Weekly health watch with items on transparency among bottled water manufacturers, new findings for spina bifida treatment in babies and new links to late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
If you're reaching for bottled water thinking it's cleaner or healthier than tap water, think again. A 2011 bottled water study from the Environmental Working Group says to drink filtered tap water, instead.
While bottled water labels depict images of clear streams and glaciers, the labels fail to provide basic information about the source and purification of the water inside.
More than half of 173 bottled water brands that EWG surveyed failed a transparency test: 18 percent of the products didn't list the source and 32 percent didn't disclose any details on water treatment or purity.
Currently, bottled water companies aren't required by the Food and Drug Administration to disclose where their water comes from or how pure it is. In fact, the National Resources Defense Council says 25 percent or more of all bottled water is really just tap water.
So which brands received an A on EWG's transparency test? None.
Instead, the EWG recommends consumers' best option is to drink filtered tap water until there are stronger federal standards that require water bottlers to provide clearer labeling. Since tap water quality can vary and may contain man-made contaminants and bacteria, it is important to filter tap water.
"With the proper filtration system at home, you can be confident that your glass of water is free of virtually all contaminants, including chromium-6 and other chemicals that have been in the news," says Jerry Kovach, vice president of research and development at Kinetico, a manufacturer of water treatment products. "You don't have that same assurance when drinking from a bottle."
Homeowners should first assess the quality of their tap water and get a thorough evaluation of water quality to see if any kind of water treatment is needed. Many local water treatment professionals offer in-home testing for free.
"Water filtration systems, such as those using reverse-osmosis technology, provide a proven barrier against harmful chemicals. Look for filtration systems that have been tested and certified by the National Sanitation Foundation; this gives consumers confidence that the system effectively removes impurities," says Kovach.
A study shows a link between use of two pesticides, rotenone and paraquat, and Parkinson's disease. People who used either pesticide developed Parkinson’s disease approximately 2.5 times more often than non-users.
-- National Institutes of Health
Did You Know?
Globally, 6.2 percent of all male deaths are related to alcohol, compared with 1.1 percent of global female deaths.
-- World Health Organization
Dark chocolate, which is rich in flavonoids, with a high percentage of cocoa can provide antioxidants, help maintain healthy blood vessels and doesn’t increase blood-cholesterol levels.
Number to Know
160: LDL cholesterol (or bad cholesterol) should be less than 160 for people without heart disease or diabetes. Blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80 and requires management if it is higher than 140 over 90.
Children’s Health: Leap forward for spina bifida
Performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common disabling birth defect of the spine. Experts at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia co-led a new study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.
Spina bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system, affecting about 1,500 babies born each year in the United States.
“This is the first time in history that we can offer real hope to parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida,” said Dr. N. Scott Adzick, Surgeon-in-Chief at CHOP. Adzick added, “This is not a cure, but this trial demonstrates scientifically that we can now offer fetal surgery as a standard of care for spina bifida.”
Senior Health: New Alzheimer’s disease link
In Alzheimer's disease, a protein fragment called beta-amyloid accumulates at abnormally high levels in the brain. Now, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that in the most common late-onset form of Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid is produced in the brain at a normal rate but is not cleared, or removed from the brain, efficiently. These findings may one day lead to improved biomarker measures for early diagnosis as well as a new approach to treating this devastating disorder.
The study was led by senior author Dr. Randall Bateman, an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Bateman and his colleagues previously reported an innovative procedure to measure beta-amyloid levels over time in cerebrospinal fluid, which is the fluid that bathes the brain. In the new study, researchers used that procedure to measure beta-amyloid production and clearance rates in study volunteers with Alzheimer's disease and in age-matched volunteers free of the disease.
-- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
GateHouse News Service