Weekly Health Quiz: Vitamin D, Cherries and Concussions

1 Which of the following nutrients is required for the activation of vitamin D in your body?

• Vitamin K1
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Magnesium

  Magnesium is necessary for the activation of vitamin D. Without sufficient amounts of it, your body cannot properly utilize the vitamin D you're taking. Learn more.

2 Health officials often claim getting an annual flu shot will lessen your symptoms should you contract influenza. Recent research from France found influenza vaccination resulted in:

• Significant reduction of all flu symptoms
• Complete avoidance of influenza
• A reduction in flu-associated headache

  French research shows flu vaccination resulted in insignificant lessening of symptoms in those who contracted influenza anyway — limited to a reduction in initial headache complaints among those who had been vaccinated. Learn more.

• Shorter flu duration

3 To improve public health, lower health care spending and reduce environmental pollution by 2025, the global population is called to:

• Boycott GMOs and factory-farmed food, and make organic, regenerative and grass fed food the norm

  Industrial agriculture, factory farms and GMOs have devastated the environment and public health. To solve these issues, the Organic Consumers Association is calling for a boycott on GMOs and factory-farm food, and to make organic, regenerative and grass fed food the norm by 2025. Learn more.

• Exercise at least 2.5 hours per week
• Become vegetarians or vegans
• Support and invest in meat substitutes

4 Which of the following strategies are a potent combination for preventing and treating depression and other mood disorders?

• Walking barefoot in nature and getting regular talk therapy
• High intensity exercise and hydrating after exertion
• Eating real food, exercising regularly and avoiding EMF exposure

  Studies show unprocessed foods help optimize your gut microbiome, thereby supporting optimal mental health, whereas sugar, gluten and processed foods have been linked to a greater risk for depression, anxiety and even suicide. Exercising regularly and minimizing EMF exposure are also potent weapons against depression. Learn more.

• Taking antidepressants and eating foods fortified with minerals

5 The average cherry tree will start producing fruit in two to four years. What's the average annual yield for a fully mature cherry tree?

• 150 to 300 cherries
• 1.5 to 3 pounds
• 15 to 30 pounds
• 150 to 300 pounds

  Cherry trees will grow about 1 foot per year, start producing fruit in two to four years, and can produce anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds of cherries per tree per year once fully mature. Both tart and sweet cherry are easy to grow in your backyard. Learn more.

6 Monsanto has steadfastly claimed that Roundup is harmless to animals and humans because the mechanism of action it uses (which allows it to kill weeds), called the shikimate pathway, is absent in all animals. However, the shikimate pathway is present in:

• Human gut bacteria
• Soil bacteria
• Plants
• All of the above

  Monsanto has steadfastly claimed that Roundup is harmless to animals and humans because the mechanism of action it uses (which allows it to kill weeds), called the shikimate pathway, is absent in all animals. However, the shikimate pathway is present in human gut bacteria as well as soil bacteria and plants. Learn more.

7 Low-grade accumulation of concussions over time accelerates the process of:

• Alzheimer's

  Long-term, chronic traumatic encephalopathy — low-grade accumulation of concussions over time — accelerates the process of dementia, raising your risk for neurological dysfunction and disease later in life. Learn more.

• Parkinson's
• Coma
• Meningitis