Ugh! That New Car Smell May Be Hazardous to Your Health

You know that "new car smell" that  has come to be associated with the pride of owning the latest model off the assembly line?  Now, an Australian research group warns that it could actually be hazardous to your health, resulting in everything from headaches and nausea, to memory loss, birth defects and even cancer.

Among the chemicals found in new cars, benzene, a known human carcinogen, reached levels five times above the recommended exposure limit.  Benzene and other toxicants are released or "outgassed" from the plastic and vinyl parts of an automobile's interior. Such toxic vapors take just a few minutes to enter the central nervous system and may even be responsible for causing accidents.  Harmful fumes, in fact,  may be released from the interior of an automobile for a year or more from the time of purchase, according to the group’s research, with long-term exposure leading to cancer and birth defects.

So what’s a car owner to do?  It would not be unreasonable to leave the windows and/or the sunroof cracked to provide for fresh air circulation.  For those who suffer from chemical sensitivity or allergies, perhaps a used car may be a better choice. 

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L.A. Research Links Smog Exposure to Birth Defects

In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers looked at thousands of pregnant women living in the Los Angeles area from 1987 to 1993 and found that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy could lead to birth defects. The researchers found a link between smog inhalation and cleft lips and heart-valve defects in babies.  A cleft-lip deformity occurs where the lip, palate or both do not come together in the middle of the face, leaving a gap. 

The researchers found that, when compared to women living in areas with cleaner air, the women exposed to high levels of ozone and carbon monoxide had three times the risk of having babies with specific birth defects involving the face and heart. The greatest risk occurred during the second month of pregnancy, when the internal organs and facial structure develop.

Earlier studies had already linked air pollution to low birth weight, premature birth, stillbirth and infant death.

Ozone, the dangerous substance found in pollution, carries highly reactive free radicals that can travel through the blood and affect a fetus. While pregnant women are given prenatal vitamins, these may offer insufficient protection against high amounts of pollution. 

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An ancient Hindu treatment used since 600 B.C. has shown promise in lowering cholesterol. Gugulipid, a resin from the Commiphora mukul tree, is holding up in clinical trials as a natural treatment for cholesterol disorders.  Originally used to counteract the effects of overeating or overindulgence, a recent trial of gugulipid showed a 13% reduction in LDL and 12% reduction of triglycerides and total cholesterol respectively, while the level of lipid peroxides, a marker of oxidative stress, fell by a whopping 33%. 

Dr. Philippe Szapary from the University of Pennsylvania has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine to study this and other alternative dietary approaches to the prevention of atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, chelation therapy is not included in this study. 

At the Magaziner Center for Wellness, we have focused on the non-toxic treatment of heart disease and cholesterol disorders for over 15 years.  Our experience leads us to believe that natural therapies can have an impact on heart function that is similar to if not greater than pharmaceutical agents, albeit with less side effects. If you have heart disease or cholesterol disorders, don't forget to attend one of our informative lectures on chelation therapy.  Call our office at 856.424.8222 for our upcoming seminar dates. 

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A review of two studies in The Lancet has concluded that mammograms do not prevent women from dying of breast cancer or help them to avoid mastectomies, as we have been led to believe.

For more than 20 years, annual mammogram screenings have been recommended for millions of women, with the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute urging women to have them on a yearly basis. Women have long been promised that if they underwent a mammography every year starting at age 50, the resulting early detection would reduce their chances of dying from breast cancer by about 30 percent. They’ve also been told that it would enable them to avoid radical surgery and chemotherapy that might be needed to control a larger tumor found later. 

Where did this statistic of a 30% reduction in death from breast cancer come from?  A 25-year-old New York study of over 60,000 women showed that over an 18-year period, 196 women who never were screened by mammography died compared to 153 who underwent the screening.  But researchers now argue that these results are likely due to chance and do not show the benefit of mammography. 

The first of two subsequent studies, done in Canada, involved 44,925 women who had mammograms and 44,910 who did not. There were 120 deaths from breast cancer in the screened group and 111 deaths among the women who served as controls. The investigators also found that mammography did not lead to fewer mastectomies, an operation that removes the breast. 

A more recent study in Sweden compared 21,088 women who had mammograms to 21,195 who did not undergo the yearly test. After nearly nine years, 63 women in the group receiving the mammograms had died of breast cancer, compared with 66 in the control group - an insignificant difference.  Other data showed an actual increase in surgeries among the women who had been given the screenings, with 424 in the mammography group undergoing mastectomies as opposed to  just 339 in the control group. One reason may be that doctors aggressively treated some tiny tumors found in mammograms -- tumors that might never have developed into cancer. 

Each woman must decide for herself the value of this screening tool and consider the risks versus benefits.  In the past, others have questioned if frequent irradiation of the breast tissue may actually cause breast cancer. That answer is still uncertain.  However, a low saturated-fat diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, low in meat, and high in tofu and miso has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer.  Combining that  with an exercise program may be the best way to avoid becoming a statistic of a devastating disease. 

At the Magaziner Center for Wellness, we have also been using a new laboratory study whereby we evaluate the different fractions of estrogen metabolites.  This can be a valuable tool in helping to identify whether or not you are at high risk for breast cancer and in determining the need for subsequent intervention that can lower  your risk. 

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Many people follow a "candida diet" to control their chronic yeast symptoms and, as a result, avoid sweets, refined carbohydrates, yeast, vinegar, and mushrooms.  But are all mushrooms created equal?  In a small study, women with symptoms of vaginal discharge, itching, and soreness consumed maitake mushrooms every day for six months. Of the 13 women in the study, all but one experienced a 50% reduction in symptoms.

The maitake mushroom has scientifically proven immune-enhancing properties.  Maitake can increase T-cell count and activity and also contains compounds that specifically destroy or inhibit Candida Albicans.  While maitake is a safe compound, it contains mannose, a natural sugar known to promote excessive flatulence in some people.

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