A family of nine tragically lost their lives after eating leftover noodles for breakfast, sparking authorities to issue an urgent warning.
The family living in China became unwell after consuming homemade corn noodles that had reportedly been stored in a freezer for a year.
The family of twelve, living in Jixi City in Heilongjiang province, had gathered on October 5 for a breakfast meal, per the Independent.
Nine family members consumed a dish called Suantangzi, a thick noodle made from fermented corn flour.
The younger family members, however, chose not to eat it, reportedly due to a dislike for its taste.
Hours after the meal, those who had eaten the noodles began experiencing symptoms of poisoning.
Eight of the family members died shortly after, with a ninth sadly passing away a few days later.
Local authorities confirmed that the family was poisoned by bongkrekic acid, a dangerous toxin, and ruled out the possibility of intentional poisoning, according to Chinese news outlets.
The National Health Commission responded with an urgent warning, advising the public to avoid making and consuming food products made from fermented rice and flour.
Health officials reported that a high concentration of bongkrekic acid, a potent respiratory toxin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas cocovenenans, was detected in both the noodles and in the gastric fluids of those who had died.
Gao Fei, the director of food safety at the Heilongjiang Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, warned of the severe effects of bongkrekic acid.
“It can cause serious damage to many human organs, including the liver, kidneys, heart, and brain,” Gao told China News Service.
According to health experts, there is currently no specific antidote for bongkrekic acid poisoning, and fatality rates can range between 40% and 100%.
Symptoms typically appear within a few hours of ingestion, with signs including abdominal pain, sweating, extreme weakness, and eventual coma. In severe cases, death can occur within 24 hours.
In a similar story, a 20-year-old student from Brussels, Belgium, identified as AJ, tragically died after consuming reheated pasta that had been left unrefrigerated for five days.
AJ, who had prepared the pasta nearly a week earlier, returned from school one evening, reheated the meal in a microwave, and ate it before heading out for sports.
About half an hour after eating, he began experiencing severe symptoms, including headache, stomach pains, and nausea, prompting him to return home immediately.
According to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, AJ soon fell gravely ill.
He “began vomiting profusely for several hours” and endured two bouts of “watery diarrhea” later that night. Exhausted, he eventually went to bed.
AJ’s parents became concerned when he hadn’t come out of his room the following morning.
When they checked on him around 11:00AM, they found that he had passed away, likely around 4:00AM, just ten hours after eating the pasta.
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Doctor issues urgent warning to OnlyFans star Bonnie Blue over dangers of ‘excessive’ sexual activity
By Nasima Khatun
A doctor has issued an urgent warning to Bonnie Blue after she recently admitted she’s got a new goal in mind.
Blue, a British-born OnlyFans content creator, initially rose to fame after she went viral for sleeping with a horde of teenagers during Spring Break.
Blue opened up her DMs to willing participants who wanted to film X-rated content with her for her OF account while they enjoyed some sun in Cancun, Mexico.
The 25-year-old adult influencer hoped that by sleeping with 100 spring-breakers, she could make at least $200,000 from the content she filmed – which she did by the way – and now she’s ready for her next global adventure.
Before she heads to her next destination later this month, Blue opened up about a goal she has yet to achieve, stating that she hopes to make an impact with this one.
On a recent episode of the ‘Dream On’ podcast with Lottie Moss, the star revealed that she plans on beating the world record for the most people slept with in a day.
When questioned about her milestone, she said: “I don’t know whether I want to do it next year or whenever I leave the industry, but I want to beat the world record. The record is like 948 people in one day.”
Blue noted that it equates to “one [person] every 45 seconds.”
It may be an ambitious goal, but it doesn’t come without its risks.
Former doctor and gynecological specialist Dr Shirin Lakhani has warned against extreme sexual behaviors like Blue’s as it could lead to permanent health issues in the future.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the expert said: “Every time you have intercourse, both the penis and the vaginal tissues will be subjected to friction,” noting that hours upon hours of sex can lead to tears in vaginal tissue, urine infections, and even a permanent disfigurement of the penis.
“As the friction builds up, both men and women are likely to experience pain,” she added.
“You can also get diminished sensation in the genitals after a while because of over-stimulation,” continued Dr. Lakhani, explaining that, in the most severe cases, men are likely to experience “traumatic” injuries to their nether regions while women are likely to contract UTIs or experience tears in their delicate tissue.
“I hope she used protection with all those men,” she said, referring to Blue’s sexual escapades. “Clearly there’s a huge risk of sexually transmitted infections.”
Blue previously stated that she goes for sexual health checks every two weeks.
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Story of 20-year-old man who died after making one huge mistake with meal-prepped pasta
By James Kay
A man tragically passed away after he made a big mistake while reheating a pasta dish.
The 20-year-old student from Brussels, Belgium, known as AJ, was sitting down to eat the pasta that had been prepped five days previously.
However, the food had not been stored in the refrigerator.
After returning home from school, AJ reheated the pasta in the microwave and ate it before heading out to play sports.
Within 30 minutes, he began feeling unwell, complaining of a headache, stomach pains, and nausea. He quickly returned home and soon fell severely ill.
A report published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology reveals that AJ “began vomiting profusely for several hours” and suffered from two bouts of “watery diarrhea” later that night.
Exhausted, he eventually went to bed. Concerned for his welfare, AJ’s parents checked on him the following morning around 11:00AM, after noticing he hadn’t been up since the previous evening.
Tragically, they discovered that AJ had passed away, likely around 4:00AM, approximately 10 hours after eating the reheated pasta.
An autopsy conducted five days later indicated that AJ’s death was likely caused by Bacillus cereus bacteria, a common but dangerous contaminant in improperly stored food.
Medical examiners found signs of liver damage, specifically moderate centrilobular necrosis, which may have contributed to his death.
The delayed autopsy, however, made determining the exact cause of death more challenging.
“The spaghetti had been kept at room temperature for several days. This allowed Bacillus cereus to grow to very high concentrations and produced the high toxin concentration (14.8 μg/g) found in the pasta and which is likely responsible for the fatal outcome,” the report’s authors wrote.
Following this heartbreaking revelation, which may spark concern amongst those who often indulge in reheated pasta, a doctor has spoken out.
Dr. Bernard, who runs a popular YouTube channel, said: “Many people eat pasta, or any other form of noodles, that are leftover for a day or two and they’re fine. Be careful of food left out for more than a few hours. If the food smells funny, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
According to Dr. Bernard, while AJ’s case is not considered common in terms of its severity, it hints at the importance of adhering to proper food storage practices to prevent similar incidents.
Health officials strongly advise promptly refrigerating perishable food items within a maximum of two hours after preparation.
Specific guidelines suggest that fresh poultry, fish, and ground meats should be either consumed or frozen within a period of two days after cooking, while beef, veal, lamb, or pork should be used or stored within a range of three to five days to maintain safety and quality.
Foodborne illnesses are responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the CDC.
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Scientists may have worked out the maximum age a person can live to
By James Kay
Following research by scientists, a study may show the maximum age a human being could live to.
Finding the secret to a long life has been a point of intrigue for humans since the dawn of time.
Nobody has quite cracked immortality yet, but the average age has definitely increased over the centuries.
This is largely thanks to modern medicine, better hygiene, and just a better standard of living overall.
But how far can a human being push the limits of aging?
Well, research conducted by scientists from Singapore biotech firm Gero and the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, may have the answers.
The researchers, who published their findings in 2022, examined the body’s resilience – its capacity to recover from physical damage – as a key determinant of longevity, per the Daily Mail.
By analyzing medical data from hundreds of thousands of volunteers, with assistance from artificial intelligence, they sought to estimate the absolute limits of human lifespan.
Beyond age alone, scientists considered a range of factors, including the impact of illness, lifestyle, and the body’s ability to bounce back from physical setbacks.
Their results indicate that, while the body can repair itself to an impressive degree, these recovery mechanisms wear down by approximately 120 to 150 years.
Although ongoing pharmaceutical developments could theoretically slow aging and extend lifespans to 200 years, scientists caution that such longevity will not become common in the near future.
However, they note that advances in age-related science may lead to more individuals breaking longevity records in the coming centuries.
The study’s findings come amid ongoing interest in global life expectancy trends.
Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that life expectancy at birth for the period between 2020 and 2022 was 78.6 years for males and 82.6 years for females.
In the United States, life expectancy currently stands lower, at around 74.8 years for males and 80.2 years for females, per the CDC.
Historically, the oldest verified human was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122, passing away in 1997.
More recently, Maria Branyas Morera held the title of the world’s oldest living person until her death in August at the age of 117, per the Guardian.
Branyas, who lived through both the 1918 Spanish flu and the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as two world wars, reportedly attributed her longevity to “order, tranquility,” and “staying away from toxic people.”
She might be onto something there.
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End of life nurse reveals the three most surprising things she’s learned about death
By Asiya Ali
An end-of-life nurse has opened up about the three most surprising things she’s learned about death.
Julie McFadden – who goes by @hospicenursejulie on TikTok and YouTube – is a registered hospice nurse based in Los Angeles.
The nurse, who has spent years providing end-of-life care, uses her social media platforms to share insight into people’s final moments in the hopes of destigmatizing death.
Back in June, McFadden posted a YouTube video about the three most surprising things that happen to the body before someone passes away.
“Here are the most surprising things I’ve learned about the end of life,” she said in the clip, which has been viewed 105,724 times, as of this writing.
Watch her video below:
They can hear you.The first shocking point the healthcare professional made was that people on the brink of death can still “hear us,” even when they’re unconscious.
“When someone is unconscious and not responding to us we do believe they can hear us,” she explained. “There have been studies done where people were dying and they had EKGS on their brains which showed that the hearing sensor was the last to shut down.”
She encouraged us to talk to patients “like they can respond back,” rather than speaking about them like they are already dead.
“Say the things you need and want to say. And don’t talk about your loved one like they aren’t there,” she shared. “As a hospice nurse, I always try to speak to the patient like they could answer me back.”
The expert revealed that during her time as an ICU nurse, she’s seen many patients come out of coma and say they could still “sense” what was going on around them.
“They would tell us that they could hear certain things, they could sense people in the room,” she added. “They knew somewhat what was going on. We do think that is the same for the dying person. So really, at the end of life, it’s just about being present, it’s about creating an atmosphere and an environment that’s comforting to them.”
Deathbed phenomena.The second most surprising thing McFadden learned is “deathbed phenomena,” which is a term that describes the “unusual experiences reported by dying persons and those around them in the days”.
Some patients might inform their family or friends that they saw a dead relative member or are about to go on a trip, which Julie has described as “visioning”.
She also recounted treating patients who got a “surge of energy” before passing away. This process is called terminal lucidity, and it can often bring an unexpected return of consciousness and mental clarity.
“[These things] were mind-blowing to me as a new hospice nurse it still is mind-blowing to me when I see it now, eight years later,” the doctor added.
Dehydration makes death less painfulThe third and final surprising fact the nurse learned is that dehydration “helps people have a more peaceful death”.
She explained: “Why? Because a dying body cannot handle the hydration that like a living well-body can. If we try to hydrate a dying body at the end of life they’ll become overloaded with fluid.”
“The body can’t handle the fluid… it won’t stay in the person’s veins or arteries, it’ll seep out and cause swelling and then eventually cause respiratory distress,” she continued. “The more I saw that as a new hospice nurse the more I was amazed about how our bodies really help us die.”
McFadden said our bodies “will start helping us be more dehydrated because the body knows that the more dehydrated you are the better you’re going to feel,” adding: “You’re going to go into ketosis [if you’re dehydrated] and your body will release endorphins that actually will give you a euphoric feeling and help start dulling pain and make you actually feel good.”
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Doctor finally sets record straight on the most common question people ask about vaginas
By Asiya Ali
A doctor has offered an answer to an age-old question about vaginas.
The vagina is truly a fascinating body part that is misunderstood.
The female reproductive organ serves many functions throughout a woman’s life such as pregnancy, menstruation, and puberty.
But for all its wonders, there are still many misconceptions about our lady parts, including the vagina’s flexibility during sexual intercourse.
A gynecologist named Dr Michelle Metz has now come forward to set the record straight on whether sex can stretch out a woman’s vagina: and the answer is both yes and no.
“The vagina is basically a muscular rubber band that stretches during sex and returns to its original shape and size,” Metz told Women’s Health.
However, the first time a woman has sex, the size of her vagina will change due to the hymen – an elastic tissue that can stretch as you move – breaking or tearing. This can “sometimes lead to mild bleeding,” Dr Metz revealed, “And the vaginal opening increases in size.”
The vaginal wall can also expand if you get intimate with men with different-sized penises, according to the New York-based board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist.
But the stretch isn’t permanent as it goes back to its original shape after the sexy time is over. “It’s pretty impossible for sex alone to permanently stretch out the vagina,” Dr Metz added.
While your vagina may not stretch forever, you may have some small tears or slight pain due to intercourse. “That’s a sign that the vaginal skin stretched a bit too much,’ she explained.
This isn’t something to be too concerned about, however, the gynecologist advises you to see a doctor if the discomfort persists every time you have sex.
Dr Metz revealed that she uses tools like a graduated vaginal dilator to help her patients get used to a larger and larger diameter. “And sometimes I send patients to a pelvic floor physical therapist,” she shared.
Furthermore, the doctor added that if a woman is struggling with sex, then she may have a serious medical condition that needs urgent attention.
“You should definitely consult your ob-gyn because some of those conditions can require surgical correction,” Dr Metz said.