North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Doc,

I don't know of any association between those residues and coronary artery
disease.  Dietary trans-fats seem to be the culprit, either directly
ingested or as an indirect cause by changing the chemistry of the fats in
food animals fed trans-fats.  Any studies to back your suspicions, or is it
the lack of studies that piques your interest?

There is an association between irritable bowel and dish soap/detergent
residues.  Sometimes a case can be cured by having the patient use less soap
and rinse the dishes better.

There's been a discussion on another list I subscribe to about washing
fruits and veggies, and using some of the soaps intended for that purpose.
I've had a tough go getting across to some people that any soap, even nicely
marketed biodegradable ones, will cause more problem than the average
pesticide/herbicide residue on produce.  The latter is minimal, the soaps
don't remove any (the residue is not on the surface), and can cause bowel
irritation.  The more worrisome contaminants are 'organic' - bacteria and
fungi.

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Doc Lisenby
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 8:37 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Re:Lime/Amphibian decline

It is common practice to check fish ponds here in the South to insure that 
the pH isn't too low.  I add tons of lime to my 3 acre pond every few years.

It takes a lot of lime to show any appreciable rise in pH and some people 
says it is an exercise in futility.
I hear only one or two bullfrogs (Rana catesbelana)every year.  Fifty years 
ago we could harvest enough for a meal.   Nowadays, frog gigs, a commonly 
sold hardware/sporting good store item, are hard to find.
I have always suspected  that surfactants/detergents/wetting agents/surface 
tension depressants/emulsifiers inadvertently left on eating implements, 
dishes and cookware are involved somehow in causing coronary artery disease 
in humans.  They are powerful reagents and just don't belong in a living 
organism; except for those that the organism's body makes for a specific 
purpose.
Doc Lisenby