| Research Briefs Archives :: Research Briefs 2011 Reducing The Staggering Costs Of Environmental Disease In Children A 2002 analysis documented $54.9 billion in annual costs of environmentally mediated diseases in US children. However, few important changes in federal policy have been implemented to prevent exposures to toxic chemicals. We therefore updated and expanded the previous analysis and found that the costs of lead poisoning, prenatal methylmercury exposure, childhood cancer, asthma, intellectual disability, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were $76.6 billion in 2008. To prevent further increases in these costs, efforts are needed to institute premarket testing of new chemicals; conduct toxicity testing on chemicals already in use; reduce lead-based paint hazards; and curb mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Phytotherapy for post-menopausal symptoms Phytoestrogens are used in many herbal remedies for postmenopausal women. The largest category of these phytochemicals is isoflavones. These compounds are prevalent in legumes like clover. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is also used to treat post-menopausal symptoms, but the chemicals responsible for its mechanism are unknown. A review in Frontiers in Bioscience details the evidence for the effectiveness of isoflavones and Black cohosh in treating these symptoms. It summarizes the studies on treatments and mechanisms of action, and discusses challenges to this research. In spite of its poor editing, the paper summarizes well studies to-date on the topic. Isoflavones and breast cancer Another review looks at isoflavones, this time examining the proposition that dietary intake of these phytoestrogens reduces the risk of breast cancer. Epidemiological and treatment studies present conflicting results. The focus of the review is on what might be causing variation in results, and a suggestion that focusing on possible mechanisms (outlined in the article) might be a means to a clearer understanding of the relationship between isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk. Induced isoflavones and mixed estrogenicity Glyceollins, isoflavones produced by fungally infected soybeans, have been the subject of a few recent papers. Their interest comes from the possibility that they might be a source of naturally produced antiestrogens. The most recent papers suggest that they are weak mixed estrogens, with effects varying across receptor form and cell type. A new paper examines induced isoflavones from red beans to look for similar chemicals, finding two effective forms, kievitone and phaseollin. Again, the two chemicals effect lines of cells (HEK9 and MCF7) differently, and have quantitatively different effects on the two estrogen receptors. A commentary on the use of DDT This commentary divides perspectives on the use of DDT into three camps; pro-, centrist, and con-. Weighing evidence, it’s authors come down into the centrist camp, acknowledging the risks to humans of the use of DDT but also weighing the lives saved by the reduction of malaria. A serious flaw in the analysis is that it does not consider several ecological factors. One is the development of resistance to DDT. Another is the effect on beneficial organisms. |
