healthbriefs
Mercury-Free Dentistry U.S. Supports Ending Amalgam Cavity Fillings
I
n a watershed move towards global mercury- free dentistry, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) recently reported that the U.S. government has announced that it supports a phase down, with the goal of eventual phase out of mercury amalgam. That’s the silver-and-mercury-mixed material commonly used to fill cavities in teeth.
This represents a radical reversal of the govern- ment’s former position that, “Any change toward the use of dental amalgam is likely to result in positive public health outcomes.” The new stance will be submitted at the third round of negotiations for the world mercury treaty. The IAOMT sees this as “an extraordinary development that will change the global debate about amalgam.”
The IAOMT, a global network of 700 dental, medical and research profes- sionals, is a longtime opponent of mercury amalgam because of possible health risks from mercury, a known toxin. It is considered especially risky for children and for pregnant women, whose fetuses can be affected. Possible side effects of the continuous release of toxic vapor from mercury fillings into the body include memory loss, tremors, personality changes and impaired immune systems. Yet, the World Dental Federation and the American Dental Association con- tinue to maintain that mercury amalgam fillings are safe. To date, mercury fillings have been banned in Norway and restricted in Finland, Sweden, Austria, Canada and Germany. With the U.S. government on board, says Charles G. Brown, presi- dent of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, “The debate has shifted from whether to end amalgam to how to end amalgam.” Mercury-free dentistry supports the use of a tooth-colored, bonded composite material, made primarily of resin.
For more information, visit
iaomt.org.
Play Together, Stay Together A
Trans-Fats and Depression Linked?
A new study from Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria universities shows that a high consumption of trans-fats and saturated fats can increase an individual’s risk of suffer- ing from depression. The study further demonstrated, “The more trans-fats [that] were consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced,” says lead author Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, an associate professor of preventive medi- cine at Las Palmas.
new study has confirmed an old adage: A family that plays together, stays together. Ac- cording to researchers from Canada’s Concordia and Wilfrid Laurier universities, shared leisure is vital in the formation of bonds that can bridge generations. “Shared leisure time allows grandchildren and their grandparents to establish common in- terests that in turn enable them to develop strong
intergenerational relationships,” explains Concordia Professor Shannon Heb- blethwaite. Grandparents often use get-togethers as opportunities to share family histories, personal experiences and life lessons and to teach, mentor and pass on values, traditions and family legacies.
The study builds on previous research that found how healthy intergenerational connections help grandparents age better and exhibit more positive feelings about life. Family cohesiveness also tends to sharpen youngsters’ sense of empathy as adults.
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The researchers worked with 12,059 volunteers, of whom none had experienced depression during the previ- ous six years, analyzing the volunteers’ diets, lifestyles and ailments before, during and after the project. At the end of the study, 657 new cases of depression were detected. The researchers confirmed that participants who had consumed the most trans-fats and saturated fats in their diets had increased their risk of the disorder by up to 48 percent, compared to those who did not eat these fats or substituted polyunsaturated fats found in olive and other natural plant oils and fish.
Source:
PLoSOne.org
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