01/17/24 - #46

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • BPA, Phthalates "Widespread" in Supermarket Foods, Regardless of Packaging, Consumer Report Says

  • Experts Express Concern Over Pharmaceutical Giant Eli Lilly's New Website Connecting Patients to Obesity Drugs

  • Nicotine in E-cigarettes May Not Be Harmless, as Some Claim: Nicotine Salts Induced Cardiac Arrhythmias More Potently Than Freebase Nicotine, and the Cardiac Arrhythmias Increased With the Higher Concentrations of Nicotine

  • Inverse Association Between Isoflavones and Prediabetes Risk: Evidence From NHANES 2007–2010 and 2017–2018; Protective Effect of Isoflavones Against the Development of Prediabetes

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

BPA, Phthalates "Widespread" in Supermarket Foods, Regardless of Packaging, Consumer Report Says

Did you know that harmful chemicals might be in your food, even if it's organic or not in plastic? Consumer Reports found that most supermarket and fast food items contain chemicals called BPA and phthalates, which can be bad for your health.

Almost all (99%) of the foods they checked had phthalates. These make plastic flexible. Also, 79% had BPA or similar chemicals, used in making plastic. These can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart issues.

They tested many foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, baby food, fast food, and meat. Surprisingly, even foods that are organic had these chemicals. Foods like Annie's Organic Cheesy Ravioli, McDonald's Quarter Pounder, and Wendy's Chicken Nuggets had a lot of phthalates.

Only one product, Polar Seltzer Raspberry Lime, was free from phthalates.

Phthalates can cause reproductive problems, and BPA is linked to serious diseases. These chemicals don't just come from packaging. They can also enter food during processing or from polluted water and soil.

There aren't many rules about using these chemicals in food. In 2023, the FDA didn't ban phthalates in food packaging. Experts think the current safety limits are outdated.

Tunde Akinleye, a Consumer Reports scientist, said, "The more we learn about these chemicals, the more it seems clear that they can harm us even at very low levels." He also mentioned that because we are exposed to these chemicals in many products, it's hard to know what a safe level is.

WEIGHT LOSS

Experts Express Concern Over Pharmaceutical Giant Eli Lilly's New Website Connecting Patients to Obesity Drugs

Eli Lilly, a big drug company, just launched a new website called LillyDirect. This site connects people with obesity drugs like Zepbound and Mounjaro. It uses online doctor visits, known as telehealth, to make getting these drugs easier.

David Ricks, who leads Eli Lilly, says the website helps people who struggle to find obesity treatments. Since Thursday, patients can order drugs right from the company.

But, some health experts worry. Companies like WW International and Ro have similar websites. However, the American College of Physicians (ACP) thinks it's important to see a doctor in person for good care. They're concerned that getting drugs online might not be as safe.

Experts like Timothy Mackey and Dr. Andrew Kraftson are also doubtful. They believe care from these websites might not be completely fair or thorough. Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman thinks it's wrong to treat medicine like something you buy and sell.

In response, Eli Lilly says their drugs are for treating serious obesity, not just for looking slim. They're worried that people may use obesity drugs, like Ozempic, just to lose weight for looks.

This new step by Eli Lilly is making people talk a lot about how to handle obesity treatments. With online doctor visits and direct drug orders, it's a big change in how patients get help for obesity.

HEALTH

Nicotine in E-cigarettes May Not Be Harmless, as Some Claim: Nicotine Salts Induced Cardiac Arrhythmias More Potently Than Freebase Nicotine, and the Cardiac Arrhythmias Increased With the Higher Concentrations of Nicotine

Switching from smoking to using e-cigarettes might not be as safe as we thought. A new study by the University of Louisville shows that some e-cigarettes can be bad for your heart.

Researchers found that e-cigarettes with a type of nicotine called nicotine salts can cause heart problems. These are used in Juul and other similar e-cigarettes. When the level of nicotine was high, the risk of irregular heartbeats increased.

The study tested different kinds of e-cigarettes on animals. They compared nicotine salts with the older freebase nicotine and a new synthetic nicotine. The result? Nicotine salts were the worst for the heart, especially in high doses.

Alex Carll, who led the study, says this shows that nicotine in e-cigarettes isn't harmless. In fact, high levels of nicotine salts can even trigger our body's emergency response. Heart medicines often try to calm it down.

So, what does this mean for people who use e-cigarettes? It's safer to use e-cigarettes with freebase nicotine or those with less nicotine. This is important because it can help us understand how to make e-cigarettes safer and how to tell people about their risks.

This research is part of a bigger project looking into how e-cigarettes affect health. The team had already found that some flavors in e-cigarettes can also harm the heart, even without nicotine. This new study adds to that, showing we need to be careful with e-cigarettes.

Inverse Association Between Isoflavones and Prediabetes Risk: Evidence From NHANES 2007–2010 and 2017–2018; Protective Effect of Isoflavones Against the Development of Prediabetes

Ever heard of isoflavones? They're in soybeans and might help stop a condition called prediabetes. When you have prediabetes, your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes. It's like a warning sign for type 2 diabetes and other health issues.

Scientists studied lots of people's health information from a survey called NHANES. They looked at data from 2007-2010 and 2017-2018 to see if eating isoflavones could lower the chance of getting prediabetes.

What did they find? People who ate more isoflavones seemed to have a lower risk of prediabetes. This was true for different kinds, like glycitein, genistein, and daidzein. They even checked people's urine to measure isoflavones and got similar results.

This is exciting because it suggests that isoflavones might help keep prediabetes away. Stopping prediabetes can prevent it from becoming diabetes.

You can find isoflavones mostly in soybeans and soy products. Americans don't eat as much soy as Asians, but the study still saw benefits from the soy eaten in the U.S.

Remember, the study doesn't prove that isoflavones prevent prediabetes for sure. But it's a good hint that eating more soy products could be helpful, especially for people worried about diabetes.

In short, soybeans and foods with isoflavones might be a simple way to help control blood sugar and avoid prediabetes. Adding soy to our diets could be a tasty way to stay healthier!

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.