Closing Ranks:
The NRC, the Nuclear Industry, and TEPCo. Are Limiting the Flow of Information
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Strawberries may prevent esophageal cancer
Strawberries may prevent esophageal cancer
Thursday, April 07, 2011 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) According to the National Cancer Institute, about 16,700 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed last year -- and about 14,500 people died from the disease. Obviously, there's no easy cure for this often fatal malignancy. So, as with any disease, it's much better to prevent getting it in the first place.
But how? Mainstream medicine pushes Big Pharma drugs called H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to calm gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in hopes of preventing Barrett's esophagus, a complication of GERD that ups the risk for esophageal cancer. But these meds are loaded with potential side effects and there's no strong evidence they really prevent cancer.
However, a new study provides evidence there may be a natural and tasty way to not only lower the odds of developing esophageal cancer but to halt and perhaps reverse the progression of precancerous lesions.
The powerful and delicious substance? Strawberries, especially the freeze-dried variety.These findings were just presented for the first time at the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held in Orlando.
"We concluded from this study that six months of eating strawberries is safe and easy to consume. In addition, our preliminary data suggests that strawberries can decrease histological grade of precancerous lesions and reduce cancer-related molecular events," said lead researcher Tong Chen, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, division of medical oncology, department of internal medicine at Ohio State University. Dr. Chen is also a member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program in Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
She pointed out that esophageal cancer is the third most common gastrointestinal cancer and the sixth most frequent cause of cancer death in the world. Dr. Chen and her research team are zeroing in on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which accounts for 95 percent of cases of esophageal cancer worldwide.
In earlier research, Dr. Chen's research team discovered that freeze-dried strawberries significantly inhibited esophageal tumor development in rats. For the new study, the scientists launched a trial which included participants with esophageal precancerous lesions who were at high risk for developing full-blown esophageal cancer.
The research subjects consumed 60 grams of freeze-dried strawberries every day for six months. Freeze-dried strawberries were used because, by removing the water from the berries, the natural cancer-preventive substances in the strawberries soared by nearly 10-fold, according to Dr. Chen.
Biopsies were taken before and after the six months of strawberry consumption. The results showed that 29 out of 36 participants experienced a decrease in the histological grade of their precancerous esophageal lesions during the time they ate the strawberries.
"Our study is important because it shows that strawberries may slow the progression of precancerous lesions in the esophagus. Strawberries may be an alternative or work together with other chemopreventive drugs for the prevention of esophageal cancer," Dr. Chen stated.
For more information:
http://www.healingfoodreference.com...
http://www.naturalnews.com/strawber...
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031981_strawberries_esophageal_cancer.html#ixzz1IrDQcr8T
Thursday, April 07, 2011 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) According to the National Cancer Institute, about 16,700 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed last year -- and about 14,500 people died from the disease. Obviously, there's no easy cure for this often fatal malignancy. So, as with any disease, it's much better to prevent getting it in the first place.
But how? Mainstream medicine pushes Big Pharma drugs called H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to calm gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in hopes of preventing Barrett's esophagus, a complication of GERD that ups the risk for esophageal cancer. But these meds are loaded with potential side effects and there's no strong evidence they really prevent cancer.
However, a new study provides evidence there may be a natural and tasty way to not only lower the odds of developing esophageal cancer but to halt and perhaps reverse the progression of precancerous lesions.
The powerful and delicious substance? Strawberries, especially the freeze-dried variety.These findings were just presented for the first time at the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held in Orlando.
"We concluded from this study that six months of eating strawberries is safe and easy to consume. In addition, our preliminary data suggests that strawberries can decrease histological grade of precancerous lesions and reduce cancer-related molecular events," said lead researcher Tong Chen, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, division of medical oncology, department of internal medicine at Ohio State University. Dr. Chen is also a member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program in Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
She pointed out that esophageal cancer is the third most common gastrointestinal cancer and the sixth most frequent cause of cancer death in the world. Dr. Chen and her research team are zeroing in on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which accounts for 95 percent of cases of esophageal cancer worldwide.
In earlier research, Dr. Chen's research team discovered that freeze-dried strawberries significantly inhibited esophageal tumor development in rats. For the new study, the scientists launched a trial which included participants with esophageal precancerous lesions who were at high risk for developing full-blown esophageal cancer.
The research subjects consumed 60 grams of freeze-dried strawberries every day for six months. Freeze-dried strawberries were used because, by removing the water from the berries, the natural cancer-preventive substances in the strawberries soared by nearly 10-fold, according to Dr. Chen.
Biopsies were taken before and after the six months of strawberry consumption. The results showed that 29 out of 36 participants experienced a decrease in the histological grade of their precancerous esophageal lesions during the time they ate the strawberries.
"Our study is important because it shows that strawberries may slow the progression of precancerous lesions in the esophagus. Strawberries may be an alternative or work together with other chemopreventive drugs for the prevention of esophageal cancer," Dr. Chen stated.
For more information:
http://www.healingfoodreference.com...
http://www.naturalnews.com/strawber...
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031981_strawberries_esophageal_cancer.html#ixzz1IrDQcr8T
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Irish Times - Thursday, April 7, 2011Daiichi plant leak plugged but further blast feared
The Irish Times - Thursday, April 7, 2011Daiichi plant leak plugged but further blast feared
McNEILL in Tokyo
THE OPERATOR of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has stopped highly radioactive water from leaking into the Pacific Ocean but is now trying to prevent another explosion in one of the crippled plant’s six reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) announced yesterday that it had plugged the leak by injecting thousands of litres of chemical agents near a cracked water pit in reactor 2. Fuel rods inside the reactor’s core are believed to have partially melted down.
Engineers at the plant are also struggling to prevent a potentially catastrophic build-up of hydrogen gas in reactor 1. A similar problem caused a series of explosions that wrecked three of the plant’s reactors after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami knocked out its cooling systems.
The embattled utility has sparked a furious reaction by dumping more than 11,000 tonnes of toxic groundwater from the plant into the sea.
Japan’s national federation of fisheries co-operatives said they were “immeasurably angry” at Tepco and at the government for making the decision without prior consultation.
Analysts say the water is likely to contain iodine, caesium and plutonium 239, in addition to radioactive fuel fragments.
Environmentalists are comparing the release to the aftermath of Britain’s worst nuclear accident at the Windscale (now Sellafield) nuclear plant in 1957.
“Water used to douse the fires [in Windscale] discharged hundreds of thousands of fuel fragments into the North Atlantic,” said Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Germany.
“From the start of seawater pumping more than three weeks ago, Tepco knew they had a contaminated water problem – and they have not dealt with it. It is disastrous disaster management.”
Tepco faces few easy options as it tries to bring the plant under control. Weeks of pumping water into the reactors in an attempt to cool overheating nuclear fuel have left about 60,000 tons of contaminated water in turbine halls, trenches and elsewhere on site.
The operator admits that it does not have enough tanks to store the water and faces a further build-up in the weeks to come.
Plugging the leak from reactor 2 is a small success for the plant’s engineers, who had earlier tried sawdust, newspapers and a quick-drying bonder before using sodium silicate, or so-called water glass.
However they will probably be forced to dump more “low-radioactive” water into the sea while trying to store the most toxic materials at the plant.
Analysts warn that another major release of radioactivity – in addition to the daily routine discharge – is possible from at least one of the reactors.
The government is playing down expectations that the Fukushima crisis has ended. “Right now, just because the leak has stopped, we are not relieved yet,” said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano yesterday. “We are checking whether the leak has completely stopped or whether there may be other leaks.”
Mr Edano has been forced to apologise for the Pacific radioactive discharge after South Korea and other countries protested.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper led Korean publications in criticising the decision, claiming that Japan informed the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency beforehand, but “neither consulted nor informed its closest neighbour”.
Radioactive iodine 131 has been detected in the seas off the plant at thousands of times legal limits. Japan’s government says the releases pose no long-term health risks, but there has already been a sharp drop in seafood consumption and several countries have introduced controls or banned food imports from Japan.
McNEILL in Tokyo
THE OPERATOR of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has stopped highly radioactive water from leaking into the Pacific Ocean but is now trying to prevent another explosion in one of the crippled plant’s six reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) announced yesterday that it had plugged the leak by injecting thousands of litres of chemical agents near a cracked water pit in reactor 2. Fuel rods inside the reactor’s core are believed to have partially melted down.
Engineers at the plant are also struggling to prevent a potentially catastrophic build-up of hydrogen gas in reactor 1. A similar problem caused a series of explosions that wrecked three of the plant’s reactors after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami knocked out its cooling systems.
The embattled utility has sparked a furious reaction by dumping more than 11,000 tonnes of toxic groundwater from the plant into the sea.
Japan’s national federation of fisheries co-operatives said they were “immeasurably angry” at Tepco and at the government for making the decision without prior consultation.
Analysts say the water is likely to contain iodine, caesium and plutonium 239, in addition to radioactive fuel fragments.
Environmentalists are comparing the release to the aftermath of Britain’s worst nuclear accident at the Windscale (now Sellafield) nuclear plant in 1957.
“Water used to douse the fires [in Windscale] discharged hundreds of thousands of fuel fragments into the North Atlantic,” said Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Germany.
“From the start of seawater pumping more than three weeks ago, Tepco knew they had a contaminated water problem – and they have not dealt with it. It is disastrous disaster management.”
Tepco faces few easy options as it tries to bring the plant under control. Weeks of pumping water into the reactors in an attempt to cool overheating nuclear fuel have left about 60,000 tons of contaminated water in turbine halls, trenches and elsewhere on site.
The operator admits that it does not have enough tanks to store the water and faces a further build-up in the weeks to come.
Plugging the leak from reactor 2 is a small success for the plant’s engineers, who had earlier tried sawdust, newspapers and a quick-drying bonder before using sodium silicate, or so-called water glass.
However they will probably be forced to dump more “low-radioactive” water into the sea while trying to store the most toxic materials at the plant.
Analysts warn that another major release of radioactivity – in addition to the daily routine discharge – is possible from at least one of the reactors.
The government is playing down expectations that the Fukushima crisis has ended. “Right now, just because the leak has stopped, we are not relieved yet,” said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano yesterday. “We are checking whether the leak has completely stopped or whether there may be other leaks.”
Mr Edano has been forced to apologise for the Pacific radioactive discharge after South Korea and other countries protested.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper led Korean publications in criticising the decision, claiming that Japan informed the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency beforehand, but “neither consulted nor informed its closest neighbour”.
Radioactive iodine 131 has been detected in the seas off the plant at thousands of times legal limits. Japan’s government says the releases pose no long-term health risks, but there has already been a sharp drop in seafood consumption and several countries have introduced controls or banned food imports from Japan.
France detects radioactive iodine in rainwater, milk [fr]
France detects radioactive iodine in rainwater, milk [fr]
Published: 04 April 2011
Updated: 05 April 2011 After the radioactive cloud eminating from Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant reached Europe last week, French authorities have detected radioactive iodine-131 in rainwater and milk.
More on this topic
News:EU checks imports amid Japan food safety fearsCRIIRAD, an independent French research body on radioactivity, said it had detected radioactive iodine-131 in rainwater in south-eastern France.
A sample analysed on 28 March showed radioactivity levels of 8.5 becquerel.
In parallel testing, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), the national public institution monitoring nuclear and radiological risks, found iodine 131 in milk.
According to the institute, concentrations from a sample collected on 25 March showed levels of less than 0.11 becquerels per litre.
In normal times, no trace of iodine-131 should be detectable in rainwater or milk.
Cumulative effect
The rates detected are said to be extremely low – particularly in comparison to rates observed after Chernobyl in 1986 – and the authorities are stressing that there is no cause for panic.
Nevertheless, according to CRIIRAD, contamination of the air, and consequently of rain water, will continue for at least the next two weeks.
The independent body noted that the fallout of radioactive iodine-131 could reach several hundred becquerel per square metre – or even a few thousand Bq/m2 in the case of adverse weather conditions, for example.
Spinach, salads and other vegetables with large surface areas are among food products that are particularly sensitive to iodine-131 contamination, if they are cultivated outside and exposed to rain water.
Indirect contamination of milk in particular normally occurs within a couple of days if cows have been outside eating grass, CRIIRAD noted.
The fact that France's IRSN found iodine-131 in a milk sample taken on 25 March indicates that radioactive fallout has already been reaching Europe since at least 23 March.
Radioactive iodine-131 is particularly toxic when absorbed by the thyroid, where it saturates and leads to an increased risk of cancer.
EU response
When contacted by EurActiv the European Food Safety Authority stressed that the agency is not involved in measuring radioactivity, but remains vigilant and ready to provide technical assistance if requested.
The European Commission's department for energy, with the support of the EU's Joint Research Centre, is coordinating the EU executive's response to the alarm.
Its energy department is also responsible for legislation concerning radioactive levels in food and for introducing, if necessary, a safeguard clause to impose radioactive tests.
On 25 March, following evidence that the feed and food chain in Japan was affected by radiation escaping from the damaged Fukushima plant, the EU decided to reinforce controls on imports of food and feed from certain regions of Japan.
The Greens in the European Parliament note that EU limits on the maximum permitted levels for radiation in imported foodstuffs are "far less strict" than the limits that Japan itself is applying for internal consumption. They are calling for the immediate strengthening of the thresholds.
Published: 04 April 2011
Updated: 05 April 2011 After the radioactive cloud eminating from Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant reached Europe last week, French authorities have detected radioactive iodine-131 in rainwater and milk.
News:EU checks imports amid Japan food safety fearsCRIIRAD, an independent French research body on radioactivity, said it had detected radioactive iodine-131 in rainwater in south-eastern France.
A sample analysed on 28 March showed radioactivity levels of 8.5 becquerel.
In parallel testing, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), the national public institution monitoring nuclear and radiological risks, found iodine 131 in milk.
According to the institute, concentrations from a sample collected on 25 March showed levels of less than 0.11 becquerels per litre.
In normal times, no trace of iodine-131 should be detectable in rainwater or milk.
Cumulative effect
The rates detected are said to be extremely low – particularly in comparison to rates observed after Chernobyl in 1986 – and the authorities are stressing that there is no cause for panic.
Nevertheless, according to CRIIRAD, contamination of the air, and consequently of rain water, will continue for at least the next two weeks.
The independent body noted that the fallout of radioactive iodine-131 could reach several hundred becquerel per square metre – or even a few thousand Bq/m2 in the case of adverse weather conditions, for example.
Spinach, salads and other vegetables with large surface areas are among food products that are particularly sensitive to iodine-131 contamination, if they are cultivated outside and exposed to rain water.
Indirect contamination of milk in particular normally occurs within a couple of days if cows have been outside eating grass, CRIIRAD noted.
The fact that France's IRSN found iodine-131 in a milk sample taken on 25 March indicates that radioactive fallout has already been reaching Europe since at least 23 March.
Radioactive iodine-131 is particularly toxic when absorbed by the thyroid, where it saturates and leads to an increased risk of cancer.
EU response
When contacted by EurActiv the European Food Safety Authority stressed that the agency is not involved in measuring radioactivity, but remains vigilant and ready to provide technical assistance if requested.
The European Commission's department for energy, with the support of the EU's Joint Research Centre, is coordinating the EU executive's response to the alarm.
Its energy department is also responsible for legislation concerning radioactive levels in food and for introducing, if necessary, a safeguard clause to impose radioactive tests.
On 25 March, following evidence that the feed and food chain in Japan was affected by radiation escaping from the damaged Fukushima plant, the EU decided to reinforce controls on imports of food and feed from certain regions of Japan.
The Greens in the European Parliament note that EU limits on the maximum permitted levels for radiation in imported foodstuffs are "far less strict" than the limits that Japan itself is applying for internal consumption. They are calling for the immediate strengthening of the thresholds.
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