As soon as Botox was approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in 2002, there was a huge demand for Botox injections for wrinkles. Botox remains one of the most popular anti aging procedures available, and is often chosen as an alternative to face lifts and other plastic surgery.

What is Botox?

Botox is derived from a highly poisonous substance called botulinum toxin which is responsible for the form of food poisoning known as botulism. Botulinum toxin makes the muscles unable to contract. It began to be injected in tiny doses into the muscles around the eyes in the 1980s to treat uncontrollable blinking spasms and crossed eyes. That’s why the rights to Botox are owned by the opthalmic product manufacturer Allergan Inc.

The opthalmologists using Botox to treat eye spasms soon noticed that it also had the effect of reducing wrinkles around the eyes. Clinical trials then began for its use for cosmetic purposes. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: Allergan Inc., allergic reaction, botox, botulism, Dysport, Europe, face lifts, fda, Ipsen Ltd, Korea, Medy-Tox Inc, opthalmic product manufacturer, physician, plastic surgery, poisoning, spasms, This site

Some of the most astonishing miracles to come out of the nutrition laboratories in recent months have had to do with the mighty family of water-soluble vitamins grouped together under the head of the B complex.

When they use the term “B complex,” scientists are tacitly admitting that they do not know all the vitamins that compose it. Yet experiments with animals indicate that the B vitamins may turn out to be the most remarkable treasure house o£ human health thus far discovered.

The entire B complex (not the individual and better known B vitamins) appears to be a preventive o£ baldness and of gray hair, at least in animals, as we shall later see. Liberal B intake in animals is believed by many researchers to encourage greater resistance to infantile paralysis. Also, in very recent experiments, it has proved remarkably effective in preventing the development of liver cancers in laboratory rats. Right now there is a ferment of activity to relate these startling findings to human beings. Read the rest of this entry »

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As just about everyone knows I have a bit of a sweet tooth and am very fortunate that my metabolism allows me to eat some chocolate (my wife says I deserve to be fat).

Anyway we had a bit of a scare this week when there was a recall and fears of salmonella poisoning involving many Hershey products made in Canada. I have grabbed a list that is here but also there is a number on the back that must be between 6417 to 6455 as I have stated below. I am no health official so if you have any real questions on this please call the number below.

A number of popular Hershey chocolate products and candies have been recalled because of fears of salmonella contamination at a Smiths Falls, Ont., plant. Hershey brand chocolate bars, chocolate chips, Oh Henry! bars, Reese Peanut Butter Cups, and Cherry Blossom candies are among the affected products. None of the recalled products were produced for Halloween or Christmas products.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the products.

The recalled chocolate and candy can be identified by date codes found on the back of each package — the affected date codes range from 6417 to 6455. Consumers who have purchased the items in question should contact Hershey at 1-800-468-1714.

The affected products are:
HERSHEY CHIPITS Milk Chocolate Chips 270 gram
HERSHEY’S Creamy Milk Chocolate With Almonds 43 gram
HERSHEY’S Creamy Milk Chocolate 45 gram
HERSHEY CHIPITS Semi-Sweet 350 gram, Chocolate Chips 2 kg
HERSHEY CHIPITS Mini 300 gram, Chocolate Chips 10 kg, 175 gram, 500 gram
HERSHEY CHIPITS Chocolate Chip Bulk 10 kg
HERSHEY CHIPITS Semi-Sweet Mint Chocolate Chips 300 gram
HERSHEY Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 300 gram
HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate 45 gram
HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate with Almonds 43 gram
HERSHEY Assorted 16 count 728 gram
HERSHEY Assorted 50 count 2.5 kg, Nut Roll 5 kg
HERSHEY Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 10 kg
HERSHEY’S Chocolate Shell Topping 177 ml
OH HENRY! OH HENRY! 62.5 gram, 145 gram and 4 x 62.5 gram
OH HENRY! Bites 130 gram
OH HENRY! Peanut Butter 60 gram
REESE Peanut Butter Cups 51 gram, 68 gram, 4 x 51 gram
LOWNEY Cherry Blossom 45 gram
LOWNEY Bridge Mix 52 gram, 340 gram
GLOSETTE Peanuts 45 gram
GLOSETTE Almond 42 gram
GLOSETTE Raisin 50 gram, 145 gram
EAT-MORE Dark Toffee Peanut Chew 56 gram, 4 x 56 gram

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The promise of a more youthful look was too tempting for 53-year-old Mary Schwallenberg to pass up. So, when the Food and Drug Administration approved a product that temporarily improves the appearance of frown lines between the eyebrows, the Orlando, Fla., resident took a shot at it. And it wasn’t long before she became one of many people clamoring for regular treatments that often include refreshments and friendly conversation, as well as injections.

Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox Cosmetic) is a protein complex produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. When used in a medical setting as an injectable form of sterile, purified botulinum toxin, small doses block the release of a chemical called acetylcholine by nerve cells that signal muscle contraction. By selectively interfering with the underlying muscles’ ability to contract, existing frown lines are smoothed out and, in most cases, are nearly invisible in a week.

Botox injections are the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in the industry, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). In 2001, more than 1.6 million people received injections, an increase of 46 percent over the previous year. More popular than breast enhancement surgery and a potential blockbuster, Botox is regarded by some as the ultimate fountain of youth.

Schwallenberg, a pharmaceutical sales representative who is excited about her next round of injections, says she wants to look her best for her job. “That’s corporate America for you,” she says. “I have a lot of energy and I just wanted to look good.”

Botox was first approved in 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders–uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm) and misaligned eyes (strabismus). In 2000, the toxin was approved to treat a neurological movement disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder contractions, known as cervical dystonia. As an unusual side effect of the eye disorder treatment, doctors observed that Botox softened the vertical frown (glabellar) lines between the eyebrows that tend to make people look tired, angry or displeased. But until this improvement was actually demonstrated in clinical studies, Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was prohibited from making this claim for the product.
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Tags: Allergan Inc., America, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Botox, April, blepharospasm, board-certified plastic surgeon, botox, Botox Cosmetic, botulism, California, cervical dystonia, chemical called acetylcholine, dermatologic medical officer, Ella L. Toombs, energy, eye disorder, FDA's Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, Florida, flu syndrome, food and drug administration, headache, injection site, Irvine, Julianne Clifford, Mary Schwallenberg, movement disorder, muscle contraction, muscle disorders, muscle weakness, nausea, Orlando, pain, pharmaceutical sales representative, plastic surgery, poisoning, prescription product, president, qualified physician, respiratory infection, retail venues, scars, Scott A. Greenberg, skin surgery, strabismus, surgery, the eye disorder treatment, United States, vaccines, Winter Park