Canada Declares BPA Toxic

Last week, the government of Canada formally declared bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic substance. The USA & Australia still denies it.

This comes after Canada’s first national physical study on BPA revealed that 91 % of Canadians have the chemical in their bodies, with teenagers having the highest concentrations.

There are serious health risks from exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical BPA. As a result, there have been nationwide efforts to ban it from food and beverage containers as well as in children’s dental products.

Animal tests show that BPA, a plastics hardener that is also a synthetic oestrogen, can cause reproductive and behavioral abnormalities and lower intellectual ability, and sets the stage for cancers, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

About Breakfast Psychology...

It seems that our own estimation of the calories we ingest can highly influence our mood and body-image satisfaction. In the study the cereal breakfast was perceived to be lower in calories and that it allowed the participants to be more satiated, happier, more relaxed and more satisfied about weight and body compared to the muffin breakfast. Moreover, fibre and micronutrient daily intakes were superior in women having the cereal breakfast.
Source: School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, UK, 13 Oct 2010

Heart Attack Risk Affected by Type of Carbohydrates

A Danish study showed that the risk of myocardial infarction was reduced by 22 % for a replacement of saturated fatty acids by low GI carbohydrates (most fresh fruit and green vegetables, legumes, cereals...) but increased by 33 % for a replacement by high GI carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, chips, crisps or baked potato, confectionery, chocolate bars, watermelon).
Source: Am J Clin Nutr, 2010, vol. 91, No 6, pp. 1764-1768

Magnesium Reduces Diabetes Risk

A new study out of the University of North Carolina found the people with the highest magnesium intake were 50 % less likely to develop diabetes.

The study also revealed that as magnesium intake increased, inflammation levels decreased, as did insulin resistance.
Source: Reuters, September 24, 2010
Diabetes Care, August 31, 2010

1/2 tsp of Cinnamon Daily Helps Diabetes & High Blood Pressure

A 12-week London study was recently conducted involving 58 type 2 diabetics with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels over 7 %. Hemoglobin A1c is a marker for long-term glycemic control in diabetics.

After 12 weeks on 2g of cinnamon per day, study subjects had significantly lower HbA1c levels, as well as significantly reduced blood pressures (systolic & diastolic).
Source: Diabetic Medicine: A Journal of the British Diabetic Association, October 2010

Genetically Modified Food in Baby Formula

Greenpeace testing has discovered untested GM, including DNA from antibiotic resistant genes, in leading brands of formula for infants in Australia.

The brands are S-26 Soy, made by the giant pharma company Pfizer and Karicare Food Thickener, marketed at babies with reflux.

Genetically modified products have never been proven safe for babies to eat. Neither of the infant food products that tested positive for GM carry a GM warning label. This means that parents are currently feeding their babies GM, including DNA from antibiotic resistant marker genes, without knowing it.

Fish Oil Prevents Breast Cancer

An article on www.foodconsumer.org reports that eating oily fish or taking fish oil supplements often may help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

The article cites a study published in the July 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The study led by Brasky T.M. and colleagues from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, found that consumption of fish oil was correlated with a 32% reduced risk of breast cancer.

It is essential, however, that your fish oil is sourced only from the finest raw materials, that are screened for heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs, and contain therapeutic amounts of the active ingredients, EPA & DHA.

Risk of Fatal Bowel Problem With Rotavirus Vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration said preliminary results from a study in Mexico involving GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix vaccine suggest an increased risk of a serious bowel problem that could be fatal.

The safety of Rotarix and RotaTeq, a similar vaccine made by Merck, have carefully been tracked by regulators since another vaccine by then drug-maker Wyeth was pulled off the market in 1999 after it was linked to an increased rate of intussusception. Intussusception is a twisting or obstruction of the intestine that can be fatal.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2010

Diabetes Drug Banned in Europe for Causing 83,000 Heart Attacks

Avandia, the Type 2 Diabetes drug, hit the market in 1999 and quickly became a blockbuster drug. By 2006 its annual revenue in USA was $3.2 billion. By 2009, sales had dropped to $1.2 billion following a damning study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2007, which linked Avandia to a 43% increased risk of heart attack and a 64% higher risk of cardiovascular death than patients treated with other methods.

A September 23, 2010 article in the NEJM announced that, finally, the US FDA has stepped forward and decided on regulatory action for Avandia, a diabetes drug that last year claimed 1,354 lives as a result of cardiac-associated problems in USA.

British regulators have ruled that GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia could lead to heart attacks or strokes, and benefits no longer outweigh the risks and removed it from the market. However, it is still available in Australia!!

Evidence linking Avandia to an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke has been building since 2007, and GSK has agreed to pay $460 million in damages to settle about 10,000 lawsuits in USA linking its use to patients suffering serious medical setbacks.

The drug in question here, rosiglitazone, is sold under the names of Avandia, Avandamet and Avaglim. Avandia alone is used by 2 million people worldwide.

The only thing rosiglitazone drugs like Avandia do is to help lower blood glucose, which has virtually no influence on the long-term damage due to Type 2 Diabetes. Most of the damage is caused by elevated insulin levels, which can be remedied with an optimal diet and exercise program.

GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Avandia, hid damaging information about the drug for over ten years, as it would adversely affect their sales. Between 1999 and 2007, Avandia is estimated to have caused 83,000 unnecessary heart attacks. This is 20,000 more deaths than Merck caused when they sold Vioxx which has now been recalled worldwide.

If you, or anyone you know, is still taking this drug, warn them of this danger.

Book Review: The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

The discovery of neuroplasticity, that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains, even into old age, is the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the brain in 400 years. Dr. Norman Doidge introduces principles we can all use to overcome brain limitations and explores the profound brain implications of the changing brain in an immensely moving book that will permanently alter the way we look at human possibility and human nature.

Book Review: Knockout by Suzanne Somers

In KNOCKOUT, Suzanne Somers has interviewed doctors and medical professionals using everything from alternative to integrative to conventional methods to combat cancer. Whichever path you choose, this is a must-have resource to navigate the life and death world of cancer and increase your odds of survival, plus vital information on how to prevent what will soon become the world's No.1 killer. Suzanne Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and now wants to share her cancer story to help others.

Economic Report Finds Complementary Medicine Could Ease Health Budget

A study into the cost effectiveness of complementary medicine in Australia has found the nation could potentially save millions of dollars in healthcare costs without compromising patient outcomes if complementary medicine is more widely used.

The research conducted by Access Economics for the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney examined the cost effectiveness of selected complementary medicine treatments.

The study found taking fish oil supplements was a highly cost effective intervention to prevent heart disease for those who already had a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Clinical trials have shown St John’s wort is an effective as standard drug treatments for mild-moderate depression.

Acupuncture for chronic non-specific low back pain as a complement to standard care resulted in significantly better pain outcomes compared to standard care alone.

Several clinical trials have shown Phytodolor, a herbal treatment for osteoarthritis, can help some osteoarthritis patients manage pain and control inflammation.

Complementary medicines could defray the high costs of modern health care by offering better disease prevention and more effective management of chronic conditions.

Dangers of Non-stick (Teflon) Cookware

The dangers of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are becoming increasingly evident. The most common sources of these chemicals include:

• non-stick cookware
• microwave popcorn bags
• packaging for greasy foods
• stain-proof clothing
• carpet and fabric protectors
• flame retardants, and products that contain them

Although it may be quite difficult to eliminate all sources of these toxins since they are so pervasive, at least ged rid of your non-stick cookware, considering you use your pots and pans to cook almost every day of the week.

Studies have shown that PFC's can cause:

• infertility (Human Reproduction Journal, 2009)
• Thyroid disease (Environmental Health Perspectives Journal, May 2010)
• cancer (liver, pancreas, testicles and mammary glands in rats) and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers
• immune system problems - several studies by scientists in Sweden indicate that PFC's have an adverse effect on your immune system
• increased LDL cholesterol levels (Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, Sept 2010)

Children and teens who have high blood levels of chemicals used in the production of non-stick cookware may be more likely to have elevated LDL cholesterol levels and have been associated with cancer.
Source: Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine (September 2010)

Coconut Oil Reduces Alzheimer's Disease

With Alzheimer's disease, certain brain cells may have difficulty utilizing glucose (made from the carbohydrates we eat), the brain's principal source of energy. Without fuel, these precious neurons may begin to die. There is an alternative energy source for brain cells - fats known as ketones. If deprived of carbohydrates, the body produces ketones naturally.

Another way to produce ketones is by consuming oils that have medium-chain triglycerides. When MCT oil is digested, the liver converts it into ketones. In the first few weeks of life, ketones provide about 25 % of the energy newborn babies need to survive.

MCT oil derived from coconut oil at a dose of 20 grams (about 20 ml or 4 teaspoons), according to the latest research, not only protects against the incidence of Alzheimer's, but may actually reverse it. Moreover, this is also a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), drug-resistant epilepsy, brittle type I diabetes, and type II (insulin-resistant) diabetes.

Make sure you buy non-hydrogenated (no trans-fat) virgin organic coconut oil available from health food stores.
Source: ANH-USA (October 5, 2010)

Chemicals in Indoor Swimming Pools Increase Cancer Risk

A new study is the first to provide a comprehensive characterization of the effects of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in an indoor pool environment. It found that swimming in indoor chlorinated pools for 40 minutes may induce DNA damage that can lead to cancer.

Previous studies have found an association between DBPs in drinking water and bladder cancer.
Source: Environmental Health Perspectives (September 12,2010)