Top 10 surprisingly toxic foods

While most people know that cakes and chocolate aren’t great for your health, there are other seemingly healthy foods whose dangerous properties slip under the radar. While it is unlikely moderate amounts of these foods will harm you, in large quantities – or in certain conditions – they may do more damage to your health than you think. Here are some of the most toxic common foods.

Mushrooms

While mushrooms available in most supermarkets should be pretty safe to eat, mushroom fans need to be careful about what species' they are consuming as many varieties can be highly dangerous and even fatal. Around 100 species of mushrooms are said to be dangerous to humans, with symptoms ranging from headaches to seizures or even death. In 2010 a small variety of mushroom called the Little White was blamed for an estimated 400 deaths in China.

Chillies

Chillies are renowned for their heat, which is what makes them so popular. However, it is actually the chemical that causes this spiciness (capsaicin) which can cause toxic effects such as stomach pain, itchy skin and, in extreme cases, death. For most people eating chillies will do little harm, however capsaicin is best eaten sparingly so make sure to take it easy and avoid any chilli eating challenges!

Rapeseed oil

There has been much controversy about this seemingly innocent natural oil, but the general consensus seems to be that it could have many negative implications on our health. Reports state that the rape plant - from which the oil is produced - is extremely toxic, and side effects of consuming its oil could include respiratory problems and blindness.

Rice

It is impossible to dispute that rice has many great health benefits. However, like with most things, it may be best eaten in moderation due to its reportedly unsafe levels of arsenic. One study has suggested that one in five packs of American long-grain rice contain potentially harmful levels of the toxic substance, while others have reported concern for the levels of arsenic in rice milk and baby rice. While there is relatively little risk of the odd bowl of rice causing any long lasting harm, the consumption of high levels of arsenic has been linked to cancer.

Nutmeg

Perhaps one of the most immediately dangerous foods on this list is also one of the most surprising, and that is the common store cupboard spice, nutmeg. Although, like many of the foods on the list, nutmeg does have reported health benefits, it can also be extremely dangerous when taken in large doses. Containing a toxic substance called myristicin, moderate proportions of nutmeg can cause hallucinations, while larger doses can cause convulsions, palpitations, nausea, dehydration and death.

Non-organic apples

Although it is advisable to buy as much organic fruit and veg as you can, in reality this is hard to do on most people's budgets. When making decisions over whether or not to go organic, it is important therefore to note that some foods have a higher concentration of pesticides than others, and apples are one of the fruits that top this list. Because apples are vulnerable to insect infestations and growths, growers are liable to coat the fruit in chemical pesticides and fungicides, some of which will absorb into its flesh. To minimise health risks, try to buy organic apples wherever possible, or at least remove the skin before eating.

Farmed Salmon

We may be constantly urged to eat more oily fish, but research has suggested that consuming farmed salmon may not be the best way to do it. A study found that 13 different toxins - including PCBs, which have been classed as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - are at much higher levels in farm-raised salmon than in wild salmon. Due to the possible health dangers of consuming these toxins, it is advisable to either reduce your portions of farmed salmon (guidelines are for a half to two portions a month, depending on where the salmon is from) or switch to the wild variety.

Microwave popcorn

Although eating microwave popcorn is not believed to be particularly harmful, it has been found that butter flavoured versions of the snack contain a dangerous chemical (diacetyl) in the flavouring which releases toxic fumes when microwaved. While this has mainly affected factory workers so far - with many developing a lung condition dubbed "popcorn lung" - one consumer is now known to have also developed lung problems due to this toxin.

However, this is clearly a case of moderation being key, with the sufferer admitting to eating microwave popcorn at least twice a day for 10 to 12 years. Unless you are eating your popcorn in similar quantities, it is most likely safe to consume popcorn at home, just be careful to avoid the fumes when opening the bag.

Potatoes

Potatoes may look innocent enough, but did you know they actually come from the same family as poisonous plant the deadly nightshade? Although they are not quite as dangerous as this family member, potatoes do pose certain risks to our health due to them containing toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, the most worrying of which is solanine which affects the nervous and digestive systems, causing headaches, weakness, confusion, diarrhoea and vomiting amongst other things.

Poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely but fans of the popular vegetable should take measures to protect themselves by avoiding potatoes with sprouts - which tend to have a higher concentration of glycoalkaloids - and those which have turned green. Although the green colour of the potatoes is harmless in itself, it does indicate that the potatoes have been exposed to light, which can also encourage solanine levels to rise over the safe level for consumption.

Peanuts

Not only are peanuts one of the most common food allergens, but the popular bar snack may also be dangerous to those who don't suffer from allergies. Peanuts are particularly best avoided by those with kidney or gallbladder problems as they contain oxalates which can crystallise and cause kidney and gallbladder stones.

However, even for the rest of us peanuts can be toxic due to their susceptibility to mould and the frequently occurring presence of aflatoxin - a highly toxic carcinogen - that is produced by a fungus called Aspergillus flavus invading the nuts. If you simply can't resist snacking on peanuts, try to purchase ones produced in arid areas - such as New Mexico -where the soil is dry and the risk of aflatoxins is lower.

Male smokers lose brain function faster as they age

London(Reuters) - Men who smoke suffer a more rapid decline in brain function as they age than their non-smoking counterparts, with their cognitive decline as rapid as someone 10 years older but who shuns tobacco, scientists said on Monday.

In a large, long-term study, British researchers found that while there seems to be no link between cognitive decline and smoking in women, in men, the habit is linked to swifter decline, with early dementia-like cognitive difficulties showing up as early as the age of 45.

The research adds to an already large body of evidence about the long-term dangers of smoking -- a habit the World Health Organisation refers to as "one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced."

Smoking causes lung cancer, which is often fatal, and other chronic respiratory diseases. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, the world's number one killers.

"While we were aware that smoking is a risk factor for respiratory disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, this study shows it also has a detrimental effect on cognitive ageing and this is evident as early as 45 years," said Severine Sabia of University College London, who led the study and published it in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal.

In an interview she said one explanation for the gender difference found in this study might be the larger amount of tobacco smoked by men, or the fact that there was a significantly lower proportion of women than men among those involved in the research.

Sabia's team looked for possible links between smoking history and cognitive decline in the transition from midlife to old age using data from 5,099 men and 2,137 women who are involved in a large research project called the Whitehall II study, which is based on employees of the British Civil Service.

The average age of those taking part was 56 when they had their first cognitive assessment.

The study used six assessments of smoking status over 25 years and three cognitive assessments over 10 years, and found that smokers showed a cognitive decline as fast as non-smokers 10 years older than them.

"A 50 year old male smoker shows a similar cognitive decline as a 60 year old male never smoker," Sabia explained.

She also found that men who quit smoking in the 10 years before the first cognitive testing point were still at risk of greater cognitive decline, especially in executive function -- which covers various complex cognitive processes involved in achieving a particular goal.

Long-term ex-smokers, however, did not show a faster decline in their brain functions or cognitive abilities.

Sabia said more research is now needed to find out why there was a difference between men and women in this study, and to look into possible mechanisms that might link declining brain function to smoking.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Paul Casciato)

"Spam" meat tied to diabetes risk in Native Americans: study

This is an online report from Reuters that caught my interest. 

 

(Reuters) - Native Americans who often ate processed meat in a can, generically known as "spam" and a common food on reservations, one subsidized by the government -- had a two-fold increased risk of developing diabetes over those who ate little or none, according to a U.S. study.

Native Americans are at especially high risk of developing diabetes, with nearly half having the condition by age 55.

Researchers writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition surveyed 2,000 Native Americans from Arizona, Oklahoma and North and South Dakota to look into potential reasons for the high rate.

"A lot of communities in this study are in very rural areas with limited access to grocery stores... and they want to eat foods that have a long shelf life," said Amanda Fretts, the lead author and a researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

None of the survey participants, whose average age was 35, had diabetes at the start of the study when they answered questions about diet and other health and lifestyle factors.

After five years, a follow-up survey found that 243 people had developed diabetes.

Among the 500 people in the original study group who ate the most canned processed meat, 85 developed diabetes. In contrast, among the 500 people who ate the least amount of "spam," just 44 developed the disease.

Though Spam is a brand-name pork product, the lower-case term is also used to describe any kind of processed, canned meat, Fretts said. Canned meat is available freely to many Native Americans on reservations as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food assistance program.

Fretts and her colleagues found that unprocessed meat did not have the same relationship with diabetes, with people equally likely to develop diabetes regardless of how much hamburger or cuts of pork or beef they ate.

"I think what this study indicates is processed meats should be a priority for reduction (in the diet), especially among American Indians where they can go to food assistance programs and they can get discounted spam," said Dariush Mozaffarian, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health who was not involved in the study.

Mozaffarian and his colleagues two years ago conducted an analysis that found that processed meats were tied to a 19 percent higher diabetes risk, while unprocessed meats were neutral.

"I think the biggest difference between processed and unprocessed meats is sodium," he said, though he added that there is no clear explanation for the link of processed meats and diabetes.

Fretts and her colleagues noted that the people who ate the most processed meats tended also to be heavier, with larger waistlines, raising the possibility that processed meats contribute to obesity, which raises the risk of diabetes.

In an emailed statement to Reuters Health, The American Meat Institute, which represents companies that process meat, said that "processed meats are a safe and nutritious part of a balanced diet."

Fretts said the study could not prove that eating processed meats was to blame for the increased risk of diabetes.

"I think there needs to be more follow-up," she said. SOURCE: bit.ly/AawRwM

(Reporting from New York by Kerry Grens at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies)

Gel lubricant reduces pain during vaginal exams

Reuters



New York - Next time you get a vaginal exam, you might want to ask your doctor to use a lubricant gel.

According to a new study, three in 10 women feel no pain during a vaginal exam when the speculum is smeared with gel, while only one in 10 is pain-free when water, the conventional lubricant, is used.

Earlier research shows using a gel won't interfere with test results, said Dr. Oz Harmanli, an ob-gyn at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, who was not involved in the new work.

"It just makes sense to use it," he told Reuters Health. "Most gynecologists should do it."

Dr. D. Ashley Hill, who worked on the study, said it's important for physicians to make the exam as comfortable as possible for women.

"I worry that if ladies have an uncomfortable experience they won't come back, and they could be missing something important," such as a sexually transmitted disease or cancer, he told Reuters Health.

Hill, an ob-gyn at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando and the medical director of the Loch Haven ob-gyn group, said textbooks and medical schools teach doctors and other providers to use water to lubricate the speculum, the device used to open the vagina.

Many women complain that it's an uncomfortable procedure, he said, and he wanted to test whether a gel could make it less painful.

Hill asked 119 women to rate their level of pain on a 10-point scale as he inserted the speculum. For half of the women, chosen at random, he used water, and for the other half, gel.

The gel group reported less pain, a 1.4 on the scale compared to 2.15 for the water group.

The difference was small, and Hill said it is be difficult to tell whether the women would actually be able to detect the pain reduction.

"What makes me think that difference (in pain) is real is the one-third of women who marked that they didn't feel any pain at all," Hill said. These women had the gel.

In contrast, just one tenth of women felt no pain from the speculum when it was sprayed with water.

"Now we can say, 'Look, you actually are hurting them, not a lot more, but when you're inserting the speculum with water only it's more painful.' This study confirms that," Harmanli said.

Harmanli said that physiologically, gel should reduce friction and be more compatible with the vagina.

"I cannot insert anything inside a vagina without lubricant. I know my patients appreciate it," Harmanli said.

But other physicians may not agree.

Hill and his colleague write in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology that there's a belief that gel could interfere with Pap smear testing and screening for sexually transmitted diseases, preventing health care providers from using it.

He said there's evidence showing that gel does not affect the test results, and all 75 Pap smear tests that were involved in his study had no interference from the gel.

"I want doctors and midwives and nurse practitioners to see there's no reason to do a speculum exam without lubricant," he said.

Women can also be proactive about making their experience as comfortable as possible.

"If I were a patient, I would ask my doctor, 'Hey, could you put a little gel on the speculum?' I don't think any doctor would balk," Hill said.

Arroyo books flight to Singapore

Manila, Philippines- Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has booked a flight bound for Singapore today confirmed by her spokesperson. Elena Bautista-Horn said in a radio interview that they will leave the country today depending on the health condition of the congresswoman. Horn said that as of yesterday the blood pressure of Arroyo is still fluctuating.
They have advanced booking today despite the unsure result of the Supreme Court deliberation regarding the cease and desist order against the government watch list order preventing the Arroyos from leaving the country.
Last Tuesday the Arryos were barred from leaving the country by Ssecretary of Justice Leila de Lima despite the TRO issued by the SC.

Fil-Am children at high risk for Kawasaki Disease — GMAnews

Fil-Am children at high risk for Kawasaki Disease

CHICAGO — A study has shown that Filipino children in San Diego, California in the United States were at higher risk of contracting the "Kawasaki Disease" (KD), a heart ailment that may cause sudden death among children, compared to non-Filipinos.