Natural or Man-made Chemicals? Adapted from a presentation by Penny Le Couteur, The Fraser Institute, Vancouver, Canada

“All substances are poisonous, there is none which is not a poison; the right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.” Paracelsus circa 1538

The great myth “Natural is good; man-made is bad”

It may be natural but you’ll be just as dead!

The seven most deadly chemical compounds LD50 /mg/kg Botulinum toxin A 3 x 10-8 Tetanus toxin A 5 x 10-6 Diphtheria toxin 3 x 10-4 Dioxin * 3 x 10-2 Muscarine 2 x 10-1 Bufotoxin 4 x 10-1 Sarin * LD50 = The lethal dose of a compound for 50% of animals exposed * Synthetic

The best chemists can do

Viktor Yushchenko President of the Ukraine July 2004 December 2004

Muscarine - from mushrooms

Bufotoxin – from the common toad

The next ten …. (most deadly) LD50/ mg/kg Strychine 5 x 10-1 Soman * 6 x 10-1 Tabun * Tubocurarine chloride 7 x 10-1 Rotenone 3 Isoflurophate * 4 Parathion * Aflatoxin B1 10 Sodium cyanide * 15 Solanine 42 * Synthetic

Vitamin C Ascorbic acid

Other variations of “natural is good; man-made is bad” Synthetic chemicals were not around as man evolved so we haven’t had time to become resistant to them as we have to naturally occurring compounds. Synthetic chemicals bioaccumulate in our bodies.

Chemicals in food: Advertisements from “organic food” stores “We read the labels so you don’t have to. We want you to concentrate on how good the food tastes and not worry about words that you can’t pronounce”

Chemicals in food: Advertisements from “organic food” stores “We keep the chemicals out of your food”

Chemicals in food: Advertisements from “organic food” stores “We think your food tastes better without the flavour of preservatives”

Chemicals used to preserve food Ascorbic acid Antioxidant/antimicrobial BHA Antioxidant Calcium propionate Mold inhibitor EDTA Sodium benzoate Microbial inhibitor BHT Sodium nitrite Microbial inhibitor in meat Sorbic acid Mold inhibitor in cheese BHA= butylated hydroxyanisole BHT = butylated hydroxytoluene EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

HNO2 + (CH3)2NH  (CH3)2NNO + H2O Sodium nitrite Risk: Cancer from nitrosamines Benefit: Prevents botulism in meats NO2- + HCl  HNO2 + Cl- HNO2 + (CH3)2NH  (CH3)2NNO + H2O

Natural toxins in food Chemical Food source Hazard Allyl isothiocyanate Brown mustard, horseradish, garlic Tumours Benzo(α)pyrene BBQ/smoked meats Stomach cancers Cyanides Bitter almonds, cashews, lima beans General toxicity Nitrosoamines Cooked bacon Cancer Estragole Basil, fennel, tarragon Glycyrrhizic acid Liquorice Hypertension/heart Hydrazines Raw mushrooms

Natural toxins in food –part 2 Chemical Food source Hazard Myristicin Nutmeg, parsley, dill, carrots, celery, pepper Hallucinations/liver damage/death Oxalic acid Rhubarb, spinach Kidney damage/death Saxitoxin Shellfish Paralysis/death Symphatine Comfrey plant Tumours Tannins & tannic acid Black tea, coffee, cocoa Cancers/ throat & mouth Tetrodotoxin Puffer fish

Don’t worry, it’s organic Organic farming is a multi-dollar industry that relies on the public’s perception that organic food is more healthy. There is little evidence to suggest that organic fruit and vegetables are any healthier than conventional produce. Some forms of organic farming may introduce natural toxins into consumers’ food. Chemistry World, June 2004

Science writer John Emsley quotes We come into this world with a wonderful built-in detoxifying system that protects us against thousands of natural toxins every day. Cancer (from synthetic chemicals) is a risk, but the risk may be so low as to be worth ignoring.

Cosmetics Cinnamon Citrus Angelica Almond extract Clove Bergamot Cornstarch Fennel Geranium Lavender Lemon balm Lime Papaya Peppermint Rose Thyme Witch hazel Wintergreen

Should DDT be banned everywhere?