Build Up Catch UP - 8/4/2023
TikTok and Borax (Let's just poison ourselves), Open Sesame (issues), 5 Things You Like Best About Build UP, 3 Things You May Have Missed...and more
Borax and “Poison Squad”
(A book AND podcast recommendation)
Question: TikTok has become a breeding ground for?
a. viral videos
b. stupidity
c. stupid viral videos
(and yes, we know there is some good content on TikTok)
One of the more recent crazes is drinking water with the detergent, Borax, addded to resolve various health issues. Borax is a cleanser, sodium tetraborate, that can be toxic to humans when consumed in high amounts and can cause respiratory issues if inhaled and skin irritation if applied directly to skin.
The book, “The Poison Squad” by Deborah Blum,☠ tells the true story of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who became the first commissioner of the FDA, and his group of young male test subjects, nicknamed the “Poison Squad”. In return for free meals, the young men ate food with various additives or were given capsules containing these additives during the meal. Wiley tried to establish the risk to human health of the wide number of questionable additives & adulterants being used at that time by food manufacturers. One of the first trials Wiley conducted was with borax. At the time borax was often added to meats and butter as a preservative. The “Poison Squad” helped determine that borax was the cause of headaches, stomachaches, and other digestive pains and eventually resulted in it being banned as a food additive. Borax (sodium tetraborate) is also banned in a number of other countries.
Podcast Pick: This Podcast Will Kill You - “Deborah Blum & The Poison Squad”
Bottom Line: If you hear people claim that food was better/safer in our grandparents/great-grandparents time (a favorite Michael Pollan trope), be sure have them read “Poison Squad”….and remind people not to get health advice from uncredentialed and unqualified people on TikTok.
Open SESAME (issues)
In our January newsletter we wrote about the problems with the addition of sesame to the top allergen list and how it was (not) being handled by manufacturers. “…Many, faced with the daunting task of extensive cleaning of (older) production lines to meet allergen-free status; have chosen to add sesame flour to their products. In some cases, sesame has been added even when it previously wasn’t an ingredient. Other manufacturers are adding a ‘may contain’ statement on packaging. Understandably, parents of children with a sesame allergy are frustrated and angry.”
The hope was the FDA would come out with a strong statement addressing this…. but, apparently, not so much. In late July the FDA’s response was: “The agency is interested in finding solutions, within our authorities, that meet the needs of consumers with food allergies, while also taking into account the practical limitations industry may be facing in implementing effective cross-contact controls and allergen labeling.”
Statement from FARE (Food Allergy Safety and Education) by dietitian Robert Earl - VP, Regulatory Affairs, indicated FARE was less than thrilled with the FDA’s response. Learn how you can be an advocate and support the food allergy community.
Survey Says….
We did a survey and asked, “What do you like most about Build UP Dietitians?” There were 15 choices and here were the top 5 things people (n=188) on Build Up Dietitians like most.
What about you? What do you like about Build Up Dietitians?
3 Things You May Have Missed
Microbiome Myths and Misunderstandings
Thanks to Ted Kyle of ConscienHealth for mentioning an article in a recent newsletter, “A Dozen Myths and Misconceptions About the Microbiome”. This article appeared in Nature Microbiology, “Human Microbiome myths and misconceptions”.
It’s worth being reminded that we still don’t know a lot about the microbiome and if people seem too confident in proclamations about the microbiome, that’s probably a red flag. One example is the claim that “Most diseases are caused by a pathobiome” when in reality, “…that is not yet evidence based to conclude that a characteristic pathobiome has a role in ‘most’ diseases.”
Build Up Dietitians friend dietitian Melanie Betz, aka The Kidney Dietitian, has a podcast! Melanie, a kidney stone specialist, and frequent contributor to the Build UP Dietitians RENAL group presents great information for both patients and dietitians.
3. FREE Webinar: “Exploring a Dietitian Licensure Compact”
Thursday - 8/17 at 9am PST
Providing nutrition care services in multiple states, either in person or through telehealth, requires…registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to become licensed according to each state’s requirements, which can be time-consuming and costly. A potential solution to facilitate cost-effective interstate practice for licensed RDNs is a licensure compact. Register to learn more about how the Dietitian Licensure Compact would work, who can use it, the potential benefits to dietitians, and how you can get involved in the public comment period. Register here. Learn about the National Center for Interstate Compacts here, read the Dietitian Licensure Compact (draft) here, and submit your feedback on the compact here.
