More evidence has come about that links pesticide exposure with ADHD. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, adds to evidence that organophosphatepesticides can affect the human brain. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley tested pregnant women for evidence that organophosphate pesticides had actually been absorbed by their bodies, and then followed their children as they grew. Women with more chemical traces of the pesticides in their urine while pregnant had children more likely to have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, at age 5, the researchers found.
Organophosphates are designed to attack the nervous systems of bugs by affecting message-carrying chemicals called neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, which is important to human brain development.
The researchers tested Mexican-American women living in the Salinas Valley of California, an area of intensive agriculture. They looked for breakdown products or metabolites from pesticides in urine samples from the mothers during pregnancy and from their children as they grew. A tenfold increase in pesticide metabolites in the mother's urine correlated to a 500 percent increase in the chances of ADHD symptoms by age 5, with the trend stronger in boys.
In May a different team found children with high levels of organophosphate traces in the urine were almost twice as likely to develop ADHD as those with undetectable levels.
There are about 40 organophosphate pesticides such as malathion registered in the United States. Studies have also linked exposure to Parkinson's, an incurable brain disease.
From a naturopathic perspectives, there are tests that can be performed to evaluate levels of organophosphates. This is not only important for children with ADHD, but also patients with any underlying neurological disease, as well as cancer. If identified, treatment protocols to facilitate pesticide detoxification (using natural substances) can be utilized.
]]>| Reference: | "Green tea minimally affects biomarkers of inflammation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome," Basu A, Lyons TJ, et al, Nutrition, 2010 Jun 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA). |
| Summary: | In a randomized, controlled study involving 35 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, results indicate that green tea intake may exert cardioprotective benefits. The subjects were randomized to receive green tea (4 cups/d), green tea extract (2 capsules and 4 cups water/d), or no treatment (4 cups water/d) for 8 weeks. At intervention end, green tea (drink and capsule) intake was associated with significant reduction of plasma serum amyloid alpha, compared with control. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, "green tea significantly reduced plasma serum amyloid alpha, an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor, in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome." |
Evidence is proving that diabetes may double the risk of pancreatic, liver, and endometrial cancer, while also significantly increasing the risk of colorectal, breast and bladder cancer. It's still uncertain whether this is due to the disease itself, or the treatments that are being used for diabetes. However, it does strongly suggest that inflammation plays an underlying role, and how important it is to detect and treat diabetic changes as early as possible. Here is an article taken from Medscape that goes into more detail about this discovery:
June 16, 2010 -- People with diabetes are at increased risk of certain cancers -- but why?
Could it be that some diabetes treatments trigger or promote cancer? Or do the underlying causes of diabetes also underlie cancer?
These are the questions put before an expert panel from the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Their conclusion: We aren't sure.
Even so, lifestyle changes that prevent or reverse diabetes will certainly cut cancer risk, says panel member Susan M. Gapstur, PhD, ACS vice president of epidemiology.
"The full biologic link between diabetes and cancer has not been completely defined," Gapstur tells WebMD. "But first of all we should prevent diabetes. Then we can prevent some cancers. And for those who do have diabetes, it should be controlled as much as possible through a healthy lifestyle."
Diabetes doubles the risk of liver, pancreas, and endometrial cancer. It increases the risk of colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer by 20% to 50%. But it cuts men's risk of prostate cancer.
People with diabetes tend to have some known risk factors for cancer: older age,obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity. And problems common in diabetes -- too-high insulin levels, too-high blood sugar levels, and inflammation -- increase cancer risk.
"No matter what science ultimately reveals ... we already know what we need to do to lower risk for both cancer and diabetes," Alice Bender, RD, of the American Institute for Cancer Research, says in a news release. "Eat a healthy, varied, predominantly plant-based diet, be physically active every day, and maintain ahealthy body weight."
There is evidence, but not definitive proof, that diabetes treatments affect cancer risk.
Metformin, the most commonly used diabetes drug, seems to lower cancer risk. But there's also evidence from some studies -- contradicted by others -- that insulin, particularly long-acting insulin glargine (Lantus), may increase cancer risk.
Moreover, there are at least theoretical concerns that other relatively new diabetesdrugs may affect cancer risk. Unfortunately, the panel found too little data to form an opinion on this question.
Because there is no definitive link between diabetes treatment and cancer, the panel strongly advises people with diabetes -- except those at extremely high risk of cancer -- not to make treatment decisions based on fear of cancer.
"Clearly those being treated for diabetes need to be talking with their doctors about the importance of regular cancer screenings as recommended by the American Cancer Society," Gapstur says.
The consensus panel's report appears in the July/August issue of the ACS journalCA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
• Only high-glycemic-index carbohydrates were associated with heart disease risk; low-glycemic-index carbohydrates were not.
• Having a high dietary glycemic load more than doubled the risk of heart disease in women.
• No relationship between heart disease and carbohydrate intake, high-glycemic index food consumption, or dietary glycemic load was seen in men.
Sensitivities beyond celiac
"Celiac disease is only one aspect of a range of possible manifestations of gluten sensitivity. In some individuals, gluten sensitivity is shown to manifest solely with neurological dysfunction," the authors of the new report explain.
Neurological disorders that might be tied to a gluten sensitivity include a lack of muscle coordination leading to instability (ataxia), tingling and numbness (neuropathies), and migraine-like headaches (encephalopathy). The authors go on to say that the tests that help to establish a diagnosis of celiac disease may not reliably show if a person has a gluten sensitivity that affects only their nervous system. For this reason, they suggest other tests that may help uncover a hidden gluten sensitivity in people suffering from certain neurological disorders.
The report's authors recommend, "To improve diagnosis rates, the perception of physicians that gluten sensitivity is solely a disease of the gut must be changed."
If you think you have a gluten sensitivity
• Get medical support. Identifying and treating a gluten sensitivity can help you avoid serious complications.
• Be proactive. Ask your naturopathic doctor if he or she is familiar with the tests that are useful for identifying different types of gluten sensitivities, or if he or she can refer you to someone who is.
• Pay attention. If you think your symptoms might be related to gluten, consider a six-week gluten-free diet trial. If you're going in for lab work, though, eat your normal diet so your test will gauge your regular reactions.
Living with a gluten sensitivity
Gluten sensitivity is in the spotlight, so there's never been an easier time to go gluten-free. New food packaging requirements mandate that gluten-free foods be accurately labeled, and gluten-free cookbooks abound on bookstore shelves. Ask your grocer whether they can recommend books, recipes, and other resources to help.
(Lancet Neurol 2010;9:318-30)
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