Paralyzing Burger

I watched an interesting video on CNN (Larry King Live) this morning in which Larry and a panel of people discussed the safety of meat in relation to E. coli contamination.  Specifically, this video covered the topic of paralysis or death from eating contaminated meat and how it is under-reported in the media.

Most people on the panel, when asked if they ate meat said “certain kinds of meat” but they failed to specify which.  Only one man, Bill Marler, an expert on foodborne illness litigation, noted that he did not eat hamburger because of the specific dangers in regard to its handling, noting that the stomach, which contains E. coli, is often cut during handling, allowing the E. coli to escape where it can be mixed in with the meat.

I know for a fact that you have to watch what you say on the air for fear of being sued by various industries and the meat industry is notorious for this.  Recall the case against Oprah Winfrey by the meat industry.

In a carefully worded statement, Barbara Kowalcyk, director of food safety at the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, said the following:

"We do not want to tell people what to eat or what not to eat," she said. "We want consumers to have the information they need to make educated choices about what they feed themselves and their loved ones. And we want better protections in this country for food. Americans believe that their food is safe, and they have a right to know the risks."

I can understand not wanting to tell people what to eat but I will say this: Mass produced animal products have a higher risk for contamination.  If you didn’t kill it yourself, I would think twice about eating it.

For the original article, go to CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/lkl.meat.infection/

Or for the video:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/lkl.meat.infection/#cnnSTCVideo

Should I vaccinate my daughter against cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and is always sexually transmitted.  It is important to note that not all forms of HPV are sexually transmitted, but the strains that cause cervical cancer are.

A full discussion of vaccination pros and cons is a related issue, one that I will skip in this blog post but it it worth noting that vaccinations are not without risk. 

Just today, MSNBC reported the case of a British girl, aged 14 who just died from the treatment. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33070294/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

"As with any medical intervention ... one can, on rare occasions, see tragic consequences," said Professor Malcolm McCrae, virologist at the University of Warwick. "But overall this is an extremely well-tested vaccine which has been produced in response to a critical health issue — cervical cancer — a disease responsible for almost 1,000 deaths annually in the UK."

The cases may be rare, indeed, but is it worth the risk? Especially when cervical cancer is a lifestyle disease related to sexual activity with multiple partners.  The dialogue needs to start here!  Have you ever heard about the true cause of cervical cancer on television when you see young girls earnestly stating that they want to be “one less” and are getting the vaccine?

How about less promiscuity?  How about some degree of responsible education on the subject? Is that too much to ask?

Excess protein and Bone Loss

To the western mind, daily calcium intake is important in the prevention of osteoporosis.  While this thought is not “wrong” per se, it is missing the point.  Too much dietary protein, not too little calcium is one of the major causes of osteoporosis.

Too much calcium causes excess hydrogen ions in the blood which raises blood acid levels.  The neutralize this acid, the body leaches calcium from the blood.  The resulting sulfur compounds and the excess calcium are excreted in the urine.

“When the body metabolizes more of these proteins than it needs, sulfur-based acids are produced.  To neutralize these acids, the body draws on its stores of calcium. Instead of being used to build bone, the calcium spills into the urine.” (1)

Sources:

Health 1993, Sept 28, as quoted in “Moooove over milk”

What’s behind Osteoporosis

Conventional medicine is continually advertising that the leading cause of osteoporosis is lack of calcium intake (specifically from cow’s milk.) The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine follows a different theory that says the primary cause of Osteoporosis is the body’s need to buffer excess animal protein intake.  According to Dr. McDougall, the high animal protein content of dairy products actually promotes the excretion of calcium from our bones in order to digest it.

This brings up an interesting dilemma in the west where we have been conditioned to believe that bovine dairy is essential to a healthy lifestyle.  Women experiencing the first signs of osteoporosis are encouraged by the doctors to drink more milk and to take vitamin D supplements. 

I speculate that there is a conflict of interests with medical boards and the diary industry. Consider that “the United States, Finland, England, Israel and Sweden have the highest intakes of cows’ milk products and the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world.” Compare this to African and Asian societies who wean their children early and do not consume bovine dairy products and have relatively little problems with osteoporosis. (1)

Sources:

1.) Kerrie K. Saunders, Ph.D. The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention, 2003 Lantern Books

2.) McDougall, John A., M.D., McDougall’s Medicine—A Challenging Second Opinion (Clinton, New Jersey: New Win Publishing, Inc., 1985), 63.