A recent meeting in Germany gathered international scientists from industry, academia, and government to assess the concerns about bisphenol A, or BPA. Previous issues of Pulse of Health Freedom have followed the FDA’s conflicting actions on the chemical, which is linked to reproductive ills as well as neurobehavioral concerns. The group found agreement on several… Continue reading Newborns Have Eleven Times More BPA in Their Systems than Adults
Category: Health Autonomy
Media Distortion Damages Both Science and Journalism
Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD, director of the Autism Research Centre at University of Cambridge, recently published a study that showed a positive correlation between levels of fetal testosterone (measured by amniocentesis) and the number of autistic traits a child shows post-natally. None of the children in the study, however, had actually developed autism. What was being… Continue reading Media Distortion Damages Both Science and Journalism
Congress Moves to Ban BPA from Food and Beverage Containers
As we have noted in previous issues of Pulse of Health Freedom, national attention is heating up over the issue of the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a common ingredient in some plastics. Studies have linked BPA to breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease, reproductive damage, and hyperactivity. And a study released last fall… Continue reading Congress Moves to Ban BPA from Food and Beverage Containers
Scientific Freedom of Speech in Medical Journals—What Role Does Pharmaceutical Advertising Play Regarding Vitamin Supplements?
In a recently published peer-reviewed study, researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Florida found that in major medical journals, more pharmaceutical advertising is associated with publishing fewer articles about dietary supplements. The research also noted that more pharmaceutical company advertising resulted in the journal having more articles with “negative… Continue reading Scientific Freedom of Speech in Medical Journals—What Role Does Pharmaceutical Advertising Play Regarding Vitamin Supplements?
BPA (Bisphenol A) Levels in the Body Appear to Drop about Eight Times Slower than Expected
A study published last week in the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives has cast additional doubt on the FDA’s position that BPA (Bisphenol A) is safe. Canadian health authorities have already outlawed BPA, calling it a health and environmental hazard.
Conflicts of Interest at FDA and the New England Journal of Medicine
The US Dept of Health and Human Services inspector general’s report published January 12 said FDA’s screening system is “unreliable” because of researchers’ conflicts of interest. The report focused on 118 new drug applications approved by the FDA in 2007.
BPA — More Bad News for Babies
One of 2008’s top ten health stories continues to trouble consumers in 2009: the hazardous compound bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical component of plastics, which is widely found in consumer products like water bottles, food containers, baby bottles, and dental sealants. BPA is known to leach from these containers when food and drink is… Continue reading BPA — More Bad News for Babies
Bisphenol A (BPA) and the FDA among 2008’s Top 10 Hot Topics, says WebMD
The editors at WebMD have posted their list of top 10 health news stories from 2008. Salmonella in tomatoes was number one (even though it now appears that it wasn’t tomatoes and the tomato industry collapsed for no reason); the promise of healthcare reform placed second. Vitamin D was voted the hottest vitamin of 2008;… Continue reading Bisphenol A (BPA) and the FDA among 2008’s Top 10 Hot Topics, says WebMD
The Battle is Not Over for Our Iraqi War Vets—Traumatic Brain Injury Has Long-Lasting Consequences
The latest issue of Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development focuses on identifying which combat veterans with traumatic brain injury might need more intensive treatment. As Pulse of Health Freedom pointed out in its October 7 issue, concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are common among veterans serving in the Iraq war. TBI has been… Continue reading The Battle is Not Over for Our Iraqi War Vets—Traumatic Brain Injury Has Long-Lasting Consequences
Vested Interests Abound on Pharmacy Boards
Physicians who use complementary and alternative therapies in their clinical practices often face charges from their respective state boards of medicines for practicing “outside the standard of care.” USA Today has conducted a review of the state pharmacy board panels, who are assigned to oversee prescription drug safety for American consumers. They found that nearly… Continue reading Vested Interests Abound on Pharmacy Boards