Health experts sent out the first warning flares nearly a year ago that various forms of bacteria were becoming resistant to old-school antibiotics, so you can't complain about this latest report in The Lancet Infectious Diseases (free report link) about the latest superbug -- the wide-spread infiltration of the NDM 1 gene that passes between various kinds of bacteria making them drug-resistant -- spreading from southern Asia to Europe catching you by surprise.

Or, maybe you can. According to Time.com's Wellness blog, news agencies reported panic about the study in some parts of the world. And, Sarah Boseley, award-winning health editor for the British newspaper the Guardian, predicted the death knell of antibiotics era the day after the study appeared.

Amid the gloom and doom, however, there are some positives to take away from this news. For one, our medical world just got a lot smaller. Considering how quickly this NDM 1 gene moved from Asia to Europe, more expert eyes will be watching, and that's a good thing.

What's more, there's an important role for laymen (that's you and me) to play in this fight to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and it's literally -- pun intended -- in our hands. Wash your hands before and after meals, going to the beach, playing with your pets and working out at the gym.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases August 11, 2010 Free Full Text Study/Registration Required

Time: Wellness August 16, 2010

Guardian.co.uk August 12, 2010

Unfortunately, health experts will likely be debating the safety of sunscreens long after the FDA finally gets around to doing it. Case in point: A very public disagreement between the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and a trio of scientists over the safety of retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, and an additive used, not only in sunscreens, but in dairy products and other processed foods.

The dispute stems from a recent analysis published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (no abstract link available), dismissing an advisory in the EWG's 2010 Sunscreen Guide that highlighted safety concerns about retinyl palmitate as a carcinogenic substance triggering cancer in humans.

The EWG feels the ongoing research by the FDA and the National Toxicology Program on animals has suggested retinyl palmitate may be carcinogenic when skin is exposed to sunlight. This, coupled with the fact that various forms of vitamin A can be found in 41 percent of the sunscreens in America, prompted the EWG to recommend avoiding retinyl palmitate.

Conversely, the scientists involved in the Journal report argue that retinyl palmitate isn't an active ingredient in sunscreens, and works in concert with other antioxidants "to alleviate the risk of free radical formation seen in these in vitro experiments." And, they were very skeptical that the results of an NTP study involving hairless and albino mice that developed tumors more quickly when coated with retinyl palmitate couldn't be easily linked to humans.

Interestingly, there's one thing, upon which, both groups agree: Limiting heavy exposure (look for the shade) and wearing protective clothing (hats, sunglasses and long-sleeve shirts and pants) -- but not sunscreens -- should be your primary strategy for protecting your skin from the sun.

Consulting Room August 10, 2010

Medscape August 13, 2010 Free Registration Required

Environmental Working Group August 11, 2010

Environmental Working Group August 2010

The most recent cover story in the September 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, entitled The 12 Most Dangerous Supplements, generated a firestorm of comments and controversy all over the MSM and the Internets, albeit at the tail end of what's usually a very slow news month in the middle of the summer.

If you're one of the growing number of folks who have subscribed to our daily health blog over the past few months, however, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought you'd already heard about some of these very same problems before. Fact is, you probably have…

A few months ago in this space, we discussed Reader's Digest's "crash-course" on vitamin safety, 5 Vitamin Truths and Lies. Unlike the aforementioned piece that clocked in at just under 1,500 words, Consumers Digest devoted eight full pages to supplements, providing guidance on a variety of topics.

Even though the Consumers Digest article was very thorough and detailed, I'm not sure how much more you'd learn about supplements that you already have, if you've been following our blog, even for a little while. Arguably, if you've been doing your homework, you may already have a pretty good understanding about what it takes to choose the right supplement for your health.

But this may be your first time reading our 14-month old health blog, or, perhaps, you're just getting around to looking. No matter… We've done the work for you. What follows are six detailed questions you should be asking every time you consider taking a supplement:

1. Has the supplement you're considering ever failed a quality test by an independent source, like ConsumerLab.com?

2. Has the company producing the supplement ever been the target of a regulatory agency like the FDA or FTC?

3. Does the product label of the supplement you're considering include testing data that guarantees its authenticity, purity and potency?

More...

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

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

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...

Unfortunately, the epidemic of obesity, particularly among children, has become such a pervasive and health-crippling factor in our lives. One of the familiar causes often cited by layman and experts alike: An addiction to TV (chock full of junk food commercials) and video games at the expense of exercise, a very necessary part of a healthy kid's life.

Most kids may be watching much more TV than they need to be, but they're not camped out in front of the "idiot box" nearly as long as do older folks -- your parents and grandparents -- according to survey data collected in 2006 on nearly 3,100 Americans (ages 15-98). In fact, adults over age 65 spent triple the time with their TV sets on than kids and found it not to be nearly the stress-buster or as enjoyable as it often is for younger folks.

That's not at all surprising, experts say, considering many seniors experience loneliness and isolation (triggered by the long distances they live away from their families, the death of their friends or being unable to drive, thus are confined to their homes) that brings on bouts of untreated, undiagnosed depression.

Perhaps, the best thing you can do to improve the lives of your parents and grandparents is to get them moving on an exercise plan. Maybe, caring for a pet will put an end to their loneliness, and push them to keep moving too.

healthfinder.gov July 1, 2010

UC San Diego News Center June 29, 2010

You've probably read a lot in the health media about the need to stay far away from processed foods made with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as often as you can, without understanding the "why" of it beyond the need to avoid the processed sugars found in many things, like candy and soft drinks.

This recent study, comparing fat cells made of subcutaneous fat (just below the surface of the skin) and visceral fat (buried in the abdominal cavity, surrounding vital organs) from 32 pre-pubescent children of normal weight, sharpens the focus of this urgency to curb childhood obesity.

Scientists compared the cellular growth of preadipocytes (precursors to fat cells) for two weeks as they matured in cultures containing high glucose, high fructose (a component of HFCS) and normal glucose. Of the two kinds of cells, fat cells from visceral fat multiplied at a greater level in high fructose than did those in any other sugary combination. However, both sets of mature cells exposed to glucose demonstrated decreased insulin sensitivity, one characteristic of type 2 diabetes. One interesting, unexplainable anomaly: Exposing mature fat cells to HFCS for 48 hours increased their sensitivity to insulin.

This study is another among the many reasons to remind you that the links between obesity and various forms of cancer are solid, and not to be ignored.

PhysOrg.com June 21, 2010

healthfinder.gov June 20, 2010

Along with eating healthy varieties of nuts in moderation, brushing your teeth is one of the easier things you can do to protect your heart, according to a British study.

Researchers collected data on nearly 12,000 patients participating in the Scottish Healthy Survey (median age 50) in separate visits on lifestyle habits (including smoking and dental habits and exercise) and medical histories and blood samples. Patients were also asked how often they went to the dentist and how many times they brushed their teeth every day.

During an eight-year follow-up period, 555 patients were diagnosed with cardiovascular problems and nearly a third (170) died from them. By the numbers, toothbrushing less than twice a day was associated with increasing a patient's risk of developing heart problems by 70 percent. What's more, increased concentrations of C reactive protein and fibrinogen (both produced by the liver) were linked to less frequent toothbrushing.

The good news: Dental health among study participants was generally good. Seventy-one percent brushed their teeth twice a day and 62 percent saw the dentist every six months.

British Medical Journal, Vol. 340, pp. 2451, May 27, 2010 Free Full Text Study

Guardian.co.uk May 28, 2010

Medical News Today May 28, 2010

When you heard about the latest product recall from a big-box retailer -- this time, it's 12 million drinking glasses used to market the "final" Shrek film sold at McDonald's -- you probably weren't surprised, especially if you're a parent or grandparent. The culprit is a familiar one…

Trace amounts of cadmium, the 48th element of the Periodic Table and a known carcinogen, have been showing up lately, not only coating Shrek glasses, but in Chinese-made children's products that have found their way to the shelves of big-box retailers in America, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). One bit of good news: Cadmium levels measured in those Shrek glasses were much lower than those detected in some children's jewelry -- think trinkets promoting Hannah Montana's alter-ego Miley Cyrus and The Princess and the Frog movie.

In fact, much of this recent attention paid by the CPSC was likely triggered by an Associated Press investigation that discovered 12 percent of the children's pendants and bracelets scientists tested contained at least 10 percent cadmium. And, the most contaminated piece was composed of 91 percent cadmium by weight.

So, if cadmium is a carcinogen used primarily in the making of batteries, why is it being found in other places? Chinese manufacturers may be substituting harmful heavy metals like cadmium, barium and antimony in place of lead, to achieve specific pigments, according to CPSC.

More recently, we warned you about excessive amounts of lead and cadmium also showing up in the darndest places, like St. John's wort, just another reason for you to do your homework when it concerns taking a supplement.

Image source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Christian Science Monitor June 10, 2010

Huffington Post June 4, 2010

New York Times June 9, 2010

A note to parents whose schedules are so cramped for time that they often buy food for their children at drive-by, French-fried, fast-food restaurants on their way home: You may be setting them up for asthma and wheezing problems down the road, according to a new study based on the nutritional habits of some 50,000 kids around the world (including 30,000 who were tested for allergies) living in richer and poorer countries.

Diet didn't influence children's allergies, but it did play a role in lowering and raising their risks of wheezing and asthma. To the good, the ever-popular Mediterranean Diet -- full of fish, fruits and vegetables -- was generally associated with lowering these risks.

Although a diet heavy on meat had no effect on the prevalence of asthma and wheezing, eating at least three hamburgers per week was linked to a higher lifetime risk of both respiratory problems. And, eating too many burgers, researchers say, may be a big hint that other lifestyle changes are necessary.

Thorax, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 516-522, June 2010

MSNBC June 2, 2010

ScienceDaily June 7, 2010

healthfinder.gov June 3, 2010