Top 5 Foods To Improve Thyroid Health

It is estimated that 27 million Americans today have some form of thyroid disease. Many people suffer from thyroid disease without ever being diagnosed. Have you been wondering what foods you should eat for a healthy thyroid? Here are the top five foods that promote thyroid health.

Iodine Rich Foods

Adding iodine rich foods to your diet is one of the best ways to have a healthy thyroid. Iodine is essential for healthy thyroid function because it helps the thyroid gland produce the hormone thyroxin. Thyroxin is used by the thyroid to regulate metabolism. Good sources of iodine include sea vegetables such as kelp and seaweed, fresh fish, haddock, cod, eggs, fish oils, onions, iodized salt, artichokes and pineapple. If you can't get enough iodine from your food, take a supplement. Important Note: Never take antiseptic or topical iodine internally.

Eat Selenium Rich Foods

Selenium deficiency is a major factor in thyroid disorders. Selenium helps keep the various hormones produced by the thyroid gland in balance. Including as many selenium rich foods as you can in your diet is a great way to promote thyroid health. Good sources of selenium include wheat germ, beef liver and kidney, seafood, shellfish, eggs, mushrooms, garlic, kelp, onions, sesame and sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts. You can also eat turkey for thyroid health. Turkey is a great choice for improving thyroid function as it is high in protein, low in calories and contains selenium.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids aid the thyroid in maintaining metabolism. Good sources of essential fatty acids are fish, shellfish, flaxseed, leafy vegetables, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, chia seeds and canola oil.

Coconut Butter or Oil

Coconut butter is a raw saturated fat that contains essential fatty acids that promote thyroid health. Long used as a healing food, coconut butter and oil is experiencing resurgence within the health food community. The fat in coconut butter and oil is quickly converted to energy and helps to regulate thyroid function. Coconut oil also stimulates the production of thyroid hormones and helps rev up the metabolism.

Copper & Iron Rich Foods

Copper and iron rich foods are vitally important to thyroid function. In fact, if you focus on no other thyroid boosting foods, make sure you focus on these two powerhouses. Copper rich foods include oysters, organ meats, clams, cashews, crab, sunflower seeds, cocoa products, whole grains and cereals containing wheat bran. Good sources of iron include red meat, poultry, beans, leafy greens and shellfish. You can increase your absorption of iron by combining it with vitamin C rich foods such as citrus, potatoes, red berries, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Originally Posted On: http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-foods-promote-thyroid-health-7094342.html

Israel Will End Fluoridation In 2014, Citing Health Concerns

On July 29, 2013, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that new regulations require Israel to stop adding fluoride chemicals into public water supplies in one year, reports the Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

Izun Hozer Association for Dissemination of Health Education and

Yaacov Gurman petitioned Israel’s highest court, November 12, 2012, demanding that the Ministry of Health order the cessation of fluoridation because it presents health dangers and its benefits are no longer widely accepted.

A 1974 regulation mandated fluoridation throughout Israel.  But in April 2013, the Minister of Health,Yael German, created a new regulation removing that mandate.

“It must be known to you that fluoridation can cause harm to the health of the chronically ill,” including “people who suffer from thyroid problems,” German wrote in a letter addressed to doctors opposed to ending fluoridation.

The court ruled that the new regulations will not only bring an end to mandatory fluoridation in Israel in 2014 but will also put an end to any fluoridation – mandatory or voluntary.  See translation of the Court’s ruling at: http://www.fluoridealert.org/uploads/israel_supreme_ct_july2013.pdf

Paul Connett, PhD, FAN Executive Director, says, “Zealous fluoridation promoters try to convince the American public that ‘everyone drinks fluoridated water.’ But the opposite is true. An overwhelming number of countries do not fluoridate, including 97% of the European population. In fact, over half the people in the world drinking fluoridated water live in the US. We are the odd ones out.”

“Fluoridation is an outdated, unscientific, failed public health blunder,” says Connett. ”What I find remarkable here is that Health Minister German has been able to escape the unscientific belief system on fluoridation that traps so many public health bureaucracies in fluoridated countries.”

Many communities, over the last few years, stopped fluoridation in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Recently, both Wichita, Kansas and Portland, Oregon rejected fluoridation 60% to 40%. Hamilton, NZ, councilors voted 7-1 to stop 50 years of fluoridation after councilors listened to several days of testimony from those  for and against fluoridation

Windsor, Ontario, stopped 51 years of fluoridation.  Sixteen regional councils have halted or rejected fluoridation in Queensland since mandatory fluoridation was dropped there in Nov 2012.

Meanwhile, New York City Council Member Peter Vallone, Jr continues in his effort to halt fluoridation in NYC.

Research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals indicates that fluoride ingestion is ineffective at reducing tooth decay and harmful to health.  See http://www.FluorideAction.Net/issues/health

Originally Posted On: http://www.fluoridealert.org/articles/israel_fluoridation/

Breakdown of GMO Labeling Laws in Each Country

Are you aware of the GMO labeling laws implemented around the world? While the United States and Canada have virtually no GE food labeling laws, countries like Russia, Australia, Italy, and more have mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods. Just below you can view a global map of all the countries and their current status with GE labeling laws.

Where do we Stand?

There is no question now that GMOs are (AT LEAST) potentially dangerous, and are part of an astronomically-large global experiment. This is why Hungary destroyed all Monsanto GMO corn fields just a few years ago, and why nations like France, the U.K., and India took a stand against Monsanto and GMOs alike. This is why Italy banned some of Monsanto’s corn with 80% public support, and the nation of Bhutan decided to go 100% organic.

So what will it take to win over the government agencies and institute proper GMO labeling? Will it take 800 scientists to demand an end to this global GMO experiment? Or will enough March Against Monsanto’s ignite the final spark we need to label these questionable foods?

We have made some tremendous progress through our extreme activism – progress that affects the future more than we know. With the continued fight for GMO labeling, and ultimately the discontinuance of GMOs altogether, we are protecting not only our own rights, bodies and our children, but also generations to come.

Breakdown of GMO Labeling Laws by Country (According to the Map):

• Russia – Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Australia - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• New Zealand - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Hungary - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• France - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Spain - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• U.K. - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Sweden - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Italy - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• Greenland (Denmark) - Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content.
• China - Mandatory labeling of many GE foods and a labeling threshold of 1% or higher, or undefined GMO content.
• India - Mandatory labeling of some GE foods, but with many exceptions and no labeling threshold defined – or a vague law.
• Bhutan – No GE food labeling laws according to the map, however, Bhutan recently made headlines for being the first country to go 100% organic.
• Brazil - Mandatory labeling of many GE foods and a labeling threshold of 1% or higher, or undefined GMO content.
• United States – No GE food labeling laws.
• Canada - No GE food labeling laws.
• Mexico -  No GE food labeling laws.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/breakdown-of-gmo-labeling-laws-by-country-global-map/#ixzz2bTeo63zM
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8 Ingredients You Never Want to See on Your Nutrition Label

The year was 1950, and The Magic 8-Ball had just arrived in stores. It looked like a toy, but it wasn't. It was a future-telling device, powered by the unknown superpowers that lived inside its cheap plastic shell. Despite a bit of an attitude—"Don't count on it," "My reply is no"—it was a huge success. Americans, apparently, want to see their futures.

A few decades later, Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act that, among other things, turned the 45,000 food products in the average supermarket into fortune-telling devices. Americans inexplicably yawned. I'm trying to change that. Why? The nutrition label can predict the future size of your pants and health care bills.

Unfortunately, these labels aren't as clear and direct as the Magic 8-Ball. Consider the list of ingredients: The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 3,000 additives, most of which you've never heard of. But the truth is, you don't have to know them all. You just need to be able to parse out the bad stuff. Do that and you'll have a pretty good idea how your future will shape up—whether you'll end up overweight and unhealthy or turn out to be fit, happy, and energized.

BHA

This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils. Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. The reason the FDA hasn’t banned it is largely technical—the cancers all occurred in the rodents’ forestomachs, an organ that humans don’t have. Nevertheless, the study, published in theJapanese Journal of Cancer Research, concluded that BHA was “reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen,” and as far as I’m concerned, that’s reason enough to eliminate it from your diet.

You’ll find it in: Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles

Parabens

 These synthetic preservatives are used to inhibit mold and yeast in food. The problem is parabens may also disrupt your body’s hormonal balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicologyfound that daily ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens have been found present in breast cancer tissues.

You’ll find it in: Baskin-Robbins sundaes

I’ve harped on this before, but it bears repeating: Don’t confuse “0 g trans fat” with being trans fat-free. The FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add up. The telltale sign that your snack is soiled with the stuff? Look for partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient statement. If it’s anywhere on there, then you’re ingesting artery-clogging trans fat.

You’ll find it in: Long John Silver’s Popcorn Shrimp, Celeste frozen pizzas

FIGHT FAT WITH FAT! Some fats, like trans fat, will pad you with extra pounds, but other types can help you shed unwanted weight. See for yourself—pick up these 5 Fatty Foods that Make You Skinny today!

Sodium Nitrite

 Nitrites and nitrates are used to inhibit botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats’ pink hues, which is why the FDA allows their use. Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines, powerful carcinogenic compounds. Ascorbic and erythorbic acids—essentially vitamin C—have been shown to decrease the risk, and most manufacturers now add one or both to their products, which has helped. Still, the best way to reduce risk is to limit your intake.

You’ll find it in: Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Hormel bacon

Caramel Coloring

This additive wouldn't be dangerous if you made it the old-fashioned way—with water and sugar, on top of a stove. But the food industry follows a different recipe: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can produce some nasty carcinogens. How carcinogenic are these compounds? A Center for Science in the Public Interest report asserted that the high levels of caramel color found in soda account for roughly 15,000 cancers in the U.S. annually. Another good reason to scrap soft drinks? They’re among The 20 Worst Drinks in America.

You’ll find it in: Coke/Diet Coke, Pepsi/Diet Pepsi

Castoreum

 Castoreum is one of the many nebulous “natural ingredients” used to flavor food. Though it isn’t harmful, it is unsettling. Castoreum is a substance made from beavers’ castor sacs, or anal scent glands. These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the unsavory ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.

You’ll find it in: Potentially any food containing “natural ingredients”

Food Dyes

Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary cereals don’t contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. Not only do these dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods, but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. A Journal of Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3 is known to cause tumors. The bottom line? Avoid artificial dyes as much as possible.

You’ll find it in: Lucky Charms, Skittles, Jell-O

THE DOMINO EFFECT: Sugar doesn’t just come in the form of cookies and candy. Discover the insidious ways it can creep into your diet with 9 Sneaky Sources of Sugar.

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

 Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino acids. One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions—headaches, nausea, and weakness, among others—in sensitive individuals. When MSG is added to products directly, the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose its inclusion on the ingredient statement. But when it occurs as a byproduct of hydrolyzed protein, the FDA allows it to go unrecognized.

Source:http://health.yahoo.net

Originally Posted On: http://worldtruth.tv/8-ingredients-you-never-want-to-see-on-your-nutrition-label/

Ice Cream Has Meat in It? 7 'Vegetarian' Foods That Actually Contain Meat Products

When you became a  vegetarian, you quickly learned it wasn’t just about skipping pepperoni on that pizza. You have to start scanning labels for ingredients like capric acid, tallow, rennet, glycerin, whey, suet, stereate and emulsifiers – because eating animal fat by any other name would be just as carnivorous. What you may not know is that plenty of common foods widely considered to be veg-friendly (or perhaps we should say veg- adjacent) actually contain animal fat, not just dairy fat. That means flesh. Read on to learn more.

Ice Cream

Ice cream is the one comfort food that temporarily heals all wounds. Unfortunately, you may be noshing on Bessie under all that chocolate sauce. Many brands of ice cream contain capric acid, a fatty acid that’s obtained from animal fats. Check the label!

Chocolate

I hate to break it to you – I really do – but that chocolate sauce you pour over your sundaes may not be any better than the ice cream underneath it. Emulsifiers are present in chocolate, which may or may not be derived from animal fat. The problem is that most labels don’t specify the difference, so you’re better off sticking to ones that do.

Cheese

Animal rennet is used in the production of many different kinds of cheese. What is animal rennet, you ask? It’s a coagulating enzyme that’s extracted from a freshly-slaughtered calf’s stomach. But, that doesn’t mean you have to struggle through a life without cheese. Just buy vegetarian cheese instead, which substitutes microbial or fungal enzymes for animal rennet.

Pastries

Have you ever seen a pork tart behind the glass at your local café? You might want to take a closer look. Many pastries are prepared using lard, which is rendered fat from a pig’s abdomen or kidneys. Similar baked goods may also contain capric acid.

Chewing Gum

 There’s no better way to appease an oral fixation than with a big lump of chewing gum, but gnawing on toothpicks might be a better option for vegetarians. If you see lanolin, stearic acid or glycerin on the label, you may as well snack on a stick of beef jerky. All of these ingredients are made from animal fat.

Potato Chips

Ever wonder why you can’t just eat a handful of potato chips? I used to think it was the salt, until I discovered that many brands are soaked in tallow (fat from membranous tissue in cattle) before hitting the shelves at the grocery store. And, here you thought you were just chomping on some greasy, deep-fried potatoes. I find this to be incredibly unfair. 

Hard Candy

Believe it or not, hard candies like these aren’t entirely free of animal products, and many of them contain calcium stereate. This ingredient is actually derived from tallow, better known as animal fat.

Originally Posted On: 

http://www.alternet.org/story/145144/ice_cream_has_meat_in_it_7_'vegetarian'_foods_that_actually_contain_meat_products

Systemic Pesticides: Chemicals You Can’t Wash Off

In conventional food production systems, not all pesticides remain on a plant’s exterior. Systemic pesticides are chemicals that are actually absorbed by a plant when applied to seeds, soil or leaves. The chemicals then circulate through the plant’s tissues, killing the insects that feed on them. Use of these pesticides on food crops began in 1998, and has steadily increased during the past 10 years. Unlike with traditional insecticides, you can’t wash or peel off systemic pesticide residues because they’re in the plant’s tissues, not on their exteriors.

The four main systemics used on food crops (listed below) are members of the nitroguanidine/ neonicotinoid group of chemicals, which has been implicated in the mysterious colony collapse disorder that has killed millions of bees. (See our article Colony Collapse: Are Potent Pesticides Killing Honeybees?.)

Imidacloprid can be applied to many vegetables (including tomatoes and leafy greens) right up to the day they’re harvested.

Thiamethoxam was first approved as a seed treatment for corn in 2002, and thiamethoxam products that are applied to the soil have since been approved for use on most vegetable and fruit crops. See a photo of seed corn treated with this chemical.

Clothianidin is used as a seed treatment on canola, cereals, corn and sugar beets, and as a soil treatment for potatoes.

Dinotefuran can be applied to soil or sprayed on leafy greens, potatoes and cucumber family crops.

When the Pesticide Action Network reviewed the results of pesticide residue tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1999 to 2007, numerous samples contained residues of these systemic pesticides. For example, 74 percent of conventionally grown fresh lettuce and 70 percent of broccoli samples showed imidacloprid residues. Clothianidin was found in potatoes, thiamethoxam showed up in strawberries and sweet peppers, and some collard green samples were laced with dinotefuran.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a comprehensive review of the environmental safety of imidacloprid, but we won’t have results until 2014! In the meantime, the state of California initiated its own reevaluation (currently ongoing) of all four systemics in February 2009. Among its reasons, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation cited reports of eucalyptus nectar and pollen with imidacloprid levels up to 550 parts per billion — nearly three times the 185 parts per billion needed to kill honeybees. And deadly levels of these systemic poisons are even showing up in leaf guttation drops (water droplets that plants sometimes exude). According to a 2009 report in the Journal of Economic Entomology, “When bees consume guttation drops, collected from plants grown from neonicotinoid-coated seeds, they encounter death within a few minutes.”

Equally disturbing, it appears that nitroguanidine pesticides can persist in soil for 500 days or more, which creates a high risk scenario. After one or two applications, plants grown in treated soil may produce toxic pollen, nectar and guttation droplets for more than two seasons. All the while, the entire treated area will be moderately toxic to beneficial earthworms, carabid beetles, lady beetles, predatory pirate bugs and more.

There is no scientific evidence yet that says food laced with neonicotinoids will harm humans, but why is the EPA allowing systemic pesticides on food plants in the first place? Do people really want to eat pumpkins that are so full of poison that they kill every cucumber beetle that dares take a bite? Looking beyond food plants, does the use of systemic pesticides to grow perfect roses justify the deaths of millions of bees and other insects? We need to set things right and learn (once again) this important lesson: When we let a novel, man-made chemical loose in the food chain, we can’t be entirely certain of what will happen next. This new contamination of our food is yet another reason to grow and buy organic.

Originally Posted On: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/systemic-pesticides-zm0z10zrog.aspx?PageId=2#ixzz2bNhBoy9a

Pesticides: 12 Most Contaminated Fruits & Vegetables

You may be ingesting 67 pesticides if you’re eating non-organic celery , according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group. The group suggests limiting consumption of pesticides by purchasing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables.

Of the 12 most contaminated foods, 7 are fruits: peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, cherries and imported grapes.

Celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes are the vegetables most likely to retain pesticide contamination:

1.   Celery

2.   Peaches

3.   Strawberries

4.   Apples

5.   Domestic blueberries

6.   Nectarines

7.   Sweet bell peppers

8.   Spinach, kale and collard greens

9.   Cherries

10.  Potatoes

11.  Imported grapes

12.  Lettuce

A pesticide is a mixture of chemical substances used on farms to destroy or prevent pests, diseases and weeds from affecting crops. Although some pesticides are found on the surface of foods, other pesticides may be taken up through the roots and into the plant and cannot be removed.

Peeling fruits, especially peaches, pears and apples, will help remove residues. Be sure to keep the peelings out of the compost. Some pesticides permeate the skin of the fruit, so this method does not guarantee residual free produce in all cases.

The government says that consuming pesticides in low amounts doesn’t harm you, but some studies show an association between pesticides and health problems such as cancer, attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and nervous system disorders and say exposure could weaken immune systems.

When you eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you’ll be exposed to an average of 10 pesticides a day.

Strawberries and domestic blueberries each had 13 pesticides detected on a single sample. Peaches and apples were second, with 9 pesticides on one sample.

Peaches had been treated with more pesticides than any other produce, registering combinations of up to 67 different chemicals. Strawberries were next, with 53 pesticides and apples with 47.

Cherries from the US are three times more contaminated than their imported counterparts, which are among the cleanest fruits and vegetables analyzed. Cherries contain a compound known as ellagic acid which counteracts carcinogens, so it’s worthwhile to seek out a source of imported cherries if you live in the US or Canada.

A single celery was contaminated with 13 different chemicals, followed by kale (10), and collard greens, domestic green beans, spinach and lettuce (9).

Health experts agree that when it comes to the Dirty Dozen list, choose organic if it’s available. There have been some very good studies that shows people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides [in their body] in two weeks,

The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides are onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant and sweet potatoes.

The fruits least likely to test positive for pesticide residues are avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

Another option to avoid pesticides is organic gardening. If you have a bit of a green thumb or would like to develop one, a garden may be worth giving a try.

This way you know exactly how your food was grown and are guaranteed that there are no pesticides. Growing your own garden also decreases your carbon footprint.

From apples and celery to strawberries and spinach, pick a few of your favorites from the list. Make a big difference in your family’s pesticide exposure with a small organic garden.

Originally Posted On: http://yourorganicgardeningblog.com/pesticides-12-most-contaminated-fruits-vegetables-the-choice-is-yours-for-organic-gardening/

Unapproved GM Rice Contaminates Global Supply

As we fight to put an end to genetically modified crops (or at least be told when they are in our food), another batter wages on. This battle is being fought by huge corporations like Monsanto and Bayer CropScience—they are fighting to ensure their genetically modified seeds take over the world’s agricultural supply regardless of what the people want. Just like the unapproved GM flax NaturalSociety reported on last week, genetically modified rice is contaminating the global supply despite having never been approved for growing or eating.

As the GM Contamination Register reports, during 2006 and 2007, three different strains of genetically modified rice were found in US rice exports and subsequently the world over. There were three specific strains of rice—one of which was approved in the U.S. and the other two which were not. Still, none of the strains were approved for cultivation or consumption anywhere else in the world. In total, the GM rice was found in more than 30 countries.

It’s believed the initial contamination began in the U.S. during field trials of the herbicide-resistant rice made by Bayer Crop-Science. The trials were abandoned in 2002 and although two different strains were deregulated by officials, the rice was never placed on the market.

According to the USDA, these field trials, which took place between the mid-1990s and 2002, are to blame for the eventual global contamination. Interestingly, they were unable to determine if the contamination occurred because of cross pollination or mechanical mixing.

The discovery of GM rice in their U.S. imports has led countries from across the globe to pull U.S. rice from their shelves, and understandably so. Just as in the seemingly-rogue GM wheat discovered in Oregon or the GM-flax found worldwide—no one wants these lab-created monsters in their countries.

Experts say this contamination is inevitable and that it will continue. No doubt, GM-giants like Monsanto and Bayer CropScience are okay with this.

“Scientific studies confirm that GM contamination is unavoidable once GM crops are grown in a region,” explains the Earth Open Source report GMO Myths and Truths (pdf). “‘Coexistence’ rapidly results in widespread contamination of non-GM crops … through cross-pollination, spread of GM seed by farm machinery, and inadvertent mixing during storage.”

While the future may look bleak for traditional non-GM crops, people across the globe are continuing to fight back—letting it be known that we won’t allow these corporations to take over agriculture without a fight. To show your support, involve yourself in the Monsanto Video Revolt taking place on July 24th, where millions of people around the world will voice their opposition to GMOs and Monsanto alike all over the internet.

Originally Posted On: http://naturalsociety.com/unapproved-gm-rice-contaminates-global-supply/#ixzz2bHyfL32d
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Win: FDA Bans BPA in Baby Formula Packaging

Several years ago, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles. Now they’ve taken the extra step in banning the plastic in baby formula packaging, possibly signaling the way for an eventual ban in all canned goods.

While the formula industry stopped using BPA in their packaging before the ban, the statement that this ban delivers is obviously crucial to getting some fuel for the anti-BPA fire.

BPA is used to harden plastics and can be found in all sorts of food and drink packaging—from plastic drink bottles to the linings of canned foods. Its use is so widespread that 90% of Americans have it coursing through their body.

The ban came on the heels of urging by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) who filed a petition asking for the ban last year.

“This is a major victory for America’s families, and I join with parents in celebrating safer feeding time for their babies now that this toxic chemical will forever be banned from infant formula,” said Markey in a written statement.

BPA is a hormone-mimicking chemical that has numerous detrimental health effects. It’s been linked to increased risk of cancer, infertility, heart disease, and more. Here is an article written by Mike Barrett outlining just 7 nasty effects of BPA. Canada has completely banned the use of this toxin, but as usual, the U.S. has been slow to catch up.

One recent study found that BPA could be fueling the American obesity epidemic. Analyzing the diet and BPA levels of nearly 3,000 children, researchers with NYU School of Medicine found obese children make up 22% of individuals with the highest levels of BPA. Obese children represented only 10% of those with the lowest BPA levels. In children, BPA’s hormone disrupting effects have also been linked to early maturation.

“The writing is on the wall for canned food makers,” said Janet Nudelman, from the Breast Cancer Fund. “If the entire infant-formula industry was able to go BPA-free, there is no earthly reason why canned food manufacturers can’t follow suit.”

While the FDA is still studying the effects of BPA (and we know how long their research can take), their ban represents that they know the plastic isn’t safe for everyone. Though they have yet to say it’s detrimental to public health, this latest move is one in the right direction.

Originally Posted On: http://naturalsociety.com/win-fda-bans-bpa-in-baby-formula-packaging/#ixzz2bHyEJJuB
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Brain Scans Reveal that Processed Foods ARE Addictive…Again!

Convenient, conventional snack foods—there’s a reason one chip maker says, “Bet you can’t eat just one!” And that reason has nothing to do with you getting nutritional value from these snacks, but rather not getting value from them at all. These highly processed carbohydrates (including sugar and high fructose corn syrup) are addictive, plain and simple. And a recent study offers additional evidence to prove it.

The study was conducted at Boston Children’s Hospital, where patients were given a meal of either low glycemic index foods or those with a high glycemic index (quickly digesting carbs like sugar and white starches). Then, the researchers analyzed what went on in the brain after these meals.

“Compared with an isocaloric low-GI meal, a high-glycemic index meal decreased plasma glucose, increased hunger, and selectively stimulated brain regions associated with reward and craving in the late postprandial period, which is a time with special significance to eating behavior at the next meal.”

This means the brain scans affirmed what many have suspected for a long time—that highly processed simple carbohydrates lead to brief increased energy levels (through increased blood sugar), followed by a “crash”, and then by a craving for more. In other words, the brains demonstrated the cycle common in addictive substances. The study came to similar conclusions as past research finding that processed foods could actually be addictive as cocaine.

As with drugs, sugar and processed carbs alter brain chemistry. Dr. Robert Lustig of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California and an expert in sugar metabolism explains:

“The brain’s pleasure center, called the nucleus accumbens, is essential for our survival as a species… Turn off pleasure, and you turn off the will to live… But long-term stimulation of the pleasure center drives the process of addiction… When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so you consume more.

The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So you have to consume more to get the same effect — tolerance. And if you pull back on the substance, you go into withdrawal. Tolerance and withdrawal constitute addiction. And make no mistake, sugar is addictive.”

The addictive nature of these over-consumed foods could certainly be having a profound effect on the growing obesity rate. While the American Medical Association would have you think the “disease” of obesity is one treatable with prescription drugs and even vaccines, they are missing the fact that simply changing the addictive cycle of today’s processed foods could ultimately help someone reach optimal health and “cure” their obesity.

There are several ways you can stop the addictive cycle. Of course, eliminating as much sugar and processed carbs as possible is a good start. But, adding black coffee (which can block opioid receptors) and exercise to your daily routine can help you fight the urges to indulge.

Originally Posted On: http://naturalsociety.com/brain-scans-reveal-addictive-nature-processed-foods/#ixzz2bHxfwouz 

Are American Babies Born Toxic?

A growing number of studies are finding hundreds of toxic chemicals in the bodies of mothers, and subsequently, in their babies after birth.

While there is no science that demonstrates a conclusive cause-and-effect relationship between chemicals children are born with and particular health problems, studies are finding associations between elevated levels of chemicals in a baby's body and their development.

Tuesday's hearing, called by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, will take place at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, New Jersey. Lautenberg has called for updating the federal regulations to require manufacturers to show chemicals are safe before introducing them on the market.

Other planned witnesses include Lisa Huguenin, a New Jersey mother of a child with autism and an immune system disorder; Dr. Steven Marcus, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System; and Dr. Frederica Perera, director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health.

Perera's center has been following hundreds of pregnant women over the past 12 years to measure chemicals entering the womb during pregnancy.

The women trudge through New York City for 48 hours wearing special backpacks, each with a long tube that is slung over the shoulder. The tube, resting inches below the pregnant mom's mouth, sucks air into a special filter, giving an approximate measurement of the air that she is breathing.

The backpack is designed to measure ambient toxics spewed by vehicles and pesticides, along with chemicals from common household products.

"It surprised me when we analyzed the air samples [from the backpacks] and found 100 percent of them had detectable levels of at least one pesticide and the air pollutants we were interested in," Perera, who also is a professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, told CNN earlier this year. "Every single one."

So far, the toxics measured in the backpacks match what scientists are finding in the cord blood of the babies once they are born. Small studies by other groups also are finding common household chemicals in babies.

"We've measured hundreds and hundreds of toxic chemicals in the blood of babies that are still in the womb," said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. "Flame retardants, the chemicals in consumer products like personal care products, makeup, shampoos. It's a very long list."

The organization's study found an average of 232 chemicals in the cord blood of 10 babies born in late 2009. They are chemicals found in a wide array of common household products, including shampoos and conditioners, cosmetics, plastics, shower curtains, mattresses, and electronics like computers and cell phones.

Perera and her colleagues are following the children in their study from the uterus, through birth, and up to their first several years of life. They recently published a study in the journal Pediatrics demonstrating an association between the chemicals they found in babies' cord blood and later problems on intelligence tests and development.

"Fifteen percent of children [in our study] have at least one developmental problem," Perera said.

The amount of chemicals measured in the cord blood of the babies seems to matter. The higher the concentration, the more the IQ among children seems to dip. The study is also being conducted among pregnant women in Poland and China, and finding similar results.

Gray still struggles with the idea that mercury from her blood may have been passed to her baby.

"There's plastics, there's mercury, there's pesticides," said Gray, who also is a practicing midwife. "The things that we're cleaning our homes with, the things we're building our houses with. I think the sheer volume of the things we have to worry about is a little overwhelming."

Even when her son, Paxton, now more than a year old, was born healthy, Gray and her husband remained vigilant. They steer clear of any products with potentially toxic chemicals.

"Knowing that he got these chemicals from my blood, it's really scary," Gray said, adding: "Paxton and all of our future generations are carrying around this burden that we don't know what it means yet. It's the huge sea of unknown."

Continue Reading: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/25/senate.toxic.america.hearing/index.html

100 percent of children are found to be exposed to excessive arsenic, dioxins and pesticides in latest study

A new study on dietary toxin exposure found that all the participating children exceeded the cancer benchmark levels for arsenic, dioxins, dieldrin, and DDE, while 95 percent of preschoolers exceeded the non-cancer benchmark for acrylamide. More worrying was that the cancer risk ratios were exceeded 100-fold for arsenic and dioxins.

Children and adults exceed cancer benchmark levels for six toxins
Researchers at the University of California, Davis recently carried out the first-ever study to consider dietary exposure to 11 toxins simultaneously, including acrylamide, arsenic, lead, mercury, dioxins and several banned pesticides (chlordane, DDE, dieldrin). The study's participants included 364 children aged two to seven, 446 parents of young children, and 149 older adults, all living in California. To assess exposure levels, researchers used food-frequency questionnaires along with toxin content datasets from the Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure levels were then compared with the "cancer benchmark" of each toxin, which is the exposure level that would generate one excess cancer per million people over a 70-year lifetime. Non-cancer benchmark levels were also considered, for health effects other than cancer.

The researchers found that average exposure levels of the children and adults exceeded cancer benchmark levels for arsenic, lead, dieldrin, DDE and dioxins, while the children also exceeded cancer-benchmark levels of chlordane. Both children and adults also exceeded the non-cancer benchmark foracrylamide exposure. Most worrying was that for each of these toxins, children showed greater exposure margins than adults. In fact, children exceeded the cancer benchmark levels 10-fold for DDE, nearly 100-fold for dieldrin, and over 100-fold for arsenic and dioxins. Researchers noted that children are most at risk from these toxins because they are still developing.

Health effects of the most prevalent toxins

Arsenic has been linked to liver, lung, kidney, and bladder cancers. Dieldrin is a banned insecticide suspected to cause cancer, Parkinson's disease and low birth weight. DDE is a metabolite of the banned pesticide DDT, and is known to damages cells' genetic material. Chlordane is also a banned pesticide and has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity and low birth weight. All of these toxins, and especially dioxins, are also suspected endocrine disruptors and may therefore also disturb the development of the children's immune, nervous and reproductive systems.

Top five food sources of each toxin for preschoolers

As a helpful guide, the researchers identified the top five food items responsible for exposure of preschoolers to each toxin:

Arsenic: poultry, cereal, salmon, tuna, mushrooms
DDE: dairy, potatoes, meat, freshwater fish, pizza
Dieldrin: dairy, meat, cucumber, cantaloupe, pizza
Chlordane: dairy, cucumber, meat, popcorn, potatoes
Dioxins: dairy, meat, potatoes, cereal, mushrooms
Acrylamide: crackers, fried potatoes, cereal, graham crackers, chips

Also, foods with the highest pesticide residues were (non-organic): tomatoes, peaches, apples, peppers, grapes, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, pears, green beans and celery.

What to do about it - Go organic and reduce animal product consumption

Based on their findings, the researchers in this study made several dietary recommendations for reducing exposure to the main toxins in the general population as follows:

Pesticides: switch to organic fruits, vegetables and dairy products
Acrylamide: reduce intake of chips, cereal, crackers and other processed carbohydrate foods
Persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals: reduce consumption of meat, fish, dairy

It's rare that the authors of a peer-reviewed journal article publicly recommend a switch to organic foods, but that's exactly what these researchers have done. Far from being just for snobs, organic products now appear to be a necessity for anyone wanting to protect themselves and their children from potentially dangerous levels of multiple toxins which now pervade our environment and food supply.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23140444
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10852831
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11068931

Originally Posted On:
http://www.naturalnews.com/041295_children_arsenic_exposure_toxins.html#ixzz2bC4ayGx1