Harmful Chemicals Found in Many Pregnant Women
December 7, 2009
Organic Consumers Association
The “Earliest Exposures” study, a research project conducted by Washington Toxics Coalition in collaboration with the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center and the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition found pregnant women’s bodies were polluted with chemicals found in consumer products. This first-of-its kind study investigated the living environment of nine fetuses through testing the blood and urine of the nine mothers taking part in the biomonitoring study. Tests measured the levels of five chemical groups, including phthalates, mercury, perfluorinated compounds or “Teflon chemicals,” bisphenol A (BPA), and the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A.
The women, all in their second trimester, were all found to have BPA, phthalates, mercury, and “Teflon chemicals” in their bodies. Cause for concern is that these toxic chemicals, known to disrupt development and hormonal systems cross the placenta and are absorbed by the fetus. They not only hinder fetal development, but the growing fetus has limited ability to detoxify these foreign substances.
Of the more than 80,000 chemicals found in consumer products today, only approximately 200 have been tested for safety since the inception of The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. Until more strict regulations govern the use of ingredients in consumer products, consumers can take an active role in lowering their toxic exposure. Start by purchasing Phthalate and BPA free products, switching from flame retardant clothing and bedding to organic, and substituting conventional body care for third-party certified organic body care.
Karen Ciesar, Founder and Formulator of Trillium Organics states, “I am sadly not surprised at these findings. The pervasiveness of petrochemicals in the modern world makes avoiding exposures a task which requires research and vigilance. Luckily, there are many non-profit organizations dedicated to informing consumers, some of my favorites are; SafeCosmetics.org (searchable database of cosmetic safety), Healthystuff.org (searchable database of family product safety), HealthychildHealthyworld.org, a comprehensive and informative site about environmental exposures, OrganicConsumers.org (an activist website about all issues surrounding Organic, food, personal care and fibers). It takes some time and effort to find safe products for your family, but every green purchasing choice you make increases your child’s chance at a healthy future in a greener world.”
Trillium Organics has recently been endorsed by the Organic Consumers’ Association as a “brand to trust” in their recent BUYcott campaign. Trillium Organics has been a leader in the movement for clean, safe personal care since 1994.
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Good for Your Body Study Connects Fiber With Biology
November 23, 2009
Natural News
By S.L. Baker
You probably know that getting enough fiber in your diet can keep constipation at bay and it can lower high cholesterol levels, too. Now Australian researchers have found another reason why the indigestible part of plant-based foods, known as roughage, is good for you — it plays an important role in keeping your immune system healthy and in preventing specific diseases.
When fiber moves through the digestive tract it remains mostly unchanged, working as a type of internal broom. Then, in the colon, bacteria interact with roughage. Fermentation takes place, producing compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which are known to help soothe ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory gut condition. Probiotics and prebiotics, beneficial bacteria found in kefir, yogurt and nutritional supplements, affect the healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been documented to help the symptoms of two other inflammatory diseases, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
But what is the connection between fiber, “good” intestinal bacteria and the healing of disorders marked by inflammation? In a study just published in the science journal Nature, Sydney-based scientists say they’ve found the answer to that question. They’ve discovered a mechanism that explains how a plant-based diet rich in fiber works with beneficial gut bacteria and the immune system to promote health and potentially prevent a host of diseases.
Kendle Maslowski, a PhD student, and Professor Charles Mackay from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, working in collaboration with the Co-operative Research Center for Asthma and Airways, have demonstrated that a molecule dubbed GPR43 expressed by immune cells and previously shown to bind SCFAs reduces inflammation. They found that mice lacking the GPR43 gene have increased, unresolved inflammation in their bodies because their immune cells can’t bind to and use SCFAs.
So how does this information translate into helping human health? “We’re now beginning to understand that from the moment you’re born, it’s incredibly important to be colonized by the right kinds of gut bacteria. The kinds of foods you eat directly determine the levels of certain bacteria in your gut,” Maslowski explained in a statement to the press. “Changing diets are changing the kinds of gut bacteria we have, as well as their by-products, particularly short-chain fatty acids. If we have low amounts of dietary fiber, then we’re going to have low levels of short chain fatty acids, which we have demonstrated are very important in the immune systems of mice.”
Professor Mackay pointed out in the press statement that the notion what you eat might have profound effects on immune responses and inflammatory diseases has never been taken seriously enough. “We believe that changes in diet, associated with western lifestyles, contribute to the increasing incidences of asthma, Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. Now we have a new molecular mechanism that might explain how diet is affecting our immune systems,” he stated.
The scientists conclude that their current research provides compelling reasons to eat a diet rich in unprocessed whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. “The role of nutrition and gut intestinal bacteria in immune responses is an exciting new topic in immunology, and recent findings including our own open up new possibilities to explore causes as well as new treatments for inflammatory diseases such as asthma,” said Professor Mackay.
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Popcorn a Hidden Source of Antioxidants, Study Says
August 19, 2009
ABC News
By Joseph Brownstein
Popcorn, the movie-accompanying favorite snack, can also be a good source of fiber and antioxidants, says a new study presented Tuesday.
In addition to the finding that cold, oat-based cereals provide the best source of morning milk-bowl-spoon-based antioxidants, the researchers found that popcorn provides more of the dietary fiber and antioxidants than any other snack food, according to findings presented at the meeting of the American Chemical Society.
“It’s a whole grain, people don’t think of it that way but it is,” said Keith-Thomas Ayoob, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in response to the study’s findings. “It’s a different form of corn, but it’s definitely a whole grain.”
Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and the study’s lead author, said there are a number of reasons for popcorn’s nutritional value.
“The more processed the grain is, you’re losing nutrients and antioxidants,” he said. “The closer you can get to the plant, the better off you are.”
In the case of popcorn, he explained, the antioxidants are protected from the sun in the drying process, and the corn loses only a little bit of them when it is popped. Additionally, through the whole process, the fiber provided by the whole grain is not removed.
“If you can air-pop your popcorn and then add a minimal amount of salt, you’d have the best popcorn,” Vinson said.
But while popcorn may have the potential to be a healthy addition to the diet, there are some obstacles.
“Eating plain popcorn is like eating cardboard, and therein lies the problem,” said Andrew F. Smith, author of “Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America.”
While popcorn could be healthy, he said, “It isn’t, because most of us, including myself, love salt, love butter, and love everything else about it. Most people don’t make it right.”
While he doesn’t feel popcorn presents a healthy snack option, Smith expressed disappointment that popcorn manufacturers haven’t created a healthy, yet tasty version of their snack.
“They haven’t done so. I wish they could. I like popcorn,” he said.
Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, confirmed Smith’s sentiments.
“The real issue with popcorn is what gets added to it, and frankly that’s often an issue with foods in the modern food supply,” he said. “If you add a lot of butter and salt to popcorn, it merely becomes the delivery vehicle for a lot of bad stuff.”
Problems in the Food Chain
“Whole grains are what you want to get from a snack or a cereal, so you’re looking for whole grains as the first ingredient,” Vinson said.
He noted, however, that the advisory doesn’t tend to match the reality on store shelves.
“We do consume what the government wants in terms of the amount of grains, but we’re only consuming a third of them as whole grains,” said Vinson.
He noted that of the grains people consume, at least half — and ideally all — should be whole grains. But for a product to be labeled “whole grain,” he said, a simple majority of the grains it contains need to be whole, not all of them.
When it comes to the nutrients themselves, he said, “They are somewhat removed when you refine grain.”
A similar problem to that of popcorn happens in tortilla chips.
“Tortilla chips, which are becoming very popular, that’s made with whole grain corn but it’s alkali-processed, so it destroys a lot of the antioxidants,” Vinson said.
Katz expressed some optimism that popcorn could be made to fit those standards.
“Like most other whole grains, it’s an excellent source of fiber, and fiber is typically deficient in the average American diet,” he said. “Essentially what you’re looking for … is either just popcorn that you can then lightly salt, or popcorn where the only additions to it are other healthy items. Some of the microwave popcorn has minimal additives to it. Lightly salted is fine.”
Katz said that a little olive or canola oil could also be added for taste.
Taking Back Snack Time
“One of the nice things about popcorn is that it’s a ‘fun food,’” said Katz, noting that it presents an enjoyable food that can also provide nutrition.
But both he and Ayoob noted that fruit — when served in a form where it is presented as finger food — can provide a healthier option.
“Any fresh fruit is going to trump most other things,” Ayoob said. “In the time it takes you to pop the popcorn in the microwave, you could also cut up some fruit instead.”
Ayoob noted that popcorn could also be used as a healthier snack because of its volume rather than just any nutrition it might provide.
“It’s one of those snacks that’s filling, and since it’s light … it’s going to take you a little longer to plow through seven and a half cups of popcorn,” he explained, referring to the volume provided by a bag of microwave popcorn from his desk.
“It’s got more fiber than most other snacks, and it’s going to take longer to eat. The time factor means you’re going to get full,” Ayoob said. “In the same time, you could consume a lot more calories in chips.”
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