FDA Wants To Nix Skin Bleach

Posted on August 30, 2006 by Gerald Pugliese
Who would have thought, skin-bleaching cream might cause cancer? Shocking. Johanna Neuman of The Seattle Times reports:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed Tuesday to ban over-the-counter sales of skin-lightening products, triggering a four-month comment period.


The FDA said the creams contain hydroquinone, a drug that, according to studies on rodents, shows "some evidence" of possibly causing cancer.

Citing studies in Africa dating to 1975, the FDA also noted a link between the use of creams containing hydroquinone and the development of ochronosis, which can cause darkening and thickening of the skin, yellowish bumps and gray-brown spots.

Because these creams are a huge part of the U.S. market—the FDA estimates that in the United States, about 65 companies sell more than 200 skin-bleaching products containing hydroquinone—reaction was swift.
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Fascinating Discussion of a Common Weed-Killer

Posted on August 25, 2006 by Henry Abbott
A respected researcher found compelling evidence that the weed-killer atrazine caused “chemical castration and feminization” in male frogs. Author William Souder writes a fascinating essay about what happened next.
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Health Points: Friday

Posted on August 18, 2006 by Gerald Pugliese
The Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) have different recommendations regarding the use of medications. NOF seems to recommend medications for those patients with osteopenia with no risk factors if the T score is below -2 and for those patients with T scores of less than -1.5 if they have one or more risk factors which include low body weight ( less than 127),history or family history of fragility fractures,smoking, estrogen lack or excessive alcohol use ,use of certain medications including steroids. AACE would recommends medication if the T score is less than 1.5 IF the patient has had fracture(s) or if the T score is less than -2.5.( This is the WHO definition of osteoporosis so-strictly speaking- AACE is recommending treatment for osteoporosis not osteopenia and recommends treatment for osteopenia only if there is a history of fractures.)
U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler rejected a government proposal to impose fines on the industry if youth smoking rates fail to drop in the coming years, despite finding that the companies marketed to teens and lied about it.

The judge did order the companies to stop labeling cigarettes as "low tar," "light," "ultra light" or "mild," saying they have used those terms to mislead consumers.

"They distorted the truth about low tar and light cigarettes so as to discourage smokers from quitting," Kessler said.
The Environmental Protection Agency this month banned the highly toxic pesticide lindane, which has been used for 50 years to treat crop seeds.

But incredibly, lindane can still be used in prescription shampoos and lotion treatment for head lice and scabies, because these products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, not the EPA, according to news reports.

Moreover, "regulated" does not mean the products have necessarily been safety tested. Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA pre-market approval.
The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a laboratory measure scientists developed to measure the time it takes skin to burn under UV exposure, but you have to do some of your own math, since it's an individual thing. If you know how long it takes you to start burning without protection in the midday sun, say 10 minutes, multiply that by the SPF number. In theory, for someone who burns in 10 minutes without protection, a sunscreen with an SPF 30 would deliver 300 minutes of protection against burning -- that's five hours. But experts note that's not the reality.
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The Fish Debate Rages On

Posted on August 10, 2006 by Gerald Pugliese
If you keep up with the headlines regarding mercury contamination in fish you’ll soon realize there are a few different schools of thought; totally avoid fish, the benefits of seafood outweigh the risks, or downplay/disregard mercury contamination all together. You can find all three positions in a recent article written by Sally Squires of The Washington Post:
Some health experts worry there's enough conflicting advice to make the public avoid fish altogether.

"It's a shame that people are running away from seafood at a time when it gives so many benefits," notes William Lands, a retired National Institutes of Health researcher who has studied the healthy fats found in fish.

That could be a big mistake. The benefits of eating seafood "are likely to be at least 100-fold greater than the estimates of harm, which may not exist at all," according to Walter Willett, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He notes that "the kinds of levels of contaminants that are being talked about are not a reason for people to reduce their fish intake."
Some call limiting fish consumption unfortunate:
Whether fish is farm-raised or wild, "it would be unfortunate if people cut their consumption," Willett says. Neither the mercury concern nor the PCB contamination levels are "enough for people to reduce their fish intake."

Also lost in much reporting is the fact that any potential problems of mercury contamination appear to be limited to children and to women of childbearing age.

"Other adults should not be concerned about mercury at all," notes Joshua Cohen, author of a recent analysis of mercury exposure conducted for the Harvard School of Public Health's Center of Risk Analysis.
The worry about abandoning or strictly limiting seafood intake stems from concern over people not getting enough Omega-3:
Omega-3s are so crucial for brain and nervous system development "that limiting fish consumption during pregnancy may cause the very harms that everyone involved has been working to prevent," says Nicholas Ralston, who studies mercury at the University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center.
Whether or not you believe in mercury contamination or you feel that eating fish does more good than harm, I still ask this question. Since mercury contamination is a concern and Omega-3s are so vital, why don’t news reports inform people of alternative sources of Omega-3, instead of harping on the risk-reward dilemma of eating or not eating fish?

Dr. Fuhrman will be the first to tell you Omega-3s are an important part of a healthy diet, but fish isn’t the only place you can get them. In Eat to Live and in his store you’ll find some mercury-free options:
Add A Few Grams of Omega-3 To Your Diet
  • Flaxseed, 1 tablespoon = 1.7 grams
  • Flax oil, 1 teaspoon = 2.2 grams
  • Walnuts, English (12 walnut halves), 4 tablespoons = 2 grams
  • Soybeans (green, frozen, or raw), 1 1/2 cup = 2 grams
  • Tofu, 1 1/2 cup = 2 grams


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