Crazy report… although Reuters is not a source I consider a reference for medical knowledge… but from this report along with what I have researched about environmental toxicity and the effect it has on the human body it was a topic worth mentioning.
The original article was titled “Unborn Babies Soaked in Chemicals, Survey Finds” written by Maggie Fox on Thursday, July 14th 2005. The words that grabs peoples attention are: “Washington – Unborn U.S. babies are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report to be released Thursday.”
This was article was some time ago.. but WOW! In a world where there is an actual debate in congress on whether climate change exists and some questioning if humans as a whole are causing environmental problems as a result of pollution and over-consumption of a finite amount of resources; this takes the cake. Since when did survival and our planets health become a partisan issue? Because it requires money to study? Absolutely ridiculous… anyone that does not believe that due to the limited supply or resources such as oil, and exponential population growth is causing our world and the people within it to suffer is completely out of touch with reality. I am not going to discuss the politics, but I will discuss the dangerous and absurd consequences we as humans have created for future generations.
“The report by the Environmental Working Group is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical cord blood taken by the American Red Cross. They found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA.”
“Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests,” the report said. “Blood tests did not show how the chemicals got into the mothers’ bodies.”
That is ridiculous… its absolutely mind blowing… These kids aren’t even out of the womb yet and they are being bombarded with chemicals that are causing possible long term detrimental diseases. No wonder there has been a spike of those children afflicted with disorders such as autism, ADD (“the real kind),” inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and although diabetes is mostly how they are raised by their family nutritionally there are strong genetic and general body health issues that play a role into this. It can be acknowledged that we are sending these kids into the world with a handicap in the game of life.
Among the chemicals found in the cord blood were methylmercury, produced by coal-fired power plants and certain industrial processes. People can breathe it in or eat it in seafood and it causes brain and nerve damage in large amounts. “Today, chemicals are being used to make baby bottles, food packaging and other products that have never been fully evaluated for their health effects on children – and some of these chemicals are turning up in our blood,” said New Jersey Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who plans to co-sponsor a bill to require more testing of toxic chemicals. Way to go Frank! Living in the Tri-State area, I can attest to never planning on eating any fish caught from this part of the Atlantic. Add onto that that testing the water in “upscale” neighborhoods in Long Island revealed trace amounts of antibiotics, hormones (Most likely from birth control pills), Viagra, and a slew of other chemicals that adults should not be consuming regularly let alone a child!
The same group analyzed the breast milk of mothers across the United States in 2003 and found varying levels of chemicals, including flame retardants known as PBDEs. What the mother ingests will be passed onto the fetus and child during feeding. It is safe to say that even without long term studies to back up allegations of the effects of toxicity on the body, no amount of toxins is a safe amount of toxins. People tend to forget that many toxins are also cumulative, meaning they build up within your body as time goes on, eventually leading to serious pathological disease. Those who are looking to lose weight, sleep better, decrease stress, increase muscle mass, strengthening they’re immune system, and improving blood markers are starting off on an unbalanced playing field when in such a toxic environment.
The worst toxins fall into a category of “metabolic disruptor’s,” one of the most commonly found food disruptor is MSG (Monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and autolyzed yeast extract) which causes havoc in the body and ultimately unbalancing a sensitive energy cycle in the body such as the Kreb’s cycle which is responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP in our bodies. One of the common methods to combat these metabolic disruptor’s and/or free radicals is the consumption of foods containing a large amount of anti-oxidants. This is not enough, but a great place to start. The top ten whole foods that have the most anti-oxidant punch are: All berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, etc…), broccoli, tomatoes, red grapes, garlic, spinach, herbal tea (Green tea), carrots, Legumes (Red beans, pinto, black, etc…), artichokes, and apples. These foods contain the most TAC (Total Anti-oxidant Capacity).
You cannot lose weight, gain lean muscle mass, increase energy, aid digestion, or any other bodily process if your organs are not functioning correctly. Toxins have been medically proven to decrease the ability of your body organs to achieve optimal function. A good example would be an adrenal gland that has been overloaded by toxins and stress; if the adrenals do not function correctly then you will not effectively produce catecholamines, cortisol, and effect the production of other important hormones indirectly such as estrogen and testosterone. This is a prime example how something as simple as the water you are drinking and the food you are consuming can have disastrous end results if you are not careful about making sure what the product contains.
If you want to learn more about detoxification and how to make sure you know how to choose foods properly and avoid subjecting your body to our toxic environment more then it needs to be, contact me via email or click here. Remember, you cannot win every battle but learn to pick which ones are most important and you will see a difference in your overall health
Dr. Gordon
Filed under: Current Events on Nutrition, New York, Brooklyn, Decrease Toxicity, Detoxification, Metabolic Disruptor, New York, Nutrition, Nutrition and Wellness, Weightloss
