Plastics chemical in diabetes link

By WC Douglass MD

I've warned you plenty about the risks of phthalate exposure for kids: These hormone-like chemicals used in plastics, cosmetics, scented candles, and more cause everything from bad behavior to developmental problems. 

And if you have a boy but wish "he" was a "she," just light the candles and let him inhale -- because phthalates mimic estrogen in the body. It's one of the main reasons boys are growing up to be sissies, complete with their own set of breasts. 

But forget the kids, because today I want to talk about how these chemicals can ruin YOU, starting with a dramatic boost in your risk of diabetes. 

I'm sure most people don't need much help in that department, thanks to the one-two punch of the modern diet and sedentary lifestyle. 

But if you're teetering on the brink of disease, phthalates can push you right over the edge -- because a new study on 1,000 senior Swedish women finds that high blood levels of these chemicals will DOUBLE your risk. 

This isn't exactly a stunner since phthalates have been linked in studies to insulin resistance, high blood glucose, weight gain, increased abdominal fat, and all the other usual suspects that work in cahoots with diabetes. 

But it's one thing to know all that. It's quite another to actually do something about it, because avoiding phthalates is practically a full-time job. 

Most personal items with fragrance of any kind contain them, including candles and air fresheners. They're also in shower curtains, vinyl flooring, upholstery, sealants, inks, and more. 

Phthalate fumes are even responsible for the so-called "new car smell." 

Like I said, it's not easy -- but do the best you can here for yourself and the rest of your family. Everyone's health is on the line. 

Fuming over fumes, 

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

High-fructose corn syrup linked to autism

By WC Douglass MD

The feds want you to believe the dramatic 78 percent rise in autism cases over the past decade is nothing more than a bookkeeping trick. There aren't more autistic kids -- just more docs who've learned to recognize the condition. 

Baloney! 

I'm sure more diagnoses -- and even OVER-diagnoses -- is part of that increase, but I'm just as sure that more kids are autistic than ever before. And a big part of the reason is the dramatic rise in exposure to toxic heavy metals. 

Now, one new study shows how the junkiest of all junk ingredients -- the high-fructose corn syrup used in… well… just about everything these days -- can cause your mercury levels to shoot so high you might reach the planet that shares its name. 

Former FDA toxicologist -- and noted agency whistleblower -- Renee Dufault says HFCS depletes the body of zinc… and zinc is needed to chase out mercury. 

Ms. Dufault is the same researcher who found low levels of mercury in HFCS several years ago -- so if you put two and two together here, you get more toxic heavy metals and less ability to rid the body of them, all in one convenient package. 

On paper anyway, it sounds like a recipe for autism. Out in the real world, it's just a small piece of the puzzle -- because HFCS is hardly the biggest source of mercury. 

This dangerous metal is in dental fillings, vaccines (especially flu shots), seafood, CFL light bulbs, and more. It's even turning up in the water supply, so you could be poisoning your family every time you open the tap (one more reason to make sure you have a reverse osmosis water filter protecting your home). 

And mercury itself is only a piece of the autism puzzle -- because other toxins, lousy eating habits, and hormonal problems can all play a role. 

I can't give you a one-size-fits-all answer on this. But if you suspect a little one in the family might be the next autism statistic, get the kid to a naturopathic physician ASAP. 

Early diagnosis and proper drug-free treatment can make all the difference in the world.

Nein Danke. German Government to Oppose Fracking

By Der Spiegel Online International

Berlin is opposed to plans to use the controversial fracking process to extract natural gas in Germany, SPIEGEL has learned. Government ministers are "very skeptical" about the technology, which environmentalists claim can pollute groundwater. 

Germany has put the brakes on plans to use hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, to extract natural gas in places where it is difficult to access, such as shale or coal beds. Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and Economy Minister Philipp Rösler have agreed to oppose the controversial process for the time being, SPIEGEL has learned.

Sources in the German government said that the ministers were "very skeptical" about fracking, which injects chemicals as well as sand and water into the ground to release natural gas. "There are many open questions which we will first have to carefully examine," Rösler told close associates.

With their stance, the two ministers are opposing plans by energy companies to use the fracking process to tap into deposits of natural gas in shale, especially in northern and eastern Germany. In order to access the gas, the shale needs to be fractured using a mixture of hot water, sand and chemical additives, some of which are poisonous. Environmental groups reject the use of the technology, saying that the chemicals used can contaminate drinking water.

Local Protests

Last week, the energy giant ExxonMobil presented a study by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, in which researchers expressed their support for test drilling in the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Local environmental groups in the affected regions have already got into gear, setting up citizens' initiatives to collect signatures for petitions and organize protests in a bid to block the fracking plans. Activists fear that the chemicals could pollute the local groundwater.

Fracking has been widely used in the US, where production of natural gas has sharply increased in recent years as the use of hydraulic fracturing becomes more widespread. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama's administration unveiled new regulations to improve transparency on the chemicals used during fracking on public land.

spiegel/jas

Source

States ending free parent whooping vaccine

By news.com.au

PARENTS across Australia will no longer receive free whooping cough vaccinations because it is not effective in protecting newborns from the potentially deadly illness, a parliamentary committee has heard.

Since 2009 all states and territories except Tasmania have at some stage introduced the free parental vaccination program in an effort to shield infants from the illness.

Whooping cough, a highly infectious airborne bacterial disease, can kill if complications cause lack of oxygen to the brain.

It is most serious in babies under a year old, with newborns susceptible as they are unable to be vaccinated until they are at least four months old.

But at a Victorian Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing on Tuesday, Department of Health divisional executive director Chris Brook said states were abandoning the "cocooning" program from June 30.

He said the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) had determined vaccinating parents was not effective in protecting newborns, after two pharmaceutical manufacturers made submissions to the PBAC.

"The PBAC, which is totally independent and very expert, has determined that there is no clinical effectiveness of this strategy," Professor Brook said.

He said this had made it clear the cocooning strategy should not be continued.

"So all jurisdictions who have been in this program will be effectively ceasing the cocooning strategy as of the end of June this year."

In the same hearing, Victorian Health Minister David Davis said the initial decision to fund free parental vaccination was made "in light of the best evidence that we had at that time".

But asked by Labor MP Jill Hennessy if the government was "taking a massive gamble" withdrawing the free parental vaccine, given that whooping cough can kill babies, Mr Davis supported the decision to now withdraw it.

"I make decisions of this type on the basis of the evidence that's put to me by the department and by clinical experts," Mr Davis said.

"There has been a national committee meet to look at this and to make decisions on the basis of the best scientific evidence available ... the evidence is that the strategy has not been effective."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/states-ending-free-parent-whooping-vaccine/story-e6frfku0-1226350174856#ixzz1uObxEsKL

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