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Recently a secular fashion magazine decided to do an article on the health benefits of being a Seventh-day Adventist. They invited me to weigh in as an “expert witness”. I share below the question the reporter asked and my answer. I thought you might find it worth your time to read: (Reporter’s Question)What are ten […] The post Adventist Principles and Health appeared first on Jon Paulien's Blog. View the full article

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have uncovered evidence that the thymus, a small immune system organ long thought to lose its importance after childhood, may play a major role in adult health. Two new studies found that adults with healthier thymuses were more likely to live longer and less likely to develop serious diseases. The research also suggests that thymic health may influence how well cancer patients respond to immunotherapy. The findings were published in two papers in the same issue of Nature and challenge decades of assumptions about the thymus. The results indicate that the organ remains important throughout adulthood and could eventually help guide disease prevention strategies and cancer treatment decisions. "The thymus has been overlooked for decades and may be a missing piece in explaining why people age differently, and why cancer treatments fail in some patients," said Hugo Aerts, PhD, corresponding author on the papers and director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Program at Mass General Brigham. "Our findings suggest thymic health deserves much more attention and may open new avenues for understanding how to protect the immune system as we age." What the Thymus Does Located in the chest, the thymus helps train T cells, a type of immune cell that helps defend the body against infections and disease. Because the organ gradually shrinks after puberty and produces fewer new T cells over time, many scientists assumed it played only a limited role in adult health. As a result, the thymus has received relatively little attention in large population studies. Earlier research connected T cell diversity to aging and declining immune function, but those studies were typically small and focused on blood samples. The new research took a much broader approach. Investigators analyzed data from more than 25,000 adults participating in a national lung cancer screening trial, along with more than 2,500 people enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study, a long-running study that tracks the health of generally healthy adults. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025352.htm

A new three-year study from researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas' Center for BrainHealth (CBH) suggests that getting older does not automatically mean losing mental sharpness. Instead, the findings indicate that brain health and cognitive abilities can continue to improve throughout life. The research, published in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal, draws on data from The BrainHealth Project (BHP), an initiative launched by CBH in 2020 to better understand how people can strengthen and optimize brain health across the lifespan. Researchers tracked 3,966 adults ranging in age from 19 to 94. This group represented roughly one-fifth of all BrainHealth Project participants. Over the course of three years, participants completed brief training activities that required only five to 15 minutes per day. BrainHealth Index Tracks Changes Over Time To evaluate changes in brain health and performance, the team used the BrainHealth Index (BHI), a patent-pending assessment developed by CBH researchers and first introduced in a 2021 pilot study. The BHI is designed to detect both improvements and declines in brain health. It measures three primary areas: clarity, emotional balance, and connectedness to people and purpose. "The BrainHealth Index brings together about 20 metrics, including validated gold-standard measures like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, as well as tasks designed at the Center for BrainHealth to focus on more complex thinking skills," said Lori Cook MS'02, PhD'09, CBH director of clinical research and corresponding author of the Scientific Reports study. "This battery of assessments produces insights into individual brain health and change over time. Progress is measured by comparing results with participants' own earlier scores." Cook, who also serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, said the findings challenge common assumptions about aging and cognition. "Every brain is as unique as a fingerprint and has potential for growth," Cook said. "This study challenges the prevailing narrative of inevitable cognitive decline, suggesting instead that brain health can be proactively cultivated at any age." Brain Improvement Seen Across All Ages According to the researchers, positive changes were observed even among participants in their 80s, showing that efforts to improve brain health can be beneficial long before symptoms or disease appear and can remain effective later in life. "For too long, we've operated under the outdated notion that we need to wait until something bad happens to our brains before we do anything for them," said Sandra Bond Chapman PhD'86, senior author of the study, CBH chief director and Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair for BrainHealth. "This study reminds us that our brain is not defined by age -- it is defined by possibility." One of the study's most notable findings involved participants who started with the lowest BrainHealth Index scores. This group experienced the largest improvements over time. "Those who are starting at the lowest level appear to have the most opportunity for growth and may be coming in with more preexisting concerns," Cook said. "As such, they may be more motivated to invest the time needed to see more growth potential. But it is noteworthy that we saw measurable growth even in those entering as high performers." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260613034222.htm

For many Americans, middle age is becoming more challenging than it was for previous generations. People born in the 1960s and early 1970s report higher levels of loneliness and depression, along with poorer memory and reduced physical strength compared with those who came before them. What makes this trend especially notable is that it is not happening to the same extent in many other wealthy countries. In several peer nations, particularly in Nordic Europe, health and well-being during midlife have improved over time rather than declined. To understand why the United States appears to be moving in a different direction, psychologist Frank J. Infurna of Arizona State University and his colleagues examined survey data from 17 countries. "The real midlife crisis in America isn't about lifestyle choices or sports cars. It's about juggling work, finances, family, and health amid weakening social supports," Infurna said. "The data make this clear." The study, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, points to several factors that may be driving these differences and suggests possible ways to improve outcomes. Family Support Policies and Loneliness One key distinction between the United States and many European countries involves support for families. Since the early 2000s, European nations have increased spending on family benefits, while spending in the U.S. has remained largely unchanged. Compared with Europe, the United States offers fewer programs such as cash assistance for families with children, income support during parental leave, and subsidized childcare. These policies can have a meaningful impact on people in midlife, who are often balancing careers while raising children and caring for aging parents. The researchers found that adults in countries with stronger family support systems reported lower levels of loneliness and experienced smaller increases in loneliness over time. In contrast, loneliness among Americans continued to rise across generations. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260613215430.htm

For centuries, losing human teeth meant living with a permanent gap in your smile or relying on artificial replacements. But a groundbreaking discovery by Japanese researchers could change this reality forever, offering the possibility of naturally regrowing teeth where they’ve been lost. Led by Dr. Katsu Takahashi at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, scientists have developed a drug that could stimulate the body to grow new teeth—a breakthrough that might one day make dental implants and dentures a thing of the past. https://japandaily.jp/regrowing-human-teeth-ending-dental-implants/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tooth regeneration therapy enters first human clinical trials in Japan Synopsis A groundbreaking human trial in Japan is exploring a revolutionary treatment to regrow teeth. Researchers have identified a way to activate dormant tooth buds, potentially offering a natural solution for tooth loss. Early results are promising, with a drug aiming for a 2030 release, heralding a new era in dental care. In Japan researchers have taken the first step of their kind by starting the first-ever human trial in a treatment that aims to help grow teeth. In May 2026, the trial is progressing with a cautious optimism, and are aiming to release the drug in 2030. Many people across the globe are who suffer from teeth loss as a result of the effects of aging, injury or genetics, this breakthrough can revolutionize dental treatment. Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/japanese-scientists-begin-human-trials-for-tooth-regrowth-drug/articleshow/130710567.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

For generations, scientists have viewed the inability to regrow lost body parts as one of the fundamental limitations of humans and other mammals. While creatures such as salamanders can regenerate entire limbs, humans typically heal injuries by forming scar tissue. New research from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), however, suggests that regenerative abilities may not be entirely absent in mammals. Instead, they could be hidden within the body's normal healing machinery, waiting to be activated under the right conditions. "Why some animals can regenerate and others, particularly humans, can't is a big question that has been asked since Aristotle," said Dr. Ken Muneoka, a professor in the VMBS' Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology (VTPP). "I've spent my career trying to understand that." In a study published in Nature Communications, Muneoka and colleagues describe a new two-step treatment that enabled the regeneration of bone, joint structures, and ligaments. Although the regrown tissues were not perfect replicas of the originals, the researchers believe the approach could eventually help reduce scarring and improve tissue repair after amputations. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260618041508.htm

Researchers in Brazil have created a new biomaterial made from jackfruit latex, pomegranate peel extract, and simvastatin (a statin-based medication) that could offer a more effective way to treat periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease. The team, from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FCMS) at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) in Sorocaba, developed the material as part of an effort to improve treatment options for a condition that affects the tissues supporting the teeth. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by infection. Over time, it can destroy the structures that hold teeth in place, leading to bone loss and reduced attachment between teeth and surrounding tissues. Current treatments are designed to control infection and inflammation, but they generally do little to regenerate damaged periodontal tissue. Other approaches, including guided tissue regeneration and bone grafting, have been explored, but their results can vary and are often difficult to predict. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260618041508.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ I have a Jackfruit tree in my yard. The fruit is the size of two smaller bowling balls. It is very popular here. When one fruit is ready, we cut it down and cut it up into pieces, then share with the neighbors. Nothing is waisted. Even the seed (about the size of dates) are boiled and eaten. Gum disease is not a problem here.

Joe, Several years ago, the idea of a sexual accountability and transparency committee [SATCOM] was conceived. Their purview would include investigating suspected homosexuals in the denomination. Of course, they would approach the individuals with pastoral concern. In view of Kinship's president openly advocating the introduction of homosexuality, transgenderism, etc. to SDA youth at Pathfinder meetings, these individuals certainly pose a danger to SDA young people. Not all young people involved in homosexual activity are actually same sex attracted. Some are conned into the relationship[?] by older men who are attracted to younger men or even children. These "victims" would include youth who lack responsible parenting. SSA men groom and seduce them over time. For that reason, the church should be vocal in its protestations contra homosexuality. Protecting young people who are not actually same sex attracted but long for companionship can easily be identified by older, more experienced predator types. Pathfinders should be warned of the dangers these individuals pose. These predatory types could be exactly the kind of people you mentioned--long time members, respected in the community and church, people broken by life in a sinful world. Research has been done on the dynamics of molestation. It sometimes occurs "accidentally" due to a specific situation, e.g, camping trips with no agenda. More often, predator types scheme to exploit vulnerable youth. The president of Kinship advocating the introduction of homosexuality to Pathfinders is no accident. It is a scheme.

The view from Pepperdine’s law school in Malibu runs straight out to the Pacific. For three days in early June the people gathered there kept their attention on something harder… The post Pepperdine and Founders’ First Freedom Bring the Religious Freedom Conversation Home to Malibu appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The plane lands and the visitor steps into a country she was warned about. She knows the America that shouts. She braces for it. Then a stranger holds the door,… The post Borrowed Light: The Faith Beneath the American Welcome appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

As an American, my baseline for “hate speech” is comfortably anchored in the First Amendment. In the United States, we operate under the near-absolute protection of the Brandenburg v. Ohio… The post The Great Northern Shift: How Canada’s Bill C-9 Reconfigures the Landscape of Hate Speech appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The vice president of the United States found a free Tuesday and spent part of it posting about a baseball hat. A sitting governor’s press shop fired back. A state… The post Do Giants Pitchers Have a Legal Right to Refuse the Pride Cap? appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

As an American, my baseline for "hate speech" is comfortably anchored in the First Amendment. The post The Great Northern Shift: How Canada’s Bill C-9 Reconfigures the Landscape of Hate Speech appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article