Grocery store CEOs: Refuse Monsanto's GMO sweet corn!

I thank CredoAction http://www.credoaction.com/ for the good work they are doing to raise awareness about this issue. From their petition: Right now, Monsanto, the corporation responsible for producing roughly 90% of genetically modified seeds around the globe, is working to bring their new, GMO sweet corn to a grocery store aisle or farmer's market near you.1

Unlike Monsanto's other GMO crops -- which are primarily fed to animals -- this sweet corn is intended for direct human consumption.

This is the first time Monsanto has engineered a vegetable that could be served straight to your dinner table. And if this unlabeled, and potentially toxic crop succeeds, Monsanto is sure to bring us even more.

As an activist and consumer, you are in a powerful position to pressure leading U.S. grocery stores to reject Monsanto's new GMO corn.

Tell U.S. food companies: Americans don't want Monsanto's GMO sweet corn in our grocery stores!

Monsanto's GMO sweet corn is engineered to tolerate the herbicide Roundup, and to produce the insect-killing pesticide Bt.

If that sounds dangerous to eat, there's good reason.

A past study released by the International Journal of Biological Sciences found that Monsanto's GMO corn led to organ failure in mammals.2 This GMO corn has also recently been linked to a sharp spike in livestock infertility, as high as 20% -- a health problem that could potentially pose a risk to humans.3

But shockingly, just as other GMO foods are not required to have special labeling, consumers will have no way of knowing if they're purchasing Monsanto's new genetically modified sweet corn.

Tell U.S. grocery stores: Americans don't want Monsanto's GMO sweet corn!

Some of Monsanto's GMO corn is already in human food -- used to make additives in processed food products -- and even in small quantities it's having scary effects.

This past spring a Canadian study found that the GMO toxin inserted in Bt corn was found in the bloodstreams of 93 percent of pregnant women4 -- just from its presence in processed grains and highly processed food products.

Now, grocery stores could be on the verge of delivering up this toxic corn, and its toxic effects, in much higher doses and without processing, and we wouldn't even know what we were eating.

 We must raise our voice as consumers and urge grocery stores to reject Monsanto's potentially dangerous new product, and stop this dangerous trend of Monsanto-made, straight to table products.

Sign the Petition here.

1 Monsanto Plans To Sell Sweet Corn In Your Local Supermarket August 8, 2011.


2 Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals March 18, 2011.


3 Dr. Huber's Warning: How GMOs Are Linked to Disease and Infertility May 4, 2011.


4 GM Food Toxins Found In The Blood of 93% of Unborn Babies May 20, 2011.

 http://www.credoaction.com/

Postnatal DHA Supplementation Brings Cognitive and Cardiovascular Benefits to Infants

If you have a new baby and are not breastfeeding a new study suggests that your baby's brain and heart will thank you for buying formula that is enriched with two critically important long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, DHA and ARA. 


In the University of Kansas Study infants who were fed fortified formula were more cognitively advanced and had heart Benefits. Study lead author John Colombo, a neuroscientist who specializes in the measurement of early neurocognitive development, said that the findings add to the mounting evidence that these nutritional compounds positively affect brain and behavioral development.

DHA or docosahexaenoic acid is an essential long-chain fatty-acid that affects brain and eye development, and babies derive it from their mothers before birth and if they are breastfeeding, up to age two. But the American diet is markedly deficient in DHA sources such as fish. ARA or arachidonic acid is another long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that is present in breast milk and commercial formula.

Colombo and Carlson’s earlier work and collaborations influenced infant formula manufacturers to begin adding DHA in 2001.

John Colombo, Susan E. Carlson, Carol L. Cheatham, Kathleen M. Fitzgerald-Gustafson, Amy Kepler, Tasha Doty. Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation in Infancy Reduces Heart Rate and Positively Affects Distribution of Attention. Pediatric Research, 2011

Suffer From Brain fatigue? Get Off of That Couch!

Scientists have long understood that regular exercise increases the number of organelles called mitochondria in muscle cells. Mitochondria produce energy, Thus one of the positive physical effects of exercise is increased strength or endurance. Exercise also works in the brain to reduce depression and boost memory. Now we may know why.
Exercise doesn’t just boost cellular powerhouses, (mitochondria) in muscles—it increases their population in brain cells too. Thus exercise increases the number of mitochondria in the brain just as it increases mitochondria in muscles. The benefits? Better exercise endurance by energizing the brain and having it be more resistant to fatigue. A boost in brain mitochondria play a supporting role for reducing the impact of mental disorders. Exercise may prove to be a potential treatment for psychiatric disorders, genetic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.


Jennifer L. Steiner, E. Angela Murphy, Jamie L. Mcclellan, Martin D. Carmichael, J. Mark Davis. Exercise Training Increases Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Brain.American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, 2011

B Vitamins Can Slow Cognitive Decline

This study found that people with mild cognitive impairment had their cognitive decline slowed by taking B vitamins. The modest doses used were easy to replicate. 800 mcg Folic Acid. 500 mcg B-12, 20 mg B-6 and they took them for two years.
Benefits seen? Significant improvements in homocysteine levels, in global cognition, episodic memory, delayed recall and semantic memory. Progression of memory impairment was slowed in the B vitamin group and not at all in the placebo group.

de Jager, Jacoby et al, 'Cognitive and clinical outcomes of homocysteine-lowering B-vitamin treatment in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial', International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2011.

Now this just makes me smile.

Some lighthearted farmer thought this through. Would love to fly over this sometime.

URGENT: Call Congress & Tell Them to Protect your Supplements

Call Your Representative Today!

Dear Friends and Fellow Dietary Supplement Consumers,

The FDA is at it again. New draft guidance from the FDA and members of Congress aims to create unnecessary regulations which, if passed in the near future, will severely limit our access to dietary supplements in this country. These new regulations fall under what's called "Guidance on New Dietary Ingredients", and will essentially create impossible barriers for supplement companies, thus preventing these companies from producing and selling their natural health products. Period.

This new guidance will give the FDA complete power to approve or reject any dietary supplement from being sold – a power that Congress never intended to give the FDA (as set forth in the 1994 DSHEA guidelines which act to protect our access to dietary supplements).

Under these new regulations, between 20,000 and 42,000 supplements are expected to be pulled off the market, while the costs of those that remain will drastically increase. And don't fool yourself, any supplements remaining on the market if this guidance is passed will be those that are manufactured and distributed by Big Pharma.

That's why we urgently need your help in protecting America's right to access safe and effective natural dietary supplements and ingredients.  Alliance for Natural Health has organized a movement to tell our Congress members by the thousands to STOP the FDA's OVER-REACH of POWER!!

Please don't let the FDA and Big Pharma succeed in this dangerous power grab for YOUR dietary supplements. Tell Congress enough is enough!

Thank you for taking action in this critical struggle to protect our access to natural health solutions. Our health freedom depends on it!

Go to this page. It will give you talking points for your conversation with your legislators’ offices, and has an interactive feature to look up your senators’ and representative’s names and phone numbers just by typing in your ZIP code.

US Newborn Death Rate is 41st in the World

Do you think we lead the world in health status or health care? Think again.

Babies in the United States have a higher risk of dying during their first month of life than do babies born in 40 other countries, according to a new World Health Organization report. Shockingly enough, we are tied with Qatar for newborn infant mortality!

Some of the countries that outrank the United States in terms of newborn death risk are South Korea, Cuba, Malaysia, Lithuania, Poland and Israel, according to the study.

Premature infants are a leading reason for the US infant death rate. Go here for the whole story.

I would like to thank a fellow Twitter person Mark Crispin Miller for tweeting this story and bringing it to my attention. Mark has a fabulous website called "News From Underground" that I will be reading everyday from now on. The site is a daily e-news service run by Mr. Miller who is a Professor of Culture and Communication at NYU. It is based on his belief that academics, like reporters, have a civic obligation to help keep the people well-informed, so that American democracy might finally work.

You can follow Mark on Twitter. He is @mcrispinmiller

By the way, the omega 3 DHA is associated with longer gestation periods and improved neonate and maternal outcome. Duration of gestation increased significantly when docosahexaenoic acid intake was increased during the last trimester of pregnancy. Read the study below.

A Randomized Trial of Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Vitamin C appears to be critical for health and function of the eye.

GABA type receptors in retinal cells require significant amounts of vitamin C to function properly, according to collaborative research from Oregon Health & Science University and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

According to the scientists, GABA-type receptors in the brain support communications between brain cells. The study found the GABA-type receptors in retinal cells stopped functioning properly when vitamin C was not plentiful.

The study authors found that the cells in the retina need to be 'bathed' in relatively high doses of vitamin C, inside and out, to function properly. Because the retina is part of the central nervous system, this suggests there's likely an important role for vitamin C throughout our brains.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties may preserve receptors and other cells from premature breakdown. Retinal cells are a type of very accessible brain cells, suggesting other parts of the brain containing GABA-type receptors might be similarly dependent on vitamin C.

The role of vitamin C in the brain and central nervous system (CNS) is not fully understood, according to researchers, who noted even when the rest of the body is deprived of the vitamin, it persists in the brain long after. This research finding may provide clues into the mechanisms of scurvy, which is caused by vitamin C deficiency. The findings may also yield insights into other diseases such as glaucoma and epilepsy, both which are caused by dysfunctional nerve cells in the retina and brain possibly marked by GABA receptor malfunctioning.

For example, maybe a vitamin C-rich diet could be neuroprotective for the retina, for people who are especially prone to glaucoma.

Foods that are particularly high in vitamin C are Red and Green Peppers, Guava, fresh herbs such as Thyme and Parsley, Dark leafy greens such as Kale and Chard, Collards and Mustard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts. Kiwi fruit, papaya, Oranges and Tangerines and strawberries are also great sources of vitamin C. And of course you can always take a supplement!

Improving child survival through vitamin A supplementation.

Vitamin A deficiency in children increases vulnerability to infections. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 190 million children under the age of 5 may be vitamin A deficient. Despite widespread efforts, vitamin A programs do not reach all children who could benefit. Children in low and middle income countries should be given vitamin A supplements to prevent death and illness, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal August 29, 2011.

In the analysis of over 43 trials using vitamin A the study authors found vitamin A supplements reduced child mortality by 24% in low and middle income countries. It may also reduce mortality and disability by preventing measles, diarrhea and vision problems, including night blindness.

If the risk of death for 190 million vitamin A deficient children were reduced by the calculated 24%, over 600,000 lives would be saved each year and 20 million disability-adjusted life years (a measure of quantity and quality of life) would be gained.

DHA May Reduce Stroke Injury

Consuming the omega 3 DHA docosahexaenoic acid may reduce the extent of damage of a stroke by as much as 25% This is a study demonstrating the inflammation blocking effects of DHA in the brain. How much DHA would it take to approximate the effect found in the study? 2.5 to 3 grams of DHA and EPA daily with the emphasis on DHA.

Docosahexaenoic Acid

The article “Accumulation of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Brain Attenuates Acute Immune Response and Development of Postischemic Neuronal Damage” was published in the August 18 edition of the journal “Stroke”

Your hearts desire..if you're a chocoholic...

A study at Cambridge University has found a delicious answer to reducing heart disease: Chocolate. Polyphenol rich chocolate consumption can slash your risk of heart disease by about a third. One likely mechanism is an increase in nitric oxide which might lead to healthier blood vessels, reductions in stickiness of platelets and beneficial affects on blood pressure, insulin resistance and lipid levels. The findings were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris.

Taking a Multi-Vitamin May Boost Memory As We Age

Hope you're taking a multi every day!

In 1994, French researchers recruited 4,500 French men and women aged 45 to 60 to take part in the experiment.  Half of them took a daily supplement with vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc and beta-carotene for eight years, the other half took a placebo. The participants were not told whether they were taking the vitamin or the placebo.

After the eight years, researchers stopped giving participants the pills and gave them the choice of whether or not to take vitamin supplements. Six years later, the researchers brought them back for a round of memory tests, including word and number problems.

While the supplement and placebo groups performed similarly on most tests, the nutrient-boosted participants beat their peers on one test of long-term memory in which participants had to recall words in different categories.

The findings support a beneficial effect of a well-balanced intake of antioxidant nutrients at nutritional doses for maintaining cognitive performance, especially verbal memory.

Take a look at the study here.

Research Hints at Link Between Red Wine and Omega 3's

A new study suggests red wine polyphenols may protect omega-3 fatty acids from breaking down in the body, offering a possible mechanism for the cardiovascular benefits associated with red wine consumption.


Have a look at the abstract here.

Corn...wonderful corn..delicious corn!

Oh I so love the sweet summer corn that is everywhere right now...grilled...dropped for moments in boiling water...parboiled and slice off the kernels for a salad with beans or peas...whatever you do with fresh summer corn..it is fabulous this time of year.
 Here's a thought! Why top your freshly made corn in plain butter, when you can baste the sweet ears in a blend of citrus juice, garlic, shallot, chives, parsley, basil and mint? Mix up a citrus herb butter to have handy for the seasons brightest harvest.

1 stick butter, softened  

2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1 tsp lemon zest   

1 garlic clove, finely chopped 

1 shallot, finely chopped  

1 tbsp finely chopped chives  

1 tbsp chopped parsley  

1 tbsp chopped basil  

1 tbsp chopped thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh spearmint

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Feel free to substitute delete or add fresh herbs to suit your family’s tastes…and use what you have in your garden. Adding a little squeeze of dijon mustard is a nice variation too!

Combine all the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a sheet of waxed paper. 

Wrap the paper around the butter and shape it into a roll, twisting the ends of the paper to seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the butter is firm.

Cook your fresh corn on the stove or on the grill. Serve with the herb butter….enjoy!

How Long Will You Live?

This very cool calculator developed by Northwestern Mutual Life, estimates your life expectancy.

There are only 13 questions, but they predict how long you're likely to live. Click Here to try it!

The Calculator thinks I should make it to 98....sheesh...how are my savings doing?

Red Meat and Processed Meat Linked to Diabetes Risk

According to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating red meat, particularly processed red meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Those who had one 3.5-ounce serving of red meat a day, such as steak or hamburger, were almost 20% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. But the big risk increase came from processed red mearts like bacon and hot dogs. Having two slices of bacon or one hot dog, led to a 51% increased risk for developing diabetes.

Oddly enough, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association stated that nothing in the study should change how people enjoy nutrient-rich beef as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Hmmm…

Antidepressants Appear to Speed Aging of Major Blood Vessels

The earliest stages of blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis) is sometimes detected through observation of some changes in the arterial wall. One of them is the decrease in elasticity, which is related to a high risk of development of atherosclerosis. Another change is the intima-media thickening, which is a primary stage of atherosclerosis and may be used to monitor asymptomatic individuals.

Antidepressants may boost mood at the expense of accelerated atherosclerosis for middle-age men, according to an observational study of more than 500 twins who had served in the Vietnam War.

Antidepressant use appeared to "age" carotid arteries by the equivalent of four years of atherosclerotic plaque accumulation compared with nonuse.

These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. Still it gives pause to the widespread use of anti-depressants, considering the link between depression and heart disease.

Don't forget to exercise! Aside from all the heart protective benefits in the image above..it lifts the spirits!

Shah AJ, et al "Association of antidepressant medications with carotid intima media thickness in middle aged veteran twins" ACC 2011.

Tomatoes Fight Cancer, Roast Some Tonight!

Whether it's the lycopene -- the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color -- or something else isn't clear. But several studies have linked eating tomatoes to reduced risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Studies also suggest that cooking tomato products such as juice, sauce, or paste increases their cancer-fighting potential.

I love to roast tomatoes and serve them alone or tossed over hot angel hair pasta, or over toasted sliced french bread that has been rubbed with olive oil and garlic.

8-10 plum tomatoes halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil..one of my favorites is Newman's Own.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, I also like Newman's Own.

1- 2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Eden Foods sea salt. (You can get this at Whole Foods)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a non-stick baking pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes look like they've shrunken a bit and are beginning to brown slightly. Be careful not to burn them.  Sometimes I chop them to serve them bruschetta style. Sometimes I add fresh basil or thyme or oregano. They are delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Colors to Fight Cancer

Fruits and vegetables have more cancer-fighting nutrients then any other foods. And the more colorful, the more nutrients they contain. Plant foods slash cancer risk another way by helping help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Those extra pounds increase your risk for multiple cancers, including colon, esophagus, and kidney cancers. Your goal should be five to nine servings a day, prepared in a healthy way.

DHA During Pregnancy Reduce Colds in Infants.

A woman who consumes fish oil-type supplements during pregnancy may decrease the number of colds early in her baby's life, according to a randomized, controlled trial.

Symptoms resolved faster throughout the first six months of life for the supplement group compared with the placebo group, they will report in the September issue of Pediatrics.

1,094 pregnant women in Mexico took 400 mg DHA or placebo daily during the later half of gestation.

At 1 month, symptom duration for the DHA group compared with the placebo group was:

•                26% shorter for cough

•                15%, shorter for phlegm

•                30% shorter for wheezing

•                22% longer for rash

At 6 months, symptom duration differences in the DHA versus placebo group were:

•                20% shorter for fever

•                13% shorter for nasal secretion

•                54% shorter for difficulty breathing

•                23% shorter for rash

•                25% shorter for "other illness," such as ear infections and sore throats.

•                74% longer for vomiting

Source:

         Imhoff-Kunsch B, et al "Prenatal Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation and Infant Morbidity: Randomized Controlled Trial" Pediatrics 2011; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-1386.

                Various recommended doses of EPA and DHA during pregnancy:

Click on Image to Enlarge

Be Alert! McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Tylenol have lowered their maximum daily dose!

You might be surprised to learn that a huge number of cases of liver toxicity are caused by accidental overdoses of the OTC drug acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and hundreds of other pain and fever and cold and flu medications.

Until today the daily maximum dose was 4000 mg. But the makers of Tylenol have just reduced that by 25% to 3000 mg.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced it is lowering the maximum daily dose instructions for Extra Strength Tylenol to six pills a day (3,000 mg) to reduce the risk of acetaminophen overdose.

 Acetaminophen overdose is an emergency and can lead to liver failure which at times may be fatal. Never take acetaminophen for a hangover. Combining the drug with alcohol increases the potential for liver damage.

The antidote in emergency rooms is an antioxidant NAC or N Acetyl Cysteine. Alpha Lipoic Acid is another nutrient that helps to support liver health in case you've been excessive with medications or alcohol. Both NAC and Alpha Lipoic Acid help the liver to produce glutathione to support a potent metabolic pathway for breaking down acetaminophen and other medications.

Inherited Alzheimer's May be Detected 20 Years before the Onset of Dementia.

It soon may be possible for doctors to identify persons who have Alzheimer’s decades before dementia is present, allowing earlier intervention to protect the brain. This breakthrough in identification methods was reported on July 20 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris. The new insights come from an ongoing study: the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN), an international study of inherited forms of Alzheimer’s.

Based on what is seen in the study group, brain chemistry changes can be detected up to 20 years before the expected age of detectable symptoms.  The Alzheimer’s-related changes can be specifically targeted for prevention trials in patients with inherited forms of Alzheimer’s.

The doctors are looking specifically at the value of disease indicators from cerebrospinal fluid analyses. DIAN researchers are studying members of families who have mutations in one of three genes: amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 or presenilin 2. Participants with these mutations are certain to develop Alzheimer’s disease early, with symptoms beginning in their 50s, 40s, or, in some rare cases, 30s.

Participants who carry the mutations but are still asymptomatic have significantly lower levels of amyloid beta and higher levels of tau protein in their cerebrospinal fluid than participants without the mutations.

Amyloid beta normally is cleared from the brain and into the spinal fluid. Scientists theorize that decreases in spinal fluid levels of amyloid beta reflect a buildup of this sticky protein fragment in the brain, where it forms Alzheimer’s plaques. Tau protein is a structural component of central nervous system cells. Its increase in cerebrospinal fluid is thought to be a byproduct of damage to brain cells.


DIAN is supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging. One hopes that our contentious political climate will not result in a loss of funding for this important work.

National Institutes of Health Article Here

Lifestyle factors that are protective against amyloid and tau accumulation in the brain include fish and fish oil consumption, it is especially important to get adequate DHA which is specifically protective against the increases of amyloid.