Toxic Families

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Dr. Isaac Eliaz: Five Most Common Toxins

Dr. Isaac Eliaz: Five Most Common Toxins: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

A great post from my friend and colleague Dr. Eliaz.

Children's Belly Fat Affects Heart Risk

obesChildren's Belly Fat Affects Heart Risk: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Children today are fatter than ever before. On one hand it's pretty simple. Like their parents their diet is awful and they're too busy playing with their thumbs rather than their legs. The rate of soft drink consumption has skyrocketed in recent times and therefore so has sugar, and even worse artificial sweeteners, which are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and are neurotoxic.

Compounding the problem is also the presence of multiple environmental toxins which have an effect on the brain and neuorendocrine system. Many of these chemicals are estrogenizing, meaning in this case that greater fat stores will be induced in kids exposed to them. Unfortunately these chemicals can be found in the air, water, and soil. This means they're found in the water we drink, in the air we breathe, and in the food we eat. Through lab testing we can find out how much of a problem this is and then we can take steps to reverse and minimize future damage. This is the most difficult area to control.

Excess soy products may also be estrogenizers. This is bad for boys in that it will encourage female sex traits and bad for girls in that it will induce early puberty and development. The best soy products are natural fermented products like natto. Stay away from any processed soy products like soy dogs, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy meat, etc.

In this study waist size was found to correlate to increased blood pressure rates as opposed to BMI (Body Mass Index).

287 is the average number of cancer causing chemicals and toxins found in newborn umbilical cords

Many Girls Now Begin Puberty at Age 7, 8

Many Girls Now Begin Puberty at Age 7, 8: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

The biggest theory right now behind this is the proliferation of environmental toxins and the disruption they have on the neuro-endocrine system. This exposure starts in the womb and continues with the baby either being breast or bottle fed.

Many water supplies contain a cocktail of pharmaceuticals which cannot be filtered out. Included in that mix are sex hormones.

Another possible culprit is the amount of processed soy we eat.

When all these factors are added what are the kid's chances of normal development?

Really? - The Claim - Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat - NYTimes.com

Really? - The Claim - Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat - NYTimes.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Like to eat meat? Broiled, grilled, fried? Then you're also creating and eating cancer causing chemicals. That's a bummer! There's a way around the problem though. Just add some rosemary to the meat, either within or as a marinade. Rosemary neutralizes the bad guys by up to 90%. Go ahead and enjoy that summer BBQ. For extra benefit add some raw onion and garlic too!

Pesticides tied to ADHD in children in U.S. study | General Headlines | Comcast.net

Pesticides tied to ADHD in children in U.S. study | General Headlines | Comcast.net: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Why are your kids acting up? Why can't they sit still and focus? Why can't they learn? It may not be their fault.

Their sensitive and rapidly developing nervous systems are under assault from environmental toxins such as pesticides. These organophosphates are designed to kill bugs by disrupting their nervous systems. When they're sprayed they reach the food, the soil and even the water. Eventually the animals we eat are also loaded with these poisons. So they're involved at every level of the food chain.

Everyone must adapt measures to detoxify on a regular basis. The body has several ways in which it naturally detoxes. First is the liver with two phases. It's kind of like moving day. Phase One boxes up the garbage and in Phase Two the moving men come and load the boxes on the truck to be transported away. If either or both of these phases is not working the liver and the body will be overburdened. It's easy to assess this problem with the right lab test. From there diet and nutrients can be prescribed to facilitate detox "moving day".

Next is the digestive system. Is overeating a problem? Is overload of junk food including natural and artificial sweeteners a problem? Is there gas, constipation, loose bowels, or incomplete evacuation? Is urine dark and does it smell bad? These are major problems! But they can be fixed with some changes to diet and lifestyle. Keep in mind that the GI tract is home to 80% of the immune system! Toxins will break down the ability of the GI tract to function properly.

Emotional stress can impact the GI system very quickly. In this scenario there are connections from stress and emotions to the GI tract to the immune system to the nervous system and soon to the whole body.

There's much more to discuss. The bottom line is that everyone of us is in the line of fire from environmental toxins to the degree that they can affect our physiology and behavior. The good new is there are defensive and corrective measure which can be taken. The trick is finding a well trained doctor/coach to guide you through the process to better health.

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law - washingtonpost.com

*84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States.
*Nearly 20 percent are secret.
*About 700 chemicals are introduced annually.
*"...many pose a "substantial risk" to public health or the environment."
*Of the secret chemicals, 151 are made in quantities of more than 1 million tons a year and 10 are used specifically in children's products, according to the EPA.

These chemicals are produced and emitted into the environment and our households in the hundreds of millions of tons annually. They can be found at the most fundamental stages of life; in our air, water, soil, and of course food. 100% of the human population carries these toxins. Even the cord blood of newborns has tested positive for a wide array of toxins.

These chemicals can be the source of the increase of a wide variety of otherwise unexplained ailments; hormonal and neurotransmitter problems such as ADD, anxiety, insomnia, and depression; cognitive decline such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's; autoimmune disorders, digestive problems, organ failure, blood sugar disorders, cancer, and the list goes on.

It is imperative for everyone of us to seek out a detoxification program by using diet, nutrition, exercise, and other methods under the guidance of a doctor with experience in this field.

The Integrative Health Center provides such a service locally in Israel and by phone consult to anywhere in the U.S. Please see the contact page for further info.

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law - washingtonpost.com

Air has elevated cancer risk in 600 neighborhoods

Particulate matter is particularly troubling. And now we have this study as further evidence. There is no way to avoid the issue of detoxifcation in our current environment. These airborne toxins are breathed in with every breathe but they also enter the water and food supply. The human body often lacks any sort of metabolic pathway to package them and get them out. They interfere with normal metabolic detoxification and destroy enzyme systems and nutrient levels. Because they body can't get rid of them they circulate perpetually through the blood stream wreacking havoc along the way. This puts a special burden on the liver, kidney, lungs, heart, and brain leading to systemic inflammation and many diseases besides cancer.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090624/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_air_toxics

Parkinson's Disease Associated With Pesticide Exposure In French Farm Workers

Most people don't realize just how toxic our environment is. On the most elemental level-air, water, soil-there are levels and types of toxins that the human body cannot handle. Even the home has toxins we would not imagine in ordinary items such as clothing, carpets, shower curtains, furnishings, building materials and wood flooring. For most of these toxins there are no metabolic pathways in the body break down and eliminate them. They are either constantly recirculated or they are stored in joints and fat. The bioaccumulation of them eventually can lead to disease. Pay attention to small chronic symptoms and get tested. Educate yourself regarding sources of these toxins, what they are, the damage they can cause, and how you can avoid them as much as possible. Learn methods as to how to eliminate them safely and effectively.


ScienceDaily (2009-06-05) -- The cause of Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, is unknown, but in most cases it is believed to involve a combination of environmental risk factors and genetic susceptibility. Laboratory studies in rats have shown that injecting the insecticide rotenone leads to an animal model of PD and several epidemiological studies have shown an association between pesticides and PD, but most have not identified specific pesticides or studied the amount of exposure relating to the association.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124802.htm#

Pavement Sealcoat A Source Of Toxins In Stormwater Runoff

More proof that our environment is polluted at the most basic levels. Humans, being at the top of the food chain, are subjected to the highest levels of toxins from the water, soil and air.

Pavement Sealcoat A Source Of Toxins In Stormwater Runoff
ScienceDaily (2009-04-14) -- Driveways and parking lots may look better with a layer of sealcoat applied to the pavement, but the water running off the surface into nearby streams will be carrying more than just oxygen and hydrogen molecules. New research indicates that sealcoat may contribute to increasingly significant amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons entering waterways from stormwater runoff. ... > read full article

Report: Toxins Common in Baby Products

Exposure to toxins starts early in life and from unexpected sources. Vaccines which contain mercury, formaldehyde, and other toxins are given early and often. Now it seems that it's not safe to use commonly accepted cosmetics for babies because the manufacturers put out a product with highly toxic chemicals.

The best advice is to do your homework and try to avoid exposure as much as possible. It's impossible to avoid it 100% simply because our world is saturated with toxins, so don't go crazy over it.

I would suggest using something lke Dr. Bronner's or Dr. Woods soaps made from olive oil.

Report: Toxins Common in Baby Products

Of the Baby Products Tested, 61% Contained Formaldehyde and 1,4-Dioxane
By Salynn BoylesWebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

March 12, 2009 -- You aren’t likely to see the chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane listed on the labels of baby bath products, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there, a consumer group is warning.

More than half of children’s bath soaps, shampoos, lotions, and other personal care products tested by the group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) were found to contain 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, according to a report released today.

Both of the chemicals are considered probable carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Because they are not intentionally added by manufacturers, there is no requirement that product labels list the chemicals when they are present.

There are also no federal restrictions on allowable levels of the chemicals in body care products, but several other countries do not allow the chemicals at any level.

The European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane from cosmetic products. And formaldehyde is not allowed in cosmetics sold in Japan and Sweden.

“Manufacturers could easily remove these toxic byproducts, but they are not required to do so under federal cosmetics safety standards,” Sonya Lunder, MPH, of CSC and the Environmental Working Group tells WebMD.

Lunder says there is no simple way for parents to tell if the baby bath products they are purchasing contain the chemical byproducts. In an earlier test, CSC found that many products labeled “natural” or “organic” contained 1,4-dioxane.

“The main thing parents can do is use fewer body care products on their children or look for those products with fewer ingredients,” she says. “Labels that say ‘gentle’ or ‘pure’ or even ‘organic’ don’t really tell you much.”

61% of Products Had Both Chemicals

The CSC had 48 baby and child personal care products tested for 1,4-dioxane, which occurs as a byproduct of a chemical process used to make petroleum-based cosmetic ingredients gentler to the skin.

The products were chosen because they contained ingredients most likely to produce the chemical.

Twenty-eight products were tested for 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, which occurs when preservatives commonly used in cosmetic products break down.

According to the report:
Seventeen out of 28 products tested (61%) were found to contain both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.
Twenty-three out of 28 products (82%) contained formaldehyde, and 32 of 48 products (67%) contained 1,4-dioxane.

Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Lotion contained the highest levels of formaldehyde found in the testing. Two samples of the lotion contained 570 and 610 parts per million (ppm) of the chemical. The report noted that a formaldehyde level above 500 ppm would require a warning label in Europe.

Several samples of “American Girl” shower products, sold by Bath & Body Works, contained the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane found in the test.

Best-selling products found to contain both chemical contaminants included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.

61% of Products Had Both Chemicals continued...

Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Wilma Bergfeld, MD, leads the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an industry funded, government-backed panel that assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics.

She tells WebMD that if the CSC report is accurate, it suggests that manufacturers are not doing a good enough job of removing 1,4-dioxane from their products.

“Dioxane should not be in any baby care or children’s cosmetic, period, because it is possible to take it out,” she says. “Formaldehyde is a different story.”

She says the formaldehyde levels cited in the report were well within what has been shown to be safe.

The review panel recommends that formaldehyde levels in personal care products should not exceed 2,000 ppm. The highest level of formaldehyde found in any single product tested by the CSC was 610 ppm.

“We know from animal and human studies that this level is safe and can be used in all ages, with the exception of people with formaldehyde sensitivities,” she says.

Baby Care Companies Respond

The Baby Magic line of bath products has been sold since the testing was done, and a spokeswoman for Naterra International Inc., the company that now markets the products, tells WebMD that the tested lotion has been reformulated.

Melanie Dean-Valdez says the product formulations tested by the CSC are no longer being sold.
In a statement issued late Wednesday by Johnson & Johnson, the company charged that the report “inaccurately characterized the safety of our products” and “unnecessarily alarms parents.”

“The trace levels of certain compounds found by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth,” the statement notes. "The FDA and other government agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe, and all our products meet or exceed the regulatory requirements for every country where they are sold.”

Limited Brands, which owns Bath & Body Works, issued a statement Thursday noting that the company complies “with all applicable regulations and is committed to selling only the safest and highest-quality products.”

More Industry Response

In an interview with WebMD, a spokesman for the cosmetics industry group Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) was highly critical of the CSC report.

“I am very alarmed that they would make these accusations and not back it up with solid science,” says chemist John Bailey, PhD. “The report included no details about how this testing was done.”

Bailey noted that the levels of the two chemicals found in the CSC analysis are well below established safety limits.

In a written statement, the cosmetics industry group characterized the CSC report as “incomplete and alarmist.”

“Allegations that commonly used baby products are somehow contaminated with harmful levels of carcinogenic chemicals are patently false and a shameful and cynical attempt by an activist group to incite and prey upon parental worries and concerns in order to push a political, legislative, and legal agenda,” the statement notes.

The CSC report calls for stronger government regulation to prohibit toxic contaminants in baby and other personal care products. And it calls on the industry to reformulate their products to remove the contaminants.

Bailey tells WebMD that manufacturers do take reasonable steps to keep levels of the chemical byproducts “well below that which would be considered harmful,” but he adds that it is unrealistic to expect that they can be completely eliminated from all products.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20090312/report-toxins-common-in-baby-products

Common plastics chemical linked to human diseases

Plastic bottles leach chemicals into the drinks they contain. That's why I tell people be careful of bottled water. First of all, bottled water itself is less subject to testing and filtration than tap water. Secondly it's usually contained in a plastic bottle. Water is the universal solvent and it will cause toxic chemicals to leach from the plastic, especially if the bottle has been exposed to sunlight or heat.

This study concludes that a very common chemical called BPA leaches into bottled water. The people with the highest levels of BPA "were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and, or diabetes compared to the 25 percent of with the lowest levels."

Diabetes and heart disease are probably not the only diseases that are associated with BPA. They're just the first two which have been scientifically proven.

The best bet is a good home filtration system and a glass water bottle for the road.

And once again here is another great reason for a thorough detoxification program!

Common plastics chemical linked to human diseases

Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:52am EDT
By Michael Kahn

LONDON (Reuters) - A study has for the first time linked a common chemical used in everyday products such as plastic drink containers and baby bottles to health problems, specifically heart disease and diabetes.
Until now, environmental and consumer activists who have questioned the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, have relied on studies showing harm from exposure in laboratory animals.

But British researchers, who published their findings on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed urine and blood samples from 1,455 U.S. adults aged 18 to 74 who were representative of the general population.

Using government health data, they found that the 25 percent of people with the highest levels of bisphenol A in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and, or diabetes compared to the 25 percent of with the lowest levels.

"Most of these findings are in keeping with what has been found in animal models," Iain Lang, a researcher at the University of Exeter in Britain who worked on the study, told a news conference.

"This is the first ever study (of this kind) that has been in the general population," Lang
said.

Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry group, said the design of the study did not allow for anyone to conclude BPA causes heart disease and diabetes.

"At least from this study, we cannot draw any conclusion that bisphenol A causes any health effect. As noted by the authors, further research will be needed to understand whether these statistical associations have any relevance at all for human health," Hentges said in a telephone interview.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel of outside experts on Tuesday will hear testimony on health effects from BPA as it reviews a draft report it issued last month calling BPA safe.

"The study, while preliminary with regard to these diseases in humans, should spur U.S. regulatory agencies to follow recent action taken by Canadian regulatory agencies, which have declared BPA a 'toxic chemical' requiring aggressive action to limit human and environmental exposures," Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri and John Peterson Myers of the nonprofit U.S.-based Environmental Health Sciences, wrote in a commentary accompanying the study.

BOTTLES TO UTENSILS

BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastic, a clear shatter-resistant material in products ranging from baby and water bottles to plastic eating utensils to sports safety equipment and medical devices.
It also is used to make durable epoxy resins used as the coating in most food and beverage cans and in dental fillings.

People can consume BPA when it leaches out of plastic into liquid such as baby formula, water or food inside a container.

In the study, the team said the chemical is present in more than 90 percent of people, suggesting there is not much that can be done to avoid the chemical of which over 2.2 million tons is produced each year.
The researchers, who will also present their findings at the U.S. FDA session on Tuesday, added it was too early to identify a mechanism through which the chemical may be doing harm.

Animal studies have suggested the chemical may disrupt hormones, especially estrogen.

The researchers also cautioned that these findings are just the first step and more work is needed to determine if the chemical actually is a direct cause of disease.

"Bisphenol A is one of the world's most widely produced and used chemicals, and one of the problems until now is we don't know what has been happening in the general population," said Tamara Galloway, a University of Exeter researcher who worked on the study.

Canada's government in April decided BPA was harmful to infants and toddlers and announced plans to ban some products.

The European Union's top food safety body said in July the amount of BPA found in baby bottles cannot harm human health.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn, Editing by Will Dunham)
© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSLF18683220080916

Trace Arsenic in Water Linked to Diabetes

Here is another reason to think seriously about detoxing. A simple urine test can determine the levels of heavy metals in the body. Heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium are now ubiquitous in the air, water, and soil. That means it's in everything we eat, drink, and breathe. Unfortunately these metals play havoc with normal human physiology in many ways, most notably in damaging the brain. Here is new evidence that shows a link between arsenic and increased levels of Type II Diabetes. Researchers are unsure yet as to whether or not arsenic increases the risk of diabetes or if diabetics simply excrete more arsenic, but whatever the case may be it's better not to have an abundance of arsenic in the body.

My office tests for heavy metals and based on the results offers lab testing, nutritional help, and a detox program to rid the body of heavy metals and other toxins.



Trace Arsenic in Water Linked to Diabetes
Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press

Aug. 19, 2008 -- A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic standards as the data were collected.

Still, the analysis of 788 adults' medical tests found a nearly fourfold increase in the risk of diabetes in people with low arsenic concentrations in their urine compared to people with even lower levels.

Previous research outside the United States has linked high levels of arsenic in drinking water with diabetes. It's the link at low levels that's new. The findings appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The good news is, this is preventable," said lead author Dr. Ana Navas-Acien of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

New safe drinking water standards may be needed if the findings are duplicated in future studies, Navas-Acien said. She said they've begun a new study of 4,000 people.

Arsenic can get into drinking water naturally when minerals dissolve. It is also an industrial pollutant from coal burning and copper smelting. Utilities use filtration systems to get it out of drinking water.

Seafood also contains nontoxic organic arsenic. The researchers adjusted their analysis for signs of seafood intake and found that people with Type 2 diabetes had 26 percent higher inorganic arsenic levels than people without Type 2 diabetes.

How arsenic could contribute to diabetes is unknown, but prior studies have found impaired insulin secretion in pancreas cells treated with an arsenic compound.

The policy implications of the new findings are unclear, said Molly Kile, an environmental health research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. Kile wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal.

"Urinary arsenic reflects exposures from all routes -- air, water and food -- which makes it difficult to track the actual source of arsenic exposure let alone use the results from this study to establish drinking water standards," Kile said.

Also, the findings raise a chicken-and-egg problem, she said, since it's unknown whether diabetes changes the way people metabolize arsenic. It's possible that people with diabetes excrete more arsenic.

The United States lowered arsenic standards for public water systems to 10 parts per billion in 2001 because of known cancer risks. Compliance was required by 2006, years after the study data were collected in 2003 and 2004.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/19/arsenic-diabetes.html

Cancer is Fungus

A prominent Italian oncologist explains his view that cancer is fungus and can be easily treated. I would like to find out more about his treatment and success rate. Can this really be so simple?

The key here is to reduce acidity and toxins in the body! Alkalize through diet and elimination of toxins! Don’t create an environment where bacteria, viruses, parasites, and disease can take hold. Increased acidity=disease!

pH test your saliva and urine. If your saliva is below 7.0 it’s time to get a plan going.