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Health Warnings
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Nov 09, 2006
Generic brands of acetaminophen sold at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Safeway, and CVS have been recalled because of possible contamination with fragments of metal. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Sep 22, 2006
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences report that exposure to a chemical found in mothballs, air fresheners, and toilet deodorizers can cause lung damage and possibly even lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
The chemical in question is called 1,4-dichlorobenzene or 1,4-DCB. If you know what mothballs smell like, you know exactly what 1,4-DCB smells like. 1,4-DCB is a volatile organic compound - a chemical that is given off as a gas from common household products. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Aug 30, 2006
Lead poisoning has become less of a health threat to the general population since lead-based paint and leaded gasoline were phased out in the 1970s. Still, those who work around lead, pregnant women, infants, and young children continue to be at significant risk of suffering from mild to moderate cases of lead poisoning. Unborn babies, infants, and young children are especially at risk because exposure to even small amounts can lead to permanent damage. Lead can be absorbed through the placenta and breast milk. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Jul 09, 2006
A study published in the July 5th, 2006 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that taking the maximum recommended dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) for fourteen consecutive days can cause acute liver damage.
Medical researchers who co-ordinated this study had 106 participants take 4 grams of acetaminophen (the equivalent of eight 500 mg tablets of extra-strength Tylenol) every day for two weeks. Thirty-nine participants received placebo pills. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Jun 01, 2006
Energy drinks like Red Bull, Sobe "No Fear," and Red Devil are all the rage these days, especially among teenagers and young adults.
According to a study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, these and other drinks that promise to boost your metabolism and energy can contain three to four times as much caffeine as a regular soda.
These drinks can make you feel more alert and energetic in the short term, but drinking them on a regular basis can and will hurt your health over the long term.
Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on May 28, 2006
Exposure to household toxins is linked to just about every disease that we know of, most notably cancer. Numerous animal studies have linked many of the more than 24,000 toxins that exist in our environment to negative health effects on the following systems: Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on May 24, 2006
Preface
Having a son of our own, it was crushing to read the following story about a mother and father losing their precious baby. I greatly respect and appreciate the courage that it must have taken for Christine Colebeck to share her experience with others. Thank you, Christine, for sharing Laura's story with us.
- Ben Kim
***
By Christine Colebeck Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Sep 09, 2005
A recent study out of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine reports that very large amounts of a caramel food coloring can suppress the immune system.
You would think that scientists would use this information to warn people about the dangers of eating processed foods that have artificial colours. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Sep 07, 2005
If someone you know still doesn't have enough motivation to quit smoking, you may want to let him or her know that the link between smoking and blindness is about as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. Read more
Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Sep 03, 2005
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in Oakland, California filed a lawsuit on August 31, 2005 against manufacturers and retailers of soft vinyl lunch boxes that can potentially expose children to dangerous levels of lead.
The amount of lead found in soft vinyl lunch boxes is not enough to cause acute lead poisoning, but is enough to contribute to health problems now and in the future, the most common of which are: Read more
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