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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

FIGHTING PHTHALATES: NEW PRESERVATIVE IS OFFERED

California Senator Carole Midgen is attempting to get a bill passed that will make cosmetic labeling more informative for consumers. A bill she had proposed earlier included outlawing certain phthalates as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. That bill was shot down but Senator Midgen hopes if her new legislation passes it will draw attention to the safety concerns of phthalates.

What are phthalates and why should we worry about them? They are a large group of chemical compounds used in the production of plastics, household articles, packages, and plant pesticides as well as cosmetics. World production of phthalates is estimated to be several million tons a year. Recent observations indicate some may be mutagenic, cancer-causing, and adversely affect human male sperm. In 2004, the European Union banned them in nail polish. The FDA said in 2004 that phthalates are safe for humans in the amounts to which we are exposed.

In the meantime, the US-based Rohm and Haas has announced worldwide approval for a newer preservative, Neolone, which is said to be a viable option for the controversial cosmetic ingredients, parabens. The most commonly used preservatives in the United States, approximated 75 to 90 percent of cosmetics have them including shampoos, makeup, lotions and deodorants. Water is the only ingredient used more frequently. In 2004, however, a study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, reported parabens are a cause of concern. British researchers found traces of it in twenty women who had breast cancers. Parabens are believed to act like the female hormone estrogen. In high levels estrogen can cause some women to develop breast cancer.

Rohm and Haas says the key ingredient its Neolone preservative is methylisothiazolinone. This ingredient is already widely used as a preservative in shampoos to replace formaldehyde, a well-known sensitizer. While methylisothiazolinone is a sensitizer in animals, it has not been reported to be a sensitizer in shampoos for humans. Methylisothiazolinone is also used in baby products, moisturizers, body and hand preparations, and cleansing creams as well as makeup removers and suntan preparations. It is on the Canadian Hotlist, which contains information about cosmetic ingredients that have the potential for adverse affects or which have been restricted or banned. Check http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/cosmetics/hotlist_m-p.htm

GROWING COSMETIC TARGET

TV and magazines are putting on silly reality shows and dumb down programs to attract the interest of young folks who will buy their products. The cosmetic companies, however, which are the best social observers in the world, now have a new advertising target---older folk, especially men. In 2004 , according to Datamonitor reports, seniors accounted for a rapidly increasing use of personal care products, preening themselves more than teens. Despite this seniors, remain an under targeted audience by an industry that continues to focus on younger groups.

A New York radio stations just removed its "Golden Oldies" music program along with its older disc jockeys. Despite a huge outcry by older fans, the executives believe the money is in a youthful audience and they substituted something called "jack" of which most of the once loyal audience had not heard.

Personal care products provide one of the most lucrative commercial categories. Before detergents and food company promoters, cosmetic social observers have recognized that the buyers of all products are growing older. One company in Great Britain even has a 92 year old woman in a skin care campaign.

In another report, Simon Pitman noted that some 10 percent of the male population over 40 years uses some form of hair dye and that companies are beginning to produce anti-wrinkle and other skin products for the older male.

Maybe advertisers will support programs that they now believe have "too old" an audience. They may even bring back Diagnosis Murder and CBS News.

ORGANIC COSMETICS BOOMING

Want Chardonnay in your moisturizer? Tangerine in your mouthwash? Papaya in your soap? Products containing those ingredients are on the market. Organic cosmetics are expected to reach $5.8 billion soon, growing at the rate of an estimated nine percent a year. The search for "all-natural" products is fueling the introduction of "new "skin care and beauty items.

The United States Department of Agriculture has evidently been so swamped with cosmetics claiming to be free of chemicals and synthetics, it has withdrawn its "USDA Organic" label designation for such products. When it created the seal in 2002, the primary intent was to certify the organic claims made by food producers. Now, three years later, the department believes that cosmetics and personal care products can't be government-certified as organic, after all.

Almost all cosmetics and skin care products do contain "natural" ingredients. Just consider fruits, which are among the most popular. Strawberry juice, for example, is reputed to contain ingredients that soften and nourish the skin. Plum extract is used in mouth washes and skin creams. And don't forget the fruit acids used in a myriad of anti-wrinkle creams. Olives, soy and wine grapes are also popular today.

The European market is particularly focused on finding legendary and newly discovered active botanicals. They may give the ingredient an exotic name. The European names on the label Opium graveolens and Avena sativa, for example, we call celery and oatmeal.

Even though there are no standards for organic cosmetics, reportedly any soap, shampoo, or other body item with the word "organic" in its name is a popular choice. You have to read the label carefully so you don't get "skinned".

WHAT'S IN THE PACKAGE?

How long does it take before action is taken by the Federal government and cosmetic manufacturers themselves?

In two studies funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia demonstrated that two plasticizers compounds, found in some cosmetic packaging, are environmental estrogens and may be carcinogenic to the human breast.

In a report presented recently at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the investigators said they considered two compounds bisphenol A (BPA) and BBP (n-butyl benzyl phthalate).

The Study found that BPA was the most dangerous, particularly for food applications as the danger was increased if the packaging was heated. Equally, the study found that risk was increased if the packaging was old or scratched.

Jose Russo, MD, director of Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center at Fox Chase, pointed out to his colleagues at the American Association for Cancer Research: "Our results showed that exposure to BPA changes the gene expression profile of mammary tissues.."

He said that future studies are needed to determine whether exposure to "foreign" estrogens leads to breast cancer in rats and whether these estrogens bring about similar gene alterations in human breast tissue.

In 2003, researchers supported by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported in Current Biology that small amount of the chemical had caused birth defects in mice. The substance was leached from plastic by inadvertent detergent use. And six years before that, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggested that BPA had an estrogenlike activity.

BBP is widely used as a sanitizer and plasticizer in cosmetic packaging and also is believed to have an estrogenlike effect.

Roy Hertz,MD, PhD, the National Cancer Institutes late leading authority on endocrine cancers and others such as Samuel Epstein, MD, professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois and author of Cancer-Gate: How to Win The Losing Cancer War (Baywood Publishing 2005) pointed out that in view of the knowledge that "foreign" estrogens are known cancer-causing agents, lifelong exposure to these contaminants is clearly a risk factor for human breast cancer.

How long will it take before these packages are reformulated? How many reports of breast cancer risks for these unnecessary chemicals must there be?

THE NEXT BIG INGREDIENT IN WRINKLE CREAMS

Be happy about your wrinkles. The cosmetic companies are rushing to put out creams with endorphins---the body's self-made painkillers. It has been reported that acupuncture, tickling and massaging the skin can cause release of these compounds. Runner's high and smiling are also said to release these natural tranquilizers.

Now, cosmetic companies have jumped on the endorphin phenomenon. Mibelle AG Biochemistry,for example,has just launched Happybelle-PE, a formulation that includes Monk's Pepper and Beta-Endorphin extract - said to have proven efficacy as an anti-wrinkle treatment.

Dr. David Schmid, company spokesperson says that Beta-endorphin has been shown to stimulate skin cells and that it thought that beta-endorphin could have a potential in skin regeneration and wound healing.

"The fact that this ingredient contains endorphins is what really makes it something new on the market," said Schmid. "The newly discovered regenerative properties, combined with the fact that endorphins are said to be mood enhancing, should help to give it added marketing impetus."

Monk's Pepper, also known as chaste tree, is a large shrub native to the Mediterranean area. Monk's pepper berries have traditionally been used as plant medicine, mainly to regulate women's menstrual cycles and PMS.

There are scientific publications that have found a beta-endorphin-like effect of monk's pepper berries. This effect is thought to come from berry compounds that bind to the human beta-endorphin receptor or berry compounds that stimulate the production of beta-endorphin in humans. Since anxiety, depression and sleeping problems are symptoms of PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), the mood enhancing beta-endorphins are thought to be involved in the beneficial effect of Monk's Pepper in the treatment of PMS.

MIMICAL CONTROL SYSTEM from Barbor, which sells to salons, uses an extract of the Italian curry plant to promote the production of endorphins the skin. The endorphins, the company claims "stimulate the skin cells that play an active role in combating skin aging and leave your skin looking fresh, rejuvenated and radiantly beautiful."

A spicy ingredient of many curries may be an effective treatment for radiation burns .Researchers in the United States believe it may prevent skin blistering and redness associated with cancer radiation therapy.

Whether new endorphin ingredients will be effective against wrinkles---well, if you believe you look younger after using such creams, then perhaps you will release some endorphins on your own.

COSMETIC SAFETY BRUSH OFF

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently acted on a petition filed by the Environmental Working Group and warned the cosmetic industry that the agency was serious about enforcing the law requiring companies to inform consumers personal care products have not been safety tested. The fact is that most cosmetics have "not been safety tested" and putting a notice on the label is an exercise in futility.

Do you realize that anyone can go in to the cosmetic business and the FDA does not require pre-testing for safety as it does for pharmaceuticals?

When I checked for The Sixth Edition of A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetics Ingredients just published by Three Rivers Press, the FDA's Cosmetics Office, which deals with the $34 billion cosmetics and toiletries industry, had twenty-five full time employees and no full-time field agents assigned to do only cosmetic work.

There are an estimated one thousand companies known to be producing twenty thousand cosmetics and toiletries. How many others are churning out products? No one knows!

The large and some small cosmetics companies do pre-test their products. Since advertising and promotion are one of their major expenses, they want to protect their investments and reputations. Cosmetic manufacturers may exaggerate the benefits of what they sell but they do not want to physically harm their customers.

If a company receives reports of adverse reactions to one of its cosmetics, alerting the FDA is voluntary. The FDA can take action against a hazardous product only after it receives reports from consumers or medical personnel that there is a problem.

Recalls taken by the cosmetic industry to call back products that present a hazard, or that are somehow defective are voluntary. The FDA is not permitted to require recalls but does monitor companies that conduct a product recall.

If you have an adverse reaction to a cosmetic, report it! You can contact your local FDA office if there is one. If not, contact the FDA, Office of Cosmetics and Colors (HFS-106), 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740-3835, or use the website: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problems.html#cosmetics.

LIFE SAVING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO IDENTIFY PILLS AND POISONS

Besides cell phones and iPods, you may be able to carry a small device that can quickly identify the ingredients in a possibly deadly chemical compound left by a terrorist or an accident. Your doctor may also have a small device in his or her office that will not only identify what ails you but whether a pharmaceutical will be of benefit to you, in particular, or cause you to have an adverse, perhaps fatal reaction.

In the first instance, The First Defender is an all-optical system. The hand held device developed by Ahura Corporation, Wilmington, MA enables first responders to accurately identify liquids and solids in seconds in the field. It accesses a large data base including chemical weapons, explosives, toxic chemicals, white-powders, narcotics, contraband, and forensic evidence. It has a fast start up---15 seconds from cold start to first measurement.

"We are committed to become the leader in innovative ultra compact portable instrumentation," Dr. Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Founder and CEO, says: "We are driven to develop cost-effective products for first responders. We will continue to push the technological envelop on product performance while moving quickly to transition our designs into production for customers in government and industry."

New technology may also help identify and treat what ails you, as an individual. Instead of the standard hit-or-miss approach where it can take multiple attempts to find the right drug and the right dose, doctors will be able to analyze your genetic profile and prescribe the best available drug therapy and dose from the start.

For example, this technology can answer:

• Whether you have a viral or bacterial infection.

• What medication will be affective for you.

Motorola’s eSensor™ DNA Detection System has the ability to rapidly and specifically identify the cause of your infection and its potential drug susceptibility based on your personal genetic make-up.
Motorola Life Sciences of Pasadena, CA., sold the first eSensor DNA Biochip Assays-which are about the size of postage stamps---to Sanofi-Synethelabo’s research organization in Malvern, PA. for use in the initial phase of human testing of new drug. It will be just the beginning for this new technology. The FDA recently approved the first laboratory assessment, the Amplichip Cytochrome P450 Genotyping Test, which will also enable physicians to use genetic information to select the right doses of certain medications for patients with cardiac, psychiatric or malignant diseases.


"We hope ultimately to bring pharmacogenomics, a way in which to foster the personalizing of medicine, to every healthcare professional's prescription pad for the benefit of their patients and US consumers," says Janet Woodcock, MD, FDA's Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations .