Eating Irradiated Food

Good to know!

This little pink symbol says that your food has been poisoned by radiation, including gamma rays, electron beams and x-rays.  Studies on animals have revealed it has potential cancer-causing effects.  Use these guidelines to avoid it at all costs...

HEAL: Never Buy Meat, Potatoes or Herbs With This Label on it

• Irradiation leads to the formation of furan, which has been linked to liver toxicity, including carcinogenicity
• Irradiated foods must be labeled with the statement "treated with radiation" or "treated by irradiation" and the international symbol for irradiation, the radura
• Irradiated foods contain compounds called 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs), which may promote tumor growth and colon cancer; they are found exclusively in irradiated foods
• Irradiation is essentially a very effective medium for masking filthy conditions in slaughterhouses and food processing plants; You can avoid irradiation by choosing locally grown, organic foods as much as possible

Irradiated herbs, seasonings and spices are exposed to HALF A BILLION chest X-ray's worth of gamma radiation. This information is clearly publicized by the USDA and FDA.
The FDA presently supports the use of Cobalt-60 culled from nuclear reactors on all domestically produced conventional food. 
The level of gamma-radiation used starts at 1 KiloGray -- equivalent to 16,700,000 chest x-rays -- and goes all the way up to 30KiloGray (500,000,000 chest x-rays or 10,000 times a human lethal dose).
According to Green Med Info:

“Despite the irresponsible promotion of this process as safe, food irradiation destroys much of the vitamin content of food, produces a number of toxic byproducts: formaldehyde, benzene, and formic acid, as well as unique radiolytic products, e.g. 2-alklycyclobutanoes, that have been demonstrated to be cytotoxic (damages cells), genotoxic (damages DNA), and carcinogenic (causes cancer) in test tube and animal studies.”

By Dr. Mercola

You're probably well aware that certain foods, like milk and juices, at your grocery store are pasteurized -- a process that uses heat to kill off bacteria from your food, and in the process destroys nutrients and denatures the food.

But you may not know that foods may also be irradiated -- a process that exposes your food to radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams and X-rays.

Irradiation was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963, and today is used on more than 40 food products dispersed throughout 37 countries. If this sounds a bit alarming to you, you are not alone.

After nuclear disasters like the Fukushima meltdown in Japan, radiation poisoning to food is one of the primary health concerns. So how is it that food processors can expose your food to radiation on purpose, in the name of food safety?

Are There Health Risks to Eating Irradiated Food?

The FDA claims, "Irradiation is an important food safety tool in fighting foodborne illness," noting that the sources and amounts of radiation applied to foods are not strong enough to cause the food to become radioactive. They also state that "food irradiation does not significantly change the nutrient content, flavor, or texture of food." However, as Sayer Ji, found of GreenMedInfo.com, states:

"The FDA presently supports and actively promotes the use of Cobalt-60 culled from Nuclear Reactors as a form of "electronic pasteurization" on all domestically produced conventional food.

The use of euphemisms like "food additive" and "pasteurization" to describe the process of blasting food with high levels of gamma-radiation cannot obviate the fact that the very same death-rays generated by thermonuclear warfare to destroy life are now being applied to food to "make it safer" …

This is not a hypochondriac's rantings, as we aren't talking here about small amounts of radiation. The level of gamma-radiation used starts at 1KiloGray (equivalent to 16,700,000 chest x-rays or 333 times a human lethal dose) and goes all the way up to 30KiloGray (500,000,000 chest x-rays or 10,000 times a human lethal dose)."

As you might suspect, exposing food to the equivalent of hundreds of millions of x-rays does not appear to be an innocuous act. Alternatively, evidence to date suggests it may be having a detrimental effect on the health of those who consume it.

A New Class of Food Contaminants

2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) are radiolytic derivatives of triglycerides found exclusively in irradiated food. The compounds are generated proportionally to fat content of the food and the dose of absorbed radiation.

Research in animals suggests the compounds may promote tumor growth and colon cancer, and studies show 2-alkylcyclobutanones are able to cross the intestinal barrier, enter into the bloodstream, and be stored in the fat tissue of an animal. The compounds have also been shown to be cytotoxic and genotoxic, which means they may damage cells and DNA, respectively. Studies on human cells also revealed potential cancer-causing effects, with researchers concluding "this compound may be regarded as a possible risk factor for processes in colon carcinogenesis related to initiation and progression."

More Reasons to be Wary of Irradiation

Needless to say, the research to date is raising major red flags that irradiation is NOT as safe as food safety officials would have you believe. In addition to the formation of potentially toxic 2-ACBs, irradiation leads to the formation of furan from ascorbic acid, fructose, sucrose, or glucose. Furan in foods has been linked to liver toxicity, including carcinogenicity.

Another study found that cats developed "mysterious" and "remarkable" severe neurological dysfunction, including movement disorders, vision loss and paralysis, after being fed a diet of irradiated foods during gestation. When they were taken off the irradiated foods, they slowly recovered. This is a major clue that irradiated foods deserve some serious regulatory scrutiny, but unfortunately they have already infiltrated the food system. And it's not as though this concerning evidence was just recently brought to light. One paper on potential dangers, prepared for the meeting of the Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Expert Committee on Irradiated Food, dates back to 1969. The author stated:

" … irradiation can bring about chemical transformations in food and food components resulting in the formation of potential mutagens."

Does Irradiation Actually Mask Filthy Food Production?

The FDA is quick to state that "Irradiation is not a substitute for good sanitation and process control in meat and poultry plants. It is an added layer of safety." But it is, in essence, a tool to wipe out bacteria, parasites and other potential pathogens that linger in food. This means food manufacturers have an out of sorts … After all, they're going to nuke everything later anyway, so why go to the trouble of actually growing your food in sanitary conditions to begin with?

Irradiation is essentially a very effective medium for masking filthy conditions in slaughterhouses and food processing plants. The foundational solution to this problem lies in preventing contamination at the source -- on the farm, during processing and shipping, and so on -- not in wiping out pathogens later using questionable technological interventions like radiation! There simply shouldn't be any need for irradiation, as there simply shouldn't be E. coli in your lettuce or Salmonella in your poultry in the first place.

So why is there?

Our "global food system," which encourages farming on a massive scale, poses steep problems for food safety. Not only can one batch of contaminated spinach or peppers easily sicken people across an entire country, but it's very difficult to trace a contaminated food back to its source … and even harder to then pinpoint the source of the contamination.

Public health agencies like the FDA use the term "field-to-fork continuum" to describe the path any given food takes on the way to your plate, and during any of the following steps, contamination is possible:

Open field production

Harvesting

Field packing

Greenhouse production

Packinghouse or field packing

Repacking and other distribution operations

Fresh-cut/value-added processing

Food service and retail

Consumer

As you can see, the more steps your food goes through before it reaches your plate, the greater your chances of contamination becomes.

But again, the solution is not to subject your foods to radiation to make them "safe" … they should be safe from the get-go, and this is one of the primary reasons why I encourage you to think long and hard about the sources of your food. If you are able to get your food directly from the field or after harvest, such as directly from a farmer or farmer's market, you knock out five potential operations that could expose your food to contamination, not to mention you'll have assurance the food has not been irradiated.

Do You Want to Avoid Irradiated Foods?

In the United States, the following foods may be irradiated:

Fresh meat and poultry (including whole or cut up birds, skinless poultry, pork chops, roasts, stew meat, liver, hamburgers, ground meat, and ground poultry) Wheat and wheat powder White potatoes
Many spices Dry vegetable seasonings Fresh shell eggs
Fresh produce  

Fortunately, the FDA currently requires that irradiated foods include labeling with the statement "treated with radiation" or "treated by irradiation" and the international symbol for irradiation, the radura:

However, there are exceptions:

Irradiated meat used in another product (such as sausage) does not have to contain the radura image on the package (it does have to list irradiated meat in the ingredients, though).

Restaurants are not required to disclose radura the use of irradiated foods. So be aware that any time you eat out, you have no way of knowing if your food has been irradiated.

You can also avoid irradiation by choosing locally grown, organic foods as much as possible. Certified organic foods may not be irradiated, and foods from a small, local farm are unlikely to be either. So, as I've said many times before, supporting the small farmers in your area and, as much as possible, getting your food from these types of high-quality, small-scale local sources is one of the simplest ways to access pure, unadulterated food.

Source:  Green Med Info June 20, 2011
Source:  Green Med Info
Source:  Nutrition and Cancer 2002;44(2):189-91
Source:  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry October 5, 2005;53(20):7826-31
Source:  Food and Chemical Toxicology December 2007;45(12):2581-91

Related Links:

Irradiated Food Causes Brain Damage
FDA Allows Irradiation of Produce
What are the Most Common Food Infections?

Posted By Dr. Mercola | November 05 2011 | 67,562 views - http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/05/why-are-your-spices--seasonings-exposed-to-half-a-billion-chest-xrays-worth-of-radiation.aspx?e_cid=20111105_DNL_art_3  -  h/t to Gisela Parets

Am I At Risk for Endometrial Cancer?

There are pap smears for cervical cancer, mammography for breast cancer, and colonoscopy for colon cancer. But there is no commonly recommended screening test for endometrial cancer. Most patients with endometrial cancer will have gone through menopause. Consequently, vaginal bleeding after menopause is the most important symptom for patients and their doctors to recognize. For younger women, particularly heavy women, irregular or heavy periods should prompt evaluation.

Certain factors can make you more likely to get this cancer. These are your risk factors. But the fact you have one or more risk factors does not mean you will get endometrial cancer. In fact, you can have all the risk factors and still not get it. Or you can have no known risk factors and get it.

Most of the risks linked to endometrial cancer come from too much exposure to the hormone estrogen. Estrogen and progesterone are the two main types of female hormones. The balance between them in your uterus changes every month during your menstrual cycle. These hormones need to be in the right balance for your uterus to be healthy.

Patients with characteristics listed below may have a higher risk for endometrial cancer. Many of these risk factors may be out of your control. For example, you can’t control your age or family history. Some risk factors, though, you can control. For example, you can control the types of food you eat. Ask your healthcare team and your loved ones to help you think of ways to succeed at lowering your risk.

Uterine cancer or colon cancer runs in my family.

Most cases of endometrial cancer are “sporadic.” That means they do not occur because of genetic changes passed from one generation to the next. About 5%, though, do occur as a result of inherited genetic changes. If several family members have had uterine or colon cancer, you are at greater risk for endometrial cancer. Your risk is even higher if the cancers occurred at a young age (before menopause). It’s also higher if several generations have been affected. You may have inherited a genetic problem called the Lynch II syndrome. This is also known as nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). It is the most common type of hereditary endometrial cancer syndrome. Family members can develop cancers arising from the colon, uterus, small intestine, kidney system, or the ovaries. Women with this family history have a 40% to 60% lifetime risk of developing endometrial as well as other cancers. If you are at risk or think you might be at risk for Lynch syndrome, talk with your doctor. Ask about seeing a cancer genetic counselor. The counselor can help better determine your actual risk.

If you are at risk, you should be screened for endometrial cancer. Screening involves an endometrial biopsy starting at age 35.

To learn more about genetics and cancer, click here.

I have used tamoxifen.

Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat women with breast cancer. It’s also used to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk. If you take tamoxifen, you have a higher risk of endometrial cancer. This is a risk that’s balanced by the substantial reduction in risk of breast cancer. If you’ve used tamoxifen, tell your doctor right away if you have any unusual vaginal bleeding.

I use estrogen replacement therapy.

Estrogen is used to help deal with the effects of menopause. However, if you take estrogen alone, you have a greater risk of endometrial cancer. If you need estrogen replacement therapy, ask your doctor about using a combination of estrogen and progesterone. This helps protect your uterus from developing cancer. Keep in mind, though, that taking estrogen and progesterone together can increase your risk for breast cancer. It can also increase your risk of blood clots. If you use hormone replacement therapy, see your doctor regularly for follow-up care.

I have been exposed to a lot of estrogen over the years.

Exposure to excess estrogen raises your risk for endometrial cancer. You could be exposed to too much estrogen for any of these reasons:

• I am overweight. Fat cells can change other hormones into estrogen. So having more fat can increase your estrogen level.
• My periods started before I was age 12. If your periods started at an early age, your uterus has been exposed to estrogen for longer than average. The total number of years you have menstruated matters, too. If your periods started early, but you went through menopause early, your risk of getting endometrial cancer is not raised.
• I went through menopause after age 52. If you went through menopause after age 52, your uterus has been exposed to estrogen for longer than average. The total number of years you menstruated matters, too. If you went through menopause late, but your periods started later in your teens, your risk of getting endometrial cancer is not raised.
• I have never been pregnant. During pregnancy, more progesterone is present. This helps protect the uterus from too much estrogen. If you’ve never been pregnant, than your uterus may have been exposed to higher levels of estrogen.

I have diabetes.

If you have diabetes, you have a greater risk of getting endometrial cancer. The reason for this is not totally known. Obesity and one kind of diabetes are linked. But even women with diabetes who are not overweight still have higher rates of endometrial cancer.

I have high blood pressure.

High blood pressure has been associated with endometrial cancer. But the risk is not as strong as some of the other risk factors. The relationship between high blood pressure and endometrial cancer may be due to the fact that many women with high blood pressure are also obese. Obesity is a very strong risk factor for uterine cancer.

I eat a diet high in fat.

A high-fat diet increases your risk for several cancers. That includes endometrial cancer. Eating fatty foods is also a quick route to obesity. Obesity increases your risk for endometrial cancer.

I am older than age 50.

As you get older, your risk of getting endometrial cancer goes up. Most cases of it occur after menopause.

I have none of these characteristics.

Some women with endometrial cancer have none of the known risk factors. Nevertheless, they still develop an endometrial cancer. About 10% of endometrial cancers develop in women without these risk factors.

Source: MedicineNet.com

Posted: True Health Is True Wealth

Simple Blood Test for Colon Cancer

People are often reluctant to undergo a routine but painful colonoscopy ― but the consequences can be fatal. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer found in American men and women and kills about 50,000 Americans every year.

“85% of those who develop colon cancer have no symptoms or family history,” says Prof. Nadir Arber, a professor of medicine and gastroenterology, at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. “Generally speaking, it’s much harder to get these people to comply with taking the test.”

To convince more people to undergo the potentially life-saving colonoscopy, Prof. Arber has developed a simple early-warning test that can detect colon cancer in the blood. Using biomarkers, it is the first test on the market that can detect cells of colon polyps, the precursors to colon cancer in the blood, with a very high degree of sensitivity and accuracy.

This painless, non-invasive and inexpensive test could very well be a breakthrough of the decade.

“If we can identify those who are prone to cancer through a less invasive test, we can convince them to do the colonoscopy,” leading to earlier detection and treatment, says Prof. Arber, who heads the Integrated Cancer Prevention Center at the Tel Aviv Souraski Medical Center.

Now being prepared for the market by Bio Mark Ltd., a subsidiary of Micromedic Technologies Ltd., Prof. Arber’s “CD24” test could begin to save thousands of Americans’ lives by as early as 2010. With the test, doctors can catch polyp growth in the colon in 80% of patients.

The American Cancer Society suggests that all Americans over the age of 50 receive periodic colonoscopies. With Prof. Arber’s test, doctors will be able to screen patients for colon cancer quickly and easily as part of a routine blood test. While not 100% accurate, it will provide a convincing argument for patients to undergo the colonoscopy, and then polyp removal, if necessary.

The novel invention is based on testing CD24, the oncogene for colorectal cancer. It utilizes the fact that polyps in the colon emit biomarkers, which can be detected in the blood at very low levels. Recent studies show that the test can correctly identify adenomas, the polyps that convert to colon cancer, at a success rate of more than 80%.

Some patients forego colonoscopy not just out of fear or distaste, but due to its high cost. Here, too, the breakthrough is significant. While traditional colonoscopies cost about about $1,500 per test, Prof. Arber’s procedure is expected to cost much less ― $50 to $100 per test.

Prof. Arber is also working on a drug that prevents the growth of polyps in the colon.

Go Bananas for a Healthier Colon

What do bananas have in common with corn, eggs, salmon, and spinach? Hint: a vitamin that’s great for your colon. 

We’re talking about B6. And science shows that simply getting your share of this nutrient could cut your risk of colon and rectal cancer. A lot. 

Big Time B Benefits
In one of the largest studies to date on B6 and colon health, people with the highest intake of the vitamin -- from food and supplements -- reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by 20 to 30 percent. And this study is just one of many showing a benefit. Researchers suspect that B6’s role in the metabolism of folate -- another colon-friendly B vitamin -- might explain the protective effects. 

From Top to Bottom
A healthy colon is just one reason to load up on B6-rich foods. The mighty vitamin might also help stave off Parkinson's Disease and depression. 

Trans Fat Could Cause Colon Cancer

When Bad Fats Go Badder

Researchers recently reviewed the health of 622 colonoscopy patients and came up with plenty of fuel for the down-with-trans-fats fire. People who ate the most trans fat -- an average of 6.5 grams per day -- were 86 percent more likely to have potentially precancerous colon polyps compared with those who consumed the least trans fat -- about 3.6 grams or less per day. Seems trans fats can mess with the colon’s normal, healthy balance of bile and fatty acids and damage the mucus that protects this organ. 

Less Is More

For heart health, the American Heart Association recommends that no more than 1 percent of your daily calories come from trans fat. That means if you eat 2,000 calories a day, no more than 2 grams should come from trans fat. Since trans fat is found mostly in packaged sweets, frozen dishes, and fried foods, steering clear of them will help. Your other option is to closely read the list of ingredients, keeping in mind that even products labeled trans-fat-free can still have up to 0.5 grams of the stuff per serving. So cut down on anything that lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils among the ingredients, too -- "hydrogenated" is a red flag for trans fat. 

Source:  RealAge

Basics To Avoid The Four Deadliest Cancers

About 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 500,000 die from the disease. Some cancers claim more victims than others, and there are things you can do to avoid becoming a victim. Here are the four deadliest cancers and how you can avoid them:

• Lung. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in America and will claim more than 157,000 victims this year. More than 80 percent of lung cancers are linked to smoking. Even if you don’t smoke, but live or work with smokers, your risk rises due to second-hand smoke. Don’t smoke and encourage the smokers in your life to quit.
  
  
• Colon. Colon cancer will kill about 57,000 Americans this year, but it is a highly curable cancer if caught early. Follow your doctor’s advice for screening. Since high-fat diets and sedentary lifestyles double the risk of colon cancer, switch to a diet rich in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables and add exercise to your daily routine.
  
  
• Breast. Although 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year, 85 percent of breast cancer patients are alive five years after diagnosis. The five-year survival rate rises to 95 percent if the cancer is localized, so early detection is essential.
  
  
• Prostate. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over the age of 70 and will kill 29,000 Americans this year. Although scientists aren’t sure just exactly what triggers prostate cancer, many believe it’s linked to a high fat diet heavy in red meat.

To avoid all cancers:

• Exercise
• Watch your weight
• Don’t smoke
• Eat a low-fat, high fiber diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Get regular check-ups and screenings -  But do your research on mammograms and others
• Consider genetic testing if certain cancers run in your family
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Drink lots of water but avoid plastic bottles and containers

Even the deadliest cancers can be conquered if they are caught early enough. If you have a family history of cancer, screening and early detection can make the difference between life and death. Avoiding known lifestyle risk factors for cancer such as smoking help you avoid the “Big C.”