LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

toxicity

Are Your Cooking Pans Damaging Your Child’s Health?

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You know those wonderful, non-stick pans that you love so well?  I hope you realize that many of today’s “conveniences” like non-stick cookware come with a price beyond the initial purchase.

The wonderful Teflon that keeps all your foods from sticking to the pan is no exception.  The chemical compounds typically found in non-stick cookware include 25 cent words like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS).  Toxic compounds like these have been found to affect thyroid function, cancer risk and heart disease.

In this particular study, researchers looked at the relationship between PFOA and PFOS levels and cholesterol levels in 12,476 children.  Here’s what they found:

  • PFOA was linked to higher total cholesterol and LDL-C
  • PFOS was linked to higher total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C

Even if these compounds were not linked to heart-disease-friendly changes in blood lipids, do we really want something called “perfluorooctanoic acid” in our children’s blood anyway when the word is too long to even fit on a Scrabble board??

Toss your non-stick cookware and buy stainless steel.

Link between environmental chemicals and human reproductive health – (03-01-04)

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How strong is the evidence of a link between environmental chemicals and adverse effects on human reproductive health?

For those concerned about environmental toxicity this is a good review article. The take home message is that these chemicals from our environment have a definite impact on our health, and reproductive effects are only one type. Many of these chemicals have estrogen-like activities and contribute to many women in our society being estrogen dominant. Dr. John Lee’s strong push for use of natural progesterone would help lower the impact of these xenoestrogens.

bmj.com Sharpe and Irvine 328 (7437): 447 –

Read entire article here

OXIDATIVE STRESS THE CAUSE OF PREMATURE DELIVERY – (06-27-05)

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Oxidative stress, diet, and the etiology of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, or toxicity of pregnancy, is a condition where the mother’s blood pressure goes up and protein shows up in the urine.  This condition can progress and become life-threatening as the mother’s liver gets damaged.  Usually results in premature delivery.  Viewing some of the websites on preeclampsia, all talk about and fund research for pharmaceutical interventions.  But, there is mounting evidence that oxidative stress plays a key role in the process.  So, antioxidant supplements like Vit C and E and strong attention to diet may well be your best defense against this.

Read entire article here

BLOCK TOXINS IN PREGNANCY WITH THIS

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Ever since Environmental Working Group conducted the 10 American’s study, we have been far too aware of the exposure of the developing baby to toxins from the environment. The toxic exposure is just plain scary.

They found nearly 300 chemicals in the cord blood of newborns. This means that the placenta, which we have always thought would keep everything but necessary nutrients from the baby, offers little actual protection against the chemicals mom is exposed to. Given that the EPA registers some 80,000+ compounds for use in the US, this is no small exposure. The list is nearly endless, but may include:

So, the first and most important thing to do is reduce your exposure–not just during pregnancy but permanently.  That also means bug sprays, flame retardant mattresses, fragrances, processed foods and pesticides. However, despite all of our best efforts, short of living life in the Biosphere in Tucson, it is impossible to eliminate all exposure. Luckily there is help.

It is pretty clear that nutrients and vitamins during pregnancy can protect against the birth defects that may occur during exposure to chemicals during pregnancy. Jumping straight to the top of the list is folic acid. Folic acid may very well work because it helps to protect our DNA from damage during an extremely critical period of development in the womb.

This particular article lends further support to this finding. Researchers found that folic acid supplementation helped to protect against the adverse effects of smoking on fetal outcomes. It goes without saying, however, that smoking during pregnancy is an unconscionable act. However, if folic acid can protect against a deliberate exposures like the hundreds of chemicals found in cigarette smoke, than certainly it may help with the unavoidable exposures that come with living life outside of a bubble.

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT BROCCOLI WITH YOUR FISH

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Many people consume fish because of the mistaken idea that it is good for you.  While this can be true, in many situations this is just not the case.  There are several concerns when it comes to fish intake that you need to be aware of.

First is the difference between farm raised and wild caught.  Do NOT eat farm raised.  Period.  It is higher in omega 6 fats because they are usually fed corn and soy based diets, in stark contrast to wild caught salmon that eat a diet of algae, krill, zooplankton and small fish.  Many people think they are eating salmon because it is high in good fat, but unless they are ensuring that the fish is wild caught, they are mistaken.

It is clear that farm raised fish are higher in pesticides and other contaminants, which, without saying anything further, is a BAD thing.

The beautiful pink color of wild caught salmon is due to the carotenoids from the algae and zooplankton, most specifically astaxanthin.  These carotenoids have powerful health effects on their own.  In farm raised it is frequently a dye.  Again, NOT a good thing.

It is clear to me that few understand that there is a difference.  At restaurants, when querrieing the server, it is rare that they know whether a fish item is farm raised or wild caught.  Many don’t seem to know that there is a difference.  Even some of the higher dollar restaurants I have been to charge premium prices for farm raised fish.  If more customers where asking, the wait staff would know the answer right off the bat instead of having to ask the chef.

Finally, a concern present with both farm raised and wild caught is the mercury content.  See, animals in general do not get rid of heavy metals very good.  As a result, it bioconcentrates up the food chain.  So, as the fish gets bigger and eats more smaller fish, its levels of mercury goes up.  Thus, the larger fish like tuna, shark and halibut are known to have some of the highest levels of mercury.  It’s why chunk light tuna has less mercury than albacore, which is an older fish.

So sticking with low mercury fish is something to consider.  Disappointing for me because I prefer the solid consistency of fish like mahi and halibut.  Good thing this article throws some ideas out there..

In this particular mouse study, the use of isothiocyanates, such as those found in broccoli, lowered both the accumulation of mercury in the liver as well as the potential for toxicity in these cells.

So, if you’re going to sit down to a nice piece of grilled halibut, make sure it’s got a heaping side of broccoli…

Read more…

 

THIS COMMON CONTAMINANT CAN AFFECT FERTILITY

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I realize that my office is a single isolated system and by no means does it reflect the entire picture of what happens outside of my office.  With this in mind, I can honestly say that I have never had a patient who went through “fertility treatment” and fertility was actually addressed.

We need to understand that, when boiled down to an organism level, our body’s only goal is to reproduce and propagate the species (forget arguments about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs here).  So if a couple cannot get pregnant and do the ONE thing it is supposed to do, this is a massive red warning light that something is not right. 

So, one would think that a fertility “expert” would then dig into the more common reasons why infertility can occur.  Sadly, the couples that I have come across over the years have not had this experience.  Instead, some bloodwork is taken and they are usually given a course of Clomid or Metformin or IVF, spending thousands of dollars.  Sometimes it’s successful, sometimes not.

But, if the physiology of the couple is screaming that something is wrong, shouldn’t we pay attention to that FIRST?  Society is paying the price for forced fertility in preterm births, multiple births, obese infants and children and, in the years to come, increased rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Instead, a full evaluation should include looking at prediabetes (a major cause of infertility in women and almost completely lifestyle-mediated via polycystic ovarian syndrome), prenatal vitamins (almost all of the prescription ones are of very low quality and really, really expensive!) and toxic exposure.

The last one can be a toughie.  A detailed look at what a couple may be exposed to should be undertaken, from pesticides to fertilizers to flame retardants to BPA from plastic water bottles.  The couple should be counseled to avoid as many chemical exposures as is feasibly possible as well as recommendations on detoxification programs to help the body clear out the toxins we are exposed to that we cannot reasonably avoid.

THIS is infertility treatment.

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IS YOUR THYROID WORRIED ABOUT BURSTING INTO FLAMES?

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Ok.  I understand that burning to a crisp would not be a fun way to go.  I also do not recall anyone personally who has been killed in any type of fire, although I’m sure there has been someone.  MAYBE this is because we use chemical retardants like Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to slow the burn rate of things like our furniture padding (this goes for dog beds!!), upholstery, computers and drapes.

The problem is that these chemicals have a negative effect on our health.  So, on one hand, not bursting into flames (rare?), on the other hand birth defects, thyroid problems and neurological problems.

Let’s focus on the thyroid aspect noted above.  It remains a concern for me just how common thyroid problems are.  This includes hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.  It absolutely amazes me how much we take conditions like hypothyroidism with a grain of salt and just through Synthroid at the problem.

The human body is a wonderful, miraculous, incredulous, phenomenal, indescribable wonder.  The brilliance of the orchestration of our physiology defies words.  All higher power stuff.

Oh…except for the thyroid.  That was an afterthought thrown in on day 8 and it sometimes just goes out in our twenties.  No big deal.

See how strange that sounds?  What if our hearts, brains or kidneys started to fail at 25?  No one would take that lying down.  There’d be an uproar.  A demand to find out WHY.  Not so with the thyroid.

I will tell you that study after study of toxic chemicals all seem to affect the thyroid with some degree of consistancey.  This means that ANY thyroid problems needs to be evaluated with a fine tooth comb.  Evaluation of nutrient deficiencies, stress and especially, toxicities and exposures.  Without this, the doctor who just hands out Synthroid without full evaluation is doing a massive disservice, potentially allowing for unchecked chemical toxicities to rage, almost solidifying your progression to obesity, diabetes, Alzheimers or cancer.

At the very least, any thyroid patient should evaluate their toxic exposure (as seen in this article with flame retardants) and go through a nutritionally based detox.

Read More…

PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY ON THE RISE

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From my perspective, the use of ANY prescription medication during pregnancy is of concern.  However, with time it seems like society and medicine are becoming increasingly accepting of its use.

Environmental Working Groups’ (http://www.ewg.org/) 10 Americans study was immensely eye opening view on just how many chemicals the developing baby is exposed to.  While this particular study looked at environmental chemicals, it demonstrated beyond a doubt that the placenta is not the great, wonderful filter we thought it was.  The vast majority of what mom is exposed to the developing baby is exposed to.

Some of these exposures we have an understanding of.  The vast majority of the 88,000 chemicals allowed by the EPA have no studies.  The same holds true for the FDA and prescription drugs.  In general, we have very little data on what effects prescription drugs have on the baby’s development.  Without a doubt, because of our lack of understanding and the vital importance of the topic at hand, the only answer is to err on the side of caution.

I understand that some medications may be necessary during pregnancy.  But this study finds that, over the past 3 decades, prescription use during first trimester has increased 60%.  60% increase.  What drugs exactly are women taking that they didn’t need 30 years ago?   The use of 4 or more medications at a time tripled.

Even more frightening is the finding that, by 2008, a whopping 50% of women (out of 30,000 surveyed) had taken a medication during the first trimester.  That’s half for those of you not good at math.

This suggests that the permissive nature of the use of pharmaceutical drugs has bled over into pregnancy, which used to be the realm of avoid medications at all costs.  The long term ramifications of this chemical exposure to our child has yet to be played out, but I can guarantee it’s not going to be pretty.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002937811002195