Posted on 06/02/2004 4:43:14 AM PDT by Colosis
LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking destroys protective molecules in saliva and transforms it into a dangerous cocktail of chemicals that increases the risk of mouth cancer, scientists say.
"Cigarette smoke is not only damaging on its own, it can turn the body against itself," said Dr Rafi Nagler, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.
Saliva contains antioxidants, molecules that normally protect the body against cancer, but Nagler and his colleagues have discovered that cigarette smoke destroys the molecules and turns saliva into a dangerous compound.
"Our study shows that once exposed to cigarette smoke, our normally healthy saliva not only loses its beneficial qualities but it turns traitor and actually aids in destroying the cells of the mouth and oral cavity," he added.
In research reported in the British Journal of Cancer on Wednesday, Nagler and his team studied the impact of cigarette smoke on cancerous cells in the laboratory.
Half of the cells were exposed to saliva exposed to cigarette smoke and the other half just to the smoke. Cells exposed to the saliva mixture had more damage and it increased along with the time of exposure.
"Most people will find it very shocking that the mixture of saliva and smoke is actually more lethal to cells in the mouth than cigarette smoke alone," Nagler added in a statement.
Smoking and drinking are the leading causes of head and neck or oral cancers, which includes cancer of the lip, mouth, tongue, gums, larynx and pharynx. Nearly 400,000 new cases of the illness are diagnosed worldwide each year with the majority in developing countries. The five-year survival rates are less than 50 percent.
Nagler and his colleagues believe the research could open up new avenues to develop better treatments to prevent oral cancer.
"This insight into how mouth cancer can develop offers more reasons for smokers to try and quit," said Jean King, of Cancer Research UK, which publishes the journal. "People know the link with lung cancer and this research adds compelling evidence about the damage smoking can do to the mouth."
We've tried to stay on the health issues inspite of numerous attempts to take us away from that discussion.
In the interest of the new government programs aimed at reducing the occurance of Alzheimers, we must pass legislation requiring people to smoke. You supportive?
Who were you with, jackboot?
So, which do you think is more unhealthy, obesity, or smoking?
Which do you kills more people? Which has more diseases related to it, obesity, or smoking? Which is responsible for more heart disease, obesity, or smoking? Which should be more regulated by the FDA, addiction to tobacco, or obese parents raising obese children? Which do you think causes more long-term disability, obesity or smoking?
Those are smoking related health questions.....
You think that veterans should not have more say in veterans affairs than non-veterans?
Ducking the challenge. I am not surprised.
Seems that would be the consistent position, were consistency even remotely possible.
Bravo, Bravo, my friend!!!!
It is a point most of the gnatzies refuse to accept. When they choose to behave as prosecutor, judge and, jury they forget one aspect of the process........if they make the accusation, they need to prove it, not the other way around.
When called on it, one of the Military Reserve Units in Delaware actually did stop lying to children. they used a pig's lung that had been injected with a whole mess of stuff and claimed it was the lung of a human smoker.
I have nothing against honest work to keep children from starting smoking or even encouraging adults to stop --- but the operative word is HONEST. I will not tolerate twisting of science or out right lies.
Most of the attempts to change the subject were YOURS, oh mighty one who regulates the threads.
Hey! Anybody want to change the subject, and talk about how their memorial day went? Let's see if the thug can stop us.
I'll start! The whole family came, all the grandkids. Incidently, all the adults smoke. We had a grand time here in the country, some wonderful meals and late night talks together. My son didn't get a VSM because he served in Korea, but he did get a lot of medals, and some of them he can't tell me about...and we did have some family who couldn't make it because they're in Iraq.
How bout y'all? ;-D
Your access to property via the right of the property owner to allow you access does not invalidate the right of the property owner define the access.
I can invite you to my house to burn some burgers and not hand over my right to define to parameters of your visit. I can disallow or allow many things, up to and including your privilege to smoke on my property.
My father, an ex-smoker, does not allow smoking anywhere on his 8 acres. That is his right as a private property owner, whether he allows "public" access to that property or not.
Obesity is a condition; smoking is an activity.
But seeing that I'm not a smoker, I'll likely live longer than a smoker.
It must be tough knowing that even though smoking doesn't cause heart disease, cancer or emphysema that the poor smoker is going to die earlier than his nico-nazi neighbors. What an unfair world to be born into.
We know quiting won't increase his lifespan, the poor slob. And, there really is no point in coming up with any cures for the diseases that plague smokers, the evidence of cures won't be conclusive because it will only be based on statistics. What a poor bunch.
I passed out cigarettes to orphans, because I'm addicted.
Which unit was this. They should be outed!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Now, if that's your general reasoning level, I have to congratulate you on staying alive as long as you have. I honestly thought, as a nurse, that being that stupid was mostly fatal.
Is that how you make your life choices? By what will lengthen or shorten your life? If not, why single out this activity particularly?
Gosh, we should have done that...but we were too busy exposing the grandkids to barbecue and second hand smoke...well, maybe next year...;-D
"But seeing that I'm not a smoker, I'll likely live longer than a smoker."
He says just before getting hit by a bus.
See your post below and think whether or not it invites debate...
LOL - that has to be the most ironic thing I have read in awhile. LOL!
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