Monthly Archives: December 2021

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Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Dec 1;22(12):3977-3983. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.12.3977.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely used among cancer patients worldwide. This prospective observational study aimed to show the effect of CAM use on chemotherapy delivery in Thai patients.

METHODS: During March 2014 to February 2015, the patients with breast, lung or colorectal cancer receiving first cycle chemotherapy at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital were enrolled. The correlation between CAM using and chemotherapy schedule delay and dose reduction, dose intensity, quality of life and adverse event rates were analyzed.

RESULTS: There were 80 (44.20%) patients using CAM among 181 enrolled patients. Seventy six CAM users and 97 non-CAM users receiving 2nd cycle of chemotherapy were included for primary analysis. The chemotherapy schedules were delayed and/or reduced in 40 (52.6%) and 48 (49.5%) in CAM users and non-CAM users, respectively, p =0.681. The mean relative dose intensity (RDI) were 92.4% and 94.1% in CAM and non-CAM users, respectively, p=0.244. However, there were significantly more CAM users receiving chemotherapy less than 90% RDI (34.8% vs 19.8%, p=0.033). As compared to first cycle, at third cycle, the mean QOL score changes were -4.63 (95% CI -2.49-9.27) and -8.02 (-2.36- 9.142) in CAM user and non-CAM user, respectively (p=0.255). There were significantly higher rates of grade 3 or 4 anemia (5.1% vs 0%, p=0.024), and grade 2 malaise (19.0% vs 5.1%, p=0.004) in CAM users.

CONCLUSIONS: There were similar overall rates of chemotherapy schedule delay and dose reduction between CAM- and non-CAM users. However, there were less CAM-users achieving 90% chemotherapy RDI.

PMID:34967579 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.12.3977

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Effects of Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Chemotherapy Delivery in Thai Patients - DocWire News

Gurbakhash Kaur, MD, discusses the use of bispecific T-cell engagers as an alternative to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Gurbakhash Kaur, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the use of bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) as an alternative to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

According to Kaur, BiTEs provide an off-the-shelf approach for patients. CAR T cells require lymphodepletion, after which the cells need to be engineered. For patients in crisis, they may not be able to wait for CAR T cells to be manufactured. According to Kaur, both CAR T cells and BiTE therapies will have a major role in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

0:08 | BiTEs, especially with AMG 420, are also BCMA-targeted agents, but that will be an off-the-shelf type of approach, whereas with CAR T cells you need to give lymphodepletion and wait a couple of weeks for the cells to be engineered. Many patients, when they are in crisis and they run out of options, dont have the time to wait for a CAR T-cell to be manufactured. Both of these therapies, CAR T cells and BiTE therapies, will have a major role to play in multiple myeloma treatment.

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BiTE Therapy as a CAR T Alternative for Multiple Myeloma Treatment - Targeted Oncology

The health benefits of Holy Basil and how to use it.Thats coming up on This Land of Ours.

Holy basil, also known as tulsi in Hindu, or queen of the herbs, is part of themint familyand is a traditional medicinal herbnative to tropicalSoutheast Asia.

This aromatic plant has pale greenleaves, hair stems, and small purple or white tubular flowers. Itis considered to be atonicfor the body andis widely used in alternative medicine. It is most often consumed as an herbal tea, has a strong, pungent flavor, and can be used in cooking to intensify some dishes.

Holy basil is anadaptogen, which can help the body adapt tostressand treatinflammation. Holy basil has a whole variety of health benefits. Itsa great source of antioxidants, it is high in vitamin A, K and C, calcium, zinc, iron, Manganese, and chlorophyll. It has a history of treating disease, and reducing stress and anxiety, and isbeneficial for digestivesupport and brain function!

As always, make sure to consult with your doctor before consuming holy basil or any other supplement into your diet.

Listen to Cathy Isoms This Land of Ours program here.

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Health Benefits of Holy Basil and How to Use It - AgNet West

Indiana has received nearly 7,000 coursesof new medications designed to treat COVID-19, state leaders announced Wednesday, while cautioning that vaccination remains the primary defense against the ongoing pandemic.

During a news conference,Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of the Indiana State Department of Health, broke down the current distribution of new medicines, all of which requirea prescription and which remain in "extremely limited supply."

More: What we learned from Gov. Eric Holcomb at Indiana's first COVID update in months

More: This is why COVID-19 rapid tests have been hard to find at Indiana state testing sites

Although treatment options have increased, Weaver warnedagainst relying on therapeutics and stressed the continued importance of vaccination.

"It's important to remember that there's simply not enough medicine to go around right now and do not bank on being able to get the therapeutic needed."

More: Indiana Gov. Holcomb extends public health emergency... again

"Vaccination remains our number one defense for preventing severe illness," Weaver said."Please get vaccinated get your booster shot."

Merck Molnupiravir

4,880 courses allocated to CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

The antiviral pills, taken four at a time twice perday for five days, treat mild to moderate COVID-19 for adults at high risk of severe complications from the virus and for whom alternative treatment options are not available or clinically appropriate. They work best within five days of first symptomsand reduce the risk of severe complications by 30 percent.

1,060 courses allocated to hospitals

These pills -- three tablets taken twice perday for five days -- treat mild to moderate virus cases for those over 12 years old at high risk of severe COVID-19. The treatment works best within five days of first symptoms and reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent.

984 courses allocated to transplant centers and, eventually, cancer centers

Two injections designed to preventCOVID-19 cases in patients 12 and older with compromised immune systems due to a medical condition or medication, or ahistory of adverse reactions to vaccines. Treatment is only for people who do not have and have not been recently exposed to COVID-19.

Weaver also discussedthree existing treatments:

Gilead Veklury Remdesivir -An antiviral IV infusion used to treat patients 12 and older and available to health care providers through typical supply chains. Studies show a three-day course cuts hospitalization rates and death by 87 percent, the presentation said.

GlaxoSmithKline Sotrovimab -A monoclonal antibody IV infusion used to treat mild to moderate cases in patients 12 and older who are at risk of severe complications. It is not authorized for use on hospitalized patients or those receiving oxygen. The health department allocates courses to hospitals and clinics.

Eli Lilly Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab -A monoclonal antibody IV infusion used to treat mild to moderate cases in anyone at risk of severe COVID. It is authorized for both treatment and post-exposure prevention, but it is not effective against the Omicron variant. The Heath Department allocates courses to hospitals and clinics, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will stop shipping the drug tostates on Monday.

Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 andrappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.

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This is the current supply of Pfizer, Merck COVID pill therapeutics in Indiana - IndyStar

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This is the time of year when many of us find ourselves at social gatherings. Often times those parties include indulging, sometimes overindulging, in a cocktail or two and feeling the aftereffects the next morning. No one likes to have a hangover, but there are new products on the market that claim to give the same buzz as booze without the alcohol that can leave us feeling like garbage the next day. The idea is intriguing, but is it really a safe alternative?

These alcohol alternatives blend nootropics, adaptogens, and botanics that are purported to give the calming effect of alcohol. One such product is Kin Euphorics. According to Bulletproof, This alcohol alternative claims to help you achieve a blissed-out state without sacrificing brain cells or performance the next day.

So what is a nootropic? WebMD gives us a bit of insight: The term nootropics first referred to chemicals that met very specific criteria. But now its used to refer to any natural or synthetic substance that may have a positive impact on mental skills. In general, nootropics fall into three general categories:dietary supplements, synthetic compounds, andprescription drugs.

Are they safe? They can be, but just like anything else, they need to be used in moderation.

I would be reluctant to recommend something that is so new. These are chemicals, and their impact is not clear. I do not have enough information to know what is a safe amount, or what is the potential for dependence, said Dr. Matthew Reuter, a BJC Medical Group internist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

And although there is a possibility that you can get the same boozy feelings sans booze, there are certainly questions about whether or not they are a safe alternative to alcohol. Dr. Reuter isnt the only medical professional who agrees that we should proceed with caution. Dr. Anna Lembke, medical director of addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of Dopamine Nation, told Time, Theres always the promise of some new molecule thats going to do exactly what the old molecule did but not have the harmful effects. Every single time, that has not panned out.

We have seen this before with things like E-cigarettes. They were lauded as a safer alternative to smoking, but that has proven to be untrue and an increasing number of people are heading straight to the vape and skipping cigarettes altogether. Are nootropics the same? Perhaps, but they are big business right now, and production doesnt seem to be slowing down.

Grand View Research reports that nootropics were valued at $9.7 billion in 2020. That accounts for all forms of nootropics, not just alcohol alternatives. But the drinks are gaining popularity the quickest.

The drinks segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR of 16.0% from 2021 to 2028. Nootropics ingredients are being incorporated into RTD drinks and shots to help improve functions such as focus and memory. Nootropics in drinks form are gaining popularity due to their ability to be digested more quickly than food, allowing them to boost the brain instantly, Grand View Research states.

What about those who have given up drinking or are in recovery; could this be a gateway? Dr. Reuter said that it is not a good idea. My gut is these should be avoided. Patients with addiction to alcohol need to abstain entirely from alcohol to minimize risk of relapse. This makes sense, as it could certainly be a gateway back to alcohol, as it can mimic that euphoric feeling.

Some nootropics are not only marketed to replace alcohol, they are also being touted as brain boosters. They are said to give a bit of mental clarity and increase focus. They can also up your energy. There is not a lot of research to back up whether nootropics can really help cognitive function or make give you a euphoric feeling, but many swear by them.

Interestingly, a lot of us are consuming a nootropic on the daily and may not even realize it. Caffeine falls into the category of nootropic. And as we know, it can definitely give us a boost of energy and make our cognitive function a bit better. Having said that, the nootropic compound in caffeine is much smaller than that in many of the nootropic drinks on the market today, so dont think that you will be getting the same effect. Think alcohol proof: The higher the proof, the stronger your reaction. The same is true with nootropics.

There is no clear conclusion about alcohol alternative nootropics and whether you should give them a try or not. There is little risk of dependency, and they dont cause the negative hangover side effects, but Dr. Reuter still thinks we should play it safe. I would consider real alternatives such as water, tea, lemonade or even soda. We seek alcohol in social settings or to relax. It can be dangerous in and of itself. I would be very skeptical thinking there is a safe alternative that impersonates alcohol.

So, proceed with caution. Know your limits and listen to your body. If it feels off, it probably is, and you should put the glass down and grab a bottle of water. Just to be safe.

Excerpt from:

Nootropics Are Alcohol Alternatives, But Are They A Good Idea? - Scary Mommy

WASHINGTON (December 28) Breast cancer patients treated at hospitals and health systems that educate patients and provide integrative health services have a better chance of survival compared to those treated at institutions with few of these resources, according to a new study published in the Journal of Oncology. Integrative health services include complementary and lifestyle therapies, such as nutrition and exercise counseling, in addition to medical cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Access to basic integrative healthcare services in cancer care not only supports a higher quality of life, but this study also shows that these services increase a patients chance of survival, said Wayne Jonas, MD, co-author of the study and executive director for Integrative Health Programs at the Samueli Foundation. These findings serve as a call to action for hospitals and oncologists to support a whole-person approach to cancer care.

For the study, researchers analyzed claims data for 4,815 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who were treated in 2013 and 2014. Treating oncologists were surveyed about their institutions efforts to educate patients and to support 12 complementary and lifestyle approaches to treatment. Responses were received from 103 oncologists at 103 institutions involved in the treatment of 173 patients.

Scoring physician responses, the study identified institutions with low, low-mid, mid-high, or high levels of education and support for complementary and lifestyle therapies. Researchers found that patients treated at institutions that had crossed the threshold above the low integrative score into a low-mid score or higher were up to three times more likely to survive over the five-year period, compared to patients treated at institutions with a low score.

Institutional ratings were based on support for 12 types of complementary and lifestyle therapy consultations, programs, or services, including nutrition, exercise, patient support groups, spiritual services, psycho-oncology support, massage therapy, meditation or mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture or acupressure, music and art therapy, Reiki or healing touch, and tai chi or qi gong. All patients in the study also received conventional medical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

Institutions with higher levels of investment commonly offered a core set of six therapies: nutrition consultation, exercise consultation, patient support groups, spiritual services, meditation/ mindfulness, and psycho-oncology support.

Patients can play an active role in their cancer treatment and outcomes but they are much more likely to do it with approval and help from their health system, said Terri Crudup, lead author of the study and senior principal of Primary Intelligence at the global research and technology firm IQVIA. Oncologists and institutions that treat these patients need to consider providing education, support, and funding for these complementary and lifestyle therapies.

The study authors enumerated ways that health care institutions can cross the threshold from low into higher integrative health involvement:

The authors noted that their study is limited due to patient variables that can affect treatment outcomes that were not included in this study. Researchers also suggest the study should be replicated with a larger sample size, and additional research should validate the scoring system for integrative health care that was used.

###

About Samueli Foundation

Samueli Foundations Integrative Health Programs are dedicated to the promotion of personal health and well-being with the support of health teams dedicated to all proven approaches, including conventional, complementary and self-care. Dr. Wayne Jonas, the former director of the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine and the former director of a World Health Organization Center for Traditional Medicine, is clinical professor of Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University and at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

About IQVIA

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. IQVIA creates intelligent connections across all aspects of healthcare through its analytics, transformative technology, big data resources and extensive domain expertise. IQVIA Connected Intelligence delivers powerful insights with speed and agility enabling customers to accelerate the clinical development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments that improve healthcare outcomes for patients. With approximately 77,000 employees, IQVIA conducts operations in more than 100 countries.

IQVIA is a global leader in protecting individual patient privacy. The company uses a wide variety of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that helps healthcare stakeholders identify disease patterns and correlate with the precise treatment path and therapy needed for better outcomes. IQVIAs insights and execution capabilities help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures. To learn more, visit http://www.iqvia.com.

Journal of Oncology

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Survival odds higher for breast cancer patients with access to integrative therapies - EurekAlert

Dr. Oz admitted to the senators that his claims often dont have the scientific muster to present as fact. A study he had cited about green-coffee bean extract was later retracted and described by federal regulators as hopelessly flawed. The supplier of the extract paid $3.5 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission.

Dr. David Gorski, a surgery professor at Wayne State University and longtime critic of alternative medicine, said Dr. Ozs emergence as a Fox News authority on the coronavirus was no surprise.

He could have gone the route of trying to be more reasonable and careful, vetting information, trying to reassure people where the science was still unsettled, Dr. Gorski said. But of course, that wouldnt be Dr. Ozs brand.

Early in the pandemic, on March 20, 2020, Dr. Oz appeared on several Fox News shows trumpeting what he called massive, massive news a small study by a divisive French researcher, Dr. Didier Raoult, who claimed a 100 percent cure rate after treating coronavirus patients with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, or Z-Pak.

At the time, with Covid-19 cases and deaths rising rapidly, hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial treatment, was being studied in multiple countries and adopted by hospitals without much evidence. Mr. Trump hyped it repeatedly at White House news conferences as part of his effort to minimize the crisis. Dr. Oz communicated with Trump advisers about speeding the drugs approval to treat Covid. On March 28, the F.D.A. authorized its emergency use.

On Fox, Dr. Oz noted that the Raoult study, with just 36 participants, was not a clinical trial, but his enthusiasm overran his caution. The study was the most impressive bit of news on this entire pandemic front, he gushed.

On April 1, as Dr. Oz called on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York to lift restrictions on hydroxychloroquine, a public health expert, Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University, cautioned Fox viewers that the facts are just not in on the drug.

Originally posted here:

Magic Weight-Loss Pills and Covid Cures: Dr. Oz Under the Microscope - The New York Times

Chamomile tea is quite known as a healthy alternative to caffeine, but did you know it also offers several health benefits? Here are the health benefits of chamomile you should know.

Written by Arushi Bidhuri | Published : December 30, 2021 4:55 PM IST

Chamomile is a herb that derives from the Asteraceae plant family's daisy-like blossoms. It's been used as a natural cure for a variety of ailments for millennia. The flowers are dried and then infused into hot water to make chamomile tea. Chamomile tea is popular as a caffeine-free alternative to black or green tea, as well as for its earthy, somewhat sweet flavour. Furthermore, chamomile tea is high in antioxidants, which may help to reduce your risk of a variety of ailments.

Chamomile tea is a popular beverage that offers several health benefits, including:

According to preliminary research, chamomile may help promote improved digestion by lowering the risk of certain gastrointestinal diseases. Chamomile extract has been shown to protect against diarrhoea due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Chamomile tea calms the stomach that helps treat a variety of digestive issues, including nausea and gas.

Chamomile contains properties that may help induce sleep and improve its quality. Studies have found that it contains an antioxidant called apigenin that promotes sleepiness and reduces the risk of insomnia. A study published in the BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that people who took 270 mg of chamomile extract twice a day for 28 days woke up 1/3 less at night and went asleep 15 minutes faster than those who did not take the extract.

Chamomile tea contains antioxidants that have been linked to a lower risk of some cancers. Apigenin is an antioxidant found in chamomile. Apigenin has been demonstrated to destroy cancer cells in test tubes, particularly those from the breast, digestive tract, skin, prostate, and uterus. According to a study of 537 adults published in the European Journal of Public Health, those who drank chamomile tea 2 6 times per week had a considerably lower risk of thyroid cancer than those who did not.

The health of the pancreas is critical because it generates insulin, the hormone responsible for eliminating sugar from your blood. In a study of 64 diabetics published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, those who drank chamomile tea daily with meals for eight weeks had significantly lower average blood sugar levels than those who drank water, according to a study of 64 diabetics. Research has found that anti-inflammatory properties in chamomile may protect the cells of your pancreas from damage caused by chronically high blood sugar levels.

Heart diseases are often referred to as the number one killer across the world as it affects millions every year. While there are many factors required to lower your chances, chamomile tea may also help reduce the risk. Studies have shown that it contains a type of antioxidant called flavones, which helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, both of which are important to mitigate heart disease risk.

A study published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research found that using chamomile mouthwash may help reduce the chances of gingivitis and plaque due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities.

The majority of specialists agree that chamomile is harmless. It can make you drowsy and make you vomit if you take too much of it. It also has the potential to cause allergic reactions in persons, however, chamomile allergies are quite rare. If you're allergic to chamomile, ragweed, daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums, don't use it. Chamomile skin products can irritate the eyes and cause allergic eczema. The long-term effects of chamomile usage are unknown. Chamomile includes a little quantity of coumarin, which can have very modest blood-thinning effects if taken in high dosages for a long time.

Note: If you have any health concerns or you take medication, see your doctor before using chamomile.

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Chamomile: Health Benefits Uses Side Effects and More | TheHealthSite.com - TheHealthSite

IT takes you by surprise sometimes, the way you can feel affection for someone youve never met.

The Queen inspires that feeling, particularly now, in her nineties. In an era when the dominant political mood is individualist, bombastic and self-indulgent, she continues to behave publicly in the way thats expected of her, with quiet dignity, as she has done since 1952. One of the abiding images of 2021 is of her sitting alone amid empty pews at the Duke of Edinburghs funeral, wearing a face mask in accordance with the rules, her hunched shoulders and downcast eyes the only clues to her private distress.

The Queen has a unique status in the public consciousness, one that has noticeably grown apart from that of the wider Royal Family. She is extraordinarily wealthy and privileged, of course, but that has come at a price. She is appreciated for having sacrificed a normal family life in order to be a public property, putting her duties first. She enters her platinum jubilee year tomorrow and there are probably few, even among committed republicans, who would relish seeing the monarchy toppled while she is on the throne.

But when shes gone? Well, thats a different matter.

Personally, I used to feel that the monarchy was the least-worst option when it came to a head of state, since the prospect of a presidential election was so dismal. (President Clarkson, anyone? President Farage?) The Queen performs the role as youd want her to. If there were an interview process for a ceremonial head of state, the Queen would get the job, having always done the bidding of parliaments and prime ministers; shes never rattled the bars of her gilded cage or sought to bend them out of shape, or not that we know of.

READ MORE: Selfish Tories put NHS at risk

She appears know her place. Does Charles, he of the black spider memos that lobbied government on alternative medicine and badger culls? It seems not.

But thats not the real problem. The principal reason why the monarchy should be retired is this: the reactionary influence that the institution continues to exert on British society.

It sits at the pinnacle of the class system and is a bulwark of the aristocracy. If we dont say goodbye to the monarchy, then it becomes harder to get rid of the social structures that over centuries have grown up around it, acting as a block to meaningful equality of opportunity.

Its not just the painful deference it seems to inspire. The monarchy legitimises the hereditary principle and the shadowy concentration of wealth, property, land and titles within families. It also legitimises tax evasion by the landed rich. Secrecy surrounds the Queens personal wealth but its thought to be at least 350m, and is officially exempt from UK tax laws (though the Queen has paid tax voluntarily since 1993).

The British aristocracy is similarly adept at accruing wealth and property, and evading scrutiny of it. Remarkably, a century after it was thought to be dying out, the aristocracy is buoyant: wealth begets wealth. Aristocrats are prominent in every rich list of Britons. A study by two academics at the London South Bank University in 2019, found that Britains 600 aristocratic families had doubled their wealth since 2007 and were as rich as their Victorian ancestors. Looking at nearly 2,000 aristocratic wills, they found that while the rest of the country struggled to regain their wage levels after the 2008 crash, the aristocracy raked it in.

Historically, the status of aristocrats derived from their proximity to the monarch. They formed the members of the royal court; their bloodlines could be traced back to former kings and queens. They were defined by acquisitiveness, demanding lands in return for services rendered, enclosing common land when it suited them and using their positions to exploit commerce and trade.

READ MORE: Hey, guys, stop talking like Yanks

Today, by dint of birth, they have access to wealth and social opportunities not available to others. Chris Bryant, the Labour MP and chair of the Commons committee on standards, notes in his book Entitled, a history of the aristocracy, that land ownership itself is still the source of exorbitant wealth. Fewer than 450 individuals are said to own half of the private land in rural Scotland. They include aristocrats like the dukes of Buccleuch and Westminster. At least 30 per cent of England and Wales, and possibly as much as 45 per cent, is estimated to be owned by aristocrats and landed gentry, according to data from the book Who Owns England?.

Putting wealth, including stately homes and estates, into discretionary trusts a common practice means that aristocratic families can avoid public scrutiny and inheritance tax.

And why not? After all, we suffer the monarch to keep her financial affairs shrouded and pay us tax only if she feels like it.

When ordinary citizens face financial hardship, they review their assets and sell things to meet their debts their car, perhaps, or their jewellery. But by charging steep entry fees to the public for the privilege of entering their inherited piles, the aristocracy can be spared the need to sell off the Old Masters that hang on their walls.

Even when assets are sold, the tax terms are often highly favourable.

Just as land and wealth is concentrated and controlled, so the aristocracy maintain their exclusive institutions. Of 24 non-royal dukes in 2017, half went to Eton, helping maintain their grasp on politics and power (and their links to royalty). Aristocrats still play polo and go hunting, Bryant observes, and attend the same London clubs as their ancestors.

And the monarchy is at the heart of it. When the royals are at play sailing or attending Royal Ascot, shooting deer or grouse on Scottish hillsides or managing their estates they do so as part of a community of wealthy aristocrats.

Paul Johnson of the Institute of Fiscal Studies makes the general point about inheritance tax that in practice its regressive. The richest individuals have lawyers who help them avoid it: the full 40 per cent is often payable on relatively modest estates; those with assets of 1m to 8m pay an average of 20 per cent; and those with estates of around 10m pay 10 per cent. Incredibly, when the Duke of Westminster died in 2016, no tax was reportedly payable on the bulk of his 8bn estate. It is crying out for reform.

In Britain in 2021, we talk of a middle class, we talk of a working class and an underclass; we rarely talk of the upper class but it remains an intrinsic part of the invidious British class structure. Ninety-two hereditary peers even retain their seats in the House of Lords. The unearned status and wealth of the aristocracy and the monarchy, is a riposte to efforts to make Britain a fairer, more equal society. The time is coming to put the monarchy out to pasture and make the super-rich, including dukes and earls, pay their share.

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'If we want to change Britain, the monarchy must go,' says Rebecca McQuillan - HeraldScotland

The warning comes after a study published in Nature Journal identified trehalose, which is found in foods such as nutrition bars and chewing gum, as playing a part in spreading a dangerous superbug across the US. Trehalose has been linked with the rise of two strains of the bacterium clostridium difficile, which is a deadly superbug capable of resisting antibiotic medications.

Clostridium difficile, is known for causing diarrhoea, colitis, organ failure, and even death.

The researchers found a link between the rapid spread of the superbug in the past few years and the increased usage of trehalose in many sweet snacks.

According to Robert Britton from the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas: In 2000, trehalose was approved as a food additive in the US for a number of foods from sushi and vegetables to ice cream."

Dr Britton, who is one of the researchers in the study, said: "About three years later the reports of outbreaks with these lineages started to increase

Other factors may also contribute, but we think that trehalose is a key trigger."

These lineages that Dr Britton referred to were the strains of the bacteria called RT027 and RT078.

When scientists analysed the genetic makeup of these strains, they discovered DNA sequences that enabled the bug to feed off low doses of trehalose sugar very efficiently.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, C. difficile is a major cause of infectious disease-related death in the United States.

READ MORE:UK faces significant threat to food production from superbugs

Another researcher, Dr. James Collins from the Baylor College of Medicine that this bacteria has been prevalent for a long time without any major outbreaks.

Due to the fact that the genetic factors that allow these bacteria to metabolize trehalose and increase the production of toxins were present well before the outbreaks started, the researchers investigated what could have triggered the epidemics.

Dr Collins added: "In the 1980s they were not epidemic or hypervirulent but after the year 2000 they began to predominate and cause major outbreaks.

"An important contribution of this study is the realisation that what we once considered a perfectly safe sugar for human consumption, can have unexpected consequences."

Trehalose is commonly used in prepared frozen foods, like ice cream, because it lowers the freezing point of foods.

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Superbug warning over 'unexpected consequences' of common sugar alternative - Daily Express