Thousands of children die each year from illnesses triggered by vitamin A deficiency -- and a California nonprofit wants to change that, with help from the old-fashioned USB drive.

Vitamin Angels aims to dramatically reduce these preventable deaths -- of more than 150,000 children worldwide under the age of five each year -- by training public health workers to administer free vitamin A supplements and provide education to families.

The children at risk are typically raised in impoverished communities lacking access to a balanced diet and routine health care. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to complications like blindness in addition to death; Vitamin Angels estimates the cost of providing one child with vitamins for one year at just 25 cents.

Since 1994 the organization has reached 52 million children and mothers in 66 countries. Until now, the system was dependent on Vitamin Angels' own staff of 40 providing in-person training to local public health workers in partnership with NGO partners worldwide.

But to meet their expansion goals, Vitamin Angels realized it would have to use e-learning technology to train more workers more quickly. And with spotty internet coverage in many of the vulnerable populations the group targets, it turned to the trusty old USB drive to deliver the training.

"The goal is to go from training 1,000 field health workers every year to 6,000 or more," Howard Schiffer, founder and president of Vitamin Angels. "It's shocking how much of a difference vitamins make. Kids who get the right dose at the right time in early life are taller, stronger, even better in school."

The group worked with e-learning firm TorranceLearning to develop a system that could reach even old computers, with or without a stable internet connection.

"A USB drive is old, boring technology. It's dumb storage when now everything is cloud-based," said Megan Torrance, CEO of TorranceLearning. But Vitamin Angels' unique request "pushed us to look at USBs."

The final product, which cost Vitamin Angels $92,000, is a simple e-learning course adapted for individuals with limited computer skills. The course is available on a simple $2 to $4 USB drive that contains a Chromium web browser and web server. This allows the e-learning course to play from the USB drive no matter which computer it's plugged into.

The course itself focuses on three areas: educating health care workers about the dangers of vitamin deficiencies, teaching how to safely administer liquid vitamin A capsules safely and how to identify the most vulnerable population in each country.

Each USB drive can train one person or dozens of individuals at the same time, storing individual account information on the device to access later -- including who passed or failed the training. When internet connection is available, the USB uploads all stored data to Vitamin Angels' main learning management system.

Vitamin Angels piloted the USB drive-based training about two months ago in India, Indonesia and Nigeria, and the group plans to do more tests field tests before a worldwide roll out in 2018.

"I can't fix everything," Schiffer said,"but this is one pressing problem humanity faces where we can make a gigantic impact."

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How a simple USB drive can save lives - WBAL Baltimore

Women's Health

6 Ketogenic Recipes That Low-Carb Dieters Will Love Women's Health The ketogenic diet was developed as a treatment for epilepsy decades ago, but the super low-carb eating plan had an unintended side effect: weight loss, says Karen Ansel, R.D.N., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer.

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6 Ketogenic Recipes That Low-Carb Dieters Will Love - Women's Health

ANDERSON A new study claims to have found a connection between drinking diet soda and being at higher risk of developing dementia and stroke.

However, the study's author is calling for more research to be done.

The study found an association between drinking at least one artificially sweetened beverage daily and having an increased risk of stroke or dementia by three times the risk of someone who drinks diet soda less than once a week.

The researchers who conducted the study analyzed the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. The 2,888 people in the group for the stroke study were primarily Caucasian, over the age of 45. The 1,484 people in the dementia study were over the age of 60.

The authors quickly cautioned in the American Heart Association press release that the research only shows a trend among one group of people rather than an actual cause and effect.

The people who participated in the study had researchers check in with their drinking habits periodically over a seven-year period, according to the press release. The researchers then followed up 10 years later to see who developed the targeted diseases.

At the end of the 10-year period, 3 percent of the people had had a stroke and 5 percent had been diagnosed with dementia.

Matthew Pase, a senior fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and the Framingham Heart Study, said more research needs to be done to confirm the findings since the sampling of people were primarily white and older. He also said they did not track how much regular soda the participants were drinking as well.

Even if someone is three times as likely to develop stroke or dementia, it is by no means a certain fate, Pase said in a press release. In our study, 3 percent of the people had a new stroke and 5 percent developed dementia, so we're still talking about a small number of people developing either stroke or dementia.

However, the study is one of many that point to artificially sweetened sodas, or diet soda, as not being a healthy option and even causing additional health issues of its own.

Studies since 2010 have showed various health concerns that could be linked to drinking diet soda, such as increased risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and a slower metabolism. Diet sodas may have less calories, but some of the artificial sweeteners have been questioned.

Aspartame is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, and its about 200 times sweeter than sugar, meaning much less of it needs to be used. Rumors and studies that arent backed up well have claimed for years that the sweetener causes cancer, but the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies have found it to be safe, according to the American Cancer Society.

Marianne Spangler, patient navigation services director and dietitian at Community Hospital Anderson, said in 2016 that dietitians generally follow the guidelines of the FDA. She said while the FDA has said diet soda is safe, she encourages her patients to drink more water any way.

Michelle Richart, registered dietitian at St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, said she encourages her patients to drink less diet soda because it cuts down how much water they are drinking. If they are drinking enough water, a little diet soda is fine, she said in 2016.

What authors of the study published in the American Heart Associations journal Stroke are really trying to iterate is that while more research needs to be done, diet sodas may not be better for people than their sugary counterparts, said senior editorial author Ralph Sacco, a former president of the American Heart Association and the chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami in Florida.

Both sugar and artificially sweetened soft drinks may be hard on the brain, Sacco said in a press release.

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Diet soda a danger? - The Herald Bulletin

Soda distributors in Seattle will soon pay a new tax on sugary beverages. Kevork Djansezian/getty

Seattle City Council members this afternoon approved a 1.75 cents per ounce tax on distributors of sugary drinks, but rejected efforts to lessen the disproportional impact the tax is projected have on low-income consumers.

Politicians in City Hall have wavered on whether to tax diet sodas, which are preferred by a wealthier, whiter demographic. When Mayor Ed Murray first proposed the tax, he didn't plan to include diet drinks. A formal proposal sent to the city council in April flip-flopped on that position. In committee discussions, the city council removed diet drinks. Worried about passing a sales tax that disproportionately hits people of color, Council Member Lisa Herbold last week proposed adding diet drinks back into the legislation. Her council colleagues rejected that proposal.

"The scientific evidence is just not there yet" to show that sweeteners used in diet drinks are as harmful as sugar used in regular soda, Council Member Tim Burgess said today.

Herbold made one more attempt to add diet to list today, proposing a reduction in the tax rate and an addition of sugary coffee drinks. Herbold argued the tax as written was "punitive" because, on the average bottle of soda, the fee would amount to a higher tax rate than those charged on cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol. The Seattle Human Rights Commission raised similar concerns.

"I drink diet soda," Herbold said today. "I drink sweetened coffee. I'm trying to tax the unhealthy products I myself consume. I don't think it's fair not to spread cost... to consumers like me."

But again her council colleagues rejected her idea. Only Council Member Rob Johnson joined Herbold in supporting her amendment. (Herbold's likely ally, Kshama Sawant, was absent for today's vote.)

The tax gets really confusing when it comes to the minutiae of the world of sugary drinks served by your neighborhood barista. Ready for this shit? Those syrup pumps that add vanilla flavoring or whatever to your lattes will NOT be covered by the tax because lattes are milk based. But if you prefer pomegranate, flower blossom yoga teas, tough luck. Without the milk, you're getting bilked (by the government to pay for public services).

Council Member Bruce Harrell, meanwhile, tried to take drinks off the list, exempting coffee drinks and bubble teas, a move he said in a meeting earlier today was intended to benefit businesses. But the majority of the council rejected that, too.

Soda distributors will likely pass the tax onto consumers. Funding from the tax will support public health and education programs, including possibly food banks and meal programs, thanks to an amendment from Council Member Debora Juarez. "Everyone in the city should have a right to eat," Juarez said today.

Public comment ahead of todays vote echoed potential benefits of the tax pushed during weeks of committee meetings and media coverage. Public health advocates spoke in favor of the tax and urged the council not to exempt sugary coffee drinks. James Krieger, a doctor and University of Washington professor, said the five pumps of syrup that go into a 20 ounce Starbucks coffee drink is the equivalent of 60 spoons of sugar.

Reducing the tax rate or exempting other drinks would reduce critical funding for important programs that will directly benefit our communities, said Estela Ortega, executive director of the nonprofit El Centro de la Raza.

Business representatives and some union members spoke against the tax, arguing it would disproportionately hit consumers and business owners of color. "It is regressive and it hurts working people and the poor the most and it will result in the loss of good family jobs," said Teamsters Local 174 business agent Pete Lamb during public comment today.

In a statement after today's vote, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO Maud Daudon said the Chamber was "deeply disappointed" and called the tax "yet another barrier that will make operating a small business more complicated in Seattle."

Those worried about job losses often cite Philadelphia, where Pepsi this year blamed layoffs on that city's soda tax. The city, in response, slammed Pepsi for laying workers off even as it makes billions in profit. The proposal approved in Seattle today includes a $1.5 million allocation for job training programs.

The question now is whether opponents will challenge the tax through a referendum, forcing a public vote on the issue. If they decide to take that approach, they'll only have a month from the day the mayor signs the legislation to gather signatures to try to make it on the November ballot.

A representative for Keep Seattle Livable for All, the coalition fighting the tax, previously declined to answer directly whether the group planned to pursue a ballot measure.

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City Council Passes Soda Tax, Exempting Diet Drinks - TheStranger.com

Lisa Lillien is the author of the popular Hungry Girl website and email newsletter, featuring smart, funny advice on guilt-free eating. She is also the author of elevenbooks, six of which debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Read her PEOPLE.com blog every Monday for slimmed-down celebrity recipes and more.

Youve probably heard the word superfoodmany times, but what exactly does it mean? Generally, superfoods go above and beyond the nutritional impact of other healthy foods.

Here are a few superfoods you need to know about:

Turmeric

This golden spice has skyrocketed in popularity. Itpacks a punch in terms ofhealthbenefits. Turmeric is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. It can also sooth your stomach and may protect against diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimers. Just dont pull a Daisy Ridley and put it on your face.

HG tip:Add a couple of shakes to your eggs, or sprinkle some onto cooked veggies. (Dont use too much, or your food may taste bitter.)

RELATED:Hungry Girl: Why You Should Be Shopping in the Baby Food Aisle If Youre on aDiet

Fermented Foods

Fermentation is for more than booze, people! Im talking sauerkraut,kimchi, kefir, yogurt, tempeh, kombucha all great for you. Fermented foods contain natural probiotics; theyre good for your gut and help you absorb nutrients better. Studies have even found them to be good for weight maintenance.

HG tip:Pair sauerkraut with turkey and whole grain bread for an open-faced sandwich, or stir some chopped kimchi into your cauliflower fried rice.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The unfiltered version delivers big benefits. For example, its been found to help lower blood sugar levels, which is especially good for diabetics. Studies have found it helps satiety and weight loss; one study even found it may help the body break down fats. Add in potential protection against heart disease and cancer, and ACV is a winner.

HG tip:Use it to dress your salad along with a splash of olive oil. Or mix it with water and sip a la Kourtney Kardashian.

FROM COINAGE:Heres When Its Worth to Buy Organic

Ginger

This spicy root is well known for its ability to calm nausea. Its also just plain good for digestion. It has anti-inflammatory properties which have been found to help ease post-workout soreness. (Score!) Ginger is also said to be good for boosting your immune system, helping to protect against small stuff like colds and big stuff like cancer.

HG tip:Crushed ginger will add major flavor to your veggie stir-fry. If dried ginger is what youve got, try this roasted pork.

RELATED:Hungry Girl: Spring Clean Your Diet with These Healthy FoodSwaps

Moringa

This superfood is everywhere! Its full of nutrients (amino acids, protein, potassium, and more), contains antioxidants, and is an anti-inflammatory. Additionally, it can help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol. And its good for your brain, liver, hair, and skin. Youre most likely to encounter the leaves in their dried and powdered form.

HG tip:Mix the powder into a smoothie. Itll barely impact the taste, and youll get those nutritional benefits!

Til next time Chew the right thing!

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Hungry Girl: 5 Superfoods You Should Add to Your Diet - PEOPLE.com