Amid today’s discussion of the renewable energy crisis and the impacts of fossil fuel harvest and consumption, many people are forgetting one major industry that is fed by the oil rigs – the textile industry.

This sleeping giant is responsible for greater environmental contamination and more waste than any other industry, and due to the unawareness of the general population, its demand is ever-increasing.

The discussion surrounding carbon emissions and fuel consumption is a worthwhile one to be had, for sure, but the silence surrounding the flagrant disregard for environmental safety in the textile industry is one that has gone on long enough.

It’s time to bust this can of worms wide open and acknowledge what many of us have wondered the extent of for some time – the vast and unconscionable lapse in ethics and environmental concern in the textile industry.

The Rise of Man-Made Fibers

Once upon a time, things were made with pretty simple materials, but the process was very time and labor intensive, and as the industry grew, one of the first areas it took hold in was in textiles. We went from small farmers hand-spinning wool to gigantic factories mass-producing fabrics by the ton.

As the manufacturing process expanded and was refined, modern “improvements” were made. Chemicals were added to the fabrics to help prevent wrinkles and shrinkage. The fabrics were soaked in great vats of artificial dyes and flame retardants, and soon the factory workers had to wear masks to compensate for the health hazards associated with working with these chemicals.

Then came the advent of a petroleum-based textile that many forget is a product of the big oil industry – polyester. This cheap fiber was much more cost-effective to produce than natural fibers like wool and cotton and could be made in any color or elasticity. Its versatility quickly contributed to its rise with every major clothing and textile retailer in the world. Polyester began its reign.

The Effects on Your Health

First, let’s scale things down a bit and focus on how the modern textile industry’s functionality is directly affecting you. After all, there’s no greater way to tug on the heartstrings of a populace and compel them to give a damn than to show them how it directly affects them, so let’s engage in a little shameless emotional manipulation here.

With their convenience and cost-savings, these artificial fibers and manufacturing methods brought a host of problems that, for the most part, still remain quietly under the rug. We’re surrounded by fabrics all the time, and most of us never give a second thought as to how those textiles came about or the consequences of their production.

Polyester is essentially a plastic – a petroleum-based product that’s the result of a long, toxic manufacturing process. Plastics themselves have been found to cause hormonal disruption and are strongly linked to the formation of breast cancer cells¹.

The connections between health concerns and polyester and plastic are still being studied. Though polyester and plastic are derived from the same chemical compound, the finishing process creates a much different product. However, it has been discovered that polyester emits phytoestrogens³, which are known endocrine system disruptors and, are again, strongly linked with breast cancer.

The bottom line is, we’re still studying and understanding the long-term health effects of artificial fibers like polyester and the finishing processes that go into them. The textiles themselves are only the tip of the iceberg, and many printed clothes use PVC for screen printing – a compound that is considered so dangerous to human health, it’s been banned from use in water supply pipes and is on its way to being regulated out of the children’s toy industry⁴.

Flame retardant chemicals pose another threat entirely. Since synthetic fibers burn much more quickly than natural ones, manufacturers have taken to using a host of flame retardants decrease the flammability of these textiles. The result has certainly been effective at making products more fire safe, but the effects and health concerns linked to flame retardant chemicals are well known², and many government regulation bodies are taking a stand against their use.

…levels of the chemicals in the blood of North Americans appear to have been doubling every two to five years for the past several decades.”

Acting on growing evidence that these flame retardants can accumulate in people and cause adverse health effects — interfering with hormones, reproductive systems, thyroid and metabolic function, and neurological development in infants and children — the federal government and various states have limited or banned the use of some of these chemicals, as have other countries.” ~Elizabeth Grossman, Yale Environment 360

Despite this knowledge, there is no blanket ban in the U.S. for flame retardant chemicals, and a staggering number of companies and manufacturers are still using chemical cocktails that run the gamut, from electronics to baby bedding. The result?

“Many infants are in physical contact with products treated with these chemicals 24 hours a day.”

It’s a scary thought that some of our most fragile, precious lives are the ones most frequently and consistently in contact with these items, but it’s the humbling truth, and it doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Though legislation has been passed by a few state governments, the bottom line is that manufacturing of products drenched in these chemicals is still widespread, and the process isn’t likely to change until new formulations that are safer, but still effective at slowing fires, are developed.

How Do You Avoid Flame Retardant Chemicals?

The issue with flame retardant chemicals is a challenging one. We don’t want to expose ourselves and our children to chemicals that have been proven to be detrimental to our health, but in a world full of petroleum-based products that burn quickly and easily, it’s essential to protect ourselves from these highly flammable materials.

Companies have done some experimenting, but ultimately, what comes back is almost always another version of the same product with many of the same health concerns. The industries argue that these chemicals are saving lives, and who can debate that when the products they are treating are so highly flammable?

The solution is simple. We need to stop using highly flammable textiles in the first place. It all comes full circle back to petroleum-based products, and that’s where the majority of the issues lie. By sourcing products made from natural fibers, which burn much more slowly, we avoid the need for flame retardant chemicals.

We’re Poisoning Our Planet for Fabrics

It sounds sensationalist, but that’s as simple and cut and dried as it gets. The textile industry is responsible for a whopping 20% of industrial water pollution⁷, with many of the compounds being permanent fixtures in our world’s water supply. Cancer-causing endocrine disruptors and synthetic chemical compounds that won’t ever break down are now a part of our water supply, and there’s little hope of changing that.

Aside from the chemical cocktails that frequently pollute our water supply, there is a massive energy input needed for modern man-made textiles and a tremendous amount of waste in those industries. Most synthetic fibers are direct products of the petroleum industry, where a tremendous amount of energy is needed just to harvest the raw materials, let alone convert it to fabric.

The process of turning petroleum into polyester is a nasty one. Factory workers, many of them children, often experience horrible work conditions and face a host of health issues. The superheating of the materials needed to create polyester is horribly energy-intensive, and the by-products are known to cause lasting, long-term, and often debilitating health effects.

Textile Safety and Sustainability – Even Natural Fibers Aren’t Exempt

Despite the stunning array of health and environmental concerns associated with man-made fibers and their chemical processes, it’s only fair to shed light on another issue that’s similarly troubling – the impacts of conventional agriculture on the natural fiber industry.

It’s an unfortunate fact that the cotton industry accounts for 6.8% of worldwide pesticide use and 16% of insecticide use, despite being grown on only 2.5% of the world’s agricultural lands⁵. Conventional cotton farming methods are far from sustainable. And the worst part? Those chemicals are in your clothes.

The health risks associated with the use of pesticides for humans is well-known and documented with the primary concerns being for neurological issues, endocrine system disruption, respiratory problems, and even cancer⁶.

Healthy Alternatives to Toxic Textiles

In a market so rampantly saturated with the use of pesticides, the best thing you can do for your health and safety is to source organic cotton and wool products whenever possible. Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and is typically grown in areas with greater regulation for worker safety – not factories and child-labor powered institutions.

Wool is a fantastic material as well that is often produced by small farmers, so purchasing it is a great way to support them. Organic mattresses often use a combination of organic wool and organic cotton. Natural latex options are a great way to avoid polyesters in furniture and mattresses, and there are even some manufactured foam products that are made without the use of nasty chemicals like formaldehyde and parabens. Of course, organic cotton and wool are also a great choice for mattresses, pillows, and furniture cushions.

Take a good hard look around your home, and you’ll see that petroleum-based products dominate our lives. From plastics to polyesters, these products seem unavoidable, but the health effects and environmental concerns are too far-reaching to overlook.

It’s time to start making better product selections. Get started with the area of your home where your skin makes the most contact with synthetic fibers every day – your bed. Natural mattresses are a crucial stepping stone to putting your foot down and saying no to the toxic, unsustainable practices of the textile industry.

OEKO-TEX: The Easy Way to Spot Safe Materials

If you’re buying lots of manufactured items like baby toys, bedding, and equipment, OEKO-TEX maintains a fabulous standard for vetting products and materials for safety compliance. This third-party testing system consists of an international group of scientists and laboratories who offer their certifications to products meeting their stringent standards and objective test criteria.

There is no data manipulation, no conflict of interest – just the information you need to make an informed purchase decision. If a product has met their standards for testing, they won’t be quiet about it. Look for the label or a mention of this certification in product descriptions.

It gets pretty technical, but if you’d like to take a look for yourself, dive into the OEKO-TEX guidelines here. Now we recommend you clean out your closet and check out Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System, and make sure you’re sleeping on a nontoxic mattress like the ones below.

Related Products:

• Green Lifestyle Market – Home

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• How Himalayan Salt Lamps Work
• Why your Couch is Killing You
• Animal Textiles
• Hemp
• Corporations, Our Health, and a History of Failed Technologies

Sources:

• What is the connection between chemicals and breast cancer? – Tufts Journal
• Are Flame Retardants Safe? Growing Evidence Says ‘No’ – YaleEnvironment 360
• Is polyester upholstery fabric bad for our health? – Doctor Healthy
• Is your T-shirt toxic? – Green Living
• The risks of cotton farming – Organic Cotton
• Effects of Pesticides on Human Health – Toxipedia
• Sustainability of textiles – Retail Forum for Sustainability

Glyphosate, the extra secret ingredient in the majority of our food supply, will now have a harder time going incognito. After the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a criticism of the FDA and the USDA’s current herbicide monitoring practices, the FDA, the highest food safety administration in the land, announced they have finally developed a “streamlined method” designed for testing foods like corn and soy for glyphosate, the active ingredient in the world’s most popular herbicide, Roundup.

Roundup use has been on the rise since its introduction in 1974, and the amount of glyphosate residue considered “safe” has ballooned by a factor of 17. The EPA allows fifty times more glyphosate to be sprayed on corn now than they allowed in 1995. Continued claims that Roundup is safe, though it was recently labeled a possible human carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and claims that residue levels are of no concern, though the FDA wasn’t even testing glyphosate residue levels on crops, has further tarnished the reputations of the EPA, the USDA, and the FDA. 

Reasons or Excuses?

It’s kind of crazy that the FDA, the organization tasked with monitoring herbicides, has not been testing for the world’s most used herbicide. It’s like getting an STD test at a clinic and not testing for syphilis. The FDA cites the cost of testing as the reason for excluding glyphosate from their testing. Adding glyphosate testing to six of the FDA’s facilities has an estimated cost of 5 million. Monsanto makes 5 billion dollars a year in revenue from glyphosate while also supplying the FDA with some of the highest ranking individuals working there. Is it too far of a stretch to wonder if neglecting to test for Roundup residue was really an issue of cost?  Or was it an excuse to allow one of the largest corporations to keep selling massive amounts of a substance increasingly recognized as detrimental to human health?

Living in the Now

The study by the WHO that identified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic” has been a game changer. It’s possible we wouldn’t know about the lack of reliable glyphosate testing without that study, as the GAO report criticizing the FDA’s lax practices was actually released in 2014. While that timeline definitely fits, there are also other factors prompting this announcement from the FDA.

Independent testing companies like Abraxis and MIcrobe have seen an uptick in requests for glyphosate testing after the WHO study was published. Small companies, advocate groups, and doctors are among the customers asking for this information more than ever before. Test requests at some labs have increased from a few a year to a few a week, indicating that food transparency is a rising interest. Test results showed glyphosate residues in a variety of products from honey to soy sauce to infant formula.

Keep the Ball Rolling

Here’s the good news: public pressure can produce results. We still don’t know the extent to which herbicides like glyphosate can affect our health,  but we’ll never know without proper study of all available information. The push for food transparency is on its way to making a big difference in our health and our quality of life.

Related Articles:

• MIT Researcher Reveals the Correlation Between Monsanto’s Roundup and Autism
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Glyphosate Drenched Crops
• Scientists Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research

Sources:

• FDA to Start Testing For Glyphosate in Food – Civil Eats
• Fears Over Roundup Residue Prompt Private Testing – Reuters
• The FDA Will Began Testing Food For Glyphosate, the Most Heavily Used Farm Chemical Ever – Newsweek

The CDC reports a frightening birth defect, gastroschisis, is on the rise both worldwide and in the United States. Its cause is unknown.

What is Gastroschisis?

Gastroschisis is birth defect that occurs when the muscles of the abdominal wall fail to form correctly and a hole (large or small) results. The infant is born with intestines and sometimes other organs outside of the body.

In addition to the necessary corrective surgery, the infant may be challenged with damage to the intestines. Exposure to amniotic fluid in utero can cause the intestines to shorten, twist, or swell. Children with large protrusions or multiple organ exposure may require several surgeries to correct the defect. Gastroschisis increases the risk of medical complications and mortality. Long-term complications include digestive issues and difficulty absorbing nutrients.

What Is the Cause of Gastroschisis?

The cause is unknown and the reason for the rise in this defect is also unknown. The CDC reports, “A 2008 review noted that risk factors associated with gastroschisis, after adjusting for maternal age, have included lower socioeconomic status, lower body mass index and other indicators of poor nutrition (lower intake of high-quality nutrients and dietary fats), smoking, use of illicit drugs, alcohol, or analgesic medications, and genitourinary infections. Additionally, among multiparous and multigravida mothers, a change in paternity since the previous pregnancy has been associated with gastroschisis. Studies have also indicated possible age-specific associations between gastroschisis and prior pregnancy loss, as well as with certain infections.”

But these factors do not always apply. Megan Lehman shared the following on Facebook: (Quoted with permission)

I have always wondered what caused my precious baby boy to be born with this condition, and let me tell you, it was not alcohol, drugs, or poverty that they are now discovering increases the risk. What I did do, and very early on in my pregnancy before young and stupid me knew better, was ride on a tractor while my husband worked the fields on his family farm.”

…expectant mothers need to be warned of pesticides, chemicals in our foods, and maybe even in the prenatal vitamins that we take so carefully. An increase in incidence means something is causing it and likely many other issues as well.”

How Prevalent Is Gastroschisis?

The prevalence of gastroschisis has been on the rise since the 1980s and has risen in every category of race/ethnicity and maternal age group. Collected data showed the number of cases doubled during 1995–2005 compared to earlier reports. Reports comparing 1995-2005 with 2006-2012 show another 30% increase. Prevalence has risen from 3.6 per 10,000 births to 4.9 per 10,000 births. (Based on data collected from 14 states’ surveillance programs.)

Over the past 30 years, Utah has seen a ten-fold increase in gastroschisis” – IBIS

During the period 1995- 2012 the increased was:

• 68% for infants born to young white mothers less than 20 years old.
• 268% for infants born to young black mother less than 20 years old.

This alarming increase in prevalence among young black mothers does not denote higher overall numbers in this racial group. White and Hispanic young mothers report higher overall incidences.

Incidence Per 10,000 Births by State

• Arizona – 5.5 per 10,000 births (1:1818)
• Arkansas – 6.3 per 10,000 births (1:1587)
• California – 5.4 per 10,000 births (1:1852)
• Colorado – 4.4 per 10,000 births (1:2273)
• Delaware – 6.1 per 10,000 births (1:1639)
• Florida – 4.4 per 10,000 births (1:2273)
• Georgia – 4.5 per 10,000 births (1:2222)
• Illinois – 4.0 per 10,000 births (1:2500)
• Indiana – 4.5 per 10,000 births (1:2222)
• Iowa – 5.1 per 10,000 births (1:1961)
• Kansas – 5.0 per 10,000 births (1:2000)
• Kentucky – 3.6 per 10,000 births (1:2778)
• Louisiana – 5.0 per 10,000 births (1:2000)
• Maine – 6.2 per 10,000 births (1:1613)
• Maryland – 5.1 per 10,000 births (1:1961)
• Massachusetts – 3.5 per 10,000 births (1:2857)
• Michigan – 1.7 per 10,000 births (1:5882)
• Minnesota – 3.8 per 10,000 births (1:2632)
• Mississippi – 2.9 per 10,000 births (1:3448)
• Nebraska – 5.6 per 10,000 births (1:1786)
• New Hampshire – 2.2 per 10,000 births (1:4545)
• New Jersey – 2.2 per 10,000 births (1:4545)
• New York – 2.4 per 10,000 births (1:4167)
• North Carolina – 4.4 per 10,000 births (1:2273)
• North Dakota – 9.0 per 10,000 births (1:1111)
• Oklahoma – 6.5 per 10,000 births (1:1538)
• Puerto Rico – 5.1 per 10,000 births (1:1961)
• Rhode Island – 4.2 per 10,000 births (1:2381)
• South Carolina – 1.2 per 10,000 births (1:8333)
• Tennessee – 5.7 per 10,000 births (1:1754)
• Texas – 5.9 per 10,000 births (1:1695)
• Utah – 5.1 per 10,000 births (1:1961)
• Vermont – 2.5 per 10,000 births (1:4000)
• Virginia – 1.3 per 10,000 births (1:7692)

* States not listed did not report to the study or did not report gastroschisis numbers.

Statistics listed copied with permission from the Avery’s Angels Gastroschisis Foundation website. Their cited source is the National Birth Defects Prevention Network October 2013, Birth Defects Research Part A, Clinical And Molecular Teratology Vol. 97 Number 10, and the 2013 Congenital Malformation Surveillance Report.

Conclusion

We do not know what is causing this birth defect, but we do know our ever-increasing chemical exposure is wreaking havoc on our health and that chemical exposure including pesticide exposure causes birth defects.

We are now faced with chemical exposure in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, in our indoor environments in homes, schools, and offices. We use soaps, lotions, shampoos, toothpaste, and perfumes filled with chemicals. We dye our hair and our bodies. Genetically modified foods with their high levels of pesticides are found in all of our processed foods.

If we do not return to a clean, safe, organic lifestyle, common sense dictates birth defects of all kinds will continue to affect our children in rising numbers.

Recommended Reading:

• Vaccines, Retroviruses, DNA, and the Discovery That Destroyed  Judy Mikovits’ Career
• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Scientists Against GMOs – Hear From Those Who Have Done the Research
• Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Sources:

• Increasing Prevalence of Gastroschisis — 14 States, 1995–2012 – CDC
• Facts about Gastroschisis – CDC
• Statistics – Avery’s Angels Gastroschisis Foundation

Many of our favorite junk foods increase the risk of weight gain, cardiac arrest, stroke, and other diseases. Diet sodas appear to be an easy way around unhealthy calories while still allowing you a familiar indulgence, but don’t let yourself be fooled. Diet sodas contain a chemical cocktail that drives your metabolism crazy and increases your risk of disease.

If you’re regularly guzzling down diet sodas, here are seven reasons why you seriously need to quit today. I’ll also give you a few practical solutions to help ditch the habit.

Cravings

All diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners trick your brain (momentarily) into thinking it is about to receive sugary calories. But when the calories are not received, your brain sends signals that you need food, resulting in food cravings.

Weight Gain

Food cravings make it difficult to balance the pleasure centers of the brain, thus increasing your vulnerability to the next high-calorie sweet treat that crosses your path. That’s a tough psychological battle to win.

Chronic Illness

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in over 6,000 food products including diet sodas, has been found to trigger or worsen chronic illnesses including brain cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. Aspartame should be considered an enemy of the State!

Corrosion

If a diet soda (search youtube.com for this one) can be used to clean a corroded battery and remove rust, imagine what it’s doing to the lining of your stomach, esophagus, and teeth.

Kidney Decline

A Harvard Medical School study found that women who drank more than two diet sodas per day had a 30% decline in kidney function compared to women who do not drink diet soda.

Dehydration

Diet soda is in no way a replacement for water. Caffeine and sodium found in most diet sodas make you thirsty and cause frequent urination. The average person would rather pay a little extra at the vending machine for another diet soda instead of drinking a free glass of water. This causes a cycle of headaches, fatigue, dry mouth, constipation, and hot flashes — each one a symptom of dehydration

Poor Metabolism

A Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study linked diet soda to a 36 percent higher risk of metabolic syndromes that cause your metabolism to function at unfavorable speeds. If you want a metabolism that can keep pace with the Indy 500, avoid diet sodas.

So how do you ditch the diet soda habit? Replace it with water. The human body is more than 60 percent water, yet most of us still don’t drink enough of it. Here are a few practical solutions to drinking more water:

Add a Lemon: Yes, water is sometimes tasteless and boring. Try adding a lemon, mint or an orange slice to liven it up a bit, or experiment with a fruit-infused water.
Spice it Up: Not only are cayenne (red) peppers a super healthy seasoning, they will also have you reaching for a cold glass of water during dinner.
Keep it on You: Buy a clear 74- ounce container and keep it in plain sight at all times. Challenge yourself to drink the entire container over the course of the day.
Remember the Savings: Restaurant water is free — why pass up on the savings? Plus most restaurants use a filtration system on their tap, so it tastes even better.

Diet soda can lead to several serious health problems. Replace it with water for a healthy alternative. What’s your best tip for quitting?

Further Reading:

• 4 Reasons To Never Drink Soda Again
• Diet Soda Aspartame Linked To Premature Deaths In Women

Sources:

• Can’t seem to shed weight – no matter how hard you try – or after dieting, you always gain it all back? Here are 5 simple steps to fix this – ReinventingAging
• Associations of Sugar and Artificially Sweetened Soda with Albuminuria and Kidney Function Decline in Women – PMC
• Diet Drink – Wikipedia
• Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) – PMC

(DrFrankLipman – Frank Lipman) In 1946, there was a famous ad that read “more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” In 1976, Coke’s slogan was “Coke adds Life!” Fast forward a few decades, and we all know better. Both of those ads, however amusingly anachronistic they may now seem, fooled a lot of people and helped damage the bodies of millions of people, the only upside being that now at least, there’s a warning label on cigarettes. I think Coke should have one too. A few years back former Mayor Bloomberg got close by banning sales of super-sized sodas in NYC, a move applauded by all of us in the health community. Not surprisingly, soda manufacturers fought the measure, hoping to shout down health and safety concerns, but the word got out and finally, soda’s getting the bad rap it so richly deserves. With this in mind, just in time for summer, I want to remind you to eliminate soda and soft drinks, sugared or diet, from your life and your family’s. Here are 4 simple reasons to make your soda break-up a no-brainer:

1. They Do a Number on Your Body

There is no conceivable benefit to drinking soft drinks, and their health drawbacks are legion. For starters, they significantly increase diabetes risk and put you at higher risk for cancer, not to mention the added bonus of increased heart attack and stroke risk for daily diet soda drinkers. If that weren’t enough, the phospohoric acid in soft drinks contributes to tooth and bone weakening by facilitating calcium loss. Osteoporosis anyone? A “Coke and a smile?” I don’t think so.

2. There are Toxins in Every Sip

I get it. It’s hot. You’re thirsty and you’re thinking a Coke would taste good on a hot summer day. But would it be as appealing if you took a moment to consider the toxins floating around in that bubbling brown witches brew? Though the actual recipe is a closely guarded secret, there are several alarming ingredients whose damaging effects on your health should stop you in your tracks. Among them: benzene, a known carcinogen; the preservative sodium benzoate which can damage your DNA; high fructose corn syrup, which in addition to encouraging diabetes and obesity, can contain traces of mercury. Add to that the recent questions that have been raised about the presence of 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI) in Coke and Pepsi – which has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats – and perhaps your ice cold soft drink might be better described as a hot mess.

3. The Can isn’t Doing You any Favors Either

Would you like some gender-bending endocrine disruptors with your drink? Then you’ve come to the right place because perennial favorite bisphenol-A (BPA) comes free in every can! So what’s a little BPA between friends? Well, for the soda makers, it means continued profits. For you, however, it can mean ingestion of a chemical which interferes with your hormone function and has been linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer and neurological problems in lab animals. How’s that Coke tasting now?

4. Sodas are Unkind to the Earth

Soda production isn’t a very clean or green business. Between the chemical needed to produce this junk, the fuel needed to transport it, and the tons of plastic bottles created to contain it, one has to question if it’s worth it, just to get a hit of health-destroying, liquid sugar. Take it a step further and consider that even though you may be a rigorous recycler, your bottle may well wind up in the water and polluting the ocean. Bottom line: don’t be part of the problem – just let soda go.

(NaturalNews – Mike Bundrant) History’s largest mass poisoning of a human population has occurred in Bangladesh. Because of it, 35 million people have been exposed to lethal levels of arsenic. Mortality rates are estimated at 13 per 1000, which means that this poisoning has ended as many at 455,000 lives.

It happened simply enough. In the late 1960s and 1970s, UNICEF and the World Bank, concerned that surface water in the area was causing too many cases of fatal diarrhea, funded the drilling of new wells. These deeper wells provided an abundance of fresh water to the booming population of Bangladesh and West Bengal.

There was one tragic oversight that sabotaged what might have been a monumental humanitarian achievement: They didn’t test the new wells for heavy metal content.

The negligence is hard to fathom, yet it pales in comparison to the global irresponsibility and conscious wrong doing that goes on every single day in the world of big food manufacturers. And this is why Mike Adam’s work and new line of heavy metal cleansing supplements is essential.

Exposure to heavy metals in food, air and water is perhaps the most underrated toxicity issue of our time. The consequences of chronic exposure cannot be underestimated. The damage caused by exposure moves well beyond physical health. The mind is poisoned as well.

Imagine: you may be unwittingly ingesting food and water that makes it impossible to achieve a state of lasting happiness and mental well-being, regardless of how psychologically educated you are.

This is the reality of heavy metal exposure and toxicity. What follows is evidence provided by research and case studies that demonstrates how aluminum, copper, lead, mercury, cesium, cadmium and arsenic contribute to the chronic poisoning of your mind.

Aluminum

According to the New York University Langone Medical Center, symptoms of aluminum toxicity can include serious mental health problems, including:

• Confusion
• Slurred speech or speech problems
• Nervous system problems that may cause involuntary tics

There is also some concern that aluminum toxicity can lead to degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Several studies have linked the conditions to overexposure to aluminum, including studies from the University of California, University School of Medicine in Belgrade, and the School of Studies in Zoology at Jiwaji University in India.

Natural health practitioners believe that aluminum collects in the thyroid, liver, lungs and brain. It is believed that overexposure to aluminum can lead to a number of symptoms, including confusion, cognitive impairment and memory loss. As a result, aluminum cleanses and approaches such as aluminum-abstinence therapy are common.

Luckily, these approaches are often met with incredible success. Aluminum-abstinence therapy has become particularly popular in the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. Many nursing homes and long-term care clinics have seen some excellent results with this therapy.

Copper

According to the National Institute of Health, overexposure to copper can cause a number of physical symptoms. Symptoms of copper toxicity that may be considered mental health issues include chills, convulsions, a metallic taste in the mouth and weakness.

Doctor Lawrence Wilson has also written extensively on what he calls copper toxicity syndrome. This condition is believed to cause a number of mental health symptoms, including:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Depression
• “Spaciness”
• Detachment
• Learning disorders
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease

Lead

Lead is a well-known and -researched neurotoxin that has been scientifically associated with major depression and anxiety disorders. It seems inescapable that, if the lead content in your blood is elevated, you will suffer with cognitive disorders and mood disturbance.

The following symptoms have been linked to lead exposure:

• Decreased learning and memory
• Lowered IQ
• Decreased verbal ability
• Impaired speech and hearing
• Hyperactivity
• ADHD
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Headaches
• Encephalopathy

Mercury

The CDC reports that exposure to gaseous metallic mercury over a long period of time may cause irritability, sleep disturbances, excessive shyness, coordination problems, tremors, memory problems and mood swings.

Natural health practitioners have long argued that exposure to mercury contained in childhood vaccinations and in the environment is one of the major causes of conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders.

These include symptoms such as:

• Lack of communication/connection with others
• Increased activity
• Difficulty concentrating
• Delayed speech
• Reduced cognitive ability
• Reduced appetite
• Sensitivity to environmental stimulation (light, sounds, smells)
• Repetitive behaviors

Cesium

While it is believed to be unusual for a person to be exposed to toxic amounts of cesium through natural exposure, the CDC lists decreased mental ability and an increase or decrease in activity as symptoms of cesium toxicity.

Many natural health practitioners feel that exposure to cesium through food or drink could be a likely cause of disorders such as ADHD, difficulty concentrating and seizures.

Cadmium

The New York University Department of Medicine lists no mental health symptoms associated with cadmium exposure and toxicity. However, because many authors consider cadmium to be associated with heavier metals such as zinc and mercury, it is believed to cause similar symptoms as those associated with heavy metal toxicity, such as:

• Anxiety and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating, or “brain fog”
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Memory loss or forgetfulness

Arsenic

Arsenic poisoning can be deadly if left untreated. Exposure to toxic levels can occur in a number of instances, including the consumption of contaminated foods and beverages. Living in industrial areas can also increase rates of exposure, and arsenic may be found in contaminated drinking water as well. Arsenic poisoning can result in a number of obvious mental health symptoms, including:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Convulsions
• Night blindness

Arsenic poisoning can progress rapidly if left untreated, and unusual symptoms should be treated immediately.

The most sinister aspect of chronic heavy metal exposure and toxicity is that it is impossible to detect as it is happening. You can’t know for sure unless you get tested. The good news is that tests are available for those who become aware.

Moreover, Mike Adam’s new line of supplements is designed and scientifically proven to eradicate lurking heavy metals in your food as you digest them. They should be an indispensable part of any conscious natural health regimen.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.med.nyu.edu
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov [PDF]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://drlwilson.com
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://emergency.cdc.gov
http://emergency.cdc.gov
http://drhyman.com
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.toxicwatersolution.com
http://medicine.med.nyu.edu
http://www.livescience.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews – Mike Adams) A decade-long study of 60,000 women has confirmed that drinking diet soda sweetened with aspartame is linked with a 30 percent increase in heart attack risk and a 50 percent increase in death risk.

The findings, presented at the American College of Cardiology(1), have already been partially swept under the rug with the false explanation that diet drinks don’t necessarily cause these risks but are instead merely correlated with them. “Women who toss back too many diet sodas may be trying to make up for unhealthy habits,” claims an article on CNBC,(2) while citing no evidence whatsoever to support the claim. Keep in mind that any time a synthetic vitamin is correlated with increased mortality, the entire scientific community immediately describes those synthetic vitamins as “causing” death. Correlation is causation only when industry-funded scientists say it is.

Aspartame is a neurotoxin

What scientists refuse to explore — even when the data clearly show a strong death risk association — is that aspartame is a neurotoxin. The reason why women who drink diet soda have a 50 percent increased death risk is, of course, far more likely to be caused by what’s in the diet soda rather than some lifestyle choice.

Aspartame, after all, is made from the feces of genetically engineered bacteria. It is not a natural sugar but rather a chemical compound created in an industrial lab. Used in diet sodas, it breaks down into a number of chemical compounds including formaldehyde and methanol. During digestion, the formaldehyde is oxidized into formic acid, a chemical known to cause toxicity in mammalian biology. Formic acid is also secreted by ants as part of their “chemical weapons” arsenal.

Aspartame linked to long list of neurological problems

Aspartame denialists try to pretend that all this formaldehyde, methanol and formic acid has no effect on human health. Their argument is identical to that of GMO denialists: “GMOs are harmless!” It’s even the same argument as mercury denialists: “Mercury is harmless!”

Why, then, is aspartame so frequently linked to blurred vision, headaches and neurological problems when repeatedly consumed in the form of diet drinks? In fact, there are over 90 side effects linked to aspartame consumption, including headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, rashes, depression, irritability, insomnia, hearing loss, vision problems, loss of taste vertigo and memory loss.

Soda companies and misinformed doctors all try to pretend none of these side effects are real — that people are all imagining headaches, blurred vision, numbness, insomnia and so on. That’s how unethical the soda industry is: they poison their own customers with a neurotoxic chemical, then call them delusional when they suffer neurological side effects.

If you drink diet soda, you are murdering yourself

The bottom line in all this? If you drink diet soda, you are essentially murdering yourself. Call it “slow suicide.”

There are a thousand beverages healthier than diet sodas: tea, fruit juice, mineral water, raw almond milk… even non-diet sodas are better for you than diet sodas! (And diet sodas have been conclusively proven to have no effect whatsoever on weight loss. So drinking them is a useless diet gesture to begin with.)

If for some reason you are still drinking diet soda, find a healthier beverage and stop poisoning yourself to death.

From the American College of Cardiology website:

[A] study led by Ankur Vyas, MD, of the University of Iowa found that postmenopausal women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were 30 percent more likely to experience a cardiovascular event and 50 percent more likely to die from related cardiovascular disease than women who never, or only rarely, consumed diet drinks. The analysis of 59,614 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, who had an average age of 62.8 and no history of cardiovascular disease, saw that after an average follow-up of 8.7 years, the primary cardiovascular outcome occurred in 8.5 percent of the women consuming two or more diet drinks per day compared to 6.9 percent in the five-to-seven drinks per week group; 6.8 percent in the one-to-four drinks per week group; and 7.2 percent in the zero-to-three per month group. The difference persisted when researchers adjusted for other cardiovascular risk factors and co-morbidities. The association between diet drinks and cardiovascular disease warrants further study to define the relationship, Vyas said.

Sources for this article include:
1) http://www.cardiosource.org/en/News-Media/Pu…
2) http://www.cnbc.com/id/101536768