Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
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Posts tagged "environment"
Tuesday, Sep 1st, 2009 ↓Daylight-saving Time Leads To Less Sleep, More Injuries On The Job, Study Finds →
Sept 1, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Every March, most Americans welcome the switch to daylight saving time because of the longer days, but also dread losing an hour of sleep after they move their clocks forward. Now a new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep could pose some dangerous consequences for those in hazardous work environments.
The findings are reported in the September issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, which is published by the American Psychological Association.
“One hour of lost sleep may not seem like a lot. But our findings suggest it could have an impact on people’s ability to stay alert on the job and prevent serious injuries.” said the article’s lead author, Christopher Barnes, PhD. Barnes and co-author David Wagner, PhD, were both doctoral students in organizational behavior at Michigan State University when they conducted this research.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: daylight savings sun sleep day danger hazard work environment injury alert risk
Another Poison Hiding in Your Environment →
Aug 24, 2009 (Mercola.com)—Bromides are a common endocrine disruptor. Because bromide is also a halide, it competes for the same receptors that are used in the thyroid gland (among other places) to capture iodine. This will inhibit thyroid hormone production resulting in a low thyroid state.
Iodine is essential for your body, and is detected in every organ and tissue. There is increasing evidence that low iodine is related to numerous diseases, including cancer. Various clinicians and researchers have found iodine effective with everything from goiter to constipation.
Bromide can be found in several forms. Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used mainly on strawberries, found predominantly in the California areas. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is added to citrus drinks to help suspend the flavoring in the liquid.
Potassium Bromate is a dough conditioner found in commercial bakery products and some flours.
Sources:
Natural Thyroid Choices: BromideTags: poision environment bromide endocrine halide thyroid gland iodine hormone disease risk cancer goiter constipation pesticide strawberry brominated vegetable oil citrus flavor potassium flour
Take Steps to Boost Your Happiness in the Next Hour →
Aug 19, 2009 (Mercola.com)—You can make yourself happier, and it doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now.
Many people watch TV while they absent-mindedly chew their fingernails, snack on food and flip through channels, leaving all kinds of bacteria on the remote. Make sure to sanitize the remote control regularly to prevent sickness.
Tub and shower
Your bathtub may have 100 times more bacteria than the trash can, according to an in-home bacteria study conducted by the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. The Hygiene Council recommends that showers and tubs be disinfected twice a week to get rid of dead skin cells left in the tub that can carry germs too.
Pet food dish
Most pet food dishes stay on the floor and do not get washed regularly.
Kitchen cloths and sponges
People frequently use sponges or cloths to wipe germs from surfaces in the kitchen. As a result, 70 percent of kitchen sponges in U.S. homes failed the hygiene test by having high levels of bacteria, according to the Hygiene Council. The council recommends running sponges through the dishwasher regularly and washing kitchen cloths on the hot cycle in the washing machine.
Microwave touch screen
This spot is notorious for not getting cleaned. Even though the food comes out cooked, the germs that can make you sick are left on the outside of the microwave for the next person to touch. It is important to wipe down the touch screen regularly, especially after cooking raw meat.
Light switches
Touching the light switch is practically unavoidable, but keeping it clean is not. The bathroom light switch can have as many germs as the trash bin. Disinfect light switches twice a week, or every day if a member of your household is sick.
Baby changing table
During diaper changes, the baby wipes container, the diaper packaging, the trash can and anything around the changing area get contaminated with bacteria through touching after handling a dirty diaper. The baby changing table area should be cleaned often.
Kitchen faucets
Typically people wash their hands after handling raw meat in the kitchen, but they touch the faucet to turn on the water and do not think about the bacteria that they leave. The Hygiene Council found more than half of faucets in American homes are covered in bacteria.
Sources:
Chicago Tribune August 16, 2009Tags: happiness stress future goal nagging task environment motivation positive though happiness friendly emotion smiling approachable
Industrial Air Pollution Worse Than Vehicle Exhaust For Breathing Problems In Children →
July 23, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Increasing numbers of children around the world are suffering from respiratory problems – coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks. Although the key external causes of these diseases were identified a long time ago (traffic and industrial air pollution), it had not previously been possible to distinguish clearly between these two factors so as to have a targeted impact on them.
Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Leipzig carried out research in this area together with colleagues from the University of La Plata and can now confirm that air pollution caused by industry has even more grave effects than vehicle exhaust fumes.
The recently completed study on ‘Combined effects of airborne pollutants as risk factors for environmental diseases’ was conducted as part of a long-standing collaborative venture, supported by the international office of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, between the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the University of Leipzig and the University of La Plata in Argentina. The results have been published in several journals, including the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Toxicology.
For full article see link above.
Tags: pollution environment asthma respiratory cough wheezing traffc industrial children child airborne air
Diet May Contribute Significantly To Body Burden Of Flame Retardants →
July 15, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)— A new study suggests that diet is an important route of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are a class of flame retardants that are commonly found in consumer products such as polyurethane foam, electronics and textiles.
PBDEs have been measured in dust, air and both animal- and plant-derived foods. Dust has been thought to be the foremost route of exposure to PBDEs, but the new findings of this study suggest that diet also may play a significant role. Serum levels of PBDE congeners were associated with consumption of fat from poultry and red meat but not with consumption of fish or dairy products.
Although it is not known how flame retardants get into commercial animal products, possibilities include the contamination of animal feed, contamination during processing or packaging and general contamination of the environment. PBDEs accumulate in fat tissue and resist degradation in the environment.
“Our study offers the first large-scale look at the effect of the American diet on PBDE body burdens showing significant associations with poultry and red meat consumption,” wrote the team of authors from the Boston University School of Public Health. “As PBDE-containing products continue to degrade and enter the waste stream in larger amounts, future exposure to PBDEs may begin to shift more heavily from the indoor environment to the outdoor environment and, consequently, the diet.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: environment diet nutrition animal plant food dust PBDE exposure serum flame retardant
Environmental Manganese Good In Trace Amounts But Can Correlate To Cancer Rates →
July 13, 2009 (sciencedaily.com)—In the first ecological study of its kind in the world, a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher has uncovered the unique finding that groundwater and airborne manganese in North Carolina correlates with cancer mortality at the county level.
Lead researcher John Spangler, M.D., professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, found that groundwater manganese appears to be positively associated with total cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer death rates, while airborne manganese concentrations appear to be inversely associated with total cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer death rates.
“People need manganese in trace amounts, but if you get too much of it, manganese can be dangerous,” Spangler said. “It’s my hope that the impact of this study will be to spark additional interest and research. This really just raises the concern that something may be going on and argues for further research into these issues.”
For full article see ink above.
Tags: environment pollution groundwater airborne manganese cancer mortality colon lung breast risk danger
Flame Retardant Chemicals Found in U.S. Coastal Waters and Great Lakes →
July 8, 2009 (Naturalnews.com)—Toxic flame retarding chemicals are found in all U.S. coastal waters and in the Great Lakes, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances.
“This is a wake-up call for Americans concerned about the health of our coastal waters and their personal health,” said John Dunnigan, assistant administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA’s) National Ocean Service. “Scientific evidence strongly documents that these contaminants impact the food web and action is needed to reduce the threats posed to aquatic resources and human health.”
The chemicals in question, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were first produced in the 1970s, and have since been banned in a variety of countries across Asia and Europe. Manufacture of most varieties was voluntarily discontinued by companies in the United States, but other kinds are still produced to this day. They are chemically similar to PCBs, which have been banned in the United States and throughout the world.
Studies have indicated that PBDEs accumulate in the blood, body fat and breast milk of humans and other animals, and can be passed from mother to infant. They have been implicated in causing damage to the liver, kidneys and immune system, and to result in impaired neurobehavioral development. Like most persistent organic pollutants, they are especially dangerous to pregnant women and children.
For full article see link above.
Tags: danger risk water toxic resource PCB PBDE accumulation blood body fat milk immunity pregnancy development neurobehavioral pollution environment
Young Women With Vulvar Cancer Have Modifiable Risk Factors for the Dise... →
July 7, 2009 (Medscape.com)—Young women with vulvar cancer tend to have early-stage disease, smoke cigarettes, have a history of the human papilloma virus and have vulvar dysplasia, according to results of a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Most of these risk factors are modifiable.
“Vulvar cancer is a relatively uncommon malignancy, occurring at a rate of 2.2 per 100,000 women per year,” Dr. Patricia L. Judson, of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues note. However, “a recent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Program-derived data review demonstrated that over the past 28 years, the prevalence of in situ and invasive vulvar carcinoma has increased,” they add.
For full medical article see link above.
Chemical In Common Consumer Products (Phthalates) May Play A Role In Pre-term Births →
July 6, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—A new study of expectant mothers suggests that a group of common environmental contaminants called phthalates, which are present in many industrial and consumer products including everyday personal care items, may contribute to the country’s alarming rise in premature births.
Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that women who deliver prematurely have, on average, up to three times the phthalate level in their urine compared to women who carry to term.
For full article see link above.
Tags: pregnancy phthalates mother environment contaminant industrial consumer product premature birth
Honey extract may ease heat stress for cyclists →
June 24, 2009 (Nutraingredients.com) —An extract from propolis, the waxy resin collected by honeybees, may reduce the detrimental effects prolonged exercising in hot climates, according to a new study. Heat stress leads to increased free radical production, and endurance impairment, according to the Taiwanese researchers behind the new study. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, a phenolic compound from propolis, may protect against these detrimental effects. Findings published in the Journal of Food Science indicate that pre-treatment with the extract prior to cycling led to significant reductions in the detrimental effects of excessive exercise.
For full article see link above.
Tags: honey exercise prolonged climate environment propolis prevention antioxidant muscle sore
Local Food Environments Can Lead To Obesity →
June 19, 2008 (Sciencedaily.com) —Living in an area with more fast food outlets and convenience stores than supermarkets and grocers has been associated with obesity in a Canadian study. Researchers have shown that your local food environment can affect your weight.
John Spence from the University of Alberta, Canada, worked with a team of researchers to study associations between the ‘Retail Food Environment Index’ (RFEI) and levels of obesity. He said, “The RFEI is based upon a ratio of the number of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to supermarkets and specialty food stores in a given radius around a person’s house. We’ve shown that it correlates very well with the odds that that person may be obese”.
For full article see link above.
Tags: diet nutrition food fat obesity overweight environment heart cardiovascualr blood
Alcohol, Cigarette & Diabetes Up Colon Cancer Risk →
June 5,2009 (HealthDay News) — It’s been known for some time that obesity and eating lots of red meat can raise the risk of colorectal cancer, but new research sheds light on other lifestyle factors that increase risk.
Drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and having diabetes also play a major role in determining who is going to develop colorectal cancer, study findings show. And although exercise seemed to help ward off colorectal cancer, eating lots of fruits and vegetables didn’t, according to researchers at The George Institute for International Health in Australia.
“Most people probably know that being overweight and having poor dietary habits are risk factors for the disease,” said study author Rachel Huxley, an associate professor at The George Institute. “But most are probably unaware that other lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and diabetes are also important culprits,” she said in a news release from the institute.
For full article see link above.
Tags: drinking smoking alcohol cigarett diabetes overweight obesity cancer risk prevention environment colorectal meat lifestyle fruit vegetable disease
Parkinson's Disease Associated With Pesticide Exposure →
June 5, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com) — The cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease, is unknown, but in most cases it is believed to involve a combination of environmental risk factors and genetic susceptibility. Laboratory studies in rats have shown that injecting the insecticide rotenone leads to an animal model of PD and several epidemiological studies have shown an association between pesticides and PD, but most have not identified specific pesticides or studied the amount of exposure relating to the association.
A new epidemiological study involving the exposure of French farm workers to pesticides found that professional exposure is associated with PD, especially for organochlorine insecticides. Led by Alexis Elbaz M.D., Ph.D., of Inserm, the national French institute for health research in Paris, and University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC, Paris 6), the study involved individuals affiliated with the French health insurance organization for agricultural workers who were frequently exposed to pesticides in the course of their work. Occupational health physicians constructed a detailed lifetime exposure history to pesticides by interviewing participants, visiting farms, and collecting a large amount of data on pesticide exposure. These included farm size, type of crops, animal breeding, which pesticides were used, time period of use, frequency and duration of exposure per year, and spraying method.
The study found that PD patients had been exposed to pesticides through their work more frequently and for a greater number of years/hours than those without PD. Among the three main classes of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), researchers found the largest difference for insecticides: men who had used insecticides had a two-fold increase in the risk of PD.
“Our findings support the hypothesis that environmental risk factors such as professional pesticide exposure may lead to neurodegeneration,” notes Dr. Elbaz.
For full article see link above.
Tags: Parkinson's environment occupation pesticide prevention safety susceptibility neurodegeneration
Early Childhood Experiences Lead To Adult Health Sickness and Mortality →
June 5, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com) — The origins of many adult diseases can be traced to early negative experiences associated with social class and other markers of disadvantage. Confronting the causes of adversity before and shortly after birth may be a promising way to improve adult health and reduce premature deaths, researchers argue in a paper published June 2 in The Journal of the American Medical Association. These adversities establish biological “memories” that weaken physiological systems and make individuals vulnerable to problems that can lie dormant for years.
“Improving the developmental trajectory of a child by helping the parents and improving the home environment is probably the single most important thing we can do for the health of that child,” says co-author Bruce McEwen, Alfred E. Mirsky Professor and head of the Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University. “Adverse childhood experience is one of the largest contributors to such chronic health problems as diabetes and obesity, psychiatric disorders, drug abuse – almost every major public health challenge we face.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: adolescence behavior children development disease environment prevention parenting
Formaldehyde Exposure Linked to Lymphoma, Leukemia. Guess what's in vaccines? →
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 14 09 - Long-term follow-up of the National Cancer Institute’s formaldehyde cohort confirms prior reports that exposure to formaldehyde may increase the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, and multiple myeloma.
For full medical article, see link above.
