Seductive additive boosting addiction or harmless flavoring? ACSH examines the evidence on and complexities regarding menthol as an ingredient in tobacco products, an ingredient whose banning is often debated.
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A research team at Princeton University demonstrated that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup [HFCS] gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.
This is contrary to many other studies that show that the metabolism of HFCS is the same as that of sucrose, says Dr. Ross. It isn t even concordant with other animal studies.
Yesterday we received a fundraising letter asking us to celebrate Mother's Day by honoring the greatest mom around -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Why is the senator such a great mom? Because, the missive said, she protects kids from dangerous toys and foods and has promised "to keep our drinking water safe and chemical free."
Guess that means the good senator would disallow the presence of dihydrogen monoxide (H2O) in water ...
The Wall Street Journal’s “Numbers Guy” took a look at the arguments for and against smokeless tobacco as harm reduction for addicted smokers over the weekend. He mentions dangers often cited by critics of smokeless tobacco, writing, “All of these risks appear to be overblown, particularly compared with smoking, which is far more likely to kill than smokeless alternatives.
At a recent meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, a Duke University oncologist warned that emphasis on comparative effectiveness research for new drugs may impede cancer research.
PBS s Frontline last night examined vaccines and the increasingly bitter debate between the public health establishment and a formidable populist coalition of parents, celebrities, politicians and activists who are ¦ determined to resist pressure from the medical and public health establishments to vaccinate, despite established scientific consensus about vaccine safety.
The President s Cancer Panel has caused quite a stir with its release of a report imputing cancer to environmental chemicals. The report practically plagiarizes the work of anti-chemical activist groups, including the Environmental Working Group s catchphrase that babies are pre-polluted with chemicals, and in its frequent homage to the precautionary principle.
Investor’s Business Daily’s Investors.com features an article by Professor Jaap Hanekamp of Utrecht University's Roosevelt Academy in the Netherlands warning that the European Union’s restrictive policy for chemicals sets a dangerous example for the rest of the world:
Ms. Magazine highlights a report on women and lung cancer from the Mary Horrigan Connors Center For Women's Health and Gender Biology, noting, Currently, lung cancer kills more women than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers combined. Lung cancer first surpassed breast cancer to become the single largest cause of cancer deaths in American women in 1987.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected a request by cigarette giant Philip Morris USA to remove four members of a key tobacco-products advisory panel that the company said had extensive conflicts of interest.” The panel is intended to assess the role of smokeless tobacco products as a means of harm reduction for addicted smokers.
ACSH expects to post on our webpage later today video from an interview Dr. Elizabeth Whelan did with CNN Sunday evening, discussing last week's scaremongering report from the President's Cancer Panel linking cancer to environmental chemicals.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has ruled that use of a nicotine vaporizer, also known as an "e-cigarette," doesn't violate the state's indoor smoking ban, the Washington Post reports. The heated vapor the devices emit doesn't constitute "smoke" as the word is "commonly understood," Cuccinelli decided, so Virginians are free to light up in restaurants and other public places.
An editorial in the Richmond (Va.) Times Dispatch offers some perspective on the issue of redesigning hot dogs to reduce the likelihood of children choking: In 2006, only 61 choking deaths were food-related, and hot dogs accounted for only 13 of those. Any child death is tragic. Yet it's worth noting ¦ that children under age 10 eat almost 2 billion yes, 2 billion hot dogs a year.
The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, established in accordance with first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” anti-obesity campaign, has released a report outlining suspected causes of childhood obesity and strategies on how best to address it. In addition to reliable advice about nutrition, food availability, and physical activity, the report also contains ominous references to the dangers of “endocrine disruptors” and chemicals in plastic containers.
Liz Szabo of USA Today reports, The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first vaccine to treat prostate cancer or any cancer the culmination of decades of research into harnessing the immune system to fight tumors.
The New York Times chronicles the development of widespread and baseless distrust of high-fructose corn syrup: “What started as a narrow movement by proponents of natural and organic foods has morphed into a swell of mainstream opposition, thanks in large part to tools of modern activism like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter … This is happening even though many scientists say that high-fructose corn syrup is no worse for people than sugar, which costs some 40 percent more.”
ACSH staffers have written before about the unfortunate consequences of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
An article in the latest issue of The Lancet reveals that Pyramax, a new oral malaria treatment from South Korean drugmaker Shin Poong Pharmaceuticals, is just as effective as Novartis leading treatment Coartem. According to Reuters, Coartem is the current gold standard for people infected with the mosquito-borne disease.
A review published in the New England Journal of Medicine by the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed 20 national opinion polls conducted at various points throughout last year s H1N1 flu pandemic. The Wall Street Journal s health blog summarizes, Public health officials, take note: the If we build it, they will come approach to a pandemic flu vaccine isn t going to work.
ACSH staffers can’t help but notice that the list of reviewers enumerated in appendix A of the President’s Cancer Panel’s recent report seems unbalanced.
It s well-known that moderate wine consumption can help prevent heart disease.
An ABC News report asks if the American Heart Association should be endorsing the Nintendo Wii video game system with its Healthy Check logo. Games like Wii Fit are supposedly designed to help video game enthusiasts stay active.
An article in The New Yorker by Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Jerome Groopman quotes ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan extensively. In the article, titled "Plastic Panic: How worried should we be about everyday chemicals? Dr. Groopman examines the charges against BPA and phthalates and concludes the evidence of their health consequences is "far from conclusive."
Dr. Whelan s comments included:
A simple blood test followed by ultrasound exams as needed may help detect ovarian cancer tumors before they cause symptoms, according to a small study reported yesterday.
ACSH s request for Dispatch-reader input on the issue of a mystifying Camel Snus ad yielded similar theories on the meaning of the Break Free and Stare Back slogans. Here are some responses:
I am wondering if Stare Back is a long-overdue call for nicotine users to stand up for themselves and face up to those who would ruin their lives by opposing [tobacco harm reduction].
Pagination
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