Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Food
By Steve Karnowski The Associated Press, November 26, 2007 Straight to the Source
Maybe getting schoolchildren to eat healthy foods isn't a hopeless struggle. Bucking some common notions, a University of Minnesota study (read the full study here) has found that school lunch sales don't decline when healthier meals are served, and that more nutritious lunches don't necessarily cost schools more to produce.
"The conventional wisdom that you can't serve healthier meals because kids won't eat them is false," said Benjamin Senauer, one of three economists who wrote the study.
Previous studies have concluded that students prefer fatty foods and that healthier meals cost more to make, the authors noted.The study, which appears in the December issue of the Review of Agricultural Economics, analyzed five years of data for 330 Minnesota public school districts.
It looked at compliance with federal standards for calories, nutrients and fats.When the researchers crunched all the numbers they found that schools serving the healthiest lunches did not see a falloff in demand.While serving better meals does entail higher labor costs, the study found, that's offset by lower costs for more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables compared with processed foods.
However, many districts need to upgrade their kitchens and train their staff to prepare these foods, the researchers said.The study's conclusions rang true for Jean Ronnei, director of nutrition services for St. Paul Public Schools, which serves more than 46,000 meals daily.
The district was held up by the authors as a model for others.Ronnei said the percentage of St. Paul kids eating school lunches has increased in recent years at the same time the district has been offering more fruits and vegetables.
"That doesn't mean we don't have a hot dog on our menu. We do. . In our case it's a turkey low-fat hot dog," she said.Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, said she was pleased to see evidence that schools can offer nutritious meals kids will eat without higher costs.
"I think people underestimate the willingness of kids to eat healthier foods," she said.The study also pointed out that school districts are allowed to charge their lunch programs for indirect costs such as electricity or janitorial services for their cafeterias.
The authors said that can be abused by cash-strapped districts charging their lunch programs high overhead; they recommended tighter limits on those charges.Dr. Sandra Hassink of Wilmington, Del., a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Obesity Task Force, said that was an important finding.
She said money allocated for nutritional programs should be spent on nutrition.Alice Jo Rainville, a professor of nutrition and dietetics at Eastern Michigan University, noted that school nutrition programs have improved because of federal policy changes enacted in 2004, the last year included in the study.
Rainville said results in other states might not match those in Minnesota, but Senauer said he believes the situation is similar across the country."Everything we've done here, there's good reason to believe it's happening nationally," he said.
On the Net:National School Lunch Program: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunchSchool Nutrition Association: http://www.schoolnutrition.org/© 2007 The Associated Press
Friday, November 30, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Great Thimerosal Cover-Up: Mercury, Vaccines, Autism and Your Child's Health
From: NewsTarget.comhttp://www.newstarget.com/011764.htmlBy:Dawn Prate You have probably seen your nurse insert a syringe into a large vial, extract some liquid, and then leave a substantial amount of vaccine in the original container. If you've witnessed this seemingly benign procedure, you've seen how vaccine manufacturers are saving money at the expense of public health.
In order to store larger amounts of vaccine at a lower cost, companies began offering "multi-dose units" while adding preservatives to prevent contaminations. That way doctors can open and close a vaccine container, inviting germs into the once-sterile solution, while assuring the public that those contaminants are quickly killed by the preservative. Sound familiar? It's the same story of corporate America's love affair with preservatives. It saves them money, while posing an undue risk to your health. But like many toxic preservatives found in food, a vaccine preservative kills more than just bacteria and fungi; it can lead to extensive neurological damage in your children, and has even been implicated in autism.
Thimerosal
Thimerosal is the preservative of choice for vaccine manufacturers. First introduced by Eli Lilly and Company in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company began selling it as a preservative in vaccines in the 1940s. Thimerosal contains 49.6 percent mercury by weight and is metabolized or degraded into ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Mercury, or more precisely, ethylmercury, is the principle agent that kills contaminants. Unfortunately, mercury also kills much more than that. The Department of Defense classifies mercury as a hazardous material that could cause death if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Studies indicate that mercury tends to accumulate in the brains of primates and other animals after they are injected with vaccines. Mercury poisoning has been linked to cardiovascular disease, autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia and many other nervous system conditions.
That's why the FDA rigorously limits exposure to mercury in foods and drugs. Some common sources of mercury include dental amalgam fillings, various vaccines and certain fish contaminated by polluted ocean waters. The toxicity of mercury has never been in question. The real question is precisely how much mercury-laced thimerosal is toxic, and what are the possible consequences for our children at low doses? Eli Lilly and Co. supposedly answered this question for us back in 1930. Concluding thimerosal to be of "a very low order of toxicity . . . for man," the company hired its own doctors to perform thimerosal experiments in Indianapolis City Hospital on meningitis patients during a severe outbreak in 1929. This 60-year-old evidence was still quoted on the company's brochures as recently as 1990. Andrew Waters, who is involved in a lawsuit against Eli Lilly, claims that most critical studies on the toxicity of thimerosal were suppressed by the company until now.
Banned around the world, but not in the United States
That might explain why thimerosal was eliminated in many countries 20 years ago. In 1977, a Russian study found that adults exposed to ethylmercury, the form of mercury in thimerosal, suffered brain damage years later. Studies on thimerosal poisoning also describe tubular necrosis and nervous system injury, including obtundation, coma and death. As a result of these findings, Russia banned thimerosal from children's vaccines in 1980. Denmark, Austria, Japan, Great Britain and all the Scandinavian countries have also banned the preservative.
Eli Lilly stuck to its "scientific" facts, but the truth began slipping between the cracks in 1999. After the number of immunizations rose to 12 to 15 per child, the public finally became privy to the possible dangers of thimerosal. One 1999 study revealed that some infants, due to a genetic or developmental factor, lack the ability to eliminate mercury. Trace amounts of mercury in these infants, when accumulated over several vaccines, could pose a severe health risk. Some vaccines, such as vaccines for hepatitis B, contained as much as 12.5 micrograms of mercury per dose. That's more than 100 times the EPA's upper limit standard when administered to infants. Hepatitis B vaccines aren't the only immunizations under suspicion.
According to Burton Goldberg in Alternative Medicine, scientists are finding stronger and stronger links between thimerosal and neurological damage. One report by Dr. Vijendra Singh of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan found a higher incidence of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) antibodies in autistic children. The National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Virginia, has noted a strong association between the MMR vaccine and autistic features. Reporting similar findings, the Encephalitis Support Group in England claims that children who became autistic after the MMR vaccine started showing autistic symptoms as early as 30 days after vaccination.
The diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine (DPT) given at two, four and six months has triggered autistic symptoms, as well. When the FDA finally formally released this information in 1999, the news came too little too late for some parents.
The damage had already been done.
Links between autism and thimerosal Autism affects 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans and has grown at an annual rate of 10 to 17 percent since the late 1980s. California found a 273 percent increase in autism between 1987 and 1998. Maryland reported a 513 percent increase in autism between 1993 and 1998 and several dozen other states reported similar findings. Some scientists say the estimated number of cases of autism has increased 15-fold –1,500 percent – since 1991, when the number of childhood vaccinations doubled.
Whereas one in every 2,500 children was diagnosed with autism before 1991, one in 166 children now have the disease. This increase in reported autism cases eerily parallels the increase in the number and frequency of thimerosal-containing vaccinations administered to infants. As of today, children are given as many as 21 immunizations in the first 15 months of life. After a number of scientists and concerned activists noticed the correlation, an investigation was launched to get to the heart of the matter.
Statistical evidence links thimerosal with nervous system disorders In June 2000, federal officials and industry representatives were assembled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss the disturbing evidence. According to Tom Verstraeten, an epidemiologist who had analyzed the data on the CDC's database, thimerosal appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and other neurological disorders. Verstraeten told those at the meeting that a number of earlier studies indicate a link between thimerosal and speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism.
Verstraeten offered no possible cause for this correlation, but held that the statistical evidence linking vaccines and neurological disorders was strong. Dr. Bill Weil, a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and pediatrician from the University of Colorado, presented similar concerns to the group. However, given no causal relationship, the CDC and industry representatives were quick to discredit the evidence. Consequently, the CDC paid the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct another study on thimerosal. According to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this study was fixed in order to "whitewash" previous findings. In its 2001 report, the IOM's Immunization Safety Review Committee did conclude that the link between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders was biologically plausible, though the evidence neither proved nor negated it.
The Committee stated that phasing out thimerosal from vaccines was “a prudent measure in support of the public health goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as much as possible.
” However, these findings offered no imperative. The data presented at the 2000 meeting was withheld from publication and the link between thimerosal and autism remained "inconclusive." But what does "inconclusive" mean? Well, that depends on who you talk to. According to the FDA, these "inconclusive" findings negate the risk of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism.
Even Tom Verstraeten, one of the presenters of epidemiological evidence at the CDC meeting, seemingly changed his tune a bit. In 2000, Verstraeten vigorously campaigned against thimerosal based upon his "inconclusive" correlation, but after he was hired by GlaxoSmithKline, the doctor changed his position.
The same evidence from 2000, in Verstraeten's eyes, became "neutral" in 2003. After criticism for this apparent flip-flop, Verstaeten wrote a letter to the editor of Pediatrics in 2004 backing the CDC's actions and his own research methods.
Merck continues selling vaccines with thimerosal Without an imperative to eradicate thimerosal immediately, vaccine manufacturers like Merck & Co. seemingly took their time in reducing thimerosal levels in vaccines. After a large public outcry in 1999, Merck & Co. began decreasing or eliminating the amount of thimerosal in its vaccines.
In September 1999, Merck announced that its new line of vaccines were preservative-free, but still continued to distribute the remainder of thimerosal-preserved vaccines until 2001. Only after a congressional inquiry in 2002 did they stop distributing their stockpile. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., called Merck's actions "misleading." While officials at the Center for Disease Control claim evidence is lacking to support the possible risks of thimerosal, Dr. Mark Geier, a Maryland geneticist and vaccinologist, along with his son and research partner David Geier, says the CDC has chosen to ignore the science.
According to Dr. Geier, more than 5,000 articles have been published that question the safety of thimerosal in vaccines. The Geiers analyzed the data and determined that the more thimerosal a child receives, the greater his or her chances are of being autistic. The CDC says the Geiers misused information from a CDC database that was not intended to help prove theories. Given no real causal mechanism linking thimerosal and autism, the game seems to have become one of slanting the data to suit the needs of government and industrial interests. Even Verstraeten has admitted that these "inconclusive" findings certainly don't rule out the possibility of finding a link in the future.
Grassroots action against vaccine manufacturers
Given the dearth of health organizations owning up to the dangers of thimerosal, many parents followed their gut instincts and took legal action against vaccine manufacturers. More than 4,200 families have filed lawsuits claiming thimerosal caused injuries to their children. These lawsuits often have two goals: First, to seek reparations for the loss of consortium (basically meaning that an autistic child creates emotional and psychological burdens on their family life), and second, to ensure that these companies exercise more concern for public health and less concern for their own bottom line.
The lawsuits are slow in producing results. The first constraint on these lawsuits is the National Childhood Vaccine Act of 1986. This act stipulates that victims cannot seek redress in the courts without first filing a claim for recovery in the federal Vaccine Court. The statute of limitations for this is within three years of "the first symptom or manifestation of onset or of the significant aggravation of a [vaccine-related] injury." In the cases of many thimerosal victims, the link between autism and vaccines didn't appear until six years after the first vaccine was administered.
While this statute has stopped some claims against vaccine manufacturers, including such big firms as Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Johnson & Johnson, many judges are now allowing suits against Eli Lilly, the maker of thimerosal, to stand. While the Vaccine Act shields vaccine manufacturers, one judge reasons that the legislation does not protect the production of thimerosal because it is a "component." The burden of proof in court is also extremely problematic for most of these suits. Given the supposed lack of scientific data, lawyers are hard-pressed to prove the link between thimerosal and autism. In what seems like an underhanded move, the CDC sold its data to a private company, ensuring that lawyers could not access it under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the past five years, Congress has also aided vaccine manufacturers, supposedly for "security" reasons. In 2002, a mysterious piggyback on the 2002 Homeland Security bill freed drug companies of liability in lawsuits regarding thimerosal. Called the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" by outraged parents and activists, the then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey told CBS News he snuck the amendment in to keep vaccine-makers from going out of business. Armey claimed it was a matter of national security.
"We need their vaccines if the country is attacked with germ weapons." Ironically, foreign biological terrorism hasn't been a big problem for American citizens, but those whose lives (and the lives of their children) have been affected if not ruined by the harmful effects of thimerisol would undoubtedly say these potentially harmful vaccines are indeed a problem. Armey's piggyback bill was repealed in 2003, but that didn't stop lawmakers from continuing to protect the vaccine industry.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is no stranger to the thimerosal debate, having received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry and $10,000 from Eli Lilly. Frist's position allowed him to attempt to help the industry from the inside, according to Kennedy. Kennedy reports that on five occasions, Frist tried to seal the government's vaccine-related documents and shield Eli Lilly from subpoenas.
Frist also introduced a provision in the 2005 Senate Bill S-3 called the "Protecting America in the War on Terror Act," that would effectively insulate the pharmaceutical industry from liability for thimerosal poisoning. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis, Weyeth and Eli Lilly, can basically get off scot-free for their actions, even as more and more evidence suggests that top company officials were aware of the possible dangers and did nothing. A secret memo leaked to the Los Angeles Times reportedly implicates one vaccine manufacturer, Merck & Co., for knowing that thimerosal could pose serious threats to infants. Allegedly, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, one of Merck's top scientists, warned the president of Merck of a possible threat as early as 1991. Dr. Hilleman told executives that six-month-old children receiving regular immunizations frequently received mercury doses 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum consumption of mercury.
Given today's more prudent mercury standards, those thimerosal doses would be 400 times that of safe levels. Dr. Hilleman recommended in the memo that thimerosal be discontinued. Not only do government and industry officials seem to be trying to downplay the possible harms of thimerosal; the media is also denying the issue coverage. Just recently, ABC flip-flopped on whether it will air interviews with Robert Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of thimerosal. ABC has been accused of suppressing the interviews because of its ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
The thimerosal debate continues Along with the enormous amount of controversy surrounding this issue, the five-year-old plea for "more research" may have finally produced some results. Burton Goldberg notes that a defect in the myelinization process (insulation of nerve fibers) could explain mercury's propensity to cause autism and neurological damage. This may also account for the frequent development of epilepsy in older autistic children. Scientists are also working on biological links that support the strong correlations. Researchers at Northeastern University, working with scientists from the University of Nebraska, Tufts and Johns Hopkins University, may have recently found the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with brain activity.
If these researchers are right, vaccine manufacturers could do little to keep the damaging effects of thimerosal hidden. Pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues found that exposure to thimerosal potently interrupts growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on the transfer of carbon atoms. These carbon atoms play a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene expression and are critical to proper neurological development.
Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation. The mechanism inhibits the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), a vitamin now being administered to autistic children.
The experts speak on mercury, vaccines and thimerosal Now all childhood vaccines have at least one mercury-free version, and I urge parents to ask for those versions if they choose to vaccinate their children.
Injecting mercury into children, especially infants whose immune systems are still underdeveloped (hepatitis B shots are typically given at birth, before the immune system has developed), can be an assault to the immune system. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders by Stephen B Edelson MD, page 65 In 1999 studies began to surface showing that multi-dose vial vaccines, such as the MMR and hepatitis B vaccines, contained enough thimerosal to expose vaccinated children to 62.5 ug of mercury per visit to the pediatrician.
This is one hundred times the dose considered safe by the Federal Environmental Protection Guidelines for infants! Worse yet, some infants will receive doses even higher; because thimerosal tends to settle in the vial. If it is not shaken up before being drawn, the first dose will contain low concentrations of mercury and the last dose will contain enormously high concentrations. If your baby is the unlucky one that gets the last dose, serious brain injury can result…
Health And Nutrition (see related ebook on nutrition) Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166 Thousands of families say they can demonstrate with videotapes and photos that their children were normal prior to being vaccinated, reacted badly to the vaccines, and became autistic shortly thereafter.
The number of vaccines given before age two has risen from 3 in 1940, when autism occurred in perhaps one case per 10,000 births, to 22 different vaccines given before the age of two in the year 2000.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 104
We know that certain forms of mercury, such as methylmercury and phenylmercury, are highly lipid soluble, which makes the brain especially susceptible to mercury accumulation. These forms of mercury are found in vaccines as the preservative thimerosal. Once in the brain, it tends to attach itself to protein structures, especially to the cell membrane, where it can disrupt membrane functions.23 By binding to the cell membrane, mercury changes the membrane's fluid-like quality, making it stiffer and causing the cell to age faster.
24 The brain is unique in that neurons depend on special microscopic tube-like structures within the cell, appropriately called neurotubules, for their function. These neurotubules are manufactured by the cell from a substance called tubulin. We know that mercury interacts with tubulin causing it to unravel. Studies in rats have shown that doses of mercury corresponding to those seen in humans can cause a 75 percent increase in tubulin inhibition.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 53
In the case of the susceptible newborn infant and toddler, multiple exposures to mercury-containing and multiple antigen vaccines are highly suspect in the causation of multiple organ injury (Bernard et al. 2000). The GI tract, the liver, the pancreas, the kidneys, the immune system, and the brain are major sites of mercury absorption.
Researchers have clearly shown a chronic inflammatory bowel disease due to vaccine strain measles in a subset of children with autism (Thompson et al. 1995; Wakefield et al. 1995, 1999, 2000a,b; Kawashima et al. 2000; Pardi et al. 2000; Uhlmann et al. 2002).
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 153 Studies of autistic children have frequently shown very high levels of mercury, with no other source but vaccines found for the exposure. These levels are equal to those seen in adults during toxic industrial exposures. Several autism clinics have found dramatic improvements in the behavior and social interactions in children from whom the mercury was chelated.
Results depended on how soon the mercury was removed following exposure, but permanent damage can be caused if the metal is not chelated soon enough.
Still, even in cases of severe damage, because of the infant brain's tremendous reparative ability, improvements are possible. The problem of autism involves numerous body systems including the gastrointestinal, immune and nervous systems; as a result we see numerous infections and magnified effects of malnutrition.
Intrepid workers in the shadows, that is outside the medial establishment, have worked many miracles with these children using a multidisciplinary scientific approach completely ignored by the orthodoxy. Some children have even experienced a return to complete physiological normalcy.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166
Mercury and autism mercury toxicity is a suspected cause of a steep rise—a tenfold increase between 1984 and 1994—in diagnosed cases of autism in children around the world, according to some scientists. Specifically, the culprit is thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used as a preservative in vaccines commonly administered to babies and infants. thimerosal-free vaccines are available.
If you have a child who will be receiving vaccinations, ask for and make sure thimerosal-free vaccines are used. Kelp, with its essential minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), helps remove unwanted metal deposits.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 198 The pertussis vaccine (DPT) may cause 45,000 cases of autism per year in America, affecting 15 cases out of 10,000 vaccinations; also caused by the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) that causes mental impairment, gastrointestinal damage, and increased mortality in 6-12 months from impaired immunity; 9 out of 10 cases were not breast-fed; eating dairy products caused parasites in the autistic (take Vermex; contact Dr. Nelson in Mexico for control of parasites in children with autism). There are now over 500,000 victims of autism residing in the United States, in 1994.
The pertussis vaccination is not used in Sweden, which has virtually 0 cases of autism, as does Holland. This mental illness afflicts environmentally and socially non-reactive persons, ofwithdrawn personality; with inability to speak, violenttantrums, insomnia, actions such as bolting across aroad with no regard for the dire consequences.
May be caused infant antibiotic use in ear infections with subsequent yeast overgrowth, by cumulative genetic Brain damage, Vitamin deficiencies, or milk and additives allergies. Immune disorders in autism include white blood cellneutrophil Myeloperoxidase enzyme deficiency for insufficient hypochlorite ions to kill yeast - genetic type from Chromosome 17 mutation or biotinidase deficiency, or acquired type from lead poisoning, Folic acid or B-l 2 deficiency, infection or leukemias…
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 450
Multiple vaccinations, especially in newborns, are another major source of childhood mercury exposure because of the mercury-containing thimerosal preservative. Over twenty-two vaccinations are now recommended for children before the age of two!
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 64
In addition, there is some anecdotal evidence that autism may be tied to diet. One theory is that, in very rare cases, a child's immune system could be weakened by the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (MMR), which is usually administered before a child turns 2.
As a result of this weakening, the theory goes, the child's digestive system is unable to break down certain food proteins, leading to abnormal brain development. Proponents of this theory believe that putting the child on a diet that eliminates certain foods, such as wheat and dairy products, could in certain cases reverse the course of the disease.
This theory remains speculative, however, and research needs to be done to determine its validity.
In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute of Medicine committee examining studies about the health effects of the MMR vaccine in young children suggests that there is no proven link between the vaccine and autism. The committee recommends that there be no change in immunization practices that require children to be immunized during early childhood.
The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292 Rather than calling for an all-out immediate ban on thimerosal-containing vaccines, they suggested that parents continue to have their children vaccinated with mercury-contaminated vaccines until new stocks of uncontaminated vaccine could be made available.
Here are two doctors' unions that had to be beat over the head with an overwhelming amount of data that mercury-contaminated vaccines were harming children far worse than the actual diseases against which the vaccine was intended to protect them, only to have them suggest that parents continue to harm their children just to satisfy their vaccination obsession.
Are you surprised to discover that recent investigations have found that several doctor-members of vaccine boards were either receiving grants from vaccine manufacturers or held stock in the companies? They were willing to sacrifice the health of millions of children just to fill their pockets with cash. These people should be looking through bars, not serving on boards.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 167
Vaccines may afflict 45,000 cases of autism per year in America, which afflicts 15 victims in every 10.000 births: there are now 5 00,000 of these victims in the U.S. In Sweden not using the pertussis vaccine, there is virtually no autism (and likewise in Holland).
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 600
Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of mercury poisoning. Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor dysfunction are seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of mercury and other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.
Vaccines are effective, but the production and use of vaccines should proceed more cautiously. Currently manufactured vaccines still contain harmful substances like mercury. The link between vaccines and autism is far stronger than the medical community is willing to admit, and more research in this area should be an urgent priority.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Studies indicate that autism may be the result of adverse reactions to childhood vaccinations. Dr. Alan Cohen, an environmental physician from Connecticut, notes that high levels of autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD) did not occur until the mandatory use of childhood vaccinations, and suggests that there may be a connection between certain vaccines and the onset of these conditions.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 46
Almost from the inception of vaccination programs, manufacturers added a mercury preservative called thimerosal to vaccines. The practice continued until recently, and was stopped only because of the outcry from thousands of concerned parents and numerous experts in the field. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice did not warn parents or pediatricians that the mercury was dangerous until they were forced to. That mercury was toxic to cells had been known for over sixty years, but manufacturers apparently were more worried about lawsuits…
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 165
In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute of Medicine committee examining studies about the health effects of the MMR vaccine in young children suggests that there is no proven link between the vaccine and autism. The committee recommends that there be no change in immunization practices that require children to be immunized during early childhood.
Another disorder affecting the brain, Alzheimer's disease, may also have an immune connection. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that slowly attacks nerve cells in the brain. It eventually results in the loss of all memory and mental functioning. Scientists are currently investigating the role that the immune system plays in producing an overabundance of the amino acid glutamate, a powerful nerve-cell killer. Another immune connection that researchers are investigating is the idea that Alzheimer's might be triggered, in part, by a virus.
The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292 In the past 10 years, the number of autistic children has risen between 200 and 500 per cent in every state in the U.S. This sharp increase in autism followed the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1975. Representative Dan Burton's healthy grandson was given injections for 9 diseases in one day. These injections were followed by autism.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 267 "Probably 20% of American children, one in five, suffers from a "development disability'," according to Harris Coulter, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Center for Empirical Medicine, in Washington, D.C.
"This is a stupefying figure and we have inflicted it on ourselves. 'Development disabilities' are nearly always generated by encephalitis. And the primary cause of encephalitis in the U.S. and other industrialized countries is the childhood vaccination program.
To be specific, a large proportion of the millions of U.S. children and adults suffering from autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia, and other branches of the hydra-headed entity called 'development disabilities' owe their disorders to one of the vaccines against childhood diseases."
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1101
Martin noted that the increased incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and other behavior-linked illnesses "may be an inadvertent consequence of stealth virus vaccine contaminants.
" AIDS And Ebola by Leonard Horowitz, page 493 Just for perspective if we go back to 1971 up to 1980, we see that California consistently added 100 to 200 new cases a year; but in the year 2002, California added 3,577 new cases. Since 1980, the documented start of California's autism epidemic, the number of new cases has steadily increased.
If we break down those statistics it means that from 1994 to 1995, California only added on average 2 new autistic children a day into its system. In 2001, it was a rate of 8 new autistic children added a day; in 2002, it jumped up to 10 children a day. mercury-containing vaccines are still in use today, including the most recently recommended addition to the childhood immunization schedule, 2 shots of flu vaccine for infants, bringing the total number of vaccines up to 41 in California that a child will receive before the age of two.
It will take a few years to start seeing the effect of the phasing out of the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal from childhood vaccines on this autism epidemic. Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of mercury poisoning. Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor dysfunction are seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of mercury and other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Since the 1990s, there has been a tenfold or 1000-percent increase in autism, an increase which has been linked by some researchers to the organic mercury preservative commonly found in baby vaccines. A greatly increased incidence of juvenile diabetes has been correlated to specific vaccination sequences and to the number of vaccines given. In some Australian Aboriginal communities, every second child died shortly after vaccination.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 309
The best current estimates are that autism occurs in 40 to 67 children per 10,000 live births. This means that the prevalence of autism has increased 1,000 percent in the last decade. According to the latest figures just released in January 2003 by the California Department of Developmental Services, California experienced an astounding 31 percent increase in the number of new children…
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 104
Overview:
€ The great thimerosal cover-up: Mercury, vaccines, autism and your child's health
Source: http://www.newstarget.com/011764.html
From: NewsTarget.comhttp://www.newstarget.com/011764.htmlBy:Dawn Prate You have probably seen your nurse insert a syringe into a large vial, extract some liquid, and then leave a substantial amount of vaccine in the original container. If you've witnessed this seemingly benign procedure, you've seen how vaccine manufacturers are saving money at the expense of public health.
In order to store larger amounts of vaccine at a lower cost, companies began offering "multi-dose units" while adding preservatives to prevent contaminations. That way doctors can open and close a vaccine container, inviting germs into the once-sterile solution, while assuring the public that those contaminants are quickly killed by the preservative. Sound familiar? It's the same story of corporate America's love affair with preservatives. It saves them money, while posing an undue risk to your health. But like many toxic preservatives found in food, a vaccine preservative kills more than just bacteria and fungi; it can lead to extensive neurological damage in your children, and has even been implicated in autism.
Thimerosal
Thimerosal is the preservative of choice for vaccine manufacturers. First introduced by Eli Lilly and Company in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company began selling it as a preservative in vaccines in the 1940s. Thimerosal contains 49.6 percent mercury by weight and is metabolized or degraded into ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Mercury, or more precisely, ethylmercury, is the principle agent that kills contaminants. Unfortunately, mercury also kills much more than that. The Department of Defense classifies mercury as a hazardous material that could cause death if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Studies indicate that mercury tends to accumulate in the brains of primates and other animals after they are injected with vaccines. Mercury poisoning has been linked to cardiovascular disease, autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia and many other nervous system conditions.
That's why the FDA rigorously limits exposure to mercury in foods and drugs. Some common sources of mercury include dental amalgam fillings, various vaccines and certain fish contaminated by polluted ocean waters. The toxicity of mercury has never been in question. The real question is precisely how much mercury-laced thimerosal is toxic, and what are the possible consequences for our children at low doses? Eli Lilly and Co. supposedly answered this question for us back in 1930. Concluding thimerosal to be of "a very low order of toxicity . . . for man," the company hired its own doctors to perform thimerosal experiments in Indianapolis City Hospital on meningitis patients during a severe outbreak in 1929. This 60-year-old evidence was still quoted on the company's brochures as recently as 1990. Andrew Waters, who is involved in a lawsuit against Eli Lilly, claims that most critical studies on the toxicity of thimerosal were suppressed by the company until now.
Banned around the world, but not in the United States
That might explain why thimerosal was eliminated in many countries 20 years ago. In 1977, a Russian study found that adults exposed to ethylmercury, the form of mercury in thimerosal, suffered brain damage years later. Studies on thimerosal poisoning also describe tubular necrosis and nervous system injury, including obtundation, coma and death. As a result of these findings, Russia banned thimerosal from children's vaccines in 1980. Denmark, Austria, Japan, Great Britain and all the Scandinavian countries have also banned the preservative.
Eli Lilly stuck to its "scientific" facts, but the truth began slipping between the cracks in 1999. After the number of immunizations rose to 12 to 15 per child, the public finally became privy to the possible dangers of thimerosal. One 1999 study revealed that some infants, due to a genetic or developmental factor, lack the ability to eliminate mercury. Trace amounts of mercury in these infants, when accumulated over several vaccines, could pose a severe health risk. Some vaccines, such as vaccines for hepatitis B, contained as much as 12.5 micrograms of mercury per dose. That's more than 100 times the EPA's upper limit standard when administered to infants. Hepatitis B vaccines aren't the only immunizations under suspicion.
According to Burton Goldberg in Alternative Medicine, scientists are finding stronger and stronger links between thimerosal and neurological damage. One report by Dr. Vijendra Singh of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan found a higher incidence of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) antibodies in autistic children. The National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Virginia, has noted a strong association between the MMR vaccine and autistic features. Reporting similar findings, the Encephalitis Support Group in England claims that children who became autistic after the MMR vaccine started showing autistic symptoms as early as 30 days after vaccination.
The diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine (DPT) given at two, four and six months has triggered autistic symptoms, as well. When the FDA finally formally released this information in 1999, the news came too little too late for some parents.
The damage had already been done.
Links between autism and thimerosal Autism affects 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans and has grown at an annual rate of 10 to 17 percent since the late 1980s. California found a 273 percent increase in autism between 1987 and 1998. Maryland reported a 513 percent increase in autism between 1993 and 1998 and several dozen other states reported similar findings. Some scientists say the estimated number of cases of autism has increased 15-fold –1,500 percent – since 1991, when the number of childhood vaccinations doubled.
Whereas one in every 2,500 children was diagnosed with autism before 1991, one in 166 children now have the disease. This increase in reported autism cases eerily parallels the increase in the number and frequency of thimerosal-containing vaccinations administered to infants. As of today, children are given as many as 21 immunizations in the first 15 months of life. After a number of scientists and concerned activists noticed the correlation, an investigation was launched to get to the heart of the matter.
Statistical evidence links thimerosal with nervous system disorders In June 2000, federal officials and industry representatives were assembled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss the disturbing evidence. According to Tom Verstraeten, an epidemiologist who had analyzed the data on the CDC's database, thimerosal appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and other neurological disorders. Verstraeten told those at the meeting that a number of earlier studies indicate a link between thimerosal and speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism.
Verstraeten offered no possible cause for this correlation, but held that the statistical evidence linking vaccines and neurological disorders was strong. Dr. Bill Weil, a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Richard Johnston, an immunologist and pediatrician from the University of Colorado, presented similar concerns to the group. However, given no causal relationship, the CDC and industry representatives were quick to discredit the evidence. Consequently, the CDC paid the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct another study on thimerosal. According to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this study was fixed in order to "whitewash" previous findings. In its 2001 report, the IOM's Immunization Safety Review Committee did conclude that the link between thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders was biologically plausible, though the evidence neither proved nor negated it.
The Committee stated that phasing out thimerosal from vaccines was “a prudent measure in support of the public health goal to reduce mercury exposure of infants and children as much as possible.
” However, these findings offered no imperative. The data presented at the 2000 meeting was withheld from publication and the link between thimerosal and autism remained "inconclusive." But what does "inconclusive" mean? Well, that depends on who you talk to. According to the FDA, these "inconclusive" findings negate the risk of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism.
Even Tom Verstraeten, one of the presenters of epidemiological evidence at the CDC meeting, seemingly changed his tune a bit. In 2000, Verstraeten vigorously campaigned against thimerosal based upon his "inconclusive" correlation, but after he was hired by GlaxoSmithKline, the doctor changed his position.
The same evidence from 2000, in Verstraeten's eyes, became "neutral" in 2003. After criticism for this apparent flip-flop, Verstaeten wrote a letter to the editor of Pediatrics in 2004 backing the CDC's actions and his own research methods.
Merck continues selling vaccines with thimerosal Without an imperative to eradicate thimerosal immediately, vaccine manufacturers like Merck & Co. seemingly took their time in reducing thimerosal levels in vaccines. After a large public outcry in 1999, Merck & Co. began decreasing or eliminating the amount of thimerosal in its vaccines.
In September 1999, Merck announced that its new line of vaccines were preservative-free, but still continued to distribute the remainder of thimerosal-preserved vaccines until 2001. Only after a congressional inquiry in 2002 did they stop distributing their stockpile. Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., called Merck's actions "misleading." While officials at the Center for Disease Control claim evidence is lacking to support the possible risks of thimerosal, Dr. Mark Geier, a Maryland geneticist and vaccinologist, along with his son and research partner David Geier, says the CDC has chosen to ignore the science.
According to Dr. Geier, more than 5,000 articles have been published that question the safety of thimerosal in vaccines. The Geiers analyzed the data and determined that the more thimerosal a child receives, the greater his or her chances are of being autistic. The CDC says the Geiers misused information from a CDC database that was not intended to help prove theories. Given no real causal mechanism linking thimerosal and autism, the game seems to have become one of slanting the data to suit the needs of government and industrial interests. Even Verstraeten has admitted that these "inconclusive" findings certainly don't rule out the possibility of finding a link in the future.
Grassroots action against vaccine manufacturers
Given the dearth of health organizations owning up to the dangers of thimerosal, many parents followed their gut instincts and took legal action against vaccine manufacturers. More than 4,200 families have filed lawsuits claiming thimerosal caused injuries to their children. These lawsuits often have two goals: First, to seek reparations for the loss of consortium (basically meaning that an autistic child creates emotional and psychological burdens on their family life), and second, to ensure that these companies exercise more concern for public health and less concern for their own bottom line.
The lawsuits are slow in producing results. The first constraint on these lawsuits is the National Childhood Vaccine Act of 1986. This act stipulates that victims cannot seek redress in the courts without first filing a claim for recovery in the federal Vaccine Court. The statute of limitations for this is within three years of "the first symptom or manifestation of onset or of the significant aggravation of a [vaccine-related] injury." In the cases of many thimerosal victims, the link between autism and vaccines didn't appear until six years after the first vaccine was administered.
While this statute has stopped some claims against vaccine manufacturers, including such big firms as Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Johnson & Johnson, many judges are now allowing suits against Eli Lilly, the maker of thimerosal, to stand. While the Vaccine Act shields vaccine manufacturers, one judge reasons that the legislation does not protect the production of thimerosal because it is a "component." The burden of proof in court is also extremely problematic for most of these suits. Given the supposed lack of scientific data, lawyers are hard-pressed to prove the link between thimerosal and autism. In what seems like an underhanded move, the CDC sold its data to a private company, ensuring that lawyers could not access it under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the past five years, Congress has also aided vaccine manufacturers, supposedly for "security" reasons. In 2002, a mysterious piggyback on the 2002 Homeland Security bill freed drug companies of liability in lawsuits regarding thimerosal. Called the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" by outraged parents and activists, the then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey told CBS News he snuck the amendment in to keep vaccine-makers from going out of business. Armey claimed it was a matter of national security.
"We need their vaccines if the country is attacked with germ weapons." Ironically, foreign biological terrorism hasn't been a big problem for American citizens, but those whose lives (and the lives of their children) have been affected if not ruined by the harmful effects of thimerisol would undoubtedly say these potentially harmful vaccines are indeed a problem. Armey's piggyback bill was repealed in 2003, but that didn't stop lawmakers from continuing to protect the vaccine industry.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is no stranger to the thimerosal debate, having received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry and $10,000 from Eli Lilly. Frist's position allowed him to attempt to help the industry from the inside, according to Kennedy. Kennedy reports that on five occasions, Frist tried to seal the government's vaccine-related documents and shield Eli Lilly from subpoenas.
Frist also introduced a provision in the 2005 Senate Bill S-3 called the "Protecting America in the War on Terror Act," that would effectively insulate the pharmaceutical industry from liability for thimerosal poisoning. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis, Weyeth and Eli Lilly, can basically get off scot-free for their actions, even as more and more evidence suggests that top company officials were aware of the possible dangers and did nothing. A secret memo leaked to the Los Angeles Times reportedly implicates one vaccine manufacturer, Merck & Co., for knowing that thimerosal could pose serious threats to infants. Allegedly, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, one of Merck's top scientists, warned the president of Merck of a possible threat as early as 1991. Dr. Hilleman told executives that six-month-old children receiving regular immunizations frequently received mercury doses 87 times higher than guidelines for the maximum consumption of mercury.
Given today's more prudent mercury standards, those thimerosal doses would be 400 times that of safe levels. Dr. Hilleman recommended in the memo that thimerosal be discontinued. Not only do government and industry officials seem to be trying to downplay the possible harms of thimerosal; the media is also denying the issue coverage. Just recently, ABC flip-flopped on whether it will air interviews with Robert Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of thimerosal. ABC has been accused of suppressing the interviews because of its ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
The thimerosal debate continues Along with the enormous amount of controversy surrounding this issue, the five-year-old plea for "more research" may have finally produced some results. Burton Goldberg notes that a defect in the myelinization process (insulation of nerve fibers) could explain mercury's propensity to cause autism and neurological damage. This may also account for the frequent development of epilepsy in older autistic children. Scientists are also working on biological links that support the strong correlations. Researchers at Northeastern University, working with scientists from the University of Nebraska, Tufts and Johns Hopkins University, may have recently found the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with brain activity.
If these researchers are right, vaccine manufacturers could do little to keep the damaging effects of thimerosal hidden. Pharmacy professor Richard Deth and colleagues found that exposure to thimerosal potently interrupts growth factor signaling, causing adverse effects on the transfer of carbon atoms. These carbon atoms play a significant role in regulating normal DNA function and gene expression and are critical to proper neurological development.
Additionally, the scientists recently obtained more insight into the mechanism by which thimerosal interferes with folate-dependent methylation. The mechanism inhibits the biosynthesis of the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), a vitamin now being administered to autistic children.
The experts speak on mercury, vaccines and thimerosal Now all childhood vaccines have at least one mercury-free version, and I urge parents to ask for those versions if they choose to vaccinate their children.
Injecting mercury into children, especially infants whose immune systems are still underdeveloped (hepatitis B shots are typically given at birth, before the immune system has developed), can be an assault to the immune system. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders by Stephen B Edelson MD, page 65 In 1999 studies began to surface showing that multi-dose vial vaccines, such as the MMR and hepatitis B vaccines, contained enough thimerosal to expose vaccinated children to 62.5 ug of mercury per visit to the pediatrician.
This is one hundred times the dose considered safe by the Federal Environmental Protection Guidelines for infants! Worse yet, some infants will receive doses even higher; because thimerosal tends to settle in the vial. If it is not shaken up before being drawn, the first dose will contain low concentrations of mercury and the last dose will contain enormously high concentrations. If your baby is the unlucky one that gets the last dose, serious brain injury can result…
Health And Nutrition (see related ebook on nutrition) Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166 Thousands of families say they can demonstrate with videotapes and photos that their children were normal prior to being vaccinated, reacted badly to the vaccines, and became autistic shortly thereafter.
The number of vaccines given before age two has risen from 3 in 1940, when autism occurred in perhaps one case per 10,000 births, to 22 different vaccines given before the age of two in the year 2000.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 104
We know that certain forms of mercury, such as methylmercury and phenylmercury, are highly lipid soluble, which makes the brain especially susceptible to mercury accumulation. These forms of mercury are found in vaccines as the preservative thimerosal. Once in the brain, it tends to attach itself to protein structures, especially to the cell membrane, where it can disrupt membrane functions.23 By binding to the cell membrane, mercury changes the membrane's fluid-like quality, making it stiffer and causing the cell to age faster.
24 The brain is unique in that neurons depend on special microscopic tube-like structures within the cell, appropriately called neurotubules, for their function. These neurotubules are manufactured by the cell from a substance called tubulin. We know that mercury interacts with tubulin causing it to unravel. Studies in rats have shown that doses of mercury corresponding to those seen in humans can cause a 75 percent increase in tubulin inhibition.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 53
In the case of the susceptible newborn infant and toddler, multiple exposures to mercury-containing and multiple antigen vaccines are highly suspect in the causation of multiple organ injury (Bernard et al. 2000). The GI tract, the liver, the pancreas, the kidneys, the immune system, and the brain are major sites of mercury absorption.
Researchers have clearly shown a chronic inflammatory bowel disease due to vaccine strain measles in a subset of children with autism (Thompson et al. 1995; Wakefield et al. 1995, 1999, 2000a,b; Kawashima et al. 2000; Pardi et al. 2000; Uhlmann et al. 2002).
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 153 Studies of autistic children have frequently shown very high levels of mercury, with no other source but vaccines found for the exposure. These levels are equal to those seen in adults during toxic industrial exposures. Several autism clinics have found dramatic improvements in the behavior and social interactions in children from whom the mercury was chelated.
Results depended on how soon the mercury was removed following exposure, but permanent damage can be caused if the metal is not chelated soon enough.
Still, even in cases of severe damage, because of the infant brain's tremendous reparative ability, improvements are possible. The problem of autism involves numerous body systems including the gastrointestinal, immune and nervous systems; as a result we see numerous infections and magnified effects of malnutrition.
Intrepid workers in the shadows, that is outside the medial establishment, have worked many miracles with these children using a multidisciplinary scientific approach completely ignored by the orthodoxy. Some children have even experienced a return to complete physiological normalcy.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 166
Mercury and autism mercury toxicity is a suspected cause of a steep rise—a tenfold increase between 1984 and 1994—in diagnosed cases of autism in children around the world, according to some scientists. Specifically, the culprit is thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used as a preservative in vaccines commonly administered to babies and infants. thimerosal-free vaccines are available.
If you have a child who will be receiving vaccinations, ask for and make sure thimerosal-free vaccines are used. Kelp, with its essential minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), helps remove unwanted metal deposits.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 198 The pertussis vaccine (DPT) may cause 45,000 cases of autism per year in America, affecting 15 cases out of 10,000 vaccinations; also caused by the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) that causes mental impairment, gastrointestinal damage, and increased mortality in 6-12 months from impaired immunity; 9 out of 10 cases were not breast-fed; eating dairy products caused parasites in the autistic (take Vermex; contact Dr. Nelson in Mexico for control of parasites in children with autism). There are now over 500,000 victims of autism residing in the United States, in 1994.
The pertussis vaccination is not used in Sweden, which has virtually 0 cases of autism, as does Holland. This mental illness afflicts environmentally and socially non-reactive persons, ofwithdrawn personality; with inability to speak, violenttantrums, insomnia, actions such as bolting across aroad with no regard for the dire consequences.
May be caused infant antibiotic use in ear infections with subsequent yeast overgrowth, by cumulative genetic Brain damage, Vitamin deficiencies, or milk and additives allergies. Immune disorders in autism include white blood cellneutrophil Myeloperoxidase enzyme deficiency for insufficient hypochlorite ions to kill yeast - genetic type from Chromosome 17 mutation or biotinidase deficiency, or acquired type from lead poisoning, Folic acid or B-l 2 deficiency, infection or leukemias…
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 450
Multiple vaccinations, especially in newborns, are another major source of childhood mercury exposure because of the mercury-containing thimerosal preservative. Over twenty-two vaccinations are now recommended for children before the age of two!
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 64
In addition, there is some anecdotal evidence that autism may be tied to diet. One theory is that, in very rare cases, a child's immune system could be weakened by the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (MMR), which is usually administered before a child turns 2.
As a result of this weakening, the theory goes, the child's digestive system is unable to break down certain food proteins, leading to abnormal brain development. Proponents of this theory believe that putting the child on a diet that eliminates certain foods, such as wheat and dairy products, could in certain cases reverse the course of the disease.
This theory remains speculative, however, and research needs to be done to determine its validity.
In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute of Medicine committee examining studies about the health effects of the MMR vaccine in young children suggests that there is no proven link between the vaccine and autism. The committee recommends that there be no change in immunization practices that require children to be immunized during early childhood.
The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292 Rather than calling for an all-out immediate ban on thimerosal-containing vaccines, they suggested that parents continue to have their children vaccinated with mercury-contaminated vaccines until new stocks of uncontaminated vaccine could be made available.
Here are two doctors' unions that had to be beat over the head with an overwhelming amount of data that mercury-contaminated vaccines were harming children far worse than the actual diseases against which the vaccine was intended to protect them, only to have them suggest that parents continue to harm their children just to satisfy their vaccination obsession.
Are you surprised to discover that recent investigations have found that several doctor-members of vaccine boards were either receiving grants from vaccine manufacturers or held stock in the companies? They were willing to sacrifice the health of millions of children just to fill their pockets with cash. These people should be looking through bars, not serving on boards.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 167
Vaccines may afflict 45,000 cases of autism per year in America, which afflicts 15 victims in every 10.000 births: there are now 5 00,000 of these victims in the U.S. In Sweden not using the pertussis vaccine, there is virtually no autism (and likewise in Holland).
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 600
Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of mercury poisoning. Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor dysfunction are seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of mercury and other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.
Vaccines are effective, but the production and use of vaccines should proceed more cautiously. Currently manufactured vaccines still contain harmful substances like mercury. The link between vaccines and autism is far stronger than the medical community is willing to admit, and more research in this area should be an urgent priority.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Studies indicate that autism may be the result of adverse reactions to childhood vaccinations. Dr. Alan Cohen, an environmental physician from Connecticut, notes that high levels of autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD) did not occur until the mandatory use of childhood vaccinations, and suggests that there may be a connection between certain vaccines and the onset of these conditions.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 46
Almost from the inception of vaccination programs, manufacturers added a mercury preservative called thimerosal to vaccines. The practice continued until recently, and was stopped only because of the outcry from thousands of concerned parents and numerous experts in the field. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice did not warn parents or pediatricians that the mercury was dangerous until they were forced to. That mercury was toxic to cells had been known for over sixty years, but manufacturers apparently were more worried about lawsuits…
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 165
In fact, a 2001 report issued by an Institute of Medicine committee examining studies about the health effects of the MMR vaccine in young children suggests that there is no proven link between the vaccine and autism. The committee recommends that there be no change in immunization practices that require children to be immunized during early childhood.
Another disorder affecting the brain, Alzheimer's disease, may also have an immune connection. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that slowly attacks nerve cells in the brain. It eventually results in the loss of all memory and mental functioning. Scientists are currently investigating the role that the immune system plays in producing an overabundance of the amino acid glutamate, a powerful nerve-cell killer. Another immune connection that researchers are investigating is the idea that Alzheimer's might be triggered, in part, by a virus.
The Immune Advantage by Ellen Mazo and Keith Berndtson MD, page 292 In the past 10 years, the number of autistic children has risen between 200 and 500 per cent in every state in the U.S. This sharp increase in autism followed the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1975. Representative Dan Burton's healthy grandson was given injections for 9 diseases in one day. These injections were followed by autism.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 267 "Probably 20% of American children, one in five, suffers from a "development disability'," according to Harris Coulter, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Center for Empirical Medicine, in Washington, D.C.
"This is a stupefying figure and we have inflicted it on ourselves. 'Development disabilities' are nearly always generated by encephalitis. And the primary cause of encephalitis in the U.S. and other industrialized countries is the childhood vaccination program.
To be specific, a large proportion of the millions of U.S. children and adults suffering from autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia, and other branches of the hydra-headed entity called 'development disabilities' owe their disorders to one of the vaccines against childhood diseases."
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1101
Martin noted that the increased incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and other behavior-linked illnesses "may be an inadvertent consequence of stealth virus vaccine contaminants.
" AIDS And Ebola by Leonard Horowitz, page 493 Just for perspective if we go back to 1971 up to 1980, we see that California consistently added 100 to 200 new cases a year; but in the year 2002, California added 3,577 new cases. Since 1980, the documented start of California's autism epidemic, the number of new cases has steadily increased.
If we break down those statistics it means that from 1994 to 1995, California only added on average 2 new autistic children a day into its system. In 2001, it was a rate of 8 new autistic children added a day; in 2002, it jumped up to 10 children a day. mercury-containing vaccines are still in use today, including the most recently recommended addition to the childhood immunization schedule, 2 shots of flu vaccine for infants, bringing the total number of vaccines up to 41 in California that a child will receive before the age of two.
It will take a few years to start seeing the effect of the phasing out of the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal from childhood vaccines on this autism epidemic. Many symptoms of autism are similar to those of mercury poisoning. Immune dysfunction, visual disturbances, and motor dysfunction are seen in both. Treating autistic children for removal of mercury and other heavy metals has shown significant improvement in their autistic symptoms. Most autistic individuals have poor liver detoxification, low antioxidant levels, and low levels of glutathione.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 105
Since the 1990s, there has been a tenfold or 1000-percent increase in autism, an increase which has been linked by some researchers to the organic mercury preservative commonly found in baby vaccines. A greatly increased incidence of juvenile diabetes has been correlated to specific vaccination sequences and to the number of vaccines given. In some Australian Aboriginal communities, every second child died shortly after vaccination.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 309
The best current estimates are that autism occurs in 40 to 67 children per 10,000 live births. This means that the prevalence of autism has increased 1,000 percent in the last decade. According to the latest figures just released in January 2003 by the California Department of Developmental Services, California experienced an astounding 31 percent increase in the number of new children…
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 104
Overview:
€ The great thimerosal cover-up: Mercury, vaccines, autism and your child's health
Source: http://www.newstarget.com/011764.html
QUICK RELATED QUOTE & FACTS:
QUOTE: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence that the amount of mercury one might get from a flu shot is linked with any neurological development outcome that's negative." --- Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of immunization services division for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FACT: A typical flu shot contains 50,000 parts per billion of mercury.
FACT: The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste.
FACT: The legal "safe" limit for mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion
FACT: For each flu-shot, a 22-pound baby gets more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.
FACT: A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., a former producer of flu vaccines, says exposure to thimerosal may include "fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment."
QUOTE: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence that the amount of mercury one might get from a flu shot is linked with any neurological development outcome that's negative." --- Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of immunization services division for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FACT: A typical flu shot contains 50,000 parts per billion of mercury.
FACT: The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste.
FACT: The legal "safe" limit for mercury in drinking water is 2 parts per billion
FACT: For each flu-shot, a 22-pound baby gets more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.
FACT: A material safety data sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., a former producer of flu vaccines, says exposure to thimerosal may include "fetal changes, decreased offspring survival and lung tissue changes. Exposure in utero and in children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Live longer with vitamin D, study saysBy Alex McNealy
09/11/2007 - Vitamin D may help slow down the ageing process, scientists have found, adding further weight to the importance of adequate intake of the vitamin.Researchers from King's College, London, measured telomeres - part of a chromosome which shortens with age - in more than 2,000 women and found those who had higher levels of the vitamin in their body had longer telomeres.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the scientists looked at 2,160 women aged 18 to 79 years and measured leukocyte telomere length (LTL). LTL is a predictor of ageing-related disease and decreases with each cell cycle and increased inflammation, the scientists said.
Scientists measured concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the 'storage' form of vitamin D) and found a link between increased concentrations and telomere length. They found that after taking into account the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres.
They wrote: "The difference in LTL between the highest and lowest tertiles of vitamin D was 107 base pairs, which is equivalent to five years of telomeric ageing. This difference was further accentuated by increased concentrations of C-reactive protein, which is a measure of systemic inflammation.
" The team concluded that higher vitamin D concentrations, which are "easily modifiable through nutritional supplementation", are associated with longer LTL, which underscores the potentially beneficial effects of vitamin D on ageing and age-related diseases. Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said:
"These results demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. "This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Further studies are required to confirm these findings."They also found that out of the women tested, 700 already took vitamin D supplements, and had longer telomeres than those who did not.
However, the scientists gave no indication of what levels of supplementation would be needed to achieve these results. The scientific community has already called for an increase in the recommended level of vitamin D intake. Currently, the recommended daily intake is set at 400 IU, and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US is set at 2000 International Units (IU), equivalent to 50 micrograms per day. Research, particularly from clinical trials, suggests that this should be raised. A recent risk assessment by the US-based trade organisation, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) concluded that the UL could be raised to 10,000 IU (250 micrograms per day).Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol.
The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive. The latter is derived from plants and only enters the body via the diet.Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in womenAuthors: Brent Richards, Ana Valdes, Jeffrey Gardner, Dimitri Paximadas, Masayuki Kimura, Ayrun Nessa, Xiaobin Lu, Gabriela Surdulescu, Rami Swaminathan, Tim Spector and Abraham Aviv
09/11/2007 - Vitamin D may help slow down the ageing process, scientists have found, adding further weight to the importance of adequate intake of the vitamin.Researchers from King's College, London, measured telomeres - part of a chromosome which shortens with age - in more than 2,000 women and found those who had higher levels of the vitamin in their body had longer telomeres.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the scientists looked at 2,160 women aged 18 to 79 years and measured leukocyte telomere length (LTL). LTL is a predictor of ageing-related disease and decreases with each cell cycle and increased inflammation, the scientists said.
Scientists measured concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the 'storage' form of vitamin D) and found a link between increased concentrations and telomere length. They found that after taking into account the age of the volunteer, women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres.
They wrote: "The difference in LTL between the highest and lowest tertiles of vitamin D was 107 base pairs, which is equivalent to five years of telomeric ageing. This difference was further accentuated by increased concentrations of C-reactive protein, which is a measure of systemic inflammation.
" The team concluded that higher vitamin D concentrations, which are "easily modifiable through nutritional supplementation", are associated with longer LTL, which underscores the potentially beneficial effects of vitamin D on ageing and age-related diseases. Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said:
"These results demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. "This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Further studies are required to confirm these findings."They also found that out of the women tested, 700 already took vitamin D supplements, and had longer telomeres than those who did not.
However, the scientists gave no indication of what levels of supplementation would be needed to achieve these results. The scientific community has already called for an increase in the recommended level of vitamin D intake. Currently, the recommended daily intake is set at 400 IU, and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US is set at 2000 International Units (IU), equivalent to 50 micrograms per day. Research, particularly from clinical trials, suggests that this should be raised. A recent risk assessment by the US-based trade organisation, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) concluded that the UL could be raised to 10,000 IU (250 micrograms per day).Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol.
The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive. The latter is derived from plants and only enters the body via the diet.Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D, the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in womenAuthors: Brent Richards, Ana Valdes, Jeffrey Gardner, Dimitri Paximadas, Masayuki Kimura, Ayrun Nessa, Xiaobin Lu, Gabriela Surdulescu, Rami Swaminathan, Tim Spector and Abraham Aviv
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Know the Facts Before Navigating Through Rows of Multivitamins
By Kimberly Wiegand Daily Cardinal, 11/14/2007 Straight to the Source
College students have all been there before: first the over-indulgent late night, followed by an almost mockingly early morning and a quick trip to Starbucks, then right back into the rush of academia. To counteract the previous 12 hours of poor nutritional choices, you might pop one or two multivitamins throughout the day.Currently the largest supplement market in the United States, multivitamin use has been increasing in all age categories, most notably among college students and college graduates. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association last year, almost 90 percent of the college-educated respondents used multivitamins. With such prevalence, the question begs to be answered: Should we all be consuming multivitamins?
In 1994, President Clinton signed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Congress stated there "may be a connection between dietary supplement use, reduced health-care expenses and disease prevention." This act placed the responsibility of ensuring supplement safety into the hands of the manufacturer and not the government body.Still, experts are divided on whether individuals should take multivitamins.Pete Anderson, a lecturer in nutritional sciences at UW-Madison, said supplements never provide nutrients as well as a balanced diet does."With some medical exceptions, there's no reason to take vitamins if you have a decent diet," Anderson said.Although Dr. Chad Oler, N.D. of the Natural Path Health Center, shares Anderson's recommendation of adequate nutrition through food alone, he often recommends multiple vitamin supplementations to his patients.
"I would much rather people get the nutrients from the food we eat; it's just that most people don't," Oler said.Oler suggested we "think of a multivitamin like an insurance policy."After all, he stated, "You wouldn't let your apartment burn down, much less set a fire, just because you have renters insurance."But as Anderson pointed out, as soon as this "insurance policy" leads to reckless dietary habits, "maybe we should stop taking the vitamin."Whatever the reasons for supplementation use, the market is rallying around them.
The dietary supplement market went from a $14 billion industry in 1999 to a $22.4 billion industry in 2007, according to Nutrition Business Journal. Vitamins and minerals alone are nearly a quarter of that industry.Advertising and marketing significantly contribute to this rise. Walk into Community Pharmacy, 341 State St., and you will find hundreds of colorful bottles with catchy labels, all organized by brand, gender and age target, function claim, price and pill design.
From stress support, to prenatal care to vegetarian men's formulas, these pills are customized for every subgroup of the population. Among all the choices, there is a lot of room for confusion and misinformation.According to Jack Siepert, a nutritional consultant from Community Pharmacy, there are three basic kinds of multivitamins: whole-food vitamins cultured through probiotics or nutritional yeasts or taken from actual food, synthetic vitamins mixed with some whole-foods and purely synthetic vitamins. Additionally, because the support they provide is to "fill in the gap" of a poor diet, it is best to go with the type as close to real food as possible-whole-food vitamins.Oler narrowed this down even more, "There are really two distinctions between multivitamins: whole-food multivitamins and everything else." Most pills are in the "everything else" category, making choosing the right pills difficult.
"Ninety-five to 98 percent of the stuff over the counter is crap they use cheap, raw materials that are not bio-available, meaning that the body, even if it can absorb it, cannot utilize the nutrients very well," he said. The whole-food multivitamins, however, come at a price.Although a monthly supply of whole-food vitamins from Community Pharmacy can run upward of $50, an Internet search can bring up a seemingly similar product for less than $20.These sites do not have any way of guaranteeing either the safety or efficacy of their products, but then again, with the passing of DSHEA in 1994, neither does an over-the-counter product.
This fact is what makes Anderson consider the act "totally stupid" and leads Oler to believe that more regulation needs to be put in place by the industry. Until that happens however, consumers are stuck in the hunt for that perfect multivitamin.In the interim, if considering a multivitamin, Anderson suggests improving your diet first."Try to incorporate more whole grains as much as possible. Try to increase fruits and vegetables-as many more fruits and vegetables as possible. You can keep it as simple as that," Anderson said.However, if you cannot get adequate nutrients by diet alone-be it medical concerns or otherwise-stick to a multivitamin that has 100 percent of the daily value or less. Avoid anything in a mega-dose-those listed as 1000 to 3000 percent of the daily value.
Taking in too much could risk overdose of the fat-soluble vitamins A, K, E and D and cause an imbalance and potential toxicity of minerals.Pregnant women or women who could become pregnant should avoid supplementation of vitamin A because of toxicity properties of some forms, particularly vitamin A palmitate, according to Anderson. Too high intakes of water-soluble vitamins, commonly C and B, will not likely cause much damage, but they could lead to gastrointestinal distress.There is no definitive answer as to whether an individual without special dietary needs or restrictions should take a multivitamin. Many dietary factors contribute to this decision such as an individual's eating habits and how willing he or she is to change the diet to incorporate more vitamins through whole grains, fruits and vegetables. One thing is certain: All the vitamins and minerals an individual needs can be found in a grocery store, but making those dietary changes can be a challenge."It requires a little effort, a little work, and a little learning," Anderson said.
By Kimberly Wiegand Daily Cardinal, 11/14/2007 Straight to the Source
College students have all been there before: first the over-indulgent late night, followed by an almost mockingly early morning and a quick trip to Starbucks, then right back into the rush of academia. To counteract the previous 12 hours of poor nutritional choices, you might pop one or two multivitamins throughout the day.Currently the largest supplement market in the United States, multivitamin use has been increasing in all age categories, most notably among college students and college graduates. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association last year, almost 90 percent of the college-educated respondents used multivitamins. With such prevalence, the question begs to be answered: Should we all be consuming multivitamins?
In 1994, President Clinton signed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Congress stated there "may be a connection between dietary supplement use, reduced health-care expenses and disease prevention." This act placed the responsibility of ensuring supplement safety into the hands of the manufacturer and not the government body.Still, experts are divided on whether individuals should take multivitamins.Pete Anderson, a lecturer in nutritional sciences at UW-Madison, said supplements never provide nutrients as well as a balanced diet does."With some medical exceptions, there's no reason to take vitamins if you have a decent diet," Anderson said.Although Dr. Chad Oler, N.D. of the Natural Path Health Center, shares Anderson's recommendation of adequate nutrition through food alone, he often recommends multiple vitamin supplementations to his patients.
"I would much rather people get the nutrients from the food we eat; it's just that most people don't," Oler said.Oler suggested we "think of a multivitamin like an insurance policy."After all, he stated, "You wouldn't let your apartment burn down, much less set a fire, just because you have renters insurance."But as Anderson pointed out, as soon as this "insurance policy" leads to reckless dietary habits, "maybe we should stop taking the vitamin."Whatever the reasons for supplementation use, the market is rallying around them.
The dietary supplement market went from a $14 billion industry in 1999 to a $22.4 billion industry in 2007, according to Nutrition Business Journal. Vitamins and minerals alone are nearly a quarter of that industry.Advertising and marketing significantly contribute to this rise. Walk into Community Pharmacy, 341 State St., and you will find hundreds of colorful bottles with catchy labels, all organized by brand, gender and age target, function claim, price and pill design.
From stress support, to prenatal care to vegetarian men's formulas, these pills are customized for every subgroup of the population. Among all the choices, there is a lot of room for confusion and misinformation.According to Jack Siepert, a nutritional consultant from Community Pharmacy, there are three basic kinds of multivitamins: whole-food vitamins cultured through probiotics or nutritional yeasts or taken from actual food, synthetic vitamins mixed with some whole-foods and purely synthetic vitamins. Additionally, because the support they provide is to "fill in the gap" of a poor diet, it is best to go with the type as close to real food as possible-whole-food vitamins.Oler narrowed this down even more, "There are really two distinctions between multivitamins: whole-food multivitamins and everything else." Most pills are in the "everything else" category, making choosing the right pills difficult.
"Ninety-five to 98 percent of the stuff over the counter is crap they use cheap, raw materials that are not bio-available, meaning that the body, even if it can absorb it, cannot utilize the nutrients very well," he said. The whole-food multivitamins, however, come at a price.Although a monthly supply of whole-food vitamins from Community Pharmacy can run upward of $50, an Internet search can bring up a seemingly similar product for less than $20.These sites do not have any way of guaranteeing either the safety or efficacy of their products, but then again, with the passing of DSHEA in 1994, neither does an over-the-counter product.
This fact is what makes Anderson consider the act "totally stupid" and leads Oler to believe that more regulation needs to be put in place by the industry. Until that happens however, consumers are stuck in the hunt for that perfect multivitamin.In the interim, if considering a multivitamin, Anderson suggests improving your diet first."Try to incorporate more whole grains as much as possible. Try to increase fruits and vegetables-as many more fruits and vegetables as possible. You can keep it as simple as that," Anderson said.However, if you cannot get adequate nutrients by diet alone-be it medical concerns or otherwise-stick to a multivitamin that has 100 percent of the daily value or less. Avoid anything in a mega-dose-those listed as 1000 to 3000 percent of the daily value.
Taking in too much could risk overdose of the fat-soluble vitamins A, K, E and D and cause an imbalance and potential toxicity of minerals.Pregnant women or women who could become pregnant should avoid supplementation of vitamin A because of toxicity properties of some forms, particularly vitamin A palmitate, according to Anderson. Too high intakes of water-soluble vitamins, commonly C and B, will not likely cause much damage, but they could lead to gastrointestinal distress.There is no definitive answer as to whether an individual without special dietary needs or restrictions should take a multivitamin. Many dietary factors contribute to this decision such as an individual's eating habits and how willing he or she is to change the diet to incorporate more vitamins through whole grains, fruits and vegetables. One thing is certain: All the vitamins and minerals an individual needs can be found in a grocery store, but making those dietary changes can be a challenge."It requires a little effort, a little work, and a little learning," Anderson said.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
DSHS Obesity Data Sheet October 2007
Texas Overweight and Obesity Statistics
GENERAL STATISTICS
• In 2006, an estimated 10.1 million or 62 percent of Texas adults were overweight or obese.1
• If the current trends continue, 20 million or 75 percent of Texas adults might be overweight or obese
by the year 2040, and the cost to Texas could quadruple from $10.5 billion today to as much as $39
billion by 2040.2
• A report released in 2005 found that Texas reported it had the 6th highest prevalence in adult obesity
in the U.S., with an average of 25.3% of the adult population obese between 2002 and 2004.3
The
2006 report dropped Texas to the 10th ranking state with an average of 25.8% obese between 2003
and 2005,4 and the 2007 report dropped Texas to the 12th ranking state with an average of 26.3%
obese between 2004 and 2006.5 Unfortunately, Texas dropped in ranking because the prevalence
increased in other states; not because the state of obesity had improved in Texas.
• According to the Texas Department of State Health Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System (BRFSS), overweight and obesity are more pronounced among men, minorities and middleaged
adults.1
• According to the Texas Department of State Health Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System (BRFSS) in 2004, 28% of Texas adults reported spending 4 or more hours on a typical day
sitting and watching television, videos, or using a computer outside of work.6
• The Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention’s Breastfeeding Report Card 2007 reported
breastfeeding data from mothers who gave birth in 2004. The Texas data indicated that 75% of
mothers initiated breastfeeding, 37% breastfed at 6 months, and 19% breastfed at 12 months. 25% of
moms were exclusively breastfeeding through 3 months postpartum, and 7% exclusively breastfed
through 6 months.7
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT STATISTICS
• The prevalence of childhood overweight was greater in Texas in 2004-2005 than the U.S. rates
reported for the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).8,9 The
overall prevalence of overweight and at-risk for overweight** in Texas schoolchildren was 42 percent
for fourth-graders, 39 percent for eighth-graders and 36 percent for eleventh-graders in 2004-2005.8
• In 2004-2005, the percentage of overweight students in Texas was much higher among minorities,
with the highest prevalence of overweight in Hispanic boys in 4th grade and 11th grade.8
• In 2005, 29 percent of Texas high-school students were overweight or at risk of becoming**
overweight.10
• From 2000-2002 to 2004-2005, the prevalence of overweight** increased among both eighth- and
eleventh-graders, but slightly dropped among fourth-graders in Texas from 25.6% to 23%. 8
• According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in 2005, 41% of Texas
adolescents in grades 9-12 watch television for 3 or more hours per day on an average school day.10
• The SPAN III survey reported similar findings, with 44% of 11th graders in Texas reporting watching
TV 3 or more hours per day.8
Texas Overweight and Obesity Statistics
GENERAL STATISTICS
• In 2006, an estimated 10.1 million or 62 percent of Texas adults were overweight or obese.1
• If the current trends continue, 20 million or 75 percent of Texas adults might be overweight or obese
by the year 2040, and the cost to Texas could quadruple from $10.5 billion today to as much as $39
billion by 2040.2
• A report released in 2005 found that Texas reported it had the 6th highest prevalence in adult obesity
in the U.S., with an average of 25.3% of the adult population obese between 2002 and 2004.3
The
2006 report dropped Texas to the 10th ranking state with an average of 25.8% obese between 2003
and 2005,4 and the 2007 report dropped Texas to the 12th ranking state with an average of 26.3%
obese between 2004 and 2006.5 Unfortunately, Texas dropped in ranking because the prevalence
increased in other states; not because the state of obesity had improved in Texas.
• According to the Texas Department of State Health Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System (BRFSS), overweight and obesity are more pronounced among men, minorities and middleaged
adults.1
• According to the Texas Department of State Health Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System (BRFSS) in 2004, 28% of Texas adults reported spending 4 or more hours on a typical day
sitting and watching television, videos, or using a computer outside of work.6
• The Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention’s Breastfeeding Report Card 2007 reported
breastfeeding data from mothers who gave birth in 2004. The Texas data indicated that 75% of
mothers initiated breastfeeding, 37% breastfed at 6 months, and 19% breastfed at 12 months. 25% of
moms were exclusively breastfeeding through 3 months postpartum, and 7% exclusively breastfed
through 6 months.7
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT STATISTICS
• The prevalence of childhood overweight was greater in Texas in 2004-2005 than the U.S. rates
reported for the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).8,9 The
overall prevalence of overweight and at-risk for overweight** in Texas schoolchildren was 42 percent
for fourth-graders, 39 percent for eighth-graders and 36 percent for eleventh-graders in 2004-2005.8
• In 2004-2005, the percentage of overweight students in Texas was much higher among minorities,
with the highest prevalence of overweight in Hispanic boys in 4th grade and 11th grade.8
• In 2005, 29 percent of Texas high-school students were overweight or at risk of becoming**
overweight.10
• From 2000-2002 to 2004-2005, the prevalence of overweight** increased among both eighth- and
eleventh-graders, but slightly dropped among fourth-graders in Texas from 25.6% to 23%. 8
• According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in 2005, 41% of Texas
adolescents in grades 9-12 watch television for 3 or more hours per day on an average school day.10
• The SPAN III survey reported similar findings, with 44% of 11th graders in Texas reporting watching
TV 3 or more hours per day.8
Study on Omega-3 and cognitve function
Fish for brain health supported by trio of studiesBy Stephen Daniells
Get the latest Market Reports on
omega-3cognitive functionfish
Related NewsOmega-3 to cut colon cancer: meta-analysisOmega-3 again linked to Alzheimers protectionBetter omega-3 to omega-6 ratio could reduce depression studyClinical trial boosts omega-3's ADHD benefit claimsStudies champion omega-3s for slowing mental declineFish oil pills for mum may boost offspring's co-ordinationThe fishy link to low rates of depression
Product News related to :
-->
Related Product InformationNutritional lipids and oilsCognitive and mental function
Related Product NewslettersNutritional lipids and oilsCognitive and mental functionNews ArchivesAll news for November 2007 All news for October 2007 14/11/2007 - Omega-3-rich fish consumption may improve brain function across a broad demographic spectrum, suggest three new studies from around the world.The studies pull together data from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway, and all suggest significant benefits of fish consumption, specifically the omega-3 fatty acid content, and cognitive health.The majority of science for the health benefits of fish and omega-3 consumption has focused on cardiovascular health, but the science for cognitive benefits is growing and almost as compelling as the heart health data.
Moreover, the number of studies reporting potential risk reduction of certain cancers, improved development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behaviour and mood, are also growing. Published in the November 2007 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the studies have been commended by an independent expert."These recent reports are novel in that they address the association of n-3 fatty acid intake and cognitive function in non-demented individuals and, thus, present a shift in the attention to earlier stages of cognitive decline with the hope of preventing progression to states of dementia and disability before they become irreversible," wrote Irwin Rosenberg from Tufts University.
For the first study, Dutch researchers, led by Carla Dullemeijer from Wageningen University, used data from the FACIT trial, involving 807 men and women (average age 60 at baseline) assigned to receive folic acid or placebo capsules for three years. A cross-sectional analysis studied all 807 participants, while a longitudinal analysis only focused on the 404 participants in the placebo group.The researchers report that increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the plasma were associated with a 69 per cent lower decline in sensorimotor speed and a 60 per cent lower decline in complex speed over three years. No effects were observed on memory, the speed at which the participants processed information, or their word fluency.
"In this population, plasma n_3 PUFA proportions were associated with less decline in the speed-related cognitive domains over 3 y. These results need to be confirmed in randomized controlled trials," concluded Dullemeijer and co-workers.Researchers in New Zealand investigated if a relationship existed between the fatty acid composition of serum lipids and the mental and physical well-being of 2416 people participating in the 1997 National Nutrition Survey. Using data from a short-form 36 health questionnaire and blood samples, lead author Francesca Crowe from the University of Otago reports that the proportion of EPA in the blood, and the ratio of EPA to arachidonic acid (AA) was positively associated with physical well-being, and the EPA to AA ratio for mental well-being.
"The association between [EPA levels], the ratio of EPA to AA, and better self-reported physical well-being is biologically plausible," state the researchers."The synthesis of the inflammatory series-2 prostaglandins and series-4 leukotrienes from AA would be reduced in favour of the less inflammatory series-3 prostaglandins and series-5 leukotrienes synthesized from EPA.
""The association has strong biological plausibility and warrants further investigation," they concluded.The final study, led by Eha Nurk from the University of Oxford, examined the relation between consumption of seafood products and cognitive performance in 2031 elderly Norwegians. The researchers report that consumption of at least 10 grams of fish a day performed significantly better in tests for cognitive performance than people who ate less than 10 grams of fish and fish products.Moreover, the effect was dose dependent, with the best test scores occurring in individuals consuming about 75 grams per day. Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the consumption of lean of fatty fish, suggesting that the effects were due to something other than omega-3 fatty acids.
"Because this and earlier studies have shown that fish intake is associated with better cognition, the next question is what component of fish makes it good for the brain?" asked Nurk and co-workers."Studies of n 3 fatty acids, niacin, and any other factor known to be enriched in fish are needed to answer this question," they concluded.In the accompanying editorial, Rosenberg commended the research groups for addressing the association of fish and n-3 fatty acid intake with cognitive function in individuals not yet showing signs of impaired cognitive function.
"These studies of nutritional associations with brain function during the elongated prodromal period of age-related neurodegeneration and decline offer an opportunity for early intervention to maintain brain function and slow progression to dementia, which is costly economically and in terms of quality of life," concluded Rosenberg.
Source: American Journal of Clinical NutritionVolume 86, Pages 1278-1285"Serum phospholipid n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and physical and mental health in a population-based survey of New Zealand adolescents and adults"Authors: F.L. Crowe, C.M. Skeaff, T.J. Green, A.R. GrayVolume 86, Pages 1479-1485"N-3 Fatty acid proportions in plasma and cognitive performance in older adults"Authors: Carla Dullemeijer, J. Durga, I.A. Brouwer, O. van de Rest, F.J. Kok, R.-J. M Brummer, M.P.J. van Boxtel, and P. Verhoef Volume 86, Pages 1470-1478"Cognitive performance among the elderly and dietary fish intake: the Hordaland Health Study"Authors: E. Nurk, C.A. Drevon, H. Refsum, K. Solvoll, S.E. Vollset, O. Nygard, H.A. Nygaard, K. Engedal, G.S. Tell, and A.D. SmithEditorial: American Journal of Clinical NutritionVolume 86, Pages 1259-1260"Rethinking brain food"Author: I.H. Rosenberg
Get the latest Market Reports on
omega-3cognitive functionfish
Related NewsOmega-3 to cut colon cancer: meta-analysisOmega-3 again linked to Alzheimers protectionBetter omega-3 to omega-6 ratio could reduce depression studyClinical trial boosts omega-3's ADHD benefit claimsStudies champion omega-3s for slowing mental declineFish oil pills for mum may boost offspring's co-ordinationThe fishy link to low rates of depression
Product News related to :
-->
Related Product InformationNutritional lipids and oilsCognitive and mental function
Related Product NewslettersNutritional lipids and oilsCognitive and mental functionNews ArchivesAll news for November 2007 All news for October 2007 14/11/2007 - Omega-3-rich fish consumption may improve brain function across a broad demographic spectrum, suggest three new studies from around the world.The studies pull together data from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway, and all suggest significant benefits of fish consumption, specifically the omega-3 fatty acid content, and cognitive health.The majority of science for the health benefits of fish and omega-3 consumption has focused on cardiovascular health, but the science for cognitive benefits is growing and almost as compelling as the heart health data.
Moreover, the number of studies reporting potential risk reduction of certain cancers, improved development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behaviour and mood, are also growing. Published in the November 2007 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the studies have been commended by an independent expert."These recent reports are novel in that they address the association of n-3 fatty acid intake and cognitive function in non-demented individuals and, thus, present a shift in the attention to earlier stages of cognitive decline with the hope of preventing progression to states of dementia and disability before they become irreversible," wrote Irwin Rosenberg from Tufts University.
For the first study, Dutch researchers, led by Carla Dullemeijer from Wageningen University, used data from the FACIT trial, involving 807 men and women (average age 60 at baseline) assigned to receive folic acid or placebo capsules for three years. A cross-sectional analysis studied all 807 participants, while a longitudinal analysis only focused on the 404 participants in the placebo group.The researchers report that increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the plasma were associated with a 69 per cent lower decline in sensorimotor speed and a 60 per cent lower decline in complex speed over three years. No effects were observed on memory, the speed at which the participants processed information, or their word fluency.
"In this population, plasma n_3 PUFA proportions were associated with less decline in the speed-related cognitive domains over 3 y. These results need to be confirmed in randomized controlled trials," concluded Dullemeijer and co-workers.Researchers in New Zealand investigated if a relationship existed between the fatty acid composition of serum lipids and the mental and physical well-being of 2416 people participating in the 1997 National Nutrition Survey. Using data from a short-form 36 health questionnaire and blood samples, lead author Francesca Crowe from the University of Otago reports that the proportion of EPA in the blood, and the ratio of EPA to arachidonic acid (AA) was positively associated with physical well-being, and the EPA to AA ratio for mental well-being.
"The association between [EPA levels], the ratio of EPA to AA, and better self-reported physical well-being is biologically plausible," state the researchers."The synthesis of the inflammatory series-2 prostaglandins and series-4 leukotrienes from AA would be reduced in favour of the less inflammatory series-3 prostaglandins and series-5 leukotrienes synthesized from EPA.
""The association has strong biological plausibility and warrants further investigation," they concluded.The final study, led by Eha Nurk from the University of Oxford, examined the relation between consumption of seafood products and cognitive performance in 2031 elderly Norwegians. The researchers report that consumption of at least 10 grams of fish a day performed significantly better in tests for cognitive performance than people who ate less than 10 grams of fish and fish products.Moreover, the effect was dose dependent, with the best test scores occurring in individuals consuming about 75 grams per day. Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the consumption of lean of fatty fish, suggesting that the effects were due to something other than omega-3 fatty acids.
"Because this and earlier studies have shown that fish intake is associated with better cognition, the next question is what component of fish makes it good for the brain?" asked Nurk and co-workers."Studies of n 3 fatty acids, niacin, and any other factor known to be enriched in fish are needed to answer this question," they concluded.In the accompanying editorial, Rosenberg commended the research groups for addressing the association of fish and n-3 fatty acid intake with cognitive function in individuals not yet showing signs of impaired cognitive function.
"These studies of nutritional associations with brain function during the elongated prodromal period of age-related neurodegeneration and decline offer an opportunity for early intervention to maintain brain function and slow progression to dementia, which is costly economically and in terms of quality of life," concluded Rosenberg.
Source: American Journal of Clinical NutritionVolume 86, Pages 1278-1285"Serum phospholipid n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and physical and mental health in a population-based survey of New Zealand adolescents and adults"Authors: F.L. Crowe, C.M. Skeaff, T.J. Green, A.R. GrayVolume 86, Pages 1479-1485"N-3 Fatty acid proportions in plasma and cognitive performance in older adults"Authors: Carla Dullemeijer, J. Durga, I.A. Brouwer, O. van de Rest, F.J. Kok, R.-J. M Brummer, M.P.J. van Boxtel, and P. Verhoef Volume 86, Pages 1470-1478"Cognitive performance among the elderly and dietary fish intake: the Hordaland Health Study"Authors: E. Nurk, C.A. Drevon, H. Refsum, K. Solvoll, S.E. Vollset, O. Nygard, H.A. Nygaard, K. Engedal, G.S. Tell, and A.D. SmithEditorial: American Journal of Clinical NutritionVolume 86, Pages 1259-1260"Rethinking brain food"Author: I.H. Rosenberg
Monday, November 12, 2007
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