Tylenol, Acetaminophen, and Liver Failure
New York Times, 29 Nov 2005

"Despite more than a decade's worth of research showing that taking too much of a popular pain reliever (acetaminophen) can ruin the liver, the number of severe, unintentional poisonings from the drug is on the rise..."
     Acetaminophen is found in Tylenol, Excedrin, NyQuil Cold and Flu and other cold and flu medicines, and even in Percocet.
   Of "662 consecutive patients who showed up with acute liver failure ... from 198 to 2003 ... acetaminophen poisoning was to blame in nearly half the patients."
   This is not a question of chronic use but of relatively minor overdoses."One dose of Tylenol Cold and Flu Severe contains 1,000 milligrams. The recommended maximum daily dose for adults is 4 grams or 4,000 milligrams." Taking 6 to 12 grams (depending on your susceptibility) caused severe liver poisoning and can cause acute liver failure.
   Be careful!

Cancer, causes...

"Does Stress Cause Cancer? Probably Not, Research Finds"
New York Times, 29 Nov 2005

The author of this article, Gina Kolata, finds that there is not much evidence associating stress with cancer, contrary to conventional (lay) wisdom.

There is, however, some evidence that susceptibility to stress is an important factor. Gorginski (personal communication) says that he and Ader found that, in tumor prone mice, it was the "emotional" mice (those with high "sympathetic/autonomic nervous" tone) that suffered tumors.

"Environment And Cancer: The Links Are Elusive"
New York Times, 13 Dec 2005

"... most scientists thinks that only a tiny fraction of cancers might be caused by low levels of environmental poisons, ...

However ... "Dr. Wogan studied men in Shanghai who were eating foods with high doses of toxic chemical. They ended up with four times the risk of liver cancer. Another cause of liver cancer, hepatitis B infections of the liver, increases the risk by a factor of seven. Then Dr. Wogan noticed something that astonished him. The risk of liver cancer was increased 70 times in people who met both criteria; they ate contaminated foods and they were infected with hepatitis B."

Where causative factors multiply like this, instead on simply add, we speak of "synergy". The negative synergy may be general phenomenon: see "Combining food additives" below ...

As to environmental causes of cancer, Prof. Savage told me in the eighties that he had never seen bone cancer in any wild specimens, though they were not uncommon in domesticated animals. (I think) this is a very interesting story: see "Professor Savage and the Wild"

"Combining food additives may be harmful, say researchers"
Guardian, 21 DEC 2005

"Researchers at the University of Liverpool ... reported that when mouse nerve cells were exposed to MSG and brilliant blue or aspartaine (Nutrasweet) and quinoline yellow in laboratory conditions, combined in concentrations that theoretically reflect the compound that enters the bloodstream after a typical children's snack and drink, the additives stopped the nerve cells growing and interfered with proper signaling systems. The mixtures of the additives had a much more potent effect on nerve cells that each additive on its own." ...
   "... 'The results indicate that both combinations are potentially more toxic than might be predicted from the sum of their individual compounds,' "

Vitamin D, a new panacea!
The Independent, 28 DEC 2005

"A daily dose of vitamin D could cut the risk of cancers of the breast, colon and ovary by up to a half." A growing body of work (and "meta-analysis) has shown that vitamin D in important in the prevention of heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, and of course, osteoporosis. Researcher, published in the American Journal of Public Health", suggests that a dose of 1000 IU (two and a half times the current level recommended in the US) would be beneficial. Remember, however, that very high doses can be toxic (40,000IU /day produces toxicity within 1 to 4 months - so don't worry. That's 40 times that suggested dose)
and, we do manufacture our own vitamin D when our skin is bathed in sunshine.

Green tea

An article in the New York Times, 29 Nov, 2005, tells us, "It has been called a herbal panacea, able to help people who drink it regularly to lose weight, lower their cholesterol and generally safeguard their health. ... There is some evidence, but not much, that green tea lowers the risk of cancer.