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Author Advises Against TSA Scanners At Airports

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Dr. David B. Agus, author of the book The Lucky Years: How To Thrive In The Brave New World Of Health, talked with Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT.

When asked why he decided to write this book, Dr. Agus says, "We're learning over and over again about big data studies. A wild study came out of Europe saying the closer you live to an airport, the higher the rate of brain decline as you get older. Just simply implying that our brain needs quiet at night in order to function."

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Speaking of sleep, Agus says when it comes to drinking red wine to help go to sleep, there are pros and cons:

"Too much wine is a depressant. You drink too much of it, you fall asleep, but three, four hours later you wake up because there is a rebound surge in adrenaline and epinephrine. You want to drink just enough to get the health benefits."

"Take a night or two off, but there are certainly health benefits. There are hypothetical reasons that red wine might be better than white, but it's certainly fun to think about."

Also in his book, Dr. Agus refers to sex as somewhat of a wonder drug.

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"In a mouse experiment, they gave them the flu and when the mice were alone in the cage and the flu lasted twice as long as when they were with someone else. So it really is amazing."

"Sex is part of our life. It is one of the most intimate forms of touching and it's important because it helps us in the short term and long term with health."

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Dr. Agus then suggested that the full body scanners TSA agents use at the airport could cause cancer.

He advises to opt out of the scan when going through any security checks at the airport.

"In the 1960s, when everybody went to a shoe store they'd put a little box on the ground and you'd put your foot in an x-ray to see if the shoe would fit or not, well what do you know, they all got cancer in our legs when they did that because they were exposed to radiation."

"In those airports, they're putting energy through you. We don't have a lot of long-term outcome data and it's all new. I'm not a believer in technologies like that. I get a free massage. I get a pat down when I go through and I opt out. I'm not comfortable without data. It's worth it in the long run."

 

 

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