List of unhealthy “Ingredients” in and added to Cow’s Milk

Here are just a few of the unhealthy components found in the average glass of pasteurized and homogenized milk on the American dinner table:

• A Veritable Hormone Cocktail: 59 hormones are found in both regular AND organic milk, including pituitary, steroid, hypothalamic, and thyroid hormones (remember most cows are extremely stressed).  Also cow’s milk contains considerable amounts of female sex hormones. Dairy accounts for 60 to 80 percent of estrogens consumed.  The most dangerous hormone in cow’s milk is called Insulin-like Growth Factor, or IGF-1.  This hormone’s danger lies in the fact that it is basically fuel for cells to grow.  This means that if cancer cells are present in the body, IGF-1 will help them to grow and proliferate rapidly.  In fact, the medical world says IGF-1 is a key factor in the rapid growth and proliferation of breast, prostate, and colon cancers, and we suspect that most likely it will eventually be found to promote all cancers.
• Gastrointestinal Peptides:  Nerve and epidermal growth factors, and the growth inhibitors MDGI and MAF.
• Casein – The protein casein in dairy products creates serious problems just like the protein gluten in some grains like wheat. Casein (and gluten) can trigger an autoimmune response and/or mimic endorphins to cause changes in perception, mood, and behavior. The mechanism involved has to do with a failure of a particular enzyme which disassembles the gluten and casein protein, a digestive process necessary for our bodies to extract the nutrients from these proteins. Because of the failure of this enzyme to do its job, a remaining undigested fragment of those proteins survive, and to our defense/immune system this fragment resembles a virus. Then, thinking that it is a virus, our bodies will trigger an immune/defense response to protect our bodies from the ‘invader’. Because this casein fragment is so similar to various disease-causing viruses, it will generate a complex reaction, an autoimmune response which is suspected to play a role in type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and autism. Complex immune responses damage different tissues in different people, so the range of diseases is very diverse. Also, the undigested casein fragments look like opium-like drugs which can have a significant influence on our behavior and brains. They are literally drugs – and that is why people are so hooked on dairy and gluten!

• Casein, which accounts for approximately 80% of the protein found in milk, immediately clumps together once it enters the stomach, making digestion very difficult. Furthermore, that component is homogenized in the milk sold in stores. Homogenization means equalizing the fat content in milk by stirring it. The reason homogenization is bad is that when milk is stirred, air gets mixed in, turning the milk’s fat component into an oxidized fatty substance – fat in an advanced state of oxidation. In other words, homogenized milk produces free radicals and exerts a very negative influence on the body. The milk containing oxidized fat then gets pasteurized at high temperatures over 212°F. Enzymes are sensitive to heat, and begin to be destroyed at temperatures of 200°F. In other words, milk sold in stores not only lacks precious enzymes, but the fat is oxidized and the quality of the proteins is changed due to the high temperature. In a sense, milk is the worst type of food.
• rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone): Is a genetically engineered hormone directly linked to breast, colon and prostrate cancer. This is injected into cows to increase milk production. It is not present in organic milk.
  
• Pus: National averages show at least 322 million cell-counts of pus per glass!^[2] This is well-above the human limit for pus-intake, and has been directly linked to paratuberculosis bacteria, as well as Crohn’s disease. The pus comes from infected udders on the cows known as mastitis.
• Blood Cells: The USDA allows up to 1.5 million white blood cells per milliliter of commonly-sold milk.^[3] Yes, you are drinking cows blood in the milk and the USDA allows this!
• Antibiotics: Currently, cows are in such a state of disease and mistreatment that they are continually being injected with antibiotic medicines, and rubbed down with chemical-laden ointments to deal with their chronic infections. Currently, regulating committees only test for 4 of the 85 drugs in dairy cows. This means that the other 81 drugs in cow’s milk are coming directly into your glasses and bodies. Estimates show that 38% of milk in the U.S. is “contaminated with sulfa drugs or other antibiotics,” according to a study by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and published in the Wall Street Journal on December 29, 1989. A study from the FDA data showed that over half of all milk was laden with traces of pharmaceuticals yet nothing has been done to control this.

More reasons to avoid milk:

• Milk contains many oxidized fatty substances that damage the intestinal environment, increasing the amount of bad bacteria and destroying the balance of the intestinal bacterial flora. As a result, toxins such as free radicals, hydrogen sulfides, and ammonia are produced in the intestine. Research about what kind of process these toxins go through and what kinds of illnesses arise is still ongoing, but several research papers have reported that milk not only causes various allergies but is also linked with diabetes among children. These research papers are available on the internet, so I encourage you to read them yourselves.

How Does This Affect the Cows?

Furthermore, not only are people drinking in these toxins, we are also taking in the energetic effects of the life of the cow.

Studies show that many cows are infected with incredibly painful inflammatory infections such as mastitis. Due to over-milking, artificial hormones, bacteria and medications, cow’s udders can become chronically inflamed, thus altering the color and taste of the milk.

Over time, this bacterial invasion causes harm to the cow’s mammary gland, reeking havoc on the milk being produced. From parasitic worms to cancerous tumors, these diseases are often passed along to the next generation of cows, and more often, into the milk we drink.

Even more, the conditions in which cows live, as well as the rigorous milking regimes, cause dairy cattle to live in a permanent state of sympathetic (stress) response, as well as adrenal over-load. When our adrenal glands are overworked for long periods of time, there is a overload of cortisol in the blood. When we drink this milk, we are then exposed to the millions of stress-response cells in the milk of cows. It is no wonder that we are a chronically-stressed society!

How To Avoid Dangers Related to Cow’s Milk

In conclusion, it might be a good idea to take a cleansing break from dairy. Here are some ways to avoid the dangers associated with cow’s milk:

• Replace cow’s milk with healthy natural substitutes: coconut milk, rice milk, almond milk, raw goat’s milk or hemp milk.
• If you do insist on drinking cow’s milk, make sure to buy only the non-genetically modified, grass fed, organic raw versions.
• Eat less cheese and always buy organic versions. Goat’s cheese is the best for you!

For in depth information on the dangers of cow’s milk I recommend visiting www.NotMilk.com.

Video –

Sources:

• http://www.pureprecisionchiro.com/the-dangers-of-drinking-milk/
• http://www.sott.net/articles/show/225467-Why-Milk-Is-So-Evil
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120229105128.htm
• http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/

“Allergic diseases have reached pandemic levels,” begins David Artis’s new paper in Nature Medicine. Artis goes on to say that, while everyone knows allergies are caused by a combination of factors involving both nature and nurture, that knowledge doesn’t help us identify what is culpable—it is not at all clear exactly what is involved, or how the relevant players promote allergic responses.

There is some evidence that one of the causes lies within our guts. Epidemiological studies have linked changes in the species present in commensal bacteria—the trillions of microorganisms that reside in our colon—to the development of allergic diseases. (Typically, somewhere between 1,000 and 15,000 different bacterial species inhabit our guts.) And immunologists know that signaling molecules produced by some immune cells mediate allergic inflammation.

Animal studies have provided the link between these two, showing that commensal bacteria promote allergic inflammation. But these researchers wanted to know more about how.

To figure it out, Artis and his colleagues at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine treated mice with a broad range of oral antibiotics to diminish or deplete their commensal bacteria and then examined different immunological parameters. They used a combination of five different antibiotics, ranging from ampicillin, which is fairly run of the mill, to vancomycin, which is kind of a nasty one.

They found that mice treated with antibiotics had elevated levels of antibodies known to be important in allergies and asthma (IgE class antibodies). The elevated antibodies in turn increased the levels of basophils, immune cells that play a role in inflammation, both allergic and otherwise.

This connection doesn’t only apply to mice but also to humans who have high levels of IgE for genetic reasons. People with genetically elevated levels of IgE are hypersusceptible to eczma and infections, and antibodies that neutralize IgE are used to treat asthma.

The antibiotic treatments and IgE did not act by promoting the survival of mature basophils, but rather by promoting the proliferation of basophil precursor cells in the bone marrow. Commensal bacteria limit this proliferative capacity.

That discovery is the real insight contributed by this paper. It has been well known for some time that IgE mediates allergies. But no one knew that bacteria living in the gut may use it to check the growth of immune precursor cells in the bone marrow. The finding might have wide ranging implications and help us make sense of other chronic inflammatory disease states that have also been associated with changes in this bacterial populations. Commensal bacteria might impact these other inflammatory conditions—including cancer, infection, and autoimmune disorders—through this mechanism, as well.

Experts have puzzled over the enormous explosion of asthma and allergies in recent years, and been unable to pinpoint the cause. This paper suggests that perhaps the overuse of antibacterial products could be to blame.

Nature Medicine, 2012. DOI: 10.1038/nm.2657  (About DOIs).

Source – http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/03/those-bacteria-in-your-gut-can-protect-against-allergies.ars

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Related Articles:

• Inner Weapons Against Allergies: Gut Bacteria Control Allergic Diseases, Study Suggests
• Probiotics and Allergies
• Probiotics prevent asthma
• Preventing damage caused by antibiotics
• Increased Risk of Developing Asthma by Age of Three After Cesarean
• Asthma Statistics

Parasites frequently contaminate food and water supplies, promoting illness when ingested. Other modes of transmission include air, insects, animals or other people. Intestinal parasites tax the immune system and deplete the body of essential nutrients. To return the body to a state of equilibrium, it is important to consume natural foods that contain anti-parasitic properties. The diet should also be high in fiber to improve colon function, and maintain a suitable intestinal flora (beneficial bacteria).

Gut Friendly Foods

Parasitic infections show up in the human body when the immune system is compromised. This is frequently associated with an overgrowth of bad bacteria, and a lower percentage of good bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. Include plain yogurt enriched with healthy bacteria in your diet to replenish intestinal flora. According to Larry Trivieri and John W. Anderson in their book “Alternative Medicine: the Definitive Guide,” fiber-rich ingredients are essential to flush out parasites embedded in the intestinal wall. To help remove a parasitic infestation, use a combination of pumpkin seeds, papaya extract, flaxseeds, beet root, citrus pectin and psyllium husks.

 

Anti-parasitic Fruits

According to Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, author of the book “Guess What Came to Dinner: Parasites and Your Health,” certain foods are anti-parasitic. These include pineapple, papaya, pomegranate and blackberries. These fruits can be eaten, pressed as fresh juice or consumed in supplement form to combat parasites. Drink up to four glasses of pomegranate juice daily for an anti-parasitic effect. Each glass should contain eight oz. of pomegranate juice; to avoid irritating the intestines, limit consumption to four or five days at a time. Pineapple contains the digestive enzyme bromelain and helps to clear certain parasitic infections, such as tapeworms. Papaya seeds contain enzymes that help to digest protein.

Anti-parasitic Vegetables

Foods renowned for their general anti-microbial and anti-parasitic properties include onions, garlic, raw cabbage and kelp. To ward off intestinal parasites, consume two cloves of raw garlic daily. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of the book “Ultraprevention,” also recommends various herbs and extracts, including oil of oregano, citrus seed extract, berberine and caprylic acid. A natural source of caprylic acid is coconut oil, composed of medium-chain fatty acids that have shown anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties. Oil of oregano, according to the authors of the book “Healing Foods,” contains two powerful anti-microbial agents known as thymol and caryacrol. These substances have shown to be more effective in treating certain infections than the commonly prescribed drug tinidazole.

Anti-parasitic Nuts and Seeds

Ground almonds and pumpkin seeds are great additions to the diet for their anti-parasitic effects. Almonds help cleanse and discourage intestinal parasite growth. According to a study conducted by Desrivot et al, published in “The Journal of Ethnopharmacology” in January 2007, the anti-parasitic effect exhibited by almonds may be related to the high concentration of fatty acids. Almonds also have a soothing effect and help to reduce intestinal irritation. Authors of the book “Alternative Medicine: the Definitive Guide” suggest adding fresh pumpkin seeds to an anti-parasitic diet. The compound curcurbitin found in pumpkin seeds is responsible for the reported anti-parasitic activity. Consume up to one oz. of pumpkin seeds a day.

The Best Parasite Cleanse Stop! DrFloras is the #1 Leader in Parasite Cleanse – Watch Videos www.DrFloras.com and www.CandidaSupport.org

Original Parasite Cleanse Dr H Clark’s recommended complete cleanse kit- $16.77. Made in USA.. www.OneLifeUSA.com

Red Pine Needle Oil 4 ALL Parasites, Bacteria, Viruses, & Mold. Passes blood brain barrier!

 

References

• “Alternative Medicine: the Definitive Guide”; Larry Trivieri and John W. Anderson; 2002
• “Ethno-pharmacology”; Antiparasitic activity of some New Caledonian medicinal plants; Julie Desrivot et al; January 2007
• “Guess What Came to Dinner: Parasites and Your Health,” Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S.; 2001
• “Healing Foods”; Michael Murray, N.D. et al; 2005
• “Ultraprevention : The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life”; Mark Hyman, M.D.; 2005

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/120655-foods-kill-intestinal-parasites/#ixzz1rpd43WrX

By Carol Ann Brannon, MS, RD, LD

Do the ingredient lists of your child’s favorite foods confuse you? Do you suspect that your child’s diet is connected to his mood, behavior, learning difficulties and attention span?

Your suspicions may not be just in your head. Studies are beginning to show that to maximize brain development, minimize negative behaviors and help children learn, parents should be very aware of what their children are eating.

As parents, it’s our job to make sure our kids are safe and thriving. We monitor what they see, hear, smell and touch with the hopes that our vigilance will ensure their progress and contentment. What about the food they eat? Healthy eating goes beyond just making sure they eat their veggies. Parents need to be aware of possible toxins in food, where those toxins come from, and how to make sure their kids are getting safe food. The safeguarding of our children’s diet becomes even more imperative when it might impact the value of their learning.

Scientific evidence does indicate that artificial food additives, such as preservatives and food dyes, can affect the cognitive functioning and behavior of some children with learning difficulties (and illnesses that can interrupt learning). Other substances in our food, such as pesticides are also being linked to learning differences, ADHD and influence on brain development. In 1999, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reviewed 17 controlled studies (most focused on artificial colors, some examined the effect of allergens like milk and corn) and concluded that diet does adversely affect some children’s behavior, sometimes dramatically. A 2007 study in Lancet involving 153 preschool and grade-school aged children in the United Kingdom reported that dietary intake of artificial food colorings and additives, particularly the preservative sodium benzoate, resulted in an increase in hyperactivity. Many parents already suspect what science is starting to prove, that pesticides and additives in our children’s food can affect their brain development and behavior. Despite the lack of scientific consensus, there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence citing improvement in ADHD symptoms, including sleep problems and mood changes with diet elimination of artificial additives. Children affected by eczema, asthma, allergies, hives and hay fever may be more responsive to dietary interventions.

Optimize Your Organic Choices Organic produce can be expensive. If you can’t make a complete switch to organic, the solution is to prioritize. According to the Environmental Working Group, families can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 percent just by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. Families consuming five daily servings of fruits and vegetables from the least contaminated produce would ingest less than two pesticides daily. The chart below lists the “dirty” dozen and “not-so-dirty” dozen.
Dirty dozen Highest in pesticide residue Try to buy organic	Not-so-dirty-dozen Lowest in pesticide residue Okay for conventionally grown
• Peaches • Apples • Sweet bell peppers • Celery • Nectarines • Strawberries • Cherries • Pears • Grapes (imported) • Spinach • Lettuce • Potatoes	• Papayas • Broccoli • Cabbage • Bananas • Kiwifruit • Sweet peas (frozen) • Asparagus • Mangoes • Pineapple • Sweet corn (frozen) • Avocados • Onions
If organic meat is not in your budget…
• Purchase meat from grass-fed animals and/or hormone-free animals. • Choose low-fat meats as most toxins are stored in the fatty cells of animals. • Trim visible fat and skin from meat and poultry. • Limit red meat intake to two times or less a week. • Exercise portion control; 3 to 4 ounces is considered a portion. • Eat vegetarian meals twice weekly.

Children are more vulnerable than adults to toxins since, pound for pound, they eat and drink more than adults. The use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics in our food has become routine. Advances in biotechnology have yielded genetically-modified crops, and the demand for “convenience” foods have contributed to the increased use of chemicals and additives. Since our kids still have to eat (and get to school and soccer practice and therapy/tutoring appointments and play dates and birthday parties), how can a busy family make sure they are eating the safest, most brainhealthy food? The good news is that there are simple steps parents can take to decrease the toxins in their kids’ food and maximize their learning potential.

The five most offensive food toxins
The first step is for parents to be aware of what is actually in the food they eat. The words “natural” and “wholesome” on food packaging can be misleading and don’t always accurately reflect how the food was grown and/or prepared. Parents need to become familiar with the following five toxic offenders and in which foods you are most likely to find them.

• Organophosphates (OPs) are the most common class of pesticides used on corn, soy, wheat, and various fruits and vegetables. Although the government has set allowable and “safe” limits for chemical residues on conventionally grown produce, a growing number of experts question the current “toxic threshold” (the lowest exposure thought to be harmful). Research indicates that pesticides and toxins are more prevalent in foods than originally thought. A 2002 study found children ages 2 to 5 who ate conventionally grown food had 8.5 times more OP residue in their urine than children who ate organic foods. A 2004 report released by Environment California stated that children exposed to agricultural pesticides can show deficiencies in intellectual development, stamina, balance, hand-eye coordination and short-term memory. New studies are emerging suggesting pesticides, particularly OPs, are linked to ADHD, obesity, diabetes, and learning disorders. Foods to check: fresh fruit and produce.

• Mercury is released into the air and water from coalfired power plants, as well as municipal and medical waste incinerators. Bacteria in sediments and water convert mercury to the more toxic form, methylmercury, which enters the aquatic food chain, resulting in methylmercury- contaminated fish. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates that minimizing mercury exposure is essential for optimal child health (especially for pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children) because mercury adversely affects many aspects of development, in particular brain maturation. Food to check: fish.
• Artificial food additives make up the more than 3,000 chemicals that are added to our food. Flavor enhancers, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives all serve to give food a longer shelf-life and a more appealing appearance. Today’s foods are first “refined” (stripped of important nutrients and fiber), then highly processed with artificial additives, and then fortified with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Foods to check: processed foods.
• Dioxins are unintentional byproducts of industrial activities that are released into the air and settle in water bodies, where they build up in fish and on grasslands where they are then ingested by cows. Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of chemicals used in electrical equipment, hydraulic fluids, adhesives and other products. Although banned in the United States in 1979 due to evidence of toxicity even at low levels, their widespread use and persistence in the environment means that they will be present in our environment and food for years to come. These chemicals are especially toxic to growing, developing brains. Prenatal exposure can result in permanent IQ deficits. Foods to check: conventionally produced meat, fish, and dairy foods, especially those high in fat.
• Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around homes. It can enter drinking water from plumbing materials, and may cause arange of health effects including behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Children 6-years-old and under are most at risk. A variety of factors can result in lead-tainted water. See www.epa.gov/safewater/ lead/leadfactsheet.html for facts about how to determine if your drinking water might contain lead.

Web and Print Sources Food toxins and learning differences – Bock K and Stauth C. Healing the new childhood epidemics: autism, ADHD, asthma, and Allergies. New York: Random House; 2007. – Persistent pesticides linked to ADHD, obesity, and diabetes. School Pesticide Monitor. Jan/Feb 2007;7(1):1-2. – Learning Disabilities Association of Maine. Healthy homes and families: how to reduce your family’s exposure to toxic chemicals at home. URL: www.ldame.org. – Lemer, Patty, Envisioning a Bright Future: Interventions that Work for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Santa Ana, CA: OEP Foundation, Inc. 2008. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17825405 (information on 2007 Lancet study) www.cspinet.org www.toyourhealth.com www.children.webmd.com/… www.beyondpesticides.org/… (PDF) www.feingold.org Choosing organic produce/meat/dairy www.organic-center.org www.foodnews.org www.eatwild.com www.helpguide.org/… www.fmi.org/media/… (PDF) www.organic-center.org www.localharvest.org/csa/ www.eatwellguide.org Monitoring the mercury in fish www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/ www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/… (PDF) http://greenliving.about.com/… Organic container gardening www.planetnatural.com/… www.life.gaiam.com/…

11 ways to detoxify the family diet

Below are 11 simple changes families can make to lessen the toxins in their diet. Remember, small changes make a big difference. Parents can choose one change each month, and within a year all the changes will be routine healthy habits. If your family members are big meat eaters, then you can choose just that one area and commit to eating organic beef or chicken.

1. Focus on plant foods: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Try to eat these foods before they are processed (an organic apple instead of apple juice, whole grain bread instead of white bread). Buy local produce since imported produce may be higher in pesticides than US-grown produce.
2. Look for sports drinks and juice that are not artificially colored, or that use natural sources of color (beet juice).
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Many products that are labeled “sugar free” contain artificial sweeteners.
4. When it’s feasible, choose organic produce (see Optimize Your Organic Choices).
5. Also when it’s feasible, choose organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy foods because they come from animals not given antibiotics or growth hormones, and they must be fed 100 percent organic feed which is free of any animal by-products, hormones, antibiotics or other drugs. Grass-fed meats are preferable.
6. Test your water for lead which can leach from old pipes or from the solder in pipes no matter what the age of the house. See the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines on testing your drinking water (www.epa.gov). Even if you have lead in your water, you don’t necessarily have to replace your pipes. See the National Safety Foundation (NSF) Web site at www.nsf.org to learn more about water filtration.
7. To help block the storage of lead in your child’s body, serve your family meals that are low in fat and high in calcium and iron, including green vegetables.
8. Be aware of mercury levels in fish.
9. Become fluent in reading ingredient lists and labels.
10. Plant an organic container garden. You don’t need to plow up your back yard to grow your own organic veggies.
11. Consider joining a community support agriculture group. For a fee, families can pick up locally grown organic produce each week. Check out www.localharvest.org/csa/ for more information.

With our busy lives and recovering economy, it’s easy to reach for the convenient and inexpensive food. Changing our eating habits may seem overwhelming and outside the budget, but by setting small realistic goals and by making one change at a time, parents can make a big difference in the safety of their kids’ food. And, safer food means a healthier brain.

Read Part II: Related Article: Making the Connection: How Where We Live Impacts Learning then take the Kids Enabled Making the Connections Survey.

This article has been made possible by a 2008 grant from the Learning Disabilities Association of America, Healthy Children’s Project. It is the hope of the LDAG and Kids Enabled to continue informing parents of the toxic risks that can impair learning, some of which are preventable before birth. If you would like more information on the Healthy Children’s Project and current legislation to reduce environmental toxins please visit, www.healthychildrenproject.org. If you would like to get more involved in reducing environmental toxins in Georgia, please email us at info@kidsenabled.com.

Source: http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/200906/511/

Related Article: Making the Connection: How Where We Live Impacts Learning

Source: http://www.greenwavefilters.com/wordpress/asthma/

Over the past thirty years, there has been a huge rise in the incidence of asthma.  There is evidence to suggest that exposure to dirty electricity, which has also increased dramatically since the mid-1980s, may be a contributing factor in the growth of this ailment.  Researchers believe the correlation between dirty electricity and asthma may be akin to an allergic reaction.  Dr. Olle Johansson, a noted researcher at the Karolinska Institute (home of the Nobel Prize), suggests that electrical fields, such as those created by dirty power, trigger our immune systems to release inflammatory substances such as histamines and cytokines as a protective mechanism.  These markers of inflammation have been shown to highly correlate with asthma and other allergic reactions.

The good news? Reducing exposure to dirty electricity may help alleviate asthma symptoms, especially for individuals who are particularly sensitive to this form of electro-pollution.  One research study in a Wisconsin elementary school showed that asthma symptoms nearly disappeared when high levels of dirty electricity were reduced in classrooms.  Of the 37 students at the school using asthma inhalers at the time of the study, only three continued to need them (and only in preparation for vigorous physical activity) once dirty electricity was reduced.

Source: http://www.greenwavefilters.com/wordpress/asthma/

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by Barry Estabrook

1st September, 2011

The ‘Immokalee babies’ were born with severe deformities after their mothers were each exposed to pesticides whilst harvesting tomatoes. Barry Estabrook reports on the case that shocked the US

Tower Cabins is a labour camp consisting of about thirty drab wooden shacks and a few deteriorating trailers crammed together behind an unpainted wooden fence just south of Immokalee, a city in the heart of southwest Florida’s tomato-growing region.

The community of poor migrant labourers is dreary at the best of times, but just before Christmas a few years ago, there were reasons for joy. Three women, all neighbours, were expecting children within seven weeks of each other. But in the lives of tomato workers, there is a fine line between hope and tragedy.

The first baby, the son of twenty-year-old Abraham Candelario and his nineteen-year-old wife, Francisca Herrera, arrived on December 17. They named the child Carlos. Carlitos, as they called him, was born with an extremely rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome, which left him with neither arms nor legs.

About six weeks later, a few cabins away, Jesus Navarrete was born to Sostenes Maceda. Jesus had Pierre Robin Sequence, a deformity of the lower jaw. As a result, his tongue was in constant danger of falling back into his throat, putting him at risk of choking to death. The baby had to be fed through a plastic tube.

Two days after Jesus was born, Maria Meza gave birth to Jorge. He had one ear, no nose, a cleft palate, one kidney, no anus, and no visible sexual organs. A couple hours later, following a detailed examination, the doctors determined that Jorge was in fact a girl. Her parents renamed her Violeta. Her birth defects were so severe that she survived for only three days.

In addition to living within one hundred yards of each other, Herrera, Maceda, and Meza had one other thing in common. They all worked for the same company, Ag-Mart Produce, Inc., and in the same vast tomato field. Consumers know Ag-Mart mainly through its trademarked UglyRipe heirloom-style tomatoes and Santa Sweets grape tomatoes, sold in plastic clamshell containers adorned with three smiling, dancing tomato characters named Tom, Matt, and Otto. ‘Kids love to snack on this nutritious treat,’ says the company’s advertising.

From the rows of tomatoes where the women were working during the time they became pregnant, the view was not so cheery. A sign at the entry warned that the field had been sprayed by no fewer than thirty-one different chemicals during the growing season. Many of them were rated ‘highly toxic,’ and at least three, the herbicide metribuzin, the fungicide mancozeb, and the insecticide avermectin, are known to be ‘developmental and reproductive toxins,’ according to Pesticide Action Network. They are teratogenic, meaning they can cause birth defects.

Safety violations

If they are used, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates ‘restricted-entry intervals’ (REIs in the jargon of chemical agriculture), the time that must elapse between when pesticides are applied and when workers can go into the fields. In all three cases, the women said they were ordered to pick the fruit in violation of REI regulations.

‘When you work on the plants, you smell the chemicals,’ said Herrera, the mother of limbless Carlitos. Subsequent investigations showed that Herrera worked in fields that recently had been sprayed with mancozeb twenty-four to thirty-six days after conception, the stages where a child begins to develop neurologically and physically.

Meza recalled: ‘It has happened to me many times that when you are working and the chemical has dried and turned to dust that you breathe it.’ Although regulations require that handlers of many of these pesticides use protective eyewear, chemical-resistant gloves, rubber aprons, and vapour respirators, the three pregnant women said they had not been warned of the possible dangers of being exposed to the chemicals. They wore no protective gear, unless you count their futile attempts to avoid inhalation by covering their mouths with bandanas.
Herrera said she felt sick the entire time she worked in the field. She described being coated in pesticides and suffering from dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and lightheadedness. Her eyes and nose felt as though they were burning. She developed rashes and open sores.

Giving up work was not an option. Herrera said that her boss, a subcontractor to Ag-Mart, told her if she did not work, she would be kicked out of the room that he was providing. Ironically, the impending arrival of her first child made it all the more important for her and her husband to have a place to live. She worked in the fields from preconception, through the early stages of gestation, right up until her seventh month of pregnancy, only a few weeks before Carlitos’s slightly premature arrival. Even after quitting the fields, she continued to hand wash the chemical-soaked clothes of her husband and her brother, Epifanio.

Jesus’s jaw deformity proved not to be as dangerous as first thought, and doctors told his mother that the baby’s condition would likely improve as he grew older. Violetta’s parents had to mourn the death of their child. But after the birth of Carlitos, Herrera and Candelario’s problems intensified. The end of the winter picking season in Florida was approaching, and the family would have to migrate north to find work. But Carlitos needed constant medical attention, which he was receiving through a local agency, the Children’s Medical Services of Lee County. Even though he was an American citizen by birth, his parents were Mexican and had no documentation. Deportation was a real possibility.

Things took a turn for the worse when at three months of age the baby developed respiratory problems that made it difficult for him to breathe. He had to be flown from a hospital near Immokalee to Miami Children’s Hospital. Lacking a car, Herrera and Candelario had to rely on rides from social workers to make the journey across the state, trips that took two and a half hours one way and could be undertaken only on days when Candelario was not required in the fields, where he still had to work to pay the rent. ‘There was nothing we could do for our little boy,’ said Candelario.

Legal help

One of the social workers helping Carlitos’s parents realised that the family faced an insurmountable financial burden and needed legal help. The social worker contacted a local lawyer, who confessed that he would have been completely over his head with such a complex case. He did, however, have a colleague who specialised in catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and medical malpractice litigation.

He picked up the telephone and put in a call to Andrew Yaffa, a partner in the firm Grossman Roth, which has offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Sarasota, and Key West. Although they had no way of knowing it, Abraham Candelario, Francisca Herrera, and Carlitos had just caught what might have been the first break they had ever received in their hardscrabble lives. If you are injured in a car accident, hurt on the job, or the victim of a negligent physician, you could do no better than getting Andrew Yaffa to represent you.

As soon as I met him, I understood why Andrew Yaffa became such a successful lawyer. The day I visited, he was working out of the boardroom in his firm’s Boca Raton office. ‘I live out of a FedEx box,’ he said. ‘I serve every office we have.’ That afternoon he had taken over the conference room table. File folders were strewn here and there. His laptop was open. His expensive suit coat was folded over the back of a chair, and his tie was loose. Every few minutes when a cell phone on the table warbled, he glanced at its caller ID and replaced it without missing a conversational beat.

In his early forties at the time of Carlitos’s birth in 2004, Yaffa is widely recognised as one of the top lawyers in the state. He has won many multimillion dollar settlements in cases tried before some of Florida’s toughest judges. One of Yaffa’s competitors in Florida described him to me in an e-mail as ‘a great lawyer…solid person…integrity…partner in a fabulous law firm…creative…innovative…bright…ethical…the works!’

Yaffa is tall and has the sort of telegenic good looks that would make him a shoo-in to play the role of the leading man if someone ever does a movie version of his life as a crusading attorney. His short dark hair is brushed back and moussed neatly in place, and I caught the merest whiff of cologne. His handsome face is tempered by a kind of Midwestern earnestness. (He’s actually a Virginia native.)

Yaffa establishes an instant rapport, speaking with a soft, unwavering voice. When I asked him why he chose to take on such a long shot case as that of Carlitos Candelario, he eyed me the way he might stare at an uncooperative witness and said, ‘I see a lot in my work. But when I see a child or a family that has been harmed and in distress, I don’t need a whole lot more motivation than that.’

Initially, Yaffa could hardly believe what his friend had told him. He needed to see for himself and to talk to the child’s parents. Were they people who would come across as credible? Would a jury relate to them? Would they even want his help? Leaving behind his usual car, a new BMW, to avoid drawing attention to himself, he got in the road-weary Chevy Suburban reserved for weekend fishing outings and trips to the beach with his kids and drove from his Miami office across miles of uninhabited saw grass prairies in the Everglades to the shabby two-bedroom trailer that the young couple and their tragically deformed child shared with seven other migrants.

When Yaffa knocked on the door, Herrera answered. He was struck by the fact that the petite, round-faced woman was barely older than a child herself. All the men who lived in the trailer were in the fields. Carlitos was propped up in a baby seat. Strips of drying meat hung from a clothesline stretched across the living room, and the humid air was rank and pungent. Flies buzzed everywhere. When Carlitos began fussing, Herrera took the six-month-old baby out of the seat and laid him on the floor. An orphaned puppy that the trailer’s residents had adopted came bouncing around, and the child watched it, smiling and cooing.

‘No arms, no legs’

The puppy yipped, pounced, and started nipping at the baby. Carlitos began to scream, and Herrera rushed to pick him up. Yaffa was powerfully affected. The child, who did not even have the ability to flick away a fly or push back against a puppy, faced a lifetime of need. ‘The pesticides got into her system and affected this child that was forming and lo and behold, he ends up being born with no arms and no legs,’ he told me.

Speaking in Spanish, he tried to draw out Herrera, who spoke very little Spanish herself. As is the case of many migrant farmworkers, her first language and the one she was most comfortable communicating in was a native Indian dialect. Yaffa explained that a social worker had contacted him, and he was there for one reason—to help her. He told Herrera that there was no pressure for her to work with him. As is the norm for lawyers in his field, he would bear all the legal expenses himself and be paid only by taking a percentage of anything they won.

When Herrera finally nodded her head, Yaffa vowed that he would do everything in his power to help his new client. But even a lawyer of his track record and courtroom acumen had his work cut out for him. Because of all the nearly infinite variables—heredity, exposure to chemicals at other job sites, possible smoking or drug abuse, environmental factors—cases linking pesticide exposure to birth defects are notoriously hard to prove.

Instead of pursuing the conventional approach by trying to determine the chemical that caused the damage and suing the company that made it, Yaffa decided to do something he had never done: He would try to get compensation from the corporate farm where Herrera had worked. In essence, he would try the entire modern agricultural industry and the chemical-based philosophy on which it is founded.

Extracted from the ‘Chemical Warfare’ chapter of Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Source: http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1033178/chemical_warfare_the_horrific_birth_defects_linked_to_tomato_pesticides.html

Useful links
http://politicsoftheplate.com

Pesticide-Induced Diseases: Cancer

READ OUR SPECIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE ‘TOMATO SLAVES’ SUPPLYING UK CROP

February 11, 2010

Source: http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/02/7-foods-even-food-safety-experts-won-t-eat/

Guess what some food safety experts won’t even eat according to Liz Vaccariello from prevention magazine.

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain Bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

And remember my recent post about BPA in toilet paper and I didn’t know what to do with a case of my tomato cans? Well, Dr. Saal’s statement further proves that I should just throw them away and not even donate them.

Update (Nov. 2011) – The NY Times reported a study by Harvard School of Public Health revealed that after eating canned soup for one week, subjects’ BPA levels rose by over 1,200 percent.

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin. And according to Food Inc., corn-fed cows are more susceptible to E-Coli colonization in their stomachs, leading to more exposure to E-Coli even before they are slaughtered.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural popcorn kernels the old-fashioned way: in a BPA free hot air popcorn maker or a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Non-organic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

So, do you think GMO salmon is healthy? Of course not.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first. And make sure to buy organic apple juice.

Now you know!

Of course, in addition to this list, there is the dirty dozen from Environmental Working Group that includes coventional apples, as mentioned above. But you also have to store them in BPA free glass storage containers to be free of further chemical exposure when storing your foods.

While this list might seem daunting, it is easier for consumers to buy organic and safer foods now a days. So be an educated consumer; shop and store your food wisely.

[All Photos: via Flickr]

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Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener, used in over 6000 products. The food industry claims that aspartame helps in losing weight, but why is obesity then becoming such an ever increasing problem?

Aspartame breaks down into three toxic components:

1. Methanol
This is poisonous alcohol. In the body, methanol breaks down into formaldehyde, which is a poison.
2. Phenylalanine.
This decreases the amount serotonin in your brain, which leads to mood swings (depressions) and an increased appetite! That is why aspartame is one of the main causes for the current obesity epidemic. http://naturalnews.com/001253.html
3. Aspartic acid.
This is a neurological toxin comparable to MSG.

Aspartame is a very sweet chemical, responsible for a host of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, brain diseases, migraines, ADHD, etc.
http://aspartame.mercola.com
http://naturalnews.com/011804.html
http://wnho.net/new_aspartame_studies.htm

Shocking aspartame documentary ‘Sweet Misery’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0UDeydlEDM

The US Department of Health has recorded 92 (!) symptoms following complaints about aspartame. In fact, over 80% of all complaints filed with FDA are related to aspartame consumption!
http://321recipes.com/symptoms.html

Some of the brand names for aspartame:
AminoSweet, NutraSweet, Equal, NatraTaste, Canderel, Spoonful, Equal-Measure, etc.

Aspartame is used in any of the following products:
Sugarfree, Light, Diet, Zero (Coke, Sprite & Fanta), Coke 007, Pepsi Max, Crystal Clear, Low-Calorie, Crystal Light, No Sugar Added, Smint, Stimorol Ice, Stimorol Fusion, Freedent, Mentos, Sportlife, etc.

Do not believe the lies of the food industry and the ‘main stream’ media. Contrary to what so-called ‘health experts’ claim, aspartame is NOT safe!

Avoid this toxic chemical for 60 days and discover how your health will improve dramatically!

Aspartame Detoxification Program:
http://sweetpoison.com/aspartame-detox.html

Playlist ‘The Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners’:
http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AEC72EC3C95A7B40

Aspartame book ‘Sweet Deception’:
http://products.mercola.com/sweet-deception

Other artificial sweeteners that you should avoid:
Acesulfame K (E950), Cyclamate (E952), Isomalt (E953), Saccharin (E954), Sucralose or Splenda (E955), Alitame (E956), Neohesperidine (E959), Neotame (E961), Salt of Aspartame-Acesulfame (E962), Maltitol (E965), Lactitol (E966), Xylitol (E967), Sorbitol (E420), Mannitol (E421), Glycerol (E422).

The dangers of Splenda (sucralose):
http://splendaexposed.com

Natural based sweetener and thus relatively safe:
Thaumatin (E957).

Healthier sugar alternatives:
Organic raw sugar, organic maple syrup, honey and Stevia, the low calorie, all natural sweetener, used in Paraguay for centuries:
http://steviainfo.com

Aspartame-free chewing gum, available at health food stores:
http://xlear.com/spry.aspx
http://xyligum.com
http://zappgum.com

More information about aspartame:
http://aspartamesafety.com
http://sweetpoison.com
http://321recipes.com/aspartame.html
http://holisticmed.com/aspartame
http://naturalnews.com/aspartame.html
http://familymatters.tv/level_4/health/aspartame.htm
http://drbenkim.com/articles-artificialsweeteners.html

How we are being manipulated:
http://healingdaily.com/beliefs.htm

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
Hosea 4:6 (KJV)

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFRLIjOLOU&feature=player_embedded#!