The British Food Standards Agency has found that foods with a lower nutritional density (quality), is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer. In Issue #52 I talked about the declining nutrients in conventional food. The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine 2018. 

More research on the dangers of fluoride continue to be released. Fluoride is a known neurotoxin and over 50 human studies have shown that exposure to fluoride lowers intelligence. A new study from the Harvard Medical School linked elevated levels of fluoride to lowered IQ’s in children. Other studies have found it causes memory impairments and brain damage. Note: I wonder if a life time of exposure to this toxic chemical via our water and toothpaste has contributed to the massive rise in dementia in our older population. Fluoride also accumulates in our aorta, which leads to oxidative stress creating an inflammatory response which then contributes to atherosclerosis and heart damage. Other studies have linked fluoride to high blood pressure and a higher risk of stroke and heart attacks. Over 60 studies have linked fluoride exposure to male infertility, reducing both the quantity and quality of a man’s sperm and reducing testosterone levels. Several studies have now linked fluoride exposure with weakened bones resulting in common diseases. Lastly new studies have found that fluoride causes genetic damage that can contribute to cancer. Last week we talked about a condition called “leaky Gut Syndrome” caused by eating GMO foods, ingesting even small amounts of fluoride can damage the stomach lining making this problem worse. Fluoride also damages our plants and our soils. Several companies are now making filters to remove this toxic chemical. The following websites have updated information on the dangers of fluoridation. 

https://fluoridealert.org/news/ 

https://fluoride.mercola.com/    

http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/fluoride.html 

Another food we do not often think about is the nuts from Pine trees or Pine Nuts. Not only is pine nuts a good source of magnesium they contain pinolenic acid which triggers the release of appetite suppressing hormones. The Dr. Mercola website has a good article on the benefits of pine nuts. https://www.mercola.com/ 

Here is a brain teaser for you: “Why does the FDA allow processed junk food like chocolate pudding, toaster pastries, and sugar laden cereal to be labeled as healthy and will not allow organic free range eggs to be labeled as healthy? The Environmental Working Group has found that many common cereals are full of the toxic cancer causing chemical glyphosate. 

Most of us know that heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury, etc. cause many types of health problems. An article in the Microchemical Journal (March, 2012) was on cadmium (Cd). In the articles on minerals last year we talked about the dangers of this element. It turns out the major source of this toxic element is the rock phosphate used to make artificial fertilizers. Some of the rock phosphates had levels of cadmium over 507 ppm. Year after year farmers keep applying the phosphate and the cadmium builds up in the soil. When food crops are grown on this contaminated soils the toxic cadmium enters the food supply. Cadmium is highly toxic if we have too much, where it will damage kidneys and other organs (in high levels it is also toxic to plant tissue). The human body tries to remove cadmium from our bodies by transporting it to our kidneys in an attempt for it to be eliminated. However, in binds tightly to many enzymes and can be stored for over 30 years! Cadmium replaces zinc and binds over 300 times tighter to the enzymes. This is why having sufficient zinc in our diets is very important as it prevents most cadmium from being absorbed. For a more detailed discussion, see page 90-91 in “Nature’s Building Blocks – An A-Z Guide to the Elements, John Emsley, Oxford University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7”. NOTE: There is no commercial means of removing the cadmium from the fertilizer. In addition, one of the major sources of the toxic fluoride is the mining and manufacture of rock phosphate for artificial fertilizers. To prevent this issue from occurring only use high quality organic fertilizers as found in the Microlife™ family.    

A good natural source of zinc (Zn) is the nuts from pecan trees (Carya illinoinensis). Pecans also provide many other nutrients and benefits. They raise good cholesterol and lower the bad. Men whom regularly consume pecans have a lower risk of gallstones and several studies have shown that pecans help protect against cardiovascular disease. Other studies have shown that a diet rich in pecans helps with diabetes. Pecans are drought tolerant, wonderful shade trees, and the wood is great for grilling and bar-b-que as well as firewood. No wonder it is the state tree of Texas. 

The bayous and streams in Houston have had elevated levels of bad bacteria in them for years. According to a lawsuit filed this week, the City of Houston has had over 9,300 cases of illegal dumping of sewage into our bayous and streams over the last 5 years. When runoff from properties using the water soluble artificial fertilizers, the nitrogen gets into our streams when it rains or people over water their yards. Bacteria are the most nitrogen rich life-form on earth and without nitrogen they cannot grow and reproduce. The sewage provides the source of the pathogens and the artificial fertilizers feed them. If we want to correct the bacterial issue in our streams we have to quit dumping pathogens into the water and quit feeding them. When one uses artificial fertilizers they are part of the problem. Switch to organics and be part of the solution.