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BPA

BPA Exposure: Anxiety, depression and hyperactivity in children

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bpa-exposure

BPA is a chemical that’s found in hard plastics. And it behaves in a very similar way to estrogen and other hormones in the body. And because of this it’s called an endocrine disrupter. And we may find it in water bottles and it’s actually found in baby bottles as well. Interestingly enough, it’s found in dental fillings and sealants and other dental devices. And it’s used as a coating inside food containers and drink cans. So it’s very prevalent. It’s also used on receipts. So we are exposed to it in many different ways. And unfortunately children and babies are especially sensitive to the effects of BPA.

These are snippets from my response to questions Dr. Jay Davidson asks me during my interview on the Detox Project (an online summit) which runs Sept 26 to October 3: can we start talking about neuroendocrine and the toxic effects of maybe something like BPA, Bisphenol A? What is it? Where is it found? And then of course you’re the anxiety expert, so how does that even tie into anxiety as a chemical?

There have been a number of papers that look at the direct effects of a chemical such as BPA on anxiety. And there was a paper actually published earlier this year in March. And it was titled “Bisphenol A Exposure and Children’s Behavior: A Systematic Review.” And what that means is they’re looking at the results of a number of papers. And I’ll just read a few quotes here from the paper.

“We concluded original studies reporting on the association between prenatal and childhood BPA exposure.”

So they’re looking at exposure to BPA before the child is even born. They found that prenatal exposure was related to high levels of anxiety, depression, aggression, and hyperactivity in children. Think about how many kids are put on ADHD medications. Maybe it’s an issue simply because they were exposed to BPA before they were even born.

They also found that BPA exposure in childhood was associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems.

So we’ve got to really look at the chemicals and see is that causing some of these problems. And so it’s always getting back to the root cause and not necessarily thinking, “Well, we need to go ahead and medicate right away.”

I also cover why BPA-free is no longer an option, what to use instead of plastic, the effects of pesticides in our foods and the toxicity of benzodiazepines. My interview is called: Toxicity of Benzodiazepine Medication for Anxiety.

Detoxify your body to aid in prevention of – and possibly overcome – chronic illnesses! The unhealthy amounts of chemicals and toxins in our bodies are causing tremendously negative consequences! Let’s overcome this crisis! I hope you can join us to hear the many topics being covered:

  • Kelly Brogan, MD -Toxic Impact of Antidepressants
  • Suzanne Somers – Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not Sick
  • Jeffrey Smith – The Toxicity of Glyphosate and GMOs
  • Wendy Myers – Toxic Metals that Cause Fatigue and How to Detox Them
  • Narelle Chenery – Toxic Chemicals Found in “Natural” Skin Care Products!

detox-project

Use this link to register for access: 
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/DETOX16reg/trudyscottcn/

Use this link to purchase at pre-summit special prices: 
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/DETOX16order/trudyscottcn/

Sugar vs fat, BPA in cans, PCOS awareness month: in the news

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sugar-vs-fat

Sugar vs fat, BPA in cans, and PCOS awareness month are all in the news this month so here are some links to more information on each of these topics.

This shocking NPR article covers this new paper about the sugar vs fat debate: 50 years ago, sugar industry quietly paid scientists to point blame at fat

In the 1960s, the sugar industry funded research that downplayed the risks of sugar and highlighted the hazards of fat, according to a newly published article in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The article draws on internal documents to show that an industry group called the Sugar Research Foundation wanted to “refute” concerns about sugar’s possible role in heart disease. The SRF then sponsored research by Harvard scientists that did just that. The result was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1967, with no disclosure of the sugar industry funding.

It’s hard to believe that researchers would do this! The worst part is that this type of thing is still happening. You can read some of Marion Nestle’s commentary at the end of the above article.

At least now research sponsors do have to be disclosed so we are hopefully getting better at preventing this type of thing. We must always look at who funds a paper.

canned-foods

A CNN article, Canned foods linked to BPA risk in new study reports:

A study published in the journal Environmental Research on Wednesday not only reveals that consuming canned foods can expose our bodies to BPA, it pinpoints the worst offenders.

The study suggests that canned soups and pasta can expose consumers to higher concentrations of BPA than canned vegetables and fruit – and although those foods are tied to BPA concentrations, canned beverages, meat and fish are not.

BPA stands for bisphenol A, it’s a chemical that is found in plastics and it behaves in a very similar way to estrogen in the body. Because of this it’s called an endocrine disrupter and has an impact on depression, ADHD and anxiety.

An animal study published in 2015, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity accounts for anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in rats perinatally exposed to bisphenol A reports

hyperactivity of the HPA [hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis] is an important link between perinatal BPA exposure and persistent potentiation in anxiety and depression

It’s unfortunate they didn’t get a commentary from the Environmental Working Group which has a great short Guide to BPA.

pcos-yoga

September is PCOS awareness month and here is some wonderful information on yoga for anxiety and PCOS, from my friend and PCOS expert Amy Medling at PCOS Diva. I’m such a big fan of yoga for stress and anxiety but had no idea it could improve these PCOS symptoms:

Yoga can reduce anxiety symptoms, reduce mFG score for hirsutism, improve menstrual frequency, insulin values and more according to a 2012 study. For more about the benefits of yoga for women with PCOS check out this blog post: 5 Reasons Why Yoga is Beneficial for PCOS

In case you’re not familiar with PCOS, Amy shares this overview on her site

PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders found in women, affecting approximately 10% of women worldwide, with less than 50% of them diagnosed. The syndrome is present throughout a woman’s life from puberty through post-menopause and affects women of all races and ethnic groups. Women with PCOS wrestle with an array of possible symptoms including obesity, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, depression [and anxiety], acne, and hair loss. Far reaching health implications such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes make these already stressful symptoms even more daunting.

What do you think? Are you shocked about the sugar study discovery? Do you already avoid BPA? Do you have PCOS or know someone who has PCOS?

The Anxiety Summit – Our environmental toxin exposures promote anxiety

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Tom A. Malterre

Tom A. Malterre, MS, CN author of Nourishing Meals: Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes for the Whole Family was interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Our environmental toxin exposures promote anxiety

  • The drastic spike in ADD/ADHD and autism and increase in anxiety and depression
  • Air pollution as an environmental toxin: concerns and sources (mercury, the brown cloud)
  • Mercury in fish and fish meal for animals
  • EDCs/ Endocrine Disrupting Compounds: BPA, phthalates and anxiety
  • Pesticides and the effects on folates in the colon and the production of serotonin
  • TILT /Toxicant-induced  loss of tolerance
  • What to do: nutritional and lifestyle tips

Here are the quotes from The Journal of Environmental Health paper co-written by Dr. Steven Genuis:

Toxicity and nutritional deficiency states often receive insufficient attention as common source causes of chronic disease in the developed world

it’s evident that a reevaluation of conventional wisdom on the current construct of disease origins should be considered

Here are some snippets from our interview:

Now 74 billion pounds of chemicals are being imported or produced in the United States every single day, that doesn’t include pharmaceuticals, it doesn’t include fuels and food additives. It doesn’t include some of the primary things like pesticides that we’re exposed to on a daily basis so that number is conservative and still, to me, it’s completely and totally overwhelming

Excessive levels of chemicals like BPA can inactivate Vitamin D which is one of the key components for turning off inflammation in the central-nervous system. Excessive inflammation can lead to increased excitatory glutamate and anxiety.

Here is the 2012 study co-authored by Stephen Genuis: Human Excretion of Bisphenol A: Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study

Biomonitoring of BPA through blood and/or urine testing may underestimate the total body burden of this potential toxicant. Sweat analysis should be considered as an additional method for monitoring bioaccumulation of BPA in humans. Induced sweating appears to be a potential method for elimination of BPA.

The Environmental Working Group SkinDeep site is a great resource for checking out safe cosmetics

Here is some of the research on Vitamin D and inflammation that is being conducted by Colleen Hayes and colleagues

If you are interested in learning more about broccoli’s superhero powers, watch Tom’s TED talk here on YouTube! “Broccoli – the DNA whisperer”

 

Cauliflower is also a good source of sulforaphane and here is a yummy Coconut lemon garlic cauliflower recipe from one of Tom’s books Nourishing Meals: Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes for the Whole Family.

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here www.theAnxietySummit.com