Separating Sense from Nonsense
My son is taking chemistry in school and he tells me he’s grinding rocks but I’ve yet to see any rocks. Does this possess a danger?
This should be a harmless activity in that all that is happening is an automatic way to grind down minerals that often result in polished and sometime quite beautiful stones. Be clear that some tumblers are “on” for weeks in order to polish the stones so electricity costs are a mild consideration.
A friend of mine is very much opposed to using a plastic kettle, for fear of some of the toxins leaching into the water. He therefore will use only a metal kettle. Is there any basis for this?
In terms of the situation with plastic kettles- it is one that is answered “it depends”—some kettles can be problematic although in general the leaching of plastic materials is normally very limited and of no medical consequence. You will find many different comments on this question on the internet and some will be good and others will be written by over-eager interpreters of the issue.
The best advice is to consult the Consumer Product Safety Directorate of the federal government.
Are the new Smart Meters from Hydro Quebec safe? Are they
different from a cordless or cell phone when it comes to RF emmissions?
Cell phones, microwave ovens, wi-fi, smart meters. What do they have in common? They all emit radiation in the radiofrequency range. And they all radiate controversy. Given that these devices are set to become as commonplace as light bulbs, it is understandable that questions arise about their possible health effects. There are all sorts of allegations that exposure can trigger ailments ranging from headaches to cancer. Allegations, however, do not amount to science. And there is a lot of science to be considered.
Your question is way to inclusive to accurately answer —the answer is “it depends”—-some fish can be perfectly safe to eat and other imports can be quite problematic.
Here is a recent short article produced by ABC news in the U.S. I believe that this piece provides one with the appropriate caution. If you are absolutely sure of the store’s policies where you shop, go ahead and consume but with the warnings out there–be careful. Here is a statement that can give one pause:
“Also this week, (March, 2013) regulators in China closed 180 food plants after uncovering more than 23,000 food safety violations. Despite the crackdown, China denies that its food exports are dangerous.”
This is a classic case of “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) but China is a major exporter of fish so checking the internet for warnings would be wise.
It is simply impossible to make a blanket statement about the safety of all fish from China.
David Harpp
My question is regarding the treatment of ADHD. I’m a psychologist in private practice on the West Island, specializing in assessments for ADHD and learning disabilities, etc. I usually talk about the most effective treatment being a combination of medication and behavioral interventions, etc. However, I’m wondering what you’ve found in your research regarding the use of Omega 3 for the treatment of ADHD. Everything I’ve read about dietary changes (and many other types of treatments) has indicated that they don’t help. However, there seem to be promising results with the use of Omega 3. What do you think? And if it is effective, at what dosages? Thanks very much!
Dr. Oz likes the herb astragalus. He says that it “actually slows down the aging process right where it happens, inside of our cells, where the blueprint of our cells resides.” This is based on some preliminary experiments that show astragalus may boost the formation of the enzyme telomerase that protects DNA from unraveling. But suggesting that this test tube observation means it can prevent aging is a stretch. Astragalus root, though, is interesting. In China, it is sometimes is scraped into snake soup to treat the common cold because it is said to increase qi! I’m not exactly sure what qi is. It doesn’t really fit into any scientific concept. According to ancient Chinese medicine, qi is the body’s defensive energy, the energy needed to fight disease. If the flow of qi is impaired, disease takes a foothold. If we were to look for a western parallel, I suppose it would be the “immune system.” Astragalus is supposed to boost qi, or in other words, increase the activity of the immune system. Does it? That’s not an easy question to answer.
First we have the usual problem associated with any herbal remedy. The composition of the root is incredibly complex. There are saponins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, amino acids, phenolic acids and dozens and dozens of other compounds. Without a doubt, many of these have physiological activity. A polysaccharide called astragalan B, for example, has been shown in animal studies to stimulate the immune system and control bacterial infections. It also has antiviral activity and inhibits viral replication in mice infected with the coxsackie virus which can attack heart tissue. In laboratory studies astragalus increases natural killer cell and T cell function as well as interleukin-2 activity which suggests that it should be beneficial in conditions such as hepatitis, cancer and even AIDS.
It seems hard to believe now, but in the 1930s a “miracle cure” which actually contained radioactive radium was widely promoted in North America by William J.A. Bailey, an ex auto-swindler. Radithor was claimed to “stimulate functional ability, lower metabolism, correct imperfect nutritional processes and eliminate toxic waste.” What it did was poison people. Bailey charged a dollar a day for the product, a staggering amount at the time. When asked how long it had to be consumed, he gave the pat answer: “Only as long as you want to stay healthy.” While today we are protected from such overtly dangerous supplements, there are plenty of products on the market which make health claims that are as nonsensical as were the ones made on behalf of Radithor.
Sometimes the battle against nonsense just leaves me speechless. I was asked for my views on dietary supplements produced by Quantum Nutrition Labs, an establishment that claims to use only nutrients from “once living” sources as opposed to synthetic ingredients which they say “cannot hope to perform the important task of healthy cell regeneration” and “can often lead to additional health problems.” So what is it that these nutrients from “once living” sources offer? The right resonance frequency! Here is what I’ve learned from the company’s website. It seems that every one of the trillions of cells in our body has an ideal resonant frequency, much like a crystal glass that rings its own special note when struck. And the ideal resonant frequency of each cell can only be sustained or regained by consuming nutrients that are also at their ideal resonant frequencies. Of course only Quantum Labs supplements allow cells to ingest not only the nutritional factors but also absorb the higher resonant frequencies embedded in the nutrient. This, it is said, is the Quantum Nutrition Effect. And this is where I am left speechless. Well, not totally. How do the words absurd, poppycock, claptrap, drivel, hooey, humbug and baloney sound? All the talk about cellular and vitamin resonances is total nonsense, so far out that debunking it is a challenge. How do you respond if someone claims “That piece of music sounds like it is about four kilometers with a genetically modified overtone.”