HEALTH IN THE NEWS
Glass Containers Should Make a Comeback
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is widely used to make many plastics found in food storage containers, including feeding bottles for infants. This compound can impair brain function, leading to learning disabilities and age-related neurodegenerative diseases according to a new study conducted by researchers at Yale University.
Brass Protects Water from Bacterial Growth
On a recent trip to India, Reed, a microbiologist at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, discovered the age-old practice of using brass water containers to prevent illness. The brass prevents the microbes from flourishing, versus plastic that has no anti-microbial properties.
Personalized Healthcare Gets Gutsy
For years alternative practitioners have emphasized that intestinal health is a key to wellness. In April, a study was published in Nature Reviews Microbiology supporting this concept. The study was done by scientists at the Imperial College London and supported by Astra Zeneca, a pharmaceutical company. The researchers found that gut bacteria influence an individual's biochemistry, immune system and response to medicines taken by the individual.
Not All Greens Healthy
Recently it has been found that a toxin, BMAA, -methyl aminoalanine is found in blue-green algae. This toxin appears to increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. As the planet experiences global warming, this algae has the potential to flourish according to the findings reported in the new issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Arsenic and Old Lace Removal
More stringent federal standards for acceptable levels of arsenic in public drinking water go into effect next year. Chronic exposure to high arsenic concentrations can cause cancer and other diseases. Private water supplies will not be subject to regulations and high arsenic concentrations do occur in many private wells. Water is not the only concern. A review of the USDA Web site reveals that certain foods, such as chicken, are higher in arsenic than expected.
COMPILED BY MARGARET ARTHUR, M.D.
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