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... GLOBAL NEWS . ... NEWS ULTRASOUND CAUSES SUBTLE BRAIN DAMAGE IN BABIES the National Institutes of Health, are detailed in the Journal of Nutrition (November 2001), Carcinogenesis (October 2001) and Cancer Research (July 2001). The results demonstrate that genistein in various forms stimulates tumour growth. They also suggest that women with oestrogen-dependent breast cancer or a predisposition to it may want to reduce their consumption of soy products with a high isoflavone content. Helferich in Cancer Research, compared soy protein isolates containing varying lev- els of isoflavones. The team found that oestrogen-dependent tumour growth increased as the isoflavone content increased in the soy-containing diet. (Source: University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Nov. 5, 2001, w uiuc.edu/) recognised for his work on the toxicologi- cal mechanisms that induce human dis- ease. For more than 20 years he has taught, published peer-reviewed research and served on expert committees. He has received numerous awards and has written or co-written more than 100 published arti- cles. "Without conclusive evidence regarding the safety of these products, the safety of irradiated food cannot be assured," he warned. Au urged the FDA to "seriously and explicitly" consider "repeated observa- tions" of genetic damage and reproductive toxicity in feeding experiments. Though cyclobutanones were first iden- tified in irradiated food in 1971, it was not until 1998 that German government scien- tists discovered that some types of cyclobutanone, 2-DCB, caused genetic and cellular damage in human and rat cells. Despite these findings, the FDA not only has failed to acknowledge publicly the potential risks posed by cyclobutanones; the agency also proceeded to legalise irra- diation for three classes of food, even after the first two German studies were made public. Ironically, cyclobutanones are so easily detectable and have been known to remain in food for such lengthy periods (more than a decade) that they are commonly used as "markers" to determine if food has been exposed to ionising radiation. (Source: Dr Joseph M. Mercola, December 15, 2001, www.mercola.com/2001/dec/15/ irradiated_food.htm) Burs: suggesting that ultrasound scans on pregnant women cause brain lamage in their unborn babies has been uncovered by scientists. In the most comprehensive study yet on the effect of the scanning, doctors have found that males born to mothers who underwent scanning were more likely to show signs of subtle brain damage. A team of Swedish scientists has con- firmed earlier reports on the effects of ultrasound, with the most compelling evi- lence yet that unborn (male) babies are affected by the scanning. They compared almost 7,000 men, whose mothers under- went scanning in the 1970s, with 170,000 men whose mothers did not, looking for ifferences in the rates of left- and right- handedness. The team found that men whose mothers had scans were significantly more likely to be left-handed than normal, pointing to a higher rate of brain damage while in the womb. Crucially, the biggest difference was found among those born after 1975, when doctors introduced a second scan later in pregnancy. Such men were 32 per cent more likely to be left-handed than those in the control group. Normally, left-handedness is genetic: the likelihood of two left-handed parents having a left-handed child is 35 per cent, while for two right-handed parents it is only nine per cent. It is when the inci- dence of left-handedness begins to rise FDA IGNORES EVIDENCE OF DANGEROUS NEW CHEMICALS IN IRRADIATED FOOD lhe US Food and Drug Administration has ignored growing evidence that a new class of chemicals formed when food is irradiated could be harmful, according to a recent report released by Public Citizen and the Center for Food Safety. The groups are urging the FDA to refrain from legalising irradiation for any additional types of food until the new chemicals are tested for safety. The chemicals, called cyclobutanones, do not occur naturally anywhere on Earth. They recently were found to cause genetic damage in rats and genetic and cellular damage in human and rat cells. The groups’ report, "Hidden Harm", details how the FDA has ignored this unique class of chemicals, which are creat- ed in many irradiated foods that the agency has legalised for sale in the USA—includ- ing beef, pork, chicken, lamb, eggs, mango and papaya. It is expected that cyclobu- tanones also would be formed in many other foods the FDA is currently consider- ing to legalise for irradiation. The organisations today also released the sworn affidavit of toxicologist William Au, who was retained by the groups to review independently the risks posed by cyclobutanones and other chemicals formed by irradiation that could cause genetic damage. Au, an environmental toxicology profes- sor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, is internationally "You will travel to a mysterious, far-off, exotically beautiful land and carpet-bomb it." NEXUS ¢ 7 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com