Think twice about mobile phones for kids
Don't let dangerous radiation "cook" growing brains. A startling new Swedish study shows that young people are five times more likely to get brain tumors if they use a cell phone before they're 20. And cordless phones also emit dangerous radiation.
Don't let dangerous radiation "cook" growing brains.
A startling new Swedish study shows that young people are five times more likely to get brain tumors if they use a cell phone before they're 20. And cordless phones also emit dangerous radiation.
Research finds that children's brains absorb twice as much radiation from these phones as adult brains. Not only do youngsters have thinner skulls and smaller heads than adults, but their brains also continue developing during childhood and adolescence - only increasing their risk.
With kids spending "significant time on mobile phones," warns David Carpenter, MD, dean of SUNY's School of Public Health, "we may be facing a public health crisis in an epidemic of brain cancers."
Testifying before Maine's Health and Human Services Committee a few days ago, Camilla Rees (coauthor of Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution) admitted, "It is possible society will look back on the unchecked proliferation of radiation-emitting cellular phones - as a crime against humanity."
Dr. Ann Louise's take:
Parents love cell phones because this technology allows them to reach their kids - and to be reached - in emergencies. But we all need to remember that children aren't just tiny versions of adults.
Would you let your child put his/her head in a microwave oven?
What you may not know is that radiation from cell phones is comparable to microwaves - like those from your oven. These kinds of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can penetrate kids' brains.
One study found that a cell phone call lasting only a couple of minutes resulted in brain hyperactivity in children for as long as an hour. EMFs can cause breaks in the blood-brain barrier, which is more permeable in kids.
No wonder that Maine is considering legislation requiring warning labels on cell phones sold there - and cautioning that children and pregnant women keep wireless devices away from their heads and bodies.
Calling cell phone safety "the next frontier," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom plans to introduce a bill requiring phones to display how much radiation they emit. I just wish more officials would follow his leadership.
A growing problem
Approximately 277 million Americans use cell phones today. While independent research is rare in this country, multiple reports from Europe's premier research institutions suggest growing risks at any age.
Cell phones and PDAs are being linked to "brain aging" (early-onset Alzheimer's disease and other brain damage), as well as DNA damage. Based on his research, Swedish neurosurgeon Leif Salford, MD, is concerned that "a whole generation of [cell-phone] users may suffer negative side effects in middle age."
A new study in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery suggests that EMFs may also have harmful effects on bone density, making it "better to keep mobile phones as far as possible from the body." And experts even link this kind of radiation to sperm die-off. So guys, get these gadgets out of your pants pockets!
"As our knowledge stands right now, interaction with fertility, the immune capacity, shattering of DNA, or impaired learning and intelligence will be much more dangerous than the extra cases of cancer," adds radiation researcher Kerry Crofton, Ph.D.
Simple solutions
Use speaker mode on all cell or cordless phones. And whenever possible, limit your kids' use of these phones only to emergencies.
Defend your children and yourself against invisible EMF assaults with antioxidant shields. Eating one cup of blueberries is a good start. Animal studies have also found that cranberries - so useful in Fat Flush - can protect brain cells from free radical damage, helping to prevent the kind of cognitive loss associated with cell phone radiation.
Eat more cabbage family veggies - broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale - to boost glutathione. Cabbages also contain caffeic acid, shown to reduce harmful effects from cell phone use.
For added protection, enjoy a daily smoothie that contains 1 to 2 scoops of whey, rich in the antioxidant glutathione, a potent scavenger of free radicals that damage DNA. Choose pure, undenatured and unheated whey protein powder to preserve fragile amino acids and provide optimal immune support.
Melatonin - the hormone that controls circadian rhythms in sleep and wake cycles - also protects against this kind of radiation. Tart cherries are rich in melatonin as well as other antioxidants.
Besides protecting your bones, vitamin D fights EMFs. Look for calcitrol, the active form of vitamin D, to activate the immune response that cell phone radiation tamps down.
Sources:
• http://electromagnetichealth.org/pdf/CWPA-Camilla-Rees-Remarks.pdfhttp://magicvalley.com/news/article_c300da72-4a65-5c5d-b538-fbee3df83ef8.html
• www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/03/03/Maine-considers-cellphone-warning/UPI-69941267675328/
• www.gq.com/cars-gear/gear-and-gadgets/201002/warning-cell-phone-radiation
• www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=632400
• www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=631915
• www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19826127
• www.wellnesscenter.net/resources/articles/EMF/What_are_EMFs.htm
Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of more than 30 books on health and nutrition and guest on many TV and radio programs. She resides in Kootenai County. Info: annlouise.com