--- Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <snip> [I posted] http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_email.asp?/news/824495.asp > > > >"Forget the San Andreas Fault. The news that Marin > > County, Calif., had seen a skyrocketing increase in > > the incidence of breast cancer unleashed an > earthquake of concerns. > > Breast cancer jumped by 72 percent among Marin > > women ages 46 to 64 during the 1990s, according to > a May report in the journal Breast Cancer Research." > > The problem with Marin County is that the > demographics of the women > living there are consistent with a higher rate of > breast cancer than the > US in general. If you factor out the demographic > skew, there's nothing > to suggest that there's something special in the > Marin County area that > would be an environmental cause.
Off the top of my head, 'cause I'm fading here, one study found that the commonalities of women with the highest breast cancer rates included clothes that were dry-cleaned, suburban homes (IIRC, questions about herbicide/pesticide exposure re: lawns), and white race. I think. Maybe it was higher education? > If there is a nationwide increase in breast cancer, > or increase in a > particular region that cannot be accounted for by > demographics, then you > start looking at the environment. > > Now, the article went on to state: > Among the findings: Common pollutants, such > as benzene, a > compound found in car exhaust, are linked to > breast tumors, and > people who move to industrialized counties > suddenly face a > higher breast cancer risk within one generation. > > Looking at pollutants such as benzene is probably a > good idea. But > another factor that may be involved is diet. > Someone living in a > country where the diet is markedly different from > the typical US diet > may have reduced risk of some health problems, and > relocating to the US > and then adopting a typical US diet may contribute > to health problems. > I've heard of studies indicating that when the diet > of a region changes > due to US influences, certain types of health > problems increase. Breast > cancer may be one of these. Yes, (off the top) frex Japanese women who move here and adopt a Western diet. One odd thing about Marin is that many there do exercise and are vegetarians or otherwise fairly health-conscious. Besides higher meat/fat in a Western diet, I'd also consider that our foods are far more processed: steroids/antibiotics to the animals routinely, and herbicides/pesticides not only on our veggies, but on animal fodder as well, foods packaged in plastic, drink in plastic (does anyone else note the difference in taste of Coke bottled in glass vs. plastic?) etc. IIRC, components of various industrial lubricants are present (albeit in small amounts) in many canned/bottled foods/drinks. Toxic Whale Blubber Maru __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
