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paullassiterca · 6 years ago

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Second Jury Trial Implicates Roundup in Lymphatic Cancer

August 10, 2018, a jury ruled in favor of plaintiff Dewayne Johnson in a truly historic case against Monsanto1 (now owned by Bayer AG2,3). Johnson — the first of several thousand pending legal cases — claimed Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup caused his Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Forty-six-year-old Johnson sprayed about 150 gallons of Roundup 20 to 40 times per year while working as a groundskeeper for the Benicia school district in California, from 2012 through late 2015.4 His lawsuit, filed in 2016 after he became too ill to work, accused Monsanto of hiding the health hazards of Roundup.

According to the ruling, Monsanto “acted with malice or oppression” and was responsible for “negligent failure” by not warning consumers about the carcinogenicity of this pernicious weed killer.5 The jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million in damages to Johnson. A judge upheld the guilty verdict, but reduced the damages to $78 million.6,7,8 Bayer/Monsanto has filed an appeal.

Jury Decision: Roundup ‘Guilty’ of Causing Cancer in Second Trial

March 19, 2019, a U.S. jury ruled Roundup was a substantial causative factor in the cancer of a second plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman.9,10 In the second liability phase of the trial, jurors will decide whether Bayer/Monsanto acted with negligence and should pay damages.

Hardeman’s attorney, Jennifer Moore, said they were “very pleased that the jury unanimously held that the Roundup caused the Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” Immediately, Bayer stock plummeted by 12.5 percent, the largest intraday loss in 16 years, according to Reuters,11 wiping out a cool $9.1 billion of the company’s value in one fell swoop.

Since August 2018, Bayer’s shares have fallen by more than a third, wiping out about $28.2 billion of the company’s market value.12 And, according to Financial Times,13 “As they contemplate the ever-growing list of glyphosate cases pending in U.S. courts — 11,200 at the latest count14 — investors have every reason to feel glum.”

The second phase of the trial will determine whether the jury finds Bayer/Monsanto responsible for damages. While Bayer believes the jury in this case will find the company acted appropriately and therefore not liable for damages, chances are Hardeman’s jury will be as convinced and outraged by the evidence as Johnson’s was.

In Johnson’s case, the evidence presented included email correspondence and corporate documents that created a comprehensive narrative of corporate malfeasance and collusion with U.S. regulatory agencies.

You can review many of these “Monsanto Papers” on the U.S. Right to Know website.15 Key documents in the Hardeman case are also available there.16 Some of the evidence against Monsanto is also summarized in “Spinning Science & Silencing Scientists: A Case Study in How the Chemical Industry Attempts to Influence Science”17 — a minority staff report dated February 2018, prepared for U.S. House members of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

In “The Monsanto Papers: Poisoning the Scientific Well,”18 a paper published in The International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, June 2018, Leemon McHenry describes the importance of this cache of documents:

“The documents reveal Monsanto-sponsored ghostwriting of articles published in toxicology journals and the lay media, interference in the peer review process, behind-the-scenes influence on retraction and the creation of a so-called academic website as a front for the defense of Monsanto products …

The use of third-party academics in the corporate defense of glyphosate reveals that this practice extends beyond the corruption of medicine and persists in spite of efforts to enforce transparency in industry manipulation.”

Scientific Evidence Against Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Keeps Growing

Considering the evidence mounting against Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides, I think the chemical’s days are numbered. As previously discussed in many articles, glyphosate and glyphosate-based weed killer formulations have in recent years been linked to a wide variety of human health consequences, including:

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma19

Impairing your body’s ability to produce fully functioning proteins20

Inhibiting the shikimate pathway (found in gut bacteria)

Interfering with the function of cytochrome P450 enzymes, required for activation of vitamin D and the creation of nitric oxide

Chelating important minerals21

Disrupting sulfate synthesis and transport22

Interfering with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, resulting in folate and neurotransmitter shortages23

Disrupting your microbiome by acting as an antibiotic24

Impairing methylation pathways25

Inhibiting pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism26,27

Contributing to chronic kidney disease by facilitating the transport of heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium into the kidneys28

Impairing detoxification, as your body can substitute the glycine molecule in glyphosate for the amino acid glycine. Glycine is used up in the detoxification process. As a result of glyphosate toxicity, many of us may not have enough glycine for efficient detoxification

Most recently, research29 led by Ondine von Ehrenstein, associate professor in the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, shows women exposed to commonly used pesticides during pregnancy have a higher risk of having a child diagnosed with autism. The 11 pesticides included in this study were:

Glyphosate

Chlorpyrifos

Diazinon

Acephate

Malathion

Permethrin

Bifenthrin

Methyl bromide

Imidacloprid

Avermectin

Myclobutanil

As reported by Time:30

“Overall, the study included nearly 38,000 people, with 2,961 cases of autism. The scientists found that women who were pregnant and who lived within a 2,000-meter radius of a highly-sprayed area were anywhere from 10 percent to 16 percent more likely to have children diagnosed with autism than women who lived in places farther away from sprayed areas …

When they looked at diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder that also came with intellectual disabilities, they found on average 30 percent higher rates among children who were exposed to the pesticides while in utero. Exposure in the first year of life increased the risk of autism by up to 50 percent compared to those not exposed to certain pesticides.”

Glyphosate Harms Wildlife, Scientists Warn

In related news, researchers also warn glyphosate-based herbicides may be harming wildlife and insects at the bottom of the food chain. As reported by Environmental Health News:

“Long thought to be relatively benign to nontarget plants and animals, evidence is growing that glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, may impact the metabolism, growth and reproduction of aquatic creatures and could be altering the essential gut bacteria of animals such as bees.”

One such study,31 published last year, found glyphosate-based formulations “affected normal cellular respiration and lipid metabolism” in Folsomia candida, a species of springtail found in soil, “inducing oxidative stress and leading to impairment in biological life cycle mechanisms such as molting and reproduction.”

Here, the adjuvant surfactant polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA) was identified as the primary culprit, not isolated glyphosate. According to the authors, this points “the toxicity of the formulated product to the co-formulant instead of the active ingredient, glyphosate.”

Other studies have confirmed the glyphosate-based formulations tend to be more toxic than glyphosate in isolation. Even otherwise inert ingredients can contribute to toxicity. As noted in a 2014 report by the Institute of Science in Society:32

“The major adjuvant POEA in glyphosate Roundup formulations is by far the most cytotoxic for human cells, ahead of glyphosate and its metabolite. It also amplifies the toxic effects of glyphosate …

It is very likely that the primary target of Roundup, especially its POEA surfactant, is the mitochondria, which play a key role in the development of sperm cells and sperm motility. In addition, male infertility could arise from ROS damages to mitochondrial DNA.”

That said, glyphosate alone has also been linked to a variety of harm in animals, including water fleas,33 mosquitoes,34 honeybees,35 mussels36 and crayfish.37 Glyphosate has also been identified as a driver of antibiotic resistance.38

Substantial Amounts of Glyphosate Found in Food

Tests have also revealed that if you’re eating nonorganic foods, especially processed food, then you’re consuming glyphosate on a regular basis. Farmers apply nearly 5 billion pounds (over 2 billion kilograms) of glyphosate to farm crops each year, worldwide.39 Approximately 300 million pounds are applied on U.S. farmland alone.

In 2016, 70 percent of Americans had detectable levels of glyphosate in their system, and between 1993 and 2016, the glyphosate levels in people’s bodies increased by 1,208 percent.40 A recent investigation by journalist Carey Gillam41 revealed Roundup has been found in virtually all foods tested, including granola and crackers.

The Health Research Institute Labs (HRI Labs) has also conducted glyphosate testing, finding the chemical in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Other foods typically contaminated with glyphosate include grains, legumes, beans, orange juice and wine.

HRI’s testing also reveals people who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don’t (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest). Meanwhile, people who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic.

How to Test Your Glyphosate Level and Eliminate It From Your System

Considering the possible dangers of glyphosate, it would make sense to minimize your exposure, and if you have high levels already, to take steps to detoxify it. HRI Labs has developed home test kits for both water and urine, and if you have elevated levels, you can drive out the glyphosate by taking an inexpensive glycine supplement.

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt recommends taking 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of glycine powder twice a day for a few weeks and then lowering the dose to one-fourth teaspoon (1 gram) twice a day. This forces the glyphosate out of your system, allowing it to be eliminated through your urine.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/03/roundup-guilty-non-hodgkin-lymphoma.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/183907302186

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jerrytackettca · 6 years ago

Text

Second Jury Trial Implicates Roundup in Lymphatic Cancer

Jury Decision: Roundup ‘Guilty’ of Causing Cancer in Second Trial

Scientific Evidence Against Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Keeps Growing

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma19

Impairing your body’s ability to produce fully functioning proteins20

Inhibiting the shikimate pathway (found in gut bacteria)

Interfering with the function of cytochrome P450 enzymes, required for activation of vitamin D and the creation of nitric oxide

Chelating important minerals21

Disrupting sulfate synthesis and transport22

Interfering with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, resulting in folate and neurotransmitter shortages23

Disrupting your microbiome by acting as an antibiotic24

Impairing methylation pathways25

Inhibiting pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism26,27

Contributing to chronic kidney disease by facilitating the transport of heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium into the kidneys28

Glyphosate

Chlorpyrifos

Diazinon

Acephate

Malathion

Permethrin

Bifenthrin

Methyl bromide

Imidacloprid

Avermectin

Myclobutanil

As reported by Time:30

Glyphosate Harms Wildlife, Scientists Warn

In related news, researchers also warn glyphosate-based herbicides may be harming wildlife and insects at the bottom of the food chain. As reported by Environmental Health News:

"The major adjuvant POEA in glyphosate Roundup formulations is by far the most cytotoxic for human cells, ahead of glyphosate and its metabolite. It also amplifies the toxic effects of glyphosate …

Substantial Amounts of Glyphosate Found in Food

HRI’s testing also reveals people who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest). Meanwhile, people who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic.

How to Test Your Glyphosate Level and Eliminate It From Your System

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/03/roundup-guilty-non-hodgkin-lymphoma.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/second-jury-trial-implicates-roundup-in-lymphatic-cancer

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jakehglover · 6 years ago

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Top 10 Health Searches for 2018

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for subscribers like you, who help, support and share our vision for a naturally healthier, happier world, every day of the year.

Google recently announced the top health searches for 2018.1,2,3 Ketogenic diet and keto dishes were popular, although top billing still went to junk food items, with unicorn cake coming in at No. 1. Below, I’ll review the Top 10 internal Mercola.com searches for 2018 — the articles and information people have turned to again and again.

Below each search term heading, the most popular article of the year is hyperlinked; just click on it to read the full article.

No. 1 — High Blood Pressure

A blood pressure reading of 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) is considered healthy. High blood pressure (hypertension) is typically considered anything over 140/90 mmHg, although the latest guidelines4 from the American Heart Association now have 130/80 mmHg as the cutoff for a diagnosis of hypertension. In the U.S., an estimated 1 in 3 have high blood pressure, and another 1 in 3 have prehypertension.5

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia,6 adding further weight to recommendations to get your blood pressure under control in order to protect not only your heart but also your long-term cognitive health.

“High Blood Pressure Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia” reviews the latest research linking hypertension with a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease; factors that can affect your blood pressure reading; common causes for high blood pressure; and, natural ways to normalize your blood pressure without drugs.

Beet juice, for example, has been found to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.7 The beneficial effects are related to the nitrate found in beetroot juice. Your body converts the nitrate into bioactive nitrite followed by nitric oxide (NO), the latter of which helps relax and dilate your blood vessels. High-intensity exercise such as the Nitric Oxide Dump will also trigger NO production in your body.

A number of essential oils can also be helpful, including lavender, ylang-ylang, marjoram, bergamot, rose, frankincense, rosemary, lemon balm and clary sage.8 More information can be found in the popular article “Essential Oils Lower Blood Pressure.”

Salt-related hypertension is also a concern for many. In “Why a Low-Sodium Diet Might Wreck Your Health,” I interview James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D., about his book, “The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong — and How Eating More Might Save Your Life.”

A key take-home message here is that processed foods and sugars may have a far greater impact on your blood pressure than salt, and that your sodium-to-potassium ratio is far more important a factor than the amount of salt you eat.

No. 2 — Ketogenic Diet

Many of the disease epidemics facing us today — including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia — could be turned around by educating people about the benefits of a cyclical ketogenic diet, i.e., a diet high in healthy fats, moderate in protein and low in net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber).

“Burn Fat for Fuel” details how burning fat for fuel improves mitochondrial function, and why cycling in and out of nutritional ketosis is recommended once your body is able to efficiently burn fat. In this article, I also review the benefits of intermittent fasting and longer water fasts, as well as the fats to eat more of and which ones to avoid.

No. 3 — Beets

Beets have gotten loads of beneficial press in the past year, as research demonstrates the beneficial impact of plant-based nitrates on your heart health. In “Why Some Nitrates Are Healthy While Others Are Harmful,” I review the ins and outs of healthy versus unhealthy nitrates.

Your microbiome converts the nitrates found naturally in plant foods into beneficial nitric oxide, while the nitrates in cured and processed meats raise your risk of cancer by being converted into carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds due to the presence of proteins and heme in the meat.

No. 4 — Vitamin D

We’re continually learning more and more about the benefits of vitamin D — and how vitamin D works with other nutrients to optimize health. “Without Magnesium, Vitamin D Supplementation May Backfire” explains why optimizing your magnesium level is so important for effectively raising your vitamin D level.

Like vitamin K2 and calcium, magnesium is a crucial cofactor when trying to raise your vitamin D, as it’s required for the activation of vitamin D. Without sufficient amounts of magnesium, your body cannot properly utilize the vitamin D3 you’re taking, and research shows improving your magnesium status can actually allow you to raise your vitamin D level while taking lower doses.

To assess your magnesium level, check your RBC magnesium level and track signs and symptoms of magnesium insufficiency to determine how much magnesium you need. Low potassium and calcium are also common laboratory signs indicating magnesium deficiency.

Remember that the only way to determine how much sun exposure is enough and/or how much vitamin D3 you need to take is to measure your vitamin D level, ideally twice a year. According to the latest research, a level between 60 and 80 ng/mL appears to be ideal for optimal health and disease prevention.

No. 5 — Intermittent Fasting

Fasting upregulates autophagy and mitophagy — natural cleansing processes necessary for optimal cellular renewal and function — and triggers the generation of stem cells. The cyclical abstinence from food followed by refeeding also massively stimulates mitochondrial biosynthesis. All of this is needed for optimal health and disease prevention, which is why fasting has such a powerful regenerative effect.

Research shows fasting is a powerful lifestyle tool for combating obesity, insulin resistance and related health problems, including cancer. There’s even evidence to suggest fasting can help prevent or even reverse dementia, as it helps your body clean out toxic debris.

While water-only fasting is the most effective, it can also be the most problematic, as it forces fat-soluble toxins out of your fat cells. If you’re highly toxic and your detoxification pathways aren’t working well, this could actually be dangerous.

Fortunately, research has confirmed that similar results (albeit not as profound) can be achieved through intermittent fasting, i.e., following a meal-timing schedule where you’re fasting for at least 16 hours every day and eating all of your meals within eight consecutive hours.

While some intermittent fasting plans place no restrictions on the foods you eat (only when and/or the number of calories), recent evidence suggests intermittent fasting is far more effective when combined with a ketogenic diet.

This makes sense considering both strategies improve your fat burning ability and have similar rejuvenating and regenerating effects. All of this is reviewed in the popular article “Why Intermittent Fasting Is More Effective Combined With Ketogenic Diet.”

No. 6 — Flu Shot Facts

Flu protection is a common yearly concern, online search data reveal. Two of the most-read articles for 2018 were “The Big Bad Flu Data — What You Need to Know About Vaccine Effectiveness and Alternatives,” and “New York City to Require Flu Shots for Preschoolers and California Moves to Eliminate Vaccine Exemptions for the Poor.”

As noted in “The Big Bad Flu Data,” the vaccine effectiveness against influenza for the 2017/2018 seasonal flu vaccines was just 36 percent, meaning for a vast majority of people, it offered no protection at all. What’s more, research shows the flu vaccine does not result in significantly fewer or lessened symptoms should you contract the flu.

In fact, there’s plenty of evidence suggesting flu vaccinations render you more susceptible to illness, both in that season and the following one. The article also provides the details of research showing vitamin D optimization would protect far more people than flu vaccinations.

The second article discusses the ongoing concern of mandatory flu vaccinations for school-aged children, and the elimination of vaccine exemptions. It also reviews a number of studies questioning the validity of annual flu vaccination as a public health measure.

No. 7 — Sucralose (Splenda)

Sucralose (sold under the brand name Splenda) is one of the main competitors to aspartame, and both of these artificial sweeteners can have serious health consequences, raising your risk of obesity, diabetes and other chronic health problems. One of sucralose’s mechanisms of harm is the destruction of beneficial gut bacteria.

“New Splenda Studies Confirm Its Dangers” reviews research showing sucralose is not a biologically inert compound; it is in fact metabolized, and accumulates in fat cells — something that the industry has long denied — and has toxic effects in your liver. The article also lists commonly reported side effects, and other scientific findings that question its overall safety in the long term.

I also review how to determine whether you might be having a reaction to artificial sweeteners, and how to file an adverse reaction report with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

No. 8 — Probiotics

More attention than ever is being put on your gut health, and understandably so because 70 to 80 percent of your immune function resides within your gastrointestinal tract. Your gut bacteria can also influence your behavior and gene expression, and have been shown to play a role in a variety of diseases, including obesity, diabetes, autism and Parkinson’s disease.

While fermented foods and a healthy low-sugar, high-fiber diet are foundational for gut health, probiotic supplements can also be beneficial. In “Go With Your Gut,” I review the influence of your gut microbiome on your health, and how to identify a high-quality probiotic supplement.

I also discuss the benefits of sporebiotics, which in some ways are superior to conventional probiotic supplements, especially if you’re taking them concurrently with an antibiotic, or to reseed your gut following a course of antibiotics. Sporebiotics do not contain any live bacillus strains, only its spores — the protective shell around the DNA and the working mechanism of that DNA — which means they are not affected by antibiotics.

No. 9 — Berberine

A number of new supplements have gained recognition in the past year, with berberine, a powerful AMPK activator, being among the most popular and most-searched-for.

AMPK is an enzyme that plays an important role in body fat composition, inflammation, blood lipids, mitophagy (mitochondrial autophagy) and mitochondrial biogenesis. It also stimulates five other critically important pathways: insulin, leptin, mTOR, IGF-1 and PGC-1α.

In “PQQ, Berberine and Other Mitochondrial Enhancers,” I interview Dr. Michael Murray, a naturopathic physician and author of several books, about the benefits and action of berberine. For example, berberine has been shown to protect against oxidative stress associated with Parkinson’s disease, and has many of the same benefits as the diabetic drug metformin, but without the side effects.

No. 10 — Cancer

As you’d expect, cancer is also on the list of most-searched-for health concerns. Clearly, prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to cancer, and while diet is paramount (with cyclical keto and fasting topping the list of all-natural cancer prevention strategies), specific nutrients and supplements show great promise as well, curcumin being one of the most potent and most well-studied.

When it comes to cancer treatment, more people than ever before are forgoing conventional chemotherapy and are starting to take control of their own cancer treatment and care. Overall, years of research supports the sanity of this trend, as studies have repeatedly shown chemo is nowhere near as effective as most people think, and actually hastens death when given to severely ill patients.

Two of the most popular cancer-related articles for the year were “How Curcumin Targets Cancer” and “Chemotherapy Is Losing Its Luster,” which address prevention and treatment respectively.

The remarkable benefits of nutritional ketosis and fasting as adjuncts to conventional cancer treatment are also detailed in “Metabolically Supported Therapies for the Improvement of Cancer Treatment,” which features an interview with Dr. Abdul Slocum and Travis Christofferson, author of "Tripping Over the Truth: How the Metabolic Theory of Cancer is Overturning One of Medicine's Most Entrenched Paradigms.”

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/12/24/top-google-health-search-2018.aspx

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lopezdorothy70-blog · 7 years ago

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Toxic Weed Killer Found in Most Foods Sold in the US

By Dr. Mercola

Earlier this year, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine reported there's been a dramatic increase in glyphosate exposure in recent decades and, subsequently, the level found in people's bodies.1 As one would expect, the introduction of so-called “Roundup Ready” genetically engineered (GE) crops led to a massive increase in the use of Roundup, the active ingredient of which is glyphosate.

Glyphosate has also become a popular tool for desiccating non-GE grains, legumes and beans, which has further spurred the use of the chemical. Between 1974 - the year glyphosate entered the U.S. market - and 2014, glyphosate use in the U.S. increased more than 250fold.2,3 Globally, glyphosate use has risen nearly fifteenfold since 1996, two years after the first GE crops hit the market.

Farmers now apply nearly 5 billion pounds (over 2 billion kilograms) of glyphosate to farm crops each year, worldwide.4 Approximately 300 million pounds are applied on U.S. farmland. According to the researchers, few people had detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine in 1993 when the study began.5 By 2016, 70 percent had detectable levels.6 Overall, between 1993 and 2016, the glyphosate levels in people's bodies increased by 1,208 percent.

Food Testing Reveals Widespread Glyphosate Contamination

While Monsanto still argues that Roundup (and glyphosate in general) is perfectly safe, mounting research tells a very different story, which is why it's becoming increasingly crucial to assess just how much glyphosate is in our food. Unfortunately, while both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) measure pesticide residues in foods, neither of them includes glyphosate in their official testing.

The USDA promised to begin glyphosate testing in 2017, yet mere days before the testing was scheduled to begin, the plan was called off. The reason has never been disclosed. The only time the USDA tested for glyphosate was in 2011, when 300 soybean samples were tested and all were found to be contaminated.

Meanwhile, the FDA began a limited testing program for glyphosate in 2016, in which high levels of glyphosate was found in oatmeal products and honey, but the agency did not release the results publicly. Now, internal FDA emails obtained by investigative journalist Carey Gillam7 through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal Roundup has been found in virtually all foods tested, including granola and crackers. Gillam writes:

“[T]he internal documents obtained by the Guardian show the FDA has had trouble finding any food that does not carry traces of the pesticide. 'I have brought wheat crackers, granola cereal and corn meal from home and there's a fair amount in all of them,' FDA chemist Richard Thompson wrote to colleagues in an email last year regarding glyphosate … broccoli was the only food he had 'on hand' that he found to be glyphosate-free …

Separately, FDA chemist Narong Chamkasem found 'over-the-tolerance' levels of glyphosate in corn, detected at 6.5 parts per million [ppm], an FDA email states. The legal limit is 5.0 ppm. An illegal level would normally be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but an FDA supervisor wrote to an EPA official that the corn was not considered an 'official sample.'”

Independent Testing Also Highlights Massive Glyphosate Problem

The Health Research Institute Labs (HRI Labs) is an independent laboratory that tests both micronutrients and toxins found in food, and is often hired to test foods claiming to be non-GMO, “all natural” and/or organic. One of the toxins HRI Labs is currently focusing on is glyphosate, and the public testing being offered (see below) allows them to compile data on the pervasiveness of this chemical in the food supply.

HRI was recently tasked with testing Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which was also found to contain glyphosate. The samples were provided by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and Regeneration Vermont, which are concerned about the environmental impact Ben & Jerry's dairy producers are having in Vermont. Using sensitive state-of-the-art testing equipment to look at the quality of the ingredients, 10 of the 11 ice cream samples were found to contain substantial levels of glyphosate.

HRI Labs has investigated a number of other foods as well, including grains, legumes and beans. Most if not all of these types of crops need to dry in the field before being harvested, and to speed that process, the fields are doused with glyphosate a couple of weeks before harvest. As a result of this practice, called desiccation, grain-based products, legumes and beans contain rather substantial amounts of glyphosate. Quaker Oats, for example, was found to contain very high levels.

Orange juice also contains surprising amounts of glyphosate. As it turns out, weeds in orange groves are managed by spraying glyphosate, which ends up in the oranges as the roots of the orange trees pick it up through the soil. A similar situation is occurring in vineyards, which is why many wines are contaminated.

HRI Labs has also analyzed more than 1,200 urine samples from U.S. residents. This testing is being done as part of a research project that will provide valuable information about the presence of glyphosate in the diet and how lifestyle and location affects people's exposure to agrochemicals. Here are some of their findings to date:

76 percent of people tested have some level of glyphosate in their system

Men typically have higher levels than women

People who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest)

People who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic. This indicates organic products are a safer choice

People who eat five or more servings of vegetables per day have glyphosate levels that are 50 percent lower than those who eat fewer vegetables

How Is Glyphosate Affecting Human Health?

Glyphosate mimics glycine (hence the “gly” in glyphosate), a very common amino acid your body uses to make proteins. As a result, your body can substitute glyphosate for glycine, which results in damaged proteins being produced. According to research published in the journal Entropy in 2013, the main toxic effects of glyphosate are related to the fact that it:8,9

Inhibits the shikimate pathway, found in gut bacteria in both humans and animals

Interferes with the function of cytochrome P450 enzymes, required for activation of vitamin D in the liver, and the creation of both nitric oxide and cholesterol sulfate, the latter of which is needed for red blood cell integrity

Chelates important minerals, including iron, cobalt and manganese. Manganese deficiency, in turn, impairs mitochondrial function and can lead to glutamate toxicity in the brain

Interferes with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, which results in shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate

Disrupts sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport

Glyphosate also disrupts, destroys, impairs or inhibits:10

The microbiome, thanks to its antibiotic activity

Sulfur metabolism

Methylation pathways

Pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism

The chemical has also been linked to certain cancers. In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a research arm of the World Health Organization, reclassified glyphosate as a Class 2A probable carcinogen11 based on "limited evidence" showing the weed killer can cause Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lung cancer in humans, along with "convincing evidence" linking it to cancer in animals.

Since then, more than 3,500 individuals have filed lawsuits against Monsanto, claiming the weed killer caused their Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Many of the cases in this multidistrict litigation are being handled in federal court in San Francisco under one judge. Internal documents obtained during discovery have been released by plaintiff attorneys, and have become known as “The Monsanto Papers.”

Disturbingly, some of this evidence reveals the EPA has protected the company's interests by manipulating and preventing key investigations into glyphosate's cancer-causing potential.

According to toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, director of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Services, even minor exposure could have a detrimental effect on human health. “Even with low levels of pesticides, we're exposed to so many, and we don't count the fact that we have cumulative exposures,” she told Gillam.

Monsanto Sued for Misleading Consumers

In addition to the lawsuits against Monsanto over Roundup's cancer-causing effects, the company is also being sued for false and misleading labeling.12 The lawsuit, which accuses Monsanto of falsely claiming glyphosate “targets an enzyme found in plants but not in people or pets” on the Roundup label was filed in April 2017 by the OCA and Beyond Pesticides.

As noted above, glyphosate affects the shikimate pathway, which is involved in the synthesis of the essential aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. While the shikimate pathway is absent in human and animal cells, this pathway is present in the gut bacteria of mammals, including humans.

So, by way of your gut bacteria, it still wields a significant influence on human health. Aside from a probable cancer link, Roundup's effect on gut bacteria also suggests the chemical may play a significant role in digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer's disease, depression, Parkinson's disease, liver diseases and many other chronic health problems.

Monsanto filed a motion to have the case dismissed, saying the label is accurate because “the enzyme targeted is not produced by the human body or found in human cells,” but U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected the motion.

In his May 1 ruling, Kelly stated “The court concludes that Plaintiffs have adequately pleaded a claim that the statement at issue was false or misleading,” and that “defendants cannot dispute that the label's statement that the enzyme at issue is 'found in plants, but not in people' is, at least on one reading, literally false.”

How Much Glyphosate Do You Have in Your Body?

According to Gillam, the FDA should publish its glyphosate test results sometime toward the end of this year, or early 2019. Time will tell whether this actually happens or not. The good news is you no longer need to rely on the government when it comes to glyphosate testing. You can test your own levels, thereby assessing your own individual exposure. As mentioned earlier, HRI Labs has developed home test kits for both water and urine.

If your levels are high, you would be wise to address your diet and consider buying more organic foods. You may also want to consider some form of detoxification protocol, and take steps to repair the damage to your gut caused by glyphosate and other agrochemicals. Chances are, if your glyphosate levels are high, you probably have a number of other pesticides in your system as well.

Fermented foods, particularly kimchi, are potent chelators of these kinds of chemicals. Taking activated charcoal after a questionable meal can help bind and excrete chemicals as well. Remember to stay well-hydrated to facilitate the removal of toxins through your liver, kidneys and skin.

Using a sauna on a regular basis is also recommended to help eliminate both pesticides and heavy metals you may have accumulated. For guidelines on how to improve your gut health and repair damage done, see “Go With Your Gut,” and “The Case Against Lectins.”

0 notes

sherristockman · 7 years ago

Link

Toxic Weed Killer Found in Most Foods Sold in the US Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Earlier this year, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine reported there’s been a dramatic increase in glyphosate exposure in recent decades and, subsequently, the level found in people’s bodies.1 As one would expect, the introduction of so-called “Roundup Ready” genetically engineered (GE) crops led to a massive increase in the use of Roundup, the active ingredient of which is glyphosate. Glyphosate has also become a popular tool for desiccating non-GE grains, legumes and beans, which has further spurred the use of the chemical. Between 1974 — the year glyphosate entered the U.S. market — and 2014, glyphosate use in the U.S. increased more than 250fold.2,3 Globally, glyphosate use has risen nearly fifteenfold since 1996, two years after the first GE crops hit the market. Farmers now apply nearly 5 billion pounds (over 2 billion kilograms) of glyphosate to farm crops each year, worldwide.4 Approximately 300 million pounds are applied on U.S. farmland. According to the researchers, few people had detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine in 1993 when the study began.5 By 2016, 70 percent had detectable levels.6 Overall, between 1993 and 2016, the glyphosate levels in people’s bodies increased by 1,208 percent. Food Testing Reveals Widespread Glyphosate Contamination While Monsanto still argues that Roundup (and glyphosate in general) is perfectly safe, mounting research tells a very different story, which is why it’s becoming increasingly crucial to assess just how much glyphosate is in our food. Unfortunately, while both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) measure pesticide residues in foods, neither of them includes glyphosate in their official testing. The USDA promised to begin glyphosate testing in 2017, yet mere days before the testing was scheduled to begin, the plan was called off. The reason has never been disclosed. The only time the USDA tested for glyphosate was in 2011, when 300 soybean samples were tested and all were found to be contaminated. Meanwhile, the FDA began a limited testing program for glyphosate in 2016, in which high levels of glyphosate was found in oatmeal products and honey, but the agency did not release the results publicly. Now, internal FDA emails obtained by investigative journalist Carey Gillam7 through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests reveal Roundup has been found in virtually all foods tested, including granola and crackers. Gillam writes: “[T]he internal documents obtained by the Guardian show the FDA has had trouble finding any food that does not carry traces of the pesticide. ‘I have brought wheat crackers, granola cereal and corn meal from home and there’s a fair amount in all of them,’ FDA chemist Richard Thompson wrote to colleagues in an email last year regarding glyphosate … broccoli was the only food he had ‘on hand’ that he found to be glyphosate-free … Separately, FDA chemist Narong Chamkasem found ‘over-the-tolerance’ levels of glyphosate in corn, detected at 6.5 parts per million [ppm], an FDA email states. The legal limit is 5.0 ppm. An illegal level would normally be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but an FDA supervisor wrote to an EPA official that the corn was not considered an ‘official sample.’” Independent Testing Also Highlights Massive Glyphosate Problem The Health Research Institute Labs (HRI Labs) is an independent laboratory that tests both micronutrients and toxins found in food, and is often hired to test foods claiming to be non-GMO, “all natural” and/or organic. One of the toxins HRI Labs is currently focusing on is glyphosate, and the public testing being offered (see below) allows them to compile data on the pervasiveness of this chemical in the food supply. HRI was recently tasked with testing Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which was also found to contain glyphosate. The samples were provided by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and Regeneration Vermont, which are concerned about the environmental impact Ben & Jerry’s dairy producers are having in Vermont. Using sensitive state-of-the-art testing equipment to look at the quality of the ingredients, 10 of the 11 ice cream samples were found to contain substantial levels of glyphosate. HRI Labs has investigated a number of other foods as well, including grains, legumes and beans. Most if not all of these types of crops need to dry in the field before being harvested, and to speed that process, the fields are doused with glyphosate a couple of weeks before harvest. As a result of this practice, called desiccation, grain-based products, legumes and beans contain rather substantial amounts of glyphosate. Quaker Oats, for example, was found to contain very high levels. Orange juice also contains surprising amounts of glyphosate. As it turns out, weeds in orange groves are managed by spraying glyphosate, which ends up in the oranges as the roots of the orange trees pick it up through the soil. A similar situation is occurring in vineyards, which is why many wines are contaminated. HRI Labs has also analyzed more than 1,200 urine samples from U.S. residents. This testing is being done as part of a research project that will provide valuable information about the presence of glyphosate in the diet and how lifestyle and location affects people’s exposure to agrochemicals. Here are some of their findings to date: 76 percent of people tested have some level of glyphosate in their system Men typically have higher levels than women People who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest) People who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic. This indicates organic products are a safer choice People who eat five or more servings of vegetables per day have glyphosate levels that are 50 percent lower than those who eat fewer vegetables How Is Glyphosate Affecting Human Health? Glyphosate mimics glycine (hence the “gly” in glyphosate), a very common amino acid your body uses to make proteins. As a result, your body can substitute glyphosate for glycine, which results in damaged proteins being produced. According to research published in the journal Entropy in 2013, the main toxic effects of glyphosate are related to the fact that it:8,9 Inhibits the shikimate pathway, found in gut bacteria in both humans and animals Interferes with the function of cytochrome P450 enzymes, required for activation of vitamin D in the liver, and the creation of both nitric oxide and cholesterol sulfate, the latter of which is needed for red blood cell integrity Chelates important minerals, including iron, cobalt and manganese. Manganese deficiency, in turn, impairs mitochondrial function and can lead to glutamate toxicity in the brain Interferes with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, which results in shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate Disrupts sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport Glyphosate also disrupts, destroys, impairs or inhibits:10 The microbiome, thanks to its antibiotic activity Sulfur metabolism Methylation pathways Pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism The chemical has also been linked to certain cancers. In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a research arm of the World Health Organization, reclassified glyphosate as a Class 2A probable carcinogen11 based on "limited evidence" showing the weed killer can cause Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lung cancer in humans, along with "convincing evidence" linking it to cancer in animals. Since then, more than 3,500 individuals have filed lawsuits against Monsanto, claiming the weed killer caused their Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Many of the cases in this multidistrict litigation are being handled in federal court in San Francisco under one judge. Internal documents obtained during discovery have been released by plaintiff attorneys, and have become known as “The Monsanto Papers.” Disturbingly, some of this evidence reveals the EPA has protected the company's interests by manipulating and preventing key investigations into glyphosate's cancer-causing potential. According to toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, director of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Services, even minor exposure could have a detrimental effect on human health. “Even with low levels of pesticides, we’re exposed to so many, and we don’t count the fact that we have cumulative exposures,” she told Gillam. Monsanto Sued for Misleading Consumers In addition to the lawsuits against Monsanto over Roundup’s cancer-causing effects, the company is also being sued for false and misleading labeling.12 The lawsuit, which accuses Monsanto of falsely claiming glyphosate “targets an enzyme found in plants but not in people or pets” on the Roundup label was filed in April 2017 by the OCA and Beyond Pesticides. As noted above, glyphosate affects the shikimate pathway, which is involved in the synthesis of the essential aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. While the shikimate pathway is absent in human and animal cells, this pathway is present in the gut bacteria of mammals, including humans. So, by way of your gut bacteria, it still wields a significant influence on human health. Aside from a probable cancer link, Roundup’s effect on gut bacteria also suggests the chemical may play a significant role in digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer's disease, depression, Parkinson's disease, liver diseases and many other chronic health problems. Monsanto filed a motion to have the case dismissed, saying the label is accurate because “the enzyme targeted is not produced by the human body or found in human cells,” but U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected the motion. In his May 1 ruling, Kelly stated “The court concludes that Plaintiffs have adequately pleaded a claim that the statement at issue was false or misleading,” and that “defendants cannot dispute that the label’s statement that the enzyme at issue is ‘found in plants, but not in people’ is, at least on one reading, literally false.” How Much Glyphosate Do You Have in Your Body? According to Gillam, the FDA should publish its glyphosate test results sometime toward the end of this year, or early 2019. Time will tell whether this actually happens or not. The good news is you no longer need to rely on the government when it comes to glyphosate testing. You can test your own levels, thereby assessing your own individual exposure. As mentioned earlier, HRI Labs has developed home test kits for both water and urine. If your levels are high, you would be wise to address your diet and consider buying more organic foods. You may also want to consider some form of detoxification protocol, and take steps to repair the damage to your gut caused by glyphosate and other agrochemicals. Chances are, if your glyphosate levels are high, you probably have a number of other pesticides in your system as well. Fermented foods, particularly kimchi, are potent chelators of these kinds of chemicals. Taking activated charcoal after a questionable meal can help bind and excrete chemicals as well. Remember to stay well-hydrated to facilitate the removal of toxins through your liver, kidneys and skin. Using a sauna on a regular basis is also recommended to help eliminate both pesticides and heavy metals you may have accumulated. For guidelines on how to improve your gut health and repair damage done, see “Go With Your Gut,” and “The Case Against Lectins.”

#VitalityPath

0 notes

alternativehealthhouse · 8 years ago

Text

It’s Confirmed! Here’s What ”Vitamin D” Does To Your Body… Do You Take It Regularly?

The continual research about Vitamin D has emphasized the significance of the adequate exposure to sun like the best way to reach the optimal levels of Vitamin D. The exposure to sun is hindered for many of us by the winter up to six months per year. During the winter, the artificial UVB light may be an alternative, because it is claimed that the exposure to UV ray also provides some healthy benefits for the Vitamin D level.

The magnetic ballasts, the one that produce sonorous buzzing noise in the tanning salons, represent the unhealthiest elements of the ordinary tanning beds. When electrical ballasts are used, the number of harmful EMFs is smaller, that are the biggest danger of the tanning beds.

Another thing, which is taken into consideration, is the light bulb that is used, because some bulbs may only have UV light, that provides the tanning, but it does not heightens the Vitamin D levels. When the northern hemisphere is concerned, the production of Vitamin D is nearly impossible throughout the whole winter. So, in order to obtain the necessary level of Vitamin D you should either get it from your diet or you should use the artificial UVB light.

The benefits of the UVB light or exposure to sun take in the nitric oxide production, although are not completely restricted to it. Nitric oxide is a compound which decreases the blood pressure. Regardless of its name, Vitamin D is not a real vitamin. Namely, it is a rich neuro-regulatory steroidal hormone which emphasizes its healthy benefits.

We are all aware of the fact that the deficiency of Vitamin D is booming all over the world and that it may be the main cause for numerous health issues. Actually, based on an analysis, it is claimed that if we emend the deficiency of Vitamin D, it may reduce the chances of dying from any disease by up to 50 %.

Even though this may seem a bit strange, the Vitamin D has an impact on 3.000 genes of 24.000 in total. This is enabled through the receptors of Vitamin D that are found all over the human body, and it should not be surprising when taking into consideration the fact that the human developed in the sun.

VITAMIN D HAS A BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON GENE ACTIVITY

The capability to prevent infections as well as chronic inflammations is just an instance of a significant gene that is regulated by the Vitamin D. Moreover, it produces nearly 200 anti-microbial peptides. One of the most significant peptide is a naturally-occurring, broad-spectrum antibiotic, known as cathelicidin. It is one of the main reasons why Vitamin D is beneficial for fighting influenza and colds. Based on a press release by Orthomolecular Medicine in January, 2013, today there are more than 33.800 medical researches about Vitamin D, which significantly emphasize the fact that the Vitamin D has numerous benefits for the overall mental and physical health. Namely, these researches have proved that Vitamin D is beneficial for:

• Viral as well as bacterial infections • Heart strokes and diseases • Diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2 • Alzheimer’s, Autism and other dysfunctions of the brain • Pregnancy outcomes (pre-eclampsia and lowered risk of Cesarean section).

To add, the most recent published studies about the significance of Vitamin D, which will be elaborated in this article, will show you how the increased levels of Vitamin D is beneficial for Crohn’s disease, breast cancer, pain in diabetics as well as anxiety.

SIGNIFICANCE OF VITAMIN D IN CROHN’S DISEASE

Whereas recent studies has connected low levels of Vitamin D with a higher risk of Crohn’s disease, and has shown that boosting the Vitamin D levels can be beneficial for the disease, one of the latest studies has shown not only an important connection of Vitamin D levels with Crohn’s disease exposure, but also a connection of the Vitamin D levels with genotype.

Patients, who suffer from Crohn’s disease, have significantly reduced levels of Serum Vitamin D. Out of seven examined DNA sequence variations; two of them have shown an important connection with the levels of Vitamin D in patients with Crohn’s disease, whereas four of them were connected with the levels of Vitamin D between controls. To sum up, the study has shown that Vitamin D level can have an impact on the genes linked to Crohn’s disease, negative or positive impact, varying on the fact that you have it or not.

VITAMIN D CAN LOWER ANXIETY AND PAIN

The recent studies have shown that the supplementation of Vitamin D can significantly lower the anxiety and pain in women with diabetics.

The PsychCentral has stated that the researchers have investigated how the supplementation of Vitamin D can influence women with diabetes Type 2, who also suffer from anxiety. In the beginning, 62 % of women have stated that they suffer from neurotic pain, like burning pain in the feet and the legs, whereas 74 % of them have stated that they suffer from sensory pain, like tingling and numbness in the legs, the hands and the fingers. Throughout the study, the women took a supplement of 50.000 IU Vitamin D2 once a week for six months. In the end, the supplementation has improved the anxiety in women.

Moreover, the supplement of Vitamin D2 has lowered the symptoms of the neurotic and sensory pain that the women suffered from at the beginning of the research for 3 – 6 months. For Todd Doyle, a Ph.D. lead researcher, the supplementation of Vitamin D is very beneficial for treating the anxiety and pain in women with diabetes Type 2.

Nevertheless, he also stated that, according to him, the supplementation of Vitamin D3 will give better results than the supplementation of Vitamin D2. However, many recent studies have shown that the Vitamin D2 may have side effects in the long term.

WHY VITAMIN D3 INSTEAD OF VITAMIN D2?

Drisdol, which is made of emblazing plant matter and fungus, represents a synthetic form of Vitamin D2, which is the most usual form of Vitamin D prescribed by the doctors. It is not similar to the one that our body produces during sun exposure or tanning, or that is Vitamin D3.

Based on a meta-analysis by Cochrane Database in 2012, that evaluated the rate of mortality in people who take supplements of Vitamin D2 and those who take supplements of Vitamin D3. The analysis has shown important differences in the results between the two groups. Namely, the meta-analysis consisted of 50 randomized controlled trials and 94.000 participants in total. The analysis has shown that:

• 6 % lowered risk for those participants who had used Vitamin D3 supplementation • 2 % increased risk for those participants who had used Vitamin D2 supplementation

According to the results of the analysis, the significance of the Vitamin D is emphasized, especially in the regulation of diabetes Type 2 as well as the related negative effects. And if you take into consideration the fact that evaluated 60 % of diabetics Type 2 suffer from deficiency of Vitamin D, then it may have some positive impact on it.

Another study, which also emphasizes the role of Vitamin D3 in the regulation of diabetes Type 2, was published the previous year. Namely, according to the results of the study, the researchers have discovered a significant association between deficiency of 25 (OH) D and abdominal obesity when it comes to insulin resistance. Also, according to the researchers, 47 % of the increased level of insulin resistance can be demonstrated from the strong connection between the high body mass index (BMI) and low levels of Vitamin D.

Moreover, similar study, which was published in Diabetes Care, has shown that the supplementation of Vitamin D may prevent the diabetes Type 2 mellitus in pre-diabetics. Even though it is an observational study and it cannot set up a conclusion, the researchers have stated that the participants in the study, who had the highest levels of Vitamin D, have smaller probability to get diabetes by 30 % throughout the evaluation period of three years in comparison with those participants, who had the lowest levels of Vitamin D.

A CANCER SURGEON RECOMMENDS TO LOWER THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER WITH VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION

In the meantime, the latest Science World Report has emphasized the recommendation made by Professor Kefah Mokbel, at British cancer surgeon, who had strongly advised women to take a supplementation of Vitamin D per day in order to reduce the risk of getting a breast cancer. According to this recent report, the research carried on by the Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, in Neb, that has examined menopausal women from the rural areas of Eastern Nebraska for about four years, has shown that the intake of supplementation of Vitamin D together with calcium reduces the risk of cancer up to 60 %, such as the breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and other types of cancer. Moreover, it is not expensive; it is also safe, as well as it is not difficult to perform. Joan Lappe, a professor of medicine and nursing at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Neb, stated that it is an option that all people should take into consideration. He also claims that it may provide lower risk of cancer with a higher pay-off.

VITAMIN D MAY BE CRITICAL TO THE PREVENTION OF CANCER

In fact, a great number of published studies have shown that the Vitamin D has got plenty of positive effects against many different cancers, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer and so on. The studies, which related the deficiency of Vitamin D to cancer have been evaluated and authenticated in over 200 epidemiological researches, and the comprehension of it psychological premise comes from over 2.500 laboratory trails.

For instance, a study, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine’ in 2007, has shown that the levels of serum 25 (OH) D of over 33 ng/mL has been linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer up to 50 %. In addition, a research, which was published in the ‘International Journal of Cancer’ before two years, has found out that a total increase 10 ng/mL in the levels of serum Vitamin D was linked to lower risk of colorectal cancer up to 15 % and to lower risk of breast cancer up to 11 %.

One more study, which was published in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’, has shown that after continual four years of examination, the percent of cancer survival was higher, or it was 77 %, in women who took 1.100 IU

Vitamin D as well as 1.450 mg calcium a day, in comparison to the women who took only calcium or placebo. According to the founder of Grassroots Health, Carole Baggerly, in fact, more than 90 % of elementary breast cancer may be associated with the deficiency of Vitamin D. Namely, the breast cancer has also been named as a syndrome of deficiency of Vitamin D, or similar to the seasonal flu or the common cold.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO PRESERVE THE SATISFACTORY LEVELS OF SERUM VITAMIN D

The preservation of the therapeutically useful serum level throughout the entire year is of major significance. In fact, a great number of studies have already shown that the mere minimum for the prevention of cancer is about 40 ng/ml. According to the researches, the most adequate level may be about 60 – 80 ng/ml.

The review article ‘Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: Global Perspective’, which was published in Annals of Epidemiology in 2009 has shown that the increased levels of serum of the main form of Vitamin D – 25-hydroxyvitamin D (23 (OH) D), are related to the significantly reduced risk of various types of cancer, such as: colon cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer and so on.

With regard to the epidemiological results and the latest discovered mechanisms, there is a new form of cancer etiology which sets down the influence of calcium and 25(OH) D. It consists of seven phases, which are the following: disjunction, initiation, natural selection, overgrowth, metastasis, involution and transition – DINOMIT. Metabolites of Vitamin D impede the disjunction of the cells and are also efficient for the other six phases.

It is considered that the annual increase of the minimum level of serum 25 (OH) D to 40 – 60 ng/ml, or 100 – 150 nmol/L, would impede nearly 58.000 new breast cancers or 49.000 new colorectal cancers every year, as well as ¾ of deaths from the same diseases in Canada and the US, according to the observational researches that were conjoint with randomized trials.

It is also expected that these intakes of Vitamin D will also reduce the rate of fatality in patients who suffer from prostate cancer, colorectal or breast cancer by half. It is high time that that you took serious action to increase the daily intake of Vitamin D as well as calcium.

GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL SUPPLEMENTATION

Like a general supplementation guideline, the research, which was done by the Grassroots Health, has suggested that all adults should take around 8.000 IU a day in order to reach a level of serum 40 ng/ml. As said, it is recommended an increase of the levels of Vitamin D through adequate exposure to sun when it is possible. When you do not take supplementation of Vitamin D, it is necessary to increase the Vitamin K2 intake through supplementation and/or food. In case you get the Vitamin D from the exposure to sun, it may not be very critical; even though it is better that you get enough intake of Vitamin K2 from the diet, either.

How can you know when the Vitamin D level is on the proper range? What is most important is to test your levels of serum Vitamin D every six months, because all people have different reactions to the oral supplementation of Vitamin D3 or to sun exposure. The main aim is to get the clinically adequate levels of serum Vitamin D of 50 – 70 ng/ml, and to preserve the same level throughout the entire year. The levels of serum Vitamin D is beast to be tested at the highest point, or actually in August, or at the lowest point, or actually in February.

Now, when you are aware of the importance of the Vitamin D level, if should take the test, if you have not done it before – it is especially significant for your overall health.

VITAMIN D HELPS IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASES

Numerous studies have already proved the significance of the Vitamin D, especially in the prevention of diseases as well as in the prevention of the overall health. In our bodies, there are nearly 3.000 genes, which are all affected by the Vitamin D, because the receptors of the Vitamin D are found all over the human body.

According to a large-scale research, the satisfactory levels of Vitamin D can lower the risk of cancer by up to 60 %. With the maintenance of the levels of Vitamin D at a satisfactory range, we will be able to prevent about 16 completely different kinds of cancers, such as prostate cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and so on.

It’s Confirmed! Here’s What ”Vitamin D” Does To Your Body… Do You Take It Regularly? was originally published on Health Tips 365

#health #healthy life #healthy food #healthy living #health care #healthtips

0 notes

paullassiterca · 6 years ago

Text

Top 10 Health Searches for 2018

Below each search term heading, the most popular article of the year is hyperlinked; just click on it to read the full article.

No. 1 — High Blood Pressure

No. 2 — Ketogenic Diet

No. 3 — Beets

No. 4 — Vitamin D

No. 5 — Intermittent Fasting

No. 6 — Flu Shot Facts

No. 7 — Sucralose (Splenda)

I also review how to determine whether you might be having a reaction to artificial sweeteners, and how to file an adverse reaction report with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

No. 8 — Probiotics

No. 9 — Berberine

A number of new supplements have gained recognition in the past year, with berberine, a powerful AMPK activator, being among the most popular and most-searched-for.

No. 10 — Cancer

Two of the most popular cancer-related articles for the year were “How Curcumin Targets Cancer” and “Chemotherapy Is Losing Its Luster,” which address prevention and treatment respectively.

The remarkable benefits of nutritional ketosis and fasting as adjuncts to conventional cancer treatment are also detailed in “Metabolically Supported Therapies for the Improvement of Cancer Treatment,” which features an interview with Dr. Abdul Slocum and Travis Christofferson, author of “Tripping Over the Truth: How the Metabolic Theory of Cancer is Overturning One of Medicine’s Most Entrenched Paradigms.”

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/12/24/top-google-health-search-2018.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/181367446401

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jakehglover · 7 years ago

Text

Toxic Weed Killer Found in Most Foods Sold in the US

By Dr. Mercola

Earlier this year, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine reported there’s been a dramatic increase in glyphosate exposure in recent decades and, subsequently, the level found in people’s bodies.1 As one would expect, the introduction of so-called “Roundup Ready” genetically engineered (GE) crops led to a massive increase in the use of Roundup, the active ingredient of which is glyphosate.

Glyphosate has also become a popular tool for desiccating non-GE grains, legumes and beans, which has further spurred the use of the chemical. Between 1974 — the year glyphosate entered the U.S. market — and 2014, glyphosate use in the U.S. increased more than 250fold.2,3 Globally, glyphosate use has risen nearly fifteenfold since 1996, two years after the first GE crops hit the market.

Food Testing Reveals Widespread Glyphosate Contamination

While Monsanto still argues that Roundup (and glyphosate in general) is perfectly safe, mounting research tells a very different story, which is why it’s becoming increasingly crucial to assess just how much glyphosate is in our food. Unfortunately, while both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) measure pesticide residues in foods, neither of them includes glyphosate in their official testing.

“[T]he internal documents obtained by the Guardian show the FDA has had trouble finding any food that does not carry traces of the pesticide. ‘I have brought wheat crackers, granola cereal and corn meal from home and there’s a fair amount in all of them,’ FDA chemist Richard Thompson wrote to colleagues in an email last year regarding glyphosate … broccoli was the only food he had ‘on hand’ that he found to be glyphosate-free …

Separately, FDA chemist Narong Chamkasem found ‘over-the-tolerance’ levels of glyphosate in corn, detected at 6.5 parts per million [ppm], an FDA email states. The legal limit is 5.0 ppm. An illegal level would normally be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but an FDA supervisor wrote to an EPA official that the corn was not considered an ‘official sample.’”

Independent Testing Also Highlights Massive Glyphosate Problem

HRI was recently tasked with testing Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which was also found to contain glyphosate. The samples were provided by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and Regeneration Vermont, which are concerned about the environmental impact Ben & Jerry’s dairy producers are having in Vermont. Using sensitive state-of-the-art testing equipment to look at the quality of the ingredients, 10 of the 11 ice cream samples were found to contain substantial levels of glyphosate.

HRI Labs has also analyzed more than 1,200 urine samples from U.S. residents. This testing is being done as part of a research project that will provide valuable information about the presence of glyphosate in the diet and how lifestyle and location affects people’s exposure to agrochemicals. Here are some of their findings to date:

76 percent of people tested have some level of glyphosate in their system

Men typically have higher levels than women

People who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest)

People who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic. This indicates organic products are a safer choice

People who eat five or more servings of vegetables per day have glyphosate levels that are 50 percent lower than those who eat fewer vegetables

How Is Glyphosate Affecting Human Health?

Inhibits the shikimate pathway, found in gut bacteria in both humans and animals

Chelates important minerals, including iron, cobalt and manganese. Manganese deficiency, in turn, impairs mitochondrial function and can lead to glutamate toxicity in the brain

Interferes with the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine, which results in shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate

Disrupts sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport

Glyphosate also disrupts, destroys, impairs or inhibits:10

The microbiome, thanks to its antibiotic activity

Sulfur metabolism

Methylation pathways

Pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism

Disturbingly, some of this evidence reveals the EPA has protected the company's interests by manipulating and preventing key investigations into glyphosate's cancer-causing potential.

According to toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, director of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Services, even minor exposure could have a detrimental effect on human health. “Even with low levels of pesticides, we’re exposed to so many, and we don’t count the fact that we have cumulative exposures,” she told Gillam.

Monsanto Sued for Misleading Consumers

In addition to the lawsuits against Monsanto over Roundup’s cancer-causing effects, the company is also being sued for false and misleading labeling.12 The lawsuit, which accuses Monsanto of falsely claiming glyphosate “targets an enzyme found in plants but not in people or pets” on the Roundup label was filed in April 2017 by the OCA and Beyond Pesticides.

So, by way of your gut bacteria, it still wields a significant influence on human health. Aside from a probable cancer link, Roundup’s effect on gut bacteria also suggests the chemical may play a significant role in digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer's disease, depression, Parkinson's disease, liver diseases and many other chronic health problems.

In his May 1 ruling, Kelly stated “The court concludes that Plaintiffs have adequately pleaded a claim that the statement at issue was false or misleading,” and that “defendants cannot dispute that the label’s statement that the enzyme at issue is ‘found in plants, but not in people’ is, at least on one reading, literally false.”

How Much Glyphosate Do You Have in Your Body?

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/05/15/glyphosate-in-food.aspx

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sherristockman · 7 years ago

Link

Pesticides Implicated in Infertility Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Human fertility is declining, and recent studies suggest conventional food may be a significant contributor to this disturbing trend, seen in both men and women. Pesticides have repeatedly been implicated in worsening fertility, and one of the most recent studies adds further support to this hypothesis. The study,1,2 published in JAMA Internal Medicine, evaluated the influence of factors known to affect reproduction on the reproductive success of 325 women between the ages of 18 and 45 (mean age 35), who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). As reported by Time,3 “The women in the study filled out detailed questionnaires about their diet, along with other factors that can affect IVF outcomes, like their age, weight and history of pregnancy and live births.” High Pesticide Exposure Associated With Reduced IVF Success Using a U.S. government database listing average pesticide residues on food, the researchers estimated each participant’s pesticide exposure based on their food questionnaires. On average, women with high pesticide exposure ate 2.3 servings per day of fruits, berries or vegetables known to have high amounts of pesticide residue. Those in the lowest quartile ate less than 1 serving of high-pesticide produce per day. Compared to women with the lowest pesticide exposure, women with the highest amounts of pesticide exposure had an 18 percent lower IVF success rate. They were also 26 percent less likely to have a live birth if they did become pregnant. Using modeling, the researchers estimate that exchanging a single serving of high-pesticide produce per day for one with low pesticide load may increase the odds of pregnancy by 79 percent, and the odds of having a live birth by 88 percent. Pesticide Regulations Fail to Protect Human Health Senior investigator Dr. Jorge Chavarro, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health told Time:4 “I was always skeptical that pesticide residues in foods would have any impact on health whatsoever. So, when we started doing this work a couple of years ago, I thought we were not going to find anything. I was surprised to see anything as far as health outcomes are concerned. I am now more willing to buy organic apples than I was a few months ago.” Coauthor Dr. Yu-Han Chiu, research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, added:5 “There have been concerns for some time that exposure to low doses of pesticides through diet, such as those that we observed in this study, may have adverse health effects, especially in susceptible populations such as pregnant women and their fetus, and on children. Our study provides evidence that this concern is not unwarranted.” As noted by Dr. Philip Landrigan, dean for global health and professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in an accompanying commentary,6 "The observations made in this study send a warning that our current laissez-faire attitude toward the regulation of pesticides is failing us,” adding: "We can no longer afford to assume that new pesticides are harmless until they are definitively proven to cause injury to human health. We need to overcome the strident objections of the pesticide manufacturing industry, recognize the hidden costs of deregulation, and strengthen requirements for both premarket testing of new pesticides, as well as postmarketing surveillance of exposed populations — exactly as we do for another class of potent, biologically active molecules — drugs." Male Fertility Rates Have Also Plunged Research also shows sperm concentration and quality has dramatically declined in recent decades, and the evidence suggests endocrine disrupting chemicals are largely to blame. While there are many sources, pesticides, including glyphosate,7 are known endocrine disruptors as well. According to the first of two recently published papers,8 a meta-analysis of 185 studies and the largest of its kind, sperm counts around the world declined by more than 50 percent between 1973 and 2013, and continue to dwindle. The most significant declines were found in samples from men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. (Men suspected of infertility, such as those attending IVF clinics, were excluded from the study.) Overall, men in these countries had a 52.4 percent decline in sperm concentration and a 59.3 percent decline in total sperm count (sperm concentration multiplied by the total volume of an ejaculate). As it stands, half of the men in most developed nations are now near or at the point of being infertile. Lead author Dr. Hagai Levine, who called the results “profound” and “shocking,”9 worries that human extinction is a very real possibility, should the trend continue unabated.10 Microwave Exposure — Another Invisible Contributor to Infertility Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is another major contributor to infertility. In fact, I believe this may be the most significant factor for the observed decrease in male sperm count. Women’s reproductive organs are a bit more shielded, but can still be affected, just not as easily as men’s testicles.11 During World War II, it was well-known that radar operators could easily create sterility by exposing the groin to radar waves. Radar is microwave radiation and was the precursor to cellphones that use similar frequencies. More modern research also suggests microwave radiation may play a significant role in male reproductive health. While evaluating studies showing you can radically reduce biological microwave damage using calcium channel blockers, Martin Pall, Ph.D., discovered a previously unknown mechanism of biological harm from microwaves emitted by cellphones and other wireless technologies.12 Embedded in your cell membranes are voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs). It turns out these VGCCs are activated by microwaves, and when that happens, about 1 million calcium ions per second are released. This massive excess of intracellular calcium then stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO) inside your cell and mitochondria, which combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrite. Not only does peroxynitrites cause oxidative damage, they also create hydroxyl free radicals — the most destructive free radicals known to man. Hydroxyl free radicals decimate mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, their membranes and proteins, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction. During a 2013 children’s health expert panel on cellphone and Wi-Fi exposures,13 it was noted, “The testicular barrier, that protects sperm, is the most sensitive of tissues in the body … Besides sperm count and function, the mitochondrial DNA of sperm are damaged three times more if exposed to cellphone radiation.” In addition to male testes, the tissues with the highest density of VGCCs are your brain and the pacemaker in your heart. What the research tells us is that excessive microwave exposure can be a direct contributor to conditions such as infertility, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression, autism and cardiac arrhythmias.14 Indeed, other studies have linked low-level electromagnetic radiation exposure from cellphones to an 8 percent reduction in sperm motility and a 9 percent reduction in sperm viability.15,16 Wi-Fi equipped laptop computers have also been linked to decreased sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation after just four hours of use.17 So, if you care about your reproductive health, the most important strategies to implement are to: Avoid carrying your cellphone in your pockets or on your hip Avoid using portable computers and tablets on your lap Turn off your cellphones at night, as even if you are not talking they can damage you up to 30 feet away Turn off your Wi-Fi at night (ideally in the day also) Most importantly, turn off the electricity to your bedroom at the circuit breaker. This typically works for most bedrooms unless you have a room or rooms adjacent to your bedroom, in which case you might need to shut that off too. This will radically lower electric and magnetic fields while you sleep. If you need a clock you can you a battery operated one and even better a talking clock with no light that can be picked up on Amazon Study Reveals Shocking Increase in Glyphosate Levels In related news, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine recently reported there’s been a shocking increase in glyphosate exposure in recent decades and, subsequently, the level found in people’s urine. For this study,18 the researchers measured excretion levels of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid in 100 participants from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging, which ran for 23 years, starting in 1993, the year before genetically engineered (GE) crops were introduced in the U.S. As one would expect, the introduction of Roundup Ready GE crops led to a massive increase in the use of Roundup, the active ingredient of which is glyphosate. Glyphosate has also become a popular tool for desiccating non-GE grains, legumes and beans. Data19,20 reveals that between 1974 (the year glyphosate entered the U.S. market and just over two decades before GE crops were introduced) and 2014, glyphosate use in the U.S. increased more than 250-fold. Globally, glyphosate use rose nearly fifteenfold since 1996, two years after the first GE crops hit the market. At the start of the study, very few of the participants had detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine, but by 2016, 70 percent of them did.21 Overall, the prevalence of human exposure to glyphosate increased by 500 percent during the study period (1993 to 2016), while actual levels of the chemical in people’s bodies increased by an astounding 1,208 percent. Rising Glyphosate Levels in Urine Is Cause for Concern The exact implications of glyphosate exposure to human health is still unclear, but other recent research22 found that daily exposure to ultra-low levels of glyphosate for two years led to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats, and the levels found in people’s urine were a hundredfold greater than those in this rat study. In response to the findings of rising glyphosate levels in people’s urine, Monsanto was quick to say that the amounts reported “do not raise health concerns,” and that the fact that the chemical is detected in urine is just “one way our bodies get rid of nonessential substances.”23 Speaking to GM Watch, Michael Antoniou of King’s College London had another take on the matter:24 “This is the first study to longitudinally track urine levels of glyphosate over a period before and after the introduction of GM glyphosate-tolerant crops. It is yet another example illustrating that the vast majority of present-day Americans have readily detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine, ranging from 0.3 parts per billion, as in this study, to 10 times higher — 3 or more parts per billion — detected by others. These results are worrying because there is increasing evidence to show that exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides below regulatory safety limits can be harmful.” Glyphosate Found in Breast Milk Three years ago, the first-ever independent testing for glyphosate in the breast milk of American women found high levels in 30 percent of the samples.25 The testing, which was not a formal scientific study, was carried out by Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse. Still, the findings strongly suggest glyphosate bioaccumulates and builds up in your body over time, despite claims to the contrary. Breast milk levels were found to be 76 to 166 micrograms per liter (ug/l), which is up to 1,600 times higher than the European Drinking Water Directive allows for individual pesticides, but still well below the 700 ug/l maximum contaminant level (MCL) for glyphosate allowed in the U.S. However, the U.S. level was set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on the now-ridiculous premise that glyphosate will not bioaccumulate. Importantly, many of the participants in this study were familiar with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and had been actively trying to avoid them for several months to two years. This makes the findings all the more disheartening, and shows just how difficult it is to avoid this chemical unless you’re consistently eating an organic diet. Corporate Machinations Kept Glyphosate on the Market As noted in a recent investigation by In These Times,26 in the wake of Moms Across America’s findings, Monsanto defended its flagship pesticide with a study that found no glyphosate in breast milk. However, this study, which was purported to be “independent,” was actually backed by Monsanto. According to In These Times: “More and more research suggests that glyphosate exposure can lead to numerous health issues, ranging from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and kidney damage to disruption of gut bacteria and improper hormone functioning. The Moms Across America episode fits a pattern that has emerged since 1974, when the EPA first registered glyphosate for use: When questions have been raised about the chemical’s safety, Monsanto has ensured that the answers serve its financial interests, rather than scientific accuracy and transparency. Our two-year investigation found incontrovertible evidence that Monsanto has exerted deep influence over EPA decisions since glyphosate first came on the market — via Roundup — more than 40 years ago.” Manipulation of Science Led to Underestimation of Glyphosate’s Risks Suspiciously, archived EPA documents from decades ago, when the agency was initially considering glyphosate for approval, have been heavily redacted. Despite much of it being illegible, the documents reveal that EPA scientists were greatly concerned about a 1983 mouse study showing that glyphosate caused cancer. The documentation also shows that their interpretation of the data was “subsequently reversed by EPA upper management and advisory boards, apparently under pressure from Monsanto.” “In years to come, that pivotal 1983 mouse study would be buried under layers of misleading analysis to obscure its meaning. Today, the EPA and Monsanto continue to cite that study as evidence that glyphosate poses no public health risk, even though the study’s actual evidence indicates otherwise,” In These Times reports. The EPA has also been accused of overlooking other evidence of harm. I wrote about this in “Unveiling the Glyphosate Conspiracy.” As mentioned earlier, glyphosate was introduced in 1974, and the earliest example of Monsanto’s attempts to downplay evidence of harm dates back to May 1973, the year before its ultimate approval. At the time, a biologist at the EPA’s Toxicology Branch Registration Division recommended including the word “Danger” on the label, due to the chemical’s ability to cause eye irritation. Monsanto strongly objected, saying the eye irritation observed was merely the result of “a secondary infection in previously irritated eyes.” After three years of deliberations back and forth, the EPA finally agreed to Monsanto’s request to replace the word “Danger” with the less attention-grabbing “Caution.” How to Check Your Glyphosate Level As food has become increasingly adulterated, contaminated and genetically engineered, the need for laboratory testing has exponentially grown. In response to this need, the Health Research Institute (HRI Labs) has created two glyphosate tests for the public — a water testing kit, and an environmental exposure test kit. The latter is a urine test that will tell you how much glyphosate you have in your system, which can give you a good idea of the purity of your diet. If your glyphosate level is high, chances are you’ve been exposed to many other agrochemicals as well. I had the environmental exposure test done a while back, and had a glyphosate level below the threshold of detection, which is 40 parts per trillion, likely because I eat primarily organic and homegrown foods, and expel toxins I might come in contact with through exercise and regular sauna use. So far, HRI Labs has analyzed more than 1,200 urine samples. The testing is being done as part of a research project, which will provide valuable information about the presence of glyphosate in the diet. It will also help answer questions about how lifestyle and location affects people’s exposure to agrochemicals. Here are some of their findings to date: 76 percent of people tested have some level of glyphosate in their system Men typically have higher levels than women People who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't (likely because oats are desiccated with glyphosate before harvest) People who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80 percent lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic. This indicates organic products are a safer choice People who eat five or more servings of vegetables per day have glyphosate levels that are 50 percent lower than those who don't eat fewer vegetables Which Foods Are the Most Important to Buy Organic? Everyone can be harmed by pesticides, but if you're a man or woman of childbearing age or have young children, taking steps to reduce your exposure is especially important. Ideally, all of the food you and your family eat would be organic. That said, not everyone has access to a wide variety of organic produce, and it can sometimes be costlier than buying conventional. One way to save some money while still lowering your pesticide exposure is to purchase certain organic items, and "settling" for others that are conventionally grown, based on how heavily each given crop is typically treated with pesticides. Animal products, like meat, butter, milk and eggs are the most important to buy organic, since animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins from their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher concentrations than are typically present in vegetables. Beyond animal foods, the pesticide load of different fruits and vegetables can vary greatly. In 2015, Consumer Reports analyzed 12 years’ worth of data from the USDA's Pesticide Data Program to determine the risk categories (from very low to very high) for different types of produce.27 Their results are featured in the video above. Because children are especially vulnerable to the effects of environmental chemicals, including pesticides, they based the risk assessment on a 3.5-year-old child. They recommend buying organic for any produce that came back in the medium or higher risk categories, which left the following foods as examples of those you should always try to buy organic, due to their elevated pesticide load. Another excellent source, which is updated annually, is the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists of produce with the greatest and least amounts of pesticide contamination. The EWG’s 2017 shopper’s guide28 to pesticides in produce can be downloaded here. Peaches Carrots Strawberries Green Beans Sweet Bell Peppers Hot Peppers Tangerines Nectarines Cranberries Sweet Potatoes How to Clean Pesticides Off Your Produce Washing your produce will help remove surface pesticide residues. According to recent research,29 the most effective cleaning method, by far, is to wash your produce using a mixture of tap water and baking soda. Soaking apples in a 1 percent baking soda solution for 12 to 15 minutes was found to remove 80 percent of the fungicide thiabendazole and 96 percent of the insecticide phosmet. The reason thiabendazole was not as effectively removed is because it penetrated the apple to a depth of 80 micrometers. Importantly, the industry standard for cleaning apples — running under tap water or treating with the bleach solution for two minutes — was ineffective in comparison.

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sherristockman · 7 years ago

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Anxiety Overtakes Depression as No. 1 Mental Health Problem Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Anxiety is the new depression, with more than half of all American college students reporting anxiety.1 Recent research2 shows anxiety — characterized by constant and overwhelming worry and fear — is now 800 percent more prevalent than all forms of cancer. A 2016 report3 by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State confirmed the trend, finding anxiety and depression are the most common concerns among college students who seek counseling.4 Data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the U.S. may be as high as 40 million, or about 18 percent of the population over the age of 18, making it the most common mental illness in the nation.5,6 Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, and some of the most effective treatments are also among the safest and least expensive, and don't involve drugs. Anxiety — A Medical Condition Driven by Sociological Conditions? Commenting on the featured video, Huffington Post writes:7 "A person with high functioning anxiety can look calm on the surface, but underneath that practiced veneer, their thoughts are churning. That's the message behind a new video from 'The Mighty,' in which a young woman describes the experience of living with the condition, which is characterized by persistent negative thoughts, restlessness and even physical symptoms like muscle tension …" But what is at the heart of all this anxiety? What's causing all these persistent negative thoughts? Why the chronic restlessness? The New York Times addressed the rising prevalence of anxiety in a recent article, noting:8 "While to epidemiologists the disorder is a medical condition, anxiety is starting to seem like a sociological condition, too: a shared cultural experience that feeds on alarmist CNN graphics and metastasizes through social media … 'If you're a human being living in 2017 and you're not anxious,' [Sarah Fader, who has generalized anxiety disorder] said on the telephone, 'there's something wrong with you' … [I]t seems we have entered a new Age of Anxiety. Monitoring our heart rates. Swiping ceaselessly at our iPhones … Consider the fidget spinner: endlessly whirring between the fingertips of 'Generation Alpha,' annoying teachers, baffling parents … According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, some 38 percent of girls ages 13 through 17, and 26 percent of boys, have an anxiety disorder … Meanwhile, the number of web searches involving the term has nearly doubled over the last five years …" United States of Anxiety Kai Wright, host of the political podcast "The United States of Anxiety," attributes the current trend to the fact that we've been at war for over a decade and a half, have faced two recessions in that same time frame, and have had to adjust to a swiftly changing digital landscape, which in turn has changed how we work and interact.9 "Everything we consider to be normal has changed. And nobody seems to trust the people in charge to tell them where they fit into the future," he says.10 Andrea Petersen, author of "On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety," interviewed students at University of Michigan for her book, some of whom revealed the internal pressure cooker was turned on far earlier than you might expect. In his Times article, Alex Williams writes:11 "One student, who has ADHD, anxiety and depression, said the pressure began building in middle school when she realized she had to be at the top of her class to get into high school honors classes, which she needed to get into Advanced Placement classes, which she needed to get into college. 'In sixth grade,' she said, 'kids were freaking out.' This was not the stereotypical experience of Generation X … 'In addition to the normal chaos of being a human being, there is what almost feels like weaponized uncertainty thrown at us on a daily basis,' said Kat Kinsman, the 'Hi, Anxiety' author. 'It's coming so quickly and messily, some of it straight from the president's own fingers.' Indeed, Mr. Trump is the first politician in world history whose preferred mode of communication is the 3 a.m. tweet … 'We live in a country where we can't even agree on a basic set of facts,' said Dan Harris, an ABC news correspondent and 'Nightline' anchor …" Beware of Microwave Exposure We have had nearly an exponential increase in electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from devices like our cellphones and cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, smart meters and cellphone towers, which may turn out to be a primary driver for this increase in anxiety and depression. How you say? Good question. Due to the pioneering work of Dr. Martin Pall, we know that voltage gated calcium channels are over 7 million times more sensitive to microwave radiation than the charged particles inside and outside our cells. This means that the safety standards for this exposure are off by a factor of 7 million. When the EMF from the above listed devices hit your voltage gated calcium channels, nearly 1 million calcium ions per second are released into the cell, which then causes the cell to release excessive nitric oxide that then combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrate, which then forms the dangerous hydroxyl free radical that causes massive mitochondrial dysfunction. Guess which tissues have the greatest density of voltage gated calcium channels? Your nerves and tissues, like the pacemaker in your heart and, of course, your brain. When the channels in the brain are activated, it causes a major disruption in neurotransmitter and hormonal balance that can radically increase the risk for not only anxiety and depression but arrhythmias, autism and Alzheimer's. I am going to be massively expanding on this in future articles and interviews but in the meantime, please watch or rewatch my video below to help start you on the process of protecting you from microwaves. Do Fidget Spinners Work? In his article, Williams touches on the popularity of so-called fidget spinners, originally devised as a focusing aid primarily for autistic children and kids with attention deficit or sensory sensitivity disorders. The toy is now being used by all sorts of people of varying ages. But do they really help reduce anxiety? According to psychiatrist Pilar Trelles at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, the spinners can be quite helpful. Health Magazine quotes her as saying, "When someone is hypersensitive to the environment they might bite their nails, pull out their cuticles or pinch their skin. Fidget spinners offer a less harmful way to expend that nervous energy."12 The fidget spinner falls under a stress management category called rapid stress management technique, recommended for use in conjunction with other forms of therapy. That said, some schools have banned use of fidget spinners, on account that they distract teachers and other students. Medicine Net has also issued a warning that fidget spinners pose a choking hazard,13 as the round metal bearings could come dislodged. A 10-year-old girl had to have a bearing surgically removed from her esophagus after she accidentally swallowed it. Other Common Causes of Anxiety While genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events play a role in the development of anxiety disorders, stress is a common trigger. Anxiety is a normal response to stress, but in some people the anxiety becomes overwhelming and difficult to cope with, to the point that it affects their day-to-day living. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains how your brain reacts to stress, and how the anxiety response is triggered:14 "Several parts of the brain are key actors in the production of fear and anxiety … scientists have discovered that the amygdala and the hippocampus play significant roles in most anxiety disorders. The amygdala … is believed to be a communications hub between the parts of the brain that process incoming sensory signals and the parts that interpret these signals. It can alert the rest of the brain that a threat is present and trigger a fear or anxiety response. The emotional memories stored in the central part of the amygdala may play a role in anxiety disorders involving very distinct fears, such as fears of dogs, spiders or flying. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that encodes threatening events into memories." A number of other situations and underlying issues can also contribute to the problem. This includes but is not limited to the following, and addressing these issues may be what's needed to resolve your anxiety disorder. For more information about each, please follow the links provided: ✓ Exposure to microwave radiation from devices like cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, portable phones, smart meters, baby monitors and cellphone towers ✓ Food additives, food dyes, GMOs and glyphosate. Food dyes of particular concern include Blue #1 and #2 food coloring; Green #3; Orange B; Red #3 and #40; Yellow #5 and #6; and the preservative sodium benzoate ✓ Gut dysfunction caused by imbalanced microflora ✓ Lack of magnesium, vitamin D15 and/or animal-based omega-3. (Research has shown a 20 percent reduction in anxiety among medical students taking omega-3s16) ✓ Use of artificial sweeteners ✓ Excessive consumption of sugar and junk food ✓ Improper breathing ✓ Exposure to toxic mold Breathing Has a Direct Influence on Anxiety The way you breathe is intricately connected to your mental state. I've previously published interviews with Patrick McKeown, a leading expert on the Buteyko Breathing Method, where he explains how breathing affects your mind, body and health. Here, I've chosen a video featuring Robert Litman, where he specifically addresses the relationship between breathing and anxiety. According to Buteyko, the founder of the method, anxiety is triggered by an imbalance between gases in your body, specifically the ratio between carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen. In this video, Litman explains how your breathing affects the ratio of these gases, and demonstrates how you can literally breathe your way into a calmer state of mind. A Buteyko breathing exercise that can help quell anxiety is summarized below. This sequence helps retain and gently accumulate CO2, leading to calmer breathing and reduced anxiety. In other words, the urge to breathe will decline as you go into a more relaxed state. Take a small breath into your nose, a small breath out; hold your nose for five seconds in order to hold your breath, and then release to resume breathing. Breathe normally for 10 seconds. Repeat the sequence several more times: small breath in through your nose, small breath out; hold your breath for five seconds, then let go and breathe normally for 10 seconds. McKeown has also written a book specifically aimed at the treatment of anxiety through optimal breathing, called "Anxiety Free: Stop Worrying and Quieten Your Mind — Featuring the Buteyko Breathing Method and Mindfulness," which can be found on Amazon.com.17 In addition to the book, ButeykoClinic.com also offers a one-hour online course and an audio version of the book, along with several free chapters18 and accompanying videos.19 Belisa Vranich, a clinical psychologist, has also written an excellent book called "Breathe." In it, she details a program that can help improve your physical and mental health. You can learn more about her breathing program in this recent interview. Nature Sounds Calm the Mind and Quell Anxiety In addition to addressing your breathing, consider spending more time in natural environments. Researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School found that nature sounds have a distinct and powerful effect on your brain, lowering fight-or-flight instincts and activating your rest-and-digest autonomic nervous system.20,21,22 Nature sounds produce brain activity associated with outward-directed focus, whereas artificial sounds create brain activity associated with inward-directed focus. The latter, which can express itself as worry and rumination about things related to your own self, is a trait associated with anxiety and depression. Nature sounds also produce higher rest-digest nervous system activity, which occurs when your body is in a relaxed state. Previous research has also demonstrated that listening to nature sounds help you recover faster after a stressful event. So, seek out parks, or create a natural sanctuary on your balcony, or indoors using plants and an environmental sound machine. YouTube also has a number of very long videos of natural sounds, such as the one featured above. You could simply turn it on and leave it on while you're indoors. EFT — A Potent Non-Drug Treatment Alternative Another potent treatment alternative that does not involve drugs is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), one of the most well-established forms of energy psychology. It's akin to acupuncture, which is based on the concept that a vital energy flows through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. EFT stimulates specific energy meridian points in your body by tapping them with your fingertips, while simultaneously using custom-made verbal affirmations. This can be done alone or under the supervision of a qualified therapist. By doing this, you reprogram the way your body responds to emotional stressors, effectively "short-circuiting" the event chain that leads to an anxiety or panic attack. Research confirms EFT can be a powerful intervention for stress and anxiety,23,24,25 in part because it specifically targets your amygdala and hippocampus, which are the parts of your brain that help you decide whether or not something is a threat.26 If you recall the NIMH's explanation above about how your amygdala and hippocampus are involved in anxiety disorders, you can see why tapping is such a powerful tool. In the video above, EFT therapist Julie Schiffman demonstrates how to tap for panic attacks and anxiety relief. For serious or complex issues, you may need a qualified EFT therapist to guide you through the process. That said, the more you tap, the more skilled you'll become. You can also try acupuncture,27 which like EFT bridges the gap between your mind and body. Other Treatment Options for Anxiety Considering the risks of psychiatric drugs, I would urge you to view them as a last resort rather than a first-line of treatment. In addition to the breathing exercises, nature sound therapy and EFT already mentioned, other far safer strategies to explore include: ✓ Regular exercise and daily movement ✓ Mindfulness training and/or a spiritual practice. Research suggests psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, may be a game changer in the treatment for severe depression and anxiety, and the spiritual intensity of the experience appears to be a key component of the healing. Magic mushrooms are not legal, so this is not a viable treatment as of yet, but it highlights the importance and relationship between having a spiritual foundation that can provide hope and meaning to your life ✓ Optimizing your gut microbiome. Gastrointestinal abnormalities have been linked to a variety of psychological problems, including anxiety and depression. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain,28 which helps explain why mental health can be so intricately connected to your gut microbiome.29 For example, fermented foods have been shown to curb social anxiety disorder in young adults.30,31 To learn more about this, please see "Poor Diet, Lack of Sunshine and Spiritual Anemia — Three Potent Contributors to Depression and Anxiety." ✓ Lowering your sugar and processed food intake. Research shows your diet can have a profound effect on your mental health.32,33 Pay particular attention to nutritional imbalances known to contribute to mental health problems, such as lack of magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins and animal-based omega-3 ✓ Getting plenty of restorative sleep ✓ Being mindful of your exposure to EMFs and use of wireless technologies. At bare minimum, avoid keeping any of these gadgets next to you while sleeping ✓ Evaluating your toxic exposures. A common symptom of toxic mold exposure is anxiety, so ask yourself if there's any kind of pattern; do your symptoms improve when you spend time away from your home or office, for example? ✓ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They even offer CBT for young children these days.34 A number of universities offer Tao Connect35 to their students, but even if you're not a student, there are free online programs available that you can use. Some examples include MoodGYM,36 e-couch,37 Learn to Live38 and CBT Online39 Anxiety can significantly reduce your quality of life, so it's well worth it to keep going until you find a proper long-term solution. Last but not least, don't underestimate the value of social interactions — face-to-face, that is, not via social media. Lack of social interaction has become so widespread, some establishments have taken to turning off their Wi-Fi in an effort to encourage human interaction. Jimson Bienenstock, president of HotBlack Coffee in Toronto, explained his decision to turn the café into a cellphone-free zone to The New York Times, saying,40 "It's about creating a social vibe. We're a vehicle for human interaction, otherwise it's just a commodity." Indeed, like mindfulness and spiritual pursuits, social interaction helps foster meaning and purpose in life, thereby protecting and improving your mental health.

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sherristockman · 7 years ago

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Alzheimer’s Deaths Exceed Half a Million a Year in the US Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most serious form of dementia, eventually leads to the inability to carry out even the most basic of bodily functions, such as swallowing or walking. It is ultimately fatal, as conventional treatment options are few and universally ineffective. Like autism among children, Alzheimer’s among seniors has reached epidemic proportions, with no slowdown in sight. On the contrary, evidence suggests the trend is worsening. At present, Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans.1 Projections suggest the disease will affect 1 in 4 Americans within the next two decades, and by 2050, Alzheimer’s diagnoses are projected to triple.2,3 Shocking statistics published in the journal Neurology in 2014 revealed Alzheimer’s killed more than 503,000 American seniors in 2010, making it the third leading cause of death, right behind heart disease and cancer.4 Now, data published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reveals that between 1999 and 2014, the death rate from Alzheimer’s increased by 55 percent,5,6,7,8 — a rather radical increase in a mere 15 years. The CDC report also noted the number of people dying from the disease at home, opposed to in a care facility, has increased from 14 to 25 percent. This means many Alzheimer’s caretakers are unpaid family members and friends — a task known to be taxing from both an emotional and financial perspective. While these statistics sound dire enough, the reality may be even worse than that. Alzheimer’s Deaths Are Likely Severely Underreported The CDC report used data collected from U.S. death certificates. However, the 2014 Neurology study revealed Alzheimer’s deaths are grossly underreported on death certificates. In 2010, death certificates showed there were less than 84,000 deaths from Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, by ascertaining the cause of death based on evaluation of donated organs from the diseased, the actual death toll attributable to dementia came out to 503,400. If such a trend of underreporting Alzheimer’s disease as a cause of death holds true, the increase in Alzheimer’s deaths over the past 15 years may in fact be far greater than 55 percent. Indeed, the CDC claims Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death, while the results from the 2014 study ranked it third. According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s killed 93,541 Americans in 2014 — a far cry from the estimated annual death toll of 503,400, reported in the Neurology study. Whatever the case may be, what’s clear is that severe, lethal dementia is rapidly rising, and the medical establishment is no closer to solving the riddle of causation than they were 30 years ago. What’s Causing Alzheimer’s Disease? It’s often said that the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease are unknown, but there’s no shortage of theories. Based on the available science, here are several of the most prominent or likely culprits that can raise your risk of Alzheimer’s disease: ✓ Insulin resistance Mounting research suggests Alzheimer’s disease is intricately connected to insulin resistance; even mild elevation of blood sugar is associated with an elevated risk for dementia.9Diabetes and heart disease10 are also known to elevate your risk, and both are rooted in insulin resistance. Neurologist David Perlmutter warns anything that promotes insulin resistance, like a processed food diet, will also raise your risk of Alzheimer’s. Recent research has strengthened the link between insulin resistance and dementia even further, particularly among those with existing heart disease.11,12,13 Studies have also confirmed that the greater an individual’s insulin resistance, the less sugar they have in key parts of their brain, and these areas typically correspond to the areas affected by Alzheimer’s.14,15 ✓ Vitamin D deficiency The Scotland Dementia Research Centre also noted there’s a very clear link between vitamin D deficiency and dementia.16 Indeed, studies have shown vitamin D plays a critical role in brain health, immune function, gene expression and inflammation — all of which influence Alzheimer’s. A wide variety of brain tissue contains vitamin D receptors, and when they’re activated by vitamin D, it facilitates nerve growth in your brain. Researchers also believe optimal vitamin D levels boost levels of important brain chemicals, and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health. Considering an estimated 95 percent of seniors are at risk of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, vitamin D may be a very important factor for successful prevention among the general population. Research also shows people living in northern latitudes have higher rates of death from Alzheimer’s than those living in sunnier areas,17 suggesting a link between sun exposure, vitamin D and brain health. In a 2014 study,18 considered to be the most robust study of its kind at the time, those who were severely deficient in vitamin D had a 125 percent higher risk of developing some form of dementia compared to those with normal levels. The findings also suggest there’s a threshold level of circulating vitamin D, below which your risk for dementia increases. This threshold was found to be right around 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) or 50 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) for Europeans. Higher levels are associated with better brain health in general, and based on a broader view of the available science, 20 ng/ml is still far too low. The bulk of the research suggests a healthy range is between 40 to 60 ng/ml. ✓ Lack of sun exposure While vitamin D deficiency is directly attributable to lack of sensible sun exposure, vitamin D production is not the only way sun exposure can influence your dementia risk. Evidence suggests sunlight is a beneficial electromagnetic frequency (EMF) that is in fact essential and vital for your health in its own right. About 40 percent of the rays in sunlight is infrared. The red and near-infrared frequencies interact with cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) — one of the proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane and a member of the electron transport chain. CCO is a chromophore, a molecule that attracts and absorbs light. In short, sunlight improves the generation of energy (ATP). The optimal wavelength for stimulating CCO lies in two regions, red at 630 to 660 nanometers (nm) and near-infrared at 810 to 850 nm. I’ve recently interviewed two different experts on photobiomodulation, a term describing the use of near-infrared light as a treatment for Alzheimer’s. To learn more about this fascinating field, please see my interviews with Michael Hamblin, Ph.D., and Dr. Lew Lim. Both have published papers on using photobiomodulation to improve Alzheimer’s disease. Photobiomodulation also improves oxygenation to your cells by releasing nitric oxide, and is a vasodilator that helps relax your blood vessels, lower your blood pressure and improve vascular health. Additionally, delivering red (660 nm) and near infrared light (830 nm) to the mitochondria promotes synthesizing of gene transcription factors that trigger cellular repair, and this is as true in the brain as anywhere else in your body. ✓ Prion infection In addition to viruses, bacteria and fungi, an infectious protein called TDP-43, which behaves like infectious proteins known as prions — responsible for the brain destruction that occurs in Mad Cow and Chronic Wasting Diseases — has been linked to Alzheimer’s. Research presented at the 2014 Alzheimer's Association International Conference revealed Alzheimer's patients with TDP-43 were 10 times more likely to have been cognitively impaired at death than those without.19 Due to its similarities with mad cow disease, investigators have raised the possibility that Alzheimer’s disease may be linked to eating meat from animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). ✓ Environmental Toxins Experts at the Edinburgh University's Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre have compiled a list of top environmental risk factors thought to be contributing to the epidemic, based on a systematic review of the scientific literature.20,21,22,23 As much as one-third of your dementia risk is thought to be linked to environmental factors such as air pollution, pesticide exposure and living close to power lines. The risk factor with the most robust body of research behind it is air pollution. In fact, they couldn’t find a single study that didn’t show a link between exposure to air pollution and dementia. Particulate matter, nitric oxides, ozone and carbon monoxide have all been linked to an increased risk. Living close to power lines also has “limited yet robust” evidence suggesting it may influence your susceptibility to dementia. ✓ Non-native or artificial electromagnetic fields (EMF) Non-native EMFs contribute to Alzheimer’s by poisoning your mitochondria, and this is not limited to living in close proximity to power lines. It also includes electromagnetic interference from the electric grid and microwave radiation from your cellphone, cellphone towers and Wi-Fi. This is a very deep and important topic that I plan to greatly expand on later this year. Based on what I’ve found so far, I’m convinced enough now to never put my cellphone on my body unless it is in airplane mode, and will not hold my cellphone unless it is on a selfie stick. ✓ Inactivity / lack of exercise Exercise has been shown to protect your brain from Alzheimer's and other dementias, and also improves quality of life if you’ve already been diagnosed.24 In one study,25 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s who participated in a four-month-long supervised exercise program had significantly fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with the disease (especially mental speed and attention) than the inactive control group. Other studies26 have shown aerobic exercise helps reduce tau levels in the brain. (Brain lesions known as tau tangles form when the protein tau collapses into twisted strands that end up killing your brain cells.) Cognitive function and memory27 can also be improved through regular exercise, and this effect is in part related to the effect exercise has on neurogenesis and the regrowth of brain cells. By targeting a gene pathway called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), exercise actually promotes brain cell growth and connectivity. In one yearlong study, seniors who exercised grew and expanded their brain’s memory center by as much as 2 percent per year, where typically that center shrinks with age. Evidence also suggests exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized,28 thus slowing the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. By increasing levels of the protein PGC-1alpha (which Alzheimer’s patients have less of), brain cells produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's.29 ✓ Hypertension and heart disease Arterial stiffness (atherosclerosis) is associated with a hallmark process of Alzheimer’s, namely the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in your brain. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns there’s a strong association between hypertension and brain diseases such as vascular cognitive impairment (loss of brain function caused by impaired blood flow to your brain) and dementia.30 Moreover, in one clinical trial,31 test subjects who consumed high fructose corn syrup developed higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease in two weeks, demonstrating just how influential your diet can be on your heart and brain health in the long term. ✓ Genetic predisposition Several genes that predispose you to Alzheimer’s have also been identified.32 The most common gene associated with late onset Alzheimer’s is the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene. The APOE e2 form is thought to reduce your risk while the APOE e4 form increases it. That said, some people never develop the disease even though they’ve inherited the APOE e4 gene from both their mother and father (giving them a double set), so while genetics can affect your risk, it is NOT a direct or inevitable cause. Your risk for early onset familial Alzheimer’s can also be ascertained through genetic testing.33 In this case, by looking for mutation in the genes for presenilin 1 and presenilin 2. People with one or more genetic predispositions are at particularly high risk of developing Alzheimer’s at a very young age. At just 31 years of age, Rebecca Doig is thought to be one of the youngest Alzheimer’s cases presently known. Early Alzheimer’s Prevention Is Required to Stem the Tide of Dementia There is no known cure and no effective conventional treatments for Alzheimer’s, making prevention an overarching priority. Regardless of your age, now is the time to really start looking at which of these possible causes might be influencing your risk. If you’re finding this information now and are in your 20s or 30s, consider yourself blessed with foresight. You still have time to address most if not all of these possible factors. But don’t dawdle too long. Early-onset of Alzheimer’s is also on the rise. Already, nearly 5 percent of Americans with the disease are younger than 65. The video above features the story of Amy Norton, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 43. As noted by the American Alzheimer’s Association:34 “Many people with early onset are in their 40s and 50s. They have families, careers or are even caregivers themselves when Alzheimer's disease strikes. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 200,000 people have early onset.” The good news is that lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise and sleep can have a significant impact on your risk. As previously noted by Dr. Richard Lipton of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine — where they study healthy aging — lifestyle changes “look more promising than the drug studies so far” when it comes to addressing Alzheimer’s.35 Cyclical Ketogenic Diet Can Help Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s In recent years, I’ve become deeply interested in and familiar with the medical literature detailing the influence of mitochondrial function on health. It’s become quite clear to me — and to many other experts in the field — that mitochondrial dysfunction is at the heart of virtually all chronic disease, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Mitochondria are tiny organelles found in most of your cells, responsible for production of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Your mitochondria have a series of proteins in the electron transport chain, in which they pass electrons from the metabolic products of the food you eat to combine it with oxygen from the air you breathe and ultimately form water. This is called aerobic respiration. The more mitochondria you have and the healthier they are, the more energy your body can generate and the lower your risk of chronic disease. Disturbingly, research suggests 50 percent of people under the age of 40 have early onset mitochondrial dysfunction. It’s no wonder then that diseases historically known to affect the very old are now affecting people in middle age or even younger. Dementia is certainly one of those. The good news is there are many ways to optimize your mitochondrial function, and this is the focus of my new book, “Fat for Fuel,” which details my metabolic mitochondrial therapy (MMT) program in full — starting with what you eat every day. Mounting evidence suggests the ability to burn fat for fuel is a crucial component of good metabolic health and mitochondrial function, and to do that, you simply cannot subsist on a standard American diet of processed food. You need a diet that powers your brain and body with healthy fats. When your body burns fat as its primary fuel, ketones are created, which burn efficiently, are a superior fuel for your brain, and generate fewer reactive oxygen species and less free radical damage. A ketone called beta hydroxybutyrate is also a major epigenetic player, stimulating beneficial changes in DNA expression, thereby reducing inflammation and increasing detoxification and antioxidant production. MMT Is Part of the Answer As a general guideline, until you are able to burn fat as your primary fuel, it is best to restrict your intake of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to about 20 to 50 grams per day while also keeping protein low enough to allow you to make the shift to nutritional ketosis — the metabolic state associated with an increased production of ketones in your liver. This is the biological reflection of being able to burn fat for fuel. Nutritional ketosis is defined as blood ketones that stay in the range of 0.5 to 8.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). I explain the ins and outs of implementing this kind of diet, and its many health benefits, in the book. In it, I also explain why cycling through stages of feast and famine, opposed to continuously remaining in nutritional ketosis, is so important. By periodically pulsing higher carb intakes, your ketone levels will dramatically increase and your blood sugar will drop. The pulsing will also prevent the loss of muscle that can occur when you remain in nutritional ketosis for extended periods of time. A fascinating paper that demonstrates the power of lifestyle modifications for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s is that of Dr. Dale Bredesen, a UCLA researcher who, by leveraging 36 different healthy lifestyle parameters — several of which are included in my MMT program — was able to reverse Alzheimer’s in 9 out of 10 patients. This included the use of: ✓ Exercise ✓ Ketogenic diet ✓ Optimizing vitamin D ✓ Optimizing hormones ✓ Increasing sleep ✓ Meditation ✓ Detoxification ✓ Eliminating gluten and processed food His work was published in the journal Aging in 2014. You can download the full-text case paper online, which details the full program.36 According to Bredesen, “The results … suggest that, at least early in the course, cognitive decline may be driven in large part by metabolic processes.” Lifestyle Strategies That Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease While genetics can raise your risk of Alzheimer’s, even genetic predisposition does not mean dementia is your inevitable fate. On the other hand, you may have no genetic predisposition for dementia and still lose your mind. It’s important to remember that your genetic expression is predicated on epigenetic factors such as your diet, exercise, sleep and environmental exposures. You can, to a great degree, influence your genetic fate, no matter what you start out with. When it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s, enhancing your mitochondrial function, which I detail in my book, “Fat for Fuel,” is paramount. MMT, I believe, helps you build a solid base for health and general disease prevention. In addition to that, the following strategies (some of which are part of MMT) are particularly important for the prevention of Alzheimer’s: ✓ Address your diet: Eat real food, ideally organic, and avoid processed foods, especially refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils Contrary to popular belief, the ideal fuel for your brain is not glucose but ketones. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat into energy. Healthy fats to add to your diet include avocados, butter, organic pastured egg yolks, coconuts and coconut oil, grass fed meats, raw nuts and animal-based omega-3. High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. Avoid all trans fats or hydrogenated fats. This includes margarine, vegetable oils and various butter-like spreads. Keep your added sugar levels to a minimum and your total fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you already have insulin/leptin resistance or any related disorders. Most will also benefit from a gluten-free diet, as gluten makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream where they sensitize your immune system and promote inflammation and autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s. ✓ Optimize your gut flora To do this, avoid processed foods, antibiotics and antibacterial products, fluoridated and chlorinated water, and be sure to eat traditionally fermented and cultured foods, along with a high-quality probiotic if needed. Dr. Steven Gundry does an excellent job of expanding on this in his new book “The Plant Paradox.” I will be interviewing him later this year, but his innovative approach has great potential to help your health. ✓ Intermittently fast Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool to jump-start your body into remembering how to burn fat and repair the insulin/leptin resistance that is a primary contributing factor for Alzheimer’s. ✓ If you enjoy black coffee, keep the habit While I would not encourage you to drink coffee if you’re not already a coffee drinker, if you enjoy it, there’s good news. Caffeine triggers the release of BDNF that activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, thereby improving your brain health. High-quality coffee also has many beneficial polyphenols that can improve brain function. In one study, people with mild cognitive impairment whose blood levels of caffeine were higher (due to coffee consumption) were less likely to progress to full-blown dementia compared to those who did not drink coffee.37 In another study, older women whose coffee consumption was above average had a lower risk of dementia.38 Just make sure your coffee is organic, as coffee tends to be heavily sprayed with pesticides. For more details on making your coffee habit as healthy as possible, please see my previous article, “Black Coffee in the Morning May Provide Valuable Health Benefits.” ✓ Move regularly and consistently throughout the day The following lecture by physical therapist Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ph.D., details the impact of exercise on dementia prevention and treatment. ✓ Optimize your magnesium levels Preliminary research strongly suggests a decrease in Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain. Magnesium threonate appears particularly useful as it has the ability to cross your blood brain barrier. ✓ Get sensible sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D and reap other photobiomodulation benefits Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation associated with Alzheimer's. If you are unable to get sufficient amounts of sun exposure, make sure to take daily supplemental vitamin D3 to make your blood level at least 40 to 60 ng/ml. This is typically about 8,000 units of vitamin D for most adults. That said, please do remember that sun exposure is also important for reasons unrelated to vitamin D. The near-infrared light in sunlight actually helps boost cognition and reduces symptoms of Alzheimer’s via a process known as photobiomodulation. ✓ Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity; however, you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed. ✓ Avoid and eliminate aluminum from your body Common sources of aluminum include antiperspirants, nonstick cookware and vaccine adjuvants. For tips on how to detox aluminum, please see my article, “First Case Study to Show Direct Link between Alzheimer’s and Aluminum Toxicity.” There is some suggestion that certain mineral waters high in silicic acid may help your body eliminate aluminum. Later this year I will be interviewing Wendy Meyers, an expert on detoxification and minerals, about some simple strategies you can use to address this. ✓ Avoid flu vaccinations Most flu vaccines contain both mercury and aluminum. ✓ Avoid statins and anticholinergic drugs Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence and certain narcotic pain relievers. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10, vitamin K2 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein. ✓ Limit your exposure to non-native electromagnetic fields (cellphones, Wi-Fi routers and modems) The primary pathology behind cellphone damage is not related specifically to brain tumors, or even to cancer. The real danger lies in damage from the reactive nitrogen species peroxynitrites.39 Increased peroxynitrites from cellphone exposure will damage your mitochondria, and your brain is the most mitochondrial-dense organ in your body. Increased peroxynitrite generation has also been associated with increased levels of systemic inflammation by triggering cytokine storms, autonomic hormonal dysfunction and mitochondrial dysfunction. Peroxynitrite is an unstable structural ion produced in your body after nitric oxide is exposed to superoxide, and this complex chemical process begins with exposure to low-frequency microwave radiation from your cellphone, Wi-Fi and cellphone towers.40,41 ✓ Get plenty of restorative sleep Sleep is necessary for maintaining metabolic homeostasis in your brain. Wakefulness is associated with mitochondrial stress; without sufficient sleep, neuron degeneration sets in. While sleep problems are common in Alzheimer’s patients, poor sleep may also be contributing to the disease by driving the buildup of amyloid plaques in your brain. While you sleep, your brain flushes out waste materials, and if you don’t sleep well, this natural detoxification and clean-out process will be severely hampered. ✓ Challenge your mind daily Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.

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