Nexus - 0703 - New Times Magazine-pages

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POISONOUS PRODUCTS, DECEPTIVE LABELS POISONOUS PRODUCTS, DECEPTIVE LABELS Surrounded as we are by toxic products, it’s important that we study their labels, take note of their health effects, and ditch them in favour of safe substitutes. Part 2 of 2 he following chart was prepared in part with the aid of several trips to the super- market and health food store and a number of sources [see references and resources at end of this article], but I would also encourage readers to do their own research. The chart lists categories of common poisons, their effects on human beings, in what types of products they can be found, and examples of specific [mostly US-sourced] products. Since this chart is an overview, there are several points I want to make. It is difficult to keep track of all the new chemicals that are constantly being manufac- tured. The "Pesticides" section provides only a fraction of a per cent of the pesticides that we encounter in our daily lives. Similarly, the "Products" column furnishes only a minute sample of brand name products that contain a given additive. If a brand name product is not listed, this does not mean that it lacks the chemical. Rather, it reflects the constraints of space for this article and the difficulty in deciphering what is really in the products because the labels are so imprecise. For instance, the labels on many detergents (such as Mop & Glo) are so vague that I am obliged to rely on other researchers to specify the con- tents. Lestoil is visible in many more poison categories not because other products are safe, but because Lestoil is one of the very few cleansers whose ingredients are plainly listed on the label. My inclusion of some brand name products and not others is in no way intended to single out individual companies or products. The category of poisons called "dyes" is widely used in foods as well as household detergents and cosmetics. I mention them, however, mostly in reference to non-food items. Although it is crucial to avoid all foods coloured with synthetic dyes, an in-depth discussion of food additives is beyond the scope of this article. Refer to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter, The Safe Shopper's Bible by Steinman and Epstein, and The Mirage of Safety by Beatrice Trum Hunter for more details about dyes, medications, hormones and flavourings in food. In doing this research, I have tried to rep- resent adequately the products found in the health food store as well as the supermarket, to repudiate the notion that health food store items are completely free from danger. Because this chart is an overview, not every chemical listed in the first column causes every symptom in the column, "Effects on the System". However, there is a high level of overlap. The class of chemicals called "solvents" contributes to similar kinds of damage. The same is true for detergents, etc. Individual toxins in a particular group might be less urgently hazardous than others; but, in general, all chemicals that function in a similar way induce similar degenerative symptoms and pathological conditions. As you continue reading the chart, differences between individual chemicals eventually matter less and less, as do the differences between categories of poisons. All of them cause serious, if not lethal, damage. Some of the most contradictory reports involve the relative dangers of cleansing agents. Winter writes that sodium laurel sulphate is merely irritating to the skin; Steinman and Epstein acknowledge that it is also dangerously irritating to the eyes and mucous mem- branes; and Vance goes even further, referring to Japanese studies that show DNA dam- age. Hunter (whose book is unfortunately out of print) informs us that the chemical can also affect the absorption of numerous food constituents, among them glucose and methionine (an amino acid)—an important consideration when you realise that the surfac- tant is a primary ingredient of common toothpaste, which is often swallowed. Hunter alone provides statistics on the maximum amount in parts per million (ppm) at which an by Nina Silver, PhD © 1999 190 Kripplebush Road Stone Ridge, NY 12484, USA Tel: +1 (914) 687 0963 E-mail: nina@bestweb.net 190 Kripplebush Road Stone Ridge, NY 12484, USA Tel: +1 (914) 687 0963 E-mail: nina@bestweb.net APRIL — MAY 2000 NEXUS - 35 WHAT AND WHERE THE POISONS ARE by Nina Silver, PhD © 1999