My interest in food safety was first sparked by an allergist saying my little daughter’s seemingly incurable hives might be due to penicillin in the milk.
“What’s penicillin doing in the milk?” I asked. As a reporter, I found that not only was penicillin the milk, it was in poultry, beef and in many of our edibles. My daughter now has a grown daughter of her own and still more than half the antibiotics produced are fed to animals today.
Currently 16 different antimicrobial drugs are approved for use in United State’s poultry production with gentamicin reported to be the most widely used. Our country is not alone in lacing meat and milk with antibiotics.
The Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in Britain, for example, just released a study pointing to the growing resistance of specific food pathogens to antimicrobials, drugs used to combat the germs in animals at the production stage. Up to 29 per cent of the Campylobacter, now the leading cause of bacterial food poisoning, are now resistant to commonly used antimicrobials, according to a UK survey.
The report warns processors about the problems of resistant germs being passed along the food chain to consumers. The survey found that cephalosporin, a popular human antibiotic medication, is increasingly ineffective against E. coli. In humans E. coli is one of the two most important bacterial pathogens causing sickness. Over half of the E. coli bacteria isolates tested were resistant to ampicillin or amoxicillin, and up to 19 per cent were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The majority of E. coli O157, one of the most dangerous forms of the pathogen, were found in humans to show resistance to tetracyclines, sulphonamides and streptomycin in some regions.
Health providers and consumers have been widely blamed for overusing antibiotics in human illnesses and thus causing the growing ineffectiveness of antibiotic medicines but poultry workers may be the unknowing culprits. Researchers in the United States have just reported the poultry employees may be spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria to those who do not work in the sector.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that these workers were 32 times more likely to be carriers of E. coli bacteria resistant to the commonly used antibiotic gentamicin when compared to other employees.
The results, published in a recent edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, suggest that food processing could play a greater role than previously thought in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"One of the major implications of this study is to underscore the importance of the non-hospital environment in the origin of drug resistant infections," said Ellen K. Silbergeld, PhD, senior author of the study. It was noted many of these workers wear uniforms and these could be handled by other household members during laundry who would then be exposed to the bacteria.
The study, which was conducted by the research faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, concluded: The findings will lend weight to those who are critical of antibiotic use in the poultry sector. Antibiotic resistance has become a serious problem for public health services around the world.”
Ask my daughter. That’s not news to me. Is it to you? Who is going to do something about it? Stay tuned.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Monday, December 10, 2007
SALT CAN BE SICKENING
An analysis of a number of studies reported in the Lancet Chronic Diseases Series revealed that reducing salt intake around the world by 15 per cent could prevent almost nine million deaths between 2006 and 2015 in 23 low- and middle-income countries. Having a genetic sensitivity to salt, I have a great deal of experience trying to obtain food that is salt-free or very low salt. I once was hospitalized because personnel at a New York restaurant assured me that they didn’t cook with salt. They did—a lot of it. Usually I can tell if a dish contains salt but with certain entrees with adornments, it is hard to tell.
While I was researching A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, I asked a scientist at a major food company why, when you leave out an additive such as salt, the product costs more? He explained: “We’ll, we have to stop the line with the regular product in order to keep from adding an ingredient and that is expensive.”
I don’t know whether that is true but I do know that restaurant personnel often say a dish will have “no salt” added but figure if you are a tourist, you won’t come back to complain.
As far as the supermarket, there are terms on packages that may be misleading. For example "unsalted", "processed without salt" or "no salt added" may signify that the producer didn't put any additional salt in during processing but the food may still be naturally high in sodium. For example, a low sodium soy sauce has 390 mg of sodium per teaspoon (and who can use only a teaspoon of soy sauce on a dish) and a popular tomato-vegetable drink with "no salt added" has 90 milligrams per 4.5 fluid ounces. Salt can also be listed under dozens of "sodium" designations such as monosodium glutamate and sodium caseinate adding additional salt to your diet. Sugar labeling, like salt, can be deceptive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling signifies “low sodium” as being 140 mg or less and “very low sodium” to be 35 mg.
ConAgra, a major American producer of packaged foods and meats, recently reported it has removed nearly three million pounds of sodium from a range of products without affecting taste. The firm said it will continue to look at ways of cutting down salt, and said it has already managed to remove up to 20 per cent from many of its popular lines. Exact details of what the firm has used as a replacement to sodium in its range of foods - which includes Kid Cuisine, Chef Boyardee and Marie Callender - have not yet been released. ConAgra also reveals it is working on a proprietary sodium technology that can cut 30 per cent of sodium in popcorn.
Salt is a vital nutrient and is necessary for the body to function, but campaigners for salt reduction, such as the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) consider the average daily salt consumption in the western world, between 10 and 12g, far too high. Medical and consumer organizations want (FDA) to strengthen labeling and to change salt's current status from "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) to being controlled as a food additive.
Two sites you may want to check: www.mrsdash@mrsdash.com and livinglowsodium.com
While I was researching A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, I asked a scientist at a major food company why, when you leave out an additive such as salt, the product costs more? He explained: “We’ll, we have to stop the line with the regular product in order to keep from adding an ingredient and that is expensive.”
I don’t know whether that is true but I do know that restaurant personnel often say a dish will have “no salt” added but figure if you are a tourist, you won’t come back to complain.
As far as the supermarket, there are terms on packages that may be misleading. For example "unsalted", "processed without salt" or "no salt added" may signify that the producer didn't put any additional salt in during processing but the food may still be naturally high in sodium. For example, a low sodium soy sauce has 390 mg of sodium per teaspoon (and who can use only a teaspoon of soy sauce on a dish) and a popular tomato-vegetable drink with "no salt added" has 90 milligrams per 4.5 fluid ounces. Salt can also be listed under dozens of "sodium" designations such as monosodium glutamate and sodium caseinate adding additional salt to your diet. Sugar labeling, like salt, can be deceptive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling signifies “low sodium” as being 140 mg or less and “very low sodium” to be 35 mg.
ConAgra, a major American producer of packaged foods and meats, recently reported it has removed nearly three million pounds of sodium from a range of products without affecting taste. The firm said it will continue to look at ways of cutting down salt, and said it has already managed to remove up to 20 per cent from many of its popular lines. Exact details of what the firm has used as a replacement to sodium in its range of foods - which includes Kid Cuisine, Chef Boyardee and Marie Callender - have not yet been released. ConAgra also reveals it is working on a proprietary sodium technology that can cut 30 per cent of sodium in popcorn.
Salt is a vital nutrient and is necessary for the body to function, but campaigners for salt reduction, such as the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) consider the average daily salt consumption in the western world, between 10 and 12g, far too high. Medical and consumer organizations want (FDA) to strengthen labeling and to change salt's current status from "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) to being controlled as a food additive.
Two sites you may want to check: www.mrsdash@mrsdash.com and livinglowsodium.com
Friday, November 16, 2007
NEWS ABOUT FISH AND YOUR BRAIN
NEWS ABOUT FISH AND YOUR BRAIN
The hot “new” category in the food industry is “functional foods”. We consumers are becoming convinced that by eating certain products can prevent or treat our ailments, according to presentations at a recent meeting of The Natural Marketing Institute's (NMI) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve French, executive vice president and managing partner of NMI, for example, cited Coca-Cola's opening of the Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing.
Rhona Applebaum, vice president, chief scientific and regulatory officer of Coca-Cola, said at the time of the facility’s opening last October:” This collaboration will ultimately help us bring the insights and benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to consumers all over the world…"As the world's largest beverage company, we can add global reach and world-class marketing skills to help promote Chinese wisdom in preventive holistic health through new and innovative beverages." NMI’s French says because very large food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola tend to follow promising trends rather than set them, the link between healing and food looks to become further entrenched in the consumer’s mind.
Using foods to prevent and treat disease is not new, of course. Therapeutic uses of food dates back at least several thousand years to ancient Egypt where onions were recommended to induce sleep; almonds and cabbage to prevent hangovers; lemons to protect against the evil eye, and salt to stimulate passion. Who hasn’t heard that eating oysters will enhance one’s sexual desire and performance? This may be just a myth, but in fact oysters are rich in zinc and scientists have discovered that a zinc deficiency interferes with sexual function.
My husband, Dr. Arthur Winter, Director of New Jersey’s Neurological Institute, Livingston, NJ, and I wrote a book, Smart Food: Diet and Nutrition for Maximum Brain Power first published by St. Martin’s Press in 1988 and now back in print by ASJA Books. In it we point out that if your mother told you fish is brain food and she may have been right because fish contains compounds that can:
· Decrease blood pressure in persons with normal and moderately high blood pressure
· Decrease blood viscosity
· Decrease blood triglycerides
· Decrease vascular response to norepinephrine, a hormone that can stimulate anxiety
· Decrease irregular heartbeats
· Decrease cardiac toxicity of cardiac glycosides (sugars)
· Decrease stickiness of platelets, a type of blood cell that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form.
· Increase platelet survival.
Now new studies from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway all suggest significant benefits of fish consumption, specifically the omega-3 fatty acid content, and cognitive health. Dutch researchers, led by Carla Dullemeijer from Wageningen University, used data from a trial, involving 807 men and women (average age 60). A cross-sectional analysis studied all 807 participants, while a longitudinal analysis only focused on the 404 participants in the placebo group. The researchers reported increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood were associated with a 69 percent less decline in reaction time and a 60 percent lower decline in complex cognition speed over three years. Since earlier studies have shown that fish intake is associated with better brain function, the researchers are now seeking what components in fish makes it good for the cognition besides Omega 3 fatty acids since fish contais a good supply of niacin and perhaps other factors that may benefit brain function.
Mercury and other pollutants that may adversely affect the brain can also be in fish so the complete picture of fish and the brain is still in deep water. Stay tuned.
The hot “new” category in the food industry is “functional foods”. We consumers are becoming convinced that by eating certain products can prevent or treat our ailments, according to presentations at a recent meeting of The Natural Marketing Institute's (NMI) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve French, executive vice president and managing partner of NMI, for example, cited Coca-Cola's opening of the Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing.
Rhona Applebaum, vice president, chief scientific and regulatory officer of Coca-Cola, said at the time of the facility’s opening last October:” This collaboration will ultimately help us bring the insights and benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to consumers all over the world…"As the world's largest beverage company, we can add global reach and world-class marketing skills to help promote Chinese wisdom in preventive holistic health through new and innovative beverages." NMI’s French says because very large food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola tend to follow promising trends rather than set them, the link between healing and food looks to become further entrenched in the consumer’s mind.
Using foods to prevent and treat disease is not new, of course. Therapeutic uses of food dates back at least several thousand years to ancient Egypt where onions were recommended to induce sleep; almonds and cabbage to prevent hangovers; lemons to protect against the evil eye, and salt to stimulate passion. Who hasn’t heard that eating oysters will enhance one’s sexual desire and performance? This may be just a myth, but in fact oysters are rich in zinc and scientists have discovered that a zinc deficiency interferes with sexual function.
My husband, Dr. Arthur Winter, Director of New Jersey’s Neurological Institute, Livingston, NJ, and I wrote a book, Smart Food: Diet and Nutrition for Maximum Brain Power first published by St. Martin’s Press in 1988 and now back in print by ASJA Books. In it we point out that if your mother told you fish is brain food and she may have been right because fish contains compounds that can:
· Decrease blood pressure in persons with normal and moderately high blood pressure
· Decrease blood viscosity
· Decrease blood triglycerides
· Decrease vascular response to norepinephrine, a hormone that can stimulate anxiety
· Decrease irregular heartbeats
· Decrease cardiac toxicity of cardiac glycosides (sugars)
· Decrease stickiness of platelets, a type of blood cell that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form.
· Increase platelet survival.
Now new studies from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway all suggest significant benefits of fish consumption, specifically the omega-3 fatty acid content, and cognitive health. Dutch researchers, led by Carla Dullemeijer from Wageningen University, used data from a trial, involving 807 men and women (average age 60). A cross-sectional analysis studied all 807 participants, while a longitudinal analysis only focused on the 404 participants in the placebo group. The researchers reported increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood were associated with a 69 percent less decline in reaction time and a 60 percent lower decline in complex cognition speed over three years. Since earlier studies have shown that fish intake is associated with better brain function, the researchers are now seeking what components in fish makes it good for the cognition besides Omega 3 fatty acids since fish contais a good supply of niacin and perhaps other factors that may benefit brain function.
Mercury and other pollutants that may adversely affect the brain can also be in fish so the complete picture of fish and the brain is still in deep water. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AROUND YOU
An epidemic of thyroid disease among pet cats may be caused by toxic flame retardants that were widely found in household dust and some pet food, government scientists reported recently.
The often-lethal disease was rare in cats until the 1980s when it became widespread, especially in California Cats. That was at the same time industry stated using large volumes of brominated flame retardants in consumer products, including furniture cushions, electronics, mattresses and carpet padding.
One of our beloved cats died of kidney failure not long after we had the carpets professionally cleaned years ago. We suspected it was the cleaner used but couldn’t prove it. Never-the-less, we haven’t had the carpets cleaned again without using non-toxic, allergenic products.
Since then, I have researched the common chemical products used in the home, yard, and office. I gathered is common chemicals in my book, A Consumer’s Dictionary of Household, Yard and Office Chemicals. There are 82,000 chemicals in use in the United States and more than 700 new ones are introduced into commerce each year.
Why worry? The cats may be like the miner’s canaries—warning us of dangers around us. Budget cuts for government agencies and increasing pressure from industrial lobbyists have allowed products to enter or remain on the market that contain substances know to cause liver, kidney, central nervous system damage, birth defects and many other health ailments. Your knowledge, therefore, is your vital safeguard today.
Take a look around your home, yard, or office. Many of those innocent-looking, brightly packaged products you purchased at the supermarket, hardware, or office supply store and use so casually may cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea, dizziness, loss of coordination or headaches. Some products have also been associated with heart and lung damage.
Check around your living and working areas. Do you have a product containing methylene chloride? It is widely used as a solvent, de-greaser, and paint and varnish thinner. It is in pesticide aerosols, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, in cleansing creams, and in paint and varnish removers. Some paint strippers, as a matter of fact, are 80 percent methylene chloride. You may be more cautious about using products containing the chemical after you read the reported health effects under the listing for it in this book. They include liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage; it increases the carbon monoxide level in the blood and people with angina (chest pains) are extremely sensitive to the chemical; methylene chloride has been linked to heart attacks and cancer.
Do you have oven cleaners in your cleaning-supply closet? Many spray types are highly irritating to the skin and lungs, particularly those with methylene chloride, sodium and potassium hydroxide (lye), and petroleum distillates.
What about your carpets and cabinets? Detergent and pesticide residues can accumulate on carpeting and vaporize, causing respiratory symptoms.
Have you sprayed your pet with a product containing DDVP or hung a flea collar with it around your pet’s neck? A study performed by the national Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services revealed a significant leukemia hazard from this common household pesticide widely used in pet, house, and yard aerosol products since the 1950s, and the EPA reported the cancer risk for applying DDVP sprays ranged from one in a hundred to one in a hundred thousand. The generally accepted “significant” threshold is one cancer incidence in one million persons. The EPA, as this is being written, is moving to have DDVP banned as a pesticide for food packaging because it was found in animal tests to cause “more than a negligible risk.” It may take years to get it off the market as a food package pesticide, but what about the hundreds of other products that still contain DDVP? The EPA conducted a major study of nonoccupational exposure to pesticides and found indoor exposure to pesticides is widespread, with as many as ten different pesticides being detected in a single home.
We live in a sea of chemicals. In fact, our bodies are made of chemicals and we eat, breathe and slather chemicals on ourselves but how much do we really know about the chemicals in us, on us and around us? Surprisingly little.
Companies are not required by the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to test new chemicals before they are submitted for the EPA’s review, and they generally do not voluntarily perform such testing. Because chemical companies claim data about their products are confidential business information, government agencies face challenges in obtaining the information necessary to assess chemical risks to the public. US Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced legislation coauthored with Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) in July 2005 to force chemical manufacturers to provide health and safety information on chemicals used in consumer products instead of presuming a substance is safe until proven dangerous.
“Every day, Americans use household products that contain hundreds of chemicals,” says Senator Lautenberg. “Most people assume that those chemicals have been proven safe for their families and children. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong.”
Lautenberg says there are no laws that require analysis for the chemicals used in baby bottles, water bottles, food packages and thousands of other products. This is inexcusable.”It is really up to us. As consumers, we have to educate ourselves and use the chemicals in our homes, yards and offices with awareness of potential health effects and to substitute products that may be less hazardous.
The often-lethal disease was rare in cats until the 1980s when it became widespread, especially in California Cats. That was at the same time industry stated using large volumes of brominated flame retardants in consumer products, including furniture cushions, electronics, mattresses and carpet padding.
One of our beloved cats died of kidney failure not long after we had the carpets professionally cleaned years ago. We suspected it was the cleaner used but couldn’t prove it. Never-the-less, we haven’t had the carpets cleaned again without using non-toxic, allergenic products.
Since then, I have researched the common chemical products used in the home, yard, and office. I gathered is common chemicals in my book, A Consumer’s Dictionary of Household, Yard and Office Chemicals. There are 82,000 chemicals in use in the United States and more than 700 new ones are introduced into commerce each year.
Why worry? The cats may be like the miner’s canaries—warning us of dangers around us. Budget cuts for government agencies and increasing pressure from industrial lobbyists have allowed products to enter or remain on the market that contain substances know to cause liver, kidney, central nervous system damage, birth defects and many other health ailments. Your knowledge, therefore, is your vital safeguard today.
Take a look around your home, yard, or office. Many of those innocent-looking, brightly packaged products you purchased at the supermarket, hardware, or office supply store and use so casually may cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea, dizziness, loss of coordination or headaches. Some products have also been associated with heart and lung damage.
Check around your living and working areas. Do you have a product containing methylene chloride? It is widely used as a solvent, de-greaser, and paint and varnish thinner. It is in pesticide aerosols, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, in cleansing creams, and in paint and varnish removers. Some paint strippers, as a matter of fact, are 80 percent methylene chloride. You may be more cautious about using products containing the chemical after you read the reported health effects under the listing for it in this book. They include liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage; it increases the carbon monoxide level in the blood and people with angina (chest pains) are extremely sensitive to the chemical; methylene chloride has been linked to heart attacks and cancer.
Do you have oven cleaners in your cleaning-supply closet? Many spray types are highly irritating to the skin and lungs, particularly those with methylene chloride, sodium and potassium hydroxide (lye), and petroleum distillates.
What about your carpets and cabinets? Detergent and pesticide residues can accumulate on carpeting and vaporize, causing respiratory symptoms.
Have you sprayed your pet with a product containing DDVP or hung a flea collar with it around your pet’s neck? A study performed by the national Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services revealed a significant leukemia hazard from this common household pesticide widely used in pet, house, and yard aerosol products since the 1950s, and the EPA reported the cancer risk for applying DDVP sprays ranged from one in a hundred to one in a hundred thousand. The generally accepted “significant” threshold is one cancer incidence in one million persons. The EPA, as this is being written, is moving to have DDVP banned as a pesticide for food packaging because it was found in animal tests to cause “more than a negligible risk.” It may take years to get it off the market as a food package pesticide, but what about the hundreds of other products that still contain DDVP? The EPA conducted a major study of nonoccupational exposure to pesticides and found indoor exposure to pesticides is widespread, with as many as ten different pesticides being detected in a single home.
We live in a sea of chemicals. In fact, our bodies are made of chemicals and we eat, breathe and slather chemicals on ourselves but how much do we really know about the chemicals in us, on us and around us? Surprisingly little.
Companies are not required by the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to test new chemicals before they are submitted for the EPA’s review, and they generally do not voluntarily perform such testing. Because chemical companies claim data about their products are confidential business information, government agencies face challenges in obtaining the information necessary to assess chemical risks to the public. US Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced legislation coauthored with Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) in July 2005 to force chemical manufacturers to provide health and safety information on chemicals used in consumer products instead of presuming a substance is safe until proven dangerous.
“Every day, Americans use household products that contain hundreds of chemicals,” says Senator Lautenberg. “Most people assume that those chemicals have been proven safe for their families and children. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong.”
Lautenberg says there are no laws that require analysis for the chemicals used in baby bottles, water bottles, food packages and thousands of other products. This is inexcusable.”It is really up to us. As consumers, we have to educate ourselves and use the chemicals in our homes, yards and offices with awareness of potential health effects and to substitute products that may be less hazardous.
Friday, July 13, 2007
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A MARGINAL VITAMIN DEFICIENCY?
The pressure to put restrictions on over-the-counter sale of vitamins may affect you if you have a marginal deficiency, according to Smart Food: Diet and Nutrition for Maximum Brain Power by Arthur Winter, MD and Ruth Winter, MS, just reissued by ASJA Press.
Marginal deficiency, by definition, is a state of gradual vitamin depletion in which there is evidence of personal lack of well being associated with impairment of certain chemical reactions in the body. The reactions impaired are those that depend on sufficient amounts of vitamins.
How do you know if you have a marginal deficiency?
One of the pioneers in the effects of this condition, Herman Baker, PhD of the University of Medicine of New Jersey, described the symptoms:
• You'll always feel tired.
• You may have insomnia
• You may a loss of appetite.
• A decreased ability to concentrate.
• Your brain does not function well.
• You complain to your physician, "I feel under the weather. I don't know what is
bothering me but I keep getting colds."
You doctor examines you and tells you he or she can find nothing wrong. So your doctor may say, 'take some vitamins!’ If you have an absorption problem or the liver cannot bind or store vitamins, you can take a ton of vitamins but you will just enrich the sewage system. You can take one tenth or three tenths of a milligram of vitamin B 12, and you won't absorb anymore than one tenth milligram since that is all your body can absorb at one time. The rest is wasted. But if you break the dose into three times a day, you can absorb a total of three tenths of a milligram of thiamine a day."
Vitamin B12, according to Dr. Winter, director of New Jersey Neurological Institute’s Memory Clinic, Livingston, NJ, is one vitamin which is vitally needed for the aging brain. It is known to be necessary normal growth, a healthy nervous system, and normal red blood cell formation. It can be found only in animal and dairy products. A B12 deficiency produces pernicious anemia, a severe anemia similar to that caused by a B6 deficiency. Vitamin B12, anemia is rarely the result of dietary deficiency, except in vegans (vegetarians who consume no animal food or dairy products), since the liver stores sufficient quantities to sustain the body's needs for three to five years. Vegetarians may obtain vitamin B12 by eating fermented foods such as tamari or tofu or who eat large amounts of raw food. It is believed that they can manufacture B12 in their own systems with the aid of friendly bacteria. Like the other B vitamins, a deficiency in this one can lead to brain and nerve damage. In most patients, the symptoms develop insidiously and progressively as the large liver stores of B 12, are depleted. As has been noted, as we grow older, there is less stomach acid to process B 12 and taking the vitamin by mouth is often ineffective. It must be given by injection about once a month.
Symptoms of B12 deficiency include:
• Loss of appetite,
• Intermittent constipation and diarrhea,
• Stomach pain.
• Fatigue
• Patchy, diffuse, and progressive nerve degeneration. There may be a loss of
Balance, numbness and weakness of the limbs
• Irritability,
• Mild depression
• paranoia, a condition known as megaloblastic madness.
Alcohol, estrogen, and sleeping pills can lower B 12 levels in the body. Vitamin C, however, does not destroy vitamin B 12, as some medical reports have proposed. Dr. Baker and associates tested Nobelist Linus Pauling, an advocate of massive doses of vitamin C, and Dr. Pauling's colleagues, all of whom had taken large amounts of vitamin C for years. Dr. Baker found that all of the vitamin C takers had normal levels of B 12.
The RDA's for B 12 are 6 micrograms for adults and 0.5 to 3 micrograms for infants and children.
Dr. Baker says taking vitamins with food will aid absorption, while mineral supplements are best absorbed when taken between meals. "Not only lay persons but physicians are often unaware of these simple facts," he maintains.
Vitamin deficiency is not something that occurs abruptly or acutely and it is very difficult to diagnose. There are four basic stages:
The preliminary stage. Body stores of a micronutrient are gradually depleted. When there is not enough of a particular vitamin to work for the body, the body's chemistry is impaired. In this preliminary stage, there is no indication of depletion in clinical terms of growth or appearance.
The physiological stage. These changes are ones that you might not associate with nutrient deficiencies for example, loss of appetite, depression, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, or sleepiness. The person is not sufficiently ill to seek medical care or go to the hospital, yet his or her general health is less than optimal. If the deficiency continues, symptoms of classic deficiency disease will appear.
The clinical stage. Something is obviously seriously wrong and if left untreated the person progresses to the next stage
Marginal deficiency, by definition, is a state of gradual vitamin depletion in which there is evidence of personal lack of well being associated with impairment of certain chemical reactions in the body. The reactions impaired are those that depend on sufficient amounts of vitamins.
How do you know if you have a marginal deficiency?
One of the pioneers in the effects of this condition, Herman Baker, PhD of the University of Medicine of New Jersey, described the symptoms:
• You'll always feel tired.
• You may have insomnia
• You may a loss of appetite.
• A decreased ability to concentrate.
• Your brain does not function well.
• You complain to your physician, "I feel under the weather. I don't know what is
bothering me but I keep getting colds."
You doctor examines you and tells you he or she can find nothing wrong. So your doctor may say, 'take some vitamins!’ If you have an absorption problem or the liver cannot bind or store vitamins, you can take a ton of vitamins but you will just enrich the sewage system. You can take one tenth or three tenths of a milligram of vitamin B 12, and you won't absorb anymore than one tenth milligram since that is all your body can absorb at one time. The rest is wasted. But if you break the dose into three times a day, you can absorb a total of three tenths of a milligram of thiamine a day."
Vitamin B12, according to Dr. Winter, director of New Jersey Neurological Institute’s Memory Clinic, Livingston, NJ, is one vitamin which is vitally needed for the aging brain. It is known to be necessary normal growth, a healthy nervous system, and normal red blood cell formation. It can be found only in animal and dairy products. A B12 deficiency produces pernicious anemia, a severe anemia similar to that caused by a B6 deficiency. Vitamin B12, anemia is rarely the result of dietary deficiency, except in vegans (vegetarians who consume no animal food or dairy products), since the liver stores sufficient quantities to sustain the body's needs for three to five years. Vegetarians may obtain vitamin B12 by eating fermented foods such as tamari or tofu or who eat large amounts of raw food. It is believed that they can manufacture B12 in their own systems with the aid of friendly bacteria. Like the other B vitamins, a deficiency in this one can lead to brain and nerve damage. In most patients, the symptoms develop insidiously and progressively as the large liver stores of B 12, are depleted. As has been noted, as we grow older, there is less stomach acid to process B 12 and taking the vitamin by mouth is often ineffective. It must be given by injection about once a month.
Symptoms of B12 deficiency include:
• Loss of appetite,
• Intermittent constipation and diarrhea,
• Stomach pain.
• Fatigue
• Patchy, diffuse, and progressive nerve degeneration. There may be a loss of
Balance, numbness and weakness of the limbs
• Irritability,
• Mild depression
• paranoia, a condition known as megaloblastic madness.
Alcohol, estrogen, and sleeping pills can lower B 12 levels in the body. Vitamin C, however, does not destroy vitamin B 12, as some medical reports have proposed. Dr. Baker and associates tested Nobelist Linus Pauling, an advocate of massive doses of vitamin C, and Dr. Pauling's colleagues, all of whom had taken large amounts of vitamin C for years. Dr. Baker found that all of the vitamin C takers had normal levels of B 12.
The RDA's for B 12 are 6 micrograms for adults and 0.5 to 3 micrograms for infants and children.
Dr. Baker says taking vitamins with food will aid absorption, while mineral supplements are best absorbed when taken between meals. "Not only lay persons but physicians are often unaware of these simple facts," he maintains.
Vitamin deficiency is not something that occurs abruptly or acutely and it is very difficult to diagnose. There are four basic stages:
The preliminary stage. Body stores of a micronutrient are gradually depleted. When there is not enough of a particular vitamin to work for the body, the body's chemistry is impaired. In this preliminary stage, there is no indication of depletion in clinical terms of growth or appearance.
The physiological stage. These changes are ones that you might not associate with nutrient deficiencies for example, loss of appetite, depression, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, or sleepiness. The person is not sufficiently ill to seek medical care or go to the hospital, yet his or her general health is less than optimal. If the deficiency continues, symptoms of classic deficiency disease will appear.
The clinical stage. Something is obviously seriously wrong and if left untreated the person progresses to the next stage
Sunday, March 18, 2007
BULL SEMEN FOR HAIR CARE
Do cowboys know something we don’t know? Bull semen is now attracting the attention of the hair care industry after a United Kingdom hair salon made a splash introducing it as a lead ingredient in a hair treament product. Hari’s Salon in London revealed to CosmeticDesign, a trade publication, that they chose bull’s semen because they discovered “the rich proteins it contains creates a shine to the hair other treatments could not.”
I don’t know who was the first to think about trying bull semen as an ingredient but Hari’s mixes the semen with a katria plant root extract. The treatment takes about 45 minutes and, according to Hari’s, the protein in the semen “actively compliments the protein contained in hair molecules”. The katria root make the compound almost odorless.
This is not the first time semen has been used as a cosmetic ingredient. A Norweigian based company, Maritex, uses Cod sperm. The company suggests that the sperm successfully binds water in body lotions and make-up. The company reportedly has sold seven tons of processed cod sperm for use in cosmetics in just one year.
Cosmetic manufacturers have tried to use hormones from cows but the side-effects have caused a ban on those products. Other natural estrogenlike ingredients, however, are being employed and just recently, lavendar used in hair products, which contains an estrogenlike substance, reportedly caused breast growth in young boys.
Placental extracts, prepared from the nourishing lining of the womb expelled at birth, is in many expensive anti-wrinkle skin creams. As an American Medical Association expert once pointed out about placental use:“then why are babies born with wrinkled skin?”
Stay tuned. We will have to see how much sperm is spread around in cosmetics.
I don’t know who was the first to think about trying bull semen as an ingredient but Hari’s mixes the semen with a katria plant root extract. The treatment takes about 45 minutes and, according to Hari’s, the protein in the semen “actively compliments the protein contained in hair molecules”. The katria root make the compound almost odorless.
This is not the first time semen has been used as a cosmetic ingredient. A Norweigian based company, Maritex, uses Cod sperm. The company suggests that the sperm successfully binds water in body lotions and make-up. The company reportedly has sold seven tons of processed cod sperm for use in cosmetics in just one year.
Cosmetic manufacturers have tried to use hormones from cows but the side-effects have caused a ban on those products. Other natural estrogenlike ingredients, however, are being employed and just recently, lavendar used in hair products, which contains an estrogenlike substance, reportedly caused breast growth in young boys.
Placental extracts, prepared from the nourishing lining of the womb expelled at birth, is in many expensive anti-wrinkle skin creams. As an American Medical Association expert once pointed out about placental use:“then why are babies born with wrinkled skin?”
Stay tuned. We will have to see how much sperm is spread around in cosmetics.
Friday, December 01, 2006
A COSMETIC AND FOOD ADDITIVE THAT MAY SPEED AGING
A COSMETIC AND FOOD ADDITIVE THAT MAY SPEED AGING
We humans are exposed a many environmental chemicals that may interfere with DNA, the blueprints of our cells... One of the latest cited involves DHC (Dihydrocoumarin), widely added to our foods and cosmetics. In my Dictionary of Food Additives I describe it as “a flavoring from many plants including sweet cover and Tonka bean used in many flavorings for beverages, ice cream and baked goods.” I noted that prolonged feeding revealed a possible trend towards liver injury. In my Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, DHC is listed as “a fragrant ingredient and is related to is related to coumarin that has anti-blood clotting effects and is prohibited in foods because it is toxic by ingestion and carcinogenic on the skin.”
Now researchers at the School of Public Health, University of California at Berkley headed by Andrew J. Olaharski, found that DHC can interfere with sirtuins, a family of enzymes. In recent years, scientists have learned that sirtuins play critical roles in a wide array of vital life processes, including metabolism, aging, and gene expression. Some studies have shown that low-calorie diets that extend life boost sirtuins activities dramatically, suggesting an intriguing link between metabolism and aging through the enzymes. Humans have at least seven different sirtuins performing different tasks, and given the evident importance of the work they do, researchers have been trying to better understand how they function. Insights into their mode of action could represent early steps toward developing a novel class of drugs that might promote health in various ways and also identify environmental toxins that may interfere with sirtuins.
Reporting their research in journal PLos Genetics published by The Public Library of Science, the Californians found that DHC damages sirtuins .The scientists tested a number of environmental chemicals known to inhibit sirtuins and concluded that DHC is one of the culprits.
If you wonder why DHC is necessary to be added to our food and cosmetics, sit down and relax with a glass of red wine. A number of researchers have reported found that a sirtuin-activating compound found in red wine, reservatol, increased the life span of yeast cells by more than two-thirds . Resveratrol is synthesized by plants in response to stress, like a lack of nutrients or contracting a fungal infection. It exists in the skin of both red and white grapes but is found in amounts 10 times higher in red wine because of differences in the manufacturing processes.
According to the Oxford Companion to Wine, Pinot Noir tends to have high levels of the chemical, while Cabernet Sauvignon has lower levels. "Wines produced in cooler regions or areas with greater disease pressure, such as Burgundy and New York, often have more resveratrol," the book says, whereas wines from drier climates like California or Australia have less.
On the other hand, Dr. Toren Finkel, the head of cardiovascular research at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said that "I would be cautious in sending out the message that one glass of wine a day will make you live 10 years longer." "The concentration of resveratrol in different wine differs," he said. "As a drug, it is not ready for prime time." But he acknowledged that the concept of a drug that mimicked caloric restriction "is a great idea.”
We humans are exposed a many environmental chemicals that may interfere with DNA, the blueprints of our cells... One of the latest cited involves DHC (Dihydrocoumarin), widely added to our foods and cosmetics. In my Dictionary of Food Additives I describe it as “a flavoring from many plants including sweet cover and Tonka bean used in many flavorings for beverages, ice cream and baked goods.” I noted that prolonged feeding revealed a possible trend towards liver injury. In my Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, DHC is listed as “a fragrant ingredient and is related to is related to coumarin that has anti-blood clotting effects and is prohibited in foods because it is toxic by ingestion and carcinogenic on the skin.”
Now researchers at the School of Public Health, University of California at Berkley headed by Andrew J. Olaharski, found that DHC can interfere with sirtuins, a family of enzymes. In recent years, scientists have learned that sirtuins play critical roles in a wide array of vital life processes, including metabolism, aging, and gene expression. Some studies have shown that low-calorie diets that extend life boost sirtuins activities dramatically, suggesting an intriguing link between metabolism and aging through the enzymes. Humans have at least seven different sirtuins performing different tasks, and given the evident importance of the work they do, researchers have been trying to better understand how they function. Insights into their mode of action could represent early steps toward developing a novel class of drugs that might promote health in various ways and also identify environmental toxins that may interfere with sirtuins.
Reporting their research in journal PLos Genetics published by The Public Library of Science, the Californians found that DHC damages sirtuins .The scientists tested a number of environmental chemicals known to inhibit sirtuins and concluded that DHC is one of the culprits.
If you wonder why DHC is necessary to be added to our food and cosmetics, sit down and relax with a glass of red wine. A number of researchers have reported found that a sirtuin-activating compound found in red wine, reservatol, increased the life span of yeast cells by more than two-thirds . Resveratrol is synthesized by plants in response to stress, like a lack of nutrients or contracting a fungal infection. It exists in the skin of both red and white grapes but is found in amounts 10 times higher in red wine because of differences in the manufacturing processes.
According to the Oxford Companion to Wine, Pinot Noir tends to have high levels of the chemical, while Cabernet Sauvignon has lower levels. "Wines produced in cooler regions or areas with greater disease pressure, such as Burgundy and New York, often have more resveratrol," the book says, whereas wines from drier climates like California or Australia have less.
On the other hand, Dr. Toren Finkel, the head of cardiovascular research at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said that "I would be cautious in sending out the message that one glass of wine a day will make you live 10 years longer." "The concentration of resveratrol in different wine differs," he said. "As a drug, it is not ready for prime time." But he acknowledged that the concept of a drug that mimicked caloric restriction "is a great idea.”
Monday, November 13, 2006
NEVER MIND MANICURED LAWNS-THINK OF MANICURED MOMS
When I was a girl, I used to watch my mother get her “nails done” by a manicurist in the back of the New Jersey beauty parlor. Today, stand-alone nail salons are proliferating so rapidly that two New Jersey towns passed ordinances prohibiting nail salons from being within 500 feet of each other. In some districts nail salons growth force out shops offering goods to shoppers and thus weakening downtown enticements. Today, free-standing nail salons dot the commercial blocks and strip malls of cities from Southern California to South Carolina. According to nail trade journals, Americans are spending more than 6 billion a year on salon services and about 239,000 people work as "licensed nail technicians.” Reportedly more than 400 manufacturers make everything from polishes, nippers, and acrylic nail-sculpting compounds to manicure tables, polish racks, and toeless pedicure socks, none of which were available when my mother had her nails done. She never heard of “basic acrylic overlays with tips” or silk or cotton nail wraps and organic and botanical products for pedicure as well as flower power wraps.
As the author of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, I am, of course interested in the ingredients in the products applied to fingernails and toe nails.
Efforts by The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, a lobbying group, are now producing results after many years. The campaign has targeted specific brands of nail varnish that are reportedly contain ingredients including phthalates, formaldehyde, and toluene---all of which as described in my book have potential health consequences.
Sally Hansen, a major producer of nail varnish, said it is reformulating all its products to remove dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene. Other companies are also removing these ingredients prodded by California’s Prop. 65 listing chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
The European Union has banned DBP. Recent scientific studies have linked the chemical to underdevelopment of newborn baby boys.
Toluene has also been linked to skin irritations, liver damage and anemia, while formaldehyde has been linked to cancer and lung problems.
In some salons, air filters are used to stop the smell of acrylics from hurting the client's nose or eyes.
And then there is the danger of infection from improperly sterilized instruments and water in nail salons. This has led to many physicians recommending you bring your own clippers and other tools to a salon you are patronizing. The California Department of Consumer Affairs, in the meantime, recommends the following tips. Make sure:
• The establishment license is posted prominently in the reception area
• Each operator's license is posted in plain view at his or her work station• The Board’s Health and Safety poster is displayed in the reception area
• There is adequate ventilation for release of fumes created by artificial nail products, nail polish, or other chemicals
• The salon must have clean working equipment and a clean work area.
• Licensees must wash and disinfect all tools and instruments before they can be used on customers.
• Make sure the operator never uses the same tools on you that were just used on someone else without first disinfecting them. If an item cannot be disinfected (such as a nail buffer block or an emery board), it must be throwaway immediately after use.
• Don’t allow an operator to perform a service on you if the manicurist doesn’t use a clean set of tools. The improper disinfecting of tools and equipment can spread disease and bacteria from one person to another. A prime example would be the spread of nail fungus during a manicure or pedicure.
• You have every right to ask the operator to explain the disinfection procedures before a service begins. Various viruses can be transmitted through the use of dirty instruments, including HIV and Hepatitis B.
• In addition to disinfecting tools and instruments, operators are required to wash their hands before their next client. Before an operator begins nail care services, they should also ask their clients to wash their hands.
• Don’t risk your health. If the disinfection procedure doesn’t sound adequate, you should refuse the service.
As the author of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, I am, of course interested in the ingredients in the products applied to fingernails and toe nails.
Efforts by The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, a lobbying group, are now producing results after many years. The campaign has targeted specific brands of nail varnish that are reportedly contain ingredients including phthalates, formaldehyde, and toluene---all of which as described in my book have potential health consequences.
Sally Hansen, a major producer of nail varnish, said it is reformulating all its products to remove dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene. Other companies are also removing these ingredients prodded by California’s Prop. 65 listing chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
The European Union has banned DBP. Recent scientific studies have linked the chemical to underdevelopment of newborn baby boys.
Toluene has also been linked to skin irritations, liver damage and anemia, while formaldehyde has been linked to cancer and lung problems.
In some salons, air filters are used to stop the smell of acrylics from hurting the client's nose or eyes.
And then there is the danger of infection from improperly sterilized instruments and water in nail salons. This has led to many physicians recommending you bring your own clippers and other tools to a salon you are patronizing. The California Department of Consumer Affairs, in the meantime, recommends the following tips. Make sure:
• The establishment license is posted prominently in the reception area
• Each operator's license is posted in plain view at his or her work station• The Board’s Health and Safety poster is displayed in the reception area
• There is adequate ventilation for release of fumes created by artificial nail products, nail polish, or other chemicals
• The salon must have clean working equipment and a clean work area.
• Licensees must wash and disinfect all tools and instruments before they can be used on customers.
• Make sure the operator never uses the same tools on you that were just used on someone else without first disinfecting them. If an item cannot be disinfected (such as a nail buffer block or an emery board), it must be throwaway immediately after use.
• Don’t allow an operator to perform a service on you if the manicurist doesn’t use a clean set of tools. The improper disinfecting of tools and equipment can spread disease and bacteria from one person to another. A prime example would be the spread of nail fungus during a manicure or pedicure.
• You have every right to ask the operator to explain the disinfection procedures before a service begins. Various viruses can be transmitted through the use of dirty instruments, including HIV and Hepatitis B.
• In addition to disinfecting tools and instruments, operators are required to wash their hands before their next client. Before an operator begins nail care services, they should also ask their clients to wash their hands.
• Don’t risk your health. If the disinfection procedure doesn’t sound adequate, you should refuse the service.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
ANCIENT PLANTS NEWLY PROMOTED FOR SKIN PRODUCTS
Tanosa, an extract from the bark of the Pau d’Arco tree is being promoted in cosmetics to suppress inflammation. The bark, itself, is very interesting. Found in the rainforests of Central and South America, its common names include lapacho, taheebo and trumpet tree. The inner bark of pau d’arco is used by native tribes to treat cancer, lupus, infectious diseases, wounds, backache, toothache and sexually transmitted diseases. Pau d’arco is available in health food stores as capsules, tablets, alcohol solutions, dried bark and tea. However, pau d’arco must be boiled for at least eight minutes to release the active ingredients, making a tea from the bark ineffective unless properly prepared.
How is pau d’arco thought to treat cancer? Researchers at Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center, the medicinal value of pau d’arco is thought to reside in certain compounds, called naphthaquinones, in the inner bark. Proponents claim that naphthaquinones enhance the immune system, cleanse the body and stimulate the production of red blood cells, which can increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry contributing to healing.
What has been proven about the benefit of pau d’arco for cosmetics? Naphthaquinones, the active ingredients in pau d’arco bark, have shown potent antifungal properties in laboratory tests. These same compounds also have anticancer properties. Pau d’arco has killed lung cancer cells grown in the laboratory and reduced the rate of lung tumor growth in mice. Unfortunately, it must be taken in very toxic doses for any effects to occur. Because of the toxic effects, the National Cancer Institute did not seek approval to use pau d’arco as an anticancer drug and research has, for the most part, ceased. The American Cancer Society urges patients to avoid pau d’arco as an alternative treatment for cancer until more evidence is available.
What is the potential risk or harm of pau d’arco? The whole bark has no known side effects. The unrefined bark is much safer than taking extracts of the active ingredients. High doses of naphthaquinones can cause uncontrolled bleeding, nausea and vomiting.
How much does pau d’arco cost? Costs will vary depending on the health food store or the cosmetic outlet where it is purchased.
Pueraria mirifica is another natural substance being promoted in cosmetics. It comes from the White Kwao Krua herb (also known as Kwao Krua or Butea Superba) found in Thailand and Myanmar.
Its tuber contains phytoestrogens ( estrogen-like substances made by some plants) such as miroestrol, deoxymiroestrol, and coumestans, and has been used in breast enhancement supplements such as Mirifem and St. Herb. Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol contain stronger phytoestrogens than soy or red clover, and are under investigation for possible use in hormone replacement therapy. Now in skin creams, pueraria mirifica reportedly promotes “healthy, vibrant skin” and helps to bring the body into natural balance when estrogen deficiencies are present.”
Because cosmetics and health food products are not regulated for quality and purity, the amount of pau d’arco or pueraria mirifica in different products may vary. Some may only contain trace amounts of the active ingredients.
How is pau d’arco thought to treat cancer? Researchers at Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center, the medicinal value of pau d’arco is thought to reside in certain compounds, called naphthaquinones, in the inner bark. Proponents claim that naphthaquinones enhance the immune system, cleanse the body and stimulate the production of red blood cells, which can increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry contributing to healing.
What has been proven about the benefit of pau d’arco for cosmetics? Naphthaquinones, the active ingredients in pau d’arco bark, have shown potent antifungal properties in laboratory tests. These same compounds also have anticancer properties. Pau d’arco has killed lung cancer cells grown in the laboratory and reduced the rate of lung tumor growth in mice. Unfortunately, it must be taken in very toxic doses for any effects to occur. Because of the toxic effects, the National Cancer Institute did not seek approval to use pau d’arco as an anticancer drug and research has, for the most part, ceased. The American Cancer Society urges patients to avoid pau d’arco as an alternative treatment for cancer until more evidence is available.
What is the potential risk or harm of pau d’arco? The whole bark has no known side effects. The unrefined bark is much safer than taking extracts of the active ingredients. High doses of naphthaquinones can cause uncontrolled bleeding, nausea and vomiting.
How much does pau d’arco cost? Costs will vary depending on the health food store or the cosmetic outlet where it is purchased.
Pueraria mirifica is another natural substance being promoted in cosmetics. It comes from the White Kwao Krua herb (also known as Kwao Krua or Butea Superba) found in Thailand and Myanmar.
Its tuber contains phytoestrogens ( estrogen-like substances made by some plants) such as miroestrol, deoxymiroestrol, and coumestans, and has been used in breast enhancement supplements such as Mirifem and St. Herb. Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol contain stronger phytoestrogens than soy or red clover, and are under investigation for possible use in hormone replacement therapy. Now in skin creams, pueraria mirifica reportedly promotes “healthy, vibrant skin” and helps to bring the body into natural balance when estrogen deficiencies are present.”
Because cosmetics and health food products are not regulated for quality and purity, the amount of pau d’arco or pueraria mirifica in different products may vary. Some may only contain trace amounts of the active ingredients.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
NEW ANTI-AGING COSMETICS AND DEVICES
Hope springs eternal for eternal youth. What are some of the products promising to turn back the clock? The following are just a few of the latest:
• Jujube fruit, long used by the Chinese as a body invigorator, is being marketed by Boscia, Japanese Company in the United States, as rejuvenating the skin. A small, edible fruit, Jujube is claimed to encourage cell turnover, improve elasticity, and reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks.
• Glucosamine, promoted as an arthritis remedy, is now being advertised to prevent and lighten age spots on the skin. Procter & Gamble Beauty scientists and dermatologists found a combination of the compound and a B vitamin derivative “significantly reduced” the amount of melanin in skin cells, meaning there was less excess pigment to cause age spots.
• ExxonMobil, perhaps thinking we won’t be able to afford gas anymore, is launching a lubricating emollient for the skin. An emollient is a preparation to make the skin feel softer and smoother and may possibly help retard the fine wrinkles of aging. The new ingredient offers, the company says,” ease of application, the correct texture (not to thick and not to runny) as well as the ability to spread evenly on the skin.”
• Anti-aging Patch manufactured by Israeli and South Korean companies combines anti-aging cosmetic ingredients with a thin flexible battery. The device contains an “anti-aging” serum that is placed over wrinkles and delivers a mild electric current.
What about anti-aging devices?
Billed as an alternative to anti-aging creams and cosmetic surgery, Oralift brace is said to train facial muscles around the mouth to tighten up, preventing the sagging affect that is associated with aging. A dentist, Dr. Nick Mohindra, who developed the brace, has set up a practice in Dubai to serve patients from around the world who want the device applied.
And if you are concerned about losing teeth as you age, a team of University of Alberta researchers has created technology to regrow teeth. Using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, Dr. Tarak El-Bialy from the Faculty and Medicine and Dentistry and Dr. Jie Chen and Dr. Ying Tsui from the Faculty of Engineering have created a miniaturized system-on-a chip that offers a non-invasive system to stimulate jaw growth and dental tissue.
• Jujube fruit, long used by the Chinese as a body invigorator, is being marketed by Boscia, Japanese Company in the United States, as rejuvenating the skin. A small, edible fruit, Jujube is claimed to encourage cell turnover, improve elasticity, and reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks.
• Glucosamine, promoted as an arthritis remedy, is now being advertised to prevent and lighten age spots on the skin. Procter & Gamble Beauty scientists and dermatologists found a combination of the compound and a B vitamin derivative “significantly reduced” the amount of melanin in skin cells, meaning there was less excess pigment to cause age spots.
• ExxonMobil, perhaps thinking we won’t be able to afford gas anymore, is launching a lubricating emollient for the skin. An emollient is a preparation to make the skin feel softer and smoother and may possibly help retard the fine wrinkles of aging. The new ingredient offers, the company says,” ease of application, the correct texture (not to thick and not to runny) as well as the ability to spread evenly on the skin.”
• Anti-aging Patch manufactured by Israeli and South Korean companies combines anti-aging cosmetic ingredients with a thin flexible battery. The device contains an “anti-aging” serum that is placed over wrinkles and delivers a mild electric current.
What about anti-aging devices?
Billed as an alternative to anti-aging creams and cosmetic surgery, Oralift brace is said to train facial muscles around the mouth to tighten up, preventing the sagging affect that is associated with aging. A dentist, Dr. Nick Mohindra, who developed the brace, has set up a practice in Dubai to serve patients from around the world who want the device applied.
And if you are concerned about losing teeth as you age, a team of University of Alberta researchers has created technology to regrow teeth. Using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, Dr. Tarak El-Bialy from the Faculty and Medicine and Dentistry and Dr. Jie Chen and Dr. Ying Tsui from the Faculty of Engineering have created a miniaturized system-on-a chip that offers a non-invasive system to stimulate jaw growth and dental tissue.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
ANTI-AGING COSMETICS HAVE A NEW POISON TO FIGHT WRINKLES
Would you use a poison to keep you looking younger? Evidently millions of people are willing to do so.
In the past, many women used arsenic on their skin ---but of course they died to look good. Not too long ago, Botulinum toxin A ----popularly known as Botox®--- has come into wide use. A substance derived from a potentially fatal poison, it works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to relax and reduce or eliminate wrinkles or frown lines. Botox is also used clinically in small quantities to treat strabismus (eye muscle imbalance) and facial spasms and other neurological disorders characterized by abnormal muscle contractions. It also currently promoted to stop excessive sweating. If used under careful expert supervision, Botulinum toxin A is believed to be harmless.
A Canadian skin care company Euoko, has now put on the market a new anti-aging poison. A synthetic tripeptide protein that mimics the activity of a protein found in Wagler's pit viper venom, Walgerlin-1. A green snake, it is also called a “Temple Viper” because certain religious cults place it in their temples. Bites are not uncommon for the species; fortunately, fatalities are very rare. It has long fangs. Its venom is hemotoxic causing cell and tissue destruction. It is an arboreal species and its bites often occur on the upper extremities. The cosmetic manufacturer, however, says that the protein is totally safe and has been clinically proven to reduce the size, depth and number of wrinkles---particularly expression lines---by relaxing facial muscles.
Botox injects cost around $400 per procedures and the effects are said to last from two to nine months. Euko claims that its “Intense Lift Concentrate” retails in stores for $450 and is six times more effective than leading competitive products and performs its magic within a month. The copy of the snake venom is combined with a number of other peptides, vitamins and amino acids.
If you really hate your wrinkles, maybe taking a little expensive poison is worth it.
In the past, many women used arsenic on their skin ---but of course they died to look good. Not too long ago, Botulinum toxin A ----popularly known as Botox®--- has come into wide use. A substance derived from a potentially fatal poison, it works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to relax and reduce or eliminate wrinkles or frown lines. Botox is also used clinically in small quantities to treat strabismus (eye muscle imbalance) and facial spasms and other neurological disorders characterized by abnormal muscle contractions. It also currently promoted to stop excessive sweating. If used under careful expert supervision, Botulinum toxin A is believed to be harmless.
A Canadian skin care company Euoko, has now put on the market a new anti-aging poison. A synthetic tripeptide protein that mimics the activity of a protein found in Wagler's pit viper venom, Walgerlin-1. A green snake, it is also called a “Temple Viper” because certain religious cults place it in their temples. Bites are not uncommon for the species; fortunately, fatalities are very rare. It has long fangs. Its venom is hemotoxic causing cell and tissue destruction. It is an arboreal species and its bites often occur on the upper extremities. The cosmetic manufacturer, however, says that the protein is totally safe and has been clinically proven to reduce the size, depth and number of wrinkles---particularly expression lines---by relaxing facial muscles.
Botox injects cost around $400 per procedures and the effects are said to last from two to nine months. Euko claims that its “Intense Lift Concentrate” retails in stores for $450 and is six times more effective than leading competitive products and performs its magic within a month. The copy of the snake venom is combined with a number of other peptides, vitamins and amino acids.
If you really hate your wrinkles, maybe taking a little expensive poison is worth it.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
TEFLON, CANARIES AND US
We should have known when they told us not to have birds in the kitchen when cooking with Teflon pans. Canaries were used to warn miners of toxic gases. The birds keeled over first. Now, we are being told that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an ingredient in Teflon, may be harmful to our health. PFOA is also in grease proof wrapping for foods. In fact, it is in 95 percent of us.
In the late 1990s, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received information that perfluorooctyl sulfonates (PFOS) were widespread in the blood of the general population, and presented concerns for persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Following discussions between EPA and 3 M, the manufacturer of PFOS, the company stopped producing these chemicals. EPA then began to review similar chemicals, including PFOA, starting in 2000.
The Agency found that PFOA, like PFOS, is persistent in the environment and is in the blood of the general US population. Studies indicated that PFOA can cause developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals. PFOA also appears to remain in the human body for a long time.
Fluoropolymers impart properties, including fire resistance and oil, stain, grease, and water repellency. They are used to provide non-stick surfaces on cookware and waterproof, breathable membranes for clothing. They are employed in hundreds of other uses in almost all industry segments.
“At present,” the EPA says, “there are no steps that EPA recommends that consumers take to reduce exposure to PFOA because the sources of PFOA in the environment and the pathways by which people are exposed are not known.”
Hey gang, what about DuPont. The company has agreed to phase out PFOA used in grease proof wrapping for foods. PFOA is used to line grease-resistant packaging for candy, pizza, microwave popcorn and hundreds of other food products. DuPont was hit last year by allegations that it hid studies showing the high health risks of the chemical. DuPont denied the charges. The move to phase out PFOA, however, came just a month after DuPont reached a $16.5 million settlement with EPA over the company's failure to report possible health risks associated with PFOA.
The EPA has recently called on DuPont and six other corporations to voluntarily eliminate PFOA and similar substances from plant emissions and products by 2015. So far, only DuPont has agreed, but says eliminating it altogether may be impossible.
Other US agencies concerned with PFOA include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Toxicology Program. You can obtain more information about their concerns at http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport and http://www.scitechresources.gov/index.php
In the late 1990s, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received information that perfluorooctyl sulfonates (PFOS) were widespread in the blood of the general population, and presented concerns for persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Following discussions between EPA and 3 M, the manufacturer of PFOS, the company stopped producing these chemicals. EPA then began to review similar chemicals, including PFOA, starting in 2000.
The Agency found that PFOA, like PFOS, is persistent in the environment and is in the blood of the general US population. Studies indicated that PFOA can cause developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals. PFOA also appears to remain in the human body for a long time.
Fluoropolymers impart properties, including fire resistance and oil, stain, grease, and water repellency. They are used to provide non-stick surfaces on cookware and waterproof, breathable membranes for clothing. They are employed in hundreds of other uses in almost all industry segments.
“At present,” the EPA says, “there are no steps that EPA recommends that consumers take to reduce exposure to PFOA because the sources of PFOA in the environment and the pathways by which people are exposed are not known.”
Hey gang, what about DuPont. The company has agreed to phase out PFOA used in grease proof wrapping for foods. PFOA is used to line grease-resistant packaging for candy, pizza, microwave popcorn and hundreds of other food products. DuPont was hit last year by allegations that it hid studies showing the high health risks of the chemical. DuPont denied the charges. The move to phase out PFOA, however, came just a month after DuPont reached a $16.5 million settlement with EPA over the company's failure to report possible health risks associated with PFOA.
The EPA has recently called on DuPont and six other corporations to voluntarily eliminate PFOA and similar substances from plant emissions and products by 2015. So far, only DuPont has agreed, but says eliminating it altogether may be impossible.
Other US agencies concerned with PFOA include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Toxicology Program. You can obtain more information about their concerns at http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport and http://www.scitechresources.gov/index.php
Sunday, January 29, 2006
USE YOUR BEAN WHEN IT COMES TO BEANS
Beans are supposed to be a healthy food high in fiber and low in fat. Besides creating intestinal gas, beans also raise blood sugar. A water-extract of a white kidney bean, however, Phase 2, may not cause such a problem. Manufactured by Pharmacem Laboratories, the kidney bean extract coats alpha-amylase, an enzyme that digests starch. By temporarily coating this enzyme your body then digests less starch, which results in a lower Glycemic Index (GI).
What is the Glycemic Index? Originally developed over 20 years ago to help diabetics manage their condition, the GI ranks foods based on their effect on blood sugar (glucose) levels. Foods with a high GI (70 and above) are digested and metabolized rapidly, triggering large fluctuations of blood sugar levels and thus insulin demand to process it. Low- or medium-GI foods (40-69) are digested and absorbed more slowly, giving a slower and sustained release of energy and contributing to longer-lasting feelings of satiety.
The manufacturer is touting it as a potential ingredient for white bread because Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer has been shown to delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and to reduce weight. It is already being used in a variety of weight loss supplements.
A recent study, presented at the Third Annual Natural Supplements Conference, reported that the Phase 2 is suitable for use in baked goods, cheese, spices and sweeteners. It appears to be effective for reducing the GI of existing foods without modifying their ingredient profile.
Another bean ingredient has also been in the news recently---soy. An American Heart Association committee reviewed a decade of studies on soy's benefits and came up with results that are now casting doubt on the health claim that soy-based foods and supplements significantly lower cholesterol.
The findings could lead the Food and Drug Administration to re-evaluate rules that currently allow companies to tout a cholesterol-lowering benefit on the labels of soy-based food.
The panel also found that neither soy nor the soy component isoflavone reduced symptoms of menopause, such as ``hot flashes,'' and that isoflavones don't help prevent breast, uterine or prostate cancer. Results were mixed on whether soy prevented postmenopausal bone loss.
Based on its findings, the committee said it would not recommend using isoflavone supplements in food or pills. It concluded that soy-containing foods and supplements did not significantly lower cholesterol, and it said so in a statement recently published in the journal Circulation. Nutrition experts say soy-based foods still are good because they often are eaten in place of less healthy fare like burgers and hot dogs. But they don't have as much direct benefit as had been hoped on cholesterol, one of the top risk factors for heart disease.
When I wrote Super Soy The Miracle Bean published by Crown in 1996, scientific studies at the time found the small bean may:
• Lower cholesterol
• Fight cancer
• Reduce blood pressure
• Protect the heart
• Regulate blood sugar
• Ease menstrual and menopausal symptoms
• Promote healthy bowel function
• Nourish babies and adults suffering from allergies
• Strengthen bones
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example, on August 3, 1995, created quite a stir among professionals and consumers. Dr. James Anderson and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kentucky analyzed thirty-eight carefully performed studies of the effect of soy protein on blood cholesterol in patients. The Kentuckians concluded that as little as twenty-five to forty-seven grams (about 1/8the to ¼ of a cup) of soybean protein significantly lowered cholesterol. Less publicized but equally as exciting to researchers were reports that nonnutritive substances in soybeans, such as genistein and daizein, show activity against breast, prostate, leukemia, and melanoma (deadly skin) cancers.
The Chinese still believe in the health benefits of the soybean They call the soybean ta-tou— which means "greater bean"—and have been using it for thousands of years as a medicine as well as food. The soybean has been so essential to Chinese civilization in fact that it is considered one of the five sacred grains (the others being rice, barley, wheat, and millet). Legend has it that around 1500 B.C., Yu Xi-ong and Gong Gang-shi—who were either bandits or warlords—became lost in a desert in northern China. They survived on the "peas" of a hitherto unknown plant, believed to be the soybean's wild ancestor, a rambling vine (Glycine ussuriensis). Some centuries after Yu Xi-ong and Gong Gang-shi were long gone; the soybean became a cultigen, a species created by cultivation.
Miso, fermented soybean paste, appeared in Japan in the 600s as a treat for the shogun and his imperial household. The first mention of soybeans in Japanese literature occurred in 712 A.D. in a book of mythology, Kojiki. The current Japanese diet is high in soy and the bean has been credited by some scientists with the lower prostate cancer in Japanese men and lower breast cancer in Japanese women when compared with the rates in Americans.
Stay tuned!
What is the Glycemic Index? Originally developed over 20 years ago to help diabetics manage their condition, the GI ranks foods based on their effect on blood sugar (glucose) levels. Foods with a high GI (70 and above) are digested and metabolized rapidly, triggering large fluctuations of blood sugar levels and thus insulin demand to process it. Low- or medium-GI foods (40-69) are digested and absorbed more slowly, giving a slower and sustained release of energy and contributing to longer-lasting feelings of satiety.
The manufacturer is touting it as a potential ingredient for white bread because Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer has been shown to delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and to reduce weight. It is already being used in a variety of weight loss supplements.
A recent study, presented at the Third Annual Natural Supplements Conference, reported that the Phase 2 is suitable for use in baked goods, cheese, spices and sweeteners. It appears to be effective for reducing the GI of existing foods without modifying their ingredient profile.
Another bean ingredient has also been in the news recently---soy. An American Heart Association committee reviewed a decade of studies on soy's benefits and came up with results that are now casting doubt on the health claim that soy-based foods and supplements significantly lower cholesterol.
The findings could lead the Food and Drug Administration to re-evaluate rules that currently allow companies to tout a cholesterol-lowering benefit on the labels of soy-based food.
The panel also found that neither soy nor the soy component isoflavone reduced symptoms of menopause, such as ``hot flashes,'' and that isoflavones don't help prevent breast, uterine or prostate cancer. Results were mixed on whether soy prevented postmenopausal bone loss.
Based on its findings, the committee said it would not recommend using isoflavone supplements in food or pills. It concluded that soy-containing foods and supplements did not significantly lower cholesterol, and it said so in a statement recently published in the journal Circulation. Nutrition experts say soy-based foods still are good because they often are eaten in place of less healthy fare like burgers and hot dogs. But they don't have as much direct benefit as had been hoped on cholesterol, one of the top risk factors for heart disease.
When I wrote Super Soy The Miracle Bean published by Crown in 1996, scientific studies at the time found the small bean may:
• Lower cholesterol
• Fight cancer
• Reduce blood pressure
• Protect the heart
• Regulate blood sugar
• Ease menstrual and menopausal symptoms
• Promote healthy bowel function
• Nourish babies and adults suffering from allergies
• Strengthen bones
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example, on August 3, 1995, created quite a stir among professionals and consumers. Dr. James Anderson and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kentucky analyzed thirty-eight carefully performed studies of the effect of soy protein on blood cholesterol in patients. The Kentuckians concluded that as little as twenty-five to forty-seven grams (about 1/8the to ¼ of a cup) of soybean protein significantly lowered cholesterol. Less publicized but equally as exciting to researchers were reports that nonnutritive substances in soybeans, such as genistein and daizein, show activity against breast, prostate, leukemia, and melanoma (deadly skin) cancers.
The Chinese still believe in the health benefits of the soybean They call the soybean ta-tou— which means "greater bean"—and have been using it for thousands of years as a medicine as well as food. The soybean has been so essential to Chinese civilization in fact that it is considered one of the five sacred grains (the others being rice, barley, wheat, and millet). Legend has it that around 1500 B.C., Yu Xi-ong and Gong Gang-shi—who were either bandits or warlords—became lost in a desert in northern China. They survived on the "peas" of a hitherto unknown plant, believed to be the soybean's wild ancestor, a rambling vine (Glycine ussuriensis). Some centuries after Yu Xi-ong and Gong Gang-shi were long gone; the soybean became a cultigen, a species created by cultivation.
Miso, fermented soybean paste, appeared in Japan in the 600s as a treat for the shogun and his imperial household. The first mention of soybeans in Japanese literature occurred in 712 A.D. in a book of mythology, Kojiki. The current Japanese diet is high in soy and the bean has been credited by some scientists with the lower prostate cancer in Japanese men and lower breast cancer in Japanese women when compared with the rates in Americans.
Stay tuned!
Monday, January 02, 2006
WHAT DO TREE BARK, MOUNTAIN LAVA AND OATS HAVE IN COMMON?
New promotions for old natural ingredients are filling the media with promises about improving health and beauty. Whether they offer hope or hype, time will tell.
Extracts of pine have long been used in flavorings such as pineapple, citrus and spice. Extracts of various species of Pinus are popular in bath oils, bath salts, and perfumery. In concentrated form, pine oil can cause irritation, allergy and in large amounts, intestinal hemorrhage if ingested. Now, an extract of pine bark known as Pycnogenol® has been reported potentially useful in the treatment of skin ulcers. Varicose veins, the kind that are blue and stand out on the legs of about half the adult population can lead to swollen legs and sometimes ulcers, which are very difficult to treat. Pycnogenol®, distributed by Natural Health Science Inc. of Hoboken, NJ, is a brand of a pine bark that grows along the coast of southwest France. It contains a combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids. In a study in which one group of ulcer sufferers received Pycnogenol® oral tablets and powdered Pycnogenol® sprinkled into the ulcers had complete healing of the sores,. The results were published in Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis in 2005.
Clinical trials for patients suffering from inflammatory problems, primarily osteoarthritis, are now underway with a volcanic mineral deposit found only in the high Sierra Mountains,SierraSil™. While other joint health supplements like chondroitin and glucosamine reduce pain by rebuilding cartilage, an earlier mechanism of action study indicated that SierraSil™ works by inhibiting the gene that causes inflammation.
An eight week, double-blind study involved 107 participants, all with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. They were divided into four groups: one group received 3g of SierraSil™ a day; one received 2g of SierraSil™; one received 2 grams of SierraSil™ plus 100mg of botanical cat's claw extract; and the last group received a placebo., The researchers, led by Marc Miller of the Center for Cardiovascular Sciences at Albany Medical College, decided to include cat's claw extract in the study since the Amazonian vine has a long history of use for joint pain and inflammation, and earlier in vitro studies suggested a complementary effect when used in combination with SierraSil™. The study was reported in Journal of Inflammation. The advocates of SierraSil™ say it works faster than chondroitin and glucosamine which may not show benefits for several weeks.
Beta-glucan, a soluble fiber derived from the cell walls of oat kernels has long been touted as a food ingredient that lowers cholesterol. Oatmeal, which is listed on European cosmetic labels as Avena sativa, has been used through the ages as a soothing face mask. Oat root extract is used in cosmetics as an astringent. In a study reported in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, it was found that beta-glucan colored by a dye, did indeed penetrate the skin. In a follow up study, 27 subjects applied beta-glucan to fine lines and wrinkles on their faces over an eight week period. Investigators using digital imaging determined that there was a reduction of wrinkle depth and the skin was less rough.
Extracts of pine have long been used in flavorings such as pineapple, citrus and spice. Extracts of various species of Pinus are popular in bath oils, bath salts, and perfumery. In concentrated form, pine oil can cause irritation, allergy and in large amounts, intestinal hemorrhage if ingested. Now, an extract of pine bark known as Pycnogenol® has been reported potentially useful in the treatment of skin ulcers. Varicose veins, the kind that are blue and stand out on the legs of about half the adult population can lead to swollen legs and sometimes ulcers, which are very difficult to treat. Pycnogenol®, distributed by Natural Health Science Inc. of Hoboken, NJ, is a brand of a pine bark that grows along the coast of southwest France. It contains a combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids. In a study in which one group of ulcer sufferers received Pycnogenol® oral tablets and powdered Pycnogenol® sprinkled into the ulcers had complete healing of the sores,. The results were published in Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis in 2005.
Clinical trials for patients suffering from inflammatory problems, primarily osteoarthritis, are now underway with a volcanic mineral deposit found only in the high Sierra Mountains,SierraSil™. While other joint health supplements like chondroitin and glucosamine reduce pain by rebuilding cartilage, an earlier mechanism of action study indicated that SierraSil™ works by inhibiting the gene that causes inflammation.
An eight week, double-blind study involved 107 participants, all with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. They were divided into four groups: one group received 3g of SierraSil™ a day; one received 2g of SierraSil™; one received 2 grams of SierraSil™ plus 100mg of botanical cat's claw extract; and the last group received a placebo., The researchers, led by Marc Miller of the Center for Cardiovascular Sciences at Albany Medical College, decided to include cat's claw extract in the study since the Amazonian vine has a long history of use for joint pain and inflammation, and earlier in vitro studies suggested a complementary effect when used in combination with SierraSil™. The study was reported in Journal of Inflammation. The advocates of SierraSil™ say it works faster than chondroitin and glucosamine which may not show benefits for several weeks.
Beta-glucan, a soluble fiber derived from the cell walls of oat kernels has long been touted as a food ingredient that lowers cholesterol. Oatmeal, which is listed on European cosmetic labels as Avena sativa, has been used through the ages as a soothing face mask. Oat root extract is used in cosmetics as an astringent. In a study reported in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, it was found that beta-glucan colored by a dye, did indeed penetrate the skin. In a follow up study, 27 subjects applied beta-glucan to fine lines and wrinkles on their faces over an eight week period. Investigators using digital imaging determined that there was a reduction of wrinkle depth and the skin was less rough.
Friday, December 02, 2005
CANCER, BETEL NUTS AND AN INDIAN REMEDY
Many of fondly remember Bloody Mary in the musical, South Pacific, who was always chewing betel nuts. Today, if she did that, she might not be as happy because might develop oral cancer.
Betel “nuts” also called betel quid, contains fresh, dried or cured areca nut, catechu, slaked lime and flavoring ingredients wrapped in betel leaf. Areca nut is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances with several hundred million users worldwide, predominantly in southern Asia. Areca nut can be chewed alone or in a variety of ways that differ by region. Tobacco is often added. Many people in these regions chew areca nut, with a somewhat higher usage among women. Since the 1980s, the use of industrially manufactured products, often containing tobacco, has increased, especially among children and adolescents.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported previously that betel-quid and areca-nut chewing along with tobacco was cancer causing but that chewing betel quid alone was not proven. The just released new IARC report, however, says many studies now provide evidence that betel quid without tobacco can cause oral cancers.
California is a state that has pioneered the identification of cancer-causing ingredients for consumers. The California office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposes to list areca nut and betel quid as chemicals known to cause cancer.The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has filed comments with OEHHA objecting to the Environmental Agency’s objecting to this proposal.AHPA claims that the ability of Bloody Marys and other betel nut lovers would be prevented from chewing the compounds by “a small group of private individuals selected by a quasi-governmental international organization." In addition, the AHPA requested that, if the proposal goes through, the OEHHA qualify the listing to exclude areca husk and include only products made from the substances intended for chewing, as the study cited by OEHHA exclusively examined such products.
A “Natural Indian” Remedy and Prostate Cancer
Another “natural” product has been cited as preventing cancer rather than being a culprit in its development. An olive-oil based herbal extract preparation called Zyflamend reportedly suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, according to a new study.
Zyflamend has the ability, in culture at least, to reduce prostate cancer cell growth by as much as 78 percent and induce cancer cell death or “apoptosis,” scientists report in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.
“Together, these results suggest that Zyflamend might have some chemopreventive utility against prostate cancer in men,” according to lead investigator Dr. Debra L. Bemis of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
Zyflamend has both COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory effects, although its anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer are independent of COX-2 inhibition. COX inhibitors have shown value for prostate cancer patients, but data from recent trials of selective COX-2 inhibitors suggest that use of these drugs might have adverse effects on the heart.
Aspirin, a non-selective COX inhibitor, is not associated with these side effects and, instead, has well established benefits in people with heart disease. Zyflamend has a biochemical action profile similar to aspirin.
Zyflamend is on the market as an anti-inflammatory and recommended by the popular author, Dr. Andrew Weil. The compound is an Indian medicine which also contains a number of herbal ingredients including holy basil, green tea, rosemary and ginger.
Betel “nuts” also called betel quid, contains fresh, dried or cured areca nut, catechu, slaked lime and flavoring ingredients wrapped in betel leaf. Areca nut is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances with several hundred million users worldwide, predominantly in southern Asia. Areca nut can be chewed alone or in a variety of ways that differ by region. Tobacco is often added. Many people in these regions chew areca nut, with a somewhat higher usage among women. Since the 1980s, the use of industrially manufactured products, often containing tobacco, has increased, especially among children and adolescents.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported previously that betel-quid and areca-nut chewing along with tobacco was cancer causing but that chewing betel quid alone was not proven. The just released new IARC report, however, says many studies now provide evidence that betel quid without tobacco can cause oral cancers.
California is a state that has pioneered the identification of cancer-causing ingredients for consumers. The California office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposes to list areca nut and betel quid as chemicals known to cause cancer.The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has filed comments with OEHHA objecting to the Environmental Agency’s objecting to this proposal.AHPA claims that the ability of Bloody Marys and other betel nut lovers would be prevented from chewing the compounds by “a small group of private individuals selected by a quasi-governmental international organization." In addition, the AHPA requested that, if the proposal goes through, the OEHHA qualify the listing to exclude areca husk and include only products made from the substances intended for chewing, as the study cited by OEHHA exclusively examined such products.
A “Natural Indian” Remedy and Prostate Cancer
Another “natural” product has been cited as preventing cancer rather than being a culprit in its development. An olive-oil based herbal extract preparation called Zyflamend reportedly suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, according to a new study.
Zyflamend has the ability, in culture at least, to reduce prostate cancer cell growth by as much as 78 percent and induce cancer cell death or “apoptosis,” scientists report in the journal Nutrition and Cancer.
“Together, these results suggest that Zyflamend might have some chemopreventive utility against prostate cancer in men,” according to lead investigator Dr. Debra L. Bemis of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
Zyflamend has both COX-1 and COX-2 anti-inflammatory effects, although its anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer are independent of COX-2 inhibition. COX inhibitors have shown value for prostate cancer patients, but data from recent trials of selective COX-2 inhibitors suggest that use of these drugs might have adverse effects on the heart.
Aspirin, a non-selective COX inhibitor, is not associated with these side effects and, instead, has well established benefits in people with heart disease. Zyflamend has a biochemical action profile similar to aspirin.
Zyflamend is on the market as an anti-inflammatory and recommended by the popular author, Dr. Andrew Weil. The compound is an Indian medicine which also contains a number of herbal ingredients including holy basil, green tea, rosemary and ginger.
Friday, November 04, 2005
BEAUTICIANS AT RISK FROM COSMETICS
You wouldn’t think that making other people look good could be bad for your health. The fact is beauticians are exposed to some cosmetic ingredients that may cause them lung problems, allergies and cancer.
The latest report is that exposure to persulphate salts in hair bleaching agents may lead to occupational asthma and rhinitis (stuffy nose) in hair stylists. The salts are strong oxidizers that speed hair color changes. Italian researchers performed allergy tests, lung function tests, and specific inhalation challenge (SIC) on 47 hair stylists (mean age 25), suspected of having occupational asthma. Average overall duration of exposure to persulphate salts was seven years. Results showed that 51.1 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational asthma, of which:
• 87.5 percent of the cases were attributed to persulphate salts
• 8.3 percent to permanent hair dyes, and 4.2 percent to latex
In addition:
• 54.2 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational rhinitis, of which 84.6 percent of the cases were due to persulphate salts.
• 36 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational dermatitis (irritated skin).
Beauticians with occupational asthma attributed to persulphate salts had a long period of exposure to bleaching agents and a long latent period between the start of exposure and the onset of symptoms, according to the Italian researchers. Their study appears in the November issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
About 2 million people work as hairdressers and barbers in North America and Europe. They are actually the “canaries” for the rest of us. (Canaries were used in the mines to give an early warning to miners about the presence of lethal gases.) Previous studies have shown:
• Male hairdressers had an increased incidence of cancer, particularly of the digestive tract, lung, colon, prostate, and bladder, according to Swiss scientists.
• Female hairdressers and cosmetologists had an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas, lung, cervix, skin, and bladder, and possibly of the breast, according to a report in the Environmental Health & Safety Newsletter.
• Female hair dressers, Michigan State researchers found, were at higher risks of developing a rare form of cancer of the salivary gland. The salivary glands secrete saliva in the mouth, which aids digestion. The researchers could not explain why hairdressers are more prone to these cancers but suspect it may be due to inhaled exposure to hairsprays or hair dyes.
• University of California researchers studying more than 58,000 hairdressers, manicurists, and cosmetologists found that the group developed multiple myeloma at four times the rate of the general population. Multiple myeloma is a malignant tumor of the bone marrow.
• Several studies reported in the scientific literature conclude there is growing evidence that hair dressers and cosmetologists are at higher risk for cancer of the breast and urinary tract, but whether this is due to dyes, some other substance they use, or even cigarette smoke, the final proof is yet to come.
What price beauty? For beauticians, it may be too high.
The latest report is that exposure to persulphate salts in hair bleaching agents may lead to occupational asthma and rhinitis (stuffy nose) in hair stylists. The salts are strong oxidizers that speed hair color changes. Italian researchers performed allergy tests, lung function tests, and specific inhalation challenge (SIC) on 47 hair stylists (mean age 25), suspected of having occupational asthma. Average overall duration of exposure to persulphate salts was seven years. Results showed that 51.1 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational asthma, of which:
• 87.5 percent of the cases were attributed to persulphate salts
• 8.3 percent to permanent hair dyes, and 4.2 percent to latex
In addition:
• 54.2 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational rhinitis, of which 84.6 percent of the cases were due to persulphate salts.
• 36 percent of patients were diagnosed with occupational dermatitis (irritated skin).
Beauticians with occupational asthma attributed to persulphate salts had a long period of exposure to bleaching agents and a long latent period between the start of exposure and the onset of symptoms, according to the Italian researchers. Their study appears in the November issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
About 2 million people work as hairdressers and barbers in North America and Europe. They are actually the “canaries” for the rest of us. (Canaries were used in the mines to give an early warning to miners about the presence of lethal gases.) Previous studies have shown:
• Male hairdressers had an increased incidence of cancer, particularly of the digestive tract, lung, colon, prostate, and bladder, according to Swiss scientists.
• Female hairdressers and cosmetologists had an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas, lung, cervix, skin, and bladder, and possibly of the breast, according to a report in the Environmental Health & Safety Newsletter.
• Female hair dressers, Michigan State researchers found, were at higher risks of developing a rare form of cancer of the salivary gland. The salivary glands secrete saliva in the mouth, which aids digestion. The researchers could not explain why hairdressers are more prone to these cancers but suspect it may be due to inhaled exposure to hairsprays or hair dyes.
• University of California researchers studying more than 58,000 hairdressers, manicurists, and cosmetologists found that the group developed multiple myeloma at four times the rate of the general population. Multiple myeloma is a malignant tumor of the bone marrow.
• Several studies reported in the scientific literature conclude there is growing evidence that hair dressers and cosmetologists are at higher risk for cancer of the breast and urinary tract, but whether this is due to dyes, some other substance they use, or even cigarette smoke, the final proof is yet to come.
What price beauty? For beauticians, it may be too high.
Monday, October 10, 2005
TRYING TO SHAKE THE SALT
There’s bad news and good news about salt in processed foods.
The bad news is that the Food and Drug Administration has backed down on the maximum sodium levels permitted for foods that bear the implied nutrient content claim “healthy”.
The decision has been welcomed by food processors who maintain that the technological barriers to reducing sodium in processed foods and poor sales of products has inhibited the development of other new “healthy” products.
What has caused the American taste for high salt products? Is it because it covers up the flavors removed during processing? Is it because the fast foods offered to children have made them salt-addicts when they grow up?
Health officials in the United States have urged the reduction of sodium in the diet since the substance has been identified as a major culprit in the development of high blood pressure and subsequent heart disease.
Some seventy sodium compounds are used in food. The National Academy of Sciences, whose experts establish dietary guidelines, recommends that we ingest no more than 2400 milligrams of sodium per day. The average American ingests 3500 to 7000 milligrams. (A teaspoon of salt has about 2000 milligrams of salt). If the number for sodium looks very low on a label, look again. Some companies make you think there is less by saying 2 grams of sodium, for example, which is really 2000 milligrams.
As of now, when a label reads “low sodium” it is supposed to contain 140 mg or fewer per serving. “Very low sodium” is fewer than 35 mg per serving and sodium free is less than 5 mg per serving. Watch the size of a serving, however. It may be a teaspoonful when you are likely to pour a ¼ of a cup of a dressing on your salad.
The good news is that manufacturers want to be ready for the salt reduction pressures by health officials and eventually the health aware consumers. Wild Flavors has developed a new salt replacer that it claims blocks the bitter taste of potassium chloride while keeping the taste and mouthfeel of table salt. Prime Favorites, another company, claims it has an additive, NeutraFres, which also has a hard-to-distinguish substitute for sodium. Then, of course, there are more and more spice mixtures on the market that pep up food without salt.
Can you shake the salt habit?
The bad news is that the Food and Drug Administration has backed down on the maximum sodium levels permitted for foods that bear the implied nutrient content claim “healthy”.
The decision has been welcomed by food processors who maintain that the technological barriers to reducing sodium in processed foods and poor sales of products has inhibited the development of other new “healthy” products.
What has caused the American taste for high salt products? Is it because it covers up the flavors removed during processing? Is it because the fast foods offered to children have made them salt-addicts when they grow up?
Health officials in the United States have urged the reduction of sodium in the diet since the substance has been identified as a major culprit in the development of high blood pressure and subsequent heart disease.
Some seventy sodium compounds are used in food. The National Academy of Sciences, whose experts establish dietary guidelines, recommends that we ingest no more than 2400 milligrams of sodium per day. The average American ingests 3500 to 7000 milligrams. (A teaspoon of salt has about 2000 milligrams of salt). If the number for sodium looks very low on a label, look again. Some companies make you think there is less by saying 2 grams of sodium, for example, which is really 2000 milligrams.
As of now, when a label reads “low sodium” it is supposed to contain 140 mg or fewer per serving. “Very low sodium” is fewer than 35 mg per serving and sodium free is less than 5 mg per serving. Watch the size of a serving, however. It may be a teaspoonful when you are likely to pour a ¼ of a cup of a dressing on your salad.
The good news is that manufacturers want to be ready for the salt reduction pressures by health officials and eventually the health aware consumers. Wild Flavors has developed a new salt replacer that it claims blocks the bitter taste of potassium chloride while keeping the taste and mouthfeel of table salt. Prime Favorites, another company, claims it has an additive, NeutraFres, which also has a hard-to-distinguish substitute for sodium. Then, of course, there are more and more spice mixtures on the market that pep up food without salt.
Can you shake the salt habit?
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE---MERCHANT OR DOCTOR?
In a survey conducted recently by FIND/SVP, a company who does analysis for businesses found that 78 percent of a thousand people surveyed trust nutritional advice from a food retailer and that labeling is the most useful source of in-store nutritional information.
The increase in functional foods often labeled as having “health benefits” makes the above very interesting. There is a new “functional beverage”, for example, that claims to burn calories by increasing metabolism. The company, Elite FX, says its product, Celsius, available only in Florida, was tested in a controlled double-blind study on twenty men and women. Celsius reportedly increased the metabolic rate by 13.8 percent at the end of the first hour compared to subjects who just drank Diet Coke . The latter’s whose metabolism only increased between 4 and 6 percent.
The United Kingdom calls functional foods--- novel foods. The term includes any foods or ingredients that don’t have a significant history of consumption within the European Union (EU) before May 1997. One ingredient the UK just approved is lycopene oleoresin. It is produced from red, ripe, lycopene tomatoes with antioxidant properties. It is currently marketed as an ingredient in food supplement as well as a food color.
Another dietary supplement, Pycnogenol®, an extract of pine tree bark, reportedly is effective in improving blood circulation and helping to prevent ankle swelling in airplane travelers. A double-blind study was reported by Peter Rohdewald, PhD, a University of Muenster researcher, in a recent issue of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis . The conclusion was Pycnogenol® prevented swellings by strengthening venous walls. This, they wrote, enables veins, stretched by pooled blood, to better resist the increased pressure, letting less liquid seep into the tissue, and hence less swelling occurs.
And still another supplement, Olibra, a combination of palm and oat oil, promises to encourage satiety and thus keep you from eating too much food. The Italians are already using it in yogurt for weight control. Of course, you could eat a bowl of oatmeal and perhaps obtain the same effect but the supplement is easier to take and reportedly lower calorie intake at a variety of meals between 20 and 30 percent. That was reported by a team of researchers from the University of Ulster in a recent issue of The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The increase in functional foods often labeled as having “health benefits” makes the above very interesting. There is a new “functional beverage”, for example, that claims to burn calories by increasing metabolism. The company, Elite FX, says its product, Celsius, available only in Florida, was tested in a controlled double-blind study on twenty men and women. Celsius reportedly increased the metabolic rate by 13.8 percent at the end of the first hour compared to subjects who just drank Diet Coke . The latter’s whose metabolism only increased between 4 and 6 percent.
The United Kingdom calls functional foods--- novel foods. The term includes any foods or ingredients that don’t have a significant history of consumption within the European Union (EU) before May 1997. One ingredient the UK just approved is lycopene oleoresin. It is produced from red, ripe, lycopene tomatoes with antioxidant properties. It is currently marketed as an ingredient in food supplement as well as a food color.
Another dietary supplement, Pycnogenol®, an extract of pine tree bark, reportedly is effective in improving blood circulation and helping to prevent ankle swelling in airplane travelers. A double-blind study was reported by Peter Rohdewald, PhD, a University of Muenster researcher, in a recent issue of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis . The conclusion was Pycnogenol® prevented swellings by strengthening venous walls. This, they wrote, enables veins, stretched by pooled blood, to better resist the increased pressure, letting less liquid seep into the tissue, and hence less swelling occurs.
And still another supplement, Olibra, a combination of palm and oat oil, promises to encourage satiety and thus keep you from eating too much food. The Italians are already using it in yogurt for weight control. Of course, you could eat a bowl of oatmeal and perhaps obtain the same effect but the supplement is easier to take and reportedly lower calorie intake at a variety of meals between 20 and 30 percent. That was reported by a team of researchers from the University of Ulster in a recent issue of The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
PROMISING FOOD ADDITIVES
There are two new food additives that may improve health.
The first is a new red coloring. As I have pointed out in all six editions of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, there have been problems with reds. For example:
●FD&C Citrus Red No. 2 was found in 1960 to damage internal organs and to be a weak cancer causing additive. It is now permitted only to color orange skins.
●FD& C Red No. 4 was banned in food in 1964 when it was shown to adamage the adrenal glands and bladders of dogs.
●FD & C Red No. 3 is still permitted in foods although there are real questions about it causing genetic damage and its being a cancer-causing agent.
Now The FDA has amended its color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of LycoMato tomato lycopene extract as a red coloring in foods. This action is in response to a Color Additive Petition filed by LycoRed Natural Products Industries. The ruling, which becomes effective on August 26, adds LycoMato to the FDA's listing of Color Additives Exempt from Certification.
The FDA evaluated two LycoMato concentrations: one containing no less than 5.5 percent lycopene (referred to as tomato lycopene extract); and the other containing no less than 60 percent lycopene (referred to as tomato lycopene concentrate). The agency also assessed related studies and the company's manufacturing processes.
Lycopene is a natural food colorant whose coloring ability depends on its concentration, the method of dispersion and formulation used. LycoMato is already marketed as a food colorant in Europe and Japan.
LycoMato, a standardized tomato oleoresin, contains a high concentration of lycopene, partially dissolved and mostly dispersed in tomato oil, as well as phytoene, phytofluene, a-carotene, tocopherols and phytosterols - tomato phytonutrients that act synergistically, enhancing the biological activity of the lycopene.
Lycopene is being studied as a compound to prevent heart disease and cancer and to improve or maintain vision in older persons.
The second new additive involves an very old flavoring, cinnamon.
Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that cinnamon promotes glucose metabolism and supports healthy cholesterol levels in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. However, researchers note that when consumed consistently or in high doses, whole cinnamon and fat-soluble extracts may be toxic.
Integrity Nutraceuticals has announced the results of a recent clinical study on Cinnulin PF, the company's patented water extract of cinnamon ingredient.
The placebo-controlled, double-blind study conducted by the Ohio Research Group examined the effect of supplementation with Cinnulin PF on blood glucose regulation, lipid profiles and body composition in pre-diabetic men and women. All participants maintained their usual levels of physical activity and normal diet patterns throughout the course of the study.
Results show subjects in the Cinnulin PF group noted statistically significant decreases in blood glucose levels, marked improvements in insulin sensitivity and no statistically significant changes in clinical blood chemistries.
"Preliminary data supports the efficacy of Cinnulin PF supplementation on blood sugar regulation in pre-diabetic men and women," stated Tim Ziegenfuss, CEO of Ohio Research Group. "The safety profile on Cinnulin PF appears to be excellent and no adverse events were reported during the duration of the study."
Most food additives are for the benefit of the producers. These two might prove to be beneficial to us.
The first is a new red coloring. As I have pointed out in all six editions of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, there have been problems with reds. For example:
●FD&C Citrus Red No. 2 was found in 1960 to damage internal organs and to be a weak cancer causing additive. It is now permitted only to color orange skins.
●FD& C Red No. 4 was banned in food in 1964 when it was shown to adamage the adrenal glands and bladders of dogs.
●FD & C Red No. 3 is still permitted in foods although there are real questions about it causing genetic damage and its being a cancer-causing agent.
Now The FDA has amended its color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of LycoMato tomato lycopene extract as a red coloring in foods. This action is in response to a Color Additive Petition filed by LycoRed Natural Products Industries. The ruling, which becomes effective on August 26, adds LycoMato to the FDA's listing of Color Additives Exempt from Certification.
The FDA evaluated two LycoMato concentrations: one containing no less than 5.5 percent lycopene (referred to as tomato lycopene extract); and the other containing no less than 60 percent lycopene (referred to as tomato lycopene concentrate). The agency also assessed related studies and the company's manufacturing processes.
Lycopene is a natural food colorant whose coloring ability depends on its concentration, the method of dispersion and formulation used. LycoMato is already marketed as a food colorant in Europe and Japan.
LycoMato, a standardized tomato oleoresin, contains a high concentration of lycopene, partially dissolved and mostly dispersed in tomato oil, as well as phytoene, phytofluene, a-carotene, tocopherols and phytosterols - tomato phytonutrients that act synergistically, enhancing the biological activity of the lycopene.
Lycopene is being studied as a compound to prevent heart disease and cancer and to improve or maintain vision in older persons.
The second new additive involves an very old flavoring, cinnamon.
Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that cinnamon promotes glucose metabolism and supports healthy cholesterol levels in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. However, researchers note that when consumed consistently or in high doses, whole cinnamon and fat-soluble extracts may be toxic.
Integrity Nutraceuticals has announced the results of a recent clinical study on Cinnulin PF, the company's patented water extract of cinnamon ingredient.
The placebo-controlled, double-blind study conducted by the Ohio Research Group examined the effect of supplementation with Cinnulin PF on blood glucose regulation, lipid profiles and body composition in pre-diabetic men and women. All participants maintained their usual levels of physical activity and normal diet patterns throughout the course of the study.
Results show subjects in the Cinnulin PF group noted statistically significant decreases in blood glucose levels, marked improvements in insulin sensitivity and no statistically significant changes in clinical blood chemistries.
"Preliminary data supports the efficacy of Cinnulin PF supplementation on blood sugar regulation in pre-diabetic men and women," stated Tim Ziegenfuss, CEO of Ohio Research Group. "The safety profile on Cinnulin PF appears to be excellent and no adverse events were reported during the duration of the study."
Most food additives are for the benefit of the producers. These two might prove to be beneficial to us.
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