Weekly Health Quiz: Coronavirus, Kidneys and Soil

1 Recent animal research found both conventional and low-linolenic acid soybean oil produces which of the following health effects?

• Genetic dysfunction in the hypothalamus

  Recent research warns soybean oil can cause neurological and metabolic changes. Soybean diets caused dysfunction in about 100 different genes in the hypothalamus, including one that is responsible for producing oxytocin, which has beneficial effects on your heart. Learn more.

• Improved heart health
• Genetic changes that improve metabolism
• Reduced cancer risk

2 The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak that began in China in December 2019 has clinical manifestations consistent with:

• Ebola
• Viral pneumonia

  Clinical manifestations of infection with 2019-nCoV are consistent with viral pneumonia. Learn more.

• Influenza A
• The common cold

3 Which of the following chemicals found in many personal care items has endocrine disrupting activity and enhances penetration of other chemicals through your skin?

• Retin A
• Asbestos
• Oxybenzone

  Oxybenzone, the active ingredient in many sunscreens, enhances the ability of other chemicals to penetrate your skin, including toxic herbicides, pesticides and insect repellants, and acts as an endocrine disruptor. Learn more.

• Parabens

4 Which of the following conditions is strongly linked to and affected by both your vitamin D and melatonin status?

• Low blood pressure
• Asthma
• Aneurysm
• Cancer

  Multiple sclerosis, cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders and high blood pressure are all examples of diseases that appear strongly linked to and affected by your vitamin D and melatonin status. Learn more.

5 To optimize your health, you need to:

• Activate autophagy and mTOR in a cyclical fashion on a regular basis

  Fasting activates autophagy, allowing your body to clean out damaged cells. Refeeding activates mTOR, thus shutting down autophagy and starting the rebuilding process. These two processes need to be cyclically activated to optimize your health and avoid problems. Learn more.

• Activate autophagy as often and for as long as possible
• Activate mTOR as often and for as long as possible
• Suppress both autophagy and mTOR as much as possible

6 If soil loss continues at the present rate, our planet could run out of farmable soil in how many years?

• 250
• 60

  Seventy percent of our planet's soil has already been destroyed. Because nature takes an estimated 1,000 years to generate just 3 centimeters of topsoil, if the current rate of soil degradation continues, Earth could run out of farmable soil in 60 years. Learn more.

• 500
• 100

7 Which of the following types of diets can help you maintain healthy kidney function as you get older?

• A high-protein diet
• A low-fat diet
• A low-acid diet

  A high-acid diet can deteriorate your kidney function and speed up the progression of kidney disease. Any diet high in fruits and vegetables and low or devoid of processed foods and dairy products will be lower in acid, allowing you to maintain healthy kidney function as you get older. Learn more.

• A high-acid diet