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We are what we eat---For Our Children- Part I [1]
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Date: 2022-09-08
A Dr. Maynard Murray, some time in the 50’s, made this comment;
More than 100 million cases of chronic or long running illness and disablement afflict U.S. citizens today…Despite our wonder drugs, steroids, sanitation standards and general medical wizardry, the United States has one of the highest infection rates per capita of any society…
That was before forever chemicals, glyphosate, mercury in our fish, lead in our soil, and hundreds or maybe, even thousands of man-developed substances that we eat, drink, breathe and come into contact with, unknown to most of us. Let us start at the beginning, the beginning of life, that is. Here is a Summary from Environmental Working Group EWG.org.
“Not long ago scientists thought that the placenta shielded cord blood — and the developing baby — from most chemicals and pollutants in the environment. But now we know that at this critical time when organs, vessels, membranes and systems are knit together from single cells to finished form in a span of weeks, the umbilical cord carries not only the building blocks of life, but also a steady stream of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides that cross the placenta as readily as residues from cigarettes and alcohol... ... researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U.S. hospitals... The umbilical cord blood of these 10 children, collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.” … ”...Beginning in the fifth month of pregnancy, babies regularly swallow and breathe, building muscles essential for survival after birth. Through these actions, the lungs and the gut are filled, again and again, with the same amniotic fluid that collects the baby's urine. Pollutants like plasticizers and pesticides excreted in urine accumulate in this fluid and are cycled right back into the baby's body through the mouth and nose. And in the third trimester the mother's body dissolves stored, maternal fat, shunting it to the baby through the blood, but with this fat the child also receives the persistent pollutants clinging to it, like PCB's, flame retardants, and dioxins... (Makri et al. 2004).”
Before the baby is conceived, sperm from the male and the egg from woman need to be free of toxic chemicals. The bodies of the parents are subjected to the presence of foreign items in our food, our water, our air and yes, even the things we touch. After the baby is delivered, for the next twenty or so years, the body is still developing including the brain and nervous system.
It is easy to blame a host of new diseases on the variety of toxic chemicals in our environment. That argument falls short of being the only cause when we examine our food. Advancements to increase the supply have changed our food. With the injection of new genes, the food we now eat is not the same. With the increased use of artificial fertilizers, our food may be bigger, but it lacks in nutrients. Not only are important minerals and vitamins less in the food, but starches and other fat-building portions increase. The agriculture-business form of farming increases the use of 3 components, but completely ignores the 92 minerals found in naturally grown food.
Who knows if any of these elements are important? The Dr. Maynard Murray who made the quote I started this article with, made a lot of experiments using these 92 minerals and in his studies, better growth, better health and an influence on cancer were observed. Sadly, no one followed up on his studies, so we don’t know if the lack of one or more would have an influence on our health.
In fact, there is a lot we don’t know. I could have written this article attacking Roundup because there are studies showing that it has an effect on 22 different health problems. For example, autism in children. But at the same time that we increased the use of Roundup, forever chemicals came into being. Did they have an effect? And don’t forget the lead leaching from our water pipes and embedded in our soil from leaded gas of yesterday. And now, we find mercury in our fish from the ocean. Who knows what other substances are out there that we have not discovered that industry is polluting our environment with?
I will be writing a number of articles on food, water, air and other substances, but I always try to leave a solution for any problem I discuss. I don’t know of any place to tell you to move to escape the toxic substances in our atmosphere and earth. Even our rain now contains forever chemicals and carrots may have small pieces of plastic within. There is a couple of things you can do.
I give blood every two months and I do that even though I am 80 years old. A year-long study on firefighters in Australia found that if they gave blood or donated platelets, the amount of forever chemicals in their body was greatly reduced. My feeling is that every little bit helps.
There is one more thing that you can do. A study was made where school children were fed organic food for five days and they had a drastic reduction of toxic chemicals in their urine. Another study using parents and children for 6 days produced the same result.
I want to address the organic food experiment. Compared to the year-long study of forever chemicals, a week-long study with results is amazing. I assume that the firefighters were eliminating the forever chemicals faster than they were replacing them in their environment of work. But the organic food study? Could there be something in organic food that helps to eliminate poisons? Some organic foods show an enhanced antioxidant content and beneficial microorganisms. In Japan, there have been demonstrations of some beneficial microorganisms that remove radiation from the soil. They help clean the soil there and here. The question then to be asked is, “If they clean the soil, would they not have an influence on our bodies?”
Personally, I started a diet some 15 months ago utilizing only organic foods along with pastured raised meat and animal byproducts. My appetite has dropped and seldom do I eat after 4 or 5 in the afternoon and usually start with a late breakfast. I have lost 14 lbs without trying. My energy level has increased drastically. I don’t know what to expect from an eighty-year-old man, but I am now walking again. I can work in the garden for two hours at a time. My oxygen content has gone form 91 or 92 up to 95 and sometimes even 96 or 96. My blood pressure has dropped 10 to 15 points on both numbers and sometimes more and my heart rate has dropped 10 beats per minute.
There was a time when DDT was sprayed everywhere, even on the walls of the room and even on bedcoverings and our clothing. Because no one got sick, this chemical was ignored even though it caused harm and death to laboratory animals. Then, after 20 years of accumulating in the fat cells of humans, we had to ban the use for pest control. Today, we have a similar situation with many of our chemicals. Most haven’t had a test even applied to laboratory animals. We know that many accumulate in fat cells.
Most of these toxic chemicals didn’t come into use until 30 years ago. I think of my newest great grand daughter. By the time she is 30, she will probably have accumulated more toxic chemicals in her body then I have because our production and use has increased over time. In the next 50 years when she approaches my current age, how much of toxic chemicals will be in her body? Will we find out, to late, that we are dying from a multitude of diseases from that accumulation?
Follow me on my column “You are what you eat...”
poison
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