Mistaken worries about cancer risks and avoiding them

In Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film “Dr. Strangelove,” Sterling Hayden played an insane general determined to trigger a nuclear war. (Peter Sellers had three roles, including the nefarious doctor.) Back then, the only thing people were more frightened of than a nuclear exchange was cancer, and cancer phobia was widespread. Then Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking environmental expose, “Silent Spring,” reinforced that fear, declaring that we were “living in a sea of carcinogens.”

We’ve since learned to effectively treat and even cure many cancers, and people today are more comfortable talking about a diagnosis. But you may still worry that there’s not much you can do about the cancer-causing carcinogens that flow in and around your everyday life. Recently, U.K. researchers surveyed 1,330 people and found that more than 40 percent thought some of the biggest cancer-causing culprits were food additives, electromagnetic frequencies (cellphones), genetically modified food and drinking from plastic bottles.

But that’s not the case: The study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, identifies the most significant cancer risks: smoking, being overweight and overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds. Fortunately, you can control your risks by avoiding smoke, eating healthfully, exercising regularly, applying zinc oxide daily and never, ever using a tanning bed.

After that, reduce other risks by:

■ Avoiding receipts (common source of BPA or BPS) and washing hands after touching them.

■ Not using shampoos, fragrances or cosmetics containing phthalates, such as dibutyl phthalate/DBP, dimethyl phthalate/DMP and diethyl phthalate/DEP.

■ Thoroughly cleaning the Dirty Dozen (get the list at www.ewg.org) pesticideresidue-containing veggies and fruits, or go organic to get your seven to nine daily servings.

The perfect storm for infant food allergies

The 2000 movie “The Perfect Storm” tells the true story of a fishing boat that was lost at sea. The crew (Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly) and captain (George Clooney) decided to risk sailing through bad weather to get home faster, but when two rogue fronts turned the weather from bad to hurricane, their ship was done for.

Now, a new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reveals that another sort of perfect storm can radically increase a child’s chance of developing food allergies. Researchers working with mice found that if newborns are genetically predisposed to allergy (if they have allergic parents or have other allergies or eczema); are frequently exposed to soap and baby wipes (they weaken the skin’s germ-fighting powers, especially for neonates predisposed to having a vulnerable skin barrier); and then are exposed to a food such as peanuts, the chances of developing an allergy to that food increase dramatically.

That’s why it’s a good idea to get your child tested if that perfect storm of risks applies. And for all infants, don’t overuse baby wipes, hand sanitizers and soaps that weaken tender skin’s ability to block out allergens. Also remember to wash your hands and rinse your mouth well after eating a potential allergen like peanut or whey, so it isn’t inadvertently transferred to your infant. Then, if your child doesn’t show signs of allergies by six months, it’s probably safe to start introducing peanut protein, for example, but always talk to your pediatrician first.

Question: I hear that apple cider vinegar helps with weight loss and improves glucose tolerance for people with diabetes. Is this true? — Emma S., Los Angeles

Answer: Glad you asked, Emma. Dr. Oz had a report on his April 30 show on that subject — the Apple Cider Vinegar Project. It takes a look at the good and bad news about using apple cider vinegar as a health booster.

The Basics: ACV starts off as apple juice, but adding yeast (for fermentation) turns its fruit sugar into alcohol, then bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid — the key ingredient that conveys ACV’s health benefits. Studies show that ACV can reduce the rise in your blood glucose level after a meal and help promote weight loss as part of a calorie-restricted diet. Dr. Oz recommends 1 teaspoon before or with each meal (add to salad dressing or a berry shake) in his apple cider vinegar detox.

However, one of the show’s guests, Dr. Tod Cooperman, president and founder of ConsumerLabs.com, wants consumers to be careful with ACV. High levels (remember, it’s acidic) potentially can damage your teeth, throat and stomach. In fact, household products with acetic acid content above 20 percent should be labeled as poisons, but foods and supplements are exempt from such labeling!

Due to its growing popularity, ACV is now popping up in pill form, and www. ConsumerLabs.com tested some to see how they compared with the liquid.

All the liquid ACVs they tested had between 5 and 6 percent acetic acid in them. But when they tested the pills, they found a wide range of results, from an acetic acid level of 0.4 percent (ineffective) up to 30 percent (potentially dangerous)! After the show aired, one maker of ACV pills told ConsumerLabs. com that it’s going to add a warning label and include specific instructions for use.

Bottom line: Stick with the bottled liquid ACV, and watch the segment online at www. doctoroz.com.

Q: I recently had a spinal fusion operation (same as Tiger Woods), and I’m tapering off my pain meds. But my pain doesn’t seem to be going away. There’s no indication that anything is wrong with my back repair. Why do I feel so bad? — John W., Hebron, Kentucky

A: Back surgery is complex, and recovery takes time. Tiger Woods had his spinal fusion operation (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) in April 2017. After a year, he’s now playing golf at a level that can be attained only by a few people. We hope you recover as well as he has. But remember, Tiger also had a rough time getting away from the medications that were necessary for him to endure his operation.

A recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder sheds some light on why he, you and millions of others have found that taking pain pills isn’t always a simple solution to post-op pain and that “trauma, including surgery, in combination with opiates can lead to chronic pain.”

The study, published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, found that in animal tests, the longer test subjects were taking morphine, the longer their pain lasted after they stopped taking opioids. Something is going on inside the nervous system’s pain receptors that actually prolongs pain and the desire for pain relief.

That’s why you need a good pain-management specialist to guide you through your detox and regular physical therapy to make you ever stronger. Pain is a serious issue, and today’s meds are so good that it’s much easier to get hooked than it was in the 1970s, when pain meds had dysphoric or nausea-creating side effects. Let’s not forget that a few bad actors in medical care and some bad actors in society profit handsomely from you getting addicted. We cannot stress enough that if the pain or the need for narcotics lasts longer than three days, you should seek an immediate second opinion from a painmanagement specialist. The You Docs, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are the authors of“YOU: Losing Weight.”Want more? See “The Dr. Oz Show” on weekdays at 4 p.m. on WPBFChannel 25. Have a question? Go to www.RealAge.com.