Green Health Spot

Love and Autism

 A recent small study was released this week about the use of oxytocin administered as a nasal spray to autistic children. Evidentally, oxytocin, a hormone that is produced in large amounts during labor and delivery helps autistic children be more social and affectionate toward others. One major symptom of autism is that the children do not seem to acknowledge the presence of others around them and are not apt to engage in normal play with kids or adults. Instead these children play in their own world by themselves without the typical engaging with their surroundings.

The results of this study interestingly parallels some observations I've noticed over the years treating autistic children. First, a subset of the children that are dignosed autistic either have had difficult labors that didn't progress and ended up ultimately with a c-section. Or the birth was scheduled as a c-section for other reasons. The pitocin that is commonly given during labor to help labor progress is a synthetic chemical form of oxytocin. Oxytocin is usually released by the body in short-lasting bursts to help during labor, breast feeding and even during orgasm. Oxytocin leads to a reduced sense of anxiety, feelings of safety, contentment and calming. All of which, are problems in autistic children. These children tend to be irritable, have difficulty calming down to sleep, are hyperactive and are easily upset. Is it possible that during the birthing and labor process these chemicals given to moms are affecting the babies brains and future development? Or are these children just low on their own ability to produce oxytocin?

Of course, autism remains a diagnosis of symptoms, not cause. So there is no one blood test that allows us to diagnose autism. Autism treatment responds best in children by first removing all foods, chemicals and toxins that impact liver detoxification. Cleaning up the digestive system and improving immunity is the next step followed by assessing for heavy metals. The one thing I know to be true in autistic children is that they have major difficulty with detoxification of everyday chemicals and foods. Because these children are so sensitive and so many things affect the development of the nervous system. The good thing to this new research is not that we necessarily need to give our autistic children high doses of oxytocin but to know that there are chemical and hormonal imbalances in these children that need to be addressed. Autism is treatable, please remember this.

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Is ADD Caused by Your Child's Environment?

Attention Deficit Disorder is a problem with many children. New research indicates that common household products may be related to your child's ability to focus in school.  Most parents don't realize that their kids are being exposed to various chemicals daily in their home and school. If your child has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, there are a few things to consider before you ask the pediatrician to prescribe Ritalin or the like. Phthlates, a additive to plastics to allow plastics to become softer and more flexible have been implicated in ADD in children. The phthlates are disrupting normal hormone synthesis and transmission leading to neurological toxicity or ADD. Phthlates are a fat soluable toxin which has also been implicated in the development of diabetes. 

So let's think about this....if phthlates are in molded plastics and soft plastic things like vinyl or flexible plastic toys you can imagine that your child has been exposed to a lot of phthlates in the short amount of time that they have been around. Also, since phthlates are fat soluble molecules the exposure to them can easily be stored in our fat cells and one of the biggest repositories of fat in your body is your brain. Apparently, mothers who test high in phthlates while pregnant will have children who score worse in aggression, attention and conduct than those children whose mother's had low levels of phthlates. 

If you are like me and was born in the 60's when the use of plastics was just starting to get integrated into everything we eat, drink and put on our skin. When I was a kid, Coke came in glass bottles or aluminim cans. Now even our water bottles are plastic. So not only is ADD and ADHD being diagnosed at record levels, so too is autism (something almost unheard of 25 years ago) and childhood obesity. 

No we can't blame it all on phthlates but it's a start to keep your kids healthy in the future. Remember that food colorings have also been implicated in ADD/ADHD so if your child is predisposed to have attention or focus problems, cutting out the Skittles and M&M's would be another step in the right direction. Lastly, I've found that many children in my practice who have temperment issues and frequent meltdowns or who deal with anger issues are vitamin B12 deficient. Particularly the methyl form of B12 injections can benefit them. Usually in these cases oral B12 supplements don't seem to work well. The most common form of B12 injections is in a cyano form meaning that the binder is bound to cyanide rather than methyl groups. The methy B12 is MUST more effective in children with temperment problems. A trial injection will give you a hint on whether or not this may be helpful for your child. Methyl B12 needs to be compounded by a pharmacy and are usually given in very small syringes with a very thin needle and is virtually painless. 

Parents can check their beauty products, skin products for chemical contamination on the Environmental Working Group's website.  The Cosmetic Safety Database is an invaluable resource for choosing healthier products for our kids.  Try and choose products that are 5 or less on the toxicity scale, preferably 3 or less.

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Gut Bacteria and Breast Health: Is There a Link?

Gut Bacteria and Breast Health: Is There a Link?

This article above agrees with much of what I've been telling my patients for years. Women with frequent use of antibiotics have a much higher risk of developing breast cancer. I am certain this also applies to men and their risk for breast or prostate cancer. Initially, there seems to be little relationship between the digestive system and your breasts (or prostate). However, beneficial bacteria known as probiotics in the digestive system have many responsibilities in your continuing health including metabolizing estrogens and helping your body eliminating the excess. Additionally, these friendly bugs help bolster your immune system, reduce inflammation, activate enzymes, prevent yeast overgrowth and help your body absorb vital nutrients. Frequent use of antibiotics, steroids like prednisone, drinking tap water containing chlorine or chloramine, eating a low fiber diet all contribute to compromised probiotic levels in the digestive system.

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kim chee, miso and other naturally fermented foods are helpful in keeping adequate amounts of probiotics around in the digestive system. Always, after any antibiotic use I recommend a month of replenishment of a potent mix of prebiotics and probiotics to help prevent yeast, and assist in keeping your protective enzymes up in the digestive system. My favorite supplement for this is HMF Replete. I recommend it for 4 weeks, one packet per day after use of antibiotics. Also, it's always great to take an occasional packet every once in awhile to keep  your digestive system balanced and efficient at doing what it does best, which is to eliminate what your body no longer needs. Not all probiotics are created equal. In my practice, where I test patients for bacterial overgrowth in the digestive system and the adequacy of probiotic protection in their digestive system, many people are astounded that they've faithfully taken their over the counter probiotics for years only to find out that they don't culture successfully out of the digestive system. Meaning that the probiotics they've believed to be protective all these years were actually either dead or minimally useful.

Probiotics are living things, they are optimally refrigerated and the dose on the side of the package should be rated at expiration date rather than production date. Keeping your gut healthy and ensuring your digestive system is working smoothly and effectively is one step toward reducing your risk of breast cancer as well as other hormonally related cancers such as uterine, prostate and ovarian cancers.

Further Reading:

5 Easy Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer

What is a Normal Bowel Movement?

Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer and Acne: How are they related?

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Will You Develop Cancer in the Future?

 Over 90% of illness are caused by preventable means, so says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). So too, whether or not you will be developing cancer in the future has almost everything to do with your environment. This was reported by the New England Journal of Medicine after a study of almost 45,000 sets of twins. Who gets cancer and who doesn't? It all depends on you and what you choose to put in your mouth, what you inhale, what exposures you have in your work, home and hobbies. It depends on whether you smoke, drink diet sodas, eat a lot of ham, salami or bologna. It depends on whether or not you smoke, eat lots of tuna, microwave in plastic or live in low sun locations. Do you wear your bra over 8 hours a day? Do you have constipation? Do you eat eggs, dairy, and cheese ladened with hormones and antibiotics. Do you take antibiotics every year? Do you exercise? Are you overweight? Are you anxious or depressed? Do you drink a large amount of alcohol, even occasionally? 

If your answer to any of these questions is "yes" then you can help improve your future health and cancer risk by eliminating your health risks. It's true at first glance everything seems to cause cancer and is there really anything we can do about it? Haven't we all heard about those people who live a pristine life yet still get cancer? In the past few years as I treat and recover more and more autistic children who are so very sensitive to their environment and detoxing their small bodies, I learn that the environment has a huge effect on our bodies as well. It just doesn't show up in adults quickly as it does in little children. In adults, environmental toxins show up in our bodies first as fatigue, immune problems, anxiety and depression, thyroid and adrenal problems, blood sugar problems etc. Then eventually after the body has been worn down from the environmental toxins we see cancer as a possible outcome. 

Of course my work here is to try to get you to understand some of the things you can do to reduce your risk. Knowledge is power, my friends. Do your genes matter? Well, to a certain extent but it is FAR outweighed by what you choose to do every day. The air you breathe, water you drink and food you eat all make a far greater impact. 

Start now! Make a commitment every day or every week to take one step closer to ridding your home, office and hobbies of problematic, cancer causing chemicals. Change out foods with food coloring, additives, and preservatives with those that are organic or contain none. Choose make-up with no lead in your lipstick or mercury in your mascara. Choose your healthiest foods without hormones and antibiotics. Avoid antibiotics when you can, there are almost always herbal alterntatives that are just as effective and do not destroy all your immune defenses. Commit yourself to a medication free, dark leafy greens rich life. Learn to love fiber, eliminate sugars, sodas and embrace water. Eliminate the GMO (genetically modified) corns, soys and other grains from your diet. Replace your teflon pans and cookware. Replace your plastic bottles with BPA free choices. Take action now, one step at a time and your future can be a wonderful and healthy one.

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