Environmental Toxins

There Is No “Alternative Medicine”: Chelation and Heart Disease

JAMES HAMBLINSEP 17 2014 Story Source A controversial treatment designed to remove environmental metals from the body might be effective in treating heart disease. Will one renegade doctor persuade the rest of the medical establishment to consider it? “For me, this is the big one.” Gervasio Lamas, the chief of Columbia University’s cardiology division at Mount […]

Is Your Home Poisoning You? 54 Steps for Non-Toxic Living

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S. Not everyone will have the incentive to make all these changes – however, every change you make WILL make a difference! This way of living is not only much better and safer for YOU – it’s also much better for the environment! Switching to non-toxic living can be a […]

Phthalates Linked to Testosterone Reductions in Both Genders

Medscape Medical News Phthalates Linked to Testosterone Reductions in Both Genders Nancy A. Melville August 19, 2014 Increased urinary levels of endocrine-disrupting phthalates, found in flexible plastic and some personal-care products, are associated with significant declines in testosterone levels not just in men, but in women and children as well, according to research published online August 14 […]

Autoimmunity: Pollution, and Particles Asbestos, Air Pollution and Nanoparticles

Published: Aug 13, 2014 By Nancy Walsh, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Action Points There is some evidence that particulate air pollution may influence risk for and expression of autoimmune disease. A particular role for nanoparticles in human disease has not been established. Recently, I wrote an article about some interesting research being done by Jean Pfau, […]

New Way to Detect Breast Cancer

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S. Story Source Wouldn’t it be great if medical science discovered a way to detect breast cancer much sooner and more accurately and best of all without having to have your breast painfully compressed via a mammogram? Early breast cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. However, current diagnostic tests […]

Organic foods have higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. Barański M Br J Nutr. 2014 Sep;112(5):794-811. doi: 10.1017/S0007114514001366. Epub 2014 Jun 26. Abstract Demand for organic foods is partially driven by consumers’ perceptions that they are more nutritious. However, scientific opinion is […]

Feds to Moms: Eat Mercury-Free Fish

Published: Jun 10, 2014 | Updated: Jun 10, 2014 By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Pregnant women should eat at least 8 ounces of fish each week, which puts a floor — not just a ceiling — on the amount of seafood these women should consume, the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced […]

Autism: A Possible Cause?

Your Medical Detective Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S. Autism has reached epidemic proportions and it appears medical science has yet to find a definitive cause. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 88 children suffer from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the condition is nearly five times more […]

Arsenic in US Well Water Threatens Child Development

Megan Brooks April 15, 2014 Exposure to arsenic in well water may contribute to reduced brain functioning in children, according to a new study from Maine. The study of more than 200 children in grades 3 to 5 found that exposure to even low levels of arsenic in well water was associated with lower scores […]

Children’s genetic predisposition to mercury neurotoxicity

Genetic polymorphisms of catechol-o-methyltransferase modify the neurobehavioral effects of mercury in children. Woods JS, et al. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2014;77(6):293-312. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2014.867210. Abstract Mercury (Hg) is neurotoxic and children may be particularly susceptible to this effect. A current major challenge is identification of children who may be uniquely susceptible to Hg toxicity because […]

Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity

The Lancet Volume 13, No. 3, p330–338, March 2014 Dr Philippe Grandjean, MD Summary Neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other cognitive impairments, affect millions of children worldwide, and some diagnoses seem to be increasing in frequency. Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain are among the known causes for this rise […]

Harvard Study: Fluoride Lowers Children’s Intelligence By 7 IQ Points

Posted on February 10, 2014 by WashingtonsBlog Full Story Government and Top University Studies: Fluoride Lowers IQ and Causes Other Health Problems The Harvard School for Public Health reports: In a meta-analysis, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and China Medical University in Shenyang for the first time combined 27 studies and found strong […]

Diabetes, HbA1c, Vitamin B6, Zinc, Stored Phthalates

Are Diabetics Being Cheated? Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S. Full Story A recent patient was concerned that despite watching her diet and taking her diabetes medication her hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) keeps going up. Remember, HbA1c is a lab test that shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months. It […]

Pesticide Plus Gene May Trigger Parkinson’s Disease

Published: Feb 4, 2014 By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today Full Story Many chronic diseases, especially in neuropsychiatry, are believed to result from combinations of genetic risk factors and environmental triggers, but only in a very few have both partners in this dance been identified. Now, a group of California researchers says they’ve […]

Alzheimer’s Risk Tied to Banned Pesticide

Published: Jan 27, 2014 | Updated: Jan 28, 2014 By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today Full Story Action Points Levels of DDE, the metabolite of the pesticide DDT, were markedly higher in the serum of patients with Alzheimer’s disease when compared with control participants. Carriers of an APOE4 genotype may be more susceptible to the […]

Asthma, Rhinitis, and Contact Urticaria in Hairdressers Caused by Oxidative Hair Dyes

Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014 Jan 01;112(1)46-52, E Helaskoski, H Suojalehto, H Virtanen, L Airaksinen, O Kuuliala, K Aalto-Korte, M Pesonen Research · January 21, 2014 ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Oxidative hair dyes commonly contain paraphenylene diamine (PPD) and its derivatives, a well-known cause of delayed hypersensitivity among both consumers and hairdressers. They are also considered possible […]

Presence of Mercury in Skin-Lightening Products: A Hidden Health Hazard

J Am Acad Dermatol 2013 Dec 07;[EPub Ahead of Print], CR Hamann, W Boonchai, L Wen, E Nishijima Sakanashi, C-Yu Chu, K Hamann, CP Hamann, K Sinniah, D Hamann Review · December 20, 2013 Full Story:  http://www.practiceupdate.com/journalscan/7181 Journal Reference:  http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(13)01046-3/abstract TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Out of 549 mercury-containing skin-lightening cosmetic products purchased from 32 countries, 6% contained mercury […]

The relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States

A two-phase study evaluating the relationship between Thimerosal-containing vaccine administration and the risk for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in the United States David A Geier Translational Neurodegeneration 2013, 2:25  doi:10.1186/2047-9158-2-25 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at:http://www.translationalneurodegeneration.com/content/2/1/25 Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by standardized criteria […]

What’s the difference between a toxin and a toxicant?

A toxicant is a type of poison that is made by humans or introduced into the environment by human activity.[1] This is in contrast to a toxin, which is a poison produced naturally by an organism (e.g. plant, animal, insect http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicant Reference: “National Cancer Institute Dictionary: definition for ‘toxicant’”. “National Cancer Institute Dictionary: definition for […]

Phthalates Associated With Increased Risk for Preterm Births

Jenni Laidman November 18, 2013 Ubiquitous manmade chemicals known as phthalates, found in some plastics, personal care products, and foods, among other things, are associated with increased preterm births, especially those involving spontaneous preterm deliveries, according to a study published online November 18 in JAMA Pediatrics. Kelly K. Ferguson, MPH, from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University […]