Dr. Tracy McAlvanah's Wellness Blog

In the 1800s the average girl didn’t hit puberty until she was 15. Today the average age of  puberty  is 12, while the numbers of children showing signs of puberty before age 10 is at all time high and rising. We have seen the age at which children, primarily girls, hit puberty drop in just the last generation. The  numbers  are startling. Breast development and other signs or puberty are starting by age 7 in 10 percent of white girls, 15 percent of Hispanic girls, and 23 percent of black girls. Early puberty not only may cause emotional pressures, but also may raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer due to longer exposure to estrogen. Studies link early puberty with increased behavioral and mood disorders, low self-esteem, early sexuality, and increased risk of health disorders. Why are girls going through puberty so early? The research points to the abundance of estrogen-like chemicals in our environment and obesity as factors driving early puberty. We l...

Nicely scented products can trigger pleasant memories or a good mood. In fact, some of the chemicals used in perfumes have been found to have a mild  narcotic  effect. Sadly, however, they can also trigger serious physical illnesses and reactions in people who have developed a chemical sensitivity, and the numbers of such people are growing. But don’t blame the canaries in the coal mine — artificially scents are toxic to all people — just some folks have lost their resilience to them. Perfumes  contain chemicals derived from petroleum that have been associated with hormone disruption, allergic reactions,  cancer   birth defects, nervous-system disorders, and a tendency to accumulate in human tissues, although most haven’t been tested for safety at all. For instance, some are linked to sperm damage and are found concentrated in human fat tissue and in breast milk. About 3,000 chemicals fall under this category, however manufacturers are simply required to label...

If you’re like most people, you probably have a vague notion artificial food coloring is “bad.” You’ve also probably heard it makes some kids hyperactive. But did you know the science on artificial food dyes is so thorough and damning that they are banned in two European countries, require warning labels throughout the European Union (and are hence little used), and that Wal-Mart, Coca Cola, and Kraft in  Britain  don’t use them? What do Europeans know that we don’t? Actually, they have access to the same science we do, only apparently they take it more seriously. The good news is that, thanks to pressure from consumers in the know, food giant  Nestle  is leading the way by voluntarily removing food dyes from its chocolate candies by the end of 2015. So what’s the big deal with food coloring? Are the risks for real or is it just a bunch of hype? Immunologist Aristo Vojdani, PhD, outlines the various health risks and disorders associated with food colorings in one...