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Does nature know best? Natural carcinogens and anticarcinogens in America's food
EnvironmentInternational,Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 265-267,1997 Copyright 01997 Ekevis ScienceLtd Printedin the USA. All rights resewed 0160-4120/97S17.00+.00
Pergamon
BOOKS
Chemical and Isotopic Ground-water Hydrology. SecondEdition: Revised and Expanded. The Applied Approach. Emanuel Mazor. Marcel Dekker, Inc., Monticello, NY, 1997.413 pp. (ISBN 0-8247-9803-l); $150.00 hardcover.
Does Nature Know Best? Natural Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in America ‘s Food. American Council on Scienceand Health, New York, NY, 1996. 42 pp. $3.85 softcover.
This updated and expanded edition is intended to provide investigators with an understanding of measurableproperties of groundwater systems.It also describes how to apply hydrochemical, geological, chemical, and isotopic, including dating techniquesto groundwater studies. The book includes a number of casestudiesfrom various parts of the world and covers anthropogenic interventions, hydraulic interconnections, and water-rock interactions. Included are management requirements for groundwater studies. The book is intended as a graduate-leveltextbook and as a reference text.
Pollution: Causes,Eflects and Control. Third edition. Roy M. Harrison, ed. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Information Services, Cambridge, UK, 1996.480 pp. (ISBN 0-85404-534-l); E35.00 softcover. This book is an introductory text in environmental pollution and its consequences.The 20 chaptersof the book cover air and water pollution, industrial and householdwaste management,and similar topics. Two chaptersare dedicatedto the contentioussubjectof the health effects of pollutants. In these chapters, the authors rely mostly on the consensusof international organizations or pronouncements of government agenciesof the U.K. or the U.S. A careful reader will notice the absenceof a discussion on microbiological pollution which is increasingly being recognizedas the most significant source of most adversehealth effects. Despite this significant shortcoming, this book is recommended as an introductory text. 265
This booklet, originally authoredby W.R. Havender and revised by R. Coulombe, was reviewed by J.F. Borzelleca, C.M. Bruhn, D.G. Cochran, I.R. Danse, J. Doull, H.A. Dymsza, L.J. Filer, Jr., K.D. Fisher, R.W. Fogleman,J.H. Hot&kiss, M.A. Kamrin, R. Kava, M. Kroger, R.P. Maickel, J.A. Milner, S.T. Omaye, F.J. Stare, E.M. Whelan, and C.K. Winter. The executive summary of this booklet is as follows: A large number of substancesthat occur naturally in foods are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) when evaluated by the criteria scientistscustomarily use to assess the cancer-causingpotential of synthetic substances. other carcinogensare produced by cooking and by the actions of microorganisms.These natural carcinogens are more numerous, more widespread, and, in some cases,more potent than synthetic carcinogens in food. It is not necessaryor practical for consumersto stop eating foods that contain natural carcinogens-indeed, nearly every food type contains them, and it is impossible to completely avoid them. The occurrence of natural carcinogens in foods, particularly plant foods, does not justify changes in Americans’ eating habits. Many cancer researchers and nutritionists now recommend that Americans not only increasetheir intake of fruits and vegetables,but also reduce their intake of red meat, alcoholic beverages, and fatty foods and reduce their overall caloric intake. Eating a wide variety of foods is desirable for nutritional reasons,and increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet has always beenrecognizedas good nutritional advice. Fruits and vegetablesare beneficial in that they are now known to contain many protective “anticarcinogens”-compounds that have been shown to counteractthe cancerprocessinitiated by carcinogens.
266
The common assumption that “natural” is safe and “synthetic” is toxic is contrary to current scientific knowledge. Synthetic chemicals are present in foods at much lower levels than are many naturally occurring carcinogens and toxins. Also, in many casesthe synthetic chemicals are less potent carcinogens than the ones that are a natural part of our food. The dose makes the poison. There is a need for a new perspectiveon carcinogens -one that emphasizesboth a substance’scarcinogenic potency and the level of human exposure to it rather than emphasizing merely whether it is natural or synthetic. There is a need to distinguish between real and hypothetical hazards and between functional and unnecessarysubstanceswhen setting regulatory priorities. More research is needed on natural food components. We need to strike a more even balance between our evaluationsof natural and synthetic substancesin the food supply. This booklet is probably the best summary of the topic currently available. Its primary advantage is that it is written for the general public and the nonspecialist. It is highly recommended for libraries in schools,cities, and other municipalities. It is also recommendedfor journalists who need accurate scientific information.
Environmental Management and Governance: Intergovernmental Approaches to Hazards and Sustainability. Peter J. May, Raymond J. Burby, Neil J. Ericksen, John W. Handmer, Jennifer E. Dixon, Sarah Michaels, and D. Ingle Smith, eds. Routledge, New York, NY, 1996. 254 pp. (ISBN O-415-14445-0, hardcover; ISBN O-415- 14446-9 softcover); $74.95 hardcover; $24.95 softcover. This book addressesissues of environmental management that arise when national or state governments try to persuade local governments to be good stewards of the environment. Examining environmental management programs in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States,the authors explore the merits of “cooperative” and “coercive” intergovernmental regimes and how they influence choices made by local governmentsabout land use and development. This book offers a new understanding of the management of natural hazards and of the appropriate policy mix for advancing environmental sustainability.
Books
Latin American Environmental Policy in International Perspective.Gordon J. MacDonald, Daniel L. Nielson, and Marc A. Stern,eds. Westview Press,Boulder, CO, 1997.292 pp. (ISBN o-8133-2423-8 hardcover; ISBN O-8133-2424-6softcover); $59.00 hardcover; $16.95 softcover. In this volume, scholars and policy makers from throughout the hemisphereconsider the domestic and international factors that shape the process of environmental policy making in Latin America. Particular attention is given to domestic political institutions, growing domestic and transnational environmental activism, the role of the international development community, and the effects of sweeping neoliberal economic reforms on environmental policy. The volume also offers a set of comparative essayson environmental policy and politics in other regions of the world that demonstratesthe common challenges confronting policy makers in many rapidly industrializing nations. Fighting for Survival: Environmental Decline, Social Conflict, and the New Age of Insecurity. Michael Renner. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, 1996. 239 pp. (ISBN O-393-31568-l); $11 .OOsoftcover. Pert Policy Series.Priming the Invisible Pump. Terry L. Anderson and Pamela S. Snyder. PERC, Bozeman, MT, 1997.26 pp. $4.00 softcover. Energy and Environmental Policy in a Period of Transition. Proceedings of the Twenty-third Annual Illinois Energy Conference.Energy ResourcesCenter, Chicago, IL, 1995.229 pp. Softcover. Pert Policy Series. Community-run Fisheries: Avoiding the ‘Tragedy of the Commons‘. Donald R. Leal. PERC, Bozeman, MT, 1996.27 pp. Softcover. Businessand the Environment. Richard Welford and Richard Starkey, eds. Taylor 8z Francis, Bristol, PA, 1996.284 pp. (ISBN l-56032-610-7 softcover; ISBN l-56032-609-3 hardcover); $24.95 softcover.
Pergamon
BOOKS
Chemical and Isotopic Ground-water Hydrology. SecondEdition: Revised and Expanded. The Applied Approach. Emanuel Mazor. Marcel Dekker, Inc., Monticello, NY, 1997.413 pp. (ISBN 0-8247-9803-l); $150.00 hardcover.
Does Nature Know Best? Natural Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in America ‘s Food. American Council on Scienceand Health, New York, NY, 1996. 42 pp. $3.85 softcover.
This updated and expanded edition is intended to provide investigators with an understanding of measurableproperties of groundwater systems.It also describes how to apply hydrochemical, geological, chemical, and isotopic, including dating techniquesto groundwater studies. The book includes a number of casestudiesfrom various parts of the world and covers anthropogenic interventions, hydraulic interconnections, and water-rock interactions. Included are management requirements for groundwater studies. The book is intended as a graduate-leveltextbook and as a reference text.
Pollution: Causes,Eflects and Control. Third edition. Roy M. Harrison, ed. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Information Services, Cambridge, UK, 1996.480 pp. (ISBN 0-85404-534-l); E35.00 softcover. This book is an introductory text in environmental pollution and its consequences.The 20 chaptersof the book cover air and water pollution, industrial and householdwaste management,and similar topics. Two chaptersare dedicatedto the contentioussubjectof the health effects of pollutants. In these chapters, the authors rely mostly on the consensusof international organizations or pronouncements of government agenciesof the U.K. or the U.S. A careful reader will notice the absenceof a discussion on microbiological pollution which is increasingly being recognizedas the most significant source of most adversehealth effects. Despite this significant shortcoming, this book is recommended as an introductory text. 265
This booklet, originally authoredby W.R. Havender and revised by R. Coulombe, was reviewed by J.F. Borzelleca, C.M. Bruhn, D.G. Cochran, I.R. Danse, J. Doull, H.A. Dymsza, L.J. Filer, Jr., K.D. Fisher, R.W. Fogleman,J.H. Hot&kiss, M.A. Kamrin, R. Kava, M. Kroger, R.P. Maickel, J.A. Milner, S.T. Omaye, F.J. Stare, E.M. Whelan, and C.K. Winter. The executive summary of this booklet is as follows: A large number of substancesthat occur naturally in foods are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) when evaluated by the criteria scientistscustomarily use to assess the cancer-causingpotential of synthetic substances. other carcinogensare produced by cooking and by the actions of microorganisms.These natural carcinogens are more numerous, more widespread, and, in some cases,more potent than synthetic carcinogens in food. It is not necessaryor practical for consumersto stop eating foods that contain natural carcinogens-indeed, nearly every food type contains them, and it is impossible to completely avoid them. The occurrence of natural carcinogens in foods, particularly plant foods, does not justify changes in Americans’ eating habits. Many cancer researchers and nutritionists now recommend that Americans not only increasetheir intake of fruits and vegetables,but also reduce their intake of red meat, alcoholic beverages, and fatty foods and reduce their overall caloric intake. Eating a wide variety of foods is desirable for nutritional reasons,and increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet has always beenrecognizedas good nutritional advice. Fruits and vegetablesare beneficial in that they are now known to contain many protective “anticarcinogens”-compounds that have been shown to counteractthe cancerprocessinitiated by carcinogens.
266
The common assumption that “natural” is safe and “synthetic” is toxic is contrary to current scientific knowledge. Synthetic chemicals are present in foods at much lower levels than are many naturally occurring carcinogens and toxins. Also, in many casesthe synthetic chemicals are less potent carcinogens than the ones that are a natural part of our food. The dose makes the poison. There is a need for a new perspectiveon carcinogens -one that emphasizesboth a substance’scarcinogenic potency and the level of human exposure to it rather than emphasizing merely whether it is natural or synthetic. There is a need to distinguish between real and hypothetical hazards and between functional and unnecessarysubstanceswhen setting regulatory priorities. More research is needed on natural food components. We need to strike a more even balance between our evaluationsof natural and synthetic substancesin the food supply. This booklet is probably the best summary of the topic currently available. Its primary advantage is that it is written for the general public and the nonspecialist. It is highly recommended for libraries in schools,cities, and other municipalities. It is also recommendedfor journalists who need accurate scientific information.
Environmental Management and Governance: Intergovernmental Approaches to Hazards and Sustainability. Peter J. May, Raymond J. Burby, Neil J. Ericksen, John W. Handmer, Jennifer E. Dixon, Sarah Michaels, and D. Ingle Smith, eds. Routledge, New York, NY, 1996. 254 pp. (ISBN O-415-14445-0, hardcover; ISBN O-415- 14446-9 softcover); $74.95 hardcover; $24.95 softcover. This book addressesissues of environmental management that arise when national or state governments try to persuade local governments to be good stewards of the environment. Examining environmental management programs in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States,the authors explore the merits of “cooperative” and “coercive” intergovernmental regimes and how they influence choices made by local governmentsabout land use and development. This book offers a new understanding of the management of natural hazards and of the appropriate policy mix for advancing environmental sustainability.
Books
Latin American Environmental Policy in International Perspective.Gordon J. MacDonald, Daniel L. Nielson, and Marc A. Stern,eds. Westview Press,Boulder, CO, 1997.292 pp. (ISBN o-8133-2423-8 hardcover; ISBN O-8133-2424-6softcover); $59.00 hardcover; $16.95 softcover. In this volume, scholars and policy makers from throughout the hemisphereconsider the domestic and international factors that shape the process of environmental policy making in Latin America. Particular attention is given to domestic political institutions, growing domestic and transnational environmental activism, the role of the international development community, and the effects of sweeping neoliberal economic reforms on environmental policy. The volume also offers a set of comparative essayson environmental policy and politics in other regions of the world that demonstratesthe common challenges confronting policy makers in many rapidly industrializing nations. Fighting for Survival: Environmental Decline, Social Conflict, and the New Age of Insecurity. Michael Renner. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, NY, 1996. 239 pp. (ISBN O-393-31568-l); $11 .OOsoftcover. Pert Policy Series.Priming the Invisible Pump. Terry L. Anderson and Pamela S. Snyder. PERC, Bozeman, MT, 1997.26 pp. $4.00 softcover. Energy and Environmental Policy in a Period of Transition. Proceedings of the Twenty-third Annual Illinois Energy Conference.Energy ResourcesCenter, Chicago, IL, 1995.229 pp. Softcover. Pert Policy Series. Community-run Fisheries: Avoiding the ‘Tragedy of the Commons‘. Donald R. Leal. PERC, Bozeman, MT, 1996.27 pp. Softcover. Businessand the Environment. Richard Welford and Richard Starkey, eds. Taylor 8z Francis, Bristol, PA, 1996.284 pp. (ISBN l-56032-610-7 softcover; ISBN l-56032-609-3 hardcover); $24.95 softcover.