Thousands of Americans are exposed to dangerous heavy metal toxins each day in the workplace!
This includes hairdressers painters photographers and dentists. Whats more, outside the workplace youre exposed to toxins in the environment EVERY DAY.
For example, if you have mercury fillingsyou should be aware of the latest admission by the Food and Drug Administration about these products.
Find out why the agency has changed its position on the safety of these productsand much MORE in todays Thursday Edition of Health News Weekly!
FDA Admits Possible Health Risk from
Mercury Dental Fillings
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently admitted that mercury from amalgam dental fillings may be toxic to children, pregnant women and people who are sensitive to mercury exposure.
The changes were prompted by a lawsuit filed by consumer groups and individuals concerned about mercury exposure. To settle the suit, the FDA agreed to update its web site.
The agency has eliminated much of its supportive web site language about dental amalgams. And it has added the warning: Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.
In 2002, the FDA proposed to classify the mercury-containing fillings as a Class II device. This classification applies to devices that arent absolutely safe and should carry some kind of special controls.
But the FDA never issued a final ruling. In a 13 to 7 vote, a 2006 advisory panel of dental and neurology experts voted down its proposed white paper on the topic.
Clinical studies suggest that dental fillings cause no harm. But because millions of children and pregnant women receive the fillings, even rare events would affect thousands of people.
Amalgam fillings are made from liquid mercury mixed with a powder containing silver, tin, copper, zinc and other metals. A common belief was that the mercury in fillings was trapped permanently in the amalgambut not any more.
When you chew, the fillings release mercury vapor that your body can absorb. This is a relatively small amount of mercury, even if you have a lot of fillings.
But since mercury is toxic even at very low levelstheres growing concern that the mercury in fillings could be an added problem for people with other mercury exposures.
The FDA does not recommend that people have their fillings removed. But the agency does say that people concerned about the possible health effects of dental fillings should talk with their qualified health care practitioner.
The agency also agreed to rule by mid-2009 on exactly how dental amalgam products should be regulatedand exactly what warnings consumers should receive from their dentists and doctors.
Fast Fact
Did you know your body burns calories all daywhether or not you are active? Imagine how many EXTRA calories you could burn each dayjust by adding a little exercise into your routine? For example, walking 30 minutes each day can help burn up to 160 more calories!
High Cholesterol May Raise Risk
of Developing Parkinsons Disease
Researchers in Finland say high cholesterol levels may be associated with an increased risk of Parkinsons disease.
While its no secret that elevated cholesterol has been linked to heart disease riskthe association between serum cholesterol level and neurodegenerative disease risk has been debated, said Dr. Gang Hu of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland.
Parkinsons disease is linked to a breakdown in your brains nerve cells. Normally, these nerve cells make an important chemical called dopamine.
This chemical sends signals to the part of your brain that controls movement. It lets you control your muscles and helps them move smoothly.
When you have Parkinsonsyour nerve cells dont produce enough dopamine and you have trouble moving the way you want to.
Dr. Hus research team studied a group of 24,773 Finnish men and 26,153 women, between 25 and 74 years old. The investigators said a total of 321 men and 304 women developed Parkinsons disease during an average follow-up of 18 years.
Study participants with the highest cholesterol levels had an 86 percent greater likelihood of developing Parkinsons disease!
This increased risk was found in people 24 to 54 years of age. However, no association was found among subjects aged 55 years or older at baseline, researchers said.
The research findings were reported in the medical journal Neurology.
Health E-Hints
A Natural Remedy To Help Knock Out Stress!
Excess stress not only makes you feel anxiousit can also depress your immune system contribute to allergies and even cause depression!
One way to combat recurrent stress is to take licorice root. This natural herbal remedy acts on the glands that produce adrenalineand helps curb your bodys response to stress.
You can take packaged capsules safely for up to two weeks at a time. But be carefullarge doses of licorice root can also have a laxative effect. And extra trips to the bathroom can produce a DIFFERENT kind of stress!