Your Shampoo may be Caused of Cancer

Your shampoo may seem harmless, but it could be contributing to the formation of a mysterious, cancer-causing substance, a new study says.

New research reveals that common household products such as shampoo can interact with disinfectants at U.S. waste water treatment plants to form a little-studied class of cancer-causing substances. These substances, called nitrosamines, can end up in drinking water, experts say.

Several nitrosamines, including the chemical NDMA, a focus of the new Yale study, are classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as probable human carcinogens.

Nitrosamines form in small amounts when exposed to chloramine, the disinfectant of choice at the nation's waste water treatment plants. The chemical—a combination of chlorine and ammonia—has been used increasingly in drinking water disinfection since the EPA set limits for better-known toxic substances that can arise from the use of chlorine, the traditional disinfectant.

Though inconclusive, the study suggests "it's entirely possible that we're producing more problems—and maybe even worse problems—with chloramines," said David Reckhow, an environmental engineer at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst who was not involved in the new study.

PISTACHIOS LOWER CANCER RISK

New findings show that pistachios have anticarcinogenic properties and protect cells from damage caused by free radicals that might lead to cancer.

The latest studies by German researchers suggest eating pistachios on a daily basis may reduce the risk of cancer by raising the amount of gamma-tocopherol in the body.

The US study cited by the German Lung Foundation say pistachios are a rich source of gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E, which guards against certain cancers.

Gamma-tocopherol has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances thought to protect cells from damage that can be caused by molecules known as free radicals.

This protection could help prevent cancer from developing.

Researchers gave the study's participants 68 grams of pistachios daily for four weeks in addition to their normal diet.

The study group had a significantly higher level of gamma-tocopherol in comparison to the control group that received no pistachios.