GMOs Part 2– What we know and what we don’t!

As was mentioned in last week’s post, “GMO” stands for “genetically modified organisms”.  For the purposes of this discussion, and as is referenced in food labeling, we are talking specifically about crops that have been genetically modified to resist herbicides and also to act as pesticides.  When an insect eats a GMO crop, it causes its intestines to rupture and the insect dies⁵.  This feature of course eliminates the need to spray pesticides and makes it a very effective at warding off insects.  The herbicide that GMOs have largely been created to resist is “Roundup” or “Glyphosate”, which we talked about in last week’s post¹.   Glyphosate or Roundup (used interchangeably in the post) is sprayed on these GMO crops in relatively significant quantities to suppress the growth of weeds.  So, here is what we know: not all that much.  We know how exposure to glyphosate affects the health of animals, causing cancer, infertility, and birth defects¹.  We know that direct ingestion of the chemical has the following side-effects on humans: mouth and throat pain, kidney and liver failure, trouble breathing, impaired consciousness, and more².   We also know that most of the glyphosate that we ingest as a result of a GMO-filled diet is flushed out of our systems in the form of urine³.  But what about the glyphosate that isn't flushed out?  And what affect does it have as it is passing through our bodies?  These are things we don't know.  Well, keeping in mind the ramifications of GMO/glyphosate ingestion, what are the long-term effects on our health if most, if not all, of our food items contain some amount of glyphosate? If animal studies have suggested that they are linked to cancers, cause birth defects, and destroy our immune system, what is the effect on human health¹?  Since these chemicals are fairly new to our diets, no long-term human studies exist.  As of yet, this is all of the information we have.  To wrap up, lets just briefly talk about the effect that glyphosate/GMOs have had on the environment since their introduction: Significant decline in the honeybee population³.  It is estimated that the US honey bee population has been reduced by approximately 30% to 50% as a result of these pesticides.  Honey bees are not only necessary in producing honey, but they pollinate all flowering plants – that includes plants that produce many of our foods, such as cherries, apples, potatoes, broccoli, strawberries, and many more.  Bees are absolutely necessary to our environment if we want to continue enjoying these foods.  Birds, butterflies, and other organisms are also perishing due to these chemicals³.  Be sure to come back next week for information on how glyphosate, through its use on GMO crops, could be related to a number of different illnesses that are now becoming more prevalent in our society.  Also visit our website (nhwchiro.com) and like us on Facebook (facebook.com/nhwchiro) for more information on natural and preventative medicine.  

1. Fleming, A. GMOs Part I: Hold the Glyphosate!  www.nhwchiro.blogspot.com

2.  Bradberry, S.M., Proudfoot, A.T., Vale, J.A.  Glyphosate poisoning.  Toxicology Review.  2004; 23(3) 159-67.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15862083

3.  https://www.organicconsumers.org/essays/gmos-are-killing-bees-butterflies-birds-and

4.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  www.nhwchiro.com

5.  Naked Food Magazine. The Whole Food Plant Based Nutrition Approach to Disease Prevention and Reversal.  http://nakedfoodmagazine.com/does-gmo-equal-ibs/

A Tour of our Office!

Welcome to our office! Take the tour with your Daytona Beach Chiropractor (me!) and see what it's like to be a patient at Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.

GMOs Part I: Hold the Glyphosate!

        This is the first of a series of posts surrounding information regarding the development, distribution, and effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the herbicides they are used in conjunction with.   Future posts will focus on describing GMOs in further detail, but for the sake of understanding the information presented, it is important to know what GMOs are.  In short, GMOs are plants that have had their DNA altered to act as a pesticide, and also become resistant to herbicides.  In other words, the plant itself is now a pesticide.  This particular post will focus on the strong herbicide, glyphosate, also known as Roundup, that is used to control weed growth in fields growing genetically modified organisms. 

        Glyphosate was introduced in the early 1970s by a company called Monsanto¹.  Glyphosate attracted attention because unlike traditional herbicides, it killed virtually all plants, instead of being selective and only killing certain weeds.   Evidence¹.  One study showed that glyphosate exposure is linked to birth defects².   Another study showed that glyphosate exposure can cause infertility in males³.  Other evidence shows that glyphosate also destroys the microbiome in our small intestines that is vital for a number of highly essential functions such as immunity⁴.  Further studies found that the chemical is linked to cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Leukemia^6,7.  Studies all around the world, even in areas where the chemical is not widely used, have shown that glyphosate is present in the urine of as many as 100% of individuals tested.  Even individuals who were not thought to have immediate exposure to this chemical were found to have levels in their urine that were higher than was deemed safe in the water supply⁵.

shows that this chemical has a variety of significant effects on our environment as well as our bodies

        Based on the evidence, it would seem that most, if not all of us, are now exposed to this chemical and have it residing within our bodies.  How does this happen? And what can you do to minimize your exposure?  Glyphosate is sprayed on GMO crops to control weed growth.  Therefore, avoiding consumption of GMOs will allow you to significantly decrease your intake and exposure to this harmful pesticide.  Be sure to check back next week for more information on GMO crops and the effects they can have on our health.  If you’d like more details on this, and other topics in health and nutrition, please visit www.nhwchiro.com to download your free eBook!

Sources

1.  http://roundup.ca/en/rounduphistory

2. Paganelli, A., Gnazzo, V., Acosta, H., Lopez, S.L., Carrasco, A.E.  Glyphosate-based herbicides produce teratogenic effects on vertebrates by impairing retinoic acid signaling.  Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2010; 23(10): 1586-95. 

3.  Cattani, D. et. al.  Roundup disrupts male reproductive functions by triggering calcium-mediated cell death in rat testis and Sertoli cells.  Rfee Radic Biol Med. 2013; 65: 335-46. 

4.  http://www.naturalnews.com/046911_glyphosate_history_GMOs.html#

5.  https://www.organicconsumers.org/essays/gmos-are-killing-bees-butterflies-birds-and

6.  De Roos, A.J. et. al. Integrative assessment of multiple pesticides as risk factors for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among men.  2003; 60(9): e11. 

7.  Hardell, L., Eriksson, M., and Nordstrom, M.  Exposure to pesticides as risk factor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia: pooled analysis of two Swedish case-control studies.  Leuk Lymphoma.  2002; 43(5): 1043-9.

8.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  Learn more about your health at www.nhwchiro.com

9.  Photo credit: https://gmoawareness.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/wheat-and-glyphosate-med.jpg

10.  Photo credit: http://dailyhp.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-08-08-epa-considers-glyphosate-ban-cycle.jpg

Why "Organic" doesn't always mean "Organic"

What is all of the fuss about? What does it mean for a food to be “organic” and why is everyone talking about it?  Well, for a food to be designated as organic a number of standards have to be met in each stage of growth and development of the produce or livestock.  Organic foods are made without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  But unfortunately it’s not as simple as that!  There are different “tiers” of organic food products and depending on the wording on the packaging, your organic food item may only be partially organic.  Here are the different designations you may see on a food product:

 

1. "100% Organic" – This one is pretty straight forward.   If your food item is labeled as being 100% organic, it means that 100% of the ingredients meet the farming and production requirements to be designated as organic. 

2.  "Organic" – This is where it starts to get interesting.  If your food item is labeled as being “organic”, it means that at least 95% of the ingredients in the food are organic.

3.  “Made with Organic Ingredients” – This is the lowest rated “tier” on the list.  If you see this label on your food item, it means that at least 70% of the ingredients in the food item are organic.  The other 30% of the ingredients still have some pretty strict guidelines that have to be met, such as being GMO-free. 

Organic foods are becoming more demanded by the public for a number of different reasons.  One of these reasons is the growing concern about the health implications of GMOs (look for another blog post on GMOs coming soon!).  Without going into much detail here, there is mounting concern that GMOs are associated with a number of different adverse health conditions.  Because GMO labeling is not legally required, the only way to know that a product is GMO free is to look for the “100% organic” or “non-GMO” label on your food item.  Other reasons for choosing organic include the effects that pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics in livestock have on our bodies.  Increased exposure to these chemicals can contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria, depressed immune systems, and therefore increased vulnerability to chronic illness, just to name a few things.  Choosing an organic, GMO free diet could have significant health benefits and because of the increased demand for these products, you will often find that the price of organic food items is comparable to the price of their non-organic counterparts. 

Finally, organic farming also has significant benefits to the environment – many of the harmful pesticides are that are commonly used in farming are avoided in organic farming leading to better soil quality and less harm to the environment.  So what do you have to lose?  Give it a try and see what effect an organic diet can have on your health! 

Bonus: The term “natural”, according to the USDA, means that the food item does not contain any artificial ingredients but does NOT mean that the food is free of antibiotics, growth hormones, GMOs and other chemicals!

Visit www.nhwchiro.com and like us on Facebook for more useful health tips and articles like this one! 

Sources

1.  United States Department of Agriculture: Organic Agriculture.    http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html

2.  Organic.org.  Organic made easy. Life made better.  http://www.organic.org/home/faq

3.  Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880

3.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  Dr. Alesha Fleming.  www.nhwchiro.com. 2016.

Black History Month - The State of Our Health

Since we're wrapping up Black History Month, I decided to do this post on African American health.   There are certain illnesses that are more prevalent in the African American community than in other ethnic groups.  Although lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease are very common in America as a whole, these illnesses are even more prevalent in African Americans.  According to the CDC, 37.9% of African American men, and an astounding 57.6% of African American women were considered obese in 2016, compared to 34.7% and just 33.% of White Americans, respectively.  In the same year, 39.9% of African American men and 44.5% of African American women suffered from hypertension.  Again, the statistics for White Americans are 33.1% and 33.7%, respectively.  The trends in the statistics are similar for other lifestyle related illnesses. The question is, why is this the case?

The research suggests that a number of factors are involved in this situation.  For one thing, a lack of education on proper nutrition and lifestyle habits is a common problem in the African American community.  Although this is lacking in our school systems in general, it seems to be even less commonplace for nutrition to be discussed or presented in predominantly African American schools, especially in impoverished areas.

Another reason for the inequality is that obesity and ill health is directly correlated to poverty – and many African American families live below the poverty line.  Along with decreased access to education in health and nutrition, these individuals also have decreased access to healthy foods.  As if that’s not enough, a significant amount of marketing of calorie-dense foods with low nutritional content (fast foods and highly processed foods) are marketed directly to the black community.  One study showed that African American children see about twice as many calories advertised in food per day as white children.

So, what can we do to change these statistics.  I’m afraid the answer is not an easy one.  We can start with education – which is the point of this article.  Educating our communities about the importance of exercise and nutrition, showing people how to access these resources by affordable means, and making people see that their health needs to be a priority.

Certain, small changes can be made, even on a budget.  Below are some examples of healthy substitutions that can be made to unhealthy food choices for an equal, or even lesser price.  For more information on nutrition, fitness and health, visit www.nhwchiro.com and click on the resources tab.

Candy Bar $1.29    vs.     Banana $0.40
Small bag of chips $0.50-$1.00  vs. Apple  $0.40-$.50
“Less Healthy” Fast Food Meal $3.30-$6.20  vs. Salad Fast Food Meal: $4.00-$5.50
Large Soda $1.49 - $3.49  vs. Large Water: $0.00-$0.10

*All prices are averages based on multiple sources including but not limited to McDonalds and Wal-Mart

Sources:
1.  CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/white-health.htm

2.  CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/black-health.htm

3.  Harris JL. Fastfood FACTS: Evaluating fast food nutrition and marketing to youth.  Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, 2010.

4.  http://stateofobesity.org/disparities/blacks/

5: Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  Daytona Beach, FL. www.nhwchiro.com

The Flu Shot: Is it worth the risk to your unborn child?

It's been a while since I've written a post.  However, this is probably the most important one I've written.  As usual, I will do my best not to report my personal opinions in this article.  I will further caution you, as the parent or future parent of a child, to do your own research when it comes to the flu vaccine.  Don't take anyone's word (mine included) as the primary factor in your decision-making.  As always, I will list my sources at the end of the report.  They include a copy of the package insert from the flu shot from the FDA, which I will reference later, as well as various other reputable sources.  

A number of claims have been made of illnesses sustained after receiving the flu vaccine.  You can read more about these claims on the US Department of Health and Human Services website, listed below¹.  However, our focus in this article is specifically on the potential risks to your unborn child.  I'll start by quoting the package insert for the flu vaccine².  It reads "It is also not known whether Fluzone can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Fluzone should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed²." It is commonly claimed by various medical professionals that EVERYONE should get the flu shot.  For most procedures, practitioners are legally required to inform each person receiving a medical procedure or treatment of potential risks and side effects, as well as alternative treatment options.  However, there is no federal requirement to give informed consent for vaccinations³.  What does that mean? It means that you do not legally have to be informed of the potential risks and side effects of a vaccination before having it administered³.   In other words, it is not a legal requirement that pregnant women are informed of potential risks associated with receiving a flu shot. 

            Having said that, what are the potential risks associated with the flu shot on pregnant women? The insert doesn’t really tell us much because, quite frankly, there isn’t a lot of research (if any) available on how the flu shot affects certain populations, in this case pregnant women.  The insert states explicitly that we just don’t know what the risks are².  Having said that, we do know what the side effects of some of the ingredients in the flu shot are.  One of them is mercury².  Here is another excerpt from the package insert: “The 5 mL multi-dose vial presentation contains thimerosal, a mercury derivative, added as a preservative. Each 0.5 mL dose from the multi-dose vial contains 25 mcg mercury. Each 0.25 mL dose from the multi-dose vial contains 12.5 mcg mercury.”  It is generally recommended that pregnant women avoid eating white fish due to the high mercury content⁴.  Four ounces of swordfish contains about 147 micrograms of mercury⁴.  The FDA advises us that women who are pregnant and children should completely avoid consuming this fish because of the high level of toxicity of mercury.  Although the amount of mercury found in white fish is significantly higher than that found in the flu vaccine, keep in mind that the fish is being ingested and not shot directly into the body.  Ingesting the mercury is a lot less toxic because the majority of the toxic compound is excreted and not absorbed.

As an added bonus, here is a list from the CDC of all of the available forms of the flu vaccine⁵.  Note that NONE of the shots listed indicated that children under the age of 2 should receive the vaccine.  Also note at the top of the chart it states that individuals who have been previously vaccinated should not receive another dose of the vaccination.  So, based on the research (however limited) and recommendations from the drug manufacturers, as well as the CDC, pregnant women should not be vaccinated unless “clearly needed”².  What is clearly needed?  Well, that’s up to interpretation.  Note that there are some vaccines now available that do not contain mercury.  If you feel that your immune system is not strong enough to fight off the virus and that you MUST get the flu shot, be sure to ask your physician about the mercury-free option.  Keep in mind though, that even this option is not recommended for children under 2 years of age according to the manufacturers. 

1.  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Report from the Department of Justice.  http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/dojpresentation.pdf

2.  Fluzone Package Insert http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM305089.pdf

3.  Center for Disease Control and Prevention. State Vaccination Requirements  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/laws/

4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know.   http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm393070.htm

5.  Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Seasonal Influenza Supply for the U.S. 2015-2016 Influenza Season.  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaxsupply.htm 

6.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic.  Check out the website for more health information and how to boost your immune system naturally to help prevent illness.  www.nhwchiro.com.