CDC Promotes
Alternative Repellents
After years
of promoting the chemical DEET as the best defense against West
Nile-bearing mosquitoes, the government for the first time is recommending
the use of two other insect repellents. Good news for Buzz Away, the
nation's number one selling all natural repellent! Buzz Away contains the
oils of Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Citronella, Cedarwood and
Peppermint.
Buzz Away has also
proven equally effective with DEET-based repellents. A field study
conducted at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada found that, "The
protection provided by Buzz Away is not statistically different from
protection provided by Off! (a DEET-based repellent)."
In addition, ABC's
Prime Time Live news magazine and Good Housekeeping Magazine found Buzz
Away to be the most effective natural repellent they
tested.
A further study
conducted by Insect Research Control found that Buzz Away was effective
for approximately two hours.
"Since West Nile virus
is present across the entire country at this point and it's here to stay,
we constantly need to be vigilant," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of
the CDC's division of vector-borne infectious diseases.
Users complained of
DEET's odor or said it feels unpleasant on the skin. DEET repellents also
have reportedly damaged plastics and fake fingernails. Other people have
speculated it could cause brain damage, although the Environmental
Protection Agency said the chemical won't cause harm if used
properly.
The agency is
recommending products with Lemon Eucalyptus oil which has been used as a
repellent in Australia since 1988. The published research has been
conducted in Ethiopia, Australia, and Burkina Faso. Lemon Eucalyptus
Oil was compared to DEET, and in some studies to Neem Oil and pyrethrum.
Read
more here.
Cold & Flu Product Pulled from
Stores
Many products containing an
ingredient used to illegally manufacture the illicit drug."speed", have
been taken of pharmacy shelves. Now, the National Association of Chain
Drug Stores representing over 36,000 pharmacies wants the government to
restrict sales of cold medications containing Pseudoephedrine, a substance
often used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, or "speed."
It
is a main ingredient in a number of over-the-counter drugs like Sudafed,
Nyquil and Sinutab. You can view alternatives for the cold and flu season
by clicking
here.
Ken Spencer Wins Club Med
Vacation
Ken Spencer of Kenesaw,
Nebraska is the winner of Quantum
Health's Club Med Vacation for two contest.
Ken will work with our Club Med specialists at Best Travel to
choose from among the many worldwide Club Med locations. Ken has never won anything as big
as this trip and looks forward to a much needed vacation! The prize
includes airfare and a week at the all-inclusive resort known for it's
great food, fun, entertainment and recreation.
"We want to thank everyone who entered the contest. It was well
received by both our healthy consumers and the retail stores that featured
the promotion on our Cold & Flu products display," said company CEO,
David Shaw. Read
more here.
Older Americans
Are Big On Alternative Medicine
Over-50s are bigger users of alternative medicine than other
age groups, with 71 percent saying they turned to at least one of six
forms (herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractor, massage therapy,
breathing exercises or meditation), according to a study at Ohio State
University.
More than one third of
all US adults use complementary and alternative medicine, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2002 National Health
Interview Survey. Almost 20 percent of these take natural products, such
as herbs or other botanicals.
*Used with the permission of Novis - nutra
ingredients-usa.com.
©Quantum, Inc. 2005
