More On Melatonin

Want proof that melatonin has a profound influence as a protector against breast cancer?

In recent research published in December 2007 in the British medical journal The Lancet, it was found that women who work a 'graveyard' shift experience an increase in breast cancer. In fact, the risk of breast cancer in women was increased by a whopping 60%!

As a result the 'graveyard shift', i.e. night shifts, have now been labeled as a "probable carcinogen" for breast cancer!

The research also showed that men who work the night shift have an increased risk for prostate cancer.

Why does this happen? Light keeps the melatonin levels down. And we know melatonin plays a major role in tumor suppression. And when the melatonin secreting rhythm is off, estrogen goes up. So we have two mechanisms working to cause this increased risk.

Researchers also found that the people with the highest risk were those shift workers who went back and forth, rotating between day and night shifts.

Once again we see how important this hormone called melatonin is to our health. We must do all we can to maintain adequate amounts of melatonin in our system. Electromagnetic radiation is one of the culprits suppressing its production. That's not a good thing.

Cell Phone Radiation and Breast Cancer

Hormones are extremely important substances in the body. Even small amounts have profound effects and the balance of hormones is very delicate.

There are a number of factors that can disrupt hormonal balance. Lack of sleep, stress, environmental toxins, and a poor diet are just a few. Electromagnetic radiation falls into this category as well.

Electromagnetic radiation, including cell phone radiation, inhibits the release of melatonin in the brain. Why is this significant? One of the functions of melatonin is to inhibit the release of estrogen. It is well known that about 70% of breast cancers are estrogen dependent. Removing a mechanism for estrogen suppression in the body would allow for elevated levels of estrogen to occur leading to increased risk of breast cancer.

Melatonin itself has also been shown to suppress the development of breast cancer. (Srinivasan V, Spence DW et al. "Melatonin, environmental light, and breast cancer", Breast Cancer Res Treat 2007 May 31; PMID: 17541739

Melatonin also has an impact on two other hormones, prolactin and epidermal growth factor. Elevated levels of these hormones can lead to increased cell division in breast tissue. (Robien K, Cutler G. Lazovich D, "Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study", Cancer Causes Control 2007 Sep; 18(7): 775-82, epub 2007 June 5, PMID: 17549593.)

In my next post I'll continue this discussion with a few more comments on melatonin's effect on Vitamin D and how this impacts tumor growth.

Cell Phone Radiation Inhibits Melatonin

Studies have shown that electromagnetic radiation (cell phone radiation, wireless technology, etc.) inhibits the production of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is secreted in pineal gland in the brain. One of its primary functions is to regulate our sleep cycle. When inadequate amounts of melatonin are produced our sleep cycle is compromised. Could this be one reason so many people today suffer from insomnia? Is the multitude of sleep problems in America today a result of all the electromagnetic radiation, radio frequencies and microwave radiation in our environment?

Why is this important? If you don't get into the deeper phases of the sleep cycle at night the body cannot repair itself. Cells aren't rejuvenated. Sleep in necessary for this repair process to occur and we all need it. Growth hormone plays a major role here and is also secreted during deep phase sleep.

Get this. 81% of 15-to-20 year olds today SLEEP WITH THEIR CELL PHONE ON! Considering the value of melatonin to our health, and especially in the sleep cycle, the implications of this statistic are frightening.

There's more to the melatonin story...a lot more. Read it on the next post.

The Birds And The Bees

It seems all the electropollution in our atmosphere is even affecting the birds and the bees.

Read this quote from Alasdair Philips of Powerwatch:

"Medium- and short-wave frequencies have been used since the 1930s with little evidence of any effect on bird behavior. But since the mobile phone networks went up there have been increasing reports of birds, especially homing pigeons, getting lost. Research now needs to look at the effects of base station signals, particularly in view of the disorienting effects of EMR 'noise' reported in this study."

It's a known fact that migratory birds use the geomagnetic field of the earth as a 'compass' in their yearly migratory travels. Research has also shown that robins get disoriented when exposed to broadband frequencies in the range of 0.1 to 10 megahertz. Scientists have also shown that the migratory travel of birds is disrupted by electromagnetic radiation.

And as for the honeybees...well, they are disappearing at an alarming rate all over the world. Scientists are quite concerned since the disappearance of honeybees would have a profound impact on our food supply. At least two studies have shown that bees get disoriented when leaving their hive and can't seem to find their way back. Unable to find their way home they starve and die. According to studies this disorientation is caused by electromagnetic fields from all the cell phone radiation and microwaves in our atmosphere.

Food for thought (while we still have some).

Startling Facts About Cell Phones

Listen to these facts about cell phone use:

• Talking on a cell phone as little as 500 minutes a month can increase the probability of brain cancer by 300%
• A two-minute call on a cell phone alters a child's brain for an hour
• Cell phone radiation has been show to damage and break living DNA
• Cell phone radiation causes leakage of the blood-brain barrier allowing toxins to damage sensitive brain tissue
• Cell phones worn by men on a belt clip can reduce sperm count by 30%
• After using a cell phone for six years the risk of developing an acoustic neuroma (a tumor of the auditory nerve) increases by 50%
• Cell phone radiation increases estrogen and adrenaline levels in the body disrupting hormonal balance

Think twice about using your cell phone for everything. It produces damaging radiation. And if you must use a cell phone use it safely and responsibly. Take protective measures to ensure your safety.

What Does The "Cell" In Cell Phone Mean?

Cell phone towers emit signals in a "flower petal" pattern around the tower. This occurs in a 360-degree radius around the tower. This 360-degree pattern is called a "cell" and this is what the term "cell" in cell phone means. When your phone is in a "cell" you get good reception. When the phone isn't in a "cell" you get poor reception. So, in order for a cell phone company to provide complete coverage cell phone towers and antenna towers must be positioned all across the landscape so that the "cells" overlap. Obviously, creating an infrastructure to accommodate this overlapping effect all across the country is a huge undertaking. This is precisely why cell phone towers and antennas are so prevalent.