What's in our food packaging?

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: November 7, 2009 New York Times

Your body is probably home to a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It’s a synthetic estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies — to the tune of six pounds per American per year. That’s a lot of estrogen. More than 92 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine, and scientists have linked it — though not conclusively — to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.

Now it turns out it’s in our food.

Consumer Reports magazine tested an array of brand-name canned foods for a report in its December issue and found BPA in almost all of them. The magazine says that relatively high levels turned up, for example, in Progresso vegetable soup, Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup, and Del Monte Blue Lake cut green beans.


The magazine also says it found BPA in the canned liquid version of Similac Advance infant formula (but not in the powdered version) and in canned Nestlé Juicy Juice (but not in the juice boxes). The BPA in the food probably came from an interior coating used in many cans.

Should we be alarmed?

The chemical industry doesn’t think so. Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council dismissed the testing, noting that Americans absorb quantities of BPA at levels that government regulators have found to be safe. Mr. Hentges also pointed to a new study indicating that BPA exposure did not cause abnormalities in the reproductive health of rats.

But more than 200 other studies have shown links between low doses of BPA and adverse health effects, according to the Breast Cancer Fund, which is trying to ban the chemical from food and beverage containers.

“The vast majority of independent scientists — those not working for industry — are concerned about early-life low-dose exposures to BPA,” said Janet Gray, a Vassar College professor who is science adviser to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Published journal articles have found that BPA given to pregnant rats or mice can cause malformed genitals in their offspring, as well as reduced sperm count among males. For example, a European journal found that male mice exposed to BPA were less likely to make females pregnant, and the Journal of Occupational Health found that male rats administered BPA had less sperm production and lower testicular weight.

This year, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that pregnant mice exposed to BPA had babies with abnormalities in the cervix, uterus and vagina. Reproductive Toxicology found that even low-level exposure to BPA led to the mouse equivalent of early puberty for females. And an array of animal studies link prenatal BPA exposure to breast cancer and prostate cancer.

While most of the studies are on animals, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported last year that humans with higher levels of BPA in their blood have “an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities.” Another published study found that women with higher levels of BPA in their blood had more miscarriages.

Scholars have noted some increasing reports of boys born with malformed genitals, girls who begin puberty at age 6 or 8 or even earlier, breast cancer in women and men alike, and declining sperm counts among men. The Endocrine Society, an association of endocrinologists, warned this year that these kinds of abnormalities may be a consequence of the rise of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and it specifically called on regulators to re-evaluate BPA.

Last year, Canada became the first country to conclude that BPA can be hazardous to humans, and Massachusetts issued a public health advisory in August warning against any exposure to BPA by pregnant or breast-feeding women or by children under the age of 2.

The Food and Drug Administration, which in the past has relied largely on industry studies — and has generally been asleep at the wheel — is studying the issue again. Bills are also pending in Congress to ban BPA from food and beverage containers.

“When you have 92 percent of the American population exposed to a chemical, this is not one where you want to be wrong,” said Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network. “Are we going to quibble over individual rodent studies, or are we going to act?”

While the evidence isn’t conclusive, it justifies precautions. In my family, we’re cutting down on the use of those plastic containers that contain BPA to store or microwave food, and I’m drinking water out of a metal bottle now. In my reporting around the world, I’ve come to terms with the threats from warlords, bandits and tarantulas. But endocrine disrupting chemicals — they give me the willies.

Should we take the H1N1 Vaccine?

Dr. Russell Blaylock: Vaccine Maybe More Dangerous Than Flu

An outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico this spring that eventually affected 4,910 Mexican citizens and resulted in 85 deaths. By the time it spread to the United States, the virus caused only mild cases of flu-like illness.

Thanks to air travel and the failure of public health officials to control travel from Mexico, the virus spread worldwide. Despite predictions of massive numbers of deaths and the arrival of doomsday, the virus has remained a relatively mild disease, something we know happens each year with flu epidemics.

Worldwide, there have only been 311 deaths out of 70,893 cases of swine flu. In the United States, 27,717 cases have resulted in 127 deaths. Every death is a tragedy, but such a low death rate should not be the basis of a draconian government policy.

Cold weather is to me what an oven must be to a paddle pop...

I tend to prefer to emphasise the things that help, but after a pretty rough day, perhaps it’s as well to share things that make CFS worse:

The Weather

Tropical Cairns is as wet today as the coast that cuddles it. I put on two pairs of trousers, a woollen jumper and a cardigan. This isn’t new. I used to wear a lamb’s wool jumper and jeans at the hottest part of the year in Cambodia. Cold weather is to me what an oven must be to a paddle pop. My circulation is poor. My limbs go numb very easily and fibromyalgia becomes worse. Poor blood circulation is a common CFS / ME Symptom

Toxic People

I have always been the kind of person that Mum and Dad would say, takes 'waifs and strays' under my wing. It has taken a lot of emotional energy. I remember my friend Eddie telling me that when he was training to be a life-saver, the first thing he was taught was how to fight off drowning people as they instinctively grab you around your neck. He could only be effective at a distance and when his physical well-being was under his control. It struck me at the time that could be a useful analogy in life. I try to avoid gloomy, mean or drunk people these days or people who drain me. I have so much less energy, I don’t want to exert it willy-nilly now, do I? When I notice I am draining myself with unproductive thoughts or behaviour, I try to bat those thoughts away or address the behaviour.

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Alcohol, fatty foods, caffeine and cigarettes wreak havoc in my body. I used to happily drink a good deal on a celebratory night as any friend will testify. A few months ago, my sister Lucy had cause for celebration, and, wanting to perform for her in a sense I suppose, I thought I’d have just a baby attempt at what average society deems normal behaviour. I slowly drank one and a half pints of cider, a small glass of wine and three cigarettes. Before that evening, I had had the best few days of health I had experienced in a long time but that weekend I completely crashed. I have been more careful since then and I have never had a cigarette again.

Too much exercise

When I went through one of my fanatical periods of exercise (apparently a sign of a predisposition for the CFS/ ME condition), and was training to do my first Triathlon, my sister Chloe used to beg me with tears in her eyes, to stop training. I thought she was over-protective and nagging at the time. I now get it that I always pushed too hard and that is one of the lessons CFS is here to teach me. Exercise is still a controversy amongst the CFS community with research suggesting that after exercise, brain circulation can get worse, unlike what happens with healthy people.

Post-exertional malaise or the customary severe rise in symptoms known as a ‘crash’ after exercise is a trademark of CFIDS/ CFS / ME. No exercise at all can lead to deconditioning which has severe consequences of its own. The biggest problem I have in walking the very slender path between too little and too much exercise, is that at the time I get into auto-push pilot and think maybe I will be okay. I have been trying to keep up in proper yoga classes again (I did a full month course with CFS before which led to an almighty crash) and it is only 48 hours later I really suffer. I have done that twice already this trip (suffered crashes as a consequence of so much exercise) but luckily, I haven’t been down for more than a full day on each occasion.

Travel

For Al and I, travelling together has proved to be the greatest of challenges! I don’t use the word ‘great’ as I would like to mean it. The movement, the changing, the noise, the planning, the DETAILS, the Departures, the arrivals, the meetings, the expectations, the travel books... the shirking of responsibility on my part as it all becomes way too much, and the ensuing pressure on Al and marital relations..

In May, Al and I had the fabulous idea of travelling from Rome to Cinque Terre to Pisa, to London, Stratford Upon Avon to Paignton back to Stratford, then London again, then La Rochelle to Saintes (here we rested and breathed with my parents for two weeks...thank God for this saving piece of planning) to Bordeaux to London, to Rome (stayed at a convent, that part was good for our cheeky souls!) to Venice to Rome a-bloody-gain to Bangkok to Phnom Penh to Yangon  to Moulemein to Phnom Penh to Bangkok to MELBOURNE AT LAST.

We tried to combine work and pleasure. It was great to see my family, but I barely got to see anyone and spent only twenty minutes with my best mate after a series of cancellations due to crashes along the way...It took me more than a month after coming home to be able to go to the work place even for a few hours a week. I was very ill and irritable. I have been up and down since then, but it feels like always a little bit more ‘up’.

Frowning and concentrating at a laptop for more than 30 minutes.

Ah, I always forget this until it is too late! Now, even, I haven’t had a rest since starting this article and if I don’t in a moment, a screaming headache and pain in my nose and left eye begins and my brain gets extremely foggy. I get irritable and unable to work out what I am reading or writing. I need to check I am breathing properly, not frowning and looking away from my station constantly. When my muscles strain, my pupils remain enlarged even when light is pouring in which causes a lot of pain. I promise myself online now that I will have a quick rest in ten minutes..

Stress

This is just the worst. It takes up SO much energy. If I worry or have an emotionally-charged argument, my throat immediately begins to swell my head goes fuzzy. With poor cognitive powers, I become defensive or protective like a wounded animal. As I am sure my Mum would be happy to point out, the description of a wounded animal has probably always held some truth; just another thing the CFS is here to teach I suppose. (See How I have Been Getting Better with CFIDS to see some ways I reduce stress)

Loneliness and isolation

Before going to the Doctors (with encouragement from Al) with my jumbled heap of wacky symptoms that led to a diagnosis, I was very alone with this. I had been to so many hospitals and Drs in Thailand and Cambodia when I lived in Cambodia. I had so many different illnesses that had no apparent connection. I had convinced myself that I had a brain tumour as I could often no longer remember the simplest things or put sentences together the way I wanted to. I clearly remember standing in the supermarket and beginning to cry as I stared at an aluminium tin in my hand with no idea what I was holding it for, or which market I was in, or why.  I could no longer listen to my friend’s voice messages as I would lose the thread and have to start again. I would forget what friends had told me and I became embarrassed to hang out with them as I could no longer keep up with them in conversation. This was the loneliest I have ever felt. I was away from home, so it was hard for anyone to judge the change in me.

This is why Doctors NEED to understand this illness to a better degree. The second Doctor I saw - an old fellow in a lop-sided bowtie - claimed that CFS wasn’t actually the name of an illness, just a name given out by Doctors when they couldn’t find out what was wrong with you. Just because you don’t fully understand something, doesn’t mean you need to deny and ignore all evidence for its existence now does it? I am amazed at the ignorance of the profession at times. On the other hand, I can see how Doctors are so pressured for time, they cannot read up on all new findings. When reading out my symptoms that I had carefully compiled in a list, he asked me to hurry up, we only had a few minutes... If I hadn’t already had a diagnosis from a more helpful young Doctor (Anna Paslow) then I don’t know where I would be today. Apart from helping me connect with my friends and family again, this is why this blog is so important to me. We need to create awareness and get funding for research.

Ah, there are plenty of other things but this is what I can think of for now. I am so lucky to have great professional help now in a superb Psychologist (Mary Spina) a Doctor and a Physician who have shown great respect and care and to have Al to cuddle up to every night even when my head is a messy, fuzzy ball. I can’t wait to be back in Melbourne with her.

How I have been getting better with CFIDS

I am typing from a functional university style-dorm in the tropical city of Cairns. Much has changed since my first entry. Here are a few things I have done to manage ME/ CFS / CFIDS that have, collectively, contributed to a pronounced improvement in health

Seeing a specialist CFS physician

I went to see Prof Michael Oldmeadow. If anyone with CFS /CFIDS / ME lives in the Melbourne area I would recommend you visit this rare, attentive and brilliant Doctor. He spent two hours with me on my first visit. He then insisted that my partner should come with me for my next visit which he squeezed into an evening slot the week after. When you have been suffering with something you just didn’t understand for two years, being squeezed into the usual seven minute slot, really doesn’t clear much up. Being referred to this highly practical and knowledgeable Doctor (who does bulkbill) was an unexpected victory.

Graded exercise

One of the myths Dr Oldmeadow cleared up for me was that exercise is bad for the health of a CFS sufferer. It is true, it knackers you out and you risk being down for a while afterwards but, he pointed out, our bodies are made to exercise and our immune systems suffer without it, as well as our moods etc. I had been staying away from my beloved exercise, thinking I was helping myself get better. He carefully explained how gradual this exercise had to be though, no matter how much you think you can do. I have been careful to heed his warning and have been doing a simple 20 minute easy-going gym session 3/4 times a week. My moods certainly began to improve as I exercised more. He recommends you do something like this at least every other day to really see the benefits. When I have done too much, I soon know about it.

Meditation

In March, just before being diagnosed, I had the best health spurt that I had had in over two years. I had been on a ten day Goenka Vipassana course in Healesville. These meditation retreats are available free all over the world. You do not look at anyone else, talk to anyone, or read or write anything for ten days. You would think your head would be filled with buried pains and thoughts. I didn't find this, however. It taught me how most of our chatter is detrimental to our health and it was almost like time was suspended – the world had gone on and I hadn’t been worrying on it’s behalf. Learning this technique has helped me ever since and I am much more centred when I sit down to meditate. I aim to do it three times a week for just 20 minutes at a time. When I used to set myself a target of an hour a day, I just stopped bothering at all.

Online CFS course

I joined an online CFIDS and Fibromyalgia self-help course that you just pay for the cost of your books for (you can apply for a scholarship to cover the extra $20 or $30 – which means writing a few paragraphs about your illness.) The course was very simple – you only had to write a few sentences and you shared your experiences with many others in the same position as you. I would recommend this course to anyone as a way of getting in touch with a world-wide CFS community. They helped me learn to set small targets for myself and to not feel guilty for my reduced output levels.

Pranayama

Breathing exercises, learnt as part of a yoga practice, make a huge difference, especially when I am anxious. In my experience, stress is the most effective catalyst for more extreme CFIDS / CFS / ME symptoms and pranayama can calm you down, and your muscles in a matter of seconds.

Working in a gentle and flexible working environment

I have taken on a part-time job at a charity call centre which has got me mixing with people and talking a lot. I get a buzz from being amongst other people and speaking to all kinds of generous people across Australia. As I do other work in my own time, it is very helpful that I can choose my hours week by week and I can change my shifts at the last minute when I am unwell. I have also learned to work differently. I used to be very animated and fun on the phones. I now have to be a lot more level but consistent. I am surprised to discover I can get the same results overall as before I used to be up and down with great days and bored/lazy days. Now I tend to be much more consistent.

Reading things to help me get organised

My computer today let me know that the C-Drive was full and asked me if I wanted to clean out unnecessary files and programmes. It is a good analogy for CFS. When your equipment works okay overall, you don’t check to see what things are taking up your space and energy. When you jam up and can no longer operate as you should, then you need to look into how to clear out the clutter. From this point of view, I have learned what a hopeful story this condition actually is for me. Here are two books that – once American cheesiness is nudged to the side – are very useful as tools for getting more organised and centred: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and How To Get Things Done. Both of these might be slow reads but it's making a big difference.

Good Nutrition

This always amazes me how crucial it is to my well-being. Just a glass of alcohol, a coffee or a chocolate bar can bring the system down. Conversely, a few days eating the super foods such as broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin seeds, berries and spinach and my health levels climb and climb. I have experimented a lot with different foods and simply sticking as much as possible to the rich antioxidant ‘superfoods’, avoiding meat and drinking lots of water and avoiding fatty things or stimulants makes the world of difference. I also make sure I get as much iron and B12 in my diet as possible as CFS has made me anaemic. I also now try to go organic as a build up of chemicals seems to be a problem for CFS sufferers.

Supplements

Organic Spirulina for iron, memory and immune system, vitamin C for the immune System, Milk Thistle for Liver support, Cod liver oil for Omegas and immune support and Ginko Biloba for circulation, therefore memory and concentration. These are all purportedly particularly good for someone with CFS. I certainly have noticed the difference that the Milk Thistle has made. I am not sure about the others, but they may well have contributed to my overall health improvements though they do recommend you try to eat the food stuffs over the supplements.

Quality time with friends and family

As I get more organised, I purposely try to put time aside for family and friends. Since my first blog, I have got back in touch with many friends over the internet and have been able to meet up with friends who are now understanding of an unpredictable situation. There was a period when I blocked out most of my friends as I felt I didn’t have the energy, and was probably a little bit ashamed of how I was. Life has improved no end with the support of my friends.

Colonic Irrigation

In all honesty, I don’t know exactly what difference my three colonic sessions have made. It is hard to know which changes have contributed to what. Regardless, I loved getting this done. It feels like you are cleansing out from the darkest pits – which you are. It feels good to flush out pysically as well as mentally. For Melburnians, I would recommend the plush facilities at Aqua Health on Chapel Street

Yoga

I have built up to yoga on this list, not down, as I consider it an absolute saviour for me over the last two and a bit years. When I was at my lowest ebb and in a pool of confusion, low self-esteem and depression, yoga pulled me up and out. Check out the Yoga Journal for a good article on how it has improved people’s lives with CFS / CFIDS/ ME. I hear time and time again of the benefits, of course for all people but, particulary for those with CFS who struggle with some exercise. It is the holistic yoga practice that includes a philosophy, a way of being, the asanas (postures), pranayama (beathing) and meditation that I think really makes a difference. I would look for a really experienced teacher. For me, that is what has drawn me back to Cairns, to help Nicky Knoff with some yoga publications and to get some tutoring from an exceptional and wise yoga master. Nicky and her wonderful teaching partner, James Bryan, have offered real kindness, and encouragement. Putting yourself in good soil wherever the opportunity arises, seems to be a very good thing.

There are many other personal things that are helping me get better and manage this thing, not least hynotherapy, Cognitive Behavioual Therapy and getting quality time with my ever supportive partner, Al. More on those things later....