When Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
It can be really annoying to learn about health hazards that are difficult to avoid. For example, I really didn’t want to know that farm-raised salmon are artificially colored pink (sorry for telling you). I also did not enjoy hearing that farmed salmon are treated with neurotoxic (brain poisoning) parasiticides (parasite-killing chemicals). I didn’t want to know this because farm-raised salmon tastes better than ocean caught, and I like to buy it. I still buy it sometimes, but I can’t say that I enjoy it as much as I used to…
I also don’t feel too empowered knowing that soy has been genetically modified to be “Roundup (a toxic pesticide) Ready” so that it is resistant to a chemical which kills practically all life except the soy plant. In other words, this pesticide would normally kill the soy crops as well, but instead the heavily contaminated products survive until our table.
The food industry has also genetically modified corn (with the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis) so that it makes insects’ stomachs explode. Though they claim that they have not found evidence that this bacterium is harmful to humans, I suspect that time will tell… a
different story.
Sometimes it’s hard to completely avoid pesticide-contaminated or genetically modified foods. And one can start to feel pretty powerless faced with this sort of information, when there is little that can be done about it. I think the expression “ignorance is bliss” can be perfectly applied here.
We do the best we can. I certainly would not purchase a bottle of “Roundup” during my next visit to Walmart, no matter how many weeds I find in my garden. But can I say that I will completely avoid cornflakes? In reality, however, ignorance is not always bliss. In fact more often than not, ignorance is simply dangerous.
I don’t like being duped. And the bits and pieces of information that we receive from the media often leave us with an incomplete even misleading picture. Therefore, I have made it my business to turn over every stone and find the truth behind many pervasive half-truths.
That said, I would like to share the information that I have gathered on genuine and largely avoidable health hazards. We may not be able to avoid pollution or pesticides even when we know about them. But there are many other areas where knowledge is power and that knowledge will help you avoid unnecessary pitfalls as you become the master of your destiny. My intention here is not to scare you, but to inform you and incite you to action; to research and to make well-educated decisions for your family.
I want to share information about specific health hazards that fall under one of the following two categories. Either:
They are easy to avoid, and most people only use them because they don’t know how harmful they are or that safer alternatives exist. Or,
Their negative effects are so devastating, that they should be avoided even if doing so causes inconvenience.
In the upcoming series, I hope to answer all of the following questions:
Do Root Canals have an effect on overall health?
Could avoiding root-canals actually be preventive against certain diseases?
Could existing diseases, including but not limited to: cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, and neurological conditions (like multiple sclerosis) be linked to a history of root canal?
Can and should one remove root canal treated teeth, and if so, are there precautionary measures to be taken?
Can tooth extraction cause health deterioration?
(Short answer: yes. Do not have any teeth extracted- even root canal treated teeth- before learning about safe methods for doing so.)
Is there a specific way to extract teeth without causing health problems?
What are “silver” fillings (amalgams) made of?
Are amalgams safe? Are they linked to any diseases?
Are there alternatives to amalgam fillings?
If I have amalgam fillings, should I get them replaced?
Are there any risks involved in replacing mercury fillings?
(Short answer: yes. Please don’t do so until you read further.)
Does fluoride really prevent cavities?
Are there easy ways to avoid fluoride overexposure?
Is aluminum associated with neurological disease?
Are there other neurotoxins (brain poisoning substances) that I should know how to avoid?
What are some major sources of aluminum that I can start avoiding today?
What are some alternative options for bakeware or food storage?
Is aluminum hidden in my antiperspirant?
Is there reason to avoid aluminum based antiperspirants?
How can I find deodorants that contain safe ingredients?
What are mammograms?
Can mammograms cause cancer?
Can biopsy cause cancer to spread?
Are there safer screening procedures to detect or prevent cancer?
Until next time…
Yael Tusk, MSOM is a practitioner of Chinese Medicine in Jerusalem. For over a decade, she has been treating patients and researching healthcare. She is also trained in designing and evaluating scientific research. Look out for her upcoming book, “Health: A Natural Approach”.
Visit her website: Yaeltusk.com
