Unlock Autism

Although in it’s too early, this Autism Fever and the Brain research is very promising and holds a lot of hope for Autism sufferers.

ScienceDaily (Apr. 2, 2009) – Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.

The central tenet of the theory, published in the March issue of Brain Research Reviews, is that autism is a developmental disorder caused by impaired regulation of the locus coeruleus, a bundle of neurons in the brain stem that processes sensory signals from all areas of the body.

The new theory stems from decades of anecdotal observations that some autistic children seem to improve when they have a fever, only to regress when the fever ebbs. A 2007 study in the journal Pediatrics took a more rigorous look at fever and autism, observing autistic children during and after fever episodes and comparing their behavior with autistic children who didn’t have fevers. This study documented that autistic children experience behavior changes during fever.

“On a positive note, we are talking about a brain region that is not irrevocably altered. It gives us hope that, with novel therapies, we will eventually be able to help people with autism,” says theory co-author Mark F. Mehler, M.D., chairman of neurology and director of the Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration at Einstein.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It usually appears during the first three years of life. Autism is called a “spectrum disorder” since it affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. It is estimated that one in every 150 American children has some degree of autism.

Einstein researchers contend that scientific evidence directly points to the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic (LC-NA) system as being involved in autism. “The LC-NA system is the only brain system involved both in producing fever and controlling behavior,” says co-author Dominick P. Purpura, M.D., dean emeritus and distinguished professor of neuroscience at Einstein.

The locus coeruleus has widespread connections to brain regions that process sensory information. It secretes most of the brain’s noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in arousal mechanisms, such as the “fight or flight” response. It is also involved in a variety of complex behaviors, such as attentional focusing (the ability to concentrate attention on environmental cues relevant to the task in hand, or to switch attention from one task to another). Poor attentional focusing is a defining characteristic of autism.

“What is unique about the locus coeruleus is that it activates almost all higher-order brain centers that are involved in complex cognitive tasks,” says Dr. Mehler.

Drs. Purpura and Mehler hypothesize that in autism, the LC-NA system is dysregulated by the interplay of environment, genetic, and epigenetic factors (chemical substances both within as well as outside the genome that regulate the expression of genes). They believe that stress plays a central role in dysregulation of the LC-NA system, especially in the latter stages of prenatal development when the fetal brain is particularly vulnerable.

As evidence, the researchers point to a 2008 study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, that found a higher incidence of autism among children whose mothers had been exposed to hurricanes and tropical storms during pregnancy. Maternal exposure to severe storms at mid-gestation resulted in the highest prevalence of autism.

Drs. Purpura and Mehler believe that, in autistic children, fever stimulates the LC-NA system, temporarily restoring its normal regulatory function. “This could not happen if autism was caused by a lesion or some structural abnormality of the brain,” says Dr. Purpura.

“This gives us hope that we will eventually be able to do something for people with autism,” he adds.

The researchers do not advocate fever therapy (fever induced by artificial means), which would be an overly broad, and perhaps even dangerous, remedy. Instead, they say, the future of autism treatment probably lies in drugs that selectively target certain types of noradrenergic brain receptors or, more likely, in epigenetic therapies targeting genes of the LC-NA system.

“If the locus coeruleus is impaired in autism, it is probably because tens or hundreds, maybe even thousands, of genes are dysregulated in subtle and complex ways,” says Dr. Mehler. “The only way you can reverse this process is with epigenetic therapies, which, we are beginning to learn, have the ability to coordinate very large integrated gene networks.”

“The message here is one of hope but also one of caution,” Dr. Mehler adds. “You can’t take a complex neuropsychiatric disease that has escaped our understanding for 50 years and in one fell swoop have a therapy that is going to reverse it – that’s folly. On the other hand, we now have clues to the neurobiology, the genetics, and the epigenetics of autism. To move forward, we need to invest more money in basic science to look at the genome and the epigenome in a more focused way.”

Science Daily is an excellent site for Autism related research, support them so they can support us..

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Can leaching plastics be involved with the rise in Autism? In m y view ABSOLUTELY! These days everything which was once housed in glass is now in plastic. Plastic water bottles embossed with company logo’s straight from the  capital of lead poisining – China, fill almost every corporate portfolio of chatzke giveaways. Its time to rid ourselves of plastics and go back to glass. Rep Charles Schumer of NY has just recently proposed a ban of BPA’s in any baby product, at least someone is aware and doing something about it!
BPA or Bisphenol A is Everywhere – Are We Safe?
BPA otherwise known as Bisphenol A is a compound widely used in the manufacture of plastics and epoxy resins. This
industrial chemical has created quite a stir since 2007 and is still a subject of intense controversy. BPA can be found
in plastics around us and is in the products that we use every day, from DVDs to eyeglasses to mobile phones.
Normally, BPA is harmless, that is, until it gets in contact with food and drinks and leaches out. According to
a report of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), “the primary
source of exposure to BPA for most people is through the diet…BPA in food and beverages accounts for the majority
of daily human exposure.”

However, not all plastics contain BPA. Plastics are categorized into 7 types according to the recycling process
and the classification codes are located at the bottom of plastic containers. According to NTP, only plastic no. 7,
designated as “other” contains BPA. Incidentally there are other organizations which report that BPA is also found in
plastic no. 3.

Some of the adverse effects that BPA may cause include the following:

BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that mimics the neurotoxic properties of the hormone estrogen.
According to the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) of the Association of Occupational and
Environmental Clinics (AOEC). “BPA has been associated with increases in developmental disorders of the brain and
nervous system in animals. These developmental disorders in animals are like problems such as ADHD (attention deficit
hyper-reactivity disorder) in humans.”

PEHSU reports that “BPA may cause changes in cells in breasts, the uterus, and the prostate which can increase
risk of cancers.” The September 2008 report of NTP suggests that BPA exposure may be linked to prostate and brain
cancer.

The NTP report also says that BPA can cause behavioral problems in fetuses, infants and children. It can induce
early onset of puberty in girls and can cause reproductive disorders.

High BPA levels have been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

It comes as no surprise that these findings have generated a strong anti-BPA movement worldwide. To understand the
controversy behind BPA, let’s look at some of the events that have occurred in the last two years.

March 2007. A class action lawsuit was filed against baby bottle manufacturers on behalf of Californian babies who
may have been adversely affected by BPA.

November 2007. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati published an article in Toxicology Letters
(online edition) reporting that BPA is leaching out of the polycarbonate bottles popularly used as drinking bottles.
This report led to Nalgene plastic bottles taken off the shelves in Canada.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested infant formulas for BPA and detected BPA in some of the most
popular brands. When questioned, 4 out of the top 5 companies admitted using BPA in their packaging.

January 2008. The National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
published a paper which reported that BPA was detected in the urine of 92.6% of 2,517 participants during the
2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES).

April 2008. Canada announced its plans to ban
BPA-containing bottles. The US FDA established an
agency-wide BPA task force to facilitate cross-agency
review of current research and new information on BPA for
all FDA regulated products.

May 2008. In a health call, “leaders of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce threatened to subpoena the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for records the agency used in
determining that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) was safe
for use in making infant formula liners and other products
intended for infants and children”, according to a report
in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

July 2008. The European Food Safety Authority’s AFC Panel
declared that human exposure to BPA is too low to cause any
real harm. According to the panel’s report, the human body
rapidly metabolises and eliminates BPA out of the body.
September 3, 2008

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) issued a report on
BPA, expressing the following concerns: – “some concern”
for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in
fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures
to BPA. – “minimal concern” for effects on the mammary
gland and an earlier age for puberty for females, in
fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures
to BPA. – “negligible concern” that exposure of pregnant
women to BPA will result in fetal or neonatal mortality,
birth defects, or reduced birth weight and growth in their
offspring. – “negligible concern” that exposure to BPA will
cause reproductive effects in non-occupationally exposed
adults and “minimal concern” for workers exposed to higher
levels – in occupational settings. “Some concern”
represents a midpoint in a 5-point scale of concern, with
“serious concern” as the highest and “negligible concern”
as the lowest.

September 2008. Researchers at the University of Exeter
(UK) re-examined the previously mentioned NHNES BPA urine
data. They found that high levels of BPA in the urine were
associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular
disorders, diabetes, and kidney problems. The BPA
Subcommittee of the Science Board to the US FDA met on
September 16, 2008 to discuss BPA assessment.

October 2008. Two studies reported research results in mice
exposed to BPA. One study reported that pregnant mice
exposed to BPA suffered from altered the cellular structure
of the breasts. A second study showed that female mice’s
exposure to low-dose BPA during fetal life or adulthood
caused alterations in maternal behaviour.

Researchers at University of Cincinnati report that BPA is
linked to chemotherapy resistance. The study demonstrated
that “BPA does not increase cancer cell proliferation like
DES [cancer-promoting compound called diethylstilbestrol]
does. It’s actually acting by protecting existing cancer
cells from dying in response to anti-cancer drugs, making
chemotherapy significantly less effective.”

The Canadian government announced the drafting of
regulations that will prohibit the import, sale and
advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles that contain BPA.

Based on a review by a subcommittee, the US Food and Drug
Administration (US FDA) stated that “consumers should know
that, based on all available evidence, the present
consensus among regulatory agencies in the United States,
Canada, Europe, and Japan is that current levels of
exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an
immediate health risk to the general population, including
infants and babies.” In addition, the US FDA thinks the
Canadian restrictions on BPA are “out of an abundance of
caution.”

January 2009. The US FDA and Health Canada’s Health
Products and Food Branch hosted a meeting of
representatives of U.S and Canadian manufacturers and users
of food packaging materials containing BPA. They discussed
what is to be done to help minimize the levels of BPA in
food. The meeting was also part of FDA’s efforts to assist
the manufacturing industry in its voluntary BPA reduction
efforts.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from BPA?

Recommendations from PEHSU – Avoid plastics with symbol # 3
(PVC or polyvinyl), symbol # 6 (PS or polystyrene foam) and
symbol #. Do not microwave food/beverages in plastic. Do
not microwave or heat plastic cling wraps. Do not place
plastics in the dishwasher. If using hard polycarbonate
plastics (water bottles/baby bottles/sippy cups), do not
use for warm/hot liquids. Use safe alternatives such as
glass or polyethylene plastic (symbol #1). Avoid canned
foods when possible (BPA may be used in can linings). Look
for labels on products that say “phthalate-free” or
“BPA-free”.

Recommendations from the Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI): Avoid plastic containers made of
polycarbonate. Any bottle or container made of
polycarbonate has the recycling No. 7 on the bottom. When
possible, prepare or store food—especially hot foods
and liquids—in glass, porcelain, or stainless steel
dishes or containers. If you have polycarbonate plastic
food containers, don’t microwave them. The plastic is more
likely to break down and release BPA when it’s repeatedly
heated to high temperatures. Don’t wash polycarbonate
plastic containers in the dishwasher. The detergent may
break down the plastic, which could release BPA. Use infant
formula bottles that are made of glass or BPA-free plastic.
BornFree (newbornfree.com) is one of many companies that
make them. When you can, replace canned foods with foods
that are fresh, frozen, or packaged in aseptic
(shelf-stable) boxes. At least one manufacturer—Eden
Foods—lines its cans with a BPA alternative made from
plant extracts. A good alternative to polycarbonate is
polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), which has the recycling
No. 1 on the bottom. Avoid older versions of Delton dental
sealant…Most dental sealants are free of BPA. However,
older Delton sealants contain a compound that breaks down
into BPA, mostly during the first day after it comes into
contact with saliva.

—————————————————-
The article BPA or Bisphenol A is Everywhere – Are We Safe?
may be found in it’s entirety with references and links on
http://HealthWorldNet.com .

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I believe it is safe to say this could work with any kid who loves Spidey, not just a person with Autism.

BANGKOK (AFP) – A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday.

Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of attending his first day at school, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, a police sergeant told AFP.

Despite teachers’ efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son’s love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.

The rescuer dashed back to his fire station and made a quick change into a Spider-Man costume before returning to the boy, he said.

“I told him Spider-Man is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you and I told him to walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous,” Somchai told local television.

The young boy immediately stood up and walked into his rescuer’s arms, police said.

Somchai said he keeps the Spider-Man costume and an outfit of Japanese television character Ultraman at the station in order to liven up school fire drills.

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Just saw this report, could vaccines be the great dead end towards finding a cure? It seems an awful lot of money has been spent and many pointing fingers..

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A special U.S. court ruled against three families on Thursday who claimed vaccines caused their children’s autism.

The Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceeding ruled against the parents of Michelle Cedillo, Colten Snyder and William Yates Hazlehurst, who had claimed that a measles, mumps and rubella vaccines had combined with other vaccine ingredients to damage the three children.

“I conclude that the petitioners have not demonstrated that they are entitled to an award on Michelle’s behalf,” Special Master George Hastings, a former tax claims expert at the Department of Justice, wrote in the Cedillo ruling.

The families sought payment under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault system that has a $2.5 billion fund built up from a 75-cent-per-dose tax on vaccines.

No judges but instead three “special masters” heard the three test cases representing thousand of other petitioners.

They asked whether a combination vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, plus a mercury-containing preservative called thimerosal, caused the children’s symptoms.

Read More here

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Casein Free Gluten Free Recipes

These recipes are a great resource to help adhering to a strict diet and some variation to taste can be made to the ingredients depending on what the diet requires.
TOP- Before doing anything. Please consult with your child’s healthcare provider before making any dietary changes. This information is not to be taken as medical advice.

Banana Bread

1/4 cup rice milk
6 tablespoon safflower oil
6 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 5 medium bananas)
1 1/2 cups rice flour (I used 3/4 cup brown rice flour and 3/4 cup white rice flour– Blending the 2 flours give a nice consistency)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoon roasted grain beverage powder ( You may use rice protein instead)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup walnuts ( Raisins can be used for those with a nut allergy)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a loaf pan or cake pan and dust with flour.
Put the rice milk, oil, maple syrup, and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth.
In a large bowl , whisk the flour, beverage powder (or rice protein) baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
Add banana mixture and combine, using few strokes as possible. Do not over mix.
Fold in walnuts or raisins).
Scrape into pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Macaroni & Cheese
2 tablespoons butter ( You can use ghee–clarified casein free butter)
2 tablespoons flour (You can use gluten free pantry’s all-purpose baking flour mix)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup rice milk
Dash of onion powder to taste
Butternut squash

You’ll also need gluten-free elbow macaroni noodles

Cut up butternut squash and cook by boiling in water.
While butternut squash is cooking begin basic white sauce.
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.
Blend in flour and salt, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat.  Stir in the milk and onion powder; return to heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until thickened.
Once butternut squash is cooked. Drain it and mash it.  Then add the squash to the thick white sauce.  The more squash you add the more yellow it gets. Just keep adding until you get the color you want.
Pour the yellow sauce over cooked brown rice elbow macaroni and there you’ll have
macaroni and cheese (WITHOUT THE CHEESE!)
Pumpkin Waffles

2 eggs (Or use egg replacer or guar gum)
1 3/4 cups rice milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups gluten free pantry all purpose baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat waffle iron.  In blender jar combine rice milk, pumpkin, oil and eggs.  Blend at mix about 10 seconds.  Add  remaining ingredients.  Blend at mix about 60 seconds, scrape sides of blender jar every 20 seconds.   Be sure to spray the waffle iron well and bake in hot waffle iron until waffles are golden brown about 3 to 5 minutes.  May be served with maple syrup.

Portuguese Soup

Olive oil
Garlic
Onions
Stew beef (or short ribs)
Black pepper
Potatoes
1 big can Kidney beans
1 big can Cannelli beans
Carrots (optional)
Kale (can buy kale in pre cut bags)
Water (or for a really nice flavor use chicken stock)

There is no science to this soup.  Just layer each ingredient into
the pot beginning with the beef. Put desired amounts of ingredients into the pot and let everything cook down till the flavors gel together.  Soup tastes better the next day.
You can add a can of split pea soup to this same recipe for a really nice flavor (green or yellow split pea is fine).

Gluten Free White Bread
(You will need a Bread Machine to make this.  We use the Breadman and this comes out delicious–almost better than the real thing!)

2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch flour
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 package of dry active yeast
3 large eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup milk substitute (rice or potato milk)
3/4 cup warm water

Follow instructions of your bread machine for baking details.

Tapioca Pudding
DELICIOUS!!

3 cups Organic Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Organic Granulated Tapioca
1/8 tsp. cardamom or cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

In a saucepan, simmer the ingredients (except for the vanilla and sugar).  Cook for 10 minutes, stir often until tapioca is completely transparent.  Remove from heat, add sugar and vanilla until completely blended.  Set aside to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature in individual bowl.  You can top with fresh fruit such as berries or bananas.

Casein Free Ice Cream

Approx. 1 cup of Frozen Bananas
Approx. 1/2 cup coconut milk
Add any frozen or thawed fruit of choice to add more flavor
Dash of sugar (optional)
** This is a flexible recipe that is not set in stone.  You can get as creative as you like–but the key is to use frozen bananas as your ice base.

In a food processor, add bananas and blend at a low speed.  Slowly pour in coconut milk until desired texture and consistency is reached.  You can also add more frozen fruit such as strawberries.  Final result should be a thick, creamy, delicious ice cream treat!

Disclaimer: The information and postings on this site are presented for support and educational purposes only.  The information supplied on this page is believed to be reliable but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  UnlockAutism.com and AutismKey.com, its owner(s) and/ or webmaster(s) will not be held liable for any adverse actions or events related (directly or indirectly) to the information and/or recipes provided herein.  IN OTHER WORDS, USE THESE RECIPES AT YOUR OWN RISK AND ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR CHILD’S HEALTHCARE PROVIDER!

Source – A great resource site – AutismKey.com

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The Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance will hold a Public Hearing regarding the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 10am to discuss the management of Autism in New York State with specific attention to early diagnosis and intervention. The meeting will be held in Chancellor’s Hall in the State Education Building at 89 Washington Avenue (use the entrance on Hawk Street) in Albany.

During the hearing, testimony will be presented to evaluate programs and treatment options that already exist in this state for children with ASD, as well as evaluating what can be done to improve their living standards and assist families and caregivers with their many burdens, including financial, of dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

This is the perfect opportunity for our community to demonstrate to the NYS Assembly that the autism community is dedicated to these issues – enough to show up in the winter cold and at holiday time – it’s just that important!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1) DRIVE TO ALBANY! This is a great chance for our community to demonstrate how important this issue is moving forward with our physical presence.  Please plan on attending.  We want to PACK THE ROOM!

2)  FORWARD THIS EMAIL FAR AND WIDE! Again, we want to pack the room so send this to anyone that you think could attend: neighbors, coworkers, family members, your child’s therapists!

3) REGISTER TO STAY INFORMED! If you haven’t signed up already, please visit the Autism Votes website and sign up to receive action alerts as we move forward on autism insurance reform in the state of New York!

Thank you for your help in this effort,

Your New York State Chapter Advocacy Chairs:

Jim Fahey, CAC – All New York State
NewYorkCAC@autismspeaks.org

Julie Rotunno, CAC – New York City
NYCCAC@autismspeaks.org

Julie Buick, CAC – Rochester
RochesterCAC@autismspeaks.org

Sharan DePalma, CAC – Westchester
WestchesterCAC@autismspeaks.org

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Taking care of our selves is just as important as taking care of our loved ones.

This company also has a full line of Digestive Enzyme products which may have good results on leaky gut.

Contact them here.

Stress in Our Diets

Currently, the Average American eats 133 POUNDS OF SUGAR each year; 75 years ago, the Average American ate only 7 pounds of sugar a year! Sugar is toxic to the body, accelerates aging, depletes the body of B vitamins and minerals, and can lead to heart disease, cancer, hypoglycemia, and diabetes.  An incredible 80% OF CARBOHYDRATES consumed by Americans are in the form of refined flours and sugars.
Only 9% of the population eats the recommended five servings of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.
Americans eat 230 MORE CALORIES PER DAY than they did just 15 years ago. Our diet consists of refined foods. Increasing our consumption of nutrient-depleted foods means we have an even higher requirement for the vitamins and minerals needed to metabolize them.
Many people eat non-foods like MSG, saccharine, NutraSweet, Splenda, artificial colorants and flavors that put stress on our systems.
Almost all foods have pesticides, chemical dioxins, and fluorides that come into our bodies each day. Most fast-food hamburgers have been shown to contain traces of OVER 100 PESTICIDES.
Most meats have antibiotic, hormone, and chemical residues that have toxic effects on our bodies.
Our foods are contaminated with phthalates from plastic wraps, styrofoam, tupperware, and non stick coatings from frying pans, that enter and damage our system.
Even the common practice of microwaving in plastic containers contaminates our food with toxins.
Vitamin B2 is one of the nutrients used by the body to support optimal thyroid function. An astonishing 5 million US adults suffer from Hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid that slows the metabolism); most people go undiagnosed and do not even know they have it.
More than 10% OF CALORIES consumed in America come from ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. Alcohol in large quantities is detrimental to the liver, and it depletes B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium.
Prescription and over-the-counter medications can deplete nutrients and create deficiencies.
Birth control pills create B6 deficiencies and increase the need for B6 beyond what the diet can supply.
Those who exercise regularly have a much higher need for antioxidants and minerals.
Currently, millions of Americans are dieting and need supplements just to meet minimal nutrient requirements. Dieting increases free radical production, so more antioxidants are needed to support the health of the liver and other organs whose normal function can sometimes be compromised during weight loss.

Stress in Our Environment

An optimal selection of healthy whole foods does not give us enough antioxidants to defend ourselves against toxic chemicals and gases we absorb from office equipment, cigarette smoke, smog, and alcohol.
The average person is exposed to more than 500 CHEMICALS in the home environment and 700 CHEMICALS in drinking water that are known to deplete many nutrients.
Research has verified that routine application of organophosphate fertilizers over the past 50 years has decreased the calcium content of conventionally grown broccoli to ONE-SIXTH (17%) what it was in the 1950’s.

Even if we are drinking purified water, most of us shower in water that is full of chemicals, or sit in chemical filled jacuzzis or swimming pools, which enter our system every day.

Our clothes, mattresses, and sheets are full of chemicals, flame retardants, preservatives, and anti-fungals which enter our bodies through the skin.

Our air is full of carbon monoxide, petrochemicals, lead, mercury, plastic fumes, etc. which enter our bodies when we breathe.

The excess of cultural and environmental stressors we face daily produce free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that trigger oxidative damage by accelerating aging and quickening disease. In order to neutralize free radical damage caused by different stressors, our livers are burdened with the task of detoxification, a process which requires additional nutrients above the RDA recommended daily amounts.

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