Adhesive Found to be Toxic to Food

The interesting thing to consider when reading this news article is that many adhesive patches used to dose medicines have similar toxic components which do absorb via the skin.

D. Telegraph 24.5.10 "TOXIC CHEMICALS IN SUPERMARKET LABELS"
A highly toxic chemical in the glue in some supermarket labels can seep through packaging & contaminated food, a study has found. The chemical which is in the highest category because "it poses a particularly severe risk to health" is found is some of the sticky labels of meat & veg etc. There are EU rules of what can come into contact with food but it hadn't been realised that glue could seep through packaging. The harmful chemical is 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl dec-5-yne- 4,7-diol. The study looked at 4 acrylic adhesives & the 11 compounds found in them. The research was from Zaragoza University in Spain & was published on 24 May 2010 in Royal Society of Chemistry's "Journal of Materials Chemistry." See also http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7756221/Toxic-chemicals-from-supermarket-labels-seep-through-packaging-and-contaminate-food.html

Zinc, A Benefit to People with HIV

It is a good sign to see more reports on the benefits of nutrient supplementation for people with chronic disease. See related Natural Health News 60+ posts - Different-approach-needed-for-HIV/AIDS

May 19, 2010

Daily Zinc Supplements May Slow CD4 Cell Loss and Reduce Diarrhea

Daily zinc supplementation may help slow disease progression, notably in people living with HIV who are unable to maintain viral loads below undetectable while on an antiretroviral (ARV) drug regimen, and reduce diarrhea, according to a new study published in the June 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID).

Adequate zinc levels are critical for immune function. However, according to Marianna K. Baum, PhD, RD, of Florida International University and her fellow CID study authors, zinc deficiency occurs in more than 50 percent of people living with HIV. In turn, Baum’s group set out to determine the safety and efficacy of long-term zinc supplementation as it related to HIV disease progression.
The randomized, controlled trial conducted by Baum’s team enrolled 231 HIV-positive adults with low plasma zinc levels (less than 0.75 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) to receive zinc supplements (12 mg of elemental zinc for women and 15 mg for men) or placebo for 18 months. The primary measurement of the study was immunological failure, defined as a CD4 count below 200 at any time point during the study.
The average age of the study participants was 43. Seventy-seven percent were black, and 73 percent were men. Though 62 percent of the study participants were receiving ARV therapy, 69 percent had detectable viral loads, indicating poor control of the virus with the regimens being used. About 34 percent of the patients had CD4 counts below 200 upon entering the study; 22 percent had CD4s between 200 and 350, and 44 percent had CD4s above 350.
Zinc supplementation for 18 months resulted in a 75 percent reduction in the likelihood of immunological failure, after controlling the data for age, sex, food insecurity, baseline CD4 cell count, viral load and ARV therapy.
Daily zinc supplementation also reduced the rate of diarrhea by more than half.
There was no evidence that taking zinc supplements actually reduced the risk of death, though the study was not designed or powered to examine this aspect. A total of 11 patients in the treatment arm died compared with eight in the placebo arm.
Baum’s group also reported that daily zinc supplementation was safe. Her group reported no serious side effects.
“The results of this study can be generalized primarily to HIV-infected populations with prevalent zinc deficiency, such as drug users, children, men who have sex with men, and populations in developing countries, as well as those with poor viral control while receiving [antiretroviral therapy],” the authors conclude. “This evidence supports the recommendation of zinc therapy as a safe, simple and cost-effective tool to improve the immune response and to reduce morbidity and should be considered as an adjunct therapy for HIV infection.”

Add Spices to Meat Helps Cut Cancer Risk

NB from herbalYODA: Adele Davis always suggested cooking meat at 300 degrees F and that was in the 1940s!
UPDATE: 5/31/10 - "Spices top the list of foods rich in antioxidants, explained Marianne Gillette, a vice president at McCormick & Company, whose background is in experimental taste research. One half teaspoon of ground cinnamon has as many antioxidants as a half cup of blueberries; a half teaspoon of dried oregano rivals three cups of raw spinach." Complete article

Spicing up red meat doesn’t just add oomph to hamburgers on the grill.
By Catherine Donaldson-Evans. 5/24/10

A new study suggests that when sprinkled on ground beef during cooking, spices like cumin, tumeric and rosemary help lower its cancer-causing carcinogens.

Lead author J. Scott Smith, a food chemistry professor at Kansas State University, has for years been working on methods to cut the amount of carcinogenic compounds known as heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, found in barbecued ground beef patties and other so-called “muscle foods.”

HCAs are produced when the meat is either grilled, barbecued, fried or boiled. Eating it means ingesting the dangerous compounds, which have been linked to increased risk of cancers of the stomach, lung, prostate, mammary glands, colon, rectum and pancreas, according to a news release.

In research backed by the Food Safety Consortium, Smith found that some spices containing antioxidants can reduce the levels of HCAs in ground beef patties by about 40 percent — if they’re added during cooking. “Cooked beef tends to develop more HCAs than other kinds of cooked meats such as pork and chicken,” Smith said in a statement. “Cooked beef patties appear to be the cooked meat with the highest mutagenic activity and may be the most important source of HCAs in the human diet.” Smith didn’t immediately return requests for comment from AOL Health.

Prior research he has done showed that rosemary extracts for sale online can stop HCAs from developing by 61 to 79 percent, and Thai spices can block the compounds by 40 to 43 percent.

Other studies indicate that meat cooked for fewer than four minutes in temperatures under 352 degrees Fahrenheit had low levels of HCAs, levels of which seem to increase as cooking temperatures and times rise.

The spices with antioxidants can block the HCAs before they even form during the heating process, but still allow for higher temperatures. In addition to cumin, coriander seeds, rosemary and tumeric, Smith also says he saw the same benefits in fingerroot and galangal.

The highest levels of antioxidant activity were found in tumeric, rosemary and fingerroot, with rosemary being the most effective at inhibiting HCA production, the study found.

Smith said he plans more studies on the potential benefits of marinades and powders when added to cooked beef patties.

More on Meat and Your Health: Well-Done Meats Increase Bladder Cancer Risk
Study Suggests Adding Spices to Meat Cuts Cancer Risk - AOL Health

Suncreen May be Hiding the Facts

Today the BIG NEWS is about Sunscreen.  Numerous problems remain even after many years of known issues with the chemical ingredients in these products.  Some products listed as safe in the EWG report contain titanium dioxide, which if you note is mentioned in my 2008 posts that follow.  This raises concerns!.

The sad part is that this information has taken so long to get to the public!

Originally posted May 2008


It is very important to take the time to read labels when purchasing sun screen.

You might also want to increase use of vitamin B1 and make a vitamin C solution for a spray bottle. Both help act as sunscreens.

We also suggest using our anti-oxidant organic lotion following sun exposure to prevent dryness and maintain lubricity of your skin.

The following information from another colleague has some valuable tips. We exchanged information a year or so ago and it helped him update his recommendations.

Should you get sunburn, a good way to tame the sting is a tea bath or applying plain tea to those hot, red areas. Many people like to use pure aloe vera.

and another post from July 2008 84% of Sunscreens Unsafe or Ineffective

Sunscreens Revisited -
Sunny weather is here again and with it comes concerns about sun exposure and sunburn. The sun is beneficial for its ability to induce vitamin D production in our bodies. For those people who take cod liver oil in the winter for its vitamin D value, it may be prudent to switch during the sunny summer months to fish oil or krill oil as an omega 3 supplement, which do not contain vitamin D. It may be possible to build up too high a level of vitamin D in the bloodstream. Be aware, however, that research has failed to show any toxicity from vitamin D3 supplementation in adults at dosages as high as 4,000 to 10,000 IU. The synthetic Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) has shown toxic potential. We cannot get too much vitamin D from sun exposure.

Sunscreens are necessary for days with hours of time spent in the sun, especially kids playing baseball, or playing at the park, or swimming. As for sunscreens, I am very concerned about the use of ingredients in most commercial brands. Many of these chemical sunscreens have carcinogenic and/or hormone disrupting effects. These include cinnamates, PABA, oxybenzone, salicylates, benzophenones, and triethenolamine, among others. These ingredients are absorbed through the skin, and can be found in plasma and urine samples after their use in humans. I don't consider them safe for anyone, especially children.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is contained in many "natural" sunscreens, but this metal has also been implicated as a potential problem in humans. Titanium dioxide has the ability to cause DNA damage in human cells. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has not identified any carcinogenic effects of TiO2, its ability to alter DNA strands is a cause for concern.

Zinc oxide is the only completely safe sunblocking agent. In addition zinc oxide also has anti-inflammatory effects that can help to mitigate damage caused by UV radiation. Zinc oxide blocks both UVA and UVB radiation. Excellent sunscreen products that contain only zinc oxide as the active ingredient are made by UVNaturalUSA.com. Their Sport 30 is the most water repellent of their products. These sunscreens use a transparent zinc oxide that does not create a white mask on the skin. They can be ordered through many online sources and health food stores. These sunscreens are safe for most infants as well. A thin layer works well. If swimming, reapply every 2 hours.

Enjoy the sunny weather. Avoid getting sunburned and be prudent about sun exposure at midday. Wear a hat. Protect your eyes with UV sunglasses. Use a zinc oxide sunscreen. And have fun.

Titanium Dioxide Studies -

Chemical oxidation and DNA damage catalyzed by inorganic sunscreen ingredients.
Dunford R, Salinaro A, Cai L, Serpone N, Horikoshi S, Hidaka H, Knowland J
University of Oxford, Department of Biochemistry, UK.
This is now a known carcinogen titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been noted (US Federal Register, 43FR38206, 25 August 1978) to be an unsafe physical sunscreen because it
reflects and scatters UVB and UVA in sunlight.
However, TiO2 absorbs about 70% of incident UV, and in aqueous environments this leads to the generation of hydroxyl radicals which can initiate oxidations. Using chemical methods, we show that all sunscreen TiO2 samples tested catalyze the photo-oxidation of a representative organic substrate (phenol). We also show that
sunlight-illuminated TiO2 catalyses DNA damage both in vitro and in human cells. These results may be relevant to the overall effects of sunscreens.
PMID: 9414101, UI: 98074912 45: Toxicol Lett 1995 Oct;80(1-3):61-7
*****
Deleterious effects of sunscreen titanium dioxide nanoparticles on DNA: efforts to limit DNA damage by particle surface modification
Serpone, Nick; Salinaro, Angela; Emeline, A.
Proc. SPIE Vol. 4258, p. 86-98, Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Surfaces: Novel Reporters with Biological Applications, Catherine J. Murphy; Ed.
(c) 2001 SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering.
Abstract - Sunlight can have deleterious effects on humans: causes sunburns and is the principal cause of skin cancers. Usage of TiO2 (and ZnO) in sunscreen lotions, widely used as UVA/UVB blockers, and intended to prevent sunburns and to protect consumers from skin cancers (carcinomas and melanomas) is examined. Although used to mineralize many undesired organic pollutants, TiO2 is considered to be a safe physical sunscreen agent because it reflects and scatters both UVB (290-320 nm) and UVA (320-400 nm) sunlight; however, it also absorbs substantial UV radiation which, in aqueous media, yields hydroxyl radial ((DOT)OH) species. These species cause substantial damage to DNA (J. Photochem.Photobio.A:Chem.,111(1997)205). Most importantly, sunlight-illuminated sunscreen TiO2 particles catalyze DNA damage both in vitro and in human cells (FEBS Letters, 418 (1997)87). These results raise concerns on the overall effects of sunscreens and raise the question on the suitability of photoactive TiO2 as a sunscreen component without further studies. The photocatalytically active nature of these metal oxides necessitates some changes since even the TiO2 specimens currently used in suncreams cause significant DNA strand breaks.

Chemical oxidation and DNA damage catalysed by inorganic sunscreen ingredients
FEBS Letters, Vol 418, 24 November 1997, pages 87-90
Copyright © 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Rosemary Dunford, Angela Salinaro, et al.
University of Oxford, Department of Biochemistry, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, Que. H3G 1M8, Canada Department of Chemistry, Meisei University, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191, Japan

Abstract - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been noted (US Federal Register, 43FR38206, 25 August 1978) to be a safe physical sunscreen because it reflects and scatters UVB and UVA in sunlight. However, TiO2 absorbs about 70% of incident UV, and in aqueous environments this leads to the generation of hydroxyl radicals which can initiate oxidations. Using chemical methods, we show that all sunscreen TiO2 samples tested catalyse the photo-oxidation of a representative organic substrate (phenol). We also show that sunlight-illuminated TiO2 catalyses DNA damage both in vitro and in human cells. These results may be relevant to the overall effects of sunscreens.

Today, 24 May 2010 - from EWG.org
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreens/press
http://www.ewg.org/Sunscreen_or_smoke_screen%3F

Wakefield Banned in the UK

With all the recent flak about heretical personages in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, this comes close to a revival of the Inqusition.

It amazes me that in the so-called modern age of science there are so many that work to prevent people from looking into other than the mainstream viewpoint.  It also enrages me that such good research is discarded out-of-hand along with such concerted effort to cover up what may actually be the truth.

It is good to know that parents may be smarter than political pundits that try to protect turf and $$$, so many now are doing their own research because they don't buy in to the propaganda.

Dr Wakefield's book, Callous Disregard

UK bans doctor who linked autism to vaccine  By MARIA CHENG, AP

LONDON -Britain's top medical group ruled Monday that a doctor who claimed autism was linked to a childhood vaccine can no longer practice in the U.K.

The General Medical Council also found Dr. Andrew Wakefield guilty of "serious professional misconduct" as it struck him from the country's medical register. The council was investigating how Wakefield and colleagues carried out their research, not the science behind it.

When the research was published a dozen years ago, British parents abandoned the measles vaccine in droves, leading to a resurgence of the disease. Vaccination rates have never recovered and there are outbreaks of measles in the U.K. every year.

In 1998, Wakefield and colleagues published a study alleging a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Most of the study's authors renounced its conclusions and it was retracted by the journal in February.

Many other studies have been conducted since then and none have found a connection between autism and the vaccines. Wakefield moved to the U.S. several years ago and the ruling does not affect his right to practice medicine there or in other countries.

In 2005, Wakefield founded a nonprofit autism center in Austin, Texas, but quit earlier this year.

In January, Britain's medical council ruled that Wakefield and two other doctors acted unethically and showed a "callous disregard" for the children in their study. The medical body said Wakefield took blood samples from children at his son's birthday party, paying them 5 pounds (today worth $7.20) each and later joked about the incident.

In a statement then, Wakefield said the medical council's investigation was an effort to "discredit and silence" him to "shield the government from exposure on the (measles) vaccine scandal."

In Monday's ruling, the medical council said Wakefield abused his position as a doctor and "brought the medical profession into disrepute."

Read also:http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/circle-game.html

Dangers of Irradiated Food

GLOWING BURGERS - originally reported by Leaflady.org in 1998.    

What's Wrong with Food Irradiation

• 
  
  Food irradiation exposes food to the equivalent of 30 million chest X-rays.
• 
  
  Irradiation creates new chemicals in foods called radiolytic products. Some of these products are known cancer-causing substances (like benzene in irradiated beef). Others are unique to the irradiation process and no one knows what effects these have on human health.
• 
  
  Irradiation destroys essential vitamins and nutrients that are naturally present in food. No studies have been done to show that a long-term diet of irradiated foods is safe. Safer, well-tested alternatives to irradiation exist.
• 
  
  Irradiation plants pose environmental threats to workers and surrounding communities. The transportation of nuclear materials to irradiation facilities also poses severe public health risks.
  
  Already posted on Natural Health News 
  

  Food Irradiation Fallout, 10 years old

  Apr 15, 2008

  Food irradiation exposes food to the equivalent of 30 million chest X-rays. Irradiation creates new chemicals in foods called radiolytic products. Some of these products are known cancer-causing substances (like benzene in irradiated ...

  http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

  
  

  Lettuce and Spinach subject to more tainting

  Aug 21, 2008

  Irradiated fats tend to become rancid. Even at low doses, some irradiated foods lose 20% of vitamins such as C, E, K, and B complex. Because irradiation breaks down the food's cell walls, accelerated vitamin losses occur during ...

  http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

   

  Irradiated Foods May Cause Serious Brain Damage

  May 30, 2009

  Some of the damage in the cats was reversible when they were taken off the irradiated food diet, showing promise for people with MS leading a more normal life with dietary intervention. However, the newly developed myelin was not as ...

  http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/

Cell Phone Study Inconclusive

A good commentary from some one who clearly understands how to lie with poorly formed studies and how to lie with statistics -

Let the SPIN Begin

PHOTO: Maram_Manie 

See also: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31647477/Andrew-Goldsworthy-Witness-Statement-April-2010