What's With the FDA???

What is going on with all the food-borne illnesses? You would think in a country that is so conscious about washing hands and being sanitary, we wouldn’t have these problems. In the past year we have had a ridiculous amount of disease outbreaks that have caused serious illness and even death!

Remember the spinach from California?
The peanut butter fiasco?
The deaths resulting from tainted pet food? California officials found that hogs that were butchered for the pet food ate food tainted with melamine. Melamine’s tell-tale white crystals were found in the food itself and in the kidneys of the animals that died after eating the tainted pet food. Melamine, by the way, is used in cleaning foams and laminate floors!

To me, it seems that tainted food and the ensuing health disasters and recalls are on the rise. Well, maybe it is on the rise…
Mexico, China, and India are the top three countries the U.S. trades with that fail the FDA’s checks at importation.
But get this – our trade with those countries has doubled in the past five years because those countries are also the cheapest to trade with!!!

Granted, demand for products processed overseas has grown steadily with a population of immigrants who want familiar comfort foods and people who expect fast, easy food even when it isn’t in season. But how much sense does it make to import more food from these risky countries without at least upping the inspections? Why does the FDA continue to stand idly by and watch us get sick?

FACT - the FDA only had (and still has) enough inspectors to inspect 1% of the 8.9 million imported shipments of 2006!
FACT - because of past issues with seafood and produce, they are the most frequently inspected imports. BUT ingredients are never inspected, according to former inspector Carl Nielsen, who was in charge of making sure the right shipments were inspected.
FACT - ingredients are important to inspect, because they are added to everything to extend shelf life. If they are contaminated, no one knows about it until people get sick or even die.
FACT - in 2005, the ConAgra Foods plant in Georgia (the same plant that produced the salmonella-tainted peanut butter) was inspected by FDA inspectors after complaints of salmonella contamination were reported. When the plant refused to hand over documents to the FDA, the FDA left and did not bother to come back!!
FACT - only NOW is that Georgia plant closed, after the salmonella did its damage. It was found that the sprinkler system malfunctioned, triggering dormant salmonella to grow and taint the food produced by the plant!

Why would the FDA allow itself to be bullied like that? According to Nielsen, unless there is a known problem, food will go through uninspected, regardless of pesticides and chemicals known to be present in the shipment. Looks like plants can get away with it too, even when they blatantly refuse to comply with the FDA!

Unfortunately, although our imports have drastically increased since the 1970’s, the funding for the food safety realm of the budget has decreased from half of the total budget to a quarter!

So what can we do? Obviously, reading the labels carefully isn’t enough! Organic products can be difficult to purchase because they are so expensive. All I can say is this: hope that as more people buy organic, the price will go down. But for now, wash every piece of produce thoroughly, keep an eye on recalls, and help petition the government to make the FDA do its job!

Sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18263251/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18271015/wid/11915773/page/2/

More News Viewing = More Stress

A new study suggests that TV coverage of the 9/11 attacks actually caused stress levels in viewers to rise. The study actually involved monitoring people’s dreams in the weeks before and the weeks following 9/11. It was published in the April issue of Psychological Science.

Ruth Propper, associate professor of psychology at Merrimack College, and her team found that stress levels rose by 6% for every hour of viewing 9/11 – related news coverage. She had students record their dreams in journals, and interpreted specific 9/11-type references to be indicative of higher stress levels. She stated that as compared to pre-9/11 dreams, post-9/11 dreams in most people were twice as likely to have specific 9/11-type occurrences, such as threatening themes involving planes or burning towers. The more coverage people viewed of 9/11, the more likely they were to have specific 9/11-type dreams. If one follows the theory that dreams relieve and/or reflect stress, then this study makes perfect sense.

This has everything to do with health, and I think it is the perfect jumping platform for me to say something I firmly believe in: Our 24-7 news-coverage culture is harming our health, especially the health of the most sensitive among us: children.

It is said that “ignorance is bliss.” It is, and I in no way advocate ignorance, especially of what is happening in the world around us. I actually believe that people in this nation aren’t aware enough of what is happening and the connection they should be making from it – to learn from others’ mistakes and not repeat them! That being said, I cannot blame people from wanting to remain in the dark. I blame our news stations more than anyone.

Take for example the tragic Virginia Tech shootings. Did I want to know about it? Of course. Did I want to know who died and who didn’t? Yes. But I must say (and I hope no one thinks I am being callous here, because I am not) that by the end of Tuesday, I was sick of it! I felt like this information was being beaten into me, and the more I heard, the more disgusted I became with what happened. The same thing goes for the whole Don Imus fiasco. The news has become nothing but the bad news and the depressing stuff. And yet, I endure it in hopes that on the occasional break, the news will report other things I really want to know - the weather, the stocks, the sports, politics and anything else happening in the world around me.

I don’t have kids, but if I did, I wouldn’t want to turn the news on either. They are so innocent, sensitive, and impressionable that I would not want them to be exposed to any of this. And yet, it’s everywhere! Every news station, every radio station, the net, the TV’s at the gym I go to (yes I have to watch this stuff while I huff away on the elliptical) even on the TV in the doctor’s office waiting room. Face it – we are literally bombarded with 24-7 news coverage of tragedy. How often do you turn the news on and hear a story of someone doing a lot of good? Rarely, and usually, the only good stuff we hear has to do with heroes in the midst of tragedy. No wonder we are stressed out!
Add the stress of our daily lives to the stress we view when we come home at night (when we’re supposed to be DE-stressing) and you have exactly the problem we face now in this nation – an overstressed, depressed society that cannot cope with much more. Thus, the smallest things can set us off. Crying kids, spousal spats, the guy that cuts us off on the highway. Is it any wonder the rates of divorce, abuse, messed-up kids, and road rage are on the rise?

The world is a rough, unforgiving place. Should we avoid it? No. However, we need balance. Watch the news, find out what is going on, and then turn it off. Make your home a place of refuge from the harshness of the world. Be sure to unwind and spend quality time with your family or significant other. The stress caused by our fast-paced, instant society can only be abated if we each take responsibility to purposely cut that stress out!

Study Information:

http://health.msn.com/centers/sleep/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100161207

Fat Nation

Obesity is yet another disease rapidly on the rise here in the U.S., as well as many other developed nations. Other than the fact that the industrialized nations do not suffer from starvation, I think it can safely be said that the more industrialized the country, more of its citizens are overweight. The U.S. is one of the world’s leaders of obesity.

58 million Americans are overweight
40 million Americans are obese
3 million are “morbidly obese” (meaning their ability to walk and breathe are impaired)
8 our of 10 Americans over the age of 25 are overweight
78% of Americans don’t meet the basic level of activity suggested
25% are completely sedentary
Adult Type II diabetes in people between ages 30-40 has increased by 76% (this diabetes is associated with obesity)

I could go on and on. Don’t forget that diabetes and obesity in children is rapidly tripling and even quadrupling by the decade! 85% of children with Type II diabetes are obese!

What is going on?! Well, our industrialized, wealthy nation has spawned a society that lives in a relative sort of luxury. By “luxury” I mean having plenty of food at hand and not having to do any sort of physical activity to get through a day.

How many fast-food, convenience, and donut shops do you pass on your daily commute? How many of us are too on-the-run to eat breakfast, the most important meal for boosting our metabolism? How many children eat pop tarts and other sugar – laden, processed food for breakfast (if they even eat breakfast)? Who needs to walk anywhere besides around the office? What stairs – why not use the elevator to go up a floor? Why walk down the street when you can drive there in a minute? Don’t forget that high stress causes us to develop unhealthy eating habits and our bodies to retain fat.

Let’s face it – this nation is in a health crisis! With all the medical knowledge we have we are still fatter and sicker than ever. Could it be the high fructose corn syrup (very, very bad!) added to our foods and drinks? Some researchers theorize that the body metabolizes corn sugars differently from beet and cane sugars, altering the body’s metabolism hormones and causing the liver to release more fat into the bloodstream. Maybe it’s the fact that portions these days are literally out of control. The average portion at a restaurant is between 3 and 4 times what a true portion is! Maybe it’s both.

Regardless of which theory you believe, no one can deny the fact that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is such a concentrated sugar that it can only hurt the body. Don’t be fooled by fat-free yogurts and other “healthy” foods either. A cup of fat-free yogurt can have 10 teaspoons of high fructose corn syrup in it – meaning you are probably better off eating the yogurt that is not fat free. After all, the body metabolizes fat a lot better than sugar, especially if that sugar is in the form of HFCS. Even bread, English muffins, and hotdog buns contain HFCS because it prevents freezer burn and extends shelf life of food. Who knew?

If we REALLY want to stop the obesity/diabetes epidemic sweeping this country, we as individuals must choose to not live that way. This is something that no amount of technology or medicine can help – it can only be prevented the good old-fashioned way: by eating diets rich in whole grains and produce, low in saturated fats and sugar, and by exercising on a regular basis. Make a conscious choice to NOT become one of the many in this country affected by obesity and all its related diseases!

Sources/Statistics:

http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/statistics-obesity.htm

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/18/FDGS24VKMH1.DTL

Electricity - Building Block of Developed Nations Makes Us Sick!

Electricity – you can probably say that it is the single-most innovation that has thrown the world into overdrive. Developed nations are separated from the third – world by their access to electricity. Without it, the industrial revolution and amazing technological advances humans worldwide have made would never have occurred. However, because electricity has been utilized by man for just over a century, we have yet to see the possible harmful health effects caused by electromagnetic (EMF’s) and extremely-low frequency fields (ELF’s). While electricity has undoubtedly made life better, bringing nations together and out of poverty even, it may be a detriment to our health!

Electromagnetic Fields (EMF’s and ELF’s) are created whenever electricity is utilized. Think of how much electricity the average American uses every day, multiply it by the total number of citizens, and you have an EMF that is much more forceful than it would naturally be on its own. We are exposed every day to EMF’s at different levels and intensities, depending on where we are and what we use. Even if you don’t live near a transformer, power lines are everywhere, and how often do we drive by power plants or come into close contact with high levels of electricity?

In the 1970’s, the first real study on the connection between EMF’s/ ELF’s in Denver (mainly in the form of power lines) and cellular cancer was conducted by Nancy Wertheimer. She found a strong link between the two – more explicitly that children who lived close to electrical power lines doubled their chances of getting several types of childhood cancers.

Since then, other studies have shown the following health problems strongly connected to exposure to EMF’s and ELF’s (Zahm and Devesa 178; Feychting, Ahlbom, and Kheifets 171):

Cancer
Leukemia
Tumor growth
Sleep/Circadian rhythm disturbances
Neurological/memory/cognitive impairment
Hormone production/regulation impairment
Endocrine system disorders
Mental/behavioral problems
Immune system deficiencies
Nervous system disorders
Fetal development problems
Birth defects
Circulatory system issues
Genetic damage

Further studies on people whose occupation brings them into close, frequent contact with EMF’s and ELF’s and laboratory mammals suggests that such exposure can aggravate predisposed conditions. Basically, if you already are at risk for a certain cancer, this exposure can accelerate that risk greatly. It is thought that such exposure causes accelerated cellular activity, leading to mutations and triggering carcinogenic conditions in the body.

Convinced yet? This may help explain why cancer is so prevalent in developed nations, in spite of our advances in health technology! These studies are scary, especially considering how often I use electricity! I honestly don’t think there is any activity I do that doesn’t involve electricity. Even when I sleep I have an alarm clock nearby!

So what do we do now? Why there is no way to avoid exposure to electricity, it may be beneficial to exercise caution as much as possible. Cut down on cell phone use, and if you can pick where you live, try to stay as far from power plants and transformers as much as possible. Honestly, the best way I can think of to prevent these health problems, is to live our lives as healthy as we can. Eat right, avoid cancer-causing processed foods, exercise, drink plenty of clean water, and avoid overusing chemicals as much as possible. Anything that can cut down on genetic mutations helps!

Living with electricity is a fact of life. We don’t want to give it up and never will. Doing so would put us back into the dark ages. So do what you can, and be careful! Most importantly, get examined regularly to catch any early stages of cancer before it becomes worse.


Studies cited:

Feychting, Ahlbom, and Kheifets, 168
Zahm and Devesa, 178
Anderson, Larry. “Extremely Low Frequency Fields and Cancer: Laboratory Studies.” International Journal of Toxicology 17.3 (1998): 47-57.

Sacrificing Our Families' Health for Wealth

I know on the last blog I strayed from physical health into the realm of spiritual health. Well, I’m going to stray again; this time I want to address the health of our nation’s families. I think the main culprit is divorce.

I know, I know. We all dread going to yearly family reunions and grandma’s house for Christmas. But family is very important and it impacts us a lot more than we may realize. It shapes our values and character, and passes heritage on to us, giving us identity and self-awareness. So, while all family is important, I am really going to focus on the immediate family here. After all, that is our main social dynamic for the first 20 odd years of our lives.

First, a few numbers:
1. 41 – 43% of marriages end in divorce.
2. A 1996 study shows that because divorce is almost always preceded by years of emotional estrangement, fighting, bitterness, and trial separations, children are actually affected prior to the divorce because they witness these things. Oftentimes, the children are caught up in the fighting and relationship strains too.
3. 2 studies (Amato, 2000; Furstenberg & Kiernan, 2001) suggest that children from divorced homes score lower than children of first-marriage homes on social development, emotional well-being, academic performance, self-concept, educational achievement, and even emotional health!
4. Another study (Demo and Acock, 1996) shows that children from divorced homes adjust differently to life than children from two-parent homes. During their adjustment they tend more toward delinquency, social difficulties, and low self esteem.
5. Yet another study (Wallenstein ) found that parents often suffer from depression after divorce, causing the “overburden child phenomena.” This means many children end up taking a role in comforting their parents and even being in a care-taker role emotionally, at the cost of their own needs.


I am not going to blindly make a blanket statement about how divorce rates were so much lower “back in the day,” because marriages were much happier back then. I know that this is very likely untrue. Marriages were often arranged, forced, and impossible to get out of. Unhappy women could do nothing because they were property. So, I can almost guarantee that divorce is higher now because it is a socially accepted, legally valid option available. I do want to look at some modern factors, however, which I think do make divorce rates higher.

As a married woman, I can say that marriage is so much fun. BUT it takes a lot of work, commitment, and a willingness to yield at times. When I married my husband, I did not lose myself in any way. However, our lives became entwined, and now when I make any decision, I think about how it impacts “us” and not just “me.” That being said, I think I can say with some firmness that our highly individualized, selfish, competitive, give-it-to-me-now society has spawned a generation of people who, when they enter into a marriage or other committed relationship do not know how to consider their significant other or their family.

This type of society, I think, is the total result of our extreme wealth and productiveness. As a result, we have become spoiled I think. In addition, to make more money, to “keep up with the Joneses,” and to buy more, more, more, our nation, as a whole, works long hours and rarely take vacations. What happens when our people are spoiled, selfish, competitive, not content with what they have, and want everything NOW?? The family suffers.

A successful marriage means spending time together, communicating, and working things out if a problem arises. However, if we work all the time, trying to make more money to “keep up with the Joneses” or just spoil ourselves with more fancy things, there is no leftover time to spend with our significant other. If we concentrate solely on our own selfish desires without considering anyone else, we are less likely to compromise or sacrifice of ourselves to make it work. These same principals apply to children and the resulting family that normally follows marriage or long-term relationships.

I am not a psychologist, and by no means claim to know much about childhood development. However, studies prove, and common sense tells us all, that children need love, attention, and a supportive, warm home to grow up in. Long hours, high stress, and exhaustion resulting from our overworked, too-competitive society lead parents to barely be able to get a half-decent dinner on the table before putting the kids to bed. Quality time as a family, even if it is over homework or a board game, is nonexistent in today’s typical family.

Our country is wealthy because of its citizens’ work ethic and competitive nature. But when we cross that line to overworking at the expense of our family, we may want to rethink our priorities, before we lose our family completely.

Studies cited:

Amato, P. R. (2000). "The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children." Journal of Marriage and the Family 62:1269–1287.

Demo, D. H., and Acock, A. C. (1996). "Family Structure, Family Process, and Adolescent Well-being." Journal of Research on Adolescence 6:457–488

Furstenberg, F. F., and Kiernan, K. E. (2001). "Delayed Parental Divorce: How Much Do Children Benefit?" Journal of Marriage and Family 63:446–457.

Wallerstein, JS. Corbin SB. The Child and the Vicissitudes of Divorce.

Spiritual Health and Physical Health

I have addressed physical health quite a bit in this blog. So I thought it was time to maybe focus on another type of health, which, by the way, is not completely unrelated to physical health. This blog is about spiritual health, and the possibility that it may affect our physical health in ways you’ve maybe never considered before.

Given the nature of the upcoming Easter for Christians, and Passover having been this week as well, I thought that it was an appropriate time of year to address this topic. Furthermore, I think we can all agree that our hyper lifestyle has caused many people to abandon their faith in the name of being too busy. This is a regrettable thing, especially since spirituality can, as studies suggest, enhance our physical and mental well-being greatly.

When I refer to “spirituality,” I don’t necessarily mean one religion or faith. I simply mean the existence of some sort of faith.

Here are a few results studies have shown:
1. Elderly people who attend regular religious services have lower blood pressure and healthier immune systems.
2. People with a religious community and ties were 3 times as likely to survive open heart surgery as people who had no faith whatsoever.
3. A 7-year study shows that elderly people who are involved in some sort of religion are have lower rates of depression and even physical disability. Even more surprising, this study also yielded that death rates were lower before a major religious holiday, suggesting that people of faith had a stronger will to live for the holiday.
4. Suicide rates, drugs, smoking, heavy drinking, and other self-destructive behaviors are much lower among people of faith.
5. Stress rates are lower as well, and a contentedness with life is more prevalent among these people.

While this research is fairly new (being taken seriously only within the last ten years or so), there are many theories of why spirituality impacts physical health.

Maybe it has something to do with having a close-knit community of fellow members who support us through hardships. I remember when I was 16; my mom broke her back and was laid up for almost a year in a hospital bed. People from our church came with food, flowers, helped clean the house, sang Christmas carols, sat with my mom while my brother and I were at school, and even did little things like paint her nails for her. Our community’s support helped pull us through those tough times.

Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that most people of faith believe that no matter how out-of-control life can seem, there is always a bigger plan. Eastern religions believe that everything will balance out in the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. Karma comes into play, leading to a sense of eventual well-being, even if it is not available in this life. Muslims, Jews, and Christians all have faith in God, and that He is in control and always will be, in spite of the evil we see all around us in this world. Christians take it a step further in believing that Jesus sacrificed himself so Christians can become holy, no matter how bad their past was. Furthermore, the belief in life after death in heaven, leads to comfort for many who are dying and in pain. My grandmother believed she would go to heaven, and at the end of her life, she was calm, peaceful, and ready to go. She was in a terrible amount of pain, but she smiled as took her last breath, and that expression remained on her face after she had passed on.

Maybe the connection between spiritual health and physical health also has something to do with the idea that self-destruction is NOT the way to handle life’s problems. This is especially true since most religions believe that the body is a temple, a vessel, or whatnot that is supposed to be honored and not destroyed. There are spiritual leaders available when a problem arises; they can help work through addictions and other self-destructive behavior. Better yet, most of them, if not all, are required to keep such information in strict confidence. They can offer leadership and advice to get through life’s tough problems, without the embarrassment of publicity. Not having to worry about everyone knowing one’s problems can encourage them to confront, rather than deny, such problems.

I am in no way pushing for anyone reading this to go out and find a religion. I am merely just putting it out there. As a person of faith myself, I can say that it has helped me immensely through all of life’s challenges. I can also say that I am not surprised that the calmness I experience from my faith helps keep me healthier both physically and mentally. I encourage anyone reading this that may not have any belief, to explore the possibilities. After all, a belief in nothing is still a faith in that nothing being the only thing to believe in.

Statistical Info. taken from: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/spirituality.html

Dangerous Drinking Water

So I’ve tackled poor air quality. Now it’s water’s turn!

Back in the day, scientists realized that many children did not have strong teeth. So, they decided to add fluoride to drinking water. The idea was that the fluoride would pass through the mouth along with the water when the person drank it. The fluoride would, in turn, make teeth stronger. But, the geniuses never thought of where the fluoride would go after it was swallowed – of course it was absorbed by the body!

Today, our country suffers from major health problems. Some of them could be caused by fluoride deposits in the body. Here are few of the adverse health effects fluoride is associated with:
1. Dental flourosis (a condition that occurs mostly in children, when fluoride interacts with developing teeth, causing enamel defects)
2. Alzheimer’s and dementia – it is thought that fluoride enters the brain and actually helps aluminum pass into the brain.
3. Low IQ and mental retardation
4. Arthritis
5. Skeletal flourosis (symptoms similar to arthritis, very painful)
6. Thyroid suppression – 20 million people in the US suffer from underactive thyroid. Fluoride is actually used to treat overactive thyroid problems!
7. Drops in hormone levels- especially melatonin levels (leading to insomnia)

I know I said this in another blog, but I will say it again. While it is certainly possible, and even highly likely, that the rate of cancer, hormone problems, and mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s were unknown and thus unreported before the 20th century, even when taking these things into account, it seems that these diseases are on the rise. In our highly advanced, progressive nation, how is this? Could it have something to do with, among other things, fluoride added to our water? It’s worth asking.

Our bodies are over 70% water, and by all recommendations, we are supposed to drink between 48 and 64 oz. of water a day. Water is such an important part of our life that any possible unhealthy effects caused by the water we drink and sustain ourselves with should not be taken lightly.

Europe, in fact, does not take it lightly. That is why it has stopped adding fluoride to its water. And guess what? The kids’ teeth are fine! So why does the U.S. keep adding fluoride to its water?

Chlorine is another dangerous additive. While chlorine is necessary to remove harmful bacteria from water, and came to be used widely after typhoid and cholera outbreaks, there are dangerous effects caused by chlorine.

Chlorine reacts with organic matter, producing other chemicals such as chloroform, bromate, chlorite, haloacetic acids (HAA5), and total trihalomethanes.

A 1991 study found that 9% of bladder cancer cases, and 12% of rectal cancer cases in the U.S. can be directly attributed to chlorinated water. Other problems from a 2004 study have been found:
1. Anemia in children, especially infants
2. Nervous system problems
3. Kidney problems
4. Liver problems
5. Spontaneous miscarriages

While the EPA has set standards on fluoride and chlorine additives in drinking water, they still remain, and any level can be too high, as demonstrated by the above studies!

So until the U.S. does something to address our contaminated drinking water, we should all thoroughly filter our water before we drink it!


Sources:

http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com (citing studies)

You ARE What You Breathe!!

Our wealthy economy comes with a price – air pollution. Everyone is aware of the health hazards air pollution poses, but I still think it is important to lay it out.

The health problems caused by air pollution can vary from relatively minor to seriously debilitating. Some hazards carry the risk of death with them! The following scale put out by the EPA shows these risks in the image above. Scary!

We know these problems exist, but my point is this: our industrialized nation, while making us wealthier, is making us sick. I by not means advocate shutting down factories and destroying millions of jobs in the process. But does a wealthy nation and a healthy nation have to be mutually exclusive of each other? Is polluted air a necessary byproduct of mass production and transit?

Smog is something we are all familiar with. When smoke from factories and cars combine with fog, that is what you get – an ugly, and very dangerous brown haze that just settles over the city! This is especially bad in cities that are nestled in valleys or near a river. Kids can’t play outside and it is common for an elderly person or two to die on days when smog is really bad. Back in 1952 in London, smog was really bad and within a few days, 4,000 people died from inhaling the pollution!

There are plenty of things we can, and SHOULD do to prevent dangerous air pollution, especially smog. I come from an area where smog is a huge problem in the summer, so city residents are advised to do the following on days when the smog advisory is high: mow grass after sundown, gas up at night (fumes escape during pumping), don’t use aerosol hairspray, try to carpool, and avoid using oil-based paints and other cleaners that can contribute to smog.

But what about other pollution that is expelled into the air regardless of what we do? What about the factories? There actually are things they can do! For example:
1. Using a low pollution, invisible flare burner, which removes hydrocarbons from the atmosphere. For info. on how this works, visit http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:eSl890XfPC0J:www.free-essays.us/dbase/d4/seg12.shtml+how+to+prevent+smog+-+factories&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us I am not scientifically minded, so I really don’t understand how it works, but it works!
2. Changing from coal/oil burning to natural gas combustion machinery. The combustion of CO2 that comes from running on natural gas can actually be used as a source of heat, that can then be used to power the plant! (check out the Domino Sugar plant in the Everglades – it runs on the heat produced from burning the left-over sugar cane that isn’t used! They save money, energy, AND pollution!)

While these measures are expensive, potentially costing about $800,000,000, it may help to look at from this view: think of how much money is spent every year on treating people who suffer from the adverse effects of air pollution. The costs of complying with clean air initiatives will more than likely offset the costs of caring for sick people (especially terminally ill cancer patients), and more so, the loss of human lives!

So, while this blog may sound like an environmental one, it really is about human health, which, in my opinion, is inevitably tied to the environment’s health. You are what you eat, and you are what you breathe! Let’s start acting like we are what we breathe, and maybe our wealthy nation can also be a healthy one!

Sources:

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/3_90_022.html

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:eSl890XfPC0J:www.free-essays.us/dbase/d4/seg12.shtml+how+to+prevent+smog+-+factories&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us

Cookware - We Eat Chemicals and Metal!

Is metal cookware harmful to our health? With the recent discovery of Teflon’s negative health effects, many people are wondering which, if any, cookware is safe to use. Between chemical non-stick films and metal cookware, it can be confusing!

The danger of Teflon and other nonstick cookware comes from the chemicals used in making those nonstick films. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is the main chemical used in nonstick cookware. Two independent studies, one of which was conducted by the EPA, found that PFOA is “likely to be carcinogenic” in lab rats. However, according to the EPA, PFOA does not remain in the cookware after it has been manufactured and thus does not pose a health risk to humans. But how do they know for sure? My concern is this: what happens to that PFOA when that nonstick coating scratches off and gets into the food? Some experts say that because the chemical coating is inert and not absorbed by the body, there is no problem. Are we really sure that this stuff passes through our bodies with no absorption whatsoever? Not to go down a slippery slope here, but it only takes a microgram being absorbed a tiny cell to start cell mutation…and cell mutations are what cancer is.

Cast iron cookware can actually benefit our health if we are careful. Because cast iron releases about 6 milligrams of iron into food every time it is used, it is important that people who use cast iron not take in too much iron from other sources. However, since most Americans don’t get enough iron in their diets, this probably won’t be too much of a problem. The same goes for other metal cookware like stainless steel.

My point: be careful what you choose. I do question some of the authorities who say that nonstick cookware is completely safe, especially since those chemicals get into the environment through landfills and never break down! If they don't break down in the elements of nature they probably can't break down in our bodies, meaning that they stay there, and possibly get absorbed into our cells. I’d rather be safe than sorry…




Info. found at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/prod/cook-cuisinier_e.html

Stress - the Product of American Ambition

Stress can be a good thing, if taken in measure and balanced out properly. In my opinion, however, the average American has way too much stress in their daily lives.

In its early days, the U.S. was an agrarian, slower-paced nation. But the zeal to go out on conquer new frontiers was always there. The rise of mass production and technology combined with our competitive, capitalist spirit to transform our nation almost overnight into a busy, fast-paced culture. The drive to make more money and explore new possibilities is what made the U.S. one of the wealthiest nations in the world. But at what price to our citizens’ health did this wealth come?

The average American gets 10 vacation days and 5 sick days per year. That is only 15 days out of 365, not including the rare national holidays. Two weeks is hardly enough to go to Europe and deal with jet lag! And if you do take a trip like that, you can forget going to your family reunion or any other family function during the holidays. And we wonder why Americans have high blood pressure, insomnia, and other stress-related illnesses!

The link between heart disease and stress has been known for quite a while. Stress hormone levels rise in proportion to the amount of stress a person is under. That hormone, if not offset by exercise, can cause the artery walls to thicken and restrict oxygen and blood supply to the heart. Heart attacks caused by stress are common. Furthermore, heart disease is the number one killer of Americans! While diet and lifestyle have a lot to do with that, stress combined with those factors is a recipe for heart disease.

Stress also causes premature aging, headaches, and ulcers; aggravates irritable bowel syndrome; suppresses the immune system; causes flare-ups in people who have autoimmune problems such as rheumatoid arthritis; and even possibly causes cancer according to some studies. Adults who have had chicken pox as children can get shingles, a very painful, slow-healing sickness, that occurs when suppressed immunity combines with high levels of stress.

Don’t forget the psychological problems caused by stress. Anxiety, depression, and insomnia are all directly linked to high stress levels. Of course, these psychological problems directly affect physical health, and can impact behavior dramatically. High stress goes hand-in-hand with overwork. People tend to drink and smoke more heavily when they are stressed or working too much. They can suffer from sleepless nights and poor diet caused by the lack of time to prepare healthy meals. Exercise is anything but a priority. Who has time to exercise during a 40-hour work week combined with kids and housework? Who has time to exercise during a 50 or 60-hour work week alone?

People with high stress levels eventually get burned out and lose focus to the point where they literally cannot handle any more work. In our overworked, overstressed society, companies care so much about meeting the quota that they forget that by overworking their employees, they are ultimately causing them to become unproductive. How much more could that average employee get done if they had some balance to their life?

If companies were to realize just how much damage ridiculous hours can cause, and then do something about it, I think our wealthy society would actually become wealthier and healthier too! People who get a better night’s sleep, who are physically fit, and are more relaxed overall can focus better and get more work done in less time! Think of how much less we would spend in medical expenses related to stress. It wouldn’t be a big sacrifice to give our employees a break. Give them a shorter work day by an hour a couple of days per week so they can exercise, play with their kids, or just get some fresh air. Allow an extra week of vacation so they can go someplace far away and see their family during the holidays! Why can’t we take 4 weeks vacation a year like Europeans do? They are just as productive as we are!

Hopefully people will realize the harmful effects of stress and maybe one day do something about it. Until then, all I can say is that is up to us to make stress-relief a priority. Make time for exercise, eating right, and getting some fresh air. Stop, slow down, and take a walk. Breathe deep. Listen to some classical music, or go to yoga classes. It is up to us!

** Oh, and I must put my 2 cents in as a law student…Law professors, do you really need to stress us out so much?? Can’t you just give us enough of a break so we can at least make doctor’s appointments?? So many law students are unhealthy and suffer the detrimental effects stress and psychological games imposed on them by professors. Is that really necessary to make us learn?? With less stress, we may actually learn more because we are healthy, get enough sleep, and can focus on our studies better!!! ***


For info. on the harmful impact of stress: http://www.mindtools.com/stress/UnderstandStress/StressHealth.htm

Aluminum & Alzheimer's Disease

It is estimated that one in ten people over age 65 suffers from dementia, and that one in five people over 80 suffer from it. About half of all dementia is actually Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Since 1965, when lab rats developed tangled nerves and “senile plaque” in their brains as a result of being injected with aluminum, it has been theorized that aluminum deposits are responsible for AD. That is a question that really cannot be answered, at least not yet. And that is why I think, at the risk of sounding cliché, it is better to be safe than sorry.

The connection between aluminum and AD came about when it was discovered that Alzheimer’s patients have serum aluminum levels that are much higher than people with dementia and healthy people. These serum aluminum levels do increase with age, though, to some extent. Scientists do not know for sure if the connection between old age and higher serum aluminum levels comes from aluminum accumulation slowly over time or if older bodies absorb it more readily. Whatever the reason, the presence of aluminum in people suffering from AD is much higher.

There are studies that suggest this theory may be true. One in 24 people can get AD just by random chance. However, people who drank water containing the highest amounts of aluminum increased this chance by 42%. Furthermore, aluminum deposits in drinking water have only been found to be linked to AD dementia and no other kinds of dementia. Other studies have linked frequent use of aluminum-containing antiperspirants/deodorants to AD.

Perhaps the most compelling study comes from the administration of a drug, desferrioxamine, which removes aluminum from the body by binding it. In a study containing both this drug and a placebo, regular doses of the drug did not stop the progression of AD. However, it did significantly slow the rate of decline in Alzheimer’s patients, allowing them to care for themselves for a longer period before declining to a rate of needing constant care.

Other studies, however, suggest that only 1% of aluminum is actually absorbed by the body, because the gastrointestinal tract does not readily absorb it from foods or sodas that contain or have been packaged in aluminum materials.

Studies truly are inconclusive, and a heated debate is still raging on whether or not aluminum deposits do cause AD. Regardless of who is right on this debate, the studies above put a little nagging in the back of mind. What if?

I have read from a couple of sources that the FDA does not even address this issue. Aluminum is exempted from FDA studies, because it has automatically been labeled “GRAS” (Generally Regarded as Safe). The FDA does not test aluminum, and there are no restrictions on its use or amounts. While I have not been able to find anything from the FDA itself about this, and thus cannot say for sure whether it is true, I must say that if it is true that the FDA does not regulate aluminum, I am concerned! The FDA is supposed to protect us, not turn a deaf ear to compelling studies and competing theories.

What was thought to be good medicine in previous years changes. Take for example thinking that “bad blood” needed to be drained from a sick person just a couple hundred years ago. The same standard applies here. We need to open our eyes and our minds to possibilities that maybe using aluminum in our foods and other products is not safe after all. What do we have to lose, besides big companies needing to alter their production methods?

Here are some things you can do to avoid getting too much aluminum in your body (Per Dr. Melvyn Werbach, M.D.):
1. Avoid antiperspirants/deodorants that contain aluminum (yes, you can buy effective ones that do not contain it!), and aluminan cans too! (for a scary chart on aluminum levels that leech from cans into the liquids contained in the can, check out this chart! http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/al.htm ).
2. Find out of your drinking water contains high amounts of aluminum (you can find out from your city what the aluminum level in your water is).
3. Carefully check labels of commercially processed pancake and cake mixes, self-rising flours, and dough, most of which contain aluminum. Baking powder contains sodium aluminum phosphate. You can buy Rumford baking powder, which does not contain aluminum.
4. Drink water that has high levels of silica; it binds with aluminum and increases urine aluminum excretions. Studies have yet to prove, though that silica actually helps prevent toxic effects of aluminum.
5. Take magnesium and calcium supplements.

Studies are inconclusive. But it may be worth taking these few extra precautions before it is too late. Who knows when a study will conclusively prove the connection? I do know, however, first hand, that AD is a terrible, undignified way to go (my grandmother is currently suffering from it). If keeping tabs on my aluminum intake can help prevent my risk of getting it, then I am willing to do it, even if a study has yet to come along with solid proof.

SOURCES:

Melvyn Werbach, M.D. “Can Aluminum Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?” http://www.laleva.cc/environment/aluminium_alzheimer2.html
(Melvyn R. Werbach, M.D., is a faculty member at the UCLA School of Medicine and the author of Nutritional Influences on Illness (Third Line Press Inc., 1993)).

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/aluminum.htm


H. Tomlinson, M.B., Ch.B., MRCS., LRCP, “Diseases Associated with AluminumToxicity” http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/al.htm

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:rckpmkwFFSMJ:www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html+FDA+%2B+aluminum&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

Studies:
1. Martyn, C.N., et al. Lancet, 1: 59-62, 1989. 2. Neri, L.C., & Hewitt, D. Letter. Lancet, 338: 390, 1991. 3. Graves, A.B., et al. J Clin Epidemio,l 43(1): 35-44, 1990. 4. Ibid. 5. Zapatero, M.D. Biol Trace Elem Res, 47: 235-40, 1995. 6. McLachlan, D.R., et al. Lancet, 337: 1304-8, 1991. 7. Lukiw, W.J. Mineral and Metal Neurotoxicology. 113-26. CRC Press, 1997. 8. McLachlan, D.R., et al. Can Med Assoc J, 145(7): 793-804, 1991. 9. Candy, J.M., et al. Lancet, i: 354-57, 1986. 10. Jacqmin-Gadda, H., et al. Epidemiology 7(3): 281-85, 1996. 11. Bellia, J.P., et al. Ann Clin Lab Sci, 26: 227-33, 1996. 12. Foster, H.D. Health, Disease and the Environment. 311-16. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 1992: 13. Durlach, J. Magnes Res, 3(3): 217-18, 1990. 14. Wenk, G.L., & Stemmer, K.L. Brain Res 288: 393-95, 1983. 15. Werbach, M.R. Foundations of Nutritional Medicine: Common nutritional deficiencies. Tarzana, Calif.: Third Line Press, 1997. 16. Bush, A.I., et al. Science, 265: 1464-67, 1994. 17. Constantinidis, J. Schweiz Arch Neurol Neurochir Psychiatr, 141(6): 523-56, 1990.

Pesticide Residues - We Eat Poison!

Pesticides are used on almost all produce grown in the U.S. today. But what happens when the pesticide residues on the produce is ingested by humans?

In one study done by the CDC, 9282 people were tested for pesticides. 100% of the people who had their blood and urine tested were found to have a mixture of 13 - 26 pesticides in their bodies. These pesticides are identified with birth defects, childhood and adult cancers, and infertility.

The problem isn’t necessarily in the individual pesticides themselves because their levels are regulated by the government to be relatively low. It’s the combination of multiple chemicals that we are exposed to simultaneously in our daily lives that raises concerns. It is impossible to avoid exposure to multiple chemicals in day: we breathe in polluted air, eat pesticide-treated produce, walk through pesticide-treated lawns, and are exposed to many other chemicals simultaneously.

Example: chlorpyrifos, a chemical created to kill insects by disrupting the insects’ nerves. In spite of the EPA restricting use of chloropyrifos to household use, many farmers continue to use it as an insecticide on the produce they grow. As it is a poison targeted at the nervous system, it has been shown in lab tests to affect hormone levels and the nervous system of lab animals used in research.

Organochlorine (OC) pesticides: 6 exist, and women have been found in the DCD study to have extraordinarily high levels of 3 of them. These OC pesticides have been known to cross the placenta to a fetus and disrupt brain development.

The nervous system and brain development are only a couple of the systems of the human body that can suffer detrimental effects of these poisonous substances found in our food. The scary thing is, even rinsing produce before eating them does not remove the residues of harmful pesticides, meaning we ingest those poisons right into our bodies! There are special solutions that claim to dissolves pesticide and wax residues from produce, and they can be bought in your local grocery store. Other than that, the only way to avoid ingesting these toxins is to buy the expensive, organically grown produce.

We shouldn’t have to pay more for pesticide-free produce to make sure it is healthy. We are exposed to enough poisons in our surroundings without having to worry about eating poisons too! There are natural alternatives to pesticides; citric acid is one of them. We can grow produce effectively while still making sure it is safe for people to eat.



Study and chemical information found at: http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/residues052404.cfm

Genetically Modified Foods - Pandora's Box??

I once heard someone quip that America could put an end to starvation by feeding the starving countries of the world with genetically modified (GM) foods. This may be true, but would these starving people really be nourished, or would they just be victims of “full belly starvation?” Or worse, can GM foods harm our bodies more than help them?

2/3 of all U.S. processed foods contain some sort of GM ingredients. Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court held that life forms could be patented for commercialization, millions of acres of farmland have been converted to grow GM crops.

You may be surprised to find out just what genes lurk in GM foods. Oftentimes, animal genes are infused into GM produce, such as fish genes in tomatoes! The arguments in favor of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), which, by the way, includes both plants and animals, vary from being able to feed the Third World to producing plants that are more disease and pest resistant. Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland have inserted human genes into sheep’s milk to isolate a protein in the milk that could possibly be used in treating cystic fibrosis.

Arguments against GMO’s emphasize that there are potential unknown health risks caused by animal genes being inserted into other animals or plants. What if a pig gene is put into a vegetable that will be eaten by a Jew or Muslim? What about the possibility of a weed-resistant GM plant taking over or crossing with wild populations of similar species? There are so many arguments to be addressed here, but I am only going to address one concern: how healthy are these GMO’s, both for our bodies and the environment? Do the possible benefits really offset the detriment to our bodies?

So much of GM technology is dedicated to eliminating the natural environment that would prevent normal growth of certain non-GM plants. Time Magazine has called genetic engineering of “terminator trees” (trees which have been engineered to do nothing but excrete poison from its leaves that kill insects) and other deadly organisms the “Death of Birth.” And what about “built-in” genetic pesticides found in some of these GMO’s? If we ingest those foods, it follows that those genetic pesticides end up in our bodies. They may never leave!

Effects on Human Health:

Food Allergies: in 1996, a company called Pioneer Hi-Bred spliced Brazil nut genes into soybeans. The resulting product that went to the market was eaten by people who suffered from nut allergies and those people almost died. What about other products where genes of certain animals or foods have been spliced into other foods? Allergic reactions are likely to result, and possibly cause death.

Cancer/ degenerative diseases: the growth hormone rBGH (a GMO) has been injected into dairy cows since 1994. rBGH has been linked to a 400-500% increase in prostate, breast, and colon cancer in humans. Rat studies show internal organ damage after ingesting rBGH, and the FDA’s own experiments cast suspicion that leukemia may be linked to the hormone. According to researcher Sharyn Martin, foreign DNA fragments from GMO’s are not fully digested in the human digestive tract and thus some autoimmune diseases are aggravated. Cancer is mainly caused by a genetic mutation; it makes sense that environmental chemicals combined with genetically mutated organisms cause cancer.

Lower Nutritional Value: studies suggest that GM foods have less nutrients than naturally grown produce. This is especially so in that they do not possess the phytoestrogen (which protects against heart disease and cancer) non-altered plants naturally produce.

Never-Before Eaten Things: modified proteins present in GM foods have never been consumed by humans before. The unknown consequences could be unexpected and uncontrolled.

Worse yet: the FDA has almost NO regulations in place for GMO’s. As long as companies conduct their OWN research before putting the product on the market, the GMO’s can be put on store shelves with no questions asked!!

This issue is so big that the risks and consequences could never be fully outlined here. But it is worth thinking about: do we really want to play God and cross the plant and animal kingdoms with each other? Could disturbing the boundaries put in place by nature have detrimental effects on our bodies, our offspring, and our environment? The health effects, birth defects, and environmental consequences are already starting to be seen.

We need to speak out and rally for better testing of these GMO’s, and perhaps even eliminate them. Disease and insect - resistant foods are not worth the irreversible, unpredicted, and possibly uncontrollable side-effects that come with them!


Information: http://www.cqs.com/50harm.htm

End Hormone-ridden Meat!

Most people know that hormones are given to the cattle that we eventually eat. But what most people don’t realize is the effect those hormones have harmful effects our bodies as a result of ingesting the meat and milk from those animals.

We need to stop putting sex hormones in the meat that we eat!

Why do farmers feed the animals hormones in the first place?
To make the cows grow larger and thus feed more people.
Farmers get paid according to the weight of the animals they sell.
The hormone rBGH increases milk production in cows.

By the way, the hormones injected into these animals are injected directly into the muscles, leaving billions of molecules of hormones in the meat we eat.

The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health states that of the six hormones used in beef production, three are naturally found in humans and three are synthetic. The EU’s main concern is that these hormones can be carcinogenic, with pregnant women, children, and unborn children being the most at risk.

Furthermore, it is suspected that the increased sex hormone levels resulting from consumption of this meat causes an imbalance in hormone levels in the body because the body already has sex hormones present. This imbalance has been blamed for the fact that in recent years, young girls and boys are reaching puberty earlier, with many girls beginning menstruation as young as seven or eight years old. In the time before meat was treated with growth hormones, the average girl began menstruation just before or during her teenage years.

Many scientists criticize the FDA for approving rBGH after only 90 days of testing in on 30 rats in an unpublished study. The European Economic Community is so concerned with the link between cancer and increased hormone levels that seven years ago it banned the importation of all U.S-produced meat into Europe!

The evidence was enough to compel the Europeans to stop the hormones, so why do Americans put up with the hormone residues in their beef, milk, and eggs?

We need to stand up and at the very least demand to know what hormones we’re being fed. If we wait too long, cancer could become our number one killer!

Processed Foods & Cancer

"Six of the ten leading causes of death are directly related to diet." (Dr. Julian Witaker)

Preservative: a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. to retard spoilage, whether from microbial growth, or undesirable chemical changes. - Wikipedia

It seems like cancer is everywhere these days, on the rise, and striking indiscriminately at will. You have to wonder, has it always been like this? While the ancients and even our great-grandparents lived in a time when most people died of some unknown sickness (or one that was known but not treatable), it has been theorized that cancer is almost exclusively a post-Industrial Revolution sickness.

The main suspect: processed foods.

Since the end of WWII, processed "food" has dominated our grocery store shelves. What is downright scary to me is the fact that we, as Americans, have come to call these canned, boxed substances "food!"

Here is a scary bit of information:

"Preservatives can be considered in the classification of poisonous
drugs because they have the same ill effects on the tissues
in which they settle. Many of our canned foods are being preserved
with drugs. In the past, arsenic was used in the canning of peas. We find
that some companies are using certain poisonous fluids and
drugs to preserve canned meats. Soda is frequently used as a
preservative. Coal tar [a known cancer-producing agent] products often are used for coloring and flavoring." - B. Jensen D.C., N.D., The Science and Practice of Iridology p168.

Preservatives are also suspected of destroying the bacteria balance in our systems:

"The problem being that [preservatives] indiscriminately destroy bacteria -
good bacteria and bad bacteria. Which means that they could interfere with the
growth of the friendly bacteria in the colon - leading to serious digestion
problems, and to various imbalances in the natural bacterial population that
should thrive in the digestive tract. This, we believe, could be a major
cause of what is known as thrush or Candida." http://www.keepwell.com/dietintro.htm

Poisonous substances? Arsenic? Am I the only one with goosebumps here? The part that scares me the most is the fact that processed foods exist because of their enhanced taste and appearance, long shelf life, and most of all, convenience. Thus, in a busy country like the U.S., people turn to these preservative-ridden concoctions as the main, if not entire, part of their daily diet! What most people don't realize is that processed food is almost, if not completely, devoid of all nutrients. When someone eats a lot of processed food but gets no nutrients out of their diet, it's called "full-belly starvation." It is something that is, unfortunately, more often than not the case in wealthy, on-the-go nations like our own.

Combine preservatives with the high amount of fat and processed, refined carbohydrates the average American eats on a daily basis, and you have the problem our nation faces right now: severe obesity, climbing rates of heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, and a generally unhealthy nation.

Here is another theory, and while it may sound "out there," I think it deserves at least a thought. Some people think that there is a link between our higher rates of skin cancer and processed foods. It is theorized by many doctors that skin cancer is actually due to a reaction between the sunlight and the preservatives left in our bodies reacting together. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "well yeah, of course skin cancer is on the rise! The ozone layer is thinner than it used to be." I am by no means a scientist, and this blog isn't about global warming or ozone thinning so I'm not to go into it. Just check out this map of skin cancer rates around the world:

http://www.inctr.org/publications/2003_v03_n03_w01.shtml Scroll about halfway down the page to see the map of the world.

I think it is interesting to note that the lowest rates of skin cancer happen to be in African and Middle Eastern countries. I am well aware of the fact that the regions with the lowest skin cancer rates happen to be made up of people with generally darker skin pigments. However, my only point here is this: is the climbing rate of skin cancer exclusively to blame on thinning ozone, or could it have something to do with our diet? It would logically follow that if the ozone were the only thing to blame skin cancer on, it would be on the rise all around the world. But looking at the map shows that skin cancer is very low in the regions with the most intense sunlight, and it is very high in the industrialized nations like North America, Russia, European nations, and Australia. How is it that Alaska has a higher skin cancer rate than African and Middle Eastern countries, when even an Alaskan summer is pretty chilly? Most of the countries with the highest rates of skin cancers get little, if any, really intense sunlight.

Take Mexico for example. For centuries, Mexicans cooked in lard (I am by no means advocating the use of lard btw). Then, recently, many Mexicans started cooking with margarine and other hydrogenated oils that have been, of course, processed, and known to block the elimination of toxins from our bodies. Now, Mexico's skin cancer rates are catching up with the U.S., and what is most interesting is that in the far-out areas that have no access to supermarkets, the cancer rate has not risen a bit. (World Health Organization) It has only risen in areas where hydrogenated margarine is readily available. Now, either the ozone just happened to thin in those more industrialized areas, or something else is to blame. It's worth a thought...

Even the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR) concedes that cancer rates in developing nations are pretty low. Could it have something to do with the fact that people in developing nations generally eat mostly fresh-grown or all-natural food and practically no processed food?

The more industrialized and wealthy a nation is, the busier the people are. And the busier the people are, the less likely they are to eat healthy and the more likely they are to eat conveniently. Who wants to bother cooking a healthy, homemade meal after a 9-hour workday plus commute?

So at the end of the day, we may be one of the wealthiest nations on earth, but are we really healthier than we used to be? In my opinion, we live longer in spite of our poor diets because we have technology to keep us going longer. How else can we explain our out-of-control health?