UnSymmetrical

A protein known as the "master watchman of the genome" for its ability to guard against cancer-causing DNA damage has been found to provide an entirely different level of cancer protection: By prompting the skin to tan in response to ultraviolet light from the sun, it deters the development of melanoma skin cancer, the fastest-increasing form of cancer in the world.

In a study in the March 9 issue of the journal Cell, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that the protein, p53, is not only linked to skin tanning, but also may play a role in people's seemingly universal desire to be in the sun — an activity that, by promoting tanning, can reduce one's risk of melanoma.

"The number one risk factor for melanoma is an inability to tan; people who tan easily or have dark pigmentation are far less likely to develop the disease," says the study's senior author, David E. Fisher, MD, PhD, director of the Melanoma Program at Dana-Farber and a professor in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston. "This study suggests that p53, one of the best-known tumor-suppressor proteins in our body, has a powerful role in protecting us against sun damage in the skin."

Continue reading "Tanning Found to Protect Against Skin Cancer" »

Posted by Vitamin Z at 05:00 PM | Permalink

The following excerpts on toothpastes and preventing tooth decay are from How To Save Your Teeth: Toxic-Free Preventive Dentistry, by David Kennedy, Doctor of Dental Surgery.

In general, toothpastes are often just a cosmetic product with limited decay-preventive value. If you stain your teeth with smoke or tea, then a toothpaste may help reduce the staining. Pleasant flavored toothpastes seem to help motivate children and adults to brush. However, kids may be tempted to swallow the good-tasting stuff, and if it contains preservatives, saccharin, lead, colorings, or fluoride, they will receive a dose of a questionable or toxic substance. The fact that a tube of toothpaste contains a lethal dose of fluoride for a small child has been discreetly obscured from the general public’s knowledge.

And remember when toothpaste tubes stayed rolled up? Many of those tubes contain lead which the toothpaste absorbed and thus gave you an additional daily dose of lead every time you brushed. Until manufacturers furnish complete evidence that their products are effective and harmless, I refuse to recommend them.

Continue reading "Toothpastes: Do They Help?" »

Posted by Vitamin Z at 01:04 PM | Permalink

Most of us have been bombarded about the dangers of the sun by experts and the media. However, because it is one of the most pervasive and inaccurate myths persisting in most of the patients I see, I can only assume you are under the same misunderstanding. Unfortunately, this myth has contributed to massive amounts of disease and illness in our society.

Can sun exposure cause skin cancer? Absolutely. However, appropriate sunlight actually prevents cancer. Exposure to the sun provides many benefits such as promoting the formation of vitamin D. We also have strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS and breast cancer.

The key is to never burn.

Although the American Academy of Dermatology will have you bathing in sunscreen, it is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body. It is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your system. Even if it didn’t contribute to disease, the central issue is that it doesn’t even work.

Continue reading "Why the Myth of the Sun Causing Skin Cancer Can Hurt Your Health" »

Posted by Vitamin Z at 05:28 PM | Permalink

Honeybees vanishing worldwide

The first alarm was sounded in autumn 2006. Honeybees are disappearing across the United States, with half of the States affected and beekeeper losing 30 to 90 percent of colonies; one beekeeper with 1 200 colonies expected 9 to survive the winter. The problem began more than two years ago and has intensified in recent months. The bees simply vanish relatively suddenly, with little or no dead adults in or near the colonies, leaving behind the queen and a few young. In cases where the colony appears to be actively collapsing the workforce seems to be made up of young adult bees, insufficient to feed the brood, but are reluctant to consume provided feed. This “colony collapse disorder” (CCD) is particularly devastating for growers of fruits and vegetables, as they depend on insect pollinators.

Since then, CCD has been reported from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and the UK, where one of the biggest beekeepers lost 23 of his 40 hives. But the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that “there is absolutely no evidence” of CCD in the UK.

Continue reading "Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees" »

Posted by Vitamin Z at 01:24 PM | Permalink

“If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.”

--Albert Einstein--

Posted by Vitamin Z at 01:19 PM | Permalink

University of Pittsburgh Researchers Show Compound Kills Leukemia Cells While Sparing Normal, Healthy Cells

A naturally occurring compound found in many fruits and vegetables as well as red wine, selectively kills leukemia cells in culture while showing no discernible toxicity against healthy cells, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. These findings, which were published online March 20 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and will be in press on May 4, offer hope for a more selective, less toxic therapy for leukemia.

“Current treatments for leukemia, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often damage healthy cells and tissues and can produce unwanted side effects for many years afterward. So, there is an intensive search for more targeted therapies for leukemia worldwide,” said corresponding author Xiao-Ming Yin, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Continue reading "A Natural Antioxidant Found in Many Foods and Red Wine Is Potent and Selective Killer of Leukemia Cells" »

Posted by Vitamin Z at 02:59 PM | Permalink