Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 10-2-15 Edition

Health
Caution: Home Pesticides And Your Child’s Risk For Cancer
The Pretty Fruit That Healthy, Too
Dragon Fruit should make its way into your diet because it’s good for your health:
• Disease Fighter - It’s loaded with phyto-nutrients. • Anti-Aging - It’s loaded with antioxidants.
• Digestion - It’s loaded with fiber.
• Weight Loss - It’s low in calories.
• Hair Health - It help smooth out hair follicles and moisturizes.
Children exposed to insecticides at home may have a slightly increased risk of developing leukemia or lymphoma, a new review finds.
Leukemia and lymphoma — two types of blood cancer — are among the most common childhood cancers.
But unlike adult cancers, which arise after decades of lifestyle choices and environmental expo- sures, most childhood cancers “just happen,” said Dr. Ziad Khatib, a pediatric oncologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
Children exposed to any indoor insecticides were 43% to 47% more likely to have leukemia or lym- phoma, the findings showed. Kids exposed to weed killers, meanwhile, had a 26 % higher risk of leukemia, the investigators found.
there are “nonchemical options” for controlling, like denying bugs any food sources and using baits or traps.
But children can also be exposed to pesticides outside of the home — in schools, parks or play- grounds, so it also makes sense to limit pesticide use in those places, too, he said.
If indoor pests are a problem, Dr. Khatib added,
How Does Your Favorite Sweetener Rank
Different types of sweeteners have variable things that make them good or bad. One thing that is impor- tant to consider is the glycemic index (GI) of them. This is crucial, as a high glycemic index diet can be extremely harmful to your health by: increasing risk of prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancers; in- creasing risk of breast cancer; and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Find out how your favorite sweetener ranks on the GI:
Stevia - GI: 0 - This calorie-
free sweetener is produced from
the South American Stevia plant it-
self. A little goes a long way with this sweetener, as it is much more potent than regular table sugar. Mak- ing sure you are using 100% organic Stevia is impor- tant, as many brands are mixing this sweetener with other harmful chemicals and ingredients. Pure Stevia is carb and calorie free, giving it a GI of 0!
Truvia - GI: 1 - This sweetener,
often confused with Stevia, is made
from erythritol. Erythritol is a sugar
alcohol made from corn. On the pos-
itive side it is low in calories, but on the negative your gut bacteria absorbs this sweetener in entirety. Sugar alcohols ferment in your stomach and therefore of- tentimes result in diarrhea, cramps, bloating and gas.
Splenda - GI: 0 - Splenda
starts off as sugar, but in the
factory, chlorine molecules are added to the sugar molecule to make sucralose. Because of this chemical modification, the body does not metabolize or digest it properly. It has been linked to an increased risk for cancer (but claims are controversial).
White Sugar - GI: 58 -
This type of sugar is also re- ferred to as sucrose. It is made up of fructose and glucose and ranks very high on the GI scale.
Brown Sugar - GI: 64 -
This is also a sucrose sugar, but gets its brown color from it being combined with molasses. There truly are no health advan- tages with this sugar.
Honey - GI: 50 - Pure
honey is about 38% fructose and
31% glucose, but comes with a
load of health benefits. Its anti-
bacterial and antiviral proper-
ties are a super plus, but its
enzymes, proteins and
flavonoids are what truly make
this sweetener sweet for your
health! On the GI ranking honey
is pretty high and relatively sim-
ilar to white sugar. The main difference to keep in mind are the other health benefits that honey has to offer to offset its unfavorable GI level.
Agave Nectar - GI: 15 - Agave nectar is often heralded as low on the glycemic index (15), however, pro- cessing techniques result in a 75% or more fructose content. This means, it’s still going to do a pretty good job at spiking your blood sugar (not ideal).
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