omachron.com Articles

QRC - Sustainability for People - More than just Renewable Energy and Recycling

1. Sustainability is much more than creating energy by renewable means and recycling our trash.

2. A concept for REAL sustainability must, in my opinion, include at its foundations a holistic view of the world around us.

3. A plan for sustainability requires a careful deliberation of the social, economic, environmental, and health care plans which me must develop and carry out.

4. We must be mindful that our decisions about how we choose to live each day as this will impact our future health and welfare, as well as the health and welfare of our children, grandchildren and all future generations.

6. Our society now has the technology and the capacity to completely change the world around us both for better or for worse.

7. We cannot live in the hope that science and technology will create a “magical” cure for all of the social, economic, environmental, and health care woes of the world.

8. Sustainability requires the calm resolve of people of good conscience to improve their lives and those of their children, grandchildren and all future generations through careful action today in terms of social, economic, environmental, and health care reforms.

9. We must seek to consume less while maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle. These are not contradictory concepts.

10. We must of course use our natural resources wisely and recycle where possible.

11. We must also make hard decisions to boycott goods which are not fairly traded to allow our economic “voice” to speak to industry.

10. We must develop a more harmonious social infrastructure which protects and weak and rewards the diligent. When you purchase goods or services your economic “vote” shapes our society as much as you “vote” at the ballot box.

11. We must also carefully safeguard our legacy through our children by carefully limiting the chemicals to which we exposure ourselves and our children because the occurrence of diseases such as cancer is outpacing our advances in cancer treatment. We must improve all aspects of our environment including reducing the chemicals in our daily living that we choose to use. Read the labels on your soaps, shampoos, and conditioner, cosmetics, foods and beverages and protect the health and well being of you and your family by avoiding harmful ingredients.

12. I had many outstanding mentors including the noted scientist, cybernetician. philosopher, artist and spiritualist Stafford Beer, and the educator, scientist, electrostatics expert and public servant Prof AD Moore, the mechanical, electronics and nuclear expert and spiritualist Prof Stan Phillips.

13. I am fortunate to have worked in research and development for over 3 decades in many diverse areas including electrical, mechanical, thermal and chemical engineering, materials science, electrostatics, and various aspects of product development. I have worked on such diverse projects a prototype solar powered car in the mid 1970s, research into acid rain effects and the design of electrostatic precipitators and to address the issues in the late 1970s, to stirling engines, ozone water treatment, chemical conversion to use plasmas to restructure pollutants into useful chemicals, and many other projects.

14. Thus, my blogs will try to provide practical advice on what you can do to create a sustainable future for you, your family, and all of our families. I am taking a very holistic and cybernetic view of the world around us and trying to provide articles on this blog about all aspects of sustainability.

Wayne Conrad

Quick Reality Check - Sodium benzoate - a potential health risk especially for kids

1. Sodium benzoate (E211), also called benzoate of soda, is a preservative and has bacteriostatic and fungistatic effects at low ph (acidic) conditions and is used to preserve foods such as salad dressings, carbonated drinks, jams, fruit juices, pickles, condiments, alcohol-based mouthwash and even cough syrups like Robitussin.

2. In the presence of heat or light sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate can combine with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300) to form benzene, a known carcinogen.

3. Professor Peter Piper of the University of Sheffield claims that sodium benzoate by itself can damage and inactivate vital parts of DNA in a cell’s mitochondria which produces the energy for cells.

4. Sodium benzoate can create an increased retention of water which is an issue if you have heart disease according to drug monographs.

5. Sodium benzoate can increase your chances of side effects if you have cancer.

6. Some recent research has found that artificial food colors combined with SODIUM BENZOATE may adversely effect the behaviour patterns of children. The work published in the medical journal Lancet outlines work at the University of Southampton (U.K.) which found that a significant number of the about 250 kids studied displayed hyperactive behavior when given food colors + sodium benzoate in controlled double blind conditions. This research has shown the adverse effect for a specific set of food colors plus sodium benzoate, a preservative. It does not PROVE artificial food colors alone or sodium benzoate alone are a problem BUT WHY TAKE A CHANCE WITH YOUR KIDS HEALTH?.

7. My family and I are avoiding products containing sodium benzoate preservative when possible.

For more info subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check - Artificial Food Colorings - avoid when possible

- Quick Reality Check - “Herbal” & “Organic” Shampoos and Conditioners contain potentially harmful ingredients

- Quick Reality Check - Vitamin C - Miracle Vitamin?

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Wayne Conrad

Quick Reality Check - Artificial Food Colorings - avoid when possible

1. Food colors are added to many different products including yogurts, breakfast cereals, children’s drinks (including chocolate milk), canned peas and even raw meats. In fact artificial colors are added to a surprising amount of products you buy everyday and may not even know. Check the labels and see for yourself the amount of chemicals you consume on a regular basis.

2. The most common food colorings used in the United States include:

FD&C Blue No. 1 - Brilliant Blue FCF, E133 (Blue shade), a synthetic dye derived from coal tar which often found in ice cream, tinned processed peas, dairy products, sweets, and drinks, soaps, shampoos and other personal hygiene and cosmetic products.

FD&C Red No. 40 - Allura Red AC, E129 (Red shade) is a red azo dye that goes by several names including: Allura Red, Food Red 17, C.I. 16035, FD&C Red 40, 2- naphthalenesulfonic acid, 6-hydroxy-5-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo)-, disodium salt, and disodium 6-hydroxy-5-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo)-2-naphthalene-sulfonate, or E129.
In Europe, Allura Red AC is not recommended for consumption by children. And is banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria.

FD&C Yellow No. 5 - Tartrazine, E102 (Yellow shade) or FD&C Yellow 5 or C.I. 19140) is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye often mixed with FD&C Blue No. 1 to produce a green color. Products including tartrazine include candies, cotton candy, soft drinks, instant puddings, flavored chips such as Doritos, cereals suchas corn flakes and muesli, cake mixes, pastries, custard powder, soups, sauces, and even some rices and pastas, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, ice creams, marzipan, jam, jelly, gelatins, marmalade, mustard, horseradish, yogurt, pickles, and even in some honey products! .

3. In the past many studies have been carried out which suggest that artificial food colors are safe and adverse reactions occur in less than 1 in 10,000 people, which is about 33,000 people in the United States.

4. Some stidues in the past few years have found that artificial food colors may impact a much larger segment of the population. The medical journal Lancet published the work of University of Southampton (U.K.) researchers who studied the effects of drinks containing artificial colors and additives on 3-year-old and 8 to 9-year-old British kids and found that the additives made them hyperactive which is an effect that has long been debated. This study tested a range of kids and not just those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some US experts say that scientific evidence overall does not point to a definitive link between additives and hyperactivity and that further study is needed. IT WAS ALSO SAID BY MANY EXPERTS THAT THERE WAS NO CLEAR LINK BETWEEN SMOKING CIGARETTES AND CANCER FOR MANY YEARS AS WELL!

5. In my opinion as a scientist the research done at Southhampton is valid as a large group was studied ( 153 3-year-olds and 144 8- and 9-year-olds) and 267 of the 297 children completed the study and the scientific methods were good. The children were given two types of beverages to drink with food additives commonly found in sweets, beverages, and other foods, and then a placebo drink with no additives. One mix had artificial colorings, including sunset yellow (also called E110), carmoisine (E122), tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), and the preservative sodium benzoate. Another beverage mix included the current average daily consumption of food additives by the two age ranges of children and included quinoline yellow (E104), allura red (E129) , sunset yellow, carmoisine, and sodium benzoate. Both teachers and parents evaluated behaviors after the children drank each type of beverage, and the older children also were tested on their attention spans. The older children’s behavior was adversely affected by both of the mixtures with additives, compared with placebo, Stevenson’s group found. The younger kids had more hyperactivity with the first mixture compared with placebo, but their responses to the second beverage varied greatly. This research has shown the adverse effect for a specific set of food colors plus sodium benzoate, a preservative. It does not prove all artificial food colors are bad.

7. Another Study by KS Rowe on Synthetic food colourings and hyperactivity: A. double-blind crossover study was published in the Australian Paediatric Journal 24:143­147, 1988. This research, done at the Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia studied 220 children referred for suspected ‘hyperactivity’. 55 were subjected to a 6 week trial of the Feingold diet to elimiate all food colors from their diet. Forty (72.7%) demonstrated improved behavior and 26 (47.3%) remained improved following liberalization of the diet over a period of 3-6 months. The parents of 14 children claimed that a particular cluster of behaviors was associated with the ingestion of foods containing synthetic colorings. A double-blind crossover study, employing a single-subject repeated measures design was conducted, using eight of these children which is a small sample size. Subjects were maintained on a diet free from synthetic additives and were challenged daily for 18 weeks with either placebo (during lead-in and washout periods) or 50 mg of either tartrazine or carmoisine, each for 2 separate weeks. Two significant reactors were identified whose behavioral pattern featured extreme irritability, restlessness and sleep disturbance. One of the reactors did not have inattention as a feature. The findings raise the issue of whether the strict criteria for inclusion in studies concerned with ‘hyperactivity’ based on ‘attention deficit disorder’ may miss children who indicate behavioral changes associated with the ingestion of food colorings.

8. Boris M, Mandel FS. Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children. Annals of Allergy 72:462­468, 1994. North Shore Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, Manhasset, New York. A study was carried out which evaluated 26 kids who meet the criteria for ADHD. Treatment with a multiple item elimination diet showed 19 children (73%) responded favorably, P < .001. On open challenge, all 19 children reacted to many foods, dyes, and/or preservatives. A double-blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) was completed in 16 children. There was a significant improvement on placebo days compared with challenge days (P = .003). Atopic children with ADHD had a significantly higher response rate than the nonatopic group. This study demonstrates a beneficial effect of eliminating reactive foods and artificial colors in children with ADHD. Dietary factors may play a significant role in the etiology of the majority of children with AD

9. I have found many other scientific studies linking artificial colorants to behavioral disorders and other diseases. The link between food additives and hyperactivity in children has been debated for decades, I believe that reducing my family's exposure to artificial colors is becoming a priority. I am looking into cereals, drinks, and other foods free of artificial food colors and I will provide you with information and links if you subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

Quick Reality Check - Vitamin C - Miracle Vitamin?

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Wayne Conrad

Quick Reality Check - “Herbal” & “Organic” Shampoos and Conditioners contain potentially harmful ingredients

1. I am personally an advocate of eating “organically produced” foods and I do believe that herbal medicines can be beneficial if used properly.

2. Organic foods are produced to specific standards which limit the type of pesticides and fertilizers used as opposed to those which are inorganically derived. In many countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

3. The term “organic” food production is legally regulated through specific standards.

4. The use of the terms “organic” or “herbal” on personal care products and cosmetics is not regulated through specific standards.

5. The terms “organic” and “herbal” are appearing on many product labels. These terms are added to imply that the product does not include harmful chemicals as is a “natural” and “safe” product.

6. In addition, many product contain a long list of herbs and make it seem that these are “magic” solutions to your health and beauty needs. THIS IS NOT TRUE!!

7. I have reviewed the ingredients lists of over 220 “organic” or “herbal” products and I have found multiple dangerous chemicals present in each and every one so far. Some of the common chemicals found in shampoos and soaps include:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, the main ingredient in this product a surfactant, is the sodium salt of sulfated ethoxylated lauryl alcohol. It is considered a moderate hazard for organ toxicity and may be contaminated by ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1,4-DIOXANE whose health effects are more serious.

Cocamide DEA, a surfactant, foam booster; and viscosity increasing agent is a major ingredient in this product and considered a moderately high risk for cancer, allergies, immunotoxicity, and non reproductive organ toxicity. It is a mixture of ethanolamides of Coconut Acid derived from Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (q.v.). It is natural but is a significant risk ingredient.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is an antistatic and hair conditioning agent which a moderate risk of causing allergies and immunotoxicity and is also derived from coconut oil.

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans health effects have not been studied at all as far as I could find so ewe do not know the safety of this material.

PEG-5M, a binder and emulsion stabilizer and viscosity increasing agent offers a moderate hazard for organ system toxicity and should not be applied to broken or damaged skin according to the FDA.

Phenoxyethanol, a fragrance and preservative, is a moderate hazard for cancer, allergies, immunotoxicity, skin, eye and lung irritation, organ system toxicity and potential neurotoxicity.

Fragrance is the ingredient that scares me most because it could be many different things many of which pose severe health hazards.

8. HERBS ARE POWERFUL MEDICINES. THEY ARE NATURE’S DRUGS WHICH CAN BE VERY BENEFICIAL IF USED WISELY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A TRAINED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BUT CAN POSE SEVERE HEALTH RISKS IF TAKEN IMPROPERLY.

9. Herbs have side effects just like prescription and over the counter medications.

10. Herbs DO interact with each other and with prescription and over the counter medicines and must be used with care.

11. READ THE LABELS OF THE “SO CALLED” ORGANIC AND HERBAL PRODUCTS BEFORE YOU BELIEVE THE MARKETING HYPE. THEY ARE LIKELY TO CONTAIN THE SAME POISONS FOUND IN OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS NOT LABELED AS “ORGANIC” OR “HERBAL”.

12. We are actively sourcing some personal care and cosmetic products which do not include dangerous chemicals or needless herbs. For more information or to subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Quick Reality Check - Vitamin C - Miracle Vitamin?

1. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin that is an essential to good health.

2. Vitamin is water-soluble and must therefore be regularly replenished in the body.

3. Foods that are good sources of vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes with skin, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and many dark green leafy vegetables. Other excellent sources include papaya, mango, watermelon, winter squash, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples.

4. Vitamin C can also be taken as an oral supplement.

5. The body needs vitamin C to form and maintain bones, blood vessels, and skin.

6. Ascorbic acid and its sodium, potassium, and calcium salts are commonly used as antioxidant food additives.

7. Once eaten, vitamin C is quickly absorbed by the intestines and helps to collagen protein and act as an anti oxidant.

8. Vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenolics and water insoluble compounds such as alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), l-ascorbic acid contributes to the overall intake of “free radical scavengers” or “anti-oxidative metabolites” in the human diet.

9. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant which blocks some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products of our bodies transforming food into energy.

10. Vitamin C helps to build and maintain our tissues and strengthens our immune system and is critical in producing many hormones and beneficial biochemicals in our nervous systems right down to reactions that power the actual cells of your body at a mitochondrial level.

11. Vitamin C appears to help decrease total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as increase HDL levels and studies suggest that it may be helpful in the prevention of some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

12. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C are believed to help protect smokers, as well as people exposed to secondhand smoke, from the harmful effects of free radicals.

13. Vitamin C strengthens the collagen structure of arteries, lowers total cholesterol, and blood pressure, an inhibits platelet aggregation.

14. Vitamin C is believed to help protect against heart disease by reducing the stiffness of arteries and the tendency of platelets to clump together.

15. Vitamin C when taken with vitamin E, vitamin C helps protect LDL (”bad”) cholesterol from oxidation, thus preventing plaque buildup in coronary arteries. Individuals with high blood levels of vitamin C have been shown in studies to have significantly reduced risk of stroke. The risk of stroke was inversely related to vitamin C in the bloodstream.

16. Vitamin C improves nitric oxide activity which causes blood vessel to expand thereby reducing blood pressure which may help to prevent spasms of arteries in the heart that might otherwise lead to heart attacks.

17. Vitamin C has reversed dysfunction of cells lining blood vessels.

18. Vitamin C has been shown in some studies to be a cancer-preventive for certain types of cancer because of its powerful antioxidant effects which may help to fight cancer by protecting healthy cells from free-radical damage and inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells.

19. Several studies have shown Vitamin C can improve the antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin, cisplatin and paclitaxel. The mechanism of the effect may be pro-oxidant, not antioxidant, activity of the vitamin in potentiating the effects of these chemotherapeutic agents. High concentratins of ascorbic acid in gastric juice may reduce the risk of gastric cancer by inhibiting the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds.

20. Ascorbic acid is toxic to viruses and bacteria and other such harmful cells. It is also toxic to cancerous cells and a little less toxic to non-cancerous cells and so it is used therapeutically in cancer therapy. Many of the pollutants which now pervade our environment can cause carcinogenic, toxic or mutagenic effects. Vitamin C may be able to combat these harmful effects, in part by stimulating detoxifying enzymes in the liver.

21. Vitamin C helps to build the collagen in the connective tissue which are fibers that are the firm but flexible structures that hold the body together.

22. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

23. Vitamin C is not MAGIC but I personally believe that it is essential to good health. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C in nonsmoking adults is 75 mg per day for women and 90 mg per day for men. For smokers, the RDAs are 110 mg per day for women and 125 mg per day for men. A dose of 200 milligrams daily is almost enough to maximize plasma and lymphocyte levels. Increased intakes of vitamin C are required to maintain normal plasma levels under acute emotional or environmental stress such as trauma, fever, infection, or elevated environmental temperatures. Full blood and tissue saturation is achieved with daily intakes of 200-500mg per day (in 2-3 divided doses) for those with a body mass under 125 kg.

24. Ascorbic acid is a relatively fragile molecule and it may be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, and/or storage. Ascorbic acid is easily destroyed by oxidation, particularly in the presence of heat and alkalinity, and because it is highly soluble in water, it is often discarded in cooking water. I therefore personally choose to take a chewable vitamin C of 250mg twice daily, and I increase this to 500mg twice daily when I am feeling ill or very tired. Consult you health professional and determine what is right for you.

25. If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our blogs.

Quick Reality Check – Naturally pigmented cotton clothing keeps you cool and protects you from the Sun

1. It has been found that frequent and/or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from sunlight is a cause of increased rates of skin cancer.

2. Limiting your skin’s exposure to sunlight, especially between 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs when the sun is most intense (10 am to 2 pm), is the best way to reduce your risk for skin cancer.

3. Sun tan lotions contain many potentially dangerous chemicals (see Quick Reality Check - Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup)

4. People who work outdoors cannot stay out of the sun, therefore well-designed clothing made from a UV-blocking textiles is their best option.

5. Many factors impact the UV blocking properties of textiles including fiber type, dyes, finishes, and fabric porosity.

6. Radiation absorbed by a dye, pigment, delustrant, or UV absorber does not pass through to the skin thereby protecting the wearer.

7. In general, dyed fabrics provide better sun protection than bleached fabrics. Bleached fabrics also cause significant environmental harm in their manufacture.

8. It was found that unbleached cotton provides double the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of bleached cotton.

9. It was found that natural pigments produce shades ranging from tan to green and brown provide excellent sun protect and do not require further processing to be useful.

10. Various studies have found that after 25 washings, naturally pigmented cotton fibers continued to provide superior protection from the sun that bleached cotton clothing.

11. Look for stylish, natural cotton products to keep you cool and comfortable in the sun and to help you to reduce the risks of sun exposure.

12. If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Quick Reality Check - Food Dyes and their health effects

1. Many products including bubble bath, hair dye, dandruff shampoo, toothpaste and many foods are made a “pretty color” to make them more appealing.

2. Many of these “food dyes” are actually very dangerous and their health effects include but are not limited to: allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, lack of concentration, hyperactivity, ADHD and other attention deficit disorders, nervousness and agitation, and an increased risk of Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

3. Food Dyes that I would avoid in products:

Red 3 - thyroid tumors in animals.

D&C Red 33 - Cancer in humans; genetic damage in animals.

Red 40 – carcinogenic and mutagenic in animals.

Asorubine, Carmoisine (a red coal tar derivative) - allergic reactions in asthmatics. This is used in some sweets.

Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue and FCF) – some research shows a potential cancer risk. This is used in dairy products, sweets, and drinks.

Blue 2 (Indigotine, Indigo and Carmine) – studies show brain tumors formation in mice. May cause nausea, skin rashes, allergic reactions.

Citrus Red 2 – may cause cancer. This is used to color some fruit including oranges.

Green 3 – some studies suggest this is may be a carcinogenic.

Green S – possible allergic reactions. Used in canned peas, mint jelly and cake mixes.

FD&C Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) linked to cancer, allergies, breathing difficulties and asthma attacks. Found in packaged soup, sweets, jams and cereals.

FD&C Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow, FCF, Orange Yellow S.) may cause tumors in adrenal glands and kidneys and may cause allergies, hyperactivity, and chromosomal damage.

Annatto (Arnatto, Bixin and Norbixin) is linked to skin, gastrointestinal, airway and central nervous system reactions.

4. I prefer products that are “not as pretty” but much healthier.

5. If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Quick Reality Check - We are indirectly eating Oil - What will we eat when the oil runs out?

1. “Modern”, mechanized farming relies heavily on equipment to replace people and chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to make crops grow.

2. Oil is used to drive the production of most fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

3. When we look at the “corn ethanol” debate on stunning fact becomes clear. We are using a lot of oil to produce the food we eat each day!

4. We then use a lot more energy to truck that food all over the nation rather than growing and distributing products more locally.

5. We use oil to provide energy and raw materials to:
(a) produce fertilizers , herbicides and pesticides
(b) distribute fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
(c) power farm equipment
(d) truck the hundreds or thousands of miles food from where it is grown to where it is consumed

WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP THE ENERGY INPUT FROM OIL THAT IS USED TO GROW FOOD, THE FOOD ENERGY (CALORIC) VALUE IS AT BEST EQUAL TO AND ACTUALLY LESS THAN THE INPUT ENERGY. WE ARE INDIRECTLY FEEDING OURSELVES WITH OIL AND WE ARE NOT VERY EFFICIENT ABOUT IT!!

6. What you can do to create a better future:
(a) Buy pesticide free products
(b) Buy produce grown within 50 miles (80 km) of your home
(c) Plant a small vegetable garden at home - fertilized with compost your own kitchen wastes – without the use of herbicides and pesticides – and enjoy great tasting, fresh, safer, healthier food.

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For tips and books on organic gardening and composting, see our other blog articles and visit Omachron OnLine

Common Sense Suggestions on “Personal Hygiene” Products

1. All products including “natural”, “organic”, “herbal”, “synthetic” or “man made” products contain chemicals.

2. If you are exposed to more chemicals, whether “organic” or not, there is a greater risk of the chemicals interacting to produce unwanted side effects including potential health problems.

3. Use products with the fewest ingredients and use them only as needed. Limit your exposure to chemicals.

4. Never trust the “claims” on a product. Read the ingredients list and make informed decisions what you put on your skin as this will often be absorbed into your body.

5. Buy fragrance free products as fragrances often add many chemicals which are often a high risk for allergies and other health problems.

6. Ingredients that I would avoid in products in alphabetical order: (especially for babies, small children and nursing mothers):

BENZYL ALCOHOL and ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
Skin irritation and neurotoxicity concerns

BHA
Causes skin depigmentation

BORIC ACID and SODIUM BORATE
Unsafe for infants according to industry experts

2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (or Bronopol)
Allergen that can form cancer-causing chemicals

CETEARETH and PEG compounds
Can contain cancer-causing impurities

DIBUTYL PHTHALATE, TOLUENE
hormone disruption, cancer concerns

DMDM HYDANTOIN
Allergen that forms cancer-causing chemicals

DYES
Some cause cancer and many are banned outside the U.S.

FRAGRANCE
Allergen; neurotoxic, hormone disruption concerns

METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE and METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE
Allergens with neurotoxicity concerns

OXYBENZONE
Allergen; damages cells and DNA with free radicals

PARABENS
Hormone disruption, cancer concerns

TRICLOSAN
May disrupt growth hormones from the thyroid

TRIETHANOLAMINE
Allergen that forms cancer-causing chemicals

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If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer

Quick Reality Check - The scary stuff in shampoo

1. The rates of cancer are constantly increasing.

2. My personal hypothesis is that the ever increasing variety of chemicals that we are exposed to each day is the cause.

3. I recommend that you look at the label of some of your favorite shampoos, conditioners, skin care products, make up and perfume and then look up what some of these ingredients are and their potential health effects.

4. Consider just a few of the following ingredients that were listed on a baby shampoo!!

(a) Cocamidopropyl Betaine – This material is used as an antistatic agent, hair and skin conditioner, as a surfactant and to thicken products. The National Library of Medicine HazMap considers it as toxic to the immune system and can cause an allergic reaction to the skin and/or lungs.

(b) PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate – This material is a fragrance ingredient and a cleansing agent which the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assesses as NOT SAFE for injured or damaged skin. My kids have often had scrapes, cuts and minor rashes and I though that a “baby shampoo” would be safe. This materials is linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity. This is a very scary ingredient.

(c) PEG-150 Distearate is a cleansing agent which the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assesses as NOT SAFE for injured or damaged skin. My kids have often had scrapes, cuts and minor rashes and I though that a “baby shampoo” would be safe. This materials is linked to organ system toxicity. This is a moderately scary ingredient.

(d) Sodium Trideceth Sulfate is a cleansing agent; surfactant; emulsifying agent; foaming additive where there is no safety data available that I could find!!!

(e) Fragrance – THIS IS THE SCARIEST POSSIBLE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE BECAUSE IT COULD BE ALMOST ANYTHING!!! This is not an ingredient – it is a “catch all” for many potentially hazardous chemicals. This is a VERY scary label on any product.

(f) Polyquaternium-10 is an antistatic agent; film former; hair fixative for which a few articles were found on PubMed. There is limited safety data available.

(g) Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent which has a low risk by itself but it may allow other chemicals to be better absorbed by the skin which can make hazardous ingredients more hazardous because they can pass into the body more easily.

(h) Quaternium-15 is an antistatic agent which is linked to a risk for cancer; developmental and reproductive harm, allergies, immunotoxicity; and organ system toxicity. This is a moderately scary ingredient.

5. If you want to know more subscribe to a Healthy Choice Products newsletter and read some of our other blogs and upcoming blogs:

- Over 14,000 health products contain at least 1 carcinogen

- Body Wash dries skin and expensive moisturizer is the antidote!

- You are what you “wash with”

- Sunscreen Choices - Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

- How to Prevent Skin Cancer