The importance of iodine tablets and the present questions...

Thyroid gland is producing hormones which are important for the functioning of our body. Iodine is needed to produce the hormones. Thyroid gland filters the iodine which we get from our food to produce these hormones. Unfortunately it can’t distinguish between stable and radioactive iodine.

The radioactive problems in Japan make this actual and many have several unanswered questions. I try to answer some of them here.

Can iodine tablets prevent the entrance of radioactive iodine into our body?

No, it can’t.

What is the right time to take the iodine tablets?

We must take it before the radioactive iodine reaches our body. After that there is no big use.

Is the iodine present in the food enough to make the thyroid glands full?

No, in food iodine is present in microgram amount, but we need in milligram amount to fill the thyroid gland completely. Microgram x 1000 = milligram

I’m using iodized salt: is it enough?

No, here also the amount of iodine is very small to do this job. Only special tablets or fluids are good for this purpose.

What are the amounts needed?

Newborns from birth to one month – 16 mg
Infants and children from 1 month to 3 years – 32 mg
Pregnant women – 65 mg
Breastfeeding women – 130 mg
Adults – 130 mg

This is for 24 hours.

Are there side effects?

Yes, there are few side effects, but the advantage is more than the side effects. If there is a nuclear accident it is an emergency and we must take it.

I have heard adults above 40 years need not take iodine tablets: is it right?

In many countries the health authorities say this. But, from our experiences from Chernobyl we know well that radioactive iodine attacks children as well as adults and causes cancer. Adults must also take iodine tablets.

The hidden dangers of radioactivity…

We know now the problems of radioactivity better because of the Fukushima accident in Japan. We have enough scientific information after 25 years of Chernobyl accident. Based on that, we could predict the hidden dangers of radioactivity.

The hidden dangers include:

• Thyroid tumors
• Leukemia
• Bladder caner
• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Testicular cancer

The risk for tumor developing is far higher in children than adults.

The psychological, social and health problems are also very high.

The reproductive organs of men and women are also seriously affected and the dangers include:

• Reduced fertility in men
• Reduced fertility in women
• Increased stillbirths
• Increased birth defects – heart malformation, neural tube defects etc.
• Negative influence on children’s intelligence
• Negative influence on children’s general health


Adults had more heart attack and stroke. Fear and resettlement ruined many too.

Yes, the hidden dangers are very serious. This is happening in Japan now. Shall we learn something from this accident?

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 6. Other radiations…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.
Apart from the ultraviolet rays from the sun there are many other radiations that can affect our health and can cause cancers. Here we have to differentiate between ionizing and non-ionizing radiations.


Ionizing radiation is high-frequency radiation. It has energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. Thus it can damage the DNA and this may lead to cancer. The ionizing radiations include:

• X-rays
• Gamma rays
• High energy ultraviolet rays
• Protons
• Alpha particles

Non-ionizing radiation is low-frequency radiation. It cannot damage DNA as the energy is not enough to remove electrons.

The non-ionizing radiations include:

• Low energy ultraviolet rays
• Infrared rays
• Visible light
• Radio waves
• Microwaves

Low energy ultraviolet radiation is a known risk factor for cancers. In other cases the cumulative effect must also be considered. Lot of neutral research is still needed in these fields.

Radiations from atomic bombs or atomic power plants are ionizing radiations and therefore sure risk for cancers. Workplace ionizing radiation is also risky. It is know that even small doses of ionizing radiation can increase cancer risk. The cancers caused by ionizing radiation include:

• Leukemia
• Thyroid cancer
• Lung cancer
• Skin cancer
• Breast cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Multiple myeloma

Leukemia can occur few years after radiation exposure and the other cancers can result after 10 to 15 years. Moreover, the radiation exposure to a particular part of the body or organ can cause cancer there.

Children are more sensitive and vulnerable than adults as they are growing.

The sources of ionizing radiation include:

• Natural radiation – cosmic rays, radiation in the earth and radon
• Radiation from medicine – CT scans, x-rays, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine tests. Radiation therapy doses are thousands of times higher than the x-rays
• Man-made radiation – Uranium mining, workplace radiations, from the already conducted atomic tests, accidents in the atomic power plants and the atomic waste depots

Tobacco products contain low levels of ionizing radiation. Smoke detectors and some building materials can also have low levels of ionizing radiation.

The whole body scanner in the airport uses very weak x-rays.

The non-ionizing radiation types include:

• Few ultraviolet rays
• Visible light
• Infrared rays
• Radio waves
• Microwaves
• Electromagnetic fields

Cell phones, heaters and all electrical devices emit non-ionizing radiation. Very little is known about the non-ionizing radiation and cancer risk. The non-ionizing radiation cannot damage DNA, but may affect the cells in other ways. Lot of long-term research is needed.

Cell phones and cell phone towers are not good to children below 12 years old. There are many studies to prove this. More long-term research is needed for adults.

Electromagnetic fields from the power lines and electrical devises may be the reason for increased leukemia and brain tumor in children. More studies are required for adults.

Television and computer screens produce many radiations. Here also more long-term research is needed.

Very high levels of microwaves are used to heat foods through microwave ovens. As long as it is used according to instruction there is no problem. High levels of microwaves can lead burns and it is dangerous to eyes too.

More research can only bring more light in this difficult field. It is better to avoid radiations if it is possible. It is always important to understand the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 5. Enough physical activity…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Physical activity is the key to our health. We all know this. But, we have several excuses why don’t we do it regularly.


Last week a patient of mine came to me. She had 30 kg overweight. I tried to persuade her to do some physical activities. For each of my suggestions she had an argument why she didn’t do that. Uncontrolled food intake and a sedentary life are the reasons for overweight.

Physical activity helps us in many ways. The advantages include:

• Helps to protect you from developing certain cancers, e.g. breast, lung, colon and endometrial cancers
• Reduce the risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, heart disease and stroke
• Helps to prevent type 2 diabetes
• Reduces bone loss and thus prevents osteoporosis
• Improves mood and relieves the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• More calories are burnt and this means maintaining the weight or for many enjoying their food
• Very good to improve the mental fitness of seniors
• Improves sleep
• Improves general fitness
• Improves quality of life
• Makes healthy to live longer

It is never too late to start the physical activity. Physical activity is important for all, but how much one needs varies from individual to individual. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for 5 days in a week is considered optimum. You can do it continuously or with breaks. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend the following for exercise:
• To reduce disease risk, at least 30 minutes daily of moderate-intensity physical activity, beyond your usual activities at home and work.
• To lose weight and prevent gradual weight gain, 60 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity activity on most days.
• To keep of lost weight, 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

The moderate-intensity physical activities include:

• Brisk walking for 35 min
• Gardening for 30 to 45 min
• Basketball (shooting baskets) for 30 min
• Playing volleyball for 45 min
• Bicycling 8 km in 30 min
• Fast dancing for 30 min
• Water aerobics for 30 min
• Swimming, 20 min
• Rope jumping, 15 min
• Self using of wheelchair, 30 to 40 min, personal experience
• Stair-climbing, 15 min

In vigorous-intensity physical activity one breaths rapidly and is able to speak in short phrases. The heart rate is increased and mostly results sweating. If possible the moderate-intensity physical activity and vigorous-intensity physical activity can be done alternatively. The vigorous-intensity physical activities include:

• Aerobic dancing
• Fast dancing
• Fast cycling
• Fast swimming
• Jogging
• Playing basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis etc.
• Race walking
• Hiking uphill


If you have not done more than a year any physical activity consult your doctor first. This is the case if you suffer from diseases too. Pregnant woman must also consult her doctor before starting her exercises.

Select the right physical activity, stay healthy and enjoy life…

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 4. Healthy weight…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

During the last 20 years the percentage of overweight and obese children and adults has been steadily increasing in our world. Good/Bad and excess food and lack of physical activity are the main reason for this problem. It is well established that overweight and obesity are risk factors for high blood pressure, high triglycerides, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Apart from this, overweight and obesity are risk factors for certain cancers and they include:

• Breast (postmenopausal)
• Endometrium (cancer of the uterus lining)
• Gallbladder (in women)
• Kidney (in women)
• Colon (in men)
• Esophagus


There are many ways to have a look about your weight whether it is normal or not. Many follow the BMI and the guidelines for adults from age 20 are:

<18.5>30.0 obese

BMI = weight in kg/square of height in meters

The other easy way to know about your weight is:

Height in cm – 100 = normal weight
Normal weight – 10% normal weight = ideal weight

It is not advisable to have less than ideal weight as ideal weight – 10% normal weight = the dangerous model weight, that is simply skin and bones only.

Another very important factor is the waist circumference. Waist is the place where the reserve fat is deposited and this is a great risk factor. The recent research shows that Waist-to-height-ratio (WHtR) gives more information about the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is easy to calculate. Measure your waist circumference around your navel in cm and divide this with your height in cm to get the Waist-to-height-ratio. For example, your waist circumference is 85 cm and your height is 170 cm. 85/170 = 0.5

The reference ratios are:

Below 40 years – less than 0.5
Between 40 and 50 years – between 0.5 and 0.6
Above 50 years – around 0.6

Avoid or reduce the intake of processed food, fast food and junk food. Excess fat and carbohydrates must be avoided. Vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes must be always a part of your food.

Physical activities are very important to keep the normal weight. Normal weight not only reduces the risks for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes but also the cancers.

Consult with your dietician and select the right foods for you. Get the advice of your dieticians often if it is necessary.

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 2. No tobacco products…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals and metals. Out of this 43 are known cancer-causing and 400 are other toxins. These include:

• Nicotine
• Tar
• Carbon monoxide
• Formaldehyde
• Ammonia
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Acrolein
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Radioactive lead and polonium
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Nitrosamines
• Pesticides such as DDT and its metabolites

Nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine from the smoke needs only few seconds to go through the lungs to reach the brain. It is a stimulant to the brain in small doses, but in high doses it is a depressant.

From the chewing tobacco more nicotine reaches the blood and thus to the brain. All tobacco products including cigars or snuff are not safe.

Apart from lung cancer smoking is known to be a risk factor for many cancers and they include:

• Lung

• Larynx
• Oral cavity including lips
• Throat
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Pancreas
• Cervix
• Kidney
• Bladder
• Acute myeloid leukemia

90% of the lung cancer is caused by smoking. Men and women are equally affected. There are many other health problems coming from smoking and the use of other tobacco products. They include:

• Women’s reproductive health is affected
• Can affect embryo
• Reduced fertility
• Miscarriage
• Premature birth
• Stillbirth
• Can make asthma and pneumonia worse
• Excess production of free radicals and thus many organs can be affected
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Bronchitis
• Aneurysms, bulging or ballooning of the arteries
• Emphysema, causes shortness of breath
• Causes poor blood flow in the legs and arms.

Passive smoking or secondhand smoking is worse than smoking. Never allow others to smoke inside your home or where children or non-smokers are there.

Pregnant woman or breastfeeding mothers should not smoke or use any tobacco products.

Go and consult your doctor and there are many ways to quit smoking or the use of tobacco products.

If you stop smoking the body needs 10 years to recover completely. Stop smoking immediately and improve your quality of life.

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 1. The right food…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Food plays a vital role in the prevention of many cancers and they include the cancer of:

• Colon
• Esophagus
• Larynx
• Lung
• Oral cavity
• Prostate
• Rectum

There are many studies, but more research is still needed to know more about the exact mechanism of cancer prevention with right foods.

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains have so many phytochemicals that are useful in the prevention of cancer. We don’t know exactly what substances or which food is good since the fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain several hundred phytochemicals that can be helpful to prevent cancer. The important groups of substances that are useful include:

• Antioxidants
• Phytochemicals
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids e.g. Omega 3-fattyacids

Antioxidants – these are substances that prevent or inhibit oxidation process in the body to protect cells. The aggressive free radicals can attack the healthy cells and can change their DNA. The result is tumor growth. More research is necessary to understand the role of cancer prevention of antioxidants from the food.

The important antioxidants include:

• Vitamin C
• Beta-carotene
• Vitamin E

The food rich in these antioxidants, particularly fruits, vegetables and nuts are very important food to minimize the risk of cancer.

Phytochemicals – these are chemicals present in plants to protect them from bacteria, viruses and fungi. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants or food protectors or prevent cancer forming substances n the body. Brightly colored fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds contain many phytochemicals. Red, yellow, green, orange, blue, purple and white color fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals.

The important phytochemicals include:
• Allicin – found in onions and garlic
• Anthocyanins – found in red and blue fruits and in vegetables
• Biflavonoids – found in citrus fruits
• Carotenoids – found in dark yellow, orange and deep green fruits and vegetables
• Flavonoids – found in fruits and vegetables
• Indoles – found in cruciferous vegetables
• Isoflavones – found in soybeans
• Lignins found in flaxseed and whole grains
• Lutein – found in leafy green vegetables
• Lycopene – found in tomato products and water melon
• Polyphenols – found in fruits, legumes, seeds and tea

It is important to eat the food containing these phytochemicals. We get phytochemicals only from our food. There are no supplements for phytochemicals.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids e.g. Omega 3-fattyacids – Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids belong to the group of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids are:

• Alpha-linolenic acid – present in flaxseed and in walnuts
• Eicosapentaenoic acid
• Docosahexaenoic acid

The last two are present in cold water fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, halibut, striped bass and tuna. The body cannot produce these fatty acids and so must be taken from the food or from good supplements. Consult your dietician or doctor before you tank any food supplements.

Omega 3-fatty acids may reduce or prevent the risk of tumor production in the breast and prostate glands.

There are no recommended daily dietary allowance for antioxidants, phytochemicals and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Excess antioxidants can become pro-oxidants and this is bad for the health.

It is better to avoid processed food, fast food and junk food. If you can’t avoid it you must minimize the intake of these foods. As you know more than 3000 chemicals are used in the food processing industry. If an animal is butchered there is no waste. Almost everything is coming to our plate with the help of chemicals.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best. Frozen fruits and vegetables are equally good.

The above mentioned food is good not only to prevent or minimize the risk for cancer but also to prevent or minimize the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and overweight and obesity.

How to minimize the risks for cancer?

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

At present every third person gets some cancer in his life and one in four dies because of cancer. The number increases continuously. We must take this very seriously from the young ages. It is better to teach the primary school children about this and once learnt they will never forget in their lives.

Most cancers do not develop overnight and it can be a process of decades. This is the reason why we have to think about this big health problem very early.

Cancer prevention is easy and the important points for that include:

• The right food
• No tobacco products
• Alcohol in moderation
• Healthy weight
• Enough physical activity
• Avoid excess sun and other radiations
• Protection from viral infections
• Safe sex
• No needle sharing
• Use of hormones
• Preventive self-examinations and preventive medical checkup
• Environmental poisons
• Poisons in your home and garden
• Detoxification and free radical scavenging

The above tips are very important. What is right for you and what is not is different in different individuals. To understand this better I will write every day about one topic in detail.

Do something so that you can be happy always and enjoy your life even when you are very old. For this the foundation must be put in young years too.

If you want to assess your situation thoroughly you can have counseling. In this case you can contact me. The counseling can be in person or online.

Sex; is it healthy? What are the benefits?

Sex is a taboo theme in many parts of our world. Many still think it is dirty and is mostly done when the light is off. Is it really so bad? Scientists prove that sex is extremely beneficial for our health. Here you get more information about this mostly thought, but less spoken theme.

The benefits of sex include:

• Beneficial for the heart and blood circulation, thus good oxygen supply to brain and other cells
• Balances the ratio of HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol
• Lowers the risk of prostate cancer
• Lower the risk of breast cancer
• Good for mental and emotional health. Abstinence increases the feelings of anger, frustration, self-doubt, depression etc. Endorphins and semen play here a vital role in enhancing mood after sex
• Eliminates stress. Good sex gives total relaxation and good sleep
• Increases the estrogen levels in women and this is vital for skin and hair health
• Increases the humans’ lifespan 3 to 8 years and 50% reduction of death risk
• Sweating cleanse the skin pores and improve the skin health
• Good to burn calories. Comparable of 15 minutes on a treadmill
• Strengthen pelvic, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, chest and arm muscles
• More sex means more production of pheromones that are chemicals to attract the opposite sex
• Increases intimacy to partner
• A good pain reliever than many painkillers. Oxytocin and endorphins are responsible for this. These calm pain from headaches, migraines to arthritis. Increased estrogen levels reduce premenstrual pains. Mostly the excuse not to want is headache!!!!
• Kissing lowers the acidity in the mouth and good for mouth hygiene; thus tooth decay and bad breath is prevented
• Decreases the risk to get colds, flu and other infections. The reason is the production of more immunoglobin A, an antibody which strengthens the immune system
• Helps for a better control of bladder with strong pelvic muscles and thus minimize the risk of incontinence

Children are our wealth and it is the main purpose of sex. This is accepted by all. You can see the other benefits as extra bonus.

What is normal to achieve these benefits? Twice in a week or more can give you these benefits.

What is Cancer?

The body is made up of many types of cells, the body’s basic unit of life. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells. The cells grow and divided in a controlled way to produce more cells according to the needs of the body to be healthy.

Sometimes DNA, the genetic material of a cell can become damaged or changed producing mutations which affect normal cell growth and division. In this case the old cells will not die, but new cells are formed which are not needed by the body. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumour.

The abnormal and uncontrolled cell division is called cancer and it is a very serious disease. These cancer cells are able to invade other body tissues. Through the blood and lymph systems they can spread to other parts of the body.

There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most of the cancers are called in the of the affected organ or type of cell in which they start, for example, cancer that begins in the breast is called breast cancer; Basal cell carcinoma begins in basal cells of the skin.

The main categories of cancer include:

• Leukemia – cancer which starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow
• Lymphoma and myeloma – cancers that begin in the cells of the immune-system
• Carcinoma – cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover the internal organs
• Sarcoma – cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels or other connective or supportive tissue
• Central nervous system cancers – cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

Healthy food and a good lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancers.

Can you explain me the difference between vitamin A and beta-carotene?

There are two forms of vitamin A, the preformed original vitamin A and as carotenoids. These carotenoids are called provitamins and the most well known is beta-carotene.

Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A once digested. Vitamin A is found in fats such as butter and margarine, but beta-carotene rich in fruits and vegetables which have bright colours.

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. It can reduce the risk of heart disease and few cancers. It is very healthy if you take this from your fresh foods. Synthetic beta-carotene supplements can increase the risk of cancer. It is noted particularly among smokers.

What is the relationship between cholesterol and our behaviour?

Low cholesterol is good for our heart, but if it is too low, less than 150, it may alter the brain chemistry because brain contains a large amount of cholesterol. We have knowledge about the cholesterol in our body but we know only little about brain cholesterol.

Cholesterol does not go from the blood to brain because of the blood-brain barrier but it is synthesized in the brain itself. About 25% of the total cholesterol found in our body is in the brain and its turnover is affected in neuro-degenerating disorders. The capacity for cholesterol transport and recycling in the brain seems to be important for the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Lot of research is going on but concrete evidence is unfortunately still missing.

The negative consequences of low cholesterol, whether actively reduced or naturally low, are a few according to the recent research reports.

Men with the lowest cholesterol had the highest mortality rate, but it is generally due to cancer and other non-heart related diseases. It may be the lung cancer in the case of smokers with low cholesterol, but the reason is not low cholesterol itself.

Cholesterol may be important in the brain for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which at low levels associated with depression. Persons with low cholesterol have also low serotonin values and there is a link between low natural cholesterol levels and negative emotional states, depression, accidents, violence and a higher rate of suicide.

Persons with low cholesterol, but with high blood pressure, may be at the risk for haemorrhagic stroke with bleeding in the brain. But it should be clearly noted that this type of stroke is much less common than ischemic stroke which is caused by artery blockage.

Chewing Tobacco, Smokeless Tobacco, Dip, Snuff, Oral Tobacco & Spit Tobacco

Is this form of tobacco consumption safer than smoking? No, it is not at all safer than smoking. All forms of tobacco consumption are dangerous to our health.

Chewing or dipping has the risks like mouth cancer, pulling away of the gum from the tooth, decay of the exposed roots and white patches or red sores in the mouth which may turn to cancer. It plays also a vital role in heart disease, stroke and in other cancers.

Chewing tobacco brings more nicotine into blood because they reach the stomach and the absorption takes place in the intestines. It is much more efficient than from the inhalation of the smoke.

The different kinds of smokeless tobacco include:

Chewing tobacco is a loose leaf, twists or plugs and it is chewed.

Snuff is the dry or moist loose leaf or in small pouches like tea bags and a pinch of snuff is placed between lower lips and gum or the cheek and the gum. It is inhaled also into the nostrils.

Betel quid is a product of India, Asia and Africa. It consists of a dried paste which includes tobacco, areca nuts, catechu and different scent or flavouring. It is placed in the mouth, between the cheek and gum and gently chewed or sucked.

In India many are addicted to chewing tobacco wrapped in betel leaves, all social categories are represented here in large numbers. Even the majority of the college students have this bad habits and the health risk is high.

Even doctors use this and this is a bad habit which we export very well because the young Indian migrating to other countries use this also throughout the world.

Gutka is industrially manufactured smokeless tobacco product which is a specifically an Indian problem. Areca nut, an important constituent of gutka causes oral mucous fibrosis, a dangerous disease with no cure, which also the precursor of oral cancer.

In cigarette smoking this may take years to reach this but in gutka this happens within short time and with the popularization of gutka the oral cancer rate among young persons are increasing in India. It is never too late to stop using tobacco.

It is difficult to ban because they get their rights from the court of law because we do not have strict laws. The public must ask for the ban and put pressure on the political parties for which they vote. It is also advisable to put extra tax which could be used to patients for their medical treatments and rehabilitation. Increase the prices of the ingredients so drastically that gutka becomes very costly for many people.

There is no safe tobacco product in our world.

Cigars

Which are more dangerous to our health, cigarettes or cigars? Both are dangerous but cigars are more dangerous than cigarettes. 75% of the cigar smokers are occasional smokers than cigarette smokers and this is the reason why cigar smokers are exposed to smaller amounts of the poisons and carcinogens. It is the only reason for the fewer instances of disease and fatality due to cigar smoking.

Normally a single cigarette contains less than a gram of tobacco, but cigars vary in size and may have between 5 and 20 grams of tobacco. So to say, one cigar, in extreme case, may be equal to one pack with 20 king size cigarettes.

The manufacturing process of cigars differs from cigarettes and the tobacco must be fermented and this produces more tobacco specific nitrosamines which are the most carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds known. Moreover, cigar wrappers are not as porous as cigarette wrappers which make the combustion incomplete. These two factors are the reason for higher concentrations of ammonia, carbon monoxide, tar and nitrogen oxides in cigars than in cigarettes.

Cigar contains much more nicotine than a cigarette, an average cigarette contains between one to two mg of nicotine and that of an average cigar has 100 to 200 mg, some with more than 400 mg. Cigar smoke is more alkaline than cigarette smoke; it readily breaks down in saliva which allows the easy absorption of nicotine through the lining of the mouth in quantities sufficient to cause addiction.

Smoking one cigar a day increases the risk for cancer; the cancers noted include lip, tongue, mouth, throat and larynx, so to say the whole oral cavity. Lung cancer and pancreas and bladder cancers are the other diseases which are often noted.

The risk for early tooth loss is very high.

Cigar smokers have twice the risk to have erectile dysfunction or impotent as non-smokers. This is because of the adverse effects of the smoke on circulation, nervous system and hormones.

Passive smoking has the same adverse effects, including the erectile dysfunction; the best solution is stop smoking cigar.

There is no safe tobacco product in our world.

Beedi

Tobacco, hand rolled in Tendu leaves, are called Beedies. It is the cheapest cigarettes produced in Asia and more than 85% is produced in India and from the 240 millions of tobacco users approximately more than 100 million people are smoking beedies.

Beedies are more dangerous than cigarettes because they contain more tar, nicotine and other cancer producing substances, carbon monoxide, ammonia and also contain the cancer producing nitrosamines. One third of 6,00,000 TB deaths in India go to the account of Beedi smoking. But, surprisingly, they have less tobacco than in cigarettes.

Beedies have three times more nicotine, produce three times more carbon monoxide and have 5 times more tar than cigarettes. The lack of filter and also the lack of porosity of the leaves used for wrapping may be the reason for this.

The risk of the cancer of the lung, mouth, oesophagus and stomach is higher than those of a non-smoker.

The risk for chronic bronchitis is four times increased and there is also three times higher risk of heart attack than the non-smokers.

The illiterate and poor in India are the majority of beedi smokers. Others also smoke beedies.

The argument of economy and jobs allow us to produce tobacco, opium from poppy seeds e.g. in Afghanistan and also cocaine in South America. Who all earn huge money out of this nobody knows but the poor man is suffering and dying. Unfortunately money and moral starts with “m”. Try to be clean and if many think like this we could solve any problem.

That is why it is very important to generate awareness.

The risk of passive smoking is same like in cigarettes; it is equally bad or more than bad as in normal beedi smoking. Particularly, it is very bad for children and pregnant.

There are more than 2,90,000 beedi growers in India and around 4.5 million people are employed in beedi industry, without suitable alternative job opportunities, it is impossible to ban it immediately. Moreover, these are the jobs of rural India. But, it should be started slowly with right projects so that within a decade we could ban it.

The tobacco industry tries to lure women and youth to smoke in India. As a clinical toxicologist I have seen lot of problems in these groups. With the ban in different countries, they do still very aggressive advertisements to get young, new customers.

Beedies are banned in some countries and in most of the countries it is available even with different flavours. I used to laugh when they try to convince me by saying that it is healthy because it is not rolled in paper but in a leaf, a natural product. Of course, it is with a natural product, but brings unnatural death for most of the smokers.

What are the occupational hazards of the beedi industries? Mostly the women and the girls in rural India do this job; they suffer a lot, not because they are smoking but because they breathe the dust there. Moreover, this is the most unorganized industry in India without any control from any side. Most of this work is done in the home by women and girls and the result is child labour and large number of school dropouts among girls. Boys are not at all involved in this work, what a funny world?

Here it is not only the beedi smokers who should be helped but also the girls and women engaged in this industry. It is our national duty to do lot for the health of women and girls who may be the double losers as passive smokers as well as due to their occupational risks.

There is no safe tobacco product in our world.

What are the Rainbow Colour Antioxidants and Phytochemicals?

Antioxidants and phytochemicals rich food lower the risk of heart diseases as well as cancer. We must eat enough vegetables and fruits everyday.

The colour of fruits and vegetables are coing from the antioxidants and phytochemicals and the are

• Red colour – Lycopene, food rich is tomato, watermelon, pink grapefruit etc.
• Orange colour – Beta-carotene, rich in carrot, mango etc.
• Yellow colour – Beta-cryptothanxin, rich in pineapple, peach, orange etc.
• Green colour – Indoles, rich in cabbage, broccoli, kale etc.
• Purple colour – Anthocyanins, rich in grapes, blueberries, egg plants etc.
• White colour – Allicin, rich in garlic, onion, chives etc.

Eating everyday the vegetables and fruits containing these antioxidants and phytochemicals are very healthy.

What is the connection between cancer and food?

Cancer is uncontrolled growth of the cells in any part of the body.

There is a very good connection between cancer and food; if you eat the right food the risk of cancer would be minimized to 50%.

The right food is lot of coloured fruits and vegetables, whole grains and whole grain products, pulses, beans and peas, nuts and seeds.

Avoiding the risk factors like junk, fast and processed foods, less physical activity, smoking, excess alcohol, excess animal fat, obesity and taking right food, you can lead a healthy and better life.

Lead vs. Benzene in Petrol in our World

It is good that in our world we have lead from the petrol. Lead is not poisonous to adults. Even a pregnant woman had no problem with it.

But, lead makes only problems to the children, particularly for the school going children. It could reduce their intelligence thus their capacity of learning. There are studies from World Health Organization (WHO) involving hundreds of thousands of school going children which proved these adverse effects.

We have done a great job, but the substitute for lead in petrol, benzene is more dangerous. Up to 5% of benzene is mixed with petrol to get the similar characteristics of the leaded petrol.

Benzene comes out with the exhaust gases to the environment. It is present everywhere now and bad for our health.

Benzene is cancerous but nobody talks about that.

Long-term health effects of exposure to benzene:

• The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. (Long-term exposure means exposure of a year or more.) Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
• Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
• Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.
• The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp

Now-a-days we know continuous environmental exposure is also a great risk for our health.

What are dangerous, smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars, beedies or use of chewing tobacco?

All are dangerous to our health. It depends how much and how often you smoke. With cigars, beedies or chewing tobacco you absorb more nicotine than cigarettes. Pipes are usually not smoked very often and so the absorption of nicotine is low compared to other forms. If the tobacco reaches our stomach most of the nicotine is absorbed in the intestine and this is the case with chewing tobacco.

Nicotine is one among several substances and tar which is a mixture of several active chemical compounds in tobacco smoke. There are about 3000 chemicals which are found in tobacco smoke and many are dangerous to our health. Out of these 50 are considered cancerous. Long time exposure to the substances like carbon monoxide, cyanide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons cause the damage of lungs, arteries and responsible for several other complications including cancer.

The poisonous metal cadmium is present in tobacco and it is deposited in kidneys and bad to our health. There are radioactive carcinogens also present in tobacco smoke and they are lead-210 and polonium-210.

Although the paper is bad in cigarettes beedi is worse than cigarettes. In many countries beedies are banned. Beedies are more dangerous than cigarettes because they contain more tar, nicotine and other cancer producing substances, carbon monoxide, ammonia and also contain the cancer producing nitrosamines. One third of 6,00,000 TB deaths in India go to the account of Beedi smoking. But, surprisingly, they have less tobacco than in cigarettes.

Beedies have three times more nicotine, produce three times more carbon monoxide and have 5 times more tar than cigarettes. The lack of filter and also the lack of porosity of the leaves used for wrapping may be the reason for this.

Passive smoking is more dangerous than active smoking. Do not smoke when there are non-smokers. If children are present then smoking should be avoided completely. This is applicable strictly to your visitors also.