Hormones in U.S. Beef Linked to Cancer Risk

Beef produced in the United States contains dangerously high levels of natural and synthetic hormones, warns Dr. Samuel S. Epstein of the Cancer Prevention Coalition.

According to Epstein, more than half of all beef cows slaughtered in the United States each year have been treated with either the natural hormones estrogen, progesterone or testosterone, or the synthetic hormones melengesterol, trenbolone or zeranol. Hormone-emitting pellets are implanted under each cow's ear when it enters the feedlot, then again 50 days later. After another 50 days, the cow is slaughtered.

The hormones cause the cows to rapidly put on weight, leading to approximately $80 more profit per animal.

"Not surprisingly, but contrary to longstanding claims by the [FDA] and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), residues of these hormones in meat are up to 20-fold higher than normal," Epstein said in a press release. "Still higher residues result from the not uncommon illegal practice of implantation directly into muscle. Furthermore, contrary to misleading assurances, meat is still not monitored for hormone residues."

The FDA insists that hormone levels in U.S. beef are safe and normal, but does not require any testing to back up this claim.

According to Epstein, however, tests reveal that an eight-year-old boy eating two hamburgers in one day would be exposed to enough estradiol to increase his body's levels of the hormone by 10 percent.

Exposure to external hormones is well known to increase the risk of cancer, reproductive dysfunction and other health problems.

"Increased levels of sex hormones are linked to the escalating incidence of reproductive cancers in the United States since 1975 - 60 percent for prostate, 59 percent for testis and 10 percent for breast," Epstein said.

Women in the United States are five times more likely to get breast cancer than women in the European Community or other countries that have banned the production or importation of hormonal beef.

Sources for this story include: www.organicconsumers.org.

Best Tips for doing a Home Manicure

It is possible to have a great home manicure and save money from going to the salon. Another option is to give yourself a home manicure in between trips to the salon, which can make a salon-quality manicure last longer. The most important tips are to take your time when giving yourself a manicure, and to make sure you have all the tools you need ahead of time.
There are a few tools that are necessary to give yourself a great manicure at home. You will want a nail file, a cuticle stick, cuticle scissors, cuticle cream, nail polish remover, and of course, nail polish. Some also use a nail buffer to make the nails extra smooth before applying polish.
The first steps when giving yourself a home manicure are to gently remove any old polish with a cotton ball, and then to file and shape your nails. If you need to trim the nails with nail clippers, do this first. Then, file the nails with the nail file in one direction only. Do not see-saw back and forth with the nail file, which can cause the nail to become fragile and to crack. You may file the nails in a square or oval shape, but a square shape gives a more modern look.

Next, experts advise soaking the nails in warm water to soften the cuticles for a few minutes. You may add liquid soap to the water. When you take your hands out, apply a cuticle cream to your cuticles, and use the cuticle stick to press the cuticles back. At this point, some choose to clip their cuticles, while others advise against it because of potentially injuring the cuticle or damaging the nail. The cuticle scissors may also be used to trim painful hangnails from the sides of your fingers. If you need to, you can now buff out any rough spots on the nails.

After this, you can thoroughly wash and moisturize your hands. Some recommend using an exfoliating scrub to remove any dead skin and to make the skin on your hands more receptive to moisturizer. When your hands and nails are clean and dry, you can begin applying nail polish. Apply the polish in three smooth strokes, using as little polish as you need to get the color. Apply a base coat and one to two coats of polish. To make your home manicure last longer, you could also apply a clear top coat. It is a good idea to let your manicure