9/16/08

Soy - Not A Healthy Food

These days, who doesn't know about soy and what a wonderful healthy food it is. Unfortunately, we've all been duped by a self-serving industry once again. Soy is not the healthy, friendly food as some would like us to believe.

What truly is terrible is that loving parents believe soy is safe enough for their infants consumption and use it in their formulas. Every effort should be made to breast feed. To date, there is not a single man-made product that is as nutritious and complete as mother's milk. Mom even tailors her milk to her child which is something no pharmaceutical company - who often makes formula - is capable of doing! (For mothers who have difficulty initiating lactation, often chiropractic adjustments in the mid-thoracic spine can been of help).

Here's a very complete article detailing the harms of soy.

Bisphenol-A

Bisphenol-A is a chemical commonly used in the hardening of plastics. It is also used as a liner of many canned items. This chemical definitely leaches out of these containers and into your food and water. Even the plastic industry doesn't deny that.

Potential harmful effects of bisphenol-A are associated with estrogen and thus reproduction. Higher than average levels were associated with women who had multiple miscarriages. There are links to ovarian dysfunction. Mice have been shown to have altered mammillary glands. Most horrific, due to the powerful effects of estrogen on a developing fetus, a myriad of disturbances could occur.

With all the media coverage reporting conflicting results of the latest study, the American public has a right to be confused. However, you should be aware that ALL industry funded research (a total of 11) showed no harmful effects of BPA. However, 90% of the 104 government funded research showed that BPA did have harmful effects. Despite this, the government has (yet again) sided with industry and ruled that BPA is not dangerous enough to take action.

Recent research indicates that BPA also has implications in the development of diabetes. Those who already have a genetic predisposition to developing diabetes and who further encourage the development by leading sedentary lives could be literally pushed over the edge. In case you weren't aware, diabetes is a growing epidemic in the US. We don't really need any more help in the development of this disease.

So what's a person to do? I personally think it's best to air on the side of caution. We are constantly exposed to chemicals every second of every day, and should do our best to limit where we can. Eat fresh organic vegetables and fruits, and when that's not possible consume frozen opposed to canned - they tend to have more nutrients due to immediate flash freezing anyhow. Trade in those cool Nalgene (marked with #7 on the bottom) bottles for the ultra trendy aluminum bottles. SIGG produces these bottles, however they tend to be quite $$$, at least for my student loan budget. A glass juice bottle will work just as well, and it's easy recycling. Baby bottles also contain BPA, and when washed in the dishwasher, the plastic degrades faster and more BPA is released. Glass baby bottles can also be purchased, and because that has BAD IDEA written all over it, silicone sleeves can be used. This makes it easier to grip and virtually unbreakable. I personally used these with my son and never had a problem. Also, look for plastics marked with a #5, these have less leaching capacity.

Further, it's reported that hot liquids also hasten the breakdown of these plastics and further increase the release of BPA.

Here's a great article on plastics in general that also covers BPA.

Lastly, while the FDA continues to mull over the safety of BPA, let's remember this is the same group who said Vioxx was safe and could not cause death...a ruling that resulted in the deaths of at least 44,000 Americans.



9/4/08

Get up and MOVE

MSNBC.com reports today that nearly half of US adults will develop osteoarthritis in their knees. This is mostly because so many American are overweight and the increased weight adds extra stress to this already vulnerable joint. Right now, the only "cure" is knee replacement surgery.

Also reported today, the FDA is strengthening its warnings on 4, count 'em, FOUR arthritis drugs. These drugs are linked to increased fatal FUNGAL infections. I need to admit that these drugs are really for rheumatoid arthritis, not osteoarthritis, but there's really little difference in terms of the dangerous risks associated with any drug.

What's NOT in the news today is that osteoarthritis can be PREVENTED!! Therefore avoiding fungal infection-allowing drugs and dangerous surgery (see my Death By Medicine post).

Osteoarthritis can be prevented by MOVEMENT aka exercise. This is probably not what you would think, but study after study has shown that those who exercise are less likely to develop osteoarthritis. Also, exercise will help you maintain and healthy weight, decreasing the stress placed on those knees.

Furthermore, knees too can be subluxated, just like the spine. Subluxations alter the motion of joints, including knees and thus can lead to arthritis. The only profession in the world who can treat subluxations are chiropractors. Clearly, we are NOT just back doctors.

Additionally, chiropractors are experts in healthy living - which includes diet and exercise, so they can also help you improve your diet and get started on a great exercise routine. Both great ways at reducing weight and avoiding arthritis, as well as a myriad of other dis-eases.

9/2/08

High Fructose Corn Syrup

As I was trying to enjoy one of the few free afternoons I've had recently, and surely one of the last I'll have in the upcoming months, something outrageous caught my attention on tv.  A commercial portraying a young couple enjoying a romantic picnic together.  The girl offers the boy a popsicle or something similar and the boy answers something to the effect of "but doesn't that contain high fructose corn syrup?" and the girl says something about it's no different than sucrose.  That's probably not EXACTLY how the script went, but the message was simple.  High fructose corn syrup is not bad.  

I've not heard a bigger lie in ages!!  This is not only immoral, but should be illegal!!!  No wonder the American public is grossly obese!!  Blatant falsehoods are being advertised to the public.  The average American doesn't stand a chance.

But, we can overcome this.  We just need to use some detective work and critical thinking skills.

1.)  Go to the website - sweetsurprise.com (how pleasant and harmless) and scroll to the bottom.  Left hand corner - blink and you'll miss it: Corn Refiners Association.  Who do you think will make the most money off the increased consumption of high fructose CORN syrup?

2.) Okay, okay!  While you were at the website, I know you couldn't help yourself.  You quickly perused the links and noticed phrases like "research shows" followed by some positive comment.  Start investigating the listed sources and you'll note some interesting findings - which could be construed as conflicts of interest.  Additionally, in general, more than half of studies show favorable results for those who fund it...when the same study is repeated by a non-affiliated group, less favorable results tend to be produced...

3.)  "But the FDA is listed too!!  They say it's good!!"  An excellent book, Food Politics, written by Marion Nestle will show you how worthless an FDA endorsement is.  Too often, CEOs of big companies/organizations like the Corn Refiners Association get jobs within the FDA or vice versa.  Who are they looking out for?  Themselves or you?  Fat chance.  Additionally, the FDA is government related, and easily influenced by lobbying tactics.  Oh, and the FDA gave its stamp of approval to Vioxx.

4.)  AMA - American Medical Association.  Pshh... Where do obese sick people go for help?  Hospitals.  Medicine.  What if people didn't consume high fructose corn syrup?  Would we continue to gain weight at astounding rates?  Would we develop diabetes and need insulin?  Would we need bariatric surgery?  What would hospitals and the AMA do then?  More importantly, what would the pharmaceutical companies do???

5.) Google "high fructose corn syrup."  Nearly a million hits in 0.16 seconds.  Definitely more than half, probably at least 97% of those hits discuss the negatives.  Including the Mayo Clinic and American Diabetes Association.  

High fructose corn syrup IS bad.  Period.  Nothing containing this nasty ingredient offers much nutritional value, i.e. vitamins and minerals.  It's empty calories.  But I'll save that for another post.  What's really important here is advertising.  We're obviously not protected from companies/organizations telling us blatant lies.  So it's up to us to protect ourselves, and sift through the crap to see who really stands to benefit.