Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/103434
NATUROPATHIC JUST SAY NO TO CHEMICALS The jury may still be out on some chemicals, but there are certain ones that are worth avoiding. It can't hurt, and it might help. • PHTHALATES. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors with a possible link to breast cancer. Phthalates are used in building materials, personal care products, detergents, surfactants, children's toys, pharmaceuticals, and more. • BPA. Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to thyroid dysfunction as well as several different types of cancer. The United States has banned the use of BPA in baby bottles, whereas other countries have banned its use entirely. BPA is used in the lining of cans and has been shown to leach into canned food. Most receipts are also coated in BPA. • FORMALDEHYDE. Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen. It is used in building materials, furniture, cabinets, countertops, cleaners, and more. • TCE. Trichloroethylene is an industrial solvent and is used in rug cleaners, adhesives, paint removers, and spot removers. The most common exposure to TCE is through contaminated drinking water. Evidence continues to pile up against TCE, and research is ongoing. • FRAGRANCE. Synthetic fragrances are common in personal care products and cleaning products. Fragrance is tricky: When a product lists "fragrance" as an ingredient, that one ingredient may include dozens of chemicals. Because you don't know which chemicals are included, it's best to avoid the product altogether. cfthrive.com chemicals in homes, workplaces, and ten years of when they removed lead products, says that peer-reviewed science from gasoline." has shown some strong links between cancer and some chemicals. "Two of Prevention Is Key the best examples are formaldehyde There are a variety of environmental and she risk factors linked to cancer, but there says. Formaldehyde is a known human is no need to live in fear. It's impossible carcinogen and a common indoor to avoid all exposure to potential air pollutant. It can be found in carcinogens, but it pays to know what is building materials, furniture, cabinets, in your environment and to do your best countertops, cleaners, and more. TCE to protect yourself against potential risk is used in rug cleaners, adhesives, paint factors. trichloroethylene (TCE)," removers, and spot removers. It is highly "Even if you're conservative and throw toxic and can contaminate the water out the wacky stuff and accept the known supply. There have been reported cancer limitations of the science and the data," clusters next to manufacturing facilities says Dr. Wascher, "at least 60 percent that use these chemicals. of all new cancer cases are tied to one Engel says that even low doses of some or more modifiable lifestyle or other compounds can be cause for concern, environmental risk factors, and many especially when the exposure happens at of the types of cancers that are linked to vulnerable periods of development such preventable risk factors are, in fact, the as during infancy, before and during cancers that cause the greatest number of puberty, and during pregnancy and cancer-related deaths." lactation. "We think of this as a public health issue," she says. "And we think it is important to give people tools to make informed decisions." But how do you make informed decisions about chemicals when there is so much conflicting data? "There are so many things to worry about that you could drive yourself nuts," admits Dahl, but she is quick to point out that the news is not all bad. "Prevention is hard to quantify, but we know that it works. For example, lead levels in the blood plummeted within spring 2013 | cancer fighters thrive 35