CANOLA TO BLAME FOR RUNNY EYES AND WHEEZY CHEST

Fumes given off by rapeseed crops are causing flu-like symptoms such as headaches, wheezing, streaming eyes and runny noses, according to health experts.

There are concerns that they are causing some hayfever sufferers and asthmatics who live nearby to suffer more than usual during the rapeseed flowering season.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the effects have increased in line with expanding rapeseed production. In Britain, farmers now produce just under two million tons of the crop a year, compared with just a few thousand tons in the early Seventies.

Rapeseed's aroma is strong enough for motorists and walkers to smell as they pass a field. However, researchers say many people mistakenly blame their symptoms on pollen from the plants. According to the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit in Worcester, only one in 25 people tested for rapeseed allergy actually reacts to the plant.

Instead, many become ill due to gases - called volatile organic compounds - emitted naturally by oils in rapeseed when it blooms.

One study at the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee in the mid-Nineties found that rapeseed emits 22 different volatile compounds. Many are known to cause respiratory problems.

The major culprits are chemicals called terpenes, aldehydes and organic disulfides. Terpenes give many plants and fruit their distinctive smell.

Another study at Aberdeen University tested 37 people who complained of wheezing and blocked airways due to rapeseed.

Only two had any evidence of allergy when exposed to the pollen. But most still showed signs of lung irritation and wheezing from the plants.

Maureen Jenkins, of Allergy UK, said: 'Rapeseed produces volatile oils in the atmosphere which irritate sensitive airways. Anyone with hayfever or asthma may find symptoms worsening if passing a rapeseed field because of these volatile oils in the air.

Beverley Adams-Groom, of the National Pollen And Aerobiology Research Unit, said the fumes are known to irritate the airways.

'These compounds cause a very strong smell and trigger flu-like symptoms in some people,' she said...

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Super Healthy Tip... 

It is that time of year in my own home town where we have been surrounded by fields full of golden-capped Canola. I have come to despise this seemingly natural beauty - because I see so many locals with severe allergies of every kind which seems to drop off dramatically in severity and incidence once the crops have been harvested, and appears to have become a greater issue since local farmers have chosen to plant so close to town - literally over the back fence for some residents.

We are still awaiting the happy harvest day since apparently the crop price is down and the farmers appear to be leaving the crop in the field in the hope of a better price next week. I secretly hope that they can't sell or make any money this year so that next year they will choose a different plant to fill their fields!

And every day I pray for a southerly wind so that the fumes are blown in the opposite direction...