Excellent, stunning article! (Discovery Magazine) about brain disorders and what triggers them

[AikidoSoul]

This excellent, inspiring article with striking illustrations, (link below) describes increasing medical/scientific insights and recognition of how toxic chemicals play a major role in triggering brain disorders that can affect not only the brain but the entire body. Although Autism and Autism Spectrum disorders are the main focus, these analyses point to a range of other neuro conditions such as Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and others. The article describes a pattern of changes in med/sci thinking:

"Above all, there is a new emphasis on the interaction between vulnerable genes and environmental triggers, along with a growing sense that low-dose, multiple toxic and infectious exposures may be a major contributing factor to autism and its related disorders."

This is a must read:

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/apr/autism-it2019s-not-just-in-the-head

To better appreciate this article and the importance of this theme, you need to know that there is ae growing trend towards understanding how inflammation and inflammatory processes are being linked to many chronic diseases -- not only of the brain and immune system, but of other chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease. The med / sci community is reaching a kind of synthesis of thinking on this.

On children and neuro problem facts:

CDC: Data "... suggest that one in 6 children suffers from neurodevelopmental delay..." - "...one in 166 has autism spectrum.." -"... tenfold increase in 20 yrs.." These are striking, stunning facts along with other dramatic increases in chronic illnesses -- an emergency that desperately calls for the full attention of the problem solvers of the world.

I would only add that there remains excessive emphasis on "specific vulnerability genes" in most scientific research exploring "environmentally triggered" neuro conditions. The med/sci community must increasingly challenge the notion that gene variants are the main actors, and recognize a basic reality: synthetic chemicals are man made. Human bodies did NOT evolve over millions of years and then suddenly learn to adapt to and detoxify 85,000 plus novel synthetic chemicals created only within the last sixty years! We are currently subjecting ourselves to continual bombardment of xenobiotic chemicals along with heavy metals, air pollutants, and other potent stressors.

On that note -- one more quote from the article below reminds us that -- " 'As far as the impact of synthetic chemicals on neurodevelopment, only about 20 to 30 of the 85,000 chemicals have been studied.'"

Only 20 to 30!!!!!!!

[Ilsa]

1. Thank you for this link. My ten year old son is autistic.

His behavior has improved alot over the last few months due to ABA training, and an increase in one of his meds (Seroquel). He takes a number of other meds, also.

[AikidoSoul]

2. Does a specialist practitioner treat him?

Also, if you don't mind, I'm curious to know where you live and what you guys do for a living.

Could you also tell me when the autism was diagnosed -- at what age?

By chance did anyone discuss possible triggers?

Am sorry for all you and your family must be going through and appreciate any answers you might share.


:hi: :hug:

[Ilsa]

7. We are in south texas, one county away from a "hot zone"

on that map. I think there are too many toxins I have been exposed to, including mercury amalgam fillings as a kid, MMR five or so years before I had him, abd my measles titer was already very high. I also had a flu vax just before he was born, so I got some thimerosal.

I am a nurse now, but was in banking/regulation, etc before. Husband is in software engineering.

My son was born autistic. I am sure of it. His smile was slightly late, and he avoided eye contact as a baby. We have pictures of him stimming on objects, but we didn't know what it was -- he was tighten up and stare at an object that he would hold more peripherally (typical for autistic baby). He seemed hypertonic as a baby, but I thought he was just healthy. Seriously, he was "buff". His language was delayed, which became the worrisome indicator for us that he might be PDD-NOS.

He sees a specialist in psychiatry for his medications that help him concentrate, control his hyperactivity, aggression, OCD, anxiety, sleeplessness, etc. He also has a regular pediatrician, plus ABA specialists, speech therapist, and occupational therapist (school only). We tried a really neat therapy for ADD kids using a computer program and EEG wires for feedback, but the doctor's office wasn't set up for this type of patient, and my son figured out how to irritate the psychologist, was distracted in the office by things, etc. so we had to stop that one. He won't concentrate hard enough to do Interactive Metronome yet, but I think we might be getting close. IM helps train the brain to concentrate.

His meds include Seroquel and Strattera. Anti-psychotics have been found to be helpful for alot of these kids to help them learn to control their aggression, which can get pretty bad.

We tried a naturopath, but didn't see any difference.

Ask me anything!

[AikidoSoul]

10. Did you use these chemical products in and around your home that can harm the brain?

There are many that cause problems but only a tiny number (20-30 of 85,000 +) have been tested for neurodevelopmental effects. Several of those tested were shown to cause neuro problems.

The main trouble is that most of them are not tested for neuro effects, so those that were and show problems are believed to be only the tiny tip of a huge iceberg.

Extremely common chemicals and products that are linked to neuro problems:

ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES -- There were over 800 of them before they were made illegal for indoor and yard use around 2001. Prior to that OPs were on the market for nearly fifty years!. Some popular pesticide products with organophosphates are DIAZINON, DURSBAN AND LORSBAN. Those last two are organophosphates with a chlorine molecule and is called chlorpyrifos. Some of the RAID products carry OPs as well. They are still sprayed on food and other crops. OPs are also used in chemical warfare agents such as SOMAN, TABUN and SARIN nerve gases.

Here's a great Washington Post article entitled "Chemicals and the Developing Brain" that describes some of the problems -although the article is dated, it shows how bad the OP pesticides are and how frustrated scientists are who try to bring attention to the harm they cause:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A54472-2000Jun14¬Found=true

TOLUENE -- found in thousands of products including a wide array of fragrance products.

These two are of the very few tested for effects on the brain. If you used any of these in your house or garden I'd like to know.

Other products known to affect the brain are solvents such as benzene, xylene, etc.

No matter what you were exposed to -- it's not your fault that your child has autism. If chemicals were tested to prove safety prior to marketing we might not be in the fix we're in. People think the government "regulates" these chemicals, but without even basic data on most of them -- how can they say they're doing "risk assessments"? They make it seem as if they are but neglect considering even basic effects like how they affect the nervous system. Strange indeed -- considering that pesticides are designed to ATTACK the nervous systems of insects! We operate with many of the same mechanisms and enzymes that insects do. To not test in advance for neurological effects is beyond irresponsible.

Of course this lack of testing gets industry off the hook for any medical / legal consequences because there is not enough "science" to prove harm. Industry has created iron clad legal constructs to insure that new science cannot be introduced into the courtroom to show chemical injury-- it's known as the Daubert Doctrine... thanks to Dow Chemical.

[Ilsa]

19. I use alot of natural stuff in the home and for bathing, etc.

My son loves scents of all kinds, but usually strong stuff, like the smell of garlic.

We don't garden, so we don't use those products.

I think some people are genetically predisposed to not be able to "filter" the toxins out of their systems, and this creates a problem for the developing fetus. And I knew he was a little different right after he was born, based on his behavior and physique.

[truedelphi]

92. World Health Organization says benzene is almost

Universally added to the air deoderizers and air fresheners

[IndyOp]

16. Do you know the brand name for the computer program - the one

for ADD kids using a computer program and EEG wires for feedback?

Thanks!

[Ilsa]

18. No. Jackpine Radical here on DU knows alot about this technique.

He's a practicing psychologist (PhD), I believe. The program we used at the doctor's office didn't appear to require a super-videocard or anything. But the program was nice in that it provided alot of feedback. I would consider doing this one for my younger son, who is ADD.

[IndyOp]

22. Thanks! (n/t)

[mzmolly]

36. Is it "Interactive Metronome?"

http://www.interactivemetronome.com/im/parents.asp

[Ilsa]

85. No, IM's a different training program that can be used by

occupational therapists for kids with ADHD, ADD, athletes, etc. I've seen it in actions. Good training. IM is a real workout, requires heavy concentration to keep hand and feet coordinated with the rhythms through the headphones which is directed by the therapist. I advised the OT at our school district to try to convince the coaches that they need to buy it for training their athletes and getting the OT trained. That's one way the school might actually splurge on it.

The other training program uses three EEG leads to the scalp. A child sits in front of the computer monitor and mentally "drives" the simple activity, like racing space ships, pac-man-type maze creatures, etc. There is a visual feedback and record-keeping program for the therapist to track progress on another monitor. But this is an older program; JAckpine radical would know of the newer programs for this.

[pnwmom]

35. Never mind -- I see your answer in another post.

[truedelphi]

91. My heart goes out to you

Every time I hear that pregnant women should have the flu vaccine, a deep deep rage simmers inside my being.

I feel so fortunate that at the time I was pregnant there was little alarm about the flu (of any kind)

Three years later when the swine flu scare occurred, I had a flu shot for that, and my left arm was semi-paralyzed (Guillame Barre)

I have not had a flu shot since (in fact, legally I cannot even be made to have a flu shot!) - but often wonder what would have been the result to my son had I had this swine flu shot several months before (or God forbid) during my pregnancy.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Mine is too.

He is 8 and his behavior has improved a lot recently too.

By any chance is he taking allergy medications?

[Ilsa]

5. No allergy meds. They tend to work paradoxically on him.

I give him as little extra medication as possible since he is on several for his regimen.

I think the biggest change in behavior is that he now knows that we will do almost the same things as his teachers in terms of parenting now that we are all on the same page with ABA (beh mod).

We are in south texas and use a group out of Austin that specializes in ABA for autistic kids.

I don't do the diet stuff. It didn't make any difference, and I can't control his diet all the time. Gluten-free and casein-free were attempted, and they didn't help. Generally speaking, though, we all avoid the artificial ingredients and MSG, BHT, TBHQ, etc. One of the most important things I do though is make sure he doesn't get a huge sugar rush without getting protein at the same time. I suspect he may become hypoglycemic if he gets too juiced up.

[Gloria]

116. Please try "EFT" .....very simple energy technique being used by

psychologists that is apparently very helpful with the autistic.

You can learn the technique in a short seminar or there are DVD's available. You can download a free manual at this site:

http://emofree.com/

I learned EFT yesterday....after years of numbness in my left foot....it's gone. Severe headache today.....did the technique...gone.

[pnwmom]

3. This is a GREAT article, and the findings aren't limited to autism, as

the authors mention at the end. I suspect that a whole range of disorders, ADHD for instance, will turn out to have a similar base in genetics and environmental and nutritional triggers. Maybe even Alzheimers? (Since Alzheimers, like autism, involves inflammation of the brain's white matter.)

"There is a growing sense, Pessah adds, that our heavily industrialized, chemical-soaked environment—and the way it acts on vulnerable genes in some individuals—may be a major culprit. In December 2006, Harvard researchers boldly announced in The Lancet that industrial chemicals may be impairing the brain development of children around the entire world. And at a November 2006 conference at the University of California at Davis’s M.I.N.D. Institute, Pessah gathered experts to discuss the clinical implications of environmental toxicology in autism. Says Herbert, “We discussed the enormous number of chemicals in our environment and how little we know about chronic, low-dose, multiple exposures and their effect on diseases like autism. Maybe the many autism cases we are now seeing are a new illness of the current generation.”

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. Excitotoxins, the Taste That Kills.... review

Author responds to critics, September 24, 2003
http://www.amazon.com/Excitotoxins-Taste-Russell-L-Blaylock/dp/0929173252/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0587333-9200042?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175217528&sr=8-1



Author responds to critics:

Reviewer: A reader
I would like to thank the reviewers who gave a favorable review, but especially I would like to say to those who were helped by the book, God bless you. As for the harshly critical reviewers, most are from those who know little about the subject and could care less. At least one prefers hedonistic pleasures of gustatory stimulation over scientific fact and logical conclusions based on science. I direct this at the reviewer who stated, rather condescendingly, that I knew very little biochemistry and was so uninformed that I wasn't aware that Parkinson's disease occurred before the arrival of MSG and aspartame. In fact I majored in biochemistry in undergraduate school and completed with honors biochemistry in medical school. I continue to be a student of neurochemistry.

My articles on these subjects are printed in peer-reviewed medical journals, which I'm sure the reveiwer would have difficulty understanding. Cysteine is a neurotoxin, as is homocysteine, phenalanine, glutamate and aspartate and a number of naturally occurring amino acids. Has the reviewer ever heard of PKU? While cysteine plays a vital role in brain protection, it is only safe as the N-acetyl product and as cystine. Cysteine, beside being an excitotoxin itself, is converted to homocysteic and homocysteine sulphinic acid, both very powerful excitotoxins. Sulfite, a metabolite of cysteine, is also a powerful neurotoxin (as in sulfate oxidase deficiency). As for the causation of Parkinson's and other neurodegenrative diseases,

I never said they were exclusively caused by food born excitotoxins-in fact, in three places in the book I make this point. I do contend they exacerbate the symptoms and accelerate the progression of these diseases. An abundance of new evidence confirms what I wrote in the book and, in fact, paints an even more ominous picture. I cover some of this new information in my recently released book, Health and Nutrition Secrets. As far as making tons on money on my book sales-that is a dream in the head of my angry and confused critic. I don't mind criticism that is logical and based on careful study. These critics are not qualified and did not read the book critically and carefully. The proof of my thesis that food borne excitotoxins are dangerous to human health continues to arrive in the scientific literature.

[pnwmom]

28. Interesting. I know that aspartame bothers me, and MSG bothers

my husband -- so we try to avoid both. MSG is really hard though, because of labeling.

[KoKo]

44. I can't eat Campbell's Soup without having gastric problems and

that's only been the last few years. I grew up on that soup and yet I can't have any of it without the gastric problems and weird sweats that break out.

I thought they might be using GMO ingredients. Switched to Organic Soups and NO Problem. :shrug: Also, certain potato chips cause weird sweats about an hour after I eat them. Even the baked Lays chips (low fat) cause it.

GMO's?

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. My mom got to the point where she couldn't eat any canned food at all

We figured some preservative must have bothered her but we never did figure out for sure what it was.

[AikidoSoul]

84. Organic food is the best choice because of the rules for organic

that give me much more confidence that what I'm putting in my body won't hurt me.

Many people report problems with GMO food but the "reporting" system does not exist so like problem chemical poisons -- it will take decades before anything is ever done about it.

This has to be one of the main reasons why so many people are turning to organically raised foods because they are not allowed to be grown with synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, hormones, or petrochemical pesticides. Packaged organic foods cannot contain artificial coloring or synthetic additives.... and there are many other strict rules... but I think you might get the picture.

A worry however is the huge increase in large corporate entities buying up organic or developing organic divisions. I trust these corps less than the little companies that have a clear dedication and philosophy that goes beyond the organic standards. Integrity is something I look for and it's worth the extra money.

[truedelphi]

90. I have found the same thing - not with products you mention, but SunChips

As an elder care worker, when my patients go into the hospital unexpectedly, often i only have time to run to a convenience store to grab something off the shelves.

Used to be that an all nighter with a bag of Sun Chips kept my hunger away and kept me satisfied (at night many hospitals boarded up their cafeterias by 8PM)

But now even several handfuls of these chips cause me to get "the flu"

The other funny thing is that those in the scientific community used to refer to you and I mentioning our experiences as scientific observation (I mean fer Pete's sake, Jenner himself developped the smallpox vaccine on just a few such observations)

But now our comments are dismissed as "anecdotal"

[mzmolly]

37. I've been learning more about excitotoxins as of late. Very interesting stuff.

:hi:

[mzmolly]

13. Indeed, many neurological conditions have similarities.

:hi: I was very glad to see Discover open further discussion.

[Roland99]

56. Does it get info such things as anxiety, panic disorder and/or bi-polar disorders?

I'll have to read through it anyway. Sounds quite intriguing.

[mzmolly]

61. Not specifically.

But I do think the more we learn about some neurological issues the more we will learn about others.

You may find the following interesting as it discusses a connection between strep throat and some neuropsychiatric disorders.

As in most cases of OCD, other neuropsychiatric disorders are often present in PANDAS patients. Swedo and colleagues found that 40% of PANDAS patients suffered from ADHD, 42% from affective disorders, and 32% from anxiety disorders (1). There are several points of interest in discussing the comorbidity of these illnesses with PANDAS. It was found that non-OCD psychiatric symptoms in most cases followed the same cycles as OCD symptoms, and set in suddenly when antibody levels were high (1). This brings up the question of whether any additional psychiatric disorders can be triggered by strep throat or other bacterial infections. Though there is no evidence to date linking post-strep autoimmune dysfunction with any illnesses other than tic disorders, OCD, and possibly late-onset ADHD, researchers are looking into possible ties with disorders like autism, anorexia, and depression (2). The comorbidity statistics also suggest that particular areas of the brain which we know are involved in other psychiatric disorders are attacked by the post-strep antibodies, and could help lead to identifying the exact cells or proteins that are targeted. Interestingly, the putamen and globus pallidus, neighbors of the caudate nucleus, are linked to tic disorders and hyperactivity (2). This could explain the frequency of occurrence of these symptoms alongside OCD in PANDAS.

So, there may be an autoimmune/environmental component to some conditions in some people, that currently fall under the mental health umbrella.

Link > http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro03/web1/cstearns.html

Here's a bit more: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/pandasmechanism.cfm

[Roland99]

62. Interesting, thanks. I've also read that mothers who smoked during pregnancy...

stood a greater chance of having a child that would later suffer from psychiatric/psychological issues such as those.

Can't find those articles now, though. :(

[mzmolly]

63. I don't doubt that.

The flu during pregnancy has been linked to schizophrenia as well. So many things we don't fully understand.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Way back when...

I worked with Autistic Children who were in long-term institutionalization(warehousing, really).

This article makes my heart leap.

[live love laugh]

8. My niece was just diagnosed with MS.

We have no family history of MS. I suspected that her diagnosis along with the very high incidence of diagnoses of MS nationwide is environmental. I hope that we can isolate and eliminate the cause.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

11. Neurodegeneration from mitochondrial insufficiency...... please

read these for your niece.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16366737&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

Neurodegeneration from mitochondrial insufficiency: nutrients, stem cells, growth factors, and prospects for brain rebuilding using integrative management.

* Kidd PM.

University of California, Berkeley, USA. [e-mail]

Degenerative brain disorders (neurodegeneration) can be frustrating for both conventional and alternative practitioners. A more comprehensive, integrative approach is urgently needed. One emerging focus for intervention is brain energetics. Specifically, mitochondrial insufficiency contributes to the etiopathology of many such disorders. Electron leakages inherent to mitochondrial energetics generate reactive oxygen free radical species that may place the ultimate limit on lifespan. Exogenous toxins, such as mercury and other environmental contaminants, exacerbate mitochondrial electron leakage, hastening their demise and that of their host cells. Studies of the brain in Alzheimer's and other dementias, Down syndrome, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, aging, and constitutive disorders demonstrate impairments of the mitochondrial citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzymes.

Imaging or metabolic assays frequently reveal energetic insufficiency and depleted energy reserve in brain tissue in situ. Orthomolecular nutrients involved in mitochondrial metabolism provide clinical benefit. Among these are the essential minerals and the B vitamin group; vitamins E and K; and the antioxidant and energetic cofactors alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10; CoQ10), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced (NADH). Recent advances in the area of stem cells and growth factors encourage optimism regarding brain regeneration. The trophic nutrients acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and phosphatidylserine (PS) provide mitochondrial support and conserve growth factor receptors; all three improved cognition in double-blind trials. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is enzymatically combined with GPC and PS to form membrane phospholipids for nerve cell expansion. Practical recommendations are presented for integrating these safe and well-tolerated orthomolecular nutrients into a comprehensive dietary supplementation program for brain vitality and productive lifespan.


1: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Aug;1053:183-91.Click here to read Links
Effects of metabolic modifiers such as carnitines, coenzyme Q10, and PUFAs against different forms of neurotoxic insults: metabolic inhibitors, MPTP, and methamphetamine.

* Virmani A,
* Gaetani F,
* Binienda Z.

Research and Development, Sigma-Tau Health Science, Via Treviso 4, Pomezia 00040, Italy. [e-mail]

A number of strategies using the nutritional approach are emerging for the protection of the brain from damage caused by metabolic toxins, age, or disease. Neural dysfunction and metabolic imbalances underlie many diseases, and the inclusion of metabolic modifiers may provide an alternative and early intervention approach that may prevent further damage. Various models have been developed to study the impact of metabolism on brain function. These have also proven useful in expanding our understanding of neurodegeneration processes. For example, the metabolic compromise induced by inhibitors such as 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), rotenone, and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) can cause neurodegeneration in animal models and these models are thought to simulate the processes that may lead to diseases such as Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases.

These inhibitors of metabolism are thought to selectively kill neurons by inhibiting various mitochondrial enzymes. However, the eventual cell death is attributed to oxidative stress damage of selectively vulnerable cells, especially highly differentiated neurons. Various studies indicate that the neurotoxicity resulting from these types of metabolic compromise is related to mitochondrial dysfunction and may be ameliorated by metabolic modifiers such as L-carnitine (L-C), creatine, and coenzyme Q10, as well as by antioxidants such as lipoic acid, vitamin E, and resveratrol. Mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism are also affected by the dietary intake of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which may regulate membrane composition and influence cellular processes, especially the inflammatory pathways.

Cellular metabolic function may also be ameliorated by caloric restriction diets. L-C is a naturally occurring quaternary ammonium compound that is a vital cofactor for the mitochondrial entry and oxidation of fatty acids. Any factors affecting L-C levels may also affect ATP levels. This endogenous compound, L-C, together with its acetyl ester, acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), also participates in the control of the mitochondrial acyl-CoA/CoA ratio, peroxisomal oxidation of fatty acids, and production of ketone bodies. A deficiency of carnitine is known to have major deleterious effects on the CNS. We have examined L-C and its acetylated derivative, ALC, as potential neuroprotective compounds using various known metabolic inhibitors, as well as against drugs of abuse such as methamphetamine.

PMID: 16179522

[AikidoSoul]

21. You are definitely on the right track here. If you want your socks to fly off here's an outstanding

scientist who has figured out a lot about this and has the scientific community's attentions:

http://molecular.biosciences.wsu.edu/faculty/pall/pall_main.htm

"Novel Disease Paradigm Produces Explanations for a Whole Group of Illnesses

A Common Causal (Etiologic) Mechanism for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Martin L. Pall, Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences
Washington State University
[e-mail]
509-335-1246

Specific web pages: (DUers if you go to the original web site, these are hyperlinks)
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia

These four illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often occur together in the same individuals (they are comorbid) and share many symptoms in common (1-15). Gulf War syndrome is a combination of all four (16-20). These four illnesses also share a common pattern of case initiation (15,21): Each is often initiated (that is started) by a short-term stressor only to be followed by chronic illness that typically lasts for years and often for life. These various similarities and overlaps among these four have led many scientists to suggest that they may share a common etiology (cause), however they have been uncertain what the cause may be. I will call these four illnesses multisystem illnesses, following the lead of some others, and will challenge here the claims they are unexplained and that even their symptoms are unexplained. Indeed my goal for this web page is to provide a detailed explanation for their overall mechanism and provide a proposed mechanism for many of the symptoms and signs that they share. Therapy should be based on down-regulating the overall mechanism. In web pages linked to this one, I will discuss some specific features of each of these illnesses and how each of these specific features may be generated by this same basic mechanism...

This is well worth the time as it is breakthrough science that has stunned the chemical injury community.

If you'd like to read Pall's seminal paper that was the foundation for later work you might check this out:

http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/full/16/11/1407

The most striking change in his thinking since that paper is that he now believes that some people who become sensitized to chemicals are more than a "thousand times" more sensitive than normal populations.

[Duppers]

50. ....

"The most striking change in his thinking since that paper is that he now believes that some people who become sensitized to chemicals are more than a "thousand times" more sensitive than normal populations."

How well we know!

Great thread, great article. Thank you, as usual, AK.




(edited for spellitude. I'm being my flaky self, per usual.)

[KT2000]

51. His book is coming out soon

It is titled: Explaining "Unexplained Illnesses:" Disease Paradigm for CFS, MCS, FM, PTDS, GWS and Others (the title does not really use abbreviations)
Haworth Press

It has a chapter that destroys the psychogenic explanation for the illnesses. An intellectual smackdown that is a long time coming.

[AikidoSoul]

100. KT 2000-- I'm wildly impressed that you know this

since the book didn't even come out yet. How do you know this?!

:think:

[KT2000]

102. I write book reviews

for an alternative medicine magazine and they get pre-publication copies - but this one I have been waiting for with eager anticipation!

[AikidoSoul]

104. Have you written your review yet? Do you have any idea how it's being

received?

I admit to knowing Pall and we sometimes exchange information on chemical injury topics... but if you'd prefer I not say anything to him I'll keep quiet. If that's the case probably best to PM me.

[pnwmom]

69. Thank you, AikidoSoul.

And I'm going to thank my chemist husband, too, who has always been warning me about organic solvents. No pesticides have ever been used in our lawn. (The previous owner was an organic gardener, too; and before that, it was forest.)

[truedelphi]

93. A thousand times more sensitive

I have been in meetings with MCS sufferers who had to leave meetings because the smell of toner from the ink on the pages of paperwork that people had in their possession set them off.

I have put a great deal of my MCS in remission by moving out of the Bay Area to rural area. I feel so much better now - and I could not figure out why - I stopped buying organic because it was too hard to find etc.

Then I realized that I am no longer living under the automobile smog from seven million people.

[AikidoSoul]

101. The entire population is overloaded with chemicals and toxic pollutants

and recent figures show nearly 20% of the population recognizes some level of chemical sensitization. Some who have it really bad have their lives devastated.

You are one of the smart ones. You recognized the problem (many don't) and did something about it.

Most people have all kinds of symptoms and never realize what's triggering the symptoms.

People who write about the condition MCS -- often describe MCSers as being "allergic to the "smells" or some similar thing. This is nuts but it's too difficult to change the preferred words that writers often used to write about this condition.

MCS is actually not an "allergic" reaction, although people with MCS can also have allergies. MCSers with allergies often have Reactive Airway Disease -- and chemicals DO cause extreme reactions in these people that cause their respiratory systems to sometimes shut down.

When I think of allergies, I usually think of them coming from a protein that causes problems.

The big difference in allergy and MCS symptoms is that MCSers have a huge neurological component - which means the reactions start in the brain and central nervous system that cause the brain to stop processing thought with any clarity. "Brain fog", getting "ditsy" -- "inability to concentrate" -- are all MCSer descriptions of what happens when exposed to a neurotoxin.

It's true though that MCSers often DEVELOP allergies along with many other conditions later. MCSers conditions involve more than one organ and over time this will spread to other organs. As their bodies weaken their bodies'lose the capacity to heal function properly and to heal.

It's not the "smells" that bother them -- it's the damned toxic chemicals in the products that cause the reactions. The fact that some of these product smell is often true -- but not always. Many people with MCS get horribly ill when there is no detectable smell at all. Chemicals can affect them even in the parts per billion or at other levels that do not necessarily produce a detectable odor.

[live love laugh]

23. Thank you so much for that info. I have been telling her to take Vit. B

because I knew it bolstered the nervous system. Now I'm going to show her this article so she can get the other nutrients.

I talked to her today and we discussed something that she told me yesterday and she said "who told you that." She's never been forgetful before and alarm bells went off. I hope this will help.

[AikidoSoul]

88. Multiple Sclerosis has a much higher incidence in the chemical injury community

along with a sequellae of other chronic illnesses -- most often Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chemical Sensitivities, Multiple Sclerosis and others I can't think of right now. Many from this group also report tremors in the hands initially which then abate when they get control of their immediate chemical environment by removing as many incitants as possible.

I cannot verify the following via a study -- but it seems to me and others who are looking at the chemically injured populations that chemically injured groups have higher numbers Parkinson's Disease patients, and those with various "palsies" that are difficult to diagnose. Add Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- which is cropping up with alarming frequency. Am not sure we will ever have access to the numbers because of lack of funding and special interest screwing with the numbers. An excellent example of this was the Dept of Defense which did a bogus skewed "study" on ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)prevalence among vets which found lower numbers than the numbers run outside of DoD -- this was partly due to the fact that DoD only counted hospitalized vets-- and left out the numbers of vets diagnosed and treated OUTSIDE hospitals! DoD then produced a percentage figure which was scandalously low and only slightly higher than the civilian population.

These types of tricks are done all the time and it is truly a huge scandal but it continues decade after decade.

About the chemically injured community. Let me say that now there is a high percentage of chemically injured people who are IN THE NORMAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY who do not work in agriculture with farm chems. Knowing what I know now I can say with total confidence that ALL of us are chemically injured. Most of us live and work in extremely toxic environments that we unwittingly buy into... which is causing enormous damage health-- often at the sub-clinical level.

[mzmolly]

12. Thanks AkidoSoul, I cross posted in health but this does deserve

greater visibility.

Another recommendation for ya!

[AikidoSoul]

25. Thanks MzMolly!

:hi:


edit -- bad spelling mistake!

[earth mom]

14. Awesome Article-Thanks for posting!

It's looking more and more like Autism is triggered by toxins-from either the mercury in vaccinations, the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the food we eat. Just as many of us around here have been saying to the naysayers.

Where are they now? Because IMO, they owe us all an apology. :grr:

[AikidoSoul]

17. It's highly probable that there many neurotoxic autism triggers because there are now

many chemicals and heavy metals linked to disruption of brain functions and other body systems.

[earth mom]

20. I can't tell you how many arguments I've gotten into about this topic....

...which is close to my heart. That's why I can't easily excuse the naysayers.

BTW-I really appreciate you posting the article-I always like your posts. :hi:

[mzmolly]

26. They're over in health likening Discovery to "Faux news."

;)

[pnwmom]

39. What IS it with those people? My family is full of scientists

and engineers, and they're all very cautious about chemicals and quite aware of the risks.

[mzmolly]

42. I have no idea? How one can say X is harmful in unless it's a vaccine ingredient

is beyond me pnwmom.

:shrug: :hi:

[pnwmom]

45. You might want to check out your health thread.

There are a couple of interesting new posts there.

:hi:

[mzmolly]

60. Thanks guys!

:hi:

Great posts!

[trotsky]

66. How can one say chlorine is harmful unless it's in table salt?

Simple, because it isn't harmful in salt.

Why won't you bother to understand some basic chemistry, mzmolly? Elements are different than compounds, and different compounds containing the same element can be quite different from each other.

Ah well, just use the same old discredited talking points to bash others. Carry on.

[mzmolly]

74. The comparison is ridiculous. Aluminum hydroxide for example, is know to cause neuron death in mice

If you have some "science" on the harm caused by injecting diluted table salt, present it.

Here are my scientific links.

http://www.humanapress.com/index.php?option=com_journalshome&task=articledetails&category=journals&article_code=NMM:9:1:83

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hum/nmm/2007/00000009/00000001/art00007

http://anthrax.researchtoday.net/archive/2/11/330.htm

The "story" here: http://www.straight.com/article/vaccines-show-sinister-side

Shaw is most surprised that the research for his paper hadn't been done before. For 80 years, doctors have injected patients with aluminum hydroxide, he said, an adjuvant that stimulates immune response.

"This is suspicious," he told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview from his lab near Heather Street and West 12th Avenue. "Either this is known by industry and it was never made public, or industry was never made to do these studies by Health Canada. I'm not sure which is scarier."

Similar adjuvants are used in the following vaccines, according to Shaw's paper: hepatitis A and B, and the Pentacel cocktail, which vaccinates against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and a type of meningitis.

To test the link theory, Shaw and his four-scientist team from UBC and Louisiana State University injected mice with the anthrax vaccine developed for the first Gulf War. Because Gulf War Syndrome looks a lot like ALS, Shaw explained, the neuroscientists had a chance to isolate a possible cause. All deployed troops were vaccinated with an aluminum hydroxide compound. Vaccinated troops who were not deployed to the Gulf developed similar symptoms at a similar rate, according to Shaw.

Further, continued research indicates many who "poo-pooed" the potential connection between the "element" of mercury in the form of thimerosal, to autism may not have had all the SCIENTIFIC data at their disposal?

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1280369

Brain concentrations of total mercury were approximately 3–4 times lower in the thimerosal group than in the methylmercury group, and total mercury cleared more rapidly in the thimerosal group (with a half-life of 24.2 days versus 59.5 days). However, the proportion of inorganic mercury in the brain was much higher in the thimerosal group (21–86% of total mercury) compared to the methylmercury group (6–10%). Brain concentrations of inorganic mercury were approximately twice as high in the thimerosal group compared to the methylmercury group. Inorganic mercury remains in the brain much longer than organic mercury, with an estimated half-life of more than a year. It’s not currently known whether inorganic mercury presents any risk to the developing brain.

...

The researchers emphasize, however, that the risks associated with low-level exposures to inorganic mercury in the developing brain are unknown, and they describe other research linking persistent inorganic mercury exposure with increased activation of microglia in the brain, an effect recently reported in children with autism. They recommend further research focused specifically on the biotransformation of thimerosal and its neurotoxic potential.

You've attempted the "salt" thing before Trotsky, it's not a valid comparison to the very real concerns about the matters I've noted above.

[earth mom]

49. I can't read the posts you're referring too...

...on ignore perhaps? :evilgrin:

But thanks for posting it there so more people can see the article. :hi:

[trotsky]

65. You tiny little person.

How pathetic.

[mzmolly]

67. LOL.

Lighten up Trotsky. Do you realize what has been said about me and others here who don't tow the pharma line? I gotta say, these comments pale greatly in comparison.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. Many of the debates here were about thimeresol in the vaccines

I have never been convinced that vaccines cause autism, but I think there is lots of evidence that environmental toxins are responsible. I also think a genetic predisposition is highly likely.

Studies have linked tire particles in the air to the rise in asthma. Then there are the health problems caused by latex.

[live love laugh]

32. Another interesting note is my niece with MS also has asthma--

nobody else in the family has it. It's not a coincidence.

[pnwmom]

40. Has she been tested for allergies?

And food allergies and intolerances (e.g.. to gluten and dairy?)

[mzmolly]

38. The problem is that there are "environmental toxins" in vaccines.

Though a genetic predisposition is a factor according to those who have concerns about vaccination.

[Duppers]

52. my son had a petit mal seizure...

almost immediately after a vaccination at one month old. It scared me, but the physician was dismissive...yes, dismissive! (I've become very used to that kind of attitude.) Thank goodness he's not had another one.

Now 20, he has had to deal with ADD for many yrs. Don't know if there's any relationship to the vaccine or not, since ADHD is rampant in my family.

[mzmolly]

59. Could have been an environmental trigger?

Sorry about what happened to you, from what I gather your experience with dismissive medical personnel is not unusual.

[pnwmom]

68. My sister had seizures the morning after a DPT. In those days,

where we lived, you had to get a doctor to admit you to the hospital, and our doctor had someone else on call, who refused to admit her (without even seeing her -- he wouldn't do that, either.) Our regular doctor finally got in that evening and admitted her to the hospital with encephalitis. She died a few hours later.

Seizures after a vaccine should always be taken seriously.

[AikidoSoul]

99. Studies show that mercury can accumulate in primate brains

and other animals after being injected with vaccines. Mercury poisoning is linked to autism, seizures, cardiovascular disease, dyslexia, mental retardation, hyperactivity, and many other nervous system conditions.

The DoD classifies mercury as "hazardous material" that can cause death if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

It's hard to understand why there are such strident,unreasonable arguments about mercury in vaccines as mercury toxicity has never been in question. If you read the medical / scientific literature you discover that it's one of the most studied substances on earth. The most pressing question is precisely how much mercury-laced thimerosal is toxic to children--but the answer to this question has been distorted in thousands of ways. It's astonishing that so little thought is given to the fact that children have underdeveloped detox systems -- or that mercury is even toxic to adults. Why are people astonished when they discovered consequences of multiple shots injecting mercury into our kids -- even though in low doses? Very few doctors even considered the possible effects of cumulative doses.

The United States has been extremely lax about mercury in vaccines. They were banned in other countries all over the world --but not in the US. Thirty years ago a Russian study (the Russians do excellent scientific work) that discovered ethylmercury exposure in adults in the form of the mercury in thimerosal -- showed brain damage even years after exposure. Studies showed nervous system injury, including obtundation -- and tubular necrosis. Coma and death were also noted in that study. That was THIRTY YEARS AGO!!! Russia only took three years to ban thimerosal from children's vaccines --that was in 1980. Soon afterward, ALL of the Scandinavian countries banned thimerosal -- not long afterward Austria, Japan and Great Britain joined the ban.


The chem/pharm industry has repeatedly contaminated the discussion and science on this issue in the U.S. If you look back into the record you see that Eli Lilly supposedly "answered" the mercury safety questions in 1930 -- not surprisingly it found that thimerosal to be of "a very low order of toxicity" for humans. The company hired then paid doctors to perform thimerosal experiments on meningitis patients at Indianapolis City Hospital during in 1929 when there was a significant outbreak. Eli Lilly continued to cite this flawed old "study" in its company brochures until 1990. One person who filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly -- Andrew Waters, found during the discovery process that most of the important studies on thimerosal toxicity were aggressively suppressed by Eli Lilly.

Eli Lilly used it's considerable power and influence here in the U.S. (Bush senior was on its board-of-directors) to promote its version of thimerosal "science". It wasn't until immunizations per kid reached between quantity 12 and 15 -- that the general public started to worry out loud about the potential dangers. Although mercury is toxic to everyone there began to be an emphasis on "more vulnerable children" with inadequate detox systems. A 1999 study came along to reveal that some infants lack the ability to eliminate mercury --so parents began to think that this was the only thing they really had to worry about -- children with defects ("not my kid" thinking). Then some parents began to notice that vaccines like those for Hepatitis-B -- contained as up to 12.5 micrograms of mercury per dose -- more than 100 times EPA's upper limit standard for infants!

It was 1999 when FDA released this info.

One of the things that saddens me a great deal is how industry has managed to vilify groups of parents who have begun to search the medical/scientific literature and employ the skills of researchers, doctors and scientists to help them make sense of the science that exists in thousands of papers on mercury. Many of these groups and individuals have done an outstanding job getting closer to the truth that has eluded industry influenced U.S. regulatory agencies and the CDC.

The reality now is that Autism hits 500,000 to 1.5 million U.S. citizens. Since the late 80s it has grown at an annual rate of 10 to 17%! Not all states keep track but California reported a 273% increase from 1987--1998. Maryland reported a 513% increase from 1993---1998!

Centers for Disease Control cannot be trusted with thimerosal data. In 2000 industry and federal official reps were assembled by CDC to discuss disturbing thimerosal damage evidence. Epidemiologist Tom Verstraeten analyzed the CDC data and said that thimerosal appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in neurological disorders including but not limited to autism. Verstraeten those present at that CDC meeting that earlier studies indicate problems such as attention-deficit disorder,speech delays, autism, and hyperactivity.

Verstraeten did not offer causes for this correlation but insisted that there was very strong statistical evidence linking neurological disorders to vaccines. Two others -- Dr. William Weil, a hired consultant from American Academy of Pediatrics, and immunologist / pediatrician Richard Johnston,MD from the University of Colorado, expressed similar data. But CDC chose to take the almost impossible to achieve "scientific certainty" path of least resistance -- for the reason that it's nearly impossible to ever establish a causal relationship-- with 100% certainty. With this "scientific certainty" stance, NOT the stance of the precautionary principle which is based on the weight of evidence of harm -- the CDC and industry representatives took the position that the evidence was "not credible".

CDC then paid Institute of Medicine (IOM) to perform a study on thimerosal -- and this is the one that was cited by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as being in advance with a preconceived goal of whitewashing all previous negative findings. In IOM's 2001 report the Immunization Safety Review Committee admitted that the link between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders was "biologically plausible" but took the position that the evidence "neither proved nor negated it". Then to cover its ass it stated that phasing out thimerosal was “a prudent measure in support of the public health goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as much as possible.”

The trouble with this was that it was not a clear mandate. It would do little to quickly stop thimerosal from continuing as an added preservative. Add to that the fact that the 2000 meeting data was withheld from publication! This kept the perception alive that the link between thimerosal and autism remained "inconclusive."

The result is typical of US sponsored toxicity "investigations" -- the public remained in guinea pig mode while other countries had already banned it years ago.

The politics of vaccines and toxicants are disturbing. One barely needs an advanced science degree to know that something stinks. Just examine the meaning of the word "inconclusive" in industry, science and regulatory circles. The meaning is different dependent on who you ask. Ask the FDA and industry and they will tell you that "inconclusive findings" NEGATE THE RISK OF A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP!!! NEGATE!!!! This means that any interpretation of a risk of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism is NEGATED! Scientists and researchers working for industry or FDA say the same thing, but independent scientists usually say something like "more research is needed."

They know that scientific certainty, or absolute certainty -- is an almost impossible.

What a good thing for toxic industries!

Corruption of scientists studying or commenting toxic products is also a huge problem. Take for example the guy who testified at that CDC meeting -- Tom Verstraeten --who presented epidemiological evidence. He campaigned against thimerosal based upon his correlation, after being hired by GlaxoSmithKline he immediately changed his public views to "neutral" on the topic.

Without an FDA mandate to stop adding thimerosal -- Merck took its own good time reducing vaccine levels. When the FDA came out with limp data in 1999 the public perked up and began to speak out. Then Merck began decreasing the amount in its vaccines and announced that its new vaccines were "thimerosal-free". Unfortunately, Merck continued its distribution of thimerosal laden vaccines until 2001. It took 2002 congressional action before Merck stopped distributing their inventory. Congressman Dave Weldon said Merck's actions were highly misleading. Unfortunately, there was very little press to alert parents -- who had thought vaccines were now mercury-free.

Government oversight in the U.S. has failed us regarding protecting our health from corporations more interested in profit that guarding our health. The same companies that create iatragenic drugs and products -- also PROFITS when we become ill. Anyone with chronic illness is viewed as a profit center by this industry.

[Duppers]

109. Wow, AS, your depth of knowledge amazes me

Thank you so much, AS.

Had I known then what I do now, I would not have allowed my son to be vaccinated for several things. BUT, despite his ADD, he does have a bright future....http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=6338317

Your post reminds me of the scandal at the NIH in the late 1980's and early '90 concerning the 'misdirected' funding for CFIDS research. Its funding had been granted but NIH management was sure CFIDS (ME) was psychogenic and did not deserve to be funded! The misappropriation has all been hushed up now.

I hope Dr. Pall's book is able to change more obstinate minds.

http://www.amazon.com/Explaining-Unexplained-Illnesses-Sysndrome-Sensitivity/dp/078902389X

My current physician would be offended if I brought him a copy of it. Sigh.
But I'll definitely buy it.

[AikidoSoul]

105. The old saying: "they don't call it medical 'practice' for nothing" strikes a resonant note here

You should not doubt that some vaccines can affect a child's brain and
central nervous system, and by now we should accept the real possibility
that some of these played a role in triggering lifelong disabilities.

But we learn slowly. Look at the growing list of vaccine reactions from
Gardasil which has become worrisome to some scientists.

Here's a message posted recently by a scientist from one of my lists on a forum
dedicated to the health effects of chemicals, drugs, etc., with posts the
latest research, findings... :



"Given that the effects following Gardasil administration may involve CNS
(central nervous system) function (seizures, etc). it seems reasonable to
question why many very common conditions would not preclude it's use - or
at least result in a serious discussion of issues regarding potential adverse
impacts on the health of children.

A growing and substantial number of youngsters are diagnosed with
learning disabilities or psychiatric disorders that involve alterations
in their neurotransmitter levels, other neurophysiological
alterations and imbalances (e.g., ADD/ADHD, Asperger's, autism, bipolar
disorder). The administration of a vaccine that may affect the nervous
system in these children seems very unwise without extensive testing to
determine it's potential impact on their conditions. The genesis and
mechanisms underlying many of these problems are largely unresolved within
the medical field and so easy answers to concerns regarding interactions with
medications or underlying conditions are rarely available. That does not
relieve drug makers or the FDA from the responsibility to fully explore
this issue.

Many children have a very difficult time achieving a balance of
behavioral strategies and medication to address these problems. To
offer a vaccine that may disrupt that delicate balance without
adequate testing to specifically determine the mechanisms of action
for neurotoxicity (e.g., CNS impacts), and the potential impact
on these susceptible (but substantial) populations seems ill-advised.

To do so without extensive public discussion and warning, in
the absence of demonstrated safety seems highly irresponsible.

Other populations that should be considered for greater susceptibility
to harm from this vaccine may also be identifiable, based on the adverse
effects observed to date. Based on FDA's recent track record, we clearly
cannot count on them to require or undertake this kind of evaluation."

****************

OP comment: Nobody on the forum disagreed with her... and yet where do you find physicians
screening children who may be susceptible for CNS issues? How do they screen
for detox enzyme deficiencies or genetic susceptibility? What protocols are
in place?

Kids only get to grow one brain.

[mzmolly]

108. I am heartened to see the "questioning" surrounding this particular vaccine.

Thanks for sharing again Akidosoul. :hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. Obviously thimeresol was not the cause

since it has been removed from vaccines and autism rates are still up.

I also think that we need to be concerned about a mixture of toxins and not just one.

[mzmolly]

58. Actually it's not been fully removed.

There are other "options" available for most childhood jabs however. Further the flu vaccine is still an issue and many vaccines have trace amounts. Also, there mercury laced vaccines are thought to be a portion of a greater issue. Also the rate of increase is said to be slowing. So, it's not quite that cut and dry.

[proud2BlibKansan]

77. Oh thanks I didn't realize it was still used in kids' vaccines

I could have sworn I read that its use had been banned?

[mzmolly]

78. No problem. There is a well funded attempt to mislead in this regard.

Many people are intentionally misinformed, unfortunately.

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

80. Where I live, it is banned in MO, but not in KS

Apparently it is a state by state ban, rather than national. Interesting.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/6/15/102755.shtml

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/may/19/proposal_ban_vaccine_ingredient_will_have_wait/?print

[truedelphi]

94. The retort to those who say that the Pharma companies don't

make a profit on the vaccines is this: Maybe Big Pharma doesn't make a profit - but every County in the USA has a ton of money siphoned into its coffers by setting up "Well Baby Clinics" and offering vaccinations to the unsuspecting parents.

When I was in The Health Council of Marin, we tried like heck to get the County to at least consider the downside of vaccines - - took a long time for us to realize that the Head of Health and Services was too attached to the expanding size of the bureaucracy to ever want to even consider that their is a down side. (More employees under you equals more power and also a larger paycheck for you.)

[mzmolly]

96. Here's an interesting article on the subject you raise truedelphi.

Vaccinating For Profit - From Cradle to Coffin

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/vaccine-profit.html

:hi:

[AikidoSoul]

107. You're describing one of the biggest problems of all

because government agencies often ignore important public health issues that may shrink their funding... or threaten corporate supports and perks. Gov. officials also exaggerate problems to create a sense of urgency and fear -- to increase their funding.

It was like that in FL during the West Nile Virus "epidemic" when state officials made statements that scared the crap out of people... like saying that "15% of people infected with WNV die..."

Irresponsible!

What this particular top official failed to add is context and perspective -- she failed to say that 15% was a worldwide incident figure counting deaths all over the world. West Nile Virus has existed in the bleakest regions of the world for decades striking millions in poverty stricken areas devastated by hunger and malnutrition... and populations already devastated with compromised immune systems.

These state officials also failed to mention that if you have a functioning immune system that chances are extremely small that you will feel any effects at all. They also failed to say that in the U.S. people with AIDS, cancer, people on immunosuppressive drugs, or the very old and very young -- are most susceptible.

Then they funded a huge pesticide spraying program with pesticides that are known to -- suppress the immune system!!

[pnwmom]

71. And why couldn't thimerosol been one of the mixture?

[proud2BlibKansan]

79. Research was not able to isolate it as a singular cause

But yes, anyone who has taken introductory physical science knows that the interaction of chemicals can create a whole new set of issues involving those chemicals.

[pnwmom]

70. My allergist once explained my allergies to me using a "bucket" model.

My smaller allergies all go into the bucket. When enough of them add up together, the bucket overfills, and I have symptoms. Control enough of the allergies, and the symptoms go away.

Why can't the same thing be possible with toxins such as thimerosol? The body is already dealing with whatever environmental or food toxins are out there -- the thimerosol could be the last straw. In a different environment, or with a different genetic predisposition, perhaps the body could handle it. But for too many babies, in this industrialized world, maybe it is too much to handle.

[proud2BlibKansan]

81. Yes that makes sense.

The problem with demonizing one particular chemical is that it probably is NOT the only problem element. So just taking thimeresol out of vaccines is probably not enough.

And the flip side is the number of parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids because of this issue. That really frightens me. :scared:

[pnwmom]

82. The appropriate reaction, IMO, was to push the CDC to

eliminate the unnecessary thimerosol from the vaccines -- not to dismiss the valid concerns of parents.

What I don't understand is why so many feel they have to defend an unnecessary and possibly harmful ingredient. Why should there be such strong resistance to making a vaccine safer?

[proud2BlibKansan]

86. I don't get it either

[pnwmom]

31. Or, most likely, from a combination of all the factors you mention.

Just as allergy symptoms, according to my allergist, occur when the allergy "bucket" is too full. (That is, I don't appear to have strong allergies to anything, but the lesser allergies add up and -- together -- cause significant symptoms.)

[Feron]

33. Read the book "Unstrange Minds"

It does a great job of debunking the autism "epidemic" myth.

The article is nothing more than the usual curebie nonsense.

A great response to the article:
http://interverbal.blogspot.com/2007/03/review-of-discovers-autism-its-not-just.html

And a boycott of Discover magazine:
http://autisticbfh.blogspot.com/2007/03/boycott-discovers-ignorant-ass.html#links

[mzmolly]

41. Actually, I am a new subscriber to Discover given their balanced

informative story on this issue.

I encourage others who appreciate this information to subscribe as well. I don't understand the desire to quell free speech with a "RW" boycott tactic?

The "myth" of an "autism epidemic myth" has been "de-bunked" as well. ;) The issue is highly debated.

[AikidoSoul]

43. Feron -- these links and the material are not

good at all as they have a corrosive up front bad attitude that reminds me a lot of some of the hateful stuff I see on Freeper sites. This is the kind of work I expect to see by front groups for the chemical / pharmaceutical industry. You know.. front groups like American Council on Health and Science, Quackbusters, and others who make cheap shots that denigrate scientific ideas and work that threatens their friends.

Do you know of any "industry friends" who are doing this?

[pnwmom]

47. I'm sure that the industry does employ people specifically to influence

public opinion. And, these days, that means keeping a high profile on the internet.

[mzmolly]

64. It would certainly appear so.

;)

[Interverbal]

110. In response

I noticed this board in my links tracker.
I thought I would take a moment to come here and comment on the criticism to my post, which someone else posted here.
http://interverbal.blogspot.com/2007/03/review-of-discovers-autism-its-not-just.html

I am not a pharma shill, nor an “industry friend”. I do not hold ill will towards author of the Discover article or the people quoted within it, but I do challenge some the assertion in the article. Some of these assertions, are not based on science, and it is a serious mistake to call them such. I would argue that someone should point this out.

I truly welcome criticism, but I would hope that this criticism involves taking issue with specific things I wrote. Such persons could review research in peer reviewed journals, and cite evidence that contradicts what I wrote. For example, they might criticize me for attacking the article’s assertion that distended stomachs are common in autism. They could search for research that backs this up and if they find some, they could reference it. That's what I would like to see.

[AikidoSoul]

111. What specific assertions are you speaking of that are not based on science that irk you?

You say that you "....do challenge some the assertion (sic) in the article" -- so tell me which specific things would you change.

One specific thing you mentiond...you seemed upset by the clinical observation that some autistic children present with distended stomachs. Why is this a problem for you? These are clinical observations that doctors make in the course of their practice. These kids usually have serious gastrointestinal issues, along with nutrition deficits because they don't digest food properly. Distended stomachs might be part of this don't you think?

I would expect you to notice that the Discovery article is not written like a medical journal article that comes with a bibliography. The article was meant for public consumption and discussion. Some newbie DUer provided some links to criticisms of the Discovery article(it may have been you), which led to a website with rude comments insulting the scientists and Discovery. The people who blasted the article with ad hominem attacks made no attempt to present a sane, measured, point-by-point argument of opposing views. I don't accept those kinds of attacks because they have no weight. If they are not reasonable critiques, if they are emotional and use the language of insults ---I find them not just a waste of my time, but repulsive.

There was one link to a book written by an academic who's an anthropologist who thought that the idea that there is an autism epidemic is "nonsense". To understand why he is completely off-base you have to dig into medical journals containing historical medical data on diseases that go back many decades. If you do so you will realize that NO DISEASE RESEMBLING AUTISM was reported prior to 1930. How can I take a guy seriously -- an anthropologist no less -- when he neglects to perform even the most rudimentary forensic detective work? An anthropologist should know better. If he was a medical anthropologist he would have been required to search old medical tomes before making such an assertion in any kind of a medical university paper -- one expects nothing less than that kind of care when you author a book on a medical condition that has exploded over the past two decades.

I think if you read some reviews of that book you might find some mention of this deficit of research.

Notice please that the scientists quoted in the Discovery article DID make comments based on science --and in fact referred to a range of scientific evidence that is causing some excitement. Several scientists commented on these avenues of inquiry. If you have GOOGLE which of course you do, all you have to do is enter the topic and the scientists name, and find out that these are the areas of expertise of these scientists are researching. If you want to go to NIH -- you can search them by author.

One of the most exciting parts of the article quoted a scientist who revealed his excitement when discussing how autism patients are being found to have a particular gene called "MET" -- oh hell, let me just quote the article here:

"We’re beginning to understand that genetics is really about vulnerability,” says neuroscientist Pat Levitt, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Levitt and his colleagues recently discovered that a common variant of a gene called MET doubles the risk of autism. The finding was widely regarded as a breakthrough because MET modulates the nervous system, gut, and immune system—just the kind of finding that matches up with the emerging new view of autism.

'Everyone was focusing on genes expressed in the brain,' says Levitt, 'but this gene is important for repair of the intestine and immune function. And that’s really intriguing because a subset of autistic children have digestive and immune problems.' Equally interesting is that the gene variant occurs in 47 percent of the population—in other words, it is just one contributing factor, and it probably works in concert with other vulnerability genes. And finally, in a twist that intrigues other researchers, the activity of the gene is affected by what is known as oxidative stress—the kind of damage one sees with excessive exposure to toxins"

My comments continued:

Please notice that they already know that 47 percent of the population has this gene. They also know that this gene is affected by "oxidative stress-the kind of damage one sees with excessive exposure to toxins."

There is a LOT of this type of information exploding in the independent research community. These guys are picking up the disparate pieces and trying to solve the mystery of autism by syntheses of thinking based partly on what is already known -- PLUS new research, which is adding its value every day.

Unless you have a child with autism, or one who been chemically injured -- you might not fully appreciate how the medical / science community is especially clueless most of the time about what to do. All doctors today are hugely influenced by the chemical / pharmaceutical industry which bankrolls seminars and conferences all over the country. This industry also pays doctors fees to sign onto papers written by industry scientists. Doctors are bottled up in this system and do not look very far outside of this lucrative money-box.

The science of brain injury is exploding right now -- and it is in process, but there are not a lot of people doing it outside of chem/pharm funder sources of research funding. Chem/pharm is far more interested in doing research that looks for new drugs to "manage" autism and all the rest of those money-making diseases. Chem/pharm is not interested in finding causes. If you are a bright guy you will know right away why that is so.

Science is in process. "In process" are important words. They are in the process of being DISCOVERED... and DISCOVERY Magazine reported what is in the process of being discovered.

One of the frustrations that parents feel is the finality expressed by doctors who basically tell them, "it's over... get used to it" and then give the kids drugs which very often have side effects that worsen the symptoms -- not all -- but a very significant number. These kids may have real difficult detoxing drugs. Since glutathione levels are low in these kids, it makes sense. Yet most of the medical community is still using drugs with toxic side effects as treatment these kids as the first order of treatment. Other docs are noticing that drugs aren't working well for a lot of toxicant induced multi-symptom illnesses, and there is an emerging group of doctors who are realizing that our bodies are overloaded with toxicants and heavy metals that are doing damage to the neurological system. Many people are showing improvement by detoxifying -- although they must do it very carefully, especially with heavy metals, or with sensitive populations.

One of the huge problems of autistics and the chemically injured, is the role the gut plays in health and because of the problems, we don't absorb vitamins and minerals very well. Most doctors do NOT run tests to see whether the blood, bone, and central nervous system (spinal fluid) have the proper vitamins. But the doctors that DO test, see that these nutrients are low and that is why replenishment through high dose vitamin supplements is having such a dramatic effect. Avoiding toxicants is also having a positive effect. If you look in an issue of HEAVY METAL BULLETIN that is stunning and has shocked a lot of doctors and scientists -- that is that mercury BLOCKS absorption of vitamin B12 into the central nervous system! If most doctors realized this they would maybe think about what that would mean for a person's central nervous system. Here's the link to that article here:

http://www.algonet.se/~leif/fub12kau.html

Another thing -- lots of these kids are getting treatment that is off the radar of the "mainstream" medical community, but they are doing it because they network with families who have tried things that get results. You can't blame them. Many of these people are having amazing results -- not all -- but enough of them that they are going to continue down that road.

The article partly tells that story. It's an important story.
The article reported some of those problems and as such, are just what it seems -- reports of peoples lives and what they did -- and of course this can only be told as a story.
This does not require scientific study, but only the accurate reporting of these peoples' lives.

If you're talking about "scientific certainty" you need to realize what that really means? Science, never stops searching for answers and if you understand what that means you will know that it has an almost impossible threshold for reaching a final conclusion. Scientist say that it requires 95% certainty to conclude that one thing probably caused another. It often takes many decades for that to happen. I like to use the example of dioxin, which is one of the most powerfully toxic substances on earth and is highly carcinogenic -- and yet it too over 30 years for a consensus to be reached that it is carcinogenic. Partly this was due to industry scientists who did what industry scientists do -- make the topic controversial -- produce industry studies to disprove and challenge. In the case of dioxin it was done to keep those products on the market. In the case of the cigarette industry, it was done to keep its products on the market and to avoid liability. Scientific certainty is almost impossible to achieve.

I found the article to be exciting and inspiring. I personally know some of the scientists looking at the evidence surrounding autism who are excited to work towards discovering some of its mysteries.

Meanwhile, hopefully the discussions won't be smothered by those who parrot the phrases of the chem/pharm industry --most especially its hypocritical drumbeat complaint about a purported "lack of sound science" whenever scientists independent from its control, produce material that threatens its bottom line.

[Interverbal]

113. The things I would like to change

were discussed in detail in my critique. However here is a short list:

1 Amendment of the claim of distended stomachs are frequent in autism, so that it is clear that this is based on clinical evidence, not actual research.

2 Correction of the 1 in 6 children having “Developmental Delays”, to 1 in 6 having “Developmental Disorders”, which is an important difference. I also would like a comparison statistic of adults with developmental disorders, as some of the rates are within confidence intervals in the recent research e.g. (ADHD) and some of the rates actually favor adults e.g. (Mental Retardation)

3 Statement in the Texas autism rate/toxicity map, that the autism rates are not based on actual diagnosis, but come from the special education data which is based on service category assignment. There are significant problems with the US special education data in terms of autism. The main problems are significant undercounting and racial discrepancy that does not exist in the descriptive epidemiology of autism.

4 I would like to see the statement that kids get better under biomedical treatments for autism taken out as there are no well controlled studies that support this, and there are studies that show no effect for the GF/CF diet and MB12 shots. Or perhaps this could be amended to read “based on clinical observation”.

5 Removal of the statement that those who advocate a genetic etiology of autism claim that autism is hopeless, this is a position that no reputable consumer of autism research in the last 20 years would take.

6 Amendment of the claim that the 11 children in Kanner’s case studies have gastro and autoimmune issues, to be clear that not nearly all those children had such issues. And discussion that the major similarity present in the those children (But not all of them) that seemed important to the researchers in the 1940s was the highly educated parents which helped give birth to the cold mothering etiology of autism theory, a theory which is now justly rejected as complete garbage, but which back in the day was supported not only by the most famous psychoanalyst of the time (Bruno Bettelheim), but by other famous therapists and authors whose work is still studied (Virginia Axeline & Mira Rothenberg) and by a Nobel prize winner who spent years studying the autism and whose work in ethnology has held up quite well over time (Niko Tinbergen).

I am not upset by the clinical observation that some autistic children have distended stomachs, but I take issue with the claim that many do. What I want to see is a fair comparison of the rates of children with and without autism who have distended stomachs. I want proof that the advocates aren’t just Texas Sharpshooting.

I do note that the Discovery article is not written like a journal article. However, I would hope for that reason the author would have been careful with how she described certain issues, like the ones in my list. In addition I was not the one who first posted a link to my critique or the boycott article. I have no idea who this person was.

In addition, I hope you note that my critique was ad hominem free. And my critique was point by point. I do not agree with the idea of a boycott raised by the other blog post. This is not because I think the Discover article is of quality, but because I see no benefit of restricting discussion. This issue should be taken on head-on.


Continuing, “Idiot Savants” were first described by Dr. Lagndon Down (Discoverer of Down’s Syndrome) in 1887 in Victorian Britain. The persons described seem to be an astute and early description of autism.

I do not agree with Roy Grinker’s (He’s the anthropologist) comment of the epidemic being nonsense. But I do take issue with the claims of “epidemic”, this is something that can not be proven or wholly rejected just at the moment. I have indeed read some reviews of his work, but I was not particularly impressed, perhaps I read the wrong ones, can you cite some you thought were excellent.

Further, I am aware that some of the scientists mentioned do have research. I have followed their research (and others) very closely.

Going on to Dr. Levitt’s research, I want to say that there are very many genes being researched in connection with autism. There has yet to be one gene that seems to be the cause. A few years ago researchers were sure that the Foxp2 gene was the culprit and the most recent genetic research suggest that there are duplications and deletions rather than mutations in autism and that hundreds of genes could be potentially involved. But even then, these alterations seem to be present only in a small set of persons with autism and are even present in some persons without it.

Further still, I do not seek scientific certainty, but well controlled trials are still the right tool to use in determining cause and effect. In the absence of which anti-science may creep. There is a logical problem with assuming a treatment is good to pursue now, because it might be proven in the future. The more extreme form of this is faith based reasoning.

Discussion is good, inquiry is good, but data trumps belief and clinical observation. I argue that no matter who emits a statement it needs to be subject to scrutiny and that if problem exits then they should be pointed out. IMHO, there is an obligation to do so, especially in an article meant for popular consumption.

[AikidoSoul]

115. Let's start with your first complaint first -- there is no such statement in the article

that claims that "distended stomachs are frequent in autism." Run a word search and you'll see.
I have no idea where you picked that up unless you extrapolated it from other comments on DU, or from the article somehow. Or maybe it was just a simple mistake.

There was discussion in the article and on DU -- most likely on other autism threads -- about the prevalence of serious digestive and bowel problems like irritable bowel syndrome in autism. Many autistic kids also suffer from gastroesophageal reflux which docs will tell you often present with distended stomach. Other than that I have no idea how you came to this. The word "distended" and "stomach" are not in the Discovery article... but if you can find it I will eat these words happily... because I don't want to miss a thing.

The rest of these points you've made will have to be taken one by one over time as I'm busy with several projects and spread thin. My obligation is to answer those concerns, so allow me that time.

Thanks very much for signing up with DU to answer the charges -- but when I went to your web link I could find nothing even similar to the link I'd been given that did in fact have a bad attitude and ad hominem attacks. I went to several sites apparently to register my disgust, but not to yours.

Welcome to DU!



:hi:

[Interverbal]

118. Thank you kindly for the welcome

The distended stomach comment is a reference to a picture on page 32 of the paper edition
of the Discover article. It has a x-ray of a distended stomach and the caption
"Gastronintestinal problems like a swollen belly are common among autistic patients".

A "swollen belly", is a "distended stomach", these are two phrases for the same problem and
"distended stomach" is the way the idea is written in the academic autism articles.
I placed this portion of my critique under a heading to make sure people understood that
this was in the graphics not the main text. Although I did not note this here on DU, so confusion
is entirely understandable, and I aplogize for this.

Please take your time and deal with your other obligations first. I will wait patiently.

[pnwmom]

48. The Autism Society of America debunks your debunkers.

You site a couple of random bloggers. I'd rather trust the opinions of the Autism Society, which applauded the Discovery article.

http://www.autism-society.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr005=3peufvte92.app27a&page=NewsArticle&id=9415&news_iv_ctrl=-1

Discover Article "Understanding Autism" Breaks New Ground
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
By: Marguerite Kirst Colston

Autism Society of America Advisors Herbert, Pessah, James Featured in April Issue

Bethesda, MD (3/27/2007) Discover magazine, a major science magazine with a broad national circulation, examines the interaction between vulnerable genes and environmental triggers in contributing to autism in the cover feature of its April issue. The article, “Understanding Autism: The answer may lie in the gut, not in the head,” thoughtfully explores the new paradigm of autism treatment as a “full body condition” instead of exclusively a mental or behavioral health issue. The April issue is out in newsstands across the nation this week and available now online at http://www.discover.com/.

“I can’t think of it as a coincidence anymore that so many autistic kids have a history of allergies, eczema or chronic diarrhea,” said Harvard pediatric neurologist Dr. Martha Herbert, a main contributor to the article. Interviewees Herbert, Isaac Pessah, M.D., and Jill James, Ph.D., are members of ASA’s Environmental Health Advisory Board, established in June 2006 to explore this new paradigm in autism treatment. ASA convened this Advisory Board in response to parents’ concerns that biomedical research and interventions were being ignored by research that focused on genetics. “We have children manifesting serious gut and allergy issues whose families are being told by experts that their child was untreatable because they were diagnosed with autism,” said Dave Humphrey, ASA Board member and leading autism advocate based in Oregon. “We convened this group because we knew the paradigm had to change if these children were going to get better.” Herbert, Pessah, and James were among the 40 contributors to the special issue of ASA’s Autism Advocate, now online. Discover explores the same view of autism as a “whole body medical condition” with a strong environmental component.

ASA congratulates Jill Neimark and Discover magazine for featuring this important story, and we applaud their forward-looking vision on covering autism research. “We are heartened that a periodical with the prestige of Discover would feature this important research” said Lee Grossman, President and CEO of ASA. “The overwhelming responses we’ve received from this article show that families are clamoring for this type of treatment-guided research.”

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=History

History of the Autism Society of America

"The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. His book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior, was written in late 1964 and was one of the first of its kind. In 1968, Ruth Sullivan, Ph.D. became the organization's first elected president. Over the last 40 years, the Society has grown from a handful of parents, into the leading source of information, research, and reference on autism. ASA is the oldest and largest grassroots organization within the autism community. Today, more than 120,000 members and supporters are connected through a working network of nearly 200 chapters nationwide. ASA membership continues to grow as more and more parents and professionals unite to form a collective voice representing the autism community.

"ASA is dedicated to increasing public awareness about autism and the day-to-day issues faced by individuals with autism, their families and the professionals with whom they interact. The Society and its chapters share a common mission of providing information and education, and supporting research and advocating for programs and services for the autism community."

[earth mom]

97. Read the book Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism epidemic

http://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Harm-Vaccines-Epidemic-Controversy/dp/0312326459/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-9830866-7820028?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175280245&sr=1-2

And Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s article in Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7395411/deadly_immunity/



BTW-I think your "curebie" stance is nothing more than B.S. that does a huge amount of damage to the Autism community and to children who can lead improved lives because of parents and others who are willing to go the distance to help them. You obviously don't have a loved one with Autism and can't possibly understand how lost the majority of these kids are until parents and others pull them back and help them heal.

And note, I did not say "cure", I said "heal".

[motocicleta]

15. Thanks

I am excited to read the article in its entirety - what I have seen so far is right up my family's alley. We have a four year old with severe eczema (actually much less severe now), and have been learning a ton about nutrition, mind-body connections and environmental toxicity.

May I also recommend Sandra Steingraber's excellent Having Faith, a super book on fetal development, persistent organic pollutants, and parenthood.

K n R.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. My dad had Parkinson's

When he was diagnosed 25 years ago, he was told it was most likely caused by his exposure to agricultural chemicals as a child growing up in farm country.

[AikidoSoul]

30. The sad thing is that the association with Parkinson's and pesticides

has been known for many years by doctors treating people in agricultural areas. The trouble has always been that there is no support for definitive studies -- who's going to fund them -- the chem/pharm industry?

It's been very difficult getting studies performed and when they are they are attacked by the industry with cigarette science. Most of the best studies have been performed in Europe.

For years in the U.S. there were many doctors who reported patients with Alateral Sclerosis (a/k/a Lou Gehrig's Disease), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and a wide range of other devastating neurodegenerative diseases among those who routinely are exposed to neurotoxic chemical pesticides. The trouble is -- the use of pesticides has increased so dramatically over the past few decades that these populations are no longer unique. These illnesses are now found everywhere.

[Gloria]

117. My dad died of Parkinsons....there has always been talk of the flu

epidemic early in the century that seemed to be linked to the disease. But my father also worked in a dye factory during summers during college.....I would bet that there was something toxic there!

[faithnotgreed]

27. i have known this a long time due to seeing and enduring too much illness

all around
but only a few would even consider listening because it is just too far outside the mainstream
so i just mostly keep it to myself but i believe it/know it 100%

alternative medicine (the good and the bad of it) has opened my eyes W I D E
i adore the good of it and is quite a passion for me

THANK YOU for posting this article
hopefully more eyes and hearts will be opened to what is a painful and epidemic reality

[PA Democrat]

34. Looks very interesting.

I have a child with autism, and the number of cases in my county has skyrocketed over the past decade. It's interesting to note that the area where I live has one of the worst concentrations in the country of environmental mercury due to coal burning power plants.

Someone posted a link a while back that showed a map of the worst areas on environmental mercury. It would be very interesting to see if there was a correlation between the rate of the incidence of autism and other disorders and mercury because there have been a couple of studies done that seem to substantiate this.

Here is one done in Texas:

http://www.seedcoalition.org/downloads/autism_study_UTHSCSA.pdf

And another in the San Francisco Bay area:

http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.php?id=1484&title=Study+Links+Air+Pollutants+With+Autism&event=news_print_list_item

[AikidoSoul]

46. The chem/pharm industry uses lies and tricks to convince the public that its pesticides

are "safe". It's actually against federal law to make such claims but industry continually uses language and advertising that suggests safety and is almost never prosecuted for such claims.

Most egregiously -- it actually calls highly toxic ingredients "inert" on the label!!!

If you look at pesticide labels you'll notice that only a tiny percentage (usually less than 1%) is listed as "active" and the other approximately 99% are listed as so called "inert" ingredients. This is a HUGE scam on the public. This misleading language that falsely gives the public the idea that most of the product is "inert" was documented by the New York Attorney General's Office which has been unable to get the EPA to require more honest language.

The NYAG wrote a report entitled:

The Secret Hazards of Pesticides: Inert Ingredients

The second paragraph of the report states:

"Unfortunately, many people will conclude from the term 'inert' that such ingredients could not possibly have any adverse health or environmental effects. This is not the case at all. The chemicals used as inerts include some of the most dangerous substances known. Some of these chemicals are suspected carcinogens and have been linked to other long-term health problems like central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney damage and birth defects. They can also cause short-term health effects like eye and skin irritation, nausea, dizziness and respiratory difficulty"

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/environment/inerts96.html

[Cetacea]

53. People have forgotten about Pesticides

and the liberal application of them everywhere. They are known neurotoxins and carcinogens and have very long half-lives.

[AikidoSoul]

103. It will blow your mind to see a list of things routinely impregnated with pesticides

when I saw this list it was a mouth-dropping experiences. It only lists ONE pesticide, but it's jaw-dropping to see the kinds of things it's in - even chicken feed!

... the pesticides store readily in fat. The chickens eat the feed, the pesticides get into its fat, we eat the chicken, the fat gets into us -- the poisons store in our fat.

Isn't the "gray matter" in our brains "lipid-like" -- in other words, similar to fat?

Below is the link. Note that pyrethroid pesticides are impregnated into cloth too -- and note that this class of pesticide will remain in cloth even after 30 washings!

This crap off-gasses continually. If we have moisture on our skin it can increase its activity.

If you do a word search on the name Schreck -- you will see the studies by him -- funded by the military, about how pyrethroids (also called permethrin) persist in cloth even after many washings.

http://ca.water.usgs.gov/pnsp/pyra/env_pro/trnfr_pro/sorp/resin.html

[Cetacea]

106. Thanks. The silence on pesticides is troublesome.

It's gotten to the point where there is an overload of information regarding poisons in the environment, and it's nearly impossible to keep up with the list of toxins.

[symbolman]

57. Thanks for posting this

and to all those posting on this thread..

I have a two year old and we live in Hawaii, not a block and half away, as the wind blows, from a Monsanto FrankenFarm. I can see it from my son's bedroom window. We've had mysterious 'colds' and strange fevers in the past three years. One of which we jokingly named a 'PsyCold', as my wife and I had runny noses and INSANE DREAMS where it felt like we were going to DIE. Sleep Panic Attacks, and we aren't that kind of people, we just don't get into that mindset. We have chalked some of it up to perhaps diseases or virus's that we've never been exposed to, as Hawaii is a crossroads for the Pan Pacific people, as well as 8 million tourists showing up for the winters...

Still, I'm a bit frightened about that field nearby, blowing whatever pollen they've been propagating in their crops, some of which were corn, which I grew up surrounded by in Illinois - thinking that a Franken Pollen, that my body is not used to could be attacking my lungs, whatever.

My son has been somewhat slow to begin speaking, it's doesn't seem to be a problem now, he's catching up quickly - but I swear to god that he was doing the babbling thing, nearly saying words at one year of age, and tolerated the other shots well, but the LAST ONE he had seemed to CLAM him right up..

We even demanded that we be given the batch number, after having been assured that there was NO mercury or any other adjuncts that may POSSIBLY harm a developing child. Especially worried when we found out that the Republican Gov here, had decided to save money and allow the using up of older shots until they were depleted. We've not been able to find much out, but we're still looking into it.

I am tempted to move, just in case - one of the reasons we moved here was to get the hell away from hot spots, but now we know there are huge smokestacks here that blow tons of bad stuff out into the ocean, no reburners or whatever that they'd demand in cities or other states. And with so many Golf Courses here, some are saying that the chemicals used to keep them snappy are all washing into the ocean, and killing the reefs, etc.

Seems like you can't escape pollution, no matter where you go.

My son has been always fascinated by FANS, ceiling fans in particular, and will walk around, less now, with anything long, like a Pen or a Tinker Toy, and wag it back and forth, staring at it - not LOST in it, just for fun, I'd say.. and since he's been laying on his back seeing ceiling fans his whole life here, maybe that's normal.

But as parents we all worry that a kid might be showing symptoms of whatever, I know that autistic kids like to watch records, and stimulating things for long periods, so that's why I worry a bit.. other than that, he's a loving, intelligent kid - who knows more than 300 signs (from the GREAT PBS show "Signing Times" created by a musician lady with two deaf children - get your kids to watch it, they'll love it and you can communicate WAY better), and he can name all the letters, sign them, count to ten on his own, etc. When he wasn't talking he was signing, and from what I've heard it develops the same portion of the brain and so isn't keeping a child from speaking, more like learning two languages.

He refuses to drink cow's milk, still prefering mother's instead, and in a way I'm glad, what with the Bovine Growth in all the milk - we feed him other sources to compensate.

My heart goes out to those who have to deal with their beloved little ones here who have needs, it's a CRIME that these sweet creatures may be imposed upon by these damn pollutants and chemicals, getting this kind of info out there helps a lot.

Once again, thanks for posting this :)

[mzmolly]

72. "the LAST ONE he had seemed to CLAM him right up.."

This happened to a friends daughter when she was four. She's fine now, but it was frightening from what I gather.

Regarding Monsanto, I wonder what they might spray on their crops as well? Perhaps call and ask? I would not doubt if you found a connection.

We even demanded that we be given the batch number, after having been assured that there was NO mercury or any other adjuncts that may POSSIBLY harm a developing child. Especially worried when we found out that the Republican Gov here, had decided to save money and allow the using up of older shots until they were depleted. We've not been able to find much out, but we're still looking into it.

Using up old lots is common unfortunately. Keep pressing for information however.

Interestingly enough, my daughter had the ceiling fan fascination as well. She happens to have a neurological condition known as Tourette Syndrome. Her case is "mild" compared to what one envisions when they think of TS, as most cases do not look like the sensationalized versions often seen on the tele. ;) Not that there is a link between a love of ceiling fans and TS, but I recall that same "concern." For years I speculated that she may have aspergers as she had mild similar symptoms, but she eventually became a very social creature, and that was not her issue. Given the tics associated with TS first appear around five years old, we eventually had our answer. Though her first tic was a throat clearing thing which I thought was a mold allergy LOL. I had our entire basement "mold proofed." ;)

Many neurological issues can resemble one another, which makes the situation confusing. Not that YOUR child has such a condition, but I know the feelings you describe.

I too nursed for sometime, and my child weaned naturally. I recently learned that environmental toxins like PDBE's are found in breast milk, which is sad. Though it is said that "breast is best," regardless.

Best wishes in finding a solution to what ails you, I say trust your gut and move if you can.

[pnwmom]

73. mzmolly, you were wise to get your basement mold-proofed.

We discovered mold down there after one of my children developed asthma, which of course is linked to mold. But interestingly, within a couple days of ripping out the moldy carpet (it was moldy underneath where we couldn't see it) -- my own symptoms of fibromyalgia disappeared. Nowadays, no one would be surprised, but back then the connection between mold and systemic symptoms was pretty much unrecognized.

Your family is dealing with enough, without having to deal with mold issues, too.

[mzmolly]

76. Thanks.

In hindsight, I don't regret it.

We happened to come across mold proof carpeting which is used in health care facilities which was a great find. We also painted the basement cement with pool paint, which is a cheap way to prevent mold. I guess it's essentially the same as mold proof paint, but loads less expensive?

Glad to hear you're doing better after tacking mold as well. :)

[pnwmom]

75. How does your son relate to you and your wife?

Do you feel that he's connected in? That seems to be key.

Kids are quirky. My two-three year old son absolutely loved vacuum cleaners. Wherever we went, whoever we visited, the first thing he did was look for a closet with a vacuum cleaner.

He's a teenager now and he's forgotten all about his love of vacuum cleaners. Unfortunately. ;)

[symbolman]

98. Oh we're all madly in love

no problem there, curiously enough though, he's never referred to us as Mommy or Daddy or anything until he hit two years of age - now he calls me Dahty, and my wife is 'not Dahty', which is funny for me in a way, and doesn't bother my wife much, now she's 'Mahee', so it's all cool..

We think part of the speech problem has been that we're connected on nearly a psychic level, I mean, YOU know what Your kid wants, you want that Too..

Genetics I think.. when I walk into a room and there's fresh bread, THAT is what I want, and so does he.. so he had no reason to ask for things by name, easy going.. except the terrible twos are upon us, yet the signing helps there, virtually eliminates the TT's because a lot of it is communication and with the addition of signing to speech he communicates well with us, and so there's not a whole lot of head butting..

I had a younger sister who used to wake up by sitting on the couch and SLAMMING her head against it over and over for 20 minutes, beating herself back into this reality I guess, thought it was STRANGE when I was a kid, but they all have quirks, I try to take that into account.

But in this world, when you SEE more kids actually having problems compared to when I was a youngster (I'm 54), you have to wonder.. I'm serious, when I was a kid there didn't seem to be so many Brain problems.. there were kids that had challanges, but more kids had ruebella, and polio and stuff like that..

Thanks for all your responses, much appreciated!

[AikidoSoul]

83. Did you see the Harvard press release about how there is a "Silent Pandemic" because of chemicals

".....impairing the brain development of children worldwide"? I posted it a couple of months ago.

Here's the link directly to the Harvard School of Public Health press release:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press11072006.html

A Silent Pandemic: Industrial Chemicals Are Impairing the Brain Development of Children Worldwide
For immediate release: Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Boston, MA – Fetal and early childhood exposures to industrial chemicals in the environment can damage the developing brain and can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs)—autism, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), and mental retardation. Still, there has been insufficient research done to identify the individual chemicals that can cause injury to the developing brains of children.

In a new review study, published online in The Lancet on November 8, 2006, and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine systematically examined publicly available data on chemical toxicity in order to identify the industrial chemicals that are the most likely to damage the developing brain.

The researchers found that 202 industrial chemicals have the capacity to damage the human brain, and they conclude that chemical pollution may have harmed the brains of millions of children worldwide. The authors conclude further that the toxic effects of industrial chemicals on children have generally been overlooked.

To protect children against industrial chemicals that can injure the developing brain, the researchers urge a precautionary approach for chemical testing and control. Such an approach is beginning to be applied in the European Union. It puts in place strong regulations, which could later be relaxed, if the hazard were less than anticipated, instead of current regulations that require a high level of proof. At present in the U.S., requirements for toxicity testing of chemicals are minimal.

“The human brain is a precious and vulnerable organ. And because optimal brain function depends on the integrity of the organ, even limited damage may have serious consequences,” says Philippe Grandjean , adjunct professor at Harvard School of Public Health and the study’s lead author.

One out of every six children has a developmental disability, usually involving the nervous system. Treating NDDs is difficult and costly to both families and society. In recent decades, a gathering amount of evidence has linked industrial chemicals to NDDs. Lead, for example, was the first chemical identified as having toxic effects to early brain development, though its neurotoxicity to adults had been known for centuries.

A developing brain is much more susceptible to the toxic effects of chemicals than an adult brain. During development, the brain undergoes a highly complex series of processes at different stages. An interference—for example, from toxic substances—that disrupts those processes, can have permanent consequences. That vulnerability lasts from fetal development through infancy and childhood to adolescence. Research has shown that environmental toxicants, such as lead or mercury, at low levels of exposure can have subclinical effects—not clinically visible, but still important adverse effects, such as decreases in intelligence or changes in behavior.

Grandjean and co-author Philip J. Landrigan, Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, compiled a list of 202 environmental chemicals known to be toxic to the human brain using the Hazardous Substances Data Bank of the National Library of Medicine and other data sources. (The authors note that the list should not be regarded as comprehensive; for example, the number of chemicals that can cause neurotoxicity in laboratory animal tests exceeds 1,000.)

The authors then examined the published literature on the only five substances on the list—lead, methylmercury, arsenic, PCBs and toluene—that had sufficient documentation of toxicity to the developing human brain in order to analyze how that toxicity had been first recognized and how it led to control of exposure. They found a similar pattern in how the risks of each substance were documented: first, a recognition of adult toxicity and episodes of poisoning among children, followed by a growing body of epidemiological evidence that exposure to lower levels of the substances caused neurobehavioral deficits in children.

“Even if substantial documentation on their toxicity is available, most chemicals are not regulated to protect the developing brain,” says Grandjean. “Only a few substances, such as lead and mercury, are controlled with the purpose of protecting children. The 200 other chemicals that are known to be toxic to the human brain are not regulated to prevent adverse effects on the fetus or a small child.”

Grandjean and Landrigan conclude that industrial chemicals are responsible for what they call a silent pandemic that has caused impaired brain development in millions of children worldwide. It is silent because the subclinical effects of individual toxic chemicals are not apparent in available health statistics. To point out the subclinical risk to large populations, the authors note that virtually all children born in industrialized countries between 1960 and 1980 were exposed to lead from petrol, which may have reduced IQ scores above 130 (considered superior intelligence) by more than half and increased the number of scores less than 70. Today, it’s estimated that the economic costs of lead poisoning in U.S. children are $43 billion annually; for methylmercury toxicity, $8.7 billion each year.

“Other harmful consequences from lead exposure include shortened attention spans, slowed motor coordination and heightened aggressiveness, which can lead to problems in school and diminished economic productivity as an adult. And the consequences of childhood neurotoxicant exposure later in life may include increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and other neurogenerative diseases,” says Landrigan.

The researchers believe that the total impact of the pandemic is much greater than currently recognized. In supplementary documentation (see below for a link), about half of the 202 chemicals known to be toxic to the brain are among the chemicals most commonly used.

Testing chemicals for toxicity is a highly efficient public health measure. However, less than half of the thousands of chemicals currently used in commerce have been tested to assess acute toxicity and, although new chemicals undergo more thorough testing, access to the data may be restricted because companies fear exposing proprietary information. Also, current toxicity testing rarely includes neurobehavioral functions.

“The brains of our children are our most precious economic resource, and we haven’t recognized how vulnerable they are,” says Grandjean. “We must make protection of the young brain a paramount goal of public health protection. You have only one chance to develop a brain.”

To view supplementary documentation on industrial chemicals and risks of toxic effects on brain development, click here:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/neurotoxicant/appendix.doc

Support for this research was provided by the Danish Medical Research Council, the (U.S.) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

("Developmental Neurotoxicity of Industrial Chemicals," The Lancet, November 8, 2006- Vol. 368)

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617-432-3952

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OP COMMENT: When I contacted Todd Datz at the Harvard School of Public Health press office a few days ago I asked what the press release response had been. He said that the response was significant in Europe, especially from the UK --- but that there was very little response here in the U.S.

Disturbing indeed but normal. Europe is doing far more to stop this. The European Union recently passed a law requiring chemical companies to prove that chemicals are safe PRIOR to marketing. Here in the US the burden of proof is on the injured citizen -- an enormously difficult and extremely expensive burden. Then.. even if you can produce the science, the court will disallow it because it is new science, and has not achieved consensus level in the scientific community at large. That problem is created by the legal case where DOW CHEMICAL was able to establish precedent -- and is now called THE DAUBERT DOCTRINE.

Even if you had unlimited funds to try to get the new science out there in an attempt to reach consensus, you would go up against the well-funded cigarette "science" from the chem/ pharm industry. It has succeeded in delaying consensus on many, many chemicals. For example -- it took more than 30 years for the scientific community to agree that DIOXIN is carcinogenic.... and it's actually one of the most carcinogenic substances on earth!!

There are many other examples of this.

[hunter]

87. My mom had a mouth full of fillings and ate fish from Santa Monica Bay 4-5 times a week.

My parents also lived near the freeway, back when gasoline was full of lead. And my grandma didn't like bugs, so she'd pay the guy from Western Exterminator to protect her precious grandchildren's house from creepy crawlies. My parents thought that was nice for the first few years of my life, until they started taking Rachel Carson's concerns to heart.

Before I was born, and as a child, I was swimming in toxic stuff... Little wonder I was an obsessive head-banger who didn't see any reason to talk. People were noisy and unpredictable. If they touched me I hit them.

I was also part of a drug test that went slightly amiss -- a few years ago I was seeing a doctor for a problem that was possibly related to that, and he got all excited and said something like "Hey! I was just reading about you guys!" It was sort of disconcerting, but at least I knew I'd picked a specialist who was up on his reading.

As far back as you go, there are people in my family tree who, in retrospect, were obviously autistic, and it's quite possible this was a result of mercury, lead, or other sort of toxicity, but there's also something else going on there.

My wife and I have always been very concerned about environmental toxins, so our kids haven't suffered anywhere near the exposures we did. (But yes, in case you wonder, their vaccinations are always up to date.) We don't use insecticides or herbicides, there's no lead in gasoline any more, and we don't have carpet or synthetic floors in our house. Our kids are smarter and more stable than I ever was, and maybe it has something to do with that, but maybe it doesn't.

Mostly my attitude is you first deal with what you've got. But in my own experience there is a lot of nonsense floating about this issue, and people can be quite militant about their own particular fears.

[wordpix]

89. I teach kids with learning disabilities & am a longtime environmentalist---I've always related these

two. I also think that over use of electronics (TV, net surfing, gaming, iPod listening for hours upon end) contributes to autistim or austistic-like symptoms. Let's face it, if a kid is relating better to his TV or computer game than to other kids or adults year after year, there's going to be a problem.

[earth mom]

95. Actually it's just the opposite.

Kids with Autism are drawn to t.v., computers and anything visual because it's how they learn about and connect to the world. They have a difficult time understanding people because they are unable to read body language or facial expressions.

Read Temple Grandin's book, she is a well known woman with Autism.

http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Pictures-Expanded-Life-Autism/dp/0307275655/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9830866-7820028?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175279814&sr=1-1

[SoCalDem]

114. The problem with that is that toddlers/babies who are progressing "normally"

seem to suddenly "switch off"..and they are well below they age where peripheral electronics would be used by them.

Autism is usually diagnosed before age 3..and in videos I have seen of the kids "before", they were crawling, saying words, responding..and then they started to regress.

I am just a "science-dummie", but it seems to me that there has to be a "trigger" that sets things off.

Parents I have seen interviewed usually have a similar story to tell..

[Duppers]

112. Larry King is doing a show tonight on autism

It's on rerun now.

They just mentioned a benefit concert for autism victims and their families and researching the environmental triggers!

I'm still watching.