IGNORED: Trump Grants Commutations To Several Women In Need In ‘Clemency Spree,’ Media Focuses On ‘Corruption’

President Donald Trump granted clemency to eleven people Tuesday in what mainstream media outlets are calling a “clemency spree,” but many are ignoring the several women — including women of color — who were granted relief from long prison sentences, in pursuit of headlines tying Trump to “corruption” and “white collar crime.”

Trump did, of course, grant commutations and pardons to several high-profile individuals, including former governor Rob Blagojevich, former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerick, financier Mike Milken, and pro-football Hall of Famer Edward DeBartolo, Jr.

But while media focused on creating a common thread tying these commutations and pardons together in an effort to, it seems, connect them back to Trump campaign operative Roger Stone’s ongoing trial, the media missed several other pardons and commutations granted to women who took minor roles in criminal enterprises yet received major Federal prison sentences.

Angela Stanton received a pardon, at the behest of Alaveda King (neice of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.), after serving “a 6-month home confinement sentence for her role in a stolen vehicle ring.” After doing her time, Stanton went on to become an advocate for former inmates, pioneering “re-entry” programs for those returning to the workforce from a stint in prison,” focusing on the critical role of families in the process,” according to the White House’s official statement on the matter.

Trump, it seems, built on his earlier criminal justice reform initiatives in deciding to commute the sentences of several other women, including Crystal Munoz, who served her time with Alice Marie Johnson — the woman found herself free after forging a friendship with Kim Kardashian West who, subsequently, took her case to the White House. Johnson came to consider Munoz “one of her prison daughters,” she told The Associated Press, and urged the President to grant her the same mercy he’d granted Johnson.

“We did a lot of crying and a lot of praying together for things to change for us,” Johnson said.

Munoz gave birth in Federal custody, while awaiting trial on charges of “conspiring to distribute [marijuana].” She was sentenced to 20 years in prison despite contending that “her only role was drawing a map others allegedly used in moving the drugs from Mexico to Texas.” The AP reports that Munoz received ineffective counsel at her trial and suffered dire consequences.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2020/02/ignored-trump-grants-commutations-to.html

UN Troops Featured in World Military Games in Wuhan China Weeks Before Coronavirus Outbreak

In this report we take a closer look inside the World Military Games opening ceremony held in Wuhan China weeks before the coronavirus outbreak.

Is it just a coincidence that a UN-themed pandemic simulation of a global coronavirus outbreak took place the same day as the UN-themed opening ceremonies in Wuhan, ground zero for the outbreak?

We also examine which nation will fill the vacuum now that the world’s biggest economy has been crippled by the outbreak.

https://www.activistpost.com/2020/02/un-troops-featured-in-world-military-games-in-wuhan-china-weeks-before-coronavirus-outbreak.html

>>8196294

Dominoes Are Falling – China Shutdown To Crush India’s Already-Crumbling Economy

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/dominos-are-falling-china-shutdown-disrupts-indias-economy

China destroys $600 million in cash to stop coronavirus spread on infected bank notes

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/china-destroys-600-million-cash-21520944

Did coronavirus originate in Chinese govt laboratory?

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/615052-did-coronavirus-originate-in-chinese-govt-laboratory?fbclid=IwAR00g8apH06I0NdgQAd1TUcX3wSClK3qOAGXfB7YsM6wysCOCQ098U5uBrE

What is the Xiangshan Forum, and why is it important?

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-10-20/What-is-the-Xiangshan-Forum-and-why-is-it-important–KWbX9Xt0hW/index.html

Amid Coronavirus, the World Closes Its Doors to China: ‘I Feel So Isolated’

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amid-coronavirus-the-world-closes-its-doors-to-china-i-feel-so-isolated-11582060811

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, China is now also fighting deadly bird flu in chickens

https://www.businessinsider.com/h5n1-deadly-bird-flu-emerged-near-center-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-2

China Approves Imports of Live Poultry From US

https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-approves-imports-of-live-poultry-from-us_3240571.html

Why the global battle over Huawei could prove more disruptive than Trump’s trade war with China

http://theconversation.com/why-the-global-battle-over-huawei-could-prove-more-disruptive-than-trumps-trade-war-with-china-131828

Which Supply Chains Are Most At Risk: The Answer In One Chart

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/which-supply-chains-are-most-risk-answer-one-chart

Did coronavirus originate in Chinese government laboratory? Scientists believe killer disease may have begun in research facility 300 yards from Wuhan wet fish market

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8009669/Did-coronavirus-originate-Chinese-government-laboratory.html

CHINA FILES 84 PATENTS FOR CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY

https://bitcoinist.com/china-files-84-patents-for-central-bank-digital-currency/

Rituals, Events & Military Meetings ~ UN Agenda~ Prior To ‘Reported’ Virus Outbreak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgczmGOFXiA

The British government’s covert propaganda campaign in Syria

Documents obtained by MEE reveal how British contractors recruited Syrian citizen journalists - often without their knowledge - to promote 'moderate opposition'

The British government covertly established a network of citizen journalists across Syria during the early years of the country’s civil war in an attempt to shape perceptions of the conflict, frequently recruiting people who were unaware that they were being directed from London.

A number of leaked documents seen by Middle East Eye show how the propaganda initiative began in 2012 and gathered pace the following year, shortly after the UK parliament refused to authorise British military action in Syria.

Drawing upon British, American and Canadian funding, UK government contractors set up offices in Istanbul and Amman, where they hired members of the Syrian diaspora, who in turn recruited citizen journalists inside Syria.

These journalists, many of them young, were commissioned to produce TV footage, radio programmes, social media, posters, magazines and even children’s comics.

While many Syrians turned spontaneously to media activism from the start of the war, the documents describe the way in which the British government sought to guide some of their output, seeing citizen journalism as a way of covertly influencing Syrian audiences.

The papers also make clear that those people who were recruited were often unaware that they were part of a British propaganda initiative.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/revealed-british-government-covert-propaganda-campaign-syria

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>>8196327

These would then be distributed to Arabic language media organisations, through what purported to be the press offices of Syrian opposition groups.

Favoured video clips might be film of fighters from the moderate opposition handing out food, or using sophisticated weaponry to good effect.

“Then that would go to Sky News Arabia, BBC Arabic, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, those sort of outlets,” said one person involved.

Whenever British government officials wished to discuss the work, meetings would be held away from the newly established offices, to avoid contact with the locally hired Syrians.

British staff running the offices would also be expected to prepare reports on their meetings with Syrians, which would be passed back to the foreign office.

Opposition social media accounts

Meanwhile, other leaked documents seen by MEE show that the British government had awarded contracts to communications companies, which selected and trained opposition spokespeople, ran press offices that operated 24 hours a day, and developed opposition social media accounts.

British staff running these offices were told that their Syrian employees were permitted to talk to British journalists – as spokespeople for the Syrian opposition – but only after receiving clearance from officials at the British consulate in Istanbul.

One of the responsibilities of the press offices set up covertly by the British government under the terms of these contracts was to “maintain an effective network of correspondents/stringers inside Syria to report on MAO [moderate armed opposition] activity”.

In this way, the British government was able to exert behind-the-scenes influence over conversations that the UK media was having with individuals who presented themselves as Syrian opposition representatives.

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US lost track of $715m in weapons sent to anti-Daesh allies in Syria

The US government has failed to account for nearly $715.8 million in weapons and equipment funnelled to its Syrian allies involved in the multinational counter-offensive against Daesh, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Department of Defence.

Officials with the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operations Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR), which is part of the Combined Joint Task Force (the US military’s mission in Syria) reportedly “did not maintain comprehensive lists of all equipment purchased and received” to supply its allies fighting against Daesh, known as CTEF-S equipment in the fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

In addition to failures in accounting for the weapons purchased and received, they were also not stored properly, causing many to rust or become vulnerable to theft. “This occurred because SOJTF-OIR personnel did not divest or dispose of CTEF-S equipment, which led to overcrowding at the BPC Kuwait warehouse”.

The report however did not indicate whether weapons intended for vetted partners may have found their ways into the wrong hands. According to the Military Times, some of the equipment has ended up in the hands of Daesh and Al-Qaeda affiliates due to “battlefield losses by partner forces and as a result of Islamic State [Daesh] fighters plundering the armories of U.S.-backed groups in early 2014 as the jihadi group surged across Iraq and Syria”.

The Pentagon’s Syrian Train and Equip Program which reportedly cost $500 million was the public-facing part of a two-pronged effort in arming opposition groups in a bid to overthrow the Syrian government and to push back Daesh. According to an updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, the program has seen more than $2.3 billion allocated towards it between fiscal years 2015 and 2021.

Meanwhile, the CIA’s own operation in arming Syrian opposition, Timber Sycamore, which included Saudi involvement has resulted in terrorist groups armed by both parties fighting one another in Syria. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a rebranded Al-Qaeda affiliate, was one such group benefitting from the CIA operation.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200220-us-lost-track-of-715m-in-weapons-sent-to-anti-daesh-allies-in-syria/

Audit of the DoD’s Accountability of Counter-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Train and Equip Fund Equipment Designated for Syria DODIG-2020-061

https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Article/2085916/audit-of-the-dods-accountability-of-counter-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-syria-tra/

Ankara accuses Damascus of targeting Turkish army’s positions in Idlib

The attack left two troops killed, and five soldiers wounded, according to the Turkish top brass

ANKARA, February 20. /TASS/. The Syrian air force has carried out strikes on the Turkish army’s positions in the Idlib province, killing two troops, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"Our troops deployed to Idlib to ensure peace and carry out humanitarian activities came under the [Assad] regime’s attack, which killed two troops and left another five wounded," the tweet reads.

The Turkish Defense Ministry earlier issued a statement about an airstrike on the Turkish positions. At the same time, the ministry reported that "over 50 [Syrian] regime soldiers were killed, five tanks, two armored vehicles, a self-propelled artillery gun and two military pickups were destroyed."

Turkey’s Anadolu news agency informed earlier on Thursday that the so-called armed Syrian opposition had launched an operation against government forces in the Idlib province. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syrian troops managed to thwart the opposition’s attacks.

https://tass.com/world/1122543

Translate: We illegally invaded your country to kill your citizens and support terrorists how dare you fight back!

PM says he’s lifted freeze to build Givat Hamatos neighborhood in East Jerusalem

11 days before election, Netanyahu announces approval for 3,000 homes for Jews in project that would cut off Palestinian areas in capital from West Bank

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he had lifted restrictions against the construction of the controversial Givat Hamatos neighborhood in East Jerusalem, saying that 3,000 homes would be built for Jewish residents there, in addition to another 2,200 housing units for Jews in the nearby Har Homa neighborhood.

The significance of Netanyahu’s approval was not immediately clear, given that the final authorization for construction in Givat Hamatos had been given by his office six years ago.

The plan for construction in Givat Hamatos was first brought forward in 2012, earning widespread condemnation in the international community over its cutting off of the Palestinian neighborhoods of Beit Safafa and Sharafat from the West Bank, in a manner that critics said placed a nail in the coffin of a two-state solution based roughly on the pre-1967 lines.

Thursday appeared to have been the first time Netanyahu publicly admitted to having placed a building freeze on the Givat Hamatos plan, explaining that he had been under immense pressure from countries abroad not to build there.

Addressing reporters in front of Har Homa along with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Netanyahu said that in addition to the 2,200 units he had signed off on for the neighborhood behind him and the 3,000 units for Givat Hamatos, he had also green-lit 1,000 homes for Palestinians in the neighborhood of Beit Safafa, which has long suffered from a housing crisis.

“Coexistence in Jerusalem,” he declared. “Jerusalem is being built and expanded. We are connecting all parts of the united Jerusalem. I have removed all the restrictions, and now Jerusalem is being built under my authority.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-says-hes-lifted-freeze-to-build-givat-hamatos-neighborhood-in-east-jerusalem/

Senate Democrats Ask To Investigate Communication Between DOJ & Giuliani

Democrats in the Senate have signed off on a letter asking Inspector General Michael Horowitz to expand their investigation into Rudy Giuliani and the Justice Department’s recent communications regarding the Biden’s.

They first started calling for an investigation into the President’s “personal lawyer,” after Barr confirmed that the Department would be reviewing information on the Biden’s received from Giuliani during a press conference.

Federal prosecutors in New York have already contacted witnesses and and requested additional documents as part of the investigation.

Rudy Giuliani submitted the information he gathered through the Justice Department’s new “intake process,” which is being used to receive information on the Biden’s from the public.

Ranking member Dianne Feinstein and nine other Democrats claimed in the letter “that Mr. Giuliani’s interactions with senior DOJ officials may have unduly influenced or created conflicts of interests with regard to DOJ activities.”

“These reports suggest that Mr. Giuliani has used his relationship with the President, including his representation of the President as a private citizen, to gain improper access to attorneys and investigators in the agency, particularly political appointees who serve at the President’s pleasure.”

“At a minimum, Mr. Giuliani’s access creates an appearance of impropriety that could undermine trust in the agency,” they added.

This request to the inspector general to expand their probe comes as the result of Nadler’s four-page-letter sent to the Justice Department, where he demanded information on the Justice Department’s announcement of their new “intake process.”

In this letter, House Judiciary Chairman Nadler claimed the DOJ accepting information from Giuliani “would seem to be a significant departure from traditional channels,” and it raises “conflicts of interest-both for the Department, generally, and for you [Barr], specifically.”

Attorney General Barr replied to Nadler on Wednesday, saying “We had established an intake process in the field so that any information coming in about Ukraine could be carefully scrutinized by the department and its intelligence community partners.”

https://thedcpatriot.com/breaking-senate-democrats-ask-to-investigate-communication-between-doj-giuliani/

Ted Cruz: climate movement is ‘an emotional primal scream’ instead of science

Sen. Ted Cruz warned Democrats could destroy the country if they are allowed to implement aggressive reforms to combat climate change.

“What is dangerous about the climate movement is it has become an emotional primal scream, rather than being driven by science,” the Texas Republican said in a campaign ad released Tuesday.

The minute-and-a-half ad features prominent Democrats who issue dire warnings about a warming planet and implore the public to take climate change more seriously.

“By 2030, no more cars. By 2035, no more production of electricity,” the video shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren saying at a campaign event.

Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also makes an appearance. “The world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change,” the New York Democrat said.

Cruz warned political leaders who are calling for aggressive climate change reforms are also advocating for a more socialized American economic system.

“Climate is a good excuse to say you’ve got to have socialism, or else, all of humanity is going to die,” Cruz said.

The senator also said legislation such as the Green New Deal and a new push by Democrats to ban fracking is too dangerous to even consider.

“It would be hard to find something more economically devastating,” he said.

https://www.thedailysheeple.com/ted-cruz-climate-movement-is-an-emotional-primal-scream-instead-of-science/

Assad after Aleppo’s Liberation: Despite Erdogan’s Loud Bark, All of Syria Will Be Liberated

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that the Liberation of the city of Aleppo did not mean the end of the war, the fall of enemy plans, the end of terrorism, or the surrender of enemies, but that it certainly meant that they had bitten the dust, as a prelude to their complete defeat which will inevitably occur sooner or later.

O our noble and honorable families of Aleppo.

(I send you my sincere) greetings (in recognition) of (your) steadfastness and (your) perseverance. (I send you) greetings of faith in God and in the nation. (I send you) greetings of courage and sacrifice. Our Syrian Arab Army brings you all these greetings via the sacrifices of its fighters.

When the city of Aleppo was liberated at the end of 2016, I declared that what would follow the Liberation of the city of Aleppo would be radically distinct from what preceded, because it was a major turning point. I said this based on my knowledge of the hearts and the determination of our armed forces. I said this based on my certainty about the patriotism of the people of Aleppo and their loyalty to their homeland and to the national army. I firmly believed it would overturn enemy calculations.

This is what happened. Aleppo had to pay a big price for that, equal to the greatness of its people and the patriotism of its stance. Years of brutal and atrocious bombing have struck most neighborhoods, causing tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, orphans, bereaved fathers and mothers, widows. Years of siege without water, electricity and other essentials for life (because the terrorists wanted) Aleppo to kneel and its children to surrender. And with each treacherous shell dropped (because terrorist groups were constantly violating ceasefire agreements), the hope of enemies increased so that Aleppo would become another Aleppo (at their image), another Aleppo that has never existed throughout History… (Our enemies aspired to an) Aleppo which would not form with its twin, Damascus, two wings by which the country can fly. On the contrary, they aspired to see a city of Aleppo whose children would line up alongside the traitors, kneeling and prostrating before their masters, begging for a few dollars and lots of shame. This is what they dreamed of.

But as for (what really happened in) our real world, with each enemy shell dropped, the fear was washed away and the will to face this challenge increased. With each martyr who rose (to heaven), the national spirit has grown and faith in the country has been deepened ever more. In our real world, the real Aleppo has remained: Aleppo with its history, its noble heritage and its authenticity. And because it is so, Aleppo’s people have not only resolved to resist through resilience, with what it means in terms of pain, suffering and crisis, but also through action, work and the initiative to produce and move forward, which continued throughout the years of the siege, despite conditions totally contrary to all economic logic. Despite everything, this city continued to contribute, even if it was in a minimal way, to the national economy, and I am convinced that this type of steadfastness and firmness, which reflects the solid will and the deeply rooted affiliation to the nation, is the one that will bring Aleppo out of the ashes of war to restore its natural and pioneering position in the economy of Syria.

https://thesaker.is/assad-after-aleppos-liberation-despite-erdogans-loud-bark-all-of-syria-will-be-liberated/

Nine Dead in Apparent Anti-Muslim Attack in Germany. Will It Lead to a Crackdown on Right-Wing Political Groups?

A man described by authorities as a "right-wing terrorist" attacked two shisha bars in the city of Hanau, Germany, killing nine people and injuring several others. After a short manhunt, police found the man in his apartment, dead of a gunshot wound. He had apparently murdered his 72-year-old mother before turning the gun on himself.

His name has not yet been released and police have identified him only as 43-year-old Tobias R. He apparently had a lot of far-right, anti-immigrant propaganda in his apartment and on his social media sites.

There are five people with what are being described as "life-threatening injuries." Shisha, or hookah bars, are popular with the immigrant community and some younger Germans.

German federal prosecutors are investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, in a strange and jarring "I told you so" statement, the Islamic Association made it clear they were the victims.

CNN:

"Before this right-wing terror we had been warning and demanding for weeks and months to take a clear stand against right-wing agitation and Islamophobia," its statement said. "We had also warned that terror threatens us all – Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Our warnings were ignored. The terror has struck. It is now the time to stand together."

They are almost congratulating themselves for being "right." Very strange at a time of mourning for the rest of the German people.

Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the "perpetrators" – there was one lone attacker, say police.

"It is still too early for a final evaluation. Everything is being done to clear up the background of these horrible murders to the last detail. But at present there is much evidence that the perpetrator acted out of right-wing extremist, racist motives – out of hatred against people of other origins, other beliefs or other outward appearances.

"Racism is a poison, hatred is a poison," Merkel said. "I think now especially of the families and friends of the murdered. None of us can measure the suffering that the perpetrators brought upon them. I mourn with them and express my deepest sympathy."

There is a real danger now of a crackdown on right-wing political groups, including the Alliance for Germany Party, whose recent success has threatened the hold on power of Merkel's governing coalition. For its part, the AfD vigorously condemned the murders.

"We believe that it is in the interests of the relatives of the victims if the crime and its background are clarified quickly," it added in a statement. "The AfD group has full confidence in the investigative authorities that they will solve the crime quickly and completely."

During a recent election in the German state of Thuringia, the AfD engineered a coup of sorts by working with Merkel's CDU centrist party to elect a state premiere, a member of the minor Free Democrats party. This so terrified authorities in Berlin they forced the Free Democrat premiere to resign and to hold another election.

The AfD is not the problem. The party does not encourage "hate" or violence, does not promote anti-Islamic views or antisemitism. But they are likely to continue to be the scapegoat for government policies that breed dissatisfaction in the refugee community and resentment among German citizens.

What ails Germany is not politics. It's bad government.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/9-dead-in-anti-muslim-attack-in-germany/

The site below gives live updated world wide instances of human/child trafficking arrests. The volume is shocking!

https://human.globalincidentmap.com/

Corrupt Judge Amy Berman Jackson Goes on Crazy Tirade During Stone Sentencing, Criticizes Barr, Trump and Tries to Cover Up For Hillary Clinton!

Demon Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Roger Stone to 3 years and 4 months in prison and a $20,000 fine on Thursday.

Roger Stone’s gag order was still in place after Judge Jackson handed down his sentence so he was silent and didn’t take any questions from reporters.

Jackson deferred execution of Stone’s sentencing giving him a chance to appeal for a new trial.

Corrupt Obama-appointed Judge Amy Berman Jackson was snarky and angry in court as she prepared to hand down Roger Stone’s sentence.

Roger Stone was previously convicted by a biased jury on all 7 counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

The bogus charges stemmed from Mueller’s abusive Russia witch hunt.

The lead juror on Stone’s case was a Trump-hating Democrat activist who previously attacked Roger Stone on Twitter.

How is this a jury of Stone’s peers?

Judge Jackson also used her courtroom during the hearing to publicly criticize President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr.

After Judge Jackson came back from a break, she told the court, “Unsurprisingly, I have a lot to say,” and she went on a crazy tirade, ripping Roger Stone to pieces, accusing him of covering up for President Trump!

Angry Jackson said people should be disgusted with Roger Stone for his actions.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/corrupt-judge-amy-berman-jackson-goes-on-crazy-tirade-during-stone-sentencing-criticizes-barr-trump-and-tries-to-cover-up-for-hillary-clinton/

Assange Seeks Asylum In France As Extradition Trial Approaches

Julian Assange will seek asylum in France, according to the Associated Press. Lawyers for the WikiLeaks founder are currently preparing for his lates hearing, where he faces extradition to the United States on 17 criminal charges for unlawfully publishing the names of classified sources, as well as conspiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain access to classified information.

Manning's 35-year sentence was commuted by President Obama after spending nearly seven years in prison. Assange, meanwhile, spent nearly seven years on Ecuador's London embassy before he was ejected and arrested by British police for jumping bail in an unrelated case.

Speaking from Paris, Assange's defense team said that the case against him is unfair, and violates his human rights while his health is suffering.

"We consider the situation is sufficiently serious that our duty is to talk about it" with French President Emmanuel Macron, said French lawyer Eric Dupont-Moretti.

Assange's Spanish coordinator, Baltasar Garzon, confirmed that the legal team will argue that former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) acted as a middle man for the Trump administration to offer Assange a pardon if he showed proof that Russia was not involved in the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee's email. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham denied on Wednesday.

"The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he’s an ex-congressman," said Grisham. "He’s never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject. It is a complete fabrication and a total lie."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/assange-seeks-asylum-france-extradition-trial-approaches

New Study Shows How Eating a Western Diet Impairs Brain Function and Leads to Overeating

Could it be that our Western-style diet laden with saturated fats, added sugars, and processed grains could actually impair our brain functions while weighing us down with a tendency to continuously over-indulge?

According to researchers, this is very much the case. Gluttonous diets in the West could transform otherwise healthy and slim young people into mildly scatter-brained overeaters.

The new study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is among the first studies looking into how the Western diet impairs memory and appetite control in humans.

The results of the research are shocking and show how high-fat, high-sugar diets caused volunteers to perform worse on memory tests while nursing a continuous craving for junk food even after they had finished a meal. In fact, the desire for junk food only grew after they had eaten the meal.

The research suggests that self-control in regards to food consumption is harder for those who cling to a Euro-American or Western diet, with the array of foods involved in the diet causing havoc for the hippocampus—the part of the brain which regulates memory and appetite control.

Richard Stevenson, study co-author and psychology professor Macquarie University in Sydney, told the Guardian:

After a week on a Western-style diet, palatable food such as snacks and chocolate becomes more desirable when you are full.

This will make it harder to resist, leading you to eat more, which in turn generates more damage to the hippocampus and a vicious cycle of overeating.

To investigate the Western diet’s impact on humans, researchers recruited 110 participants aged 20-23 who were generally lean and healthy and stuck to a good diet. The group was split into one control group that ate their normal diet for a week, while the other team was assigned a calorie-heavy western-style diet filled to the brim with fast food and Belgian waffles.

At the beginning and end of the week both groups ate a breakfast in the lab that was bookended by word memory tests and rating how much they enjoy sugary foods like Froot Loops and Coco Pops, as well as how much they want to continue eating them.

Prof. Stevenson noted that their findings suggest the disruption of the hippocampus by the foods. He added:

The more desirable people find the palatable food when full, following the Western-style diet, the more impaired they were on the test of hippocampal function.

Continuing, Stevenson explained that when the hippocampus isn’t functioning to its full capacity, memories flood the brain which makes food more appealing than it should be—even when our bellies are full. The findings echo earlier research done on animals which showed junk food’s ability to impair the hippocampus.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2020/02/new-study-shows-how-eating-a-western-diet-impairs-brain-function-and-leads-to-overeating.html