12 Sneaky Ways Toxins Infiltrate Your Life
(DrEddyClinic News) It seems that everywhere you look today you can find a source for toxins—food, clothes, children’s toys…you get the idea. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, toxins can sneak past you, infiltrating your home http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32860 and body. It never hurts to arm yourself with a healthy dose of awareness and prevention, two components that can protect you and your family from unseen attackers.
12 Ways Toxins Can Sneak into Your Life
Toxins really are everywhere, and it is almost impossible to avoid them 100% of the time. Still, you can limit your exposure to harmful endocrine disruptors http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32639, not to mention a plethora of other compounds. Here are just 12 sneaky ways that toxins are infiltrating your life and what you can do about it.
1. In Your Bottled Water
In a collaborative study from Nanjing University in China and the University of Florida, scientists studied plastic water bottles exposed to varying temperatures over four weeks. In the bottles left at higher temperatures, like the temperature in a hot car, levels of BPA http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32616 and antimony increased. [1] Most of us have heard of BPA, a toxin that mimics estrogen and is thought to disrupt hormone balance, but antimony http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=34306 is also bad news, playing a role in lung, heart, and gastrointestinal diseases. [2]
2. In Your Pots and Pans
Sure, Teflon http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32859 is an amazingly convenient invention that saves time; however, there’s recent evidence suggesting exposure to C8, a chemical involved in the production of Teflon, could be responsible for medical issues like kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and ulcerative colitis. [3]
3. In Your Furniture
There’s probably more than you think lurking beneath the surface of your couch. Furniture that has been treated with flame retardants http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=32346 seems like a smart choice, but flame-retardant chemicals might be taking a toll on your health. These toxins have links to cancer, issues with fertility, and disruptions in sexual and neurological function. [4]
4. In Your Clothes
According to many toxicology reports, not even clothes are safe against toxin levels. In an October 2014 report from the Swedish Chemicals Agency, 2,400 substances were identified in clothing, with about 10% of that number posing a threat to humans and the environment. [5]
5. In Your Baby’s Food
Used in the production of some plastics, acrylamide http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33722 has been consistently linked to cancer. In 2013, worrisomely high levels of this toxin were found in certain UK baby foods. As if that weren’t enough, phthalates–linked to problems with reproductive development–have been appearing in unsafe levels in the diets of children two years and under. [6] Used to make plastic flexible, phthalates have been banned in the U.S. in the production of sippy cups, plastic plates, and other children’s products. So how then are they getting into your child’s food?
6. In Your Hand Soap
Triclosan is often used in soap for its antibacterial properties. Unfortunately, of the almost 1,500 tons that are produced worldwide each year, much of that will end up in our rivers and streams. The environmental impact alone is staggering, but there’s also a human concern, with strong research suggesting a link to liver cancer. [7] Fortunately, Minnesota has recently banned triclosan. Here’s hoping other states will follow suit.
7. In Your Children’s Toys
Remember phthalates? Well, that US ban only covers 6 of them, so this means toy manufacturers can simply use an unbanned one or, as all toys aren’t inspected, possibly even a banned one. A recent Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) study also found higher than the legal limits of lead and chromium in some toys. [8] There have been efforts to curb this problem, though. For example, the Albany county legislature in New York just introduced the Toxic-Free Toys Act, which would allow the county health commissioner to inspect all toys before sale. A small step, sure, but baby steps are better than none at all.
8. In Your Laundry
Many of those so-called convenient laundry “pods” are brightly colored, and that’s a big problem for kids. From 2012 to 2013, over 17,000 children under the age of 6 ate or inhaled the contents; some also squirted the liquid into their eyes. [9] In addition to accidental poisonings, those flame retardant chemicals used in your furniture are transferred to your clothing. Clothes are then washed, and over time, these flame-retardant chemicals are making their way into the water supply. [10]
9. In Your Party Decorations
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and Clean Water Action found elevated levels of toxins in costumes and party supplies. Over 106 items sold at national retailers were tested for chemicals with links to health concerns. Multiple issues were found; for example, one toddler costume had abnormally high levels of phthalates, tin, and lead.
10. In Your Phone, Tablet, and Computer
A recent Greenpeace study found that over 50% of technology use toxic substances like Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and Brominated flame retardants (BFRs). PVC is thought to pose a health risk, while long-term exposure to BFRs has been linked to kidney and brain damage.
11. In Your Household Cleaners
Quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, are still commonly used in commercial-grade cleaning products. They’re also used in some shampoos, disinfecting wipes, and nasal sprays. While no one has studied human toxicity, researchers from Virginia Tech and Washington State University looked at quats in breeding mice and suggested these toxins can also affect a woman’s reproductive health. [11]
12. In Your Shampoo, Lipstick, and Toothpaste http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=20559
Toxins might be hiding in your personal care items. I mentioned Triclosan earlier, but there are many other chemicals you wouldn’t want anywhere near your skin; some are even linked to cancer. [12] In addition to chemicals, you also have to deal with microbeads. These tiny plastic beads in your body wash are washing down the drain and into lakes and rivers. Once there, the beads won’t biodegrade, so they have nothing to do but collect. [13] Fish eat the toxic microbeads, you eat the fish, and your health suffers. Thankfully, some states are limiting the use of these beads, and many companies are even working on new formulas for their products.
Now that you know some of the sneaky ways toxins can infiltrate your life, what are you going to do about it? Maybe you use safe alternatives to toxic items, or know about something not mentioned here. Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
References:
1. Fan et al. Effects of storage temperature and duration on release of antimony and bisphenol A from polyethylene terephthalate drinking water bottles of China http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24907857. Environmental Pollution 192, 113–120.
2. Cooper, R. G., & Harrison, A. P. The exposure to and health effects of antimony http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20165605. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 13(1), 3–10. doi:10.4103/0019-5278.50716.
3. Steenland, Kyle, Fletcher, Tony, & Savitz, D. Epidemiologic Evidence on the Health Effects of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20423814. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(8), 1100-1108.
4. Blum, Arlene. Flame-Retardant Additives as Possible Cancer Hazards http://www.sciencemag.org/content/195/4273/17.extract. Science 195, 17.
5. Luongo, G., Thorsén, G., & Östman, C. Quinolines in clothing textiles—a source of human exposure and wastewater pollution? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24604325 Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, 406(12), 2747-2756.
6. Serrano, S. E., Braun, J., Trasande, L., Dills, R., & Sathyanarayana, S. Phthalates and diet: a review of the food monitoring and epidemiology data http://www.ehjournal.net/content/13/1/43. Environmental Health, 13, 43li>
7. Dinwiddie, M., Terry, P. & Chen, J. Recent Evidence Regarding Triclosan and Cancer Risk http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945593/. International Journal of Environmental Responsibility and Public Health. 11(2), 2209-2217; doi:10.3390/ijerph110202209.
8. US Public Interest Research Group. Trouble in Toyland http://www.uspirg.org/reports/usf/trouble-toyland-2014. 2013.
9. Valdez, Amanda et al. Pediatric Exposure to Laundry Detergent Pods http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/11/05/peds.2014-0057.abstract. PEDIATRICS. 134(6). 1127-1135.
10. Schreder, E. Flame Retardant Transfers from U.S. Households (Dust and Laundry Wastewater) to the Aquatic Environment http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es502227h. Environmental Science and Technology. 48 (19). 11575–11583.
11. Melin, Vanessa et al. Exposure to common quaternary ammonium disinfectants decreases fertility in mice http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623814001920. Reproductive Toxicology. 50. 163-170.
12. Daughton, C. G., & Ternes, T. A. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566206/ Environmental Health Perspectives, 107(Suppl 6), 907–938.
13. Koelmans A. Plastics in the marine environment http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22610295. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry,33(5). doi: 10.1002/etc.2426.
Man contracts HIV while on HIV protection drug that's supposed to be over 90 percent effective
by: David Gutierrez
HIV infections, superbug, drug resistance
(DrEddyClinic News) In the first case of its kind, a man has contracted HIV even while taking the HIV-prevention drug Truvada, according to doctors from the Maple Leaf Medical Clinic in Toronto. The research was presented at the 2016 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston.
Truvada is marketed as more than 90 percent effective at preventing HIV infection if taken daily; studies suggest that the true effectiveness is higher than 99 percent, even when taken only four times a week.
The drug failed, not because it was intrinsically defective, but because the man in question was exposed to a new, multi-drug-resistant form of HIV http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=32380.
"It is an example that demonstrates that PrEP [Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ... ] can sometimes be ineffective in the face of drug resistant virus, in the same way that treatment itself can sometimes be ineffective in the face of drug resistant virus," researcher Richard Harrigan said.
No guarantees
The infection occurred in a 43-year-old man who had been taking Truvada for 24 months. The timing of his contracting HIV could be pinpointed with a high degree of accuracy, because he tested positive for p24 antigen (which appears three weeks after HIV infection but vanishes within a few weeks), but negative for HIV http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=50 antibodies (which appear within two to eight weeks).
Pharmacy records showed that he had always refilled his prescription on schedule, while blood tests taken after his positive HIV tests confirmed adequate adherence to the drug regimen over the prior one to two months, the time period in which he had become infected.
"This person claims he was taking PrEP every day and I believe him," said Robert M. Grant, of the University of California-San Francisco, who led the first study to show PrEP's effectiveness in men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender women.
One of the major takeaways of the case, researchers suggest, is that there is no such thing as a 100 percent guarantee.
"After 32 years of experience with HIV research, I have learned never to say 'never'," Grant said.
Are HIV superbugs on the horizon?
The most disturbing implications of the case may not be about the effectiveness of Truvada per se, but the future of the HIV virus and AIDS. That's because this is also the first known case of multi-drug-resistant HIV http://www.superbugs.news/.
Truvada consists of a cocktail of two drugs that are also used to treat HIV: tenofovir and emtricitabine. Tenofovir is the most widely used anti-retroviral drug in the world, and as a consequence, the prevalence of tenofovir-resistant HIV is increasing. Emtricitabine resistance, however, is less common, and infection with multi-drug-resistant HIV was previously unknown.
"I think we would assume that the efficacy of PrEP would be lower if there is exposure to virus which is resistant to either drug http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=65, and lowered further if there is exposure to virus resistant to both drugs," Harrigan said.
The man in question is now undergoing treatment with other anti-HIV drugs, and has a fully suppressed viral load. But his case raises the frightening specter of HIV "superbugs," evolved to resist most or all of the most effective anti-retroviral drugs. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are already a major global health problem, and multi-drug-resistant malaria is also rearing its head.
The problem is that, unlike with antibiotics – which are grossly over-prescribed, are used to promote growth in healthy livestock, and have many natural http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=16 alternatives – there are no simple changes to prescribing practices that could slow the evolution of drug-resistant HIV.
What will the implication be for global health if we return to the days when HIV was nearly impossible to treat?
Sources for this article include:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/29/11136624/man-taking-truvada-contracts-hiv
https://www.datalounge.com/thread/16524969-prep-fails-in-gay-man-adhering-to-daily-truvada
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/02/gay-man-adhering-to-daily-truvada-contracts-drug-resistant-hiv/
http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34789
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=32380
High brain cancer rates among children spurred four moms to create first ever pesticide-free community in Southern California
by: Daniel Barker
brain cancer, pesticide ban, Irvine California
(DrEddyClinic News) The efforts of four Southern Californian moms have succeeded in transforming the city of Irvine into the region's first pesticide-free community http://www.pesticide.news/, proving that grassroots-level activism can accomplish more in protecting children from exposure to deadly toxins than relying on state and federal regulators to do so.
When Laurie Thompson's 2-year-old daughter Caelin was diagnosed with brain cancer, Laurie began hearing about other similar cases in the community. In fact, there were 16 cases of cancer reported among Irvine children between the ages of 1 and 15 – many of whom had developed brain cancer – leading Thompson to begin wondering whether there might be an environmental cause.
Thompson was particularly concerned about the spraying of pesticides in the community, including glyphosate – the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller – and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), which was one of the main ingredients in the notorious Vietnam-era defoliant, Agent Orange.
Glyphosate, the most widely-used herbicide in the history of the world, has been labeled by the World Health Organization as being "likely carcinogenic," and has been linked to a number of other illnesses, including birth defects, diabetes, liver disease and obesity, to name a few.
Exposure to 2,4-D has also been linked to cancer, infertility and birth defects. 2,4-D is also an endocrine-disruptor, which means that it can "mimic or inhibit" the body's hormones, leading to thyroid disorders and other hormonal imbalances.
The inception of Non Toxic Irvine
Thompson soon learned that she wasn't the only Irvine mom with concerns about pesticide use in the community. (Note: although glyphosate and 2,4-D are technically considered herbicides, they fall under the general classification of pesticides, which includes both herbicides and insecticides).
Irvine resident Ayn Craciun, who suffered a miscarriage 11 weeks into her pregnancy, was also concerned about the spraying of pesticides in the community, and suspected that they might have caused her to lose her baby.
Two other concerned Irvine moms, Kathleen Hallal and Kim Konte, joined forces with Craciun and Thompson to create Non Toxic Irvine, an organization whose intent was to make Irvine the first pesticide-free city in Orange County.
Non Toxic Irvine enlisted a team of scientific advisers, including several doctors, professors and other experts, and began a successful campaign to inform the public about the dangers of pesticide http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=34730 use and the fact that there are no "safe" levels for toxic chemicals.
The campaign resulted in the eventual ban on the use of all pesticides in Irvine.
From OC Weekly:
"The City Council voted 5-0 to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides, making Irvine not only the first city in Orange County to eliminate these chemicals from the landscaping plan, but also the first city in all of Southern California to adopt an organic, integrated pest-management program, which eliminates the use of synthetic pesticides, such as Roundup and 2,4 D, under all circumstances and incorporates manual removal, weed whacking and, if necessary, the use of organic pesticides as a means for weed abatement."
The importance of grassroots activism and independent research
The victory in Irvine illustrates the potential of grassroots activism to bring about positive change on the local level, but it also calls attention to the serious issue of pesticide use and the associated health hazards in nearly all communities.
Pesticide residues are among the many dangerous toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis. To learn more about the toxins lurking in our food supply, for instance, be sure to purchase a copy of Food Forensics http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=35851, the new book by Health Ranger Mike Adams, founder/editor of Natural News.
In Food Forensics, you'll find out just how much poison is present in many of the foods we buy – even those labeled as organic – and how to minimize your exposure to these dangerous chemicals and heavy metals.
The bottom line is that we cannot rely on the government and its regulatory agencies to inform and protect us against exposure to toxins. We must rely on the independent efforts of people like the Health Ranger to uncover the truth, and we must organize at the local level to bring about change, as the four Irvine moms have proven is entirely possible.
Sources:
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/how-irvine-became-socals-first-non-toxic-city-7317638
http://www.ecowatch.com/15-health-problems-linked-to-monsantos-roundup-1882002128.html
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/24-d-most-dangerous-pesticide-youve-never-heard
http://vtpp.ext.vt.edu/faq/consumer-questions/are-herbicides-weed-killers-considered-pesticides
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=35851
Top 4 reasons not to eat chemical-loaded processed meat
by: Julie Wilson
processed meat, ammonia, antibiotics
(DrEddyClinic News) Avoiding chemical-loaded processed meats can be one of the most important dietary staples in terms of maintaining long-term good health. Most commercially processed meats, including beef, chicken, pork and turkey, contain countless adulterations, making regular consumption extremely risky for your health.
A diet high in processed meats has even been linked to early death, causing cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a study that followed half a million people from 10 European countries for nearly 13 years.
According to the study, those who ate processed meat were also more likely to smoke, be obese and exhibit other risky behavioral factors known to damage health. "[E]ven after those risk factors were accounted for, processed meat still damaged health," reports http://www.bbc.com/news/health-21682779 BBC News.
"One in every 17 people followed in the study died. However, those eating more than 160g of processed meat a day - roughly two sausages and a slice of bacon - were 44% more likely to die over a typical follow-up time of 12.7 years than those eating about 20g," according to BBC.
"In total, nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems." Scientists say that if everyone in the study ate less than 20g of processed meat a day, 3 percent of the premature deaths could have been prevented.
In general, there are many reasons not to consume commercially processed meat. This article breaks down the top four reasons you should eliminate this food entirely from your diet.
1. Ammonia-injected beef destroys healthy cells
Dubbed "pink slime," ammonia-treated beef has been in use for more than 40 years. Commonly known as the primary ingredient in many cleaning products, ammonia http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=36134 is used to "sterilize" meat susceptible to contamination. Ammonium hydroxide, or ammonia mixed with water, is meant to remove pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella; however, its Material Data Safety Sheet classifies it as "Very hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive, irritant, permeator), of eye contact (irritant) [and] of ingestion."
Prolonged exposure to ammonium hydroxide can produce tissue damage on mucous membranes, negatively effecting human organs, as reported http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=27927 by DrEddyClinic News.
"Although ammonium and ammonia are essential to proper kidney function and maintaining an acid-base balance within the body, chronic high levels of the chemical can ruin delicate blood vessels and cause harm on the cellular level."
2. Nitrates and nitrites
Added to meat http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=34685 in order to extend shelf life, nitrates and nitrites wreck havoc on the human body after digestion. Nitrosamines, most of which are carcinogenic, are produced when nitrites and amines combine in the acidity of the human stomach. Nitrosamines have been linked to gastric, bladder and esophageal cancer.
3. Growth hormones
Two-thirds of cattle in the U.S. are pumped full of hormones, allowing the animal's weight to increase by 3 percent, generating more profit for the beef industry. However, consuming hormone-treated beef can have some disturbing health effects for humans, including causing young girls to enter puberty much sooner than normal and making them more prone to developing breast cancer.
The age of onset of menstruation has steadily decreased in recent decades, with 12 1/2 being the average for a first period, compared to 14 in 1990, according https://www.organicconsumers.org/old_articles/Toxic/hormoncancer.php to OrganicConsumers.org. "Early onset of puberty with its raging hormones translates into higher risk of breast cancer," said Carlos Sonnenschein of the Tufts University School of Medicine at Boston.
4. Human antibiotics given to livestock
Sub-therapeutic doses of human antibiotics http://dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=34801, like tetracycline, are given to animals to make them gain weight, a practice that's contributing to deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "The problem for humans is that if a person ingests the resistant bacteria via improperly cooked meat and becomes ill, he or she may not respond to antibiotic treatment," according http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html to microbiologist Dr. Glenn Morris, as reported by PBS.
The overuse of antibiotics in livestock is so controversial that entire nations have banned their use, including Canada and those of the European Union. The World Health Organization strongly urges efforts to "terminate or rapidly phase out antimicrobials for growth promotion if they are used for human treatment."
Additional sources:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35729
http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/background-nitrosamines
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=27927
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/04/us-food-ammonia-idUSBRE8331B420120404
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-21682779
https://www.organicconsumers.org/old_articles/Toxic/hormoncancer.php
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922918&ei=ZQKKVKmdAYb9yQS1nYLQDA&usg=AFQjCNEryk5AweUzuweUYyKuuRXnK33nsw&bvm=bv.81456516,d.aWw&cad=rja(PDF)
