestral populations can still be found in wooded areas there, depositing their eggs in tree holes and other natural pockets of water and feeding on wildlife, including a variety of mammals and occasional birds or reptiles. But when humans began living in villages and towns on the outskirts of those forests, some mosquitoes found the water stored in containers in human settlements a more attractive breeding ground. (Unlike forest nooks, stored water tended to last through seasonal droughts.) The mosquitoes that bred in settlements eventually evolved a preference for blood meals from their human neighbors, who were now the most available food source.
The insect’s first trips west came soon after, as the transatlantic slave trade brought ships packed with enslaved Africans to the New World. Those ships also carried supplies of fresh water for the monthslong voyage, stored in barrels fit for mosquito breeding. The yellow fever virus, also indigenous to Africa, must have stowed away too. Tracing Aedes aegypti’s colonization of the Americas using records of yellow fever epidemics places it in Atlantic port cities in the British colonies in the 1690s and limited parts of the American South in the mid-1700s. By the 1850s, the new arrival had spread to much of the south-central U.S.
Aedes albopictus, a mosquito native to Asia that can transmit the same diseases as Aedes aegypti, conquered the country even faster thanks to developments in human infrastructure. Researchers believe that it first arrived with military equipment and tires shipped back from the continent following World War II. Tires make excellent mosquito incubators. They collect heat and organic matter, which mosquitoes feed on during their larval stage, and are almost impossible to empty once water pools inside. Turn a tire upside down or on its side, and the water will flow within it to whatever section is now at the bottom. Roll or shake the tire, and you are likely to succeed only in sloshing out some of the water.
Additional Aedes albopictus mosquitoes arrived via the used tire trade. The U.S. imported millions of used tires in the 1970s and ’80s, largely from countries where the mosquito is indigenous. By the end of the ’80s, the mosquito had established itself in at least 15 states.
Once the invasive Aedes mosquitoes arrived on U.S. soil, they found American cities comfortable places to live. Our urban centers tend to be low in mosquito predators (like frogs, fish, and birds), offer a buffet of options for blood meals (humans, mostly), and provide plenty of habitat where mosquitoes can breed, as well as places for the insects to shelter from scorching or freezing temperatures that would otherwise kill them.
Many wealthy neighborhoods feature environments that support Aedes mosquitoes, but the situation tends to be worse in lower-income areas. One study of mosquito prevalence in Baltimore and D.C., in which researchers tested for mosquitoes in water-holding containers in public alleyways and residents’ backyards, found that Aedes albopictus pupae (a stage the mosquito passes through after the larval stage but before it emerges as an adult) were more common in neighborhoods with below-median incomes. More than half of the Aedes albopictus pupae recorded in Baltimore were in a single low-income neighborhood.
Shannon LaDeau, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, worked on that study. She told me that mosquito populations spiked in areas with more human-made mosquito habitat, such as abandoned buildings, unkempt vacant lots, and piles of discarded bulky items. Rain can gather in those areas and attract mosquitoes, but the spaces do not tend to attract many natural mosquito predators.
“The garbage that had been dumped and collected around abandoned spaces, like toilets and tires and big Tupperware containers, created semipermanent water bodies that were in some cases just under an overhang, so they had a little bit of environmental protection, and there was also vegetation growing over the whole thing—so it was like the perfect mix of habitat for mosquitoes with no mosquito predators,” LaDeau explained.
The type of vegetation in a neighborhood also affects mosquito populations. Wealthier neighborhoods tend to have better-managed green space, with the leafy parts of trees growing far above lawns or planted flowers. That leaves fewer shaded, humid spaces for water to pool and mosquitoes to hide, as well as more access for mosquito predators such as birds and larger insects. But mosquitoes thrive in the denser and less well-managed vegetation often found in lower-income neighborhoods.
The push to green our cities amid warming temperatures due to climate change has also created new mosquito habitats. “When we create a modern suburbia with fragmented parks and green space, we do a pretty good job at creating mosquito habitat,” Norris said.
That doesn’t mean cities should avoid urban greening projects. But, Norris said, public administrators should recognize that “you’re not going to be able to beat biology, so if you create this green space, you should also have the infrastructure to keep those places safe.” The infrastructure Norris has in mind is control and surveillance programs that monitor both mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases and are prepared to respond when disease is detected in the mosquito population, like the program in Salt Lake City. But some experts fear we could be underprepared for what’s to come.
The fact that Aedes mosquitoes keep showing up in new locales does not necessarily mean those places will go on to experience disease outbreaks. But it does mean that the risk is growing.
Female mosquitoes need the proteins and iron in blood to produce viable eggs, so a blood meal is a vital part of the insect’s reproductive cycle. When a female mosquito bites, it uses specialized mouthparts to pierce through the skin of its chosen host and into the blood vessels. It also injects a bit of saliva, which contains anticoagulants to prevent the host’s blood from clotting as the mosquito feeds. It’s that saliva that triggers an immune response in humans—and makes us itch long after the mosquito has gone.
When a mosquito takes a blood meal, it also swallows any viruses or parasites living in its host’s blood. Those pathogens can then be transferred to the next creature the insect feeds on when it deposits saliva into that creature’s bloodstream.
The diseases that Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are known to carry—chikungunya, Zika, dengue, and yellow fever—as well as most other mosquito-borne diseases, are most common in tropical and subtropical climates. Almost all cases diagnosed in the continental U.S. and Hawai‘i are travel-associated rather than locally acquired, meaning that an infected mosquito bit the person while they were out of the country and they brought the virus home. Several states are seeing sharp increases in mosquito-borne diseases among travelers, as case numbers abroad are already climbing due to climate change.
But a case brought home from vacation can spark a local outbreak since the mosquitoes that transmit the diseases are well established in much of the country. Cases of dengue exploded in Little Havana and Hialeah in Miami-Dade County in 2023, an outbreak that ended after close to 200 locally acquired cases were recorded. Mutebi told me that, based on his research, he suspects that travelers returning from Cuba had carried it home.
When it comes to spreading one of these viruses, Aedes aegypti is the most prolific vector because it bites human after human after human, and each meal is a chance for it to deposit a pathogen in its host. Aedes albopictus, on the other hand, is less effective because it is a promiscuous biter. It might dine on someone enjoying a backyard barbecue one time, then on the neighbor’s dog, then maybe a squirrel or a deer if you happen to live near wildlife. Some diseases can be spread from animals to humans by certain mosquito species (that’s how West Nile virus moves from birds to people). But chikungunya, Zika, dengue, and yellow fever are human diseases, and the chain of transmission can sputter out as Aedes albopictus feasts on other creatures between its human blood meals.
Still, both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are aggressive biters capable of transmitting the same diseases. Plus, during the summer months, when mosquito populations across the U.S. peak, Aedes albopictus is more ubiquitous. It is also quick to adapt and capable of extending its range far beyond that of Aedes aegypti—and it is doing just that, fast.
“We thought Aedes albopictus, because it came from a tropical climate in Asia, would never get very far north,” Norris said. But in the decades since it arrived in the U.S., he said, “the mosquito actually has adapted to those newer climates, so the ones we find in Texas or Florida have slightly different adaptations than the ones we find in Long Island. They figure out ways to get to where they want to be.”
It was those Long Island Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that public health authorities blamed for a locally acquired case of chikungunya last year. That was the nation’s first locally acquired case ever recorded outside the South.
LaDeau told me that Aedes albopictus’ capacity to adapt is one of the things that most concerns her about the future of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. “It is adapting to these urban spaces, and as it does that, it will increasingly bite the animal that is the densest-population animal in these habitats, which is humans,” she said. “It’s likely that mosquito-borne diseases are only going to increase, both because it [the climate] is warming and because they’re adapting to the environments we build very quickly.”
When it comes to mosquito management, the program in Salt Lake City is among the best in the nation. Faraji, its director, told me that besides the program’s bicycle brigade and backyard fish program, which help keep mosquito populations down, his team also sets hundreds of mosquito traps across the city. The traps are laid in the afternoon and picked up the following morning, allowing them to collect mosquitoes at dusk and dawn, when the insects are most active. They lure mosquitoes with carbon dioxide—all vertebrates release the gas with each exhale, so to mosquitoes, it usually signals a meal. Once a mosquito nears a trap, a small fan forces it into a baglike net, where it is held for pickup.
Workers regularly collect the trapped mosquitoes and, after sticking them in a fridge for a while to knock them out, sort them by species and count them. A lab tests the mosquitoes for parasites and viruses. When infected mosquitoes are found, workers treat the area where they were collected with adulticide and conduct “source reduction,” a sophisticated way of describing what usually amounts to emptying containers of standing water.
But Faraji added that mosquito management requires constant vigilance and a willingness to adapt and improve. “We make changes on an almost weekly basis,” he said. His team is always learning about new developments and technologies in the field, conducting research, and juggling resources to ensure they are allocated to treat the mosquito species and habitats that pose the greatest risk to residents.
Not all cities are as well equipped. Some areas where new mosquitoes are arriving lack control and surveillance programs altogether. LaDeau, the disease ecologist, told me that part of the problem is that local governments tend to focus only on mosquito-borne disease when an outbreak erupts and, even then, usually only on that specific disease; they also relax surveillance and control programs in between. The federal government’s programs and research funding agenda take a similar approach. “Because we focus so much on the kind of retroactive or reactionary human caseload, we miss the opportunity to control the vector and to understand more about the vector,” LaDeau said.
Salt Lake City’s program also has the benefit of being a mosquito abatement district, a governmental agency with its own budget funded by property taxes. Elsewhere, mosquito control efforts carried out by city and county public health or environmental services departments risk having their budgets commandeered for other needs and, often, their attention diverted to other tasks. Instead of having time to mount a bicycle brigade to treat the local stormwater infrastructure for mosquito larvae, a city’s public health department might have to juggle mosquito control alongside restaurant inspections, vaccine programs, and more.
The mosquito abatement district model has its roots in the early 20th century, and Utah was the third state to pass legislation authorizing the agencies. Woodrow Wilson, who would go on to become president in 1913, signed the first such state legislation in 1912, as then governor of New Jersey. California followed in 1915, and Utah in 1923. What these early adopters had in common was that they were home to more than their fair share of nuisance mosquitoes, which bred in huge numbers in the Jersey Shore’s salt marshes, in floodwaters from California’s agricultural irrigation, and in snowmelt from Utah’s mountains. With residents already scratching and swatting, it took only a couple of charismatic entomologists to win over the right politicians to move legislation forward.
That on-the-ground mosquito control work, which has been carried out in a growing number of states and municipalities across the country over the past century, is vital. But it is still just one piece of a much larger puzzle we’ll need to solve to survive as mosquitoes spread and their populations boom—and, unfortunately, some of the other pieces are in bad shape.
Recent cuts at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Agriculture are expected to result in the loss of important institutional knowledge and to hobble research efforts vital to tracking mosquito spread and understanding mosquito-borne disease. Increasingly, too, the attention of the press and global health organizations—and, in turn, funding opportunities—is being pulled toward projects promising higher-tech solutions. Many mosquito experts seem to agree that there is room in the arsenal for something like mosquitoes that have been infected with a bacterium that leaves them sterile or genetically modified such that their female offspring cannot survive to adulthood, when they would begin to bite people. But developing those solutions should not come at the cost of more mundane but effective interventions.
Mutebi, the director in Miami-Dade County, warns that we might not even see the next mosquito-borne problem on the horizon if research and surveillance programs receive too little support. Mosquitoes “are always going to find a way to outwit us; it is amazing how variable they are, and because they’re so adaptable, they are unpredictable,” he said. “To deal with them, we have to be vigilant, we have to continue doing surveillance, and we have to continue doing research.”
It is not just the mosquito experts who have a role to play in preventing mosquito-borne disease outbreaks as the climate warms and the insects spread across more of the U.S. On the contrary, Faraji told me, “mosquito control is really a job for everybody.” If you have old tires sitting around, take them to a recycling center. Store your wheelbarrow inside your shed so rainwater can’t collect. Or if you happen to have a small pond or an abandoned swimming pool in your backyard, look online for a local mosquito control agency that can help prevent it from becoming a mosquito breeding ground.
The insects have made our towns and cities their homes. But we can do more than sit back and get bitten. It’s in everyone’s interest to stop them.

HealthNews

Ticks that cause Lyme and other diseases have migrated south. Are doctors ready?

Angela Newman, of Biltmore Forest in North Carolina, recalls “bizarre symptoms” she started experiencing nearly a decade earlier. Blurred vision, stiff neck, hypersensitive, or numb skin were all symptoms that came and went.
She was evaluated by a number of specialists and underwent an MRI scan, CT scan, as well as psychiatric evaluations. Newman, who is 57 years old, says that doctors dismissed Newman’s symptoms as depression or anxiety.
At a reunion of her college class, she told a friend about the strange symptoms and he recognized them as possible Lyme Disease.
She called her doctor to ask for a Lyme test. He told her “I don’t think you are Lyme.” Newman stated that the disease is not common in this area. I said, ‘I care not what you think.’ “I want you to put me through my paces.
It took 5 years for the results to be positive. Her symptoms began to subside within days after receiving antibiotics. After nearly a full year, she felt like her normal energetic self.
She said, “I knew that I wasn’t insane.” It’s annoying to hear people say that you’re depressed.
Newman did not find a tick, but she noticed an area on her leg which looked like it was a bit of a spider’s bite.
Newman’s Lyme infection in North Carolina was a surprise because the disease had been thought to be mostly confined to the Northeast. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a new study on Thursday that shows how bugs are spreading in places further south.
The CDC’s study was written by Dr. Ross Boyce of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a tick-borne disease researcher and expert.
He said that the new research is “the slam-dunk” and proves that Lyme should be considered as a serious threat in areas further south than was previously believed.
Boyce and colleagues concentrated their research in Biltmore Forest. This small mountain village is nestled on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which offers a scenic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They collected 373 ticks from 22 lawns of homes between November 2024 and August 2025.
Majority, or 76.9% of ticks, are blacklegged deer ticks. They are known to be carriers of a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme Disease in humans.
The bacteria was found in 39.6% of adult blacklegged ticks. Boyce explained that this is the kind of number you would see in states like Pennsylvania, New York and New England where Lyme disease is prevalent.
Researchers found that ticks in North Carolina were carrying other bacteria-causing diseases for the very first time.
Anaplasma, which causes a hard tick-relapsing disease, was found in four ticks. Borrelia, another bacterium, is also present in four ticks. Borrelia has been primarily detected around the Northeast and Midwest. The two types of bacteria can both cause influenza-like symptoms to humans.
Mark Soloski is the senior advisor of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Lyme Disease Research Center. He said that the discoveries are significant, especially the discovery of a new bacterium in North Carolina. Mark Soloski, senior adviser of the Lyme Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said that this discovery is “significant”. Soloski wasn’t involved in the new research.
Biltmore Forest has fewer than 1,500 inhabitants. Biltmore Forest’s town manager Jonathan Kanipe says he has heard anecdotal stories of Lyme Disease for many years.
There were many ticks.
Kanipe stated that public works workers have been pulling ticks from them in a steady manner. Kanipe recalled finding ticks while walking in a parking area to determine where a trail was planned. It was a shock to me because I hadn’t been walking through the forest. He said, “I was only walking next to the grass.”
Newman and Kanipe organized a group of community members to spread awareness about the threat ticks pose. Boyce, a UNC professor, was able to notice the efforts and the results were published on Thursday. Kanipe is a citizen author and Newman is credited as collaborating.
Since the middle of the 1990s, Lyme disease has become the leading tick-borne disease in the United States. The majority of infections are concentrated in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and other areas where blacklegged (or deer) ticks can be found. Nearly half a million Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with Lyme disease every year.
Deer, mice, and other rodents move as the winters warm up. These animals carry the ticks which feed on them. This increases tick-borne disease and infection across the country.
In an email, Lars Eisen, a researcher epidemiologist with the CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Fort Collins, Colorado wrote that a growing number of communities were at risk, “as ticks spread geographically.” It’s vital that people are aware of the increasing risks associated with Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses. The Fort Collins laboratory provided the testing.
Borrelia mayonii, a tick-borne Lyme bacteria previously detected only in Minnesota and Wisconsin but now found in New York.
The East and Midwest tend to have a higher concentration of Alpha-gal Syndrome, which is triggered by ticks. It can cause an allergic reaction to meat, but it’s becoming more common in Great Lakes states and in western areas. Powassan, a tick-borne, rare, but deadly disease, which can lead to brain inflammation, has reached record numbers in 2024.
Tests and Awareness are Critical
Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses can be treated with antibiotics, but only if they are accurately diagnosed. Antibiotics can treat Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases, but they must be diagnosed accurately.
According to the author of a recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, many doctors use antibody tests, which can produce results up to six week after the test. This delays diagnosis and may even miss early infections.
The author writes that “Current test are reliable after patients have had long-term symptoms like Lyme arthritis. This late-stage condition is characterized by severe swelling of large joints and sudden swelling.” Improved tests would not only allow clinicians to identify Lyme Disease earlier, but could also help better classify patients in clinical trials and for biomarker studies.
Soloski, of Johns Hopkins, said that until such research was conducted, doctors in emergency rooms and primary care may wish to examine patients who have symptoms they cannot explain, including those in areas where ticks are not common.
He said that “the niches in which these ticks are able to thrive” is only growing.

HealthNews

7 Foods That Help Reduce Inflammation and Pain in as Little as 10 Days

It could be that what you eat is the answer to your everyday pains. What does “anti-inflammatory” mean? And can this diet make any difference at all? Experts told us which foods reduce inflammation. Eating the simple foods listed on this grocery list has many long-term benefits for your health, such as less pain, illness and fatigue, plus more energy. These ingredients are easy to obtain and delicious.
Inflammation in the body: What causes it?
Different types of inflammation exist. It can sometimes appear as swelling, a natural response to an injury. It can also spread below the surface. When chemical signals in your cells remain active for longer than expected, they can cause symptoms and illness. Over time, this body-wide swelling can cause the greatest harm.
Theresa DeLorenzo RD is a professor of nutrition at Russell Sage College. She confirms that inflammation can lead to chronic diseases, pain and injury. She offers some hope to this hidden health problem: “There is food you can eat that will reduce inflammation, and therefore reduce the risk.”
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Reduce inflammation with these 7 foods
Many experts suggest cutting down on food that can cause chronic inflammation. These include foods like gluten-containing grains, seed oils highly processed, sugars or sweeteners such as refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. They also recommend avoiding alcohol and dairy. Make the following healthy foods a part of your diet instead:
Salmon fish
Experts ranked fatty fish as the top anti-inflammatory foods. Salmon is high in omega-3 long-chain fatty acids that are important in regulating inflammatory processes, says Johannah Katz a dietitian who specializes in prevention. These healthy fats are like a natural medicine that can help ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
A study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adults who consumed salmon at least three times a week saw significant decreases in the inflammation markers in their bloodwork.
Katz suggests eating salmon in the range of 4 to 5 ounces per week (or about the same size as a deck or cards). Try other oily species like mackerel and trout, or sardines.
Blueberries
Love berries? The vibrant color of berries is an indication that powerful anti-inflammatory substances are at work, healing cellular damage. Katz explains that blueberries contain anthocyanins – the polyphenol pigments in a deep purple hue whose effects on inflammation and oxidative damage have been extensively studied. According to a study by Food & Function, adults with metabolic syndrome supplemented blueberries showed a decrease in the expression of inflammatory gene expression compared with those who did not. They were producing less inflammation in their cells.
Katz recommends eating about 1 cup fresh or frozen of blueberries every day and including blueberries in a diet rich in polyphenols. Green tea, dark cocoa and cloves are also good sources of anthocyanins.
Olive oil
It may surprise you to know that your olive oil has natural pain relief powers. Extra-virgin oil is high in oleocanthal. This natural compound has anti-inflammatory properties that are similar to those of ibuprofen.
Scientists publishing in Nutrients reviewed 30 studies that involved 3,000 participants and found that those who consume olive oil have significantly lower levels of inflammation than their peers who do not.
Katz suggests using olive oil extra virgin daily “ideally as a replacement for butter or other saturated fat-rich foods.” Aim: one to two tablespoons.
Leafy Greens or Cruciferous Vegetables
You mom is right to eat your vegetables. Menning says dark leafy greens like spinach and kale contain antioxidants and vitamins C, K and A that can help to reduce inflammation. Menning adds that broccoli contains a substance called sulforaphane which, according to some research, may help slow down the progression of osteoarthritis.
This is proof. A Spanish study found that smokers who ate broccoli daily for 10 consecutive days saw a drop of 45 percent in an important inflammatory marker. Katz suggests eating one cup of broccoli every day.
Beans
More and more research is proving that inflammation in your entire body can be directly impacted by the gut bacteria. Fiber-rich foods such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas help to support the gut microbiome. This reduces inflammation in the body.
Katz continues, “Legumes are also a good source of plant protein and magnesium. They contain a variety phytochemicals.” In one study, obese adults who consumed four portions of legumes cooked per week showed a greater decrease in inflammation markers than people without legumes.
What is the recommended daily intake? Katz recommends eating up to one cup of lentils, chickpeas or beans cooked at least four days per week.
Fermented Foods
You may remember that we talked about the importance of gut microbiome. Stanford researchers published a study in Cell that showed the gut microbiome of adults who consumed fermented foods over a period of 10 weeks changed in a positive way, resulting in a reduction in inflammation markers. Sarah Otto is the co-founder and nutritionist of Goodness Lover, a gut health company. She says that the results surprised the researchers. Fermented foods have unique anti-inflammatory properties that fiber cannot provide.
Otto suggests starting out with just one daily serving of foods fermented to reduce inflammation, such as kefir or yogurt or kimchi, and gradually increasing it up to 2 or 3 portions.
Healthy spices
Spices are a great way to add health benefits to anti-inflammatory foods. They can be easily added to meals. Bethany Tennant is a certified nutritionist and naturopathic doctor who is part of the diploma program in sports nutrition offered by this year’s International Olympic Committee. She reminds us that culinary herbs can also be medicinal. In this regard, she highlights turmeric, cinnamon and ginger. The curcumin in turmeric, and gingerols found in ginger are said to “directly impact inflammatory pathways” by the author.
Tennant suggests using anti-inflammatory spice in your meals regularly, at least once a week. Daily would be the best.
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What foods reduce inflammation and how to get the most out of them
Anna Cabeca DO, triple-board certified doctor specializing women’s healthcare, says that the secret to success is not perfection, but consistency. Eat these whole foods, not juiced. Pair them with other healthy food. This combination of healthy fats, protein and vegetables rich in nutrients is the key to real results.
Are you looking for an easy way to combine all of these food items? Adopting a Mediterranean diet is a great way to get all these anti-inflammatory foods.
When can I expect to see results?
It varies depending on the person. Katz explains that there is no universal time frame because the inflammatory markers can be affected by bodyweight, smoking, exercise, sleep and underlying diseases. Human dietary interventions can detect changes in biomarkers of inflammation in just 10 days, and in approximately 6 to 8 weeks.
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The content of this website is not intended to replace professional medical diagnosis or advice. Consult your doctor before beginning any new treatment.

HealthNews

‘World’s deadliest animal’ kills more than 700K people a year

Nature’s most deadly predator isn’t a lion, a tiger or a bear.
The CDC has dubbed it “the world’s most deadly animal” because of the 700,000 deaths that occur each year.
It’s not necessary to go into the wilderness to locate it. You’ll probably find it right outside your door.
Mosquitoes, despite their small size and only a two- or three-week lifespan as adults, can cause a lot of harm in that brief time period.
One bite from these flying pests is enough to transmit serious diseases. A few infected skeeters are all it takes to start an epidemic in your community.
Malaria is the deadliest mosquito-borne disease. It causes more than 600,000.000 deaths per year in sub-Saharan Africa, with children being most affected.
Since the US eliminated malaria in early 1950s, the disease is largely a foreign-borne illness that Americans bring home. In a normal year, the country reports about 2,000 malaria cases. Most of these are linked to travel abroad.
But in 2023, malaria made an unwelcome comeback. In Florida, Texas and Maryland, ten locally acquired cases of malaria were reported in 2023.
The mosquito is also the main cause of dengue, which can lead to high fevers, joint pains, and headaches. It can cause organ damage, dangerous bleeding and even death in severe cases.
Dengue is estimated to affect 400 million people worldwide each year. About 100 millions develop symptoms, and 21,000 of them die.
The problem in the US is only getting worse. According to a CDC report released earlier this year, the number of cases expected in the US by 2024 is 359% more than what was reported annually from 2010-2023.
In the US, other mosquito-borne illnesses are on the rise. West Nile virus cases in this country have reached a record high of 22 years.
Usually, by the end of the month of June the CDC has received about 10 human West Nile reports. In the first half of this year, at least 48 cases have been reported.
Nearly forty of these cases were neuroinvasive infections, the most severe form of disease. West Nile can be asymptomatic, or cause flu-like symptoms. However, in rare cases it may progress into a life-threatening condition.
West Nile virus has no known global toll, but it claims the lives of more than 130 Americans every year.
Mosquito-borne diseases that do not currently circulate in the US still kill thousands each year around the globe.
Yellow fever. Yellow fever is a viral infection that can be found in Africa and South America. Travelers who are going to these high-risk regions should get the vaccine before leaving.
Yellow fever is usually a mild disease with few symptoms. In severe cases the illness can lead to high fevers, bleeding, and organ failure. According to the World Health Organization, it is responsible for up to 82,000 annual deaths.
The Japanese encephalitis, which is primarily found overseas, is also spread by mosquitoes. The virus is the most common cause of viral brain inflammation, which can be life-threatening. It affects much of Asia.
Japanese encephalitis can be fatal. Up to half of survivors can have permanent cognitive, neurological or behavioral issues.
As with yellow fever vaccines that are safe and effective can help to prevent this disease.
While mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth, they’re not all disease carriers.
More than 3700 species of mosquitoes are found around the world, but only a fraction can transmit diseases that are dangerous to humans. The majority of mosquitoes are annoying pests or feed on animals, leaving itchy red bumps after bites.

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4 Foods Cardiologists Avoid for Better Heart Health

Review by Dietitian Jane Leverich M.S. RDN
Important Points
It is important to eat the same foods over and over again.
For better heart health, cardiologists advise avoiding sugary drinks and processed meats.
Regular physical activity and a sodium-reduced diet can also support cardiovascular health.
The diet plays a major role in maintaining heart health. No single food can make or break it. Research suggests, however, that a more healthy eating pattern, rich in fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, dairy and fish, is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. What matters most for your heart is not what you eat occasionally, but what you consume repeatedly over time.
Heart-healthy foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They also contain a lot of nutrients. However, they are low in sodium, sugar and saturated fat. Cardiologists have shared four foods that they avoid or limit in order to promote heart health.
1. Processing Meats
According to research, consuming a diet high in processed foods is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Randy Gould M.D. recommends that processed meats such as cold cuts, hot dogs, and bacon be avoided. Gould says that the potential health effects of processed food may be linked to sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives. He explains that sodium increases blood pressure, and can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Preservatives such as nitrates can also cause arterial stiffness, and can damage blood vessels.
The nitrates used to preserve meat can increase blood pressure and cause arterial stiffness, causing blood vessels to become damaged. Saturated fats in processed meat may also raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and cause plaque to build up on arteries. Heart disease is associated with high LDL cholesterol.
2. Sweet Beverages
Gould says that even one 8-ounce glass of sugary drinks, such as sweetened teas, energy drinks, coffee drinks with flavors, or soda, can increase the risk of developing heart disease. “Sugary beverages have a lot of sugar added, and this leads to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain,” he explains. He adds that “each of these conditions puts additional stress on the hearts”. Sugar-sweetened drinks also raise triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and increase blood pressure. This can lead to heart disease and atherosclerosis.
3. Carbohydrates refined
Baked goods, pastas, rice, and bread are all refined carbohydrates. Refined grains are stripped of their bran and germ, which can reduce the amount of fiber and nutrients in whole grains.
Refined carbohydrates are broken down more quickly by the body, which leads to higher fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Gould says that frequent glucose spikes can cause insulin resistance as well as arterial damage. Gould says that high consumption of refined carbs can also lead to an increase in triglycerides (bad cholesterol) and LDL levels. Researchers have found that switching from refined carbs to whole grains can improve several risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
4. The Ultra-processed Foods
Christina Michael, MD, says that ultra-processed food is often high in sugar, sodium, calories and refined carbs. They are also low in fiber, and have other nutrients. She adds that “as a consequence, these foods tend to encourage overeating” and they are linked with an increased risk of heart disease.
According to research, consuming more ultra-processed food is linked with an increase in cardiovascular disease. Not all ultra-processed foods may have the same effect on heart health. The fact that ultra-processed food is defined differently and foods which fall under this category are part of the problem. For example, some packaged cereals, dairy products and breads can still be considered to have been ultra-processed, while providing valuable nutrients. It’s therefore important to consider the overall nutritional profile of a product, rather than just its processing.
Heart Health: Other Ways to Improve Your Heart Health
Cardiologists suggest that you add these habits to your heart healthy diet in order to support cardiovascular health.
Regular exercise is important. Gould suggests that you aim to do 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week, which can include brisk walking or cycling. He adds that these activities help to improve cardiovascular health and strengthen the heart.
Incorporate omega-3-rich foods. Gould says that fatty fish rich in omega-3 acids, such as salmon, sardines and anchovies can help reduce cholesterol levels, and also slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. To support your heart, aim for at least two servings of 3-ounce fatty fish per week. ,
Limit sodium. Gould explains that excessive sodium intake can cause elevated blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease or stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that adults should limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams a day.
Keep a healthy body weight. Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the eight essential components for heart health according to The American Heart Association. Weight management supports blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose.
The Experts’ Take
To support heart health, you should take stock of what your current diet is and see what adjustments can be made. Foods like ultra-processed food, processed meats and sugary drinks, as well as refined carbohydrates, are to be avoided. Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, include beans, nuts, seeds, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as legumes, beans, and whole grain products. Exercise, sodium control and maintaining a healthy body weight are all ways to support heart health.