The Plain Truth's: Your Health Today ONLINE

Five Reasons to See a Gynecologist Immediately

Approximately 19 million American women, or about 18 percent of the adult female population, receive annual pelvic exams, according to a study published in the September 24, 2007, edition of the “Archives of Internal Medicine.”

But that number is small compared to the number of women who put off seeing a gynecologist, despite the vital role annual gynecological exams play in maintaining good health.

Avoiding a pelvic exam may be easy when things are going well, but you can’t avoid it when your body starts sending you distress signals.

Some signals, which often present themselves in the form of pain or illness, may point to cancer, sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy complications or the onset of menopause.

Not every signal requires a visit to the emergency room. Some may mean you should call your doctor for the next available appointment.

Here are five signs that warrant a doctor’s opinion:

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Not just lip service: Gloss can invite skin cancer

Some experts say gloss makes the sun’s UV rays hit harder

Right now, 23-year-old Laura Brown has at least six lip glosses on her. They’re in her backpack, her purse, her pocket, her makeup bag — and just in case, she keeps a couple of spares at her desk and in her bathroom.

Brown, who lives in College Station, Texas, assumes she takes very good care of her lips. She spends enough money on them, anyway. (A tube of her go-to brand, Mac, can cost as much as $20.) And she’s always gooping something on her lips. That’s got to be enough of a barrier between her skin and the sun. Right?

But some dermatologists say that slathering on shiny lip glosses can actually increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Of course, wearing any lip product without SPF doesn’t exactly shield the thin skin from sun damage. But the slick, shiny nature of the gloss could be making the sun’s UV rays hit harder, some experts say.....Read More.........

New Stealth Chemicals Hidden in Your Food

child eating, cracker If you pick up a can of soup and find that the sodium levels are lower than you expected, or that a food item advertises it has “less sugar” or “no MSG” ... then there may be cause for alarm.

New food enhancements prove more palatable

Non-genetically modified techniques smooth ice cream, boost protein in rice

INTERACTIVE

Super foods
Interactive: New technologies are enhancing a wide variety of foods — minus the controversy over genetic modifications.

Courtesy of Keith Weller/USDA-ARS

MSN Tech and Gadgets

10 cool gadgets you can't get here -- yet

The 5 best SLR cameras

Digital photo tools and downloads

Adding coffee to doughnut protects brain

GRAND FORKS, N.D., April 3 (UPI) -- Adding a coffee to that breakfast doughnut could help protect against Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers say.

Researchers at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences have determined the caffeine equivalent of just one cup of coffee a day could protect the blood-brain barrier from damage that occurred with a high-fat diet.

The researcher fed rabbits cholesterol-enriched diet and also gave them 3 milligrams of caffeine each day -- the equivalent of a daily cup of coffee for an average-size person. Read More........

Autism Linked to Mercury Sources

How do mercury emissions affect pregnant mothers, the unborn and toddlers? Do the level of emissions impact autism rates? Does it matter whether a mercury-emitting source is 10 miles away from families versus 20 miles? Is the risk of autism greater for children who live closer to the pollution source?

A newly published study of Texas school district data and industrial mercury-release data, conducted by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, indeed shows a statistically significant link between pounds of industrial release of mercury and increased autism rates. It also shows—for the first time in scientific literature—a statistically significant association between autism risk and distance from the mercury source.

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Many blood transfusions may increase risks, doctors warn

More than half of blood transfusions may do more harm than good, with some patients facing a six-fold greater risk of dying following surgery because of transfusions, doctors warn today.

Fears over the safety of blood transfusions have prompted some physicians to recommend they are used only as a last resort, with hospitals urged to be more selective over which patients receive blood. According to a report in New Scientist today, the National Institutes of Health, the US government's largest medical funder, has launched a review into the safety of the procedure. Bruce Spiess, a cardiac anaesthetist at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, America, told the magazine: "Probably 40%-60% of blood transfusions are not good for the patients."

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Do you know how to follow the new CPR guidelines?

In early April, the American Heart Association announced that it had changed its guidelines to recommend that bystanders who witness a cardiac arrest should, in most cases, perform "hands only" CPR and need not attempt mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The change followed years of lobbying from some heart specialists who had long believed that hands-only CPR -- i.e. rapid chest compressions intended to achieve at least minimal blood flow in victims -- was as good as or better than compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the previously recommended method that has become well-known to the general public.

Cuddling helps preemies bear pain

WASHINGTON - Cuddling up against mother's bare skin can help tiny premature babies recover more quickly from the pain of being stuck with needles and other procedures, Canadian researchers reported on Wednesday.

Babies held tightly against their mother's skin in a "kangaroo mother care" position squirmed and grimaced less than babies swaddled in blankets, the researchers found.

"Skin-to-skin contact by the mother, referred to as kangaroo mother care, has been shown to be efficacious in reducing pain in three previous studies," Celeste Johnston of McGill University School of Nursing in Montreal and her colleagues wrote in the journal BioMed Central Pediatrics.

Kids Need Heart Exams Before Taking ADHD Drugs

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should get their hearts checked before starting treatment with Ritalin or other stimulant drugs, experts recommended on Monday.

The American Heart Association called for these children to undergo an electrocardiogram, a test that detects and records the heart's electrical activity, before taking such drugs.

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Strategic Spending on Organic Foods

I was reading today in The Times that organic food prices are rising. It reminded me of a really helpful list from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, about how to be a strategic shopper when buying organic fruits and vegetables.

While there is an ongoing debate about whether buying organic food really makes a difference in terms of health, the reality is that some consumers choose organic foods because they want to lower their exposure to pesticides. For those shoppers, it makes sense to know when to buy organic and which conventionally-grown foods are good enough because they already are low in pesticide residue.

Mom's diet may influence baby's sex, study says

In the quest to select a baby’s sex, success could depend on breakfast cereal and better nutrition, according to a new study that may offer some women another reason to eat their Wheaties.

Mothers-to-be who skip breakfast and eat less are more likely to give birth to girls, while moms who consume more calories and a wider range of nutrients — including, specifically, those from breakfast cereal — are more likely to deliver sons.

That’s according to new research by British scientists that provides what they say is the first-ever evidence that a mother’s diet at conception may determine her baby’s sex.

FDA examines Lasik-related vision problems

WASHINGTON - A decade after it first approved devices for laser eye-correcting surgery, the Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at grievances from patients, including blurred vision and dry eyes.

An estimated 6 million Americans have undergone Lasik surgery, which permanently reshapes the cornea, a clear layer covering the eye. There are no guarantees of 20/20 vision and the long-term safety of the procedure is still unknown.

Lawmakers See Big Gaps In FDA's Foreign-Drug Inspections

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- House lawmakers and government auditors said Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has serious gaps in its foreign-drug inspection program and can't ensure the safety of the U.S. drug supply.

The issue of foreign-drug facility inspections was the subject of a House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing in the wake of contamination problems with Baxter International Inc.'s (BAX) blood- thinner heparin, which has been linked to hundreds of serious allergic reactions and as many as 81 deaths. FDA officials have said the contamination, which was found in the active ingredient used to make heparin, had occurred in China where ingredients are extracted from pig intestines.

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Cultural differences found in pee

Pee from more than 4,000 volunteers shows that people from different nations often have spectacularly different metabolisms.

The finding could point to new ways to deal with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems, researchers said.

After guts break down food and drink, chemicals left in their urine can reveal a lot about peoples' bodies and lifestyles.

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Scientists decode brain farts

Up to 30 seconds before your goof, the brain starts acting abnormally
We've all goofed up and flubbed up things we've previously done time and again. It turns out the root of these brain farts may be a special kind of abnormal brain activity that begins up to 30 seconds before a mistake even happens.

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Polio cases double in Nigeria

Nation fighting natural strains and an outbreak set off by the vaccine itself

LONDON - Polio cases have nearly doubled this year in the West African nation of Nigeria as officials struggle to fight various natural strains of the virus as well as an outbreak set off by the polio vaccine itself three years ago.

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Do You Know What Plastic Recycling Symbols Mean?

The Daily Green offers this handy guide on the various types of plastic:

Number 1 Plastics -- PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Found In: Soft drinks, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.
Recycling: Pick up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled Into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20 percent), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

Number 2 Plastics -- HDPE (high density polyethylene)

Found In: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Pick up through most curbside recycling programs, although some only allow those containers with necks.
Recycled Into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing

HDPE carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Formaldehyde Exposure Linked with ALS

Exposure to the widely used chemical formaldehyde may raise one's risk of getting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

A large study examining a possible association between ALS and 12 types of chemicals turned up the link, which researchers said needs to be confirmed in other studies.

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Ovarian cancers may begin in the fallopian tube

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that fallopian tube cells rather than ovarian surface cells are the probable site of origin of most cases of ovarian serous carcinoma, the most common type of ovarian cancer.

This finding may lead to earlier detection, as well as better treatment and perhaps prevention, of ovarian cancer, Dr. Keren Levanon of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston told the annual gathering of the American Association for Cancer Research in San Diego.

As there is no early diagnostic test for ovarian cancer, roughly 80 percent of cases are diagnosed at a very late stage. "One fascinating fact," Levanon highlighted, "is that when you diagnose ovarian cancer you find massive invasive tumors on the surface of the ovary -- usually the tumor does not invade the ovary -- but you never find early pre-invasive in situ tumors."

The oldest Americans are also the happiest, research finds

CHICAGO - It turns out the golden years really are golden. Eye-opening new research finds the happiest Americans are the oldest, and older adults are more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests. The two go hand-in-hand: Being social can help keep away the blues.

"The good news is that with age comes happiness," said study author Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist. "Life gets better in one's perception as one ages."

A certain amount of distress in old age is inevitable, including aches and pains and the deaths of loved ones and friends. But older people generally have learned to be more content with what they have than younger adults, Yang said.

CDC: Flu season worst in 3 years; vaccine didn't work well

ATLANTA (AP) - This year's flu season has shaped up to be the worst in three years, partly because the vaccine didn't work well against the viruses that made most people sick, health officials said Thursday.

The 2007-2008 season started slowly, peaked in mid-February and seems to be declining, although cases are still being reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Based on adult deaths from flu and pneumonia, this season is the worst since 2003-2004 - another time when the vaccine did not include the exact flu strain responsible for most illnesses.

Each year, health officials - making essentially an educated guess - formulate a vaccine against three viruses they think will be circulating. They guess well most of the time, and the vaccine is often between 70 and 90 percent effective.

But this year, two of the three strains were not good matches and the vaccine was only 44 percent effective, according to a study done in Marshfield, Wis.

Sickened pork workers have new nerve disorder

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Eighteen pork plant workers in Minnesota, at least five in Indiana and one in Nebraska have come down with a mysterious neurological condition they appear to have contracted while removing brains from slaughtered pigs, U.S. researchers and health officials said on Wednesday.

They said the illness is a new disorder that causes a range of symptoms, from inflammation of the spinal cord to mild weakness, fatigue, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.

"As far as we are aware it is a brand new disorder," said Dr. Daniel Lachance of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who presented his findings at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Chicago.

Lachance has been following the 18 Minnesota patients, all of whom have evidence of nerve involvement, typically affecting the legs.

He said tests showed patients had damage to the nerves at the root level near the spinal cord, and at the far reaches of their motor nerves, where the nerves connect with muscle.

U.S. questions plastic baby bottle safety

WASHINGTON - A chemical used to make baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic containers could be linked to a range of hormonal problems, a preliminary government report has found.

The report was greeted by some environmental groups as confirmation of their concerns, while chemical makers latched on to the report’s preliminary nature and its authors’ warning against drawing overly worrisome conclusions.

The federal National Toxicology Program said Tuesday that experiments on rats found precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty when the animals were fed or injected with low doses of the plastics chemical bisphenol A.

Vitamins A, C and E are 'a waste of time and may even shorten your life'

Claims: Are vitamins and supplements doing more harm than good? (Posed by a model)

Vitamins taken by around a third of the population do not extend life and may even cause premature death, according to a respected group of international scientists.

After reviewing 67 studies involving more than 230,000 men and women, the experts say there is no convincing evidence that taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E can make you healthier.

The alarming findings, published today, will shock Britons who spend £333million a year on supplements.

Forty per cent of women and 30 per cent of men take a vitamin pill each day.

The review involved trials on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium.

It says in-depth analysis of the different trials does not support the idea that vitamins extend lifespan.

'Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality,' says the review.

Delaying pregnancy can carry consequences

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Kelli Heath just turned 30 and she's spending more and more time deflecting questions from family and friends about when she plans to get pregnant. Scott and Kelli Heath, married two years, are delaying having children so they can have "us" time.

A lot of women have timelines," Heath said. "I don't."

Heath, a full-time event planner in Atlanta, Georgia, married her husband, Scott, two years ago. They want to have children one day, but not right away. "Our priority as a couple is 'us' right now," she said.

More and more couples like the Heaths are waiting to expand their families until the woman is well into her 30s or older. Work, travel and the desire to save money are some of the reasons cited for the delay in having a baby.

Obstetrician and gynecologist Michael Randell cautioned that such delays may come with consequences. "There is a lot of anxiety among patients," Randell said. "I have 20-year-olds coming to me concerned whether or not they can get pregnant."

In reality, experts say, women over 35 struggle the most to get pregnant. As a woman ages, the quality of her eggs tends to decline and she may not ovulate as frequently.

Statistics are against you," Randell said. "You only have a 15 percent chance of conceiving each month. About 85 percent of people will conceive in the first year of trying."

The reason why it is more difficult to get pregnant these days is more people are waiting longer."

FDA sees possible fraud behind tainted heparin

Contamination of blood thinner done for economic reasons, officials says

updated 12:58 p.m. ET, Tues., April. 15, 2008

WASHINGTON - The contamination of Baxter International Inc.'s recalled blood thinner heparin likely was done for economic reasons, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

"It was apparently, we suspect, done by virtue of economic fraud," FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach told a Senate hearing.

Baxter recalled most of its heparin products in February after reports of allergic reactions and deaths. An FDA investigation later uncovered a heparin-like substance in some batches of the drug's active ingredient, which is made in China.

The contamiant was identified last month as a modified form of chondroitin sulfate, a chemical FDA officials have said is likely cheaper to make than real heparin, which is derived from pig intestines.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, von Eschenbach said the altered chemical would not have occurred during any normal processing. While the agency has no specific evidence of fraud, "the concern is that it had to be by design," he said.

Editorial: Nicotine's Nice Side

By Abigail Trafford
Tuesday, April 22, 1997; Page Z06

Now that the tobacco industry has blinked, agreeing that cigarettes are a health hazard and discussing a $250 billion fund to pay for smoking-related illness, perhaps it's time to think about the unthinkable:

Suppose nicotine were good for you?

Behind the headlines is growing evidence that nicotine, the substance that makes tobacco addictive, may have some therapeutic effects. It's conceivable that future physicians might well prescribe nicotine -- as a drug, not a cigarette -- to relieve symptoms for a variety of diseases from schizophrenia and Alzheimer's to attention deficit disorder and colitis.

Rare genetic disease yields clues on iron deficiency: study

PARIS (AFP) - The discovery of the gene behind a rare form of inherited iron deficiency may provide clues for new treatments of poor iron absorption in the general population, according to a study released Sunday.

Lack of iron is the most common of all nutritional deficiencies and the leading cause of anemia, which affects nearly a third of the world's population, according the World Health Organisation.

This undated illustration shows the DNA double helix. The discovery of the gene behind a rare form of inherited iron deficiency may provide clues for new treatments of poor iron absorption in the general population, according to a study released Sunday.(AFP/HO/File)

Just how low should blood sugar go?

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Conventional thinking among doctors who treat people with type 2 diabetes has been the lower the blood sugar levels, the better.

Many doctors are now taking a second look.

A massive study of diabetics with a high risk of heart disease known as ACCORD has found that lowering blood sugar levels to what is considered normal for healthy people proved deadly for some, researchers said on Wednesday.

Older patients who underwent intensive therapy to reach that level had higher rates of death than a group of patients in the same study who were treated more conservatively.

FDA: 100 deaths tied to heparin since 2007

updated 5:19 p.m. ET, Tues., April. 8, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said more than 100 patients have died while taking the blood thinner heparin since early 2007.

The agency found that 62 deaths are associated with contaminated batches of the blood thinner, triple the previous estimate. That doesn't mean people are still dying — the latest deaths the FDA knows of occurred in February, the month Baxter International recalled contaminated batches.

But dozens of deaths weren't reported to the agency when they happened, only later after the tainted blood thinner made headlines.

The Health Benefits of Raw Milk

There's little mention in the mainstream media these days, of traditional foods having healing properties. Sure, there's a ton of hype touting unfermented soy products, vegetable oils and supplements as modern saviors, but in reality, these items have risk-to-benefit ratios like many drugs do.

Few people are aware that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was actually used as a medicine in the early part of the last century. That's right. Milk straight from the udder, the "stem cell" of foods, was used as medicine to treat, and frequently cure some serious chronic diseases. From the time of Hippocrates to until just after World War II, this "white blood" nourished and healed uncounted millions.

Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to. Indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that. What's in it that makes it so great? Let's look at the ingredients to see what makes it such a powerful food.

Trying to Reduce Carbs? TRY THIS

More of us would become citizens of Low-Carb Nation if it weren't for the daunting loyalty oath. We're asked to renounce allegiance to such potentates as bagels, pasta, and potatoes. And even though we know that low-carbohydrate dieting works, giving up your favorite carbs can be tough.

"The best way to cut carbs from your diet is to make creative substitutions," says Arthur Agatston, M.D., author of The South Beach Diet. "That way you can still eat the foods you love, without busting your diet." Dr. Agatston told us how to make cauliflower taste like mashed potatoes.

Other nutrition experts gave us tricks for cutting white flour, pasta, and potatoes and replacing them with lower-carb alternatives that taste nearly identical. We then had some loyal carbo-cravers taste-test these dishes. Turns out some of them are so good, you'll wonder why you weren't eating them in the first place.

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Consumers want hormone-free dairy even as FDA warns about health risks

Morry Gash / AP

Jane Ratajczak carries her raw milk to her car in New Holstein, Wis.

Updated 12:05 p.m. ET, Thurs., April. 10, 2008

NEW HOLSTEIN, Wis. - Despite potentially serious health risks, demand for unpasteurized, or raw, milk is growing among consumers concerned about chemicals, hormones and drugs.

With prices topping $5 per gallon, more dairies are selling raw milk — and finding themselves at odds with public health officials. The federal government and a majority of states prohibit sales of raw milk to the public, claiming it is responsible for hundreds of people sickened in the past decade with salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes and other bacteria.

“Raw milk continues to cause outbreaks year after year,” said John Sheehan, who oversees plant and dairy food products for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “It is a concern for the

The Truth About Grapefruit and Breast Cancer

A recent chain e-mail has made some people concerned about eating grapefruit. According to the messages, a 2007 study in The British Journal of Cancer found an increased risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women who ate large amounts of grapefruit.

The study is real; it looked at more than 46,000 women, and those who ate half a grapefruit every other day had a 30 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who ate none.

However, a more recent report, which followed more than 77,000 women over the course of many years, found no rise in breast cancer related to either grapefruit or grapefruit juice.

Experts at the American Cancer Society said that there was insufficient evidence to raise alarm, but that women with concerns could cut back on grapefruit.

Sources:

New York Times March 25, 2008

Vitamin E Linked to Lung Cancer

Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements can actually increase the risk of lung cancer.

A study of 77,000 people found consuming 400 milligrams of vitamin E per day increased cancer risk by 28 percent. Smokers were at particular risk.

An expert writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine said that people should get their vitamins from fruit and vegetables rather than supplements.

Vitamin E is known to be an antioxidant that protects cells from molecules called free radicals. But in high doses, it may also act as a pro-oxidant, causing oxidation and damage to cells.

Sources:

BBC News February 29, 2008

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine March 1, 2008; 177(5):524-30

13 Random Health Facts You Never Knew

I love sharing lists like these that are both educational and entertaining. Well, some of these “health facts” are more like “un-health facts” (especially #6), but they’re interesting nonetheless.

1) Motorists who talk on cell phones are more impaired than drunk drivers with blood-alcohol levels exceeding .08.

2) Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour.

3) In some parts of the world, they protect their babies from disease by bathing them in beer.

4) The word ‘gymnasium’ comes from the Greek word gymnazein, which means ‘to exercise naked.’

5) There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee; of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.

6) The average American eats at McDonald’s more than 1,800 times in their life.

7) There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.

8) According to U.S. FDA standards, 1 cup of orange juice is allowed to contain 10 fruit fly eggs, but only 2 maggots.

9) You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

10) It is possible to go blind from smoking too heavily.

11) Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.

12) You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening.

13) During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food -- that’s the weight of about 6 elephants.

Sources:Health Ranker March 17, 2008

Avoid Pills in 7 Common Ills

These seven common conditions can be managed without medication:

Arthritis
Cholesterol
Cognitive decline
Depression
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Osteoporosis

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The Skinny on Fats

By Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon

Introduction

Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormonelike substances. Fats as part of a meal slow down absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes.

Politically Correct Nutrition is based on the assumption that we should reduce our intake of fats, particularly saturated fats from animal sources. Fats from animal sources also contain cholesterol, presented as the twin villain of the civilized diet.

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Emergency rooms buckle under patient load

Staff and money shortages mean some must wait hours to see a doctor

Overcrowded hospital emergency rooms are at the breaking point across the country, with potentially deadly consequences for heart attack victims and other extremely critical patients, doctors warn.

The logjam is the result of a variety of factors, from the number of patients who seek care for non-emergency conditions, to budget cuts, to nursing shortages, to the closing of failing hospitals.

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Before Code Blue: Who’s minding the patient?

Little-known ‘failure to rescue’ is most common hospital safety mistake

Getty Images stock

Every year, at least 61,000 people die from "failure to rescue" mistakes, a new report found.

By JoNel Aleccia

Health writer

MSNBC

updated 8:28 a.m. ET, Tues., April. 8, 2008

JoNel Aleccia

Health writer

• E-mail

High-profile medical errors such as operating on the wrong body part or receiving a mistaken dose of drugs should take a back seat to a far more common and insidious mistake, a new report reveals.

For the fifth straight year, an analysis of errors in the nation’s hospitals found that the most reported patient safety risk is a little-known but always-fatal problem called “failure to rescue.” More.........

Blood test that gives 'a six-year early warning' of Alzheimer's

Manufacturers say a new blood test could detect Alzheimer's up to six years before it takes hold

A blood test the makers claim can detect Alzheimer's and Parkinson's up to six years before they take hold is to be launched this summer.

The test will allow doctors to alert those at risk of developing the conditions, and advise them of lifestyle changes such as improvements to their diet or more exercise.

It could also allow earlier treatment with drugs which slow the progress of the diseases.

But the breakthrough has raised fears that insurance companies could force people to undergo the check - and raise premiums for those deemed at risk.

Said by its creators to be 90 per cent accurate, the test measures the blood for proteins which can indicate the risk of brain disease, according to a report in Chemistry & Industry magazine.

U.S.-based manufacturer Power3 Medical Products plans to market the test in the U.S. and Greece later this year.

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MSNBC REPORT: What's in Your Makeup?

Marisa Belger

TODAYshow.com

• E-mail

Having trouble keeping up with our increasingly organic, eco-friendly world? Let me be your guide! From all-natural makeup to the best in eco-conscious jeans, I will test and review the products and treatments that are best for you and the planet.

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Be Wary! Even of "Organic" Toxin Found In Leading Organic Brands

A new study commissioned by a US consumer watchdog found that leading brands of personal care products such as shampoos, lotions and body washes that are labelled organic or 100 per cent natural contain an unidisclosed carcinogenic toxin 1,4-Dioxane. The tests were carried out by a well known, reputable third party laboratory said the consumer group.
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Certified 100% Toxicfree Products Are Here!

“We look good, we smell good, and we have just exposed ourselves to 200 different chemicals a day through cosmetics” ~ U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 10, 1997

Do you suffer from headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin irritation, allergies, premature aging? Did you ever consider that your personal and skin care products may be causing your problems?

The health and nutrition of your skin is very important to your overall health. I bet you don't realize the hundreds of chemicals you apply to your body every day; whether in the form of shampoo, conditioner, hand cream, face cream, shaving cream, makeup, and so on. Even sunscreens can be hazardous to your skin because of the harsh chemicals within them. Toxic chemicals can have many negative impacts on your immune system. Why poison your skin when you can use safe alternatives that are 100% certified Toxic free?

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Editors Note:Tamco now offers a 100% toxic free wood stain and house paint, made from vegetable oil! Salad dressing house finishing! No toxins, no solvents, no VOC's and no hazardous ingrediants! www.tamcopaint.com to contact us about the product.

What Makes Up Your Makeup? Know What's on Your Face

Compared to what's in Our Paint at Tamco!

By Robert R. Barney

Make up is an integral part of most women\'s morning routine. With prices ranging from $1 to $75, there is surprisingly little variation in the ingredients found in most products. Make up consists of a coloring agent (just like automotive, fleet and house paint) and a carrier. In paint, we call the carrier "resin". Resin can be any type of polymer (hydrocarbon chemical) that resembles a liquid plastic or rubber. Some make up includes sunscreen or vitamins said to improve the skin\'s condition or allow the make up to last longer. Actually we make a non-toxic, solvent and hazard free paint made from soybeans containing both vitamins E and B! Most ingredients in make up are unpronounceable, and the ingredients are not always good for the skin. The same applies to most paints!

One of the most common ingredients in make up is talc. Talc is a known carcinogen and can cause lung damage. It clogs pores and can cause blemishes. It also fades quickly and creases easily. It is approved for use in cosmetics, because it is felt to be safe in small amounts. It is used in make up because it is cheap and widely available. At Tamco, we buy talc by the 50# bag (usually a pallet of 100 bags). Talc is used to make primer and flatteners! We use dust masks when adding this to our resins!

Propylene glycol is included in many make up and beauty products as a humectant. It is also included in brake fluid and antifreeze. According the the Material Safety Data Sheet, it can cause headaches, nausea vomiting, and central nervous system depression and can reach the blood stream through skin absorption. We use other solvents in most of our paints also found in make up. Acetone (used in nail polish remover and nail polish), Toluene (used in makeup), N-Butyl-Acetate (used in both make-up and nail polish, Xylene (found in some eyeliners) and ISO-propyl-Alcohol (used in everything from mouthwash to first aid cremes.)

Mercury in Cosmetics

Mercury is found in both house paint (as a biocide) and in your makeup, for the same reason; to kill bacteria and algae growth.

The FDA's handbook on Mercury in cosmetics state:

"Mercury compounds are readily absorbed through the skin on topical application and tend to accumulate in the body. They may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxic manifestations. The use of mercury compounds as cosmetic ingredients is limited to eye area cosmetics at concentrations not exceeding 65 parts per million (0.0065 percent) of mercury calculated as the metal (about 100 ppm or 0.01 percent phenylmercuric acetate or nitrate) and provided no other effective and safe preservative is available for use."

Methylene chloride because of its animal carcinogenicity and likely hazard to human health. It is found in make up and other cosmetics. By the way, in the paint industry, it is used as a paint stripper! It is so powerful, when applied to your car, it will melt off dozens of layers of urethane paint!

Zirconium-containing complexes in aerosol cosmetic products because of their toxic effect on lungs, including granulomas. We use it as a paint film drying agent for enamel paints. It is now more understandable why the Chinese tainted dog food with melamine? Melamine is EPOXY CATALYST! However, like many chemicals, it is found in many products, so why not dog food!

Coal Tar Dye (which is usually listed as D&C Blue #1, Green #3, Yellow#5, Yellow #6, Red #33, or phenylenediamine) is found in shampoos and hair dyes and in some make up. It can cause severe allergic reactions, headaches, asthma attacks, fatigue and increased risk of lymphoma and multiple myelonma. In the paint indusrty, we make coal-tar epoxy epoxy and urethane primers to coat the bottom of ships! We use Titanium DiOxide (white pigment) from Dupont to make our resin white (i.e: WHITE PAINT). TiO2, as it is known in the industry is in make up, toothpaste and even food coloring! It is considered non-toxic however. We use coal carbon to make black paint. Coal carbon is black carbon from burnt coal and we mill it into the black paste that become the additive used to make our resin into black paint! Carbon Black is also used in the make up industry, eyeliner and colorants in YOUR FOOD!

Mineral oil is a petroleum by-product that clogs pores, worsens acne and slows down skin regeneration. It can cause premature aging and coats the skin so that it cannot eliminate toxins. It is in many products, including baby oil,because it is extremely cheap. Paint companies (not Tamco by the way) use it to cheapen their paints! Large, well known companies buy mineral oil as a cheap form of resin. Resins cost upwards to $4.00 per pound, whereas mineral oil can be bought as cheap as 15 cents per pound. It will thicken paint, but leaves within 30 days of application! It's bad for your face and bad for your paint!

Aluminum is found in most anti-perspirants. It blocks pores so sweat can not escape the skin. It has been linked to Alzheimer\'s Disease. We use it to make metallic that when added to clear resin, come the metallic color on your car!

Bismuth Oxychloride is a by product of iron mining. It is used in some mineral make ups. It is a large molecule and can clog pores, cause stinging and skin irritation and increase break outs in people with sensitive skin. Some cheap primers also use it.

So as you can see. Make up and automotive paint are very similar. One you apply to your face, which connects to your ORGANS and one is applied to your boat or car. Can you guess which is regulated most by the EPA? Hint, it isn't your makeup!

source:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/183387/what_makes_up_your_makeup_know_whats.html

Looking for safer make up? Try these sites:

http://www.bareminerals.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BareMinerals-Site/default/Page-Show?cid=%231Mineral_Makeup

http://www.inspiredliving.com/organic/cosmetics/

http://www.healthyhome.net/cosmetics.htm

http://www.toxicfreelegacy.org/safecosmetics/forums_Nov06.html

http://www.bestorganicsforhealth.com/

http://www.ecomall.com/biz/natural.htm

http://www.articlesbase.com/cosmetics-articles/whats-hiding-in-your-bathroom-toxic-free-skin-care-solutions-102829.html

Cosmetics Safety: What's in Your Makeup Bag?

Environmentalists warn the average woman's makeup bag is a time bomb waiting to explode with serious health consequences. The cosmetic industry and the FDA say there's nothing to fear.

By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

It's hard to ignore the headlines: The safety of cosmetics and personal care items is clearly being challenged on many levels.

To hear any well-versed environmentalist tell it, women are being set up for the health hit of a lifetime. The weapon of mass destruction: Our cute little cosmetic bags, filled to the brim with what some believe is a toxic chemical brew that could cause serious health harm.

More.........

The Black Horse of Plague

How to Protect Yourself from Pandemic Flu
By Cliff Montgomery, Secrets Of Survival

Are you prepared for the predicted flu pandemic? This article will help you understand the different flu types and how to protect yourself (when possible).

Influenza Term Definitions:

Seasonal (or Common) Flu - A respiratory illness which can be transmitted to other people. Most individuals have some immunity, and a vaccine is available.

Avian (or Bird) Flu (AI - Influenza virus which occurs naturally among wild birds. Low pathogenic AI is commonly found in birds, and causes few problems.

H5N1 - Highly pathogenic flu which is deadly to domestic fowl, and can be transmitted from birds to humans. Currently, there is no human immunity and no vaccine is available.

Pandemic Flu -Virulent human flu which causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can easily spread from person to person. Currently, there is no pandemic flu.

A fine government Web site on this subject is: Pandemicflu.gov. Especially good is the Individuals & family planning page. Most of the information from this article can be found at this site.

The best forms of protection against a pandemic are community strategies which delay or reduce its impact. Often called non-pharmaceutical interventions, such strategies may help reduce the pandemic until a vaccine is available.

As you plan, it is important to think about the challenges which you may face, particularly if a pandemic is severe. Below we cover some situations which may be caused by a severe pandemic, and ways to address them.

Possible Social Disruption

— Plan for the possibility that regular services--such as those provided by hospitals and other health care facilities, banks, stores, restaurants, government offices, and post offices--may be disrupted.

— Prepare backup plans in case regular public gatherings are canceled.

— Consider how to care for people with special needs, in case the services they require are no longer available.

Disruption of Work Routine

— Ask your employer if you may work from home.

— Ask your employer how business may continue during a pandemic. (See Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist.

— Plan for a possible reduction--or temporary loss--of income if you are unable to work, or the business you work for is closed.

— Ask your employer or union about leave policies during a pandemic.

Hygiene

Another matter which may seem a bit of "common sense", but deserves mention: Take steps to limit the spread of germs by making good hygiene a habit.

— Wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

— Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing.

— Put used tissues in a waste basket.

— Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don't have a tissue.

— Don't be a hero; stay at home if you are sick.

Prepare!

Stock supplies of water, as well as food that doesn't easily spoil; during a pandemic you may not be able to find an open store with supplies. Also, remember that public waterworks services may be interrupted.

Make sure to store foods that:

— are non-perishable (will keep for a long time) and don't require refrigeration

— do not require cooking, in case you are unable to cook

— require little or no water, so you can conserve water for drinking

Stocking supplies can also be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters. Make a checklist of items to have on hand for a long forced stay at home.

Stay Informed

Knowing the facts is the best preparation for any pandemic. Identify trustworthy sources for reliable information.

— Reliable, accurate, and up-to-date information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov.

— Another source for information on pandemics is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). This line isavailable in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY: 1-888-232-6348. Questions can be e-mailed to cdcinfo@cdc.gov.

— Also look for information on your local and state government Web sites. Find available links to each state's public health department at www.cdc.gov/other.htm#states

— Listen to local and national radio, watch news reports on television, and check your newspaper and other reliable sources of printed and Web-based information.

Sleep Disorders

Too little or too much shuteye packs on pounds

Hours in the sack may have more to do with your weight than hours in the gym, finds a new study that shows too little – or too much – shuteye is a major factor in obesity. full story

Kosher Foods Are a Booming Business

By JULIE WIENER
For The Associated Press

Posted: Mar. 28, 2008
Updated: Today at 11:55 a.m.

Keeping kosher is a lot easier than it used to be.

It's not that the Jewish dietary laws have changed. Pork and shellfish remain verboten, while meat and dairy - and the utensils that touch them - still must be kept strictly segregated.

Rather, thanks to recent dramatic growth of the kosher foods industry, consumers who follow these religious strictures now can dine on an array of products observant Jews just a generation ago would have marveled at.

I thought cigarettes caused cancer?

source: http://www.wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=62323

You hear all the time about the dangers of smoking. The smoking horror stories have frightened some people to the point where if they see someone smoking they turn and run in terror from fear that second hand smoke will give them cancer instantly if they even get near a lit cigarette.

Winnie Langley has been smoking since she was a 7-year-old and has just celebrated her 100th birthday. 100-year-old woman, smoking since she was 7-year-old, where’s the cancer?

An iron-lunged pensioner has celebrated her 100th birthday by lighting up her 170,000th cigarette from a candle on her birthday cake.

Winnie Langley started smoking only days after the First World War broke out in June 1914 when she was just seven-years-old - and has got through five a day ever since.

She has no intention of quitting, even after the nationwide ban forced tobacco-lovers outside.

Speaking at her 100th birthday party Winnie said: “I have smoked ever since infant school and I have never thought about quitting. There were not all the the health warnings like there are today when I started. It was the done thing.”

Winnie, from Croydon, South London, claims tobacco has never made her ill.

Winnie Langley goes on to say that she started smoking before World War One to help calm her nerves.

Are Smoking Related Illnesses Psychosomatic?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating smoking and I do not believe that smoking has no adverse side effects on your health. I believe many of the negative health problems of smokers are psychosomatic. Years and years of relentless negative propaganda about how cigarettes will kill you cause people to believe since they are smokers they are going to grow giant tumors in their lungs and drop dead at any moment.

Apples, apple juice may help keep colon cancer at bay

Listening to your mother and eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away seems to be a really good idea, for a new study has found that apple pectin and apple juice extracts have anticarcinogenic effects on the colon.

Washington, Mar 27 : Listening to your mother and eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away seems to be a really good idea, for a new study has found that apple pectin and apple juice extracts have anticarcinogenic effects on the colon.

German researchers led by Dr. Dieter Schrenk found that apples and apple juice enhance biological mechanisms that produce anticarcinogenic compounds during the fermentation process.

The researchers believe that the presence of apple pectin and apple juice extracts increase the presence of the compound butyrate which is believed to be a chemopreventative metabolite that might prevent the occurrence of colorectal cancer.

Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid that, the research states, "not only serves as a major nutrient for the colon epithelia but is also thought to play an important role in the protective effect of natural fiber against colorectal cancer."

Dr Schrenk and his colleagues conducted laboratory tests in which they found that by the increased production of butyrate via the addition of apple components, histone deacetlyases (HDAC) were inhibited.

With slowed production of HDAC, there would be significantly less growth of precancerous and tumour cells.

The researchers therefore noted: "Apples are a major source of natural fiber and of low molecular weight plan polyphenols in the Western diet. Pectin-rich apple products can thus be expected to exert anticarginogenic effects in the colon."

The research is published in the April 2008 issue of Nutrition.

source:www.andhranews.net

Delicate decision: To circumcise or not?

As the practice grows less common in the U.S., parents weigh the medical, social and religious pros and cons. Security blanket

By Marnell Jameson | Special to The Times

March 31, 2008

FOR nearly all of Nada Mouallem's pregnancy, she and her husband, Tony, had a running argument. She wanted to have their son circumcised. He didn't. "Many days, I'd go off and research all the pros. He'd go and research all the cons. Then we'd get together at night and fight," she says.

Arguments about circumcision often polarize today's parents. The procedure, dating to ancient Egypt, is -- in simple terms -- the removal of the foreskin, the piece of skin that surrounds the tip of the penis. But imbued in that small piece of skin are passionate opinions on sex, money, religion, tradition, health, hygiene, human rights and locker room pressure.

Parents of baby boys have to weigh all those factors.

Forty years ago, when almost every male born in this country was circumcised, the decision was easier. In 1965, 85% of boys born in the United States were circumcised, so parents followed the crowd.

Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking'

Brain expert warns of huge rise in tumours and calls on industry to take immediate steps to reduce radiation

Young people are at particular risk from exposure to radiation