Causes Cancer in Laboratory Rats
I hate that warning lable - "WARNING: Product has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory rats/mice". Beyond the loathing for products that are tested on animals at all is a deeply cynical and somewhat sneering view of the warning.
Rats and mice are extremely suceptible to tumors. Those that survive to 2 years of age have an 87% chance of developing one or more types of tumors, and the cases of tumors are over 50% malignant. These are numbers from studies done on pet rats, bred from genetically distinct lines and reared by humans knowledgable about proper environment, with strict diets to remove anything and everything that could possibly increase the risk of tumors and cancer. Starting with a rat of optimal breeding and kept in a near perfect, carcinogen-free environment, the rat has an 87% chance of developing tumors that are or become malignant.
Lab rats are often not from genetically diverse breeding lines. They're frequently albinos; albinism is a recessive chromosomal, genetic defect. Albinism is associated with many minor tissue abnormalities. The rate of skin cancers in albinos is far higher than normal rats due to the lack of melanin protection in the skin. Many of them have come from generations of albinos, which means generations of reinforcing a genetically weak recessive gene.
So, in essence, the tests are being done on a genetically weak, potentially very inbred, rodent that even under optimal conditions has an extremely high risk of getting cancer anyway. On top of that, potential carcinogens are added in large volume.
Sassafrass root, used for making tea and rootbeer, is not legal for sale any longer because it contains safrole, which has been shown to cause an increase of liver cancer in laboratory rats when injected or fed orally in large quantities. Sassafrass tea and root beer has been consumed by humans for hundreds of years, with no evidence of it ever causing cancer in humans. An earlier study done by the same agency says, "Man may ingest small amounts of safrole and isosafrole through essential oils in which they occur." It looks like Dr. Duke has been often quoted saying sassafrass [tea/rootbeer] has 1/14th the carcinogen level of a glass of beer, and that even if all the safrole leeched into the drink, it would still be 95% less than the cancer-toxic level. I am trying to find the cite for that study/quote.
Other foods that cause cancer in rats and mice: allspice, anise, apricot, apple, banana, basil, beet, broccoli, brussle sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, caraway, cardamom, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chili pepper, chocolate, cinammon, citronella, cloves, coffee, collard greens, comfrey, corn, coriander, currants, dill, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honey, honeydew, horseradish, kale, lemon, lentils, lettuce, licorice, lime, mace, mango, marjoram, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, onion, orange, oregano, paprika, parsley, parsnip, peach, pear, peas, black pepper, pineapple, plum, potato, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, rutabaga, sage, savory, sesame seeds, soybean, tarragon, tea, thyme, tomato, turmeric, and turnip.
Strangely, I haven't seen FDA warnings on any of the above foods. Frankly if I did, and I let the warning labels scare me off, I'd be totally screwed to find anything to eat.
It makes an interesting argument for the IARC to stop testing on rodents. Sadly, the short life span and quick expression of cancers when exposed to carcinogens outweighs the fact that the results aren't reliable to determine cancer risk levels in humans.
Rats and mice are extremely suceptible to tumors. Those that survive to 2 years of age have an 87% chance of developing one or more types of tumors, and the cases of tumors are over 50% malignant. These are numbers from studies done on pet rats, bred from genetically distinct lines and reared by humans knowledgable about proper environment, with strict diets to remove anything and everything that could possibly increase the risk of tumors and cancer. Starting with a rat of optimal breeding and kept in a near perfect, carcinogen-free environment, the rat has an 87% chance of developing tumors that are or become malignant.
Lab rats are often not from genetically diverse breeding lines. They're frequently albinos; albinism is a recessive chromosomal, genetic defect. Albinism is associated with many minor tissue abnormalities. The rate of skin cancers in albinos is far higher than normal rats due to the lack of melanin protection in the skin. Many of them have come from generations of albinos, which means generations of reinforcing a genetically weak recessive gene.
So, in essence, the tests are being done on a genetically weak, potentially very inbred, rodent that even under optimal conditions has an extremely high risk of getting cancer anyway. On top of that, potential carcinogens are added in large volume.
Sassafrass root, used for making tea and rootbeer, is not legal for sale any longer because it contains safrole, which has been shown to cause an increase of liver cancer in laboratory rats when injected or fed orally in large quantities. Sassafrass tea and root beer has been consumed by humans for hundreds of years, with no evidence of it ever causing cancer in humans. An earlier study done by the same agency says, "Man may ingest small amounts of safrole and isosafrole through essential oils in which they occur." It looks like Dr. Duke has been often quoted saying sassafrass [tea/rootbeer] has 1/14th the carcinogen level of a glass of beer, and that even if all the safrole leeched into the drink, it would still be 95% less than the cancer-toxic level. I am trying to find the cite for that study/quote.
Other foods that cause cancer in rats and mice: allspice, anise, apricot, apple, banana, basil, beet, broccoli, brussle sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, caraway, cardamom, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cherries, chili pepper, chocolate, cinammon, citronella, cloves, coffee, collard greens, comfrey, corn, coriander, currants, dill, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honey, honeydew, horseradish, kale, lemon, lentils, lettuce, licorice, lime, mace, mango, marjoram, mint, mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, onion, orange, oregano, paprika, parsley, parsnip, peach, pear, peas, black pepper, pineapple, plum, potato, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, rutabaga, sage, savory, sesame seeds, soybean, tarragon, tea, thyme, tomato, turmeric, and turnip.
Strangely, I haven't seen FDA warnings on any of the above foods. Frankly if I did, and I let the warning labels scare me off, I'd be totally screwed to find anything to eat.
It makes an interesting argument for the IARC to stop testing on rodents. Sadly, the short life span and quick expression of cancers when exposed to carcinogens outweighs the fact that the results aren't reliable to determine cancer risk levels in humans.
posted by Peregrine at 10:17 AM
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