P-Phenylenediamine, PPD: the Chemical that causes Consternation

• Hair stylists and frequent users are at risk of developing occupational asthma, both from the persulfates used in bleaches, and PPD from hair dyes. Long term exposure sensitizes the airways, leading to asthma attacks on exposure to the chemicals.

Many studies have been conducted to try to determine whether long-term hair dye use causes cancer, and it is still a controversial subject. Most studies have focused on a possible increased risk of bladder cancer. Some studies have found that women who had consistently used hair dye long term had higher levels, and other studies did not. Many official bodies have determined that the evidence so far is inconclusive.

However, new studies have linked hair dye use to development of a specific type of cancer,non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Zhang et al, 2008). This study looked at groups of women suffering from this disease, and a control group. It was found that women who started using hair dye, particularly darker colors, before 1980 had an increased risk of developing the disease.

The strongest evidence that hair dyes can cause cancer in humans comes from studies of cancer rates in hairstylists. One study found that if a hairstylist had used hair dyes at work for 5 years or more, she had a three times higher risk of developing breast cancer. Other studies have consistently found that hair colorists have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia.

Other Chemicals in Hair Dye and their associated risks:

Resorcinol
Resorcinol receives a rating of 8 (out of 10) for hazard at the Cosmetics Safety Database. It is classified as harmful, irritant to eyes and skin and dangerous for the environment.

Ammonia
Ammonia is irritant to the skin, eyes and respiratory system, and can cause asthma and breathing difficulties. However, it is much less toxic than PPD, and only receives a rating of 3 out of 10 for toxicity.

Persulfates
Sodium, potassium and ammonium sulfates are present in hair dyes and bleaches, and are used in concentrations of up to 60%. However, concentrations of only 17.5% have been shown to irritate skin, and persulfates are also toxic when the fumes are inhaled, causing asthma and lung damage (Pang and Fiume, 2001). However, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded that they are safe for occasional use, provided that the skin is rinsed well after.

Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used in hair bleaches. It is corrosive, and has been banned from cosmetic use in Japan and restricted in Canada. Animal studies have shown it has toxic effects on the nervous system, respiratory and digestive systems at low doses (1974).

Lead acetate
This is present in some hair coloring products used for gradual darkening, and is another potentially toxic chemical.Lead has well-known damaging effects on the brain and nervous system.

4-ABP
This has been linked to development of cancer.

Remember, the darker colours are higher risk!

The Solution:

http://www.herbatint.co.za/index.html

Boxed, chemical hair dyes marketed as ‘natural’ typically do not contain resorcinol, ammonia or peroxide. However, though they still contain at least some PPD, it is a much a lower level. Lower levels are obviously better and reduce your exposure and therefore your risk, but using these dyes does not completely remove the risk of suffering an allergic reaction or other side effect. ‘Natural’ hair dye manufacturers include Naturtint and Herbatint. Always look at the ingredients of any ‘natural’ hair dye to check out just how ‘natural’ it is, and check for the presence of the chemicals listed above.

(http://www.squidoo.com/hairdyedangers)

It is neccesary to include a small amount of “healthy” fats in all  meals throughout the day.  Healthy fats help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, they lubricate the joins and bowels and offer our body vital nutrients.  Healthy fats increase satiety: they make you feel full quicker and keep you feeling full for longer (an essential weight-loss tool!) The key is the amount of fat and the type of fat. As far as the amount- it should be very small. 1TBSP  of the right types of fats each day is sufficient.

Healthy fats to include in your diet: Nuts – unsalted and raw walnuts, almonds, brazil macadamia nuts, brazil, pecans and cashews. Nut butters are another great choice, but make sure they have no added ‘other’ fats, salt or sugar. Nuts are high in many minerals including magnesium, calcium and selenium.

Add oils (macadamia, coconut, olive, flax oil, sesame oil) to your cooked veggies, salads and proteins for an extra boost of flavor! Raw unsalted seeds and avocado are two other great additions.

Macadamia oil naturally raises your good cholesterol and lowers the bad. It is also an excellent ‘carrier oil’, bringing out the flavours in your food.

Coconut oil is perhaps the most mis-understood of all the fats;  it a medium-chain triglyceride.  In the simplest of terms, this makes it capable of dragging any ‘bad fats’ from your body, lowering cholesterol and speeding up weight-loss.  Coconut oil, like all nut oils, are the only oils it is really safe to cook with.  They have high smoking points and domestic heat cannot damage them the way cooking damages plant oils like olive oil and sunflower oil, making them damaging to our bodies.  Add to that the fact that coconut oil cannot go rancid and you have a great, economical and healthy fat right there!

Fats that are best AVOIDED are:  most mayonnaise, butters, yellow cheeses, creams, whole milk, corn and canola oils and partially hydrogenated oils.  Be on the lookout for hidden saturated fats in processed and ready-to-eat foods, baked goods, chocolate, crisps and other fast-food snacks.

These include foods with high amounts of aspirin-like substances called salicylates, omega-3 fatty acids, foods with natural antibiotic properties and some supplements.
Strawberries contain a very high amount of naturally occurring salicylates.
It is important to note that while many people have problems with blood clots, it is not true that blood thinning foods are desirable for everyone in the population. People taking prescription anticoagulant drugs also need to be careful not to consume too many foods with natural blood thinning compounds in addition to their regular medication.

Blood coagulation should fall within a desirable range. If blood coagulates too easily, clots can form which in turn can lead to adverse health conditions such as heart attacks. However, if blood doesn’t clot enough, conditions such as hematuria (blood in the urine), nosebleeds, hemorrhages, heavy periods in women, and bleeding strokes may occur. If a person’s blood isn’t clotting enough and he has surgery or a traumatic event like a car accident, he could have a serious problem by losing too much blood from wounds or surgical incisions failing to clot properly.

Some of the foods that are generally thought to have natural blood thinning compounds are listed below. It’s possible this list may contain some errors. See your doctor before you implement any diet, supplement or exercise changes, especially if you are taking any prescription medications or have any health concerns related to coagulation.

Salicylates

One type of natural blood thinners are substances that block vitamin K known as salicylates. The most well known of these is aspirin, but many foods, such as preservatives and flavorings, also contain salicylates or aspirin like substances. Some individuals are known to be aspirin or salicylate sensitive.

Foods that are generally high in salicylates include many spices, most fruits, especially dried fruits, nuts, and also some flavorings and preservatives.
Ginger is known as a warming spice in both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Herbs and spices high in salicylates include:

Curry powder
Cayenne pepper
Ginger
Paprika
Thyme
Cinnamon
Dill
Oregano
Turmeric
Licorice
Peppermint
In Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) many of the above spices are known as “warming spices”. I think this is because by thinning the blood they increase a person’s blood circulation, which in turn speeds up the metabolism and makes a person feel warmer.
Fruits high in salicylates include

Raisins
Prunes
Cherries
Cranberries
Blueberries
Grapes
Strawberries
Tangerines
Oranges

Other substance high in salicylates:

Chewing gum
Honey
Peppermints
Vinegar
Wine
Cider
Though there are some exceptions, in general most meat, fish, dairy, grains and vegetable foods are not high in salicylates. Many types of fish do however have blood thinning properties due to their omega-3 fatty acid content, as noted below.

Chinese food is often prepared with many warming spices, such as ginger and garlic.
Bleeding and Topical Creams

It is important to note that it isn’t just what you eat that can thin your blood, but also what you rub on your skin. The New York Times reported in 2007 the death of a high school track star from an overdose of a commonly sold, over the counter sports medicine that contained methyl salicylate. Methyl salicylate at high enough doses rubbed into the skin can act as an anti-clotting agent, which in turn may result in internal bleeding and related health issues.

Omega-3 fatty acids have received a lot of press lately because of their ability to lower cholesterol levels and make the blood less prone to clotting. Fish oil is usually high in omega-3s and can be ingested either through purchasing capsules or by eating fatty fish. Fish with high amounts of omega-3s include:

Anchovies
Salmon
Albacore tuna
Mackerel
Lake Trout
Herring
A number of studies in recent years have found omega-3 fatty acids beneficial for anxiety and depression. When eating fish, one danger is that many fish have high mercury levels, so experts often have mixed recommendations on exactly just how healthy eating a lot of seafood is for most people.  Take care to purchase supplements that are purity certified.
Garlic contains nine different, naturally occurring, antiplatelet compounds.
Additional Selected Foods With Compounds That Thin the Blood

Onions
Olive Oil
Garlic and onions contain natural antibiotics that can kill the intestinal bacteria that manufacture vitamin K. Many studies have found that long term prescription antibiotic use can cause bleeding problems due to a vitamin K deficiency.

Alcohol

A study that appeared in the October, 2005 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that “Alcohol consumption is inversely associated with both platelet activation and aggregation.” Another study, published in 1986 in the same journal, found signs of subclinical vitamin K deficiency in a study of 20 male alcoholics. Perhaps not coincidentally, the signs of fetal alcohol syndrome closely resemble the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency in newborns.

red wine is an especially potent as a blood thinner.

HOW?  The stomach is the 1st place our food goes after it has (hopefully) been well chewed.  Enzymes is the saliva begin the process of breaking down the food we recognise as meat, carrot, potato and gravy into vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and amino acids, and this process is completed in a healthy stomach.  Ideally, food stays in the stomach between 20 and 40 minutes, churned like a washing machine by the strong stomach muscles, and also exposed to the litres of powerful Hydrochloric Acid that the stomach secretes.  The stomach muscles have a thick mucous membrane to protect them from this stomach acid.  In this way the food is turned into Chyme and  prepared for the journey through the digestive system. 

WHAT GOES WRONG?  As the very 1st thing you do with food is chew, this is the 1st place things can go wrong.. if you don’t take time to chew properly the food enters the stomach too fast and in pieces that are actually too large.  In a healthy stomach it shouldn’t matter, because Hydrochloric acid is strong enough to digest almost anything, so a few bits of unchewed meat and carrot shouldn’t pose a problem..however,  in a stomach environment that is less than ideal (all will be revealed in the next pragraph) it is a huge issue. 

The second thing that goes wrong and  it’s the thing that affects most people and starts doing damage in even little people’s stomachs, is eating and drinking at the same time.  Having just mentioned chewing, it’s logical that drinking with a meal will result in washing down half-chewed food.  It’s a problem but not the biggest.. that is the fact that your bolus of half-chewed food is now floating in the glass of water you just drank.  Not only is the Hydrochloric acid unable to reach it, but that acid has now been significantly diluted.  Chyme leaves the stomach through the little valve at the bottom is a spasmodic way; in other words, it doesn’t flow in a continuous stream but leaves in fits and starts. It stand to reason that the liquid is leaving faster, dragging all the acid with it into the duodenum, which has no mucous membrane to protect if from acid like the stomach does.  Ow is right!  The remainder of the food is churned around in there with no acid to complete digestion and by the time it eventually leaves the stomach it is totally in the wrong form for further digestion, absorption of nutrients etc.

The other thing that can go wrong is that the stomach, in a reflex reaction to antacids, can begin over-secreting Hydrochloric acid.  As we do not chew well,  sit hunched over our plate and rush off as soon as the last morsel is swallowed, this excess acid often gets trapped near the top, where there is another valve that is only supposed to let food in, is exposed to this excess acid and it, too, has no mucous membrane and yes Ow! again.  Long time burning of this valve damages it so that it doesn’t close properly and food doesn’t remain in the stomach and neither does the acid, and you might experience what the kids call a ‘mouth oopsie’ , and you are at risk of developing Barrett’s Oesophagus, where the damage becomes of a permanent nature.  Because the stomach is ‘cradle-shaped’, acid can pool in the bottom and most people develop ulcers here, almost always in the same place. 

WHENdo the troubles start?  For most of us who suffer with heartburn as adults, the trouble began years ago, when we were 18, 12-foot tall and bullet proof.  We drank too much, cared less what and when we ate, over excised, slept too little, worked too much.  When you ride the tiger you always have consequences.  However, a lot of people genuinely start battling only in later years:  stomach acid naturally decreases as we age.  As the acid decreases, digestion, especially of protein, becomes more difficult.  The resulting indigestion is almost always treating with antacids and acid blockers, which only aggravates an already suffering system.

HOW do we fix it?  The first step is to determine if the stomach acid is too high or too low.  Don’t simply take the prescribed medications- doctors almost never consider low stomach acid.  When you experience the heartburn do a once-off test and dring a few tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar.  If the stomach acid is too low the vinegar will relieve the symptoms and if the acid is indeed too high there will be an instantaneous flare that you can put out with some milk but at least you will have your answer.

WHO is at risk?  All of us!  As we age stomach acid decreases.  Bigger risk groups then, are the elderly.  A-blood groups have naturally low stomach acid.  Big Meat and milk eaters- proteins are pretty hard to digest.  Junk food, high in sugar, refined flour and a myriad of chemicals is a culprit here.  Eating things you know you are allergic or intolerant to puts a big burden on your digestive system.  One other consideration is a bug.. a bacteria called Helicobacter Pylorii acan make it’s home in your stomach and cause an ulcer.

Why don’t ant-acids work?  If you have ever burnt yourself on your skin you know how horrible a burn can be.  It throbs for hours after the initial burn.  It gets raw and tender and even the air hurts it.  Burns on your skin are prone to infection and need to be cleaned and covered and nursed back to health, and then as the weeks go by and the burn starts to heal it starts to itch.  It flakes.  It almost always leaves a scar.  A burn in your stomach, oesophagus or duodenum is no different to this, except that you can’t cover it to protect it from outside stressors.  Burns are painful and take ages to heal, no matter wether they are on our outside skin or our inside skin.

What can be Done?  Luckily a lot!  eating habits and eating and drinking habits need to be tweaked in order for supplements to be able to accomplish their healing.

Slippery Elm coats the mucous membrane and the ulcer site, giving immediate relief and allowing the burn site to heal.

Siberian Pine Nut Oil also protects and it is incredibly healing, not only to the mucosa but the whole digestive system benefits form this remedy.

Deglyccerrhized Licorice (Dgl) is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial,  and increase the number of mucous-secretin cells in the stomach.

Mastic gum kills Helicobacter Pylori

Look out for these excellent products:    Solgar Dgl, The Other Option Siberian Pine Nut oil, Cease Fire Mastic gum and Dgl

Take these steps:  *eat slowly  *don’t drink for 40 minutes before or after food  *choose warm drinks after a heavy meal  *sit up straight while eating   *don’t lie down after a big meal  *avoid known irritants  *know wether your stomach acis is low or high and treat accordingly  *allow for healing and re-evaluate every 6 months  *choose best quality supplements

Olive leaf (Olea europaea) has the following benefits:

STIMULATES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE:
Olive Leaf activates  ‘natural killer cells’ to stimulate phagocytosis – the ‘pac man’ of the immune process that
assist the cleanup operation. 
 
KILLS VIRUSES DIRECTLY:  Olive Leaf interferes with the amino acid production needed to keep viruses alive.
It is able to inactivate viruses by interfering with virus shedding, budding or assembly at the cell membrane.
Olive Leaf is able to penetrates infected host cells and inhibit viral replication. 
 
ASSISTS THE IMMUNE CELLS:  it immobilises germs (viruses, bacteria and most disease causing pathogens) thereby decreasing the spread of the infection; it acts like an antibody that flags down the ‘killer cells’ to quickly kill the germ it has caught.
 
KILLS OTHER GERMS:  Olive leaf extract has been shown to be effective against the following microorganisms:  Herpes virus, E. Coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella, Staph, Influenza A, Coxcackie, and Candida Albicans, many other organisms: bacteria, viruses & other microbes.

FEVER REDUCING:  Historically, Olive Leaf has been used since the 19th century for lowering fevers, particularly in reducing the symptoms of Malria.
 
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS:  Olive Leaf reduces LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure & blood sugar.  It improves blood flow the coronory vessels and can be anti-arrhythmic.  Assists  improving chronic fatigue syndrome and is a  powerful antioxidant 

Olive leaf is available in capules and tinctures

 But is it good enough? 

Cholesterol and blood pressure on their own are only 2 chapters in The Big Book of Heart Disease.  You need to read the whole book in order to know what your risk actually is

Just knowing that your cholesterol is 6 is just not good enough.  LDL and HDL are essential numbers to know! 

You MUST know your waist measurement.

When your doctor tests your blood it is your right to request:
LDL

HdL

Lipoprotein A      http://cholesterol.about.com/od/lipoproteins/a/lipoproteina.htm

C-reactive protein     http://www.medicinenet.com/c-reactive_protein_test_crp/article.htm

and Homocysteine    http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/249.html

Get the whole picture!

When you know your numbers you can then choose to supplement with, for example   Solgar Homocysteine Modulators, B12. Folate, Co Enzyme Q10 and other healthful Supportive supplements that can assist you on your journey to optimal helath

Spring water:  If the water is suitable, it’s the purest form however springs are finite and WILL start producing ‘dirt’. Purifiers and filters will then be used. 

 Mineral water: Water comes from a borehole which then must be filtered and purified.  The problem with borehole water is taste. Who knows what the water has gone through before it reaches you so some waters might taste a little like lime.

 Reverse Osmosis:  Water is obtained from municipal water or borehole.   This method is banned in Europe as it strips the water of all minerals and your’re left with pure H2O.  The problem is H2O absorbs any minerals it comes into contact with which means if you down a bottle of pure H2O, it’s going to be leaving your body with a few friends in the form of vitamins and minerals. Some companies claim to add the essential vits and minerals after the process however this is not true. It is VERY difficult to do so and VERY expensive. Reverse Osmosis is great for the manufacturer as he can store the product for much longer (as it’s inert)

 Ozonation – Ozonated water is great if consumed within 27 minutes of ozonating as this is how long the oxygen lasts. Thereafter, it’s just bacteria free water – great for marketing though. Once again, product can be stored for longer.

After all that we get to filtration and purification of Municipal water.  The water flow is slowed considerably, sent through 2 filters of different sizes, then on to the purifiers which remove all the nonsense and cancer-causing additives such as chlorimide. It then pops along for a bit of UV treatment and  gets sent through a monitoring filter (a trade secret). Your size of filters, purifiers, speed of water flow, proximity of each component all add to the final taste and purity of the water. …..yep, water actually has taste. It’s really quite simple.

Fish oil brings its own benefits by being a rich source of omega-3. However, when compared to fish oil, krill oil is increasingly thought of as a superior natural source of EPA and DHA omega 3′s.

Sustainability Of Krill Vs Fish Sources

Within the ocean, krill is available in massive quantities.
Whilst swarms of krill in the southern oceans are increasingly being exploited by man for commercial benefits, many view Antarctic krill as a sustainable source.
Less than one percent of the krill population is harvested each year.
Provided minimal volumes of Antarctic krill are harvested, projections have shown that this practice can continue for centuries without any noticeable effects on the krill population.
This compares drastically to fish stocks in many parts of the world, which on occasion have been exploited to the degree where fisheries have collapsed.

High Quality And Purity Of Krill Oil

Compared to fish oil, krill oil may be of a much higher quality. High quality krill oil, derived from cold Antarctic waters, may be of greater purity compared to fish oil derived from seas exposed to more pollutants and the influence of man.
Compared to wild caught Antarctic krill, there is a higher risk of contaminants in fish from more polluted waters, which may contain traces of dioxins, PCB’ and heavy metals such as mercury.

Krill are at the lower end of the food chain, unlike fish which are more likely to accumulate contaminants in greater quantities from dietary sources further down the chain.

Unlike many fish oils, Antarctic krill oil comes from a continent where there are fewer contaminants in the environment. However, it should be stated that there are commercially available, high quality brands of fish oil which use wild caught, naturally fed fish from unpolluted waters.

Krill Oil Has No Fishy After Taste

Unlike fish oil, krill oil has no fishy aftertaste. This makes krill oil more palatable and more perhaps more likely to be taken by those who experience the fishy after taste of fish oil, a possible side effect of omega-3 based fish oils.
In balance it should be noted that in many cases moderate doses of fish oil omega-3 does not produce a fishy after taste.

Krill Oil Contains Astaxanthin

Unlike fish oil, krill oil contains an important and powerful antioxidant called axtaxanthin. Quality krill oil supplements will contain high levels of axtaxanthin. Astaxanthin as an antioxidant, helps to make krill oil less perishable, unlike fish oil which is easily damaged when it is exposed to air.  Astaxnathin is a natural anti-inflammatory and has a strong affinity for the skin, protecting from UV rays, pollutants and other environmental toxins.

Krill Oil Contains Phospholipid Omega-3′s

Phospholipids significantly increase the absorption or bioavailability of krill oil omega-3′s. This means the beneficial omega 3 from krill oil is more readily available to important areas of the body such as brain tissue.

One advantage of the high bioavailability of krill oil when compared to fish oil is that you need far less krill oil to achieve the same benefits of omega-3. For example, dosage of omega-3 rich fish oil may be up to 5 grams, compared to only 1 gram of high quality krill oil.

Phosphatidyl choline is the main phospholid found in pure krill oil. Choline may help the development of a growing brain. Choline may also aid cognition, memory and the ability to learn.

Closing Comments On Krill Oil Vs Fish Oil
Which is better?

From the information presented it’s clear that Antarctic krill oil, a rich high quality source of omega-3, has several advantages when compared to fish oil.

It should be stated however, that supplementing the diet with omega-3 is generally a good thing regardless of whether it is from a krill or fish oil based source. Many benefits of omega-3 may be experienced through taking either type of oil.

For those on a budget, fish oil based supplements may be the better option as they tend to be cheaper, provided of course they are of sufficient quality. Make sure your product has a high EPA/DHA yield.

However, as krill oil rich in omega-3 phospholipids has a high degree of absorption by the body, lesser amounts are required which may offset the extra expense of this type of oil.