I am passing along this information, copied from the July newsletter of the Feingold Association in hopes that it helps my blog readers out there. Please see The Feingold web site to learn from about the organization and to join. The rest of the text is words from the Feingold Association.
pesticides and health
A number of studies over the past few years have shown us that organophosphate pesticides (that stuff they spray on wheat and other foods you eat) increase the likelihood of ADHD in your children if you were exposed while pregnant (and we were all exposed, thank you, Monsanto).
Other studies have found that “inorganic” mercury is a neurotoxin in food dyes, in fish, and in corn syrup. In fact, while people are very aware of avoiding too much tuna, they may not realize that much of the mercury they eat actually sneaks in through processed foods, bleached flour, and sweetened sodas (oh yes – and baby formulas containing corn syrup solids, maltodextrin or polydextrose!!) Chronic inorganic mercury in the blood has been implicated in obesity and type 2 diabetes; almost six years ago (Stanhope 2009) it was shown that people drinking beverages with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) gained more weight in 8 weeks than did those people drinking the same beverages sweetened with sugar.
Now a landmark study has been published (Dufault 2015) which shows that all these things are connected. Mercury reduces the activity of a gene called PON1 which is needed to make an enzyme that metabolizes organiphosphate pesticides; this may increase the neurotoxic effects of whatever pesticides the child (or adult) is exposed to. Reduced PON1 also results in oxidative stress and insulin resistance, leading to both obesity and a high risk of Type 2 Diabetes. As if that’s not enough, the mercury in corn syrup also interferes with other genes that regulate sugar. The combination of genetics, mercury- and pesticide-laden processed foods, as well as other mercury and pesticide sources, is simply a human disaster waiting to happen.
The good news, however, is that Dufault’s study showed that just a few weeks of eliminating corn syrup and improving diet can improve health dramatically, lowering risk factors for diabetes, lowering fasting blood sugar, and improving the body-mass index.
Now it’s your turn!!
The Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute is a nonprofit organization working with Professor Dufault. They are recruiting parents of children with ADHD or autism to participate in a FREE 6-week online nutrition tutorial project. Each parent who completes the tutorial will be given a $200 stipend check to help with any increased grocery costs that may result from dietary changes. To see more information and to enroll in the tutorial, go towww.foodingredient.info/parentnutritioncourse.html
“When Parents Ask About Diet Therapy for ADHD”
We have recently acquired this 2006 article by Dr. Sandra Braganza. It is supposed to teach your doctor or counselor what to say to you, the parent, when you come “armed with media reports of a nutritional intervention…”
You can read it, with my comments, HERE. You might want to print it, too, just in case you are in danger of ever being confronted by a physician or counselor who read (and believed) the article.
While you’re at it, print also the two-page list of studies HEREto share with your doctor so he can’t complain about “media reports.”
Tree of Life Mothering 