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CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS
This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.
No plastic containers in microwave.
No water bottles in freezer.
No plastic wrap in microwave.
A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital,was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the
Microwave using plastic containers...
This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic
Containers for heating food... You get the same res ults, only without the dioxin.
So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc.,
Should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.
He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when Placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
ALSO -------------------------------------
Bottled water in your car - Very Dangerous.
This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia .
A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the Doctor told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the w ater and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!
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Add a Comment2 Comments
Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention! Just to ease your worries in four words: these emails are scams.
The best way to know if an email is credible or not from a well-known source such as John Hopkins is to ask yourself this question: did I sign up to receive cancer updates from them (or did my friend of a friend of a friend)? John Hopkins, as well as other well-known medical centers, does not communicate health information with the public in this manner (through scary mass emails!), so don't worry. Also...the most sensationalized and stress-inducing email rumors are usually attributed to the most famous and well-known source (in this instance: John Hopkins for cancer information), which is when you can know it's an urban legend.
FYI: the "cancer update" email has been going around since last March 2007 and the "cooking plastic" portion of the email has been circultaing since 2002.
Snopes.com is a great site to check the validity of such email scams.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp (scroll down to see John Hopkins variation)
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cancerupdate.asp
Lastly, notice the use of language, and how it is different in an email scam (use of scare-tactics) vs. the actual sources themselves (calm tone). These organizations do not want to "scare the health into you"! :-)
Now, to answer your health questions
- There are no dioxins in water bottles: this is an urban legend
- "In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for example heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel."
- "Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving."
Sources
October 12, 2008 - 1:46pmUSDA Food Safety Education: Cooking with Plastics
John Hopkins
This Comment
2011 Update: Research at the University of Texas at Austin has shown that most plastics leach estrogen-like chemicals. The study found a significant increase in leaching when the plastic was subjected to high or low temperatures, but the chemicals were detectable even at room temperature. http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134196209/study-most-plastics-leach-hormone-like-chemicals
June 9, 2011 - 3:03pmThis Comment