Latest research updates and news in the field of naturopathic and integrative medicine. Early Puberty The American Academy of Pediatrics reports girls are hitting puberty around the age of 12 and some as early as age 8. The average age used to be 15. The reason is both environmental toxins that act like estrogen in the body and weight gain. The more fat cells a girl has the more likely they are to have excess estrogen. Nicotine may spur breast cancer's spread Nicotine may push breast cancer cells from the original tumor to other parts of the body according to a study in the Oct 15th issue of Cancer Research. There are 10-12 nicotine receptors on cells and nicotine can signal the cells to grow and migrate. Yet another reason to not smoke cigarettes. Vitamin D again linked to breast cancer protectionBy Stephen Daniells Increased intake of vitamin D from the diet and from sunlight may reduce the risk of breast cancer by over 20 per cent, says a new study. The potential protective effects of the vitamin were not limited by the hormone receptor status of the tumours, according to research published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology. This study suggests that vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer regardless of estrogen-receptor (ER) positive and progesterone-receptor (PR)] status of the tumor, wrote lead author Kristina Blackmore from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. In order to start filling this knowledge gap, the Canadian researchers analyzed the vitamin D intakes of 759 women with breast cancer, and compared this to the vitamin D intakes of 1,135 healthy controls. Increased intakes of the vitamin were associated with a 24 per cent reduction in the risk of developing ER+ and PR+ tumors, said the researchers. Moreover, increased intakes were also associated with 26 and 21 per cent reductions in the risk of receptor-negative (ER–/PR–) and mixed receptor (ER+/PR–) tumors. Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold' Alarming new research from Sweden on the effects of radiation raises fears that today's youngsters face an epidemic of the disease in later life. Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new research indicates. The Swedish research was reported this month at the first international conference on mobile phones and health. It sprung from a further analysis of data from one of the biggest studies carried out into the risk that the radiation causes cancer, headed by Professor Lennart Hardell of the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden. Professor Hardell told the conference ­ held at the Royal Society by the Radiation Research Trust ­ that "people who started mobile phone use before the age of 20" had more than five-fold increase in glioma", a cancer of the glial cells that support the central nervous system. The extra risk to young people of contracting the disease from using the cordless phone found in many homes was almost as great, at more than four times higher. Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’ The Canadian government is said to be ready to declare as toxic a chemical widely used in plastics for baby bottles, beverage and food containers as well as linings in food cans.  A person with knowledge of the government’s chemical review program spoke on the condition he not be named because of a confidentiality agreement. He said the staff work to list the compound, called bisphenol-a, or B.P.A., as a toxic chemical was complete and was recently endorsed by a panel of outside scientists.  A public announcement by Health Canada may come as early as Wednesday but could be delayed until the end of May. Canada would be the first country to make a health finding against B.P.A., which has been shown to disrupt the hormonal systems of animals. The department’s decision was first reported in The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, on Tuesday.NY Times, April 16, 2008 Using hair dye could increase your risk of cancer Hair dye could have hidden risks.  Women who dye their hair may be increasing their risk of cancer, scientists warn.  Those who use hair dyes more than nine times a year have a 60 per cent greater risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a study suggests.  Women who regularly used hair dyes before 1980 could be in even greater danger, with a 70 per cent increased risk of developing the blood disease.  This is because dyes sold before then contained toxic ingredients linked to cancer which are not present in modern hair products.  The research also suggests the risk of developing another type of cancer is increased by dark colours.  Women who use dark hair dyes are 50 per cent more likely to develop follicular lymphoma, a non-aggressive blood cancer. If non-permanent dark dyes are used the risk increases to 70 per cent, according to the study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.Daily Mail, April 28, 2008  We're in chemical overload!  Toxic chemicals: Consumers are the lab rats Viviane Maraghi expected the blood tests to show she would have some chemical pollution in her body, but nothing like this.  After all, she viewed herself as "very environmentalist," carefully monitoring what she ate and the household products and items she purchased.  Nevertheless, lead, arsenic, mercury, PCBs, PBDEs (a flame retardant banned in Europe and eight U.S. states but still in use in Canada), plus an array of other chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological diseases were all well represented in her bloodstream. Viviane Maraghi and son Aladin, 12, were tested for chemical contaminants as part of a 2005 Environmental Defence study. The results surprised them.  Her blood tested positive for 36 of 68 potentially toxic chemicals, many of which never actually leave the body, but continue to accumulate over time in tissues such as fat or bone.  They get there because they are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the products we use.The Gazette, June 20, 2008 Soy compound linked to lower breast cancer risk Women with high blood levels of an estrogen-like compound found in soy seem to have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among more than 24,000 middle-aged and older Japanese women, those with the highest levels of the compound, called genistein, were only one-third as likely as other women to develop breast cancer over 10 years. Genistein is one of the major isoflavones, plant compounds found in soybeans.  "This finding suggests a risk-reducing rather than a risk-enhancing effect of isoflavones on breast cancer, even at relatively high concentrations within the range achievable from dietary intake alone," write the researchers, led by Dr. Motoki Iwasaki of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo. The study included 24,226 women ages 40 to 69 who gave blood samples and completed a dietary assessment, then were followed for an average of 10 years. During that time, 144 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. When Iwasaki's team separated the women based on their blood levels of genistein at the study's start, they found that the one-quarter with highest levels were 65 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than the quarter of women with the lowest genistein levels. There was no risk reduction seen among women with moderate levels of the isoflavone, however. Most past studies on soy isoflavones and breast cancer have used dietary questionnaires, Iwasaki noted. "In contrast, our study used a direct measurement of plasma isoflavone levels, which provides not only an index of intake but also of the absorption and metabolism of isoflavone," the researcher told Reuters Health. Together with past studies, Iwasaki said, the findings suggest that a high isoflavone intake from food may help lower breast cancer risk. Whether the findings necessarily extend to women in Western countries is not clear, however. Japanese women, Iwasaki noted, typically consume soy isoflavones on a regular basis starting from a young age, which may influence the compounds' effects on breast cancer development. SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, April 1, 2008. Baby Care Products: A source of toxic chemicals Researchers found the chemicals — called phthalates — in the urine of all 163 babies tested, according to the study in today's Pediatrics. Most of the babies, whose average age was 13 months, had seven or more types of phthalates in their urine. Concentrations of phthalates were higher in infants who were exposed to lotion, powder and shampoo than in other infants, the study shows. Doctors are concerned about phthalates because many animal tests and a few human studies link the chemicals — a broad class of ingredients found in everything from vinyl toys and hospital tubing to cosmetics — to reproductive abnormalities, allergies and eczema.   New concerns over children's toys made in China: Asbestos Asbestos has been found in a variety of consumer products, including one of this season's biggest-selling Christmas toys, according to the nation's largest asbestos victims organizations. The CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit, two brands of children's play clay, powdered cleanser, roof sealers, duct tapes, window glazing, spackling paste and small appliances were among the products in which asbestos was found by at least two of three labs hired by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.  The product that is of greatest concerns to some public health experts is the fingerprint kit, which is a huge seller, according to sales personnel interviewed by the Seattle P-I.   Digital mammography is better than regular screen-film mammography In a retrospective study covering 2004–2005, digital was compared with screen-film mammography in two concurrent screening cohorts of women 50–69 years old participating in a screening program operated from mobile units. Each cohort had 14,385 participants matched by age and interpreting radiologist from all participants consecutively registered. Recall and cancer detection rates were compared. The conclusion was: Digital mammography may be more effective than screen-film mammography in contemporary screening practice in mobile units. The data indicate that digital mammography depicts more tumors than does screen-film mammography, especially lesions seen as microcalcifications. The potential association with improved outcome warrants further study. Am J Roentgenol.  2007;189(4):860-866. Soy Prevents Bone Loss A new study published in the Annals of  Internal Medicine showed that treatment with 54mg a day of the soy isoflavone genistein for 2 years is effective in preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women. Not only did genistein stop bone loss it  built bone as measured by increased bone density. Black Cohosh Cuts Breast Cancer Risk  An exciting new study recently published in the International Journal of   Cancer showed that women who took the herb Black Cohosh had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer. Black Cohosh has long been used in menopausal women to treat hot flashes. Black Cohosh can block cell growth and can have anti-estrogen effects. It is the anti-estrogen effects that are most likely associated with a decrease in breast cancer risk. When taking herbs that are sold over the counter it is important to take both the whole plant and standardized  extract from a company that has strict quality control. Intravenous Nutrient Therapy reduces the symptoms of Fibromyalgia The May/June issue of Alternative Therapies reports that IV therapy known as the 'Meyer's Cocktail' reduced the symptoms of fibromyalgia. 7 patients with long-standing fibromyalgia (at least 8 years) received IV nutrients once a week for 8 weeks. All reported a decrease in pain, fatigue and an increase in activities of daily living. Ask Dr. Marchese about the Meyer's Cocktail