TALC Talc is a very fine substance, so fine it can be used as a "dry" lubricant. Talc is chemically similar to asbestos, a known cancer causing substance. Talc is found in many "body & baby" powders, feminine powders and many cosmetics. It's also used as a lubricant on condoms! While it makes your skin "feel" slippery smooth; Talc does so much more! How does Talc keep babies and your private parts so "fresh"? Presumably by clogging the pores that secrete those necessary fluids. Also, those fine little particles manage to get into the system. And being similar to asbestos is NOT comforting, especially when used on babies and genital areas. "Talc's harmful effect on human tissue has been known for quite some time. Long ago, its dry lubricating properties were used as a glove-donning powder (easy to slide on) for surgical gloves. As early as the 1930's, Talc was linked to post-operative granulomatous peritontis and fibrous adhesions. (from Candace Sue Kasper, MD; Dr. P.J. Chandler) Talc... (on condoms)... may result in fallopian tube fibrosis with resultant infertility. Question raised by Doctors Kasper & Chandler in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 3/15/1995. (from Nutrition Health Review, Summer 1995 n73 p8(1). "A possible tie between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, long suspected because of talc's chemical similarity to asbestos, was strongly supported when a study found a higher risk of the cancer among women who dusted themselves with talc or used feminine deodorant sprays. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that women who used talcum powder in the genital area had an increased ovarian cancer risk of 60% and women who used feminine deodorant sprays had a 90% increased risk." In 1994, the FDA conducted a scientific workshop on the issue and did not find enough of a casual link to justify even a consumer warning. from U.S. News & World Report, March 17,1997 v122 n10 p77(1). While more studies link talc to ovarian carcinoma, urinary tract disorders - and cancer rates soar - the FDA is waiting for conclusive evidence. But don't worry about the surgeons. You see, Talc is not used in glove-donning powders any more... but is still found in cosmetics, powders and condoms! So while they protect their health, their flow of patients may be protected as well!

ALCOHOL Mouthwash, in general, has a higher alcohol content than beer, wine and many liquors. Mouthwashes with an alcohol content of 25% or higher have been implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancers. Alcohol acts as a solvent in the mouth making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens. Men had a 60% higher risk and women a 90% higher risk of these cancers, compared to those not using mouthwash with an alcohol content. from National Cancer Institute 4/22/1991 About the same time, Warner-Lambert Co. announced it was developing a lower alcohol formula of Listerine, which has (had) an alcohol content of 26.9%. Company CEO stated the lower alcohol formula is "coincidental. It's not directed at any cancer problem." from Wall Street Journal 4/23/1991 pg.B1 Coincidental? Not directed at a cancer problem? Go figure! Regarding the difference between alcohol content over or under 25%... It's still in the mouth where alcohol acts as a solvent. We already know that substances are quickly and easily absorbed anywhere in the mouth. What could this alcohol be doing in other parts of the body? Perhaps making other tissue more vulnerable to carcinogens?. Many forms of alcohol are found in hundreds of products we use every day.

ALUMINUM Aluminum is a metal, the third most common element in the environment, an a toxin in the body. You'll find it in processed foods, antiperspirants, antacids, cosmetics, paper products, beverage cans, foil and cookware. World Health Organization conducts study on chemical pollution and the elderly... "There is a suspected link between Alzheimer's disease and the toxicity of aluminum... autopsies have found high concentrations of the metal in the brains of people who had suffered from the disease." from Public Health Reports, Nov-Dec 1993 v108 n6 p798(2) "Studies linking aluminum to Alzheimer's disease...'The evidence is strong enough that the prudent person will eliminate all food and cosmetic sources of aluminum and will use aluminum cooking utensils only if they are coated,' suggests Gary Price Todd, M.D., author of Nutrition, Health and Disease." from Natural Health, May-June 1993 v23 n3 p54(2) Dr.Daniel Perl, Director of Neuropathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, suggests,"...avoid aerosol antiperspirants. Aluminum in aerosol form may be more readily absorbed into the brain through nasal passages." from The University of California, Berkley Wellness Letter, April 1993 v9 n7 p1(2) "Aluminum-containing antiperspirants are designed to be absorbed, and studies show that regular use of these products can raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease by as much as three-fold. (also) ...munincpal water supplies treated with alum (aluminum sulfate)... at least 7 studies show that people drinking water high in alum are more likely to develop Alzheimer's." from Natural Health, May-June 1993 v23 n3 p54(2)