BUYER BEWARE!!

As many of you already know, there has been a huge problem with the contamination of Pet Food traced back to China with the using of melamine( a chemical used in plastics) causing additional weight and nitrogen yield to the foods to create the impression that there is a high protein content, when there is not. This corruption in China by a number of companies and individuals was used to "make more money" from Pet Food Distributors because those in China did not have to supply the "real" protein, which of course would cost those in China more to produce. So, once again, Greed is the problem.
This problem has been responsible for the deaths of many many pets here in the USA that owners depend on for use as Guide and Rescue Dogs as well as members of their family including cats.
Now the problem has gotten into the Food Chain both here in the USA and in China, that has long had a problem with unsafe food and death associated with these products. Anyone who tells you that there is either no harm to humans or very little harm(some government agencies have said this) should be forced to eat these "suspected" foods from China. There have been many deaths of babies in China because of the sale of "fake baby formulas." The Food-Safety record in China is non-existent. Here in the USA we have Food Safety, but not enough inspectors to insure that what we eat is really safe to consume.
Here is a recent article by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press Writer who has reported the current state of this problem:

"The Chinese government agency responsible for food safety has ordered stepped up checks on plant proteins such as wheat gluten or rice protein, the ingredients found contaminated. It has also banned the export or domestic sale of melamine, which is sometimes added to animal feeds to fool testers by making them appear to have higher nitrogen levels and therefore more nutritious.

China earlier this week announced the detention of managers at the two firms involved, apparently on suspicion of mislabeling the exports to avoid inspections.
Such contaminated products have frequently led to illness because of overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizer, or by the injection of liquids into meat to boost weight and sale prices.
Mississippi and Alabama recently banned catfish from China after tests found ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, antibiotics forbidden from use in the United States. Louisiana officials said Monday they would begin testing Chinese seafood for the antibiotics.

Excessive antibiotic or pesticide residues have caused bans in Europe and Japan on Chinese shrimp, honey and other products. Hong Kong blocked imports of turbot last year after inspectors found traces of malachite green, a possibly cancer-causing chemical used to treat fungal infections, in some fish.

Within China, babies have died after being fed fake baby formula, eggs have been impregnated with dangerous dyes to make their yolks redder and raise their sale price, and children have been injected with worthless rabies vaccine that is nothing but saltwater."

GREEN TEA,TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

For those of you who believe in good nutrition and nutraceuticles(me) for optimal health, I recently came across an article from (Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol 20, p 583) which I would like to share with you knowing that it might apply to many. This information also appeared in Science Daily.

Green tea is good for you, but only if drunk in moderation. While the polyphenols in green tea are credited with preventing heart disease and cancer, it seems they can cause liver and kidney damage if consumed in very large quantities, a review of studies into the toxicity of polyphenols has shown.
"People shouldn't be too alarmed by this, but those taking supplements may experience problems," says lead author Chung Yang of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
He stresses that up to 10 small cups of green tea a day is fine. Problems are likely in people who take supplements, which can contain up to 50 times as much polyphenol as a single cup of tea.
Yang's review cites experiments in which rodents and dogs died from liver poisoning when given very large doses of polyphenols. He also reports cases of people with liver toxicity after overdosing on green-tea-based supplements. Their symptoms disappeared when they stopped taking the pills, only to return when they started taking them again.

GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE

This is a comment that I had posted to a Site discussing the problems that ensue when people interfere with Nature, specifically Insulin:

The missing C-peptide that is now a part of genetically altered insulin does indeed, blunt the feelings such as tachycardia associated with on-coming Hypoglycemia.
This causes problems in two ways:
1. The longevity of Diabetes will by itself cause Hypoglycemia Unawareness.
2. The taking out of C-peptide in genetically altered insulin will also be responsible for the "blunting effect" so that the person is unable to remedy the situation in time.
When you have these things occurring together as well as the possible addition of a Beta-Blocker than the potential for a very dangerous situation exists. It leaves the person only being able to tell if their blood sugars are low by means of a meter reading. The reality is, that not everyone can afford the Continuous Glucose Monitor or be forced to wear one.
Logically, it would be much simpler and wiser to make C-peptide available as a separate vial that could be injected along w/insulin.
Realistically, there is too much time and money already invested in the manufacturing process of insulin and that it was the only way to have it available in third world countries that are lacking enough animals and money to supply insulin or/and do not have the resources available to extract porcine/bovine insulin.
The Genie(C-peptide) cannot be put back in the bottle, but it can be put into a separate vial and made available since it offers much more to a person with Diabetes than a heightened awareness of impending Hypoglycemia. These are neuro, nephro, micro/macro vascular and cardio protective features so as to minimize or protect against the ravages of Complications associated with Long-term Diabetes despite good "numbers".
As WE all know, Diabetes does not go away and as such, WE have to do everything possible to make living with it, in our best interest. We have to be able to control it rather than the other way around.