On the heels of a Bisphenol-A study in humans showing possible links to diabetes, heart disease and liver abnormalities, the FDA reaffirms that it thinks BPA in products is just fine.

The study was published in JAMA today (here’s a link to the whole study), the same day that the FDA met to further discuss whether or not BPA in food packaging and bottles is safe.

What this study did was look at some of the health problems that have already been linked with BPA in animal studies to see if the same health problems have any correlation with BPA levels in people. In animal studies, problems have turned up such as liver enzyme abnormalities and oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, pancreatic B-cell function (which can influence insulin and diabetes) and obesity. Then they looked for those types of links, as well as heart disease, in people.

What they found was that those folks who had the highest BPA levels were 2.4 times more likely to have diabetes. Those with high BPA levels were 3 times more likely to have heart disease. And, three types of elevated liver enzymes were seen when BPA was higher.

But they didn’t look at infants and children. From past study, we know that they are the ones most likely to have the highest levels of toxins in general and be at the highest risk for toxicity. They only looked at people 18-74 years old.

The actual BPA exposure levels were below what is considered safe, so the study points to low levels as potentially being a problem. We’ve seen that in animal studies as well. That is especially something that industry doesn’t want to hear. Industry likes to say there is not being enough of a toxin in products to cause a problem. But that’s not what we’ve been seeing in animal studies and that’s not what we are seeing in this study.

Just last month, the FDA stated that BPA in food packaging and bottles is safe. This study challenges that view. Actually, that view was also challenged by the National Toxicology Program which is another federal agency. They determined there was “some concern” that BPA could cause developmental problems in the brain and hormone systems of infants and children.

So, what to do?

Bisphenol A is found in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. For instance, some plastic bottles with the number 7. It’s also found in the lining of canned goods. These are things that we have a choice in when purchasing.

Luckily, manufacturers are producing more alternative products. So, rather than wait for more evidence on the subject, it is becoming easier to be a proactive shopper now. The precautionary principle in action. And also, industry response to public demand. That’s why Nalgene has phased out BPA in their water bottles.

Never put anything hot in plastic containers. Say no to #7. Use #2 plastics that are HDPE (high density poly ethylene). Another option is polypropylene which is #5.

Of course, there is always good old glass.

Will the environmental, pollution and green building advances spurred on by the Beijing Olympics have a lasting effect in China?

To be sure, there were many issues around the politics, internet and media prohibitions and human rights aspects of the Beijing games, That’s an issue unto itself.

But, we also saw a race towards greener buildings that use resources wisely and more cleanly. There was a shift from coal use to electricity.

We saw an effort to reduce smog and pollution in the air, however late the effort came. We saw that air pollution can’t be solved in just a week or a month. We saw the health concerns brought forward vividly by athletes who refused to come and athletes who came with breathing masks.

We saw the introduction of organic produce and what was said to be hormone and antibiotic free organic meats, even if it came after countries wanted to bring their own food to avoid toxins and positive banned hormone tests. And even if it came from a select number of purveyors, seemingly organized just for the Olympics.

We saw a spotlight on the health effects of pollution on the Chinese people. Just as we saw a glimpse of Chinese graciousness…despite how choreographed it might have been.

Have things really changed, or was it all a show?

Change…

That slow, lumbering, reluctant beast.

That can sometimes morph into an excited adolescent, eager to take on the world…

What do you think?

Has China really begun the journey towards being a greener, less polluted, healthier place? Or not?

Will the changes spurred on by the Olympics become a long lasting legacy for China and the world? Or not?

Arsenic! Yet another thing to be linked to type 2 diabetes…

We’ve known for a long time about the presence of arsenic in the environment. But a new study has found that even small amounts of arsenic have a link with diabetes.

That’s right. Small amounts.

Researchers looked at how much arsenic was in the urine of the folks in the study. Those with arsenic had a 24% increased risk of having diabetes than those that had no arsenic. We already know that arsenic exposure can lead to cancer and other health problems, but the diabetes link is a new one.

But where is the arsenic coming from, you may ask? Good question.

The assumption is that arsenic is coming from the water supply, as the researches discounted the non-toxic natural arsenic in food and fish sources.

Arsenic can find it’s way into the environment and water supply from coal burning and copper smelting. It’s found in the pressure treated wood used to make decks. It’s also found in some insecticides and fungicides, though that is banned in many countries. Arsenic gas is even used in microchip production.

It can also be found naturally in rock and soils. That’s been a problem with well water and chronic arsenic illness in rural China and places such as Vietnam and Bangladesh.

But another source of arsenic is nutritional supplements. Sea algae and kelps can contain a lot of arsenic too.

Arsenic binds and disrupts the sulfur containing metabolic enzymes that help us produce energy. Previous studies have found that pancreas cells, where insulin is produced, produce less insulin when treated with arsenic. Less insulin leads to diabetes.

It’s actually unclear in this study if the arsenic contributes to diabetes, or if something about diabetes causes the arsenic to clear from the body differently.

Urine can be tested for arsenic, as they did in this study. You can also check hair and even nails, but those may not be reliable because of external contamination.

Luckily, filtering the water is something we can all do. On the public level, cities can beef up testing and filtering for arsenic. And at home, this study provides just one more incentive for filtering of tap water.

You can also use treated wood to build decks that has not been treated with arsenic. And you can make sure to use integrative pest management techniques to avoid harmful insecticides and fungicides.

Arsenic and diabetes. Who knew?

Dara Torres pulls it off. An Olympic swimming silver at age 41 amidst rumors of faked asthma and doping…

We’re not going to comment on doping because who’s to say. We would like to think everything is on the clean.

So we though we would weigh in how Dara might be doing it on her own, from the organic, eco, healthy point of view.

It’s no secret that a lot of swimmers develop asthma over time. And there is a growing body of study evidence pointing to chlorinated water exposure as contributing to that trend. So, we don’t think it’s surprising, giving the amount of time the average top level swimmers spend in the water that Dara might have developed asthma over time. She’s got a lot of company.

It’s one of the reasons we are keen on pools that don’t use chlorine. It doesn’t seem fair to blame swimmers for asthma that they could very well have gotten from simply practicing their sport for hours on end, year after year.

There has been a lot of emphasis on the inhalers and medications that swimmers with asthma use, but in fact, if you don’t have asthma, those medicines don’t help you swim faster. And if you do have asthma, at best, they just bring your lung function up to the same as competitors that don’t have asthma.

On a different note, it’s no secret that nutrition is different than it used to be. We have a much better understanding of how the biochemistry of energy production and muscle strength in the body works. How individuals are slightly different, with slightly different nutritional needs. And there are all sorts of nutritional supplements to optimize performance.

And then there is good old food. There is the idea of nutritional value of food and how the right food can maximize the health and performance of anyone, including athletes. The concept of “food as medicine” exemplifies this perfectly.

Then there is the idea that organic food grown in nutrient rich soil and without toxins, antibiotics and hormones is different and worth it. It is so worth it that the US is said to be importing some of it’s food for the athletes. And China has made extra efforts to produce organic foods and institute strict monitoring of produce and meats. In great part, due to pollution and hormone contamination concerns.

We don’t think Dara’s been eating mostly McDonald’s like Ryan Lochte. And we don’t think, if Lochte decided to compete at age 41 he’d be eating McDonald’s then either. But anyone that can pull off a world record backstroke IM double header, more power to him.

So if Dara’s doing it on her own, which we hope she is, we hope she’s doing everything green, eco and healthy that she can to do it.

Did you know that vitamin D deficiency is rampant in America?

And it’s making us sick…

Last week we wrote about non-toxic sunscreens. But what we didn’t talk about was how a little bit of sun exposure is actually necessary to make vitamin D in the skin. So even though it’s really important to use that sunscreen, it’s also important to get your vitamin D.

Just 10 minutes a day of sun exposure, on average, will do it. Not out in the sun baking. Just 10 minutes of being outside. So shut off the computer and get outside for a bit. But, if you’ve had skin cancer, check with your doctor. And use your sunscreen after you’ve have your fill of unprotected sun.

Actually, vitamin D isn’t a vitamin, but really a hormone. It’s active in all sorts of body systems. It helps bones stay strong and seems to have something to do with multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue and even depression.

It is even turning out to be important in breast cancer. Studies have been showing that women with low vitamin D levels have higher incidence of breast cancer and poorer overall prognosis. It may even be important to boost vitamin D levels in the case of prostate, lung, colon and even skin cancer such as melanoma.

The good news is that between a little dab of sun and vitamin D supplementation, you can correct that vitamin D level. It’s only found in foods like oily fish (Salmon - but watch for pollutants - and the much maligned but magnificent, and generally low toxin, sardine) and even eggs, but you can take some vitamin D3 supplements as well. The official recommended dose is only 400 IU, but newer science is recommending 800 to 1000 IU or sometimes, even more. We think it’s best to find a doctor who will work with you on this. Because you deserve it.

Ask you doctor to check your vitamin D level. The test is called 25-OH vitamin D. You can download some study resources and take them to your doctor if they have any questions.

Last but not least, we promised a movie. Ahhh…sunscreen (non-toxic, of course) and the meaning of life, ala Baz Luhrmann. Because we don’t think life should suffer while we’re doing the right thing.

Enjoy! And pass it on!

We will soon have genetic testing with greater freedom from discrimination. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) has passed the Senate and is expected to be passed by the House and signed into law.
Here’s why that is great news from the eco-health point of view:
With the advent of genetc testing comes a wide variety [...]

I’m just catching up from an absolutely, phenomenally awesome weekend in Napa Valley, California about food and health, put on by Harvard and the CIA.
Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: Caring for Our Patients and Ourselves.
Harvard and the Culinary Institute of America paired up for the second year in a row to bring a program led [...]

Thallium.
Arsenic.
PCB’s.
Cadmium.
Molybdenum.
Chlordane.
Were these toxin’s found in a toxic dump somewhere?
No!
They were found in waste sludge used to fertilize land, and milk from the cows that grazed that land. This AP story lays out the whole scoop. Read it. Please. You will be shocked and awed. And sickened. These toxins were [...]

I remember when I was a little kid growing up, it was a treat to go out to the drive up broasted chicken place on Saturday night. We used to sit there in our car seats, where it smelled vaguely of gasoline and interior vinyl treatment. I can still remember the taste of [...]