July 2007 Archives

According to a study recently published in the American Heart Association’s Journal, Circulation, the closer people live to roads with heavy traffic and high air pollution, the greater their risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardened arteries), which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

So what is it in automobile exhaust that causes atherosclerosis? Quite simply, it’s anything that makes its way into the bloodstream that can cause damage to the lining of the arteries, thereby triggering plaque build up to repair the damage.

An advance copy of an article in the September 1st issue of Cancer was just released detailing the results of a survey that explored some of the cancer “myths” that many people naively believe in. "A substantial proportion of people have some inaccurate beliefs about cancer risk," said lead researcher Kevin Stein, the director of the Behavioral Research Center at the American Cancer Society.

Let’s explore some of those “inaccurate beliefs.”

A few years ago, studies debunking alternative health treatments came along maybe every six months. Lately, though, it seems like I could do a blog a day rebutting some new piece of nonsense. I’m beginning to think that it’s actually a requirement that researchers must get a partial lobotomy before they can receive grant money to perform a study.

So what’s today’s nonsense?

I’m frequently asked about microwave cooking and if the “radiation” from the microwave is dangerous. Actually, the problems with microwave cooking have nothing to do with radiation. There is no radiation used in microwave ovens. Nevertheless, the problem with microwaved food is similar to the problem with irradiated food. Although the actual processes are different, the results are similar—they are disruptive to the fundamental structure of the food itself. Microwave ovens cook by creating friction in molecules causing them to spin rapidly first in one direction then another, switching directions millions of times a second. The friction caused by all this molecular agitation heats the food, but it also changes the food. With what result?

Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study that found that recurrence and survival rates among women who had previously had breast cancer were no better for those who ate nine or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables than for those who ate just five. Researchers emphasized such nutrient-dense vegetables as dark, leafy greens, sweet potatoes and carrots and didn't count iceberg lettuce and French fries. A serving was a half-cup.

DVT (aka VTE, venous thromboembolism) occurs when blood platelets stick together and form clots which either block local circulation or break away to lodge in other organs such as lungs (Embolism) brain (Stroke) or heart (Heart Attack). DVT is an issue among not only airline travelers, but potentially all those who sit immobile for extended periods of time (4 hours or more) according to WHO (World Health Organization). The use of birth control pills and those with blood abnormalities, such as a tendency for easy clotting, have also an increased risk.

Here’s an interesting site you might want to take a look at. Although designed for doctors, the information is fascinating for the layperson as well. The MGH Institute of Health Professions, an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital, launched a new continuing education documentary and interactive website designed to educate doctor/prescribers about drug industry influence.  Ironically, the program is funded by Pfizer as a result of the Neurontin settlement.

A benchmark investigation of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in umbilical cord blood reveals that involuntary levels of hundreds of toxic chemicals are rising in newborns. Not so long ago, scientists believed that babies were protected from pollution outside of the womb by the mothers’ immune system and the placenta. Not so. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) commissioned lab tests on 10 random Red Cross cord blood samples and were astonished to report that each blood sample averaged 200 chemical contaminants including mercury, Teflon, and pesticides.

An Associated Press review  of 57 government nutrition education programs (including videos of dancing fruit, prizes for eating well, and even giving away free fruits and vegetables in school – all at a cost of over $1 billion a year) found overwhelming failure when viewed against the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. In some cases, the children became even less willing to eat good food by the end of the program. Pundits have immediately chimed in with their theories as why the programs have failed, including:

Massachusetts is the first state to mandate health care for every citizen, and the health care insurers and providers are going nutso in an attempt to capture their share of what is now a huge captive market. Their sales pitches on radio, TV, the internet, and through targeted mailings are backed by strong messages from state health insurance officials that those without insurance may, come January, face the first phase of tax penalties that back up the mandate.