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