Sunday, December 21, 2014

Various Email Questions and Replies


I will be adding to this post. 


Email Reply: Is brushing damp to wet hair damaging?
Yes! http://www.pantene.com/en-ca/hair-science/Pages/wet-hair.aspx

"Wet hair ... is very fragile ... easier for ... breakage to occur. Brushes have many teeth ... likely to hit a snag ... pull hair to a breaking point ... best way to detangle ... a wide-toothed comb or pick

Email Reply: blow drying?
http://www.pantene.com/en-ca/hair-science/Pages/wet-hair.aspx
"hair brush to blow-dry ... wet hair ... use ... vented brush that has the fewest teeth possible"


Email Reply: "cheese cake" for those on restricted diets/not, 2013, no bake, gluten-free, dairy-free http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/07/vegan-cheesecake-4th-july/

"Maple Syrup: Healthy or Unhealthy?", 2015
"number of antioxidant substances found in maple syrup, but the amount is still low compared to the large amount of sugar." "maple syrup ... poor source of nutrients compared to vegetables, fruits ... if you’re going to eat it, make sure to do so in moderation only." "Maple syrup is about 2/3rds sucrose (as in table sugar) ... 100 grams ... around 67 grams of sugar."
1/2 cup? Lots!

From this data on maple syrup, 2014
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5602/2
Total sugars "1 cup - 192" - half that - 96, so the above calculation is right!

So while that recipe for "cheese cake" sounds and may taste great, there is quite a bit of natural sugar in the dates - "1 date - 16g" (in the crust), and a LOT in the maple syrup!

"Dried Fruit: Good or Bad?", 2015
http://authoritynutrition.com/dried-fruit-good-or-bad/
"Dried fruit is relatively high in calories and sugar. Common dried fruits contain 38–66% sugar ... eating too much of them may contribute to weight gain and various health problems."

A dessert perspective regarding restricted diets/not
"WHO calls on countries to reduce sugars intake among adults and children", 2015 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/#.VaJnVqSQkIw.twitter
"new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake ... further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams ... per day would provide additional health benefits." 

"BELLE GIBSON AND THE FAILURE TO FACT CHECK", 2015
Sent to me via email regarding Belle's "epiphany". Note: This link is not currently working - that however does not change the following. Anyone who had an "epiphany" that led them to sell items for health or promote "medicine" with no reputable evidence? They are cashing in on quackery, and are a quack! Lately, I have read and seen quacks do just that. They have embraced "epiphanies" as yet another emotionally manipulative strategy.

Email Reply: May 8, 2016, Belle Gibson "epiphany"
Quacks I watch embraced them AFTER publicity about her!


"Pass the Salt (But Not That Pink Himalayan Stuff)", 2014, @ScienceBasedMed
"NO evidence published in peer-reviewed journals that replacing white salt with pink salt makes a ... difference or leads to any improvement in health ... it includes a number of radioactive substances like radium, uranium, and polonium. It also includes substances that act as poisons, like thallium. I wouldn’t be worried, since the amounts are so small; but if anyone believes the trace amounts of “good” minerals in Himalayan sea salt are good for you, why would they not believe the trace amounts of poisons and radioactive substances are bad for you? ... claim that it “promotes health and wellness” is false until proven otherwise by legitimate clinical studies ... I’d just as soon my salt didn’t contain uranium."
The amounts of uranium, polonium may be harmless but no thanks too! 

Some fans of pink salt attack lead in lipstick and aluminum in cookware, antiperspirants  
but are oddly silent about both substances in Himalayan pink salt. 
"Below is a spectral analysis of Himalayan pink salt as it is typically found. The list shows all the trace minerals, electrolytes, and elements contained in Himalayan salt."
http://themeadow.com/pages/minerals-in-himalayan-pink-salt-spectral-analysis

Email Reply: Hair models
Hair models usually have naturally thick hair. Hair extensions are also used in advertising.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1230008/Its-bad-hair-day-LOreal-model-Cheryl-Cole-accused-misleading-fans.html
I have seen pictures of hair models when they were younger. Some had long hair - that actually looked healthier than it looks in the ads!
"Gimpsuited greenscreen fluffer flicks shampoo model's hair"
http://boingboing.net/2014/06/26/gimpsuited-greenscreen-fluffer.html
"How 'greenscreen fluffers' create windswept effects in ads and movies"
Watch the video.

Email ?: lemon oil 4 cleaning?
"essential oil do not always possess in-vitro antimicrobial activity against different ... bacterial strains."
In vitro is in the lab under controlled conditions - means in vivo outside the lab - less so.
From same source
"Almost similar antimicrobial results were obtained from both essential oils of lemon samples by other reported results"
Reason ?
"variation of percentage of active ... ingredients depends on the extraction process, samples process and environmental conditions"

Email Reply: You create your own reality?
So everything that happens to you is your fault. Good news for ISIS/Boko Haram, etc. Quacks love it!
Quacks? That means they have nothing to prove like providing evidence the products they are shilling actually work/that they are not committing fraud. Oh and you are to blame for natural disasters too - shame on you!
Adults are responsible for their actions. Villains rarely see themselves as such because it requires a conscience, ethics most don't possess.

Email Reply: Quacks quoting love, forgiveness platitudes

Seen that 2. 1st is a universal ploy, everyone needs love. 2nd hedging their bets.
"hedge your bets" ... to reduce or mitigate your risk." 
Source: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/42054/the-meaning-and-origin-of-hedge-your-bets

Email Reply: Naturopath testing for food "sensitivity"/intolerance/allergies
G(IgG) testing offered is not supported period. Text bold added by me.
"There is no body of research that supports the use of this test ... person with a true immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy ... at significant risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis, may ... not have elevated levels of specific IgG to their particular allergen ... may be inappropriately advised to reintroduce this potentially deadly item into their diet. ... CSACI ... formal statement supporting opinions ... by the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology ... and by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ... warn about the inappropriate measurement of food-specific IgG or IgG4 to suggest the presence or potential of adverse reactions to food. ... blood testing of any kind cannot substitute for consultation with a trained and accredited medical professional such as an Allergist/Immunologist for the diagnosis and management of adverse reactions to food."
Source: 2012 - http://www.aacijournal.com/content/8/1/12

Email Reply: Quinoa and celiac disease

“further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of quinoa consumption.”
This is the full text of the 2012 study, referred to in the link above, that also discusses celiac disease and oats. Just Control f, and type oats.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/2/337.full
And there are other issues regarding quinoa reported online on several websites, not about just one brand.
It is wise if you have a strong negative reaction to any food, to have a consultation with a qualified medical specialist. See the email reply above this one. 

Email Reply: Flower waters and food

For food use, all I have seen are preserved with a dated shelf life (which is for unopened bottles only). Opened bottled water has a shelf life of 2 weeks or so, if kept refrigerated. They are regulated under food safety laws, e.g. http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/non-federally-registered/safe-food-production/guide/eng/1352824546303/1352824822033#s1-1-4
Flower waters and cosmetics? 
They are not regulated under food safety laws. Preservation is also necessary despite claims to the contrary. They cannot replace medicine!
Source: 2006 - http://www.naturalingredient.org/hydrosol_martin_watt.html#safety
See Also 2006 - Scroll down text to read "Possible microbiological dangers of hydrolysates or hydrolysats"
books.google.ca/books?id=rGQps
Bottom line: Do hydrosols for cosmetic use present contamination risks? Yes! Ask for microbiological purity testing evidence, and proceed with caution if you buy them. 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Known Allergens in Cosmetics


Awareness of known allergens means easier identification of one in a product, and testing you for it, if a reaction occurs.

2014
"Contact reactions to lipsticks and other lipcare products"
http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/lipstick-reaction.html

alba cera (Cera alba) = beeswax

Interactions and cautions are included below.

2014
Natural Standard: Propolis - Propolis is in alphabet listings
Grade C - "C (Unclear or Conflicting  Scientific Evidence)" = unproven effectiveness

2014
Natural Standard: Beeswax - Beeswax is in aplhabet listings
Grade C - "C (Unclear or Conflicting  Scientific Evidence)" = unproven effectiveness