Can Cell Phones Cause Health Problems?

By now, you know the routine with cell phone science: One day we get a study saying cell phones are completely safe and the next day we find research saying they give you cancer! So why should you care if I say I have some new information on the dangers of cell phones? Well, according to analysis we found in the Bottom Line Personal, all that conflicting research should be your biggest red flag! That’s the word from Dr. David Carpenter, director for the Institute For Health and the Environment in New York.

He agrees there are no definitive studies showing that cell phones cause health problems, but we do know this: New evidence confirms that low-frequency electromagnetic radiation – the kind emitted from cell phones – can cause biological cell mutations and breakage of DNA structure. Admittedly, that radiation can also come from things like high tension power lines or household appliances. Dr. Carpenter was intrigued by a 10-year study which found that heavy cell phone users had a 50% greater risk for developing cancerous tumors – compared to adults who barely use a cell phone.

Even more telling: Many of those tumors developed in areas where a person typically holds a cell phone. Like the salivary gland of the mouth, the auditory nerve of the ear, or on the brain itself. Basically, Dr. Carpenter says people shouldn’t wait for scientists to dot every “i” and cross every “t” before taking steps to minimize their radiation exposure. How can you do that?

• Use the speakerphone option or an earpiece attachment with a wire whenever possible. Just like cell phones themselves, Dr. Carpenter says more research is needed on the safety of those wireless Bluetooth earpieces.
  
  
• Send text messages whenever possible. It’s simply quicker than making a phone call, so it reduces your radiation exposure.
  
  
• Avoid carrying a cell phone on your body. Because phones continue to connect to relay antennas even when you’re not using them.
  
  
• Don’t keep a cell phone in your bedroom! Having one on a bedside table will expose your body to electromagnetic pulses all night long.

Could There Be An Obama Baby Boom?

It’s too soon to know for sure, but experts aren’t ruling out the possibility of an up-tick in births nine months from now. That’s according to Newsweek magazine. They say that often, following an important national event, you’ll see an increase in the birthrate – sometimes it’s after a scary event, like a terrorist attack. Or something positive, like the end of World War 2.

Dr. Manny Alvarez is the chief of reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center and he says – right now the mood of the country is optimistic and that’s always related to birthrates. He says he’s gearing up for a healthy increase in babies. Sociologist Pepper Schwartz says euphoria is a serious aphrodisiac and that’s exactly what a lot of younger voters felt after the election. Voters under 30 years old went for Obama by a margin of 2 to 1. In fact, the likelihood of a baby boom already has a listing in the online Urban Dictionary. They’re calling children conceived on or shortly after election night: Obama babies.

So what would classify as an Obama baby boom? Americans would have had to have made more than 390,000 babies in the month of November. We won’t know for sure until next August – 9 months after the election. Know this. Barrack Obama was born almost nine months to the day after John F. Kennedy was elected to the White House. Coincidence or baby boom? Only time will tell.

Surprising Weight Loss Tips

From Rodale Publishing and Dr. David Katz:

Here are a few surprising weight-loss tips backed by the latest research.

• The best bread for your weight loss program is not white bread, whole wheat, or whole grain with barley. It’s sourdough bread! A high-fiber diet reduces your body’s production of insulin, and smoothes out blood sugar levels. Which helps you feel full longer, cuts back on cravings, and makes you less likely to overeat. The fermentation process makes sourdough act like it’s got more fiber than any other bread. Volunteers in a recent study who ate sourdough for breakfast had the lowest and most stable blood-sugar levels all day.
  
  
• What’s the best breakfast for keeping your weight in check? Either eggs or cereal. Eggs are nutritious, low in calories and packed with protein that’ll keep you feeling full well into the afternoon. Fresh berries with whole grain cereal is also a great weight-loss breakfast that’ll help you stay full all day. Just make sure the cereal’s ingredient list starts with the words “whole grains.” Make sure it also contains at least two grams of fiber per serving, and no high fructose corn syrup or partially-hydrogenated oils.
  
  
• Finally, the best diet for losing weight is not low-calorie. According to researchers at Harvard University, you’ll lose more weight and have healthier cholesterol numbers if you stick to a Mediterranean diet packed with whole grains and unsaturated fats, or a low-carb diet high in protein and good-for-you fat. Studies show that both diets help you lose as much weight as you’d lose from doctor-prescribed weight-loss pills. Still, this doesn’t give you free rein to eat all the fat you want! The key to weight loss is still to burn more calories than you take in.
  

Don't Talk and Drive

From ABCNEWS:

Loose lips crash cars! That’s right. We’ve all heard the statistics about how dangerous it is to talk on the cell phone while driving. For example, you’re four TIMES as likely to be involved in a fatal accident if you’re talking on your cell while driving. Well, one company is trying to actually get people to stop talking and driving at the same time altogether. Here are the details, courtesy of ABC News.

David Teator, vice president of a Canadian software business called Aegis Mobility, became an advocate against what he calls “driving while distracted” after his 12-year-old son Joe was killed in 2004 by a driver who was talking on a cell phone. However, Teator knows it’s not easy. He says when he tried to cut back on his own habit, he found it difficult. Why? Because it’s against our nature to ignore a ringing phone. So, Aegis developed software called Drive Assist T. It detects whether a cell phone is in a moving car, and if so, your service provider is alerted and told to hold calls and text messages until the drive is over. Your callers get a message that says the person they’re calling – YOU - appears to be driving.

There is an option to leave an emergency voice mail if they can’t wait, which is put through immediately. Several states have introduced laws against talking on cell phones while driving, but they still allow the use of hands-free devices. Unfortunately, studies show that it’s the distraction of dialing and talking that’s dangerous – not that your hand is off the wheel. The Aegis software uses a GPS system to detect motion. So for it to work, the system has to be supported by a cellular carrier. Although Aegis doesn’t have a deal with any company yet, it hopes to be able to announce its availability early next year. So be on the lookout for it. In the meantime, don’t talk and drive. It’s easy to be immune to statistics, but what we’re really talking about is people dying. People like you and me. So save the calls and texts for when your vehicle is stopped.

Olbermann on Obama’s historic journey