BPA levels in humans far higher than previously thought

(NaturalNews) New studies reveal that levels of BPA are massively higher in humans than previously assumed , causing major concern for what has been downplayed by the packaging industry as a false alarm. BPA, or Bisphenol-A, leaches into food from plastic packaging and from the linings of canned foods, causing cancerous tumors and developmental disorders, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and deformations of sexual organs, especially in newborns. The CDC estimates that over 90% of people in the U.S. are chronically exposed to BPA at over 3000 times the daily level that the FDA reports. Maybe this monstrous difference comes from the fact that the FDA standards ignored more than 100 credible research experiments and studies other than their own . The new FDA regulatory language offers to seek “further public comment and external input on the science surrounding BPA,” but industry lobbyists argue about “safe levels” and do their best to muddy those waters in order to keep the profits margins maximized. Much of the latest research and testing of chemicals in foods is being conducted by the very companies that sell them, or by independent labs hired and well paid to conclude that there is “insufficient evidence of levels harmful to humans.” The FDA and the CDC use the rationale that what kills rats in labs may not have the same effect on humans , but this time, hundreds of tests done on humans reveal otherwise . The BPA label is either on the side or bottom of bottles in black or clear numbers, usually inside of the recycling sign formed by circular arrows. The number 2 means your food is contaminated by aluminum and polyethylene plastic, and the number 7 means there is BPA in your polycarbonate container . To make things worse, if the bottles or cans have been sitting on the shelf at the grocery for months, the toxic levels of BPA are higher, and since there’s no “born-on date,” like beer might have, there’s no telling the age of the container. Also, if the plastic gets heated up, like in a car, more toxins are released into the drink. Plus, canned goods are sterilized at up to 265% Fahrenheit, so the level of BPA released in those foods is horrendous, not to mention the fact that all of the nutrients at that temperature have been depleted from the source. Metal cans have no warning or indicator whatsoever about BPA. The remedy is to simply buy glass only and not have to worry about BPA, but then don’t forget to check for sodium benzoate, BHA, BHT, EDTA, and the other “preservative” criminals. BPA was originally developed in the 1930′s as a synthetic version of the female hormone estrogen. BPA is an endocrine disrupter, meaning it is a chemical that interferes with the hormone system in animals, including humans . Wondering why kids are more hyperactive these days and the doctors suggest prescribing ADHD pharmaceuticals? Bisphenol-A mimics estrogenic activity and enhances mesolimbic dopamine activity, which results in hyperactivity and attention deficits. Still have canned sodas on your grocery list? Ordered up by the USA at 8 billion pounds per year, BPA is one of the highest volume chemicals produced by mankind , having adverse effects in mammals and invertebrates all over the world. Canned goods sell particularly well in times of recession and financial stress. In February of 2009, the United States saw an 11.5% rise in canned food sales alone. The highest concentrations recorded are in chicken soup, infant formula and ravioli . By the way, it’s also in your dental fillings. The EPA has not even evaluated BPA for possible carcinogenic activity, and food packaging executives and lobbyists are still planning to use a pregnant woman in their advertising in order to reassure Americans that BPA is safe for children. Remember, an advertisement’s slogan is often a cover up for the product’s greatest weakness. Sources for this article include: http://environment.about.com/od/bisphenolabpa/f/who-regulates-bpa.htm http://environment.about.com/b/2009/12/01/fda-misses-deadline-for-new-assessment-of-bpa-safety.htm http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/bpa_tips.htm http://environment.about.com/b/2009/05/29/bisphenol-a-industry-plans-new-tactics-to-improve-public-image-of-bpa.htm http://environment.about.com/b/2009/11/11/bpa-exposure-causes-sexual-problems-in-men.htm http://greenliving.about.com/od/healthyliving/g/what-is-bpa-bisphenol-a.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080921/ http://www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info?gclid=CMyR96Xyx6sCFcwbQgodbm073w http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/BisphenolA_FactSheet.html http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm

Merck-backed Rick Perry tried to mandate HPV vaccines for all young girls in Texas

(NaturalNews) Texas Governor Rick Perry can try all he wants to mimic the liberty-oriented language of honest presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, but it will never erase the fact that he signed an executive order in 2007 mandating that all teenage girls in the Lone Star State, starting at age 12, receive the dangerous HPV vaccine. Worse, lobbyist Mike Toomey — Merck and Co., the maker of the Gardasil, hired Toomey back in 2005 to promote the vaccine in Texas — is now running Mr. Perry’s presidential candidacy “super pac.” He wants the public to think, of course, that he supports individual liberty and state’s rights, but Mr. Perry has repeatedly demonstrated that he actually supports the special interests that back him financially and politically, which in this case continues to include Merck and Co., the main purveyor of the HPV vaccine hoax. In case you are unaware, the HPV vaccines Gardasil (Merck) and Cervarix (GlaxoSmithKline) are still being marketed as a prevention method for thwarting the onset of cervical cancer in women. But as we have written about on numerous occasions, the vaccine is both ineffective and highly dangerous, having cost untold thousands of young girls their livelihoods and even their lives (http://www.naturalnews.com/HPV.html). When questioned about the executive order during a recent debate, Mr. Perry tried to sidestep his blatant disregard for the rule of law and parental rights in signing it by claiming that his goal was to “save lives.” He did not, of course, admit that Toomey, his current super pac coordinator, was paid as much as $535,000 in lobbying fees by Merck to promote Gardasil between 2005 and 2010. The Texas state legislature overturned Mr. Perry’s egregious executive order not long after its passage, but the simple fact still remains that its passage was a direct result of lobbying efforts put forth by a multinational drug company. It was also a direct slap in the fact to every single Texan, as it bypassed the normal legislative procedure for passing laws, and essentially dictated that Texas parents had no freedom of vaccine choice. Sources for this story include: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44442051/ns/politics/#.Tm4qdU8-DUJ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63329.html

Besides the whole “you need it to live” fact, how is water exactly healthy?

Question by depaulballa: Besides the whole “you need it to live” fact, how is water exactly healthy? just want to know Best answer: Answer by JFAC #1 FANWater helps flush toxins out of your body. Give your answer to this question below!

Animal obesity, the next big health crisis

(NaturalNews) The obesity epidemic appears to be expanding beyond humankind and into the animal kingdom, according to a new report out of the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB). David Allison, the UAB researcher who led the study, discovered that animals in general have been getting progressively larger — even in controlled settings — which has led to more questions than answers as to why this phenomenon is occurring. While poring over data on marmosets at the Wisconsin National Primate Researcher Center, Allison came to discover that this species of monkey has been gaining weight throughout the decades, even though nothing much has changed in terms of their rearing. In fact, one of the only significant changes was the marmosets’ diet which, according to experts, should have caused the animals to lose weight, if anything. Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B , Allison’s study revealed that many other animals — including laboratory, domestic, and feral ones — have all been getting progressively larger over time. After grouping the animals into 24 different categories of species and sexes, Allison discovered that literally every single one of them has been growing increasingly obese. “We can’t explain the changes in [the animals'] body weight by the fact that they eat out at restaurants more often or the fact that they get less physical education in the schools,” explained Allison to LiveScience. “There can be other factors beyond what we obviously reach for.” Though researchers say they are at a loss for answers, others suspect that chemical food additives and genetic modification of food both play a role in rising obesity levels. A 2009 study out of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that phthalate chemicals used in food packaging are linked to childhood obesity (http://www.naturalnews.com/026427_studies_natural_phthalates.html). And an earlier study found that babies exposed to common chemicals in utero are twice as likely to become obese (http://www.naturalnews.com/024328_chemicals_babies_health.html). Sources for this story include: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101124/sc_livescience/obesityontheriseinanimals

Most of the world’s rivers threatened by pesticides, pollution

(NaturalNews) The vast majority of the world’s rivers are threatened by pollution, pesticide runoff and destructive species, say researchers from The City College (CCNY) of The City University of New York (CUNY), the University of Wisconsin and seven other institutions. And not only is the integrity of the world’s water at heightened risk, but so are countless aquatic species that rely on the threatened habitats for survival. Published in the journal Nature , the study explains that the threats come from a multitude of different sources, and that an independent, reactive approach to dealing with them is not going to work. A more holistic approach is required, say scientists, if the problems have any chance of ever being remediated. “We can no longer look at human water security and biodiversity threats independently,” said Dr. Charles Vorosmarty, director of the CUNY Environmental CrossRoads Initiative and professor of civil engineering at The Grove School of Engineering at CCNY. “We need to link the two.” One example cited is the fact that while water reservoirs are largely beneficial to humans because they supply clean water, they simultaneously alter the biodiversity of aquatic life by changing water migration patterns. So evaluating these issues and coming up with long-term solutions to benefit both humans and the environment are necessary, they say. According to the team, nearly all European water resources are highly threatened by environmental factors, as are most in the U.S. Central Asia, the Middle East, subcontinent India and eastern China are also increasingly threatened as they continue to develop. Both industrialized and developing countries are experiencing the same threats, but the two handle them differently. Industrialized nations tend to treat the symptoms of the problem after the fact — which is very costly — while developing nations, if they do anything at all, tend towards protecting the resources in the first place. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/ccon-gsf092410.php

Green Party initiative could put an end to water fluoridation in Canada

(NaturalNews) The Green Party of Canada recently passed a resolution within its ranks that seeks to end water fluoridation in Canada. The party plans to introduce and support legislation that will outlaw fluoridation in Canada at the federal level, effectively overriding any and all local mandates that say otherwise. Much of North America’s water is fluoridated, meaning that water utilities add hexafluorosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride or sodium fluoride to local water supplies. These toxic substances are said to prevent tooth decay, but many medical and dental professionals disagree, citing fluoride’s many harmful effects on the body and teeth. Unlike the element fluorine which can occur naturally in water, the artificial fluoride added to drinking water is a toxic byproduct of the phosphate mining industry. Aluminum factories, for instance, create fluoride waste that is commonly used to fluoridate water. In addition to being a dangerous poison, the Green Party initiative cites the fact that fluoride is not removed by sewage treatment plants, and that much of it ends up in lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes contain as much as ten times the maximum safe levels established by the Canadian Water Quality Guideline standards for aquatic life, for instance. Artificial water fluoridation is technically illegal since fluoride is a toxic chemical. At best, it is an unapproved drug by which governments are unlawfully medicating the public. At worst, it is a toxic poison that is wreaking havoc on public health. Perhaps the most damning indictment of fluoride is the fact that cavity rates are generally the same among areas that fluoridate and areas that do not fluoridate. So the purported benefits of water fluoridation are entirely unsubstantiated based on scientific evidence. It is also generally known that too much fluoride causes dental fluorosis, a condition in which tooth enamel becomes mottled, and brown and white stains form. In extreme cases, dental fluorosis literally rots the teeth. It remains to be seen whether or not the Green Party of the U.S.–or any other party, for that matter–decides to take on water fluoridation with similar legislation. Sources for this story include: http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/Canada/National/Green-Party-of-Canada-calls-for-ban-on-the-fluoridation-chemicals-hexafluorosilicic-acid-and-sodium-silicofluoride

Widespread male infertility sweeping the globe

(NaturalNews) Nearly 20 years ago, Danish scientists first broke the news to the world that men from Western countries seem to be slowly becoming infertile. Recent research seems to back this up as well, with average sperm counts having dropped to half of what they were 50 years ago. According to reports, nearly 20 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 25 have sperm counts that are abnormally low. To put this in perspective, consider the fact that in the 1940s, men had an average of about 100 million sperm cells per millimeter of semen (m/ml). Today, the average is around 60m/ml. Those among the 20 percent with abnormal levels have less than 20m/ml. So what is the cause behind decreasing sperm counts? Realistically, there is probably more than just one cause. Environmental toxins, synthetic food and water additives, and estrogenic substances in food are all likely culprits. “It’s most likely a reflection of the fact that many environmental and lifestyle changes over the past 50 years are inherently detrimental to sperm production,” explained Professor Richard Sharpe, a fertility research expert at the Medical Research Council, in a U.K. report. But what scientists believe may be the biggest cause of poor semen quality in men has more to do with what their mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, than what the men themselves are exposed to throughout their lifetimes. A case in point is the disastrous chemical accident that occurred in 1976 in Seveso, Italy. The incident caused the highest known human exposure to toxic chemical dioxins. It was later revealed that pregnant women who were exposed to the chemical during that time bore male children who ended up having poor sperm counts. Other studies also seem to lend credence to the idea that lifelong sperm counts are determined during the early stages of male fetal development. Interference with the Sertoli cells, which are responsible for proper sperm development during fetal development, can lead to lifelong sperm production problems in males. “Maternal-lifestyle factors in pregnancy can have quite substantial effects on sperm counts in sons in adulthood, and the most logical mechanism by which this could occur is via reducing the number of Sertoli cells,” explained Professor Sharpe. In other words, prenatal exposure to toxic chemicals is a serious threat to male health, which ultimately threatens the existence of mankind. Sources for this story include: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/out-for-the-count-why-levels-of-sperm-in-men-are-falling-1954149.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveso_disaster

US scores dead last in global health survey

(NaturalNews) The Commonwealth Fund recently released a report that places the U.S. last among six other developed countries in terms of quality of health care. According to the report, U.S. health care costs are roughly twice as much as they are in other countries, but the care is not as good or as efficient. The report includes comparisons between the U.S. health care system and those of Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the U.K. However the criteria used by the foundation to assess and score the countries is based more on differing health care philosophies among nations rather than actual quality of care. In fact, all the other nations included in the survey have “universal health insurance”, which is noted in the report as being one of the biggest differences. It does mention, however, that the “health reform legislation” recently passed in the U.S. will help to bump it up some in the foundation’s view. The report does highlight the fact that health spending in the U.S. is typically much higher per person than it is in other developed nations. According to the report, health spending per person in the U.S. averaged more than $7,000 in 2007, while spending ranged from between about $2,500 and $4,000 in the other countries assessed. Health safety seems to be another issue in the U.S. health care system. Improper dosages, prescription errors and miscommunication are all problematic, according to the assessment. The U.S. also typically has higher rates of obesity than the other countries assessed. But what the report did not mention is the fact that the U.S. health care system is already a hybridized form of government care. Heavy taxes pay for programs like Medicare that feed drug companies while keeping people sick. The procedures and philosophies embraced by most in the medical field are also the “FDA-approved” kind, which typically involve only a drugs and surgery approach. In other words, it is because the U.S. health care system is already so influenced by central control that the entire system is in the mess it is in. Corporate powers have essentially “bought” the government and they now largely control it for their own gain. Now they want full control as the supposed solution to the problem they created in the first place. A truly free market health philosophy, combined with personal responsibility, allows the free flow of truthful health information to prevail. The result is dramatically lower levels of illness, decreased overall costs, improved quality and technologies, and real health freedom. Anything else will eventually lead to health tyranny. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65M0SU20100623?type=domesticNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

Nearly a million Britons may have had their organ donation wishes improperly recorded

(NaturalNews) According to a recent report, as many as 800,000 Britons may have had their organ donation wishes improperly recorded in the U.K. donor register. Some who expressed that they didn’t want to be donors may have been registered as donors, while others may have been registered as being donors of the wrong organs. When applying for a driver’s license, there is typically a space on the application form to specify whether or not one wishes to be an organ donor. Sometimes, there is a space to specify which organs a person wishes to donate, and which ones he does not. In the U.K., there is a checklist of organs for a person to mark, indicating which organs can be donated and which cannot. But Stephen Banks from Redditch, Worcestershire, recently found out that his donor requests had been improperly recorded in the register. When filling out his form, Banks specified that he was willing to donate every one of his organs except for his eyes. He marked the appropriate boxes for the other and left the “eyes” box blank. But upon receiving confirmation of his submission, he was shocked to discover that, according to the register, he was willing to donate all of his organs, including his eyes. “I have to say I am a little angry. How could such a major error occur?” he asked in response to the blunder. Though somewhat ashamed to admit it, Banks came to the conclusion that the phrase, “the eyes are the key to the soul,” rang true with him, and that he didn’t want his eyes to be given to another person. However, after receiving confirmation from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) thanking Banks for his willingness to donate all his organs, he is not sure what to do. “I haven’t tried contacting them. I feel a bit embarrassed to call up and say: ‘I don’t want to donate my eyes’. I feel a bit awkward about it,” he explained. Yet he is concerned about the error, and the fact that there was no space on the letter to make any sort of correction to it. While it may seem like a simple mistake, the fact that hundreds of thousands of other people in the U.K. may have been improperly recorded as well is unacceptable. An independent review is currently underway to figure out what is going on. Sources for this story include: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8614058.stm

LifeSource whole-house water filtration systems are a top pick in water purification

(NaturalNews) Most people in industrialized countries today live in urban or suburban areas that are served by municipal water systems. These systems, which are questionable in purification quality to begin with, add chemical carcinogens like chlorine and fluoride to water that are harmful to health. People absorb these chemicals every day when they wash their hands, take a shower, wash their clothes and drink municipal tap water. LifeSource, a unique whole-house water filtration system, addresses the problems of tap water with an effective, efficient and inexpensive technology that is unmatched in its class. There are all kinds of water filters on the market, from simple, plastic drinking-water pitchers to industrial entry-point systems for use in homes and businesses. They range in quality and effectiveness and many fail to effectively remove harmful contaminants, especially from the entire house. The good ones are usually pricey and require frequent filter replacements, turning some people off to the idea of going through all the hassle. Those who have decided to take the plunge and purchase a whole-house water filter usually choose either a water softener or a reverse osmosis system. With a water softener, harsh chemical additives are added to water to give it a soft feel, but what many people do not realize is that the slick feeling of softened water is actually not moisturizing or natural, and can dry out skin in the same way that chlorinated tap water does. Water softeners also require frequent salt replacement as well as an additional system, like reverse osmosis, to purify the softened water and making drinking water. Together, these systems require a hefty investment, not to mention the fact that the chemicals used in water softeners are known for corroding pipes. Some communities have outright banned water softeners because of the harm they cause! Reverse osmosis systems, while highly effective at completely purifying water, are expensive and remove all the good elements of water, like calcium, potassium and magnesium, along with the bad elements. People who use reverse osmosis systems and are aware of this fact will sometimes add additional filters that “remineralize” the water, adding to the already steep cost of reverse osmosis systems. Reverse osmosis technology also wastes a lot of water in the process of making its finished product, in some cases using up to 10 gallons of water to make one gallon of purified water. LifeSource technology, on the other hand, is a fraction of the cost of these other filtration systems and I believe it is superior to both. Not only is LifeSource water naturally purified and gently softened through its natural activated carbon filter, but the beneficial elements present in the water are maintained. It is the best of both worlds! The amazing filter inside the standard LifeSource unit can last up to 25 years without having to be replaced, and it does not contaminate water, corrode pipes or waste excess amounts of water during filtration. And unlike water softeners, the backwash water that is produced by LifeSource units is safe and can actually be used to water a lawn or garden. The unit uses no chemicals, salts or magnets , just a simple, granular activated carbon filter to deliver delicious, nutrient-rich, purified water. In addition to removing a whole host of chemicals like chlorine, activated carbon will even eliminate roughly 40 percent of fluoride from water. Besides reverse osmosis, few water filter technologies are capable of removing fluoride. And if 40 percent is not enough, LifeSource also makes an additional unit to go with its primary one that will remove all fluoride from water. LifeSource water is delicious, pure and very affordable. The annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena actually uses LifeSource water for its float roses to help them live longer. It effectively helps them to live about twice as long as they otherwise would on contaminated tap water! LifeSource is arguably the single best whole-house water filtration system on the market in terms of water quality, affordability and durability. Its heavy-duty, industrial steel tanks can be easily installed either indoors or outdoors and they come in various sizes for different applications. A tank can also be moved fairly easily to a new house in the event of a move, so you do not need to worry about making the investment only to have to leave it behind. If you are concerned about the quality and safety of the water coming into your home and are in the market for a whole-house water filtration system, I would definitely recommend LifeSource. For more information about LifeSource, please visit www.lifesourcewater.com.

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