Old toys can carry variety of health risks
In 1970, The Guess Who sang, “Don’t give me no hand-me-down shoes.” Correct grammar aside, we’d like to add a lyric: “Don’t give me no handme-down toys.” You can find old toys in Grandma’s attic, on the internet or at a garage sale. Maybe it’s a Lionel train set, an old dollhouse or building blocks. Look, but don’t buy! Regulations on toy safety, in both the U.S. and the U.K., came into effect in 1985 to 1986. Before then, there were no across-the-board safety standards for toys.
What that means, according to a new study in Environmental Science and Technology, is that many manufacturers used toxic materials. U.K. researchers, using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, analyzed 200 toys, including cars, trains, construction products, figures and puzzles, building blocks, figurines and jewelry made before safety directives were implemented. What they found was astounding: high concentrations of antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium. How’d we survive this long?
“In eight cases, Cd (cadmium) or Pb (lead) exceeded their migration limits as stipulated by the current EU Toy Safety Directive ... with Cd released from yellow and red Lego bricks exceeding its limit by an order of magnitude.” Ugh! These toys probably resulted in a bunch of unaccounted-for cancers.
As the researchers point out, “... there is no retroactive regulation on second-hand toys.” So handme-downs that are family treasures or inexpensive online-finds may come with quite a cost. The best bet? When buying for children, steer clear of toys made before the mid-1980s.
NSAIDS CAN GET NASTY!
Ben Affleck, Lisa Kudrow and Janet Jackson suffer from migraines, as do 39 million other Americans. Tension headaches will afflict probably everyone at one time or another. Add to that the fact that 100 million folks in the U.S. deal with chronic pain, and it’s hardly surprising that 30 billion doses of prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium and celecoxib, are consumed annually in the U.S. Only 70 million are for prescription NSAIDs; the rest are self-prescribed and taken however you (and you and you) determine.
Little wonder a new study out of Boston University School of Medicine found that many adult ibuprofen users make healththreatening mistakes when taking those meds. Fifteen per cent took more than the maximum recommended dose in a one-week period. Overdoses also occurred from: (1) taking too much daily; (2) taking two different NSAIDs at the same time; or (3) failing to wait long enough between doses.
The bottom line: Never use an NSAID for pain for more than 10 days without talking with a doctor. And drink at least eight ounces of water per pill. Misuse increases the inherent risks of NSAIDs, which include gastrointestinal distress, internal bleeding and ulcers, as well as an increased chance of high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.
So for acute pain, follow NSAID use instructions carefully. For chronic pain, work with your doctor to develop a pain-management program, including physical and cognitive therapy, meditation and the safe use of painrelieving technology and medications, both OTC and Rx.
THE HEALTH PITFALLS OF JUICE
In the 2005 comedy “Kicking and Screaming,” former NFL coach Mike Ditka plays an assistant to kids’ soccer coach Phil (Will Ferrell). At one point, the ever-bossy coach Phil yells, “You’re supposed to back me up and go get me juice boxes ... Now go get me a juice box!” “Are you crazy?” retorts Ditka. “Oh, I’m not crazy,” says Phil, “I’m just thirsty.”
Ditka did Phil a bigger favour than he knew by refusing to get that juice box. More and more evidence is showing that juice is not the healthy way to get your daily dose of fruit, veggies and nutrients. For starters, juice can be packed with as much sugar as sweetened beverages like soda. A 12-ounce can of Coke has 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar; a 12-ounce glass of apple juice has 180 calories and 42 grams of sugar!
Also, most juices are stripped of fibre, a key ingredient in whole fruits and veggies. This matters because fibre helps you feel fuller and more satisfied. Fibre also moderates the effect whole fruits and veggies’ natural sugars have on your glucose levels. A high-fibre diet is also linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
So choose whole fruits and veggies (including frozen without added sugars or sauces), not juices, for a meal, snack or desert. In a smoothie, mix whole fruits with veggies (celery, cucumbers, kale), and add a touch of nonfat yogurt if you feel the need for a protein boost.
DON’T OVERDO IT ON THE LAXATIVES
In the 2005 movie “Wedding Crashers,” John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) cruise weddings (without invitations) to find dates. That is, until John falls for a bride’s sister, Claire. To steal her away from her boyfriend named Sack (really!), John puts medicated eyedrops into his wine, producing a laxative effect that leaves him stuck in the bathroom for a whole evening. John takes the opportunity to bond with Claire.
Laxatives, used correctly and as a medical necessity, can provide welcome relief from constipation. Depending on the cause of your constipation, it may even be safe to take a lowdose laxative under medical supervision for quite a while. But often, they can be harmful.
The European Food Safety Authority recently warned that long-term use of a plant substance called hydroxyanthracenes, found in laxatives such as senna and rhubarb extract, could cause DNA damage. It also has been linked to cancer in animal studies. Abuse of any laxative has serious health risks. Longer-term use or taking high doses regularly — for constipation or as an unwise weight-loss trick — can put you at risk for nutritional deficiencies and kidney damage.
So for occasional constipation, natural relief comes from: • Drinking lots of water • The CRAP diet: cranberries, raisins, apricots and prunes
• Eating high-fibre foods and avoiding fast and processed foods, dairy and red meat
• Getting plenty of exercise (heading for 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent)
• Through biofeedback sensors and monitors (in your doc’s office), you can learn how to control muscles responsible for your bowel movements!