Specifically, type 1 diabetes, which most commonly shows up with children and younger people. And as noted we’re talking about one community, albeit quite a significant one – the third-largest in the country, in Northern Indiana (Elkhart & LaGrange County). Here’s more from WSBT: MIDDLEBURY, Ind. (WSBT) — Researchers in Middlebury are finding hope in the work to cure diabetes. New studies suggest the Amish…
Unlike some other health myths about the Amish, this is a claim that evidence suggests is true. The BBC takes a look at this phenomenon – and wonders if we non-Amish can enjoy the same benefits: The Amish have gripped the imaginations of Hollywood scriptwriters, documentary makers and sociologists for decades. But in the past 10 years, their way of life has become of increasing…
Back in 2017, a story about a potentially life-extending gene mutation found in an Amish community went gangbusters. You can understand why. The gene mutation was credited with giving its Amish carriers a lifespan 10 years longer than those Amish who lacked it. From that report: The discovery was made by scientists from Northwestern University: The first genetic mutation that appears to protect against multiple…
I chipped in ideas for a recent USA Today article challenging some of the wilder health claims you see out there about the Amish. This is the social media post they were responding to: I’m not sure why this particular post was chosen, as these sorts of claims are pretty commonplace. I imagine because it manages to put so many of the more common misbeliefs…
The very first issue of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities was published in the Summer of 2020, and in that issue, the lead article was written by Mark Louden, who is the Alfred L. Shoemaker, J. William Frey, and Don Yoder Professor of Germanic Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His article focused on what is arguably the most distinctive difference between Plain people…
The Amish use a wide array of health care and wellness solutions, including both “conventional” and “unconventional”. This can vary by the Amish group, community, or family. But generally speaking, natural remedies – those derived from plants, vegetables, herbs, and the like – make up a big part of what many Amish people use to treat common ailments. And this is not necessarily unique or…
Here is a literal feel-good story. Amish teen Daniel Troyer (of Jamesport, MO) needs a heart transplant. His condition (cardiomyopathy) had made it difficult for him to do even basic tasks like eating. He still needs a transplant – but a special implant has given him new energy and hope. From KCTV 5: At 17-years old, Daniel Troyer suffers from cardiomyopathy. His heart is dying….
The Good ‘N Plenty restaurant was one of the best-known Lancaster County eateries, serving PA Dutch style meals for over 50 years, until the pandemic-related downturn put them out of business. Now, an Amish group has organized to purchase the property and make it into a health clinic catering to the area’s Plain community. Via Lancaster Online: A group organized by members of the Old…
Every now and again the Amish make news for a genetic study that may hold solutions to health problems that plague the general population. This latest one just reported today concerns heart health. The story from Inverse: The Amish of Lancaster County are an example of a “founder population,” an isolated population of people who are all relatively similar in terms of their genes, meaning…
Last week we informed you of a new free online resource called The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities. Here’s a summary of one of the articles you might find of interest – Mark Louden’s “Plain Talk about Health: Linguistics Aspects of Mediation between Amish and Mennonites and Health Care Professionals”, courtesy of editor Joe Donnermeyer. The inaugural issue of The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities…