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Health News

Fact Sheet on Wal-Mart: The Death Star of American Commerce
from the Organic Consumers Association.

News From Organic Consumers Association: http://www.organiconsumers.org

Organic Bytes: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm
Food, Consumer and Environment News Tidbits with an Edge!

Lead In Lunchboxes!

PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: LEAD IN CHILDREN'S PLASTIC LUNCH BOXES Last week, documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act were released that show the U.S. government's Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) concealed evidence indicating dangerously high levels of lead in children's plastic lunchboxes. Back in 2005, the nonprofit Center for Environmental Health made national news when their investigations found high levels of lead in children's vinyl lunchboxes. The CPSC immediately countered that report by saying its own studies revealed no problems. On the contrary, documents released last week show the agency's own tests actually found lead contamination up to 16 times higher than what is allowed in lead paint. The government's motivation for a cover-up that threatens the health of the nation's children is unclear, but an allied group of state Attorney Generals is being organized to ultimately remove these lunchboxes from the marketplace. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm Tip: The lunchboxes to avoid are made of PVC. These are typically the squishy plastic type of "bag" boxes. You can also order a lead lunchbox testing kit from the Center for Environmental Health: http://www.testyourlunchbox.com

• HEALTH NEWS OF THE WEEK: FRESH ORGANIC FOODS THAT FIGHT CANCER
  Naturopaths around the world are recommending organic food for detoxification of cancer cells. Although many of the dietary remedies for human ailments have been known for centuries, an increasing number of nutritional scientists have been conducting studies that validate many of these traditional remedies.
  
  Here's a quick rundown of some cancer-fighting foods:
  
  Eat fresh foods. The live enzymes act as a catalyst for detoxification.
  Cabbage speeds up metabolism of estrogen and is useful in colon cancer.
  Beet juice has cancer-fighting properties, as it is rich in sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, Vitamin B1, B2, B6 niacin.
  Citrus fruit juices, like lemon, orange and grapefruit, are used by naturopaths as anti-cancer compounds.
  Studies also show spinach, lettuce and broccoli juice act as antioxidants.
  While, wheat bran decreases estrogens in blood, wheat grass juice repairs damaged cells in leukemia patients.
  
  Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3100.cfm
  
  
  
• ORGANIC BYTES #94 - Military Polution Poisons Food Supply? http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3282.cfm:
  • ALERT OF THE WEEK: STUDY SHOWS MILITARY POLLUTION POISONING U.S. FOOD SUPPLY
  • PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK: WAL-MART, HANES, J.C. PENNEY AND PUMA SWEATSHOP SCANDAL
  • TIP OF THE WEEK: DECODING MEAT LABELS FOR THE SENSITIVE CARNIVORE
  • U.S. BIOTECH INDUSTRY STILL TRYING TO FORCE GMOs ON EUROPEANS
  • HEALTH NEWS OF THE WEEK: FRESH ORGANIC FOODS THAT FIGHT CANCER
  • ANTI-CANCER AGENCY HAS TUMORS OF ITS OWN
  • VOTE ORGANIC
  • LINK OF THE WEEK: ONLINE BIRD FLU BOOK
  
  
  
• Organic Bytes #93 - Voting Organic In November http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3212.cfm:
  • VOTING ORGANIC IN NOVEMBER
  • QUICK FACTS OF THE WEEK: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E.COLI AND ORGANICS
  • TIP OF THE WEEK: SAVE MONEY ON ORGANIC FOOD - JOIN OR START A BUYING CLUB
  • THIS WEEKS LESSON: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DEBATE OVER RAW MILK
  • MEXICO BANS GE CORN
  • MORE GE FOOD CONTAMINATION IN US AND EU
  • SLEEPLESS KIDS BECOME OVERWEIGHT ADULTS
  • YOUR HAIR REFLECTS YOUR DIET

  
  
  
• Organic Bytes #83 - http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm
  • IN THIS ISSUE:
  • EPA ADMINISTRATORS PRESSURE STAFF TO OVERLOOK TOXIC PESTICIDES
  • GENETICALLY ENGINEERED COTTON KILLING SHEEP AND GOATS
  • GERMAN COMPANY TAKING OVER U.S. DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
  • DRIVING AWAY FROM CORN-BASED ETHANOL
  • GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN PRODUCING HERBICIDES IN YOUR GUT?
  • STUDY: CANADIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM BETTER THAN U.S.
  • SURVEY: NEARLY A QUARTER OF U.S. CONSUMERS NOW BUY ORGANIC
  • OVERLY STRICT PARENTING CAN PRODUCE OBESE KIDS
  
  
• SUPERWEEDS SPREADING IN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED COTTON FIELDS
  Pesticide resistant weeds are introducing a new problem to cotton farmers. Traditionally, herbicide resistance is dealt with by simply changing the herbicide. But according to North Carolina State weed scientist Alan York, farmers are running out of options: there are no more effective pesticides to switch to. The majority of farmers in the Cotton Belt are now growing Monsanto's genetically engineered Roundup Ready cotton, which is resistant to glyphosate pesticides. As a result of the heavy use of glyphosate in the area, varieties of pigweed have developed an immunity to it. Tests at the University of Georgia showed that the pigweed Palmer Amaranth has developed amazing resistance to glyphosate. Scientists doused the weeds three times with a quadruple concentrated dose of glyphosate, but the pigweed continued to grow and multiply. "If you grow cotton in the Southeast, and you have Palmer amaranth in your fields, looking at side-by-side comparisons of resistant and non-resistant pigweed should scare you to death," York says. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/cotton060404.cfm http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm
  
  
• Broccoli, Cabbage, Soy found to cut cancer risk 2/24/2006
  
  
• Whole Grains Cut Risk of Diabetes & Heart Disease 07-FEB-2006
  
  
• Organic Bytes #74 1/26/2006 ALERT UPDATE: EPA IGNORING PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO TESTING CHEMICALS ON KIDS
  

• Organic Bytes #73:http://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/011206.cfm
• IN THIS ISSUE: Click on the above link to read the articles. 
• U.S. INSPECTOR GENERAL SLAMS USDA ON GENE-ALTERED CROPS
• McMad Cow
• ITALIAN SLOW FOOD COMMUNITY DRIVES RONALD MCDONALD OUT OF TOWN
• STUDY: JUNK FOOD ADDITIVES STOP NERVE CELL GROWTH
• QUOTE OF THE WEEK
• LETTER TO THE EDITOR - ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK

• Organic Bytes #72:http://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/121505.cfm
• IN THIS ISSUE Click on above link to read the articles. 
• ALERT: U.S. PROPOSES DOUSING WILDERNESS AREAS WITH HERBICIDES
  Comment before January 9, 2006!
• MAD COW JAPAN
• GOVERNMENT STUDY SAYS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS NAUGHTY
• ALERT UPDATE: EPA PROPOSED RULE ALLOWING CHEMICAL TESTING ON HUMANS
• BREAKING THE CHAINS: JOIN OCA IN CELEBRATING BUY LOCAL MONTH
• PROGRESSIVE HOLIDAY SHOPPING: BOOKS & DVDS WE LIKE
• QUICK TIDBITS
• NEW: LETTER TO THE EDITOR - ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK

1. PRESERVE YOUR RIGHTS TO HAVE CONTROL OVER LOCAL POLICIES: OCA supporters sent over 10,000 emails to legislators in two weeks, urging California legislators to resist a "Monsanto Law" which was aimed at preventing local cities and counties from banning GE crops. Thanks to your response, legislators held the current three county GE bans in place (Mendocino, Marin, and Trinity counties), which were originally enacted by ballot initiatives and legislative action in these counties. But the biotech corporations have counter-attacked, passing "Monsanto Laws" in a dozen states. We need your continued vigilance and support to stop the next round of Monsanto Laws in California and other states across the country in 2006. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge-free.htm
   
   
2. US Census statisics for Mississippi http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html
   
   
3. CONSUMERS BEWARE: TEFLON CAN GIVE YOU CANCER
   After ignoring numerous warnings from independent scientists for years, the "nonstick" chemical used in Teflon has now officially been categorized as a "likely carcinogen" by the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA scientists found four different types of tumors in lab animals exposed to the chemical. The agency announced it plans to collect millions of dollars in fines from DuPont, the maker of Teflon, for concealing studies indicating related health and environmental risks for over two decades. http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/dupont070105.cfm
   
   
4. Facts On Genetic Engeneering
   
   
5. Organic Bytes: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm  Food, Consumer and Environment News Tidbits with an Edge!