Thanks to my wife for sending this warning about a hep A outbreak linked to frozen berries from Costco. Watch out smoothie drinkers!

My mom came into town recently and also reminded me to avoid boba drinks because it causes cancer. I decided to see if there’s any truth to this. After a very thorough investigation (brief review of the first page that came up in my Google search),  I could only find this article about scientists finding a carcinogenic substance in the boba they tested in Germany. Not surprisingly the manufactures in Taiwan questioned the claims.

Does boba cause cancer? Not quite sure. But seems like everything causes cancer these days. According to the WHO fact sheet, cancer is the number 1 cause of death worldwide. It also states  “About 30% of cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol use.”

Add to that the cancers that are caused by Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C (liver) and HPV (cervical), viruses that are also associated with human behaviors (whether high risk sexual activity or IV drug use) and you got a huge number of deaths that could have been avoided with different lifestyle choices. Add to that the numbers of deaths from cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory problems, and stroke and that number grows even more.

It’s very interesting how the burden of disease has shifted over the years from things that happen to people (infections) to things we do to ourselves (heart disease, cancer, stroke). The root of sickness really is a spiritual problem, and until we actually deal with the underlying dysfunctions that drive unhealthy behaviors, we won’t see healthier people despite the trillions of dollars we are spending in healthcare.

We were created to be whole in relationship with God. Physical health starts with the soul, and until we made right with our creator God, we’ll always be trying to fill our eternal void with everything and anything else. More thoughts about this in chapter 3 of my book! A quick update, it’s being formatted at the moment. I hope to get it out before July, but we’ll see! Thanks for all the prayers.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8