Issue Date: January 7, 2007
Is it safe? We ask the experts
Scary health stories can make you think twice about everyday activities. Here, leading expert sgive us the facts on 5 common health fears.
By Peggy J. Noonan
Fear: Coloring your hair causes cancer.
Fact: Maybe. "It's not just rumors," says Kathy J. Helzlsouer, M.D., director of the Prevention & Research Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Researchers aren't sure if hair dye -- used either at home or in a salon -- can be connected to bladder cancer and lymphoma. "If there is something there, it's a relatively small risk," she says. "Overall, the information is reassuring."
Personal take: She considers hair dye to be safe enough for her own mother to use.
Safety tip: If possible, choose lighter hair colors, because darker colors contain more dye. Follow package directions on frequency and time, and wear gloves. A note to pregnant women: "Most hair dyes are safe for use during pregnancy" as long as you follow the directions, wear gloves and don't leave the dye on longer than necessary, says Jennifer Wu, an OB/GYN at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Use a light hand with artificial sweeteners.
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Fear: Artificial sweeteners lead to headaches, ADHD, cancers and more.
Fact: Safe in moderation. "The overall safety of these compounds is remarkable across the board," says Michael A. Gallo, Ph.D., professor of environmental and occupational medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He says Splenda, the newest sweetener, is not absorbed by the body, so it doesn't affect blood sugar levels or glucose. He recommends it for diabetics: "It's a very safe compound." Others, like Steven G. Aldana, Ph.D., professor at Brigham Young University's College of Health & Human Performance, advise caution until we have more data.
Personal take: Gallo gave his son-in-law a lesson in coffee sweetening (put Splenda in empty cup, then add coffee).
Safety tip: "Don't drink four or five sodas a day and put 14 packets of sweetener in your coffee," Aldana says. Moderation is key.
Choose containers labeled as microwave- safe.
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Fear: Freezing or microwaving plastic containers will release toxins.
Fact: It's safe. Some chemicals used to make plastics can leach into food, but there's no evidence that dioxins could be among them, and any chemicals that do leach into food are well within safe limits, the FDA says. Products that come in contact with food, such as the label on an apple, are "highly regulated" by the FDA, says food packaging, safety and toxicology expert Joseph H. Hotchkiss, Ph.D., a Cornell University professor.
Personal take: "I have a freezer full of things in plastic containers," Hotchkiss says. When he nukes one, "I warm up the plastic container a little bit [to loosen the food so it can be removed] and then I put the food into a [heat-safe] ceramic dish and microwave it."
Safety tip: Seek products labeled "microwave-safe," including containers and plastic wrap. Freezing poses no risk.
Long-term effects of cellphone use are not yet known.
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Fear: Cellphones can cause cancer.
Fact: Probably not. "Most evidence has not shown any risk of increased cancer," says Michael J. Thun, M.D., vice president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society. Radiation emitted from cellphones is a wavelength between FM radio and microwave ovens, he says, but they are so new that long-term effects are unknown. Based on existing studies, public health officials conclude there's nothing to worry about, says W. Howard Cyr, Ph.D., of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Personal take: Both use cellphones.
Safety tip: Carry your phone at your waist or away from your body, and use a headset or ear buds.
Fear: Mercury vapor from dental fillings poisons the body.
Fact: Wrong. "Every health policy organization from the World Health Organization to the [U.S.] National Institutes of Health has gone on record saying amalgam is safe," says mercury fillings expert J. Rodway Mackert Jr., D.M.D., Ph.D., of the Medical College of Georgia's School of Dentistry. Some mercury vapor escapes from dental fillings with chewing or tooth brushing, but it's too little to pose any hazard. Compared with the 5 to 6 micrograms of mercury we get from our diet every day (including mercury in fish), Mackert says, a person with seven silver amalgam fillings gets only about1 microgram per day from his fillings.
Personal take: Mackert has no plans to remove his silver amalgam fillings.
Safety tip: Smile, and don't worry about the fillings in your mouth.
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