HANS e-News June 1, 2005
CONTENTS
1) Editorial
2) Feature: Microwaves, Questions and Controversies
3) Issue Updates
--Task Force Recommendations Threaten Canadian Sovereignty
--Save Canadian Forests Campaign
--Fast Food a Canadian Health Threat?
--Food Consumption Patterns, 2004
--Ontario Court of Appeal Releases Pesticides Decision
--Lowering Canada’s Vehicle Emissions
--Health Canada to Publish Reasons for Drug Approvals
4) Media Watch
--Overview 2005 – CODEX Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements
--Most Diets Need Supplementation, Even “Good” Ones
--Rectal Cancer Risk Increases after Prostate Radiation
--Which Drugs (or None) for Alzheimer’s Disease?
--Vitamin D Does Prevent Fractures in Elderly
--Consumer Reports Rates Diet Plans
--Different Calcium-Fortified Foods Do Not Provide Same Benefits
--Cranberry Juice May Reduce Risk of Stomach Disease
--Type II Diabetes May Begin with Grandmother’s Diet
--GM Foods Problem for Developing Countries
--Biotech Food Debate Spices Up US Scientist Meeting
--New Brunswick Residents Seek Agent Orange Compensation
--Canadian Children Get Fs in Phys-Ed
--More Sleep, Less TV Fends Off Childhood Obesity - Study
--Think Twice Before Back Pain Surgery, Experts Say
--Adult Lifestyle Predicts Bone Health
--Type of Blindness Reported in Some Taking Viagra
--Herbal Group Reacts to Black Cohosh Study
5) Calendar of Events
--Join the Movement: Make Canada GE-Free
--When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
--Animal Voices Free Film Festival
--“Arresting AIDS” Breakfast
--Herbs: How to Know Them and Use Them
--International Symposium on Hyperbaric Therapy for Neurological Disorders, Athletes and Cellular Regeneration
--Small Scale Seed Production for Organic Farmers Workshop
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1) EDITORIAL
Hello HANS Members and Friends;
This week I’ve been spending time in my garden. Not a lot, but enough to remind me that plants – and projects – need nurturing to grow. New life can’t exist without energy expended to spurn it onwards, right?
So I’m happy to say that June will represent a busy time for HANS, and lots of expended energy. We’re putting the finishing touches on a number of initiatives, including our HANS ON Wellness Insurance.
On the HANS website, you’ll now see our list of HANS ON Wellness Insurance Brokers, an expanded team who are authorized to complete the insurance applications. This is an important step for us, making the insurance process easier and more efficient.
If you haven’t already visited the Discussion area of our website, I encourage you to do so. Lots of opinions mean a healthy dialogue. We all want to know what’s happening with issues that affect our access to natural health products such as CODEX and Bill C-420.
Also, at the bottom of this newsletter are details about upcoming events. Please take a moment to find out what’s happening.
Lastly, I encourage you, too, to take time for yourself in the garden. It’s amazing how good sticking your hands in the dirt feels, for body and soul, and it sure beats watching TV.
All the best,
Lorna J Hancock
Founding Member and Director
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2) FEATURE: MICROWAVES, QUESTIONS AND CONTROVERSIES
By Sandra Tonn, RHN
Is it safe to microwave food? The question is valid, despite the fact that microwaves have been on the market for close to three decades now. Unfortunately, little research has been done on the concerns and questions consumers have. Why? That’s another good question. Considering that microwaving involves exposing our food (and ourselves) to microwave radiation, there should be a long list of studies investigating its safety and effects on food and health, but there isn’t.
One of the most famous studies about microwave ovens is an example of how science and business often do not mix. After being denied a grant from their government, two Swiss researchers decided to fund their own study into the safety of eating microwaved foods. Using human subjects, they recorded the effects of microwaved food compared to conventionally cooked food. The results showed significant changes to blood after microwaved food consumption, included a drop in white blood cell count and an elevation in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol relative to HDL (“good”) cholesterol - even though there is no cholesterol in vegetables, which were used in the study. In addition, cell membrane permeability appeared altered, allowing a higher risk of invasion by bacteria, fungi and viruses (Raum&Zeit, 1992).
Doctors Hans Hartel and Bernard Blanc, who conducted the study, were kept quiet through the use of trade laws and the courts. Two years after the study’s completion the Swiss Federal Court confirmed a conviction against the researchers, who were fined and threatened with imprisonment.
According to US researcher William Kopp, the Russians knew the effects of microwaving foods due to extensive research beginning in the 1950s. Kopp explained, in a 1998 article published in the Journal of Natural Science, that they reported microwaved meat became carcinogenic (cancer-causing). They also found that proteins became unstable, free radicals were formed, nutrients were decreased and the lymph and digestive systems of humans eating microwaved foods were associated with incidences of stomach and intestinal cancers.
Other studies have confirmed that microwaving breast milk causes a decrease in antibodies that are needed by babies to fight infections (Pediatrics, 1992), vitamin B12 is reduced by as much as 40 percent in microwaved foods (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1998), and microwaving food greatly reduces, if not eliminates, antioxidants in food (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2003). While any type of cooking damages food, it seems that, despite the lack of studies, microwaving food is cause for concern.
Health Canada admits that some microwave energy may leak from the ovens while in operation, but they maintain that due to established regulations, microwaves pose “no known health risks.” Many experts simply advise standing five feet from an operating microwave oven and using glass instead of plastic for heating and cooking, since even plastics designed for microwave use have been proven to release known toxins. Others recommend using microwaves for defrosting and quick heating rather than cooking.
Have microwaves been proven dangerous? Not exactly. Have they been proven safe? No, not really. Loius Slesin, PhD, editor of the New York-based Microwave News, a report on non-ionizing radiation, says he feels that there may very well be something going on with the issue of microwave safety, but on the other hand admits he’s not convinced there is even an issue. “There really is no basis from which to decide,” he says.
Three quarters (74 per cent) of Canadians consider the microwave an important day-to-day cooking tool, while 56 per cent use microwaves mostly for reheating food (Ipsos Canada, 2003). Personally, I value myself, and my food, enough to err on the side of caution. I don’t own a microwave and don’t for a minute miss whatever it may bring to my life - good, bad or otherwise.
Sandra Tonn is a registered holistic nutritionist, natural health journalist and health educator based in Vancouver, BC. Visit www.sandratonn.com.
References:
Blanc, B.H. and Hertel, H.U. “Comparative Study about Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave-Oven,” Raum&Zeit, 1992, Vol. 3, No.2, p.43.
Kopp, W.P. “Effects of Microwaves on Humans,” J. Natural Science, Apr.-Jun. 1998, Vol. 1.No.1,pp.42-43.
Quan, R. et al. “Effects of microwave radiation on anti-infective factors in human milk,” Pediatrics, 1992,89(4):667-669.
Watanabe, F., et al. 1998. Effects of microwave heating on the loss of vitamin B12 in foods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 46(January):206-210.
F Vallejo, FA Tomás-Barberán, C García-Viguera. “Phenolic compound contents in edible parts of broccoli inflorescences after domestic cooking” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture Volume 83, Issue 14, 2003. Pages 1511-1516.
Health Canada (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/products/micro_ov...)
Telephone interview with Louis Slesin, PhD, Editor of Microwave News (155 East 77th Street, Suite 3D, New York, NY 10021, USA. (212) 517-2800) www.microwavenews.com
Barbee, Michael, CDC. Politically Incorrect Nutrition. (Vital Health Publishing, 2004) pp 88-92.
Ephraim, Rebecca. RD, CCD. “To Microwave or Not?” June 2004. Choice Health. ConsciousChoice.com (http://www.consciouschoice.com/2004/cc1706/ch_microw...)
Nerin C, Acosta D, Rubio C. Potential migration release of volatile compounds from plastic containers destined for food use in microwave ovens. Food Addit Contam. 2002 Jun;19(6):594-601.
Ipsos Canada (http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=199...)
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3) ISSUE UPDATES
Task Force Recommendations Threaten Canadian Sovereignty
PRESS RELEASE - MAY 19, 2005
OTTAWA - If implemented, recommendations of the Task Force on the Future of North America would seriously jeopardize Canada’s ability to pass laws or make independent decisions in the public interest, says the Council of Canadians.
In its report released May 17th, the Task Force recommends that the Canadian government make a number of large-scale concessions to ensure further integration of Canada and Mexico with the United States. The Task Force is a private, well-funded initiative by corporate lobbyists and high-profile former politicians.
“These proposals are not in the interests of Canadians and are inherently undemocratic,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “All three countries are being asked to relinquish their sovereignty in critical areas of public policy and to surrender vast quantities of their natural resources without input from citizens.”
Under NAFTA, Canada is already committed to sharing unsustainable quantities of energy with the United States. The report recommends that Canada’s commitment to supplying North America’s energy be taken even further.
“The Task Force recommends that Canada and Mexico eliminate all protective barriers and disregard all concerns for domestic use of their own energy resources to provide the U.S. with secure sources of energy,” says Council of Canadians Campaigner Guy Caron. “At a minimum, Canada should not be locked into a continental pact that does little to provide it with its own energy security.”
The report also recommends North American regulatory standards and a “tested-once” policy for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
“The ‘tested-once policy’ proposed for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology is dangerous and unacceptable,” says Caron. “If this policy was in effect in the late 1990s, we would have approved Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH), a drug linked to cancer that had already been approved in the U.S. Instead, due to heavy public pressure, BGH was ultimately rejected by Health Canada. Canadians have the right to decide for themselves what drugs and foods are safe to approve.”
“Tom d’Aquino, Chair of the CCCE, swore up and down that water and culture were not on the table. But the report recommends that excluded sections of NAFTA be reviewed. We all know that this means Canadian water and Canadian cultural industries. As Task Force member Thomas Axworthy states in his dissenting opinion, ‘cultural protection and a prohibition of bulk water exports should remain within national not joint jurisdiction’,” adds Barlow.
The Council of Canadians encourages those concerned with preserving Canada’s sovereignty to send a “Stop Deep Integration with Bush’s America” postcard to the Canadian government. The postcard can be downloaded on the Council of Canadians’ web site at www.canadians.org.
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Save Canadian Forests Campaign
Old-growth forests are needlessly logged, and Kimberly-Clark, the world’s largest producer of toilet and tissue paper products should use more recycled and sustainably produced wood fibre, according to a new campaign launched by Greenpeace Canada.
“Currently, less than 19 percent of the pulp Kimberly-Clark uses for tissue products is recycled, and none is used for Kleenex products sold in most grocery stores in Canada and the US,” notes the group’s Kleercut website.
“Much of the pulp used is sourced from Canada’s boreal forest including large areas of intact forests in Ontario and Alberta. The boreal forest, often called the Amazon of the North, represents 25 per cent of the world’s remaining ancient forests. Thirty per cent of North America’s land birds and 40 per cent of its waterfowl depend on this forest and its wetlands.”
Visit the Kleercut campaign website at http://kleercut.net/en/node/283.
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Fast Food a Canadian Health Threat?
People who have postal codes with the highest number of fast food restaurants also have the highest rate of heart attack and death, according to the Canadian Journal of Public Health (May 12/05). Scientists at the Institute for Clinic Evaluation Services analyzed data from 380 regions in Ontario in their controversial study.
Visit http://www.cpha.ca/english/cjph/cjph.htm.
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Food Consumption Patterns, 2004
We are a nation of carbohydrate eaters, according to newly released federal statistics. Each Canadian ate 66.8 kilograms (kg) of cereal products in 2004, up from 65.8 kg in 2003.
Our red meat consumption also rose last year to 27.1 kg per person, up 1 per cent. Overall, though, we consume 8 per cent less meat than at the beginning of the century.
Visit http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050526/d050526c.....
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Ontario Court of Appeal Releases Pesticides Decision
When Toronto passed a by-law that would restrict cosmetic pesticide use, CropLife, a pesticides industry association, challenged it. On May 13, 3005, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the city indeed has this kind of authority.
"This is a victory for the environment and public health, and the ability for municipalities to act in a precautionary way," says Paul Muldoon, Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) Counsel and Executive Director.
Visit http://www.cela.ca/newsevents/detail.shtml?x=2205.
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Lowering Canada’s Vehicle Emissions
Did you know that one city bus can take 40 vehicles off the road, save 70,000 litres of fuel and keep 168 tonnes of pollutants out of the atmosphere each year?
In Canada, transportation is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, accounting for one-quarter of the total. A recent article in Environment Canada’s Enviro-zine contains great information and suggestions for reducing vehicle emissions.
Visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/english/issues/54/fea....
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Health Canada to Publish Reasons for Drug Approvals
Health Canada will launch a new, online database this summer that provides information about all drugs approved in Canada since 1994. Health professionals and the general public will be able to search in English and French to discover details such as drug name, therapeutic class, active or medicinal ingredient, approval date, and mode of administration.
Visit http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/172/11/1431.
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4) MEDIA WATCH
Overview 2005 – CODEX Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=7671
Most Diets Need Supplementation, Even “Good” Ones
http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n03....
Rectal Cancer Risk Increases after Prostate Radiation
http://gastroenterology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/...
Which Drugs (or None) for Alzheimer’s Disease?
http://general-medicine.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/...
Vitamin D Does Prevent Fractures in Elderly
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
Consumer Reports Rates Diet Plans
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
Different Calcium-Fortified Foods Do Not Provide Same Benefits
http://www.nutritionhorizon.com/newsmaker_article.as...
Cranberry Juice May Reduce Risk of Stomach Disease
http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/hotnews/55h913...
Type II Diabetes May Begin with Grandmother’s Diet
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=60...
GM Foods Problem for Developing Countries
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/05/15/ge...
Biotech Food Debate Spices Up US Scientist Meeting
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=7833
New Brunswick Residents Seek Agent Orange Compensation
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/05/27/...
Canadian Children Get Fs in Phys-Ed
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/05/26/...
More Sleep, Less TV Fends Off Childhood Obesity – Study
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=3&u=...
Think Twice Before Back Pain Surgery, Experts Say
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=1&u=...
Adult Lifestyle Predicts Bone Health
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=3&u=...
Type of Blindness Reported in Some Taking Viagra
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=1&u=...
Herbal Group Reacts to Black Cohosh Study
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=60...
For more current titles, check out “News” at www.hans.org.
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5) CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Join the Movement: Make Canada GE-Free
Who: Presented by the Council of Canadians and Friends
When: June 2, doors open at 6:30pm
Where: Maritime Labor Centre, 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver, BC
Cost: Free
Contact: 604-688-8846
E-mail: awaxman@canadians.org
PANELISTS:
-Percy Schmeiser, Saskatchewan canola farmer sued by Monsanto
-Dr. Shiv Chopra, former Canadian federal government scientist and
whistleblower
-Colin Palmer, Chair of the Powell River Regional District (first to pass GE-free crop zone resolution)
-Aimee Watson, organic farmer and Farm Folk/City Folk activist
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When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
Who: Dr. Gabor Mate
When: Saturday, June 4, 9:00am-4:30pm
Where: Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC
Cost: April 22-May 22: $119; May 23-June 4: $139
Contact: 604-628-1772
E-mail: info@foundationsforlife.ca
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Animal Voices Free Film Festival
When: Sunday, June 5, 1-9pm
Where: Vancouver East Cultural Centre, 1895 Venables Street (at Victoria Drive), Vancouver, BC
Cost: Free
Contact: 604-924-4966
Web: www.animalvoice.org/filmfestival
Join viewers for the first Vancouver showing of four documentaries, including the award-winning “Peaceable Kingdom”, an unforgettable 70-minute feature about animal rescuers and former farmers who find healing when they open their hearts to abused animals saved from factory farms.
Singer/songwriter Dana Lyons will entertain.
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“Arresting AIDS” Breakfast
Who: Dr. Harold Foster, author of What Really Causes AIDS, presented by the Royal City Rotary Club
When: June 8, 7am
Where: 713 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Cost: $15
Contact: 604-519-1898
Dr. Foster’s website is www.hdfoster.com.
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Herbs: How to Know Them and Use Them
Who: Lorene Benoit, Certified Master of Holistic Health, Herbalist, Iridologist, Contact Reflex Analyst and Regenesis Healer (emotional and energy balancing)
When: July 8-11, Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
Where: 5175 Bills Road, Duncan, BC
Cost: $475, early bird before July 1st, $375
Contact: 250-748-6802
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International Symposium on Hyperbaric Therapy for Neurological Disorders, Athletes and Cellular Regeneration
When: June 8-11
Where: Quebec Convention Center, 1000, boul. René-Lévesque Est
Quebec City, PQ
Cost: 25$/day, simultaneous translation earpiece: 3$/day
Contact: www.billetech.com
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Small Scale Seed Production for Organic Farmers Workshop
Who: John Navazio of the Organic Seed Alliance
When: July 12-14 - Tues 6-9pm, Wed and Thurs 10am-6pm
Where: Saanich, BC
Cost: $150, includes reading materials and meals
Contact: Chris Wells at 250-658-5420
E-mail: quinoa@shaw.ca
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Founded in 1984, Health Action Network Society is a membership-based, non-profit charitable organization dedicated to gathering and disseminating health promotion information.