A Natural Environmental Health Facts Ezine

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"A NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FACTS Ezine" Here to Inform and Help You Become Healthier and Happier while Achieving Quality Longevity!

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Email Lena
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Friday February 24, 2006
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=> IN THIS ISSUE!
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==> Editors' Ranting & or Warnings
==> Something To Think About
==> Health Thought for the day!
==> Showcase Health Spotlight
==> Monthly Spotlight Ads
==> Today's Health Tip
==> Food of The Week
==> Health Today
==> Environmental Report
==> Life Changing Information

Tomorrow is a special milestone for my husband. His 70th birthday and our house will be filled to the rafters with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren starting today through Sunday. He doesn't feel 70, he says, and he certainly doesn't look it and we definitely attribute that to his healthy diet, herbs and minerals. Most especially the minerals... Yes, those things do work to give you longevity and good health. He still frames a house here and there, which entails walking around on the top of those tiny 2x4's, with agility, does a remodel a few times a year. He's still racing the grandkids and neighbor kids and finishes first most of the time... He is suppose to be retired but that just hasn't happened yet... I do hope you can say the same at 70!!!! Have a good weekend...

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Take charge of you and your family's health before it takes charge of you!
Lena

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Something To Think About
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In a study of more than 800 subjects conducted at Chicago's Rush University Medical Centre, seniors who had a high trans fat intake were found to be twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease compared to those with the lowest intake.

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Groups Protest Carbon Monoxide Use in Meat
Feb 21, 2006
By JIM ABRAMS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Shoppers who judge the freshness of meat by its pink color may be deceived by a relatively new industry practice of treating meat with carbon monoxide, critics say.

The meat industry defends the use of carbon monoxide to help meat retain its pink hue, saying large sums of money are wasted when sellers throw away meat that is still safe to eat but is not as attractive because it is slightly brown.

"Color is the number one indicator that's used" in selecting meat, said Don Berdahl, vice president of Kalsec Inc., a maker of natural food extracts in Kalamazoo, Mich. Last November Kalsec filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration seeking a ban on the use of carbon monoxide in meat packaging.

Berdahl said Tuesday that carbon monoxide-treated meat could be left on the kitchen counter for five days and would still look bright red and fresh. Carbon monoxide "also suppresses bad odors and the presence of slime, other telltale signs that meat is spoiled," Kalsec's petition said.

The petition said treated meat could hide the growth of pathogens such as Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and E. coli.

Berdahl acknowledged that his company has a business interest in protesting the practice. But consumer groups, while agreeing that carbon monoxide in itself is not a health risk, are concerned that meat buyers will focus on the color and ignore expiration dates and other signs that meat is no longer edible.

"Carbon monoxide masks the natural coloration of meat by reacting with myoglobin in the meat and producing a bright red color," the Consumer Federation of America and the group Safe Tables Our Priority wrote last month in asking the FDA to reverse its acceptance of the practice. The artificial color, they said, "has been found to last 'beyond the time of spoilage,' thus masking the true color and freshness of meat packaged with carbon monoxide."

The Kalsec petition also argued that the FDA does not have the legal authority to permit the use of carbon monoxide in fresh meat packaging because it is an unapproved and prohibited color additive.

Carbon monoxide is used in some "case-ready" meats, products put in leak-proof, tamperproof, hermetically sealed packages before being shipped to the local butcher or supermarket. Up to 60 percent of meat sold is now case-ready, according to industry estimates, but a relatively small amount of that is carbon monoxide-treated, said Dr. Randall Huffman, vice president for scientific affairs at the American Meat Institute.

In most cases, he said, case-ready meat is treated with a high level of oxygen, which causes the meat to turn red but also leads to deterioration of color, quality and flavor. The carbon monoxide technology eliminates the oxygen, preventing degradations in quality, he said.

"It eliminates so much waste in the system," Huffman said. "It's an excellent way to reduce costs and keep meat prices competitive for consumers."

Since 2002, the FDA has given the go-ahead to three meat producing or packaging firms to use carbon monoxide under a process known as "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS.

Under GRAS notifications, the FDA conducts no research on its own, instead relying on the notifier's documents confirming the safety of the product.

Dr. Laura Tarentino, director of the FDA office of food additive safety, said in a telephone interview that the FDA had reviewed the evidence submitted by companies seeking to use the procedure and "did not disagree" with conclusions that it was safe.

She said the agency would be concerned "if we had evidence that consumers would be misled into buying meat that was spoiled." But so far, she said, there was "no evidence that that is the case."

Critics of carbon monoxide usage also pointed to the 2003 decision by the European Union to ban the practice in meat and tuna. Canada, Japan and Singapore don't allow carbon monoxide treatment for tuna.

Carbon Monoxide in Fresh Meat

American Meat Institute

Consumer Federation of America

Star fruit a.k.a. Carambola, Belimbing (Malaysia), Carambolier (French), Ma Fueng (Thailand), Fuang (Laos), Khe (Vietnam) Averrhoa carambola, belonging to the Oxalidaceae family.

Can be slightly sweet or very sour depending on which species you choose. A strange looking, bumpy, unique, waxy, golden yellow to green fruit that has a 5 pointed star shape when cut across the middle of the fruit, ranging from 3 to 5 inches long with four to six deep lengthwise grooves, is popular in many countries. When it is sliced crosswise, the slices are shaped like stars, thus its common name, star fruit. Citrus nutrients similar to other exotic citrus!

Tart varieties generally have narrowly spaced ribs; sweet varieties have thick, fleshy ribs. Originally from Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and cultivated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for several hundred years. An excellent source of vitamin C, supplying 35% of the Daily Value in 3 1/2 ounces, which is equal to a small whole fruit or about 2/3 cup sliced. I was unable to find more distinct vitamins and minerals listed in any of the University extensions that usually list those things but the statement; "Nutrients similar to other citrus fruits"...

Handle with care! They bruise easily. Star fruit (the sweet variety) can be eaten out of hand or sliced and used as a garnish or in salads. They are also used in chutney, curries and tarts. The juice can be used in tropical drinks and smoothies. Star fruit is easy to prepare, because it does not require peeling or seeding. It can be eaten out of hand after it has been washed. Spray with vinegar and wash under cold running water. Cut it crosswise into thin slices. If the skin is unappealing, though it doesn't affect the taste, simply peel it off with a paring knife.

Ripe fruit should be stored at room temperature for two to three days or refrigerated, unwashed, in a tightly covered container or plastic bag for up to one week.

Healthy properties are said to, reduce fever and cough in common cold; relieve kidney and bladder stones, shrink hemorrhoids and relieve painful urination and hemorrhoids. It is claimed that eating the fruit reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics. In Chinese medicine, they are used as a diuretic. WARNING: persons in dialysis should take care when eating star fruit as some cases of intoxication, insomnia and hiccups to agitation, mental confusion and - in one case death - two people went into renal (kidney) failure after eating star fruit . Both recovered four weeks later after hemodialysis… Also do not eat on an empty stomach or if in dehydrated state as the star fruit may pose an additional risk for development of renal injury.

Ingredients
2 star fruit
2 kiwis
2 bananas
1 cup mango fruit nectar
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt

Peel kiwi and banana, cut into medium size pieces. Slice star fruit into ¼-inch thickness. Combine all fruits in bowl. Add nectar over mixture. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Top with vanilla yogurt.

Drinking the juice alone and unmixed with other fruits or vegetables not recommended! Two people – age not given - are reported to have developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and backache within hours of ingesting large quantities of sour carambola juice; then acute renal failure followed that required dialysis.

Pa. Student to Publish Anthrax Project
Feb 20, 2006

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A high school student who showed in a science fair project that using a clothes iron on mail can kill anthrax-like spores inside - without damaging the contents of the envelope - will have that research published later this year.

Marc Roberge, 17, a senior at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, decided to experiment on the issue after discussing his father's work as a medical toxicologist for the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention office in the Pittsburgh suburb of South Park. His research will appear in the Journal of Medical Toxicology in June.

"He's just 17. I was 35 before I had my first publication," said Raymond Roberge, Marc's father, and an expert on biological agents.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, subsequent anthrax attacks in the mail killed five and injured 17 later that fall. A germ warfare specialist from the former Soviet Union told a Congressional committee in October 2001 that a hot steam iron could be used to kill anthrax spores.

During a CNN interview several months later, Raymond Roberge said high heat could kill anthrax, but he didn't know if an iron would work.

Marc Roberge didn't use anthrax in his experiments, which he performed at home and at school. "The government might have had a problem with that," Marc told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, referring to the toxic and highly regulated substance.

Instead, he used another kind of bacterial spore from the anthrax family that is more heat-resistant than anthrax, and which scientists use as a surrogate for anthrax in their experiments.

Marc put paper strips with millions of spores inside envelopes, then ironed them at various settings for up to 15 minutes.

His findings: an iron adjusted to the highest setting, about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, killed all the spores if they were ironed for at least five minutes.

"When the anthrax attacks happened, I thought, 'There's got to be a way to stop this,'" Marc said. "I just never thought it would be so easy."

As a bonus, ironing the letters didn't cause them to open up prematurely, and it didn't make pen-written words illegible.

Marc conducted the experiments as part of a science project for his advanced placement biology course. He performed the experiments at home and at school.

Bioterrorism expert Michael Allswede, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said people shouldn't routinely iron their mail.

"But should there be another threat like the anthrax attacks in 2001, it would be one of the techniques that could be used by regular people," Allswede said.

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ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
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Fumigant Could Pose Health Risk The EPA is expected to approve replacement of an ozone-depleting pesticide with methyl iodide, which the state calls a carcinogen.
By Marla Cone, Times Staff Writer

Fourteen years ago, as chemicals gobbled up the Earth's ozone layer, an international treaty ordered a phaseout of a popular pesticide for strawberries and other high-value crops. Now, U.S. officials are poised to replace it with a new pesticide ? one that is highly toxic and has been declared a cancer-causing chemical by the state of California.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to approve a new fumigant, methyl iodide, as it eliminates methyl bromide, which damages the ozone layer. With few options for killing diseases and insects in soil, the EPA is faced with a decision that could exchange one toxic hazard for another.

California ? particularly Ventura and Santa Cruz counties ? and Florida have the most at stake. California is the leading producer of strawberries, valued at more than $1 billion a year, and strawberry growers alone could use 3 million pounds of methyl iodide annually to replace methyl bromide.

Fumigants, used to sterilize soil before planting, are considered particularly risky among the hundreds of agricultural pesticides in use today. Because methyl iodide is a gas, it can evaporate from soil and drift into nearby areas.

Last month, based on tests in California and Florida fields, EPA toxicologists concluded that unprotected farmworkers could breathe harmful doses and that low concentrations could drift off fields. But they also determined that the workers would be safe if they wore respirators and that people near the fields would breathe such small amounts that they would face no known health risk. Also, no residue remains in the strawberries or other crops.

The EPA will accept public comments on methyl iodide through Tuesday, with a decision expected possibly as soon as next month.

If the chemical does clear the federal hurdle, it still faces a tougher challenge in Sacramento. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation is conducting its own review of methyl iodide to determine whether it is safe. Imposing the nation's strictest standards on pesticides, the state agency has in the past rejected some EPA-approved chemicals, and often imposes tighter safety controls.

"It doesn't matter what EPA says, it has to pass muster in California," said Glenn Brank, a spokesman for the state pesticide agency. "The registration decision by U.S. EPA will have no bearing on our process."

Methyl iodide "is highly toxic," Brank said, and there are "a number of areas of concern ? reproductive and developmental toxicity as well as carcinogenicity." On the other hand, although "fumigants clearly are problematic, they also are essential, given the lack of alternative soil treatments at present."

For four years, the EPA has been considering a request from pesticide company Arysta LifeScience to register methyl iodide, also known as iodomethane, as a soil fumigant under the commercial name Midas. If approved, it would be injected into soil, mostly in strawberry fields, but also on fields growing tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, grapes and several other crops, at a rate of about 175 pounds per acre.

Methyl bromide was the pesticide of choice for these crops until recently. In 1987, the United States and other developed nations signed the Montreal Protocol, which gradually banned a variety of chemicals destroying the ozone layer that blocks the sun's harmful radiation. Methyl bromide was added to the pact in 1992.

Since then, use of methyl bromide has dropped dramatically. All use was supposed to end last year, but the United Nations granted "critical use" exemptions, amounting to about 15 million pounds in the United States this year, or 27% of the amount used in 1991. Florida uses almost half, with California ranking second.

In testimony before a House committee Wednesday, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator William Wehrum said that the "EPA has made the registration of alternatives to methyl bromide its highest registration priority" so that it can eliminate the ozone-depleting chemical. Wehrum said it is the EPA's responsibility "to help identify, register and implement safe and effective alternatives."

But environmentalists say that methyl iodide and other fumigants are too dangerous and that human exposure would be inevitable and could raise the risk of cancer.

"This is an archaic, unsustainable approach," said Susan Kegley, senior scientist at the San Francisco-based Pesticide Action Network North America, which is leading a campaign against the registration of methyl iodide. "EPA should be helping farmers move into the future by expanding the use of new integrated pest management techniques, not replacing one deadly chemical for another."

Unlike methyl bromide, methyl iodide poses no threat to the ozone layer, but it can be dangerous if inhaled.

In animal tests, breathing large doses caused miscarriages, thyroid tumors and respiratory tract damage, according to an EPA risk assessment published Jan. 5. When inhaled, it rapidly accumulates in thyroid tissue, and some studies show it can alter thyroid hormones, which are essential to regulating the growth of a healthy fetus.

The Pesticide Action Network said instead of approving new fumigants, the EPA should be doing more to encourage chemical-free approaches to managing pests. In recent years, the EPA, farm groups and chemical companies have invested millions of dollars seeking alternatives to methyl bromide, including about $200 million in research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

California's 600 strawberry growers are not taking a position on methyl iodide.

"We are hoping to find something as efficient and cost effective as methyl bromide," said Mary DeGroat, public relations director for the California Strawberry Commission. But "we're not proponents" of any particular chemical, she said. "If an alternative comes up that works and is safe, then that's great news. Whatever the [EPA and state] deem legal and appropriate, we work within those realms in compliance?. If they approve methyl iodide, obviously there would be some training involved. That would be critical."

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