Latest news with #Fabiano
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lucky Energy Appoints AriZona Iced Tea's Star Executive As New President
NEW YORK, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucky Energy drink announced today Lou Fabiano's appointment as President, effective immediately. Fabiano will report to Richard Laver, Founder and CEO. This appointment supports Lucky Energy's goal of becoming a leader in the energy beverage market. Fabiano will oversee essential functions that drive velocity at Lucky Energy, leveraging his extensive experience in the beverage industry to promote transformational growth. He served as Chief Sales Officer at AriZona Iced Tea for the past five years, having been promoted from Vice President of Convenience. During his tenure, he expanded the company's C-store business from $320 million in 2016 to an expected $680 million to $700 million in IRI retail sales by the end of 2025. Additionally, he increased retail sales of AriZona Hard Iced Tea to $100 million in less than two years, capturing nearly four percent of the market share in hard teas almost overnight. "We are thrilled to welcome Lou to Lucky Energy during this crucial time for our company as we aim to connect with more consumers in additional locations more frequently," said Laver. "His talent for building relationships and his proven track record of delivering results and driving significant, strategic change make him an excellent fit for our organization as we evolve across all business areas. He truly is a force of nature, and his enthusiasm for the beverage industry is unmatched." Fabiano added, "We are witnessing a significant shift in the industry as consumers increasingly seek beverages that taste good and contain cleaner ingredient lists. Lucky Energy is at the forefront of this movement, offering delicious products with minimal ingredients. Couple that with an authentic story and masterful storytelling, and you have a brand anyone would jump to join. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to collaborating with Richard and the Lucky Energy team to accelerate brand growth. Additionally, I am excited to continue to work with my vast network of partners, many of whom are already distributors for Lucky Energy and are pleased about my new leadership role at the company." To learn more about Lucky Energy, visit and follow @luckyenergyofficial on social media. If you have any questions, please contact Valeria Carrasco at valeria@ About Lucky EnergyLucky Energy is committed to providing cleaner, better-for-you products. Founded by serial beverage entrepreneur Richard Laver, the brand's mission is to motivate people to keep going. The product line features six flavors, a unique blend of five super ingredients, including maca and beta-alanine, and has 0 sugar and 0 calories. Products are available on Amazon, and over 12,000 locations nationwide. For more information, visit and follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lucky Beverage Company Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge halts Rockford's efforts to limit video gaming terminals
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A circuit court judge has barred the City of Rockford from enforcing rules meant to slow the growth of gambling in the city. 17th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Fabiano issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by Kelly Quinby, the proprietor of Spinning Slots, at 1625 Sandy Hollow Road, after the city refused to license a 6th video gaming terminal (VGT) at the location, despite allowances by the Illinois Gaming Board to do so. The state's 2009 Video Gaming Act allows any business licensed to serve liquor to install up to six slot machines. However, to slow the growth of gambling machines within the city, Aldermen passed an ordinance that would require venues to derive at least 50% of total revenue from food and alcohol sales. The ordinance was to help existing bars and restaurants that wanted to add gambling terminals as a source of extra income, and discourage independent operators from opening establishments where gambling was the primary source of revenue. According to the lawsuit, the city refused to license Spinning Slots' 6th gaming terminal, despite its authorization by the Illinois Gaming Board, and denied renewal of its liquor license because the establishment did not meet the 50% income threshold. On Thursday, the court ruled that the City lacked the authority to regulate video gaming establishments, as this power resides with the state. The ruling prevents the City from enforcing any local ordinances that limit the number of video game terminals in the city. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The ‘plastic spoon' of microplastics in your brain could stem from these foods that are wrecking your health, researchers say
Earlier this year, scientists discovered that there is about as much microplastics in the brain as a whole plastic spoon. The paper, published in Nature Medicine in February, revealed that the amount of microplastics—tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters—in the human brain appears to be increasing: Concentrations rose by about 50% between 2016 and 2024. Not only were there more microplastics in the brain than in liver or kidney tissue, but microplastic concentrations were higher in the brains of dementia patients than in those without it. Now, scientists are examining the effect on brain health of microplastics and one of the largest sources of microplastics: ultra-processed foods (UPFs). In a series of four papers published in the journal Brain Medicine, researchers synthesize mounting evidence that microplastics accumulating in the brain—especially those from UPFs—could be contributing to rising global rates of dementia, depression, and other mental health disorders. 'We're seeing converging evidence that should concern us all,' said co-author of one of the papers, Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa, in the press release. 'Ultra-processed foods now comprise more than 50% of energy intake in countries like the United States, and these foods contain significantly higher concentrations of microplastics than whole foods,' Fabiano said. 'Recent findings show these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in alarming quantities.' The researchers consolidate the science linking UPF consumption with adverse mental health, and how that overlaps with microplastic accumulation in the brain. For instance, they cite a 2024 umbrella review published in the British Medical Journal which found that people who consumed ultra-processed foods had a 22% higher risk of depression, 48% higher risk of anxiety, and 41% higher risk of poor sleep. In the papers, the researchers hypothesize that microplastics could be the missing link in UPFs' impact on brain health, by connecting it to data such as UPFs like chicken nuggets contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts—highlighting how processing could increase microplastic content. 'Ultra-processed foods have been linked to adverse mental health through inflammation, oxidative stress, epigenetics, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruptions to neurotransmitter systems. Microplastics appear to operate through remarkably similar pathways,' said Wolfgang Marx from Deakin University's Food & Mood Center in Australia. Microplastics can increase inflammation in the brain as they cross the blood-brain barrier, as a 2023 study on mice found, which can put people at risk of neurological disease and degeneration, including Alzheimer's. 'What emerges from this work is not a warning. It is a reckoning,' wrote Dr. Ma-Li Wong, professor of neuroscience at Upstate Medical University in New York. 'The boundary between internal and external has failed. If microplastics cross the blood-brain barrier, what else do we think remains sacred?' Researchers are now looking to understand to what extent ultra-processed foods are responsible for adverse brain health outcomes, and what to do about it. The authors propose the development of a Dietary Microplastic Index, which would quantify people's exposure through food consumption. 'While we need to reduce our exposure to microplastics through better food choices and packaging alternatives, we also need research into how to remove these particles from the human body,' noted Dr. Stefan Bornstein in his paper. One of those potential methods, Bornstein proposes, is apheresis, a process of removing blood from the body and filtering out the microplastics—but he points out that more research is still needed. 'As the levels of ultra-processed foods, microplastics, and adverse mental health outcomes simultaneously rise, it is imperative that we further investigate this potential association,' said Fabiano. 'After all, you are what you eat.' For more on microplastics: Microplastics are everywhere. Here are 5 ways to reduce your exposure Chewing gum is shedding harmful microplastics into your saliva, study finds Tea bags and these 11 foods are likely exposing you to billions of microplastics This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Human brains contain spoonful of microplastics, dementia risk skyrockets: Study
A disturbing new finding shows microplastics have infiltrated human brain tissue, raising serious questions about our health. It's been discovered that human brains accumulate a surprisingly large amount of microplastics and nanoplastics – equal to a spoonful. Even more concerning, these levels are 3 to 5 times higher in individuals with dementia. Building on findings from Nature Medicine, a detailed commentary was recently released in Brain Medicine on this invisible health threat. "The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming," notes Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa's Department of Psychiatry, lead author of the Commentary. "This rise mirrors the exponential increase we're seeing in environmental microplastic levels," added Fabiano. These tiny plastic fragments, resulting from the breakdown of larger plastics, have infiltrated virtually every corner of the globe. They are found in the deepest ocean trenches, within the tissues of marine organisms ranging from plankton to whales, and have even been detected in the air and snow of remote mountain peaks. This widespread distribution highlights the alarming ability of microplastics to travel through air, water, and food chains. The study revealed that brain tissue contains much higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) – 7 to 30 times more – compared to other vital organs, such as the liver and kidneys. The main concern lies with nanoplastics – particles smaller than 200 nanometers. The small size raises the possibility that they can cross the blood-brain barrier, which could have implications for neurological health. Researchers analyzed brain tissue from autopsies, comparing samples from 2016 to 2024. They specifically analyzed the frontal cortex, an area of the brain directly behind the forehead. The study identified 12 different types of plastic polymers, with polyethylene being the most prevalent in the brain tissue samples. Polyethylene is widely used in packaging and containers like bottles and cups. The commentary suggests a simple yet effective way to reduce microplastic intake: switching bottled water to filtered tap water. This change alone could decrease annual microplastic consumption from 90,000 particles to just 4,000. "Bottled water alone can expose people to nearly as many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources combined. Switching to tap water could reduce this exposure by almost 90%, making it one of the simplest ways to cut down on microplastic intake," said Dr. Brandon Luu, an Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Toronto. Other key sources of microplastic intake include plastic tea bags and improper food storage/heating. Plastic tea bags release millions of tiny particles during brewing, and heating food in plastic containers. "Heating food in plastic containers—especially in the microwave—can release substantial amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics," the author explained. "While these changes make sense, we still need research to confirm whether lowering intake leads to reduced accumulation in human tissues," Luu added. Researchers have also been investigating how the body might eliminate microplastic compounds, with initial findings suggesting sweating could play a role. If left unchecked, this issue could represent a major, unforeseen environmental health crisis. "The commentary calls for urgent research priorities, including establishing clear exposure limits and assessing long-term health consequences of microplastic accumulation,' the press release noted. The peer-reviewed Commentary has been published in Brain Medicine.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Most human brains now contain a spoonful of dementia-linked plastics
Scientists have found "alarming" evidence that microplastics not only get into the human brain but could be contributing to the onset of dementia and other neurological diseases. "Human brains contain approximately a spoon's worth of microplastics and nanoplastics, with levels 3-5 times higher in individuals with documented dementia diagnoses," University of Ottawa researchers said in the science journal Brain Medicine. The Canada-based researchers' warning followed "groundbreaking" work by a University of New Mexico-led team which found microplastics and nanoplastics [MNP] to be making a beeline for the brain ahead of other organs. Concentrations in normal brain samples from deceased people are 7–30 times greater than the concentrations seen in livers or kidneys, while brain samples from dementia cases show even greater presence of plastic particles, the team said in a paper published by Nature Medicine in February. Other recently-published research has warned of microplastics and nanoplastics getting into the human body through sweat and of the particles being found in male genitalia as well as being passed from pregnant woman to unborn child. "The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming," said Nicholas Fabiano of the University of Ottawa's Department of Psychiatry. The surge in warnings about the health threats posed by microplastics and nanoplastics have tracked the rising anger over plastic pollution, vast quantities of which has ended up in lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. Despite efforts to restrict the use of plastics through measures such as requiring paper straws, European countries and Japan have been accused in turn of shipping plastic waste to South-east Asia following the imposition of curbs and strict recycling rules at home. "This rise [of microplastics in the human body] mirrors the exponential increase we're seeing in environmental microplastic levels," said Fabiano.
