Procter & Gamble Must Scrub Carcinogen Dioxane From Tide A Must Read

Procter & Gamble Must Scrub Carcinogen Dioxane From Tide (via Environment News Service)

SACRAMENTO, California, January 25, 2013 (ENS) – Procter & Gamble, makers of Tide and Tide Free & Gentle detergents, has agreed in a California court to reduce the levels of the chemical 1,4 dioxane in its laundry products. The Oakland-based nonprofit organization As You Sow filed a lawsuit against…

---

T36-C5® - Melaleuca Oil and Insect Bites

How to Use Tea Tree Oil as Insect Repellent

Natural Insect Repellent for Plants, People, Pets, and Household Use

Tired of spraying so many chemicals to get rid of pests? Need something a little less intoxicating to you, your kids, your plants, and your pets? Tea tree oil is a great natural insect repellent. Best of all, it works on plants, pets, and people. You just have to know how to use it. With a mix of personal experience and research, here are some things I've learned about using tea tree oil as an insect repellent. For the best results, use pure organic tea tree oil.

Tea Tree Oil as an Insect Repellent on People
Spraying or rubbing chemicals onto yourself and the kids to avoid the critters can get irritating - literally and figuratively. Instead of spraying and rubbing chemicals into your skin, try using something a little more soothing. Tea tree oil is a great natural mosquito and insect repellent and it's even a great moisturizer, an eczema fighter, a fungus fighter, and so much more. Tea tree oil has been known to repel mosquitoes, lice, ants, and many other insects that bite. It also soothes insect bites and stings and helps in removal of ticks.

Making Tea Tree Oil Insect Repellent for the Skin
To make this simple solution, all you'll need is a large misting spray bottle, 2 oz of organic tea tree oil, and some water. Pour the 2 ounces of organic tea tree oil into the spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Mist the solution onto the skin and rub in. Reapply as needed.
Tea Tree Oil as an Insect Repellent on Plants
Tea tree oil also can repel insects in the garden. Be cautious when using tea tree oil on plants. It must be diluted with water and must not be sprayed directly on the plants. It can burn them. Instead, spray around the plants. To make tea tree oil insect repellent for the garden, mix the same solution as used on skin above.
Tea Tree Oil as an Insect Repellent on Pets
Like humans, insects can affect pets, as can their bites. Fleas also can be a problem for pets, especially those who venture outside or live in an outdoor environment. To protect your pets from insects and insect bites, prepare the tea tree oil spray solution used above for human skin. Spray this on the pet once or twice a day. Because tea tree oil is a fungus fighter, this can also help your pet smell fresh and clean.
Tea Tree Oil as a Household Insect Repellent
Tired of ants, cockroaches, or other insects inside your home? Tea tree oil also can help fight against household insects. Simply mix ¼ cup tea tree oil, ¼ cup vinegar, and 2 cups water together. Pour into a large spray bottle. Spray the tea tree oil spray solution into cupboards, on counters, and other surfaces and wipe clean. The tea tree oil repels the insects and the combination of vinegar and tea tree oil acts as a powerful disinfectant. Do this regularly to keep away ants, roaches, and other household insects.
Cautions About Tea Tree Oil
A bit of caution about tea tree oil is that some may experience an allergic reaction, which can consist of itching, dermatitis, dry patches, a rash, or other skin irritations. Start by testing in a very small area before applying tea tree oil to larger areas. Wait a day or so to see if any reaction occurs. As with any other natural essential oil, there always is the change of allergies. A rare, but serious occurrence from allergies is anaphylaxis. If you have had an allergic reaction to any essential oils in the past, it is best to avoid tea tree oil.
Also, tea tree oil should not be ingested. It can be poisonous.

* All information here is strictly for informational purposes. The author is not an herbalist or licensed medical professional. Please be safe and conduct your own research.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Pregnancy

Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular DHA, help a pregnant woman give her developing baby every advantage in life starting in-utero. In general the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish help the cardiovascular system, the brain (including moods), and even the brain and eyes of a developing baby. Yet only about 68% of women know about the benefits of DHA, an essential fatty acid. More than two-thirds of women say their doctor has never told them anything about DHA, and 72% have no idea how to get DHA into their diet.(1)

DHA and Mother's Health

Since the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids help both the circulatory system and brain function in people, it follows that if a pregnant woman consumes fish oil supplements, not only is she helping her developing baby, she is also fortifying her own system. A cross-national study on rates of postpartum depression among twenty-two countries found that the lower the amount of DHA in the mother's blood, the higher chance she'll develop postpartum depression.(11)

The following is a quotation from Dr. S.J. Genuis, Faculty of Medicine-OB/GYN, University of Alberta, Canada, supporting the decision to supplement with fish oil:

"In view of the mounting evidence implicating Omega-3 Fatty Acid deficiency as a determinant of various maternal and pediatric afflictions, physicians should consider recommending purified fish oil supplementation during pregnancy and lactation."(12)

During prenatal development, the fetus takes all available DHA if the mother is deficient. That leaves nothing left over for the mother. Nutritional science studies point to a correlation between low levels of omega-3s and depression in people. A pregnant or lactating woman has higher needs for omega-3 (see chart 1 above), with current recommendations at 300 milligrams per day for intake of DHA. To compare numbers, consider that the average non-pregnant Japanese woman consumes 571 milligrams per day of DHA.(13)

Most fish oil supplements targeted towards cardiovascular health have more EPA than DHA. Since Prenatal Omega-3 is targeted towards the healthy development of the baby's brain, it has twice the DHA as EPA because the brain is composed mostly of DHA.

Be aware that B vitamins also play an extremely important role in preventing depression, so a new mother should continue taking vitamins even after the birth of her baby.

 

Top US Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals

Top US Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals

Posted on: 

Tuesday, May 28th 2013 at 2:00 pm

Written By: 

Sayer Ji, Founder

The #1 Children's Vitamin Brand in the US contains ingredients that most parents would never intentionally expose their children to, so why aren't more opting for healthier alternatives?
Kids vitamins are supposed to be healthy, right? Well then, what's going on with Flintstones Vitamins, which proudly claims to be "Pediatricians' #1 Choice"?  Produced by the global pharmaceutical corporation Bayer, this wildly success brand features a shocking list of unhealthy ingredients, including:

• Aspartame
• Cupric Oxide
• Coal tar artificial coloring agents (FD&C Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #6)
• Zinc Oxide
• Sorbitol
• Ferrous Fumarate
• Hydrogenated Oil (Soybean)
• GMO Corn starch

On Bayer Health Science's Flintstones product page designed for healthcare professionals they lead into the product description with the following tidbit of information:

82% of kids aren't eating all of their veggies¹. Without enough vegetables, kids may not be getting all of the nutrients they need.

References: 1. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(3):474-478.

The implication? That Flintstones vitamins somehow fill this nutritional void. But let's look a little closer at some of these presumably healthy ingredients....
ASPARTAME
Aspartame is a synthetic combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and l-phenylalanine, and is known to convert into highly toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body.  Aspartame has been linked to over 40 adverse health effects in the biomedical literature, and has been shown to exhibit both neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity [1]  What business does a chemical like this have doing in a children's vitamin, especially when non-toxic, non-synthetic non-nutritive sweeteners like steviaalready exist?
CUPRIC OXIDE
Next, let's look closer at Cupric Oxide, 2mg of which is included in each serving of Flinstone's Complete chewable vitamins as a presumably  'nutritional' source of 'copper,' supplying "100% of the Daily Value  (Ages 4+), according to Flintstones Vitamins Web site's Nutritional Info.[2]
But what is Cupric Oxide? A nutrient or a chemical?
According to the European Union's Dangerous Substance Directive, one of the main EU laws concerning chemical safety, Cupric Oxide is listed as a Hazardous substance, classified as both  "Harmful (XN)" and "Dangerous for the environment" (N).  Consider that it has industrial applications as a pigment in ceramics, and as a chemical in the production of rayon fabric and dry cell batteries. In may be technically correct to call it a mineral, but should it be listed as a nutrient in a children's vitamin? We think not.

COAL TAR ARTIFICIAL COLORING AGENTS
A well-known side effect of using synthetic dyes is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. For direct access to study abstracts on this topic view our Food Coloring research page.  There is also indication that the neurotoxicity of artificial food coloring agents increase when combined with aspartame,[3] making the combination of ingredients in Flintstones even more concerning.
ZINC OXIDE
Each serving of Flinstones Complete Chewable vitamins contain 12 mg of zinc oxide, which the manufacturer claims delivers 75% of the Daily Value to children 2  & 3 years of age.  Widely used as a sun protection factor (SPF) in sunscreens, The EU's Dangerous Substance Directive classifies it as an environmental Hazard, "Dangerous for the environment (N)."  How it can be dangerous to the environment, but not for humans ingesting it, escapes me.  One thing is for sure, if one is to ingest supplemental zinc, or market it for use by children, it makes much more sense using a form that is organically bound (i.e. 'chelated') to an amino acid like glycine, as it will be more bioavailable and less toxic.
SORBITOL
Sorbitol is a synthetic sugar substitute which is classified as a sugar alcohol. It can be argued that it has no place in the human diet, much less in a child's. The ingestion of higher amounts have been linked to gastrointestinal disturbances from abdominal pain to more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.[4]
FERROUS FUMARATE
The one clear warning on the Flinstone's Web site concerns this chemical. While it is impossible to die from consuming iron from food, e.g. spinach, ferrous fumarate is an industrial mineral and not found in nature as food. In fact, ferrous fumarate is so toxic that accidental overdose of products containing this form is "a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6." The manufacturer further warns:

Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL
Finding hydrogenated oil in anything marketed to children is absolutely unacceptable. These semi-synthetic fatty acids incorporate into our tissues and have been linked to over a dozen adverse health effects, from coronary artery disease to cancer, violent behavior to fatty liver disease.[5]
GMO CORN STARCH
While it can be argued that the amount of GMO corn starch in this product is negligible, even irrelevant, we disagree. It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification. The 'vitamin C' listed as ascorbic acid in Flintstones is likely also produced from GMO corn. Let's remember that Bayer's Ag-biotech division, Bayer CropScience, poured $381,600 of cashinto defeating the proposition 37 GMO labeling bill in California. Parents have a right to protect their children against the well-known dangers of genetically modified foods and the agrichemicals that contaminate them, don't they? GMO corn starch is GMO, plain and simple. We'd appreciate it if Bayer would label their "vitamins" accordingly.
In summary, Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it.

---

Resources

• [1] GreenMedInfo.com, Adverse Health Effects of Aspartame

• [2] FlinstonesVitamins.com, FLINSTONES Complete Chewable, Nutritional Info Overview

• [3] Karen Lau, W Graham McLean, Dominic P Williams, C Vyvyan Howard. Synergistic interactions between commonly used food additives in a developmental neurotoxicity test. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Mar;90(1):178-87. Epub 2005 Dec 13. PMID: 16352620

• [4] GreenMedInfo.com, Sorbitol's Adverse Health Effects

• [5] GreenMedInfo.com, Health Effects of Hydrogenated Oil

Caveat Emptor-Let the Buyer Beware

I’m quite sure the intent of this legal term was meant more for buying things like used items, real estate and such but; apparently for us here in North America it seems to apply to cleaning product, kid’s and adult’s personal care products, cosmetics and even food! 

The regulation on this stuff is a joke at best and near criminal at worst.  There would appear to be more technicalities and loopholes than on a millionaire’s taxes. 

One need only to look at the first paragraph of this article from the New York Times this past August.   And sadly this isn’t the only one.

August 15, 2012

Johnson & Johnson to Remove Formaldehyde From Products

By KATIE THOMAS

”Johnson & Johnson, which makes a range of personal care products like baby shampoo, acne cream and antiwrinkle lotion, announced plans Wednesday to remove a host of potentially harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, from its line of consumer products by the end of 2015, becoming the first major consumer products company to make such a widespread commitment.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/business/johnson-johnson-to-remove-formaldehyde-from-products.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1&

Firstly, what is this “host of potentially harmful chemicals”?  Secondly, why not until “the end of 2015” and why are they just “the first major consumer products company to make such a widespread commitment”?

Now for those that don’t know, in 2011, the US National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen", meaning it can cause cancer in humans!  Now they kick around what is considered mild exposure and what is considered high exposure but, wouldn’t any exposure be a concern, especially for small children or the elderly? And if we are washing with it, cleaning with it and for the women wearing it, wouldn’t that constitute prolonged, repeated exposure?

Here is two clips from another article of which there are many:

What Other Products May Contain Formaldehyde?

Many personal cleansing and beauty products contain formaldehyde, think about that before you put them on your skin, your largest organ. Here are some of the personal products that might contain this toxin:

·         Lotions ·         Shampoos ·         Sunblock

·         Soap Bars ·         Cosmetics ·         Body Wash

·         Toothpaste ·         Baby Wipes ·         Bubble Bath

Be wary of products containing the following ingredients:

·         Formalin ·         Methanal ·         Oxymethyline ·         Urea ·         1,3-Dioxetane ·         Quaternium 15

·         Methylaldehyde ·         Methylene Oxide ·         Formic Aldehyde ·         Oxomethane Formalin ·         Phenol Formaldehyde

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Safety provides a quick reference list of some products known to contain formaldehyde ^[1^]. I’m appalled at the number of baby and kid products on the list, as these little angels usually have no say in whether they’re being exposed or not.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/formaldehyde/

So, in short (I know you’re thinking too late right) we need to educate ourselves on what we are bring into our homes and exposing our families to in the disguise of harmless everyday products from supposedly caring companies and regulated by supposedly concerned regulatory government agencies.  They seem to have no problem putting profits before people but hey, let the buyer beware...

Interesting

"Cleaning product companies aren’t required to disclose the ingredients they use in their products, and what they’re keeping secret from you could be hazardous to your health," reports Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE), the respected non-profit research group that investigates toxic chemicals in the common household cleansers we use.

In their "Dirty Secrets" study, WVE commissioned an independent laboratory to test twenty popular cleaning products for hidden toxic chemicals from five top companies: Clorox, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson and Son, and Sunshine Makers (Simple Green). WVE found reproductive toxins, carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and allergens-- none of which were listed on the product label. 

"Consumers deserve to know what chemicals they are being exposed to, so that they can easily avoid products that may cause allergic reactions or serious long-term health impacts like cancer, birth defects, or pregnancy complications," WVE declares”.

Toxic Chemicals Found in Glade (according to WVE research)

 (These are just a few of the hundreds of fragrance chemicals that may be part of a Glade fragrance)

Synthetic musks. Test results in WVE’s 2011 Dirty Secrets report found one of these toxic chemicals hiding out in Glade. Musks are:

• persistent (they don’t break down in the environment)

• bioaccumulative (they build up in our bodies)

• potential hormone disruptors

• may break down the body’s defenses against other toxic exposures

• showing up in our blood and breast milk

Allergens. Test results in WVE’s 2011 Dirty Secrets report also found several allergens in Glade products. Tens of millions of people are sensitized to these chemicals, which cause reactions that range from red bumps, itchiness and wheezing to severe breathing problems

Essential Oils Instead of Bleach

Essential Oils
Instead of Bleach

Regularly we hear reports of infectious outbreaks caused by E.coli, H1N1, Salmonella, Influenza, and MRSA. Currently scientists are watching the possible emergence of a SARS-like virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Washing our hands and keeping our environment clean continues to be a very important means of prevention.

Bleach, with its toxic fumes and caustic, poisonous nature, will disinfect, but it is hazardous to people and pets. It is particularly hazardous to persons with asthma and other breathing problems. Combining bleach with other ingredients can produce a very poisonous gas.

Science is discovering that harmful bacteria can develop resistance not only to antibiotics but also to some disinfectants. Fortunately essential oils are effective. In nature, plants produce antioxidants and other natural chemicals that act as their own natural insect repellents and healing compounds to fight diseases and viruses. Science Daily reports that the antimicrobial activities of eight essential oils were tested. Thyme oil was found to be the most effective.