Daily Archives: November 16, 2024

Fact or fiction? The science behind RFK Jr’s health stances

The new US Health Secretary is likely to be Robert F Kennedy Jr, an anti-vaccine campaigner who also has many other fringe views on health.President-elect Donald Trump, who announced he will nominate Kennedy as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, previously said he would let him “go wild” on health.It’s a controversial decision because Kennedy, formerly an environmental campaigner, has aligned himself with many alternative health theories rather than those of mainstream medicine.The head of the American Public Health Association (APHA) said the organisation would oppose Kennedy’s nomination. APHA’s executive director Georges Benjamin said on BBC’s Newsday programme that he has no health background and has “already caused great damage in health in the country”, referring to Kennedy’s scepticism of vaccines.So, where does Kennedy stand on key issues and what does the science say?Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump at a campaign event in Duluth, Georgia, before the presidential election (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)VaccinesPolicy: This area is many doctors’ biggest concern over Kennedy, who claims that childhood vaccines cause autism, something that has been disproven multiple times. Kennedy has stated that he doesn’t intend to ban or limit access to vaccines, and US vaccine policies are set by an expert panel of doctors, the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, with some variation from state to state.He could, however, try to roll back state laws that children must have had certain shots before they can attend school or daycare – a move that would probably outrage US doctors, although many other countries, such as the UK, leave the choice to parents.And any such anti-vaccine policies or rhetoric from such a high-profile politician could lower parents’ confidence in childhood vaccines. As the US has such a large world influence, anti-vaccine sentiments could also increase in the UK and elsewhere. “If this makes families hesitate to immunise against the deadly diseases that threaten children, the consequence will be fatal for some,” said Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, a vaccine developer at the University of Oxford.Verdict: Kennedy’s views on vaccine safety are science fiction rather than science fact.UK impact: If vaccine wars break out in US, anti-vaccine sentiment may rise everywhere.Ultra-processed foodPolicy: Kennedy has a plan, endorsed by Trump, to “Make America Healthy Again”, by reversing the country’s rising rates of chronic disease, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. He blames the modern diet’s reliance on highly processed foods, also called ultra-processed food or UPF. Kennedy wants to strip UPF from school lunches and ban people from using food stamps to buy it.The US certainly has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, but it’s debated by scientists whether UPF is to blame or if the modern diet just has too much fat and sugar. While UPF tends to be high in fat and sugar, not all is, and the fear is that demonising UPF as a category could put people off healthy foods that are also highly processed, like wholemeal bread, high-fibre cereals, yogurt and baked beans.“While RFK Jr’s desire to tackle chronic conditions, including obesity, is commendable, how he might go about it is less clear,” said Dr David Elliman, a paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.Verdict: UPF science is still uncertain but here, Kennedy has captured the diet zeitgeist.UK impact: Probably none – no one has yet figured out how to significantly change public eating habits.Read NextFood additivesPolicy: Another of Kennedy’s targets is additives in modern food, such as colourings and other artificial chemicals, which he wants to ban. But there is no good evidence that these are harmful. As in the UK, new ingredients are generally tested before they can be added to food. Past concerns that food colourings could cause hyperactivity in children were unfounded.Verdict: This colourful claim is hard to swallow.UK impact: Probably none, unless similar concerns spread to the UK.Pesticides in farmingPolicy: Kennedy has also railed against the use of pesticides in farming, saying their presence in food contributes to many different chronic diseases.Verdict: He may have a point. Some pesticides used in the US are banned for safety reasons in the UK and Europe.UK impact: Probably none, if the US bans chemicals that are already banned here.GMOs in farmingPolicy: While there is little use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in farming in the UK and the rest of Europe, they are widespread in the US. Again, Kennedy wants to ban GMO food for health reasons. But the scientific consensus is that GMO plants have no inherent risks. They have been used in the US since 1994 – and today, 90 per cent of the soya beans and corn grown there is genetically modified. If GMOs were bad for us, we would have seen evidence of it by now.It is hard to imagine how Kennedy could force through a ban, given US farming is so dependent on GMOs. But he succeeds, it might reduce chances of UK introduction of GMO food, which some scientists are working towards.Verdict: No good science supports Kennedy’s anti-GMO stance.UK impact: It could influence GMO debate here.Big PharmaPolicy: Kennedy has said his number one target is the US Food and Drug Administration, which oversees regulation of the country’s pharmaceuticals and food. He has accused some agency staff of doing the bidding of Big Pharma and Big Food. “FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” Kennedy said on X in October. “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”In Kennedy’s defence, many scientists say the agency is too close to industry and should be more transparent. They have also criticised recent FDA decisions to approve certain medications, including the Alzheimer’s treatment, aducanumab. This got FDA go-ahead against the advice of the agency’s own experts, who said there was not enough evidence that the medicine slows memory loss. If RFK Jr directs his energies to ensuring more transparency from pharmaceutical companies, “it would be no bad thing”, said Dr Elliman.Verdict: There is no evidence for FDA corruption but the agency is probably overdue a shake-up.UK impact: May be minimal, as UK drug approval decisions are made independently of FDA.Water fluoridationPolicy: About two-thirds of US homes get tap water that contains the mineral fluoride, as this strengthens teeth and prevents decay. Kennedy claims it can cause cancer and called the substance an “industrial waste”.But decisions on water fluoridation are taken at local levels and it’s unclear if Kennedy could affect them.Verdict: The evidence of harm from water fluoridation is weak.UK impact: Probably none. About a tenth of the UK water supply is fluoridated, but it is not generally a contentious issue.Raw milkOnly a small proportion of the US public are thought to consume or even want to consume milk that hasn’t been pasteurised, in other words, heat-treated to kill bacteria. Yet the issue is often in US news, perhaps because it is emblematic of the conflict between individuals’ rights and government regulation. Raw milk fans claim it contains immune-boosting enzymes that are destroyed by heating. Scientists say it also contains deadly bacteria and viruses.Laws on raw milk vary from state to state, but Kennedy has said he wants it to be legal everywhere. His timing is particularly poor because bird flu is infecting an increasing number of US dairy herds, said Dr Simon Williams, a public health researcher at Swansea University. “Drinking raw milk will be a prime risk factor for starting a bird flu pandemic,” he said.Verdict: Few doctors think raw milk is a good idea.UK impact: Raw milk is sold by only a few UK farms, under stringent safety precautions. But if this trend makes the US the starting point for a bird flu pandemic, the impact will be global.

IIT Madras And IIT Palakkad Launch Collaborative Educational Initiative For Science Course

The institute had launched its 4-year BS in Data Science and Applications program in June 2020. New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad have collaborated to benefit students through shared resources, research internships and immersive summer programmes. The collaboration agreement seeks to capitalise on the strengths of…

Lipid disorders to sweetener—Chemist Sukh Dev blended ancient wisdom and modern science

New Delhi: A month ago, on 16 October, scientists mourned the loss of one of the country’s most formidable researchers, Sukh Dev. An exceptional chemist and a devoted nationalist, his students remember him not just for his research but for his unwavering commitment to India, even when the world’s top minds came calling — including Nobel laureate and organic chemist Elias James Corey.
“Whenever he travelled abroad, he would never initiate contact with foreigners. As a proud Indian, he firmly believed that they should approach him, not the other way around,” said Vinod K Singh, Institute Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur, and a former PhD student of Sukh Dev.
Singh recalled the time Sukh Dev did not inform Corey—who had been their research advisor—that he would be visiting Boston where Corey was based. This, according to Singh, was an example of Sukh Dev staying true to his principles of national pride. When Corey learned about it, he invited him for lunch with his lab members, a group of 35 people, including 6-7 Indians. 

Show Full Article

Born in Punjab province’s Chakwal district in undivided India, Sukh Dev started his journey with a bachelor’s and master’s degree at DAV College in Lahore, where his passion for natural products blossomed. This led him to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore in 1945 for his doctoral studies with renowned organic chemist Praphulla Chandra Guha. It marked the beginning of an illustrious scientific career.Sukh Dev went abroad twice—first immediately after completing his doctorate, to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to work with American chemist John D. Roberts, and later in 1957-58 while serving as a lecturer at IISc, his alma mater, to stay updated on advancements in the field. However, he never wanted to settle abroad and believed that no Indian should remain overseas for more than three to four years.“Like the Japanese, he firmly believed in the philosophy that the nation comes before everything else, even family—a principle he saw as key to a country’s greatness,” Singh told ThePrint.
Patriotism and punctuality—two core virtues of his character—were passed down to his students, many of whom followed in his footsteps and now hold leading positions at top national institutions.Singh, for instance, spent six years in Canada and the US working with EJ Corey, and took up a job in a pharmaceutical company. “But within eight months, when I got an offer from IIT Kanpur, I came back to India,” said Singh.Learning from Ayurveda
When Sukh Dev shifted his focus from isolating new compounds and solving their structures to exploring nature’s pharmacy, he knew exactly where to turn—folklore and the rich wisdom of Ayurveda. He often advised his students and fellow researchers that “while investigating crude ayurvedic drugs or other medicinal plants, one must specifically look for the biological activity for which the drug is renowned in Ayurveda or folklore.” With this vision, Sukh Dev and his team delivered powerful solutions to treat lipid disorders and minimise the risk of early pregnancy loss, and also found cures for parasites plaguing livestock—all by harnessing the healing potential of traditional medicine and uniting ancient wisdom with scientific discovery.
Much of his groundbreaking work on medicinal compounds came to life in the later years of his career at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune. Joining in 1960 as head and assistant director of the Organic Chemistry Division, he focused on isolating and deciphering the structures of novel natural products. These discoveries laid the foundation for the cutting edge industrial research he would go on to lead—a legacy that began in the lab and pushed boundaries beyond it.
Also read: Vinoba Bhave convinced landowners to donate 15 lakh acres. Emergency made him ‘sarkari sant’
Curiosity-driven to market-oriented
Sukh Dev’s passion for science didn’t stop at just natural products—it spanned across multiple areas of organic chemistry. With his flexible mindset and knack for diving into new challenges, he constantly adapted to explore fresh avenues. “As he moved from one institution to another, the thrust of his research effort underwent shifts in consonance with spirit of the institution, ranging from curiosity-oriented investigations to market driven industry/technology oriented research,” wrote one of his students in an article for Arkivoc journal.
After dedicating 30 years of his 60-year-long career to academia, he made a bold shift from research institutions to industry. Already promoted to deputy director at NCL in 1968, he could have comfortably stayed on, but the researcher in him sought bigger, more daunting challenges. Noticing the scientific world’s changing focus, where structure determination was no longer the frontier and applied science was gaining momentum, he seized the opportunity to step into industry.In 1974, he joined the newly established Malti-Chem Research Centre in Nandesari, Gujarat, as its director, bringing with him a wealth of expertise and a relentless drive to push the boundaries of applied science. In this role, he redirected his focus to turning his research into practical technology, providing fresh tools and methods that made it easier to develop medicines and other valuable products.One of the most remarkable achievements by his team at Malti-Chem was developing a process to turn glucose into sorbitol, a naturally mild sweetener. Thanks to their work, the world gained access to low-sugar versions of gum, candies, and even toothpaste.By restructuring abundantly available products in nature, his research group succeeded in producing a whole gamut of high-value products. For this, he explored several swadeshi raw materials like lac and turpentine oil, and extracts from some medicinal plants. 
Chemical tweaks to ingredients derived from turpentine have led to a variety of minty-flavoured products. These include flavouring agents for gum, candies, and cough syrups, as well as calming essential oils. Some of these products even help ease nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.His journey from academia to industry wasn’t just a career shift—it was a testament to his unyielding curiosity and drive to make a lasting impact.As an original thinker, he believed in the power of even the smallest idea, which could appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly. He encouraged his students to seize these moments as soon as they came, knowing this was the key to turning an idea into reality.“An idea is a neat little thing. Ideas can easily show up, uninvited, and disappear without warning. That quantum moment matters. If one can connect, correlate or expand that momentary flashed idea, that could be the triggering point to bring an idea to reality,” Sukh Dev had said responding to one of his students’ queries about what triggered great ideas.Last year, on his 100th birthday, he was honoured with the prestigious ‘60 Years of Service Excellence’ award by the American Chemical Society—a fitting tribute. He died at the age of 101, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, curiosity, and patriotism. 
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)