Toxic chemicals commonly used in almost all homes could cause various diseases, including cancers. At least a dozen of chemical agents are found in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry area, and the garage of practically every household today.
Sixteen studies done since the 1990s published recently in the journal Pediatrics state that “pesticides use in homes may increase the risk of children developing leukemia or lymphoma,” indicating that kids exposed to indoor insecticides had an elevated risk of having these blood cancers. Weed killers and non-organic house cleaning agents are also toxic, just like most chemicals in the garage or gardens.
Other researches also implicated household chemicals in the causation of many illnesses among adults too. Ironically, this does not exonerate alcoholic beverages, which could cause cancer of the throat, esophagus, breasts, etc.
Breast cancer and Oncotype DX
“A gene test known as Oncotype DX may help certain women with early-stage breast cancer skip chemotherapy,” according to a report presented at the European Cancer Congress in Vienna and posted online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The research revealed that “the test accurately identified a group of women whose cancers are so likely to respond to hormone-blocking drugs that adding chemo would do little if any good while exposing them to side effects and other health risks…and that “women who skipped chemo based on the test had less than a 1 percent chance of cancer recurring far away, such as the liver or lungs, within the next five years.”
Vitamin D on senior brain
Vitamin D — D3 being the choice version — is essential to health. A study published in JAMA Neurology showed that seniors with lower than normal levels of vitamin D may lose their cognitive brain function faster than people of the same age whose vitamin D levels are normal. A long term Alzheimer’s study revealed that those with dementia have lower levels of vitamin D, supporting the JAMA-N report.
Pregnancy and autism risk
A study of 45,261 children born in Northern California between 2000 and 2009 shows that “the time between the birth of oone child ad the conception of the next may affect the second child’s risk for developing autism.” Researchers noted that among children “conceived less than 12 months or more than 72 months after the birth of an older sibling, the risk of autism was two to theree fold higher than for those conceived 36 months to 47 months later.” This supports the recommendation of the World Health organization for women to wait at least 2 years after the child is born before attempting the next pregnancy.”
Drinking hand sanitizer?
Yes, you read it right. Some kids are drinking hand sanitizer to get an alcoholic high and many ignorant little kids ingest them accidentally, leading to alcohol poisoning. A study by the Georgia Poison Control revealed that ““since 2010, poison control center hotlines across the United States have seen a nearly 400 percent increase in calls related to children younger than 12 ingesting hand sanitizer.” Hand sanitizers contain a range between 45 to 95 percent of alcohol and swallowing even 2 to 3 squirts can cause `cute alcohol poisoning.
An aspirin, not apple, a day….
The United States Preventive Task Force (USPSTF) stated the taking a daily low-dose (81 mg) of aspirin “for adults ages 50 to 69 who are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases can help prevent both cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, but the recommendation stoked a long-running disagreement about whether the practice carries more risks than benefits in some patients.” The anti-cancer effect is seen among those who took low-dose aspirin for at least 10 years. The potential risks of aspirin intake include gastric upset, stomach bleeding, hemorrhagic strokes or bleeding in the brain, which, fortunately, are fairly uncommon, considering the millions of people on aspirin. While low-dose aspirin is part of the standard of medical care today, we recommend that anyone interested in this regimen consult their physician first, who could design a personalized health strategy that suits your particular situation. By the way, an apple a day could do wonders.
Carbs: sweet “killers”
More than ever before, science today has an abundance of scientific data that justifiably condemns carbohydrates, sugars, as the major culprits, the public health enemy #1, causing the epidemics of obesity, even among children, osteo-arthritis, heart diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s and, indirectly, cancer. While soft drinks are considered toxic drinks responsible for metabolic syndrome today, affecting not only adults but more so children, our daily staple as Asians, rice, bread, and sugary desserts, are as harmful to our health and longevity. Those who are overweight and more so those who are obese have increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Cutting down on our carbohydrates on a daily basis (staying away from soft drinks, reducing our rice intake to half of what we have been consuming, skipping dessert or just taking a bite of it, eating fruits instead of drinking fruit juices) will go a long way in helping us maintain a normal weight and reducing all the risks brought on by this family of sugars.
Walk briskly, not jog
The benefits of daily physical exercises do not only confer muscular strength and stamina and improved sexual drive, but also boost our immune system and truly minimize our chances of developing diseases, including cancer. We commonly associate exercise with cardiovascular health, but studies have shown that it is also an anti-cancer activity. However, the old concept that jogging is the best way to do physical exercise is giving way to brisk walking, which has been found to confer similar benefits as jogging, but minus the eventual injuries to the hip, knees, and ankles. Walking briskly, to a level of speed comfortable to the individual, is recommended even to those who had coronary bypass surgery, as a part of their cardiac rehab.
Man was born to be active, just like our animal friends. We are animate and not vegetative. Physical exercise is a natural part of our being. Sedentary life is unhealthy. Let’s get up, be active, and maximize our health and longevity.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
