Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

From the May 2004 edition of Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Times:

Acrylamide, a cancer-causing substance that caused scares when it was found in fried potatoes and other popular foods, is also found in olives and prune juice, U.S. regulators reported recently. Relatively high levels were also found in arrowroot cookies, commonly given to small children as teething biscuits. Peanut butter, cookies, and fried chicken were also sources.

Dr. Fuhrman comments:

It is prudent to avoid acrylamides, a potent carcinogen in animal studies. We learn something new every day, and I no longer recommend roasted peanut butter for children. Try the freshly ground raw cashew and raw almond butter now available at DrFuhrman.com.

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Who would have thought, chemicals may be hazardous to humans—quick alert the rocket scientists! Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have determined that chemical exposure might lower birth weight. The Associated Press reports:

Dr. Lynn Goldman, a pediatrician and professor at the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the study of 300 babies found "very small decreases" in birth weight and head circumference. The babies were born at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore between 2004 and early 2005. The mothers ranged in age from 14 to 43…


…"Many chemicals were detected in the study's samples," said Dr. Robert Rickard, DuPont's science director, "and it is important to note that the observations from the study were very small and well within normal ranges."

I hate expressions like “normal ranges” or “acceptable levels.” I think it sends the wrong message to people, especially when it comes to children. Exposure to toxins is hot-button issue for Dr. Fuhrman. In Disease-Proof Your Child he encourages parents to keep chemicals far away from their kiddies:

We must be careful not to expose our children to chemical cleaners, insecticides, and weed killers on our lawns. Chemicals used in pressure-treated wood used to build lawn furniture, decks, fences, and swing sets have also been shown to place children at risk. When young children are around, we must be vigilant to maintain a chemical-free environment.

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Maybe somebody at Merck took Dr. Fuhrman’s comment that requiring kids to get the HPV vaccination as Taliban-like to heart. Because according to The Detroit Free Press they are bowing out of the push to make it mandatory. Cecilia Oleck reports:

Michigan legislators won’t abandon plans to require 11- and 12-year-old girls to receive a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, even though Merck, the company that makes the vaccine, announced Tuesday it would stop lobbying for the requirement.


Merck funded campaigns in state legislatures to make the vaccine Gardasil mandatory through a third party group called Women in Government. Pressure from some parents’ and doctors’ groups—who object to the vaccine because it protects against human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer and because it was only released on the market last year—prompted Merck to bow out of lobbying to make Gardasil a requirement.

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Mandatory HPV vaccinations have been in the news lately. Now I don’t know a lot about them, but the whole topic is a big deal to Dr. Fuhrman. Check out this article he sent over from the American Academy of Family Physicians. It seems the push to require HPV vaccination for school entry might be a little premature. Cindy Borgmeyer reports:

In the face of a growing number of states taking up legislation that calls for vaccination of preteen girls against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, as a requirement for school entry, the Academy has adopted a more cautious tone, saying it's too early to consider mandating the vaccine in the absence of more definitive data about its use and a better understanding of the logistical issues involved in making it available to this sizable patient population.


A policy statement developed by the AAFP Commission on Science and approved Feb. 7 by Board Chair Larry Fields, M.D., of Flatwoods, Ky., laid out the Academy's reservations about taking such a hard-line stance, saying it was "premature to consider school entry mandates for HPV vaccine until such time as the long-term safety with widespread use, stability of supply and economic issues have been clarified."

Dr. Fuhrman’s also leery about it. He shared his thoughts with me:

Of note is the statement made by the American Academy of Family Physicians that we do not know the long-term safety or even the effectiveness of the vaccine, yet (likely under pressure of drug companies). Many states are making the vaccine mandatory.


The point here is that in this country we allow legislatures to mandate which medications we must give our children? People are not allowed to have an opinion about drugs and vaccines different from the majority opinion, in spite of the controversies and poorly studied short and long-term risks.

Remember this is not about arguing about the effectiveness or value of vaccines, just whether we should mandate medical care and take another freedom away from Americans. We no longer have the freedom to take or not take medications. Sounds like the Taliban to me.

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Pretty ironic, yesterday I blogged about the problems surrounding America’s freewheeling love affair with antibiotics and now, according to the Associated Press, the FDA has restricted an antibiotic linked to reports of severe liver problems. Have a look:

The Food and Drug Administration said the antibiotic, Ketek, would remain on the market but that its label will bear a new, stern warning. The agency said it and manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis SA also created a guide for patients outlining the drug's risks and its safe use…


… A new so-called "black-box" warning on the Ketek label states the drug should not be used in patients with myasthenia gravis, a disease that can cause life-threatening muscle weakness, the FDA said. The label also now warns about cases of visual disturbances and loss of consciousness reported in some patients.

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According to new research 20 percent of women and 8 percent of men with lung cancer have never smoked. So how did they get sick? Secondhand smoke that’s how, The Cancer Blog is on it:

It's not yet clear why women are more likely to develop the disease. Perhaps they are more susceptible to all forms of smoking -- whether direct or secondhand -- or maybe because more men smoke than women, women are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke.


While smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, there are other factors to blame for disease incidence. Radon, asbestos, chromium, and arsenic are all associated with lung cancer.

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Contamination of our food supply is a big deal, but, I feel its something that often goes unspoken. Why? For starters, it’s a huge issue, and for most people it’s just easier to pretend like it’s not happening than to takes steps towards rectifying it. Also, those responsible for jeopardizing our food don’t want to be sought out; keeping the issue quiet is smart business sense.

But for those of us who realize the danger, mercury contamination in fish and pesticide residue on produce are probably the most salient examples of toxic exposure. For example, about a year ago The Chicago Tribune detailed the plight of a piece of swordfish shipped from Singapore to the United States. Reporters Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne revealed some daunting findings:

When the Tribune bought and tested this particular piece of fish, the results showed not just high amounts of mercury, but levels three times the legal limit.

That’ll make you think twice next time you’re at the fish market; check out Fishing for the Truth for a list of fish Dr. Fuhrman considers safe to eat. The other big issue is pesticides and their role in tainting our fresh fruits and vegetables. Now of course that kicks up the debate as to whether or not we should buy organic produce. Dr. Fuhrman talked about this in Is Organic Food Safer? Take a look:

Some scientists argue that the extremely low level of pesticide residue remaining on produce is insignificant and that there are naturally occurring toxins in all natural foods that are more significant. The large amount of studies performed on the typical pesticide-treated produce have demonstrated that consumption of produce, whether organic or not, is related to lower rates of cancer and disease protection, not higher rates. Certainly, it is better to eat fruits and vegetables grown and harvested using pesticides than not eating them at all. The health benefits of eating phytochemical-rich produce greatly outweigh any risk pesticide residues might pose.

Okay let’s stay with the pesticide issue. Which fruits and veggies are the most contaminated? This is something that every person should know. Well I’ve got two answers for you, here’s the first one. From Diet-Blog, the twelve produce items that have the highest pesticide residue:

1. Strawberries
2. Bell peppers (green and red)
3. Spinach (tied with number 2)
4. Cherries (grown in the United States)
5. Peaches (grown in Chile)
6. Cantaloupe (grown in Mexico)
7. Celery
8. Apples
9. Apricots
10. Green beans
11. Grapes
12. Cucumbers

Now, from Reduce Your Pesticide Exposure By 90%, here’s Dr. Fuhrman’s list of the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables:

1. Apples
2. Bell peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Imported grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Red raspberries
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries

Sure, the lists might be a little different, but between the both of them you get a pretty good idea of which fruits and veggies to look out for. But one thing Dr. Fuhrman and Diet-Blog completely agree on is the advantages of eating lots of fruits and vegetables dwarf the risks of pesticide residue. More from Diet-Blog:

It's sobering - but I believe that the health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks from ingesting the pesticides on them. Washing and peeling can significantly reduce pesticide levels. Buying locally grown and in-season also helps as produce is often treated (with fungicides) to increase shelf-life and for long-distance distribution.

Sounds a lot like Dr. Fuhrman, doesn’t it?

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