Fukushima fallout: Japanese company recalls powdered baby milk after detecting high levels of radioactive cesium

(NaturalNews) The disastrous effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe are still emerging nearly a year after the fact, as a popular Japanese baby formula company has now announced a massive recall of baby food tainted with radiation. Meiji Holdings Co., maker of Meiji Step infant powder (Meiji Step is only sold in Japan) is recalling 400,000 cans of the product because of contamination with radioactive cesium. The Times of India reports that the recalled product contains excessive levels of radioactive cesium measuring as high as 30.8 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) of both cesium-134 and cesium-137. Though this amount is lower than the 200 Bq/kg maximum threshold set by the Japanese health ministry, it is still too high for comfort for both the company and the public, which is why Meiji has issued the voluntary recall. The initial investigation into the product began as a result of a customer complaint, according to a recent report by Bloomberg . The affected batches include products packaged back in April, just one month after the mega-earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan’s eastern coast, and distributed in May. The same batches have a printed expiration date of October 2012. Japan’s National Institute of Radiological Science (NIRS) explains that, based on average consumption levels of the product among the age groups for which it was designed, nine-month-old children could be exposed to the roughly 0.07 microsieverts per hour of toxic cesium, while one-year-olds could be exposed to 0.03 microsieverts per hour. “There is only one source of cesium in that milk: nuclear fission from a nuclear reactor or spent fuel,” said Stephen Lincoln, a professor of chemistry at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, concerning the culprit of contamination. The plant where the tainted product was produced is located just 124 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of the crippled Fukushima nuclear facility. “There may be parts around Fukushima that will have to be evacuated for 100 years. There is no way you can make radioactive decay happen more swiftly,” added Lincoln. Cesium-134, after all, has a half life of about two years, while cesium-137 has a half life of about 30 years (http://www.naturalnews.com/031992_radioactive_cesium.html). Sources for this article include: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Fukushima-effect-Radiation-traces-in-baby-food/articleshow/11026274.cms http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-06/radioactive-cesium-found-in-meiji-baby-formula-spurs-recall-shares-fall.html

The secret history of Monsanto, Agent Orange and the mutilation of innocent Vietnamese

(NaturalNews) We still find it difficult to completely forget one of the uglier and far-reaching atrocities of the Vietnam War – the dissemination of a deadly herbicide, Agent Orange. But where we only have movies like Apocalypse Now and a host of war novels to remind us of the majority of the unpalatable actions that took place in the 60s, the repercussions of Agent Orange are still rising and expanding – through the world and media. No matter how difficult it is to stop and listen to the stories of US military veterans who served in Vietnam, we cannot discount the myriad of first-person accounts of the damage that was caused and the cover-ups that have taken place since. One recent story was unveiled earlier this year by KPHO, a news station in Phoenix, which showcased a number of Vietnam veterans’ who suggested the US military had ordered them to bury barrels upon barrels of Agent Orange in Camp Carroll, an army base in South Korea. Veteran Steve House, who continues to suffer from a number of the diseases that have been commonly linked to Agent Orange exposure, describes digging a two-acre ditch and then filling it with barrels fitting the description of those containing Agent Orange. House suffers from Neuropathy, a fairly uncommon disease for anyone to develop without the help of poison or sustained use of the affected nerve group. Carpal Tunnel is one of the more commonly known, and minor, types of neuropathy. The disease occurs when damage is done to a group of nerve cells, resulting in loss of sensation, tingling or burning sensations in the affected nerve group, weakness, or even paralysis in extreme cases. A fellow soldier who served with House, Robert Travis, has corroborated the story: “There was approximately 25 drums, all OD green… On the barrels it said “chemicals type Agent Orange.” It had a stripe around the barrel dated 1967 for the Republic of Vietnam.” Travis currently experiences extreme weakness in his hands and feet, as well as arthritis in his neck and back. A number of US military personnel who traversed territory that had been bombed with Agent Orange reported severe neuropathy in their feet in the weeks following. They had been walking all over the herbicide for a relatively brief period, and to this day, the compound has been raging through their bodies, since, still limiting their ability to function. The majority of Vietnam veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange are given federal aid to contend with the consequences of exposure. To sufferers of ailments commonly associated with the noxious herbicide, the US government is projected to mete out up to $67 billion over the next ten years. As veterans in the US still combat and fall to the effects of the herbicide, children with genetic defects continue to remind Vietnamese citizens of the potency and far-reaching effects of the chemical of this terrifying poison, which has affected three generations of offspring, so far. The US has spent $43 million on these affected populations, to date, or under one-tenth what they have spent on veterans. But Agent Orange hotspots in Vietnam must be cleaned up if they are to stop causing more diseases and genetic defects. In 2010, a ten-year plan was proposed to clear the Agent Orange hotspots in Vietnam, the areas that still contain hazardous levels of the compound. The $300 million plan has yet to be fully funded by the US; however, it has found a number of valuable contributors, which has helped provide some more necessary momentum. Having already spent $37 million on cleaning efforts, the US has shown some amount of responsibility for its actions of the past, but it has yet to deal with the full extent of the damage, at the source. When Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, visited Vietnam late last year, she connected the project to heal some of the worst damage done to Vietnam to the strengthening of an alliance between Vietnam and the US, referring to the compound still prevalent in the ground as: “… a legacy of the painful past we share, but the project we will undertake here, as our two nations work hand-in-hand to clean up this site, is a sign of the hopeful future we are building together.” Meanwhile, the herbicide continues to produce untreatable deformities in Vietnamese youth. Yet, despite these obvious and disturbing signs that herbicides can be extremely harmful and difficult to dislodge, the companies that produced Agent Orange still grow and develop, increasing their product lines, their bottom lines, and revenue, not only in the US but across the world. A quick glance on the Monsanto web page on June 20 of 2011 portrays the company has grown by over 8% per year, on average, since 2007. Monsanto, along with Dow Chemicals, were the two companies, which produced the approximately 12 million gallons of Agent Orange that the US military used to destroy about 14% of Vietnam’s natural environment. The companies have easily batted away all protests and claims against them, passing the buck to the US government as the culprit. Perhaps they are well within their legal rights. After all, they simply filled the orders given them, much like a firearms producer. Can we blame them for how the US military dispersed their product? Perhaps not. However, there is still plenty of room for suspicion of foul play. If Monsanto and Dow Chemicals knew exactly how dangerous their product was, then it would have been their responsibility to inform the government of the long-term and catastrophic effects of mass dissemination. If they did not know these basic facts about the dangers of their own product, then it is a case of rampant negligence, the kind of which they can only be expected to reproduce, without significant consequences for their irresponsibility. At least these companies should acknowledge the part they did play in what people are too afraid to label, genocide. Len Aldis, founder of the UK-Vietnam Friendship Association, who has contributed a large amount of his own funds and time in support of the effort to clean up Agent Orange in Vietnam, does level sincere blame on the heads of Monsanto and Dow Chemicals. In a letter addressed to Monsanto’s Board of Directors, Mr. Aldis writes: “You may not be aware of the part played by your company in this criminal act, but there have been many protests here in the UK and many other countries at the use of Agent Orange on Vietnam… I have seen the results of your product in jars containing unborn babies, a sight not many people could stomach seeing.” To this date, Mr. Aldis has received no reply, a stance that is upheld on Monsanto and Dow Chemicals’ websites. These URLs make no mention of Agent Orange, by name, by policy change, etc. If they are content to sweep this product under the rug, how can they be trusted today, as they produce genetically-enhanced seeds, herbicides, and other product lines? What impetus is there to thoroughly test these lab-controlled mutations? When we play with a fire that has already burnt us, can we expect anything less than to be burnt again? Sources: http://www.kpho.com/story/14906593/valley-veteran-blows-whistle-on-burial-of-agent-orange http://www.vawatchdog.org/10/nf10/nfsep10/nf092110-5.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001784/ http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Social-Isssues/212491/Ordnance-clearing-begins-in-Da-Nang.html http://www.counterpunch.org/aldis06032011.html http://books.google.com/books?id=dhtco1U2AwYC&pg=PA159#v=onepage&q&f=false

US life expectancy continues to plummet, but not because of inadequate health care

(NaturalNews) A new report published in the journal Health Affairs says the U.S. has dropped to 49th place in overall life expectancy among the nations of the world. The report blames the nation’s failing health care system and lack of universal health coverage as the culprit. But the true causes of America’s poor health include things like its broken food system, overuse of chemical pesticides, and dependence on pharmaceutical drugs — all of which are poisoning the population and the environment, and lowering lifespans. In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the U.S. 24th in the world for overall life expectancy. But over the past decade, that ranking has dropped 25 spots, and experts have been scrambling to come up with an answer as to why this is the case. Authors of a recent study allege that the “uniquely inefficient” health care system in the U.S. is to blame, and in a sense they are right. The U.S. health care system promotes disease rather than health. But on the other hand, the authors miss the point because their sentiment seems to suggest that universal health will solve the problem when, in reality, it will only make it worse. The truth about the broken health care system The U.S. health care system can actually be better described as a “sick” care system. The medical industry thrives on illness rather than good health; it is what generates a steady cash flow. And it operates from a perspective that pharmaceutical drugs and surgery are the final answer to all illness and disease, with no functional role for nutrition. Preventing disease is a foreign concept to many doctors and health professionals, and the population at large has no idea how to feed their bodies what they need to stay healthy. So the result is a nation of people that are perpetually undernourished and lacking in vital nutrients, which lands many in an endless cycle of prescription drug addiction and ever-worsening health. Rather than teach people how to eat better, for instance, the health care system waits until people become sick and loads them up with drugs and expensive procedures as the “cure”. Drug companies make a lot of money with this approach, but overall health continues to decline as a result. And the out-of-control costs of maintaining this type of system only bankrupt the nation. But instead of getting rid of the toxic system and giving back to the people the freedom to become educated in good health and make their own health decisions, universal care endeavors only expand the scope and reach of the “sick” care system. And it centralizes and strengthens the medical powers that already censor truthful health information, persecute herb and supplement companies, and perpetuate illness. Nutritional illiteracy and widespread misinformation are killing society Health concepts are largely misunderstood in society, which leads to confusion about what foods are healthy and what foods are not. Saturated fat, for instance, has been vilified by mainstream medicine for years, even though it is a necessary component of good health. Only recently has the truth about the value and importance of consuming quality saturated fats begun to gain mainstream attention. (http://www.naturalnews.com/029930_saturated_fat_health.html). Then there are all the FDA-approved food additives, trans-fatty acids, and chemicals that plague the nation’s over-processed food supply. Hydrogenated oils, processed sugars, food colorings, and other harmful ingredients are the very causes of most disease in the country. But rather than tell people the truth about them, the government actually subsidizes the crops and industries that make these cheap, unhealthy food ingredients available (http://www.naturalnews.com/028419_food_tax_health.html). Even fruits and vegetables are tainted, as most conventional varieties are doused in pesticides and herbicides that are linked to all sorts of diseases and illnesses (http://www.naturalnews.com/pesticides.html). Unless families make a concerted effort to buy only organic or otherwise clean produce, they are regularly consuming unknown levels of dangerous chemical pesticides that are gradually making them sick. Genetically-modified (GM) foods are present throughout the U.S. food supply as well. Most corn, soy, and canola ingredients, for instance, come from GM varieties. GMOs are linked to intestinal and immune dysfunction (http://www.naturalnews.com/029041_GMOs_toxicity.html) and genetic mutations (http://www.naturalnews.com/027226_food_GMO_foods.html), among other things. Widespread dependence and trust in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is another popular medical myth that is destroying the health of the nation. And within a universal health care system, vaccines will likely be mandated as part of the government’s health requirements, even though vaccines are linked to autoimmune disorders, infertility, severe inflammatory reactions, and even death (http://www.naturalnews.com/pesticides.html). Expanding the scope of the health care system as it currently exists will only make a bad problem worse. Reforming the nation’s entire approach to health, on the other hand, will help millions to avoid developing serious illness in the first place. But it starts with informed citizens making conscious health choices, telling others the truth about how to achieve and maintain good health, and working constantly to promote health freedom both locally and nationally. Sources for this story include: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/slips-49th-life-expectancy-study/

Study finds money contaminated with BPA

(NaturalNews) A new test conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families has revealed that the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is most likely lurking in your wallet. According to the findings, nearly every dollar bill tested in the multi-state analysis revealed BPA contamination, likely from BPA-laden receipts that rub off onto the cash. The team sampled 22 one-dollar bills from the wallets of people from 18 states and Washington, D.C., and found that 21 of them tested positive for BPA. While some samples contained only about .12 parts per million (ppm) of BPA, others contained up to 11 ppm, indicating that exposure among the population can vary significantly. Previous studies have already identified that the vast majority of money bills are covered in harmful pathogens and even drug residues, but the new study is one of the first of its kind to identify BPA on money. And the culprit seems to be receipt paper — which more often than not contains BPA on its surface — touching the bills. An interview conducted by NPR back in August explained that much of the thermal receipt paper used by retailers today is loaded with BPA. And in the current study, researchers wanted to see for themselves what turned up on samples of receipt paper. They found that among 22 receipts collected from ten states and Washington, D.C., more than half contained BPA. One receipt from a Safeway grocery store actually contained so much BPA that the chemical comprised 2.2 percent of the receipt’s total weight. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to insist that levels of exposure from these sources and others — including from plastic bottles, food cans, and other consumer products — is safe. But other recent studies have shown that even low-level exposure to BPA can cause serious health problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/029615_bpa_genetic_defects.html). To learn more about the dangers of BPA, visit: http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html Sources for this story include: http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/08/5606824-dirty-money-tests-detect-chemical-bpa-on-dollar-bills http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129031013

H1N1 vaccine linked to 700 percent increase in miscarriages

(NaturalNews) Recent data presented to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Children’s Vaccines has revealed some shocking information about the effects of the H1N1 / swine flu vaccine on pregnant women. According to the report, the rate of miscarriage among pregnant women during the 2009 H1N1 / swine flu pandemic soared by over 700 percent compared to previous years, pointing directly to the vaccine as the culprit — but the CDC denies the truth and continues to insist nobody has been harmed. According to the CDC, nearly 50 percent of all pregnant women were vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine during the 2009 / 2010 influenza season. Those whose physicians instructed them to get a seasonal flu shot were three times more likely to get it, while those instructed specifically to get the H1N1 shot were ten times more likely to get it. And the numbers clearly show that along with the rise in vaccinations due to the H1N1 scare came the sharp increase in miscarriages, including a slew of actual reported adverse events. But the CDC does not seem to care about the facts, as numerous reports indicate the agency has failed to report any of this vital information to vaccine suppliers. In fact, when presented with the data for the third time, Dr. Marie McCormick, chair of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Vaccine Risk and Assessment Working Group, actually had the audacity to claim that there were no vaccine-related adverse events in pregnant women caused by the vaccine. “This baseless and fallacious assessment by the CDC assessment group has given the green light to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to continue their recommendation to give the 2010/11 flu shot to all people, including pregnant women,” explained Eileen Dannemann, director of the National Coalition of Organized Women, presenter of the information. “This upcoming 2010/11 flu vaccine contains the same elements that are implicated in the killing of these fetuses, the H1N1 viral component and the neurotoxin mercury (Thimerosal). Additionally, it contains two other viral strains — a three-in-one shot for all people.” Overall, the number of vaccine-related “fetal demise” reports increased by 2,440 percent in 2009 compared to previous years, which is even more shocking than the miscarriage statistic. Meanwhile, the CDC continues to lie to the public about the vaccine, urging everyone, including pregnant women, to get it. To read the report for yourself, visit: http://www.progressiveconvergence.com/H1N1-RELATED%20miscarriages.htm Sources for this story include: http://www.guerillahealthreport.com/post.php?id=417 http://thepopulist.net/?p=6630

In a pickle about industrial wastes dumped in the water supply? Nature provides an unexpected way to help clean up

(NaturalNews) Here’s a true-life tale of a scientific discovery that came about by serendipity — all because some food distributors were in a pickle about, appropriately enough, pickles. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) microbiologist Ilenys Perez-Diaz, who works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and colleagues were called upon to investigate a mystery. Why were some commercial dill pickles turning red? What the research team found, unexpectedly, while figuring out the pickle problem was evidence that a natural bacteria could have an unexpected beneficial impact on cleaning up waste water. Some background: for thousands of years, humans throughout the world used natural fermentation (lactic acid fermentation) to preserve their vegetables — and that’s how natural pickles were developed from cucumbers. However, with the advent of industrial food production, more and more pickle manufacturers began adding dyes and other chemicals to pickles. During Perez-Diaz’s search for the culprit that was causing some commercial dill pickles to turn red, Lactobacilli were isolated from the spoiled jars of hamburger dill pickles that had turned crimson. Lactobacilli are a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group. Common and usually benign, they are part of the “good” bacteria present in the human body where they make up part of the healthy gut flora and inhibit the growth of some harmful bacteria and fungi. The researchers added some of the species of Lactobacilli they had isolated from the spoiled red pickles to non-spoiled jars of hamburger dill pickles. What they found was that natural pickles (with no added coloring or only the spice turmeric added for color) did not turn red. But pickles in brines containing the common food coloring tartrazine did develop a red hue. So what did this mean exactly? It turns out, the isolated species of Lactobacillus bacteria was specifically reacting with tartrazine, an azo dye. And the bacteria was doing something amazingly helpful that wasn’t immediately apparent, too. Azo dyes, like the one in the pickles that turned red, come from industrial waste (tartrazine is made from coal-tar derivatives) and account for approximately 60 to 70% of all dyes used in food and textile manufacturing. Some are known to be mutagenic. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), anything that causes a mutation (a change in the DNA of a cell) may harm cells and cause certain diseases, such as cancer. In investigating the red pickle problem, the ARS researchers discovered for the first time that food-related Lactobacillus microorganisms can transform azo dyes into non-mutagenic substances. The findings from this work have been reported in the Journal of Applied Microbiology . In a statement to the media, Perez-Diaz noted that considerable effort has been made to identify microorganisms capable of degrading azo dyes in wastewater. And if food-grade Lactobacilli turn out to be capable of degrading a range of azo dyes, they might become organisms of choice for treating waste water which is frequently contaminated with the dyes from textile and other industries. For more information: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04227.x/abstract

Severe weather threatens world food supply

(NaturalNews) Extreme weather conditions across the globe are destroying crops, cattle and land, as nations struggle through things like droughts, floods and other natural phenomena. And while some say that these occurrences are natural, cyclic effects from variations in solar activity, others point to climate change as the culprit. Russian wheat crop failures, Kansas cattle deaths and flooding in Pakistan are among the many struggles currently being faced by nations around the world, but why are these extreme weather conditions occurring in the first place? This is a question many are asking as they work to cope with the destruction and seek a solution. Weather extremes have put a heavy strain on food production, which could lead to skyrocketing food prices like the ones seen back in 2007 and 2008 when food was in short supply due to similar events. And according to a recent Reuters article, many are calling for further talks and agreements to be made about climate change legislation as a solution to the problem. According to Neville Nicholls, a climate scientist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles and human industrial activity is leading to “more and more hot extremes and worse unprecedented extremes.” He and others believe global talks must continue to address practical ways to deal with CO2 emissions, and that the time is now to push for climate legislation. Still others, though, point to the sun’s normal cyclic rise and fall in activity as the instigator of alleged global warming, and say that climate legislation will only serve to further erode personal freedom and national sovereignty. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE67B3W320100812

Eating well-done meat doubles your risk of developing bladder cancer

(NaturalNews) You may want to think twice about cooking that meat well-done, according to a new study out of the University of Texas. Researchers there have found that charring meat by frying, barbecuing or otherwise heavily cooking it can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals in the meat. The study explains that people who eat well-done meat double their risk of developing bladder cancer when compared to people who eat meat on the rarer end of the spectrum. This is due primarily to the heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that form when meat is cooked at very high heat. Researchers found that three different HCA chemicals form during high-heat cooking that, collectively, raise a person’s cancer risk by more than 250 percent. And in people who are genetically predisposed to developing the disease from the meat, the risk jumps nearly 500 percent. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified a total of 17 different HCAs that contribute to causing cancer, and prior research has already established that these char-induced chemicals increase pancreatic cancer risk. But now it appears that they contribute to bladder cancer as well. The study sheds further light on the direct correlation between the foods we eat and our overall level of health. “This research reinforces the relationship between diet and cancer,” explained Professor Xifeng Wu, lead author of the study, to the American Association for Cancer Research. The study team made very clear in its report that meat itself is not necessarily the culprit in increasing cancer risk, but rather the intense cooking methods by which it is prepared. And it is not just charred red meat – chicken, pork and even fish cooked heavily may also form cancer-causing HCAs. Researchers did point out, however, that eating red and processed meat can increase one’s risk of developing bowel cancer. But no distinction was made between grass-fed and grain-fed meat and whether or not animal husbandry methods play a role in the health factors of meat, so it is best to investigate this matter for yourself. According to the U.K. Food Standards Agency, keeping meat away from direct flames when barbecuing or grilling it will help to reduce the development of HCAs and lower one’s risk of developing cancer. Slow-cooking meat is another way to inhibit HCS formation. Sources for this story include: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8629358.stm

Vitamin D deficiency likely cause of increased rheumatoid arthritis cases among caucasian women

(NaturalNews) A recent study from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, has found that rheumatoid arthritis is on the increase among Caucasian women. And the culprit is likely an environmental one, like vitamin D deficiency, rather than a genetic one. “It’s pretty unlikely that the genetic makeup of a population changed that quickly,” explained Dr. Sherine Gabriel, one of the authors of the study, in response to the likely cause of increase. And she is right, considering that cases of rheumatoid arthritis had been decreasing into the mid 1990s. The study included data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, which evaluated the medical records of people living in Olmstead County, Minnesota, since the early 1900s. The findings revealed that in recent years, there has been a slight increase in rheumatoid arthritis cases among Caucasian women, following a period of steady decrease among the entire population since the 1950s. Smoking is commonly associated with causing rheumatoid arthritis, and since women have generally been slower at kicking the habit, researchers are hypothesizing that perhaps this has something to do with why rates among women are increasing. “Women were sort of slower to pick up that bad habit, and they seem to be a little slower to drop it,” she explained. Another hypothesis is that the composition of female oral contraceptives has changed over the years. According to Gabriel, oral contraceptives used to have far more estrogen in them than they do today, which provides a protective benefit against rheumatoid arthritis. So, with less estrogen, there is less protective benefit. But perhaps the most likely cause is vitamin D deficiency, which has been increasing recently, especially among women. Vitamin D plays an important role in protecting the body from disease, including maintaining bone and joint health. People who don’t get enough of it are at a much higher risk of developing diseases like rheumatoid arthritis than those who maintain optimal levels. Gabriel suggests that women who smoke stop the habit, and that women in general get their vitamin D levels checked. Together, these proactive steps should help to stave off serious diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight exposure, but foods like oily fish and raw milk are also rich in the vitamin. Vitamin D3 supplements in the form of cholecalciferol are also a good option as well. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62P3IY20100326

Leading heart surgeon calls for ban on butter

(NaturalNews) A British heart surgeon has issued a call for a ban on butter, citing excessive consumption of saturated fats which he believes has rapidly increased the number of heart disease cases in the Great Britain. Dr. Shyam Kolvekar expressed concern that people as young as 30 years old are now getting heart bypass surgery, an issue that he believes could be remedied by switching from butter to margarine or other “healthy” spreads. Roughly 90 percent of British children eat too much saturated fat according to a U.K. diet survey. Eighty-eight percent of adult men and 83 percent of adult women also consume too much, averaging 20 percent over the recommended maximum. Some researchers believe that saturated fat contributes to high cholesterol and artery blockage. Dr. Kolvekar’s plea against using butter comes at the same time that other British health organizations are calling for a ban on trans-fats. Margarine, one of Dr. Kolvekar’s recommended alternatives to butter, is most often comprised of trans-fatty hydrogenated oils which are linked to the very same diseases that he believes are being caused by butter. Nevertheless, Dr. Kolvekar believes that banning butter would reduce average daily fat intake by at least eight grams. Since buttered toast is a British breakfast staple, he is promoting the use of alternative spreads to replace butter. He also suggests avoiding foods like cheese and red meat which stay solid at room temperature. According to Dr. Kolvekar and others, simple dietary changes can go a long way in preventing some of the serious diseases that he believes are caused by saturated fat. The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) of saturated fat in the U.K. is 30 grams for men and 20 grams for women and exceeding these levels is relatively easy. Simple changes like drinking reduced fat milk and skipping the butter can help people to stay below these levels. Not all studies point to saturated fat as the culprit in heart disease, however. Trans-fats are known to wreak havoc on the body, leading to high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and other serious problems. This is why several countries including Canada and Switzerland have banned trans-fats from food. Not all saturated fats are harmful, either: some studies indicate that certain saturated fats are necessary in order to maintain health. High rates of heart disease were not common until refined, hydrogenated oils came on the scene, indicating that these artificial food additives are to blame. Sources for this story include: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7010677/Ban-butter-to-save-our-hearts-says-doctor.html