Category: Wellness

Cell Phones, Airport Scanners & Radiation Exposure

People who use cell phones for at least half an hour every day over many years (ie, 10 years) have more than 33% chance of developing malignant tumors in the brain, according to a landmark 2010 study from the World Health Organization. (reported by the New York Times)

Researchers  examined the amount of radio frequency (RF) exposure cell phone users undergo in various scenarios. The findings, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, show that older analog technology produced the highest RF levels.  Of the various digital communications networks used by cell phones CDMA networks had the lowest RF (major carriers include Sprint PCS, Verizon and Virgin Mobile) while with GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) and TDMA  (major US carriers have left this system)  showing similar intermediate levels. Generally users are exposed to higher RF power output in rural areas.

Source: http://www.nature.com

Radiofrequency is a form of electromagnetic radiation.  The National Cancer Institute states that there is no known links between cancer risk and RF, but research is still ongoing.

Source: http://www.cancer.gov

While the debate continues, the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington, says it makes sense to chose a cellphone or wireless device with low radiation. They published a report on Cell Phones and Radiation Exposure and recommends specific makes and models.

Radiation and Airport Security Scanners

Researchers have determined that the airport security full-body scans with machines made by Rapiscan Inc. do expose the body to high levels of radiation that may contribute to cancer and other health conditions.

The travelers who are the most vulnerable are the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems.

It should be noted that the amount of radiation exposure is no more than that received by two minutes flying at cruising altitude.  Nonetheless, those who don’t want to be screened may request a full body pat-down instead.

Researchers: University of California, San Francisco

 

FDA Warns Against Accidental Infant Vitamin Overdose

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a warning to parents and caregivers about the dangers of accidental overdose when giving infants liquid vitamin D supplement products.

Some products are sold with droppers that could allow harmful amounts of the vitamin to be given to an infant. These droppers can hold a greater amount of liquid vitamin D than an infant should receive.  Infants should not receive more than 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day.

“It is important that infants not get more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin D,” says Linda M. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., interim chief medical officer in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Parents and caregivers should only use the dropper that comes with the vitamin D supplement purchased.”

Vitamin D helps in the formation of strong bones and is essential to keep children from developing rickets.  Opinions vary as to whether breastfed babies require additional vitamin D supplementation (it is a part of most infant formulas).  Regular exposure to sunlight can provide children with a good source of vitamin D and is, in fact, the way that human were designed to receive the vitamin.  Darker skinned children and babies whose mothers suffer from a vitamin D deficiency (rare in the developed world) might have deficiencies that require supplementation.

Source: FDA and Kellymom.com

Acupuncture Proven to Help Low Back Pain Sufferers

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine maintains that back pain sufferers who received acupuncture treatment or simulated acupuncture responded better and experienced less pain than those patients who were given conventional treatments alone.

Surprisingly both the patients who received actual needle-employed acupuncture and various simulated forms of acupuncture benefited, without regard to skin penetration or exact needle placement.

The researchers reported that there were few very effective medical remedies for chronic low back pain, and that they, therefore, were happy to discover that treatments that were similar to acupuncture were helpful – even though the benefit raised questions about just why acupuncture works.

Future studies are indicated.

Researchers: Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., and associates, Group Health Center for Health Studies, Seattle, Washington.

Arsenic-Treated Wood Linked to Cancer

Many outdoor wooden structures still contain arsenic including playsets, picnic tables, and decking. Children can be especially susceptible to the deleterious effects of arsenic.

Arsenic was labeled a known human carcinogen in 1980 and the US stopped producing it in 1985.  It was still being imported into the country at a high rate and was used as a wood preservative for “pressure-treated” decking, landscaping, walkways, picnic tables and playground equipment through the early 2000s.  Since that time, under pressure from Congress, the FDA, and consumers, the lumber industry agreed to stop using arsenic-based products to preserve wood.  In 2003 the EPA also moved to ban arsenic in pesticides, but the proposition has not yet passed.  Many outdoor wooden structures still contain arsenic including playsets, picnic tables, and decking. Children can be especially susceptible to the deleterious effects of arsenic.

Arsenic exposure has been linked to skin, bladder, liver, lung and prostate cancers.

Sources: EWG and Environmental Health News

Pumpkin Seed, Macular Degeneration & BPH

Macular Degeneration:

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in zeaxanthin, which protects the retina and slow the progress of macular degeneration. In 2003, the Medical Research Council Environmental Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton in England announced that zeaxanthin “may be far more important in preventing or stabilizing macular degeneration than previously realized.”  Learn more about zeaxanthin.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

When pumpkin seed is taken along with saw palmetto symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia can be reduced (BPH).   Scientists have noted that the benefit may arise from some of the contents of pumpkin seed, such as plant sterols, zinc, and  fatty acids. Learn more about benign prostate hyperplasia.

 

Common Food Additive Bromide Endangers Thyroid Function

Bromide is a common food additive and pesticide that is known to be an endocrine disruptor (exogenous substances that act like hormones in the endocrine system and disrupt the physiologic function of endogenous hormones).  It is also a halide, meaning that it competes for the same receptors that the thyroid gland uses to capture the iodine that is essential for the production of vital thyroid hormones and thus contribute to hypothyroidism. Bromide is most commonly found in the form of methyl bromide, a common pesticide used on strawberries; as brominated vegetable oil which is often added to citrus drinks and asthma inhalers; as a fire retardant in fabrics and mattresses; and as potassium bromate, a dough conditioner found in commercial bakery products and some flours.

Source: NaturalTthyroid Choices

Ninety Percent of Americans Eat Too Much Salt

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published findings on Americans’ salt consumption: only 1 in 10 people are staying within the recommended guidelines.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published findings on Americans’ salt consumption: only 1 in 10 people are staying within the recommended guidelines.   One teaspoon of salt per day is the recommended limit for those who are young and healthy.   Most of this salt is not coming from what we sprinkle directly on our food.  Instead, it comes from sources we might not expect: grain mixtures, frozen meals and soups; ham, bacon, sausages and lunchmeats; breads; meat, poultry and fish mixtures; and cakes, cookies and crackers.

Source: NPR.

Acupuncture Can Cure Lazy Eye in Children

Researchers have discovered that acupuncture can help children suffering from “lazy eye” or amblyopia.

Researchers at Chinese University of Hong Kong and the International Eye Center of Shantou University have discovered that acupuncture can help children suffering from “lazy eye” or amblyopia.  The children received acupuncture on five points five days a week for 25 weeks.  The treatment provides a 40-60% chance of curing the condition that occurs when a healthy eye does not receive the correct signals from the brain.

Learn more on lazy eye and other binocular conditions.

 

Acupuncture Can Aid Those Addicted to Opiates

A type of acupuncture that uses skin electrodes to apply electrical stimulation at different points on the body called transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) may help people suffering from an addiction to opioid drugs.

A type of  acupuncture that uses skin electrodes to apply electrical stimulation at different points on the body called transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) may help people suffering from an addiction to opioid drugs.  The study, overseen by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital near Boston, showed that patients who received acupuncture in combination with their prescribed withdrawal medications were only 29% likely to return to drug use while 2/3 those who did not receive acupuncture took up the habit again.

In addition, patients in the active TEAS group reported they were less bothered by pain and that they experienced greater improvements in overall health.

Source: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/010410.htm?nav=rss

Exercise and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Relieve Fibromyalgia

Recent studies suggest that the most effective combination of therapies to treat fibromyalgia is exercise paired with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Fibromyalgia is a notoriously difficult disease to treat.  Standard treatments include painkillers, antidepressants, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and exercise therapy.  Recent studies suggest that the most effective combination of therapies is exercise paired with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Study participants were separated into two groups based on how they dealt with their pain: those who curbed activities due to fear of pain and those who continued their activities in spite of pain.  The goal of CBT is to help people recognize thought patterns and emotional responses that contribute to their symptoms, and give them practical ways to change their behavior. For patients who habitually tried to avoid pain, the CBT sessions were geared toward helping them deal with their fear of pain and set goals for increasing their daily activities; those who typically attempted to push through pain, the CBT was designed to set more realistic goals and pace their daily activities and avoid overexertion.

Six months later, almost two thirds of participants showed “clinically significant” improvements, meaning that they had an increased ability to  perform daily activities like walking, climbing stairs and doing household chores.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65A5LZ20100611