Tag: toxin

Coca-Cola: Nigerian Court Deems It Unfit For Human Consumption

A Nigerian court has ruled that two Coca-Cola products, Fanta and Sprite, are not safe for human consumption. Presiding Nigerian judge Justice Adedayo Oyebanji ruled that high levels of benzoic acid and sunset additives in Fanta and Sprite pose a serious health risk to consumers when mixed with ascorbic acid, commonly known as vitamin C. UK regulators have stated that benzoic acid can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid. This means that the drinks could cause cancer.

The court also ordered the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) – a member of Coca-Cola Hellenic group which bottles Coca-Cola products in Nigeria – to place written warnings on the bottles of the two drinks, saying the drinks pose a health risk. This means the two drinks would carry warning labels like cigarettes.

Further, the court imposed financial costs of two million naira ($6,350) against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for failing to ensure health standards in the country.

“It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company. NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption products … which become poisonous in the presence of ascorbic acid,” Justice Oyebanji said in his ruling.

In fact, the Nigerian public wouldn’t have had this relief ruling aimed at protecting their lives had something not gone wrong between a businessman and the NBC. Read more about that case at CNN.

Following the ruling, Nigerian citizens took to social media to express their dissatisfaction of all Coca-Cola products. Many lashed out at NAFDAC for handling consumer safety in the country poorly. They accused the agency of placing more priority on generating revenues than protecting citizens.

Some also accused NAFDAC for being responsible for numerous health problems and deaths because it allows corporations to sell poison to the public. The majority of citizens called for a boycott against all Coca-Cola products in the country to serve as a deterrent to other unscrupulous corporations taking advantage of endemic corruption to kill the public. The ruling has dented the image of Coca-Cola in the country. The company is likely to suffer losses this year because the scandal will remain in the minds of citizens for a long time to come. – From Truth Theory.

May 17, 2017
Farmed Salmon the Dirty Secret
HFI: Here are some facts about Farmed Salmon which may get you think twice about buying one again:
1. Farmed salmon is fed pellets of chicken feces, soy, GMO canola oil, corn meal and other fish with high levels of toxins
2. Farmed salmon has 7 times higher levels of PCB’s compared to wild salmon
3. Farmed salmon has 30 times more sea lice
4. Farmed salmon is given toxic chemicals to intesify their flesh’s color
5. Farmed salmon is pumped with more antibiotics than any other livestock
6. Farmed salmon has less omega 3’s as a result of the lack of wild diet
7. Farmed salmon is prone to more disease
Next time you dine out and decide to try the salmon, make sure it’s wild and not farmed.

According to the EPA the most toxic fish in the world is farmed salmon. They even advise people that more than one meal of farmed salmon a month is the maximum they should eat.

But even their recommendation is wrong because farmed salmon is one of the most toxic FOODS in the world and should not be consumed in any amount.

You should know that farmed fish of any kind is not good for your health and can wreak havoc on your organism in ways you can’t even imagine. Why? Well, because fish in the wild doesn’t eat corn, grains or pork, while farmed fish do, but they’re not supposed to. Moreover, farmers give fish a toxic combination of vitamins and antibiotics, which afterwards end up in your system. Some fish even get synthetic pigments.

Farmed Salmon – One of the Most Toxic Foods in the World

What’s even more surprising is that the toxins in farmed fish don’t come only from pesticides and antibiotics, most of them come from the dry pellet feed. Research has found that the fish feed contains dangerous amounts of dioxins, PCBs and a bunch of other drugs and chemicals which can cause permanent damage to your body and can even be linked to immune system problems, endocrine system disorders, autism and ADHD.

Dr. Monsen, a well-renowned biologist says:

“I do not recommend pregnant women, children or young people eat farmed salmon. It is uncertain in both the amount of toxins salmon contain, and how these drugs affect children, adolescents and pregnant women… The type of contaminants that have been detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. We also know that they can affect other organ systems in the body’s immune system and metabolism.”

Omega-3 Levels in Farmed Salmon Is Nearly Half of That in Wild Salmon

The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) says that the farmed fish we eat today doesn’t contain even half of the amount of omega-3s compared to a decade ago. This is mostly due to the fact that farmed salmon are now fed more on byproducts of hog and poultry processing, soybeans and soybean oil, canola oil, corn and other grain when they should be fed smaller wild fish rich in omega-3s.

Farmed Salmon Can Cause Cancer

According to research, people that eat farmed salmon more than once a month are at a higher risk of developing some type of cancer later in life as a result of the high amount of chemicals and antibiotics found in the farmed salmon fillet.

Moreover, it has been revealed that farmed salmon contains high levels of cancer causing PCB, 16 times higher than wild salmon. Farmed salmon also contains 11 times more dioxin than wild salmon.

If this wasn’t enough, farmed salmon is rich in inflammation producing omega-6 fatty acids, which consequently can increase your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, arthritis, coronary artery disease and Alzheimer’s.

Banned Synthetic Astaxanthin

It’s astonishing to find out that farmers pump their salmon with synthetic astaxanthin, a substance that has been banned by every government in the world for human consumption. This harmful substance makes the farmed fish’s flesh look more pinkish and similar to wild salmon, fooling people into thinking they’re actually eating wild salmon.

How can you tell the difference?
Well, if the menu doesn’t say you can ask, and if it’s cheaper than usually it’s surely farmed because farmed salmon is more affordable than wild. Wild salmon can sometimes cost as much as a high end cut of beef. If you want to preserve your health choose wild and forget about farmed. Another telltale sign your salmon isn’t wild? The color! Farm- raised salmon is much lighter than wild salmon!

Source: http://chere1.com

This article originally appeared at: http://healthyremedies.net/2017/05/06/farmed-salmon-one-toxic-foods-world/.
May 7, 2017
Top 20 Tuna Brands Ranked

2017 Tuna Shopping Guide

How does your can stack up?

If you’re going to buy tuna, make sure to choose a responsibly-caught option.

We’ve ranked 20 well-known canned tuna brands that can be found in grocery stores nationwide based on how sustainable, ethical, and fair their tuna products are for our oceans—and for the workers that help get the products to store shelves.

If you’re going to buy tuna, make sure to choose a responsibly-caught option.
check out this article before you shop: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/oceans/tuna-guide/.

April 20, 2017
STOP Giving Your Child Tylenol!

HFI: Tylenol. It’s in every medicine cabinet, recommended by doctors and ‘doctor grandma’. But the truth is … it’s bad. Really really bad. You should throw it out, run away from anyone who says you should use it, and never look back. It has a black box warning – one of the strongest warning given by the FDA. Its been shown to cause irreversable neurological damage in some children and can trigger serious reactions after typical childhood illnesses.

Tylenol Makes Big Money and Can Cause Big Side Effects

Tylenol (Acetaminophen) hit the scene in 1955 as a “prescription only” pain reliever, was making bank just a few years later, was acquired by Johnson and Johnson in 1959, and was available over the counter within a year after that. Tylenol has been a hugely successful product, making its billions off of parents who give it to their kids post-vaccine, post-nasal drip, during a cold, and for serious things like hang nail pains and 99 degree “send me over the edge” fevers.

Tylenol Doesn’t Do What You Think it Does

If you’re giving your child Tylenol for pain, a fever, or worse … giving it preemptively (prior to a procedure or vaccinations), you should know that it doesn’t do what you think it does. Tylenol doesn’t reduce pain, is a neurotoxic endocrine disruptor, is harmful to a developing fetus, and is even more harmful to babies and small children whose bodies’ can’t clear the drug.

A 2008 study conducted by an epidemiologist showed that children who were given Tylenol after their MMR vaccine developed autism eight times as often as children given ibuprofen. In another study, males who were uncircumcised (and thus, were not given pain-relieving Tylenol), had a five times lower risk of autism. The studies go on and on.

Tylenol is hazardous – They Have Known It For 40 years

Now might not be the best time to tell you that Tylenol has a “black box warning” (the FDA’s strongest drug label warning) and contains the following ingredients:

Carboxymethylcellulose sodium (a thickening agent), carrageenan (associated with cancer and gastrointestinal disease), citric acid, flavor, glycerin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, propylene glycol (a common ingredient in antifreeze that could be neurotoxic), propylparaben (a hazardous substance and endocrine disruptor), purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol solution, sucralose, and of course – acetaminophen.

Don’t be fooled, the FDA is completely aware of the dangers associated acetaminophen. They promised to implement safety measures and dosage restrictions, warnings, and safety measures to protect consumers from the harms of Tylenol way back when, but never followed through.

It’s been 40 years and they haven’t done a thing. Tylenol makes way too much money and you know about the FDA’s impressive ability to write-off children damaged by billion dollar industries.

It’s not the 90s anymore and we can’t pretend that Tylenol is safe. We have to protect our children when those who are supposed to put the safeguards in place, don’t. That’s why we should probably stop giving our kids Tylenol.

Portions of this article originally appeared at: http://www.livingwhole.org/why-you-should-stop-giving-your-kids-tylenol/.

April 12, 2017
The Most Toxic Chemical Ever Used Now Found In Our Natural Suppliments?

HFI: Glyphosate. Its that chemical found in roundup, that is sprayed on our fields, on our foods and eaten by the animals we eat. The cycle of contamination continues as it ends up in the gelatin that is used in capsules packaging supplements and medicines.

From the Healthy traditions website:

Glyphosate is in 80% of our food supply in the U.S., and may well be the most toxic chemical ever approved for commercial use, according to some scientists. Scientists now link glyphosate to kidney disease, antibiotic resistant bacteria, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, depression, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, cancer, cachexia, infertility, and developmental malformations. It reportedly destroys the microbiome of humans and plants, which is seen by some as the root cause of many modern diseases.

To learn more about the dangers of glyphosate, see:

Glyphosate Herbicide Causes Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, Kidney Disease, and Infertility

Is Glyphosate Responsible for your Health Problems?

Common Weedkiller Used in Modern Agriculture Could be Main Factor in Gluten Intolerance

MIT Researcher: Glyphosate Herbicide will Cause Half of All Children to Have Autism by 2025

From the Green Pastures.Org Blog:

Once you think of glyphosate insinuating itself into collagen, it’s an easy step to imagine that glyphosate would be a major contaminant in gelatin, a very common food additive and the main constituent of gelatin-based deserts. Gelatin is routinely added to marshmallows, pudding, gummy bears, yogurts, margarine, frosting, cream cheese, sour cream, non-dairy creamers and fat-reduced foods.

There are hundreds if not thousands of proteins that strongly depend on glycine at certain spots in their chain in order to adequately perform their job.

Gelatin is typically derived from the bones, joints and skin of pigs and cows. These animals are fed high doses of glyphosate in their GMO Roundup Ready corn and soy feed. The glyphosate that makes its way into their joints ends up in your gelatin dessert.

Gelatin is also the main constituent of gel caps, which have become a standard way of packaging both pharmaceutical drugs and nutritional supplements such as fish oil. I would predict that any nutritional supplement housed in a gel capsule is going to cause you much more harm than good, because whatever benefit the contents provides is more than offset by the damaging effects of the glyphosate.

Please read the rest of the article to read about the full impact of glyphosate.

March 15, 2017
How sugar affects the brain

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine — an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more.
Nicole Avena explains what sugar does to your body.
Lesson by Nicole Avena, animation by STK Films.

This article originally appeared at: https://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo.

Help teens figure out alternate sweeteners. What do you use to satisfy a sweet tooth.

March 10, 2017
Triclosan Banned From Soaps, But Not Toothpaste

In September, the Food and Drug Administration placed a ban on soaps and certain antibacterial chemicals which contain 19 different chemicals, one of them being triclosan. The FDA has given companies one year to remove the chemicals from their products and get the ones containing it off the shelves.

So why did the FDA ban triclosan from soaps and other antibacterial products? According to an article from New York Times, “Studies in animals have shown that triclosan and triclocarban can disrupt the normal development of the reproductive system and metabolism, and health experts warn that their effects could be the same in humans.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemicals in the urine of three quarters of Americans.

Triclosan is a chemical pesticide that has been a known endocrine disruptor and has shown to weaken heart muscle function, alter the shape of sperm, impair brain development, and contribute to bone deformation in animal studies.

You might think this is a huge win for consumers, and it is, but the ban didn’t reach all products. Unfortunately triclosan is still present in many drugstore toothpastes.

If this product is so dangerous that it’s now been banned from products that get washed off our skin, why is it still allowed in products that go into our mouths? According to the FDA, the benefits of triclosan in toothpastes still outweigh the risks. These benefits include reducing plaque and gum disease.

However, there are natural alternatives to using this chemical to protect your oral health. Xylitol, for instance, has been shown to reduce plaque. The bacteria that creates plaque cannot metabolize xylitol allowing for less plaque buildup and the decay causing bacteria cannot stick to the teeth.

To think you need triclosan or other chemicals in your toothpaste in order to prevent plaque is a naïve way of thinking. There are plenty of natural toothpastes that contain xylitol that can be even more beneficial to your oral health. Visit our page of xylitol products and find the best natural toothpaste option for you and your family.

This article originally appeared at: http://xylitol.org/triclosan-banned-not-toothpaste/.

March 2, 2017
Purify Your Indoor Air

Our air is more polluted than ever outdoors, but unfortunately we are not entirely safe indoors. Furniture, paint, cleaners, and other building materials actually leak chemicals and volatile organic compounds into our indoor air and can create health issues. But houseplants can be used to clean indoor air, whether you’re stuck inside an office all day or can’t open the windows to ventilate your home. These solutions are super easy and very green.

All plants clean the air by filtering our carbon dioxide and giving us oxygen (nice, those little plant friends!), but just as important, plants can make a huge difference in the health of our indoor air. Using plants to help improve the air quality is called phytoremediation.

Check out these 6 perennial houseplants that clean indoor air. These little green things can improve the quality of air in your home or office, and bring along calm, beauty, and improved creative energy to your space.

6 Perennial Houseplants that Clean Indoor Air

1. Spider Plants

According to Vibrant Wellness Journal, spider plants are, “a grass-like perennial in the lily family and [are] especially popular with beginners. It’s easy to grow and propagate and is very tolerant of neglect. Spider plants are among the best indoor plants for reducing formaldehyde.” Since some people (ahem, myself) have a hard time remembering to water plants, this seems like a great solution.

2. Gerbera Daisy

These are beautiful, almost cartoon-like colorful daisies that look great when in bloom, but are also beautiful leafy plants without flowers. Best of all, this widely available and easy to grow plant is effective in removing both benzene and trichloroethylene from the air. Pretty flowers plus cleaner indoor air? A WIN! Gerberas may bloom repeatedly with one flower at a time, but the greens will continue to grow throughout the year while indoors.

3. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a triple win: aloe is very helpful at improving indoor air quality, it is a pretty plant that’s super easy to grow, and it’s medicinally beneficial. As a desert plant, aloe requires very little care, but works hard to remove benzene from the air. Benzene is released from paints and cleaning products. Keep aloe in a sunny spot, and be careful not to over-water. Be aware, some cats love this plant and might try to play with it!

4. Ferns

Frilly and fun, ferns can be a great addition to your houseplant collection. These relatively low-maintenance plants bring a happy dose of green to all rooms. Ferns are notable for removing formaldehyde from surrounding air better than almost all other plants. Some ferns need full light, while others can do with medium bright light. Ferns range from fine and frilly to large and funky. Find your favorite fern for the room size and lighting conditions, and be sure to watch for leaf dropping or browning, which might mean you need to brush up on your care routine.

5. Peace Lily

Another pretty plant that helps us breathe better air. This is a larger-size plant that can make your living spaces much more green and healthy. NASA says this humble plant can improve your indoor air quality by as much as 60 percent, as it helps reduce mold spores and can absorb vapors from acetone. The Peace Lily has lovely white flower and dark green, broad leaves.

6. Golden Pothos

This pretty and easy to grow plant is one of the few green things I’ve been able to keep alive in my home. Both of my plants were dug up from the forests outside Honolulu, and they have thrived over the years with minimal effort and in various conditions (outside, on a covered porch, and now indoors all the time. They grow prolifically, and periodically I trim them to keep their tendrils off the desk! This lovely green helps remove formaldehyde from the air.

All plant images from Shutterstock.

This article originally appeared at: http://greenlivingideas.com/2015/03/26/perennial-houseplants-that-clean-indoor-air/.

February 28, 2017
Advocates Petition FDA: Remove Neurotoxin from Hairdye

WASHINGTON — A group of public health advocates today announced that the Food and Drug Administration will consider removing its approval of lead acetate in hair dyes such as Grecian Formula. The group filed a joint petition that requires FDA to revisit a 1980 decision allowing the neurotoxin and carcinogen to remain in hair dye. Lead acetate is the active ingredient that slowly darkens grey hair when used every few days.

“An FDA ban on lead acetate is long overdue,” said Tina Sigurdson, EWG assistant general counsel. “Lead acetate can expose people to lead, which has been linked to serious health problems like developmental, reproductive and organ system toxicity, as well as cancer. It’s unconscionable that this potent neurotoxin is still used in a handful of men’s hair dye formulas. Lead acetate already has been banned in Canada and the European Union. It’s time for the U.S. to take action.”

“We now know that lead is more dangerous, especially to children, and skin absorption is a more significant route than FDA thought in 1980,” said Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at Environmental Defense Fund. “We also have evidence that when the dye is applied, lead spreads widely in the immediate environment. This puts more people, including children, at risk of unknowingly ingesting it.”

“Government agencies at all levels are making great strides in reducing exposures to lead from legacy sources like paint, old water pipes and other uses long-since banned,” said Howard Mielke of Tulane University School of Medicine. “The fact that FDA continues to allow a dangerous toxicant like lead acetate in consumer hair coloring products is shocking. Our petition would force FDA to get the lead out of cosmetics being sold, haphazardly used by consumers, and stored in home medical cabinets. The FDA action will bring its regulation into the 21st Century.”

“Lead poisoning is not a problem of the past, and we will continue to damage our future and our children’s future if we do not commit to removing all sources of lead from our products, air and water,” said Eve Gartner, litigator in the Healthy Communities Program at Earthjustice, where she heads efforts to protect human health from toxic chemicals. “It is unacceptable that as we struggle to remove lead contamination in our water supplies and old homes, we still allow lead in home-use hair dyes that many people apply by hand on a daily basis. The FDA must take action now to protect people from this continued source of exposure to lead.”

“Nearly twenty years ago, CEH action created strict rules to protect California consumers from lead acetate in hair dyes. It is long past time for FDA to take action to protect all Americans by banning this unnecessary and toxic ingredient,” said Caroline Cox, research director at Center for Environmental Health.

In 1980, the FDA approved lead acetate as a repeated use hair dye with minimal restrictions, including a warning label and a restriction that it only be used on the scalp and not facial hair. The levels of lead in the product are allowed to be as high as 6000 ppm. Three years earlier, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale of household paint containing more than 600 ppm of lead.

The petitioners cited major advances in science since the 1980 FDA decision allowed lead to remain in hair dye. The petition cites a study showing lead contamination from the hair dyes—especially on surfaces touched after using the hair dye like blow-dryers, combs and faucets.

The study found these surfaces had up to 2,804 micrograms of lead per square foot. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency said that more than 40 micrograms of lead per square foot on the floor posed a hazard to children.

Dr. Maricel Maffini, an expert consultant to EDF, said that “The risk from an innocent mistake is real: one user who didn’t realize it should not be used on the beard lost feeling in his hands and feet after only seven months. He did not return to normal for a year.”

While use of lead acetate remains common in the United States, it is prohibited in Canada and in the European Union.

The petition was filed by Environmental Working Group, Environmental Defense Fund, Earthjustice, Center for Environmental Health, Healthy Homes Collaborative, Health Justice Project of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Breast Cancer Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Improving Kids’ Environment, Consumers Union and Howard Mielke.

Under the law, the agency must make a final decision within 180 days. If the petition is approved, the ban would be effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register.

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Reporters also may contact Keith Gaby at the Environmental Defense Fund: TEL (202) 572-3336

This article originally appeared at: http://www.ewg.org/release/advocates-petition-fda-bar-toxic-lead-compound-hair-dyes.

February 27, 2017
New CDC Research: Mercury IS NOT SAFE
The CDC study, Alkyl Mercury-Induced Toxicity: Multiple Mechanisms of Action, appeared last month in the journal, Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. The 45-page meta-review of relevant science examines the various ways that mercury harms the human body. Its authors, John F. Risher, PhD, and Pamela Tucker, MD, are researchers in the CDC’s Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

“This scientific paper is the one of most important pieces of research to come out of the CDC in a decade,” Paul Thomas, M.D., a Dartmouth-trained pediatrician who has been practicing medicine for 30 years, said. “It confirms what so many already suspected: that public health officials have been making a terrible mistake in recommending that we expose babies and pregnant women to this neurotoxin. I regret to say that I gave these shots to children. The CDC led us all to believe that it was perfectly safe.”

Among the findings of the CDC’s new study:
- Methylmercury, the highly-regulated neurotoxin found in fish, and ethylmercury (found in medical products, including influenza and tetanus vaccines, ear drops and nasal sprays) are similarly toxic to humans. Methylmercury and ethylmercury share common chemical properties, and both significantly disrupt central nervous system development and function.
- Thimerosal is extremely toxic at very low exposures and is more damaging than methylmercury in some studies. For example, ethylmercury is even more destructive to the mitochondria in cells than methylmercury.
- The ethylmercury in thimerosal does not leave the body quickly as the CDC once claimed, but is metabolized into highly neurotoxic forms.
The revolutionary conclusions of the new CDC study actually reflect decades of work by mainstream independent scientists outside the agency. A rich scientific literature that emerged from accidental poisoning events has consistently documented—despite CDC’s official claims—that ethylmercury and methylmercury are equally toxic.

– See more at: https://worldmercuryproject.org/new-cdc-research-debunks-agencys-assertion-mercury-vaccines-safe/#sthash.UWTug0on.dpuf
February 27, 2017