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HEALTH/EDUCATION ARCHIVES -- MAY 2010
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MAY 24, 2010 -- MAY 30, 2010 NO CLEAR SIGNAL FROM CELLPHONE-CANCER STUDY
Remember there were scientists and doctors advocating for cigarettes at their inception. Cell phones are too new to truly know the affects down the road - particularly on kids who seem to be the biggest cell phone users these days. Until we understand everything about cancer and our brains, there are too many unknowns. It's just naive to "know" that cell radiation will not affect us in ANY MANNER at this point, it's truly impossible to know for sure one way or the other. Read the article ARS TECHNICA/Largest cellphone-cancer study to date clarifies little <> As an engineer working a cell phone carrier (non-US), I always get a kick out of meeting with the community to discuss these types of things. Almost no-one will have a rational discussion with us, however. Most people are shocked to realize that the closer you are to a cell tower, the less overall radiation you absorb, due to the phone not having to "shout" so much. That the phone is the main culprit in what RF you are exposed to. It is very satisfying to see that penny drop. Read the article ARS TECHNICA/Largest cellphone-cancer study to date clarifies little <> “The results really don’t allow us to conclude that there is any risk associated with mobile phone use” So what is the problem? There was a huge test with no positive indication of a problem. Reading the response by the researchers it is clear they had a bias towards finding a problem – and didn’t. Read the article REUTERS/WHO study has no clear answer on phones and cancer
ADHD AND PESTICIDES: STUDY SHOWS A GROWING CONCERN
Ok. let’s just say that the periodic table, which is heavily influenced by chemistry and radioactivity would create a new variable in brain and organic chemistry. The notion that chemicals can affect the brain, in trace amounts(synapsic junction theory suggests that synapses are bio/electro/chemical transponders) may be affected when one variable(chemistry) is affected. It may be trite to assume that the US with it’s environment tainted with chemistry, would create a living petri dish of options for chemical expression. Notwithstanding some of the posts here, seems that an open mind to the biochem impact on brain space, would be a viable answer. And I am a fully functional ADHD adult. Read the article REUTERS/ADHD in kids tied to organophosphate pesticides
<> Correlation does not indicate causality, but organophosphates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a key neurotransmitter involved in cognition and attention. ADHD researchers have been focusing on the role of acetylcholine in ADHD for many years. I have zero doubt that acetylcholine is involved in ADHD. This is not just another research finding. I believe that it is very important when other information is also taken into account. You have to consider a variety of sources when figuring out how to make sense of studies like this. For example, chronic organophosphate exposure in workers has been associated with attention deficits Organophosphate exposure inhibits the activity of a gene called Neuropathy Target Esterase or NTE, which could play a role in attention deficits associated with the pesticides People with certain NTE alleles may be more susceptible to attention deficits. If people want to make believe that organophosphates have not repeatedly been shown to cause attention deficits in animals and humans, then they should seriously consider doing some research on the matter. Maybe these people should try some organophosphates themselves if they believe they are safe for children. Read the article REUTERS/ADHD in kids tied to organophosphate pesticides
MAY 10, 2010 -- MAY 23, 2010 GETTING MIXED SIGNALS ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES
Most people don't realize the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. An allergy is an imuno-response while an intolerance typically results from a person lacking an enzyme for digestion of a specific food. For example, I don’t have not Celiac Disease (an allergy), but I do have an intolerance to gluten and soy from grain proteins, presumably because as I got older, my body stopped producing the enzyme for digestion. When ingested, I get a reaction similar to those with lactose intolerance. Had I been allergic to it, I would experience an imuno-reaction every time I ingested those foods. Unfortunately most people use those two terms interchangeably, while they are quite different. Read the article CNN/Food allergy diagnosis "an inexact science" <> I have had food and environmental allergies all my life. I am 63 years old. I have never, I repeat NEVER, had to sit by myself at school, avoided restaurants, or in any other way done other than live my life to the fullest. Yes, I ask at a restaurant if they prepare fish and seafood dishes on the same cooking surface as meats; I will always ask if a dish contains any type fish or seafood (note: this is my most life-threatening allergy); I have not had a live christmas tree in my house for decades, nor do I have pets (both provoke asthma-and are life threatening for me.) But I do not at all understand the current prevailing hysteria regarding food allergies. It is out of all proportion to the reality. I blame soap operas and 'made for tv' dramas, as well as parental units who treat allergies as if they are a diagnosis of smallpox. Read the article ABC -GOOD MORNING AMERICA/How can you tell if you have food allergies? <> There seems to be a lot of misinformation on these forums regarding allergies. It's easy to blame the parent, but sometimes these sort of things "just happen". My son certainly ate dirt (and anything else he could find off the floor), he went to daycare and ate everything we gave him. But he kept on getting hives all over his body... His pediatrician (which we have since changed) did not even suggest that his 'rash' might be linked to an allergy. We had no clue that giving him a spoonful of humus would cause anaphylaxis. It turns out that those hives were likely due to him coming into contact with sesame seeds. But having a mouthful of sesame...it's an experience that no mother should ever have to go through. As painful as it is, I know that the only way to protect my son is to avoid the allergen as best as possible and to carry an epipen and benedryl around. Educating others about life threatening allergies is also important. Sesame is not one of the top 8 allergens in the States, but it IS one of the top nine in Canada. Nevertheless, while people understand about peanut and nut allergies, they are clueless to sesame. Until my son is old enough to advocate for himself, it is my duty to protect him. Read the article CNN/Food allergy diagnosis "an inexact science"
STRESSED? -- CALL MOM AND CHILL OUT
I'm 30 years old and I STILL call Mom if I'm really freaking out about something. I can talk to a friend or significant other, but they never seem to have the same effect as a conversation with Mom. I'm lucky I have a good relationship with her. Read the article CNN/HEALTH.COM/Stressed? Calling Mom helps, study says <> I think much probably has to do with how well the mother and daughter get along away. If the relationship is strained as does all too often happens, I think perhaps there may be more stress. I know I couldn’t count on my mother for any sort of comfort or support…but luckily for me, my daughter does call and tells me straight out she calls cuz she knows I’ll be supportive of her. So I guess it really is six of one, half a dozen of the other. Read the article PSYCHCENTRAL/A phone call may be as effective as a hug
MAY 3, 2010 -- MAY 9, 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK MAY BE GREATER THAN WE THINK
"Among the potential exposures cited in the report were pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical byproducts in the water supply, household chemicals and tanning beds. Emissions from cars, trucks and planes add to the toxic mix, the authors wrote." Addressing the issue involves taking on profit-driven corporations at all levels, rather than attacking the poor and working-class America which has been the case regarding cigarettes. Those grey clouds above our cities are not caused by rabid smokers. Our waterways and the ocean are dying due to personal and corporate pollution, exploitation, and neglect. Read the article ABC NEWS/Cancer risk from environment may be "grossly underestmated." <> One problem with this report cited in this article: "But paging through the lengthy report, it was difficult to find solid science to back that strong statement." Let's see, no science, plenty of fear. This equals someone trying advance an agenda and/or to line their pockets at the expense of the taxpayer.Let's face it nobody wants to get cancer. Almost everyone wants to keep the environment clean. But we have to do it sensibly. We can't just start throwing taxpayer dollars at an agenda backed by little or no credible scientific facts. Read the article ABC NEWS/Cancer risk from environment may be "grossly underestmated."
<> Why do we always resort to name calling and throwing political stones? Can you not step back, take a breath and look at the big picture. There are good chemicals and bad chemicals. 40 years ago we banned lead based paint, once thought to be a good chemical ... as we do more research we discover those chemicals and medicines once thought to be wonderful have terrible side effects on people and the environment. Nothing lives in a vacuum - until we stop screaming at each other like children on a playground, we are the ones who lose. Please let's start really addressing these issues, which are important, with calm cool heads and an ounce of common sense. Now you can have at me, a cancer survivor, twice over. Read the article USA TODAY/Toxins causing 'grievous harm,' cancer panel says
SUCH SWEET SORROW? -- CHOCOLATE AND DEPRESSION
Enough already with contradictory stories that only befuddle and confuse people. First, the flavonoids in chocolate, like red wine, are good for a healthy coronary system. Now this article, maligning chocolate as some type of depression creating addition to one's diet. Perhaps, this type article is why people in our country are constantly kept confused, and confusion causes depression. How about a news article on the effect of contradictory articles especially when dealing with one's health? Read the article CNN/Chocolate and depression go hand in hand <> It is a well documented fact that people seek comfort foods when they are depressed. Chocolate (like cigarettes and drugs) has been shown to activate the reward center of the brain which gives you a temporary good feeling. Why is it so hard to believe that a depressed person might actually want to eat something that they enjoy and makes them feel better in the short run? Read the article ABC NEWS/Chocolate and depression: Is there a connection? <> For the past 64 years, my family has been manufacturing and selling chocolates. The only time my customers seem depressed, is when our store is closed. Read the article NPR/In the mood for chocolate
THE GOBBLEDYGOOK POLICE WANT TO MAKE IT PLAIN
Just to go the other way, let me share something with you that I give to each of my classes along with their paper assignments. From the Atlanta Journal: Read the article NPR/And the award for convoluted legalese goes to.. <> As a university instructor of (mostly) expository and business writing, I LOVE this story! (I'm a writer, too.) In my freshman courses, when I assign my students to write an essay five or six paragraphs and 450-600 words long, I explain to them I don't want to see their work reflecting this principle: "Why use one word when 10 will do?" Then I start with a basic two-word sentence -- "I ran," for example -- and keep adding until it's 30 or 40 words long. The students nearly always get it. I do a similar exercise with purple prose, and, in business classes, bureaucratic/legalistic writing, and throw in the highly irritating overuse of the passive voice in way too much official writing (that construction being a stealth padding as well, since it takes more words). Read the article NPR/And the award for convoluted legalese goes to.. <> ....... Cheek says her favorite sentence comes from a letter that Chase bank officials sent about a change in the way it charges interest. Cheek says that after reading it 10 times, she was none the wiser about the bank's policy ............. "If this is their best effort," Cheek says, "the situation is pretty sorry."........ Read the article NPR/And the award for convoluted legalese goes to..
Personally, I think it's about time the FDA started addressing how overly salted the American diet is. In fact, food options were always limited for those who were looking for low sodium foods. On the other hand, if you want more salt in your diet, you can always add more salt. So, if anything, there are more options now. And with all the processed foods being offered at schools, it's a good thing the FDA started regulating sodium levels. We all know that a high sodium intake can lead to strokes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. So, what's the problem? This is a good thing, people. Read the article LOS ANGELES TIMES/Food and Drug Administration calls for salt cutbacks <> I want the government out of my refrigerator and pantry. If I am stupid enough to eat too much salt or sugar, that is MY problem. No one forces me to buy fast food or any food product. If I make bad food choices, I should suffer the consequences. Perhaps others will see the problems my bad choices have led to and do better with their choices. I am tired of the government dumbing everything down to the people who don't bother to read, listen, or learn. Why should they? They are learning to depend on the government to do everything for them. Before long the government will pass some regulation about how many times a day we should go to the bathroom and regulate the fiber in our food to ensure we do. Read the article LOS ANGELES TIMES/Food and Drug Administration calls for salt cutbacks <> Southerners love it on watermelon! My grandmother, who raised me, use to pour a little mountain of salt directly into her hand. She took her salt "straight" without all the nonsense of food added to it. As a young girl I use to love going to our stables because my horses ALWAYS had salt-blocks a/k/a "salt-licks" – yummy. I’m even a member of a salt club and am constantly on the look-out to buy exotic salts of every color and shape from all over the world. Read the article NPR/A pediatrician confesses to her salty, guilt pleasure <> Those proposing mandating salt limits in food had better read history and understand what role salt plays in culture. The French revolution began in part because of an oppressive salt tax. Gandhi broke the law that Indians purchase imported salt from Britain by making his own salt, leading to the non-violent overthrow of British rule of India. What next? Where does it stop? "We can't just rely on the individual to do something," said Cheryl Anderson, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health." How insulting and arrogant!!!! There are those who say that it's hard to find alternatives to the prepackaged food. Bullhocky! That's just laziness. Learn how to cook with fresh ingredients. Then you can salt as little or as much as you like. Read the article WASHINGTON POST/FDA plans to limit the amount of salt in processed foods for health reasons
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