Are
Cell Phones Safe?
For the longest time the big question has been: Do cellphones cause cancer?
If you ask the FDA, FCC, or the CDC, you'll be told that the science is settled and they are safe.
But maybe they should hold the phone on that question. Because current research is telling us something entirely different.
Especially where our kids are concerned.
Now, a new study has come out with the strongest warning yet on cellphone use. And those who are in the greatest danger are the tiniest and most vulnerable ones of all.
A warning call
I can tell you we have enough knowledge that we cannot continue to experiment on our children."
That's what Dr. Devra Davis, founder of the Environmental Health Trust has to say about some just-out research on cellphones and kids. Dr. Davis came together with researchers from Harvard and Yale to present the findings at a pediatric conference in Baltimore.
And the bottom line is: If you're pregnant, keep that phone far away from your tummy.
You see, our government may claim that the radiation from cell phones is as safe as a lollipop -- but not all scientific organizations agree with that.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, for example, classifies the kind of radiation cellphones give off as a possible cause of cancer in humans.
And that's a really big problem for kids, because their brains can absorb twice as much radiation as adult brains. An infant's developing brain is especially susceptible, researchers say. And, unfortunately, the risk doesn't seem to end with cancer.
Exposing babies' brains to cellphone radiation in the womb may have other serious health effects that we're just beginning to understand.
Dr. Hugh Taylor, from the Yale School of Medicine, conducted an experiment where he put cellphones on top of cages with pregnant mice. When the mice were born, they had symptoms that looked a whole lot like ADHD, or even autism.
Those baby mice were "bouncing off the walls," Dr. Taylor said. Plus, "they weren't paying attention to their surroundings," and had a significant decrease in their memory.
Dr. Martha Herbert, with Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital, claims that electronic signals (including WiFi) can disturb something called "calcium signaling" that allows our brains to keep information flowing smoothly.
Look, I know it's impossible to take all this technology, put it back in its box and make it go away.
Most of us are so addicted to our cellphones that we wouldn't even want that to happen. But we can still do some things to keep ourselves and our kids (even the ones who haven't arrived yet) safer.
For example:
- · If you're expecting, keep that phone as far away from your stomach as possible. Putting it in your purse won't stop the radiation.
- · Cut back on your cellphone use by only using it for calls. If you need to send emails or surf the Web, use your trusty desktop computer or laptop.
- · Guys need to be careful, too, and not put cellphones in their pockets. Studies have found that can cause both impotence and low sperm counts.
How Statins FAIL Women
Ladies, I know how it is sometimes. You don't want to rock the boat -- so when your doc pushes you on statins, you don't push back.
Sure, you've read all about the risks and you KNOW the supposed benefits are wild exaggerations... but this is your doctor talking. And he swears up and down that you need the pills.
But if you keep taking them, YOU'LL be the one swearing -- at him -- because new research shows how these drugs FAIL women just when they need them the most.
The whole promise of a statin isn't just lower cholesterol. It's heart protection.
When you gobble that pill day after day and battle side effects such as crippling muscle pain and frustrating memory loss, you do it because you think it's going to prevent a heart attack and save your life.
And at no point do you need that protection more than when you have diabetes, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease by 40 percent.
But if you gobble that drug and put up with its side effects, your risk of cardiovascular disease when you have diabetes will only rise by... drum roll please... 40 percent.
That's right. It's the SAME! Actually it's 42 percent versus 39 percent, but the researchers say that's not a significant difference. OK, so now you're thinking, "Maybe I'll get heart disease either way, but at least my statins will prevent a heart attack or stroke, right?"
WRONG! The study finds no differences at all in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Yes, all those pills -- and all those side effects -- add up to a whole lot of nothing for older women with diabetes. And believe it or not, the muscle pain and brain fog aren't even the worst of it.
In fact, the only reason you have diabetes now might be the drugs.
Statins are so notorious for increasing the risk of diabetes that the FDA has issued a warning over it. The New York Times even did the math on that risk and found that some 100,000 Americans taking statins right now will get diabetes BECAUSE of the drugs.
Here's the real deal on statins, and this applies to men and women alike: You don't need them.
I can't think of a single legitimate use for the drugs.
If your cholesterol is on the high side by mainstream standards-- between 200 and 300 total -- and you're on a healthy diet of animal fats and minimal carbs, you've got nothing to worry about.
Any higher than that, and it's not a drug you need. It's a doc to figure out what's going on -- because sky-high cholesterol is a SYMPTOM, not a disease.
I recommend working closely with an experienced member of the American College for Advancement in Medicine. You can locate an ACAM recommended doctor that is close to you on their website.
Ladies, I know how it is sometimes. You don't want to rock the boat -- so when your doc pushes you on statins, you don't push back.
Sure, you've read all about the risks and you KNOW the supposed benefits are wild exaggerations... but this is your doctor talking. And he swears up and down that you need the pills.
But if you keep taking them, YOU'LL be the one swearing -- at him -- because new research shows how these drugs FAIL women just when they need them the most.
The whole promise of a statin isn't just lower cholesterol. It's heart protection.
When you gobble that pill day after day and battle side effects such as crippling muscle pain and frustrating memory loss, you do it because you think it's going to prevent a heart attack and save your life.
And at no point do you need that protection more than when you have diabetes, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease by 40 percent.
But if you gobble that drug and put up with its side effects, your risk of cardiovascular disease when you have diabetes will only rise by... drum roll please... 40 percent.
That's right. It's the SAME! Actually it's 42 percent versus 39 percent, but the researchers say that's not a significant difference. OK, so now you're thinking, "Maybe I'll get heart disease either way, but at least my statins will prevent a heart attack or stroke, right?"
WRONG! The study finds no differences at all in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Yes, all those pills -- and all those side effects -- add up to a whole lot of nothing for older women with diabetes. And believe it or not, the muscle pain and brain fog aren't even the worst of it.
In fact, the only reason you have diabetes now might be the drugs.
Statins are so notorious for increasing the risk of diabetes that the FDA has issued a warning over it. The New York Times even did the math on that risk and found that some 100,000 Americans taking statins right now will get diabetes BECAUSE of the drugs.
Here's the real deal on statins, and this applies to men and women alike: You don't need them.
I can't think of a single legitimate use for the drugs.
If your cholesterol is on the high side by mainstream standards-- between 200 and 300 total -- and you're on a healthy diet of animal fats and minimal carbs, you've got nothing to worry about.
Any higher than that, and it's not a drug you need. It's a doc to figure out what's going on -- because sky-high cholesterol is a SYMPTOM, not a disease.
I recommend working closely with an experienced member of the American College for Advancement in Medicine. You can locate an ACAM recommended doctor that is close to you on their website.
Microwave
Safe
The label on your favorite food container may say "microwave-safe." But a shocking new investigation has found there may be no such thing.
Every time we heat up a bowl of soup or last night's leftovers, we could be getting toxic doses of dangerous chemicals that can lead to everything from heart disease to cancer.
That's why you need to take three important steps before you use your microwave again. And this is especially urgent if you're expecting a baby or preparing food for children.
I'm sure if microwave ovens suddenly disappeared, most of us wouldn't know what to do. We've gotten so used to zapping every kind of dish imaginable -- and expecting it to be ready in 15 seconds -- that we'd be left eating cold soup and a PB&J sandwich every day!
But if you're putting your microwaved food in any kind of plastic, you're most likely getting some nasty extras that you didn't count on.
Even if that plastic is labeled as being "BPA-free" it can still be leaching dangerous chemicals into your food.
An investigation by Time Magazine found that when over 450 plastic products were analyzed, 70 percent of them tested positive for releasing compounds that had estrogen-like activity.
And when those plastic containers, glasses and plates were subjected to "real-world conditions" like going in the microwave, the number jumped to over 95 percent!
So almost all of them, even the BPA-free ones, were adding chemicals to our food that can wreak absolute havoc on our health.
BPA is part of a group of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors that can do some nasty things to our body's hormones. And that's doubly true for babies still in the womb. These toxins actually mimic estrogen, and have been linked to everything from heart and brain damage to breast and prostate cancer.
But our children are especially vulnerable.
Last year I told you about the epidemic of early puberty in little girls. It's something that has doubled in the last generation, and is being blamed in large part on the huge amount of estrogen-like chemicals these kids are constantly exposed to.
And then manufacturers tried to pull the wool over our eyes by making a huge deal about ditching BPA in plastics. They even put big stickers on those products saying the BPA was gone -- as if that made them perfectly safe.
But it turns out that one of the chemicals it got replaced with, called BPS, is also incredibly dangerous.
When researchers from UCLA exposed zebrafish (which are transparent and easily studied) to a tiny bit of BPS, it caused significant problems in brain development and damage to the reproductive systems of the baby fish.
And it's not just fish or laboratory rats in which we've seen this sort of damage. Almost the same exact health issues, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hyperactivity, have been found in babies who were exposed to the chemical before birth.
That's why it's more important than ever to be super careful with what you put in the microwave, especially if you're expecting a little one.
So here are three important tips to help you do that:
Tip #1: Only microwave food in glass or ceramic containers.
Tip #2: If you must cover something never, ever use plastic wrap. Instead, use a piece of paper towel.
Tip #3: Don't reuse plastic food containers. And especially, never repurpose food or take-out containers for use in the microwave.
Until
next time, stay healthy and happy
JD
Roma
The information on this blog is provided for
educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical
care, and medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or
suspect you have, a health problem you should consult your physician
(preferably a Naturopath).
No comments:
Post a Comment