Skin Products cause damage to Kidney: WHO

NEW DELHI: Can't get enough of your new body lotion that makes your skin so much softer? Unfortunately, applying them could be causing your body serious damages. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning against skin lightening soaps, creams and cosmetics like eye makeup, cleansing products and mascara, saying they could be containing mercury.

The warning is serious, especially for Indians, as WHO said 61% of the dermatological market here consists of skin lightening products. WHO said the serious adverse effects of inorganic mercury, which is a common ingredient found in skin lightening soaps and creams, includes kidney damage, reduction in the skin's resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression or psychosis and also peripheral neuropathy.

The global health watchdog pointed out that mercury in soaps and creams is eventually discharged into wastewater. The mercury, then, enters environment, where it becomes methylated, and enters the food chain as highly toxic methylmercury in fish. Pregnant women who consume fish containing methylmercury transfer the mercury to their fetuses that can later result in neurological deficits in children.

WHO said skin lightening soaps and creams are commonly used in certain African and Asian nations and dark-skinned populations in Europe and North America. Mercury salts inhibit the formation of melanin, resulting in a lighter skin tone.

"Some manufacturers are no longer using mercury as a preservative in mascara and eye makeup cleansing products as a result of consumer pressure. However, most jurisdictions still allow the sale of makeup products containing mercury compounds. The soaps contain approximately 1%-3% mercury iodide, and the creams are composed of 1%-10% mercury ammonium," WHO said.

It is imperative to check for mercury content on the packaging of the soaps, creams or other cosmetics before getting hooked to them.

WHO added, "The amount or concentration of mercury in a product may be labelled on the packaging or in the ingredient list. Names to look for include mercury, Hg, mercuric iodide, mercurous chloride, ammoniated mercury, amide chloride of mercury, quicksilver, cinnabaris, hydrargyri oxydum rubrum (mercury oxide), mercury iodide. Directions to avoid contact with silver, gold, rubber, aluminum and jewellery may also indicate the presence of mercury. However, companies selling products that contain mercury, do not always list it as an ingredient."

The United States Food and Drug Administration allows mercury compounds in eye area cosmetics at concentrations at or below 65 mg/kg expressed as mercury (approximately 100 mg/kg expressed as phenylmercuric acetate or nitrate). All other cosmetics must contain mercury at a concentration less than 1 mg/kg.

"India too is bringing in laws to regulate the cosmetic industry. We will regulate mercury use in soaps, creams and cosmetics," a health ministry official said.


Published in: The Times of India, June 5th, 2012.
Published in: The Times of India, 5th June 2012

Role of Vitamin C in Gout

WASHINGTON: Men with a higher intake of vitamin C appear less likely to develop gout, a painful type of arthritis, according to a study.  "Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men... The identification of risk factors for gout... is an important first step in the prevention and management of this common and excruciatingly painful condition," wrote the study's authors.  Hyon K Choi, then of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and now of Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined the relationship between vitamin C intake and gout in 46,994 men between 1986 and 2006.  Every four years, the men completed a dietary questionnaire, and their vitamin C intake through food and supplements was computed. Every two years, participants reported whether they had been diagnosed with or developed symptoms of gout.  During 20-year follow-up, 1,317 men developed gout. Compared with men who had a vitamin C intake of less than 250mg per day, the relative risk of gout was 17% lower for those with a daily intake of 500 to 999 mg, 34% lower for those with an intake of 1,000 to 1,499mg per day and 45% lower for those with an intake of 1,500mg per day or higher.  Vitamin C may affect re-absorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work or protect against INFLAMMATION, all of which may reduce gout risk, a Boston University statement quoted the authors as saying.  These findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Source: IANS, Jan. 10, 2009

Thyroid Hormone Interference

Coffee has been added to the list of things that interfere with absorption of thyroid hormone. That's the list of things that you shouldn’t take along with thyroid hormone keeps growing. 

Coffee isn’t the first thing discovered to interfere with thyroid hormone. Back in 1992 both aluminum hydroxide antacids and the iron supplement ferrous sulfate were reported to interfere.  In 2000, a report in JAMA added calcium carbonate to the list. Soy protein shakes were added in 2001. The drug Raloxifene was added in 2003.  Then chromium picolinate in 2007. And now, coffee.

Most simply hinder absorption of the drug from the digestive tract and effectively reduce the dose that gets into your blood. The problem shows up with food or other medications that people will start to take regularly. This can throw of your dose requirements.

Tired people drink coffee. According to a paper published this March, coffee decreased the amount of thyroid hormone absorption by about a third. Instead of tired, these people will start to feel exhausted. So, they drink more coffee and they absorb even less of their hormone dose. It’s a vicious cycle. The trick is to take thyroid hormone first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before eating anything. 

Coffee isn’t the first thing discovered to interfere with thyroid hormone. Back in 1992 both hydroxide antacids and the iron supplement ferrous sulfate were reported to interfere. In 2000 a report in JAMA added Calcium carbonate to the list. And soy protein shakes in 2001. And the drug Raloxifene was added in 2003. Then chromium picolinate in 2007. And now, coffee.

There are some foods, namely cabbage that are well known to decrease thyroid hormone production and cause goiters if eaten in large enough quantities.

Thus the general direction given to all patients taking supplemental thyroid hormone to always take it alone without food or other medication. You just don’t know what’s going to mess things up.

When a patient who is taking thyroid hormone does well initially and then it seems the drug stops working, the first thing to rule out is interference from something else they are taking.

A 2007 paper tells us that taking thyroid hormone at bedtime works much better than taking it in the morning. For some reason the hormone is better absorbed at night and reaches greater blood concentrations than when taken in the morning. 

References:

Thyroid. 2008 Mar;18(3):293-301. 

Altered intestinal absorption of L-thyroxine caused by coffee.

Benvenga S, Bartolone L, Pappalardo MA, Russo A, Lapa D, Giorgianni G, Saraceno G, Trimarchi F.

Arch Intern Med. 1992 Jan;152(1):183-4.Links

Evidence for interference with the intestinal absorption of levothyroxine sodium by aluminum hydroxide.

Sperber AD, Liel Y.

Ann Intern Med. 1992 Dec 15;117(12):1010-3.Links

Ferrous sulfate reduces thyroxine efficacy in patients with hypothyroidism.

Campbell NR, Hasinoff BB, Stalts H, Rao B, Wong NC.

JAMA. 2000 Jun 7;283(21):2822-5. 

Effect of calcium carbonate on the absorption of levothyroxine.

Singh N, Singh PN, Hershman JM.

docr Pract. 2001 May-Jun;7(3):193-4. 

Use of soy protein supplement and resultant need for increased dose of levothyroxine.

Bell DS, Ovalle F.

Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jun 9;163(11):1367-70. 

Raloxifene causing malabsorption of levothyroxine.

Siraj ES, Gupta MK, Reddy SS.

Thyroid. 2007 Aug;17(8):763-5. 

New medications which decrease levothyroxine absorption.

John-Kalarickal J, Pearlman G, Carlson HE.

Presse Med. 2007 Oct;36(10 Pt 1):1390-4. Epub 2007 Apr 18. 

[L-thyroxine pseudomalabsorption: a factitious disease]

Molines L, et al.

Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jan;66(1):43-8. 

Effects of evening vs morning thyroxine ingestion on serum thyroid hormone profiles in hypothyroid patients.

Bolk N, Visser TJ, Kalsbeek A, van Domburg RT, Berghout A.

Call For Warning Labels For Energy Drinks

Johns Hopkins scientists who have spent decades researching the effects of caffeine report that a slew of caffeinated energy drinks now on the market should carry prominent labels that note caffeine doses and warn of potential health risks for consumers.

"The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabeled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication," says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., one of the authors of the article that appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence (September 2008).

The market for these drinks stands at an estimated $5.4 billion in the United States and is expanding at a rate of 55 percent annually. Advertising campaigns, which principally target teens and young adults, promote the performance-enhancing and stimulant effects of energy drinks and appear to glorify drug use.

Without adequate, prominent labeling; consumers most likely won't realize whether they are getting a little or a lot of caffeine. "It's like drinking a serving of an alcoholic beverage and not knowing if its beer or scotch," says Griffiths.

Caffeine intoxication, a recognized clinical syndrome included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, is marked by nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heartbeats (tachycardia), psychomotor agitation (restlessness and pacing) and in rare cases, death.

Reports to U.S. poison control centers of caffeine abuse showed bad reactions to the energy drinks. In a 2007 survey of 496 college students, 51 percent reported consuming at least one energy drink during the last month. Of these energy drink users, 29 percent reported "weekly jolt and crash episodes," and 19 percent reported heart palpitations from drinking energy drinks. This same survey revealed that 27 percent of the students surveyed said they mixed energy drinks and alcohol at least once in the past month. "Alcohol adds another level of danger," says Griffiths, "because caffeine in high doses can give users a false sense of alertness that provides incentive to drive a car or in other ways put themselves in danger."

A regular 12-ounce cola drink has about 35 milligrams of caffeine, and a 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 150 milligrams of caffeine. Because many energy drinks are marketed as "dietary supplements," the limit that the Food and Drug Administration requires on the caffeine content of soft drinks (71 milligrams per 12-ounce can) does not apply. The caffeine content of energy drinks varies from 50 to more than 500 milligrams.

"It's notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not," says Chad Reissig, Ph.D., one of the study's authors.

Griffiths notes that most of the drinks advertise their products as performance enhancers and stimulants – a marketing strategy that may put young people at risk for abusing even stronger stimulants such as the prescription drugs amphetamine and methylphenidate (Ritalin). A 2008 study of 1,253 college students found that energy drink consumption significantly predicted subsequent non-medical prescription stimulant use, raising the concern that energy drinks might serve as "gateway" products to more serious drugs of abuse. Potentially feeding that "transition" market, Griffiths says, are other energy drinks with alluring names such as the powdered energy drink additive "Blow" (which is sold in "vials" and resembles cocaine powder) and the "Cocaine" energy drink. Both of these products use the language of the illegal drug trade.

Griffiths and colleagues are currently collecting case reports of intoxication from energy drinks in children and adolescents.

Eric C Strain, M.D., from Johns Hopkins also contributed to this study.

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Adapted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, via EurekAlert!

* Source- ScienceDaily.com

Aspartame linked to Mental Disorders

High intake of the artificial sweetener aspartame may lead to the degeneration of brain cells and various mental disorders, according to a research review conducted by South African scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo and published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener, particularly in food and beverage products marketed as low calorie or "diet." It is used in more than 6,000 products around the world.

"We propose that excessive aspartame ingestion might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain mental disorders, and also in compromised learning and emotional functioning," the researchers concluded.

The review of prior research found that aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Canderal and Tropicana Slim, leads to both direct and indirect changes in the brain when consumed in high quantities. Among these effects, the chemical can disrupt amino acid metabolism and structure, degrade nucleic acids, and interfere with the function of nerve cells and hormonal systems. It also appears to change the concentration of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

The researchers also noted that aspartame appears to cause excessive signaling of nerve cells, and nerve cell damage or even death. By disrupting the functioning of the cells' mitochondria, or energy source, aspartame leads to a cascade of effects on the whole system."The energy systems for certain required enzyme reactions become compromised, thus indirectly leading to the inability of enzymes to function optimally," the researchers wrote.

This directly contradicts a review published in 2007, which concluded that "aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption … no credible evidence was found that aspartame is carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or has any other adverse effect on health."

The chemical has been controversial since its introduction, with a number of studies linking it to cancer and neurological and behavioral disorders. People have reported experiencing headaches, insomnia and even seizures from aspartame consumption.

The FDA and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), however, continue to insist that the sweetener is safe.

Obese more likely to develop Cancer

Here's yet another reason why you should cut the flab -obesity could give you cancer. A new research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, has found that overweight people are at a significantly higher risk of developing a range of common cancers. In fact, according to researchers, an individual's risk of contracting at least seven types of cancer rises with every pound of weight put on - however, those who lose weight can reduce their chance of developing the disease.

"People associate high body weight with conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and a lot of people are not aware of the links between body weight and cancer. "If you look at these cancers, they include two of the most common, breast and colon, and some of which have very low survival rates, pancreatic and oesophagus.

So body weight has a substantial impact on cancers that are common and those that are difficult to treat. "This is a very important issue. Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most important things you can do to prevent cancer after not smoking,"Ed Yong of Cancer Research United Kingdom was quoted by the Sunday Telegraph as saying.

The researchers have based their findings on an analysis of data from around the world on obesity, weight gain and weight loss in relation to cancers of the breast, kidney, pancreas, colon, prostate, oesophagus and endometrium, which is actually the lining of the womb.

The study, carried out at the Washington University School of Medicine in the US, found clear links between cancer rates and increases in body mass index (BMI), the measurement of obesity which is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilogrammes by their height in metres.

And, the cancer which emerged as having the clearest link to weight gain was breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The risk of catching the disease increased by 5% with every 5kg of weight gained. Weight gain in adulthood accounts for almost a quarter of cases of the disease in older women. On the contrary, the study found that those who lost weight were at a significantly lower risk of the disease.

Research into colon cancer found that men who put on 6kg or more in weight ran twice the risk of getting the disease as men who lost two kilogrammes or more. Those who gained 21kg or more after reaching the age of 20 had a 60% increased risk compared to men who have gained less than five kilogrammes, the researchers found in their study.

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Courtesy: Press Trust of India, Sept. 8, 2008

Obesity leads to Liver damage in Teens

In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants. Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant.

The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the United States, Europe, Australia and even some developing countries, according to a surge of recent medical studies and doctors.

The American Liver Foundation and other experts estimate 2%to 5% of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have the condition, called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. "It's clearly the most common cause of liver disease," said Dr Ronald Sokol, head of public policy at the liver foundation and a liver specialist at Children's Hospital and University of Colorado Denver.

Some experts think as many as 10% of all children and half of those who are obese may suffer from it, but note that few are given the simple blood test that can signal its presence. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose this disease.

As fat builds up, the liver can become inflamed and then scarred over time, leading to cirrhosis, a serious condition, which in years past was mostly caused by hepatitis or drinking too much alcohol. The disease is most common in overweight children with belly fat and certain warning signs, such as diabetes or cholesterol or heart problems.

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Courtesy: Associated Press, Sept. 10, 2008

Obesity? Don't just blame it on your Genes!

Vigorous physical activity can help even people genetically prone to obesity keep the weight off, US researchers said on Monday. A study among a group of Amish people found those who had an obesity-related gene called FTO but were very physically active weighed about the same as others who did not carry the gene.

"When we looked at the Amish who were the most active, there is suddenly no effect of that gene," said Dr Soren Snitker of the University of Maryland. The findings may help inform the debate over whether changes in diet or physical activity will make the biggest difference in fighting obesity.

Consumer groups have pushed for laws such as a moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in certain Los Angeles neighbourhoods, while the food industry often maintains that a lack of exercise is more to blame.

Snitker and Evadnie Rampersaud of the University of Miami were looking to see if physical activity might offset the effects of obesity associated with the FTO gene, found in more than half of all people of European descent. People with two copies of the FTO gene on average weigh nearly 3kg more.

The researchers found those who were less active and had the FTO gene variant were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese. But among the most physically active, the FTO gene made no difference.

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Courtesy: Reuters, Sept. 10, 2008

Healing touch can work as painkiller

A soothing touch really can ease away pain, according to a group of researchers. The scientists found that gentle stroking activates “pleasure” nerves beneath the skin, which then reduce the sensation of pain from other nerves.

In their research, the team found that people who were exposed to painful temperatures on the surface of their skin felt less pain if they were stroked at the same time.

The researchers believe that signals to the brain from the nerves that detect the pleasurable stroking dampen the signals from nerves that detect pain.

Francis McGlone, a neuroscientist at the Liverpool University, has also calculated the optimum way of touching someone to produce the most pleasure. While speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the researcher said that the key was to stroke with a slow speed and little pressure.

McGlone, who also works for Unilever’s research and development team to develop pleasurable textures for new produces, said: “The picture that is emerging is that there are two separate nerves for painful and pleasurable touch.” “They also seem to mediate each other, so rubbing does make pain feel better,” Telegraph quoted the scientist, as saying.

McGlone also believes that touch is crucial for children as they develop and insufficient physical contact while growing up could be implicated in the risk of depression in later life. He said that human bodies were covered in pleasure nerve fibres, known as C fibres, apart from the palms of hands and soles of feet.


Courtesy: The Times of India, Sept. 12, 2008

Meditation slows worsening of AIDS!

Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps by affecting the immune system, US researchers reported. If the findings are borne out in larger studies, it could offer a cheap and pleasant way to help people battle the incurable and often fatal condition, the team at the University of California Los Angeles said on Thursday. They tested a stress-lowering program called mindfulness meditation, defined as practicing an open and receptive awareness of the present moment, avoiding thinking of the past or worrying about the future.

The more often the volunteers meditated, the higher their CD4 T-cell counts - a standard measure of how well the immune system is fighting the AIDS virus. The CD4 counts were measured before and after the two-month programme. "This study provides the first indication that mindfulness meditation stress-management training can have a direct impact on slowing HIV disease progression," said David Creswell, who led the study.

His team tested 67 HIV-positive adults from the Los Angeles area, 48 of whom did some or all of the meditation. Most were likely to have highly stressful lives, Creswell said. "The average participant in the study was male, African American, homosexual, unemployed and not on ARV (antiretroviral) medication," they wrote in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

The meditation classes included eight weekly two-hour sessions, a day-long retreat and daily home practice. "The people that were in this class really responded and just really enjoyed the program," Creswell said. "The mindfulness program is a group-based and low-cost treatment, and if this initial finding is replicated in larger samples, it’s possible that such training can be used as a powerful complementary treatment for HIV disease, alongside medications," he added.

He said it was unclear how the stress-reducing effects of meditation work. It may directly boost CD4 T-cell levels, or suppress the virus, he said.

* Source- Reuters, 26 July, 2008