Three Everyday Conveniences That Raise Concerns

There are a number of items that you may use or consume everyday that are potentially harmful to your health. Your DNA, your immune system, even your digestive tract are at risk. Think you're safe? Read on.

 
Power - We are constantly bombarded with electromagnetic fields (EMF) - radiation that surrounds all electrical appliances and devices, power lines, and home wiring and is emitted by communications devices, including cell phones and radio, TV, and WiFi transmitters. A relatively newly discovered carcinogen, a super-EMF of sorts, is known as high-frequency voltage transients or "dirty electricity." This is a by-product of modern technology devices and is emitted from everything from cell phones to tablet devices, even plasma TVs and fluorescent lightbulbs.

The Bioinitiative Working Group, is an international collaboration of scientists and public health policy experts recently released a 650-page report citing more than 2,000 studies that detail the toxic effects of EMFs from various sources. It states "...Chronic exposure to even low-level radiation (like that from cell phones) can cause a variety of cancers, impair immunity, and contribute to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, heart disease, and many other ailments..." Read more...

Food - Ninety percent or more of all US-grown corn, soybeans, canola, and sugar beets are genetically modified versions, which means that virtually all processed food items contain at least one or more genetically modified ingredients. Monsanto, the largest producer of soy in the U.S., is the biggest offender. Not only are their genetically modified organisms (G.M.O.s) invading everything from soy milk to energy bars, they are infesting organic crops as the pollen from the altered food enters into the system. Read more...

Travel - A recent report suggests that the federal government downplayed the cancer risks associated with full-body X-ray scanners. The scanners emit low levels of ionizing radiation, which has been shown to damage DNA. Now frequently used in airports across the U.S., countries in Europe and elsewhere have concluded that such widespread use of even low-level radiation poses an unacceptable health risk. The scanners have also been linked to potential skin cancer risk as the radiation dose, which focuses on the skin, may be up to 20 times higher than first estimated. Read more...

The scanners are also being used at border crossings. "Society will pay a huge price in cancer because of this," John Sedat, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California at San Francisco said.