Organic Milk Lowers Rates of Allergies, Asthma and Eczema, Pesticide makers must disclose inert ingredients, Milk Thistle Protects Cancer Patients

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Reversing a decade-old decision, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose to the public the inert ingredients in their products.Low Leptin Levels Increase Risk of Age-Related Mental Decline,The Cause Behind the Great Potato Famine (And Why it's Coming Back),Ethanol burns dirtier than gasoline, study findsThe Gary Null Show - 12/31/09December 31st, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/30/09December 30th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/29/09 3PMDecember 29th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/29/09December 29th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/28/09 3PMDecember 28th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/28/09December 28th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/24/09December 28th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/23/09December 24th, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/22/09 3PMDecember 22nd, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »The Gary Null Show - 12/22/09December 22nd, 2009 click here to listen!Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » http://garynull.org http://garynull.com/ The Council of Foreign Relations Enters the Vaccine Biz - Desperate Attempts to Salvage a Corrupt Science with Sound-bites PDF Version The Coal Industry’s Unabated War on Americans’ Health PDF Version Historic Data Shows Vaccines Not Key in Declines in Death from Disease > 15 Signs American Society Is Coming Apart at the Seams > Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda - Part 1 > | Part 2 >CBS " 60 MINUTES" documentary on the swine flu epidemics of 1976 in the U.S. It went on air only once and was never shown again.4 minute video of Ron Paul on Swine Flu 1976 & 2009 > The U.S. Government is a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Corporate America. 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In The News http://garynull.com/GNhealthnews112.php December 28, 2009 Cola drinking linked to diabetes in pregnancy Last Updated: 2009-12-25 13:00:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drinking lots of sugar-sweetened cola may increase women's likelihood of developing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition known as gestational diabetes, new research shows.Compared to women who had less than one such beverage a month, women who drank at least five servings of non-diet cola a week were at greater risk of gestational diabetes, even after accounting for their body mass index (BMI), level of physical activity, and other diabetes risk factors, researchers found.Sugar-sweetened beverages are the top source of added sugar in US diets, and several studies have linked high sugary drink intake with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women, Dr. Liwei Chen of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans and colleagues note in the latest edition of the journal Diabetes Care.But there is little information on whether consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages before pregnancy might increase gestational diabetes risk, they add.To investigate, the researchers analyzed data from the Nurses Health Study II, looking at 13, 475 women who had at least one pregnancy between 1992 and 2001. During that time, 860 women reported having been diagnosed with gestational diabetes for the first time.Women who drank five or more sugar-sweetened beverages of any type per week were 23 percent more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those who drank less than one serving a month, and the relationship remained even after the researchers accounted for other gestational diabetes risk factors such as BMI and family history of diabetes.But accounting for a Western-style diet -- heavy in red meats, processed meats, sweets, snacks and other less-healthy foods -- did explain some of the association between diabetes and sugary drinks.The researchers looked separately at cola beverages, because the caramel coloring used in them has been linked in animal studies to insulin resistance and inflammation. They found a 22 percent increased risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy for women who drank five or more non-diet colas a week, compared to women who had less than one serving of cola a month.There was no relationship between diet beverage consumption and gestational diabetes risk.The demands pregnancy puts on a woman's metabolism may "unmask" a tendency toward developing diabetes and similar conditions, Chen and colleagues note. Drinking cola could contribute to this tendency by making for a sugar-filled diet, they add, which in and of itself may be harmful to the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.Because diet cola didn't increase gestational diabetes risk, they add, caramel coloring isn't likely to be a major factor in the relationship observed with non-diet cola.The findings "are particularly relevant" given that so many people drink sugar-sweetened cola, the researchers write. They call for more research on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and gestational diabetes, as well as other pregnancy outcomes. SOURCE: Diabetes Care, December 2009. Do multivitamins curb kids' allergy risk? Last Updated: 2009-12-25 13:00:26 -0400 (Reuters Health)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Giving multivitamins to kids 5 to 8 years old does not seem to alter their overall likelihood of having allergies, hint findings of a study from Sweden.However, starting multivitamins at the age of 4 or younger may curb the risk of food allergies and seasonal or inhaled allergies, the study found.Dr. Anna Bergstrom, at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues questioned parents of 2,423 8-year-old boys and girls about their children's multivitamin use, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and history of asthma and allergies.They also measured the kids' blood for antibodies to inhaled allergens such as tree pollens, or foods commonly consumed in Sweden.Overall, slightly fewer than 8 percent of the children had asthma, about 15 percent had respiratory allergies, and almost 18 percent had dry, itchy skin allergies -- percentages similar to those of Swedish kids in general.About 40 percent of the kids took some sort of vitamin supplement during the previous year, most of which were multivitamins with and without minerals.The investigators found no association between use of multivitamins in the previous year, or use between 5 and 8 years of age, and any allergic disease in analyses that allowed for other factors potentially linked with allergies.In contrast, skin prick tests hinted that the 8-year-olds who began taking multivitamins at age 4 or younger were less likely to be sensitive to inhaled and food allergies than were kids who never took multivitamins or began taking them at age 5 and older.For example, inhaled and food allergies were evident in 45 of the 180 kids (25 percent) who took multivitamins when 4 or younger, but in 185 of the 502 kids (37 percent) who were 5 and older when they began taking multivitamins. Of the 1380 kids who never took multivitamins, 471 (34 percent) had similar allergies.Bergstrom and colleagues suggest the current findings "be interpreted with caution."While it is biologically plausible that vitamins may lessen allergic disease, they note that scientific evidence regarding the benefits of these supplements remains contradictory.SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2009http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/12/25/eline/links/20091225elin003.html Supplement may offer a statin alternative for some Last Updated: 2009-12-25 10:00:07 -0400 (Reuters Health)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Red yeast rice supplements may offer a cholesterol-lowering alternative to people who've suffered muscle pain as a side effect of statins, a small study suggests.Researchers found that among 43 people who'd stopped using statins due to muscle pain, most were able to use either red yeast rice or the cholesterol drug pravastatin (Pravachol) for 12 weeks without suffering the side effect again.The supplement and the statin were also similarly effective at lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol, the researchers report in the American Journal of Cardiology.Used for centuries in parts of Asia as a medicine and food garnish, red yeast rice has become an increasingly popular over-the-counter supplement in the U.S. in the past few years.The product, which is made by fermenting red yeast over rice, contains statin-like compounds called monacolins -- including one, monacolin K, which is structurally identical to the cholesterol drug lovastatin (Mevacor).Studies have long suggested that red yeast rice extracts can lower cholesterol. These latest findings suggest that both the supplement and pravastatin are potential options for people who have suffered muscle pain from statin use, senior researcher Dr. David J. Becker told Reuters Health.However, while red yeast rice is available over-the-counter, patients should still talk with their doctors before using it, according to Becker, a cardiologist at Chestnut Hill Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia.Nor should people with existing heart disease swap their statins for red yeast rice, he advised. Statins have been shown to lower the risks of heart attack, stroke and death from heart disease; the benefits of red yeast rice beyond lowering cholesterol are not yet clear.For their study, Becker and his colleagues randomly assigned 43 patients with high cholesterol to take either red yeast rice capsules or pravastatin every day for 12 weeks. The supplement group took four 600-milligram capsules twice per day, while the pravastatin group took 40 mg a day.Both groups also attended a program on lifestyle change.By the end of the study, 1 of 21 patients on red yeast rice had stopped the treatment due to muscle pain, as had 2 of 22 patients on pravastatin. LDL levels fell by an average of 30 percent among supplement users, and by 27 percent among pravastatin users.According to Becker, the low rate of muscle side effects in the pravastatin group is in line with other research showing that among statins, pravastatin and fluvastatin (Lescol) tend to be better tolerated.When it comes to using red yeast rice for lowering cholesterol, the researcher noted that a continuing obstacle is the lack of regulation.The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements as it does drugs, and consumers cannot be sure of what they are getting when they buy an herbal remedy.A 2008 study by ConsumerLab, an independent testing company, found that 10 brands of red yeast rice supplements varied widely in their potency, and four were contaminated with citrinin, a potentially kidney-damaging substance that can form as a byproduct of the fermentation process.SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, online November 30, 2009.http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/12/25/eline/links/20091225elin006.html Ethanol burns dirtier than gasoline, study finds Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com December 27, 2009 (NaturalNews) A recent study conducted by researchers at Stanford University has revealed that ethanol fuel produces more ozone that regular gasoline. When ethanol is burned through combustion, it produces emissions that are substantially higher than gasoline in aldehydes, the carcinogenic precursors to ozone.Much of the fuel dispensed at pumps in America today is a blend of both ethanol and gasoline. E85, a typical gasoline blend that is 85 percent ethanol, was found to emit more ozone pollutants than gasoline, especially during warm, sunny days. Diana Ginnebaugh, a doctoral candidate who worked on the study, explained that even on cold days when ozone is typically not a problem, E85 could result in problematic levels of ozone.When a car is first started on a cold day, it takes the catalytic converter a few minutes to warm up in order to reach maximum efficiency. During the warmup period, the highest proportion of pollutants escape the car's tailpipe, resulting in increased pollution. According to Ginnebaugh, even a slight increase in pollutants could cause places like Los Angeles and Denver, cities that already have smog problems, to have significantly more days when ozone limits are exceeded and public health is at risk.E85 emissions contain several other different pollutants including ones that cause throat and eye irritation and lung problems. Crop damage may also occur from the aldehydes emitted from the burning of ethanol. In the worst-case scenario, E85 was found to potentially add 39 parts per billion more ozone into the air a day than normal gasoline.Comments by Mike Adams, the Health RangerThis study exposes yet another angle on the scam of ethanol -- a fuel that has been pushed as "green" by corn growers who obviously benefit from the increased demand for their crops. But ethanol is largely a scam: It takes nearly as much fuel to grow and process ethanol as you get back out of it, making it an extremely inefficient plant-based fuel.At the same time, as this study shows, ethanol is also causing more pollution than regular gasoline. So it's not cleaner and greener; it's actually dirtier and wasteful.As with everything involving fuel, ethanol has become a highly politicized issue where real science gets abandoned. Rather than focusing on real energy solutions, the U.S. government remains focused on things that give the appearance of clean energy when, in reality, they are quite the opposite.What we should really be pursuing as a nation is a high-priority project to enhance battery technology so that the next generation of vehicles could all run on electricity gathered from the sun via solar panels. Why burn up corn as fuel when you can collect your fuel from the sky for free?http://www.naturalnews.com/027815_ethanol_gasoline.html Funeral Workers Have Increased Risk of Cancer From Exposure to FormaldehydeE. Huff, NaturalNews.com December 27, 2009 (NaturalNews) A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has revealed that morticians who use formaldehyde to embalm dead bodies have an increased risk of developing leukemia. A sampling of 400 funeral workers found that those who worked with the toxin were more likely to die from myeloid leukemia than those who were not exposed to it.Commonly used in the industry to prevent bodies from decomposing, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen recognized by the National Cancer Institute. The toxin is used for other purposes as well including rat poison, fungicide, germicide and disinfectant. It is also conventionally used in building materials and pressed-wood products as an adhesive.A similar study found that formaldehyde exposure greatly increases one's risk of developing other types of cancer. More than 25,000 industrial workers had been sampled, revealing that those with the highest exposure increased their risk of death by 50 percent compared to those with the lowest exposure. After several decades, this number dropped to 37 percent, indicating that the risk gradually decreases over time after exposure has ended.Myeloid leukemia is the most common disease associated with formaldehyde exposure. Those with the highest exposure were found to be 78 percent more likely to develop and die from the disease than those with the lowest exposure. Prolonged exposure also significantly increased risk.In 2008, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts made a proposal for some alternative preservatives that are safer and less toxic than formaldehyde. Research conducted by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute helped form recommendations for formaldehyde alternatives in significant areas where formaldehyde is used including in cosmetology, hardwood and structural materials, and embalming.Various companies also claim to produce non-toxic embalming solutions for morticians that reduce or eliminate exposure to dangerous toxins like formaldehyde. School biology labs across the country have been encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to replace formaldehyde-based solutions used for animal dissection with alternative solutions that are formaldehyde-free.It is always beneficial to seek out safer, more natural solutions to replace standard, often toxic, methods that most people have become accustomed to using. Just because certain formulas have been used for as long as most people can remember does not mean that they are the best and only option. More often than not, there is a natural alternative to the otherwise dangerous chemical solutions that plague our workplaces, schools, and homes.http://www.naturalnews.com/027814_funeral_homes_formaldehyde.html Organic Milk Linked to Lower Rates of Allergies, Asthma and EczemaDavid Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com December 27, 2009 (NaturalNews) Young children who consume exclusively organic dairy products are significantly less likely to develop allergies, asthma or eczema by the age of two, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Louis Bolk Institute in the Netherlands and published in the British Journal of Nutrition."This is the first example of a definite health impact of organic food consumption being published in a peer-reviewed journal," said Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University, who is leading a study into the connection between organic food consumption and health.Researchers followed 2,500 pregnant women until their children were two years old, recording information on their health and their lifestyle and dietary habits. They found that the rate of allergies was 36 percent lower among children who drank or ate organic milk, cheese and yogurt and whose mothers had consumed these products while breastfeeding than among children and mothers who had eaten either only non-organic dairy products or a mix of organic and non-organic products."There was a clear relationship between organic dairy use and less eczema," said researcher Machteld Huber. "The difference was significant but only for children exclusively eating organic dairy products.We didn't find a relationship if they had [both] organic and conventional dairy products."Researchers do not know whether the increased allergy risk from non-organic dairy is caused by extra toxic ingredients, such as antibiotics, by lower levels of key nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, by some combination of the two, or by some other factor."Organic milk doesn't contain any pesticides, added hormones or antibiotics," said Stuart Martin of the Scottish Organic Milk Producers Association. "When an organic cow becomes sick our farmers are encouraged to treat it homeopathically first and only use antibiotics as a last resort. Meanwhile, the milk from that cow is removed from the milk stream and is not used at all."http://www.naturalnews.com/027813_organic_milk_allergies.htmlOrganic'>http://www.naturalnews.com/027813_organic_milk_allergies.htmlOrganic Milk Linked to Lower Rates of Allergies, Asthma and EczemaDavid Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com December 26, 2009 (NaturalNews) Young children who consume exclusively organic dairy products are significantly less likely to develop allergies, asthma or eczema by the age of two, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Louis Bolk Institute in the Netherlands and published in the British Journal of Nutrition."This is the first example of a definite health impact of organic food consumption being published in a peer-reviewed journal," said Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University, who is leading a study into the connection between organic food consumption and health.Researchers followed 2,500 pregnant women until their children were two years old, recording information on their health and their lifestyle and dietary habits. They found that the rate of allergies was 36 percent lower among children who drank or ate organic milk, cheese and yogurt and whose mothers had consumed these products while breastfeeding than among children and mothers who had eaten either only non-organic dairy products or a mix of organic and non-organic products."There was a clear relationship between organic dairy use and less eczema," said researcher Machteld Huber. "The difference was significant but only for children exclusively eating organic dairy products.We didn't find a relationship if they had [both] organic and conventional dairy products."Researchers do not know whether the increased allergy risk from non-organic dairy is caused by extra toxic ingredients, such as antibiotics, by lower levels of key nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, by some combination of the two, or by some other factor."Organic milk doesn't contain any pesticides, added hormones or antibiotics," said Stuart Martin of the Scottish Organic Milk Producers Association. "When an organic cow becomes sick our farmers are encouraged to treat it homeopathically first and only use antibiotics as a last resort. Meanwhile, the milk from that cow is removed from the milk stream and is not used at all."http://www.naturalnews.com/027813_organic_milk_allergies.html The Cause Behind the Great Potato Famine (And Why it's Coming Back)David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com December 26, 2009 (NaturalNews) Researchers have sequenced the genome of the fungus responsible for the Great Irish Potato Famine in the 1800s, uncovering the reason that the organism continues to plague potato farmers to this day."This pathogen has an exquisite ability to adapt and change, and that's what makes it so dangerous," said lead researcher Chad Nusbaum of the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass. The organism, known as Phytophthora infestans, is a type of water mold that continues to cost potato farmers billions of dollars every year. It prefers cool, wet climates and is capable of destroying entire fields of potatoes and tomatoes within only a few days. In 2003, P. infestans destroyed Papua New Guinea's entire potato crop.The mold evolves resistance to antifungal sprays with astonishing speed. In just the last few years, potato farmers in the United Kingdom have increased chemical spraying by 30 percent in an attempt to hold the organism at bay, and the ongoing blight in Ireland has been called "the worst in living memory," according to the BBC.According to information published in the journal Nature, P. infestans' genome is especially large, at least twice as long as the genetic code of its closest relatives. Some regions of the genome are particularly dense, containing many genes in a small area, while others are much less dense. It is these gene-light areas that may hold the key to the organism's adaptability: more than 700 key genes were mapped in these regions, some of them coding for attacks on potatoes' immune systems."The regions change rapidly over time, acting as a kind of incubator to enable the rapid birth and death of genes that are key to plant infection," said co-lead author Brian Haas. "As a result, these critical genes may be gained and lost so rapidly that the hosts simply can't keep up." Modern agriculture has exacerbated the problem, said Paul Birch of the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Widespread application of chemicals encourages pest evolution, while genetic standardization of food crops makes them more vulnerable to infestation.http://www.naturalnews.com/027801_potato_famine_crop_failure.html Low Leptin Levels Increase Risk of Age-Related Mental DeclineDr. David Jockers, NaturalNews.com December 27, 2009 (NaturalNews) Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine recently discovered that individuals with lower levels of circulating leptin had an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer Disease (AD).Leptin, a hormone produced by the visceral and subcutaneous adipose (fat) tissue, is critical in regulating caloric intake and fat stores. As calories are consumed this powerful hormone is secreted into the circulatory system where it makes its way up to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus contains specialized receptors within the metabolic control center that respond to leptin. Leptin's effect is to cause feelings of satiety and to increase energy expenditure, particularly from stored body fat.Chronic inflammation from dietary stress, heavy metal toxicity, or environmental pollutants can damage the hypothalamaic leptin receptors, causing a condition called leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is characterized by an inability for the hypothalamus to respond to high circulating insulin levels. This causes increased appetite and weight gain.The new study suggests that leptin plays an important role in the hippocampus, a critical area that functions to facilitate memory processes. Results of the study showed that individuals with the highest levels of leptin had a 6% risk of developing AD during 12 years compared with a 25% risk for those with the lowest leptin levels."It's interesting and exciting because it's a new pathway that was not previously suspected to be directly involved in AD in humans," said lead author Sudha Seshadri, MD, associate professor of neurology, Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts.Leptin is known to play a critical role in energy metabolism and has also been shown to stimulate angiogenesis (arterial formation). It is through this mechanism, by stimulating the hippocampus and increasing blood supply, that many believe the study results were produced.This new pathway gives us a better understanding of some of the key mechanisms behind age related memory loss and the increase in these conditions over the last 20 years. Leptin levels are influenced heavily by diet and lifestyle, which thus far have been relatively ignored by mainstreammedicine.For example, several studies have shown that high fructose intake causes leptin resistance and elevated triglycerides in rats. High fructose corn syrup is virtually ubiquitous in the processed foods that make up much of the American diet.Balance Leptin Levels Naturally:1.Reduce sugar & grain consumption: Sugar, high fructose corn syrup and heavy doses of grains such as wheat, oats, rice, & starchy vegetables will increase leptin resistance, while also limiting the body's ability to stimulate leptin release.2.Avoid High Omega 6 fats and Trans-Fats: These fats inflame the body.3.Healing Diet: Build your meals around non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats such as avocados, extra-virgin coconut & olive oils, grass-fed meat and free-range eggs, almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, hemp, flax, & chia seeds.4.Train For Maximal Fat Burning: High intensity exercise for short duration stimulates large secretions of human growth hormone, which enhances fat burning mechanisms and helps to modulate leptin levels.5.Sleep Well: Leptin levels typically rise during sleep. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation decreases circulating leptin levels and leads to insensitivity, over-eating, weight-gain and mental decline. Best to eat 3-4 hours before bed and be in bed for sure by 11pm.References:1. JAMA. 2009;302:2565-2572.2.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle...3.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004...4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptin5."Fructose Sets Table For Weight Gain Without Warning". Science News. Science Daily. 2008-10-19. http://www.sciencedaily.com/release.... Retrieved 2008-11-15.6.Vasselli JR (November 2008). "Fructose-induced leptin resistance: discovery of an unsuspected form of the phenomenon and its significance. Focus on "Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding," by Shapiro et al.". Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 295 (5): R1365-9. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.90674.2008. PMID 18784330.7.Shapiro A, Mu W, Roncal C, Cheng KY, Johnson RJ, Scarpace PJ (November 2008). "Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding". Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 295 (5): R1370-5. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00195.2008. PMID 18703413.http://www.naturalnews.com/027812_leptin_mental_decline.html Reversing a decade-old decision, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose to the public the inert ingredients in their products. Environmental Health News , December 23, 2009An inert ingredient is anything added to a pesticide that does not kill or control a pest.In some cases, those ingredients are toxic compounds, but companies do not identify them on pesticide labels. Nearly 4,000 inerts - including several hundred that are considered hazardous under other federal rules - are used in agricultural and residential pesticides.The EPA’s announcement that it will initiate the rulemaking comes 11 years after it had first been petitioned by environmental groups and state officials seeking public disclosure of the ingredients. In 2001, the agency denied those petitions filed by ten state attorney generals and an environmental coalition, and its decision was upheld by a federal judge in 2004.Now, under a new administration, the EPA decided that drafting a new regulation will “increase transparency” and help protect public health.“EPA believes disclosure of inert ingredients on product labels is important to consumers who want to be aware of all potentially toxic chemicals, both active and inert ingredients, in pesticide products,” according to the agency’s website.Formaldehyde, bisphenol A, sulfuric acid, toluene, benzene and styrene are among the ingredients that are allowed in pesticides but are not identified on labels. Some are carcinogens, while some may cause reproductive or respiratory problems if people are exposed. Other inerts seem benign, such as coffee grounds, sunflower oil and licorice extract.One goal of the planned rule is that pesticide companies would be more likely to replace toxic chemicals if they must identify all ingredients on their labels.“By embarking on such rulemaking, EPA intends to effect a sea change in how inert ingredient information is made available to the public,” Debra Edwards, the EPA’s director of pesticide programs, said in a September letter to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and other petitioners.Edwards wrote that the EPA will seek “a significant amount of input” from stakeholders – the pesticide industry, environmentalists and other experts – as they craft the new rule “because of the magnitude of the change and the difficult issues facing the agency.”Under current law, pesticide companies already disclose all ingredients to the EPA. The new rule would make them public.Jay Vroom, chief executive officer of CropLife America, which represents pesticide manufacturers, said Tuesday that the companies are concerned they will be revealing confidential business information, or trade secrets, about their formulas.Vroom said it was “just baffling” that EPA will draft a rule when the pesticide products already undergo risk assessments and are approved for use. He said EPA officials are using “unbridled rhetoric” when addressing the issue of inerts.“We believe these products already have been regulated to protect public health,” he said. “What is confusing is why the agency has been out talking about these products as hazardous inert ingredients. To me, that’s an oxymoron."Vroom said the industry will work with the EPA but that no timetable for stakeholder meetings has emerged yet.Lawyers in the California Attorney General's Office consider the decision a victory but they are eager to see details of the EPA's proposed rule, which is probably a year away."It's impossible to predict the outcome of this, except to say we'll have more disclosure than we have today," said Deputy Attorney General Claudia Polsky.Options the EPA said it will consider include disclosure of all inert ingredients regardless of hazard or only those that are considered potentially hazardous. Some of the requirements may be voluntary.“EPA is not committing and indeed legally cannot commit, to any particular outcome for rulemaking,” Edwards wrote in her letter to the petitioners. The agency's advance notice of a rule was published Tuesday, but the draft rule outlining the details will take months.In 2006, the Northwest Coalition and 15 state attorney generals sent their latest petitions to the EPA, specifically seeking the listing of 374 chemicals on labels. Those chemicals already are considered hazardous under other environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act.In September, the EPA denied that part of the petition, preferring to enact a new rule and saying that the chemical-by-chemical approach was not practical and “would potentially result in numerous challenges regarding individual products.”Pesticide manufacturers are allowed to use nearly 4,000 inert compounds in their insecticides, herbicides and other pest-killing products. Since 1987, they have been required to list on labels only about 50, including asbestos and cadmium. Nearly all of those have disappeared from pesticides since then.Under federal law, only the EPA has authority to require information on pesticide labels, so state officials cannot act on their own.Some scientists have been concerned about the toxic effects of inert ingredients. A recent study found that one, called polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, used in the popular herbicide Roundup is more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself.http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/inert-ingredients-in-pesticidesVitamin C is key to creating stem cellsVitamin C could be used to overcome hurdles in creating stem cells for treating human diseases, scientists believe. Telegraph UK, 24 Dec 2009The vitamin boosts the reprogramming of adult cells to give them the properties of embryonic stem cells.Scientists who made the discovery believe it may help them overcome long-standing problems in creating the reprogrammed cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).IPSCs offer a solution to the ethical problems involved in producing embryonic stem cells with the potential to become any kind of human tissue, from bone to brain.Embryonic stem cells have to be extracted by cannibalising early stage embryos obtained from fertility clinics. IPSCs, on the other hand, are made in the laboratory from ordinary adult cells by altering their genes.Many experts believe iPSCs are the future of stem cell medicine, since they behave in a similar way to embryonic stem cells and are also capable of developing into a wide range of tissues.The conversion of ordinary cells into iPSCs is highly inefficient and difficult to achieve. Often the cells age prematurely and stop dividing or may die, a process known as senescence.Adding vitamin C to the cell cultures was found to hold back senescence and make reprogramming much more efficient.Experiments with both mouse and human cells showed that the vitamin accelerated genetic changes and boosted the transition to a reprogrammed state.Dr Duanqing Pei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, who led the research, said: ''The low efficiency of the reprogramming process has hampered progress with this technology and is indicative of how little we understand it.''Further, this process is most challenging in human cells, raising a significant barrier for producing iPSCs and serious concerns about the quality of the cells that are generated.''Our results highlight a simple way to improve iPSC generation and provide additional insight into the mechanistic basis of reprogramming.''It is also of interest that a vitamin with long-suspected anti-ageing effects has such a potent influence on reprogramming, which can be considered a reversal of the ageing process at the cellular level. It is likely that our work may stimulate further research in this area as well.''The research is published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell.Vitamin C's powerful antioxidant properties may be the reason why it assists cell programming, the scientists believe.The vitamin neutralises damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are believed to hamper the generation of iPSCs.But this cannot be the whole story, since other antioxidants do not appear to have the same effect.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6878565/Vitamin-C-is-key-to-creating-stem-cells.html Milk Thistle Herb Protects Cancer Patients from Chemotherapy-Associated Liver ToxicityScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2009) — A new study finds that the herb milk thistle may help treat liver inflammation in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that the herb could allow patients to take potent doses of chemotherapy without damaging their liver.Chemotherapy drugs frequently cause inflammation in the liver, and when they do, doctors must often lower patients' doses or stop administering the therapies altogether. Clinical studies have investigated using milk thistle to treat liver damage from cirrhosis (from alcohol) or toxins (such as mushroom poisoning). Despite limited study data, the herb is often used for the treatment of chemotherapy associated liver problems. To test whether milk thistle could help treat chemotherapy associated liver problems, Kara Kelly, MD, of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York City and colleagues conducted a randomized, controlled, double blind study in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), who commonly experience this side effect.Fifty children with ALL were enrolled in the study and were randomized to receive milk thistle or placebo for 28 days. At the start of the study, all of the children had evidence of liver inflammation as measured by elevations in blood levels of the liver enzymes, aspartate amino transferase (AST) and amino alanine transferase (ALT). When the investigators performed liver function tests on the children at day 56 (28 days after receiving the herb or placebo), children receiving milk thistle had improvements in their liver enzymes compared with children receiving a placebo. Specifically, the group that took milk thistle had significantly lower levels of AST and a trend towards significantly lower levels of ALT. Taking milk thistle also seemed to help keep fewer patients from having to lower the dose of their medications: chemotherapy doses were reduced in 61 percent of the group receiving milk thistle, compared with 72 percent of the placebo group. In addition, milk thistle appeared to be safe for consumption.The researchers also studied the effects of combining milk thistle with chemotherapy on leukemia cells grown in the laboratory. They found that milk thistle does not interfere with the cancer-fighting properties of chemotherapy."Milk thistle needs to be studied further, to see how effective it is for a longer course of treatment, and whether it works well in reducing liver inflammation in other types of cancers and with other types of chemotherapy," said Dr. Kelly. "However, our results are promising as there are no substitute medications for treating liver toxicity."http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215172325.htm Iranian Scholars Share Avicenna's Medieval Medical WisdomScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2009) — For pulmonary ailments, certain mediaeval physicians had a useful medical textbook on hand offering detailed information remarkably similar to those a modern doctor might use today. One of the fathers of medicine, the great Persian scholar Avicenna left a wealth of information in his many works. Iranian academics dust off one of these in an article published in the SAGE journal Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, sharing in English details of Avicenna's work that still fascinate both physicians and historians of medicine alike.Seyyed Mehdi Hashemi and Mohsen Raza dug deep into Avicenna's original ancient text, housed in the Central Library of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran, where they both work. In particular, they aimed to highlight Avicenna's work on respiratory diseases, which may be informative or interesting to physicians and pulmonologists today.Avicenna discusses respiratory diseases in volume three of the Canon of Medicine, covering the functional anatomy and physiopathology of the pulmonary diseases that were known in his time in detail. His descriptions of the signs and symptoms of various respiratory diseases and conditions are remarkably similar to those found in modern pulmonary medicine. The topic is covered under five chapters: breathing, voice, cough and haemoptysis, internal wounds and inflammations and principles of treatments.The authors also highlight both herbal and non-herbal treatments Avicenna recommends for respiratory diseases, and their signs and symptoms from the second volume of the Canon of Medicine. Avicenna suggested 21 herbs to treat respiratory disorders, and today we know that several of these herbs contain bioactive compounds with analgesic, antispasmodic, bronchodilatory or antimicrobial activities. For instance, Avicenna would have prescribed opium at that time for cough and haemoptysis, a practice which today has an established therapeutic basis."In the time of Avicenna, the presentation of respiratory diseases, their treatment and their prognosis was much different than in modern times," says Hashemi. Mediaeval physicians had a greater reliance on history, physical examination (which was mostly based on visual observation), individual variation, environmental factors, diet, and so on, for diagnosis and treatment.Even so, several of Avicenna's observations related to signs and symptoms, aggravating and relieving factors and the treatment of pulmonary disorders are still valid and can be explained by modern science. For example, one of the important symptoms in the diagnosis of asthma that Avicenna discusses is dyspnea during sleep that leads to awakening. Avicenna also observed plaster-like material in tuberculosis patients' sputum, which is now known as lithoptysis (stone spitting), where a patient coughs up calcified material due to perforated bronchial lymph node.Despite many limitations and the lack of modern instruments in his day, Avicenna adopted a scientific approach to the diagnosis and treatment, not only of respiratory disorders, but also more generally to illnesses he treated and mentioned throughout the Canon of Medicine.A Persian polymath, Avicenna (a widely-used Greek version of his name Abū 'Alī al-Husayn ibn) was a leading physician and philosopher who penned over 450 volumes, of which almost half have survived. During his lifetime (981 to 1037 AD), Avicenna was also an astronomer, chemist, geologist, logician, palaeontologist, mathematician, physicist, poet, psychologist, scientist and teacher. Canon of Medicine (al-Qanun fi al-Tibb), became a standard medical text, and was used across mediaeval Europe for 600 years.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095507.htm Easy ways to cure acidity Times of India, 23 December 2009 We’ve all suffered from it at some point or the other. Acidity occurs when there is excess secretion of acids in the gastric glands of the stomach. When the secretion is more than usual, we feel, what is commonly known as heartburn, which is normally triggered off by consumption of spicyfoods. Here are some home remedies to cure acidity... - Skip the aerated drinks as well as the caffeine. Opt for herbal tea instead. - Have a glass of lukewarm water everyday. - Include banana, watermelon and cucumber in your daily diet. Watermelon juice is great for curing acidity. - Nariyal paani is known to soothe the system if you suffer from acidity. - Drink a glass of milk - everyday. - Have your last meal at least two to three hours before you hit the sack. - Keeping long intervals between meals is another cause for acidity. Have small but regular meals. - Try to avoid pickles, spicy chutneys, vinegar, etc. - Boil some mint leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals. - Sucking on a piece of clove is another effective remedy. - Jaggery, lemon, banana, almonds and yogurt are all known to give you instant relief from acidity. - Excessive smoking and drinking will increase acidity, so cut down. - Try chewing gum. The saliva generated helps move food through the esophagus, easing symptoms of heartburn. - Ginger aids in digestion. Either buy powdered ginger in capsule forms or add the herb to your recipes. - A simple preparation of lemon water with sugar can be sipped on an hour before lunch to reduce uneasiness. - Have vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/diet/Easy-ways-to-cure-acidity/articleshow/5243202.cms Carbon monoxide poisoning can create same symptoms as H1N1 Times of India, 25 December 2009Feeling nauseous after waking up in the morning? Don't presume it's the flu, for it could be carbon monoxide poisoning, say researchers. While headaches, nausea and fatigue are often accompanied by swine flu, it could also be symptoms of poising by the colorless, odorless, gas. According to Minneapolis Star Tribune, doctors often get confused between the two, following the rise in the number of H1N1 flu cases. "The symptoms are so similar. It can look just like the flu," the New York Daily News quoted Carson Harris, an emergency room physician at RegionsHospital in Minnesota, as saying. In case of carbon monoxide poisoning, people often wake up with blurred vision, disorientation, shortness of breath and vomiting. However, the symptoms will disappear when people leave the affected area and breathe fresh air again. The chances of getting affected by carbon monoxide increases during the winter months, when the gas can be released by malfunctioning gas furnaces, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and propane heaters. Fire officials have advised to install carbon monoxide detectors and visit the hospital as soon as you notice the symptoms. The longer you’re exposed to the gas, the greater the health risk. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be treated with oxygen if it’s caught soon, however it can lead to death in cases of extreme exposure.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/Carbon-monoxide-poisoning-can-create-same-symptoms-as-H1N1/articleshow/5377235.cms

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