Using Precautionary Rule for Health Makes Sense

Life on earth evolved from and interacts with an incomprehensibly vast and complex array of chemical entities. Until modern times, however, no single species affected the biosphere substantially. With industrialization and population growth, humanity now threatens the existence of hundreds of species, and perhaps the long-term health of the planet as a whole.
In the United States alone, some 80,000 chemicals are in routine use. More than 3,000 of these are produced at the rate of more than a million pounds per year, with more than a billion pounds of known or suspected neurotoxins added to the environment annually.

Toxin Alert: Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup

The online journal Environmental Health published a study yesterday showing that 9 out of 20 processed food products were contaminated with mercury.I have become so accustomed to learning about dangerous chemicals in our environment that I am deaf to the alarm bells. This study, however, rang loud and clear to me.We’ve all heard about the high levels of mercury in swordfish, shark, salmon and tuna. We wondered if Broadway Actor Jeremy Piven were really suffering from mercury poisoning from sushi or if he were just trying to get out of an ill-chosen acting job. We exhaled with relief as mercury was taken out of vaccines, even though doctors insisted the preservative wasn’t a danger to the fragile, growing brains of babies and toddlers. And the label-readers among us have known for a long time about the health debacle called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a highly processed sweetening agent that is made from engineered corn on the cheap.
The HFCS isn’t labeled “Made with mercury,” just like contaminated pet foods, chocolates and other products have not been labeled “Made with melamine.” Under current [FDA] regulations, that information is not made available to either consumers or to companies further down the food supply chain.--"Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP.org)
The IATP did their own testing which found mercury in HFCS products that are marketed to children. The mercury was found in trusted brands, such as Quaker’s, Yoplait, Smucker’s, Kraft and Nutri-Grain.If you’ve been unconvinced that a little HFCS is bad for your kids, I hope this post will persuade you once and for all. The FDA is in denial about the contaminants poisoning our children. Get involved; ask your congressperson why the FDA is not protecting our children from I.Q.-lowering mercury.

By: Kathleen Byrne, N.Y. School Examiner

Pour Some Sugar on Me: Heavy Metal in Our Daily Bread

As Pfizer swallowed Wyeth and Bank of America started belching up Merrill Lynch, you just might have missed the heartburn-inducing headline of the year: heavy metal has been found in our daily bread.
According to a report in Environmental Health by a former FDA scientist and whistleblower, the heavy metal mercury, "a potent neurological toxin" removed from vaccines due to concerns that it "is a danger to unborn children whose developing brains can be damaged if they are exposed to low dose micrograms exposures in the womb", has now found its way into your kitchen cupboards, your fridge, your mouths and your bellies.
Talk about a "fly in your soup" kind of news!
You just might be thinking, "How the hell did mercury get into our food supply?"
Funny you should ask. According to a must-read report in Environmental Health, Mercury in Measured Concentrations in Food Products by Renee Dufault's team, mercury is used in thousands of food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate and high fructose corn syrup.
Little did we know!
According to the report, the EPA learned this in 2003 when it reported that "tons of mercury were missing". Shortly thereafter, an employee at the EPA tipped off someone at the FDA to investigate a corporation called "Vulcan Chemicals." The FDA's Environmental Health Officer (glad to know we have one) then decided to conduct an investigation of Vulcan Chemical's "mercury balance sheet" in an attempt to locate the missing neurological toxin.
Did John Grisham write this?! You couldn't make this stuff up!
Not only did they locate the missing neurological toxin (phew!), but Dufault's team learned that "mercury grade caustic soda and hydrochloric acid are primarily used by the high fructose corn syrup industry" to "stabilize food products enhance product shelf life".
"Stabilize food products and enhance product shelf life"? Translation: mercury is good for business.
But neurological toxins in the high fructose corn syrup in our food?
What about those commercials running on TV telling us that high fructose corn syrup is "natural"?
In case you missed them, "back in June, the Corn Refiners Association embarked on what the Wall Street Journal described as an 18-month, $20-30 million campaign to "rehabilitate the reputation of the longtime sweetener." The blitz includes full-page ads in more than a dozen newspapers and prime-time television spots."
I wonder if those actors read Dufault's report that states that several chemicals are required to make HFCS, including caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, alha-amylase, gluco-amylase, isomerase, filter aid, powdered carbon, calcium chloride, and magnesium sulfate?
Heaven help us all.Given the remarkable influence that the corn industry has on everything from bailouts, to ethanol policy, to lobbying efforts that were set in place in the 1970s with the informal public-private partnership between grain-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland and the federal government, I sure hope that Obama isn't too distracted by economic bailouts or the fact that Illinois based ADM is the "supermarket to the world" with 2008 revenues of $70 billion to address this issue.
And even if he is distracted or only sees the inevitable industry-funded response likely to hit (perhaps a 'shock and awe' headline about Canadian bird flu, melamine scandals in China, or a likely response by the corn industry claiming that the amounts reported in the study are "negligible"), I hope that Michelle will give him one of those discerning looks, then cue Malia to load her dad's iPod with some heavy metal and have Sasha belt out "Pour Some Sugar On Me!"
Maybe it's time that "we put aside childish things" and get this "natural" sweetener out of our food supply like other developed countries have. What do you think?!
If you are inclined to do something, click on the title above to give Obama the heads up !

By: Robyn O'Brien

Antidepressants in Our Fish?

The drugs are becoming more common in river waters and can play dangerous head games with fish
By Janet Raloff

TAMPA, Fla. — In the fish world, baby is just another word for lunch. So it behooves aquatic larvae to be ever vigilant. Yet those who as embryos or hatchlings encountered water polluted with trace concentrations of an antidepressant are much more likely to become lunch.
Tons of medicine ends up in the environment each year. Much has been excreted by patients. Leftover pills may also have been flushed down the toilet. Because water treatment plants were never designed to remove pharmaceuticals, water released into rivers by these plants generally carries a broad and diverse array of drug residues.
In 2006, a pair of chemists reported that antidepressants downstream of water treatment plants were making it into the brains of fish.

Meghan McGee of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota studies larval fathead minnows. Recently she set out to see whether exposure to specific antidepressants would affect the fish. Fish exposed as embryos or hatchlings to trace concentrations of the antidepressant venlafaxine, marketed as Effexor, didn’t react as quickly as normal to stimuli signaling a possible predator. This laid-back reaction could prove to be a “death sentence,” she observes.
McGee’s is one of many studies probing behavioral impacts on aquatic wildlife from pharmaceutical pollution, especially antidepressants. Emerging data from these studies were reported in Tampa, Fla. November 16-20 at the North America annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, or SETAC. Overall, the studies show that antidepressants can impair a fish’s ability to eat, to avoid being eaten — and perhaps even to attract a mate.

And venlafaxine: It’s one of many antidepressants found in river waters. Indeed, McGee’s team selected concentrations for this study based on values measured downstream of water treatment plants.

“I was surprised how often I was seeing these antidepressants,” recalls Melissa Schultz of the College of Wooster in Ohio, one of the chemists who documented that antidepressants reach fish brains. “Pretty much any water sample in the vicinity of a waste water treatment plant will test positive for some group of antidepressants,” she finds.
The most common ones showing up in water: venlafaxine, bupropion — marketed as Wellbutrin, and citalopram — sold as Celexa. What showed up in fish brains were both the drugs and their metabolites, or breakdown products. “The most common ones we saw were metabolites of Prozac [fluoxetine] and Zoloft [sertraline],” Schultz says. The second most abundant were the parent compounds: Prozac and Zoloft. “So profiles of these drugs in the brain weren’t matching the profiles we were seeing in the water.” Why remains a mystery.

Explains Schultz: “When a fish is exposed to waste water, it’s not just getting a dose of antidepressants, it’s also encountering lots of other things” — including other drugs. In the future, she says, “we’ll have to look at how these might all interact.”

To read the entire article including research that was done, click on the title above.

President Obama, "Crisis calls for unprecedented action."

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Vitamin B17...a Cancer Preventative?

I am very interested in finding out more about the Cancer fighting benefits of B17 or amygdalin. Does anyone have any solid studies about the benefits? Does anyone have any personal experience with it?

As my science teacher used to say, "Anybody, somebody, nobody?" I know we have a few scientists that check in periodically, what do you know? I have heard that it is quackery as a cure for cancer but others say it is a great preventive measure for cancer. I am interested in finding out if supplementation with B17 has some scientific or anecdotal evidence to suggest it's use for preventing disease.

Click on the title above for some info I found through the BC Cancer Agency which seems to factually summarize the scientific communities' thoughts on the subject.

Peanut Butter Recall - When Will It End?

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Now 7 deaths are being attributed to the peanut butter paste contaminated with salmonella. It may get worse. The peanut butter paste products have long shelf lives and some products do not have an expiration date at all. Some of these contaminated products could be used at a later date and sicken even more.

Boca Foods...Great Ingredients and Great Information!

I absolutely love Boca Foods. I have been a loyal customer forever. No trans fats, made with delicious grains, veggies and soy – as their website boasts, these patties are good-for-you meets gourmet. I had never really checked out their website until I ran across an ad and linked to it. I was surprised to find so much incredible information on their site about the importance of eating healthy and what our bodies need and why. Please note that all Boca Products contain wheat gluten and none of their foods are currently certified kosher/parever.

I applaud Boca Foods for not only providing consumers with great foods with good ingredients, but also for providing so much great consumer healthy living information as well. Great Job!

Below is a sampling of the concise and valuable info I found on their site.

"You keep up on nutrition, but it still can be puzzling sometimes.

That's why BOCA has put together these tips. You'll learn the facts about common nutrition terms, and find links to information that helps you apply your new knowledge to your "real life" food choices.

Know Your Nutrients
The body needs nutrients from foods and beverages for many vital functions including healthy growth and development, and smooth-running organs and body systems.

There are six types of nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. Carbohydrates, protein and fat are called macronutrients because our bodies need them in larger amounts. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because our bodies need them in smaller amounts."

Click on the title above to learn more about each type of nutrient.

Is Fructose Making You Fat?

The sweetener fructose, which is found in many foods, has been found to cause leptin resistance, thus directly linking it to weight gain and obesity.

Alexandra Shapiro, Philip J Scarpace, and colleagues at the University of Florida College of Medicine studied two groups of rats for six-months. Both groups were fed the same diet, except one of the groups was also given fructose. During those six-months the researchers noted no difference in food intake, body weight, and body fat, between the two groups of animals. Furthermore, there were no differences in leptin, glucose, cholesterol or insulin levels. In fact, the only difference the researchers found was that the rats fed fructose had higher triglyceride levels by the end of the six-month period.

The researchers then injected both groups of animals with leptin. Theoretically, both groups of rats should have responded by eating less. However, what they found was that the rats fed fructose had become leptin resistant, and therefore did not alter their food intake, whereas the rats who were not fed fructose began to eat less as expected. They then switched both groups of animals to a high-calorie, high-fat diet. Those fed fructose ate more and gained significantly more weight and fat than the animals fed a fructose-free diet.

In a news release issued by the University of Florida, study co-author Phillip J Scarpace, a professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, said: "If these findings are applicable to humans, then there could be consequences of eating a diet high in fructose, but only if you also consume an excessive amount of calories. If you go on a trip, attend a celebration, or otherwise eat more than you usually eat, a person consuming a low-fructose diet may be able to handle it. But the individual who has set themselves up so that leptin no longer works will be unable to burn the extra calories, and now they gain a lot of weight."

Shapiro A, Mu W, Roncal CA, Cheng KY, Johnson RJ, Scarpace PJ. Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high fat feeding. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol. 2008; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00195.2008.

News release: University of Florida Website.

President Obama's Call to Action. Why You Should Take It.

Yesterday someone said to me, "Why don't you ever post anything original?" Well after getting over wanting to ask them why they are such a dumba**, I tried to explain. What do you want to hear about? My screaming 3 year old? My out of work Executive husband who cannot find a job despite his stellar career? My 12 year old who lied about her MySpace page for over two months or the mothers who felt it was not their place to tell me? Wanna hear how my loving, little 8 year old cries frequently because she feels she has no place in this world? Or how about my father who is now in a wheelchair because of a Hep-B vaccination and what that has done to my family (actually I think I did mention that one in a post)?

Or wait, maybe you want to hear about how every night when I go to sleep and in the morning when I get up, literally all I can think about is how many sweet, innocent children are cold, being abused and left unfed or worse by the ones God entrusted to care for them? Life is not good for all...life is not good for many...for those whom life is good are few and far between. I am not here to wallow in the darkness of this world...I am here to try to save it. As tremendous as this mission is (go ahead and laugh I could give a sh*t), I am taking it on a little tiny bit at a time. Yesterday over 300 people viewed this blog. Not many, but I think I made a difference in at least one life huh? Who cares if it was with my words or the words of someone else. People come, they read, they think, they learn, they share, they make a difference.

If I were to always post my original thoughts, I would be mired down in a tremendous mountain of sadness, anger and regret. Heartache would pour out onto this page. No one would want to stick around and learn anything. I am here to help make a positive difference in the way I feel I have been called to. I disseminate thought provoking information to help people make their lives more meaningful, healthier and safer. Devour ravenously the words in this blog and regurgitate them to all you meet.

This is not a joke. This is about our survival. We hold the future of the world in our hands. Take our future and what you get from this blog seriously...or leave it. Either way, I will be here making a difference in the only way I know how...through information. One person at a time. Thanks for joining me in this journey.

P.S. Oh yea, listen to our new president. He may be a skinny little thing, but he knows how to call people to action. The "who" behind his call is you. The "what" behind his call is for you to decide. The "why" behind his call is about preserving our world. The time is upon us to save our future. Now get up off of your a** and do it.

ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTARILY RECALLS FIGURE 8 PEANUT BUTTER CHEWS DUE TO POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

Contact:
Arbonne International, LLC
1-800-ARBONNE

Irvine, CA (January 22, 2009) – Arbonne International, LLC (“Arbonne”) today announced the voluntary recall of certain lots of its Arbonne Figure 8 Peanut Butter Chews because the products contain peanut butter that was manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), which is the focus of an ongoing Salmonella investigation. This recall is part of the nationwide recall initiated by PCA.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information on Salmonella bacteria, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Website at www.cdc.com. Consumers with questions or concerns about their health or observe symptoms should contact their health care provider or go to a hospital.
Arbonne Figure 8 Chews are distributed nationwide through independent Arbonne consultants. The Arbonne Figure 8 Chews affected by this recall are ONLY the Peanut Butter Chews from the following lot numbers (with shipping dates ranging from October 27, 2008 to January 19, 2009):
A8296-8291 / EXPIRATION DATE 10/2009
A8331-8291 / EXPIRATION DATE 10/2009
A8331-8309 / EXPIRATION DATE 11/2009
B8331-8309 / EXPIRATION DATE 11/2009
C8331-8309 / EXPIRATION DATE 11/2009
A8336-8291 / EXPIRATION DATE 10/2009

These chews were sold in individual packages and as a component of the Go Figure 8 30-Day Program Set and the Figure 8 Ready, Set, Go! Vanilla product bundles. The lot number for Arbonne Figure 8 Peanut Butter Chews may be found on the lower left back panel of the bag containing the product. If consumers are unable to locate the lot number, they should contact Arbonne’s Customer Service Center for assistance.

In addition to Arbonne’s removal of recalled products from its inventory, Arbonne is requesting that consumers destroy recalled product. Arbonne will, at a consumer’s choice, replace the product with Arbonne Figure 8 Chocolate Chews or refund the money paid for the recalled product. In order to exchange product or receive a refund, the consumer must provide the lot number of the recalled product. If Arbonne consumers are unsure if they have the recalled product, they are requested to contact the Arbonne Customer Service Center. Requests for refunds, product exchanges or other questions should be addressed to Arbonne’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-ARBONNE.

Peanut Butter Recall Update

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Peanut Butter Recall Video

How to Save Money and Energy!

The U.S. Department of Energy offers an online tool that will allow you to audit your home energy use. Click on the title above for a link to the website. There you will find out what your biggest power "suckers" might be and learn about more ways to save on your home energy bill.

Estimated Cost: Free
Estimated Savings: 30% off of your energy bill (or 1,000 lbs. carbone/year)

By: Haley A. Wilhite

Watch Out for Toxins in Your Personal Care Products

While it goes without saying that we do not want our children breathing polluted air, drinking contaminated water, eating foods sprayed with harmful pesticides or playing with toxic toys, most of us are unaware of dangers posed by chemicals contained in our own personal care products. Most consumers do not understand what the continual use of these products has on our own overall health.

Here's a reality check... the average consumer can use more than two dozen personal care products containing hundreds of chemical ingredients each day.Most of these lotions and potions are filled with unregulated, toxic chemicals. These constant small exposures have a much bigger impact on your health and our environment than you might imagine.

I know it's hard to imagine that your favorite makeup, perfume, and personal care products could also be a threat to your health. But walk into any nail and hair salon and take a deep breath and think about what is entering your lungs and what is being applied to your body. As scientists search for the cause of diseases and chronic illness, a pattern continues to emerge. In a growing number of studies, researchers are beginning to link the adverse effects caused by many of the same chemicals found in commonly used personal care products.

Phthalates (dibutyl phthalate, or DBP), for example, are used as a plastisizor to make children's toys soft and pliable. It is also a hormone disruptor. For over 20 years, scientists have known that phthalates could interfere with reproduction and cause birth defects in animal studies.
In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives (2000), high levels of phthalates were found in 68 percent of blood samples from young girls who began to develop breasts prematurely (before age eight). In another study, published in 2005, researchers found males exposed to phthalates, while in the womb, had an increased risk of impaired testicular function and other genital abnormalities.

Recognizing the potential health risks associated with phthalates, the European Union banned DBP use in cosmetics in 2004. In this country, Congress approved a nationwide ban on phthalates from products used by children under the age of 12. Retail giants Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us and Target announced that they will no longer sell children's products that contain phthalates starting this month. Both decisions are scheduled to begin this month.

While these responsible policies will go a long way towards reducing phthalate exposure in young children, the same dangerous chemical can still be found in many cosmetics, nail polishes, shampoos, hair sprays, body lotions and fragrances even though manufacturers often fail to disclose this information on the label. Because of this omission of information, millions of pregnant women and women of childbearing age could be unknowingly exposing their babies to this very dangerous chemical through a variety of personal care products.

The use of parabens and aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants have been a health concern for years. Parabens, widely used as preservatives, can accumulate in the body and mimic estrogen in the body's cells. In 2004, a study found parabens in 18 of 20 tissue samples from human breast tumors.

Aluminum, a known neurotoxin, can also cause estrogen-like changes in the body. Used in antiperspirants, only a small amount is applied to the skin. However as in most daily use personal care products, daily use results in persistent low-dose exposure. Some scientists suspect the aluminum can bind to estrogen, potentially damaging cell DNA, triggering abnormal growth, which may also increase the risk of developing breast cancer. In another study, researchers suggest the use of antiperspirants containing aluminum can increase the risk of Alzheimer's by 60%.

It's not only your own personal health at stake. Each time you shower or cleanse your face, you're sending all the ingredients in your shampoo and soap down the drain, and recycling these chemicals back into the environment.
Right now you must be thinking, it's just impossible and too complicated to avoid all of these toxic exposures by making wholesale changes to your personal care routine and too time consuming to figure out what products are truly safe.

Realistically, it is impossible to avoid all toxic chemical exposure and I'm not suggesting you throw out every product in your bathroom cabinet and replace them with expensive alternatives. I also wouldn't suggest you settle for a shampoo that doesn't clean your hair or shaving gel that clogs your razors just because it's "natural."

In the same way you can promote better health by making small simple changes to your diet, choosing one or two reduced or chemical-free personal care products, like yourlipstick and deodorant. This will also help reduce the amount of damaging toxins entering your body. Just like the foods we purchase, there are cleaner, safer alternatives.

By Diedre Imus

How Did Salmonella get Into Our Peanut Butter and Then Into Everything Else?

Posted by Salmonella Lawyer
I got an email last night from Washington DC asking with all the news of the recalls, how did the Salmonella get into the peanut butter in the first place and how did it get “spread” into seemingly everything else?

Well the first part is easy – its likely bird or rodent sh*t.

Brendan Borrell of Scientific American online actually wrote about this topic last week in an interview with Dr. Mike Doyle – “How does salmonella get into peanut butter? And can you kill it once it's there?”

How does salmonella get into peanut butter?

Feces from some animal is a strong possibility. A leak in the roof, for example, caused one of the early outbreaks. How salmonella got into the water that was on the roof, no one knows for sure. Maybe birds, for instance, which accumulate around peanut butter processing plants.

The roasting of peanuts is the only step that will kill the salmonella. If contamination occurs after the roasting process, the game is over and salmonella is going to survive. Studies have shown that salmonella can survive for many months in peanut butter once it's present. Fatty foods are also more protective of salmonella, so when it gets into the acid of the stomach -- which is our first line of defense -- it may not get destroyed. Peanut butter, being a highly fatty food, could survive better.

So, how can you keep salmonella out of peanut butter in the future?

The key is to have a rigid system in place that does not allow contamination by water or other vectors after the roasting process. Water in a peanut butter processing plant is like putting gasoline on a fire.

A couple of other things to think about from an historical perspective – this is not the first time we have had outbreaks – see the Australian and United States experiences. Also, this is not the first time someone has written about the problems of bacteria in jars of Salmonella - see "Survival of Salmonella in Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Spread - 1990" and "Survival of Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella in Peanut Putter - 2008."

The second part, "how did it get “spread” into seemingly everything else?" is in large part answered by Peanut Corporation of America's own press release:

The recalled peanut butter in the expanded recall is sold by PCA in bulk packaging in containers ranging in size from five to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to tanker containers.

With quantities of peanut butter in that amount being shipped all over the world, a mistake in production will have an exponential impact. We are seeing that now with more and more products being recalled.

I am sure there is more to come.

Please Click HERE for Snopes Link to Johns Hopkins Cancer Update

Thank you so much to one of our readers who took the time to snopes this. I checked it on Urban Legends but did not dig deep enough.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins - Toxins and Cancer

Please see http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp before you read this as fact!
By Bria Vona
HELLO EVERYONE… THIS IS VERY GOOD INFORMATION…PLEASE READ.AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

Ambitious Research Into Child Health And Toxins Launches

It’s long been suspected that children are the most susceptible to environmental factors that adversely impact health. Now the largest study ever undertaken exploring just how is underway.

100,000 children will be followed from their first trimester before birth until age 21 as part of the ambitious National Children’s Study.

Researchers will look at whether exposure to environmental toxins such as plastics, fertilizers, and household chemicals, as well as diet interacts with genetics to adversely affect a child’s developing health.

Phthalates and other hormone-disrupting chemicals are found in thousands of everyday consumer items such as food and beverage containers, bug spray, shower curtains, perfume, pesticides and plastics.

The research is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The impact of environmental pollution on conditions such as autism, asthma, cerebral palsy, diabetes, and attention deficit disorder could begin to be available in three to five years.

Dr. Philip Landrigan of Mount Siniai School of Medicine in New York says the researchers will look for preventable factors.

"We are embarking on the road to discovering the preventable causes of the major chronic diseases that plague American children today," Dr. Philip Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, one of the lead researchers, said to NPR.

A rising number of child disorders are believed to originate with environmental causes, as well many adult diseases that begin in childhood.

Pregnant women who live in 105 diverse areas that have been identified by a mathematical model will be recruited to participate and will be given compensation.

The areas represent environmental and demographic differences such as Queens, New York, and Duplin County, North Carolina.

Participation requires health interviews through pregnancy. Examinations including hair, blood and urine samples, and collection of water and dust in the homes. Babies will be checked regularly during the first years of life, then about every three years.

The National Children’s Study has been a decade in the planning stage but has been delayed by funding.

Results should form the basis of child health guidance and policy for generations to come.

Bisphenol A or BPA has been a suspected endocrine disruptor since pioneer zoologist, Theo Colburn began following the chemical train in her landmark book, Our Stolen Future (Dutton, 1996; Plume 1997), where she explored the many examples of plasticizers acting as a synthetic form of estrogen that disrupt the normal sexual development among wildlife.

Over 2.2 million tons is produced each year and resides in the majority of people and 80,000 chemicals are registered for use in the U.S. with more than 2,000 new ones introduced every year, all falling under the watch of the National Toxicology Program.

More than six billion pounds of bisphenol are produced in the U.S. each year by Dow Chemical, Bayer AG and others.

Posted by Jane Akre

Click on the title above to check out safe products for babies and children.

Flaxseed, Co-Enzyme Q10, Lipoic Acid and More Included in Arbonne's Figure 8 Weight Loss System

I have tried so many shakes and energy drinks and have never found a more beneficial line of safe and natural products to help me maintain my weight, suppress my appetite and keep my energy level up while providing incredible nutrition to keep me healthy! And we could all use some of that right?

You have to trust me on this...check out Arbonne's newly revamped line of VEGAN and Kosher energy and weight loss products. My favorites…Vanilla Vegetable Protein Shake with Flaxseed, the Go Fizzing tabs (use these if you want energy, but only 3 per day! Better than anything at Whole Foods!), the chocolate chews (a protein/energy boost without artificial anything and a perfect glycemic index) and the fiber booster (sprinkle into whatever your making for dinner for the entire family to benefit). These products help me to drop a few off of this Environmental Booty while supplementing my body with necessary nutrients and energy!

Our Go Easy Protein shakes contain the seeds and oil of the flax plant which are substances that are shown to promote good health. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease. ALA belongs to a group of substances called omega-3 fatty acids. Click the links for more information. Flaxseed is super food for our brain and body! Get it with the Arbonne Figure 8 System.

Enjoy this amazing day and make it a great 2009.

Whats in Our Kid's School Lunches?

Arbonne International FC5 Innovative Fresh Science Skin Care Technology

Arbonne International is very excited to announce that coming to a newsstand near you—January 20th to be exact—our innovative new product line launching February 1st, Arbonne FC5™, will be featured in Allure magazine!

Arbonne was invited to participate in a special, invitation–only Hollywood event in December and the products we sent—SeaSource Detox Spa™—were voted in the Top 5 from this exclusive event! See the editorial overview of the “Top 5 Most Buzzworthy Products” in the February Issue. Visit my website at www.shane.myarbonne.com for our January $29 SeaSource Detox Spa Event and experience the "Buzz" for yourself!

The February 2009 Allure issue will also include a full–color, two-page ad introducing our incredible FC5 products. Fresh Cells from 5 fruits and vegetables: Kiwi, Mango, Strawberry, Carrot and Pumpkin. This proprietary formula extracts the cells intact until they are applied to your skin. Never before seen technology...that stops the signs of aging.

The Anti-Aging RE9 line is still available for those of us who want to turn back the hands of time and correct damage from extrinsic aging and FC5 is here to prevent further damage. Did I mention that the packaging is fabulous and the recyclable containers utilize a great delivery system?

These products are Paraben free and smell (all natural fragrance) like nothing I have ever used before. Sometimes when you use natural products, they just don't have the whole package...smell, feel, safety and beneficial. FC5 delivers it all in a "green" package. The shampoo and conditioner provide incredible lather even without sodium lauryl sulfate and leave my hair super shiny and very soft.

So, beginning January 20th, pick up the February issue of Allure and along with the groundbreaking, new FC5 products, we are sure 2009 will be your best year yet!

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A New Year A New You! Arbonne Figure 8 Weight Loss Challenge

Healthy living is a choice. One that is very much in your control. With this in mind, Arbonne developed Figure 8, a complete line of products that help you re-establish a positive relationship with your body by achieving and maintaining the healthy lifestyle you desire. So whether it’s to lose weight or to continue on your path to healthy living, with Figure 8, the power to control your health destiny is in your hands.

Figure 8 helps you to ...
• Lose and maintain weight
• Choose healthy snacks and meal alternatives
• Add protein and fiber to your diet
• Find the energy you need to get through the day
• Detox your body

Nutritious products for weight loss, weight management and healthy living.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts. What we put into our products isn’t the only thing that separates us from other brands; it’s what we leave out that puts us in a league of our own.

Figure 8 includes a combination of products that:
1. Help control appetite — feel fuller longer*
2. Boost metabolism and increase energy*
3. Are high in protein
4. Are low in calories
5. Are low in sugar
6. Are low in fat, have no saturated fat or trans fat
7. Contain no cholesterol
8. Have no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
9. All Figure 8 products are formulated Vegan and Kosher.




* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants. Eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

UC Davis Study Authors: Autism is Environmental (Can We Move On Now?)

I have always said there may be a small percentage of people with autism spectrum disorder (perhaps those with Asperger Syndrome) whose symptoms are a result only of their genetic makeup, with no environmental factors involved at all.

But a new study out of UC Davis' MIND Institute says that it's time to abandon science's long, expensive, and not very fruitful quest to find the gene or genes that cause autism alone, without any environmental triggers.

"We need to keep (environmental) studies going," Irva Hertz-Picciotto, the co-author of the study and professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology at UC Davis, said in a statement.

"We're looking at the possible effects of metals, pesticides and infectious agents on neurodevelopment," Hertz-Picciotto said. "If we're going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible."

Autism is predominantly an environmentally acquired disease, the study seems to conclude. Its meteoric rise, at least in California, cannot possibly be attributed to that shopworn mantra we still hear everyday, incredibly, from far too many public health officials: It's due to better diagnosing and counting.

The autism epidemic is real, and it is not caused by genes alone: You cannot have a genetic epidemic. It really is time that we, as a society, accept that cold, hard truth.

"It's time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California," Dr. Hertz-Piccotto said.

The study results suggest that "research should shift from genetics, to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California's children," the statement added.

The UC Davis Study, funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) found that the rate of autism among six-year-olds in California mushroomed from less than 9 per 10,000 among the 1990 birth cohort, to more than 44 per 10,000 for kids born in 2000.

This increase, "cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted," the statement said, "and the trend shows no sign of abating."
(It is important to keep in mind that almost every child born in 2000 would have received many vaccines that contained the mercury preservative thimerosal, which was not completely phased out of most - but not all - childhood vaccines until at least 2003.)

Of the 600-to-700 percent increase in autism reported in California between 1990 and 2000, fewer than 10 percent were due to the inclusion of milder cases, the study found, while only 24 percent could be attributed to earlier age at diagnosis.

There was only one logical conclusion: some thing or things in the environment had to be at play here.

I have always said that all environmental factors should be considered in at least some subgroups of autism. This position has been met with considerable ridicule. I believe that opponents are afraid that, if we start looking at toxins like heavy metals, it might one day lead back to thimerosal. Likewise, if we consider live virus triggers, we may have to take another look at the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (which thousands of parents swear was the trigger than sent their children tumbling into autism).

Now, it's always been easier and more reassuring to tell ourselves that autism was almost purely genetic, that it was always with us at the rate of 1 in 90 men (1 in 60 in New Jersey) and that, gee, weren't doctors doing a great job these days of recognizing and diagnosis this disorder.

This pathetic groupthink has helped create hugely lopsided funding priorities in autism, where genetic studies get lavishly funded, while environmental ones are lucky to even pick up the dollar scraps left behind

"Right now, about 10 to 20 times more research dollars are spent on studies of the genetic causes of autism than on environmental ones," Hertz-Picciotto said. "We need to even out the funding." I agree.

Yes, we must continue to look for the susceptibility genes that make some kids more vulnerable to environmental triggers - possibly through a diminished capacity to detoxify themselves.

But the sooner our best minds in science and medicine come to grips with the fact that these poor, hapless kids have been exposed to the wrong environmental toxins and/or infectious agents at the wrong time, the sooner we can find out how to best treat what really ails them.

It is illogical for us to oppose the study of, say, mercury exposures and autism, because it might somehow implicate thimerosal, and by extension, vaccines.

After all, heavy metal studies into autism could very well incriminate background environmental sources, but exonerate metal sources found in vaccines, such as mercury and aluminum.

And that would be a good thing for everyone.

By David Kirby

Give Back to the Alzheimer's Association

This promotion has ended.

What's Wrong with the Way we Eat?

In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.

Is Dry Cleaning Safe?

Resolve to Go Green in your dry cleaning this year. You'll avoid the toxic solvent perchloroethylene (or "perc"), known to cause a host of health problems and labeled a probable human carcinogen. Plus, think of all of the money you will save. You can hand wash many items labeled "Dry Clean Only"-wool, silk and rayon. For items you just cannot handle at home, find a "wet cleaner" or CO2 dry cleaner in your area by clicking on the title above.

Healthy Toys.Org - Check toys for lead

Bugs in my Food and Makeup?

By SUSAN SALISBURY
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 05, 2009
Got bugs? Got waffles, lipstick, yogurt or strawberry milk? How about candy, shampoo and nail polish? Unknown and unnoticed by most consumers, the juice of a tiny beetle first used by 16th century Spanish explorers is responsible for red, pink, orange and purple coloring in hundreds of U.S. products.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to make food and cosmetic manufacturers identify the buggy source of carmine or cochineal extract, which may be identified only as "color added" , E-120 or simply cochineal in a product's list of ingredients.
There is no way to tell how many products contain the dyes, said Mike Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington: "It can be anything red."
Or other colors: Cochineal is bright orange, while its more purified form, known as carmine, is vivid red. They also may be found in purple or pink coloring.
Center for Science in the Public Interest has spent the last decade attempting to get the ingredient banned, based on reports of severe allergic reactions to the coloring, but even it hasn't been able to accumulate a complete list of products colored with the dye made from the female insect's crushed, dried body.
According to anecdotal cases published on the FDA's Web site, one girl ate a red ice pop and broke out in hives. A woman was hospitalized for five days after eating red candy. A woman who ate strawberry yogurt and fruit punch had difficulty breathing.
Such allergic reactions are the basis for the FDA's rule, which officially was posted Monday. "Cochineal extract and carmine are safe for the majority of the general population," FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said. "FDA is taking this action to protect the small number of consumers who are allergic to these color additives."
However, the labeling won't take effect for another two years.
Some manufacturers have begun voluntarily listing carmine as an ingredient on packaging. A check of supermarket shelves found both Dannon and Yoplait strawberry yogurts stating "colored with carmine" on their labels. And cosmetics manufacturer Aveda markets lipsticks free of "bright magenta red pigment extracted from the boiled, dried or crushed shells, wings and eggs of the female beetle Coccus cacti." Estee-Lauder uses carmine and will comply with the new ruling.
Cathy Cook, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Color Manufacturers, said, "The beverage companies have been doing voluntary labeling for some time now" and points out that the bug, used in dyes since the 1500s, has a long history of safe use. The trade group supports the FDA's labeling requirement. Adds Cook, "If people have a genuine medical need to avoid something, they can contact the companies."
But the Center for Science in the Public Interest thinks the voluntary and the required labeling are not enough. The center also wants labeling to let people know the coloring is from an insect, without consumers having to scurry to the dictionary. Vegans may want to know they are ingesting even minute residue from an insect, said Jacobson, as would people adhering to strict kosher laws.
The Juice Products Association in Washington, which represents 130 companies, supports the label requirement but balks at any requirement indicating the dyes' insect origins, pointing out that carmine is already the common name for the bug-derived dyes.
Palm Beach Gardens dietitian Christine Bandy said she has never encountered anyone allergic to carmine, but said, "Anything with a label is not natural anyway. The more clean and whole food is, you don't have to worry about it to begin with. That is the take-home message."
For a complete line of personal care products, including makeup, without carmine, click on the title above.

'Bio-Beer' Designed to Extend Life

Eric Bland, Discovery News

To Your Health Discovery News Video

Here's a reason to raise a pint; scientists at Rice University have created beer that could extend your life.
BioBeer, as it's called, has three genes spliced into special brewer's yeast that produce resveratrol, the chemical in red wine that is thought to protect against diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and other age-related conditions.
The only problem, from the students' perspective, is that many of them aren't old enough to legally consume their creation.
"We started out with a strict policy that we aren't supposed to drink anything in the lab," said Peter Nguyen, the team's graduate adviser. "We do have a strain, and verified that it has the genes, and are in the process of brewing the beer."
The eight graduate and undergraduate students created BioBeer as part of the upcoming International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The iGEM Jamboree, as the annual meeting is called, took place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology November 8th and 9th. Last year 85 teams from around the world signed up to bring the tools of the nascent field of synthetic biology to bear on a variety of problems large and small, including a bacterial vacuum cleaner or "bacuum cleaner" that can seek out and degrade harmful hydrocarbons in ground water and devices to remove arsenic from drinking water.

Jett Travolta's Death - Dr. Sanjay Gupta fills us in on Kawasaki's disease

Kawasaki disease is characterized by fevers and inflammation in the blood vessels that can be caused by a number of inciting factors, including virus, bacteria or infection, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta said on "Larry King Live."
"You get pretty sick for a few days. In the worst-case scenario, sometimes it can affect the blood vessels of the heart, called the coronary arteries," Gupta said. "Sometimes they can develop aneurysms in it. That's probably the most dangerous thing. But again, this is typically a disease associated with young children. It's typically in Japan, and it's pretty rare."
Gupta said it was rare for teens to display symptoms of the disease, which usually occurs in young children.
"Most of the patients are usually between 2 and 5 years old. Sometimes they get up to age 8. But it's very rare in fact for someone to be in their teens and still have symptoms of Kawasaki. They may have had it earlier in life, but to still have any manifestations of it is unusual," he said.
The causes of Kawasaki disease are unknown. Some scientists think it's caused by an infectious agent, such as a virus. Some studies have noted a link between the disease and carpet cleaning chemicals.

CNN

Jett Travolta's death: Toxic cause?

The cause of death of 16-year-old Jett Travolta, son of John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, will not be known pending the results of autopsy. The family has long since maintained that their first-born had suffered from Kawasaki disease, a not well-understood condition that was not identified until 1967 by Dr. Tomisaku Kawaski of Japan. The disease is so difficult to diagnose because, according to Wikipedia, "There exists no specific laboratory test that can tell if someone has it."Per a Children's Hospital Boston / Harvard Medical school information page on the disease, "Some studies have found associations between the occurrence of Kawasaki disease and recent exposure to carpet cleaning or residence near a body of stagnant water; however, cause and effect have not been established.""Exposure to carpet cleaning" i.e., chemicals, environmental causes of illness, compounds either natural or synthetic, toxins in our environment: what a can of worms to open!

Kelly Preston had worked tirelessly to monitor her home for chemicals as a safety measure to protect her children.So many allergies and illnesses are attributed to "unknown" causes when studies have suggested environmental pollution, exposure or poisoning as legitamate areas for scrutiny. Some NGOs in the health arena are concentrated solely on cure or treatment or genetics or other causes, not industrial in nature.

Many cancers including breast cancer are blamed (in the opinion of some) on everything but industrial chemicals and the like.Paraphrasing one outspoken activist, Barbara Brenner of Breast Cancer Action, "Eat a low-fat diet, exercise, get mammograms and if you develop cancer, get chemo and wear a pink ribbon.

In the meantime the experts will ignore any possible connection between the environment, corporate pollution and women's health."Some argue, of course, that chemical sensitivity is all-in-your mind and that "yuppie syndrome" (Chronic Fatigue) does not exist. Some still maintain that smoking does not cause lung cancer.

This environmental debate rivals that over climate change.

We have added to our lives so many pesticides, solvents, drugs and other chemical compounds that effect us in ways we cannot know.The fact is, rare diseases are becoming less rare. Kawasaki disease is found most often in Japan. The second-most prevalent country in which Kawasaki disease is diagnosed is the USA.

There is an upside and a downside to every techological advance. That should never be forgotten nor hidden for the sake of profit, convenience or expediency.We all share the sorrow of the Travolta family in connection to the loss of their son. We should share their concern, also.

January 2, 7:09 PM
by Harry Osibin, Sacramento Environmental News Examiner

A World Filled with Toxins...is it Even Worth Saving?

You know sometimes I look at what is happening in the world and it makes me feel so horribly defeated. Who cares if you are ingesting a harmful toxin from your water bottle if you are being shelled in your home as the people in the Middle East are...you are just thankful you have water. Who cares about toxin filled body cream when you have been forced from your home leaving all of your possessions behind...sent to wander and live where? So much pain and devastation I wonder why I should care about such a violent filled, toxic world? But then I realize, we all do what we can do to make a difference. We say our prayers at night and raise money for causes that can actually make a difference in people's lives. We tell our kids how lucky they are to be "here" instead of "there"...wherever "there" may be. We do what we can do.

Do not feel defeated when you look around and see a world filled with people that seem hell bent on destroying us. When it comes to the health of our population and our world, life itself is in the balance. If we all do what we can to become aware of how our consumer choices impact our world, make changes in areas we feel we can and share our journey with others, we can save ourselves and this world. Pray for peace, push for awareness and use your resources wisely.