By
Sarah A LoBisco
This
week on my homepage, I discussed the impacts of environmental exposure on our
health. I listed the many different categories of metabolites of these
chemicals and toxicants and discussed the factors involved on how one will be affected.
The good news is, I also listed solutions that include a healthy diet, individualized
supplements, modulating stress, diffusing essential oils, using organic
personal care products, and balancing hormones and blood sugar.
Below
are some updates on how environmental exposures affect our body and some natural
solutions to protect us.
1. Metal Linked to Alzheimer’s
Here is
an example of how copper affects our brain and how zinc may protect it! A note
of caution, both of these minerals should be balanced and should not be too
high, so never dose yourself above recommended limits without consulting a practitioner. 馃檪
Dr. Mercola
states:
- Exposure to even trace
amounts of copper in drinking water may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s
disease - Copper interfered with the
proper functioning of a protein LRP1, which helps clear amyloid beta, a
toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s, from the brain - If you’re deficient in
zinc, and many are, it can lead to copper toxicity, and thereby possibly
increase your risk of Alzheimer’s - Excess copper stimulated
inflammation of brain tissue that likely contributes to Alzheimer’s;
separate research found that brain inflammation appears to worsen
Parkinson’s disease symptoms such as depression, fatigue and cognitive
impairment
Mercola,
J. Trace Amounts of Copper Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease. Mercola.com.
September 12, 2013.
Singh
I, Sagare AP,et al.Low levels of copper disrupt brain amyloid-尾 homeostasis by
altering its production and clearance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Sep
3;110(36):14771-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1302212110. August 19, 2013.
Now, the counter-effect..
2. Zinc Deficiency and Aging
Brains
This
abstract demonstrated suboptimal zinc status was linked to more inflammation
and age-associated changes:
We showed that zinc deficiency, particularly the reduction
in intracellular zinc in immune cells, was associated with increased
inflammation with age. Furthermore, reduced Zip 6 expression enhanced
proinflammatory response, and age-specific Zip 6 dysregulation correlated with
an increase in Zip 6 promoter methylation. Furthermore, restoring zinc status
via dietary supplementation reduced aged-associated inflammation. Our data
suggested that age-related epigenetic dysregulation in zinc transporter
expression may influence cellular zinc levels and contribute to increased
susceptibility to inflammation with age.
Wong,
Cp, Magnusson, K, & Ho, E. Increased inflammatory response in aged mice is
associated with age-related zinc deficiency and zinc transporter dysregulation
(abstract). The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.24(1): 53-359, January 2013
3. The Power of Bay Leaf (Laurus
Nobilis) for Mental Support
The use
of aromatherapy can benefit our environmental exposure and offset the mind
effects:
Aroma therapists have
traditionally used Laurel’s Essential Oils derived from the leaves by the steam
distillation process to:
路Calm
and soothe the nervous system
路Enhance
the wellbeing of body, mind and spirit
路Improve
mental clarity
路Uplift
the mood
路Ward
off depression
In Respiratory Therapy. Once again it’s Laurel’s Essential
Oils derived from the leaves by the steam distillation process are used to:
路Alleviate
respiratory distress
-As an expectorant
-Relieve the congestion due to
the common cold, flu or bronchitis
McGowen,
K. Ancient Medical Miracle Rediscovered by Modern Science – Laurus Nobilis.
GreenMedInfo.com. September 7, 2013.
4. More Tips for Lifestyle
Prevention of Alzheimer’s by Avoiding Toxins (emphasis mine)
At present, about 33路9 million people worldwide have
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and prevalence is expected to triple over the next 40
years. The aim of this Review was to summarise the evidence regarding seven
potentially modifiable risk factors for
AD: diabetes, midlife hypertension, midlife obesity, smoking, depression,
cognitive inactivity or low educational attainment, and physical inactivity.
Additionally, we projected the effect of risk factor reduction on AD prevalence
by calculating population attributable risks (the percent of cases attributable
to a given factor) and the number of AD cases that might be prevented by risk
factor reductions of 10% and 25% worldwide and in the USA. Together, up to half
of AD cases worldwide (17路2 million) and in the USA (2路9 million) are potentially
attributable to these factors. A 10–25% reduction in all seven risk factors
could potentially prevent as many as 1路1–3路0 million AD cases worldwide and 184
000–492 000 cases in the USA.
Barnes,
D & Yaffe, K. The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer’s
disease prevalence (abstract).The Lancet Neurology, Volume 10, Issue 9, Pages
819 – 828, September 2011. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70072-2Cite or Link Using
DOI
The Effects of Plastic
1. Is There a Link with Children
and Behavioral Problems?
The links of environmental
plastics and brain effects are demonstrated below:
路We
measured BPA in urine during pregnancy and from children at five years of age.
路We
assessed children’s behavior at seven years of age by maternal and teacher
report.
路Higher
prenatal BPA is associated with depression and anxiety in boys.
路Higher
childhood BPA is related to internalizing problems and ADHD in boys and girls.
路Higher
childhood BPA is associated with externalizing problems in girls.
Harley,
K, et al. Prenatal and early childhood bisphenol A concentrations and behavior
in school-aged children (abstract). Environmental Research. July 17, 2013.
2. BPA and Low Thyroid Levels
Objective: We explored the cross-sectional relationship
between urinary concentrations of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
(DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and BPA with a panel of serum thyroid measures
among a representative sample of U.S. adults and adolescents.
Conclusions: These results support previous reports of
associations between phthalates–and possibly BPA–and altered thyroid hormones.
More detailed studies are needed to determine the temporal relationships and
potential clinical and public health implications of these associations.
Meeker,
J & Ferguson, K. Relationship between Urinary Phthalate and Bisphenol A
Concentrations and Serum Thyroid Measures in U.S. Adults and Adolescents from
the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2008.
Environ Health Perspect. 2011 October; 119(10): 1396-1402. Published online
2011 July 11. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1103582
The Power of Foods
Finally, let’s consider the
quality of our food for prevention. How can you pass up the first headline?
1. FOOD BABE TV: Do You Eat
Beaver Butt?
Castoreum (or beaver butt) is just one of the ingredients
that could be called a “natural flavor.” But there are many other things called
“natural flavors” that could be lurking in your food. We’ll never know what
they are because the food companies won’t tell us as they consider this
information proprietary.
According to the FDA, natural flavors can include:
“the essential
oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any
product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring
constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable
juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material,
meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof,
whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional”
(21CFR101.22).
FoodBabe.
FOOD BABE TV: Do You Eat Beaver Butt? Foodbabe.com. September 9, 2013.
2. Avoiding Pesticides in
Plants: Bee Lover’s Beware
You thought that pretty flowering plant you bought at the
garden center might attract bees to your garden. But as it turns out, that
lovely rose bush may actually be coated in the very type of pesticide that’s
killing bees.
A new study co-authored by the Friends of the Earth (FOE)
and Pesticide Research Institute found that seven out of 13 samples of garden
plants purchased at top retailers in Washington D.C., the San Francisco Bay
Area and Minneapolis contain neurotoxic pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
Neonics, made by Bayer CropScience and Syngenta, are the fastest-growing class
of synthetic pesticides.
Organic
Consumer’s Association (OCA). Home Depot and Lowe’s: Stop Selling Bee-Killing
Garden Plants! OCA Newsletter. OCA.org. September 12, 2013.
Friends
of the Earth (FOE). Gardner’s Beware: Bee-Toxic Pesticides Found in
“Bee-Friendly” Plants Sold at Garden Centers Nationwide. August 2013.
So, even though it seems scary
sometimes with all we are exposed to, avoiding some things and adding others,
can protect us and help us BREAKFREE from victim hood and into health.
