Finding The Food

Channel 4 has been running a programme called “The Food Hospital”. It takes a number of varied cases of people suffering from a number of different conditions. They have all reached a serious level of ill health and the purpose is to try to deal with their illnesses by means of careful diet control rather than medication.

It is refreshing to see something that goes for the causes rather than the effects. Many illnesses are more difficult to deal with in this way but even some of those can be made less difficult by care with the diet.

One matter that did strike me was that in some cases to help clear and rest the system a liquid diet was given for a few days to be augmented and later replaced by recommended foods. Sometimes this was done to identify any food that might be a trigger for an outbreak of the illness.

The liquids in question were carefully prepared concoctions designed to ensure enough of the vital nutrients and vitamins necessary to health and to help rebalance the body intakes of these. So if these are easily and readily available, how is it that in so many hospitals and care homes actual malnutrition is occurring so often?

Clearly some of these, which are easily assimilated with other basic healthy foods could mean that there is never any need for malnourishment. It also means care over hydration levels as well but to have patients going nowhere suffering dehydration is astonishing.

Beyond that much of the discussion and analysis with patients was about body chemistry and how to deal with the different issues arising. With quite a number of illnesses covered overall a good deal of complicated chemistry is involved.

Which lead to the curious feature of a programme whose essence is the chemistry of the body in relation to food ignoring totally and never mentioning other forms of chemical impact on the body. Yet in many cases clearly the people involved must have been experiencing other types of chemical impact.

Why should this be? Perhaps there are two basic reasons. One is that the firms producing personal and household chemicals could well have created enough trouble for the programme makers to make the message about food lost.

Another is that as this is commercial TV and with so much of its vital advertising revenue coming from the marketing and production of these products it would be far too risky to the finances to suggest in the programme that these could be a factor in a number of the illnesses.

So at one stage in the viewing when a major advertisement feature came up for a personal product it was odd to see being pushed as desirable one that makes my stomach turn whenever I encounter it. What was ironic was that it appeared after the specialists were dealing with a patient with chronic inflammation of the gut.

You win some you lose some…………

Food For The Brain And Body

We try to source as much of our food as possible from local suppliers, farm shops and outlets with minimum levels of contamination. Unluckily we are forced into large supermarkets for some food and related products.

What is frightening at present is the high levels of fragrance contamination on foods on open display and on packaging. Arriving home it is a matter of urgency to deal with this and to repack in sterile forms all the packaged goods.

If we did not the contamination would certainly affect our food intake a great deal. But there are other contaminants these days as the article below (longish at 1000+ words) indicates. It is from Welt Online in Germany.

Quote

Melamine contamination highlights human food chain risks

The discovery of melamine in eggs as well as in baby formula, milk products, biscuits, chocolates and other foodstuffs containing milk derivatives confirms what experts have long suspected; that the chemical is deeply embedded in the human food chain.

And it's not just melamine; heavy metals such as lead and mercury which can cause brain damage, as well as cadmium, a compound used in batteries, pesticides and antibiotics are all present in the human food chain.

Hong Kong mother Shirley Lo stocked her refrigerator with soymilk and switched to buying imported chocolates for her son after melamine was found in baby formula and milk products in China.

But when eggs from China tested positive for melamine in Hong Kong late last month, Lo threw up her hands in despair.

"It's horrifying," she said. "It's clear it has gone into basic foods and into our food chain. My son has been trying to comfort me, saying he must be very strong because his body must be full of this stuff and yet he is not sick".

China is a major transgressor as carcinogenic chemicals are regularly used as food colouring agents or as preservatives, experts say.

"In China, food safety is not a concern and all sorts of things like Sudan red, Malachite green are added in food, so food contamination is widespread," said Peter Yu, a professor of biology and chemical technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"We also have environmental contamination from pesticides, formaldehyde (to kill bacteria)," Yu said, citing the use of Malachite green, a carcinogenic agent, that in 2006 was found in fish from China. It had been added to eradicate fungal disease in the fish.

Leading food manufacturers regularly test their ingredients and final products for many of these contaminants, but experts say it's impossible to keep up with all the foreign compounds that land up on the dinner table, especially in China where regulation is lax and difficult to enforce.

In the wake of the melamine scandal, China is reviewing a tougher draft food safety law following criticism from the United Nations for its sluggish response to the tainted milk scandal.

HUMAN FOOD CHAIN

The melamine saga has surprised even some food producers, who say they find it hard to keep up with strange additives that are added to food. Melamine, for example, was added to baby formula to cheat protein level tests.

"How did we come up with cadmium or heavy metals? Because we know they would kill people. That's why we test for them. But we didn't know melamine would even be in food," said a manager who works for a major foreign food producer with factories in China.

"We never had melamine in our specifications (contaminants to look out for). If it is melamine today, it will be something else tomorrow. We can't possibly test for every toxin in the world," said the manager, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

Tens of thousands of children in China have fallen ill with kidney problems in recent months, and at least four have died, after being fed infant formula that was later found to have been mixed with melamine.

Subsequent tests found melamine in a variety of Chinese-made products from milk and chocolate bars, to yoghurt and other products exported around the world, leading to items being pulled from shop shelves and massive recalls.

But with the discovery of melamine in eggs, apparently due to contaminated feed given to chickens, the chemical appears to be far more entrenched in the human food chain than first thought.

Melamine and its derivatives are widely used in animal feed and pesticides in China but no one knows how harmful they can be to people after prolonged exposure.

Hong Kong imposed a cap on melamine in September to no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram, while food meant for children under 3 and lactating mothers should be no more than 1 mg per kg.

Experts say the limits are arbitrary and called for more tests and science when imposing safety limits.

"The limits are derived from animal studies but we don't know what our exposure is. What if we are accumulating more than is safe?," said Chan King-ming, biochemistry professor at the Chinese University.

"There should be surveys to find out what foods have melamine and their concentrations. Then we know how serious it is."

A World Health Organisation official said this week some of the affected children in China, most of whom are believed to be under the age of 3, have "crystals" in their kidneys. Some might need surgery to avoid potentially deadly kidney failure.

MELAMINE TESTS

In Hong Kong, parents have thronged public clinics to get their children tested for melamine by laboratories that analyse urine samples with sophisticated spectrometers.

"Melamine is not soluble. But if it is very concentrated as in the case of these Chinese kids (whose diet was mostly formula), it forms into crystals," said Allen Chan, associate professor of chemical pathology at the Chinese University.

Permanent liver damage can be caused when crystals suddenly form into large numbers of tubules in the kidneys of children that have consumed melamine, causing chronic kidney failure and requiring dialysis and even kidney transplants later on in life.

The WHO plans to make a detailed assessment of the risks of long-term consumption of melamine. It has asked China to provide information for a meeting of experts in December.

Anthony Hazzard, WHO's regional adviser for food safety, said experts needed information on the levels of melamine detected in the affected children, details on length of exposure and treatment and the age groups of the worst affected children.

"We understand that they will participate and provide data so we don't at this moment fear any cover up ... so we expect full cooperation," Hazzard told Reuters in an interview.

Melamine contamination is the latest in a long list of food scandals involving China. Experts say it is a wake up call for governments to strictly enforce food safety laws and for food producers and manufacturers to tighten quality control.

"The ethics lie in the businesses. They must make sure their supply chains are supplying ingredients that are safe. The role of government is to enforce and ensure companies are implementing good manufacturing and hygienic practices," Hazzard said.

Unquote

What is said in the article willl apply just as much to the added contaminants that occur in the retail outlet, especially supermarkets.

Training Humans And Dogs

Another long post, this one on the subject of behaviour problems in the young and the potential causes. It is from the Dr. Mercola web site of the USA. This one has its little ways and there are sales and products related, but often there are items of real substance relating to chemical and other issues..

Quote:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) seem to have become more or less the catch-all designations for children who do not “behave well,” and as this study shows, this personal observation may have some merit.

As of 2006, at least 4.5 million American children under the age of 18 were diagnosed with ADHD, according to CDC statistics.

The study above, published in the Journal of Health Economics in June, determined that about 20 percent of these children have likely been misdiagnosed. That’s nearly one million children in the US alone.

The study found that many of the youngest children in any given grade level are perceived as exhibiting “symptoms” of ADHD, such as fidgeting and inability to concentrate, simply because they’re compared to more mature classmates.

How Do You Diagnose ADHD?

ADHD involves a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors. There is no definitive diagnostic tool, such as a brain scan, to determine if you have ADHD. There’s only subjective evaluation, and, for better or worse, teachers can play a significant role in this evaluation.

The term ADD has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.
Most children display a combination of these two traits, and may also show the following symptoms:

Frequent fidgeting or squirming
Feels restless or often runs and climbs excessively, or leaves his or her seat in the classroom when not appropriate
Has difficulty playing quietly
Talks excessively, interrupts often, and may blurt out answers to questions at inappropriate times
Always seems on the go
Has difficulty waiting his or her turn

As you can see, many of these “symptoms” could describe most children at one time or another! Therefore, only those who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are candidates for the ADHD label.

Children who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Likewise, with children who display symptoms at home but not at school.

Is it ADHD, or Just Immaturity?

Since this behavioral disorder is so easily misdiagnosed, and the ramifications of a diagnosis so severe, it’s essential that you become actively involved and pay close attention to your child’s developmental progress.

The drugs prescribed for this condition are quite dangerous, and can lead to addiction and long-term health complications, including death. Drugs really should be a last resort, and not a knee-jerk consequence of immature or “poor” behavior.

The study found that the youngest students were 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest in the same grade. And when you take into account the maturity level, and in large part normal behavior of a 6 versus a 7-year old, you can easily see why.

Science Daily writes:

“… the "smoking gun" of the study is that ADHD diagnoses depend on a child's age relative to classmates and the teacher's perceptions of whether the child has symptoms.
"If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6," said Elder, assistant professor of economics. "There's a big difference between a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, and teachers and medical practitioners need to take that into account when evaluating whether children have ADHD."

In addition, it’s important for parents to remain in charge and make their own assessments known, as the study also concluded that,

“ A child’s birth date relative to the eligibility cutoff also strongly influences teachers’ assessments of whether the child exhibits ADHD symptoms but is only weakly associated with similarly measured parental assessments, suggesting that many diagnoses may be driven by teachers’ perceptions of poor behavior among the youngest children in a classroom.

These perceptions have long-lasting consequences: the youngest children in fifth and eighth grades are nearly twice as likely as their older classmates to regularly use stimulants prescribed to treat ADHD.”

What Causes ADHD?

There are a number of theories to explain the rise in ADHD diagnoses, including:

Sugars and Grains. Children who consume highly processed foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices tend to have a higher rate and severity of these symptoms. While organic whole grains are superior to processed ones, many children with ADHD do not respond well to most grains, especially wheat.

Genetic factors -- Some scientists are now aiming their research at finding genes that may make a person more susceptible to this disorder

Environmental toxins -- A 2006 study found that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. Exposure to lead and mercury may also cause ADHD symptoms, and pesticides and the industrial chemicals polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have also been named as potential culprits.

Allergic reactions -- Chemically-sensitive people may exhibit ADHD symptoms when exposed to something as simple as clothing washed with perfumed and chemical-laden soap. Permanent press or stain-resistant products also contain chemicals that can initiate ADHD-like reactions in sensitive individuals.

Processed food additives – Certain food dyes and other additives may cause ADHD-like symptoms. These chemicals have a particularly pernicious synergy if they are combined with sugars such as fructose.

Increased number of childhood vaccinations – One 2007 survey found a strong correlation between rates of neurological disorders, such as ADHD, and childhood vaccinations. Vaccine adjuvants have also been associated with ADHD-type neurological problems.

Fluoridated water

Emotionally unstable home environments Stress is the frequently unappreciated and overlooked variable that can easily worsen ADHD. If the parents are having trouble in their relationship this can easily influence the child’s behavior.

Increased rates of birth interventions. This can result in birth trauma and lack of oxygen in the newborn, which significantly increases the risk of developmental delay.
But the key factor, I believe, is nutrition, or rather lack thereof.

We know the food choices of most children -- and adults -- today are incredibly poor. How can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded with chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients, and juices and sodas instead of pure water?

Add to that the substandard amount of vegetables in most people’s diets -- up to 90 percent fewer than what is required for health -- an overabundance of highly processed, damaged omega-6 fats and a deficiency of omega-3 fats, and behavioral issues are not far behind.

You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain when the proper ingredients to develop or maintain a healthy brain are not being given!

The ADHD “Epidemic” is Creating a Generation of Drug Addicts

Once a diagnosis has been made, the conventional approach typically involves drug therapy. Commonly prescribed drugs include:

Ritalin®
Concerta®
Adderall®
Strattera®

Ritalin and Concerta contain different formulations of methylphenidate, a powerful psychostimulant drug that is in the same class as cocaine.

Adderall contains amphetamine (aka "speed") and dextroamphetamine.

Please understand that just because these drugs are by prescription does NOT make them safer than their illegal “street drug” counterparts.
Methylphenidate behaves similarly to highly addictive drugs. Ritalin, for example, has the same pharmacological profile as cocaine, yet its effects are even more potent. Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill form, Ritalin occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the “high” experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine.
In essence, we have created a large body of new drug addicts, priming them for addiction from an extremely young age.
This is a particularly painful thought when you consider that, in all likelihood, nearly one million children are being drugged simply because they act their age! And even more children are likely receiving addictive drugs when what they really need is proper nutrition.
It’s also worth mentioning that, like antidepressants, some ADHD drugs have been linked to an increased probability of suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Strattera®, which contains atomoxetine hydrochloride, carries this warning. Hallucinations, increased aggressive behavior, heart attack and stroke are also possible side effects of ADHD drugs.
Ritalin Use in America is Out of Control
U.S. pharmacists distribute five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined, according to Dr. Samuel Epstein’s Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC). In all, 60 percent to 90 percent of U.S. kids with attention deficit disorders are prescribed this powerful drug, which amounts to 3 percent to 5 percent of U.S. children and teens on Ritalin.
By definition, Ritalin stimulates your central nervous system, leading to side effects such as:
Increased blood pressure
Increased heart rate
Increased body temperature
Increased alertness
Suppressed appetite
Research has also linked Ritalin with more severe health problems such as cancer.
Natural Ways to Relieve ADHD Symptoms
It is my sincere hope that people will begin to realize that drug therapy, if at all necessary, should be a very last resort, after all other options have been exhausted – especially when it comes to behavioral problems such as ADHD.
Before you consider drugs, please consider implementing the following strategies first, in addition to making sure that your child is assessed in an age-appropriate manner:
Eliminate most grains and sugars from your child’s diet. Grains and sugars both tend to cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Even organic, whole grain can cause problems in many children so it would be wise to give them a grain holiday and see if their behavior improves.
Replace soft drinks (whether diet and regular), fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure, clean non-fluoridated water.
Increase omega-3 fats by taking a high quality animal-based omega-3 oil. Research has confirmed that something as simple as animal-based omega-3 fat can improve the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin® and Concerta®. In my view, krill oil is the best option for this. It contains essential EPA and DHA in a double chain phospholipid structure that makes it far more absorbable than the omega-3s in fish oil.
Minimize your use of nearly all processed fats, especially trans fats as they disrupt nerve cell intercommunication.
Avoid all processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which may trigger or worsen symptoms.
Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals. Pesticide exposure has been linked with ADHD.
Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products with no added perfumes, softeners, etc.
Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.
Investigate sensory therapy and emotional wellness tools. Instead of looking for a quick fix, encourage ADHD sufferers to talk, and find out what emotions are causing issues. You may want to consider the energy tapping techniques to improve emotional coping and healing.

Unquote.

It is not just humans that are affected. According to press reports, including one in the Sunday Mail of 26 September, there is a plague of ill health amongst dogs, man’s best friend, who are now being fed largely on processed grain based foods.