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www.twitter.com/drmikeo
Subscribe to PODCAST in iTunes

Here’s why I’m making a fuss about this:

• In efforts to live a ‘healthier’ lifestyle people are eating more chicken than beef or fish
• Chicken is marketed as a more healthier choice
• I just recently treated a patient for low-level arsenic poisoning that displayed as peripheral artery disease

Here are some of the symptoms related to arsenic poisoning:

• violent stomach pains in the region of the bowels
• tenderness and pressure
• retching
• excessive saliva production
• vomiting
• sense of dryness and tightness in the throat
• thirst
• hoarseness and difficulty of speech
• the matter vomited, greenish or yellowish, sometimes streaked with blood
• diarrhea
• tenesmus
• sometimes excoriation of the anus
• urinary organs occasionally affected with violent burning pains and suppression
• convulsions and cramps
• clammy sweats
• lividity of the extremities
• countenance collapsed
• eyes red and sparkling
• delirium
• death

Here’s my critique on this whole situation:

The FDA states: “While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients.” This statement is comparing apples to oranges.  What exactly is high exposure?  Well…what they’re getting at here is an acute exposure to high levels of mercury.  The fact of the matter is that anything at an acute high exposure can induce adverse side effects.  Too much water or even air at an acute exposure can cause adverse health effects.  But what we’re dealing with in this statement is the difference between acute high dose exposure and chronic low dose exposure.  So essentially the basis of this statement is correct, when you just take this statement as it is: acute “low” dose exposure will not induce any harm in comparison to an acute high dose exposure.

Susan Runner (acting director for the FDA division that oversees dental devices) states: “The best available scientific evidence supports the conclusion that patients with dental amalgam fillings are not at risk,” she told reporters on a conference call.  Over the past 20 years, the agency has received just 141 reports of problems in patients with the fillings, she added. Here’s the problem with these statistics: it is very difficult to pinpoint heavy metal toxicity as the ultimate causative factor for a health problem!  Our current medical model does not account for the cumulative effects of low dose exposure and the subtle biochemical changes due to that exposure.  Most chronic diseases cannot be linked to one specific causative factor.  These adverse reports are that of POISONING.  Again, comparing apples to oranges.

Now let’s take a look at the economics behind this.  The FDA’s decision could impact makers of metal fillings, which include Dentsply International Inc and Danaher Corp’s unit Kerr, as well as distributors such as Henry Schein Inc and Patterson Cos Inc. Hmm…I wonder how it can impact these companies?  Charlie Brown, a lawyer for Consumers for Dental Choice, said poorer people or those who receive their health care through large institutions such as the U.S. military are more likely to receive the cheaper, silver-colored fillings and are at greater risk for harm. Oh…yeah now I see it?  Since the economy has been in a decline, more and more people are looking for ways to be frugal.  So when presented with a choice, the majority will always choose the cheaper of the two if they are told that there’s essentially no difference between the two.  This will then drive up the profit margins for the dental supply companies.  Is this part of the economic stimulus package?

Initially the FDA issued a warning regarding dental amalgams (See post here).  Then the “final” verdict was released this past tuesday stating that dental amalgams are safe.  When I did a Google search for “FDA Mercury Fillings”

But then when you click on the link here’s what you get:

Not there anymore (obviously).  It always makes me question when Google has the link in a search, but then the page doesn’t exist anymore and does not direct you to the page where the information was moved to.  Just some food for thought.

When I did find the information on the FDA website here’s a key paragraph:

FDA has reviewed the best available scientific evidence to determine whether the low levels of mercury vapor associated with dental amalgam fillings are a cause for concern. Based on this evidence, FDA considers dental amalgam fillings safe for adults and children ages 6 and above. The amount of mercury measured in the bodies of people with dental amalgam fillings is well below levels associated with adverse health effects. Even in adults and children ages 6 and above who have fifteen or more amalgam surfaces, mercury exposure due to dental amalgam fillings has been found to be far below the lowest levels associated with harm. Clinical studies in adults and children ages 6 and above have also found no link between dental amalgam fillings and health problems.

Very straightforward and to the point.  No frills or gimmicks.  The kind of information that will ease the mind of the average person.  But when I went to dig deeper into their website here’s what I found in the appendix:

On July 27, 2009, FDA issued a final rule that: (1) reclassified mercury from a class I (least risk) device to class II (more risk) device; (2) classified dental amalgam as a class II device; and (3) designated a special controls guidance document for dental amalgam. (Source: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171120.htm)

So from what I understand here is that it was formely classified as a “least risk” device and then upgraded to a “more risk” device and then the news headlines come out and state that it’s “safe.”  I’ll let you make the call here.

Here is a very interesting video that will present you with a visual of what’s going on with dental amalgams.

Solutions: do your homework so that you can make an informed decision.  Don’t just take some “authority’s” statement to be your answer.  Don’t even take what I’m saying to be your answer.  Look past all the hype and propaganda and get down to the facts.

I have a proposal to all the CEO’s of these dental amalgam companies and those in the FDA who state that these amalgams are safe.  Put your money where your mouth is (literally) and use the products which you promote and state are safe.  Fair enough?  Even if you have no “need” for it, I think you should at least try the product out right?  I’m just saying.

What is HPV?

HPV is estimated to be the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Most sexually active men and women will probably acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.  The American Social Health Association reported estimates that about 75-80% of sexually active Americans will be infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime. By the age of 50 more than 80% of American women will have contracted at least one strain of genital HPV.

It was estimated that in the year 2000, there were approximately 6.2 million new HPV infections among Americans aged 15-44; of these, an estimated 74% occurred to people between ages 15-24. Of the STDs studied, genital HPV was the most commonly acquired.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus

What is Gardasil and is it safe?

Gardasil is a vaccine to prevent HPV infections.  It is manufactured by Merck & Co. which is one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide.  The FDA granted approval in 2006 and till present day they claim that there is no evidence to support the claims that Gardasil caused any of the adverse reactions that were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.  What do you think?

What you have to ask yourself is, do the benefits outweigh the risks and how can you prevent infection from HPV other than a vaccine?

Get knowledge and be informed.

Please read the article below and share with all those you care about and get those products containing HFCS out of your kitchen.

Here is the short list of those products:

• Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars
• Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Sauce
• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
• Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
• Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
• Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe
• Market Pantry Grape Jelly
• Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly
• Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
• Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup
• Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing
• Coca-Cola Classic: no mercury found on a second test
• Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
• Minute Maid Berry Punch
• Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink
• Nesquik Chocolate Milk
• Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk

Press Release:

Minneapolis – Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the Institute for Agricul- ture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brand- name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient-including products by Quaker, Hershey’s, Kraft and Smucker’s.

HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, break- fast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average levels.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms,” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author in both studies. “Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”

In the Environmental Health article, Dufault et al. found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. Dufault was working at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when the tests were done in 2005. She and co-authors conclude that possible mercury contamination of food chemicals like HFCS was not common knowledge within the food industry that frequently uses the sweetener. While the FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS was contaminated with mercury four years ago, the agency did not inform consumers, help change industry practice or conduct addi- tional testing.

For its report “Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup,” IATP sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing HFCS as the first or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total mercury. Nearly one in three products tested contained detectable mercury. Mercury was most prevalent in HFCS containing dairy products, followed by dressings and condiments. Attached is the summary list of the 55 products and their total mercury content. (Click here to download)

In making HFCS, caustic soda is used, among other things, to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. For decades, HFCS has been made using mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants. The use of mercury cells to produce caustic soda can contaminate caustic soda, and ultimately HFCS, with mercury. (This is just ridiculous!)

“The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury,” said Dr. Wallinga. “The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients.” (my recommendation would be to avoid all HFCS containing products)

While most chlorine plants around the world have switched to newer, cleaner technologies, many still rely on the use of mercury cells. In 2005, 90 percent of chlorine production was mercury-free, but just 40 percent of European production was mercury-free. Four U.S. chlor-alkali plants still rely on mercury cell technology. In 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama introduced legislation to force the remaining chlor-alkali plants to phase out mercury cell technology by 2012.

The Environmental Health article by Dufault et al. can be found at: www.ehjournal.net.

“Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup,” by David Wallinga, M.D., janelle Sorens- en, Pooja Mottl and Brian Yablon, M.D., can be found at: www.iatp.org. IATP works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. www.iatp.org

A patient recently came in who was in the middle of the fires and complained of difficulty breathing.  The fires were literally a mile or so away from her home.  Her garage was covered with ash and soot.  Her house and car smelt like smoke.  If her home was covered in ash and soot, just imagine what she was breathing in.

I live about 20 miles away from some of the fires and it affected my breathing.  I can’t imagine what it would be like if I lived closer.  One of the first things that comes to mind regarding these fires are the chemicals released into the air from the burned homes.  Even more significant are the chemicals used in the fire retardants that are dropped from planes.

“It’s fairly well known that it’s toxic to aquatic organisms, to fish,” said Sue Husari, the fire management officer for the Pacific West region of the National Park Service. “In a lot of cases, we prefer to limit its use, but it’s definitely one of the tools we use.”

The use of the most common type of retardant, a fertilizer-like, phosphate-based compound, can vary by state or by who oversees the land where a fire is spreading. Among federal agencies, the Park Service is relatively cautious with retardant because part of its mission is to protect natural and cultural resources for public use. The State of California, however, has the largest aviation fire operation of any state and uses retardant aggressively not only to contain fires — retardant’s intended purpose — but also to try to extinguish them before they reach populated areas.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/us/16wildfires.html?ref=earth

Tips to help if you’ve been exposed to the fires:

Note: if you live anywhere in the vicinity of Santa Barbara or Southern California, you’ve been exposed.

Increase your detoxification mechanisms. Your lungs and liver are the most heavily impacted and both are primary routes of detoxification.  (If you are having serious respiratory issues due to the fires, please consult with your physician before beginning any self/home therapy).  I usually recommend 1,000 mg N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and 1,500 mg buffered vitamin C with bioflavanoids per day.  These will seriously kick up your detoxification mechanisms.

Drink lots of water. 1 liter for every 50 lbs of body weight.

See your local Chiropractor and have them adjust your rib cage to help increase your lung capacity.  When you’re exposed to airborne toxins your rib muscles and diaphragm go into a spasm and decrease your lung capacity.

If you have any questions please email me

Ask any veteran suffering from the syndrome and they’ll say “duh?”

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

According to the report, Gulf War illness is a “complex of multiple concurrent symptoms” that “typically includes persistent memory and concentration problems, chronic headaches, widespread pain, gastrointestinal problems, and other chronic abnormalities.”

The illness may also be potentially tied to higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease — among Gulf War veterans than veterans of other conflicts.

The illness is identified as the consequence of multiple “biological alterations” affecting the brain and nervous system.  (Source: http://tinyurl.com/67gh4p)

The article notes that there isn’t an effective treatment for this syndrome.  I partly agree with that statement.  Treatment will depend upon the severity of toxic exposure and overall damage done to bodily tissues and organ systems.

Here’s what we do in our clinic to help decrease toxic load upon your body:

Repair your digestive tract with supplements such as L-glutamine and deglycyrrhizinated licorice.

Mobilize, bind and excrete toxins. I find that using micro-current modalities such as the Energy Balance Pro and far infrared saunas are excellent to mobilize toxins.  I also like to use the Erchonia low level laser to stimulate the tissues to release stored toxins and to help excrete them.  I use N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid, buffered vitamin C and silymarin to help with binding and excretion of toxins.

Minimize and avoid subsequent toxin exposure. Listen to my guest appearance on “The Craving’s Coach” podcast about toxins (part 2 here) for more tips on this.

Replace depleted vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. I recommend at minimum everyone who has past toxic exposure (which is essentially everyone to some degree) be on a high grade multi-vitamin / multi-mineral supplement, enzymes, and high grade fish oil supplements.

If you have any specific questions about any of my recommendations, feel free to email me

Aloha!

Listen to the podcast here.

Again, thank you Diana for giving me the opportunity to share my passion with your listener audience.

With that said I’d like to talk a little about what cancer awareness means to me.

When we hear the word cancer, fear strikes at our hearts.  It’s a natural response because of how we’ve been conditioned to the idea of cancer.

A hundred years ago, cancer of any type was a rarity.  Today it is one of the most common causes of death in the US and around the world.  So what has changed?  Have we as human beings changed?  Have we evolved a new cancer gene?

The truth of the matter is that our world has changed.  We live in a fast paced, instant gratification, highly processed, toxic world.  The world we live in today can sometimes over burden our dynamic bodies.  Easy access to cheap, highly processed, nutrient devoid foods causes an imbalance in our bodies.

There are signs along the way to destination cancer.  Cancer is not something that magically and instantaneously pops up one day.  Basically prolonged abuse of your body may lead to some form of cancer.  If you make & intake more toxins than you excrete, you are much more susceptible to cellular damage and DNA mutations.

In my previous post I mentioned some things you can do to PREVENT cancer.

Here are some alternative treatment methods:

• Radio Frequency Ablation – a thin needle is inserted into the tumor and an electrical current is passed through the needle, which then heats and destroys the tumor.
• Insulin Potentiation Therapy – uses low doses of chemotherapy attached to insulin.  The theory is that cancer cells have 10 times the affinity for insulin than normal cells.  (There is some controversy behind this, but hey, there’s controversy over using radiation and chemotherapy).
• General detoxification and making your body more alkaline by eating dark green leafy vegetables.
• Go to Sanoviv.  You need to check out their website to get the full picture.

The study, published online in the open-access journal BMC Neurology, found the strongest ties to the use of herbicides and insecticides, such as organochlorides and organophosphates. Drinking well water or living or working on a farm, two common experiences for pesticide exposures, did not appear to be associated with Parkinson’s.

Many Parkinson’s disease cases are thought to be due to an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. By studying related individuals who share environmental and genetic backgrounds, researchers said they could identify specific differences in exposures between individuals with and without the disease.

“Previous studies have shown that individuals with Parkinson’s disease are over twice as likely to report being exposed to pesticides as unaffected individuals, but few studies have looked at this association in people from the same family or have assessed associations between specific classes of pesticides and Parkinson’s disease,” study author Dana Hancock said in a prepared statement.

Researchers from both Duke University Medical Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine interviewed 319 Parkinson’s patients and more than 200 of their relatives to get details about whether they ever were exposed to pesticides, lived or worked on a farm, or drank water from wells.

Parkinson’s disease, which affects about 1 million people in the United States, is characterized by symptoms such as tremors and muscle rigidity. Several gene variations have been tagged as contributing to the disease, but these rare defects account for a small proportion of those affected by disorder.

While several other studies have supported pesticides as a risk factor for Parkinson’s, “biological evidence is presently insufficient to conclude that pesticide exposure causes PD,” Hancock said.

“Further investigation of these specific pesticides and others may lead to identification of pertinent biological pathways influencing PD development,” he said.

Dr. Mike’s comments on this article:

It amazes me that studies like this are only surfacing now when the research has been there for years. Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” outlines the deleterious effects of persistent organic pollutants. Think about it, if these chemicals are strong enough to kill plants and animals, it sure can kill our cells as well.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you don’t feel the effects immediately that its not affecting you at all. Remember the term “bioaccumulation.” This is when toxins accumulate and are stored in the fatty tissues over time. A great book to read on this subject is Dr. Sherry Rogers “Detoxify or Die.”

We’ll be releasing a podcast on this topic in a week or so. Check back to hear what I have to say about TOXINS.

Books mentioned in this post:

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Read more about this book…

Detoxify or Die by Sherry A. Rogers Read more about this book…

LOS ANGELES – With the goal of eliminating an estimated 37,000 pounds of harmful pesticides from local farms and communities, environmental agencies from the U.S and Mexico will collect obsolete or unwanted pesticides from area growers this week.

On Wednesday, pre-registered growers will bring in unwanted pesticides to the Allied Waste Facility in Imperial County, Calif. On Thursday, pre-registered growers will do the same at a collection site near Mexicali, Mexico. The collected pesticides will be disposed of at a licensed hazardous waste facility.

“Because agriculture is prevalent in Imperial County and Mexicali, there’s a legacy of pesticide use. We encourage growers from the U.S. and Mexico to legally dispose of unwanted and obsolete pesticides, reducing the threat of exposure to toxic substances to people and the environment,” said Katherine Taylor, Associate Director for Agriculture at EPA Region 9.

This event is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Border 2012 program, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner, Mexico’s Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources, SEMARNAT, and Mexico’s health agency ISESALUD.

“This effort is an excellent example of cooperation among state and federal agencies and our partners across the border,” said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). “We all share the same concerns about unwanted pesticides that pose a hazard to our people and our environment.”

By now most people will be familiar with M.S.G. and the scare behind ingesting it. Some claim that they have allergic reactions, while others claim that it does nothing at all. Monosodium Glutamate was probably made most popular by Chinese restaurants (most restaurants now taut that the food they serve is “M.S.G.-Free”). Basically M.S.G. is an amino acid and a salt that is naturally occurring in fermented foods such as soy sauce, miso and certain cheeses. Below is a picture of extracted and refined M.S.G.

How does M.S.G. work?

Basically M.S.G. is an excitotoxin that stimulates the taste bud receptors that are responsible for the “meaty” or “savory” taste sensation. (This is an addition to the 4 basic tastes: sweet, bitter, sour, and salty).

History behind M.S.G.

1866 – M.S.G. was discovered by a German chemist (Karl Heinrich Leopold Ritthausen).

1907 – Isolation and mass production of M.S.G. discovered by Kikunae Ikeda.

1959 – FDA classifies M.S.G. as a “generally recognized as safe” substance (G.R.A.S.)

1968 – Ho Man Kwok writes an article for the New England Journal of Medicine to state some of the side effects he experienced after eating M.S.G.

1978 – Research shows that M.S.G. intake may linked to increase in obesity due to the down-regulation of appetite suppression in the brain.

1987 – M.S.G. placed in the ’safest categories of food’ ingredients by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.

1991 – The European Community’s (EC) Scientific Committee for Food claims that M.S.G. is an essentially safe food additive and that infants and children can metabolize the compound just as effectively as adults.

1992 – The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association states that M.S.G. has not shown to be a significant health hazard.

1993 – FDA proposes that all food labels should contain the phrase ‘contains glutamate‘ if the product contains some type of hydrolyzed protein.  (There’s M.S.G. listed on this food label).

1994 – FDA receives a citizen’s petition for a mandatory labeling of all foods containing M.S.G.

1995 – FDA commissioned reports the “M.S.G. syndrome complex” which exhibits the following symptom profile:

• Burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest.
• Numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back.
• Tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms.
• Facial pressure or tightness.
• Chest pain.
• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Bronchospasm (difficulty breathing).
• Drowsiness.
• Weakness.
• Sweating.” This list of mostly very non-specific and common symptoms was compiled from anecdotal reports.

2002 – Research done at Hirosaki University showed that rats fed a diet high in M.S.G. suffered damage to the eye, which they then extrapolated to the high incidence of normal-tension glaucoma in eastern asia.

2006 – Research shows M.S.G. is linked to an increase in obesity. The study states the M.S.G. “at concentrations that only slightly surpass those found in everyday human food, exhibits significant potential for damaging the hypothalamic regulation of appetite, and thereby determines the propensity of world-wide obesity.”

Can you smell what the FDA is cooking?

Did you catch something fishy in that timeline above? Did you notice that the FDA classifies M.S.G. as “generally recognized as safe? (G.R.A.S).” What exactly does that mean? Well according to the FDA website:

Generally recognized as safe (G.R.A.S.)–substances for which use in food has a proven track record of safety based either on a history of use before 1958 or on published scientific evidence, and that need not be approved by the FDA prior to being used.

Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive. For example, substances whose use meets the definition of a pesticide, a dietary ingredient of a dietary supplement, a color additive, a new animal drug, or a substance approved for such use prior to September 6, 1958, are excluded from the definition of food additive. Sections 201(s) and 409 were enacted in 1958 as part of the Food Additives Amendment to the Act. While it is impracticable to list all ingredients whose use is generally recognized as safe, FDA published a partial list of food ingredients whose use is generally recognized as safe to aid the industry’s understanding of what did not require approval.

FDA has defined “safe” (21 CFR 170.3(i)) as a reasonable certainty in the minds of competent scientists that the substance is not harmful under its intended conditions of use. The specific data and information that demonstrate safety depend on the characteristics of the substance, the estimated dietary intake, and the population that will consume the substance.

For a G.R.A.S. substance, generally available data and information about the use of the substance are known and accepted widely by qualified experts, and there is a basis to conclude that there is consensus among qualified experts that those data and information establish that the substance is safe under the conditions of its intended use.

Must FDA approve G.R.A.S. substances?

No. If the use of a food substance is G.R.A.S., it is not subject to the premarket review and approval requirement by FDA.

Basically what this boils down to is that we’re letting the opinions of these so-called experts determine what is considered safe to ingest and what isn’t. It’s time that we become proactive about our health. It’s time that we take responsibility in monitoring what we’re putting in our bodies. The FDA can only do so much to protect us from harmful chemicals, but it is our job to make sure and read the labels to see what may potentially be harmful to us.

My best advice to you: if you don’t feel good after you eat something (and you didn’t already check the labels or ask what was in the food), stop eating it. Even if M.S.G. is considered G.R.A.S., I would still err on the side of caution. I mean, one less excitotoxin may actually do you some good.

Resources:

M.S.G. Wikipedia entry

Everything added to food in the U.S.

The FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and it could steal the minds of one out of eight baby boomers, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Gone are the days of infectious disease outbreaks like tuberculosis and diptheria. We are in the age of degenerative diseases, diseases that manifests years after the initiatory factor. The question becomes “why are we seeing such a huge increase in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s?” My personal hypothesis is that we’re being exposed to more and more adverse chemicals which are causing damage to our cells. These chemical toxins, though they may be in low dosages, accumulate in our fatty tissues such as the liver, kidneys and the brain. Then as the chemicals increase pass a persons toxin load capacity, disease sets in.

Listen to my brief podcast about this topic and stay tuned for the upcoming episode “The Toxic World We Live In.”

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So what are some other things that may contribute to chemical toxicity in GWS.  A few service men told me that huge palettes of “diet” sodas are left out in the 120 degree heat of the desert.  So what happens when artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame are heated up?  Well it turns into formaldehyde.  Formaldehyde is very toxic to your cells and causes cellular death (but hey you get a head start in the embalming process).  You may have heard contradicting information about this notion on the Internet such as the study that was written in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  The study states:

Even daily large doses of the high-intensity sweetener aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, had no adverse effect on study subjects’ health and well-being, a visiting scientist at MIT reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last week.”We conclude that aspartame is safe for the general population,” said Paul A. Spiers, visiting scientist in the Clinical Research Center (CRC).

What this study failed to address was the “total load” phenomenon.  Sure these people showed minimal side effects from the ingestion of Aspartame, but you must remember that our bodies are very resilient and will detoxify these foreign compounds in order to maintain our optimum biochemistry.  Soldiers in the field are being exposed to all sorts of exotic chemicals that add to their total load.  It’s like a trash can that keeps getting filled faster than it gets emptied; the trash just overflows.

Case in point: don’t use artificial sweeteners.  (If you do…stop.  If you did and have prolonged exposures to environmental toxins, detoxify quickly!)

Stay tuned for our up coming podcast on “The Toxic World we live in.”

Gulf War illness linked to chemical exposure | Science | Reuters

Technorati Tags: Gulf war syndrome, chemical toxicity

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=xDLBT2U4BtY]

So here’s what she did:
She took a total of 108 rats (experimental group of 30 males, 30 females – control group 24 males, 24 females)
The experimental group was given 2 packets of NutraSweet per 8 ounces of water for a duration of 2 years 8 months

Here’s what happened:

You can read more about her experiment at the link below.  It’s fascinating that the FDA even approved Aspartame!

My Aspartame Experiment.com

Courtesy of www.mercola.com

Meds lurk in drinking water

Many food manufacturers use various preserving methods to prolong shelf life all at the expense of our health. You are what you eat (or ate) and if you keep eating food that’s “dead” (no enzymatic activity) you’ll soon follow it’s path.

Why are enzymes so important?

Enzymes help to move all your chemical reactions along within your body. Without enzymes, biochemical processes would take a very long time. Digestion would almost be impossible. So if you remove or destroy these essential enzymes, your body has to work harder and produce more of its own enzymes to help digest your foods. Remember, you only have a certain available supply of these enzymes in your body. For more information on this subject, I highly recommend the book “Enzyme Nutrition”

read more | digg story

Not to mention the chemical toxicity you face with the ingestion of artificial sweeteners. Remember…if you don’t want to be artificial, don’t eat anything that’s artificial!

Link to article:
Sugar Substitutes May Contribute to Weight Gain – MSN Health & Fitness – Weight Loss

Next on the list are those “diet” drinks like diet Coke or “Zero” who all taut to be “sugar-free.” But let’s face the facts…if you take something out and you still want it to remain relatively the same in taste, you need to substitute it with something else. These substitutes are concocted in the laboratory and then they use the general population as lab rats to see what the effects will be on the human body. Ladies and gentlemen, I must tell you that you’re part of a massive scale laboratory study.

Share this with your friends and family.

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