An Organic Consumers Association appeal seeking $200,000 by September 16 to fund lawsuits against food companies over misleading labels, including a new suit against egg producer Handsome Brook Farm and claims about glyphosate in cereal and granola bars.
Food Consumer
Chemical
Fluoridation Useless for Low-Income Children, Federal Data Shows
The New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation reads 2011/2012 NHANES data as showing decay rising among children in poverty, reaching 74 percent at ages 13 to 15, while 58 percent of children aged 6 to 19 show dental fluorosis. It argues poor children need dental care, not fluoride.
Food
Food news: 15% Off Maple Vanilla Granola Two Versions Gluten-Free or Original
A promotional newsletter from True North Granola offering 15% off its Maple Vanilla granola in original and gluten-free versions, describing the Vermont farm that supplies its maple syrup and the cost and packaging savings of buying in bulk.
Politics
No Bacon Day
Cool Foods is launching a No Bacon Day campaign on September 3, International Bacon Day, to support pig sanctuaries and promote its pinto-bean Vegi Bacon Bits. Founder Tom Mosk cites the calories, saturated fat and cholesterol in pork bacon.
Drug
FDA bans 19 toxic chemicals in antibacterial soaps
FDA banned 19 chemicals from antibacterial soaps, among them triclosan and triclocarban. Studies have shown ordinary soap works as well, and the writer argues these largely untested chemicals, which children may ingest off unwashed hands, were never needed.
Cancer
Bacteria, viruses and cancers
A Lancet Global Health report attributes about 15% of cancers worldwide in 2012, some 2.2 million cases, to infectious agents, led by Helicobacter pylori at 770,000 cases, HPV at 640,000 and hepatitis B at 420,000. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa the share tops 50%.
Vitamins
Vitamin D fights pancreatic cancer
A case report describes a woman with pancreatic cancer who mistakenly took 50,000 U of vitamin D daily, reached a very high blood level without symptoms, and whose cancer stayed stable for eight months without conventional treatment. The authors only ask whether the dose helped.
Healthy Recipes from AICR
Healthy Recipes: Zucchini and Onion Frittata
A frittata built on eggs, egg whites, zucchini, onion, fresh basil and Parmesan, browned in a skillet with olive oil. Makes four servings at 138 calories, 9 g fat, 9 g protein and 419 mg sodium each.
Politics
Tell Jessica Alba and Honest Co.: No Fake Organic Baby Formula - Newsletter 083116 from Organic Consumers Association
An Organic Consumers Association alert asking readers to press Jessica Alba's Honest Co. over infant formula labeled “Premium Organic” that OCA says contains synthetic ingredients barred under federal law. OCA sued in April and the case is still in court.
Politics
Another GE Apple? No thanks! newsletter 083016 from Center for Food Safety
The Center for Food Safety urges readers to tell USDA to reject a GE Fuji Arctic Apple, saying the agency relies on the same incomplete studies used for the first two varieties. It warns that masking browning could hide apples that are no longer fresh.
Diet
Plant-based diet helps prostate cancer
A 2012 case report describes a 73-year-old man in Iligan City, Philippines whose PSA fell from 24.21 to 5.29 ng/mL after ten days on a vegan diet of unpolished rice, fruit and vegetables, with no conventional treatment. His CEA dropped as well.
Food
Tea, cocoa lower death risk from cardiovascular disease
Tracking 774 Dutch men aged 65 to 84 over 25 years, researchers tied high intake of epicatechin, found in tea and cocoa, to 38% lower cardiovascular death risk overall and up to 46% lower among men already diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
Diet
Calorie-restricted ketogenic diet helps brain cancer
A 2010 case report in Nutrition & Metabolism describes a 65-year-old woman with glioblastoma who followed conventional treatment plus a 600-calorie ketogenic diet after partial resection. No tumor tissue was detectable after 20 days, but it returned 10 days after she stopped the diet.
Supplements
Essiac tea may help treat prostate cancer
A case report in the Canadian Journal of Urology describes a 64-year-old man whose hormone-refractory prostate cancer responded well to Essiac tea. Research on the herbal tea is mixed, with some studies finding no anticancer effect.
Politics
OCA Sues General Mills-Owned Nature Valley - newsletter 082516 from Organic Consumers Association
The Organic Consumers Association, Beyond Pesticides and Moms Across America sued General Mills, saying independent lab testing found glyphosate in Nature Valley granola bars sold as made with 100% natural whole grain oats. The newsletter also criticises Tyson Foods' lobbying.
Diet
Antioxidants prevent aggressive prostate cancer
A Nutrition and Cancer study counting 45 antioxidants from diet and supplements found men with the highest total antioxidant capacity, equal to more than 1,500 mg of vitamin C a day, were 69 percent less likely to have aggressive prostate cancer than men below 500 mg.
Politics
Monsanto + Bayer = Trouble - from Center for Food Safety
The Center for Food Safety asks readers to sign a letter urging the Justice Department to block the proposed Monsanto-Bayer merger and two similar deals, which it says would leave four corporations controlling 73 percent of the world seed and pesticide market.
Environment
One reason why mobile phones can increase cancer risk
Microwave radiation at GSM and UMTS phone frequencies inhibited 53BP1 foci, a marker of DNA double-strand break repair, in human fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. The authors say this suggests a possible rise in leukemia and brain cancer risk.
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