Is There Glyphosate in Your Hummus? And Other Stories to Read Now
Is There Glyphosate in Your Hummus? And Other Stories to Read Now
Every week, we corral compelling wellness stories from around the internet—just in time for your weekend reading.
Bayer’s Weedkiller Found in Hummus, Chickpeas
The Environmental Working Group
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization, released a report this week stating that it had found glyphosate in 80 percent of nonorganic hummus and chickpeas it sampled from major food retailers. (Levels were far lower in the organic foods tested.) Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the world, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a probable carcinogen, meaning there is limited evidence that it can cause cancer in humans. This report is a good reminder to buy organic whenever possible.
Why We’re Losing the Battle with Covid-19
The New York Times
What profession guards your health? If your first thought was doctors, you’re not alone. In the United States, where health is widely perceived as a private good rather than a public right, clinical medicine is understood to be the on front lines of health. It receives the bulk of funding, accolades, and attention. But the fundamental basis of both our collective and individual health is our public health infrastructure: a field that is chronically undervalued and underfunded—and even considered an affront to personal freedom.
A Teenager Didn’t Do Her Online Schoolwork. So a Judge Sent Her to Juvenile Detention.
ProPublica
With schools closed, classes held remotely, and the many stresses of a viral pandemic weighing on the minds of students, we might forgive teenagers for not completing their classwork. In May, however, a high school student in suburban Detroit was arrested and placed in a juvenile detention center for doing just that. The presiding judge justifies the decision to incarcerate the teenager as a service to the community, even though it defies the guidance of legal and educational leaders. Some experts, as well as the student’s mother, understand the sentencing differently: as a symptom of pervasive racial bias in the juvenile court system.
At College Health Centers, Students Battle Misdiagnoses and Inaccessible Care
The Washington Post
An analysis of campus health centers by The Washington Post reveals that many universities routinely provide inadequate care when it comes to treating sick students, leaving many wondering if colleges will be able to handle the coronavirus pandemic once classes are in session again. This report shows that college health care facilities are often understaffed and unregulated, though many students rely on these services because of the high cost of attending college.