Monsanto GMO foods are causing symptoms like allergies, asthma, weight problems, serious digestive disorders, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and anxiety. By just eliminating all GMO foods some of these issues to responded.

I somehow feel that in the future we will need community gardens or some way to affordable get real food for people again. Just look at Mark Hyman’s wildly successful weight loss and improved glucose control etc. in people if they stop all wheat and dairy.

Now, in addition, Russell Blaylock’s current news letter reports that dairy, particularly skim milk, is the biggest risk factor for prostate cancer. What have we done to our food supply?

Sincerely,

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

From: David Ponsonby
http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/dramatic-health-recoveries-reported/

Dramatic Health Recoveries Reported By Patients Who Took Their Doctor’s Advice and Stopped Using GMO Foods
by Jeffrey M. Smith

Are genetically modified (GM) foods making you sick – I mean really sick? Up until recently, all that we could say was thank goodness you’re not a lab rat; GM feed messes them up big time. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) appear to trigger the immune systems of both mice and rats as if they were under attack. In addition, the gastrointestinal system is adversely affected, animals age more quickly, and vital organs are damaged.

link: http://www.medicationsense.com/fluoroquinolone.html 

Excerpt:

Levaquin and Cipro Reactions

In 2001, Dr. Jay S. Cohen published a ground-breaking article* on the severe and often disabling reactions some people sustained while taking Levaquin, Cipro, or another FQ antibiotic. Dr. Cohen says, “It is difficult to describe the severity of these reactions. They are devastating. Many of the people in my study were healthy before their reactions. Some were high intensity athletes. Suddenly they were disabled, in terrible pain, unable to work, walk, or sleep.” 
The 45 subjects in Dr. Cohen’s study reported the following side effects*.

Peripheral Nervous System

: Tingling, numbness, prickling, burning pain, pins/needles sensation, electrical or shooting pain, skin crawling, sensation, hyperesthesia, hypoesthesia, allodynia (sensitivity to touch), numbness, weakness, twitching, tremors, spasms.

Central Nervous System:

 

Dizziness, malaise, weakness, impaired coordination, nightmares, insomnia, headaches, agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, impaired concentration or memory, confusion, depersonalization, hallucinations, psychoses.

Excerpt:

Results: Five patients (all women), aged 22-44 years, were identified 
for inclusion in this study. These patients developed symptoms of 
fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, orthostatic palpitations and either near 
syncope or frank syncope. The debilitating nature of these symptoms had 
resulted in lost of the employment or inability to attend school. Three 
patients were also suffering from migraine, two from anxiety and 
depression and one from hypertension. All patients demonstrated a good 
response to the employed treatment. Four of the five were able to engage 
in their activities of daily living and either resumed employment or 
returned to school.

Conclusions: In an appropriate clinical setting, evaluation for POTS in 
patients suffering from post LD syndrome may lead to early recognition 
and treatment, with subsequent improvement in symptoms of orthostatic 
intolerance. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 1: 63-66).

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Article:

“Think differently! We must correct the underlying problems that cause our illnesses.
Only by doing so, will our bodies correct themselves and return to optimal health.”
Simon Yu, M.D.

Weaving Internal Medicine with Alternative Medicine to Use the Best Each Has to Offer

Prevention and Healing clinic integrates traditional internal medicine with Alternative and Complementary medicine for the management of chronic illness when conventional approaches alone have failed.

“My Doctor said everything is fine! Then why do I feel so bad?”

New environments bring new health problems. Conventional medical treatments never deal with the reasons why illnesses exist. They frequently create new health problems as side effects in their attempts to treat symptoms.

Modern medicine has been very successful in dealing with many serious infectious diseases and acute medical problems, but now we are facing greater challenges.

We are dealing with chronic illnesses based on their symptoms such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Allergies, Hypoglycemia, Anxiety, Depression, Irritability, Attention Deficit and Memory Loss, and later diagnosed with Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and many others.

If you’re suffering from a chronic and incurable disease, have been diagnosed with “medically unexplained symptoms (MUS)” and labeled as a weird, difficult or extreme patient, there is hope for you. Think outside of MUS head! Your medical problems may not be what you think or what you have been told or diagnosed.

Think hidden parasite infection, food allergies, environmental toxicities from heavy metals and chemical exposures, dental infection, diet and nutrition, unresolved emotional conflict and the need for detoxifications. Accidental Cure, the book, will explain my approach to an individualized evaluation based on your unique biological terrain, bio-cybernetic matrix, and bio-energetic, acupuncture meridian assessment.

You may go to my web site for numerous articles. To be informed of the book’s release, you can sign up for my newsletter through my web site. You’ll be able to purchase the book from my web site or from www.AccidentalCure.com in the spring of 2010. Beware and be warned! To some, this book will seem like it’s just full of crock pot ideas on alternative/complementary medicine. To others, it feels like a sigh of relief, an accidental discovery of an oasis in a desert.

Dr. Simon Yu, M.D. is a Board Certified Internist. He practices Internal Medicine with an emphasis on Alternative Medicine to use the best each has to offer. For more articles and information about alternative medicine as well as patient success stories visit his web site at www.PreventionAndHealing.com or call Prevention and Healing, Inc.,  314-432-7802  314-432-7802 . You can also attend a free monthly presentation and discussion by Dr. Yu on Alternative Medicine at his office on the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 pm. Please call to verify the date and reserve your space.
Simon Yu, M.D.

Prevention and Healing, Inc.
10908 Schuetz Road
St. Louis, MO 63146
314-432-7802  314-432-7802
www.preventionandhealing.com

  Lethal and toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide, benzene, and methalene chloride are floating in the air over the oil spill. There’s a very high probability that residents exposed to the air surrounding the spill will suffer a direct hit to their health status such as debilitating diseases or various birth deformities and cancer as a long-term result. But first what these people will see is flu-like symptoms, which, like in the flu, are symptoms of intolerable amounts of foreign toxins, chemicals and heavy metals in the tissues dumping into the bloodstream.
 
     Even a small amount of benzene exposure can cause temporary nervous system disorders, immune system depression and anemia. Short-term affects include skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, headache, stomach irritation, drowsiness and dizziness. High levels of exposure can result in a rapid heart rate, excessive bleeding, tremors, vomiting, unconsciousness and death. Benzene can cause harmful effects on bone marrow and a decrease in red blood cells leading to myelofibrosis and myelodysplastic syndrome.
 
     That’s how it starts. Chemical exposure symptoms feel like a flu. Professor I.M. Trakhtenberg of Russia gives us a big hint when he says, “Chronic mercury exposure is also a threat to our health and makes us especially vulnerable to flu infections. It has been shown that “prolongedexposure of mammals (white mice) to low mercury concentrations (0.008 – 0.02mg/m3) leads to a significant increase in the susceptibility of mice topathological influenza virus strains.” For contemporary medicine to respond in an appropriate and humane way to the oil disaster it will have to leap out of the quagmire of its present paradigm an into one that understands the ‘terrain’ of human physiology and how that terrain is being overrun by chemical toxicity and heavy metals. WE DO NOT NEED TO BE ATTACKED BY AN INFLUENZA VIRUS STRAIN TO GET THE FLU. When we are attacked with nasty chemicals we are as likely to get the flu as when we are run over by viruses, which are more potent at driving health officials mad as at causing pandemics.
 
     “Blood elements such as WBCs, RBCs, hemoglobin, and bone marrow are adversely affected. With tissue proteins there is alteration of biological properties and protein synthesis. Enzyme; hormone; and endocrine functions of pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, ovaries, and testes are altered. There are pathological effects on the heart, liver, immune system, central nervous system, lungs, kidneys, and spleen.” continues Dr. Trakhtenberg.
 
     Thiol poisons react with SH groups of proteins, which leads to lowering the activity of various enzymes containing these proteins. This produces a series of disruptionsin the functional activity of many organs and tissues and this is the mechanism and pathological pathway of poisons that run us right into the ground. A toxic storm is gathering in the Gulf of Mexico and it contains devastating chemicals that can and will poison and destroy proteins with sulfur bonds.
 
Associated Illnesses
 
     According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, between 175,000 and 210,000 – or about 25 percent – of the living veterans of the 1991 Gulf War are currently afflicted by a debilitating, chronic, multi-symptom, multi-system disease commonly known as Gulf War Illness or Gulf War Syndrome. The Environmental Illness Resource , (http://imva.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25b08cc8b5ebaf472984d04d0&id=f7a015aaa4&e=a053e43583) tells us that more than 110,000 cases had been reported by 1999, according to official government sources. There is even a report relating to military personnel in Kansas developing flu-like symptoms and chemical sensitivities after handling archived documents returned from the Gulf. In the UK, veterans of the 2003 conflict began reporting symptoms identical to those reported by the first war shortly after they returned from duty.
 
     The symptoms reported by veterans include:
 
Fatigue
Persistent Headaches
Muscle Aches/Pains
Neurological Symptoms, e.g. tingling and numbness in limbs
Cognitive Dysfunction – short-term memory loss, poor concentration, inability to take in information
Mood and Sleep Disturbances – Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia
Dermatological Symptoms – Skin Rashes, Unusual Hair Loss
Respiratory Symptoms – Persistent Coughing, Bronchitis, Asthma
Chemical Sensitivities
Gastrointestinal Symptoms – Diarrhea, Constipation, Nausea, Bloating
Cardiovascular Symptoms
Menstrual Symptoms
 
     These symptoms are similar to those attributed to chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities and other environmental illnesses. This similarity hasn’t gone unnoticed, which is why many people, including healthcare professionals and researchers, are coming to the conclusion that all these illnesses share common causes and etiologies. Gulf War vets have developed ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, at twice the rate of vets who did not serve in the Gulf War. Some veterans returned seemingly well, yet developed severe illnesses months or years later. The lag time between cause and effect makes understanding these illnesses more difficult.
 
     Coalition troops were constantly exposed to chemicals (and vaccines) whose use is considered safe by people and organizations that do not know a safe substance from a dangerous one. The retreating Iraqi army ignited approximately 600 oil wells in February 1991, which burned for about nine months. These fires produced massive amounts of thick smoke that sometimes drifted to ground level causing increased exposure to ground troops. When this occurred the air pollution was far greater than would be experienced in the average traffic congested western city.
 
     Questionnaires filled in by US troops indicated higher rates of eye and upper respiratory tract irritation, shortness of breath, cough, rashes, and fatigue than unexposed troops. The smoke from oil well fires contained a cocktail of chemicals, notably benzene, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide as well as quantities of particulate matter.
 
Read The Full Article
Mark Sircus Ac., OMD
Director International Medical Veritas Association
http://publications.imva.info
http://blog.imva.info
 

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

From: John Cannell, M.D.
The Vitamin D Newsletter
January 30, 2010.

Dear Dr. Cannell:
At age 2.5 years, between December 2007 and January 2008, my son experienced a fairly dramatic onset of symptoms that led to his diagnosis of autism. His symptoms (many of which we did not even know the terminology for at the time they first occurred) included:
–The inability to sleep at night, we would put him to bed at 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. following his normal bedtime routine
–Development of anxiety and refusal to leave the house even to do preferred activities
–Obsessive-repetitive questions and monologuing/run-on speech
–Sensory issues (refusal to wear jeans or any fabrics other than fleece, screaming hysterically at bath time, complaining and covering eyes in sunlight, covering ears for everyday noises that had not bothered him before (toilets flushing, pulling pots and pans from cupboards, etc.)
–Toe-walking
–Flapping and self-stimulating behaviors (repeatedly tapping his cheeks and eyes with all ten fingers, continually twisting up his fingers in pretzel-like configurations, holding objects in his peripheral range of vision and straining to see them from the corner of his eyes)
–Development of an unusual pattern of stuttering/vocal tic at the end of words,he would repeat the last sound/syllable,”I don’t want to go to the store-or-or-or-or-or-or. It won’t be fun-n-n-n-n-n-n-n.” He would make sounds even in his sleep “n-n-n-n-n-n” or “s-s-s-s-s-s-s”
–Loss of muscle tone (stopped walking up and down stairs and began crawling/sliding instead, decline in balance and motor skills)
–loss of handedness (began switching left to right hand, after seeming predominantly left-handed)
–Marked increase in hyperactivity
–Frequent spacing out/unresponsive episodes

Our son and his twin sister were born at 36 weeks, 5 days on March 17, 2005 after four months of bed-rest. As early as their 8 week appointment, I mentioned to our pediatrician that we had concerns about our son’s eye contact and social responsiveness (in comparison to his sister). I felt that I was having more difficulty bonding with him. We were told “don’t worry, but don’t wait” and were referred to our state’s Early On intervention program. At the end of June a physical therapist and speech pathologist from our intermediate school district came to our home to evaluate our then 3 month old son and told me that he was doing just fine and that I was worrying too much. I agreed that by the time they saw him he had begun smiling and making better eye contact.
We didn’t worry again about our son until fall 2006. He had walked just before his first birthday, but by 18 months+ he still seemed clumsy and prone to falling compared to his sister. We took him back to the intermediate school district for evaluation and were told that all of his development seemed to be in the normal range and that we shouldn’t worry. We were advised that we could take him to music and gym classes to work on his coordination and told that we could pay for private physical therapy if we elected. We followed all of the recommendations.

For a year, we didn’t notice any other changes until the sudden onset of symptoms listed above when he was 2.5 years. With the sudden onset of symptoms above, we took our son to see a number of specialists during the winter of 2008 including a neurologist (who diagnosed him with Asperger Syndrome), a psychologist (who diagnosed with autism), and a second psychologist who specialized in the treatment of autism (who diagnosed him with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not-Otherwise-Specified). All three diagnoses are on the autism spectrum. He also began seeing an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a behavioral specialist, and a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctor for dietary interventions. We saw a dramatic improvement by April/May of that year. Nearly all the symptoms on the list above had resolved. We assumed the improvements were due to diet but he started to go into the sun around that time. Our son slept well and spent many peaceful, happy and anxiety-free months during the spring and summer after turning three.

In mid-November 2008, I sent the following e-mail to the DAN doctor who had been helping us with our son.

“You saw our son Jonathan Switzer a few times regarding his autism diagnosis and diet issues, etc. He had a regressive period last winter from about December through April when his autism was diagnosed, then did pretty well all summer. Nursery school started off okay, too, but now he seems to be having another regression. 

Main symptoms:
–Great difficulty getting to sleep (fidgets for 2 plus hours most nights while he had been falling asleep easily for several months prior to that)
–Marked increase in anxiety (again refusing to leave the house even to do things he loves, frequently shaking/clenching and telling us “I’m scared)
–Onset of OCD-like behaviors (afraid to get hands dirty, get extremely upset if he gets even tiny drips of water on himself)
–Increase in self-stimulatory behaviors (flapping, fidgeting, noise-making)
–Frequent crying jags and telling us he’s just giving up on everything

We have had other parents tell us that their kids on the spectrum have a worsening of symptoms during the winter months and we feel like we are observing this same pattern. We’ve done some reading about light therapy for depression/anxiety and to help correct disturbed sleep patterns and would like to give it a try for Jonathan.

Wondering if you have ever prescribed a light therapy box for pediatric patients before. Our insurance told us they will cover it with a diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I don’t even know if that is something that can be diagnosed in children. Guess we’re willing to try anything at this point. Do you know much about this type of therapy?”
Neither the DAN Doctor nor our pediatrician would write a prescription for a therapy light, so we purchased one on our own and found it made no discernible impact on his symptoms.
By December, our son’s symptoms had worsened further and we decided to put him in a very expensive and intensive autism treatment program through our local hospital. He made slow progress during his participation in the program from January through April. He was also involved in speech and occupational therapy during the winter months. At his IEPC meeting at school in March, we were encouraged to put him in the district’s program for children with developmental delays. We instead elected to register him for regular pre-school for the following year.

During that winter, I was crying to some friends about my son and describing his seemingly seasonal pattern of symptoms. We had just seen a second neurologist searching for help, and I was extremely frustrated when, after listening to my son’s symptoms and history, he told me bluntly, “There is nothing seasonal about autism,” then suggested that we put our son on an anti-depressant. We refused the medication. One of the friends I was crying to is a research librarian and the other is a medical researcher. After our conversation, they located and e-mailed me a few journal articles they thought might help, one of the articles was by Dr. Cannell and discussed his vitamin D theory of autism. Reading the article was one of those “Aha!” moments and I felt hopeful that Dr. Cannell was on to something.

By June our son was released from both speech therapy and occupational therapy and we were told that he no longer showed any delays for his age. When he had begun occupational therapy in January, the OT had been astonished at our son’s lack of muscle tone. She recommended that he also receive Physical Therapy services, so we went on a long waiting list. Our initial OT was in a car accident, and in May we were transferred to a new OT. When the new OT first saw our son, she said could not believe he was the same child described in the notes. By May the low muscle tone, hyperactivity and distractibility noted in his file, were no longer evident. His turn came up for physical therapy and we were told he no longer needed it.

Our son has always spent a lot of time outdoors in the summer, without sunblock. He had a happy and relaxing summer. As fall/back-to-school approached, I began to fear the onset of another regression and again read the article by Dr. Cannell my friend had sent. I visited his website and decided we would try a vitamin D supplement. Our pediatrician did not encourage any dose higher than 400 i.u. (that found in a typical multivitamin) but did write a script to have his 25-hydroxy level tested. In August his level was 37, so we started him on 5,000 iu daily and had his level retested on October 21st. By October his level was 96. The pediatrician was concerned that this was too high and told us he should not have more than 400 iu per day.

Knowing that Nov-March are typically his worst months, we reduced the dosage down only to 3,000 iu from October through mid-December. At an appointment in December our son was doing wonderfully (none of his usual fall/winter symptoms yet evident) and the pediatrician told us 3,000 iu was too much and that we should be giving no more than 400 iu. In mid-December we reduced the dose to 1,500 iu. By the beginning of January we noted a marked loss of eye contact. We also noted that our son was again interchanging his right hand for writing and eating (after using his left hand exclusively for 8+ months). We increased his vitamin D level to 4,000 iu daily in early January. On January 11 we had his 25-Hydroxy level checked on January 11 and found that it was 89. By the end of January, we and his grandparents noted improvement in his eye contact.

In January 2010 we attended his preschool conferences. The teacher had marked cards with the following code (1=age appropriate, 2=developing, 3=area of concern). Our son received 1s in all areas with the exception of hopping on one foot and balance beam where he received 2s. We were told that he is on par with or ahead of his peers in all areas (academic, fine motor, etc.), and that his teacher had noted no unusual symptoms or concerns.

During the fall/winter 2009-2010 our son has been free from nearly all of the most troubling symptoms that plagued him the previous two winters. The following example may demonstrate the improvement in his daily life since last winter.

One of our son’s low points was a Christmas party we attended in December 2008. Before leaving the house to attend the party our son screamed and yelled about having to take a bath and because we would not let him wear sweatpants to the party. He then begged us not to make him leave the house. During the 40 minute trip to the party our son asked us repetitive questions and talked incessantly. Upon arriving at the party, he immediately walked into an unoccupied room adjacent to the room where the party was occurring, and put his face into the corner. Despite much coaxing by my husband and me, he refused to come out of the corner.

After approximately 45 minutes of standing in the corner we managed to get him out through the promise of some food rewards. He proceeded to walk around and around the perimeter of the living room where all of the other kids were playing. He rubbed himself along the walls and covered his ears as he walked. He finally settled into playing alone in a corner of the room. All of the kids at the party participated in a book exchange. Our son refused to come to the area where the other kids were gathered. We coaxed him over only to have him throw the book he received and refuse to thank the parent who had purchased it for him. He spent much of the evening in time-outs for that and other inappropriate behavior.

In June of 2008, after playing in the sun for several months, we met for a picnic with the same group of friends at a local park. Our son ran up to the other children and joined right in playing bulldozers in the sand with them. He behaved and interacted in a completely appropriate and typical way during the picnic which lasted several hours.

This year (2009) we attended the same Christmas party at the same house. Our son got ready and left for the party without anxiety or incident. He chatted normally during the drive to the party. He walked into the house, said, “Hey, check out my new train,” to some of the kids already playing and settled in to playing happily with the other kids. During the book exchange, he received a book, smiled and gave a big hug to the person who gave it to him.

In December of 2008, I took a leave from my job so I could get my son to the intensive behavioral treatment program he was in and to all of his other therapy appointments. I dedicated 40-60 hours per week to my son’s various appointments and home therapy program.

This winter (January 2010), a former colleague asked me what Jonathan’s current therapy program consists of. I told her I spend about 30 seconds each day opening the jar of vitamins and giving him his chewable vitamin D. In my opinion, the 3 minutes or so I spend each week giving him his vitamin D have been much more effective, and much less expensive, than any other treatment we have pursued. 
Thank you.
Jeannette, Wisconsin

Dear Jeanette:
You’re welcome. Several things need comment. First, the symptoms are typical of autism. Second, the seasonality of symptoms suggest a vitamin D deficient disease. Third, the treatment in the spring of 2008 seemed effective but, in hindsight, it was simply due to spring sun exposure. Fourth, as you may now know, light boxes for seasonal affective disorder make no vitamin D. Fifth, your pediatrician knows little about Vitamin D other than what committees tell him; your decision to ignore his advice probably saved your son’s brain from further injury, as autism is a progressive inflammatory destruction of brain tissue. Sixth, the fact that you needed bed rest and gave birth prematurely suggests you were Vitamin D deficient during your pregnancy.

Seventh, his twin sister has never had autism, despite the same intrauterine environment. This is consistent with my theory, that autism is caused from a quantitative, not qualitative, variation is one of the enzymes that metabolize Vitamin D. That is, there are no structural differences in these enzymes in autism, only a genetically determined difference in the amount present. These enzymes are responsive to estrogen; estrogen protects the brain from being damaged by low Vitamin D, probably by increasing the amount of activated Vitamin D present, explaining why boys are four times more likely to have the disease.
The report that your son deteriorated when his dose was reduced from 3,000 to 1,500 IU suggests autistic children need adult doses of Vitamin D. When you reduced the dose from 3,000 to 1,500 IU/day he worsened although his level on 1,500 IU/day was probably still greater than 50 ng/ml. This makes me think that dosage needs to be stable and suggests that Professor Reinhold Vieth’s theory of a detrimental seasonal resetting of the intercellular metabolism of Vitamin D may even be true at levels above 50 ng/ml, where the body is storing the parent compound, cholecalciferol, in muscle and fat.

His current dose of 4,000 IU per day is perfectly safe and will give him a level of 80-100 ng/ml, inside the reference ranges of American laboratories. Toxicity (asymptomatic high blood calcium) begins somewhere above 200 ng/ml. Generally speaking, autistic children should take 2,000 IU per every 25 pounds of body weight for six weeks, then have a 25(OH)D blood test and adjust the dosage to get into the high end of the reference range, 80-100 ng/ml.

Although I first published the Vitamin D theory of autism theory 3 years ago, few autistic children are currently treated for their Vitamin D deficiency. This is due to several reasons. One, those who think, correctly, that autism is a genetic disease, stop thinking after that, reasoning that genetic diseases are untreatable. Such thinkers do not understand epigenetics (upon the genome). Vitamin D is probably the heart of epigenetics, as nothing works upon the genome like vitamin D.

Secondly, the “all autism is caused from vaccinations” crowd cannot accept the Vitamin D possibility as it threatens their core beliefs. They simply cannot change their minds.
Finally, as you now know, organized medicine would say you should stop the vitamin D and watch your son deteriorate, which is why slavery to evidence based medicine is fine for scientists and unethical for practitioners.

John Cannell, MD
Executive Director
Vitamin D Council

Toxic Effects of Excess Mercury

Mercury is considered to be the most toxic non-radioactive Heavy Metal.

Cardiovascular System
Excessive ingestion of Mercury can cause Angina.

Ears/Hearing
Mercury toxicity can be an underlying cause of Deafness. 
Mercury toxicity can be an underlying cause of Tinnitus. 

Excretory System
Mercury accumulates in and damages the Kidneys. 

Immune System
Mercury toxicity can be an underlying cause of Autoimmune Diseases.
Mercury weakens the Immune System by interfering with the balance of Helper T-Cells subpopulations:
Mercury inhibits the activity of TH1 Helper T-Cells. 
Mercury stimulates the overactivity activity of TH2 Helper T-Cells. 
Excessive exposure to Mercury causes Hodgkin’s Disease (a form of Lymphatic Cancer).

Metabolism
Exposure to Mercury (or its vapors) can cause Fatigue. 
Mercury stimulates the production of Free Radicals. 
Mercury accumulates in and damages the Liver.

Musculoskeletal System
Mercury increases the risk of Arthritis.
Exposure to Mercury can cause Muscle Tension. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Muscle Weakness. 

Nervous System
Exposure to Mercury causes impairment in Abstract Reasoning ability. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Aggressiveness. 
Mercury accumulation in the Brain is one of the primary causes of Alzheimer’s Disease. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Anxiety. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Apathy. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause decreased Attention Span. 
Mercury concentrates in and damages the Brain:
Mercury damages the Blood-Brain Barrier.
Mercury concentrates in and damages the Cerebral Cortex.
Exposure to Mercury can cause impairment of Concentration.
Exposure to Mercury can cause impaired Coordination ability. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Depression. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Drowsiness.
Mercury can cause Epilepsy.
Exposure to Mercury can cause Hallucinations. 
Exposure to Mercury (or its vapors) can cause Headache.
Exposure to Mercury (or its vapors) can cause Insomnia. 
Exposure to Mercury can lower Intelligence. 
Exposure to Mercury (or its vapors) can cause Irritability. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause impairment of Learning ability. 
Exposure to Mercury (or its vapors) can cause Memory impairment. 
Mental Retardation can occur as a result of excessive exposure to Mercury. 
Exposure to Mercury is associated with poor (“bad”) Mood. 
Mercury can cause Multiple Sclerosis (MS). 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Nervousness. 
Mercury can cause Numbness.
Exposure to Mercury can cause Paralysis. 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Speech Impairment (in the form of slurred Speech). 
Exposure to Mercury can cause Tremor. 

Respiratory System
Mercury concentrates in and damages the Lungs.

Sexual System
Exposure to Mercury during Pregnancy increases the risk of Birth Defects.
Long-term exposure to Mercury can cause Female Infertility. 
Long-term exposure to Mercury can cause Male Infertility. 

Skin
Mercury toxicity can be an underlying cause of Dermatitis.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael
 
 

December 9, 2009 — Young adults with higher blood lead levels are more likely to have major depressive disorder (MDD) or panic disorder, even if they have exposure to lead levels generally considered safe, new research suggests.

Maryse F. Bouchard, PhD, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues found individuals with lead levels of 2.11 μg/dL or more had 2.3 times the odds of having MDD and nearly 5 times the odds of panic disorder compared with those with lead levels of 0.7 μg/dL or less.

“What is most surprising is the finding that lead can be associated with adverse mental health status at such low levels of exposure,” Dr. Bouchard told Medscape Psychiatry. The mean blood level in study subjects was 1.61 μg/dL.

The study is published in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

The investigators analyzed data from 1987 adults aged 20 to 39 years who were participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2004. Participants underwent medical examinations that included collection of a blood sample and also completed a diagnostic interview to identify MDD, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

The number of individuals who met diagnostic criteria for MDD was 134 (6.7%), 44 (2.2%) had panic disorder, and 47 (2.4%) had generalized anxiety disorder.

Because smoking is related to blood lead levels, the researchers conducted additional analyses excluding the 628 smokers. Among nonsmokers, the elevation in risk between the highest and lowest blood lead levels was increased to 2.5-fold for MDD and 8.2-fold for panic disorder.

Need to Reduce Environmental Exposure

Previous studies conducted in highly exposed employees from foundries, smelters, and battery plants show that these workers (who had blood lead levels averaging 40 μg/dL) have reported elevated symptoms of depression, hostility, and anxiety, said Dr. Bouchard.

A study conducted in nonoccupationally exposed older men showed that those with higher blood lead levels (averaging 6.3 μg/dL) also had a higher prevalence of self-reported anxiety, phobic anxiety, and depression. “In my study group, the mean blood lead level was only 1.6 μg/dL, which is representative of the exposure level in the general population,” Dr. Bouchard said.

Eliminating lead from gasoline has decreased average blood lead levels in the general population, but remaining sources of exposure include paint, industrial processes, pottery, and contaminated water.

However, Dr. Bouchard pointed out that blood lead levels reflect not only current exposure but also past exposures because lead is sequestered in bones and is slowly released into the blood.

“These findings suggest that lead neurotoxicity may contribute to adverse mental health outcomes, even at levels generally considered to pose low, or no, risk,” the researchers conclude. “These findings, combined with recent reports of adverse behavioral outcomes in children with similarly low blood lead levels, should underscore the need for considering ways to further reduce environmental lead exposures,” they write.

Dose-Response Relationship Questioned

Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, interim chief of the Division of Epidemiology, Community & Preventive Medicine at the University of Rochester in New York, reviewed the study for Medscape.

“Although the data reported by Bouchard et al are certainly suggestive of an association between blood lead levels and major depressive disorder, the nature of the dose-response relationship is somewhat uncertain, with no clear pattern until the upper quintile.

“The authors emphasize the statistically significant trend statistics, which are appropriate if there is a true linear trend — not sure if that is the case here. The results for panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder suffer from limited statistical power and consequently statistically imprecise risk estimates, and I would be cautious interpreting the dose-response patterns reported for these outcomes,” he said.

Dr. van Wijngaarden also noted that the mental health outcomes studied were only available for adults aged 20 to 39 years and might differ for older adults with higher levels of cumulative lead exposure.

Dr. van Wijngaarden and colleagues recently examined population-based data on blood lead levels in relation to depression in the United States in a study that will be published in the near future.

This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Dr. Bouchard and Dr. van Wijngaarden have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66:1313-1319.

Angel Huggzzz
Linda

Is Mercury Toxicity an Epidemic?
Author: Joseph Pizzorno, ND
Source: Vitamin Retailer Magazine, June 2009

Conventional medicine has dismissed mercury toxicity as a clinical concern except in cases of obvious poisoning. This is due to the poor correlation between the various measures of mercury body load and clinical symptoms. It is also the reason the dental community has in the past so consistently denied that amalgam fillings are a health risk. (Although called “silver” fillings, they are actually about 55 percent mercury.) However, the integrative medicine community has for decades believed that chronic low-level mercury exposure is the root cause of many chronic diseases ranging from autism to heart disease to “brain fog.”
This controversy became very personally relevant when I discovered, as part of an innovative corporate wellness program I helped to design, that my RBC (red blood cell) Hg level was 59.3 nmol/L over twice the “safe” level of < 24.9. This was quite surprising as I live a very healthy lifestyle, have no amalgam fillings, only consume small, wild-caught fish, eat 75 percent of my food organically grown, etc. I then had the same test done on my wife and found her level was almost as high as mine. This lead to the obvious questions: Was the test valid? Is the mercury damaging our health? Where is the mercury coming from? How do we get rid of it?

Mercury Exposure
There are three types of mercury in the body: elemental, ionic and organic, typically methyl mercury. All are toxic to humans, although each is more toxic in different tissues of the body. The primary sources of human exposure to mercury are: occupational, environmental, fish, high fructose corn syrup and amalgam fillings. As you might expect, dentists and dental assistants have a high level of exposure, although they have become much more careful in the past few years. Nonetheless, a large study of several hundred dentists and dental assistants in Washington state found that almost all of them had four or more symptoms consistent with mercury toxicity.
The major environmental source is the air near electricity producing plants that burn coal. For most people, the major sources are mercury amalgams and fish. A large number of studies have now shown a clear, direct correlation between the number of amalgam surfaces and amount of mercury in the blood, hair, urine and, unfortunately, the brain. However, the correlation between the number of amalgam surfaces and symptoms is not so clear. This is probably because of two major factors: the great variation in a person’s ability to excrete mercury from the body and the equally great variation in genetics that determines the amount of oxidative stress a person gets from mercury. Mercury from fish turns out to be more complicated. Without question, body Hg is proportional to the amount of fish consumed (hundreds of studies show this). However, neurological symptoms do not typically correlate well with fish consumption because of the brain-benefit effects of omega-3 fatty acids. I think that only high-mercury fish such as tuna or low-omega-3 fish such as those that are farmed are problematic.

Mercury Toxicity Symptoms
For long-term, chronic exposure at moderate to high levels the evidence is very clear that mercury is a serious neurotoxin. A 2008 report provides for the first time long-term data on the Japanese people living in Minimata who for years ate fish contaminated with industrial mercury waste. The researchers found more than 50 symptoms.
The challenge for most of us is to determine at what levels mercury becomes toxic and what are the most sensitive symptoms. Looking at several studies that examine symptoms produced by only modestly elevated levels of mercury, I compiled the following list of common symptoms: depression, memory loss, anxiety, unintentionally dropping things and headaches.

Laboratory Assessment of Mercury Load
Mercury is measured in hair, saliva, spinal fluid, serum, RBCs, urine and stools. Unfortunately, these tests do not correlate very well with each other and none are a reliable or sensitive measure of brain mercury where most of the symptoms are produced. This is one of the key reasons the issue of mercury toxicity is so controversial. At this time I think whole blood mercury is the best general measure. However, for best sensitivity a mercury challenge test is needed where the person is given an injection of a chelating agent like DMPS and then collects their urine for several hours.

Mercury Elimination
Normally, about one percent of the body burden of Hg is naturally excreted every day through the bile into the stools. Unfortunately, 95 percent of the cleared mercury is reabsorbed. Those who eat a high fiber diet reabsorb less since mercury binds to fiber. About the same amount of mercury is also excreted every day in the urine, bound to sulfur containing compounds. The way the brain gets rid of mercury is by binding it to the antioxidant glutathione. This is a very slow process, which explains why it is so hard to get mercury out of the brain.
When trying to decrease mercury load in the body, obviously the first task is to identify and eliminate the source—amalgams, contaminated fish, industrial, air, etc. Also to be considered are household goods such as fluorescent lights, old thermometers and ayurvedic medicines to which mercury is intentionally added. A very disturbing recent study found mercury in high fructose corn syrup. The most highly contaminated samples had 25 micrograms of mercury per can of soft drink, the equivalent of eating two ounces of fish, without the benefits of fish’s omega-3 fatty acids.
For those with high levels of mercury contamination, I recommend seeing a doctor skilled in chelation. The agents most often used are DMSA and DMPS. Discussion of their merits and risks is beyond the scope of this column.
Several nutritional supplements, such as zinc, selenium modified citrus pectin, glutathione, alpha lipoic acid and NAC have been studied to see if they increase the rate at which the body excretes mercury. As near as I can tell, the most effective at getting mercury out of the body, especially methyl mercury, is N-acetylcysteine (NAC). It has been shown to not only increase the kidney elimination of methylmercury (which is especially toxic to the brain) by a remarkable 500 percent, but it even increases the excretion of mercury from the brain and fetus. The typical dosage is 500mg twice a day and it appears very safe.
Those who would like to read more about the mercury epidemic will find a lot more information in my two-part editorial at www.imjournal.com. I also encourage you to visit more of this site for information on this article, get my “Ask Dr. Joe” newsletter and to benefit from the NHI tradesite.

References
Heyer NJ, Echeverria D, Bittner AC, et al. Chronic Low-Level Mercury Exposure, BDNF Polymorphism, and Associations with Self-Reported Symptoms and Mood. Toxicological Sciences 2004;81:354–363
Kingman A, Albertini T, Brown LJ. Mercury concentrations in urine and whole blood associated with amalgam exposure in a US military population. J Dent Res 1998;77(3): 461-471
Guzzi G, Grandi M, Cattaneo C, et al. Dental amalgam and mercury levels in autopsy tissues: food for thought. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2006;27(1):42-5
Takaoka S, Kawakami Y, Fujino T, Oh-ishi F, Motokura F, Kumagai Y, Miyaoka T. Somatosensory disturbance by methylmercury exposure. Environ Res. 2008;107(1):6-19
Holger Zimmera, Heidi Ludwiga, Michael Baderb, Josef Bailerc, Peter Eickholzd, Hans Jˆrg Staehled, Gerhard Triebiga. Determination of mercury in blood, urine and saliva for the biological monitoring of an exposure from amalgam fillings in a group with self-reported adverse health effects. Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health 2002;205(3):205-211
Clarkson TW, Vyas JB, Ballatori N. Mechanisms of mercury disposition in the body. Am J Indust Med 2007;50:757–764
Dufault R, LeBlanc B, Schnoll R, Et al. Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. Environmental Health 2009, 8:2
Ballatori N, Lieberman MW, Wang W. N-acetylcysteine as an antidote in methylmercury poisoning. Environ Health Perspect. 1998 May;106:267-71

Dr. Joe Pizzorno is the founding president of Bastyr University and editor-in-chief of Integrative Medicine, A Clinician’s Journal. He is the co-author of seven books including the internationally acclaimed Textbook of Natural Medicine and the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, which has sold over a million copies and been translated into six languages.

Gluten sensitivity, does everyone have some tendency to this common affliction? It is great to have gluten free foods becoming widely available and Harvard admitting this is hard to rule in or out. Not everyone has the classic symptoms yet this can be contributing to poor health for many people.

Now the hot button they are not touching is the issue about the epidemic Of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, as the book by Donna Nakazawa has so forcefully covered. That ties in to diseases where my F.I.G.H.T. program can be helping over 29 million who are afflicted with any one of the more than 100 entities now known to be autoimmune related.

What about leaky gut?  What about the need for probiotics and the right kind of fiber as found only in my opinion in Beyond Fiber? But will anyone dare mention avoid GMO foods? Can anyone at Harvard connect the dots between BACILLUS Theringensis, which kills insects by ripping apart their intestines and the rapidly developing epidemic of food sensitivities that are contributing to so many chronic health problems? At least Harvard has part of the story!  There is a major problem with food related diseases.

Sincerely,

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Notable from Harvard Medical School

** The Sensitive Gut

Have you ever wondered why your stomach feels queasy when you’re nervous or why emotions sometimes roil your intestines? If so, you are experiencing the symptoms of the gut-brain connection. The Sensitive Gut describes the many gastrointestinal conditions that are caused or at least exacerbated by stress, emotion, anxiety, and other brain-to-gut messages. Irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn and reflux, dyspepsia, and even gas and constipation are described here along with self-help and medical treatments.

Getting out the gluten

Celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder whose symptoms are triggered by gluten, the protein content in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt ) is on the rise. That’s one reason for the rise in popularity of gluten-free food.
Celiac specialists say the disease isn’t diagnosed as often as it should be. As a result, many people suffer with it for years, often after getting other — and incorrect — diagnoses and useless treatments.
But a growing number of the people dodging gluten fall into a gray area: they don’t have celiac disease but seem to be unable to digest gluten properly. There are no tests or strict criteria for this problem, aside from simple trial and error with a gluten-free diet. Some people may be getting caught up in a food fad. But many others probably do have trouble digesting gluten or perhaps the sugars in some of these grains (like the lactose intolerance that makes it hard to digest dairy foods).

Do you have a gluten problem?
The classic and most immediately noticeable symptoms of celiac disease are, not surprisingly, gastrointestinal: bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea, sometimes with smelly stools. People who can’t digest gluten or grain sugars may have similar symptoms.
Celiac disease can severely impair the absorption of nutrients. In children, this may lead to stunted growth; in adults, the consequences include anemia (because iron isn’t being absorbed) and weaker bones (because calcium and vitamin D aren’t getting into the body). Anemia causes fatigue and malaise, but some people with celiac disease feel that way without anemia.
Doctors sometimes miss the celiac disease diagnosis because they’re looking for the classic gastrointestinal symptoms, not the vaguer ones that stem for the most part from malabsorption of nutrients.
One major difference between celiac disease and grain-related digestion problems is that when it’s just a digestion problem it typically doesn’t lead to malabsorption and nutritional deficiencies.
Women with untreated celiac disease have higher-than-normal rates of menstrual abnormalities and infertility. A large study published in 2007 found an increased risk of pancreatitis in people with celiac disease. It’s not clear whether these associations suggest a cause-and-effect relationship or if celiac disease and these conditions happen to share an underlying cause.

Grains for the gluten-challenged
We’re often too quick to depend on pills instead of first working to change our diet and exercise habits. But with celiac disease, there’s no pill, and a fairly radical change in diet is the only treatment. Drug companies have started to take some interest in the disease, and treatments that would block the absorption of gluten are being investigated, but none so far are close to gaining FDA approval.
Until you need to avoid gluten, you probably don’t realize how ubiquitous it is. Gluten is used as a thickening agent and filler in everything from ketchup to ice cream. The inactive ingredients in many medications are gluten-based. And even when gluten isn’t an ingredient, it may inadvertently get into a food because a wheat-based food was processed in the same factory, or wheat was grown in a nearby field. At home, wooden utensils and toaster ovens are gluten “hot spots.” Oats don’t contain gluten, but many people with celiac disease avoid them because of contamination problems.
The gluten-free diet has traditionally depended on starch from rice, corn, and potatoes. Food makers have also learned how to use xanthan and guar gums to replace gluten’s elasticity: a common complaint about gluten-free baked goods is that they are powdery. But these formulations can also leave diets short of fiber and B vitamins. Melinda Dennis, the nutrition coordinator at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Celiac Center, encourages patients to eat foods made with unconventional but nutritionally well-rounded substitutes, including amaranth, buckwheat (no relation to wheat), millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff. She calls them the “super six” because of their high vitamin and fiber content.
Eating out is one of the biggest issues for people with gluten problems. Vegetables get contaminated because they are steamed over pots of pasta water. Fish and chicken are floured to hold seasonings. But many restaurants are beginning to offer gluten-free items. And there are some celiac-friendly cuisines, even if they are not overtly gluten-free. Ethiopian (which uses teff), Indian, Mexican, and Thai are good possibilities.

For more information on common digestive disorders, order our Special Health Report, The Sensitive Gut, at www.health.harvard.edu/SG.