detox : Messages : 1228-1260 of 2503

#1259 From: mickey moore <miclure@...>
Date: Fri Mar 3, 2006 8:12 pm
Subject: Re: Re Whiplash, Barbara Walters & CFS miclure
Offline
Send Email

FYI
A few years back Barbara Walters on 20-20 (I think) did a show about a woman from colorado(I think) whose chronic fatigue was discovered to be caused by a buldging disc in her neck. Removal of the disc removed CFS

Mick

cherielj@... wrote:

During the time I was unknowingly being poisoned my neck collapsed and I had to wear a collar for almost a year. X-rays showed the bones were there, but deteriorated and compressed. The MRI however showed a quarter-sized area having no signal at the area of greatest compression and pain. No one could explain this anomaly. As soon as I got out of that toxic place, and about 3 weeks into a detox program I no longer had the neck pain or compression and it never came back.

I also had my lower back crushed twice during times I was also being unknowingly poisoned (a car crashed into me and an ice skating impact injury) and I could only remain comfortable by taking ballet training at least once a week. Now I still take ballet but it isn't so critical now as it was then.

When a person is being poisoned, the body calcium mobilizes into the blood right away. Blood drawn at the time will show very high calcium levels. These tests will be very misleading because the doctors for the most part do not understand them. The calcium comes from the body stores so the muscles, bones and other parts which depend on calcium are rapidly depleted. Muscle spasms, bone pain and bone thinning are the result unless you get right out of the toxic environment and effectively detox.

A person in a toxic condition is much more susceptible to bone and muscle injury because the calcium is mobilized into the blood instead of where it is needed in the muscle and bone. The body fails to heal normally for the same reason.   Back/neck injuries are particularly much worse for a toxic person.

If you are still having these problems a real detox program is the only effective answer, but you may also need an exercise program and physical therapy for a while.

Cheriel

I've been questioning for some time now if my problems are related to whiplash from a car accident or lower back from work & was wondering if others in this group had any similar experiences.

                               Thanks

                                Mick

Yahoo! Mail
Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze.

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (7)

#1258 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Fri Mar 3, 2006 2:25 am
Subject: Re: Automobile Air Purifier salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Great, I will check it out. Thanks so much!

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...
www.mcs-awareness.org, www.mcs-awareness.org/19670.html

----- Original Message -----

From: Donald E. Jacobs

To: detox@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 10:43 AM

Subject: Re: [detox] Automobile Air Purifier

The American Environmental Health Foundation (http://www.aehf.com) has a unit made by Foust.

Donald

oes anyone know a good automobile air purifier? I would like one that can run on my cigarette lighter power with hepa and charcoal filtration - not an ionizer (heard those are not good). I had a Wein Personal Air Purifier and while it smelled nice it did little to remove contaminants.

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...

#1257 From: "Donald E. Jacobs" <donald.jacobs6@...>
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 8:43 pm
Subject: Re: Automobile Air Purifier Donald_E_Jacobs
Offline
Send Email

The American Environmental Health Foundation (http://www.aehf.com) has a unit made by Foust.

Donald

oes anyone know a good automobile air purifier? I would like one that can run on my cigarette lighter power with hepa and charcoal filtration - not an ionizer (heard those are not good). I had a Wein Personal Air Purifier and while it smelled nice it did little to remove contaminants.

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...

#1256 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 6:35 pm
Subject: Automobile Air Purifier salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Does anyone know a good automobile air purifier? I would like one that can run on my cigarette lighter power with hepa and charcoal filtration - not an ionizer (heard those are not good). I had a Wein Personal Air Purifier and while it smelled nice it did little to remove contaminants.

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...
www.mcs-awareness.org, www.mcs-awareness.org/19670.html

#1255 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 5:30 pm
Subject: Re: Re: Smoke in Car salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Thanks Jacqui, I appreciate you input. I'm going to get a different vehicle.

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...
www.mcs-awareness.org, www.mcs-awareness.org/19670.html

----- Original Message -----

From: Jacqui

To: detox@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 5:36 AM

Subject: [detox] Re: Smoke in Car

--- In detox@yahoogroups.com, "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...> wrote: > > I need a new used car and found one I like but the old owner smoked. Has anyone tried to steam out the car and air conditioning? Did it work? > my mother bought a car that had been owned by a smoker in 1998. Despite phenomenal efforts the car still reeks of cig smoke and I cannot ride in it w/out becoming extremely ill. My opinion, once a car has been smoked in it's trash and should just be junked.

#1254 From: "Jacqui" <jacqui_c_foster@...>
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 3:36 pm
Subject: Re: Smoke in Car jacqui_c_foster
Offline
Send Email

--- In detox@yahoogroups.com, "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
wrote:
>
> I need a new used car and found one I like but the old owner smoked.
  Has anyone tried to steam out the car and air conditioning?  Did it work?
>
  my mother bought a car that had been owned by a smoker in 1998.
Despite phenomenal efforts the car still reeks of cig smoke and I
cannot ride in it w/out becoming extremely ill. My opinion, once a car
has been smoked in it's trash and should just be junked.

#1253 From: cherielj@...
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 4:05 am
Subject: P: Pesticides linked to Frog Mutations cherielj
Offline
Send Email

PANUPS

Pesticides Linked to Frog Mutations
February 28, 2006

According to two new related studies by scientists at the University of California at Berkeley, commonly used pesticides disrupt the development of sex organs in frogs, weaken their immune systems, delay and stunt development, and otherwise contribute to declining frog populations.

"If you look at one of these frogs, it's probably a hermaphrodite - plus, it metamorphoses late, which means it is subject to its pool drying up before it can become a frog," said lead researcher Tyrone Hayes, professor of integrative biology at U.C. Berkeley, and a Pesticide Action Network associate. "It's also smaller, if it metamorphoses at all, which increases the likelihood it will be eaten and decreases its ability to eat. Plus, it's immuno-suppressed, and more prone to die from infection." The group observed that mixtures of pesticides that accumulate in ponds near farms increased frog stress hormone levels, creating holes in the thymus gland that likely causes the impaired immune response.
"It's not the pesticides alone or introduced predators or ultraviolet light or global warming that's causing this decline, but the interaction between these on an animal that is pretty sensitive to its environment," said Hayes.
In research conducted four years ago, Hayes showed that atrazine, the most common weed killer used on corn in the United States, disrupts the sexual development of frogs by producing more hermaphrodites, decreasing the size of their vocal organs (critical to mating success), and causing a tenfold drop in testosterone in mature male frogs.
In one of the studies published online in Environmental Health Perspectives, Hayes reported even stronger evidence that atrazine, a powerful endocrine disruptor, both chemically castrates male frogs by blocking the action of the male steroid androgen and by stimulating the production of the female hormone estrogen. He was able to produce identical hermaphroditic malformations in frogs by administering estrogen or blocking androgen at the proper time of development.
"One week of exposure at the critical time is all that's required to make these males look feminine, which probably interferes with mating," he said. While noting that some frogs seem to adapt to atrazine by delaying development, presumably so that the critical developmental period takes place when the herbicide is at its lowest, Hayes suspects that not all frogs would adapt quickly enough to survive. Plus, delayed maturation comes at the risk of having the pond turn into a puddle and dry up before the frog completely metamorphoses.
In the other study also published online in Environmental Health Perspectives, Hayes looked at the combined effect of various pesticides on the health of frogs. His research group again examined atrazine as well as three other herbicides, two fungicides and three insecticides used on Midwestern cornfields. All nine were found in the scientists' study area in Nebraska in pools of water beside cornfields early in the growing season, when spraying typically occurs. Levels ranged from 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 or more ppb.
Hayes and his colleagues analyzed four years of data indicating that while some of the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used on corn fields may not by themselves have a noticeable impact on frogs, in combination they create significant effects. Among these are delayed maturation (the tadpoles take longer to metamorphose into frogs), retarded growth, and an increased susceptibility to meningitis caused by normally benign bacteria.
When pesticides were combined, they had a stronger effect. All nine compounds together at 0.1 ppb - one of the lower concentrations measured in the field - lengthened the time to metamorphosis by 15 days, or about 25 to 30 percent. The mixture also caused a frog mortality of 35 percent.
All nine compounds together also produced a startling effect: the longer a tadpole took to mature into a frog, the smaller it was. It's normally the other way around, Hayes said. Separately, six of the pesticides did not affect this correlation, but three disrupted frog metamorphosis to the degree that there was no relationship between time and size. "In humans, this is like saying, 'The longer you are pregnant, the smaller your baby will be,' which means the womb is no longer a nurturing environment," Hayes said.
"Estimating the ecological risk and the impact of pesticides on amphibians using studies that examine single pesticides at high concentrations only may lead to gross underestimations of the role of pesticides in amphibian declines," Hayes concluded.
Hayes' laboratory colleagues were UC Berkeley students Paola Case, Sarah Chui, Duc Chung, Cathryn Haefele, Kelly Haston, Melissa Lee, Vien Pheng Mai, Youssra Marjuoa, John Parker and Mable Tsui. Co-authors on the atrazine paper were former UC Berkeley students A. Ali Stuart, Atif Collins, Nigel Noriega, Aaron Vonk, Gwynne Johnston and Dzifa Kpodzo, and current students Magdalena Mendoza and Roger Liu.
The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Henry H. Wheeler, the Park Water Co. and the Howard Hughes Biology Scholars' Program.
Sources:
Hayes, Tyrone B., et al. 2006. "Pesticide mixtures, Endocrine disruption, and amphibian declines: Are we underestimating the impact?" Environmental Health Perspectives Online , published January 24th, 2006.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8051/8051.pdf
Hayes, Tyrone B., et al. 2006. " Characterization of atrazine-induced gonadal malformations in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) and comparisons with effects of an androgen antagonist (cyproterone acetate) and exogenous estrogen (estradiol 17Beta]): Support for the demasculinization /feminization hypothesis." Environmental Health Perspectives Online , published January 24th, 2006. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8067/8067.pdf
Contact: Panna

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
�Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Pesticide Action Network North America.

#1252 From: cherielj@...
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 3:17 am
Subject: Korean Soldiers & Vietnamese Civilians Sue Dow & Monsanto for Agent Orange Herbicide Poisoning cherielj
Offline
Send Email

Thanks to Eric for this:

GOOD NEWS : INTERNATIONAL COURT INDICTS DOW & MONSANTO

For over three decades, Dow and Monsanto have denied that Agent Orange
is toxic, thereby avoiding billions of dollars in financial liabilities
resulting from the massive and indiscriminate spraying of the toxic
defoliant during the Vietnam War. In a landmark lawsuit last month, a
Seoul, Korea High Court ruled against Monsanto and Dow in favor of
Korean veterans who fought in the Vietnam War and have suffered serious
health injuries from Agent Orange. The court ruled there is ample
evidence that Monsanto and Dow knew how toxic Agent Orange was before
the corporations dumped 19 million gallons of the now banned herbicide
on Vietnam between 1965 and 1972.

The court said there is conclusive scientific data connecting Agent
Orange with 11 types of medical conditions, including non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer and diabetes. Empowered by
the successful lawsuit, Korean and Vietnamese veterans will rally
outside the White House in April, calling on the U.S. government to
assist in efforts to pay the victims of Agent Orange compensation for
medical costs associated with exposure to the herbicide.

--

02-15-2006

Korean Soldiers & Vietnamese Civilians Sue Dow & Monsanto for Poisoning
Them with Herbicide Agent Orange

From: Korea Times

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200602/kt2006021517452111970.htm

Koreans, Vietnamese Join Hands for Agent Orange Compensation
By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter

Korean war veterans and Vietnamese civilians will make joint efforts
to seek compensation from U.S. manufacturers of Agent Orange for their
alleged damage from the defoliant chemical widely used during the
Vietnam War.

The retired soldiers and war-zone civilians from both countries have
recently been engaged in legal battles over the harmful effects of Agent
Orange, claiming that exposure to it caused skin disease, diabetes,
cancer and birth defects.

The Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) said
it will join a group of Vietnamese civilians to hold a rally in front of
the White House in Washington sometime during April, calling for the
U.S. government to provide a framework for compensation.

The Vietnamese group had their compensation claim rejected by a U.S.
federal court in New York last year, which ruled that there is no proven
link between Agent Orange and the medical conditions suggested by the
plaintiffs such as birth defects, miscarriage and cancer.

The KAOVA said it plans to hold a seminar in Hanoi next month with its
Vietnamese counterpart to discuss their joint efforts for compensation,
which could possibly include further legal actions.

It is the first time that the civilians of both countries have joined
efforts to seek compensation from the U.S. government and its
contractors for wartime damages.

``We hope that our planned rally in Washington will increase
international focus on the people suffering from effects caused by
exposure to Agent Orange,�� said KAOVA spokesman Kang Chang-ub.

``More than one million former soldiers and civilians in Vietnam are
suffering from the effects from Agent Orange, so combining efforts with
them will certainly help our cause,�� he said.

``The recent ruling by the Seoul High Court and other recent studies
acknowledging the chemical��s association with various medical conditions
will certainly add strength to our call for compensation,�� he said.

According to U.S. government records, the American army used more than
19 million gallons of Agent Orange to spray around Vietnam��s
battlegrounds from 1962 to 1971, hoping to destroy forest cover and
undergrowth that shielded enemy troops from view.

War veterans from Korea, the U.S. and Vietnam, along with a large
number of civilians, claimed they have been suffering from severe
medical effects caused by exposure to chemical.

Korea sent more than 320,000 troops to Vietnam to fight alongside the
United States against the North Vietnamese communist forces during the
1965-73 war, accounting for the largest outside contribution.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs, there are
more than 131,000 Koreans who claim they have suffered from illnesses
associated with Agent Orange.

In a landmark decision last month, the Seoul High Court ruled two U.S.
makers of Agent Orange, Dow Chemical and Monsanto, to pay 63 billion won
($62 million) to a group of 6,700 Korean war veterans who first filed
lawsuits against the U.S. companies in 1999.

The court associated Agent Orange with 11 types of medical conditions,
including non-Hodgkin��s lymphoma, Hodgkin��s disease, prostate cancer and
diabetes.

It also added that the defoliants produced by the U.S. companies
contained dioxins, toxic substances known to cause cancer in humans, in
excess of permitted levels.

However, the ruling had more of a symbolic value than actual impact,
as there is little Korean authorities could do should the U.S. chemical
makers refuse to abide by the court orders, since both companies have no
listed properties in Korea.

Although Korean authorities could seize the patent rights owned by the

U. S. companies, their combined value is believed to be minuscule
compared with the 63 billion won the High Court ordered in compensation.

If the U.S. companies refuse to pay the plaintiffs, the Korean war
veterans will have to take their legal battle to the United States for
possible compensation. However, a U.S. court has already rejected a
compensation claim by Korean war veterans in 1994.

Over contentious lawsuits in past years, a U.S. court has never
associated Agent Orange with health problems other than minor skin
disorders, citing the lack of scientific proof that the defoliant was
linked serious conditions such as cancer and birth defects.

In 1984, seven U.S. chemical companies, including Dow Chemical and
Monsanto, paid out $180 million won to U.S. war veterans who claimed
that they suffered medical conditions caused by Agent Orange.

However, it was settlement reached after a federal judge persuaded the
companies to buy themselves out of protracted litigation, with none of
them admitting of doing anything wrong.

In rejecting the claims of the Vietnamese groups last year, the U.S.
federal court also ruled that the chemical companies cannot be held
liable for the medical damages since they were ordered by the U.S.
government to produce Agent Orange.

KAOVA officials hope that new scientific evidence gathered over the
years about the dangers of Agent Orange could provide them some hope in
possible court battles in the future.

thkim@...

02-15-2006 17:45

CopyrightD"m KoreaTimes.co.kr

#1251 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Wed Mar 1, 2006 5:00 am
Subject: Smoke in Car salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

I need a new used car and found one I like but the old owner smoked. Has anyone tried to steam out the car and air conditioning? Did it work?

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador, salvadorlourdes@...
www.mcs-awareness.org, www.mcs-awareness.org/19670.html

#1250 From: cherielj@...
Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:01 pm
Subject: Heavy Metals, Effects and Treatment cherielj
Offline
Send Email

FWD From: bh@...

Cheriel- I hope that I am not bombarding you with information- but Take
a look at this information- Notice the herbs and supplemnents that are
used to rid the body of mercury- Cilantro is named... I have three
products in my store that I am using to get rid of heavy metals- one is

1) Metal Magnet by Enzamatic Therapy- 40 years reseach in Russia for
Cadmium, lead and mercury- Ingedients Hungarian pete moss

2) HMD- Three years intense study - Cilantro and Chlorella Homacord.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Heavy Metal and chemical Toxicity

Steven J. Bock, MD

When using an integrative approach to medicine, one is often presented
with a patient who has numerous general symptoms. These typically
include fatigue, muscle aches, cognitive impairment, neurological
problems, mood disturbances, and other signs of metabolic and
nutritional derangements. Patients have usually been to several
physicians or specialists, with no unifying diagnosis.

Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include anemia, fatigue,
musculoskeletal complaints, mood disturbances, neurological problems,
high blood pressure, kidney and liver dysfunction, gastrointestinal (GI)
Cancer In particular the thyroid), and endocrine problems, and immune
system dysfunction. In other words, heavy metal toxicity causes a
systemic, biochemical maladaptation of the system. It presents in
various body systems, depending on where the biochemical imbalance or
disruption occurs, or the area(s) of deposition of the metal (e.g.,
brain, pituitary, kidneys).

Heavy metals are eliminated through the urine, feces, and sweat glands.
It is when the natural eliminatory routes are compromised, and our
exposure is increased, that we begin to experience toxic effects.

Chronic exposure to heavy metals is becoming a serious health problem
worldwide. There is con-tamination of the air, soil, and water, along
with the general accumulation of toxic heavy metals in the body that
occurs with age. It seems that as we age, in addition to accumulating
heavy metal burdens, we are increasingly susceptible to their toxic
effects.(1) These unfortunate trends mandate that we, as clinicians,
consider toxicity in our patients’ health assessments.

Table I: Lab Testing for Heavy Metals

RBC Lymphocyte Hair Blood Serum Urine Provoc Other

Aluminum

(Al) TT(32) TT(33) EDTA

Arsenic

(Ar) TT(34) T TT(35) (TT) DMSA

Cadmium

(Cd) TT(36) P(37) EDTA

Copper

(Cu) T T Penicillamine

(38) (TT) RC

SOD(39)

Mercury

(Hg) TT(40,41) TT(42,43) Methyl

Mercury P (TT) DMSA

DMPS

Iron (Fe)

P T(44) Ferritin

Lead (Pb)

TT(45) TTT(46) T(47) TT TT(48) (TT) EDTA

DMSA(49) (TTT) BM

Biopsy(50)

Magnesium

(Mg) TT

(WBC>RBC) P(51) T TT(52) TTT Mg Challange

for deficiency

Manganese

(Mn) TT T(53) TT(54) T TT Fecal Hg

for exposre

Selenium

(Se) TT(55) TT(57) TT(57) T(58)

Zinc (Zn)

TT TT T T T Zinc taste

test(59)

P - Poor T - Fair TT - good TTT - Excellent

Prevalence of Lead

Lead has been around since the start of recorded civilization. Exposure
to lead and other toxins have all increased since the industrial age.
Air, water, soil, industry, and food are sources of heavy metal
contamination. Land adjacent to foundries, gas stations, and highways
are contaminated with lead. In a 1991 report for the USDA, gardens in
Maryland were found to contain lead levels as high as 5,000 ppm. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers soil with more than 500
ppm of lead to be hazardous.

Lead has been shown to cause learning disabilities and neurological
problems in children. All pediatric patients are presently tested for
blood lead levels. The Port Pirin Cohort study showed that the cognitive
deficit associated with childhood lead exposure appears to be only
partially reversible, even when the blood levels are decreased.(2)
Recent evaluation of the NHANES III study, conducted by the National
Center for Health Statistics, yielded several conclusions. Data suggest
that subtle health effects, such as lower IQ scores in children, may
extend to blood lead levels well below the 10 ug/dL threshold.(3) There
was also evidence that this may extend to cognitive function in
middle-aged and elderly men.(4)

"There is increasing evidence that the effects of lead toxicity span the
gamut from sub-clinical to classical clinical effects." Lead affects the
nervous system, cardiovascular system, the endocrine and immune systems,
the heme-containing enzymes, and the reproductive functions.(5)

Furthermore, an association between environmental lead exposure and
increased prevalence of dental caries was observed, although a causal
link was not found.(6) Watson discovered that exposure to lead, in utero
and after birth, results in a high rate of dental cavities in laboratory
rats.(7)

It was also found that serum ascorbic acid level is an important
independent correlate of blood lead level. If a causal relationship is
confirmed, this may justify use of higher levels of ascorbic acid for
the prevention of lead toxicity in the general population.(8) Lead paint
and lead gasoline were only recently banned.

Dangers of Mercury

In 1940, Hunter and Russell found methyl mercury poisoning in factory
workers producing a mercurial fungicide for cereal.(9) In 1956, Minamata
disease was identified. It was found that nearly 150 tons of industrial
methyl mercury was dumped into Minamata Bay, causing the syndrome.(10)

High accumulations of methyl mercury are sometimes found in fish. Data
from Finland suggest that high intake of mercury from fresh-water fish
is associated with increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction,
death from coronary artery disease, and cerebral vascular disease. This
result may be due to the promotion of lipid peroxidation from mercury in
fish.(11)

Elemental mercury, from dental amalgams, is lipid soluble and crosses
the blood-brain barrier. A direct link between mercury fillings and
disease is yet to be proven. Central nervous system (CNS) toxicity,
manifested by symptoms of mood and cognitive dysfunction, are found to
be associated with an elevated body burden of mercury. This can be
secondary to mercury vapor from dental amalgam fillings.(12)

Chewing releases increased intraoral Hg from amalgams. This has been
reported as a major source of chronic mercury exposure.(13) Mercury
released from amalgams can increase Hg resistance and
antibiotic-resistant plasmids in the oral bacterial flora. This has
implications for the effects of mercury, not only influencing the immune
host response, but also effecting changes in bacterial virulence.(14)
Bigazzi reviews the literature and finds strong associations between
autoimmunity and heavy metals, particularly cadmium, gold, and mercury.
Solid evidence indicates that mercury can induce autoimmune disease of
the TH 2 cell type (Ab mediated) in humans and experimental animals.(15,16)

In addition, mercury inhibits the polymerization of tubulin, resulting
in brain lesions resembling those found in Alzheimer’s disease.(17)
Mercury can cause fatigue by several mechanisms: (a) by inhibiting
conversion of T4 to T3, (b) by interfering with hormone metabolism, and
(c) by depleting glutathione and lipoic acid.(18)

The FDA Public Health Service and American Academy of Pediatrics have
issued a joint statement requesting that thimerosal, a
mercury-containing preservation, be removed from vaccines. The
thimerosal-containing vaccines are DTaP, DPT, hepatitis B, and HiB.(19)

Other Toxic Heavy Metals

Research is currently finding other heavy metals that may affect health
adversely. For example, chromium is an essential mineral in glucose
metabolism. However, the hexavalent form of chromium (Cr VI) is a potent
inhalant toxicant in metallurgy and metal sculpture. Chronic
genotoxicity manifests as gene mutation. At the cellular level, chromium
leads to cellular apoptosis and neoplastic transformation.(20)

Antimony compounds are used in manufacturing in semiconductor
industries. Research is finding that antimony can cause potent genotoxic
and cytotoxic damage to cells. Evidence points to an increasing cancer
risk from exposure to semi-conductive metals such as antimony. Antimony
also affects the pulmonary and circulatory systems. Studies demonstrate
that metals, such as antimony, thallium, and iridium, alter cellular
defense mechanisms involved in the carcinogenic process.(21) Heavy
metals (particularly arsenic and hexavalent chromium) are considered
human carcinogens. They apparently alter the expression of specific,
susceptible genes.(22)

Cadmium is a toxic metal used in industry. The mining process releases
about 1.3 million lbs of cadmium into the air every year. Cigarette
smoke is another potent source of cadmium. One pack of cigarettes
deposits about 4 mg of cadmium into the lungs of a smoker.

Arsenic toxicity involves the nervous, cardiovascular, GI, genitourinary
(GU), hemapoietic, and dermatological systems. It impairs cellular
respiration by inhibiting mitochondrial enzymes, substituting for
phosphorous in ATP, inhibiting sulfhydryl-containing enzymes, and
uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation.(23)

Sulfhydryl reactive metals promote the formation of lipid peroxidation
and reactive hydroxyl radicals. They inhibit antioxidant processes,
deplete glutathione, bind to proteins, and derange enzyme systems.

Aluminum has been shown to be a neurotoxin. It increases free-radical
pathology, accelerates iron-induced lipid peroxidation, and produces
cross-linking between molecules. This produces cellular damage,
especially to neurons in the brain.

Recently, a protein, DMTI, has been identified. It is located in
enterocytes and other cells. This molecule, referred to as a divalent
metal ion transporter, displays a broad selectivity with transport
capacity, decreasing in order from Fe++, Zn++, Mn++, Co++, Cu++, Ni++,
Pb++. It is possible that this carrier contributes to the etiology of
certain neurodegenerative diseases. It could promote generation of ROS
by divalent cations, resulting in lipid peroxidation and damage to
essential cellular elements. This mechanism of cell membrane transport,
for a variety of cations, may have important chemical and toxicological
implications.(25) For example, a high expression of DMT1 occurs in the
substantia nigra. In Parkinson’s disease, an increased accumulation of
iron in neurons may contribute to increased cell death.

Role of Minerals

Minerals, such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, selenium, and manganese,
function as co-factors in various enzyme systems of the body. The toxic
heavy metals inhibit metabolic actions by displacing trace minerals,
inhibiting enzyme systems, and attaching to proteins. Deficiencies of
some minerals (e.g., zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and
selenium) augment heavy metal toxicity.

The effects of food refining and its depletion of minerals aggravate the
problem. The trace minerals are concentrated in the germ layer of
grains. Heavy metals/trace mineral ratios are elevated with refined
flour, since the heavy metals are concentrated in the remaining portion,
and the trace minerals are discarded in the germ layer.

Diagnosis

As you can see from Table 1 on page 8, there is no first-line,
conclusive lab test for diagnosing heavy metal toxicity. More tests are
usually required to get a clear and accurate picture of blood or tissue
levels. These tests include red blood cell mineral levels, blood and
serum levels, and provocative testing.

Hair analysis is an excellent way to identify certain heavy metal
toxicities. However, it is often over-utilized for diagnostic and
therapeutic regimes. When evaluating results, one needs to rule out
external contamination. Red blood cell mineral testing also gives a fair
picture of mineral levels.

An ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), dimercaptoproprionsulfonic
acid (DMPS), or dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) challenge test can be
performed to glean additional information. If a urine measurement is
elevated after a challenge with a chelating substance, it can signify an
increased body burden of that particular heavy metal. DMSA is used to
chelate mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium.

An elevated lead level can obscure an elevated mercury level. Because
lead accumulates in bone, measurements of lead in bone may prove to be a
useful biomarker for a chronic accumulated dose. Studies show that
heightened bone turnover (during pregnancy, lactation, and aging) may
liberate an increased burden of lead, resulting in delayed toxicity.(26)

Treatment

A treatment regime starts with a review of an individual’s diet, making
sure it is rich in minerals and not a source of potential heavy metal
(e.g., high-fish diets). In addition to food, one needs to look at the
water source. Water can be contaminated with heavy metals. In addition,
any toxic exposures from household products, hobbies, and occupational
activities need to be explored and eliminated at the start of a
treatment regime. If a person has "silver" amalgams, a biologically
oriented dentist needs to evaluate the state of the amalgams and the
potential for removal.

Note: Removing fillings can be an exhaustive and costly procedure. The
benefit/risk ratio should be carefully evaluated before taking this step.

Supplemental minerals are also recommended. Adequate calcium, magnesium,
zinc, selenium, chromium, iron, molybdenum, and manganese are some of
the most essential minerals. The individual also needs adequate stores
of sulfur and sulfhydryl compounds, such as glutathione and cysteine.
Dietary sources of sulfur include garlic, onions, eggs, cruciferous
vegetables (e.g., broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower), and green
leafy vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach, dandelion, endive).

Nutritional agents that help with heavy metal toxicity include vitamin
C, alginate, glutathione, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and minerals such
as selenium and zinc. Amino acids and amino acid complexes, such as
cysteine, methionine, seleno-methionine, S-adenosyl methionine (SAM),
and alpha lipoic acid, all contain sulfhydryl groups and help chelate
heavy metals out of the body.

Intestinal agents such as psyllium increase transit time in the bowel.
The fecal route of excretion is important, especially with respect to
mercury. Green products, especially chlorella, help absorb mercury and
other metals and remove them from the colon. Cilantro is an herb with an
affinity for mercury.

#1249 From: cherielj@...
Date: Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:52 pm
Subject: Just 48 hours left to protect food safety laws! cherielj
Offline
Send Email

In just 48 hours the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill that would eliminate nearly 200 state and local food safety laws. Backed by food industry lobbyists, the bill, which has never been the subject of congressional hearings, would effectively dissolve critical food safety protections in all 50 states that are not identical to federal standards. Many of these food safety laws, however, are more stringent than federal laws.
Food industry lobbyists are working around the clock to ram this bill through Congress without a single hearing!� Click here to help us protect our state and local food safety laws by sending a free message to your Representative today.� Please don't wait - the House is expected to vote on this bill this Thursday!
Right now states can enact food safety laws to protect their residents when the federal government fails to do so.� Many states have enacted laws to protect their residents from irradiated food; chemical additives that can cause cancer, and fish that have excessively high levels of mercury, which can cause birth defects.
Every year millions of Americans suffer from food-borne illnesses and thousands of them die. This bill would make almost impossible for states to protect their residents from food-borne health threats.
We need your help to speak out against this dangerous legislation before it's too late.� We have just two days left to tell our Representatives to protect America's food supply and health by voting against this bill!

Once you've taken action, please take a moment to forward this message on to ten friends, family members, or co-workers urging them to take action as well.
Thanks so much for your help!
Katelyn Sabochik
Online Campaign Manager
info@...�

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for SaveOurEnvironment.org.

#1248 From: "Janine Ridings" <janiner58@...>
Date: Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:37 pm
Subject: KGNW Interview on MCS Online janineridings
Offline
Send Email

Hi Everyone:

A radio interview on KGNW that featured my senior pastor, Robert Case and me
on January 25th, 2006 entitled, "Solutions for the Chemically Sensitive" is
now available online for anyone interested:

http://www.calvarychapeleastside.com/aroma-of-christ/aroma-of-christ-audio-progr\
ams.html

I'm so thankful to Pastor Robert Case for being such a great advocate for
the chemically sensitive. In the interview, he states that MCS is NOT
psychosomatic, and he encouragaes pastors and others  to take the needs of
those with MCS seriously.

Please feel free to pass this link on to family or friends if you wish. The
interview is only about 20 minutes long.

Have a great weekend!

Janine Ridings
Founder/Director
Aroma of Christ Ministry
Calvary Chapel Eastside
www.aromaofchrist.com
aroma@...

#1247 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:17 am
Subject: Housing Wanted in WA salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Housing wanted in WA state for a single female. MCS safe of course. RV would work as well as a rental home or apartment. Available by May or June at the latest. Prefer not to be in the busy city areas. Please contact me below if you have a place to rent or RV I can use/rent/buy.

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org

#1246 From: mickey moore <miclure@...>
Date: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:37 pm
Subject: Re: Air Purrification Questions? heck thats part of my trade miclure
Offline
Send Email

& I'm willing to try & help any others with their questions & ventillation requirements.

although I don't have frequent access to a comp. there would be a time delay for responces.

Mick

Lourdes Salvador <salvadorlourdes@...> wrote:

Is anyone familiar with Halifax, Canada? Someone told me it is an MCS City. I found some stories, both good and bad.

http://www.cctfa.ca/scented/ldavis_nov98.htm

http://www.fumento.com/halifax2.html

This one pisses me off, but reading as it mentioned Halifax. I sure would like to knock some "scents" into the author!

http://www.davehitt.com/june00/sents.html

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org

Relax. Yahoo! Mail virus scanning helps detect nasty viruses!

#1245 From: "maggie_panion" <maggie_panion@...>
Date: Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:28 pm
Subject: MCS in the news. maggie_panion
Offline
Send Email

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/4709388.stm


The woman allergic to modern life

Carl Yapp
BBC Wales news website

Louise Solomons' instructions were explicit: "Wear no body spray or
after shave and leave your mobile phone in your car".

But as I entered her home in the hills above Builth Wells, she
seemed on edge.

Seemingly unsatisfied that I had not followed her instructions, she
sniffed my clothes as I sat in her living room.

Asking if we could sit further apart as she was affected by my
clothes' washing detergent, she told me about life with multiple
chemical sensitivity (MCS).

The condition has made Ms Solomons, 54, allergic to the things that
are part and parcel of the 21st Century.

Diagnosed in 1988, she suffers with flu-like symptoms if she is
exposed to anything chemically-based, from perfume and furniture
polish to bathroom cleaner.

Frail and with delicate balance, I'm ultra-sensitive to heat, cold,
light sound, touch and especially smell
Louise Solomons

Before her condition became too severe, she enjoyed a full and
active life giving talks on music, playing table tennis and working
voluntarily with children and blind people, among other things.

But so debilitating are her allergies, she says, she has been unable
to work for 16 years.

Then three years ago she claimed she started having reactions to
electricity too. This is a condition known as electrical sensitivity
(ES) which some claim is a result of exposure to electromagnetic
fields (EMFs) associated with electricity supply and electrical
equipment.

The prevalence of MCS and ES has not been measured in the UK, but
sufferers claim both conditions are on the increase.

In Ms Solomons' case, the combined impact of MCS and ES has caused a
major upheaval in her life. She says her illnesses have cost her
career, home, looks and faith.

Her increasingly poor health also led to financial difficulties and
in December she left her native London for the Welsh countryside
where "the air is cleaner".

She now resides in a rented home in a remote, hillside hamlet near
Builth Wells, Powys, with just sheep for company.

However, by the beginning of April Ms Solomons will have to find a
new home and is searching for some caring and environmentally aware
householders who could help.

"Frail and with delicate balance, I'm ultra-sensitive to heat, cold,
light sound, touch and especially smell," said Ms Solomons.

"During my 20s I worked in a medical research laboratory, exposed to
chemicals and low-level radiation.

"After a fortnight in a fume-filled hotel room, I returned with
virus-like feelings. A family function in cigar smog was the final
straw and I could tolerate less and less afterwards.

"Anything with a smell was a hazard."

She added that her life was now "unbearably bleak".

She claims that sewing too near a bright light led to ES. Symptoms
are brought on by radios and televisions, for instance.

Ignorance of her condition is an extra burden to sufferers, she
explained.

Over the last 30 years and all over the world, no links have been
found between these symptoms and any form of exposure
Dr Michael Clark, Health Protection Agency

"People like me are treated like pariahs and acceptance of the
condition comes hard," she said.

"But do you think I would have given up a satisfying life to live in
the middle of nowhere with ghastly symptoms if I had a choice?"

Allergy UK said MCS had been described as the 21st Century disease.

It said the smell from soap powders and fabric conditioners, new
carpet or furniture, paints, plastics, air fresheners, deodorants,
some people are also affected by certain foods and food additives,
and these could trigger a reaction.

As for ES, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) published a report
last year about the condition, but scientists disputed whether it
was linked to EMFs.

Dr Michael Clark, HPA scientific spokesman said about ES: "We don't
contest that some people get some disabling symptoms which are very
real.

"Over the last 30 years and all over the world, no links have been
found between these symptoms and any form of exposure.

"For people with MCS it's a different matter. There is evidence that
some people are sensitive to some chemicals."

Dr Peter Kraus, Ms Solomons' GP between 1988 and 2003, confirmed her
health problems.

"There is no NHS facility for patients with the problems of Ms
Solomons.

"I feel that she does not fit into any of the standard medical
specialities and as a result is in a very vulnerable state. I am
surprised how long she has survived in her current terrible
situation."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/4709388.stm

Published: 2006/02/17 09:54:36 GMT

� BBC MMVI

#1242 From: cherielj@...
Date: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:18 pm
Subject: Flameproof mattresses deliver daily dose of poisons, final vote Feb 16 cherielj
Offline
Send Email

(I am a mattress manufacturer, and director of People For Clean Beds.org, trying to fight the new mattress open flame fire law.)

U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) proves flameproof mattresses give daily dose of poisons, final vote on new national flameproof mattress law is Feb 16

In their Jan-06 Risk Assessment the CPSC proves the average adult will absorb a daily dose of .802 mg of Antimony, .081 mg Boric Acid, and .073 mg DBDPO (Deca) from flame proof mattresses.

(It's True! See CPSC Table 16 below) All three are acute poisons and two cause cancer. (Most people do not want themselves or their children to absorb any amount of poisons from their mattresses every day, to avoid the one in one million risk of dying in a mattress fire.)

Plus, Children under age five excluded from risk assessment. The CPSC assumes all these children will be protected by a vinyl sheet over their mattresses due to bedwetting problems, and that this will protect them from exposure to these known acutely toxic chemicals. There are no labeling requirements. Parents will never know their new mattresses contain toxic chemicals.

Unlike other flame retardants that we initially think are non-toxic like Asbestos, and later find them harmful, we already know these are acutely toxic and cancer causing.

Antimony: Quote from College Chemistry Textbook: “Antimony resembles Arsenic very closely; the difference in its behavior being almost entirely accounted for by the fact that antimony is slightly more metallic.” This helps explain why it is so poisonous. Quotes from ATSDR a division of the CDC on Antimony: “An increase in the number of spontaneous abortions, disturbances in menstruation, failure to conceive, May cause heart to beat irregularly or stop. … Chronic Exposure: Prolonged or repeated exposure may damage the liver and the heart muscle." “In long-term studies, animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage, and heart problems. Problems with fertility were also noted.” "Two studies reported lung tumors in rats exposed to relatively low levels of antimony trioxide." Antimony tends to accumulate in the liver and gastrointestinal tract.” The CDC cannot determine a safe level of Antimony exposure because: “At the lowest exposure levels tested, the adversity of the effects was considered to be serious.” On cancer risks of Antimony even the CPSC admits: “The cancer effects are cumulative. Every exposure contributes to the overall lifetime risk of developing cancer.”

Boric Acid, also used as Roach Killer, is a known reproductive and developmental toxin, a known respiratory irritant, Demonstrated injury to the gonads and to the developing fetus. high prenatal mortality, Neonatal children are unusually susceptible. There are already 6,463 U.S. cases of Boric Acid poisoning each year. One human exposure study showed reduced sperm counts and reduced sexual activity in humans.

DBDPO, Deca, is in the family of PBDE’s, is known to bioaccumulate, is linked to cancer, and groups are trying to get it banned.

The CPSC has completed extraction studies that show the percentage of FR chemicals contained in various mattress flame barriers. (See CPSC Table 1 below, It shows 7 of 13 barriers contain Antimony, and 5 of 13 contain Boric Acid) They have also completed leaching and migration studies that prove these chemical reach the surface of our mattresses through the sheets, to be absorbed by our bodies, and base the above poison absorptions calculations on this data.

All mattresses sold in California, and one half of mattresses sold nationwide already contain FR chemicals for this law. Why do all flame proof mattress manufacturers try to say they don’t use chemicals, when the CPSC proves them wrong? Because almost no one wants to sleep in known toxic and cancer causing chemicals, to avoid the one in one million risk of dying in a mattress fire.

The CPSC has received over 800 public comments against this law when they would normally only receive about twenty from interested parties on most issues. This generated an article in the Washington Post titled: “Fire Resistant Mattresses Ignite Fear of Chemicals.”

Many Doctors oppose this law: 9 M.D.’s (many of them prominent), a Medical School Professor PhD who studies toxicology, 2 PhD Chemists, and a PhD Professor of Mathematics who researches and teaches probability theory. One M.D. calls it “Ethically Unacceptable” to put any person at this risk of poisoning and cancer, much less our entire population. Another M.D. says: “If the CPSC pushes this law forward, they need to change their name.” And another M.D. says: “I know many chemically sensitive people who do not tolerate treated mattresses. And how many are intolerant who don't know why they can't sleep or feel bad?”

Yet the CPSC rebuts and ignores all these comments just as they rebut the comments of their independent reviewer. The CPSC is required by law to get an independent review of the risk assessment justifying this law. The reviewer, TERA.org, found serious problems including: Children under age five were excluded from the risk assessment. The CPSC assumes all these children will be protected by a vinyl sheet over their mattress, and therefore not absorb as much toxic chemical. Of course, there are no labeling requirements and parents will never know their mattress contains toxic chemicals, or that their child is receiving a daily dose of poison.

Another very serious problem develops when the reviewer points out the CPSC should coordinate their assumptions of the safe levels of absorption of poisons with other agencies. The CPSC again rebuts them claiming their assumptions are correct and that coordinating with other agencies would not make a substantial difference.

New Info, EPA Proves Mattresses Toxic
I wrote to the CDC asking what level of Antimony exposure is safe. I got a reply from the CDC: “ATSDR has not derived a chronic MRL [Minimal Risk Level] for antimony. However, the U.S. EPA chronic oral reference dose for antimony is 4E-4 mg/kg/day.” This is .0004 mg/kg/day, or 4/10,000’s of a milligram/ per kilogram of body weight/ per day. This is a far different number than the CPSC assumption of a safe level of 2.3 mg/kg/d. In fact, it is 5,750 times more than the EPA minimal risk number. It also changes everything and proves our antimony absorption from flame proof mattresses is unsafe by 27.5 times. In a proper risk assessment, this would stop this law.

Comparing these numbers to the CPSC assumptions in their table 16, tab d, p 45, shows:

Parameter
Antimony (CPSC Assumptions)
Antimony (CDC/ATSDR/EPA numbers)
Difference CPSC/EPA

ADD Total (mg/kg/d) (Average Daily Dose)
0.011
0.011

ADI mg/kg/d (Acceptable Daily Intake)
2.3
.0004
5,750

Hazzard Index, HI (numbers below one are considered safe)
.005
27.5
5,500

CPSC tests prove we will absorb 0.011 mg/kg/d of Antimony from new flame proof mattresses. The only question is what is a safe level? The CPSC says 2.3 mg is safe while the EPA says only .0004 is a safe level. If we accept the EPA number it proves new mattresses are toxic by 27.5 times more than the safe level.

The CPSC risk assessment repeatedly states the hazard index should be below one, meaning anything one or above is unsafe. Clearly a hazard index of 27.5 is very unsafe for our entire population to sleep in. The science of toxicology, when given the correct assumptions, proves flame proof mattresses are unsafe for human exposure.

I question what else in the CPSC risk assessment is invalid? We might absorb a lot more poison than they predict. It seems clearly designed to justify and force this law through. It does not meet the standards of a good risk assessment, young children and other sensitive populations were not included. Many more chemicals are also used to flameproof mattresses that were not considered or studied. For instance the CPSC preferred melamine resin system is made from the reaction of melamine and formaldehyde, and contains free formaldehyde, but formaldehyde was not studied. And as TERA pointed out a good risk assessment should include our exposure from other sources, i.e. upholstered furniture. This was again rebutted even though the CPSC is in the final stages of requiring these same chemicals in upholstered furniture in another open flame law about to be enacted. Additionally, the CPSC is about to enact another FR law covering our top of the bed items including mattresses pads, comforters, and pillows, which will again require these same toxic chemicals. Then, the only time we won’t be absorbing poisons is while we are standing up.

The U.S. already uses 1.2 Billion pounds of flame retardants every year, and the Chemical Manufacturers Association estimates this saves up to 960 people annually. The CPSC estimates of saving up to 272 people annually from this law alone seem overly optimistic. In the 350 fire deaths where the mattress or bedding was the first item to ignite, 80% of the time the bedding ignited first, not the mattress. But it does not matter if it saves 30 or 300. We are putting 300 million people, our entire population, at risk to sleep in known toxic chemicals, and receive a daily dose of poison.

It seems likely this law will kill more than 300 sensitive people annually. But what if any one of these chemicals proves toxic over many years? Perhaps many of our children might be dumber than we are, or it could be catastrophic. If one third of our mattresses are toxic, it will harm 100 million people, If only 15% of our mattress prove toxic, it will be 45 Million people harmed. If only 1% prove toxic, it is still 3 million people harmed.

Even with all its risks, and their risk analysis proven wrong, it seems the CPSC can’t see the forest for the trees, and will likely enact this law right after Valentine’s Day, on Thursday February 16, 2006.

The CPSC studies have proven me right
It is no longer just me saying poisonous chemicals are used to flame proof mattresses, and major mattress manufacturers saying they don’t use chemicals. Now the CPSC Table 1 proves which chemicals and their percentages are used. There are no chemical free systems that can pass this blow torch open flame test.

It is no longer just me saying these toxic chemical can leach out and get us while mattress manufacturers say they are chemically bound and can’t get out. The CPSC migration studies prove these chemicals leach through the sheets and are absorbed by our bodies. In fact the CPSC proves we will get a daily dose of poisons of .802 mg of Antimony, .081 mg of Boric Acid, and .073 mg of DBDPO, every day for the rest of our, our children’s, and our grandchildren’s lives.

The EPA has proven CPSC safety assumptions wrong. The EPA has also proven CPSC exposure and absorption calculations of poison absorbed from flame proof mattresses will exceed toxic levels by 27.5 times.

We hope you will report this story. With all mattresses sold in California required to be flame proof, and half of new mattress sold nationwide already flameproof in anticipation of the new law, millions and millions of people are already sleeping in and absorbing a daily dose of poisons. The rest of us will eventually sleep in and absorb these poisons. People have a right to know the truth. You don’t have to take my word for the truth. The truth and proof is in CPSC Tables 1 and 16.

Please give me a call, I can give you a lot more information including contact information for the many doctors and others who oppose this law and chemical use, and contact information for people who claim their new flame proof mattresses made them sick.

Sincerely

Mark Strobel

Who is Strobel? Mark Strobel is founder and owner of Strobel Technologies, a 32 year old company that manufactures specialty mattresses including Supple-Pedic, a patented visco foam mattress with patented "Lever Support System" or "Air Lever System," and Airbeds, Waterbeds, and Latex beds, all the newer technologies compared to innerspring mattresses. Strobel in not a Sealy or Serta, but does sell nationwide and worldwide and maintains permanent wholesale showrooms at the major furniture markets including the largest at High Point NC. Strobel’s Supple-Pedic mattress is seen nationally regularly on CBS’s show “The Price is Right.” Unable to find a chemical free and safe system for his beds, Mark Strobel was appalled at the toxic chemicals required to flameproof mattresses. The more he researched the issue, the more concerned he became that the risks could prove catastrophic and harm hundreds of millions of people. Mark eventually started the group PeopleForCleanBeds.org that generated over 800 public comments against the law, and generated news for the issue with many newspapers and TV stations. It was the many public comments that generated a news article in May by the Washington Post, and this article was reprinted by many newspapers across the country. Mark has tried to fight the issue with the CPSC directly, even sending them bottles of Boric Acid Roach Killer powder, and this earned him a CPSC audit of his company’s compliance with the 1973 mattresses cigarette ignition law. The CPSC even purchased a Strobel mattresses at retail for testing under this law, (perhaps an attempt to get him?) but Strobel mattresses comply with the law without chemicals and this audit is still being worked out. This slowed down his direct contact for a while but he latter resumed it by sending the CPSC numerous emails and letters of new facts he continued learn. The CPSC even has the newest data of the EPA proving their risk assessment wrong. In spite of it all, it appears the CPSC will pass this new mattress fire law.

References, Tables from the CPSC:

We see the following table in the CPSC report:

P 45, http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabd.pdf

In the table above ADD is Average Daily Dose. You can see above that CPSC calculations show we will get a daily dose of .802 mg of Antimony, .081 mg of Boric Acid, and .073 DBDPO.

ADI is the CPSC assumptions of Acceptable Daily Intake. The CPSC concludes this amount of poison absorption is safe for everyone, But other agencies disagree, including the ATSDR, CDC, and EPA.

The CPSC knows which chemicals are used to flameproof mattresses as presented in their table below:

"BARRIER SAMPLE ID AND FRC LOAD
Information on the various barrier samples along with the average chemical load found by LSC are contained in Table 1. The FRC percentages listed in Table 1 are the average from 5 replicates."

To help you read the table below:
H3BO3 is Boric Acid
SB2O3 is Antimony
DBDOP is Decabromodiphenyl Oxide, also called Deca which www.ewg.org is trying to get banned.

Table 1 from Tab H, p 17
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabh.pdf

Melamine Resin Barriers are made from the reaction of Melamine and Formaldehyde, and contain free Formaldehyde, but these barriers were not tested for Formaldehyde content.
FORMALDEHYDE MSDS: "POISON! DANGER! SUSPECT CANCER HAZARD. MAY CAUSE CANCER. Risk of cancer depends on level and duration of exposure. VAPOR HARMFUL. HARMFUL IF INHALED OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. STRONG SENSITIZER. MAY BE FATAL OR CAUSE BLINDNESS IF SWALLOWED. CANNOT BE MADE NONPOISONOUS." http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/F5522.htm

Si is Silicon, which was not tested for either. It also has health risks: “Silicon may cause chronic respiratory effects. … Inhalation will cause irritation to the lungs and mucus membrane. Several epidemiological studies have reported statistically significant numbers of excess deaths or cases of immunologic disorders and autoimmune diseases in silica-exposed workers. These diseases and disorders include scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and sarcoidosis. Recent epidemiological studies have reported statistically significant associations of occupational exposure to crystalline silica with renal diseases and subclinical renal changes. Crystalline silica may affect the immune system, leading to mycobacterial infections (tuberculous and nontuberculous) or fungal, especially in workers with silicosis Occupational exposure to breathable crystalline silica is associated with bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema. … Lung cancer is associated with occupational exposures to crystalline silica
http://www.lenntech.com/Periodic-chart-elements/Si-en.htm#Health%20effects%20of%20silicon

Ammonium Polyphosphate is the only other chemical used to flame proof mattresses not listed above. Not as much is know of how toxic this chemical is to sleep in, but it is doubtful sleeping in and absorbing this fertilizer could be good for us. The CPSC has shown large amounts of this chemical leach from mattresses.

As you can see above 7 of the barriers contain Antimony and 5 contain Boric Acid. It is no wonder there are no labeling requirements for the FR chemicals used in mattresses. Which of the above systems would you choose to sleep in? We don’t think any of these systems are safe, they all have risks.

Cotton Batting barriers contain 10% poison, 7.5% Boric Acid plus 2.4% Antimony. Melamine Resin barriers contain Formaldehyde. Silicon and Formaldehyde were not studied.

We keep hearing about inherently flame resistant fibers from the CPSC and mattress manufacturers. These inherently flame resistant fibers have chemicals blended with the fiber as the fiber is made. The only true inherently flame resistant fiber is fiberglass, and even that is blended with chemicals to make a barrier as you can see in the table above.

We are glad to see the CPSC proved all the fire barriers contain toxic chemicals, maybe the truth can be told to the public.

The new risk in our modern world is our exposure to toxic substances. The National Safety Council says 17,550 people die each year from “Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances," this number now exceeds deaths in car accidents.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,

Mark Strobel
President, Strobel Technologies, www.Strobel.com
Director, People For Clean Beds, www.CleanBeds.org
Phone: 812-282-4388
Fax: 812-282-6528
Email: Mark@...
Address: 3131 Industrial Parkway, Jeffersonville IN 47130

Master list of CPSC briefing packages: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/briefing.html
See the CPSC quotes in this document at: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabd.pdf
See CPSC Table 1 showing the percentage of Known Toxic Chemicals contained in various mattress flame barrier systems at: Tab H, p 17 http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabh.pdf
Notice: The statements and questions contained in my writings are not intended to convey allegations regarding any particular company, person, or association. Readers should conduct their own investigation of a company or association or person to ascertain the particular policies, practices, and motivations of that entity. I have reported what I believe to be true and correct to the best of my knowledge and opinion at the time of its writing in a free speech effort to avert a public health disaster.

#1241 From: cherielj@...
Date: Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:22 am
Subject: Effects of Anthrax Vaccine Concealed cherielj
Offline
Send Email

Effects of Anthrax Vaccine Concealed

Dec 21, 2005
n...@...
Via NY Transfer News Collective �* �All the News that Doesn't Fit

sent by Don Stacey

Vermont Guardian - Dec 20, 2005
http://www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/122005/1220.shtml

Effects of Anthrax vaccine downplayed

NEWPORT NEWS, VA - The Pentagon never told Congress about more than
20,000 hospitalizations involving troops who took the anthrax vaccine
from 1998 through 2000, despite repeated promises that such cases would
be publicly disclosed. Instead, generals and Defense Department
officials claimed that fewer than 100 people were hospitalized or became
seriously ill after receiving the shot, according to an investigation by
the Daily Press of Newport News.

Written policies required that public reports be filed for
hospitalizations, serious illnesses and cases where someone missed 24
hours or more of duty. But only a few of the cases were actually
reported; the rest were withheld from Congress and the public, according
to records obtained by the Daily Press. Critics of the vaccine,
veterans' advocates and congressional staffers say the Pentagon's
deliberate low-balling of hospitalizations helped persuade Congress and
the public that the vaccine was safe.

Withholding the full record contributed to a shorter list of
government-recognized side effects for the drug, which gave patients and
physicians a false idea of what might constitute a vaccine-related
illness or problem. Repeated evidence of the same adverse side effect
after a vaccination is one of the most telling signs of a systematic
problem, vaccine safety experts say.

The newspaper found three cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that the military hadn't reported. The
disease destroys muscles and nerves, is always fatal, and rarely hits
people younger than 45. One of the three cases involves Navy Capt. Denis
Army of Virginia Beach, who died in 2000 after developing symptoms less
than a week after his first anthrax vaccination.

His widow filed the first public acknowledgement of his death and its
connection to the vaccine after talking to a Daily Press reporter and
learning that she could file a report with the federal Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Col. John Grabenstein, director of the military's vaccine agency, said
no one from the military intentionally misled Congress or the public.
The 20,765 hospitalizations merely followed vaccinations in time,
without documented proof of a cause-and-effect relationship, he claimed.
However, the data that the Daily Press used to document the
underreporting came from an unpublished report that Grabenstein supplied
in response to its request.

Quarterly analysis of the vaccine's effects ended just as the nation's
only manufacturer, BioPort, Inc. regained its license in 2002, after a
1998 shutdown by federal inspectors who found safety and other problems.
The decision to discontinue the quarterly monitoring end systematic
long-term studies of the health of those who have taken the drug, the
newspaper notes. Most studies that the Pentagon cites as support for the
vaccine's safety involve monitoring that lasted no longer than a few
months.

After the quarterly reviews stopped, more than a million troops were
forced to take the vaccine - until a federal judge ruled last year that
the drug had never been adequately licensed for protection against
anthrax use in warfare. He ordered the military to make vaccination
voluntary. The Pentagon is appealing that ruling. A decision is expected
by February.

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
*=============================================
.NY Transfer News Collective � �* � �A Service of Blythe Systems
. � � � � �Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us � � � � .
.339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 � � http://www.blythe.org
.List Archives: � https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
.Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
================================================

#1240 From: cherielj@...
Date: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:59 am
Subject: McDonald's Fries Have Potential Allergens cherielj
Offline
Send Email

Updated: 06:53 PM EST
McDonald's Fries Have Potential Allergens
Quiet Disclosure on Company's Web Site Raises Concerns
By DAVE CARPENTER, AP

CHICAGO (Feb. 13) - And another thing about McDonald's fries: They're not gluten-free.
Not long after disclosing that its french fries contain more trans fat than thought, McDonald's Corp. said Monday that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular menu item - an acknowledgment it had not previously made.

Roger Geibert / ZUMA Press
McDonald's said the disclosure of possible allergens came in response to new rules by the Food and Drug Administration. But the company's handling of the issue has angered some people with food allergies.

Talk About It: Post Thoughts

The presence of those substances can cause allergic or other medical reactions in food-sensitive consumers.
McDonald's had said until recently that its fries were free of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe to eat for those with dietary issues related to the consumption of dairy items. But the fast-food company quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" this month to the french fries listing on its Web site.
The company said the move came in response to new rules by the U.S. Food and Drug Ad}inistration for the packaged foods industry, including one requiring that the presence of common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, fish or peanuts be reported. As a restaurant operator, Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's does not have to comply but is doing so voluntarily.

"We knew there were always wheat and dairy derivatives in there, but they were not the protein component."
-Cathy Kapica, McDonald's director of global nutrition

McDonald's director of global nutrition, Cathy Kapica, said its potato suppliers remove all wheat and dairy proteins, such as gluten, which can cause allergic reactions. But the flavoring agent in the cooking oil is a derivative of wheat and dairy ingredients, and the company decided to note their presence because of the FDA's stipulation that potential allergens be disclosed.
"We knew there were always wheat and dairy derivatives in there, but they were not the protein component," she said. "Teshnically there are no allergens in there. What this is an example of is science evolving" and McDonald's responding as more is learned, she said.
While the company wanted to make consumers aware that fries were derived in part from wheat and dairy sources, she said, those who have eaten the product without problem should be able to continue to do so without incident.
The acknowledgment has stirred anger and some concern among consumers who are on gluten-free diets since it was posted on McDonald's Web site.

"They should have disclosed that all along. They should never have been calling them gluten-free."
-Jillian Williams, New York City resident with celiac disease

"If they're saying there's wheat and dairy derivatives in the oil, as far as anyone with this disease is concerned there's actually wheat in it," said New York resident Jillian Williams, one of more than 2 million Americans with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten.
"They should have disclosed that all along," she said. "They should never have been canling them gluten-free."
It's not the first time McDonald's forthrightness has been called into question concerning what's in its famous fries.
The company paid $10 million in 2002 to settle a lawsuit by vegetarian groups after it was disclosed that its fries were cooked in beef-flavored oil despite the company's insistence in 1990 that it was abandoning beef tallow for pure vegetable oil.
Last February, it paid $8.5 million to settle a sui| by a nonprofit advocacy group accusing the company of misleading consumers by announcing plans in September 2002 to change its cooking oil but then delaying the switch indefinitely within months. Reluctant to change the taste of a top-selling item, McDonald's has continued to maintain for the past three years that testing continues.
Asked about the status of those efforts Monday, Kapica said: "It's a very high priority and we are very committed to continuing with testing and lowering the level of trans fat without raising the level of savurated fat. ... It's a lot harder than we originally thought but that is not stopping us."
McDonald's shares rose 3 cents to close at $36.36 on the New York Stock Exchange - up 8 percent in 2006.
APTV 02-13-06 1833EST

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

#1239 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:05 am
Subject: Re: trailer available salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Thanks

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org

----- Original Message -----

From: bill wainer

To: detox@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 11:23 AM

Subject: Re: [detox] trailer available

its a trailer,not an rv. --- Lourdes Salvador <salvadorlourdes@...> wrote: > Is this an RV or does it have to be hooked up to a > vehicle to move? > Lourdes "Sal" Salvador > salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org > ----- Original Message ----- > From: vargmetonight > To: detox@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:42 AM > Subject: [detox] trailer available > > > porcelain/steel ecology trailer.19 feet by 8 > feet.double kitchen > sink,toilet,shower available to install,new > suspension,new tires,some > new windows.currently in maine.may be > relocated.call lin at 971-275- > 6556.$12,000.00 > > > > > > > > SPONSORED LINKS Multiple chemical sensitivity > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS > > a.. Visit your group "detox" on the web. > > b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an > email to: > detox-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the > Yahoo! Terms of Service. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

#1238 From: bill wainer <vargmetonight@...>
Date: Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:23 pm
Subject: Re: trailer available vargmetonight
Offline
Send Email

its a trailer,not an rv.

--- Lourdes Salvador <salvadorlourdes@...>
wrote:

> Is this an RV or does it have to be hooked up to a
> vehicle to move?
> Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
> salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: vargmetonight
>   To: detox@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:42 AM
>   Subject: [detox] trailer available
>
>
>   porcelain/steel ecology trailer.19 feet by 8
> feet.double kitchen
>   sink,toilet,shower available to install,new
> suspension,new tires,some
>   new windows.currently in maine.may be
> relocated.call lin at 971-275-
>   6556.$12,000.00
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   SPONSORED LINKS Multiple chemical sensitivity
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>     a..  Visit your group "detox" on the web.
>
>     b..  To unsubscribe from this group, send an
> email to:
>      detox-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>     c..  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
> Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

#1237 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:24 pm
Subject: Wanted: RV salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

MCS safe RV wanted (free or cheap) in good working order or with minor maintenance needed for living space. I am currently in HI and considering a move to WA. Willing to ship vehicle from any location if need be (no RV's here on Maui to buy).

Thanks!

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org

#1236 From: "Lourdes Salvador" <salvadorlourdes@...>
Date: Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:22 pm
Subject: Re: trailer available salvadorlourdes
Offline
Send Email

Is this an RV or does it have to be hooked up to a vehicle to move?

Lourdes "Sal" Salvador
salvadorlourdes@..., www.mcs-awareness.org

----- Original Message -----

From: vargmetonight

To: detox@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:42 AM

Subject: [detox] trailer available

porcelain/steel ecology trailer.19 feet by 8 feet.double kitchen sink,toilet,shower available to install,new suspension,new tires,some new windows.currently in maine.may be relocated.call lin at 971-275- 6556.$12,000.00

#1235 From: "vargmetonight" <vargmetonight@...>
Date: Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:42 pm
Subject: trailer available vargmetonight
Offline
Send Email

porcelain/steel ecology trailer.19 feet by 8 feet.double kitchen
sink,toilet,shower available to install,new suspension,new tires,some
new windows.currently in maine.may be relocated.call lin at 971-275-
6556.$12,000.00

#1234 From: cherielj@...
Date: Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:03 am
Subject: Psychiatric Drug Ads Chem Imbalance Claims Untrue cherielj
Offline
Send Email

BELOW are more new media articles
about how psychiatric drug ads
may be misleading the public about
a "chemical imbalance," from:

* _Wall Street Journal_ 11/18/05

* _United Press International_ 11/10/05

* _WebMD_ 11/7/05

* _Time Magazine Pacific_ 11/21/05

AT BOTTOM are links to the latest
news about this controversy.

~~~~~~~~~~

_The Wall Street Journal_

November 18, 2005; Page B1

SCIENCE JOURNAL

By SHARON BEGLEY

Some Drugs Work To Treat Depression,
But It Isn't Clear How

Hardly any patients know how Lipitor
lowers cholesterol, how Lotensin
reduces blood pressure, or even how
ibuprofen erases headaches. But when
it comes to Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil,
ads and glowing accounts in the press
have turned patients with depression
into veritable pharmacologists, able
to rattle off how these "selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors" keep
more of the brain chemical serotonin
hanging around in synapses,
correcting the neurochemical
imbalance that causes depression.

There is only one problem. "Not a
single peer-reviewed article ...
support[s] claims of serotonin
deficiency in any mental disorder,"
scientists write in the December
issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

Indeed, a steady drip of studies have
challenged the "serotonin did it"
hypothesis. A 2003 mouse experiment
suggested that SSRIs work by inducing
the birth and growth of new brain
neurons, not by monkeying with
serotonin. In March, a review of
decades of research concluded that
something other than "changes in
chemical balance might underlie
depression." And as Jeffrey Lacasse
and Jonathan Leo write in PLoS
Medicine, although ads for SSRIs say
they correct a chemical imbalance,
"there is no such thing as a
scientifically correct 'balance' of
serotonin."

How did so many smart people get it
so wrong? Medicinal chemist Derek
Lowe, who works in drug development
for a pharmaceutical firm, offered an
explanation in his "In the Pipeline"
blog. "I worked on central nervous
system drugs for eight years, and I

can confidently state that we know
just slightly more than jack" about
how antidepressants work.

It is not for lack of trying. In
1965, psychiatrist Joseph Schildkraut
of Harvard University suggested that a
deficiency of a brain chemical causes
depression. With the success of drugs
that block the reuptake of these
chemicals, that idea started to look
pretty good.

Yet the evidence was always
circumstantial. You can't measure
serotonin in the brains of living
human beings. The next best thing,
measuring the compounds that
serotonin breaks down to in
cerebrospinal fluid, suggested that
clinically depressed patients had
less of it than healthy people did.
But it was never clear whether
depression caused those low levels,
or vice versa. A 2002 review of these
early experiments took them to task
for such flaws.

There had always been data that don't
fit the serotonin-imbalance theory.
Depleting people's serotonin levels
sometimes changed their mood for the
worse and sometimes didn't. Sending
serotonin levels through the roof
didn't help depression, a study found
as early as 1975.

There is little doubt that the SSRIs
do what their name says, keeping more
serotonin in the brain's synapses. But
the fact "that SSRIs act on the
serotonin system does not mean that
clinical depression results from a
shortage of serotonin," says Dr. Leo,
professor of anatomy at Lake Erie
College of Osteopathic Medicine,
Bradenton, Fla. No more so, anyway,
than the fact that steroid creams
help rashes means that rashes are
caused by a steroid shortage.

A clue to how SSRIs do work comes
from how long they take to have any
effect. They rarely make a dent in
depression before three weeks, and
sometimes take eight weeks to kick
in. But they affect serotonin levels
right away. If depression doesn't
lift despite that serotonin hit, the
drugs must be doing something else;
it's the something else that eases
depression.

The best evidence so far is that the
something else is neurogenesis -- the
birth of new neurons. When scientists
led by Rene Hen of Columbia
University and Ronald Duman of Yale
blocked neurogenesis in mice, SSRIs
had no effect. When neurogenesis was
unimpeded, SSRIs made the mice less
anxious and depressed -- for rodents.
As best scientists can tell, SSRIs
first activate the serotonin system,
which is somehow necessary for
neurogenesis. That is what takes
weeks.

Claiming that depression results from
a brain-chemical imbalance, as ads do,
is problematic on several fronts.
Patients who believe this are more
likely to demand a prescription. If
you have a disease caused by too
little insulin, you take insulin; if
you have one caused by too little
serotonin, you take serotonin
boosters.

Most people treated for depression
get pills rather than psychotherapy,
and this week a study from Stanford
University reported that drugs have
been supplanting psychotherapy for
depressed adolescents. Clinical
guidelines call for using both, and
for psychotherapy to be the
first-line treatment for most kids.
Psychotherapy "can be as effective as
medications" for major depression,
concluded a study in April of 240
patients, in the Archives of General
Psychiatry. Numerous other studies
find the same.

The hegemony of the serotonin
hypothesis may be keeping patients
from a therapy that will help them
more in the long term. The relapse
rate for patients on pills is higher
than for those getting
cognitive-behavior psychotherapy.

Some 19 million people in the U.S.
suffer from depression in any given
year. For many, SSRIs help little, if
at all. To do better, we have to get
the science right.

Write to Sharon Begley at
sciencejournal@...

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113226807554400588-
piwLFSMdqttzAzHEXT3ehaYKXog_20061117.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

or use this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/a7wwk

~~~~~~~~~

_United Press International_

Health Business

Study: Public misled by depression ads

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The most
commonly prescribed anti-depressants
may be effective, but drug ads are
misleading about how the drugs work,
a new study suggests.

The study, published in the December
issue of the Public Library of Science
Medicine, focuses on manufacturers
that market the cutting-edge class of
anti-depressants known as selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

The study results add to the
criticism of drug companies for
allegedly filling the airwaves with
slick but deceptive advertising on
various medications.

SSRIs can help relieve depression,
but the medical evidence that they do
so by correcting low levels of
serotonin in the brain is weak, and
therefore should be eliminated from
direct-to-consumer ads in magazines
and on television, the study's
authors said.

The authors were Jonathan Leo, a
professor of neuroanatomy at Lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
in Bradenton, Fla., and Jeffrey R.
Lacasse, a Ph.D. candidate at Florida
State University's College of Social
Work.

The duo attacked the widespread use
of the "serotonin theory of
depression" in their accompanying
text, saying clinical evidence does
not adequately support the statement
that serotonin imbalances in the
brain are responsible for clinical
depression.

"Depression and anxiety are
complicated issues that cannot be
explained in a 30-second commercial,"
the authors wrote. "When the serotonin
theory is portrayed with clever visual
portrayals that do not accurately
represent the neuroscience research,
consumers are led to believe that
medication is necessary for the
treatment for depression."

Leo added that, contrary to the
message in the ads, the prescribing
information on the drug labels do not
say that SSRIs correct serotonin
imbalances.

Leo and Lacasse called on the Food
and Drug Administration to exercise
more authority about what goes into
direct-to-consumer advertising to
make sure it is fair and balanced and
urged people to become more active in
their own care.

"In terms of real-life effects of
this advertising, we are concerned
that this oversimplified theory has
become the intellectual justification
for 10-minute office visits which
result in the prescription of
antidepressants for a variety of
ill-defined conditions," Lacasse
concluded. "In general, people need
to be more skeptical regarding claims
of chemical imbalance as explanation
for psychological distress."

http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20051109-043909-3242r

or use this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/d3rbf

~~~~~~~~~

WebMD Medical News

Essay Questions Role of
Antidepressants

Authors Challenge Link Between
Chemical Imbalance and Depression

By Salynn Boyles

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Nov. 7, 2005 -- Do the most widely
prescribed antidepressants work by
correcting a chemical imbalance in
the brain? That's being challenged in
a newly published essay.

The essay's authors say the assertion
that depression results from an
imbalance in the brain chemical
serotonin and related chemicals is
not supported by the scientific
evidence.

They write that there is "a growing
body of medical literature casting
doubt" on the so-called "serotonin
hypothesis." But a widely known
antidepressant researcher who spoke
to WebMD disagrees.

Brown University psychiatry professor
Peter D. Kramer, MD, is the author of
Listening to Prozac and Against
Depression.

"The connection between what these
drugs do and what seems to be useful
in the treatment of mood disorders is
just as strong or stronger today as it
was 13 years ago when I wrote
Listening to Prozac," he says.

Kramer acknowledges that there is
still much to be learned about the
impact of brain chemistry on
depression and other mental
illnesses. He says it is unlikely
that serotonin imbalance alone
explains depression, but he adds that
Prozac and other antidepressants that
target serotonin clearly help many
people.

Are Ads Misleading?

Selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs), include the drugs
Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, and
Celexa. The drugs increase the
availability of serotonin, which acts
as a chemical messenger in the brain
among other areas.

Millions of Americans take SSRIs for
depression and other mood disorders,
and in the U.S. alone sales of the
drugs top $10 billion a year.

In a newly published essay, anatomy
professor Jonathan Leo, PhD, along
with colleague Jeffrey Lacasse, say
that SSRI ads aimed at the public are
often misleading.

Leo teaches neuroanatomy at Lake Erie
College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Bradenton, Fla.

"The advertising is not portraying
the science in a true light," Leo
tells WebMD.

He says the ads typically claim that
SSRIs restore the serotonin balance
of the brain but adds that there is
"no such thing as a scientifically
established correct balance of
serotonin."

Leo cites a 2002 review which found
that SSRIs were only slightly more
effective than placebo for treating
depression. He adds that efforts to
use brain imaging to document
chemical imbalances linked to mental
illness have proven disappointing.

He also points to studies suggesting
that nondrug treatments, including
psychotherapy and exercise, may be as
effective as drugs for treating
certain mental illnesses.

"As long as people are told about all
these things I have no problem with
using these drugs," he says. "Without
a doubt, they help some people. Our
point is that the explanation for why
they work is simplistic and
potentially misleading."

Movie Star Spat

Leo and Lacasse published their essay
in the December issue of the Public
Library of Science journal PLoS
Medicine. The Public Library of
Science is a privately funded,
nonprofit group that publishes
scientific and medical research and
makes it freely available on its web
site.

Leo says he hopes the paper will make
the public aware that there is
legitimate scientific debate about
whether depression is caused by
chemical imbalance.

"Professionals have researched and
debated this issue for years. It is
not just a public spat between two
movie stars," he says.

He is referring to actor Tom Cruise's
highly publicized criticism of actress
Brooke Shields, who wrote earlier this
year that SSRIs helped her recover
from postpartum depression after the
birth of her first child.

In a June appearance on NBC's Today
Show, Cruise called antidepressants
"very dangerous" and claimed there
was no proof that chemical imbalances
in the brain drive depression.

Shields responded in a New York Times
op-ed piece, calling Cruise's
assertions a "ridiculous rant."

Kramer tells WebMD that while the
serotonin hypothesis may not tell the
whole story, it has led to the
development of an important treatment
for depression and other mental
disorders.

"It turns out that the medicines that
affect serotonin do other things, such
as protect the nerve cells and enhance
[the generation of new nerve cells],"
he says.

SOURCES: Lacasse, J. PLoS Medicine,
December 2005; vol. 2: pp. 101-106.
Jonathan Leo, PhD, associate
professor of anatomy, Lake Erie
College of Osteopathic Medicine,
Bradenton, FL. Peter D. Kramer, MD,
clinical professor of psychiatry and
human behavior, Brown University,
Providence, R.I. Kirsch et al,
British Medical Journal. NDC Health
Corp.

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/114/111406.htm

~~~~~~~~~

_Time Magazine Pacific_ 21 November 2005

The cover story has two articles, too
long to post here:

"Bad Medicine? — Millions of people take
drugs to ward off depression. But skeptics
say the pills may do more harm than good."

"Taking on the Drug Defenders": A spotlight
on journalist Robert Whitaker, author of
_Mad in America_.

http://www.time.com/time/pacific/magazine/0,13674,503051121,00.html

or this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/azqc3

~~~~~~~~~

LINKS TO THE LATEST ON THE
CHEMICAL IMBALANCE CONTROVERSY:

BELOW are web pages with information
about the "chemical imbalance" controversy.

~~~~~~~~~

17 Nov. 2005: MindFreedom alert -- How you may
comment to the FDA about psychiatric drug ads:

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2005-November/
000016.html

or use this shorter url:

http://tinyurl.com/7ettm

~~~~~~~~~

See the 11/14/05 MindFreedom alert about the
excellent essay published by PLoS debunking
advertising claims about a chemical imbalance:

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2005-November/
000014.html

or use this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/cbzzu

~~~~~~~~~

Here is an 11/8/05 MEDSCAPE news article
about the topic and the PLoS essay:

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2005-November/
000015.html

or use the smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/8s5e2

~~~~~~~~~

Here is the text of the 12/05 PLoS essay
that debunks the "chemical imbalance" ads:

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-
document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392

or use this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/8vywy

[For individuals who have trouble viewing
the above, MindFreedom has a plain text
version that can be e-mailed to you free.]

~~~~~~~~~

Here is a print PDF (205 K) version of the PLoS essay:

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/archive/1549-1676/2/12/pdf/
10.1371_journal.pmed.0020392-p-L.pdf

or use this smaller url:

http://tinyurl.com/bcwf3

~~~~~~~~~

For background by FDA on their request for comments:

http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/05-18040.htm

[Please note there is no "period" at end of this
URL; a previous alert added this, our apologies.]

If you have questions about the FDA process
contact Rose Cunningham at the FDA at
CUNNINGHAMR at cder.fda.gov

~~~~~~~~~

See MindFreedom's debate with Pfizer, Inc.,
manufacturer of Zoloft, about their
chemical imbalance claims:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/pfizerlies.shtml

~~~~~~~~~

Also see the historic debate with the
American Psychiatric Association resulting
from MindFreedom's 2003 hunger strike:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/hungerstrike.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~

PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWS TO OTHERS

This news alert is forwarded as a free
public service by the nonprofit human rights
organization MindFreedom International.

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.
* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.
* Support the voices of psychiatric survivors.
* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.

MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor
and affiliate groups with individual members,
and is accredited by the United Nations as
a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with
Consultative Roster Status.

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally
independent groups in the mental health
field with no funding from governments,
drug companies, religions, corporations,
or the mental health system.

JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS
to MindFreedom International today:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join.shtml

For a MAD MARKET of books and products
to support human rights campaigns in
mental health: http://www.madmarket.org

MindFreedom International
454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

http://www.mindfreedom.org
email: office at mindfreedom.org fax: (541) 345-3737
office phone: (541) 345-9106
USA toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE / 1-877-623-7743

~~~~~~~~~

Please forward this to all appropriate
places on and off the Internet, thank you!

_______________________________________________

If you are not on the MindFreedom-News alert list already, sign up for this free non-profit public service here:
http://www.intenex.net/lists/listinfo/mindfreedom-news

~~~~~~

#1233 From: cherielj@...
Date: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:36 am
Subject: Re: prepared foods, insulin (was food additives) cherielj
Offline
Send Email

Many poisoned people have become allergic or otherwise react to wheat, chicken/eggs and beef/milk/cheeze/yogurt – ingredients common in prepared foods. These sensitivities and allergies don't always show up on the available tests but we do better without most prepared foods anyway.

Insulin:
I was recently tested by the saliva method for insulin several times throughout the day and evening. For some reason, my levels were perfectly stable and normal throughout the day. Only the midnight test showed my insulin very high. Single-time-of-day tests would appear to be insufficient to tell us what we need to know.

The lab recommended using very high doses of biotin along with other antioxidents.

Cheriel
````````````````
In a message dated 2/9/06 5:10:46 AM, donald.jacobs6@... writes:

If you just buy organically grown whole foods, and cook everything from scratch, you won't have this problem. Processed food is a contradiction of terms. It is not healthy, and it is questionable if it is still food.
. . . .

Donald

#1232 From: "Donald E. Jacobs" <donald.jacobs6@...>
Date: Thu Feb 9, 2006 1:08 pm
Subject: Re: food additives Donald_E_Jacobs
Offline
Send Email

Green Guide 112 | January/February 2006

Food Additives
by Brian C. Howard

When shopping for quick-prep convenience foods, we
don't necessarily spend much time thinking about
what's in them. And when we do read labels, many of us
find it difficult to understand all the chemical terms
embedded in the fine print. A number of common food
additives should give us cause for concern, however,
and foremost among these are "salt, because of blood
pressure, and sugar because of empty calories," says
Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies
and public health at New York University.

Here's what else to look for:

Salt

The daily allowance of salt recommended by the Food
and Drug Administration is 2,400 milligrams, but the
average American consumes 3,500 to 4,000 milligrams a
day, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. Of
that, 73 percent is added by food manufacturers and
restaurateurs and only 12 percent comes naturally from
food. By far the easiest way to monitor salt intake is
to limit processed foods and select those with lower
sodium amounts.

Sugar

Consumption of sweeteners in the U.S. climbed from 113
pounds per person in 1966 to 142 pounds in 2004,
according to the USDA. Refined sugar, still a common
additive in processed foods such as cookies and cakes,
packs the empty calories and rollercoaster effects on
blood sugar, and is also a cause of tooth decay.
Better choices include honey, which provides some
nutrients in the form of vitamins C, D, E and
B-complex and traces of amino acids, enzymes and
minerals; pure maple syrup (some nutrients); agave
nectar, which absorbs more slowly into the
bloodstream; date sugar (nutrients and minerals); and
xylitol, or birch sugar, which has fewer calories than
sugar. Some nutrients are also provided by raw cane
sugar, maple sugar and Sucanat, a brand name for
organically grown, dehydrated cane juice, to which no
chemicals are added.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a modified form of
corn syrup with increased fructose. It is made by
treating cornstarch with acids or enzymes. This
processing enhances sweetness and makes the syrup
easier to dissolve at lower temperatures, yielding
higher concentrations per unit weight. HFCS often
comes from genetically modified corn. Like refined
sugar, HFCS contains no nutritional value other than
calories and can lead to tooth decay. Use of corn
syrup by food processors has skyrocketed over the
years because it is cheap, and by 2001 Americans
consumed an average of 59 pounds per person in
processed foods such as baked goods and frozen
desserts, tomato sauce, ketchup, canned and frozen
fruits, juices and soft drinks. There is now a heated
debate in the medical community over how the body
processes HFCS, since fructose does not provide the
"satiety" signals to the brain that glucose does. Some
experts also theorize that HFCS causes the liver to
release more fat into the bloodstream. This makes
people feel they want to eat more, even as they are
storing up more fat—worsening the obesity epidemic.

Aspartame, Saccharin and Acesulfame-K

Not only does saccharin cause bladder cancer in male
rats; it may also lead to cancer in female rats and
mice. The German-made sweetener acesulfame-K has been
linked to cancer and other ailments in lab animals.
Aspartame, known as NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful,
accounts for 75 percent of adverse reactions to food
additives reported to the FDA, and it has been linked
to cancer in rats.

Sucralose

Splenda is the trade name of the patented sweetener
sucralose, which is marketed solely around the world
by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Nutritionals.
It is very low in calories and is showing up in soft
drinks, baked goods, sweetener packets and other
items. Lawsuits have been filed against Splenda's
makers by the sugar industry, which objects to what it
considers misleading advertising about sucralose's
natural provenance, arguing that it is a chlorinated
artificial sweetener.

After reviewing the available research, Center for
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) concluded that
Splenda appears safe for consumption. But Whole Foods
banned it from its stores on the basis that there
aren't enough studies to prove that it is safe and
that it requires industrial processing.

Trans Fats (trans fatty acids)

Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are made into
solid fats through hydrogenation, and they can appear
in shortening, margarine, crackers, cookies, candy,
fried foods and other processed foods. It is now well
established that trans fats raise levels of
low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol,
increasing the risk of heart disease. The USDA
recommends keeping trans fatty acid consumption as low
as possible. The FDA now requires listing amounts of
trans fat greater than 1/2 gram per serving on food
labels.

Artificial Colorings

CSPI recommends that consumers avoid foods with
artificial colors. Many of these additives have not
been fully tested for health effects, some have been
tentatively linked to cancers, and others are known to
cause hyperactivity in some children. CSPI considers
Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3 and Yellow 6 the most
risky.

Potassium Bromate

Used in some commercial breadmaking, potassium bromate
may leave traces of bromate itself (a known animal
carcinogen) in foods and is banned in many countries.

Propyl Gallate

This preservative, which can be found in soups,
chewing gum, vegetable oils and meat products, has
been implicated as a possible carcinogen, and CSPI
recommends removing it from your diet.

Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate

Meatpackers have used these additives for years as
preservatives, flavorings and to stabilize colors,
especially in hot dogs, bacon and other processed
meats. According to CSPI, these chemicals can lead to
the formation of small amounts of cancer-causing
chemicals (nitrosamines). Although companies now often
add chemicals to inhibit nitrosamine formation—and
eating processed meats hasn't been conclusively linked
to cancer—organic and other nitrite- and nitrate-free
bacon and ham are increasingly available. And pregnant
women and people with weak immune systems should avoid
processed meats due to the risk of listeria, a
pathogen that can cause illness

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#1231 From: cherielj@...
Date: Thu Feb 9, 2006 3:00 am
Subject: food additives cherielj
Offline
Send Email

Green Guide 112 | January/February 2006

Food Additives
by Brian C. Howard

When shopping for quick-prep convenience foods, we
don't necessarily spend much time thinking about
what's in them. And when we do read labels, many of us
find it difficult to understand all the chemical terms
embedded in the fine print. A number of common food
additives should give us cause for concern, however,
and foremost among these are "salt, because of blood
pressure, and sugar because of empty calories," says
Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies
and public health at New York University.

Here's what else to look for:

Salt

The daily allowance of salt recommended by the Food
and Drug Administration is 2,400 milligrams, but the
average American consumes 3,500 to 4,000 milligrams a
day, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. Of
that, 73 percent is added by food manufacturers and
restaurateurs and only 12 percent comes naturally from
food. By far the easiest way to monitor salt intake is
to limit processed foods and select those with lower
sodium amounts.

Sugar

Consumption of sweeteners in the U.S. climbed from 113
pounds per person in 1966 to 142 pounds in 2004,
according to the USDA. Refined sugar, still a common
additive in processed foods such as cookies and cakes,
packs the empty calories and rollercoaster effects on
blood sugar, and is also a cause of tooth decay.
Better choices include honey, which provides some
nutrients in the form of vitamins C, D, E and
B-complex and traces of amino acids, enzymes and
minerals; pure maple syrup (some nutrients); agave
nectar, which absorbs more slowly into the
bloodstream; date sugar (nutrients and minerals); and
xylitol, or birch sugar, which has fewer calories than
sugar. Some nutrients are also provided by raw cane
sugar, maple sugar and Sucanat, a brand name for
organically grown, dehydrated cane juice, to which no
chemicals are added.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a modified form of
corn syrup with increased fructose. It is made by
treating cornstarch with acids or enzymes. This
processing enhances sweetness and makes the syrup
easier to dissolve at lower temperatures, yielding
higher concentrations per unit weight. HFCS often
comes from genetically modified corn. Like refined
sugar, HFCS contains no nutritional value other than
calories and can lead to tooth decay. Use of corn
syrup by food processors has skyrocketed over the
years because it is cheap, and by 2001 Americans
consumed an average of 59 pounds per person in
processed foods such as baked goods and frozen
desserts, tomato sauce, ketchup, canned and frozen
fruits, juices and soft drinks. There is now a heated
debate in the medical community over how the body
processes HFCS, since fructose does not provide the
"satiety" signals to the brain that glucose does. Some
experts also theorize that HFCS causes the liver to
release more fat into the bloodstream. This makes
people feel they want to eat more, even as they are
storing up more fat—worsening the obesity epidemic.

Aspartame, Saccharin and Acesulfame-K

Not only does saccharin cause bladder cancer in male
rats; it may also lead to cancer in female rats and
mice. The German-made sweetener acesulfame-K has been
linked to cancer and other ailments in lab animals.
Aspartame, known as NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful,
accounts for 75 percent of adverse reactions to food
additives reported to the FDA, and it has been linked
to cancer in rats.

Sucralose

Splenda is the trade name of the patented sweetener
sucralose, which is marketed solely around the world
by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Nutritionals.
It is very low in calories and is showing up in soft
drinks, baked goods, sweetener packets and other
items. Lawsuits have been filed against Splenda's
makers by the sugar industry, which objects to what it
considers misleading advertising about sucralose's
natural provenance, arguing that it is a chlorinated
artificial sweetener.

After reviewing the available research, Center for
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) concluded that
Splenda appears safe for consumption. But Whole Foods
banned it from its stores on the basis that there
aren't enough studies to prove that it is safe and
that it requires industrial processing.

Trans Fats (trans fatty acids)

Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are made into
solid fats through hydrogenation, and they can appear
in shortening, margarine, crackers, cookies, candy,
fried foods and other processed foods. It is now well
established that trans fats raise levels of
low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol,
increasing the risk of heart disease. The USDA
recommends keeping trans fatty acid consumption as low
as possible. The FDA now requires listing amounts of
trans fat greater than 1/2 gram per serving on food
labels.

Artificial Colorings

CSPI recommends that consumers avoid foods with
artificial colors. Many of these additives have not
been fully tested for health effects, some have been
tentatively linked to cancers, and others are known to
cause hyperactivity in some children. CSPI considers
Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3 and Yellow 6 the most
risky.

Potassium Bromate

Used in some commercial breadmaking, potassium bromate
may leave traces of bromate itself (a known animal
carcinogen) in foods and is banned in many countries.

Propyl Gallate

This preservative, which can be found in soups,
chewing gum, vegetable oils and meat products, has
been implicated as a possible carcinogen, and CSPI
recommends removing it from your diet.

Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate

Meatpackers have used these additives for years as
preservatives, flavorings and to stabilize colors,
especially in hot dogs, bacon and other processed
meats. According to CSPI, these chemicals can lead to
the formation of small amounts of cancer-causing
chemicals (nitrosamines). Although companies now often
add chemicals to inhibit nitrosamine formation—and
eating processed meats hasn't been conclusively linked
to cancer—organic and other nitrite- and nitrate-free
bacon and ham are increasingly available. And pregnant
women and people with weak immune systems should avoid
processed meats due to the risk of listeria, a
pathogen that can cause illness

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#1229 From: cherielj@...
Date: Thu Feb 2, 2006 2:58 am
Subject: FWD: Vit B12/folate deficiency mechanism & relationship to mercury poisoning cherielj
Offline
Send Email

This is very technical and difficult to read because of the translation, but contains important information so I am sending it along:

CJ
```````````````````````
Cheriel

Europe is way ahead of us in researching good health
Here is an article . . . about Vitamin B12 deficiency and mercury

A report of DUMEX-ALPHARMA- Sweden

Dear Member of the International MELISA Society,

Thank you very much for nice company at the Knapplhof and for
interesting lectures. Some of you have asked me to summarize my, maybe,
somewhat confusing overview on vitamin B12. I shall try to do that.

The reason vitamin B12 is interesting in this context is that the
symptomatology of mercury overload and of vitamin B12 deficiency to a
great extent are very similar, sometimes almost identical and this might
be not just a coincidence.

Some of the well known symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency - other than
anemia - are:

Depression, fatigue, concentration difficulties, weakness (often of the
legs), memory impairment, personality changes, neuropathia, anosmia,
incontinence etc.

You have probably encountered many of these symptoms in your
"mercury patients".

How does vitamin B12 work?

Vitamin B12 is active as a coenzyme in mainly two enzymatic
intracellular reactions. In one, the adenosyl B12 form mediates the
conversion of methylmalonic coenzyme A to succinylcoenzyme A, a reaction
connected to the citric acid cycle and thus of importance for the
carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Adenosylcobalamin constitutes the
major intracellular pool of vitamin B12. A depletion of
adenosylcobalamin results in an increase in the methylmalonic acid (MMA)
concentration. As MMA diffuses out of the cell the levels in plasma or
serum can be used to check the adenosyl B12- status. MMA is a specific
but rather late marker for vitamin B12 deficiency.

The other reaction in which vitamin B12 is involved is the recycling of
homocysteine into methionine in the so called methylation cycle
(illustrated p. 19 in the enclosed brochure). In this methylation cycle
methyl B12 bound to methionine synthetase (MS) interacts closely with
folates in that it donates its methyl group to homocysteine which then
forms methionine. Cobalamin then accepts a methyl group from
methyltetrahydrofolate (methyl THF) to form THF, which participates in
the synthesis of DNA.

Methionine is further converted into S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) by ATP.
SAM is a very essential methyldonator in a lot of reactions - more than
100 enzymes have been identified so far, requiring SAM. SAM is i.e.
involved in protein and myelin synthesis and is required in the
metabolism of transmittor substances such as dopamine, serotonine,
(nor)adrenaline and histamine. This explains why a vitamin
B12-deficiency can manifest itself in so many different ways.

SAM does actually exist as a drug in some countries. lt has been shown
to be as effective as tricyclic antidepressives and also effective in
fibromyalgia. However there is a drawback as one risks accumulation
of homocysteine. Therefore one should rather aim at optimizing the
methyl B12/folate mediated recycling of homocysteine into methionine
and SAM.

If the conversion of homocysteine to methionine (and SAM) does not work
properly, homocysteine will accumulate in the cell from where it
diffuses into blood. A methylcobalamin deficiency therefore induces a
hyperhomocysteinemia. The homocysteine level is thus a marker of the
methyl B12 status - but also for the folate status as there is such a
close interaction between folate and methyl B12. This test is thus a
less specific than MMA but an earlier marker for B12 deficiency as
methyl B12 constitutes a minor part of the B12 pool (though it normally
dominates in blood) and is first depleted in B12 deficiency.

However, the important recycling of homocysteine to methionine and SAM
can be disturbed not only by vitamin B12, or folate deficiency.

Enzyme defects

Normally the enzymes in the methylation cycle are regulated by feed back
mechanisms very accurately to meet the needs. lf, however, an enzyme
involved in the reactions is defective, the whole mechanism may be
disturbed. lt has recently been shown that congenital enzyme defects of
i.e. methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are quite common. The
consequence of a MTHFR defect is that Vitamin B12 and folate can not act
properly - you get a functional vitamin deficiency in spite of normal
levels of these vitamins. Between 10 and 19 % of a general population
are homozygotes for a so called thermolabile MTHFR with a low to very
low, enzyme capacity (several studies are available from different
countries). Even the heterozygotes have an impaired enzymatic function.

A functional deficiency can however more or less be compensated for by
giving larger doses of vitamin B12, and folic acid which optimize the
available enzyme capacity.

It is interesting that two recent studies have shown that parents of
children with NTD (neural tube defects) are homocygotes for the
thermolabile MTHFR – more than three times more than in parents having
normal children.

Maybe these enzyme defects are overrepresented also among your mercury
patients making them more, vulnerable? In Sweden there is right now a
study running to check if this defect is an overall risk factor - for
death - in comparing the prevalence of the defect in newborns with the
prevalence in 80-year-olds!

The diet is another factor that influences the methylation cycle. Large
quantities of methionine from food (meat for instance) result in high
levels of SAM. High levels of SAM downregulate MTHFR and MS
(methioninsyntase) - even if their activity is already reduced. This
results in - more or less - a block of the remethylation of homocysteine
- which accumulates even though the transulfuration pathway into
cysteine is upregulated. When SAM is depleted, MTHFR and MS are again
upregulated. A vitamin B12 deficiency gives the same result. (Maybe
that's why one common symptom of B12 deficiency is aversion to meat?)

What has all this to do with mercury?

*Well, there may well be some important links. The monovalent cobalt
atom in methyl B12 is readily oxidized by various compounds - for
instance nitrous oxide. This oxidation inactivates methioninsyntase (MS)
which has then to be formed de novo. Mercury, as we know, does oxidize
many compounds, logically also cobalt. lf this hypothesis (which is
about to be verified), is confirmed,_ it means that mercury can block
the methylation cycle and thus induce a functional B12 deficiency
(folates are not altered). This in turn is one explanation of why
symptoms of mercury overload and vitamin B12-deficiency may be
identical! _*

There is also a second possible interaction between vitamin B12, and
mercury. *_Mercury has indeed been shown to impair the Transport of
vitamin B12 over the blood-brain barrier which results in a low
CSF/serum concentration ratio of the vitamin. Low CSF levels of vitamin
B12 (and high CSF-homocysteine levels) have been observed in
fibromyalgia (chronic fatigue syndrome), MS and in dementia. High doses
of vitamin B12, that overcome the block to some extent, has had
sometimes stunning results in these conditions. _*

How can you check if vitamin B12 status and the methylation cycle have
been affected in your patients?

The availability of the new marker for functional methyl B12/folate
activity, that is homocysteine levels in plasma, serum and/or CSF
actually means a revolution. The analyses are not readily available yet
everywhere - but they will be! (Four years ago there was only 1 lab in
Sweden proposing it and then at a very high price. Today about 15 labs
offer it for little more than SEK 100!)

*_A high homocysteine level means that somethig is wrong in the
methylation cycle but not what is wrong. The reason might be a
quantitave B12 or folate deficiency, or a functional deficiency due to a
hereditary or mercury induced enzyme deficiency, or in the case of an
isolated high CSF level, a mercury induced distribution deficiency.
However it is not yet possible to verify if mercury is the underlying
factor, although high mercury levels may indicate this. However,
whichever the cause of the _* deficiency in the methylation cycle,
vitamin B12 and folate treatment may ameliorate the situation. Larger
doses of vitamin B12 will promote a passive diffusion (to the CSF) and
will optimize the action of a deficient enzyme.

Which doses should one give and how often?

This is a tricky question, as you do not know how severe the deficiency
is or how impaired the patients enzymes are. Therefore the best advice
is to give a dose that is high enough, whatever the causes. You can do
this as the toxicity of vitamin B12 is extremely low. There are no
serious side effects ever reported with vitamin B12. The reason for this
could be that there is kind of servo steering. The effect is limited by
the enzyme capacity - which is wisely maximized not to hurt us.
Therefore one can give an aggressive treatment initially till the patient
gets better. Subsequently the patient is a very good "biosensor" as he
or she feels when another injection is called for! -*_You must bear in
mind, that if you are treating a B12 deficiency syndrome, the chances of
reversibility of the neurologic symptoms are smaller the longer the
symptoms have been there. Often 6 months of intensive treatment are
needed before one sees a substantial amelioration._* However some
symptoms may respond very quickly - i.e. depression, fatigue and memory
disturbances, which is logical considering the importance of SAM for the
transmittor substances.

What preparation should you use?

In Europe there are two derivatives on the market; cyanocobalamin and
hydroxycobalamin, in the US only the former. The reason of this is that
these two forms are the easiest to synthesize! lt would be more logical
to use the coenzymes, that is methyl- and/or adenosylcobalamin. These
products have been on the market - but never promoted - in southern
Europe - the market being considered too small, as the sole indication
until recently was pernicious anemia, that is absence of intrinsic
factor affecting about 1% of the population over 60!

There is still methylcobalamin preparations in Portugal, but their
documentation (quality) does not correspond to current requirements. In
contrast to this methylcobalamin (Methycobal) is the leading derivative
in Japan and this product is also well documented. lt is going to be
introduced in Sweden and hopefully subsequently in other european
countries. The advantage of this derivative is that it replaces the most
vulnerable form of vitamin B12 methylcobalamin – directly without having
to rely on the whole transformation chain from cyano- or
hydroxycobalamin (8 steps). Deficiencies in this chain may not be that
rare. Moreover there is an enzyme saturation level in the synthesis of
the active coenzymes, above which the cyano- or hydroxycobalamin
accumulates and then compete with the active forms at the binding sites,
which may actually worsen the situation!

To summarize

*_I am obviously an incurable B12 fan - to the extent to bet (12 bottles
of champagne) with any of you, that if you check the CSF levels of
homocysteine/B12 in your typical "mercury patients" and compare them with
the values from matched healthy controls without fillings, I am
convinced that you will find significant differencies with such a small
sample as 15 + 15! That is, I am convinced that many mercury induced
symptoms are secondary B12 deficiency symptoms! This, of course, does
not mean that vitamin B12 is the answer to everything and it also
depends on other vitamins for its action, as it interacts not only with
folates, but also requires vitamin E for its action, which in turn
requires vitamin C for its regeneration and so on. One should not forget
vitamin B6 either, which is required to get rid of homocysteine by the
transulfuration pathway, but one must first make sure that the
methylation cycle is all right. _*

Actually one can induce a neuropathy in giving very large doses of B6 to
healthy individuals!

Of course many other factors can also be affected by heavy metals, but I
am convinced that the methylation cycle is crucial in this context.

By the way, do bear in mind that if you have a block in the
methioninsyntase- acitivity and add vitamin B12, the plasma folate
levels will decrease very fast as more intracellular - and active - THF
will form! Thus, always add some folic acid as well to the treatment
regimen even if the initial folate levels are normal.

In interpreting your homocysteine levels you should bear in mind that
the reference levels for homocysteine are based on values from a general
population - not necessarily a healthy general population and the upper
reference limit is therefore often rather high.

lt is shown that hyperhomocysteinemia is risk factor for cardiovascular
disease and that the risk is concentration dependent and begins at 10-11
mmol/l! Homocoysteine may also be cytotoxic - thus carcinogen - and
embryotoxic.

Christina Bolander-Gouaille

Dumex-Alpharma AB; Helmfeltsgatan 9b, P.O. Box 3501, S-250 03
Helsingborg, Sweden

Fon: +46 (0) 42-14 90 20

Fax: +46 (0) 42-14 83 60

#1228 From: "Janine Ridings" <janiner58@...>
Date: Mon Jan 30, 2006 3:52 pm
Subject: Clean Room at Calvary Chapel Eastside janineridings
Offline
Send Email

Hi Everyone;

I wanted to share my pastor's vision for building a "clean room" for the
chemically sensitive when we build our new building soon...Here is what
Pastor Robert Case posted at Calvary Eastside's Web Site about the "clean
room":

   Good News for the Chemically Sensitive:

"The LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted." Isaiah 61:1

There exists within our cities a growing number of men and women who have
become allergic to almost every kind of fragrance. They have become
home-bound, unable to cope with the potentially debilitating airborne
chemicals found in public facilities or on the clothes, skin or hair of
people at large. For the believer this means doing without the one thing
King David desired of the Lord. "One thing I have asked from the LORD, that
I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my
life." Psalm 27:4

Perhaps for the first time a "clean room" will be built on the perimeter of
a sanctuary with a private entrance where chemically sensitive persons can
worship with the rest of the congregation in the house of the Lord! The wall
of glass that protects them will span from 12 inches off the floor to 8 feet
high, giving them, as much as possible, the sense of being together with the
body of Christ. For more information about this ministry to the chemically
sensitive please go to www.aromaofchrist.com.

The above info. can be found at this link:

http://www.calvarychapeleastside.com/building-project/a-house-for-his-name-3.htm\
l

To view the "clean room" plans, click on "First Floor Plans." It is located
at the left rear of the sanctuary:

http://www.calvarychapeleastside.com/building-project/floor-plans-and-artistic-r\
enderings.html

Hope this gives you all hope! There are churches who care about us! Please
feel free to forward this information to anyone you think might benefit from
hearing about this project.

Warm regards,

Janine Ridings
Founder/Director
Aroma of Christ Ministry
www.aromaofchrist.com