LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Miscellaneous

Most Household Soaps Contain Antibacterial Agents – (10-09-00)

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Most Household Soaps Contain Antibacterial Agents

Plain ‘ole soap and water combined with some elbow grease is still one of the best methods of maintaining hygiene. The growing trend of antibacterial everything may well speed along the development of more antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Antibacterial agents are present in about 75% of all household liquid soaps and in about 30% of bar soaps, even though there is no evidence that they prevent infection, according to a presentation here at the Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting. The researchers concluded that “antibacterial use of this magnitude applies significant selective pressure on skin flora,” so the concern that multidrug resistance may develop from widespread use of these soaps seems to be justified. Dr. Perencevich added in a statement, “With so many of these products on the market, consumers may not even realize they are purchasing soaps that contain antibacterials. Perhaps people should check the products’ ingredients closely when they make their next soap purchase.”

Baby food industry lobbies WHO on breast feeding advice – (10-09-00)

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Baby food industry lobbies WHO on breast feeding advice

The World Health Organization current recommends 4-6 months for breast feeding and is considering changing this to 6 months. Evidence continues to mount for the benefits of breastfeeding, and yet baby food manufacturers are resisting the WHO’s push for 6 months.

bmj.com Yamey 321 (7261): 591

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Unlabelled Genetically Modified DNA Found in Brazilian Food – (09-29-00)

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Unlabelled Genetically Modified DNA Found in Brazilian Food

Many countries other than the US are well aware of the potential dangers of GMF and many of these countries have laws requiring disclosure of foods containing them. Here in the US, many are not even aware that something called GMF exists, let alone that there may be health concerns with them. The issue is that, as we splice genes a potential for brand new proteins that the human body has never had exposure to before arises. The stage for severe or chronic allergic reactions may then be set.

The Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defence (ICD) this week called for an official investigation to be launched after tests of over 30 food products showed genetically modified DNA in 11 of them. Several companies have been ordered by the Centre for Sanitary Vigilance of the State of Sao Paulo to withdraw their brands from supermarket shelves. The ICD, in partnership with Greenpeace and the Swiss laboratory Interlabor Belp AG, found transgenic soya or corn in the food products in quantities of up to 10% of the contents. The ICD has advised consumers not to buy products from Argentina, Canada or the USA that are likely to contain soya or corn. In all products the transgenic DNA was from Roundup Ready, produced by the biotechnology company Monsanto. The transgenic ingredient was not indicated on the labels of any of the products, contravening state and federal law.

Perchlorate in Water in AZ and Abnormal Neonatal Thyroid Function – (09-18-00)

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Perchlorate in Water in AZ and Abnormal Neonatal Thyroid Function

Yet another reason to be sure you drink properly filtered water. Ammonium perchlorite affects the thyroid’s ability to take up much needed iodide, thereby lowering the efficiency of the thyroid gland. This study suggests that even newborn infants are affected. Technology is surely killing us, albeit slowly.

J Occup Environ Med 2000;42:777-782 Ammonium perchlorate contamination of drinking water drawn from the Colorado River is associated with significantly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in newborns. The Colorado River below Lake Mead supplies drinking water to approximately 20 million people. In their introduction, the authors of the report explain that the water is contaminated with ammonium perchlorate, which is used in the manufacture of rocket fuel, ammunition and fireworks, and which has been discarded in large quantities in Nevada since the 1950s. The perchlorate ion, they elaborate, can persist in water for long periods, and can act “as a competitive inhibitor of iodide transport in the thyroid.” Dr. Brechner and colleagues collected data on TSH levels from 1099 newborns in Yuma whose water is contaminated with ammonium perchlorate and from 443 newborns in Flagstaff whose drinking water has no detectable levels of ammonium perchlorate. The team found that the level of ammonium perchlorate contamination was 6 parts per billion in Yuma’s drinking water. After adjusting for age and for race/ethnicity and factors known or suspected to increase TSH levels in newborns, the investigators found that median TSH levels in the subjects exposed to ammonium perchlorate were significantly higher than those in the control group–19.9 vs 13.4 mU/L.

Ketogenic Diet Linked With High Rate of Kidney Stones – (09-18-00)

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Ketogenic Diet Linked With High Rate of Kidney Stones

Remember, this diet is very similar to the high protein/Atkin’s diet. Trust me…anyone on this diet would gladly put weight back on instead of trying to pass those kidney stones!!!

J Urol 2000;164:464-466 The ketogenic diet, which is increasingly being used to treat refractory epilepsy in children, induces several metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of nephrolithiasis. Dietary modification can be an appropriate prophylactic measure, but refractory stone disease may require discontinuation of the ketogenic diet completely. Lithiasis rate in this population reportedly ranges from 3% to 10%, significantly higher than in the general pediatric population. Dr. Kielb’s group recommends screening urinalysis and renal ultrasonography at 1 and 2 years for children on the ketogenic diet.

Th1 and Th2 responses: what are they? – (09-07-00)

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Th1 and Th2 responses: what are they?

This is an excellent review article to one of the more powerful routes to which human disease is connected and controlled. Th1 and Th2 are types of white blood cells, and each group has a job to do. The body normally keeps a good balance, but in many conditions the balance is tipped one way or another and all hell breaks lose.

bmj.com Berger 321 (7258): 424

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