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Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

(HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

In the first study, published in current issue of Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS.

And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances."

However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination.

IATP's Ben Lilliston also told HealthDay that the Environmental Health findings were based on information gathered by the FDA in 2005.

And the group's own study, while not peer-reviewed, was based on products "bought off the shelf in the autumn of 2008," Lilliston added.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said in his prepared statement.

More information
The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has more about mercury and health.

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Health Tip: Using a Steroid Nasal Spray

(HealthDay News) -- Steroid nasal sprays can be used to help nasal congestion and mucus production, symptoms of conditions including sinusitis (sinus inflammation).

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions when using a nasal steroid spray:

• If your nasal spray comes in a canister, make sure you wash the canister device thoroughly at least once each week.
• Before you spray, sniff air into each nostril to be sure the passageways are clear.
• Point the nozzle straight toward the back of your head so that you don't waste the medicine.
• The medicine should not drip down the back of your throat or from your nose.
• Stop using the spray if you have nosebleeds or pain in your nose. Discuss these symptoms with your doctor.
• Give the spray time to work. You may not see results for up to two weeks.

Why Facebook Is Good for Your Health

By Theresa Tamkins January 6, 2009
My mom’s on Facebook. In fact, she was on Facebook before I was and now she’s on the social networking site pretty much every day.

Go ahead and laugh—everyone else does. You see, my mom is a white-haired, apple-pie-making lady in her mid-70s whom several dozen people call “Aunt Bea.”
But will all due respect to Opie, she’s no Mayberry matron. She’s tech savvy, and she’s pretty much got a black belt in social networking—she’s utterly relentless at forming and maintaining of social contacts. You think you’re six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon? No, you’re probably six degrees of separation from my mother. She can locate a third cousin or long lost pal in nearly every city in America. Hence, the leap to online socializing, at an age when some of her peers probably couldn’t find the computer’s on button.

But what seems like a quirky personality trait may in fact be good for her health. Research has shown that strong social networks are a key reason some people survive into their 80s and beyond, while others don’t. Read More

Health Tip: More Than You Can Chew

(HealthDay News) -- If you develop trouble chewing, it's important to make sure you are still getting each day's worth of vital nutrients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers these suggestions to help you maintain a healthy diet as you age:

• Instead of trying to munch on raw fruits, opt for fruit juice and canned fruits. Raw fruit alternatives include canned pears and peaches, or applesauce.
• Trade raw vegetables for vegetable juice and softer cooked vegetables, which can be creamed or mashed.
• Opt for ground meat, or get protein from easier-to-chew sources such as eggs and dairy products, including milk, cheese and yogurt.
• As alternatives to bread, eat cooked cereals, bread pudding and rice.

Health Tip: Stop a Sore Throat

(HealthDay News) -- A sore throat can be a side effect of a cold or allergy, or signal something more serious such as strep throat or tonsillitis. A lingering sore throat should be evaluated by a doctor.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions for how you can help ease sore throat pain:

• Gargle with a warm salt water solution.
• Suck on a throat-soothing lozenge or a hard candy.
• Suck on a Popsicle, or similar frozen dessert.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Run a humidifier.
• Take a pain reliever such as ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen

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