New concerns over cell phones and cancer

More and more published research is pointing to cell phone use as a serious and underestimated risk to your health.

The body of objective scientific research shows that wireless phone radiation penetrates the skull, affects blood flow, alters temperature and brain glucose metabolism and may weaken the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier.

I don’t know about you, but those certainly give me pause. And even though the level and types of risk remain uncertain, considering that nearly all of us rely on cell phones for daily communication, any risk is unsettling … especially since cell phone use is being associated with cancer.

Calling cancer

A new study published in the journal Pathophysiology, shows (yet again) the potential links between long-term cell phone use and malignant brain cancer. The study, conducted in Sweden, demonstrates that people who used cell phones for more than 25 years had a 3 fold increase in malignant brain cancer, compared to people who had used cell phones for less than 1 year.

Another recent study suggests human saliva may serve as a red flag proving cell phones can cause harm. This study arose from concerns that the very low levels of radiation emitted by cell phones may damage tissues of the head and neck, since cell phones are typically held close to the ear for long periods of time.

Researchers in Israel studied the saliva of 20 people who had been using mobile phones from eight to 15 years with an average time on the phone of 29.6 hours per month. The researchers focused on changes in saliva associated with oxidative damage to human cells. (Oxidative damage can occur when unstable molecules such as free radicals wreak havoc on cells, tissues and DNA.)

The results of this study showed that mobile phone users had a significantly higher increase in salivary markers for oxidative damage, compared with a group of deaf people.

Dialing up DNA damage

All of this research adds to a growing body of evidence that mobile phone use is capable of damaging human cells. Studies published in other prestigious journals that look into oral medicine and oral diseases have found that mobile phones can directly damage cells in the salivary glands, causing the glands to become over stimulated.

Other recent reports provide insight into what may actually be happening to human cells affected by mobile phone radiation. Recent research found that cell phone radiation may cause DNA damage and alter genes in brain cells. Additionally, a study of male volunteers tells us that long-term use of mobile phones can cause DNA damage and chromosomal instability in cells of the oral cavity and lymphatic system that could increase the risk of cancer.

Still, the debate over potentially harmful effects of long-term cell phone use is likely to rage on for years. The mobile phone industry and its lobbying groups provide plenty of funding for studies that find no link to ill health effects or are at least inconclusive. Health activists who carry the findings of studies like these too far also provide fuel for the critics.

But while the public waits for definitive answers, we can take protective measures with an antioxidant rich diet and extra supplementation to prevent or reduce possible risks linked to cell phones. The same measures may reduce health risks associated with many other forms of oxidative damage.

The 411 to prevent a 911

Strategies such as antioxidant protection, improved circulation, hydration and detoxification of heavy metals can be very useful. Vitamins C, A, E and D₃, as well as lipoic acid, CoQ10, selenium, glutathione and beta-1,3 glucans are highly recommended antioxidants.

Other herbal and nutrient guardians that protect against oxidative damage include:

• Sea buckthorn, which helps protect against radiation damage and provide antioxidant support
• Rosemary extract, which contains compounds that fight radiation damage and provide antioxidant support
• Kelp, which contains sodium alginates to help remove radiation from the body
• Honokiol (Magnolia bark extract), a powerful antioxidant and cell protector
• Medicinal mushrooms, particularly Reishi and Cordyceps, which help protect tissues from oxidative stress and inflammation, while detoxifying the body. Medicinal mushrooms are used to prevent tissue damage from radiation therapy in oncology treatments.
• Modified Citrus Pectin, which safely removes radioactive particles and heavy metals, combats inflammation and blocks abnormal cellular growth

Experts also recommend reducing cell phone radiation exposure with your speaker phone function or using a headset with an air conduction tube leading to the ear.

You can also limit the length of your conversation or use texting.

When your cell phone is not being used, it is best to keep it away from direct contact with your body, especially near highly sensitive organs and tissues, such as the genital area, breasts, head and thyroid. And don’t sleep with your cell phone next to your head.

Risk or no risk, cell phones are becoming the mainstay of personal communications and as new uses for personal devices increase, so will our exposure to radiation levels. No matter which side of debate a person chooses in our high-tech society, an ounce of prevention will always be worth a pound of cure.