An emerging body of evidence suggests that the changing global climate is already affecting infectious disease transmission patterns. At a symposium today at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Washington D.C., experts reported that such changes are expected to have a profound impact on global public health.

“There is concrete evidence that the global climate is changing, and these changes are expected to greatly impact human health as surface temperatures rise, agricultural belts shift, and extreme weather events become more commonplace,” Mary H. Hayden, Ph.D. of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said in a statement. “Although most scientists agree that climate change is underway, the role it plays in infectious disease transmission is still in contention. The evidence presented today suggests that climate change will exacerbate the challenges of controlling infectious diseases in the developing world.”

Climate change is expected to impact global health through a variety of factors including greater heat stress, air pollution, respiratory disease exacerbation, and changes in the geographic distribution of vector-, food- and water-borne disease.

“The complexity of such influences requires that the next generation of climate and health scientists undergo training to ensure that they can address climate-related public health challenges. Such preparation will be critical as the population of at-risk individuals continues to grow,” said Dr. Hayden, who is a program coordinator of a joint NCAR/US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention postdoctoral fellowship combining public health applications and climate science.

NCAR Director Eric J. Barron, Ph.D., who discussed the potential use of available weather and climate models in health forecasting, noted that “we are moving into the age of ‘decision-making’ with regard to climate change after decades of focusing on reducing uncertainties in attribution and prediction.”

“Health has huge potential and should be first in line for greater investment to improve the decision-making process because of its clear ties to weather and climate,” Dr. Barron said in a statement. “Whereas the medical community has tended to respond in a ‘point-of-service’ manner — reacting to incoming cases with almost no discipline of forecasting — health/climate forecasting has real potential if we can design monitoring algorithms or a robust predictive capability.”

The aim of the symposium, “Changing the Climate: A Data-Driven Discussion About Climate,” was to address the use, utility, and limitations of weather and climate models toward a goal of providing data-driven evidence of the links between weather, climate, specific pathogens and ultimately, human health. The symposium included several evidence-based presentations by speakers from the US Centers Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Columbia University’s International Research Institute on the established effects of climate variability/change on specific climate-sensitive diseases such as meningitis, malaria, plague and other vector-borne bacterial pathogens.

European researchers have found more evidence that the emotional benefits of dark chocolate are real and not just wishful thinking.

They are reporting in a study published in  the Journal of Proteome Research what we’ve all been hoping they (or someone) would — that eating dark chocolate regularly, albeit in small amounts, lowers stress levels. And potentially giving people with stress issues one more natural tool in their arsenal, should drugs be something they’d like to avoid.

More precisely,  the study found that volunteer subjects who ate dark chocolate every day for two weeks had fewer stress-reaction hormones and chemicals in their bodies. The researchers verified this by testing the urine of these young, healthy test volunteers.

Dark chocolate has been shown to have healthful effects on the cardiovascular system and to act as an antioxidant, but the mechanism for its reported mood-balancing properties has been less explored in the literature, according to the researchers.

Lead researcher Sunil Kochhar and colleagues wanted to find out how dark chocolate might be acting to reduce stress. What they found was that the chocolate altered the metabolism of the volunteers (from the Netherlands) in ways that would be expected to be mood-improving.

Their study, called Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects, looked at the biological output of volunteers who were rated as having higher than average anxiety after they were put on a two-week program of snacking on 40 grams of dark chocolate each day.

“Dark chocolate reduced the urinary excretion of the stress hormone cortisol … and partially normalized stress-related differences in energy metabolism (glycine, citrate, trans-aconitate, proline, ?-alanine) and gut microbial activities (hippurate and p-cresol sulfate),” they write.

But let’s not fret the technicalities.  Eat and be happy.

Man-made chemicals that have long made life easier for everyone from cooks to clothiers are getting another round of scientific scrutiny. They may be related to unhealthy levels of cholesterol, a study released Monday suggests.

Jessica Nelson, one of the authors of a new study of chemicals' impact on cholesterol

The chemicals are PFCs, and they’ve already been proven problematic. The Environmental Protection Agency and the top producers of one PFC (perfluoroalkys) have agreed to eliminate its use and emissions worldwide by 2015.

Even if they were eradicated tomorrow, the researchers at Boston University School of Public Health point out that some PFCs linger in the body a long time – one has a half-life of up to 8½ years.

There are hundreds of PFCs, and science is just scratching the surface of their potential impact on people. The chemicals are used to create non-stick or repellent materials on a laundry list of products. Your cooking pan, that waterproof jacket, your carpet and the packaging your frozen dinner came in all contain PFCs. The chemicals are used in almost every industry, from automobiles to electronics, textiles to cleaning products.

“PFCs have been used for over 50 years,” said Jessica W. Nelson, one of the authors of the study. “It is a large family of chemicals. There has been a fair amount of study in animals, but studies with people have been fewer.”

In studies of animals, there were direct correlations between high PFC levels and a host of illnesses, including cancer and developmental problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“So far, these have mostly consisted of studies in people who work with PFCs and have higher exposures. Studies of people exposed to background levels are just starting to come out,” Nelson said.

Many water-repellent fabrics and surfaces contain PFCs.

“We really don’t know specifically how people are being exposed to PFCs. . . . They’re used widely in industry as surfactants and coatings. They make products resistant to stains, oil and water,” Nelson said Monday. “They’re used in products like pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, take-out food wrappers, textile coatings, carpet treatments . . . “

Researchers believe PFCs may enter the body through food and drinking water, ingesting and inhaling air and dust, or directly from products.

So what is the correlation between the PFCs and cholesterol?

The scientists were able to gather blood serum from 2,094 people, making use of a large, varied group of Americans who have been part of an ongoing survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our study found an association between blood levels of several PFCs and higher levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol,” Nelson said. Of the study participants, the 25 percent carrying the highest levels of PFOS, PFOA and PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid) in their bodies had higher levels of “bad” serum cholesterol.

The study participants with the least amount of those three PFCs had less “bad” cholesterol in their bodies. There was not a clear link between PFCs and body size/weight and insulin resistance, which the researchers also analyzed.

Non-stick cookware has long been made with PFC coatings.

One interesting finding in the study suggests that even typical adults with relatively low levels of the three PFCs in their bodies had higher LDL cholesterol than the general population. This was especially pronounced in people with PFNA in their systems.

The fourth chemical, PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid), which has not been studied extensively, did not appear to have a strong link with cholesterol levels.

Researcher Nelson emphasized that their findings are “exploratory, and need to be followed up.

“Our results do not say that PFCs cause higher cholesterol. However, the association that we found – together with what other studies have found – is cause for concern and more research.”

The most prevalent chemical, PFOS, was more common in non-Hispanic white males, and age didn’t appear to be a factor.

The ranks of people with high levels of “bad” cholesterol has been growing, and that is linked to coronary heart disease, among other health problems.

“Despite its limitations, this study contributes to the literature suggesting that PFC exposure may disrupt cholesterol metabolism or homeostasis in humans,” the report said.

The study appeared in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal and is available online. The journal is part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The EPA has answers to frequent questions about PFCs, and more information is available from the nation’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Exposure to nanotubes may affect the outer lining of the lungs, according to a study by a collaboration of scientists studying the potential health effects of nanotubes on human health.

Researchers at North Carolina State University, the Hamner Institute for Health Sciences and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences decided to take a look at what happens when mice inhale nanotubes.

Nanotubes in the lung

What they found was that multi-walled nanotubes could reach the pleura lining of the lungs, which is the area aggravated by asbestos fibers in the development of the cancer mesothelioma.

In the studies, the researchers determined that the inhaled nanotubes travel through the lungs, where they cause a “unique pathologic reaction on the surface of the pleura.”

The infiltration caused a fibrosis that cleared up over three months. So far, the researchers are unable to say what might happen if subjects – mice or humans – were repeatedly exposed to nanotubes.

The mice used in the experiment were exposed to a single inhalation of nanotubes over six hours. The effects on the pleura were only apparent at the highest dose used by the researchers of 30 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). No ill effects were noticed at lower dose levels.

The local reaction in the affected mice began within one day of the inhalation and the fibrosis or scarring began two weeks later, according to Dr. James Bonner, associate professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at NC State and senior author of the study.

While the study could not project any long-term effects, it argues for more knowledge about how nanotubes, which are used in an array of products, from sports equipment to computer and auto components. Carbon nanotubes are extremely strong and also are being studied for use in medical treatments that would enable small sensors or implants to reach otherwise unreachable areas of the body.

But nanotubes have been suspected of doing biological damage because of their thin fibrous structure, similar to the asbestos fibers that cause mesolethioma.

“The major conclusion from this study is that multiwalled carbon nanotubes, once inhaled into the lungs of mice, travel to the pleural lining surrounding the lungs and remain there for weeks,” Dr. Bonner said.

“They also cause some tissue scarring (i.e., fibrosis) at the pleural lining of the lungs. This finding has the most important implications for occupational exposures, where workers might be exposed to carbon nanotube dust. In this case I advise safe handling and for workers to avoid breathing dust containing nanotubes.”

The scientist said he was not immediately concerned about specific consumer products because those that use carbon nanotubes such as carbon tennis rackets and bike frames are likely not a threat because they are “solid packed composites.”

As for the potential of nanotubes incursions into the body to trigger cancer, the study was not definitive.

“It remains unclear whether the pleura could recover from chronic, or repeated, exposures,” Bonner said in a statement. “More work needs to be done in that area and it is completely unknown at this point whether inhaled carbon nanotubes will prove to be carcinogenic in the lungs or in the pleural lining.”

“Inhaled Carbon Nanotubes Reach the Sub-Pleural Tissue in Mice,” was co-authored by Bonner, Dr. Jessica Ryman-Rasmussen, Dr. Arnold Brody, and Dr. Jeanette Shipley-Phillips of NC State, and Dr. Jeffrey Everitt who is an adjunct faculty at NC State; Dr. Mark Cesta of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Earl Tewksbury, Dr. Owen Moss, Dr. Brian Wong, Dr. Darol Dodd and Dr. Melvin Andersen of The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. The study is published in the Oct. 25 issue of Nature Nanotechnology and was funded by The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, NIEHS and NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The Mediterranean diet or style of eating is not just for cultivating healthy arteries anymore. Now researchers say it may reduce the risk of depression.

Image: © 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust; (www.oldwayspt.org/)

A dietary pattern of eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish and olive oil appears to help people fend off clinical depression, according to a report in the October Archives of General Psychiatry, a publication under the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) group.

The study looked at mental depression in a sampling of people in Spain, where mental disorders are traditionally less prevalent than among people in Northern Europe.

Other studies have suggested that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (in this case, olive oil), and lighter in saturated fats from meats and dairy foods, could help protect people against serious mental illnesses.

The Mediterranean style of eating has also been associated with reduced risk of obesity and heart issues. It’s considered to be a greener style of eating because it does not revolve around large portions of beef and other meats, which raise the carbon imprint of a diet because livestock requires extensive water, grains and fuel to bring to market. Plant-based eating, or diets lower in meat, are considered to be more sustainable. Health-wise, the Mediterranean diet has been popular for weight reduction, improving mental acuity and reducing the cholesterol that can lead to hardening of the arteries. It has been associated with longevity and reduced risk of some cancers. And, it has been popularized in many nutrition books and cookbooks.

The sample group of 10,000 healthy Spaniards in the study were followed over nearly five years. Researchers found that those who adhered most closely to the Mediterranean diet — defined as consuming a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish — had a 30 percent reduced rate of depression compared to those who did not ascribe to the diet.

The association did not change when the results were adjusted for other “markers of a healthy lifestyle,” such as marital status.

“The specific mechanisms by which a better adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern could help to prevent the occurrence of depression are not well known,” the authors write in the study report. Aspects of the diet may improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation, reduce risk for heart disease and repair oxygen-related cell damage. And all those factors could, in turn, reduce  one’s chances of  developing depression.

More likely, though, it is a combination of factors related to the overall diet that suppress the development of the mental illness.

“It is plausible that the synergistic combination of a sufficient provision of omega-three fatty acids together with other natural unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants from olive oil and nuts, flavonoids and other phytochemicals from fruit and other plant foods and large amounts of natural folates and other B vitamins in the overall Mediterranean dietary pattern may exert a fair degree of protection against depression,” the authors write.

Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, B.Pharm., Ph.D., of University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Clinic of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, led the study.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Squint and you can’t see them. Try a standard microscope. They’re still not there.

And yet, they’re everywhere. Nanoparticles are in hundreds, if not thousands, of consumer products, from sunscreen to child car seats to sports socks.

So the EPA has decided to take a closer look at these eensy particles, to investigate their potential to harm humans and the environment.

Nanos, which are about 1/100,000 of the width of a human hair and have been aggregating in consumer goods faster than E coli at a feed lot, have raised concerns among environmentalists, public health officials and others. These guardians of the environment want to know more about how nanos act in water, air and soil, and also whether they can invade and damage human tissue.

Nanoparticles are many times smaller than even a blood cell, and therefore can cross cellular barriers in the human body. Questions remain about whether and how much nanos can damage human tissue.

The study of nanos and their effects has often been done behind closed doors in the private labs of consumer companies. A European survey of companies making products using nanoparticles (done by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work) found that only 8 percent had conducted testing to examine the potential effects on workers.

In the US, the EPA wants more information about using nanos safely in consumer products, and also about the positive prospects for using nanoparticles to clean up the environment.

Rice University, for instance, has been studying using nanoparticles to clean up oil spills by capturing oil particles in water droplets.

The EPA notes that some studies show sunscreens with nanoparticles “provide superior protection against UV radiation.”

Some environmentalists dispute that claim, saying that nanos in sunscreens are dangerous and may actually have the opposite of the desired effect, aging skin instead of protecting it by introducing free radicals. (See our story Don’t get burned, use sunscreens without nanoparticles, which contains a list of  cosmetic makers who have so far kept nanos out of their sunscreen.)

The EPA wants to sort out the good and the bad, identifying any hazards presented by nanos and promoting steps to minimize risks, according to a press release this week.

Researchers are investigating “widely used nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes” that are used in vehicles, sports equipment, electronics and titanium dioxide, the key ingredient in many sunscreens as well as skin cosmetics.

• See the EPA’s nanotechnology website for more information.

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also maintains a nanoparticle info site, with archived articles and research about the potential occupational exposure to, and health effects of, nanos.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Tesla Roadster

Environmentally-sensitive lifestyles and luxury goods would not, to many of us, seem to go together very well. People who own billion-dollar yachts, for instance, aren’t exactly worrying about their carbon footprint.

But plenty of purveyors of high-end goods hope to fight that assumption. Gathering a few steps from Central Park at Manhattan’s Rouge Tomate restaurant Tuesday, a few dozen companies argued that you can have your lush life and save the planet, too.

Fashion models and a celebrity or two mingled with backpack-toting journalists at the event, but (no offense to the models) the sexiest guest never came in the front door: A Tesla Roadster was parked out front, inviting slack-jawed lust from passersby, right in front of a more modest would-be world-changer, the single-seat NmG from Myers Motors.

Both companies had representatives inside, as did conventional carmakers like Audi and Mercedes-Benz, whose bragging about the 20-something miles per gallon their newest models get sounded pretty underwhelming in light of the plug-ins across the room.

All the autos, though, looked like Earth-savers when compared to the dubious offerings of Greenjets, which is essentially a car-pool in the sky for those who would otherwise travel on private jets. Yes, sharing a plane with a dozen or more of your fellow upper-crusters wastes less fuel than flying solo, but a commercial flight is better still.

In other categories, displays without an obvious environmental link sometimes proved surprisingly compelling. Looking at the many jewelers in attendance, for instance, a skeptic might have rolled his eyes: Beyond donating a slice of sales to green charities, how did any of them help the world? Well, it turns out, some had a pretty good argument. Designer Alberto Parada, for instance, was passionate about the environmental impact of global gold mining (promoting a “No Dirty Gold” campaign that hopes to raise public awareness to equal the controversy over diamond mining) and was proud to say his collection exclusively used gold that had been reclaimed from discarded jewelry.

A plethora of beauty products were available for sampling at Eco-Luxe, from shea butter balms sold through Whole Foods to handmade soaps and a line whose cute packaging described it as “natural beauty for girls”.

Further up the pampering food chain were spas. All offered body treatments with exotic all-natural ingredients or low-impact aspirations, but some went further: Albany’s Complexions spa, which sounds like a much-needed oasis of calm for that politically fractious town, claims to be the state’s “first & only LEED Gold spa & salon.”

For more active recreation, the obligatory array of exercise water bottles was highlighted by one, from The Water Geeks, that did the filtering for you via a screw-in adapter — perfect for carrying around the countryside or urban jungle as you ride an enhanced bike that makes electricity from your pedal and braking action to give you an extra boost when the going gets tough.

Bonterra Wine

And what’s the high life without entertaining? In addition to Rouge Tomate’s quite popular wholesome cocktails (the cucumber one with agave nectar was particularly tasty) were organically produced wines from Bonterra and Korbel and a slew of new flavored offerings from 360 Vodka. Choco-tini, anyone? (A helpful spokesperson at the 360 booth answered a question I’d had about their packaging: Turns out the bottle is “only” 85% recycled content because a higher percentage wouldn’t be strong enough not to break.) And for planning the party to go with all that booze, a designer from Celadon & Celery cheerfully showed off a beautiful “green wall” of succulents planted in materials rescued from a demolished playground.

All in all, the event was far from the greenwashing field day skeptics might have predicted. For every instance of weird aromatherapy or sighting of an evening gown made of cork, there was an entrepreneur who was clearly sincere about making goods that are both desirable and beneficial — or at least not harmful — to the world they come from.

True, almost nothing in the room could be called a necessity. But squeezing through the crush of magazine writers and eco-advocates who mingled, a visitor sensed (and sometimes overheard) a bit of relief that this was less an exercise in easing the guilt of conspicuous consumption than a step toward convincing high-end business that many of their customers care about the long term impact of life’s little pleasures.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Calling the fight against cancer “one of the most notorious public health failures of the 20th century” four leading cancer and environmental experts called on Congress and the Obama Administration this week to acknowledge the role environmental carcinogens play in triggering cancer and dedicate more money to cancer prevention.

In a letter to Congressional leaders, the national medical and scientific experts said they were concerned that prevention has received little attention in the Obama Cancer Plan. They noted that health care costs could not be brought under control without a better plan to fight the disease that claims 1,500 American lives daily and costs $89 billion a year to diagnose and treat. (Costs rise to $219 billion annually, when lost productivity and premature death costs are factored in).

“The connection between our losing the cancer war and the need to control costs through prevention is clear. Cancer is not only one of the most costly and sometimes deadly diseases in America, it is also one of the most preventable,” they wrote.

As Congress ramps up this week to craft what could be a massive health care reform package, the advocates asked that elected leaders make revisions to the National Cancer Act (of 1971) that would reduce Americans’ exposure to carcinogens by half over the next decade.

They also want a complete public registry of carcinogens.

For too long, they say, the National Cancer Institute has blamed the vast majority of cancer on human behaviors, such as lack of exercise, poor diet and sun exposure – ignoring the role of environmental carcinogens.

But environmental and occupational exposures to carcinogens are the primary cause of non-smoking related cancers, say the petitioning experts, led by Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, MD Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition in Chicago. They cited “preventable exposures to carcinogens in the workplace and environment” such as nitrites in processed meats, formaldehyde, chlorinated organic pesticides, organic solvents and other substances.

The letter listed many more examples of how environmental factors, beyond tobacco use, that are believed to cause cancer.

“To be sure, smoking remains the best-known and single largest cause of cancer, particularly lung cancer. While incidence rates of lung cancer in men have declined by 20% over the past three decades, rates in women increased by 111%. But more importantly, non-smoking cancers — due to known chemical and physical carcinogens — have increased substantially since 1975. Some of the more startling realities in the failure to prevent cancer are illustrated by their soaring rates of increase. These include:

BestinBeauty.com is an information site and store all rolled into one. Co-founder Tara Lee founded the site after spending twelve years in the entertainment business, where she was shocked by the levels of toxic chemicals in make-up and beauty products.

The company recently launched a campaign Labels for Life, in order to raise awareness about toxic chemicals in makeup. The campaign’s slogan is a phrase designed to help you read labels when shopping for make-up. “Pretty products for healthy people minus

many lousy chemical substances.” Each word in the slogan corresponds with a chemical that can be left out of make-up. For example, minus turns into mercury (mercurous chloride) which is still used in some mascaras. Lousy stands for lead which can be found in some lipsticks.

The list of chemicals can be found in a range of products, not just make-up. The chemicals on the list can be found in shampoos and conditioners, nail polish and deodorant. The ultimate goal of the website is to encourage consumers to read the product label, just as they would if they were eating a product. Checking out the nutritional facts can scare many people away from sugary sodas, and reading the product information just might scare people into using natural beauty products. Check out the list of chemicals and read how they affect the body.

The site also is calling on action from the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration sets the standards for regulations in the United States for the manufacture of food and drugs, which includes cosmetics. The website is currently calling for more strict guidelines in the chemicals and materials that can be use in beauty products.

Many of the chemicals used in beauty products have already been banned from other products. Lead has been banned from use in paint in children’s toys, but is currently still used for coloring in lipstick in some products.

The shopping section of the site offers chemical-free alternatives to make-up, shampoos, fragrance and skin care products.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

A new cancer study from India suggests that fluoride is a contributing factor to osteosarcoma, or bone cancer – but just how much fluoride intake causes the uncommon disease is not clear.

Fluoride in Americans’ tap water has spurred controversy since its introduction in 1945. Anti-fluoride activists say the risks are too high to add “medication” to the water, while government officials cite scientific studies that prove fewer cavities and no serious risk.

In Europe, most countries refuse to treat their water with fluoride with the exception of the United Kingdom. According to the British Medical Journal, fluoridation was introduced in 1963, and the Department of Health reports that rates of dental decay have been reduced 70 percent. But experts remain divided over epidemiological research that has suggested that water fluoridation might be linked to osteoporosis, dental fluorosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other health problems.

The latest cancer study indicates blood fluoride levels were significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control groups, according to research published in Biological Trace Element Research (April 2009).

Osteosarcoma occurs mostly in children and young adults. According to the study, status of fluoride levels in the serum of osteosarcoma is still not clear. Other reports have also indicated that there is a link between fluoride exposure and osteosarcoma.

“The more studies that we have which talk about osteosarcoma with fluoride, the more the scientific community will take notice and eventually blind politicians will do the same,” said Paul Beeber, president of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

GOVERNMENT REACTION

So far U.S. government health officials don’t agree.

The American Dental Association issued a statement that community water fluoridation is a safe, effective public health measure for preventing tooth decay after a similar study appeared in 2006.

After more than 60 years of rigorous scientific study of water fluoridation, ADA officials said “the overwhelming weight of scientific evidences does not show an association with osteosarcoma.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Janis Winogradsky said they don’t comment on outside studies. But she referred to a National Research Study done for the Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 in which researchers reviewed the literature on fluoride exposure and osteosarcoma. The report states that the literature does not clearly indicate that fluoride is carcinogenic in humans.

According to the American Cancer Society, osteosarcoma is a rare cancer, which means it can be hard to gather enough cases to do large studies. Smaller studies can usually detect large differences in cancer rates between two groups, but they may not be able to detect a smaller difference.

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. residents who get water from public water systems now have fluoridated water, according to the CDC. The rationale: Water fluoridation is a low-cost way to bring the benefits of fluoride to all residents.

You’d expect a book with “Zen Cleansing” in the title to emphasize pure and simple ingredients that clean and soothe.

What you might not realize is just how affordable, and effective, these ingredients can be. In Clean Body: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing Yourself, author Michael DeJong asks us to use just five common household products for our zen cleansing: Salt, vinegar, olive oil, baking soda and lemon juice. He mixes and matches and mashes these ingredients into formulas (or gives directions on how to use them individually) to wash our face, tamp down blemishes, shampoo and condition hair, smooth rough skin spots fight dandruff and even defeat head lice.

Really. Just five ingredients.

We were impressed with the unyielding simplicity of it and had to try some of his suggestions. First, we washed our hair with baking soda. This is oddly unsudsy experience felt a bit like trying to make a Plaster of Paris hair sculpture. But after rinsing, my hair felt squeaky clean, but not stripped, and the “clean” lasted two days. My dry, frizzy hair still required conditioning (DeJong would advocate olive oil, but I stuck with my regular hair dressing, for now.).

Still, the clean was more than acceptable. I was surprised; A+ for baking soda as a hair shampoo – what a quick way to cut out any and all suspicious additives, including harsh foaming agents and synthetic fragrances. (I used aluminum-free baking soda, by the way, available at most natural food markets.)

Next up, vinegar for skin blemishes. This sounded like a good solution for the teenager’s face issues. However, he immediately complained that he smelled like — vinegar. So he nixed even night treatments.

So even though vinegar works as a natural astringent and anti-bacterial (we use it in kitchen cleaning), there’s a smelly downside.

DeJong also recommends lemon juice for clearing up skin, and offers some natural formulas for exfoliating. These sound more promising. Smelling like lemons won’t trip you up at the 8th grade dance.

Many of these home cleansing products work better in combination. This is where DeJong’s little tome really shines, providing formulas to turn our bath into a skin clarifying treatment or create a sanitizing foot soak. He also has solutions for keeping clean in private places and seems to have way too much word-play fun in the “Privates for Him” section.

We hear every day about dangerous chemicals in household products that are linked to cancer, infertility, autism and other diseases – yet many Americans may not realize just how many of these harmful substances they’ve actually ingested in the course of everyday living.

The answer? About 48. That’s according a study by the Environmental Working  Group and Rachel’s Network, in which five leading minority women environmentalists from different parts of the country volunteered to have their blood tested for toxic substances. The results, say EWG experts, show that regulation of chemicals in the U.S. is weak and “antiquated” and needs a major overhaul.

The tests, performed by four independent labs in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands, looked for traces of 75 common chemical contaminants that might turn up in people because they are used in household goods, plastics, beauty products and food and water.

It found, in the aggregate, traces of 48 chemicals in the women, notably flame retardants (used to treat some furniture and clothing), synthetic fragrances (from body care products and perfumes), the plastics ingredient Bisphenol A (found in bottles, canned food liners and other products) and the rocket fuel perchlorate (which has been found in some drinking water).

“We are fighting the things we know that are there, the things (pollutants) outside,” said Suzie Canales, founder of Citizens for Environmental Justice in Corpus Christi, which has pushed for a cleaner environment in a city with a concentration of oil refineries. “But it’s a double injustice to find out that the products put on the market are also killing us.”

Canales report showed that her blood contained traces of chemicals from BPA, musks, rocket fuel, lead and mercury. The profiles of the other women tested also turned up several chemicals, at levels above average, that have been linked to harmful health effects; though the toxic mix varied by individual.

The findings made concrete the suspicion that all Americans are being exposed to a daily brew of chemicals that advocates now call our chemical “body burden”.

“I was frustrated to learn about the industrial chemical contamination through this study. I am a mother and I have a 7 year old daughter. I try to live a sustainable life style,” said Jennifer Hill-Kelley, a member of the Oneida Nation who’s worked to clean up environmental pollution outside of Green Bay, Wisc.  “… I don’t have the information about the personal care products or the plastics I use…and I feel that as a consumer I deserve that information to be shared with me.”

Beverly Wright, a New Orleans sociology professor working to fight pollution in the heavily industrialized Lower Mississippi River Valley area, said she was “disturbed” to discover that her tests showed a high level of musks, which are potentially hazardous compounds in synthetic fragrances.