If you are curious of the 15 thousand chemicals used inside cans that store everything from Coke to canned fruits and meats, read this expose.
http://www.wired.com/2015/03/secret-life-aluminum-can-true-modern-marvel/
And realize how many chemicals enter your body, without your knowledge!
· Analyzed data from the National Program of Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results statewide registries representing 94.2% of the US population to identify cancers diagnosed among persons aged 0 to 19 years during 2001-2009, shows:
Results
· They identified 120,137 childhood and adolescent cancer cases during 2001-2009 with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 171.01 per million.
· The overall rate of all cancers combined remained stable over time.
· There was an increase in the overall cancer trend among African American children and adolescents.
· An increasing trend for thyroid cancer was observed among both genders and specifically among adolescents and those in the Northeast, South, and West regions of the United States.
· Renal carcinoma incidence was increasing significantly overall.
· Extracranial and extragonadal germ cell tumors and melanoma were both significantly decreasing.
To preserve the meat the industry uses Nitrates/Nitrites which are carcinogenic.
It is interesting to note that developed world has more than twice the cases per capita than developing world.
Makes you wonder if the environment, food, additives, pollution, lifestyle is responsible for the marked increase.
Cravers of meat and the Meat industry are not going to like this….
A LONG TERM (20 YR) Harvard study of nearly 89,000 women suggests that women who ate the most red meat increased their risk for breast cancer by a whopping 25 percent. In general, replacing one daily serving of meat with legumes, fish or poultry has the potential to reduce breast cancer risk by a relative 15 to 20 percent.
The study found that reduction of red meat intake in the diet not only decreases the risk of breast cancer but also decreases the risk of other chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other kind of cancers, as well.
SOURCES: Maryam Farvid, Ph.D., department of nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Stephanie Bernik, M.D., chief of surgical oncology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Yale University Prevention Research Center, New Haven, Conn.; June 10, 2014, BMJ, online
New research now reveals that ultra-violet nail lamps may also increase the risk of skin cancer. researchers sampled 17 light units from 16 salons that used a wide variety of UV bulbs. Researchers said that exposure to carcinogenesis remains small, frequent exposure could cause damage. They suggest that wearing sunscreen on the hands or protective UV-A gloves could help reduce any potential cancer risk and prevent signs of premature skin aging.
(Note that this research does not cover the 100s of other chemicals that they use in nail salons.)
Source: JAMA Dermatology.
THE NUMBERS:
According to Wikipedia:
An electronic cigarette (e-cig or e-cigarette), electronic vaping device, personal vaporizer, digital vapor device or electronic nicotine delivery system is a battery or USB powered device which simulates tobacco smoking.
Electronic cigarette sales increased from 50,000 in 2008 to 3.5 million people in 2012. Among grade 6 to 12 students in the United States, those who have ever used the product increased from 3.3% in 2011 to 6.8% in 2012. Annual sales of smokeless tobacco products now exceed $2.93 billion globally.
SAFETY
A preliminary analysis of e-cigarette cartridges by the US (FDA) in 2009 identified that some contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), known cancer-causing agents.
The FDA’s analysis also detected diethylene glycol, a poisonous liquid, in a cartridge and nicotine in a cartridge claimed to be nicotine-free.
CONCERN
According to WHO “consumers should be strongly advised not to use" E-Cigs. A number of organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food and Drug Administration have concerns that e-cigs might increase addiction to and use of nicotine and tobacco products in children.
Most concerning part – Tobacco companies have shifted more advertising to e-cigarettes. E-cigarette advertising is widespread on the Internet the ads were placed on websites with the highest average percentage of a youth audience.
The golden-brown color of many soft drinks comes with a dose of the chemical 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MeI.
4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI) is a compound used to make certain pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, dyes and pigments, cleaning and agricultural chemicals, and rubber products.
On U.S. product labels it appears simply as "caramel coloring." Products that potentially contain 4‑MEI include certain colas, beers, soy sauces, breads, coffee, and other products.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer and the state of California, now limits manufacturers to 29 micrograms of exposure for the average consumer per day. Foods exceeding that limit have to carry a warning label that reads: "WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer."
Studies published in 2007 by the federal government’s National Toxicology Program showed that long-term exposure to 4-MEI resulted in increases in lung cancer in male and female mice.
But when Consumer Reports purchased sodas in California and had them analyzed by a lab, it found that one 12-ounce serving of Pepsi One exceeded the levels permitted without a warning label. Interestingly, Pepsi One purchased by the group in December in New York contains four times as much 4-MeI as the same product bought that same month in California.
The Food and Drug Administration does not set federal limits on 4-MeI in food.
NOW, DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO REALLY DRINK THE NEXT COKE OR PEPSI CAN, KNOWING THAT?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) claims that 223,000 lung cancer worldwide is from air pollution. And there os also convincing evidence that air pollution increases the risk of bladder cancer. IARC reviewed thousands of studies on air pollution tracking populations over decades and classified air pollution and "particulate matter" as Group 1 human carcinogens. That ranks them alongside more than 100 other known cancer-causing substances in IARC’s Group 1, including asbestos, plutonium, silica dust, ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke.
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six common air pollutants. These commonly found air pollutants (also known as "criteria pollutants") are found all over the United States. They are particulate matter, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. Of the six pollutants, particle pollution and ground-level ozone are the most widespread health threats.
LEARN ABOUT AQI
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you about the unhealthiness of your air.
AQI of 100 or below is decent. Anything above is dangerous. AQI of 200+ is infrequent. It also changes per the seasons.
You can find about AQI value for your city at www.airnow.gov
WHO IS AFFECTED BY POOR AIR QUALITY
· People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, can be particularly sensitive to ozone.
· Children are at higher risk from ozone exposure because they often play outdoors in warmer weather when ozone levels are higher, they are more likely to have asthma (which may be aggravated by ozone exposure), and their lungs are still developing.
· Pregnant women.
· And Elderly adults
WHAT DOES POOR AQI DO?
· Irritate the respiratory system
· Reduce lung function
· Cause lung tumors
· Aggravate Asthma
· Make lungs susceptible to lung infection
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT?
OTHER RESOURCES:
Source: EPA, Reuters and Others
First the good news:
Drug use among America’s youth is dropping. The rate of illicit drug use among children and teenagers 12 to 17 years old dropped to 9.5 percent, down from 11.6 percent a decade earlier, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) latest national survey.
Then the Bad:
However electronic cigarettes are gaining favor among U.S. teenagers. Per CDC, last year, 10% of high school students say they tried e-cigarettes, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. It seems to be fueled by an uptick of slick new marketing, which includes celebrities including Jenny McCarthy, Stephen Dorff and Courtney Love for the pitches. E-cigarette advertising, unburdened thus far by regulation, has ballooned from zero in 2008 to $3.7 million in 2011 and $19.9 million last year.
E-cigarettes heat a solution containing nicotine, which is derived from tobacco leaves, into a vapor that users inhale. An electronic cigarette can contain as much nicotine as a regular cigarette — or more. The amount of nicotine an electronic cigarette delivers depends on the content of the liquid-nicotine cartridge installed in it. Many e-cig manufacturers sell the products online, along with the required cartridges, batteries and other accessories.
Studies so far are mixed. Some cite potential hazards, including a secondhand effect from the vapor, and a small Greek study last year said e-cigarettes may damage the lungs. Cobb, the Georgetown pulmonologist, says because almost all are imported from China, there have quality-control issues, contamination concerns and widely varying nicotine levels. Some individuals, particularly those with health conditions that make them sensitive, have reported that the vapor is irritating to their eyes, noses and throats, and that it affects their breathing and makes them nauseous. The FDA is in the process of having e-cigarettes labeled as a drug-delivery device so they can be regulated [source 1=”FDA” language=”:”][/source]. Regulations vary, but some countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel and Mexico, have banned electronic cigarettes [source language=”:NPR”][/source].
TAKEAWAY: Don’t underestimate the long-term effects of these novel tobacco products. Avoid them and teach your kids to avoid them.
Source: multiple including CDC, howstuffworks.com and USAToday.com
What exactly is 4-MEI? It’s a compound formed during the production of some caramel coloring agents and is found in colas, beers, soy sauces, breads, and coffee, according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Under a state law called Proposition 65, California requires manufacturers to label toxic substances. And the state added 4-MEI to its list last year after “studies published in 2007 by the federal government’s National Toxicology Program showed that long-term exposure to 4-MEI resulted in increases in lung cancer in male and female mice,” the state environmental website said.
A report released just before July 4th by an environmental group seems to have gotten lost in the holiday weekend haze, despite findings that link cola and cancer. Pepsi continues to sell sodas made with 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI—ruled a carcinogen last year by the state of California—according to the Center For Environmental Health.
The nonprofit group noted that Pepsi sold inside California had been reformulated to comply with state rules about the substance, yet drinks sold outside the state continue to include higher amounts of 4-MEI, which helps give the company’s cola drinks their caramel hue. The group found little to no 4-MEI in Coca-Cola (KO), which has switched to a modified caramel coloring.
In a response published in the Center for Environmental Health’s report, PepsiCo said its “coloring suppliers have been working on modifying the manufacturing process to reduce the amount of 4-MEI,” adding that drinks sold in the rest of the U.S. will have reduced levels of the chemical “by February 2014.”
In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the company elaborated: “We strongly refute any claim that any product we sell anywhere is unsafe. The safety of our products is PepsiCo’s top priority, and we abide by the regulatory guidelines everywhere we do business,” PepsiCo said. “While we meet the strict FDA guidelines, when the regulatory requirements changed in California PepsiCo moved immediately to meet the new requirements and, in order to maintain a harmonized supply chain, globally committed to rolling out the changes across the rest of the U.S. and internationally.”
Aside from cola, the Center for Environmental Health did not find high levels of 4-MEI in other products, in part because people generally consume more soda than, say, soy sauce, says Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the group.
Federal regulators haven’t yet sounded any alarms about 4-MEI. In an e-mailed statement, the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration explained the disparity between California rules this way: “Based on the available information, FDA has no reason to believe that there is any immediate or short-term danger presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food from the use of caramel coloring.”
Last year, FDA spokesman Douglas Karas said a person would have to drink more than a thousand cans of soda in a day to match the doses administered in studies that showed links to cancer in rodents. The American Beverage Association denied the harmfulness of 4-MEI in 2012.
Still, the FDA says it “is currently reviewing” data on the chemical and its relationship to cancer to determine “what, if any, regulatory action needs to be taken.”
Source: Business Week, By Venessa Wong, http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-05/pepsi-plans-to-drop-disputed-cancer-chemical
CANCER IN KIDS
In the United States, cancer is the second most common cause of death among children between the ages of 1 and 14 years, surpassed only by accidents. More than 16 out of every 100,000 children and teens in the U.S. were diagnosed with cancer, and nearly 3 of every 100,000 died from the disease. The most common cancers in children were leukemia (cancer of the bone marrow and blood) and brain and central nervous system cancers.
Youth go through many physical and social changes as they grow into adults. These changes create unique opportunities for cancer prevention. By addressing certain exposures and behaviors among today’s young adults, we can reduce their chances of getting cancer in the future.
PREVENTION STEPS
· Promote protective behaviors.
o Physical activity.
o Abstinence from sex (all kinds) or completing the three-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series.
o Limiting radiation dose during medical imaging procedures.
· Reducing harmful exposures.
o Sunbathing and indoor tanning bed use.
o Tobacco & Drug use.
o Alcohol use.
o Exposure to certain chemicals.
Source: Multiple including CDC
FDA warns that Tanning beds should carry skin cancer warnings
Tanning beds would be forced to warn young people of the dangers of skin cancer and face tighter oversight.
The risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, rises 75 percent in those exposed to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning, the FDA said.
WORD FOR OUR KIDS: AVOID tanning at any cost. You are beautiful the way you are.
IS YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR SKIN CANCER?
STUDY:
According to an epidemiologic study published online in Pediatrics, since the 1970s, the incidence of melanoma (Skin Cancer) has been rising about 2% per year in adolescents, similar to adults.
However they are not sure of the reasons for this increase. UVB exposure did not appear to be the primary factor contributing to the increase in melanoma, the researchers noted. These data are consistent with those of previous studies that have reported increasing rates of melanoma in the pediatric populations of Australia, Sweden, and England.
OBSERVATION:
Melanoma was nearly twice as common in girls compared to boys overall (61% vs. 39%) with similar percentages within each age group (0-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years).
The incidence increased with age. The majority of melanomas – 77% – were diagnosed in adolescents aged 15-19 years.
The most frequent melanoma sites in girls were the lower limbs and hips.
Among boys, melanomas were most common on the skin of the face and trunk.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
All significantly increasing trends for melanoma occurred in sun-exposed areas of the body. So cover your body. And use a high index SPF sun block cream when your kids go out in the sun.
Don’t allow your kids to tan. This finding also suggests that tanning facilities may instead be a major source of the increase in incidence.
For more information, read this.
INSTEAD TRY
Source: multiple sources
