In the News

.....The rates of both obesity and esophageal cancer have been increasing and new research says they are connected. Australian scientists compared almost 800 esophageal cancer patients to 1,500 cancer free adults. Esophageal cancer was up to 6 times as common among very obese people (BMI of 40) and twice as likely in obese people (BMI of 30). Severely obese people with GERD had the greatest risk but you did not need to have GERD to develop the cancer you just had to be obese; GERD just made it more likely; online ahead of print Gut.

.....Blocking male hormones may help treat prostate cancer, but it also boosts a man's risk of dying from heart disease. Among 3,262 men who treated their prostate cancer with surgery if they also received androgen deprivation therapy their risk of dying from heart disease jumped by 260 %; October 17th Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

.....In a study of 800 young and healthy Finnish men, those with lower Vitamin D levels (< 40 nmol/L) had a higher rate of respiratory tract infections; September 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

.....A US consumer advocacy group had 33 brand-name red lipsticks tested for lead; 61% had detectable lead levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). The FDA allows a limit of 0.1 ppm lead in candy; like candy, lipstick is ingested. One-third of the lipsticks lead level exceeded the FDA limit for lead. Some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others. At the time of testing Revlon had no detectable level of lead. Lead builds up in the body over time and applying lead-containing lipstick several times per day can add up to a significant exposure level. Testing was performed by Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, Ca. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is the consumer rights coalition.