Posts Tagged ‘toxic’
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
It’s a never ending cycle of bad news about the safety of children’s products: the California-based Center for Environmental Health commissioned independent testing of various children’s products sold by major retailers (including WalMart and Target) and found high levels of lead in various items, including bean bag chairs, youth boxing gloves, and jewelry and foam jewelry components. The amount of lead in these items ranged from 3 times to 70 times the legal limit of lead. WalMart removed the items from its California stores (where the Center for Enviromental Health is based) and from its websites while Target is stopping all sales of the products identified as containing lead. WalMart (and all other retailers still selling lead-tainted products) should follow Target’s lead and remove all toxic products from its shelves.
To read more about the Center and its efforts to keep consumers safe, go to www.ceh.org
Tags: baby products, lead, toxic, toxic children's products
Posted in baby products, General Topics | No Comments »
Saturday, September 4th, 2010
Following a Harvard study concluded earlier this year, a new study conducted by the Center for The Health Assessment of Mothers and Children in Salinas found that exposure in the womb to organophosphate pesticides is likely to increase a child’s chances of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The level of exposure was measured by the concentration of pesticides in pregnant women’ urine. The higher the level of pesticides, the greater the incidence of ADHD, especially in boys. Although participants in this study were pregnant women living and working in the Salinas Valley, an agricultural and predominantly rural area, the overall premise of the effects of pesticides likely applies to the general population as well.
But don’t skip the vegetables and fruits – buy organic (no chemical pesticides allowed) or wash conventional vegetables and fruits before consumption. See http://ehpo3.niehs.nih.gov
Tags: ADHD, chemical, food, fruit, pesticides, toxic, vegetables
Posted in baby food products, food products, General Topics | No Comments »
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
Keep this in mind as you send your kids back to school: lunch and cafeteria trays are some of the dirtiest surfaces, holding around 35,000 bacteria per square inch! That means lunch trays are as filthy as public park sandboxes and have more bacteria per square inch than a high-traffic store floor. Note – the average toilet seat has “only” about 3,200 bacteria per square inch. Don’t forget to pack the hand sanitizers and beg them to wash their hands!
More at www.nsf.org
Tags: bacteria, health, lunch, school, toxic
Posted in General Topics, healthy baby, smart mommy | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
A Swedish study of more than 35,000 women between the age of 49 to 83 suggests that women who took daily multivitamins during the study were 19% more likely to develop breast cancer than those women who did not take a daily multivitamin. These findings held up even after researchers adjusted for other well-known risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, family history, advanced age, and body mass index. However, the scientists, lead by Susanna Larsson, PhD, concluded that more research is needed before any public recommendations are made.
What kind of vitamins make up a daily multivitamin? Typically, you’ll find Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, as well as B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, and various minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Note that multivitamins generally do NOT include fish oil (see my post below on the potential benefits of fish oil).
Interesting? Yes. Confusing? Certainly!
You can read the findings online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. www.ajcn.org/ http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.28837v1
Tags: breast cancer, fish oil, minerals, risk factors, supplements, toxic, vitamins
Posted in General Topics, smart mommy | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
Consumer Reports has previously identified the “dirty dozen” of supplements and divided them into three categories: definitely hazardous, very likely hazardous, and likely hazardous.
Aristolochic acid is a potent human carcinogen that is categorized as definitely dangerous, also known to cause kidney failure and, in some cases, death.
Comfrey, androstenedione, chaparral, germander, and kava are categorized as very likely hazardous and can cause adverse health effects ranging from abnormal liver function to increased cancer risk.
Bitter orange, organ/glandular extracts, Pennyroyal oil, lobelia, scullcap, and yohimbe are categorized as likely hazardous and may cause problems ranging from heart attack to liver failure.
Visit www.consumersunion.org for more detailed information and the specific dangers of each of these “dirty” ingredients.
ABC News senior health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser discussed the updated list of the dirty dozen which also includes aconite, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, country mellow, and celandine, each potentially causing a range of health problems. For more information, go to ABC News.
Tags: cancer, minerals, supplements, toxic, vitamins
Posted in food products, General Topics | No Comments »
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