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DOES YOUR MOBILE PHONE SIZZLE YOUR BRAIN??

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Mobile phone users may be at increased risk from brain cancer and should use texting and hands-free devices to reduce exposure, the World Health Organisation’s cancer experts say.

Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields generated by such devices are “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced at the end of an eight-day meeting in Lyon, France.

Mobile phones ... a cancer risk.Mobile phones … a cancer risk. Photo: Jim Rice

Experts “reached this classification based on review of the human evidence coming from epidemiological studies”, pointing to an increased incidence of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, Jonathan Samet, president of the work group said.

Two studies in particular, the largest conducted over the last decade, showed a higher risk “in those that had the most intensive use of such phones”, he said in a telephone news conference.

Some individuals tracked in the studies had used their phones for an average of 30 minutes per day over a period of 10 years.

“We simply don’t know what might happen as people use their phones over longer time periods, possibly over a lifetime,” Samet said.

About 5 billion mobile phones are registered in the world. The number of phones and the average time spent using them have both climbed steadily in recent years.

The IARC cautioned that current scientific evidence showed only a possible link, not a proven one, between wireless devices and cancers.

“There is some evidence of increased risk of glioma” and another form of non-malignant tumour called acoustic neuroma, said Kurt Straif, the scientist in charge of editing the IARC reports on potentially carcinogenic agents.

“But it is not at the moment clearly established that the use of mobile phones does in fact cause cancer in humans,” he said.

The IARC does not issue formal recommendations, but experts pointed to a number of ways consumers can reduce risk.

“What probably entails some of the highest exposure is using your mobile for voice calls,” Straif said.

“If you use it for texting, or as a hands-free set for voice calls, this is clearly lowering the exposure by at least an order of magnitude,” or by tenfold, he said.

A year ago the IARC concluded that there was no link between mobile phones and brain cancer, but that earlier report was criticised as based on data that was out of date.

The new review, conducted by a panel of 31 scientists from 14 countries, was reached on the basis of a “full consensus”, said Robert Baan, in charge of the written report, yet to be released.

“This is the first scientific evaluation of all the literature published on the topic with regard to increased risk of cancer,” he said.

But the panel stressed the need for more research, pointing to incomplete data, evolving technology and changing consumer habits.

“There’s an improvement in the technology in terms of lower emissions but at the same time we see increased use, so it is hard to know how the two balance out,” Baan noted.

The IARC ranks potentially cancer-causing elements as carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic or “probably not carcinogenic”. It can also determine that a material is “not classifiable”.

Cigarettes, sun beds and asbestos, for example, fall in “Group 1″, the top threat category.

Mobile phones now join glass wool and petrol exhaust in Group 2B as “possibly carcinogenic”.

Industry groups reacted cautiously, pointing to other common consumer items – including coffee and vegetables pickled in chemicals – that are included in the same category.

“In France, the health ministry already applies a precautionary approach to mobile phones because it considers that no danger has been established, that doubts remain and, thus, that more research is needed,” the French Federation of Telecoms said in a statement.

Some consumer advocacy groups said the new classification was overdue.

“As of today, no one can say the risk does not exist, and now everyone – politicians, telecoms, employers, consumers and parents – have to take this into account,” said Janine Le Calvez, head of PRIARTEM, a consumer advocacy group concerned with mobile phone safety.

AFP

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

WHY DO DWARFS GET FEW CASES OF CANCER? SEE HERE WHY…

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Little people secret

that might save

big problems of

diabetes, cancer

Nicky Phillips

February 18, 2011

Then and now ... members of the group of 99 Ecuadorians with dwarfism who took part in a 22-year study, pictured at the start of the study in 1988, above, and in 2009.
Then and now … members of the group of 99 Ecuadorians with dwarfism who took part in a 22-year study, pictured at the start of the study in 1988, above, and in 2009.

A GROUP with dwarfism from a province in Ecuador could hold clues to preventing cancer.

Of the 99 individuals, who are in perfect proportion except for a genetic mutation that stunts their growth, only one developed cancer during a 22-year study.

Scientists researching the group believe this growth mutation is the key to their disease immunity, and suggest drugs could give a similar degree of protection to full-grown adults.

An Ecuadorian endocrinologist and co-author of the study, Jaime Guevara-Aguirre, said researchers first noticed the lack of chronic disease in the community while they were investigating their growth defect.

”[We] were more in search of problems than solutions,” he said.

After more than two decades of following those with Laron dwarfism, which is caused by a mutation in their growth hormone receptor gene, Dr Guevara-Aguirre and his American colleague Valter Longo found no cases of diabetes and only one non-lethal case of cancer.

When they looked at the group’s normal-sized relatives, who lived in the same town over the same period, around17 per cent had been diagnosed with cancer and 5 per cent had diabetes – the same rate found among other Ecuadorian adults.

The researchers concluded that growth hormone must have a downside in normal size adults. ”The growth hormone receptor-deficient people don’t get two of the major diseases of ageing,” said Associate Professor Longo, a biologist at the University of Southern California.

To understand how this mutation could protect against cancer and diabetes, the researchers studied the effects of compounds in the participants’ blood.

They found low levels of IGF-1 could reduce DNA damage and promote cell death when DNA damage did occur – two processes that decrease cancer-promoting behaviour in cells.

The Laron group also had lower blood insulin levels, which accounted for the absence of diabetes.

People with Loran dwarfism were instead more likely to die from accidents, cardiovascular disease or alcohol-related causes, the researchers found.

Drugs that reduce growth hormone are readily available and are used to treat people with gigantism. The risks and benefits of giving adults these or similar drugs to reduce growth hormones would need to be weighed up against the side-effects of drugs used to treat diabetes and cancer, said Professor Longo, whose findings are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


LAYOFF THE PAIN KILLERS AND SAY GOODBYE TO HEART ATTACKS & STROKES

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Popular painkillers linked to heart and stroke risk

Feelin’ lucky? Then go ahead – pop that painkiller.

But you’d better hope that today’s not the day your luck finally runs out, because some of the most commonly used pain meds carry a major death risk.

The drugs are those nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories used by millions for everything from arthritis to headaches to back pain. And now, researchers say they can double, triple, and even quadruple your odds of heart attack, stroke, and an early death.

Swiss researchers looked at data from 31 “gold-standard” trials that included 116,429 patients, and found that ibuprofen – a med probably in your own home right now – can triple the risk of stroke.

And diclofenac, a widely used generic prescription NSAID, can quadruple the risk of death from heart attack and stroke.

These problems aren’t rare by any stretch. In fact, the researchers say that for every 25 to 50 patients who take NSAIDs for a year, there will be one extra heart attack or stroke.

That’s overall.

But they also believe that patients who already have heart problems could face a much higher risk when they pop those pills – like the millions of seniors who battle both heart disease and arthritis.

The researchers found naproxen (aka Aleve) to be the “safest” of the NSAIDs, but don’t kid yourself – “safest” doesn’t mean “safe.” All painkillers carry risk – and regular use of any NSAID can lead to bleeding problems, ulcers, and more.

And that means you need to be careful with how – and how often – you use these things, no matter how old you are or what risks you face.

If you need one from time to time, you need one – and I won’t stand in your way.

But if you’re taking one of these things regularly, there’s clearly something else going on – and you and your doc need to get to the bottom of it.

If you go looking for that answer at the bottom of a painkiller jar, you could find yourself at the bottom of a grave.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


KOALA BEAR SURVIVES MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS BUT MAY YET DIE FROM LEAD POISONING

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

Lead poisoning may now kill off Frodo

Kym Agius

November 20, 2010

A baby koala fights for life after being shot.Baby koala Frodo fights for life after being shot. Photo: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors

Veterinarians fear a baby koala that survived a gunshot will succumb to lead poisoning.

The joey, named Frodo, was found on November 5 in Kenilworth, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with 15 shotgun pellets lodged in her head and body, an Australia Zoo spokeswoman said.

Frodo’s skull was fractured and her stomach and intestines damaged in the attack.

She underwent two operations, but eight pellets are still lodged in her body.

Doctor Amber Gillett from the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital said some of the pellets were lodged in Frodo’s stomach and intestinal tract which they feared would lead to toxicity.

“The lead pellets are still a concern, although at this stage there is no evidence that poisoning has occurred, it is still our highest priority and will continue to be monitored,” Dr Gillett said.

Dr Gillett, who operated on Frodo, said the pellets were too hard to reach and won’t be operated on at this stage.

“I think we will leave them to see if they pass,” she said.

“If they don’t pass then she will go on treatment to prevent toxicity.”

The other pellets lodged in Frodo’s body are superficial and won’t cause any problems.

Despite the poisoning fears, Dr Gillett said Frodo was making good progress, and was even eating eucalyptus leaves on her own.

She also enjoys an enclosure with another baby koala, and the two often play.

“She’s climbing around the trees, looking like a normal koala now,” Dr Gillett said.

“She has a real fighting spirit in her.”

“Frodo is a very alert little girl and has been moving around freely by herself.”

She is expected to remain in care for a minimum of six to eight months or until she has reached pre-release size of four kilograms.

“Our aim is to get her back into the wild. She came in as a wild koala and as the law states, they need to be returned to the wild,” Dr Gillett said.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

IF YOU DO NOT WNAT DIABETES THEN AVOID THESE FOODS & DRINKS

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

WHAT FOODS & DRINKS NOT TO HAVE TO AVOID DIABETES

Diabetes is one of the biggest health concerns today. The therapies used today in order to cure diabetes are limited to helping the body maintain a healthy sugar level. The most commonly known treatment is the injection of insulin to the body in order to supplement the naturally supplied insulin from the pancreas and to stimulate the cells’ response to the substance. Note that insulin is a very important hormone that helps in the metabolism and balance of sugar in the body.

The approach to treating diabetes may depend on which type a person’s case falls under. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas responsible for producing insulin. It can be triggered by genetic markers but environment factors like diet and viruses can also cause the onset of type 1 diabetes. Insulin-dependent diabetes, as it was previously called, usually happens in people aged 40 or below and will require the injection of insulin several times in a day.

Type 2 or late-onset diabetes happens when the body cells have become resistant to insulin. This is also accompanied with the insufficient production of insulin. People with a family history of type 2 diabetes have higher risk of developing the disease as well. But studies have shown that a person’s lifestyle have great influence over the disease; it can also work the other way around and reduce a person’s risk despite being genetically predisposed.

The usual aphorism for the fight against any disease is “prevention is better than cure.” And nothing can have as much value as avoiding the things in terms of diet that may lead to an increased risk of developing diseases. Specific types of foods and habits have been linked to the development of diabetes. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that drinking sweetened-beverages increases the risk of diabetes by 26 percent.

Sweetened Drinks Can Increase Diabetes Risk

A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed the data from 11 earlier studies on diabetes risk. The reports contain information from over 320,000 study participants and it gave the researchers an opportunity to look at the issue from higher grounds. Vasanti Malik, one of the researchers, said that drinking beverages with artificial sweeteners have been consistently linked to metabolic syndromes and the development of diabetes in the different studies that they analyzed. They included drinking vitamin and energy drinks, iced tea, fruit drinks, and soft drinks in their study while removing pure fruit juices with no added artificial sweeteners from the list. Some examples of risk factors for metabolic syndromes are increased waist size, low good cholesterol levels, high triglycerides, increased blood sugar levels, and high blood pressure. All these metabolic abnormalities increase diabetes risk.

Malik said that, through the massive information that they have gathered from the previous studies, they were able to look at the bigger picture and found consistent evidence. They were able to summarize the studies and have found an average measurement on the link between drinking sweetened beverages and diabetes risk. According to their analysis, people who habitually drinks sweetened drinks with approximately 1 to 2 sweetened beverages in a day have 20 percent higher risk of developing metabolic syndromes and 26 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the people who only drank the beverage at least once a month or those who totally do not. The study on diabetes included 310,819 participants of which 15,043 had diabetes, while the study on metabolic syndromes had more than 19,400 participants with over 5,800 cases of metabolic syndromes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, over 18 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes and most of them have type 2 diabetes where the body fails to produce sufficient insulin and at the same time fails to respond to it properly. There are several factors that affect the risk of developing diabetes. These include age, weight, ethnicity and family history. The association between drinking artificially sweetened beverages and diabetes lies in the factor of excessive weight gain according to the researchers. This can also lead to the rapid increase in blood sugar and the accumulation of insulin in the blood which promotes insulin resistance in the cells. They added that the study is dedicated to measuring the relations between sweetened beverage and diabetes, and not to establish causation.

Foods to Avoid

The list of foods that a person with diabetes needs to avoid may go all the way down to the food we love eating the most. And the ingredient that one needs to look for before putting something in the shopping cart is sugar, red meat and saturated fat. Common white sugar, for one, is refined sucrose. It is derived from refining cane juice and removing minerals, protein and fiber. Its ability to be easily absorbed into the blood stream without digestion makes it the worst food for people with diabetes. When a person eats white sugar, his blood sugar levels immediately rises. People with efficient insulin production may not have to worry about it. But people with diabetes can experience hypoglycemia, loss of consciousness, insomnia, dizziness and depression.

The intake of excessive saturated fats may lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases in people with diabetes. Foods with high saturated fats are cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil and red meat. Trans-fatty acids from hydrogenated products like margarine can increase not only the risk of diabetes but also heart diseases and even cancer. Trans-fat can also affect the lining of the arteries and result to a 53 percent higher risk of heart attack compared to people who have little or no consumption of the fat. White breads and other products made from white flour needs to be avoided by people with diabetes. White flour is known to contain alloxan which destroys the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin. It causes genetic damage to beta cells and causes them to malfunction and die.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


CHILLIE PEPPERS & SKIN CANCER LINKS

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Capsaicin Can Act as Co-Carcinogen,

Study Finds; Chili Pepper Component

Linked to Skin Cancer

Science (Sep. 3, 2010) — A study in the journal Cancer Research by researchers at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, the new research has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies.


Ann Bode, professor in the institute’s Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Section, led the research team on this study along with colleagues Mun Kyung Hwang and Zigang Dong.

Capsaicin, widely consumed worldwide in foods that contain chili peppers, is also used in topical creams for pain relief and its role in cancer development is controversial. Capsaicin has been shown to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. However, research findings have also shown that it can also act as a carcinogen, especially at the tumor promotion stage.

Bode says the possibility that capsaicin induces inflammation and may affect cancer development is a critical result of the study. “Most notably, the results raise concerns that a natural compound found in hot peppers used in over-the-counter topical pain remedies might increase skin cancer risk,” Bode says.

The study’s key findings include:

  • The co-carcinogenic effect of capsaicin appears to be mediated through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and not the transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1), a known pain receptor.
  • Topical application of capsaicin on the dorsal skin of wildtype or TRPV1 knockout mice induced tumors in both types but more and larger skin tumors in the knockout mice.
  • A known inflammatory enzyme, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was highly elevated following treatment with capsaicin.

Other researchers working with Bode on this study included Sanguine Byun, Nu Ry Song, Hyong Joo Lee and Ki Won Lee.

Funding for this research was provided by The Hormel Foundation, National Cancer Institute and the Korean Research Foundation.

Editor’s Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


CIGARETTES,CHINA AND HEAVY METALS

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

High amounts of heavy metals found in China tobacco


By Tan Ee LynPosted 2010/10/07 at 7:55 am EDT

HONG KONG, Oct. 7, 2010 (Reuters) — Some Chinese cigarettes contain amounts of lead, arsenic and cadmium that are three times higher than levels found in Canadian cigarettes, a study has found.


While consuming such heavy metals is widely known to be harmful to health, there is little research done so far about their impact when inhaled into the body.

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Tobacco Control on Thursday, said more investigation was needed.

“While the per-stick levels of metals are what we measured, the real issue is repeated exposure. Smokers don’t smoke just one cigarette, but 20 or so a day every day for years because cigarettes are addictive,” wrote lead author Richard O’Connor of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.

“These metals get into smokers along with a cocktail of other toxicants. The effect of cumulative exposure to multiple toxicants, including metals, is the public health question that needs to be sorted out.”

The researchers used Canadian cigarettes for comparison in their study because Canadian manufacturers and importers are required to test for metals content in tobacco, and Health Canada, the country’s public health agency, recently released data concerning this.

China has more than 320 million smokers and a million Chinese in the country die each year from tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking has been causally linked to hypertension, stroke, diabetes, cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, among others.

China has the world’s largest smoking population and is also the biggest producer of tobacco, manufacturing 2.16 trillion cigarettes in 2007, according to the Tobacco Atlas.

O’Connor and colleagues analyzed 78 varieties of popular Chinese cigarette brands and found significantly elevated levels of heavy metals, with some containing three times the levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic compared with Canadian cigarettes.

“The higher yields of cadmium and lead in cigarettes manufactured in China are worrisome given current smoking prevalence in China and China National Tobacco Company’s export ambitions,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

A member of the team, Geoffrey Fong from the University of Waterloo in Canada, said the heavy metals content was due to contaminated soil.

“Tobacco like other crops absorbs minerals and other things from the soil, so if the soil has cadium, lead or arsenic, they will be absorbed into the tobacco,” Fong said.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

DRUG WORKS FOR DIABETES BUT CAN KILL YOU IN OTHER WAYS

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

ACTOS DRUG FOR DIABETES HAS SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS ON THE BODY

DIABETES IS A CURABLE DISEASE IT IS SAID – TRUE OR FALSE?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a review regarding the long term adverse effects of Diabetes drug Actos to the body. According to the study, data acquired from patients taking Actos has shown more risk of getting bladder cancer. The extended consumption of the drug has shown significance in affecting a person’s susceptibility to bladder cancer.

The presence of unwanted side effects has been one of the primary issues surrounding the use of diabetes pharmaceutical drugs. Another diabetes drug, Avandia, has also been subjected to several debates by health professionals and FDA experts regarding its overwhelming side effects, including the increase of heart failure risk. But the lack of other quality options proven curative or beneficial to controlling diabetes keeps these drugs, including Actos, in the market.

FDA has yet to conduct further studies regarding Actos and its potential influence over bladder cancer risk.  The results may spell the difference between getting the red light, or the green light, with regards to consumption. However, early human and animal studies had linked Actos to the condition.  In fact, the agency had required Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Actos, to conduct their own study regarding the potential risks brought about by the prolonged use of the drug, especially its influence over bladder cancer. The study is expected to last for 10 years.  Results on its 5th year reveals that intake of the drug did not show increased risk of getting bladder cancer. But when the researchers focused on the patients who had taken the highest dosage of the drug in their lifetime, a significant increase in bladder cancer risk was apparent. The increase in risk was observed in patients who had taken the drug for at least 24 months.

In their published statement, the FDA refused to assure the public that Actos increases the risk of bladder cancer. They advised patients who are taking Actos as a maintenance drug to stop taking the drug and seek consultation from their physicians or a medical professional for alternative ways to control their diabetes, especially if they are finding Actos an unsuitable option, and if they have been experiencing the probable onset of the proposed side effect.

A Closer Look at Diabetes

Diabetes of Diabetes Mellitus with an international symbol of a blue circle is not just one disease but is actually a group of metabolic diseases wherein the person’s body has high blood sugar levels. This is either caused by the body’s reduced capacity to produce insulin or the cells’ incapacitation to respond to insulin in controlling the body’s sugar level.

The usual symptoms of increased sugar levels in the body are increased thirst or polydipsia; frequent urination or polyuria; and increased hunger or polyphagia. The three classifications of diabetes are related to the reasons for the increased sugar level in the person’s body:

  • type 1 diabetes is when the person’s body is producing less insulin than what the body needs;
  • type 2 diabetes is when the cells in the person’s cells fail to respond to the insulin hormone that the body produces;
  • Type 3 diabetes is a special case in pregnant women who experience increased sugar levels during pregnancy.

Natural Methods of Preventing and Controlling Diabetes

Compounds that have been scientifically proven to contain curative and preventative qualities against chronic and degenerative diseases have been discovered to be found in natural sources like fruits and vegetables. People are beginning to be more aware and are now more open to the natural methods of preventing and curing diseases due to the overwhelming side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs to their bodies. In fact, most of the compounds used in pharmaceutical drugs are found in nature but the process and integration of other chemicals make the drugs harmful to the body. Medicines made entirely from natural substances have been flooding the market in synch with the rising demands for organic medicines. In the case of diabetes, the disease is finding powerful enemies in the form of innocent-looking fruits and plants.

Blueberries

There are many foods known to be potent against diabetes. A study conducted by Professor William Cefalu of the Center for the Study of Botanicals and Metabolic syndrome revealed that regular consumption of blueberries may increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Blueberry bioactives are thought to have positive effects in reinforcing the body’s sensitivity to insulin; thus, giving the cells more capacity to respond to the said hormone. The study consisted of a group of 32 obese individuals, who were insulin resistant but non-diabetic. The participants were asked to consume a smoothie containing blueberry bioactives for 6 weeks on a daily basis. 67 percent of the participants showed an increase of sensitivity to insulin by 10 percent while the rest of the group produced similar effects. Professor Cefalu also added that the study was the first of its kind to be conducted and the promising results will call for further research and experimentation.

Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd or bitter melon is a fruit endemic in Asian countries. It has unique bitter characteristics and has been proven to have high nutritional value. Clinical studies showed that bitter gourd contain compounds that are potentially effective in lowering concentrations of glucose in the body. The fruit’s protective properties such as the polypeptide-P and charantin act like insulin and supplement the insulin naturally produced by the body. The consumption of 50 to 60 milliliters of bitter gourd juice has shown positive effects in lowering down the body’s sugar level. Bitter gourd products have been an established supplement to insulin for diabetics.

Cinnamon

Incorporation of cinnamon to daily diet has shown benefits in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes; a condition where the cells are becoming tolerant to insulin. Cinnamon has been clinically proven to optimize the cell’s sugar consumption and half a teaspoon of cinnamon is the recommended daily dosage to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Healthy Diet and Exercise prevents Diabetes

What we put in our mouth and our lifestyle usually contribute to the diseases we develop. Diabetes can be effectively prevented through healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that diabetics usually have an unhealthy body mass index. The body’s blood sugar levels are primarily influenced by the food we eat and along with it, the lack of exercise is one of the reasons for the body’s failure to consume sugar properly.

Sources:
diabetes.webmd.com
diabetes.webmd.com
naturalhealthontheweb.com
suite101.com

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

WHAT IS BLOOD ? UNDERSTAND MUTIPLE MYELOMA

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
Understanding Multiple Myeloma – What is Blood?


Multiple myeloma is a cancer affecting plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell.

Blood is pumped around your body to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and take away waste products. It is made up of:

  • red cells — carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body
    Red cells
  • white cells — fight infection
    White cells
  • platelets — form clots to stop bleeding.
    Platelets

The different kinds of blood cells are made by the bone marrow (the spongy part in the centre of bones). The bone marrow contains stem cells, which are primitive blood cells that develop into either red cells, white cells or platelets. When a stem cell matures, in most cases it is released into the bloodstream.
Plasma cells, which are affected in multiple myeloma, are a type of white blood cell that normally remains in the bone marrow. They:

  • form part of the immune system
  • help fight infection by making proteins called antibodies, which attack bacteria and viruses that infect the body.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

YOUR RECEIPT IS POISONOUS MADAME

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Receipts covered in hormone-like chemical

Here’s a reality check for those of you who think you can avoid the toxic chemical bisphenol A: It turns out this toxic chemical has even been found in cash register receipts. That’s right: It’s not just cans and plastic bottles, friends – this poison is literally everywhere.

Researchers from the Environmental Working Group found this dangerous estrogen-like substance in 40 percent of receipts from places like Safeway, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, CVS, and KFC.

Even the hippy-friendly greenie paradise Whole Foods had BPA in its receipts. You just can’t trust anyone these days!

But if you think handling receipts with BPA is no big deal, think again. Swiss scientists say that two hours after exposure, 30 percent of the BPA from a receipt remained on the skin – and could no longer be washed away.

Nothing like a hormone boost with each purchase – and they don’t even charge extra for it.

Speaking of BPA, Duane wrote in to ask how to send a message to the government urging them to ban this toxic garbage. Here’s what you do, Duane: Write a letter and print it out. Don’t waste money on an envelope or a stamp – just run that letter right through your shredder.

That’s what the feds will do with it, because they don’t care about you or me. The dangers of BPA are well known and well documented – it’s been linked to everything from obesity and cardiovascular problems to reproductive harm and early puberty – and they’re deliberately ignoring all that evidence every single day they fail to act.

If you want to do something more productive with your time, get rid of everything that might contain BPA: Cans, bottles, jars with lids – if it doesn’t say “BPA free,” assume it’s BPA full.

There’s not much you can do about those receipts. I’d say leave them right there at the cash register, but in some places they’ll tackle you at the door if you don’t show a receipt on the way out. You might also need those receipts for warranties, returns and the taxman.

Does this mean gloves are mandatory

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


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