EPA to Start Reducing Mercury Emissions

On August 9th, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally took its first real steps to limit the amount of mercury that is spewed into the air in this country. But, it took quite a bit to get the EPA to set its new rules for mercury emission from cement plants.

The impetus included four lawsuits over the preceding 12 years from a coalition of environmental and public health groups, but it also took having the Obama administration in office. Without the new administration, it is certain that the new EPA rulings would not have been made. The EPA began its move to limit mercury emissions by focusing on the approximately 100 cement plants in the United States, whose mercury emissions account for about 7 percent of the total mercury air emissions. The two other greater sources of mercury emissions are large-scale boilers (15 percent of total emissions) and coal-fired power plants (51 percent of total mercury output) will hopefully be next in line for new rules. While I would prefer that the EPA limit the release of mercury from coal-fired plants, we should all be grateful that some reductions are being made.

Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is found in all U.S. residents, and can cause a host of health problems. It is a potent neurotoxin causing mood swings, depression, anger outbursts and insomnia. It can also make thinking difficult and can cause tremors in sensitive individuals. It also reduces the ability of the white blood cells in the body to mount a defense against invading bacteria and viruses (ever notice how hard it is these days to actually get over the flu?) and has been associated with the development of autoimmune disorders. It also causes a great deal of "oxidative damage" in the body (the main mechanism by which aging occurs), and is a powerful poison to the power-producing organelles inside of every cell -- the mitochondria. When the mitochondria are unable to make the energy that the host cell needs, that host cell (whether it be a brain cell, eye cell, liver cell, etc.) cannot do its job. And when the mitochondria throughout the body are not functioning as they should, the entire body will feel fatigued! (Know anyone, other than a three-year-old, who does not complain of fatigue?).

We get the majority of our mercury burden from eating fish and other foods that have mercury in them. The Centers for Disease Control recently published the CDC 4th National Report and for the first time showed that the vast majority of mercury in the blood of U.S. residents was organic mercury (from fish). According to the EPA's National Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program (2008 National Listing of Fish Advisories), over 1.2 million miles of rivers and 16 million acres of lakes in the United States have mercury fish advisories, meaning that anyone catching fish in these bodies of water should not eat them. Also, over 42 percent of U.S. coastal waters, including the entire eastern seaboard, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, has mercury fish advisories. But, I bet you have NEVER seen any such advisory posted when you went to a Florida seafood restaurant or to a fish market. Have you?

Alarmingly, the number of mercury fish advisories in the U.S. has been skyrocketing year-by-year. The 1.2 million miles of river advisories in 2008 numbered less than 50,000 in 1993. The 16 million lake acres with too much mercury in 2008 started at only a hair over 2 million in 1993. Each year in between 1993 and 2008 the numbers jumped.

So, how did the fish in your favorite lake, stream or ocean get so loaded in mercury, and why is it increasing at such an alarming rate? Fish get the mercury from the water that passes through their gills, and from eating other fish. In the ocean, the biggest fish have the most mercury, because they eat all the smaller fish (and after one fish meal accumulate ALL the mercury that the other fish had taken its' lifetime to accumulate). But freshwater fish that are far smaller than swordfish or tuna can have as much, if not more, mercury than those big salt water fish do. The mercury in the water comes from the coal-fired power plants, institutional boilers and cement plants. The more mercury they put out every year, the more mercury in the water and fish, the more mercury in YOU and YOUR FAMILY.

It is about time that the EPA does its job and starts to reduce the toxic load that industry dumps on us every day. Hopefully, the winds in Washington D.C. will continue to blow in the direction of cleaner air through more stringent restrictions on industry.

Everybody Needs to Wear Sunscreen

You know who doesn't wear sunscreen practically at all? People of color. That's right -- African American and Hispanics often don't believe they need to use sun protection -- and that's causing them to die of melanoma at an alarming rate. Although people of color develop skin cancer at rate much lower than Caucasians, when darker-skinned people do get skin cancer, they die more often than their white counterparts. According to the American Medical Association, the five-year melanoma survival rate is only 58 percent among African Americans, compared to 84 percent for Caucasians. That's a big difference, primarily due to the fact that when the skin cancer is detected, it has progressed to a deadlier stage.

Is This Common Kitchen Appliance Harming Your Health

By now, you probably know that what you eat has a profound impact on your health. The mantra, "You are what you eat" is really true.

But you need to consider not only WHAT you buy, but how you cook it.

Eating much of your food raw is ideal. But most of us are not going to be able to accomplish a completely raw diet, and we'll end up cooking some percentage of our food.

Smart food preparation starts with high quality foods and food preparation and that means saying sayonara to your microwave oven. Need to sterilize a dishcloth? Use your microwave. But zapping your casserole is a BAD idea if you are interested in preparing healthy food.

Why the no nukes policy?

When it comes to microwave ovens, the price for convenience is to compromise your health. In this article, I will review what we know about the effects microwaves on your food and on your body.

Medical Device Problems Harm 70,000 Plus Kids Annually

More than 70,000 children and teens go to the emergency room each year for injuries and complications from medical devices, and contact lenses are the leading culprit, the first detailed national estimate suggests.

About one-fourth of the problems were things like infections and eye abrasions in contact lens wearers. These are sometimes preventable and can result from wearing contact lenses too long without cleaning them.

Other common problems found by researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include puncture wounds from hypodermic needles breaking off in the skin while injecting medicine or illegal drugs; infections in young children with ear tubes; and skin tears from pelvic devices used during gynecological exams in teen girls.

Malfunction and misuse are among possible reasons; the researchers are working to determine how and why the injuries occurred and also are examining the prevalence in adults. Those efforts might result in FDA device warnings, depending on what they find, said study co-author Dr. Brock Hefflin.

The most serious problems involved implanted devices such as brain shunts for kids with hydrocephalus (water on the brain); chest catheters for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at home; and insulin pumps for diabetics. Infections and overdoses are among problems associated with these devices. Only 6 percent of patients overall had to be hospitalized.

Dr. Steven Krug, head of emergency medicine at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, said the study highlights a trade-off linked with medical advances that have enabled chronically ill children to be treated at home and live more normal lives.

Home care can be challenging for families; Krug says he has seen children brought in because catheters were damaged or became infected.

"Health care providers need to be aware of these kids and their devices and how to recognize or diagnose" related problems, Krug said. He was not involved in the study.

The study appears in Pediatrics, published online Monday.

Docs Told To Avoid 1 Flu Shot Brand For Small Kids

A government panel is recommending doctors steer clear of giving one brand of flu vaccine to young children this year because of convulsions and fever in kids who got the shot in Australia and New Zealand.

At issues is the flu vaccine made by CSL Biotherapies, an Australian company. CSL is one of five manufacturers supplying the U.S. this fall but it only accounts for a small portion of the 170 million doses.

On Thursday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said doctors should avoid using the CSL vaccine in children ages 6 months through 8 years.

Committee members were concerned about the unexplained higher rate of fevers and related seizures seen in young children who got the vaccine earlier this year in Australia and New Zealand. In kids under 5, the rates were roughly 10 times that of other flu vaccines. No deaths have been linked to the problem.

The panel said the vaccine could be used in children older than 5 if they were at greater risk of flu complications and no other vaccine was available.

The committee provides vaccine advice to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which usually adopts its recommendations and sends the advice to doctors and the public.

Australian investigators have been unable to find anything in the CSL vaccine that might explain why it would cause more fevers and convulsions in children.

But a CSL spokeswoman said the company agreed with the U.S. committee's decision.

"We support the precautionary approach," said spokeswoman Sharon McHale.

Too Much Weight Gain During Pregnancy Could Make Obese Babies

Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy have big babies, putting their children at risk of becoming heavy later on, a new study says.

American researchers followed all births in Michigan and New Jersey between 1989 and 2003. They then focused on women who had more than one child, to exclude the possibility that women who were genetically predisposed to be obese were simply passing those genes onto their babies.

Among the more than 513,000 women and their 1.1 million infants studied, scientists found that women who gained more than 53 pounds (24 kilograms) during their pregnancy made babies who were about 150 grams (0.3 pounds) heavier at birth than infants of women who gained only 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

The study was published online Thursday in the medical journal Lancet and was paid for by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"It's never too early to start preventing obesity," said Stephan Rossner, a professor in the obesity unit at Karolinska Hospital in Sweden who was not connected to the study. "It may be uncomfortable for mothers to eat less and change their lifestyle, but after nine months they will get a great payoff for their children."

In the U.S., more than a third of women of normal weight and more than half of overweight and obese women gain more weight than their doctors recommend.

The Institute of Medicine, an independent, nonprofit organization that advises the U.S. government, says normal-weight women should gain 25 to 35 pounds (11 to 16 kilograms) during pregnancy, while overweight and obese women should gain 11 to 25 pounds (5 to 11 kilograms).

Heavier babies have a significantly higher risk of staying heavy throughout their lives, said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital in Boston, one of the study authors. Big babies also have higher chances of developing problems later in life including asthma, allergies and even cancer.

Ludwig and his co-author found most women tend to put on similar amounts of weight for each pregnancy, though they are often heavier when they become pregnant with subsequent children.

Soy: Blessing or Curse?

"Eating soy will kill you!" Scan the media reports and surf the Internet, and you're bound to come across scary claims that would lead you to believe this is true. You may have heard:

• Soy will give you breast cancer.
• Soy formula is dangerous to babies.
• Genetically modified soy foods may modify you.
• Soy foods block your thyroid function.
• Soy prevents the absorption of minerals and interferes with digestion.
• Tofu causes Alzheimer's disease.

As some of you may be aware, I often recommend soy as part of a whole foods diet. Many people question why I include these foods in light of such startling media coverage on the dangers of soy. The reason is relatively simple.

I have reviewed reams of research and many claims for and against soy foods. From the studies available, I can tell you that soy is neither as good as the proponents say, nor as evil as the critics claim. I wish we had more convincing science to report, but we don't. The key is to take all the available evidence together and see what shakes out.

In today's blog I have done that for you. I will review some of the recent data for and against soy, and provide you with a few guidelines and things to remember when choosing soy foods.

Are Americans Now More Honest About Their Weight

Are Americans becoming more honest about their weight?

That theory could explain why the gap appears to be closing in what people say they weigh and what actual measurements report.

A new government telephone survey released Tuesday puts the adult obesity rate at nearly 27 percent and rising. A more scientific survey has already said the rate is 34 percent and holding steady.

Experts believe the 27 percent is probably an underestimate, because it's based on what people say. People tend to say they weigh less than they actually do and say they are taller than they are.

The fact that it's catching up to the more accepted 34 percent estimate could suggest people are becoming more accurate when they talk about their girth. It's one explanation, anyway, said Dr. William Dietz, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is possible people are paying more attention to their weight and reporting it more accurately," said Dietz, director of the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

The new results are based on a telephone survey of about 400,000 people who were asked their height and weight. CDC researchers then calculate whether the person is obese, following a standard formula for body mass index.

Under the formula, a 5-foot-4 woman is obese if she weighs 174 pounds or more, a 5-foot-10 man fits that description if he weighs at least 209 pounds.

The study found that nearly 27 percent of the surveyed adults said they were obese in 2009, up from about 25.5 percent in 2007, a small but statistically significant increase.

Debunking Cardio Myths for Weight Loss

Numerous myths surround cardiovascular exercise and its ability to burn fat, such as, "You only burn fat when you exercise in the fat burning zone," and "You don't begin to burn fat until after 20 minutes into a workout." Instead of looking at cardio's ability to burn fat, shift your focus to how many calories it burns. Because a pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories, the more calories your cardio workouts burn, the more fat you'll lose. Boost the calorie burn by adding intensity and interval training.

Types
Running delivers an effective fat-burning cardiovascular workout, but cycling, swimming, hiking, tennis and inline skating offer equivalent cardio benefits. But why limit yourself? Choose any other exercise performed at a high intensity with minimal rest for a potent fat-burning cardio workout.

Intensity
Although walking provides a light to moderate cardiovascular workout that may keep you from gaining weight, you need greater intensity to lose weight, according to a study in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center studied overweight adults and found that only jogging 20 miles per week -- equivalent to four, one-hour workouts at a pace of five miles per hour -- burned belly fat when compared with a walking workout of only 12 miles per week -- equivalent to four one-hour workouts at a pace of three miles per hour. So, for the most effective cardio workout, step up your walk to a run.

Interval Training
The Journal of Applied Physiology published a study in its Dec. 7, 2006, issue indicating that the most effective fat-burning cardio exercise utilizes interval training. After two weeks of seven workouts, study participants' fat oxidation increased by 36 percent during exercise. Incorporate interval training into your workouts by sprinting for two to four minutes followed by a recovery period of equivalent duration. Do this for an hour every other day, and within two weeks your body will have increased its cardiovascular capacity and fat-burning ability.

Benefits
To increase the effectiveness of your cardiovascular exercise, perform a circuit training workout. The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine published a study indicating that concurrent cardio and weight training resulted in a significant reduction in total calories consumed, about 500 each day.

Misconceptions
The mythical "fat-burning zone" persists because of a kernel of scientific truth: Fat oxidation requires oxygen, which is available at lower intensities. However, when you're working above 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, your body receives energy from stored carbohydrates, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Regardless of the source, burning energy creates a calorie deficit. The greater the deficit, the greater the fat stores used to replenish it.

Should You Try Acupuncture

Recently I've been involved in creating and hosting a series of documentaries on integrative medicine. The three films are aimed at healthcare professionals. The first is about the science of tai chi, the second is about the science of meditation and the third is about the science of acupuncture. I've just wound up the last on-location filming (interviewing experts) for the acupuncture film, and am struck by how this ancient healing modality is blossoming in popularity across the country.

A healing tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture has been successfully administered for more than 2,500 years. According to the TCM view, a vital energy called qi flows through the body along channels called meridians. I like to think of these channels as a sprinkling system for the body, bringing qi to vital organs and extremities in much the way hoses bring water to your garden. In the TCM model of health and disease, when qi flow is blocked it stagnates. Stagnating qi causes illness. Acupuncture therapy unblocks the qi flow, strengthens or weakens the qi (think opening and closing the garden spigot) and directs it to areas of need.

A holistic practice, acupuncture seeks to re-establish the body's healthy equilibrium and function, as opposed to forcing healing using surgery or pharmaceuticals. Interestingly, Chinese practitioners were not the only (and may not have been the first) to identify these energy pathways in the body. The frozen body of a man recovered well-preserved from the Alps features tattoos that correspond to Chinese acupuncture's qi meridians.

Much research is afoot to attempt to define qi in Western terms. This is a challenge, as the word runs deeply through not only Chinese medicine, but through Chinese art, literature, philosophy, pugilism and daily life. From the standpoint of Western medical science, qi is likely to be revealed as some amalgam of endorphins, the bioelectric potential of cell membranes, nervous conduction, circulating hormones and perhaps even photons (light) and infrared radiation (heat). In attempting to define and quantify qi, acupuncture research may end up identifying a whole new system of biological information, such as the conduction of impulses through the body's connective tissue.

The Deadly Neurotoxin Nearly EVERYONE Uses Daily

By 1984, three years after its initial approval for use in tabletop sweeteners and dry food, U.S. consumption of aspartame had already reached 6.9 million pounds per year. This number doubled the following year, and continued to climb well into the 90's.

According to statistics published by Forbes Magazine [i] based on Tate & Lyle estimates, aspartame had conquered 55 percent of the artificial sweetener market in 2003. One of the driving factors behind aspartame's market success is the fact that since it is now off patent protection, it's far less expensive than other artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda).

Today, the statistics on the aspartame market are being kept so close to the vest, it has proven to be virtually impossible to find current data on usage, unless you're willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a market analysis reports and I felt there were better uses for the money than to purchase the answer to that question.

However, a 2009 FoodNavigator article[ii]cites the current global market for aspartame as being less than 37.5 million pounds and worth $637 million.

According to aspartame.org [iii], diet soda accounts for 70 percent of the aspartame consumed. A 12 ounce can of diet soda contains 180 mg of aspartame, and aspartame users ingest an average of 200 mg per day.

However, it can be quite difficult to calculate just how much you're really ingesting, especially if you consume several types of aspartame-containing foods and beverages. Dosing can vary wildly from product to product. For example, the amount of aspartame will vary from brand to brand, and from flavour to flavour. Some can contain close to twice the amount of aspartame as others, and some contain a combination of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.

Interestingly, aspartame consumption now seems to have stalled, and there is some indication it may even be on the decline. Perhaps sufficient numbers of people are finally waking up to the unsavory truth about this chemical sweetener. It is my intention to educate you about the truth of this harmful and toxic ingredient and drive sales down even further. I have no ulterior motives other than to warn you so that you can protect your and your family's health, and I sell no competing products.

Should Patients Be Paid for Medical Compliance

A June 13th article in The New York Times discussed a pilot program in Philadelphia where patients on anti-clotting medications such as Coumadin can win a small sum of money if they take their medication. Insurers and government agencies are also looking at innovative ways to create an incentive for patients to follow their doctor's orders. According to Pam Belluck in The New York Times article, at least one-third to one half of all patients do not take medication as prescribed and one quarter never even fill the prescription. Think of that!

As a physician I find that degree of non-compliance stunning. As all parties look desperately for ways to cut down on the enormous costs of health care in the U.S., it is not surprising that paying patients to stay healthy has become an option. By encouraging patients to stay healthy, it may be possible to avoid emergency room visits, eliminate surgeries or other expensive interventions, cut down or avoid hospitalizations and maybe eliminate some of the unnecessary trips to the doctor. Some insurers are paying for membership in health clubs and gyms. Can paying for healthy food choices be far behind?

While any program that succeeds where others fail, especially in the fraught area of soaring health care costs, should be applauded, there are possible unintended consequences for this novel approach of offering carrots to wayward patients. The "big brotherish" overtones of this program makes me wonder where we lost the concept of individual responsibility. For those patients who are mentally handicapped or those who are incapacitated by poverty or illness, any outreach and support makes sense. But do we really want to assume such a proactive stance when it comes to the majority of our citizens? We now have nurses going to homes, giving weekly telephone outreach, and transporting patients with chronic medical problems to doctor visits. Again, for those patients who are unable to access the medical system, this makes sense. But as with any program with good intentions, the risk of creating a passivity and childlike dependency is real. All these outreach efforts have enormous administrative costs.

Be Your Own Health Advocate: 5 Body Signs Women Should Heed

Hair sprouting in undesirable places, especially on the face and chest (hirsutism), often signals a hormonal imbalance from such conditions as Cushing's syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In fact, PCOS affects 6 to 8 percent of women of childbearing age, and is a major cause of infertility. Other signs of PCOS include acne and being overweight.

Cushing's is a much rarer condition that usually strikes women (and sometimes men) between the ages of 20 and 50. Weight gain, fat on the upper back (aka buffalo hump) with thin arms and legs, round face, irregular periods and fatigue are other common signs. Depending on the cause, various treatments can help correct the hormonal imbalances for both PCOS and Cushing's. Having some facial hair is also fairly common during menopause, when estrogen decreases and androgen increases. However, a lot of facial or body hair in postmenopausal women can signal ovarian cysts or even ovarian cancer.