Whole Foods Market's announcement about taking their first steps toward limiting genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) from their stores in America sounds far more hopeless and unrealistic today than it did a year ago, based on a report from a group of ecologists at the recent 95th meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) in Pittsburgh.

The gist: Despite assurances from the Agri-Business sector, scientists discovered GM yellow canola plants "growing in the middle of nowhere" North Dakota, in places far away from conventional and GM crops, that are resistant to herbicides made by Monsanto (glyphosate) and Bayer Crop Science (gluphosinate) and, in two cases, to both substances.

GM samples of the canola/rapeseed plant (Brassica napus) were found at almost half of the 288 sites scientists investigated along North Dakota roads. Of the roughly 140 sites and 406 plants collected in the state, 347 were genetically modified to resist either pesticide. And, two plant samples showed signs of stacked traits, meaning resistance to both pesticides.

Here's a sobering thought from a University of Arkansas scientist about the evolving genetic makeup of native plants, as told to Scientific American: This is a good model for the influence of agriculture on the evolution of native plants. We can imagine gene flow to native species. If we can imagine that happening, it probably happens.

Evidence for the establishment and persistence of genetically modified canola populations in the U.S (95th ESA Annual Meeting Abstract) August 6, 2010

Discover/80 Beats Blog August 6, 2010

Scientific American.com August 6, 2010

Nature News.com August 6, 2010

At the same time cancer rates keep dropping in America, medical experts are beginning to realize what they don't know about this second leading killer of Americans. But they're beginning to catch up, as evidenced by a recent joint report by a group of health agencies, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer and American Cancer Society, identifying 20 "new" causes of cancer, including one you wouldn't expect.

Some of these culprits should be very familiar to you -- formaldehyde, lead, chloroform and PCBs. Then, there's relative newbies, like atrazine and indium phosphide, a binary semiconductor made of indium and phosphorus used in the production of flat-screen TVs.

Probably, the most interesting cancer concern comes straight out of left field, isn't a chemical or substance at all, and it's not the RF energy emitted by mobile phones either.

Think shift work, changing 24/7 schedules that often plays havoc with a patient's circadian rhythms, often leaving them sleep-deprived and vulnerable to a slew of health problems.

International Agency for Research on Cancer Technical Publication No. 42 Free Full Text PDF

Environmental Health Perspectives July 13, 2010 Free PDF Supplement

ScienceDaily July 15, 2010

Chicago Tribune July 15, 2010

Recently, I admitted all this lifestyle changes stuff I'd been writing about for a long time in this space finally got to me. I couldn't ignore all the extra pounds on my body weighing me down or my desire to "get old" with my wife of 20 years, my kids, my grandkids and all the family (and extended family) I'd accumulated over a half-century of living a second longer. I don't use the bad genes "defense" to deflect the responsibility, or the "I'm too busy to eat properly excuse" any more.

These changes have been easier for me to make thanks to a renewed commitment to exercise. In my case, it's nearly 40-minute sessions of brisk walking on a treadmill at least twice a week. Granted, this is a small commitment and not enough for many purists, but this makes sense for me based on my personal and professional responsibilities and I feel A LOT BETTER for doing it too.

If you're looking for excuses not to exercise, however, you can find them just as easily. Take, for instance, this recent New York Times piece detailing a position paper from the National Athletic Trainers' Association about that counsels athletes on various skin diseases and how to avoid them. Or, the side-story about a wrestler who developed a staph infection after being exposed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.

The aforementioned athlete says he did all the right things that would've prevented any exposure to MRSA, but it happened anyway. And, there are other lesser but annoying problems you'll face at the gym -- think athlete's foot or jock itch -- if you're not careful.

Fortunately, you can sidestep most of these nasties hiding out at the gym by taking some common-sense precautions, like those listed in a recent blog post from Outside magazine. In fact, I had already been following many of these simple suggestions before reading it.

Journal of Athletic Training, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 411-428, July/August 2010 Free Full Text Report

New York Times August 2, 2010

Science is only beginning to appreciate the effect better nutrition has on human health, as we've seen an increasing number of studies, for example, tying diet to improved emotional wellbeing and lower cholesterol and, even, slowing the growth of prostate cancer.

The latest in this series of studies linking diet to disease heralds from Australia, as eating a Western diet -- chock full of junk foods, processed meat, candy, red meat and high-fat dairy products -- more than doubled the risk that teenagers would be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as compared to young patients consuming a healthy diet high in vegetables, fish, whole grains and fresh fruit containing folate, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Two interesting caveats posed by Aussie researchers:

1. Scientists aren't completely sure if the presence of ADHD contributes to kids making less-than-healthy food choices or if a poor diet triggers the disorder.

2. Food coloring and other additives may play a behind-the-scenes role in triggering ADHD.

Looking for guidance on choosing the right foods that can help you and your kids live longer and healthier lives? Get up to speed by reviewing our recent three-part series on nature's healthiest superfoods.

Journal of Attention Disorders July 14, 2010

FoodNavigator.com July 30, 2010

PhysOrg.com July 29, 2010

WAToday.com.au July 30, 2010

Call it another case of Murphy's Law, but just six months after the federal government announced a $30 million appropriation to study the health effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), a recent Environmental Working Group (EWG) report identified another very common source of this controversial, endocrine-disrupting chemical: The thermal paper used to print cash register receipts.

Lead researcher on the report and noted organic chemist, John C. Warner, fingered BPA several years ago, after assigning his University of Massachusetts students to retrieve, then analyze paper receipts generated by cash registers with the help of a mass spectrometer. Many bits of paper, but not all, contained BPA, and you couldn't tell with the naked eye which ones had it. Or not…

In this newest study, 40 percent of the 36 samples (they were collected from a wide range of American retail chains from Whole Foods to CVS, Walmart and McDonald's) contained levels of BPA ranging from 250-1,000 times more than the amounts measured in more well-known sources -- think baby bottles and canned foods. (Starbucks and Target were among a group of retailers who used BPA-free paper.)

The good news in this report is two-fold. For one, Appleton Papers, the leading American producer of thermal paper, eliminated BPA from its formulations in 2006. Most importantly, however, it isn't hard to get rid of BPA altogether. Some suggested tips from the EWG to avoid BPA exposure from paper receipts:

* If you need to save paper receipts, file them in separate envelopes.

* Keep your kids away from receipts.

* After handling paper receipts, wash your hands, but don't use alcohol-based cleaners that boost your body's absorption of BPA.

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Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews July 28, 2010 Free Full Text Study

Environmental Working Group/Kid-Safe Chemicals July 27, 2010

Washington Post July 27, 2010

You may recall a study I posted earlier this year about the link between sugary, sweet soft drinks, often laced with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and pancreatic cancer. Apparently, the connection between sugary substances and pancreatic cancer may be far deadlier than anyone imagined.

UCLA researchers made their alarming discovery after exposing separate sets of pancreatic tumor cells (extracted from patients, then cultured and grown in Petri dishes) to glucose and fructose, respectively, then used mass spectrometry to monitor how these sugars were used by cells.

Although fructose and glucose have a similar molecular structure, scientists learned both substances were metabolized by pancreatic cancer cells very differently. Fructose activates an important pathway that spurs cell division, thus speeding the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

These results prompted researchers to suggest the federal government mandate a reduction of HFCS in American diets, while the near century-old Corn Refiners Association slammed the study for "several premature and potentially misleading conclusions."

Just a reminder, another recent study estimated the average American's daily intake of added sugars from eating processed foods alone amounts to 21 teaspoons of sugar and more than 350 calories. Hard to imagine all that extra sugar swimming around in our bodies not having some kind of harmful effect on our collective health.

Cancer Research, Vol. 70, No. 15, pp. 6368-6376, August 1, 2010

EurekAlert August 2, 2010

Yahoo News August 2, 2010

More evidence is emerging that consuming alcohol can be good for your health, this time dampening the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), regardless of gender (although this connection was stronger in men).

Scientists compared the health of 873 RA patients to that of some 1,000 folks who didn't suffer from the debilitating disease, using detailed questionnaires, physical exams, x-rays and blood work to pinpoint differences related to alcohol consumption.

The sobering truth for teetotalers like me: Those who imbibed at least 10 days out of each month were four times less likely to develop RA than patients who didn't drink a drop of alcohol. What's more, a patient's RA risks declined depending on the frequency of their alcohol consumption. And, among RA patients who drank alcohol most frequently, their symptoms were less severe compared to the teetotalers and infrequent drinkers

Although scientists weren't absolutely certain about the reasons alcohol had an effect on RA, it may have something to do with suppression of the body's immune system, thus influencing the way this disease develops. In fact, it's entirely possible that RA suppression may vary depending on the kind of alcoholic beverage consumed too.

Rheumatology July 28, 2010 Free Full Text Study

USA Today July 31, 2010

ScienceDaily July 28, 2010

The poor excuse that passes for food safety in America has reached a new low when a study in the journal Pedatrics warns us about the problems with handling dry pet foods connected to Salmonella, the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness.

Of the 79 patients living in 21 states tracked in the study who suffered Salmonella-related infections, nearly half of them were children age 2 or younger. Even worse, just handling dry pet food -- presumably, from the bowl or off the floor -- and dirty food bowls, or touching pets that were carriers of salmonella were the problems. According to Dr. Casey Behravesh, a veterinarian working for the CDC and the lead researcher for the study, kids didn't increase their risk of getting sick merely by eating dry pet food.

The Pediatrics study couldn't be timed better, considering Procter & Gamble recalled varieties of its Iams and Eukanuba dry dog and cat foods in late July due to concerns about Salmonella contamination.

This problem underscores the need for thorough and frequent hand-washing by EVERYONE after handling pets and their foods, as well as placing and cleaning your pet's food bowls in the kitchen, according to the study.

FYI, after beginning her research, Dr. Behravesh, the mother of a 4-year-old child, relocated the feeding area for her pets -- a cat, dog and bird -- to a sunroom and away from her kitchen.

Pediatrics August 9, 2010

Yahoo News August 9, 2010

USA Today August 8, 2010

Chicago Tribune: ProblemSolver August 3, 2010

For folks who suffer from celiac disease, their ability to avoid foods with gluten may be much harder than they ever imagined, according to an analysis of "gluten-free" seeds, flours and grains. Of the 22 products bought from grocery stores, seven failed the "gluten-free" test, including flours made of sorghum, soy, millet and buckwheat.

Yes, the survey sampling was very small, says the lead author of the study, just enough information to surprise, yet not enough to serve as a consistent warning to celiac patients, researchers say, about which products to avoid.

Unfortunately, choosing the best and safest products may be even harder for our neighbors to the North if Health Canada follows through on changes to food labeling rules that allow foods made with "pure" oats -- formulated so they haven't been mixed with other grains -- to be labeled as "gluten-free."

Reactions north of the Canada have been surprisingly mixed. After examining the available evidence (more small studies), the Canadian Celiac Association believes patients can eat pure oats safely in small quantities. Conversely, manufacturers that specialize in "gluten-free" foods have been against the proposed change, leading one Ontario-based company to say that they won't be adding "pure" oats out of concern that customers with celiac disease may be harmed.

For the record, there's no current legal regulation or FDA oversight of "gluten-free" foods, although the agency has been contemplating such a move -- strictly on a voluntary basis -- since January 2007.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 110, No. 6, pp. 937-940, June 2010

MSNBC July 16, 2010

The Vancouver Sun July 16, 2010

For all the important news we've shared in this space at the intersection of Emotions Ave. and Cancer Blvd. -- from the importance of laughing at cancer to the toll caregiving can have on a loved one -- it's a bit embarrassing to admit that we haven't touched on one very important subject, until today. Namely, how to share the news that you're fighting cancer with your young children.

No question, the American Cancer Society provides many sources to guide parents who want and need to talk about their illness with their kids gently. But, for this daunting task, a parent needs age-specific guidance.

That's why one of the best ways to get the conversation going with your child also happens to be the easiest: Sharing a book written just for them. A recent book tackling this subject -- Let My Colors Out, lovingly written by Courtney Filigenzi and beautifully illustrated by Shennen Bersani -- has been on the receiving end of many kudos, all of them well-deserved.

Courtney shares her perspectives about cancer as a writer and Mom, along with what parents can do to prepare their children for this difficult journey.

Q: The hardest part of dealing with cancer -- separate from the toll it takes on a person's mind and body -- is how to share that information with loved ones, particularly their children, then observing how they deal with this knowledge. How did you develop the idea for Colors?

More...

Being a needle-phobe, it's hard for me to get my head around the insertion of long, thin needles in various pressure points throughout the body as being anything but painful. That said, acupuncture is growing in popularity as a safe, non-drug option to relieve pain, and an impressive number of studies are backing up its effectiveness too.

Although no heart-related improvements were observed (cardiac ejection fraction or peak oxygen uptake) in a recent study of 17 patients who had suffered from congestive heart failure, the ability to exercise among folks being treated with 10 sessions of "real" acupuncture was very noticeable: They could walk greater distances over a six-minute stretch than those receiving sham treatments that simulated a needle prick but never broke the skin.

What's more, patients in the acupuncture group recovered quicker from their exercise sessions and felt less exhausted than those in the placebo/sham group.

If you hate needles as much as I do, however, acupuncture may not be the best way to treat your pain, no matter how effective it can be. With that in mind, you'll want to read our latest newsletter feature detailing nine strategies that can ease your pain without drugs. Fortunately, only one of them involves needles…

Image source: Kyle Hunter

Heart June 15, 2010

PhysOrg.com July 1, 2010

You may recall a recent study I posted in this space that should've eliminated any doubts about the health value of consuming organic foods in large quantities. Just because X food has an organic label -- thanks, in part, to the use of organic pesticides -- doesn't mean you should eat more of it than one formulated from conventional sources and grown with conventional pesticides.

The same analogy may also, unfortunately, be true about the environmental impact associated with using greater amounts of organic pesticides over conventional ones, according to a new study.

Scientists compared the environmental impact of six different pesticides, including two organic formulations, at five different sites over two years to control the spread of soybean aphids and observed how well each pesticide affected the health of flower bugs and ladybugs (both predators of aphids).

Out of all the pesticides tested, an organic, mineral oil solution had the greatest impact, necessitating higher amounts be sprayed on plants to smother aphids. Also, the "less harmful" mineral oil and fungal pesticides killed more of the natural predators that got rid of aphids. To do what's best for the environment, "It's important to look at every compound and make a selection based on the environmental impact quotient, rather than if it's simply natural or synthetic," scientists say.

PLoS One June 22, 2010 Free Full Text Study

ScienceDaily June 23, 2010

Having been a Weight Watchers member for a while, the program has really driven home for me the need to drink plenty of clean, fresh water without really understanding why. It have to do, in part, with water safely and naturally elevating your blood pressure, according to a new study from Vanderbilt University Medical School.

Scientists made the initial discovery a decade ago while observing patients whose bodies had temporarily lost their ability to monitor short-term changes in blood pressure, called baroreflexes, until they drank water. Since then, an American Red Cross study found that drinking a pint of water before donating blood reduced the chances of patients fainting by 20 percent.

This latest series of studies on mice took it a step further, by routing water directly into the stomach or duodenum (the front of the small intestine) which raised blood pressure, then a saline solution that didn't. Eventually, researchers determined water dilutes the plasma in blood vessels leading away from the duodenum, thus reducing the concentration of salt in blood and naturally elevating blood pressures.

Here's the kicker: The presence of water promotes activity in the nervous system, the burning of energy in the body and, consequently, weight loss. According to one estimate, a patient could lose up to 5 pounds a year just by drinking three 16-ounces glasses of water, and doing nothing else.

What an easy way, theoretically speaking, to lose weight.

Hypertension, Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 1438-1443, June 1, 2010

insciences.org July 8, 2010

More often than not, strong emotions can be problematic to one's health -- not to mention contagious -- and adding cancer to the mix will worsen things. So, why would doctors choose an impersonal way of conveying the news that their patients had X kind of cancer?

Imagine receiving that call, then your doctor hanging up before you could ask more questions. Or being left the most frightening news of your life on a 30-second voice-mail message…

Based on a recent study of 437 patients, just 54 percent of them were told about their cancer diagnosis in an office setting. Of the remaining 46 percent, however, 18 percent were told over the phone (sometimes, a very prudent thing to do depending on the situation) and the rest received the news at a hospital, with little-to-no privacy whatsoever. Arguably, the most damning number of them all: Thirty-nine percent of patients received the news by themselves.

No surprise, then, that 57 percent of the patients polled changed doctors after their diagnoses for multiple reasons, apart from distance or choosing an alternative treatment, like losing trust and general dissatisfaction. That said, doctors earned a median satisfaction score of 74 percent, and 16 percent of their patients expressed absolute trust in them.

Patients need and expect their oncologists, not only to have the necessary expertise to treat their cancer, but to possess the emotional intelligence that makes receiving this life-changing news simpler to digest intellectually AND emotionally.

Journal of Clinical Oncology July 6, 2010

Yahoo News July 7, 2010

Considering the number of problems with all kinds of consumer products -- from supplements to Shrek glasses sold at McDonald's -- soaring, it was perfect timing that the General Services Administration announced its recent redesign of the USA.gov website and the launch of 18 mobile phone applications, including those tracking recalls, monitoring air quality and comparing healthy food choices.

The Office of Management and Budget had good reason to dive into the smartphone world: Recent surveys by Nielsen have found 21 percent of all Americans use smartphones, and by the end of 2011, roughly half of the folks who do will be connecting via a Blackberry, iPhone or Droid or models very similar to them.

The Recalls.gov website is particularly robust, with announcements divided into seven fields, ranging from cars and cosmetics to foods and environmental products.

The only downside about the USA.gov redesign I can see: Individual websites may be easy to access (they're programmed to mobile-friendly, low-bandwidth standards), but mobile apps aren't available from governmental agencies for all smartphones. For example, the Recalls.gov app is only available on Google's Droid, but not the iPhone. But, the FBI's Most Wanted listings and a BMI Calculator are only available as iPhone apps.

Image source: Recalls.gov

PC Magazine July 6, 2010

CNN.com July 6, 2010

Federal News Radio July 6, 2010