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Bent banana and curved cucumber rules dropped
EU rules banning bent bananas and curved cucumbers are set to be scrapped.
A majority of EU member states, including Britain and Ireland, have voted to reform rules like EC Commission Regulation No 2257/94, which caused international ridicule by stating that all bananas must be "free of abnormal curvature" and at least 14 cm in length.
Imperfectly-shaped fruit and vegetables may now be back on supermarket shelves by 2009.
France, Italy, Spain and Greece opposed the reforms and were accused by officials of unfairly seeking to protect the interests of their farmers.
Mariann Fischer Boel, the European agriculture commissioner, has said that she also wants to scrap a swathe of regulations on produce such as onions, garlic, caulifower and spinach.
Speaking before the vote she said the rules were outdated and especially inappropriate at the time of a world food shortages.
She said: "In this era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw (misshapen fruit and vegetables) away or destroy them. It shouldn't be the EU's job to regulate these things."
Under the present regulations, Class 1 cucumbers must be "practically straight" and be bent by a gradient of no more than 1/10.
Produce that does not meet the minimum standards can not at present be sold as second-class, meaning many edible items are thrown away by farmers.
EU rules banning bent bananas and curved cucumbers are set to be scrapped. ... more -
Bent cucumbers and deformed carrots? EU scraps marketing standards due to rising f...
EU shop shelves may soon be filled with twisted carrots, warped leeks and bent cucumbers as Europe's farm chief decides to get rid of "unnecessary marketing standards", partly because of the rising price of food.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel wants to scrap 26 of 36 marketing standards that apply to a wide range of products such as artichokes, cauliflower, garlic, spinach and watermelon. "The proposal would ... allow member states to exempt fruit and vegetables from specific marketing standards if they are sold with a label 'products intended for processing' or equivalent wording," the Commission said in a statement.
"Such products could be either misshapen or under-sized and could for example be used by consumers for cooking or salads. In this era of high prices and growing demand, it makes no sense to throw these products away or destroy them," it said.
EU shop shelves may soon be filled with twisted carrots, warped leeks and bent cucumbers as Europe's farm chief decides to get rid of ... more -
Watermelon 'has same effect as Viagra'
Eating watermelon has a similar effect on the body to Viagra, according to researchers in the US.
It's down to a chemical called citrulline which is found in the juicy fruit.
Citrulline is an organic compound which affects the body's blood vessels in the same way as the sex enhancement pills.
It helps relax the blood vessels which means blood gets around the body more easily.
The research comes from the US' Texas Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre.
Dr Bhimu Patil led the research. He said: "We've always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study.
"Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra... but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects."
It's also claimed watermelons are good for your heart and immune system. The vast majority of watermelon (92%) is made up of water. But the remaining 8% is loaded with the anti-oxidant lycopene which is also good for your skin.
Wow, delicious AND nutritious. Will you be adding watermelon to your shopping list before a cosy evening in thanks to this news? Have you already tried it and reaped the benefits of 'relaxed blood vessels'? And do any so-called aphrodisiac foods actually work?
Eating watermelon has a similar effect on the body to Viagra, according to researchers in the US. ... more -
Soy vey! Does eating tofu lower sperm count?
Do real men eat soy? Perhaps. But if they want to become fathers, they may want to limit their tofu intake. A new study shows that downing soy products may lower sperm count. The reason, according to the research published in the journal Human Reproduction: soy beans contain high amounts of phytoestrogens, organic compounds that mimic the female hormone estrogen in the human body and, in animal studies, have been shown to reduce testosterone levels. Lead study author Jorge Chavarro, a research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health,and his colleagues found that men who ate at least half a serving a day of soy had, on average, 34 million fewer sperm per milliliter than those who skipped it. But Chavarro doesn't recommend you give up the soy burgers—at least not yet. He notes that the study was limited (99 men) and that more research is needed to prove that tofu actually reduces male fertility. Do real men eat soy? Perhaps. But if they want to become fathers, they may want to limit their tofu intake. A new study shows that dow... more
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NYC Food stamp recipients on the rise
"Hard economic times, layoffs and rising food and fuel costs are boosting the number of New York households using food stamps to nearly 1 million.
Records and interviews Wednesday showed that 1.8 million New Yorkers got help in April from food stamps to help feed their children. That's up by 30,000 adults and children over the last two years and an increase of more than 500,000 since 2001. More than 60 percent of recipients are in New York City."
"Hard economic times, layoffs and rising food and fuel costs are boosting the number of New York households using food stamps to nearl... more -
Monsanto's Sordid History
Monsanto, best known today for its agricultural biotechnology products, has a long and dirty history of polluting this country and others with some of the most toxic compounds known to humankind. From PCBs to Agent Orange to Roundup, we have many reasons to question the motives of this company that claims to be working to reduce environmental destruction and feed the world with its genetically engineered food crops.
Headquartered near St. Louis, Missouri, the Monsanto Chemical Company was founded in 1901. Monsanto became a leading manufacturer of sulfuric acid and other industrial chemicals in the 1920s. In the 1930s, Monsanto began producing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs, widely used as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, cutting oils, waterproof coatings and liquid sealants, are potent carcinogens and have been implicated in reproductive, developmental and immune system disorders.
The world’s center of PCB manufacturing was Monsanto’s plant on the outskirts of East St. Louis, Illinois, which has the highest rate of fetal death and immature births in the state. By 1982, nearby Times Beach, Missouri, was found to be so thoroughly contaminated with dioxin, a by-product of PCB manufacturing, that the government ordered it evacuated. Dioxins are endocrine and immune system disruptors, cause congenital birth defects, reproductive and developmental problems, and increase the incidence of cancer, heart disease and diabetes in laboratory animals.
By the 1940s, Monsanto had begun focusing on plastics and synthetic fabrics like polystyrene (still widely used in food packaging and other consumer products), which is ranked fifth in the EPA’s 1980s listing of chemicals whose production generates the most total hazardous waste.
During World War II, Monsanto played a significant role in the Manhattan Project to develop the atom bomb.
Following the war, Monsanto championed the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, and began manufacturing the herbicide 2,4,5-T, which contains dioxin. Monsanto has been accused of covering up or failing to report dioxin contamination in a wide range of its products.
The herbicide “Agent Orange,” used by U.S. military forces as a defoliant during the Vietnam War, was a mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D and had very high concentrations of dioxin. U.S. Vietnam War veterans have suffered from a host of debilitating symptoms attributable to Agent Orange exposure, and since the end of the war an estimated 500,000 Vietnamese children have been born with deformities.
In the 1970s, Monsanto began manufacturing the herbicide Roundup, which has been marketed as a safe, general-purpose herbicide for widespread commercial and consumer use, even though its key ingredient, glyphosate, is a highly toxic poison for animals and humans. In 1997, The New York State Attorney General took Monsanto to court and Monsanto was subsequently forced to stop claiming that Roundup is “biodegradable” and “environmentally friendly.”
Monsanto has been repeatedly fined and ruled against for, among many things, mislabeling containers of Roundup, failing to report health data to EPA, and chemical spills and improper chemical deposition. In 1995, Monsanto ranked fifth among U.S. corporations in EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, having discharged 37 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, land, water and underground.
Since the inception of Plan Colombia in 2000, the US has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in funding aerial sprayings of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicides in Colombia. The Roundup is often applied in concentrations 26 times higher than what is recommended for agricultural use. Additionally, it contains at least one surfactant, Cosmo-Flux 411f, whose ingredients are a trade secret, has never been approved for use in the US, and which quadruples the biological action of the herbicide.
cont... Monsanto, best known today for its agricultural biotechnology products, has a long and dirty history of polluting this country and oth... more -
Don't want to have babies? Eat more soy
A regular diet of even modest amounts of food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations according to scientists, the BBC reports.
The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre of semen after just one portion every two days.
The authors said plant oestrogens in foods such as tofu, soy mince or milk may interfere with hormonal signals.
However, a UK expert stressed that most men in Asia eat more soy-based products with no fertility problems.
The Harvard School of Public Health study looked at the diets of 99 men who had attended a fertility clinic with their partners and provided a semen sample.
The men were divided into four groups depending on how much soy they ate, and when the sperm concentration of men eating the most soy was compared with those eating the least, there was a significant difference.
The "normal" sperm concentration for a man is between 80 and 120 million per millilitre, and the average of men who ate on average a portion of soy-based food every other day was 41 million fewer.
Hmm. If you're not in the market for a bit of breeding, is this evidence enough to down a soya yoghurt before bedtime and chuck out the condoms? Or is it worth cutting out soy if you're aiming to impregnate your lady (or someone else's. Though I imagine probably your own. Probably)? How much can studies like this really inform your decision-making?
A regular diet of even modest amounts of food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations according to scientists, the BBC reports. ... more -
The writing's on the bone: 'Allah meat' astounds Nigerians
Diners have been flocking to a restaurant in northern Nigeria to see pieces of meat which the owner says are inscribed with the name of Allah.
What looks like the Arabic word for God and the name of the prophet Muhammad were discovered in pieces of beef by a diner in Birnin Kebbi.
He was about to eat it, when he suddenly noticed the words in the gristle, the restaurant owner said. A search of the kitchen's meat revealed three more pieces which bore the names. The meat was boiled and then fried before being served, owner Kabiru Haliru told newspaper Weekly Trust.
"When the writings were discovered there were some Islamic scholars who come and eat here and they all commented that it was a sign to show that Islam is the only true religion for mankind," he said.
The restaurant has kept the pieces of meat for visitors to see.
Thousands of people have already gone to the restaurant to see them since they were discovered last week.
A vet told the newspaper the words "defied scientific explanation".
"Supposing only one piece of meat was found then it would be suspicious, but given the circumstances there is no explanation," Dr Yakubu Dominic said.
Yum yum. Last week's meat for restaurant visitors to pore over before they eat (I hope) slightly fresher dishes from the restaurant. It's enough to make you hungry! Did you ever find Jesus's face inscribed on your toast? Would you bite his halo'd head off? When I was seven I found 'Satan' spelled out in my Alphabetti Spaghetti but I suppose it doesn't count.
Diners have been flocking to a restaurant in northern Nigeria to see pieces of meat which the owner says are inscribed with the name o... more -
Domino's scientists test limits of what humans will eat
If you can put it on a pizza, you can eat it!!
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No Fast Food in South L.A.?
Panel OKs one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A.
The measure is part of an effort to address health problems in the area. Some question how such eateries will be defined.
A proposal that would place at least a one-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in a broad swath of neighborhoods, mostly in South Los Angeles, won unanimous support from a Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday.
If approved by the full council and signed by the mayor, the law would prevent fast-food chains from opening new restaurants in a 32-square-mile area, including West Adams, Baldwin Village and Leimert Park. The moratorium would be in effect for one year, with the possibility of two six-month extensions.
Panel OKs one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A. ... more -
Guidelines in Drinking Eight Glasses of Water
Though still not that proven by medical experts, I think it is best to follow the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day rule. Others say it is one of the best way for everyone to stay healthy is to make sure your body is hydrated always. In this way, your skin is always well-moisturized, decrease possibility of having colon cancer, and improved waste emission...
Read on...
Though still not that proven by medical experts, I think it is best to follow the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day rule. Others say it is ... more -
Food incompatible with history or with our race?
The Northern League (Lega Nord), the xenophobic Italian party which advocates secession from the south -and part of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative coalition- proposed to restrict from Lombardy’s historic centers the businesses that are “incompatible with the historical context” -such as Chinese restaurants, kebabs, or any other commercial activity that could clash with their historic districts.
The question would be: are they trying to protect the uniqueness of its heritage intact, or is simply denying the possibility of opportunity to ‘outsiders’? The League is famous for its anti-immigrant -and clearly racist- speeches, interviews, banners and proposals.
For example, one mayor wants to ban illegal immigrants from getting married, another to ban them from being eligible for school scholarships, another to limit Italian citizenship to foreigners with a perfect knowledge of Italian and of the Constitution, and how to forget the recipe for racial harmony proposed by the councillor of the city that me -an outsider- love and consider my second home: if an immigrant commits a crime against an Italian, ten immigrants should be punished for it.
The Northern League (Lega Nord), the xenophobic Italian party which advocates secession from the south -and part of Prime Minister Sil... more -
Illegal genetically modified soya oil uncovered in swoop
"Two-thirds of restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways tested in a Trading Standards swoop in Surrey were found to be breaking the law on GM foods. Officers who visited 56 premises found 37 (66%) were cooking food in oil made from genetically modified soya without labelling the dishes. It is illegal for caterers to use GM ingredients without telling customers.
Trading Standards manager Peter Denard said labelling advice was now being sent to over 2,500 caterers in Surrey. None of those found to be using GM oil illegally was aware of the EU-wide labelling rules, which came into force in 2004, he said. Restaurants using GM oil must state it clearly on their menus or on a prominent notice.
"Consumers have a right to make an informed choice on the type of food they eat, whether it be GM or non-GM," said Councillor David Harmer."
Is the restaurant you eat in using GM foods? You have the right to ask. "Two-thirds of restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways tested in a Trading Standards swoop in Surrey were found to be breaking the law ... more -
South Africa: small farmers pushed to plant GM seed
Baphethile Mntambo has been farming organically for the past five years because she knows that avoiding chemicals will in the long-term benefit her yield.
She decided not to plant genetically modified seeds because she has heard that they cannot be saved for the next season and will eventually deplete her soil. But she is not entirely sure how and why.
"I have heard about GMO, but I don't understand what it is exactly," she says. "The only thing I know is that it will cost a lot of money to buy the seeds, the fertiliser and the pesticides."
Mntambo is one of 50 small-scale farmers in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province who have been taught how to farm organically by non-governmental organisation Valley Trust. The farmers learn to plant seasonal crops that will provide their families both with food security and an opportunity to generate income by selling their produce at local markets.
"We decided to promote organic farming to create sustainability for small-scale farmers. We believe it is the only way to give them food sovereignty and stability," explains Valley Trust food security facilitator Nhlanhla Vezi.
The Valley Trust used to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture, according to Vezi, but the collaboration ceased when the department started to put pressure on small-scale farmers to form cooperatives if they wanted its support. "The Department makes very attractive offers to provide farming equipment, water piping and seeds, but then uses this as a strategy to push GMO because of agreements they have signed with multinational GM seed patent holders," says Vezi.
Rural farmers are often lured into planting GM seeds by the Department of Agriculture by promises of substantial bank loans and the prospect of huge earnings, agrees Lesley Liddell, director of Biowatch, an NGO promoting alternatives to GMO farming by encouraging farmers to inter-crop, use natural fertilisers and non-chemical crops. "But in the end, most farmers end up in huge debt, because they can't save seeds and are obliged to buy the matching GM fertilisers and pesticides."
Yet, small-scale farmers are often so desperate for financial support that they consider planting GMO crops against better knowledge if they are offered the seeds for free. "I know that GMO is not good in the long run, but if someone gave me these seeds I would still plant them," says Tholani Bhengu, another small-scale farmer who works with the Valley Trust. "For me, the most important thing is to bring food on the table every week. I can't afford to think now about what will happen next year."
Because small-scale farmers in rural Africa often have little or no formal education, they are generally unable to make informed choices around GMO farming. "We encourage them to attend portfolio committees that discuss GMO regulations, but the farmers' knowledge is very limited, so it's difficult for them to contribute. They understand the issues but not the legislation," says Liddell.
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That last quoted paragraph is exactly why these small scale farmers are the targets of multinationals like Monsanto. And as well in South Africa, mandatory labelling is not required.
They are using the poverty these farmers live in as a way to force them into planting GM crap... and when their GM crops fail because of drought or cross contamination, no one is there to bail them out and they have to rebuy seed and "herbicide" again if they wish to plant as they get deeper in debt while Monsanto and other companies reap the benefits.
Insidious. Baphethile Mntambo has been farming organically for the past five years because she knows that avoiding chemicals will in the long-ter... more -
CSIRO Scientist's GM Deception
Health scientists have accused CSIRO Plant Industry Deputy TJ Higgins of making innacurate claims, following a CSIRO campaign urging Australian chefs not to boycott genetically modified (GM) food products.
As reported in last week’s Crikey, Higgins wrote on CSIRO letterhead to more than 50 chefs who had signed Greenpeace's GM-free Chef's Charter. But his letter campaign has "backfired spectacularly", according to Greenpeace spokesperson Louise Sales, who says health scientists and chefs are angered over public resources being used for pro-GM lobbying.
Sydney restaurateur and cookbook author Holly Davis told Crikey some chefs are "very concerned. I thought that CSIRO was an impartial research organisation."
Dr Higgins, whose promotion of GM foods is strongly supported by Australia’s Chief Scientist Jim Peacock and Victoria’s Chief Scientist Gus Nossal, is CSIRO’s co-inventor of the GM Field Pea, abandoned because toxicologists found it caused immune problems and lung damage in mice.
Does this finding contradict Dr Higgins' assurances to chefs that "independently reviewed tests have not found any connection between health problems and GM"?
No, according to Dr Higgins. In a letter to Crikey, he wrote:
My GM pea research emphasises the effectiveness of case-by-case evaluation of GM plants and the important role science can play in decision-making around the introduction of GM crops. The research does not imply that all GM plants are inherently bad. Food Standards Australia New Zealand undertakes comprehensive evaluation of GM foods to ensure they are safe for human consumption.
But these claims are "simply wrong" says nutritional biochemist and epidemiologist Dr Judy Carman, whom the West Australian government commissioned to undertake independent studies into the safety of GM foods.
Carman told Crikey: "TJ Higgins' GM pea provides a clear example of the failings of our current GM food regulatory regime. The pea failed miserably on all the [independent health] tests conducted.” And despite Higgins' claims, “these tests are not required by our food regulator".
Her assertions are backed by health advocate Dr Kate Clinch-Jones, a director of the Institute for Health and Environment Research, who is concerned that preliminary independent studies, which suggest allergic responses, organ damage and precancerous growth in mice fed GM foods, have not been followed up.
Dr Higgins is also accused of making innacurate claims on two other fronts.
First, his claim to chefs that:
It is untrue to say that GM food has not been tested for human safety. It has, and very widely. These independently reviewed tests have not found any connection between health problems and GM.
This is disputed by toxicologist Dr Aprad Pusztai, who co-authored a study on Higgins' GM Pea.
"There is only one partial clinical study with one GM crop (RR soybean) done in Newcastle and published in 2004," says Pusztai.
This study apparently produced worrying evidence that GM material might survive in the human gut -- a finding which, says Pusztai, is "hardly a resounding confirmation of Dr Higgins' claim. No other human study has been published."
Higgins, as a plant industry scientist, is not qualified to make the claims in his letter campaign to chefs, says Dr Pusztai.
"He has no background or track record in nutritional research and thus he should refrain from making comments on the safety or otherwise of any GM product."
Health scientists have accused CSIRO Plant Industry Deputy TJ Higgins of making innacurate claims, following a CSIRO campaign urging A... more -
Woman wins £800,000 after detox diet causes brain damage
A 52-year-old mother of two has been awarded £800,000 in damages at the High Court after a nutritional therapist placed her on a radical detox diet that left her brain damaged and epileptic.
Dawn Page, 52, claimed she was told to drink an extra four pints of water each day, and reduce her salt intake, after consulting therapist, Barbara Nash, about losing weight.
Her lawyers said she suffered uncontrolled vomiting within days of being placed on "The Amazing Hydration Diet", but was assured her sickness was simply "part of the detoxification process". She claimed she was later told to increase the amount of water she drank to six pints per day. Less than a week after she started the diet, the former conference organiser, of Faringdon, Oxon, said she suffered an epileptic fit brought on by severe sodium deficiency.
She was treated in intensive care, but doctors were unable to prevent permanent brain damage.
She has been left with damage to her memory, concentration and her ability to speak normally and was forced to quit her job, relying instead on her husband Geoffrey, 54, for help.
Mrs Page weighed 12 stones when she contacted Mrs Nash in late September 2001. She paid £50 for the initial consultation.
Mr Page said the size of the damages reflected the seriousness of his wife's injuries, and warned others of the dangers of embarking on "fad-type" diets.
"She was not obese or even mildly obese, but like a lot of women, Dawn liked to look after her weight and was not having much success with the normal way of doing that," he said.
"She had tried Weight Watchers and calorie control diets, and this was just another potential route for her to lose weight. Her life has been seriously affected, perhaps ruined, by this fad-type way of losing weight.
Dieticians in Britain are regulated by the Health Professions Council (HPC). However nutritional therapists are not required to be. The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) which has its own code of conduct, said Mrs Nash was not a member. The British Dietetic Association yesterday warned people about the rise in the self-styled and unqualified nutritional therapists.
More evidence, if it were needed, that our obsession with weight loss and the temptation to try ever-more extreme diets is bad for you? Or just a rare case of bad luck for this particular dieter? Can it really be that difficult to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and take enough exercise to keep you at a health weight and size. Should we all just stop obsessing over our weight and get on with life? My cake-filled, under-exercised face says probably yes to the former, and yes please to the latter, but what do you think?
A 52-year-old mother of two has been awarded £800,000 in damages at the High Court after a nutritional therapist placed her on a radic... more -
Farmers voice concern over WTO talks in Geneva
Swiss farmers have warned that the current round of negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) will spell the end to many family-run smallholdings.
A declaration by farmers' representatives from various countries was published in the Swiss city of Geneva as negotiations continued on achieving a global trade agreement.
The Swiss Farmers Association said moves towards further liberalisation were failing to solve the global food crisis and were worsening environmental problems.
The declaration said only major exporting countries, including the United States, Brazil and Australia, stood to benefit from the proposals to reduce customs tariffs.
The farmers' representatives called on the WTO to respect the right of every country to produce food for its own population.
The week-long talks are seen as the last chance to save the seven-year-old Doha round of trade talks before November's US presidential elections. Swiss farmers have warned that the current round of negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) will spell the end to many fami... more -
Bourdain: No Reservations FAN-atic Special" Danya Alhamrani
Congratulations to Danya Alhamrani, a Saudi-American originally from Bismarck, ND, winner of the first-ever "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations FAN-atic Special" Casting Call.
In "No Reservationss" Saudi Arabia, Anthony Bourdain went international to meet up with FAN-atic casting-call winner, Danya Alhamrani, to get a taste of the real Saudi Arabia. Get Tony's and the crew's take on Saudi Arabia in Anthony Bourdain's Blog and in The Crew's Blog.
Danya will be featured in the "FAN-atic Special," and will serve as Tony's guide (fixer) through Saudi Arabia as he and the Zero Point Zero crew film in May 2008
It was a very well presented and interesting show ..
Congratulations to Danya Alhamrani, a Saudi-American originally from Bismarck, ND, winner of the first-ever "Anthony Bourdain: No Rese... more -
Can broccoli cure cancer?
A 79-year-old man man from Leicestershire has attributed his remission from near-fatal bladder cancer to the broccoli juice his wife has whizzed up for him every morning since his diagnosis. Could she be on to something?
Ray and Joan Wiseman claim that Cancer Research has asked for the recipe so it can investigate further. A spokeswoman at the head office of Cancer Research UK knows nothing about such a request, but does admit that broccoli is intriguing for cancer scientists because of the chemicals it contains.
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage contain a group of phytochemicals that seem to have cancer-preventing properties. One recent study found that these substances could enhance DNA repair in cells. Another found that men who ate one daily portion of broccoli had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates. However, it was a small study and more research is needed before anyone can say that eating broccoli lowers your chances of prostate cancer.
Mr Wiseman is among 10,000 people diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK. If, as a nation, we all ate green smoothies for breakfast these numbers might well come down. But since the biggest preventable cause of bladder cancer is smoking - which causes around two in three cases in men and one in three cases in women - there are probably more straightforward places to start.
So is it - as most studies advocate - simply a case of eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit, vegetables and fibre that'll hopefully keep us healthy, rather than a lot of one magic vegetable? And if so, why do so many young people still eat a diet that consists mostly of pizza, wine and cigarettes? Do you eat any 'superfoods' that make you feel magically better when you're ill? How easy is it to simply eat healthily?
A 79-year-old man man from Leicestershire has attributed his remission from near-fatal bladder cancer to the broccoli juice his wife h... more -
Hemp Revolution part 1 of 2
This documentary covers a whole lot of ground. It deals with every historical and contemporary aspect of hemp usage and cultivation (mainly in the U.S.), which turns out to be a lot. From describing the production of a fibre much more durable and economic than wood, the documentary discusses hemps multilateral uses as e.g. food products, as a non-polluting fuel and as a pharmaceutical product with much less griveous sideeffects than chemical pharmaceutical products. The film also investigates why America went from a country which produced vast quantities of the non-narcotic industrial hemp, to the complete ban on hemp production in 1938. This story in particular is interesting, and it points out that the large oilbased industries actually had a key role in the aforementioned ban. Food for thought! The conclusion of the documentary could be that hemp may prove to be a valid alternative to both oil and wood in the future. This documentary covers a whole lot of ground. It deals with every historical and contemporary aspect of hemp usage and cultivation (m... more
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