Monday, September 15, 2008

Bologna? I Think I'll Pass....

I have had a thing about processed meats for a number of years now – never been one to enjoy a hot dog, bologna makes me woozy and well, I could go on and on. So in the course of researching my new book, I found validity for my feelings, sodium nitrite proved that my ick feelings about processed meats were dead on.

As a food additive, sodium nitrite (also beware of sodium nitrate) serves a dual purpose since it both alters the color of preserved fish and meats and also prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria which causes botulism. Sodium nitrite can turn your meats and fish the bright red color that you generally associate with freshness, when in fact the product can be anything but.

While sodium nitrite will prevent the growth of bacteria, it is also toxic for mammals. Recent studies have found a link between high processed meat consumption and colon cancer, possibly due to preservatives such as sodium nitrite. The evidence doesn't stop there, a recent study shows a 67% increase in pancreatic cancer for people consuming moderate amounts of processed meat on a frequent basis.

But leave it to our friends at NewsTarget.com to up the grossness factor a few more notches with the video below. This humorous take on a frightening subject will make you think twice before ordering pepperoni on that pizza or buying a hot dog from the corner vendor – I promise!!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Canary in a Coal Mine

Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals could be as close as your next glass of water. Narcotics, birth control pills, antidepressants and other controlled substances are now being found in U.S. rivers, lakes and streams, which is where our drinking water comes from.

As Greg Peterson recently reported in E Magazine, intersex fish in the Potomac River and frog mutations in Wisconsin have federal officials studying the effects of pharmaceuticals in the water supply....and it isn't just a maybe there are pharmaceuticals in the water supply, it's a guess what's here so what do you think we should do about it scenario.

The cumulative effect of the trace amounts of pharmaceuticals that have been found in the water on humans is not yet known, but the Environmental Protection Agency is taking preventative measures because these trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have already been linked to behavioral and sexual mutations in fish, amphibians and birds. And those mutated frogs, well, Peterson reports that the amphibian is considered to be the canary in a coal mine when it comes to water issues.

While the debate heats up with one side saying, much ado about nothing, and the other saying WTF, federal officials studying the human health effects of the pharmaceutical compounds found in the water say they generally serve as endocrine disruptors, including possible links to neurological problems in children and increased incidence of some cancers.

The rising number of Americans regularly consuming pharmaceuticals in part led to the U.S. Geological Survey and EPA finding 80% of the samples taken in 139 streams spanning 30 states contained pharmaceuticals. And many of America's wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products from the water supply.

So what to do? Firstly, check to see if there is a pharmaceutical collection station in your community that can properly dispose of old or unwanted prescription medications, because guess what, grandma's plan of putting old and unwanted prescriptions down the drain or into the toilet helped get us here. There are organizations sprouting up through numerous grassroots groups and local governmental initiatives. If there isn't a collection station or movement in your area, find out how you can start one.

If you strike out locally, turn to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their new partnership with the American Pharmacists Association, they recently launched SMARxT DisPOSAL, a public education project about pharmaceuticals and fish.

And last but not least, whatever you do, do NOT flush pharmaceuticals or personal care products, because the canary, isn't dead yet, but he is mutating quickly.