Ritual incense contribute to cancer?

[Apollo]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08...?section=justin

 

Print Email Add to My Stories Incense linked to respiratory cancers

Posted 18 minutes ago

 

Researchers in the United States say regular incense smoke inhalation could put people at risk of cancers of the respiratory tract.

 

In a study of more than 61,000 ethnic Chinese living in Singapore who were followed for up to 12 years, the investigators found a link between heavy incense use and various respiratory cancers.

 

The findings are published in the medical journal Cancer.

 

Incense has been used for millennia in many cultures' religious and spiritual ceremonies.

 

In Asia, people commonly burn incense in their homes - a practice that is becoming more popular in Western countries as well.

Incense is usually derived from fragrant plant materials, like tree bark, resins, roots, flowers and essential oils.

 

Past research has found that burning these materials can produce potentially cancer-causing substances, including benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

 

However, no studies until now had linked the practice of burning incense to an increased cancer risk over time, according to the researchers, led by Dr Jeppe T Friborg of the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen.

 

For their study, the researchers followed 61,320 Singapore Chinese men and women between the ages of 45 and 74 from the Hokkien or Cantonese dialect group.

 

All of the subjects were cancer-free at the outset.

 

Participants reported on their typical incense use, including how often they burned it in their homes and for how long - only at night, for instance, or all day and night.

 

Over the next 12 years, 325 men and women developed cancer of the upper respiratory tract, such as nasal, oral or throat cancer.

Another 821 developed lung cancer.

 

The researchers found that incense use was associated with a statistically significant higher risk of cancers of the upper respiratory tract, with the exception of nasopharyngeal cancer.

 

However, they observed no overall effect on lung cancer risk.

 

Those who used incense heavily also had higher rates of a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which refers to tumours that arise in the cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the body.

 

The risk was seen in smokers and non-smokers.

 

Study participants who used incense in their homes all day or throughout the day and night were 80 per cent more likely than non-users to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the entire respiratory tract.

 

The link between incense use and increased cancer risk held when the researchers weighed other factors, including cigarette smoking, diet and drinking habits.

 

"This association is consistent with a large number of studies identifying carcinogens in incense smoke," Dr Friborg's team writes, "and given the widespread and sometimes involuntary exposure to smoke from burning incense, these findings carry significant public health implications."

 

They say further studies are needed to see whether different types of incense are associated with different degrees of cancer risk.

 

In Singapore, the researchers note, most people burn long sticks or coils of incense that burn slowly over an extended period.

 

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so how? this is scientific finding but to say it cud b true dunno will b seditious anot?

[Roborovskii]

If need to burn incense or smoke, just do it outside your home.

[Watwheels]

They say only what but did not prove anything.

[Apollo]

this one is research finding not say say one. got live guinea pigs.

 

thing is the topic sits on a fence of scientific reasoning vs a religious practise. to debunk a religious practise will amt to sedition? how far can science go?

[Speddevil]

Yup agreed. seem that these research is not objective.. Everything link to sickness, cancer.Incense burning come way long long since ancient time from our ancestor. Why at that time they didnt discover that this is linked to cancer?

[Mazdaowner]

Like that may have to use alternative means. Electronic Joss Sticks.

It'll be breaking a ancient old habit of using real incense. I would burn

coil incense in the morning and evening, before bed, each coil would

last 4hrs approximately. Some temples have stopped the use of incense

to be eco friendly as well. Might just consider it, being a health issue.

 

Aside from the fact, my roof turns brownish after a while, and painting

it is no fun a job either.

[Mazdaowner]

Some altars inside the home la bro.

[Roborovskii]

Hmmm. How about custom installing a suction hood (like kitchen hob/hood) into the indoor altar?

[Rickster]

Good idea on electronic joss sticks, perhaps u can start to invent such a product and u'll soon make tonnes of $.

 

Hmm, I've alrdy seen widespred use of electronic candles, so its high time an electronic incense comes into the market . No fire hazards + environmentally friendly.

[Mazdaowner]

Thought about that last time, feng shui says it's not good to have something above

the "SIN" disrespectful, "SIN' not higher, suction hood higher.

 

 

Seriously I doubt there's going to be a way to eradicate the use of incense,

look at all the temples during Chinese New Year, the whole temple is so smoked

out, you hardly can open your eyes!

[Mazdaowner]

Bro. electronic joss sticks already have la. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Some of those shops, have a indoor altar, are already using electronic joss sticks liow.

[Maxus-MIFA9]

Hmm, I've alrdy seen widespred use of electronic candles, so its high time an electronic incense comes into the market . No fire hazards + environmentally friendly.

 

 

 

hmmmm..... like that har ..... then Tua Pek Kong will give u strike lottery in electronic ways also ....

 

can only see virtual money ........ (see no touch) ......

 

 

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[Maxus-MIFA9]

Funny world .......

 

electronic joss stick, candles, electronic fire crackers ........ etc

 

next to come, electronic incense papers ......

 

so, soon, we are living in the virtual world.....

[Rickster]

Good idea! Virtual altar!!! www.myxintai.com.sg

[Maxus-MIFA9]

Good idea! Virtual altar!!! www.myxintai.com.sg

 

 

 

still have to install a projector to project image onto the wall ........

[Law_ong]

any hidden agenda to the finding?

did they take note of the pple these participants hang out with? smokers or inhume alot of other pollutants....? why do the research starts when it gets popular in the western countries? afraid that we influence them and trying to save their culture??

[Law_ong]

ya, use more electricity, burn more fuel and kao pei on high living cost...

[Rickster]

NO issues! Can always link it up to your large LCD/plasma screen as screen saver! Can also program it to generate 4-D numbers every day