Amphetamine, Energy Drinks and Associated Problems

Amphetamine, Energy Drinks and Associated Problems

Amphetamine is a psycho-stimulant drug which was first synthesized in 1887 by Lazăr Edeleanu, a Romanian chemist.

No pharmacological use was found for amphetamine until 1929, when psycho-pharmacologist Gordon Alles, in search of an allergy drug remedy, re-synthesized and tested it on himself. He noted a “feeling of well being,” “palpitation,” and eventually a “sleepless night” in which his “mind seemed to race from one subject to another.”(1)

A few years later a new drug dubbed “Benzedrine”, based on Alles re-synthesized amphetamine compound, was released on the market by the Philadelphia firm Smith, Kline and French as a decongestant inhaler.

The company then began to look for more commercial outlets for amphetamine in a wide range of medical specialties. The use that stirred interest among neuro-psychiatrists was for therapy of common, milder depressions. Amphetamine represented the first of the anti-depressant drugs and its use soon spread to general practice. (2)

However, the use of amphetamine soon spread outside general practice. By early 1937, abuse of the drug was reported among mid-western college students, and amphetamine tablets were taking on a new identity as “pep pills” or “pepper-uppers.” Students were mostly taking amphetamine while studying for, or actually taking, exams.(3)

After decades of reported abuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited amphetamine to prescription use in 1965, but non-medical use remained common. In 1971, amphetamine became a schedule II drug, under the Controlled Substances Act.

A schedule II drug is classified as one that has a high potential for abuse, severe physiological and psychological dependence, and has a currently-accepted medical use, such as d-amphetamine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (4)

More recently, many students have turned to a legal stimulant to aid their performance – the ‘energy drink’....read more at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

Alcohol, Insomnia and Cancer

Alcohol, Insomnia and Cancer
Last week, it was announced in the UK, that alcoholic beverage manufacturer Diageo has been invited to suggest measures to tackle public health crises. A similar invitation is being considered in the US. (1)

Diageo is the world’s largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine. (2)

Net profit generated by the company rose to 1.6 billion pounds ($2.59 billion) in the 12 months to June 30 2009, up from 1.5 billion pounds earned in the previous fiscal year.(3)

Perhaps Diageo will suggest diverting some of this profit into a health campaign to alert the public on the dangers of alcohol. In the US alone, approximately 14,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer attributed to alcohol consumption.(4)

A 1997 publication by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research stated that;

The role of alcohol in increasing breast cancer risk was among the most consistent findings regarding the influence of dietary factors on breast cancer risk, and research since then has continued to demonstrate the relationship between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. However, the reasons for this are unclear. (5)

Could Insomnia play a part? read more at Heroin and Cornflakes

Tobacco and Cancer – Canada in Denial

Tobacco and Cancer – Canada in Denial

Tobacco products are products made entirely, or partly, of leaf tobacco as raw material which are intended to be smoked, sucked, chewed or snuffed. All contain the highly addictive psychoactive ingredient, nicotine.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 substances, of which more than 40 are known to cause cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified cigarette smoke as a Class A carcinogen (any substance, radionuclide or radiation, that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer).

In Canada, 21% of Canadians over the age of 15 are cigarette smokers – a total of 5.4 million people.

Health Canada state;

• Every 35 minutes, a Canadian woman dies as a result of smoking
• Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer
• Death by stroke is five times higher in women who smoke

Despite this knowledge, Health Canada abruptly announced at a closed-door meeting with provincial and territorial representatives, in late September, that it was suspending plans to move forward with larger and more graphic warning labels as well as a prominently displayed toll-free number for a quit-smoking line on tobacco packets.

Instead, the federal government’s tobacco policy will now focus on fighting contraband cigarettes.

read more at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

Alcohol, Heroin, Rats and Russians

Alcohol, Heroin, Rats and Russians
Bert enjoys drinking alcohol when he watches football.

Oscar will inject himself with heroin to escape the garbage heap he believes his life is.

Cookie often gets hungry after smoking marijuana.

Elmo enjoys the rush and feelings of confidence he gets when he snorts cocaine.

Who has the lowest potential risk of becoming physically dependent on his drug?

A. Bert B. Oscar C. Cookie D. Elmo

Good question.

It was taken from an article by Ted Powers published by The Association for Psychological Science (previously the American Psychological Society) which was concerned with occasional, appropriate use of humor in increasing student attention and to maintain focus.(1)

Powers defines humor broadly as an event that elicits laughter. It can be anything that creates a positive feeling in students and makes them smile and laugh. Humor captures their attention and is memorable.

He also believes humor in tests may help a teacher avoid activating disturbing memories in their students.

Disturbing memories such as alcohol abuse. read more at Heroin and Cornflakes

Egyptian Mummies, Drugs and Cancer

Egyptian Mummies, Drugs and Cancer

One of Egypt’s most prolific rulers was Ramses II, also known as “Ramses the Great”, who reigned for 67 years during the 19th dynasty of the 12th century BC. He lived to be over 90 years old.

His glories surpassed all other Pharaohs, and Egypt reached an overwhelming state of prosperity during his reign. Not only is he known as one of Egypt’s greatest warriors, but also as a peace-maker. He was the first king in history to sign a peace treaty with his enemies, the Hittites, ending long years of wars and hostility.(1)

When the mummified remains of the Pharaoh were brought to Paris in 1976, a team of scientists went to the Museum of Mankind to study the corpse.

Initial analysis had revealed Ramses was suffering from severe dental problems and was plagued by arthritis and hardening of the arteries. But one scientist, Dr Michele Lescott, discovered what looked like specks of tobacco clinging to the fibers of the Royal burial wrapping (linen). However, many scientists dismissed this find to be “contamination from modern sources” because tobacco, it was said, would not even arrive in Egypt for another 2700 years.(2)

Dr Svelta Balabanova, a forensic toxicologist, was called in to investigate. She obtained samples of intestinal tissue from deep inside the body and declared that she had discovered the presence of cannabis, coca and tobacco, laid down in the body cells like rings on a tree.(3)

In Munich a decade later, seven ancient Egyptian mummies were flown from the Cairo Museum and samples sent to a list of qualified investigators. Again Dr Balabanova was called in and conducted a series of gas chromatography tests that revealed the presence of nicotine and cocaine in all seven mummies.

Rosalie David, curator of Egyptology at the Manchester Museum, examined the mummies and Dr Balabanova’s analysis. David explained;

drugs in prehistory

“The ancient Egyptians certainly used drugs. As well as lotus (eating blue lotus can act as a mild sedative), they had mandrake (which contains hallucinogenic tropane alkaloids), and cannabis. There is a strong suggestion that they also used opium (which contains up to 12% morphine).”

Meanwhile, Dr Balabanova continued her work analyzing tissue from ancient humans from around the world. She examined hundreds of subjects, prepared over 3000 samples for drug analysis, and found evidence of “divine plants” residuals in a vast majority of the bodies. (4)

Cancer Rare in Ancient Times

Another team of scientists has recently been conducting studies on mummies that has revealed conclusions of a very different nature. It suggests cancer is a man-made disease caused by modern day environmental factors. read more at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

Sprite, Marijuana and Cancer

Sprite, Marijuana and Cancer

Sprite is the world’s leading lemon-lime flavored soft drink. Introduced in 1961, Sprite is sold in more than 190 countries and ranks as the No. 4 soft drink worldwide, with a strong appeal to young people. (1)

The No. 1 lemon-lime soft drink was one of the fastest-growing Coca-Cola brands through 1997 although growth slowed in 1998 when volume was up just 3 percent. Then the brand began to decline.

In 2004, Coke created Miles Thirst, a vinyl doll used in advertising to exploit the hip-hop market for soft drinks and to appeal to teen males in suburbia.

More recently, Sprite has been appealing to a very different crowd. Scientific researchers have shown that Sprite appears to control stomach acidity in a way likely to allow greater absorption of an oral anticancer drug, Lilly Compound X (LCX), into the body.(2)

Faraj Atassi and colleagues note that efforts are underway to develop more anticancer medications that patients can take by mouth. However, biological variations among patients — due to variations in stomach acidity and other factors — can reduce the effectiveness of oral anticancer drugs. Based on the results, the scientists suggest that patients in future clinical trials take the drug with Sprite.(3)

However, let’s hope the researchers don’t give the sugar-free version, Sprite Zero, to their patients to take alongside their medication.

Why? read more at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

X-Rays, Cancer and the Godfather

X-Rays, Cancer and the Godfather

A nationwide Armenian-American organized crime group has been charged with trying to steal more than $160 million from Medicare.(1)

Among those in custody is Armen Kazarian. The FBI calls him the vor, or godfather, of the operation and investigators say he’s the first vor ever arrested for racketeering in the U.S.

He and fellow members of the group set up phony health clinics and billed Medicare for treatments that were never performed.

The groups supposedly took advantage of the user-friendly side of Medicare. Medicare tries to pay health care providers promptly by not verifying whether treatments have actually been rendered before it sends money.

Any more groups taking advantage of Medicare?

How about unnecessary exposure to medical X-Rays? read more at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

Paris, Lead and Sparkling Water

Paris, Lead and Sparkling Water

In the latest in a series of efforts to make the French capital green, the city of Paris is now offering residents free sparkling water to try limit over consumption of plastic bottles.(I)

“We chill the water between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius (42.8 to 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit),” said Philippe Burguière, the spokesman for Eau de Paris, “and then we inject carbon dioxide into regular tap water to make the bubbles thin and tasty.”

Separate faucets provide a still version of the beverage, both refrigerated and un-refrigerated, and again pumped directly from the city’s own public water supply.

The new water fountain is part of an operation “aimed at promoting tap water in a country where we invest a lot to preserve its quality,” Burguière added.

Half of the city’s public water supply comes directly from underground springs located up to 160 kilometers away. The other half is pumped from the rivers Seine and Marne then filtered, treated and tested to make it 100 percent safe for consumption.

But is it safe? read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes...

Chocolate and Cancer: Just Coincidence?

Chocolate and Cancer: Just Coincidence?
Cadbury’s famous ‘glass and a half’ milk claim has been dropped from its wrappers of Dairy Milk. The old claim referred to the amount of milk used in a half pound of Dairy Milk. (1)

Cadbury initially said Trading Standards was behind the change but the regulator has denied any involvement. Cadbury has since backtracked over the suggestion.

“The Trading Standards Institute would have no objection to the continued use of the slogan unless it was considered misleading by consumers,” a spokesman for the watchdog said. “The slogan is well known by consumers and should not be confused with food labeling laws.”

Cocoa and chocolate have been acclaimed for their possible medicinal and health benefits, but are consumers aware that the milk going into the chocolate may not be so healthy?

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes...

Why the “War on Cancer� may never be won

Why the War on Cancer may never be won

“I will also ask for an appropriation of an extra $100 million to launch an intensive campaign to find a cure for cancer, and I will ask later for whatever additional funds can effectively be used. The time has come in America when the same kind of concentrated effort that split the atom and took man to the moon should be turned toward conquering this dread disease. Let us make a total national commitment to achieve this goal.” (1)

On December 23, 1971, President Nixon followed through on his promise as he signed the National Cancer Act into law, declaring;

“I hope in the years ahead we will look back on this action today as the most significant action taken during my Administration.”

“The War on Cancer,” gave the NCI unique autonomy at NIH with special budgetary authority. (2)

Since 1971, the federal government, private foundations and companies have spent roughly $200 billion on the quest for cures. That money has bought us an estimated 1.5 million scientific papers, containing an extraordinary amount of knowledge about the basic biology of cancer. It has also brought real progress on a number of fronts, not least the invention of drugs for nausea, bowel problems and other side effects of the disease or treatment.(3)

Even with this vast amount of knowledge, cancer is still on track to kill 565,650 people in the US this year—more than 1,500 a day, equivalent to three jumbo jets crashing and killing everyone aboard 365 days a year. (4)

Incidence extrapolations for USA for cancer:

• 1,248,899 per year
• 104,074 per month
• 24,017 per week
• 3,421 per day
• 142 per hour
• 2 per minute
• 0 per second.(5)

After 40 years, it looks like cancer is still winning the war. Its not surprising folk are beginning to question the tactical wisdom employed by the home side. Newsweek , an American weekly news magazine distributed throughout the US and internationally, recently reported that this is a time to consider the missed opportunities of the war on cancer – surely of which the greatest is prevention. (6) read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes...

The Five Worst Foods to Grill

The Five Worst Foods to Grill
The Fourth of July is the most popular outdoor cooking holiday of the year, according to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association. Yet as Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day, many are not aware that grilling some food items produces cancer causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

Which grilled foods contain the highest levels of these carcinogens? To answer that question, dietitians with The Cancer Project took a closer look at America’s most commonly grilled foods.

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes

The Little Girl and the Bra – A Cancer Tale

The Little Girl and the Bra - A Cancer Tale

How long is a girl a child? She is a child, and then one morning you wake up she’s a woman, and a dozen different people of whom you recognize none. — Louis L’Amour

Almost 1 in 4 black girls and 1 in 10 white girls had developed breasts by the age of seven, says a US study, published in the journal Pediatrics.

The findings are the latest in a string of studies showing that girls in the US are reaching puberty sooner. Early maturation has been linked to earlier sexual experiences, and later on carries greater risks of breast cancer, as well as greater rates of eating problems.

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes...

Is Our Water Causing Cancer?

Chemicals which we release into the environment frequently end up in our bodies, or our children’s bodies, sometimes before they have even left the womb. Many chemicals known to cause cancer or other profound health problems are known to “bioaccumulate,” meaning that they accumulate and concentrate in an organism.

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes blog...

Salt Content of Common Foods

Salt Content of Common Foods
The information below is provided to assist patients maintain a low-sodium diet. The following numbers may be useful as a guide.

…..

Dietary Salt (sodium) Intake

……………..

“Normal” salt diet … … 1100 – 3300 mg/day

“High” salt diet … … 4000 – 6000 mg/day

“Low” salt diet … … 400 – 1000 mg/day

Physicians may initially suggest a partially reduced salt level, in the range of 1000 – 2000 mg/day, to see if symptoms can be alleviated. Maintaining a sodium intake below 2000 mg/day requires considerable effort. Eating in restaurants causes difficulty as the majority of restaurant food is salted. To maintain a low sodium diet, you need to scrutinize the “Nutritional Information” boxes on food cartons. The amount of salt is listed as “sodium”. Choose those products which would give you the least sodium, based on the amount of product you eat. Note that many “high salt” products (ketchup, salad dressing, corn chips) show relatively low sodium values based on very small serving portions (who eats only 12 corn chips at a sitting??). What is important is the total amount of sodium you are eating each day. As shown in the list below, fresh fruits and vegetables have low sodium content, but avoid adding salt to vegetables during preparation. The following advice may help maintain a low salt intake.

Do not use salt at the table

Reduce the salt used in food preparation. Try 1/2 teaspoon when recipes call for 1 teaspoon. Many cakes and desserts can be prepared without adding salt.

Use herbs and spices for flavoring meats and vegetables instead of salt.

Avoid salty foods such as processed meat and fish, pickles, soy sauce, salted nuts, chips and other snack foods.

Check every “Nutritional Information” label before you buy or use a product. Note sodium and portion size information.

A cautionary note: The body possesses exquisite systems which accurately regulate body sodium. The goal of a low sodium diet is to “push” this regulation system toward one end of its range,without pushing it to the limit when body sodium starts falling. Although a low-salt diet if difficult to achieve, be aware that the low-salt diet can be “overdone” with possible adverse consequences. For this reason, if your vestibular symptoms persist, do not keep decreasing your salt intake. The level of sodium intake should be decided in consultation with your physician or nutritionist. Lower levels require more rigorous monitoring by your physician. You should also be aware that your body can lose sodium by a number of routes other than in the urine. Sweating, vomiting and diarrhea can all produce significant sodium loss. In addition, other diseases, such as those which impair kidney function, may result in greater than normal sodium losses. In the event of adverse symptoms, you should contact your physician.

Sodium Content of Common Foods

All values are given in mg of sodium for a 100 g (3.5 oz) food portion. These values are a guide. More accurate values are given in the Nutritional Information on the package of most products, in the form of mg of sodium per serving.

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes

Fluoride in our Water – The Truth?

Fluoride in our Water -The Truth?



Fluoride is the name given to a group of compounds that are composed of the naturally occurring element fluorine and one or more other elements. Both organic and inorganic compounds containing the element fluorine are sometimes called fluorides. Fluorides are present naturally in water and soil. (1)

Fluoride is to be added to the water supply of Southampton, U.K. – the first city in 40 years to adopt the policy. (2)

Recently, MP John Denham, Southampton Itchen, has written to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to ask for clarification of the coalition government’s policy on the potential fluoridation of Southampton’s water supplies.

Mass Medication

In the past, water companies were reluctant to fluoridate for fear of being sued. However, in 2003, new legislation was brought in by the government which gives the 28 strategic health authorities the power to compel water companies, which will be compensated if any legal liabilities occur, to put fluoride in the mains supply and enforce mass medication.(3)

In the early 1940's, scientists discovered that people who lived where drinking water supplies had naturally occurring fluoride levels of approximately 1 part fluoride per million parts water (ppm), or 1 milligram fluoride per liter of water (mg/L), had fewer dental cavities. (4)

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, adjusted the fluoride content of its water supply to 1.0 ppm and thus became the first city to implement community water fluoridation. By 1992, more than 60 percent of the U.S. population served by public water systems had access to water fluoridated at approximately 1.0 ppm.

Phosphate Fertilizer Industry

Whilst the fluoride was naturally (organic) occurring in the cited initial study in 1940, the fluoride added to water is not natural (inorganic). The chemical added to our water is a fluorine compound called hexafluorosilicic acid and its salt, sodium hexafluorosilicate that is created as a by-product from the phosphate fertilizer industry as well as in the manufacturing of steel, aluminum, glass, and cement. (5)

read full article at Heroin and Cornflakes

Aspartame: Sweet Misery A Poisoned World

Aspartame: Sweet Misery A Poisoned World

This is the movie that Pepsi and Coca-Cola don’t want you to see.

This documentary is a close examination into what some consider to be a “hoax” – aspartame toxicity. This documentary attempts to look at what is definitively known about aspartame and discovers that the label “hoax” in this case is a dangerous misconception. This controversial documentary is sure to open eyes to the possible dangers of what lurks in our food.

It also unveils one of the most pervasive, insidious forms of corporate negligence in the history of the industrial revolution: the “revolving doors” practices between the FDA and powerful corporations such as Monsanto-subsidiary, Searle.

read more at Heroin and Cornflakes....

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables: A Recipe for Cancer?

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables: A Recipe for Cancer?

In January, 2010, the KFC National Council & Advertising Cooperative, the group that reps U.S. franchisees, decided to sue Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to get control of the advertising strategy. This came in the wake of poor sales: second-quarter revenue at American KFCs (those open for a year or more) decreased 7 percent.(1)

Many franchisees have voiced disapproval over a couple KFC decisions. Last year, the company introduced grilled chicken and the slogan, “Unthink KFC.” Recently, however, sales of grilled chicken have sunk, according to Larry Starkey, owner of seven KFC franchises.

Are people beginning to “Unthink KFC” and grilled chicken?

Carcinogen

This month, a medical non-profit’s lawsuit over a carcinogen found in grilled chicken is set to continue, after a California appeals court reversed a ruling. (2)

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), tested grilled chicken samples from several chain restaurants, including ones from McDonald’s. The organization said in court filings that the tests found the presence of a carcinogenic chemical called PhIP, which is produced through the cooking process used by the fast food chains.

So the committee filed suit, saying that the restaurants are required to post warnings under a California law which stipulates that businesses cannot expose individuals to chemicals known to cause cancer “without first giving clear and reasonable warning.”

The restaurants countered that the state rule was preempted because such signage would contradict federal efforts to guarantee that food was cooked sufficiently to prevent the spread of food-borne illness.

The restaurants all know that the grilled chicken has a cancer causing agent in them, said Neal Barnard, president of the physicians group. They ought to share with you what they know.

McDonald’s referred comment to the California Restaurant Association, where spokesman Daniel Conway lambasted the charges of misleading consumers. He said the levels of PhIP in grilled chicken didn’t merit concern and that a proliferation of signs like the ones demanded in the suit would do nothing more than cause consumers to ignore warnings of greater consequence.

“My biggest message is that grilled chicken is safe,” he said. “Bottom line.”

But what do the scientists say? read full story at Heroin and Cornflakes...

KFC and Salt – Depraved Heart Murder?

KFC and Salt - Depraved Heart Murder?

Depraved-heart murder, also known as depraved-indifference murder, is an American legal term for an action that demonstrates a “callous disregard for human life” and results in death. If no death results, such acts would generally be defined as reckless endangerment and possibly other crimes, such as assault.

The Silent Killer

The leading killer for both men and women among all racial and ethnic groups in the US is cardiovascular disease (CVD), principally heart disease and stroke. (1)

One person dies every 30 seconds from heart disease – that’s over 2,600 people every single day! (2)

CVD includes dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries, and veins that supply oxygen to vital life-sustaining areas of the body like the brain, the heart itself, and other vital organs. If oxygen doesn’t arrive, the tissue or organ will die.

In general this results because excess fat or plaque deposits are narrowing the veins that supply oxygenated blood to the heart. Equally significant is inadequate oxygen flow to the brain, which causes a stroke.(3)

High Blood Pressure (hypertension) often results from this excess fat or plaque buildup because of the extra effort it takes to circulate blood. Even though the heart works harder, blockages still shortchange the needed blood supply to all areas of the body. High blood pressure is often called “The Silent Killer” because the first warning sign is a deadly heart attack or a stroke. (4)

The American Heart Association state high blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke.

China

Annual heart disease and stroke rates in China will rise by up to 73 percent by 2030, say researchers from Columbia University Medical Center published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

China’s standard of living and life expectancy have improved for many, but aging, dietary changes and reduced physical activity are leading to more heart disease and stroke, said lead author Andrew Moran, M.D.

One dietary change includes the use of fast food outlets. One fast food chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), opened its first store in China in 1987 near Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Since then over 2,000 other outlets have sprung up across Chinese urban areas. KFC has chicken as its core product offering. China imports $800 million in US chicken products annually.

We are seeing this as the start of a public health crisis that will only worsen in the next two decades. Certain dietary factors, such as the high salt diet in Northern China, also have a bearing on cardiovascular disease rates, says Dr. Moran.

Salt

Salt is a commonly occurring mineral, the technical name of which is sodium chloride. It is the sodium part of salt that is important. The body needs a certain amount of sodium which helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at correct levels. It also plays a central role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the nerves, and helps cells to take up nutrients.

However, too much salt maybe detrimental to health. In adults, when levels of sodium are too high, the body retains too much water and the volume of bodily fluids increases. Many scientists believe this process is linked to high blood pressure, or hypertension. With high levels of fluid circulating through the brain there is a greater chance that weaknesses in the brain’s blood vessels are exposed, and that they may burst, causing a stroke. Similarly, a greater volume of fluid passing through the heart can place additional strain on the organ, increasing the possibility of coronary disease. (5)

To help reduce the risk of disease, it has been recommended we should not be eating more than 6g salt (2.5g sodium) a day.

Hidden Salt

This may be difficult as salt is in many different foods and in some cases, hidden. Much of the salt that we eat, 75 percent, comes from ready-made foods such as bread, cereals and baked beans. Even sweet things, like biscuits, have salt added to them.

The University of California medical center says:

“The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day. This is about 20 times as much as the body needs. In fact, your body needs only one quarter of a teaspoon of salt every day. Salt is found naturally in foods, but a lot of it is added during processing and preparation. Many foods that do not taste salty may still be high in sodium, which can be hidden in large amounts in canned, processed and convenience foods as well as in many foods that are served at fast food restaurants.” (6)

KFC

Take the case of Kentucky Fried Chicken... read full story at Heroin and Cornflakes

Kellogg’s, Corn Syrup and Cancer

Kellogg's, Corn Syrup and Cancer

Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries. The U.S. has slipped in international rankings of life expectancy as other countries improve health care, nutrition and lifestyles. A baby born in the U.S. in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd – down from 11th two decades earlier. (1)

“Something’s wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Is Food to Blame?

Kellogg’s

According to Kellogg’s 2006 annual report, sales in North America equaled US$7.4 billion (67.3 percent of total sales, up 8 percent from 2005). Full-year revenues were US$11 billion, making Kellogg’s the world’s leading producer of ready-to-eat cereal products. It commands 40 percent of global breakfast cereal sales and makes about 50 percent of Asian prepackaged cereals. However, Asia represents only 2 percent of total company revenues.

Popular cereal brands include Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Rice Crispies. Typical ingredients of cornflakes include;

• Milled Corn
• Sugar (Sucrose)
• Malt flavoring
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Salt
• Iron

Kellogg’s is also a leading seller of convenience foods such as fruit snacks, cereal bars, crackers, toasted pastries, cookies and frozen waffles.

Japan

Japan is one country that surpasses the U.S. in longevity where a typical breakfast consists of rice, miso soup, and a side dish, such as an egg or grilled fish. (2)

In 2009, Japanese women and men extended their average life expectancy to new records — 86.44 years for women and 79.59 years for men. Average life spans rose by almost five months for women and nearly four months for men compared to the previous year according to statistics compiled and published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Health officials often cite Japan’s relatively healthy diet and high living standards as contributing to growing longevity.(3)

However, many Japanese are beginning to turn to Western-style food for breakfast and lunch, especially in the cities.

Aspartame and MSG

Kellogg’s recently agreed on a business alliance with Japanese company Ajinomoto Co., Inc. on a joint study and development project on health foods aimed at delivering benefits in such areas as weight management and sugar reduction. The two companies will work to develop products containing fat-burning ingredients as well as no-calorie sweeteners. (4)

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. produces food seasonings, cooking oils, and sweeteners amongst other items – monosodium glutamate (MSG) seasoning being their signature product. It was first marketed in Japan in 1909. Although traditional Asian cuisine had often used seaweed extract which contains high concentrations of glutamic acid, modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. About 1.5 million tonnes were sold in 2001, with 4 percent annual growth expected.

MSG is used commercially as a flavor enhancer. Although once associated with foods in Chinese restaurants, MSG is now used by most fast food chains and in many foodstuffs, particularly processed foods including;

• Prepared stocks often known as stock cubes or bouillon cubes
• Condiments such as barbecue sauce and salad dressings
• Canned, frozen, or dried prepared food
• Common snack foods such as flavored jerky, flavored potato chips (crisps) and flavored tortilla chips.

Ajinomoto is also the world’s largest manufacturer of aspartame, sold under the trade name Aminosweet. It acquired its aspartame business in 2000 from Monsanto. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that replaces sugar (being 180 times sweeter) in many products such as diet Coke, diet Pepsi, sugar free gum, yogurt and children’s aspirin. Yearly revenue stands at US$9.84 billion. (5)

Banned

In the UK, in 2009, Kellogg’s biscuit advert was banned after a consumer watchdog ruled it falsely sold the product as healthy. The cereal giant was reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for selling Nutri-Grain Soft Oaties as “wholesome cookie goodness”. (6)

Kellogg’s was ordered to axe its advertising campaign for the biscuit after product tester Which? accused it of misleading the public into believing it was healthy, despite its high sugar and fat content.

The ASA, an independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes, implemented the ban on Kellogg’s after finding it had breached Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code truthfulness clauses. Kellogg’s said it believed consumers understood cookies were not on their own beneficial to health and said the campaign was intended to communicate that Nutri-Grain Soft Oaties were a source of fiber, six B vitamins and iron.

In April 2010, Kellogg’s escaped another ban when the ASA decided that it did not encourage schoolchildren to eat excessive amounts of Coco Pops. (7)

The poster ad featured a picture of the cartoon character Coco the Monkey dressed in school uniform. The ad states;

“Ever thought of Coco Pops after school?”

The ASA referenced two specific CAP rulings;

• Marketing communications should not condone or encourage poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle in children.

• Marketing communications addressed to or targeted at children should not actively encourage them to eat or drink at or near bedtime, to eat frequently throughout the day, or to replace main meals with confectionery or snack foods.

Complainants challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because they believed it encouraged children to eat two bowls of breakfast cereal a day.

Kellogg’s argued that the ad did not mention consuming Coco Pops twice a day, but only referred to it as a suitable snack for after-school consumption.

The cereal maker cited independent research, which claimed that 93 percent of mothers thought Coco Pops with milk would be a suitable substitute snack, and said if they were to give it to their children, they would do so as a replacement for crisps, biscuits or sweets.

On 30 June this year it was reported that Kellogg’s has pulled its application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval of a weight health relationship claim under the proprietary and emerging science article 13.5 for generic ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.(8)

The wording of the claim, which was only submitted in February this year, is that a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal ‘consumed at breakfast and as part of a second meal (either lunch or dinner) in a two week dietary programe can help to reduce body weight.’

Is Kellogg’s having doubts about its own product?

Speaking to BakeryandSnacks.com, Marta Baffigo, public affairs director Europe for Kellogg’s, would not disclose the specific reason for the withdrawal. She said that Kellogg’s was not ruling out the possibility of resubmission of the claim at a later stage.

Like many other companies we are still going through the learning phase in relation to the regulation. We are not the first to withdraw claims under Article 13.5 and we certainly won’t be the last.

However, we are still very confident about our scientific evidence having conducted clinical trials around the world, and having peer reviewed studies in our portfolio.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Maybe this explains news reported on 4 August 2010 that Kellogg’s is to reduce the amount of sugar in the breakfast cereal Coco Pops after saying it had “listened to mums”. (9)

Four of its Coco Pops brands will have the sugar content reduced from 35 per 100 grams to 29.75 per 100 grams – a reduction of 15 per cent. The change will happen next year.

Greg Peterson, managing director of Kellogg’s UK, said;

“We have listened to mums. They want a balance: lower sugar cereals which children will still eat.”

“We have invested millions of pounds and thousands of staff hours over the last two years to make this happen, and will do this without compromising the taste,” he added.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, gave the move a “cautious welcome”.

“Fifteen per cent is better than nothing but we have been waiting for much more,” he said.

“It’s a cautious welcome because we think that companies that are serious about reformulating should be acknowledged.”

Let’s hope Kellogg’s are true to their word and do reduce the sugar content.

A recent report published in the journal Cancer Research states tumor cells that were fed both glucose (table sugar) and fructose (HFCS) used the two sugars in two different ways, according to a research team at the University of California, Los Angeles. (10)

Tumor cells thrive on sugar but they used the fructose to proliferate, states Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center.

Dr. Heaney’s team grew pancreatic cancer cells in lab dishes and fed them both glucose and fructose.

Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different.

I think this paper has a lot of public health implications. Hopefully, at the federal level there will be some effort to step back on the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our diets, Heaney said in a statement.

Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods, including Kellogg’s cornflakes. In the U.S., HFCS is among the sweeteners that have partially replaced sucrose, due to governmental subsidies of U.S. corn and an import tariff on foreign sugar, raising the price of sucrose, thus making HFCS a cheaper option. (11)

U.S. consumption of HFCS went up 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, researchers reported in 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Is it any wonder U.S. life expectancy ranks 42nd – down from 11th two decades earlier?

Putting Heroin in our Cornflakes would appear to be a healthier option, but that’s another story…

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In 2007, 8 million people visited US hospital emergency departments (ED) with a mental disorder, 3 million with a substance abuse problem, and 1 million suffering both conditions.

According to latest figures released by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, this accounts for one in eight of the 95 million visits to emergency departments by adults that year.

Depression and other mood disorders accounted for 43 percent of the visits, while 26 percent were for anxiety disorders, and 23 percent involved alcohol-related problems. The World Health Organisation (WHO) say depression is a major health problem and predict that by 2020, depression will be the second- largest cause of the global health burden.

The disease is the highest prevalent disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with about 40 million diagnosed cases in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan. In the US alone, there are 15 million cases. Depression can lead to more severe health risks such as suicide and manic-depressive insanity, or, as it is more commonly known, Melancholia.

Approximately 10% of people with depression suffer from Melancholic Depression.

“Melancholia’s almost unique position amongst diseases in that it is characterized by only one essential symptom – mental or emotional depression,” says Robert Thompson, M.B., B.CH.(BELP.), D.P.M.(LOND) former resident medical superintendent, County Mental Hospital, Armagh, Ireland.

In a manic state, attention span is low and a person may be easily distracted. Judgment may become impaired; sufferers may go on spending sprees or engage in behavior that is quite abnormal for them. They may indulge in substance abuse, particularly alcohol or other depressants, cocaine or other stimulants, or sleeping pills. Their behavior may become aggressive, intolerant or intrusive. People may feel out of control or unstoppable.

Suicide

Research by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a component of the US Department of Health and Human Services, shows that 90 percent of people who die by suicide suffer from depression and other mental disorders, or a substance-abuse disorder (often in combination with other mental disorders).

In 2006, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the US, accounting for 33,300 deaths. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. An estimated 12 to 25 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death.

Signs of Depression

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Pain

• Irritability

• Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping too much or too little

• Changes in appetite

• Loss of interest in or lack of ability to perform daily activities

• Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism

• Difficulty concentrating

There is no single cause of depression. The condition is associated with an imbalance of brain chemicals, triggered by stress, life events as well as a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, and the physical components of air pollution.

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