Daily Archives: February 21, 2020

A revolutionary view of the Sanders campaign – Workers World

Posted: February 21, 2020 at 8:44 pm

The competition for the Democratic presidential nomination has become a focus of political life in the United States. For revolutionaries debating how to view this campaign, we must answer the following questions: What is the class character of the Sanders movement? What is the potential impact of the Sanders movement on the worldwide interests of the working class and the oppressed? How can this development lead to a broader revolutionary upsurge in the heart of the U.S. empire? From there we must chart a plan of action.

Character and context of Sanders movement

The rejuvenation of social democracy and liberal reformism, most notably in the rise of the left in the Democratic Party, comes as a response to the decline of the U.S. empire and the inability of the U.S. capitalist economy to provide decent, well-paying jobs to a majority of the working class.

On one hand, the Peoples Republic of China has risen as a clear economic and geopolitical challenge to U.S. imperialist world domination. On the other, the U.S. remains plagued by endless imperialist war, mass incarceration, low wages, enormous debt, underemployment, sexual and gender-based violence, and outbursts of racist, fascist terror. A major financial collapse looms, threatening to finally reveal the weaknesses of the real economy and then unleash a deeper ruling-class assault on workers quality of life.

In struggle against neoliberal economic terrorism by U.S. banks and corporations and their client states, our class has taken to the streets across the world. Tens of millions have fought against austerity and the capitalist ruling class in Chile, Ecuador, Haiti, France, Colombia and elsewhere; hundreds of millions if India is included. The desperate attempts of the U.S. empire to maintain its stranglehold on the world economy have caused anti-imperialist reactions in Iraq, Iran, Venezuela and Palestine.

The unifying issue of this global struggle is the declining prospects for working-class youth who live in capitalist societies. A multinational youth movement has identified neoliberal capitalism as its primary enemy. In some ways, the second presidential campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gets its popular energy from and provides a voice for part of the U.S. wing of this working-class youth movement.

The viability of any reformist movement like the Sanders campaign, in the face of a weakening global capitalist system, can be debated. Can social democracy and progressive reformism be revived? Insecure about maintaining its profits in a capitalist economy that is declining relative to other world powers, the U.S. ruling class has increased its exploitation of the working class, taking an ever larger proportion of the wealth the workers produce.

Without the material basis provided by the expansion of U.S. imperialism and its reaping of superprofits, any rebirth of social democracy would find it difficult to deliver meaningful benefits to the workers, even should it win an election. What is needed instead is a movement that seeks nothing short of the end of capitalism.

Ruling class attacks Sanders

Earlier this month, Sanders said: In many respects, we are a socialist society today. Donald Trump, before he was president, as a private businessperson, he received $800 million in tax breaks and subsidies to build luxury housing in New York. The difference between my socialism and Trumps socialism is I believe the government should help working families, not billionaires. (Axios, Feb. 9)

As communists, we are well aware that Sanders holds political positions we cant support: his lack of solidarity with international anti-imperialist struggles, his lack of support for reparations for slavery along with Black Lives Matter, his vitriolic attack on pro-socialist leaders like Hugo Chvez and Nicols Maduro in Venezuela, his support for laws criminalizing sex workers and much more.

Sanders program is more like Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty in the mid-1960s or Franklin Roosevelts New Deal in the 1930s. Sanders social democracy is only seen as a radical socialist project because the U.S. ruling class has imposed such right-wing, pro-capitalist ideology and programs on the population.

The U.S. ruling class may own finance capital, oil, pharmaceutical giants and the health profit industry, be landlords or real estate investors, own big data, agriculture and/or other sectors. Their slightly different specific interests are reflected by the two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.

Most big capitalists, however, are overjoyed with Trumps transfer of wealth to their pockets. Others may see Trump as a loose cannon and consider Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg or another politician as more competent to protect and expand their interests. Yet they all unite against Sanders, not just because of the potential impact on their profits, but because they fear a greater social movement could develop that will call into question the elites plunder and profit.

Thus, we can expect anti-communist attacks against Sanders to continue to escalate if his campaign continues to gain steam. This red-baiting must be met with an active campaign to popularize real socialism, one that goes beyond Sanders deflective statement (in the Axios quote) about how socialism already exists for the rich.

Our movement must unequivocally defend the necessity of socialism and the obvious, documented superiority of workers ownership of the means of production, paired with planning that prioritizes human needs and the life of the Earth over profits.

Internationalism is a necessity, not an inconvenience

Along with the red-baiting, the attacks on Sanders from pro-Israeli forces similar to the outrageous attacks on former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn by the British media will continue. This is even though Sanders limits his statements on Palestine to support for basic human rights.

Sanders himself is Jewish. Yet this will not stop the attacks on him for alleged anti-Semitism simply because he doesnt give full backing to Israels murderous campaign to annihilate the Palestinian people. These attacks must be met by a strong, anti-racist movement in defense of the Palestinian peoples right to exist, from the river to the sea.

Sanders claims to be against U.S. wars in Iraq and beyond, yet his voting record doesnt reflect that. Sanders support for U.S. imperialism must be fought by those who wish to see his domestic program be successful. The domestic and foreign policies of the empire are directly connected. Both policies are about the balance of power between the oppressed and the oppressor.

While liberal politicians may fear taking anti-war positions, socialists must expose the foreign policy of the empire as directed by the needs of capitalism. Ruthless sanctions and murder must be contested in the name of international solidarity and the survival of the more than 7.5 billion people in the world threatened by the most violent ruling elite ever, based in Wall Street and Washington.

Our struggle, that of the working class in the U.S., is primarily against the U.S. billionaires, not against other countries. The strategy of revolutionary defeatism to defeat our own ruling class as expressed by V.I. Lenin during World War I, should be elementary for revolutionaries and must be learned by a resurgent left that, for too long, has been infected by bourgeois pro-war propaganda.

We must also learn how to resist the imperialist attacks on China, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and beyond. Working-class internationalism and solidarity with the oppressed are central to our long-term goal of socialist revolution.

Allies of the U.S. working class abroad may view the election of Sanders as a victory against the empire. A Sanders victory could open serious struggles over the need to dismantle the U.S. empire in order to save the planet, to rebuild the global economy and to pay reparations to those dispossessed by the U.S.

To the extent, however, that Sanders gives public support for closed borders, sanctions, U.S. air strikes and other measures, this would alienate his popular base a base he would have to rely upon to beat back the inevitable attacks from the right. This contradiction could give rise to a greater level of struggle.

Elections: A barometer or an organizing tool?

As revolutionaries, we know that socialist transformation is necessary for humanity and to sustain life on Earth, and we know this transformation cannot come about by using the masters tools described in the U.S. Constitution. Rather, we view capitalist elections as a limited survey of the attitudes of the multinational working class and the other classes in U.S. society. Every four years, about 55 percent of the voting-age population with a greater proportion of voters from the less oppressed and older sectors of the working class choose a president from either of the two major parties, both of which are owned and operated by the capitalists.

Sanders campaign has attempted to use the Democratic Party to raise issues in the interests of the working class. Many Democratic Socialists of America members view the Sanders campaign, and electoral politics more generally, as the primary channel to engage and radicalize the working class. This is unlike the period from the 1930s to the 1970s when the left looked toward the labor movement or other social movements as the centers of politicization and class identity development.

The argument of DSA and other left groups that have worked alongside the Sanders campaign is that the campaign a shortcut to building mass consciousness. Many young activists have hit the streets in the name of the Sanders campaign to promote classwide solidarity against the billionaire ruling class and to try to win supporters to their socialist organization.

Ruling-class ideology insists that the primary arena of politics is bourgeois elections, particularly national elections for president. Thus, when the left plans a political strategy, the question of whether to run in elections is a question of what is the most effective type of mass organizing that can build revolutionary socialist consciousness.

The Sanders campaign has prioritized the central tenet of the Occupy movement from the last decade: the struggle of the 99% versus the 1%. Sanders has put forth stronger positions on racial justice, migrant rights and many other policies that reflect the hard work of organizers in peoples movements.

Sanders 2016 primary campaign took on the right-wing establishment Democratic Party and had a major impact in winning thousands of new people to socialist organizations. The DSA and others have joined this years campaign with the goal of recruiting new members and pushing the campaign to the left, riding the wave and seeing where they will end up.

What happens when or if the DNC steals the nomination from Sanders? Will organizations to the left of the Democratic Party still insist on voting Blue no matter who? Will there be a political fracture in which the Sanders movement, even despite the refusal of Sanders himself, decides to make a dirty break from the Democratic Party and form a new socialist electoral third party?

What if Sanders were to get the nomination and then win the election against Trump? Who will defend him from the wrath of the capitalists and a stock market that could be in free fall? Will a mass movement emerge and move in a more radical direction, emboldened by the results?

Will the mirage of capitalist democracy be revealed as a fraud? Will that demoralize the masses or radicalize them?

While the fate of the Sanders movement is yet to unfold, the most pressing question for revolutionary socialists may be: What is the most effective way to agitate, educate and organize this Sanders movement into an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, revolutionary movement?

Which road to socialism?

Workers World Party believes that the goal of revolutionary parties when entering capitalist electoral politics should be to advance a revolutionary program in order to shatter illusions of capitalist democracy and win broad working-class support. The Democratic Party in the past has been the graveyard of social movements. Still, bourgeois political campaigns can reflect and show the significance of peoples movements.

The question of critical support for or independence from the Sanders movement is one we plan to answer through action. We will attend Sanders campaign rallies in order to meet this movement and push for revolutionary socialism. We will be in the streets with this movement, raising demands that speak to young people looking for revolutionary change. We look at this development with revolutionary optimism and we will study it closely.

WWP is still considering how to intervene in the 2020 presidential campaign. We will definitely run a major ideological campaign, entitled Which road to socialism? With this effort, we will put forth our revolutionary socialist perspective in a wide variety of ways. We will organize regular discussion groups in our branches across the country to engage these questions, all the while reaching out to the Sanders movement and those to its left to discuss the contradictions of social democracy and attempt to win people to fight for revolutionary socialism.

We will challenge the weaknesses of Sanders movement and push it in a revolutionary direction, not by being sectarian or opportunist, but by waging an honest ideological and mass struggle that speaks to the needs of the working class and the oppressed to go further.

Even moderate social reforms can take place only under the pressure of mass movements in the streets and in our workplaces. Real revolutionary socialism, including the seizure and liberation of private property in the means of production, cannot occur by amending the U.S. Constitution. It must be the result of a worldwide mass movement that uses various tactics and strategies to defeat capitalist rule.

With this in mind, we will launch a series of mobilizations to fight the racist, anti-worker policies of the Trump administration. That the Democratic Party has enabled these policies for example, the U.S. sanctions that have terrorized hundreds of millions of people on the planet will expose the imperialist character of both parties.

Currently we are working with hundreds of organizations to launch an international campaign against U.S. sanctions, entitled Sanctions Kill. Campaigns like this allow us to connect with those directly impacted by U.S. sanctions passed by Democrats and Republicans. We will mobilize on May Day to unite the movements against capitalism, imperialism, racism and all the crimes of this system with a show of solidarity on this socialist-inspired, international day of struggle.

We will continue to mobilize against U.S. imperialism in all its manifestations, as part of our devotion to our worldwide class. We will continue to organize for the most oppressed of our class for incarcerated workers, for political prisoners, for low-wage workers, for people with disabilities, for the homeless, for those oppressed because of gender or gender expression or national origin, and for migrants and refugees all with the goal of building a broadly popular communist party steeled in combat and the day-to-day struggles of our class.

Finally, we will use this election to push for real democracy. While this election may be seen as a referendum on Trumps social and economic policies, we will push to make this election a referendum on the crimes of capitalism. Imagine, a peoples referendum in which we vote with our feet, by withholding our labor and by fighting for a real future, a socialist society.

See more here:

A revolutionary view of the Sanders campaign - Workers World

Posted in Wage Slavery | Comments Off on A revolutionary view of the Sanders campaign – Workers World

Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer speaks one-on-one with News 2 – WCBD News 2

Posted: at 8:44 pm

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) Democratic presidentialcandidate Tom Steyer spoke one-on-one with News 2s Brad Franko to discuss hiscampaign and performance in the Palmetto State.

Recent polls from Real Clear Politics shows Steyer is now among the top three democratic candidates for president in South Carolina.

But is South Carolina the end-all-be-all for his campaign? Steyer says diversity is key and feels his campaign is appealing to everybody across the spectrum.

Nevada and South Carolina are the first two states that arediverse, he said. There are a lot of black people and there are a lot of Latinos,a lot of Asian Americans, Native Americans as well as white people. I know thatanybody, who wants to put together a coalition of democrats needs to appeal to everybodyacross the spectrum and if anybody wants to beat Donald Trump in November of2020, then they have got to be able to relate to those people and have everyoneshow up to the polls in November.

Steyer admitted that South Carolina has special importance. Itabsolutely does, and Ive said that for a long time.

Running for president is a cutthroat process. Recently in South Carolina, a newspaper talked about Steyers financial investment in the state and a former party chairman said what he is doing isnt investing but paying people off.

What were doing in South Carolina, we have the most peopleon the ground of anybody in South Carolina. If you call hiring people andpaying them for doing work, paying people off I think thats what they callthe American way in fact, we have a diverse group of people, take a lookwhose working for us, who is endorsing me, if youre asking people to do workfor you, to do community organizing Im a community organizer, I know thebest way to do community organizing the only really effective way is havepeople go into those communities that they are a part of and that they know.So, the idea of paying people off; people are doing work and so they getpaid. Thats entirely appropriate andthats the way community organizing works.

He went on to say, My wife moved to South Carolina for goodness sakes. My being on the ground more than any other candidate, our having a bigger group of people working on the ground than anyone else, the fact that Im the only candidate that will say he or she is for reparations for slavery, the fact that Im talking honestly about race, willing to take on Mr. Trump on the economy, saying I think his economic policies stink for working people and I can show it. Im talking about a completely different kind of economy with a much higher minimum wage; a tax cut of 10% for everybody who makes less than $250K and the creation of over four and a half million good-paying union jobs across the county to rebuild it in a climate-smart way I think what Im doing in South Carolina is resonating because in fact people can get a chance to see me, see who I am, see who my family is, they can listen to me and know that what I am talking about is a real-world and its much better than this kind of Mar-a-Lago economy that Mr. Trump has been promoting.

The South Carolina Democratic Primary will be held on Saturday,February 29th.

Read the original:

Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer speaks one-on-one with News 2 - WCBD News 2

Posted in Wage Slavery | Comments Off on Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer speaks one-on-one with News 2 – WCBD News 2

This is What a Society Without a Future Looks Like – City Watch

Posted: at 8:44 pm

Like you do, perhaps. Our societies means Anglo ones: America, Britain, Australia perhaps. You can judge for yourself if your society is on the list. What underlies all this? How did we get here? To things like today: a fresh-faced new government advisor supports eugenics, because he thinks minorities are genetically inferiorall of which, of course, isa literal form of genocide as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. He was hired.by the wayfor hisblog comments. What the? What on earth?Genocide stalking the halls of powerby way of the comments section?

Such stuff isnt just horrific. Its surreal and absurd.It makes the jaw drop like a stone and the head spin in whiplash. Its now just as if we now live in a dystopia written by pedophiles, wannabe basement-dwelling fascists, militant authoritarians, men who put kids in camps, silent majorities who shrug at it all, elites who wonder what the problem is, billionaires who profit in glee at all the above, and other assorted forms of human failurewe do. But I digress.

When I look at our societies, I see three obvious patterns. They tell me our societies arent going to make it. Not just because, well, those patterns are therebut also because as societies we dont seem capable of understanding or acknowledging theyre therewe wont own up, confront, recognize, admit them. All that put together is the stuff of something very much like an inevitable social collapse. How do you treat a patient who wont admit how sick he really is? My patterns link the hard stuff to the soft stuff economics, politics, society, to values, priorities, what we genuinely consider worthy. They are subtle things. Theyre aboutwhywe make and go on making the astonishingly foolish choices we do.

The first thing I see when I look at our societies is a pattern of staggering economic mismanagement.How is it that we had endless money for wars, for aggression, for intelligence agencies to launch covert plots to install dictators (Im not making that up), for rage, for violence? For bank bailout? But none to bail outthe working class, the middle class, the average family? How is it that hedge funds get endless free money from the government, every single nanosecond of every single day but literally a full half of American work low-wage jobs? What the? You see what I mean by staggering economic mismanagement.

And yet elites, as a whole, refuse to own up to this.Just today I saw Barack Obama tweeting how successful his economic policies were. Sorry, reality says the opposite: 75% of Americans struggle to pay the bills, 80% cant raise a tiny amount for an emergency, incomes have stagnated for decades. Hardly the stuff of an economic miracle. But when Barack says it, you probably believe it. I get it. Hes a nice guy. His heart is in the right place. But thats not enough to create a working society, much less economy. Every pattern Ill speak about is a hidden one we refuse, as a society, to own up to it. And so what can we do about it?

Underlying that pattern of staggering economic mismanagement is a set of values.We value, as a society, violence, cruelty, aggression, hostility, over and above everything else, especially their opposites: kindness, decency, gentleness. What kind of society do those values build? Can they yield anything but the dystopia we live in?

The second pattern I see when I look at our societies is a history of shocking institutional failure, built on moral degradation.Were the societies who built an international slave trade. We literally plundered a continent for its people, and made them our slaves. We then put them to work, and created the kind of society so horrific that escapees were hunted down by informers and police. Can you imagine? Or have you blocked it all out?

(Go ahead and tell me what moral atrocity ranks up there with building a centuries long slave trade that engulfed the planet. But morality isnt, as we think, a thing of no consequences, a thing to have on a Sunday, and then forget about on Monday. That is our big mistake, perhaps our biggest.)

That history of horror shapes us to this very day: it deprived us of ever being able to build the institutions of a functioning modern democracy.Why are we literally the only societies in the rich world without working healthcare, education, retirement, and so on? Why do what of those we have degrade by the day? Because the residue of slavery haunts us: too many (white) people think: I wont invest in them! Theyre dirty, filthy subhumans! Why, their grandparents were my grandparents slaves! Maybe they dont say it. But they certainly think it. Its hardly a coincidence the societies which pioneered the global slave trade and then segregation are today the ones without decent public goods, which require a whole society to cooperate, and accept one another as equals. Its a relationship. Slavery and segregation were to mean that America would never develop any functioning modern social systems, really.

And yet that thread of institutional failure, too, we refuse to accept and own up to.When have you seen the obvious link above discussed seriously that a) public healthcare, retirement, college, childcare etc are what make a society civilized, and b) our barbarisms long hangover is what prevented us ever becoming a civilized society? I havent ever, really. Maybe its hinted at, or intimated. Maybe we go so far as condemning our brutal and sordid past. But we dont really own up to the social consequences of our history of horrific immorality: that such immorality had profound real-world effects. It left us institutionally stunted, underdeveloped, broken, unable to treat each other like human beings.But societies who cant build institutions to treat each other like human beings can scarcely ever progress beyond exploitation, abuse, authoritarianism, tribalism, and hate. Wait isnt that exactly where were trapped?

The third pattern I see is a kind of shattering mismanagement of social norms and expectations. Who else in the world denies their neighbors things like healthcare, education, and retirement? Nobody especially nobody in societies that have the means. Yet we do. Why is that? Why are we so indifferent to each other? So cruel, so aggressive, so hostile?

Probably because we are too busy teaching our kids, and each other, that the only point in life is something like this: to be more competitive than the next person, so you can accumulate more stuff than them, so you can make them envious, so you can feel supreme. The point of life isnt to care for your neighbour, to do great and beautiful things, to write a world-changing book or make a life-changing discovery its to make more money. Why? Because thats how you show you are strong. And weakness is death. Because only the strong deserve to survive, after all.Capitalism and patriarchy and supremacy intertwine to make the survival of the fittest our deepest and only true moral law.

Thats what I mean by a kind of shattering mismanagement of social norms and expectations. Weve internalized that value, most of us: that the weak deserve to perish, and the strong survive. We might not think we have, and we might not say we do, but our actions belie us. We grin at our reality shows and long for our perfect pecs and boobs and sigh wistfully over this billionaire or that celebrity. My God! Arent they a perfect person? Well happily spend a small fortune on the plastic stuff of self-aggrandization. But invest in healthcare or retirement for all? LOL.

So we go on dehumanizing ourselves, and everyone around us, as a necessary consequence. We buy into the systems of our own undoing. Sorry, you arent good enough, pretty enough, tough enough, mean enough, selfish enough. Youre just not competitive enough to make it, son. We dont value things like gentleness and humanity and decency not really. Theyre a sure way to get fired or demeaned or picked on or bullied, if you dare to show them, really. The storys the same, from grade school to working life.

Weve become societies of bullies, in other words. But societies of bullies are also societies of cowards.And that cowardice is easy to see. Were happy to call out celebrities for using the wrong pronoun. But calling men who puts kids in cages fasciststhats over the line. Were happy to spend hours a day on Facebookwhich makes us feel miserable and unhappyand who do we take our fury out on? Each other and ourselves, mostly. We dont stick up for people much. We dont put ourselves on the line. Why bother, when the stakes or life or death? Ah, but that is the precise moment we accept that rule of the strong over the weak, too. Cowards and bullies, united in predation.

Were the worlds great materialists, and materialist individualism of this kind has been our downfall.It has led us, through greed and selfishness, to settle for the moral law that the strong should survive, and the weak perish. What other destination can materialist individualism yield? When enough of us say: the only that counts in life is my happiness, and my happiness is a function of how much stuff I havethen by definition, our society cant be a place that has things like healthcare, retirement, education. We cant really have a democracy, in which equality, freedom, and justice are valued. We cant have a society in which things like inherent self-worth exist and are given by all to all.Societies of bullies and cowards, competing to accumulate more things they cant afford in the first place, like the ones weve become, are doomed to exploit and abuse and prey on each other all the way down the abyss. And that is where we are self-evidently heading, fast.

Let me sum up my thre patterns.We mismanaged our economies, because we valued violence and aggression and cruelty over simply, gently, wisely, investing in each other. We mismanaged our institutions and moral possibilities because we valued comfortable denial and numbing complicity and dim-witted pleasure over growth, forgiveness, self-understanding, the struggle of becoming something truer and better, the test of maturity. We mismanaged our societies because we chose individualism and competitiveness and greed over cooperation and fellowship and generosity. Those choices have now caught up with us. How are we to unmake them?

Those patterns outlive any one leader.Or party. Or institution. They are so, so deep in us its hard to see what could excise or extricate them. They are inoperable tumours of the soul, not just little flaws in the mind. They arent simple or easy or straightforward to understand much less transcend. Is there a blade sharp enough to cut them out of us?

That is why I dont think our societies have much of a future, my friends.Societies dont often rise to the challenge of reinventing their foundational values, their defining sets of priorities. Rome was brought down by its callousness and hunger for empire in the end. Soviet Russia, by its craving for power and control.

What about us?I dont think that we are going to transcend what by now are so visibly our foundational values: hostility, aggression, cruelty, violence, selfishness, greed, individualism, materialism, pleasure-seeking over truth-telling. They seem to be the only things we really, genuinely care about as societies, cultures, people. Give enough of us enough of those and there is no level of degradation and despair we wont settle for. And so I think the real story of our collapse is that those old, old values are toppling us, eroding our foundations, while corroding our pinnacles. And we are becoming dust in historys wind. Perhaps, in the end, that is all we deserved.

(Umair Haque writes for Eudaimonia and Co where this perspective was first posted.)

-cw

Go here to read the rest:

This is What a Society Without a Future Looks Like - City Watch

Posted in Wage Slavery | Comments Off on This is What a Society Without a Future Looks Like – City Watch

Devastating impact Tories’ new immigration policy will have on Merseyside – Liverpool Echo

Posted: at 8:44 pm

Fears have been raised over what the Governments plans to introduce a points-based immigration system would mean for Merseyside.

Radical plans introduced by Boris Johnsons government on Wednesday would mean blocking immigrants set to earn under 25,600 a year from entering the country - with that group considered low skilled.

As well as earning that amount, immigrants will also need a job offer - and to speak English to a certain level in order to get a work visa.

Now, industry experts on Merseyside have said the new cap, to be introduced from January 1, could mean not only spiralling numbers of unfilled vacancies in already struggling sectors such as care - but also opening the door for employers to operate under the radar.

That's despite the government saying there would be some exceptions for people earning close to the 25,600 figure and applying to shortage areas such as the NHS.

Employment and business experts at Liverpool John Moores University have said the points-based system will present a double jeopardy for the city.

Dr Patricia Harrison told the ECHO: Stopping low paid immigration to Merseyside could simply exacerbate the already dire situation of unfilled vacancies in sectors like distribution, care, agriculture and manual tasks like labouring and car washing.

According to recent ONS figures, the Liverpool City Region has approximately 30% of workers in jobs paying less than 25,000 per year.

Our research shows that many of these job are low paid and insecure. Depriving local economies, like Merseyside, of capable and willing immigrant labour is not going to produce more money for wages.

When announced, the plans prompted an outpouring of fury from businesses and council who warn sectors like social care face "disaster".

The Home Office, who said there will be some exceptions for people who earn 20,480 to 25,600, told businesses they should simply end their "reliance on cheap, low-skilled labour".

Tom is Business Editor for the ECHO, Business Live and the Liverpool City Region Business Post

Here are more of his stories.

You can follow Tom on Twitter here, or contact him on Facebook.

Email him on tom.houghton@reachplc.com

Did you film a great video? Send your footage via WhatsApp: 07831256877

Keep up to date with the latest breaking news from the Liverpool ECHO here

Like the ECHO Facebook page and follow @livechonews and @livechobusiness Twitter

Dr Harrison said that Liverpool, like the rest of the UK, has significant skill shortages in care workers.

She added: Whilst special provision for 10,000 seasonal workers to take low paid harvesting jobs is proposed, there is no such provision for other occupations, and we could be facing a black-hole in care provision against a backdrop of an ageing population.

As Wirrals director of childrens services Paul Boyce recently warned that in order to attract social care workers, local authorities were having to outpay each other on salaries. As if they had the money.

Dr Harrison and colleague Helen Collins conduct research into low pay, zero hours and the gig economy.

Looking for the latest news where you live?

Our free new website In Your Area has news and other information like jobs, funeral notices, traffic and travel, houses for sale and more - based around your postcode

We also have an In Your Area app that's free to download to your phone too.

Ms Collins said: In all likelihood, for areas such as Liverpool, this post-Brexit immigration planning runs the risk of driving such jobs further into precarity, in turn, enabling less scrupulous employers to operate under the radar of employee protection mechanisms such as the Modern Slavery Act.

If, and its a big if, this potential boost to training is the genuine motivation behind the Governments vision then this needs to be properly financially planned between the Home Office and Number 11 before the Budget, whether it happens on March 11 or later.

A policy statement published by the Government on Wednesday said free movement would end, laws surrounding this would be repealed and a new Immigration Bill would be introduced.

That would mean a "firm and fair" system which would "attract the high-skilled workers" to create a "high wage, high skill, high productivity economy".

Read the original post:

Devastating impact Tories' new immigration policy will have on Merseyside - Liverpool Echo

Posted in Wage Slavery | Comments Off on Devastating impact Tories’ new immigration policy will have on Merseyside – Liverpool Echo

Most dietary supplements dont do anything. Why do we spend $35 billion a year on them? – Seattle Times

Posted: at 8:42 pm

How is it that perfectly respectable public-health initiatives, such as vaccines and water fluoridation, give rise to suspicion and conspiracy theories, while an entire industry thats telling us out-and-out falsehoods in order to take our money gets a free pass?

Dietary supplements, people! Where is the outrage?

Every year, Americans spend something like $35 billion on vitamins, minerals, botanicals and various other substances that are touted as health-giving but mostly do nothing at all. Nothing at all!

Could the entire category really just be a rip-off? I turned to the National Institutes of Health. I spoke with Carol Haggans, a scientific and health communications consultant with the Office of Dietary Supplements, about vitamins and minerals, and to Craig Hopp, deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, about botanical and other kinds of supplements.

My question was the same: Which dietary supplements actually have well-established benefits?

Its a short list, Hopp told me. Ginger for nausea, peppermint for upset stomach, melatonin for sleep disruption. And fish oil does seem to show some promise for cardiovascular disease, although some of the data is conflicting. He went on to list some of the supplements that havent shown benefits in trials: turmeric, St. Johns wort, ginkgo, echinacea.

On the vitamin and mineral side, Haggans pointed out a couple of wins. Folic acid reduces risk for fetal neural tube defects, and it is widely recommended for women who may become pregnant. Vitamin B12 in food is sometimes poorly absorbed, she told me, and supplements can help in people over 50 (and vegans, because B12 comes from animal products). Then theres a combination supplement that may slow the progression of macular degeneration. Its also possible a daily multivitamin may decrease some disease risk.

Beyond that, supplements can help fill in a nutrient gap if you dont get enough, say, magnesium in your diet, but we dont have a lot of compelling evidence that using supplements to do that improves health outcomes.

I also checked in with Andrea Wong, senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry group. She mentioned some of the same benefits and added that the Food and Drug Administration allows a health claim on calcium, or a combination of calcium and vitamin D, for reducing risk of osteoporosis.

That covers the noncontroversial territory, where both industry and independent scientists agree that theres at least some evidence of benefits. If youve got a favorite niacin? garlic? you could try to make the case. (If you want to investigate your supplement of choice, a good place to start is with NIH fact sheets.) This column is obviously too short to adjudicate every single one, but Hopps assessment stands: Its a short list.

But how about the vast expanse of shelves of dietary supplements that arent among those listed? The ones that purport to give you energy, support your immune system, stimulate hair growth or enlarge your penis? Wong points out that the FDA does regulate those claims; the agency requires that they have substantiation and be truthful.

You can hop on over to the FDAs website and read about what exactly constitutes substantiation, and youll find its a low bar. I have yet to talk to a scientist who takes dietary supplement claims seriously, so I asked Wong to refer me to one somebody with no ties to industry who believed the health claims made on dietary supplements were meaningful.

Readers, she couldnt.

Think about that for a second. The dietary supplements industry group couldnt point me to a single independent scientist who comes down on their side of this. Wong made the case that I shouldnt dismiss research out of hand just because its done by industry. And I agree, although I always take the funding source into consideration. But if the body of evidence were compelling, at least some independent scientists would be persuaded. Theyre not. Theyre just not.

On top of that, some dietary supplements can be downright harmful. Theres no requirement that supplement companies establish safety before they market their products, but they are required to report serious adverse events, and the FDA monitors those. If things get bad, they step in.

Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, points to ephedra as the poster supplement for the harm the category can do. Its a substance that occurs naturally in some plants, and it was marketed as an appetite suppressant and energy booster. But then 155 people died, and the FDA took it off the market in 2003. But its the only dietary supplement that has been banned in the history of dietary supplements.

Lurie points out that even vitamins, which we think of as, at worst, benign, can increase disease risk: In trials, beta-carotene increased risk of lung cancer in smokers, and vitamin E increased risk of prostate cancer. According to Haggans, high doses of vitamin A can cause birth defects, and too much iron can even be fatal. With vitamins and minerals, she says, the main risk is getting too much.

Lurie is also concerned that we dont have a good way of knowing what damage supplements do. We have little safety information on the active ingredients, adulteration and contamination are real problems, and only serious adverse events are required to be reported to the FDA. Its more than reasonable to believe there may be dangerous products on the market; we just dont know what they are.

But take heart! The reassurance, such as it is, comes from the fact that the products are mostly ineffective, Lurie told me.

And thats the dietary supplement conundrum. Most of them do nothing, so you shouldnt take those. But the ones that actually do something are the ones that pose danger, so you shouldnt take those either. If something really can enlarge your penis, imagine the havoc it can wreak in your liver.

Thats the lay of the land. Supplements have very few benefits and some serious risks. So why do some three-quarters of Americans spend $35 billion on them every year?

I asked Alan Levinovitz, professor of religion at James Madison University and author of Natural: How Faith in Natures Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science (available in April). The first thing he pointed to was the pictures of fruits and leaves on the bottle, the emphasis on plant-based ingredients and the focus on naturalness. Think about the names medicines have, he said. Atorvastatin! Tramadol! They sound like alien space lords. Then look at supplements with names like Natures Way.

People feel comfortable with herbs and other botanicals, and they feel empowered by the idea that they make these choices for themselves. Youre like a sorcerer, said Levinovitz. Do I want to supercharge my brain or refresh my vitality? There couldnt be a more empowering place than the supplement aisle. The only problem, of course, is that none of its true.

Levinovitz sees ritual in supplement-taking; its a way to counterbalance the disempowerment of modern medicine. Its an unmet need, he told me, and he sees a parallel to prayer. How can we measure the value of those things? It makes no scientific sense, but what do we do about things that make no scientific sense but still matter to people?

Since people like supplements, and often think they do better with them than without them, Id be reluctant to issue an across-the-board no-supplements diktat even if I could. But I cant stop thinking about what people could do with that $35 billion. For starters, you could buy every man, woman and child a hefty (1/2 cup, dry) serving of lentils every single day. Not only would that be 24 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, it would be a whole days folate and hefty doses of thiamin, iron, phosphorous and zinc. Also soup. Take that, vitamin pill.

Alas, I dont think I can talk people into lentils any more than I can talk them out of dietary supplements. But maybe if someone could find a way to put them in a pill

See more here:

Most dietary supplements dont do anything. Why do we spend $35 billion a year on them? - Seattle Times

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on Most dietary supplements dont do anything. Why do we spend $35 billion a year on them? – Seattle Times

High levels of B12 were associated with an increased risk of early death in a new study – Insider – INSIDER

Posted: at 8:42 pm

Having high levels of B12 might not be as good as it sounds. Getty

High levels of vitamin B12 in a person's blood are associated with an increased risk of early death, according to research published last month in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient, useful for maintaining blood and nerve health, and can be found in foods like sardines and eggs.

However, researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands analyzed 5,571 Dutch men and women with an average age of about 54 over about eight years and found that the people with the highest levels of B12 in their blood plasma were more likely to die earlier than those with the lowest levels their death rate was about twice as high.

The team was surprised to find the B12 connection held true even after controlling for other factors like age and history of cancer and heart disease.

The researchers said they weren't sure why, and while it may have something to do with the way B12 affects gut bacteria, they said that's just a guess.

People whose bodies cannot absorb vitamins like B12 through food can use supplements, and in recent years the market for vitamin and dietary supplements has boomed.

A 2013 article from the think tank McKinsey said it was partly because of an aging population and an increased consumer awareness of preventative healthcare. But not all preventative healthcare is good, and there is a growing body of scientific research exploring the detriments of vitamin supplements.

There isn't much scientific research backing up the hair-and-skin-strengthening benefits touted by many vitamin supplements. In fact, taking too many supplements can have adverse effects, and a 2015 study estimated that each year 23,000 people in the US visit the emergency room because of supplement-related issues.

A 2019 study found that for already healthy people, taking vitamin supplements isn't likely to do much. Another 2019 study found that taking too much vitamin D was associated with a higher risk of early death.

Many vitamin supplements aren't approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And for the ones that are, the FDA warns that their benefits are limited. The agency said in its latest B12 guidelines that "the body's ability to absorb vitamin B12 from dietary supplements is largely limited" and that "only about 10 mcg of a 500 mcg oral supplement is actually absorbed in healthy people."

Be leery of supplements, S. Bryn Austin, a professor of behavioral sciences at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, previously told Business Insider.

"We don't have any clear evidence that they're beneficial," she said. "Whether it's on the bottle or not, there can be ingredients in there that can do harm."

The rest is here:

High levels of B12 were associated with an increased risk of early death in a new study - Insider - INSIDER

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on High levels of B12 were associated with an increased risk of early death in a new study – Insider – INSIDER

Applied DNA Receives Kosher Certification from Orthodox Union for Qualifying Products – BioSpace

Posted: at 8:42 pm

Feb. 20, 2020 14:00 UTC

Products within the SigNature and CertainT Brand Certified in Strict Compliance with OU Standards as Ingredients for Dietary Supplements, Pharmaceuticals and Food Products

STONY BROOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (Applied DNA, the Company, NASDAQ: APDN), announced receipt of certification from the Orthodox Union (OU) for products within the SigNature and CertainT line following a thorough evaluation of the Companys products and manufacturing processes. The Pareve kosher designation will first be used for the Nutrition21 Nitrosigine sports supplement product recently announced. The Companys products and services, used by its customers to manage traceability and authenticity in the name of brand assurance, are also suitable for related markets such as food and pharmaceuticals.

The OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher is the worlds largest and most widely recognized international kosher certification agency, certifying over 800,000 products produced in more than 9,011 plants located in 104 countries around the world. Over $150 billion of kosher certified products are consumed annually, with the OU kosher symbol appearing on close to 70% of Americas kosher certified foods.

As we grow our presence in food, pharmaceutical and dietary supplements markets, we are pleased to be supportive of the business imperatives critical to meet market requirements that maximize adoption. We are proud to have the OU certification on our qualifying products. OU maintains strict guidelines for certification and ongoing manufacturing, marketing and distribution of products, making Applied DNAs mission for enabling our customers a platform for proof of authenticity and traceability nicely complementary for OU-certified products, said Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO, Applied DNA.

The Companys qualifying CertainT and SigNature molecular tags enable companies and their supply chains to designate a unique molecular identity to products with meaning specific to the tagged material: for example, geographic facility location, brand, product line or date of manufacture. This tag can be blended into ingredients and packaging inks and varnishes in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and dietary supplements industry. The tag enables its carrier to be verified for authenticity and blending detection, either at the customer or in the Applied DNA laboratory, depending on application requirements.

Applied DNA Sciences is leading the way in supply chain authentication, commented Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO, OU Kosher, and we are excited to partner with them as they expand into the market of dietary supplements, food ingredients and nutraceuticals. In turn, he observed, their molecular tag offers our supervision program an additional instrument for validating the integrity of our certified products.

About Applied DNA Sciences

Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and pre-clinical nucleic acid-based therapeutic drug candidates.

Applied DNA makes life real and safe by providing innovative, molecular-based technology solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion.

Visit adnas.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Join our mailing list.

Common stock listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APDN.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements made by Applied DNA in this press release may be forward-looking in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe Applied DNAs future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Applied DNA. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our ability to successfully enter into commercial contracts for the implementation of our CertainT platform, the possibility of failure to make timely payment on its outstanding secured convertible notes and resulting enforcement by noteholders of remedies on collateral which includes substantially all of Applied DNAs assets, the Companys history of net losses, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance and various other factors detailed from time to time in Applied DNAs SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 12, 2019 and our subsequent quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on February 6, 2020, and other reports we file with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. Applied DNA undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200220005089/en/

Here is the original post:

Applied DNA Receives Kosher Certification from Orthodox Union for Qualifying Products - BioSpace

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on Applied DNA Receives Kosher Certification from Orthodox Union for Qualifying Products – BioSpace

Dietary Supplements Market 2020 Global Trends, Share, Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2026 – Nyse Nasdaq Live

Posted: at 8:42 pm

Focus on select sub-segments remains core strategy of Dietary Supplements market players due to their potential for growth in the next few years, notes OGAnalysis new report launched in December 2019.

Request Dietary Supplements Market Sample @ https://www.oganalysis.com/sample/213294

The industry is concentrated significantly in unorganized space but growing food expenditure in emerging nations is encouraging foreign companies to rapidly expand their investment in domestic Dietary Supplements markets.

On the developed markets front, drive towards organic and healthy food and beverages is shaping the product portfolio of Dietary Supplements companies. Majority of Dietary Supplements manufacturers are investing in Research and Development to market healthy products. Further, acquisition of local players is also increasingly being observed as part of inorganic business expansion strategy worldwide.

Diversifying distribution channels with increasing presence of online and retail chains also acts as market driver, predominantly in developing countries. Shifting preferences towards new flavours, new taste and convenience are set to shape the Dietary Supplements product offerings over the medium term future.

Browse Dietary Supplements Market Report @ https://www.oganalysis.com/industry-reports/213294/dietary-supplements-market

Global Dietary Supplements market Insights

Key trends shaping the near and long term future of the industry, drivers, opportunities and restraints of Dietary Supplements market, detailed porters five forces analysis and competitive insights are included in the research.

Global Dietary Supplements market size by type

The 2020 series of global Dietary Supplements market size, share, outlook and growth prospects is a comprehensive analysis on global Dietary Supplements market conditions. The report presents the detailed annual outlook of each of the sub segments of Dietary Supplements across markets to 2026.

Global Dietary Supplements market share by applications

Amidst increasing emphasis on new applications and stagnant growth of conventional large applications, the report presents in-depth insights into each of the leading Dietary Supplements end user verticals along with annual forecasts to 2026

Request for Special Discount on Dietary Supplements Market Report https://www.oganalysis.com/discount/213294

Global Dietary Supplements market revenue by country

The current Dietary Supplements market size in terms of revenue across 12 countries, along with historic data from 2018 and annual forecasts to 2026 are included in the research. The countries included span across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East Africa, North America and South & Central America regions.

Global Dietary Supplements market analysis by Company

Top 10 leading companies in global Dietary Supplements market are analyzed in the report along with their business overview, operations, financial analysis, SWOT profile and Dietary Supplements products and services.

Global Dietary Supplements market news and recent developments

Latest news and industry developments in terms of Dietary Supplements capacity expansions, acquisitions, organic and inorganic growth strategies, joint ventures and collaborations, product launches, market expansions etc are included in the report.

About OG Analysis:

OG Analysis has been a trusted research partner for 10+ years delivering most reliable analysis, information and innovative solutions. OG Analysis is one of the leading players in market research industry serving 980+ companies across multiple industry verticals. Our core client centric approach comprehends client requirements and provides actionable insights that enable users to take informed decisions.

Contact Us:

Ambarish

Phone: +1 860 777 1418, +91-7337 01 3757

Email: [emailprotected]

Website: https://www.oganalysis.com

Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/og-analysis/

Link:

Dietary Supplements Market 2020 Global Trends, Share, Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2026 - Nyse Nasdaq Live

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on Dietary Supplements Market 2020 Global Trends, Share, Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2026 – Nyse Nasdaq Live

Vitamin D Milk: Everything You Need to Know – Healthline

Posted: at 8:42 pm

When you buy a carton of milk, you may notice that some brands state on the front of the label that they contain vitamin D.

In reality, almost all pasteurized cows milk, as well as many brands of milk alternatives, have vitamin D added. Its required to be listed on the ingredient label but not necessarily on the front of the carton.

Vitamin D has many important health benefits, and drinking vitamin D fortified milk is an easy way to help meet your needs.

This article reviews why most milk has added vitamin D and why that might be good for you.

The recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin D is 800 international units (IU), or 20 mcg per day for all adults and children over 4 years old. For children aged 13, its 600 IU or 15 mcg per day (1).

With the exception of fatty fish like salmon, which contains 447 IU in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving, very few foods are good sources of vitamin D. Instead, most vitamin D is made in your body when your skin is exposed to the sun (2).

Many people dont meet the recommendations for vitamin D. In fact, one study found that 25% of Canadians dont meet their needs through diet alone (3).

People who live in northern latitudes where sunshine is limited in the winter, as well as those who dont spend much time in the sun, often have lower blood levels of vitamin D (2, 3).

Other factors, such as having obesity or underweight, being physically inactive, and having certain genetic mutations, can also put you at risk of having lower vitamin D levels (4).

Taking a supplement and using fortified foods like vitamin D milk are good ways to increase your intake and blood levels of vitamin D.

You get vitamin D from sun exposure and your diet. However, many people dont get the recommended amount from their diet. Eating fortified foods like vitamin D milk can help close the gap.

In some countries, including Canada and Sweden, vitamin D is added to cows milk by law. In the United States, its not mandated, but most milk manufacturers add it voluntarily during milk processing (5).

It has been added to cows milk since the 1930s when the practice was implemented as a public health initiative to reduce rickets, which causes poor bone development and deformities in children (6).

While milk doesnt naturally contain vitamin D, its a good source of calcium. These two nutrients work well together, as vitamin D aids calcium absorption into your bones, thus helping strengthen them.

The combination of calcium and vitamin D also helps prevent and treat osteomalacia, or soft bones, which accompanies rickets and can affect older adults (7, 8).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows manufacturers to add up to 84 IU per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of vitamin D3 to both cows milk and plant-based milk alternatives (9).

Drinking vitamin D milk increases the amount of vitamin D people get and improves levels of vitamin D in the blood (5).

Studies in Finland, where vitamin D milk has been mandatory since 2003, found that 91% of milk drinkers had vitamin D levels at or above 20 ng/ml, which is considered sufficient according to the Institute of Medicine (7, 10).

Prior to the fortification law, only 44% had optimal vitamin D levels (7, 10).

Vitamin D milk is enhanced with vitamin D during processing. This vitamin is added because it works with the calcium in milk to strengthen your bones. Drinking vitamin D milk can also help boost your vitamin D levels.

Drinking milk that contains both calcium and vitamin D is recommended as a way to strengthen your bones and prevent rickets and osteomalacia (8).

However, large studies dont show that it helps prevent osteoporosis, which is characterized by a thinning of the bones, or bone fractures in older adults (11, 12).

Still, having higher levels of vitamin D is linked to important health benefits and they extend beyond improved bone health.

Vitamin D is needed for proper cell growth, nerve and muscle function, and a healthy immune system. It likewise helps reduce inflammation, which is thought to contribute to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and cancer (2).

Studies that have compared vitamin D levels with disease risk suggest that having lower blood levels of the vitamin is linked to a higher risk of a wide range of chronic diseases, while having adequate or higher levels seems to result in a lower risk (13).

A major risk factor for heart disease is a cluster of conditions known as metabolic syndrome. It includes high blood pressure, insulin resistance, excess abdominal weight, high triglycerides, and low HDL (good) cholesterol.

People who have higher levels of vitamin D tend to have less severe metabolic syndrome and a lower risk of heart disease (13).

Additionally, higher levels of vitamin D are linked to healthier blood vessels (14).

A study in nearly 10,000 people found that those who got more vitamin D from supplements or diet including fortified milk had higher blood levels of the vitamin, less stiffness in their arteries, and lower blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels (14).

Because vitamin D plays a major role in healthy cell division, development, and growth, its thought that it may also play a role in preventing the growth of cancer cells.

Research that looked at vitamin D levels and cancer risk in 2,300 women over the age of 55 found that blood levels greater than 40 ng/ml were associated with a 67% lower risk of all types of cancer (15).

Furthermore, Australian scientists who followed 3,800 adults for 20 years found the same benefit for breast and colon cancer, but not all types of cancer (16).

Though these studies looked only at vitamin D levels and not how the vitamin was obtained, a review of studies investigating the link between dairy milk and cancer found that it was protective against colorectal, bladder, stomach, and breast cancer (17).

Low vitamin D levels are often observed in those with autoimmune diseases, including: (18)

Its unclear whether low levels trigger or are a result of autoimmune disease, but some research suggests that getting more vitamin D in your diet may help prevent or manage these conditions.

Interestingly, some research on type 1 diabetes suggests that children who get more vitamin D early in life are at a lower risk of this condition (19).

Additionally, taking supplemental doses of vitamin D has been shown to improve symptoms and slow the progression of some autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune thyroid disease (20, 21, 22, 23).

In addition to helping maintain bone health, vitamin D plays many important roles in your body. Getting more vitamin D from fortified milk or other sources may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

For the most part, dairy and plant-based milks that are fortified with vitamin D contain similar levels of the vitamin.

Below are the amounts of vitamin D in a 1-cup (237-ml) serving of various types of milk (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33):

Milk thats not fortified with vitamin D, as well as human breast milk, are very low in the vitamin, so those who drink these unfortified milks should try to get their vitamin D from oily fish or a supplement.

The risk of getting too much vitamin D from fortified milk is extremely low.

Vitamin D toxicity occurs when more than 150 ng/ml of the nutrient are present in your blood, which generally only happens in people who take high doses of vitamin D in supplemental form over a long period without regularly having their blood levels checked (34).

All processed dairy milk and many milk alternatives are fortified with about 100 IU of vitamin D per serving. Raw milk has nothing added to it, so its inherently very low in vitamin D.

While not all milk manufacturers list so on the front label, almost all processed dairy milk is enriched with vitamin D.

In the United States, its not mandatory to add it to milk, but most producers add about 100 IU of vitamin D to each 1-cup (237-ml) serving. Some countries like Canada do mandate that milk is fortified.

Drinking vitamin D can help boost your levels of the vitamin, which is important for bone health. Plus, it may reduce your risk of chronic illness, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.

Read the rest here:

Vitamin D Milk: Everything You Need to Know - Healthline

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on Vitamin D Milk: Everything You Need to Know – Healthline

Dehydrated Potatoes Market Size to Hit USD 8.84 Billion by 2026; Rising Preference for Nutrition-rich Processed Foods to Boost Sales Opportunities:…

Posted: at 8:42 pm

Pune, Feb. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Dehydrated Potato Market size is slated to touch USD 8.84 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.83% during the forecast period. Growing awareness regarding the nutritional value of instant potatoes and their variants is expected to be one of the central Dehydrated Potato Market trends in the upcoming decade. Instant potatoes are emerging as a viable alternative to regular potatoes in a world where hectic lifestyles have become a norm, which is taking a heavy toll on physical health. The US Department of Agriculture recommends a weekly intake of 5 to 6 cups of natural starch.

Dehydrated potatoes can fulfill this bodily requirement, delivering almost the same amount of nutrients like regular potatoes, except in a more convenient and efficient manner. These foods also contain the three essential macronutrients carbohydrates, proteins, and fats delivering the daily dose of energy required by the human body to function. Moreover, according to the US Agency for International Development, instant potato products such as potato flakes are a good source of starch in cases of emergency. Thus, the instant potato market stands to benefit as people become more aware of the healthy properties of these products.

Fortune Business Insights shares this information and more in its new report, titled Dehydrated Potatoes Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Form (Flakes, Powder, Dices, Shreds, and Others), Nature (Organic and Conventional), By Distribution Channel (Food Services and Retail Channel), and Regional Forecasts, 2019 2026. As per the report, the value of this market stood at USD 5.23 billion in 2018.

Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/dehydrated-potato-market-102186

The report also includes:

Gathering Pace of Urbanization Worldwide to Escalate the Demand for Ready-to-Eat Foods

The number of people living in urban areas is rising at a steady pace all around the globe as a result of economic growth and development, especially in developing nations. The UNs Department of Social and Economic Affairs predicts that Asian and African countries will account for around 90% of the rise in the global urban population by 2050. The birth of knowledge-based economies has created jobs in cities and metros that usually require people to sit in one place and perform data collection and analysis tasks on a daily basis.

Consequently, sedentary lifestyles have become commonplace and lives have gotten faster, both of which are adversely affecting human health. With little time to spare for cooking, consumer preference in urban areas is increasingly shifting towards ready-to-eat products, such as dehydrated potatoes, to meet the daily energy needs of the body.

Browse Detail Market Insights with Table of Content, Tables, and Figure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/dehydrated-potato-market-102186

List of Prominent Players Covered in the Dehydrated Potatoes Market Research Report are;

Increasing Population to the Drive the Market in Asia-Pacific

Among regions, Asia-Pacific is forecasted to dominate the Dehydrated Potato Market share in the coming decade owing to the rapidly rising populations in India and China. These countries also have a steadily expanding middle class that is actively consuming nutrition-laden processed foods. Furthermore, China and India are some of the largest producers of potatoes in the world, which will aid the instant potatoes market growth in the region. Lastly, the large consumer base is attracting companies from developed nations to establish themselves in this fledgling market, thereby accelerating the Dehydrated Potato Market revenue during the forecast period.

Competitors to Focus on Upgrading Production Capacities and Diversifying Operations

Major players are directing their investments towards enhancing their production capabilities and expanding their operational range, according to the instant potatoes market analysis. This would provide the companies with a solid base for building their brand value in this market.

Order a Single User License Copy: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102186

Detailed Table of Content:

TOC Continued!

Request for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/dehydrated-potato-market-102186

Industry Developments:

Have a Look at Related Market Insights:

Functional Water Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Ingredient (Micronutrients, Botanical Extracts, Other Functional Ingredients), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Convenience Stores, Online Retail, Others), and Regional Forecast 2018-2025

Potato Starch Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Nature (Organic and Conventional), End-use (Textile & Paper, Food & Beverages, and Pharmaceuticals), Type (Native and Modified), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026

Europe Dietary Supplements Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Fatty Acids, Proteins, and Others), Form (Tablets, Capsules, Powder, and Liquid), and Regional Forecasts, 2019 2026

Carotenoids Market Share, Size and Global Trend by Product Type (Beta-Carotene, Lutein, Astaxanthin, Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Canthaxanthin), Application Type (Food & Beverages, Animal Feed, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Dietary Supplements, Other Applications), Source (Natural, Synthetic) and Geography Forecast till 2025

Savory Ingredients Market Share, Size and Global Trend By Source (Natural, Synthetic), Product (Yeast Extracts, Monosodium Glutamate, Protein, Nucleotides), Application (Food, Animal Feed) & Geography Forecast till 2026

Essential Oils Market Share, Size and Global Trend By Type (Citrus, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree, and Others), Application (Food & Beverages, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, and Others), and Geography Forecast till 2026

Probiotics Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Microbial Genus (Lactobacillus, Bifiodobacterium, Yeast), By Application (Functional Food and Beverage, Dietary Supplement, Animal Feed), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Pharmacies/Health Stores, Convenience Stores, Online Retail), and Regional Forecast 2018 2025

Plant Based Protein Supplements Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Type (Soy Protein, Pea Protein & Wheat Protein), By Distribution Channel (Mass Merchandisers, Pharmacies/Drugstores, Specialty Stores, Online Retail & Others), and Regional Forecast 2018-2025

Commercial Seaweed Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Product Type (Red Seaweed, Brown Seaweed, Green Seaweed), By Form (Flakes, Powder, Liquid), By End User (Food and Beverage, Agricultural Fertilizer, Animal Feed Additives, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and Personal Care), and Regional Forecast 2018-2025

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data.

At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges.

Contact Us:Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India.Phone:US: +1 424 253 0390UK: +44 2071 939123APAC: +91 744 740 1245Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.comFortune Business InsightsLinkedin | Twitter | Blogs

Read Press Release on Dehydrated Potato Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/dehydrated-potato-market-9599

See the article here:

Dehydrated Potatoes Market Size to Hit USD 8.84 Billion by 2026; Rising Preference for Nutrition-rich Processed Foods to Boost Sales Opportunities:...

Posted in Food Supplements | Comments Off on Dehydrated Potatoes Market Size to Hit USD 8.84 Billion by 2026; Rising Preference for Nutrition-rich Processed Foods to Boost Sales Opportunities:…