Men in Danger - SBS Documentary

Australia's TV channel SBS ran a documentary last Sunday night (30-03-08) called "Men in Danger". This issue is very close to my heart, having been through 4 years of infertility treatment and 2 years of studying the issues of harmful chemical interference on the human body with my company, the Health Highway. The documentary features the work of Danish researcher Niels Skakkebaek, US researcher Shanna Swan and other including Professor Lou Gilette, Tyrone B Hayes, Ana Soto, Richard Sharpe, Henrik Leffers and Lilla Hass.

The SBS website provides a summary of the show:

A program which looks at some of the factors which may explain why sperm production in males has dropped 50% in 50 years, and explores an important
question currently facing scientists; could chemical molecules in our environment be affecting our ability to reproduce? Aside from the huge drop in the amount of sperm production over the last five decades, scientists have also recorded a dramatic rise in the number of testicular cancers and a disturbing increase in the number of congenital malformations in male reproductive organs - two trends echoed in wildlife studies. This suggests the cause is environmental and not genetic. For Niels Skakkebaek, Danish doctor and researcher, the male reproductive and infertility problems we are currently facing are ‘as important as global warming.' (From France, in English) (Science) M CC WS

A Sydney Morning Herald review summed it up well with "What do you want first, the bad news or the bad news?...chemicals as the main culprits - even those considered safe for humans - and the damage is done before a baby is born. There are also flow-on effects for cancers in men and women."

I will be exploring some of the issues raised in the documentary in future posts, including links to the researcher's work where it is available online. If you can get a copy of this documentary it is well worth a view - a wealth of information on the issue of endocrine disruption affecting human metabolism, immune systems and fertility.

If you would like information on products for use on your skin and around the home which do not contain harmful, toxic or endocrine disrupting chemicals, please contact us at the Health Highway.

Eight ingredients to avoid on your skin

Thanks to Dr Mercola for providing this list:

• Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum – Petroleum products that coat the skin like plastic, clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins, which in turn accumulate and can lead to dermatologic issues. Slows cellular development, which can cause you to show earlier signs of aging. Suspected cause of cancer. Disruptive of hormonal activity.
• Parabens – Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry (including moisturizers). An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities – mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system.
• Phenol carbolic acid– Found in many lotions and skin creams. Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma and even death from respiratory failure.
• Propylene glycol – Used as a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a carrier in fragrance oils. Shown to cause dermatitis, kidney or liver abnormalities, and may inhibit skin cell growth or cause skin irritation.
• Acrylamide– Found in many hand and face creams. Linked to mammary tumors in lab research.
• Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)– Found in car washes, engine degreasers, garage floor cleaners… and in over 90% of personal care products! SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture barrier, easily penetrates the skin, and allows other chemicals to easily penetrate. Combined with other chemicals, SLS becomes a “nitrosamine”, a potent class of carcinogen. It can also cause hair loss. SLES is sometimes disguised with the labeling “comes from coconut” or “coconut-derived”.
• Toluene – Poison! Danger! Harmful or fatal if swallowed! Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Made from petroleum or coal tar, and found in most synthetic fragrances. Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may affect a developing fetus. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) contains toluene. Other names may include benzoic and benzyl.
• Dioxane– Found in compounds known as PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, ethoxylated alcohols. Common in a wide range of personal care products. The compounds are usually contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane, easily absorbed through the skin.

If you would like to know about safe personal care products for your family, please contact us at the Health Highway for more information.

Why be concerned about harmful ingredients?

A study conducted in 1994 by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health resulted in a consumer alert publication on the harmful ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. This study identified that of the 2,983 chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products, 884 were found to be toxic. Merriam- Webster's online dictionary described toxic as "containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation". In this study, toxic ingredients were identified as follows:

• 314 identified as causing biological mutation
• 218 can cause reproductive complications
• 778 can cause acute toxicity
• 146 can cause tumours
• 376 can cause skin and eye irritations

Senator Edward Kennedy in a speech to the US Congress in 1997 declared "This is an industry that is under regulated and its products are too often hazardous". I have blogged previously on Senator Kennedy's speeches. The full text of these speeches and a lot more scientific detail on the harmful ingredients in personal care products is available in Professor Dr Samuel Epstein's book "Unreasonable Risk".

If you would like to know more about safe personal care products, please contact us at the Health Highway and we will be glad to help with advice and information about sourcing safe products for your family.

Aspartame experiment and vital information

I have blogged before on our own family's experience with Aspartame and a near misdiagnosis of MS. A post on Dr Mercola's website caught my attention this morning where he reported on an experiment with Aspartame conducted by a Victoria Inness-Brown in the U.S.

Victoria fed 108 rats the equivalent aspartame level for their body weight every day for 2 years and 8 months, to simulate a human's consumption of diet soft drinks. 37% of the female rats who took the aspartame developed tumors, some of massive size. Photos are included on the website.

Dr Mercola goes on to list details about his book, Sweet Deception, which was written with the assistance of 5 physicians over several years, with the threat of a lawsuit hanging over them by the makers of Splenda. Other books and articles are listed such as H.J. Roberts Aspartame Disease - an ignored epidemic and Aspartame Disease - an FDA approved epidemic.

You may or may not be swayed by Victoria's experiment. It was not conducted under scientific conditions, by a scientist or professional. But the other resources he lists have been. I was particularly pleased to see a link to neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock's website describing what to do if you have used aspartame, with tips and directions for detoxing safely. If this issue concerns you, please share this information with others.

Getting to the heart of it

Over one third of Australians who die this year will be due to heart attack or stroke. Heart disease and related circulatory disorders account for one third of the combined total of every other disease known to man (including accidental deaths and other fatalities).

Oral Chelation therapy is relatively new, originating from the US. It is 100% nutritional in application and attacks the cause of circulatory disease rather than treating the symptoms. Here's a testimony from a happy customer:

My father suffered a serious heart attack in 1999 in which a stent was inserted into the artery on the left side of his heart during an angiogram procedure to keep the blood flowing. He was also told there was a 40% blockage on the arteries on the right side of the heart. Although he is the perfect post-heart attack patient, the thought that it might happen again was never far from his mind. We heard about Oral Chelation in 2005 and started my father on it straight away. He recently underwent another Angiogram and was told that the blockages on the right side had disappeared and the artery is now totally clear. Imagine our elation! We are amazed
at the power and simplicity of these products. (C.R., Qld)

I can supply a low cost booklet which explains Oral Chelation in a non-technical way, answering most of your questions about how it works and what is involved. It also includes case histories from Bill Davison's clinic. Be mindful of your heart health and forward this post to anyone you know who might benefit from this information.

Highway to Heart Health (book review)

Dr Ross Walker is a well known advocate of nutritionally based health care in Australia and is one of our leading heart specialists. In Highway to Heart Health Dr Walker addresses vital information that comes from his reading, research and clinical experience. His patients, readers and listeners constantly ask him about the causes and treatments for heart disease and related illness. Many of these inquiries are about nutrition, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and health assessment. Dr Walker addresses these and many other issues in his book and shares medical insights into what you can do to make a real health difference. Put your heart on the Health Highway - contact me for more details. I can supply copies of the book directly to customers.