The Health News USA January 11 2018

• The fluorescent colors of Dunkin’ Donuts’ iconic sweets are taking on a new recipe. The company announced on Thursday that it is removing all artificial dyes from its doughnuts. In an announcement in March, the company said it was planning to eliminate all artificial coloring by the end of 2018. Instead, it decided to take on this challenge as a New Year’s resolution, and has already cut out the dyes from all doughnuts at its locations in the United States, and also from Dunkin’ Donuts sold at other restaurants and stores nationwide.
• President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order directing government departments to try to prevent suicide among military veterans by treating mental health problems before they become more serious. Trump’s order directs the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to ensure all uniformed service members have access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources in the first year following military service.
• Texas health officials have released the first allotment of funds from a $300 million effort to overhaul the state’s crumbling psychiatric hospitals. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Monday that it was releasing the first forty eight million dollars in funding that lawmakers approved last year to improve the ten hospitals in the state system.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 11th of January 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

http://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/07/health/dunkin-no-artifical-dyes/index.html

The fluorescent colors of Dunkin’ Donuts’ iconic sweets are taking on a new recipe. The company announced on Thursday that it is removing all artificial dyes from its doughnuts.
In an announcement in March, the company said it was planning to eliminate all artificial coloring by the end of two thousand eighteen. Instead, it decided to take on this challenge as a New Year’s resolution, and has already cut out the dyes from all doughnuts at its locations in the United States, and also from Dunkin’ Donuts sold at other restaurants and stores nationwide.

By the end of two thousand eighteen, the company says the cleaner ingredients should go across everything on the menu, including frozen beverages like the Coolatta. “This is all part of a larger initiative to offer our guests simpler ingredients and cleaner menu labels,” said Ron Golden, manager of doughnut excellence, in a news release. Dunkin’ Donuts is not the first company to make the decision to remove dyes from its ingredient list.In two thousand fifteen Nestle decided it would take out artificial coloring from two hundred fifty chocolate products, including Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars.

Some studies in animals have indicated that food dyes can lead to organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and allergic reactions. In humans, studies have linked food dyes to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children. The Food and Drug Administration allows companies to use artificial food dyes if manufacturers meet safety requirements. The issue that some nutritionists have with dyes is that they are strictly for cosmetic purposes.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-veterans/trump-orders-mental-health-aid-for-military-veterans-to-prevent-suicide-idUSKBN1EY1WW

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order directing government departments to try to prevent suicide among military veterans by treating mental health problems before they become more serious. Trump’s order directs the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to ensure all uniformed service members have access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources in the first year following military service.

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said the White House wants to address an alarming trend, that of twenty veterans a day taking their own life.

The new order will cost about two hundred million dollars year to implement, money that will be diverted from the agencies’ current budgets, a senior administration official said.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/article193706414.html

Texas health officials have released the first allotment of funds from a three hundred million dollars effort to overhaul the state’s crumbling psychiatric hospitals. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Monday that it was releasing the first forty eight million dollars in funding that lawmakers approved last year to improve the ten hospitals in the state system. Charles Smith, the executive commissioner said: “A strong state psychiatric system is critically important to all Texans. This investment will benefit the state for generations.”

More than fifteen million dollars of the initial outlay will go toward creating a master plan to replace the one hundred sixty-year-old Austin State Hospital, which has struggled with severe nursing shortages and policy violations on restraining patients. State and mental health leaders are envisioning the new hospital that would be a brain health center and would work with private and public organizations to deliver individualized mental health and substance abuse services.