African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 40 – Cocaine, Spices, HormonesFound in Drinking Watercontrol, may also throw off an animal's endocrine, orhormone-regulating, system. Some male fish in theU.S., for example, have been growing female partsdue to exposure to estrogen in the water.Researching these substances is important,Castiglioni said, "because [these] are quite unknowncontaminants, and they are present in theenvironment in huge amounts, especially forpharmaceuticals."To control the flow of these substances, some expertshave suggested creating "green pharmacies," whichwould allow a consumer to send back their drugs to apharmacist or manufacturer instead of flushing themdown the toilet and into the wild.ContaminantsCurrent EPA regulations say that more than 90contaminants must be filtered out of drinking-watersystems, said Cynthia Dougherty, director of EPA'sOffice of Groundwater and Drinking Water.Viruses and other microorganisms are kept at bay, asare inorganic substances such as lead, cyanide,copper, and mercury. Pollutants from fertilizerrunoff, such as nitrate and nitrite, are also removed.In addition, the agency regularly studies newchemicals that may need regulation. Of particularinterest right now is perchlorate, a natural andhuman-made chemical used in fireworks and rocketfuel, Dougherty said.At sufficiently high doses, the chemical—found in atleast 4 percent of U.S drinking water—can reduceiodine uptake into a person's thyroid gland. Ifcontinued long-term, reduced iodine can lead tohypothyroidism, according to the agency, which isnow seeking input on whether to regulate perchlorate.Ultimately, "what you really want is to not ever havethings you're concerned about in drinking water inthe first place," Dougherty said.That's why it's crucial for local communities to keepa close eye on what runs into their waterways, shesaid."If you have an understanding of what your source ofdrinking water is and what can happen to it,"Dougherty said, "you can be a more educated citizenin engaging in those issues."http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11/091112-drinking-water-cocaine.html☻☻☻☻☻☻Hints of 9,000-year-old WineFoundResidue found in ancient pottery matches profile offermented drinkThe Associated PressDecember, 6, 2004WASHINGTON - The Chinese were consuming fermentedbeverages — possibly wine — as long as 9,000 years ago,according to scientists who used modern techniques to peerback through the mists of time.Early evidence of beer and wine had been traced to theancient Middle East. But the new discovery indicates thatthe Chinese may have been making their drinks evenearlier.“Fermented beverages are central to a lot of our religions,social relations, medicine, in many cultures around theworld,” said Patrick E. McGovern of the University ofPennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.These drinks “have played key roles in the development ofhuman culture and technology, contributing to the advanceand intensification of agriculture, horticulture and foodprocessingtechnologies,” he reported.The discovery, by a team of researchers led by McGovern,is being published online in this week’s early edition ofProceedings of the National Academy of Science.Artifacts from stone-age villageMcGovern’s team collected pieces of 16 pottery vessels atJiahu, an early New Stone Age village in China’s Henanprovince. This is the same site where archaeologists havefound the earliest evidence of musical instruments,including an ancient flute.The ceramics were dated to about 7,000 B.C. — 9,000years ago — and the scientists analyzed residue that hadcollected inside the pots.The results showed chemicals that matched residues frommodern rice and rice wine, grape wine, grape tannins andancient and modern herbs. There were also indications ofhawthorn fruit.“The most straightforward interpretation of these data isthat the Jiahu vessels contained a consistently processedbeverage made from rice, honey and a fruit,” the teamconcluded.The team also reported on an analysis of 3,000-year-oldliquid found in sealed bronze vessels from the Chinese cityof Anyang.Continued on page 42-41- Traditional African Clinic December 2009