Sorry I’m getting a bit off topic here - but I saw some news stories that caught my attention but aren’t about women’s health specifically.

One was about how microwaving sponges can sterilize them. Washing sponges out in the dishwasher does not kill microbes, but sterilizing them in the microwave is much more effective. Apparently just two minutes in a microwave will kill or inactivate over 99% of bacteria, viruses and parasites. It took 4-10 minutes to kill the spores however. Details can be found in the Journal of Environmental Health

Another is about regulating the labeling of products that are supposed to be gluten free. Luckily I don’t have a problem with gluten, but many do and it seems to be an under-recognized problem. Celiac disease, as its called, prevents people from absorbing the protein gluten and possibly effects over 1.5 million Americans. Symptoms include bloating, pain, vomiting, etc. but can also result in more serious issues such as vitamin deficiencies and stunted growth. Currently there is not a consistent standard regarding how product labels report being gluten free. The FDA wants to create a standard for foods to be able say they are gluten-free - not containing any type of wheat, rye or barley or removing it.

A study in American Journal of Epidemiology shows a possible connection between exposure to chlorinated water and an increased risk of bladder cancer. Drinking, showering or swimming in water that has been chlorinated increases the amount of chlorine people are exposed to. It can be breathed in, absorbed through the skin or ingested. Chlorination by-products including chemicals called trihalomethanes (THM) can also find their way into our bodies and are also dangerous. This study found that use of swimming pools increased bladder cancer risk by 57%! That’s really scary to me, being that I spent a lot of time when I was a kid swimming! Even longer showers is supposed to increase the risk - and I love long showers! Interestingly, last spring a paper in International Journal of Cancer found a link between tap water and bladder cancer and another paper last year linked asthma with indoor swimming pools. While there may be a connection I don’t think it is any cause for panic. I don’t have data sitting in front of me but I suspect that the health risks due to unclean, unchlorinated water are much greater!

On a more positive note the American Cancer Society report that 3000 less people died from cancer in the US from 2003 to 2004. This drop may be due to less people smoking and more getting early cancer screenings.

That’s all for today!

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